Clip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9528538-B2
Application number	US-201314431631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2013
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A clip couples a first member with a first through-hole, and a second member with a second through-hole. The clip includes a flexible cylindrical portion having a predetermined center axis line, opening two ends, and formed so that a distance from the center axis line to an outside surface is different in a rotational direction around the center axis line. The center axis line is orthogonal to an axis line of the coupling hole, and the cylindrical portion is inserted into a coupling hole rotatably between a first rotational position and a second rotational position around the center axis line. The cylindrical portion is set to have a distance between the center axis line and the outside surface to be loosely fitted in the coupling hole at the first rotational position and to be clamped between hole walls of the coupling hole at the second rotational position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clip for coupling a first member where an erect portion in which a first through-hole is formed is protruded, and a second member where a second through-hole into which the erect portion is inserted to pass through is formed, and coupling a coupling hole defined by the first through-hole passing through the second through-hole and the second member, comprising:
a flexible cylindrical portion having a predetermined center axis line, opening two ends, and formed so that a distance from the center axis line to an outside surface is different in a rotational direction around the center axis line,
wherein the cylindrical portion has the center axis line orthogonal to an axis line of the coupling hole, and is inserted into the coupling hole rotatably between a first rotational position and a second rotational position around the center axis line, and
the cylindrical portion is set to have a distance between the center axis line and the outside surface in such a way as to be loosely fitted in the coupling hole at the first rotational position and to be clamped between hole walls of the coupling hole at the second rotational position.

2. A clip according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical portion has a first length in a first direction orthogonal to the center axis line; has a second length in a second direction orthogonal to the center axis line and having a predetermined angle relative to the first direction; and has a third length in a third direction orthogonal to the center axis line and located between the first direction and the second direction,
when the cylindrical portion is located at the first rotational position, the cylindrical portion faces the hole wall in the first direction,
when the cylindrical portion is located at the second rotational position, the cylindrical portion faces the hole wall in the second direction, and
the second length is longer than the first length, and shorter than the third length.

3. A clip according to claim 2 , wherein the cylindrical portion forms a cross section orthogonal to the center axis line in an approximately parallelogram shape,
the first direction corresponds to a direction wherein a pair of longer sides of the approximately parallelogram shape of the cross section faces each other,
the second direction corresponds to a direction wherein a pair of shorter sides of the approximately parallelogram shape of the cross section faces each other, and
the third direction corresponds to a direction wherein a pair of opposite angles of the approximately parallelogram shape of the cross section faces each other.

4. A clip according to claim 3 , wherein corner portions of the cylindrical portion disposed in the third direction are chamfered.

5. A clip according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical portion is formed so that a length in a direction of the center axis line differs as moving in a rotational direction around the center axis line, and
at the second rotational position, the cylindrical portion is clamped between the hole walls of the coupling hole in the direction of the center axis line.

6. A clip according to claim 5 , wherein the cylindrical portion includes an abutment portion which can surface-contact with a peripheral edge portion of the second through-hole at one end side in a direction of the center axis line.

7. A clip according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical portion includes a locking convex portion protruding to a center axis line side and to an outside of the cylindrical portion from an inside surface thereof, and
the locking convex portion is received in a portion positioned inside the second through-hole of the first through-hole to be rotatable around the center axis line.

8. A clip according to claim 7 , wherein the locking convex portion is provided in a pair at rotational symmetric positions around the center axis line of the cylindrical portion.

9. A clip according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical portion includes a protruding piece protruding in a direction of separating from the center axis line, and
when the cylindrical portion is located at the second rotational position, the protruding piece abuts against an outer edge of the coupling hole.

10. A clip according to claim 1 , wherein the erect portion includes a pair of side poles protruding from the first member; a beam bridging between tips of the pair of side poles; the first through-hole defined by the pair of side poles, the beam, and the first member; and reinforcement walls bridging between the side poles and the first member.

Assignees

• Nifco Inc
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Naoi Hajime
• Inoue Yusuke

Classifications

• F16B5/07

  by means of multiple interengaging protrusions on the surfaces, e.g. hooks, coils, · CPC title

• Y10T24/45105

  for upholstery, panel, trim strip, etc. [e.g., spring biased] · CPC title

• F16B2005/0671

  with unlocking by rotation · CPC title

• F16B5/0642 Primary

  the plates being arranged one on top of the other and in full close contact with each other · CPC title

• Y10T24/309

  Plastic type · CPC title