Banister clip

Abstract

A banister clip has a single elongated plastic or metal flexible body having a first arc-like portion and a second arc-like portion. The first arc-like portion extends along a path of from 270° to 320° about a center point and has a first end and a second end. The second arc-like portion extends from the center point of the first arc-like portion to the first end of the first arc-like portion. A hook is attached to the second end of the first arc-like portion. The elongated body is sufficiently flexible to be unraveled and fitted over a banister.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a clip for hanging decorative lights and other things from a railing or banister.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

During the holidays people often place Christmas lights on railings or banisters outside or inside their houses. Some will intertwine decorative strings of lights around the railing. Others will use string, tape or wire ties to attach the string of decorative lights to the railing. Although there have been U-shaped plastic clips designed for holding strings of lights to the eaves of a house, such as the clip disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,926 to Reynolds, these clips generally do not work on most banisters. Some railings or banisters have a simple rectangular cross section. A U-shaped clip can be used on these. Other rails are round. U-shaped clips do not work well on round railings. Many other railings have more complex cross sectional shapes involving multiple curves along the perimeter of the rail. Banisters and railings do not come in a single standard width. They can range from having a width of about ½ inch to as much as 3 to 4 inches. Because of these variations U-shaped clips are not suitable for hanging objects on most banisters.

Another type of clip for holding strings of decorative lights on branches is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,656 to Protz. This clip forms a keyhole shape in which the larger opening receives a branch and the lower opening holds the cord of a string of decorative lights. A slot is provided near the intersection of the upper portion which defines the larger opening and the lower portion which defines the smaller opening. The upper portion is sufficiently flexible so that pulling on the upper portion near the slot widens the opening allowing the clip to slip over a branch or be removed from a branch. Such pulling tends to concentrate the stress in a single location or region on the upper portion. If pulled too far the upper portion will break at that stress region. While the hanger disclosed by Protz could be used on some banisters, its use is limited to banisters whose width is not larger than the diameter of the opening defined by the upper portion of the clip.

Yet, another type of clip for displaying ornamental objects is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,848,660 to Jackson. This clip has a hook portion and a holding portion. The holding portion forms an arc that extends over about 165°. The hook is attached to one end of that arc. Like the branch clip, one pulls the free end of the holding portion while holding the hook so that the holding portion can be opened and slipped over a banister. Pulling the end of the holding portion tends to concentrate stress at a single location or region on the holding portion. Breakage will occur at that location if the end is pulled too far. This clip can only fit on a limited range of banisters whose width is not much greater than the diameter of the holding portion.

S-shaped hooks and hooks having spiral ends have also been used for hanging holiday decorations. An example of a hook with a spiral end can be found in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,192 for an Apparatus for Hanging Cords From a Gutter or the Like. These hooks have not been sold for use on banisters. Although one could make a hook having a spiral end which is large enough to be unraveled to fit on a banister, I have found that such a hook will not hold on some banister shapes. Unraveling, or attempting to unravel, a spiral hook concentrates stress at certain regions along the path of the spiral which can result in breakage. The shape of the spiral causes more bending to occur in those high stress regions as one pulls on the ends of the spiral.

Because of the wide variety of widths and shapes of railings and banisters, no single clip known in the art could be used on the wide range of the banisters and railings which can be found in houses today. Consequently, there is a need for a banister clip which can be attached to and will hold on the wide variety of railings and banisters in use today.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

I provide a banister clip which has a single elongated plastic or metal flexible body. This body has two arc portions each of which correspond to a circle of different diameters of the larger arc. The smaller arc extends from the center of the larger arc over about 180°. Then the smaller arc is attached to one end of the larger arc which extends over a path of 270° to 320°. A hook is attached to the opposite end of the first arc. The body is sufficiently flexible to enable that portion to be unraveled and fit over a banister. The hook preferably also has a spiral-like shape. However, a J-hook or even an eye hook could be used. To place the clip over a banister the body is unraveled such that the gap between the hook and the opposite end of the banister clip is wide enough to enable the body to fit over the banister. When the clip is released the body tends to flex toward its original position holding the banister clip securely on the banister.

Other objects advantages of the banister clip of the present invention will become apparent from certain preferred embodiments shown in the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the present preferred embodiment of my banister clip.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the banister clip shown in FIG. 1 placed on a generally circular banister.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the clip shown in FIG. 1 placed on a banister having a more complex shape whose width is greater than its height.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the clip shown in FIG. 1 placed on a generally rectangular banister or railing.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the banister clip shown in FIG. 1 placed on a banister having a cross section similar to that shown in FIG. 3, but much narrower.

