Clip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9086084-B2
Application number	US-201113811797-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2011
Priority date	Jul 27, 2010
Publication date	Jul 21, 2015
Grant date	Jul 21, 2015

Abstract

A clip includes a pin; and a grommet including an insertion hole where the pin can be inserted, and forming a plurality of leg pieces by a slit provided in a length direction of a leg portion. In the clip, the grommet can spread portions by inserting the pin into the insertion hole. A prevention portion, which prevents a foreign matter such as gravel and the like from entering in, is provided at least in either one of the pin or the grommet (for example, the pin). The prevention portion may be positioned in one portion of an insertion leg of the pin, or positioned in one portion of the leg piece of the grommet, or provided to extend along a length direction of the slit from a lower surface of a flange of the grommet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clip, comprising:
a pin including a central leg;
a grommet including an insertion hole to insert the pin, and a leg portion having a plurality of leg pieces and slits provided in a length direction of the leg portion to split the leg portion into the plurality of leg pieces, the plurality of leg pieces spreading outwardly by inserting the pin into the insertion hole; and
a prevention portion formed on the central leg, the prevention portion including central blade portions protruding axially outwardly from the central leg to have an H shape in a cross-section perpendicular to a length direction of the central leg and being arranged such that the central blade portions cover the slits between the plurality of leg pieces from outsides thereof,
wherein when the pin is fully inserted, the central blade portions are located outside the slits between the plurality of leg pieces and fully cover the slits to prevent a foreign matter from entering in the slits.

2. A clip according to claim 1 , wherein each of the central blade portions is positioned at an outer side portion of the central leg of the pin, and extends along a length direction of each of the slits.

3. A clip according to claim 1 , wherein each of the central blade portions is a wall portion which is provided at an outer side portion of the central leg and extends along the central leg of the pin.

4. A clip according to claim 1 , wherein the central leg includes abutting portions respectively contacting with inner peripheral surfaces of the plurality of leg pieces of the grommet.

5. A clip according to claim 1 , wherein inner peripheral surfaces of the plurality of leg pieces of the grommet and outer peripheral surfaces of the central leg of the pin abutting against the inner peripheral surfaces, are line-contacted along the length direction of the leg portion, respectively.

6. A clip according to claim 5 , wherein each of the inner peripheral surfaces of the plurality of leg pieces of the grommet is a flat surface, and each of the outer peripheral surfaces of the central leg of the pin is a protruding surface protruding toward the flat surface.

7. A clip according to claim 1 , wherein the pin includes abutting portions protruding outwardly from the central leg to contact inner peripheral surfaces of the plurality of leg pieces, and when the abutting portions contact the inner peripheral surfaces of the plurality of leg pieces, the central blade portions cover the slits from the outsides thereof.

8. A clip according to claim 7 , wherein the central blade portions are arranged on two sides of each of the abutting portions, respectively.

9. A clip according to claim 8 , wherein the prevention portion further includes end blade portions protruding circumferentially outwardly from the central leg to have an H shape with the central leg in the cross-section thereof and arranged on a portion axially deviated from the central blade portions.

10. A clip according to claim 9 , wherein the central blade portions are positioned at a middle portion in the length direction of the central leg, and the end blade portions are positioned at an end portion in the length direction of the central leg.

11. A clip according to claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of leg pieces includes a locking claw projecting inwardly from an inner surface thereof and arranged on a lower end portion thereof, and the central leg includes a locking groove arranged on a lower portion thereof; and the locking claw fits into the locking groove at a portion between the central blade portions and between the end blade portions.

12. A clip, comprising:
a pin including an insertion leg having an abutting portion at one end thereof, and a blade portion protruding outwardly therefrom and arranged at an outside of the abutting portion; and
a grommet including an insertion hole to insert the pin, and a leg portion having a plurality of leg pieces and slits provided in a length direction of the leg portion to split the leg portion into the plurality of leg pieces, the slits being covered by the blade portion from outsides thereof, and inner peripheral surfaces of the plurality of leg pieces contacting the abutting portion to spread the plurality of leg pieces outwardly when inserting the pin into the insertion hole;
wherein the insertion leg has a thickness perpendicular to a width and an insertion direction of the insertion leg, and the blade portion has a width greater than the thickness of the insertion leg such that when the pin is fully inserted, the blade portion is located outside the slits between the plurality of leg pieces and fully covers the slits to prevent a foreign matter from entering in the slits.

13. A clip according to claim 12 , wherein the blade portion includes a central blade portion protruding axially from a middle portion of the insertion leg and an end blade portion protruding axially from one end portion of the insertion leg.

14. A clip according to claim 13 , wherein the central and end blade portions are formed on each side of the insertion leg.

15. A clip according to claim 1 , wherein the central leg has a length, a width perpendicular to a direction of the length and a thickness perpendicular to the length and the width to form in a plate shape; and
the central blade portions are arranged on two outer portions of the central leg in the direction of the length of the central leg, and a width between the central blade portions, in a direction of the thickness of the central leg, is greater than that of each of the slits between the plurality of leg pieces to cover the slits from the outsides thereof.

16. A clip according to claim 15 , wherein the central leg has two side portions in the direction of the width thereof, and abutting portions are respectively formed on the two side portions of the central leg;
the central blade portions include four blade portions, two blade portions being arranged on each of the two side portions of the central leg.

17. A clip according to claim 16 , wherein the prevention portion further includes end blade portions having four blade portions, two blade portions protruding circumferentially outwardly from each of the two side portions of the central leg in the direction of the thickness thereof.

18. A clip according to claim 12 , wherein the insertion leg has the width perpendicular to the direction of the thickness thereof to form in a plate shape; and the blade portion is arranged on two outer portions of the insertion leg in a direction of the length of the insertion leg, and has the width in the direction of the thickness of the insertion leg greater than that of each of the slits between the plurality of leg pieces to cover the outsides of the slits.

Assignees

• Watanabe Yasuhiro
• Nifco Inc

Inventors

• Watanabe Yasuhiro

Classifications

• F16B19/002

  Resiliently deformable pins (F16B21/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16B19/1081

  fastened by a drive-pin (F16B19/109 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T24/45262

  Pin, post and receiver · CPC title

• F16B19/008 Primary

  with sealing means · CPC title

• F16B19/10 Primary

  fastened by expanding mechanically · CPC title