Patent Application
20220148465
The present subject matter relates to a clip, and more particularly to a clip for securing a placard to a side or other surface of a vehicle.
A placard having indicia thereon may be secured to a container used to carry or move different products. Such container may be one of an intermediate bulk container, a trailer, railcar, truck, tank (rail or storage), or other vehicle body, a building, or other movable or stationary item. The indicia on the placard may be a sequence of characters specified by a regulatory organization (e.g., the U.S. Department of Transportation, the International Maritime Organization, and the like), that identifies the contents of the container and whether special care needs to be taken during transport or storage of such contents.
Preprinted panels having particular indicia imprinted thereon associated with particular materials and placard frames that hold such panels are commercially available. The placard frame is secured to a container and a preprinted placard is removably inserted or secured to the placard frame to identify the contents of the container. For example, when the container is used to hold first contents, a first preprinted placard associated with the first contents is selected from a plurality of preprinted placards and inserted into the frame. Thereafter, when the container is used to hold second contents, the first preprinted placard is removed from the placard frame and a second preprinted placard associated with the second contents is selected from the plurality of preprinted placards and inserted into the frame.
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Referring also to
It has been found that the design of the prior art clip 24 can be problematic because there exists a possibility of removal of the head portion 36 from the recess 38, and thus the latch 34 may be unintentionally removed from the base 32. This can occur when there is separation between one or both of the arm portions 40, 42 and the central portion 44 and a force is applied to the latch 34. Also, this problem may arise more frequently when the resiliency of the arm portions 40, 42 and the central portion 44 lessens after some period of use.
According to one aspect, a placard clip comprises a base having a first base end and first and second base portions extending from the first base end toward a second base end along a first direction. The first base portion has a first lip and the second base portion has a second lip, and the first lip and the second lip extend in opposite directions transverse to the first direction and define a recess therebetween. The placard clip further comprises a latch having a first latch portion disposed at a first latch end wherein the first latch portion is disposed in the recess and wherein the latch includes a second latch portion disposed at a second latch end opposite the first latch end.
According to another aspect a placard clip comprises a base having a first base end and a pair of spaced outer base portions extending from the first base end toward a second base end along a first direction. The base further has a central base portion disposed between the pair of spaced outer base portions and extending along the first direction, wherein each of the pair of spaced outer base portions includes an outboard lip and the central base portion has a central lip, respectively. The outboard lips and the central lip extend in opposite directions transverse to the first direction and define a recess therebetween. A latch having a first latch portion is disposed at a first latch end wherein the first latch portion is disposed in the recess and the latch includes a second latch portion disposed at a second latch end opposite the first latch end.
Other aspects and advantages will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the attached drawings wherein like numerals designate like structures throughout the specification.
The clip 50 includes a base 52 and a latch 54 separate from the base 52 and assembled therewith. The base 52 and/or the latch 54 may be of any suitable design, such as the design(s) shown in the FIGS. In the illustrated embodiment, the latch 54 includes a T-shaped head portion 56 and at least one, and more preferably a pair of spaced side recesses 58, 60 disposed at side locations intermediate first and second ends 62, 64, respectively, of the latch 54. Also in the illustrated embodiment, the recesses 58, 60 are disposed at substantially equal distances between from the first end 62 and are further disposed adjacent the T-shaped head portion 56, although this need not necessarily be the case.
The base 52 includes at least one, and more preferably a pair of spaced outer base portions 66, 68 extending from a first base end 70 toward a second base end 72 along a first or longitudinal direction. The base 52 further includes at least one central base portion 74 disposed between the pair of spaced outer base portions 66, 68 and extending along the first direction from a weakened line 76. Each of the pair of spaced outer base portions 66, 68 includes an outboard lip 80, 82, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the central base portion includes at least one or more, and, more preferably, a pair of spaced inboard side lips 84, 86 disposed at or adjacent a terminal end 87 of the central base portion 74, adjacent the outboard lips 80, 82, respectively. Preferably, although not necessarily, there is a one-to-one correspondence of inboard side lips 84, 86 and the side recesses 58, 60. The outboard lips 80, 82 and the inboard side lips 84, 86 extend generally toward one another in opposite directions transverse to the first direction and define a recess 90 therebetween.
Still further in the illustrated embodiment, the side lips 84, 86 extend into the side recesses 58, 60 when the T-shaped head portion 56 is inserted into the recess 90 when the latch 54 is assembled with the base 52. The lips 84, 86 preferably have a shape or shapes (such as curved or piecewise linear) and the side recesses 58, 60 are of a size to permit movement of the lips 84, 86 into and out of the side recesses 58, 60 as the latch 54 is moved between a closed position (seen in
As can be seen in
As shown in
It may be noted that the base 52 may include a greater or lesser number of outer base portions and a greater or lesser number of central base portions, a greater or lesser number of inboard and/or outboard lips, etc. Also, as illustrated by a comparison of
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar references in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the disclosure and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the disclosure unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosure.
Numerous modifications to the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure.
