Metal-free hair clips and manufacturing processes for them

Abstract

The invention relates to a metal-free hair clip and a manufacturing method for it, wherein the hair clip comprises: two clamping bodies (1) made of a transparent first material, wherein an actuating part (12) is provided in the upper area of ​​the clamping body (1) and an inwardly curved claw part (13) is provided in the lower area thereof, wherein an opening (14) is arranged above the claw part (13);two brackets (2) made of a second material which is tougher than the first material, each having a plate part (21) on the inside of which tabs (22) are provided, the tabs (22) being pivotably connected to each other, a snap lock part (24) being arranged on the outside of the respective plate part (21) at a location corresponding to the tab (22), the outer surface of the plate part (21) being firmly connected to the upper part of the clamping body (1) and the snap lock part (24) being located at the location of the opening (14);and a snap clamp (3) made of a third material which is tough and more rigid compared to the first and second materials, wherein the snap clamp (3) is approximately semicircular in shape and has two open end parts (31) which are inserted into the openings (14) and each are in snap connection with the snap closure part (24) and thus;

Description

Technical field The invention relates to a metal-free hair clip and a manufacturing method for it, in particular a metal-free hair clip for holding hair. State of the art Conventional hair clips can clamp hair to give it a neat appearance. The shape of the hair clip itself can also enhance the beauty of the hair held in place. Fig. 8 shows one of the conventional hair clips, which has two clamping bodies 1', a pivot pin 2', and a spring 3'. The clamping bodies 1' are manufactured by injection molding and each has a bracket 11' on their opposite sides. The pivot pin 2' is a metal pin and is inserted into the brackets 11' to pivotally connect the two clamping bodies 1'. The spring 3' is a metallic torsion spring and has two end sections that each press against the two clamping bodies 1' to provide an elastic clamping force. The clamping element 1' can be adjusted to a suitable color during injection molding to achieve a better color appearance. However, if the appearance of the clamping element 1' is to be further improved, a surface pattern layer 4' must be applied to its outer surface after molding by spraying, coating, transferring, gluing fabric, etc., and the appearance can be enhanced by the pattern of the pattern layer 4'. However, with prolonged contact and impacts, the surface pattern layer 4' fades slightly and detaches. Furthermore, it is difficult to apply a pattern to the inner surface of the clamping body 1' that matches the pattern on the outer surface, resulting in an unsatisfactory appearance. Furthermore, the hair clip must be equipped with a metallic pivot pin 2' and a spring 3', whereby metal components are susceptible to corrosion and damage and therefore have a shorter service life. In addition, the metal and plastic components must be separated and recycled, which increases recycling costs. The publication TW I863559 B concerns a process for manufacturing plastic parts for hair accessories. A first plastic, which is a transparent or translucent material, is provided. Furthermore, a second plastic, comprising a multitude of granules, is provided. The first plastic, the second plastic, and a crosslinking agent are mixed and injected into an injection molding machine. Publication GB 2 479 560 A discloses a method for manufacturing a hair clip, which includes the preparation of a carrier material and a patterned fabric layer. Publication WO 2012 / 107 411 A1 describes a hair clip which has an elastic element that has at least an upper part above the hinge axis and a lower part below the hinge axis. The publication DE 20 2022 106 152 U1 also deals with a hair clip with an elastic opening function. In the publication DE 10 2022 123 698 A1, a biodegradable hair clip is described which uses a C-shaped elastic buckle that does not easily deform or lose its restoring force or break. Object of the invention The invention is based on the objective of creating a metal-free, environmentally friendly hair clip that remains stable during operation and has a high-quality appearance. The invention also aims to create a method for manufacturing a metal-free hair clip. Technical solution This problem is solved according to the invention by a metal-free hair clip having the features of claim 1 and a method for manufacturing the metal-free hair clip having the features of claim 6. