Linkable clip

Abstract

Clips of this invention are capable of being held by other, like clips and are capable of holding items such as balloons. Hence decorative objects such as latex party balloons can be strung together in various forms by means of their clips. Preferred clips are moulded in a plastics material. Extenders (lacking the means to hold objects) are also included in the invention. Complex assemblies of party balloons can be assembled on these clips and interlinked. Hundreds of balloons can be reversibly assembled in festoons. Distended balloons are attached by their necks, twisted a few times around holding structures on the clips. The open mouths of the necks are intentionally left trapped in tension against the holding structures so that they cannot unravel. No other seals are needed.

Description

FIELD

[0001] This invention relates to a clip for holding items, the clip capable of becoming linked to other items, including other similar clips as in a daisy-chained arrangement, and more particularly the invention relates to linkable clips for use in holding one or more decorative items which may then be assembled into structures.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The invention arose out of a realisation that it is difficult to blow up latex (party) balloons and then link them together in arrays or other structures, generally as part of a decorative activity. In the absence of any aids, people have been tying off the neck of each balloon with a knot, and then to rather slowly make assemblies of very limited size and also restricted configuration; perhaps two to four balloons sharing a common knotted-together neck. Until now, persons wishing to arrange festoons of decorative balloons about a venue have had to tie them together with string, rubber bands, or the like and the process is generally regarded as fiddly and difficult to manage. What if one of the balloons is not as tight as the remainder? It is especially difficult to modify such an arrangement once the balloons have been tied together, yet on many occasions a person will step back and wish to modify an arrangement in progress.

[0003] The immediate problem to be solved is to provide means with which to link a plurality of distended latex (party) balloons in a cluster, so that they can be arranged in a pleasing manner with a minimum of effort. Of course, there are a number of other occasions in daily life where a similar activity of rapidly putting together an assembly of similar items might be involved. Amongst the decorative arts there are florists, show decorators, and the like; in more practical areas there are fishermen, people who feed animals, stage and film set decorators, and the like.

[0004] Previously known balloon clips (such as those described in the patent citations below) are solely dedicated to actually sealing compressed gas within the balloon by forcibly constricting the neck of the balloon. They seal the balloons, but are not also capable of being attached to anything else. It appears that means to arrange already-distended balloons by linking them together in a convenient cluster have not previously been provided.

[0005] Linkable clips (wherein any one clip—of any type—is capable of becoming linked together with another clip) are generally uncommon.

[0006] A review of the patent literature reveals many previous attempts to provide an ideal clip, sometimes with magazines to speedily apply such clips. All those listed below involve a device that locks over the neck of the balloon. None offer clip-to-clip inter-linkages. U.S. Pat. No. 1,201,045 Head provides a metal clip that traps the neck of the balloon within mating parts of the clip. U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,475 Dinger and U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,622 Dinger provide a plastics clip, made of unitary construction able to be cut off an extruded section of a plastic material, for sealing the valve of a balloon or the like. There is no evidence of means for joining these clips with any other thing. U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,103 McGrath et al describes a very similar clip to Dinger though with some internal sculpting of the channel formed at the most bent portion of the clip. U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,038 Morrone has a hinged injection-moulded clip having several pairs of mating catches the broad one of which is intended to trap the balloon neck. U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,178 McGrath provides a magazine for dispensing a series of clips according to his previous patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,103), each clip having with a hinge, locking arms, and an open-ended channel so that a series of balloons can be tied off at speed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,527 Nelson describes a balloon weight and latch assembly for lighter-than-air balloons. U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,709 Suzuki et al provides a device for readily causing clips of the McGrath style to become sealed around the neck of a balloon. Clips surrounding balloon necks are drawn down an increasingly narrowed gap.

OBJECT

[0007] It is an object of this invention to provide a clip capable of assisting in holding items (particularly balloons) together, or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

[0008] In a first broad aspect, the invention provides a clip for use in creating chains, assemblies, or festoons of items, the clip comprising an elongated member having at a first end an engagement means capable of forming a reversible coupling with a complementary engagement means at a second end of a like clip, the clip also being provided, along the length of the elongated member, with at least one engagement means capable of forming a reversible attachment with at least one item.

[0009] In a second broad aspect, the invention provides a linkable clip wherein the linkable clip comprises an elongated member bearing at least one holding structure comprising a branch of the elongated member, the branch being curved back through a substantial fraction of a circle in order to form a throat against a part of the elongated clip and in order to delimit a partially enclosed aperture, the holding structure being capable of holding a neck of a distended balloon in a sealed state, so that the linkable clip can support at least one distended balloon.

[0010] One preferred attachment method is to twist the neck about the holding structure,

[0011] Preferably the linkable clip also includes at least one fully enclosed aperture formed at one end of the elongated member this aperture being capable of receiving a nail wire, or other holder as well as a branch or holding structure of another clip.

