Spring clip for holding garments

United States Patent [m

Mortensen et al.

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US005499431A [ii] Patent Number: 5,499,431 [45] Date of Patent: Mar. 19, 1996

5,440,791 8/1995 Guio 24/543

Primary Examiner—Victor N. Sakran
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Thomas D. Wilhelm

[57] ABSTRACT

This invention pertains to spring clip garment holders for holding garments, especially small garments such as pairs of socks, while the garments are being processed. In the rest position, the clip generally has a "U-shaped" configuration, including a bight and a pair of legs extending from the bight. The legs have upper sections extending toward each other, and lower sections extending away from each other, and the legs reside in surfaces which preferably intersect at an angle of no more than about 20 degrees. At least one of the legs includes a lock, such as a lock slot, for locking the legs together. In use, the spring clip garment holder is compressed, creating an opening for receiving a garment, and providing clearance for one leg to pass the other, thereby crossing one leg over the other. The compression is released after the garment is inserted into the opening, with the legs still crossed. Resilient restorative forces in the legs and bight urge the closing of the opening against the garment, thus holding the garment, and urge the facing surfaces of the legs against each other, thereby securing the locking of the legs together in the locks provided. The leg lock is thus engaged, providing secure holding of the garments while the garments are being processed.

36 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets

SPRING CLIP FOR HOLDING GARMENTS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to holding garments such as a pair of socks while the garments are being processed, as in conventional laundry equipment to prevent members of the pair from being separated while being e.g. laundered and dried.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Socks are worn in pairs. When the socks are laundered or otherwise processed, the individual socks that constitute a pair can, and often do, become separated. Sometimes they become lost. At best, it is time-consuming to match up the individual socks from the several pairs which were washed. The potential for mismatching individual socks, and losing individual socks generally increases with the number of pairs being processed.

It is an object of this invention to provide an easily-used holder for holding a pair of socks in an opening by a perimeter line of compression about the socks while the socks are being laundered or otherwise processed.

It is another object to provide a single piece, springloaded socks holder.

It is still another object to provide such a holder having an operative lock on a leg, for locking the legs together when the opening holds a pair of socks.

It is yet another object to provide a holder having locking elements on both legs, and wherein the locking elements on the legs cooperate in locking the legs together, to thereby hold the socks in the opening.

It is further an object to provide a holder wherein the legs have cooperating lock slots, preferably with undercut ends on at least one of the lock slots, such that an outer surface on one of the legs engages an undercut end of the corresponding lock slot on the opposing leg.

Finally, it is an object to provide a hook on one of the legs, as a back-up lock mechanism to prevent uncrossing of the legs in the event the lock at the lock slots is breached before the user undertakes to disengage, and thus uncross, the legs, or otherwise enlarge the opening holding the socks.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Some of the objects are obtained in a spring clip for holding one or more garments while the garments are being processed. The spring clip comprises a length of elongated material, such as a rod or wire, having resilient spring-like restorative properties such that the elongated material tolerates significant bending deformation without exceeding the corresponding elastic limit of the material. When the spring clip is in the rest position, the length of elongated material comprises first and second legs extending from a bight, the first and second legs having corresponding first and second upper sections, the upper sections extending toward each other and terminating in corresponding first and second elbows. The first leg has a first lower section extending from the first elbow. The second leg has a second lower section extending from the second elbow. The first and second lower sections extend away from each other, and when at rest, reside in corresponding first and second surfaces, which intersect at an angle of no more than about 20 degrees, with the lower section of the first leg comprising a lock for locking the first leg to the second leg.

It is preferred that the lock comprise a lock slot in the first lower section of the first leg, for-receiving and locking the first lower section of the first leg with the second lower section of the second leg.

It is also preferred that the lock slot have at least a first undercut end, preferably opposing first and second undercut ends, whereby, when the second leg is engaged in the lock slot of the first leg, a first undercut surface on an undercut end engages a second surface on the second leg.

In other embodiments, the first leg comprises a lower end, and the lock comprises a hook on the lower end of the first leg.

In some embodiments, the hook comprises a first lock, and the spring clip further includes, as a second lock, a lock slot in the first lower section of the first leg, for receiving the second lower section of the second leg, and locking the second lower section of the second leg to the first lower section of the first leg.

The spring clip can include one or more second leg lock slots on the lower section of the second leg, configured to cooperate with the lock slot and/or a hook on the first leg.

The second leg lock slot can comprise one or more undercut ends whereby, when the first leg is engaged in a corresponding one of the second leg lock slots, a first undercut surface on the corresponding one of the first undercut ends on the second leg lock slot engages a second surface on the first leg.

In some embodiments, the lock slots on both first and second legs have undercut ends whereby, when the lock slot on the first leg is engaged in a corresponding one of the second leg lock slots, an outer surface on one of the first and second legs engages an undercut surface on a the lock slot on the other of the first and second legs.

With the spring clip in the rest position, the lock slots on either leg typically face away from the second lower section of the opposing leg.

The invention further comprehends a method of holding one or more garments in a spring clip garment holder while the garments are being processed. The spring clip garment holder includes a length of elongated material having resilient spring-like restorative properties such that the elongated material tolerates significant bending deformation without exceeding the corresponding elastic limit of the material. When the spring clip is in the rest position, the length of elongated material comprises first and second legs extending from a bight, the first and second legs having corresponding first and second upper sections, the upper sections extending toward each other and terminating in corresponding first and second elbows. The first leg has a first lower section extending from the first elbow and terminating at a first end. The second leg has a second lower section extending from the second elbow and terminating at a second end. The first and second lower sections extend away from each other, and when at rest, reside in corresponding first and second surfaces which intersect at an angle of no more than about 20 degrees. The first lower section of the first leg comprises a lock for locking the first leg to the second leg.

Given the instantly above recited structure, the method of the invention comprises compressing the spring clip garment holder such that one of the first and second leg ends can pass the other leg, and whereby the first and second elbows move away from each other, creating an opening for receiving a garment thereinto; placing a garment in the Opening created at the elbows; passing the respective leg end past the corresponding other of the first and second legs such that the lower first and second sections of the legs are crossed;