Clasp mechanism

Abstract

A clasp mechanism having a main body, a keeper arm and a spring, where the keeper arm extends through the main body in an arm cavity. The keeper arm is pivotally attached to said main body to operate in a scissor-like manner. The keeper arm has a mating end which abuts a hook end on the main body to form a closed interior space and an actuating shoulder extending from the main body. The spring maintains the mating end in the closed position abutting the hook end until the actuating shoulder is pressed into the main body by the user.

We claim:  
     
       1. A clasp comprising a main body, a keeper arm and a spring, said main body having a hook end, an arm aperture, a shoulder aperture, and an arm cavity to receive said keeper arm and said spring, said keeper arm having an actuating shoulder and a mating end, said keeper arm being positioned within said arm cavity of said main body whereby said actuating shoulder extends from said arm cavity through said shoulder aperture, said actuating shoulder extending beyond said main body, and said mating end extends from said arm cavity through said arm aperture, said mating end abutting said hook end to create a closed interior space, said keeper arm being pivotally connected to said main body, said spring maintaining said mating end abutting said hook end, said arm cavity being of sufficient size whereby said actuating shoulder can be pivoted into said arm cavity to compress said spring and move said mating end into said interior space wherein said spring comprises a coiled spring and said keeper arm further comprises a spring cavity in the keeper arm for receiving said spring; and 
       
         a mechanism for securing the spring in the spring cavity.  
       
     
     
       2. The device of claim  1 , wherein said spring is a coiled spring and said keeper arm further comprises a spring cavity adapted to receive said spring. 
     
     
       3. The device  clasp of claim  1 , where said keeper arm is pivotally connected to said main body by a pivot pin  member. 
     
     
       4. The clasp of claim  3 , wherein said arm cavity exclusively houses a portion of the keeper arm and houses the spring and the pivot member.  
     
     
       5. The clasp as claimed in claim  4 , wherein the keeper arm is pivotally connected at the main body at a position substantially equidistant opposite ends of the keeper arm.  
     
     
       6. The clasp of claim  3 , wherein the keeper arm cavity has a pivot positioned therein and wherein said pivot member is located substantially equidistant opposite ends of the keeper arm.  
     
     
       7. The clasp as claimed in claim  3 , wherein the arm cavity exclusively houses the pivot member and the spring.  
     
     
       8. The clasp as claimed in claim  3 , which comprises a pin receiving member which is mounted on said keeper arm and which is concentric with the pin member and which has said spring positioned so as to surround said pin receiving member.  
     
     
       9. The clasp as claimed in claim  3 , wherein the pivot member is positioned so as to be concentric with respect to the spring.  
     
     
       10. A clasp as claimed in claim  1 , wherein the keeper arm is pivotally connected to the main body at a position substantially equidistant opposite ends of said keeper arm.  
     
     
       11. The clasp of claim  1 , wherein the spring has first and second arms located at opposite ends thereof, respectively, and said arms of the spring extend in a direction substantially opposite said mating end of the keeper arm.  
     
     
       12. The clasp as claimed in claim  11 , wherein the keeper arm is pivotally connected to the main body at a position substantially equidistant opposite ends of the keeper arm.  
     
     
       13. The clasp as claimed in claim  1 , wherein said spring comprises a coiled spring seated in said keeper arm, said spring having a first arm contacting the main body and a second arm engaging the keeper arm.  
     
     
       14. The clasp as claimed in claim  1 , wherein the spring is a first arm located at one end thereof, a second arm which is longer than said first arm at an opposite end of the spring.  
     
     
       15. The clasp as claimed in claim  1 , wherein said main body comprises a one piece body.  
     
     
       16. The clasp as claimed in claim  1 , wherein said arm cavity is of sufficient size such that when a user holds the clasp so that either a thumb or an opposing finger of the user rests against the main body and either the opposing finger or the thumb of the user rests against the actuating shoulder and a squeezing action is exerted between the thumb and the opposing finger, said actuating shoulder is pivotable into said arm cavity to compress said spring and move said mating end into said interior space.  
     
     
       17. A clasp as claimed in claim  16 , wherein the actuating shoulder protrudes beyond a line which is tangent to side portions of the main body member adjacent the actuating shoulder and wherein the squeezing action of the user is exerted on the actuating shoulder at a position where said shoulder portion extends beyond the tangent line.  
     