[0012] Preferably the number of holding structures is in the range of from one to at least nine.

[0013] More preferably the number of holding structures is in the range of from one to five.

[0014] In a related aspect, the linkable clip is made of a stiff though not rigid (i.e. tough) material.

[0015] In a subsidiary aspect, the linkable clip is made of a plastics material, and preferably the linkable clip is made by an injection moulding process.

[0016] Preferably the moulding process is a simple one-step moulding, though optionally the process may create twisted or bent clips.

[0017] In another subsidiary aspect, the linkable clip is made of a metal; preferably a tough metal capable of resuming its original shape after being deformed.

[0018] In a further subsidiary aspect, the linkable clip may be made by being pressed or stamped from a sheet of raw material. Optionally, edges may be smoothed over.

[0019] In a third broad aspect, the invention provides a method for constructing a display comprised of distended latex (or similar) balloons, the method including the steps of taking a first linkable clip and a selected, distended balloon, holding the balloon by the base of the neck so that the contents cannot escape during the following procedure, wrapping the neck around the side branch of the elongated member of the linkable clip, and catching the open end of the neck against a holder of the linkable clip so that the neck cannot unwrap itself

[0020] A further step comprises the act of repeatedly adding distended balloons to available holders of the linkable clip.

[0021] A yet further step comprises the act of clipping another linkable clip to the linkable clip.

[0022] A still further step comprises the act of attaching at least one linkable clip to a substrate, such as a pole, a wall, or a ceiling.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0023] The description of the invention to be provided herein, and the illustrative drawings, are given purely by way of example and are not to be taken in any way as limiting the scope or extent of the invention.

DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1: An oblique view of a “three-holder” clip according to the invention.

[0025] FIG. 2: A plan view of the clip of FIG. 1.

[0026] FIG. 3: An oblique view of a “five holder” clip according to the invention.

[0027] FIG. 4: An edge view of the clip of FIG. 3.

[0028] FIG. 5: An oblique view of a “one holder” clip according to the invention.

[0029] FIG. 6: A “one holder” clip including an embedded cord.

[0030] FIG. 7: A linked assembly of clips from FIG. 3 and FIG. 5.

[0031] FIG. 8: An earlier version of a linkable clip.

[0032] FIG. 9: Diagram of a method for tying a balloon neck about a clip.

[0033] FIG. 10: Tracing from an image of a method for tying a balloon neck about a clip.

[0034] FIG. 11: Several clips of the FIG. 8 type held together.

[0035] The clips of this invention are intended to be able to hold (1) items to be held, or (2) other clips, or (3) both. FIG. 5 shows a “one-holder” clip. FIG. 1 shows a “three-holder clip”, cable of holding up to three other clips or other items such as balloons. FIG. 3 shows a five-holder example. Any reasonable number of holders can be included in a clip; nine or even more; though we consider the five-holder version to be convenient. A user may snip off any unwanted jaws using a pair of side cutters or scissors.

EXAMPLE 1

[0036] The clip shown in oblique view in FIG. 1 is an injection-moulded shape made of a stiff though bendable (that is, tough but not brittle) plastics material. A typical (example) length for the straight section 101 of FIG. 1 is about 39 mm. A typical cross section is about 2.5 mm square, or an equivalent area in circular profile. Although the profiles shown in the prototype Examples are for items of constant thickness the moulds may be shaped from point to point so that the stiffness of the resulting clips is optimised in relation to material consumed, preferably while retaining the easily releasable attributes of the designs shown.

[0037] Suitable plastics materials are selected from the available range of injection-mouldable polymers currently including polypropylene, ABS, polycarbonate or other blends (alloys) of polymers, as will be well known to one skilled in injection moulding. Fillers and dyes may be used, even fluorescent dyes and phosphors, in order to make the clips more attractive. One requirement of the plastic is that when fabricated in the selected dimensions it is capable of supporting and retaining the load placed on it—ranging from one latex party balloon up to a hundred or more. Each clip should have a controlled amount of flexibility at room temperature so that the holding structures can be loaded easily and the clip then holds on to the item(s) to be held. Extended lifetimes in adverse environments are not usually a requirement, but we prefer to design for re-use up to 8 times or so.

[0038] The presently preferred manufacturing process is injection moulding, although other methods may be applicable such as pressing, stamping, or cutting from a sheet of plastic, (optionally while softened by heat), or any other commercially viable method. The basic clips of the examples described herein can be made extremely cheaply. Dies to make the preferred shapes can be milled simply into a flat surface using a 2.5 mm end mill on a numerically controlled milling machine, or made by spark erosion, or made in any other conventional manner. Then the configured die is used against a flat surface in the moulding machine. (Making a form of clip having a circular-cross section is more complex as it involves use of a mated pair of dies each milled with a ball end cutter). A possibly more useful moulding procedure is one in which part of the clip is formed in a different plane to the remainder—such as bending the closed loop backwards, or twisting it by 90 degrees. Techniques for this are known in the injection moulding arts. Metal clips having similar shapes could be punched from a sheet or made of bent wire on a numerically controlled machine (or by hand) if the added strength or extended durability of metal are required. A post-cutting treatment such as acid etching, or powder coating may be useful in order to round off sharp edges at least for a balloon—related application.

