Plastic clip

Abstract

A molded plastic hanger and a clip for use therewith or with other members. The hanger includes a body portion having a diverging pair of arms including slots therein and a crossbar for mounting garment holding clips. A plastic swivel hook is connected to the body portion at a stem. The stem includes a shaft having an annular locking recess in its periphery which is adapted to be received within a mating socket of the hook to connect the hook and body portion to each other while enabling them to be swiveled readily with respect to each other. The clip is arranged for securement to the crossbar of the hanger or to any other rod-like element and is formed of a three piece construction comprising a pair of plastic jaws and a resilient U-shaped member, also formed of plastic, but having a higher tensile strength and resiliency than the plastic of the jaws.

We claim: 
     
       1. A clip arranged for ready assembly and releasable securement on a rod-like element of a first predetermined diameter and having a longitudinal axis, said clip comprising a pair of jaws formed of a first plastic material and resilient bias means formed of polycarbonate and having higher tensile strength and resiliency than said first material, each of said jaws being a generally planar member and comprising an elongated first end portion defining a finger grasping opening, an intermediate portion, and a second end portion including a projection extending at an angle to the plane of said jaw member, said intermediate portion including an arcuate recess therein for close receipt of a portion of the periphery of said rod-like element when said clip is assembled thereon, said bias means being a generally U-shaped member having a pair of outwardly flared legs each terminating in a free end and an arcuate intermediate portion defining a recess having a first predetermined diameter, the free ends of said bias means being spaced apart by a distance greater than the diameter of said recess to enable said bias means to be readily secured to said jaws, with each of said legs overlying and engaging a respective one of said jaws adjacent said intermediate portion and with the recess in said arcuate portion coacting with the recess in each of said jaws to form a substantially circular opening closely receiving a portion of said rod-like member therein to complete the assembly of said clip by holding said jaws on said rod-like member and whereupon said clip can be readily slid therealong and pivoted thereabout with said rod-like element acting as a fulcrum. 
     
     
       2. The clip of claim 1 wherein said intermediate portion includes an inclined surface terminating in a locking recess and wherein each leg of said bias means includes an enlarged free end which is arranged to slide along said surface and into said recess to facilitate the assembly of said clip. 
     
     
       3. The clip of claim 1 wherein each of said jaws is in the form of a planar loop. 
     
     
       4. The clip of claim 1 wherein said first plastic material is polypropylene. 
     
     
       5. The clip of claim 4 wherein said rod-lik element comprises a portion of a garment hanger. 
     
     
       6. The clip of claim 5 wherein said rod-like element is formed of polypropylene. .Iadd. 
     
     
       7.  A clip arranged for ready assembly on a rod-like element of a first predetermined diameter, said clip comprising a pair of jaws formed of a first plastic material and resilient bias means formed of a second plastic material having a higher tensile strength and greater resiliency than said first plastic material, each of said jaws including a generally planar member comprising a first end portion, an intermediate portion, and a second end portion including a projection extending at an angle to the plane of said planar member, said intermediate portion having an outer inclined surface, and said first end portions being movable relative to each other by a user for moving said second end portions relative to each other from a normally closed position to an opened position, said resilient bias means, in an unbiased state thereof, being a generally U-shaped member having a pair of outwardly flared legs each terminating in a free end and an arcuate intermediate portion defining a recess having a first predetermined diameter, the free ends of said bias means being spaced apart by a distance greater than the diameter of said recess, said spaced- apart distance permitting the free ends of the bias means in said unbiased state to engage the inclined outer surfaces of the intermediate portions of the jaws to enable said bias means to be readily manually secured in a biased state to said jaws by sliding said legs along said inclined surfaces into said biased state, each of said legs overlying and engaging a respective one of said jaws adjacent said intermediate portion for holding said jaws together and biasing said second end portions into said normally closed position, said intermediate portion of each of the jaws also including an arcuate recess therein for closely receiving a portion of the periphery of said rod-like element when said resilient bias means is assembled with said jaws, the recess defined by the arcuate intermediate portion of said bias means coacting with the recesses in the intermediate portions of the jaws to form an arcuate opening closely receiving a portion of said rod-like element therein, said first end portions and said second end portions of said jaws being movable relative to each other on an outer peripheral surface of said rod-like element. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 
     
     
       8.  The clip of claim 7 characterized in that said inclined surface of each jaw terminates in a locking recess and wherein each leg of said bias means includes an enlarged free end which is arranged to slide along said surface and into said locking recess to facilitate the assembly of said clip. .Iaddend.