     
       18. The clasp as claimed in claim  1 , wherein said actuating shoulder is located substantially opposite said mating end of said keeper arm.  
     
     
       19. The clasp as claimed in claim  1 , wherein the entire portion of the actuating shoulder extending from said arm cavity is continuously convexly shaped.  
     
     
       20. A clasp as claimed in claim  1 , wherein the actuating shoulder protrudes beyond a line which is tangent to side portions of the main body member.  
     
     
       21. A clasp as claimed in claim  1 , wherein said spring comprises a leaf spring.  
     
     
       22. The clasp as claimed in claim  1 , wherein said arm cavity is of sufficient size such that, when a user holds the clasp so that either a thumb or an opposing finger of the user rests against said main body and either the opposing finger or the thumb of the user rests against said actuating shoulder and a squeezing action is exerted between the thumb and the opposing finger, said actuating shoulder is pivotable into said arm cavity to compress said spring and move said mating end into said interior space.  
     
     
       23. A clasp comprising a main body, a keeper arm and a spring, said main body having a hook end, an arm aperture, a shoulder aperture, and an arm cavity to receive said keeper arm and said spring, said keeper arm having an actuating shoulder and a mating end, said keeper arm being positioned within said arm cavity of said main body whereby said actuating shoulder extends from said arm cavity through said shoulder aperture, said actuating shoulder extending beyond said main body, and said mating end extending from said arm cavity through said arm aperture, said mating end abutting said hook end to create a closed interior space, said keeper arm being pivotally connected to said main body, said spring maintaining said mating cold end abutting said hook end, said arm cavity being of sufficient size such that, when a user holds the clasp so that either a thumb or an opposing finger of the user rests against said main body and either the opposing finger or the thumb of the user rests against said actuating shoulder and a squeezing action is exerted between the thumb and the opposing finger, said actuating shoulder is pivotable into said arm cavity to compress said spring and move said mating end into said interior space wherein said arm aperture and said arm cavity extend substantially longitudinally through said main body to control the extent of movement of said keeper arm.  
     
     
       24. The device of claim  23 , wherein said spring is a coiled spring and said keeper arm further comprises a spring cavity adapted to receive said spring.  
     
     
       25. The device of claim  23  wherein said keeper arm is pivotally connected to said main body by a pivot pin.  
     
     
       26. The clasp of claim  23 , wherein a pivotal connection of said keeper arm to said main body is offset from the longitudinal axis of said main body.  
     
     
       27. The clasp of claim  23  wherein said spring is a folded leaf spring.  
     
     
       28. The clasp of claim  23  wherein said main body and said actuating shoulder have rounded surfaces upon which the thumb and the opposing finger rest.  
     
     
       29. The clasp of claim  23  wherein said main body and said actuating shoulder have scored surfaces for increased frictional contact by the thumb and the opposing finger of the user.  
     
     
       30. The clasp of claim  23 , wherein the keeper arm is pivotally connected to the main body at a position substantially equidistant opposite ends of said keeper arm.  
     
     
       31. The clasp as claimed in claim  23 , wherein said actuating shoulder is located substantially opposing said mating end of said keeper arm.  
     
     
       32. A clasp as claimed in claim  23 , wherein the entire portion of the actuating shoulder extending from the arm cavity is continuously convexly shaped.  
     
     
       33. A clasp as claimed in claim  23 , wherein the actuating shoulder protrudes beyond a line which is tangent to side portions of the main body member.  
     
     
       34. A clasp comprising a main body, a keeper arm and a spring, said main body having a hook end, an arm aperture, a shoulder aperture, and an arm cavity to receive said keeper arm and said spring, said keeper arm having an actuating shoulder and a mating end, said keeper arm being positioned within said arm cavity of said main body such that said actuating shoulder extends from said arm cavity through said shoulder aperture, said actuating shoulder extending beyond said main body, and said mating end extending from said arm cavity through said arm aperture, said mating end abutting said hook end to create a closed interior space, said keeper arm being pivotally connected to said main body, said spring maintaining said mating end abutting said hook end, and said spring is located in a spring cavity in said keeper arm, said arm cavity being of sufficient size such that said actuating shoulder is pivotable into said arm cavity to rotationally compress said spring and move said mating end into said interior space wherein the arm cavity includes a slot and a first end of the spring is mounted in said slot; and 
       
         a mechanism for securing the spring in the spring cavity wherein a second end of the spring abuts an inner wall of said arm cavity within the main body.  
       