[0039] Reverting to FIG. 1, the clip has a first widened end 103 enclosing a closed circular aperture 102 (typically 3.5 mm diameter), which may be used to hold the clip to another clip, or the clip may be pinned or nailed through the aperture and so fixed onto a surface. (More than one widened end 103 enclosing an aperture 102 may be provided). Alternatively the clip may be tied to a string, wire or the like through the hole and so held in space. Each other “limb” of the clip (104, 107, 112) incompletely encloses a respective aperture, which is like a pair of jaws, capable of opening a little against the resilience of the material, and then closing back again. This construction is termed a “holding structure”. Note that we prefer that at rest these jaws are closely apposed, but not in contact at the throat 109, simply to aid in balloon assembly, but experimentation with the optimum configuration is continuing. Each holding structure is primarily intended to hold a tied, distended latex party balloon (or similar) to the clip (see FIGS. 9 and 10). The item to be held is passed sideways through the gap 109 or 108 or 106, temporarily widening the aperture during entry, and is then held in place. Provision of an elongated entry section or throat (see FIG. 2: 201 or 202) assists in holding the items in place. Some or all of the holding structures can also be used to make linkages with loops 103 of other clips in order to make up chains, complex branching and cross-linked structures with up to thousands of clips, according to the whim of the designer.

[0040] Preferably, any clip-to-clip coupling can be undone later with a small application of force, so that the assembly of clips (with or without attached balloons) can be modified according to a perceived need. Every second clip lies in a plane at right angles to the first because in the moulds used to date we have adopted a simple unidirectional design without twists (as 100 in FIG. 7) or bends. Hence for our initial examples, each clip of a chain of clips will tend to hold one or more balloons in a perpendicular direction to that of the adjoining clip.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a different configuration, having four open jaws (301, 302, 303, and 304) along the shaft 305, and a further jaw at the end farthest from the closed loop 102. The jaws (301, 302, 303, and 304) could all face in the same direction. These examples do not. A user may snip off any unwanted jaws using a pair of side cutters or scissors.

[0042] FIG. 4 is an elevation view 400 of the clip of FIG. 3, confirming the simple, untwisted shape of the basic example clip.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows a simple form of clip 500, primarily intended as an extender. This clip comprises an elongated member (of any length) having an aperture 102 at one widened end 501 capable of receiving a nail, thumb tack, pin, or an open end of another clip (such as the open jaws at 503). The elongated member could be any length—perhaps even a metre—if that can be moulded, or may be substituted (as in FIG. 6) by a moulded-in flexible fibre 601 of any length comprised of (for example) monofilament nylon or polypropylene. It may be an advantage for these long extenders (whether of fibre or of moulded clip material) to be invisible, so black white, or transparent are preferred colours. Of course a person constructing a display could simply tie one end of a length of a string or filament through the loop 103 of any clip.

[0044] FIG. 7 shows how some clips of the type taught by this invention may be joined together to form a linked assembly. (The clip labelled 100 includes a twist).

EXAMPLE 2

[0045] This earlier version of the clip is a plastic item, preferably 55 mm long, 12 mm wide and 2 mm thick. FIG. 8 is a diagram of this version 800 of the clip showing a preferred shape, based on an elongated body 805. In this version we had constructed a separate form of holding structure 803 for balloon gripping as opposed to linking (by 802) to other clips (see FIG. 11 in which 5 clips (800) are shown linked together). An entrance to the gripping section is shown at 804. This version illustrates the variety of jaws that may be provided within the basic structure of the clip in order to hold different articles.

[0046] The functional characteristics of the elongated gap are defined partly by the shape of the clip and also by the physical characteristics (deformability) of the injection moulded plastics used to make the clip. As for the earlier set, the hook shape at 802 comprises either a second site to hold a balloon, or one member of a coupling to join to another linkable clip.

USE OF EXAMPLE 1 AS A BALLOON CLOSURE

[0047] FIGS. 9 and 10 show how the neck of a distended balloon may be tied simply by passing it a few times through the jaws and around a holding structure of a clip, so that the neck becomes an airtight seal. This is an unexpected advantage of the shapes of clips of FIGS. 1-7 and 9-10, and makes the task of a balloon decorator very much simpler. No knotting (the standard practice) nor application of a prior-art closing clip is required. The assembly is fully reversible—unlike a knotted balloon neck—at least until the latex of the balloon has degraded over time.