FIG. 6 is a side view similar to FIG. 5 showing with the clip positioned in a different location on the same banister.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the banister clip shown in FIG. 1 showing an optional added arc portion and sleeve or washer in dotted line.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present preferred embodiment of my banister clip 1 is shown in a relaxed position in FIG. 1. The banister clip is comprised of an elongated ribbon-shaped body 3 having two distinct segments or portions formed by a first arc portion and a second arc portion. The first arc portion extends along a path about a center point indicted by cross 6. The first arc lies between dotted line 4 and dotted line 7 in FIG. 1 and extends over a distance of about 285° about that center point. One could make the arc portion to extend over from 270° to 320°. A path less than 270° would create an opening between the hook and the second arc which is too big for many uses. An arc greater than 320° will not provide room for the second arc portion. Hence, one end of the first arc portion is at line 7 and the second end of the first arc portion is at line 4. The second arc portion extends from the center point 6 of the first arc portion to the first end of the first arc portion at line 7. A hook 2 is attached to the second end of the first arc portion. The hook 2 is preferably a spiral shape and is sized to receive the cord of a decorative light string or other object. One could use a J-hook, slot, hole, or even an eye hook. The preferred hook will be sized and configured to hold a light socket or cord on a string of decorative lights. In the present preferred embodiment of my banister clip, the elongated body 3 has a linear length of 7⅜ inches from the point indicated by dotted line 4 to the distal end 5 of the clip. The diameter of the circle containing the first arc is about 2 inches and the diameter of the circle containing the second arc is about 1 inch. The body is sufficiently flexible that the elongated body can be unraveled to fit around a wide variety of banisters. Typically, the body 3 and hook 2 will be a unitary structure with both parts being made simultaneously.

A spiral is defined as a curve on a plane that winds around a fixed center at a continuously increasing or decreasing distance from the point. An arc is a segment of a circle. The elongated body 3 may appear to some to be a spiral but it is not. The path defined by the elongated body 3 moves away from a fixed point 6, but is not continuously increasing or decreasing in a distance from that point as a spiral would. Basically, the elongated body 3 is formed by two arcs or two arc-like shapes.

Referring to FIG. 2, the banister clip is positioned around a banister 10 having a substantially circular cross-section. To place the hook over this banister one unravels the body 3 to enable the distal end 5 of the banister clip to be positioned so that the inside surface of the clip abuts the surface of the banister. Then, the clip is simply wrapped around the banister to the position shown in FIG. 2. In operation, the end 5 of the clip may rest on either a side of the banister as in FIG. 2 or on the flattened bottom of most banisters as shown in FIG. 5.

The banister clip is preferably made of polypropylene, but could be made of other plastics such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plastic or polycarbonate. Even metals having a memory could be used. I prefer that the clip have a width of ⅜ inch. However, a narrower or wider width could be selected. The width and depth, or cross-section of the body may vary according to the material from which the elongated body is made.

It is well-known that plastic shrinks as it cools. This shrinkage may result in the endpoint of the smaller arc not being in the precise mathematical center of the larger arc. Consequently, the center of the larger arc, as the phrase is used herein, should be understood to encompass a region about the mathematical center of that arc. The size of that region corresponds to the shrinkage of the plastic being used. If for the size clip being made, shrinkage could cause the end of the second arc to move 0.025 inches, then the center would encompass a circle having a radius of 0.025 inches. Such shrinkage could result in some change of shape in the arc portions of the body such that there is not a perfect arc in the finished product. One may also choose to provide a flat portion, bumps, notches, or other surface irregularities on the inside surface or outside surface of the elongated body to improve gripping, or for decorative or other purposes. If these features are added the portion of the elongated body to which the feature or features have been added may not look like a true arc. Nevertheless, the elongated body will still have two distinct portions. Thus, by accident or design changes appropriate to specific uses, the two portions of the elongated body may intentionally or unintentionally be arc-like, rather than true arcs in accordance with the mathematical definition. Accordingly, the term arc-like portion as used to describe the clip here disclosed should be understood to encompass all such variations in the shapes of the two portions of the elongated body 3.

In FIG. 3 the banister clip is shown over a banister 14 having a more complex shape. The top of the banister is flat whereas the edges have a radius of almost 180°, and then turn outward toward the base of the banister. When this clip is positioned over the banister the distal end 5 abuts the outside surface of one side of the banister 14. The clip 1 extends over the top and around the opposite side of the banister 14. One may provide a bump 11 shown in chain-line in FIG. 3 on the inside surface of the smaller arc portion of the elongated body to improve gripping. Turning to FIG. 4 the banister clip has been positioned over a railing 12 having a generally rectangular shape. The banister clip is attached in a similar way. One unravels the body 3 so that the distal end 5 is sufficiently separated from the hook 2 to enable the banister clip to be placed over the banister 12. When the ends are released, the body seeks to return to its original position such that the outside surface of the rests against the banister as shown in FIG. 3. Optionally, one may provide bumps 13, shown in dotted line in FIG. 4 on the outside surface of the elongated body to improve gripping. Yet another option is to make the outside surface of the elongated body 3 between the bumps 13 flat rather than curved. One can also see from FIG. 3 that the clip could be placed on a 2×6 or 2×10 board or similar planar structure in the same manner as the clip has been placed on the banister 14.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a banister 16 having a cross-section similar to the banister 14 in FIG. 3, but being much narrower in width. For this banister the clip 1 can be positioned as in FIG. 5 so that the distal end 5 is against the bottom of the banister 14 with the hook 2 being at one side. Alternatively, the clip can be positioned as shown in FIG. 6. There the distal end 5 is against the side of the banister 16 and the hook extends below the banister.