     
     
       35. The clasp of claim  34 , further comprising a spring cavity located in the keeper arm and a pivot member pivotably connecting said keeper arm to said body, said spring cavity being adjacent said pivot pin for holding a body portion of said spring.  
     
     
       36. The clasp of claim  35 , which comprises a pivot receiving member wherein said spring is spaced from said pivot member by said pivot receiving member surrounding said pivot member.  
     
     
       37. The clasp of claim  36 , wherein said spring comprises a coiled spring and wherein coils of said spring surrounded said pivot receiving member.  
     
     
       38. The clasp of claim  34 , wherein a first end of said spring extends along a portion of said keeper arm.  
     
     
       39. The clasp of claim  38 , wherein said main body comprises a one- piece main body.    
     
     
       40. The clasp of claim  38 , wherein said clasp is operable in a scissor- like manner by grasping said main body and said actuating shoulder between a thumb and an opposing finger of a user and squeezing said main body and said actuating shoulder together.    
     
     
       41. The clasp of claim  40 , wherein said main body comprises a one- piece main body.    
     
     
       42. The clasp of claim  38 , further comprising a pivot pin rotatably coupling said main body to said keeper arm and pivot receiving member surrounding said pivot member, wherein said spring is separated from said pivot member by said pivot receiving member.  
     
     
       43. The clasp of claim  42 , wherein said spring comprises a coiled spring and wherein coils of said spring surround said pivot receiving member.  
     
     
       44. The clasp of claim  38 , wherein a second end of said spring extends along a portion of said arm cavity.  
     
     
       45. The clasp of claim  44 , wherein said second end of said spring is longer than said first end of said spring.  
     
     
       46. The clasp of claim  45 , wherein said main body comprises a one- piece main body.    
     
     
       47. The clasp of claim  45 , wherein said clasp is operable in a scissor- like manner by grasping said main body and said actuating shoulder between a thumb and opposing finger of a user and squeezing said main body and said actuating shoulder together.    
     
     
       48. The clasp of claim  47 , wherein said main body comprises a one- piece main body.    
     
     
       49. The clasp of claim  38 , further comprising a slot within said keeper arm wherein said first end of said spring extends along a wall of said slot.  
     
     
       50. The clasp of claim  49 , further comprising a spring cavity within said keeper arm, said spring cavity opening into said arm cavity so that said first end of said spring extends into said arm cavity.  
     
     
       51. The clasp of claim  50 , wherein said spring is spaced from said pivot member by pivot receiving member surrounding said pivot member.  
     
     
       52. The clasp of claim  51 , wherein said main body comprises a one- piece main body.    
     
     
       53. The clasp of claim  51 , wherein said clasp is operable in a scissor- like manner by grasping said main body and said actuating shoulder between a thumb and an opposing finger of a user and squeezing said main body and said actuating shoulder together.    
     
     
       54. The clasp of claim  53 , wherein said main body comprises a one- piece main body.    
     
     
       55. The clasp of claim  50 , wherein said spring comprises a coiled spring and wherein coils of said spring surround said pivot receiving member.  
     
     
       56. A clasp as claimed in claim  34  wherein said main body comprises a unitary main body.  
     
     
       57. A clasp as claimed in claim  34  wherein said main body and said keeper arm are movable in a scissor- like manner upon grasping said main body and said actuating shoulder between a thumb and an opposing finger of a user and squeezing said main body and said actuating shoulder.    
     
     
       58. The clasp of claim  34 , wherein said spring comprises a coiled spring and said keeper arm further comprises a spring cavity adapted to receive said spring.  
     
     
       59. The clasp of claim  34 , wherein said keeper arm is pivotally connected to said main body by a pivot pin.  
     
     
       60. A clasp as claimed in claim  34 , wherein said actuating shoulder protrudes beyond a line which is tangent to side portions of the main body member.  
     
     
       61. The clasp as claimed in claim  34 , wherein said arm cavity is of sufficient size such that, when a user holds the clasp so that either a thumb or an opposing finger of the user rests against said main body and either the opposing finger or the thumb of the user rests against said actuating shoulder and a squeezing action is exerted between the thumb and the opposing finger, said actuating shoulder is pivotable into said arm cavity to compress said spring and move said mating end into said interior space.