[0048] FIG. 9 is a diagram 900 including part of a distended balloon 901, and a clip 200. The neck 902 of the balloon is held in a gas-tight way near the body of the balloon with the finger and thumb one hand, and the free end or mouth of the neck 903 is left in a degree of tension pulling against a holding structure hence blocking the tendency of the twisted rubbery neck to unravel, after the neck has been twisted several times around the curved holder under some tension. Then the finger and thumb can be released. The balloon stays in the blown up state for weeks. Note, in relation to sizes, that our sample balloons are supplied with neck orifices about 15 mm in diameter. FIG. 10 is a tracing 1000 from a photograph, including a first clip 200A, a second clip 200, and a distended balloon 901. The mouth 903 is caught around the jaw of a holder and the neck 902 of the balloon is twisted around a holding structure 1001.

VARIATIONS

[0049] Similar clips may be made of plastics or metal in larger sizes and with different holding arrangements for holding other items, such as fishing lures, or hooks, wires and cables (such as an array of ignition wires leading to spark plugs of a petrol engine, or other wiring looms such as within computers), flower stems (for use by florists) or to hold lights. An adaptation of this clip may be used with helium balloons (such as weather balloons) to hold a weight or a payload to the balloon and to close off the neck of the balloon. These clips will be sold in packs of typically 20-50 clips or thereabouts, each pack also including instructions for use.

COMMERCIAL BENEFITS OR ADVANTAGES

[0050] 1. These clips are particularly cheap to make by injection moulding. The plastics material may be selected for biodegradability or ease of recycling.

[0051] 2. These clips are versatile and can be used to support items for a display or may be linked together for use in a variety of ways. It may be that the type shown in FIG. 3 is carried as stock, and converted back to simpler types (like FIG. 2 or FIG. 5) with clippers when an arrangement is being constructed.

[0052] 3. A person assembling a festoon of balloons for a display can put together: a 6-balloon cluster in a minute, a cluster of 20 balloons hanging from the ceiling in 5 minutes, and a five-column pillar of about 80 balloons in 1.5 hours. All are evenly distended and in one trial were arranged in five spiralling rows each of a selected colour. These times are under half the time previously taken to create a similar arrangement.

[0053] 4. The assembly is reversible; for example if a balloon in an array is too big or too small it can be taken off the clip and re-distended, then put back. Linked clips can be unlinked and then replaced in a different configuration.

[0054] 5. The ease of construction, and ability to alter an arrangement of balloons should appeal to children for whom the problems of handling and sealing a distended balloon are non-trivial. Finally, it will be understood that the scope of this invention as described and/or illustrated within this specification is not limited to the preferred embodiments described herein. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A linkable clip characterised in that the linkable clip includes an elongated member bearing at least one holding structure comprising a branch of the elongated member, the branch being bent through a substantial fraction of a circle in order to form a throat against the elongated member and in order to delimit a partially enclosed aperture, the holding structure being capable of releasably holding a neck of a distended balloon, so that the linkable clip can support at least one distended balloon; the linkable clip also including at least one enclosed aperture formed on an extension of the elongated member, the aperture being capable of releasably retaining a branch of the elongated member of another linkable clip.

2. A linkable clip as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the holding structure is capable of maintaining a distended balloon in a sealed state after the neck has been twisted about the holding structure.

3. A linkable chip as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the number of holding structures is in the range of from one to nine.

4. A linkable clip as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the number of holding structures is in the range of from one to five.

5. A linkable clip as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the linkable clip is made of a tough material.

6. A linkable clip as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the linkable clip is made of a plastics material.

7. A linkable clip as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the linkable clip is made of a metal.

8. A die for making a linkable clip as claimed in claim 6 characterised in that the die is adapted for use in an injection moulding process.

9. A die for making a linkable clip as claimed in claim 6 or in claim 7 characterised in that the die is adapted for use in a process of pressing from a sheet of stock material.

10. A method for closing off a distended balloon using a linkable clip, characterised in that the method includes the steps of taking a first linkable clip and the distended balloon, temporarily holding the balloon by the base of the neck so that the contents cannot escape, wrapping the neck around the holding structure of the elongated member of the linkable clip, and catching the open end of the neck against any holding structure of the linkable clip so that the neck cannot unwrap itself.

11. A method for constructing a display comprised of at least one distended balloon supported on a linkable clip as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that the method includes the step of repeatedly adding distended balloons each closed off to further holders of the linkable clip.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the method further includes the step of clipping at least one further linkable clip to the first linkable clip.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that the method further includes the step of adding at least one distended balloon to the at least one further linkable clip.

14. A method as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that the method further includes the step of affixing at least one linkable clip to a supporting substrate.