It should be apparent from FIGS. 2 through 6 that the present banister clip will securely fit over a wide variety of banister shapes. This is accomplished by providing an elongated body formed by two arcs which can unravel to fit over and around the banister.

The unraveling of the arcs generates both stretching and compression along the length of the body. Because the first arc has a greater radius than the second arc, the portion of the body 3 defined by the first arc is more flexible than the portion of the body defined by the second arc. This larger diameter provides maximum flex of the larger arc portion of the body distributing the stress along the length of that portion as the clip is opened for placement on a banister. The stresses are not concentrated in one region or point as occurs in the clips of the prior art. The smaller diameter in the second arc portion makes that section of the body stiffer providing a tighter grip at the end of the body. As a result the clip body can be opened to fit on nearly every banister shape that can be found in most houses today. The body will also open to fit over a 2″ by 6″ railing. Depending on the resin used, the thickness of the plastic is such that it allows for even, easy bending all along the surface of the elongated body. This helps the entire length of the body to act as a spring. In polypropylene, I prefer to use a thickness between 0.10 and 0.125 inches, though other thicknesses will work, depending on the width of the part. If desired the thickness of the smaller arc portion can be greater than the thickness of the larger arc portion to provided greater stiffness in the smaller arc portion. If one chooses to make the elongated body such that the smaller arc portion is thicker than the larger arc portion, then a transition region, rather than an abrupt change in thickness, should be provided between the two thicknesses.

Referring to FIG. 7 one can provide a smaller third arc portion 9 shown in chain line at the distal end 5 of the elongated body. This smaller arc portion will enable the clip to hold smaller diameter objects in the region defined by that smaller arc. One could substitute other structures for smaller arc 9 such as a rod or plate to increase the holding ability or versatility of the clip. Such a rod or plate would press against the surface of a banister of the type shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and prevent or inhibit the clip from rocking from side to side when placed on the banister. One could also provide a soft washer or sleeve 15 on the elongated body to improve gripping. This sleeve may be positioned in the locations where the optional bumps 11, 13 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 or other desired location on the elongated body. The washer or sleeve has the advantage that unlike the bumps the sleeve can be positioned by the user at any desired location. A disadvantage of the washer or sleeve is that it is a separate part that must be placed on the body 3 by the user or manufacturer.

The clip here disclosed was developed for use on banisters. However, the clip could be used on other structures. For example, one could size the clip to fit on grave markers to hold a flag or flowers. The clip could be attached over the edge of a wall, shutter, or any other planar structure having a width greater than the opening defined by the body of the clip. That opening is expanded by unraveling the body to place the clip over the selected structure. The length of the body in the clip must be long enough to span the width of the edge over which the clip is placed. That length should be at least six inches.

Although I have described and shown certain present preferred embodiments of my banister clip it should be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A banister clip comprised of:

an elongated body comprised of a first arc-like portion and a second arc-like portion, the first arc-like portion extending-along a path of at least 270° about a center point and having a first end and a second end, the second arc-like portion extending from the center point of the first arc-like portion to the first end of the first arc-like portion, the elongated body being sufficiently flexible to be unraveled and fitted over a banister; and

a hook attached to the second end of the first arc-like portion.

2. The banister clip of claim 1 wherein the hook has an arcuate shape.

3. The banister clip of claim 1 wherein the elongated body has a length of at least 7⅜ inches.

4. The banister clip of claim 1 wherein first arc-like portion covers a path of between 285° and 320°.

5. The banister clip of claim 1 wherein the elongated body is polycarbonate, ABS or polypropylene.

6. The banister clip of claim 1 wherein the hook is configured to hold a light socket on a string of decorative lights.

7. The banister clip of claim 1 also comprising a support structure on the second arc-like portion.

8. The banister clip of claim 7 wherein the support structure is a third arc-like portion, rod, plate, bump, flat portion or notch.

9. A clip for holding objects on a planar structure comprised of:

an elongated body comprised of a first arc-like portion and a second arc-like portion, the first arc-like portion extending along a path of at least 270° about a center point and having a first end and a second end, the second arc-like portion extending from the center point of the first arc-like portion to the first end of the first arc-like portion, the elongated body being sufficiently flexible to be unraveled and fitted over an edge of a planar structure; and

a hook attached to the second end of the first arc-like portion.

10. The clip of claim 9 wherein the hook has an arcuate shape.

11. The clip of claim 9 wherein the elongated body has a length of at least 6 inches.

12. The clip of claim 9 wherein first arc-like portion covers a path of between 285° and 320°.

13. The clip of claim 9 wherein the elongated body is polycarbonate, ABS or polypropylene.

14. The clip of claim 9 wherein the hook is configured to hold at least one of a light socket on a string of decorative lights, a cord on a string of decorative lights, a flag and flowers.

15. The clip of claim 9 also comprising a support structure attached to the second arc-like portion.

16. The clip of claim 15 wherein the support structure is a third arc-like portion, rod, plate, bump, flat portion or notch.