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims. The hair clip according to the invention comprises two clamping bodies, two clips, and a snap fastener. The two clamping bodies are arranged approximately symmetrically to each other and are made of a transparent first material. A pattern layer is applied to the center of each clamping body, the two opposite sides of which are encased in a transparent layer. An actuating element is provided in the upper region of each clamping body, and an inwardly curved claw element is provided in the lower region, with an opening arranged above the claw element. The clips are made of a second material that is tougher than the first material. Each clip has a plate section with tabs on its inner side, the tabs of the two plate sections of the two clips being pivotably connected to each other.A snap-lock element is arranged on the outer surface of each plate section, at a location corresponding to the tab. The outer surface of the plate section is firmly connected to the upper part of the clamping body, and the snap-lock element is located at the point of the opening. The snap clamp is made of a third material, which is tough and more rigid compared to the first and second materials. The snap clamp is approximately semicircular in shape and has two open end sections that are inserted into the openings of the two clamping bodies and snap into place with the snap-lock element of the respective bracket, thus providing a clamping force to the two clamping bodies. In one embodiment of the invention, the first material is acrylic and the pattern layer is a patterned fabric or a plurality of patterned color blocks. In one embodiment of the invention, a pivot bolt is further provided which is made of the second material, wherein the respective tab is provided with a bore into which the pivot bolt can be inserted. In one embodiment of the invention, the second material is acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS resin). The clips are manufactured by injection molding. The outer surface of the plate part is bonded to the inner surface of the upper region of the clamping body. Each tab has a pivot pin or bore, the pivot pin being rotatably mounted in the bore. In one embodiment of the invention, the third material is polyoxymethylene (POM), and the snap clamp is manufactured by injection molding. The invention provides a method for manufacturing a metal-free hair clip, comprising the following steps: S1: Manufacturing two clamping bodies from the first material, which is acrylic, wherein a pattern layer is applied in the center of the clamping body, the two opposite sides of which are encased by a transparent layer, wherein an actuating part is provided in the upper region of each clamping body and an inwardly curved claw part is provided in the lower region thereof; S2: Manufacturing two clips from the second material, which is tougher than the first material, wherein each clip has a plate part with tabs on the inside of which the tabs of the two plate parts of the two clips are pivotably connected to each other, and wherein a snap fastener part is arranged on the outside of each plate part at a location corresponding to the tab;S3: Manufacturing a snap clamp from the third material by injection molding, wherein the third material is tough and more rigid compared to the first and second materials, wherein the snap clamp is formed in an approximately semicircular arc shape; S4: Firmly joining the outer surface of the plate part of the respective bracket to the inner surface of the upper area of ​​the respective clamping body, arranging the tabs at the point of the opening, and pivotably connecting the two brackets; and S5: Inserting the two open end parts of the snap clamp into the bores of the two clamping bodies and causing the two end parts to snap into the snap-lock parts of the two brackets. In one embodiment of the invention, in step S1 "Production of the clamping elements," a mold for forming plates or blocks is first provided, and a liquid acrylic material for the bottom layer is poured into the cavity of the mold. Once the acrylic material has hardened, a pattern layer is applied to the hardened acrylic material. Next, a liquid acrylic material for the top layer is poured onto the pattern layer. Once the acrylic material of the top layer has hardened, the flat acrylic sheet is removed. Pieces in the contour of the clamping element are cut from the acrylic sheet. The cut-out pieces are further formed into clamping elements by hot stamping and bending. According to the invention, the clips are made of a material that is tougher than the material of the clamping body. Therefore, the tabs can be twisted multiple times without breaking. The snap clamp is made of a more rigid material and does not become brittle when stretched and contracted over extended periods, thus contributing to a longer lifespan for the hair clip. Furthermore, when using the hair clip according to the invention, the hand does not touch the patterned layer, preventing fading or wear of the surface and ensuring that a good appearance is maintained even after prolonged use. The hair clip according to the invention contains no metal components and can be easily recycled for improved environmental protection. Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a hair clip according to the invention. Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the manufacture of clamping elements for the hair clip according to the invention. Fig. 3 shows another schematic diagram illustrating the manufacture of clamping elements for the hair clip according to the invention. Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the assembly of a clip with the clamping element in the hair clip according to the invention. Fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a hair clip according to the invention in its assembled state. Fig. 6 shows a sectional view of the assembled hair clip according to the invention along section line AA in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the clip of the hair clip according to the invention. Fig. 8 shows a sectional view of a conventional assembled hair clip. Detailed description of preferred embodiments The following section explains the tasks, features, and advantages of the present invention in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings. However, the invention is not limited to the description of these exemplary embodiments and their representation in the accompanying drawings. In the following exemplary embodiments, components with similar or identical functions are designated by the same reference numerals. As shown in Fig. 1, the hair clip according to the invention comprises two clamping bodies 1, two clips 2, and a snap clamp 3. The two clamping bodies 1 are arranged symmetrically to each other and are made of a transparent first material, which can be acrylic. A pattern layer 11 is arranged in the center of each clamping body 1, the two opposite sides of which are enclosed by a transparent layer 10. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, to manufacture the clamping elements 1, a mold (not shown) is first prepared for forming plates or blocks, and a liquid acrylic material for the bottom layer is poured into the cavity of the mold. Once the acrylic material has hardened, a pattern layer 11 is applied to the hardened acrylic material by applying a patterned fabric or a multitude of rows of colored blocks. Other methods for forming a pattern are also conceivable. Next, a liquid acrylic material for the top layer is poured onto the pattern layer. The acrylic material does not fuse with the fabric or the colored blocks. Once the acrylic material of the top layer has hardened, the flat acrylic plate 15 is removed. The pattern layer 11 is applied to the center of the acrylic plate 15, with the specific pattern of the pattern layer 11 being clearly visible through the transparent acrylic. As shown in Fig. 2, further pieces in the contour of the clamping body are cut from the acrylic sheet 15 along the dashed line using a laser or other cutting processes. As shown in Fig. 3, the cut-out pieces are further formed into clamping bodies 1 by hot stamping and bending, and are designed such that an actuating part 12 is provided in the upper area of ​​the clamping body 1 and an inwardly bent claw part 13 is provided in the lower area of ​​the same, with an opening 14 arranged above the claw part 13. The brackets 2 are made of a second material that is tougher than the first material, wherein the second material can be acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS resin), which is tougher than acrylic, or another tougher plastic. The brackets 2 are manufactured by injection molding. Each bracket 2 has a plate section 21 on the inside of which tabs 22 are provided, which are pivotably connected to one another. In this embodiment, the bracket 2 is provided with bores 221, and a pivot pin 23 is provided and made of the second material, wherein the pivot pin 23 is inserted into the bores 221 of the two brackets 2 and rotatably connected to them. In a further embodiment in Fig. 7, the tabs 22 are alternatively provided with pivot pins 222 and bores 221, wherein the pivot pins 222 and bores 221 are rotatably connected to one another. A snap-lock element 24 is arranged on the outer surface of each plate part 21, specifically at a location corresponding to the tab 22. The snap-lock element 24 is provided with two notches 241. As shown in Fig. 4, the outer surface of the plate part 21 is firmly connected to the inner surface of the upper region of the clamping body 1 by adhesive bonding or another suitable joining method, and the snap-lock element 24 is positioned close to the opening 14. As shown in Fig. 5, the pivot bolt 23 is inserted into the bores 221 of the two brackets 2 and rotatably connected to them. The snap clamp 3 is made of a material that is tough and more rigid compared to the first and second materials, and which can be polyoxymethylene (POM) or another more rigid plastic. The snap clamp 3 is manufactured by injection molding and is approximately semicircular in shape. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the snap clamp 3 has two open end parts 31, each of which is inserted into the openings 14 of the two clamping bodies 1 and engages with the corresponding notch 241 of the snap-lock part 24 of the respective bracket 2, thus providing a clamping force to the two clamping bodies 1. Pressing the actuating elements 12 of the clamping bodies 1 causes the clamping bodies 1 to unfold. When the actuating elements 12 are released, the clamping bodies 1 hold the hair in place under the influence of the spring action of the snap clamp 3. According to the invention, the brackets 2 and the pivot bolt 23 are made of a material(s) that is / are tougher than the material of the clamping bodies 1. Therefore, the tabs 22 and the pivot bolt 23 can be rotated several times without breaking. When the tabs 22 are assembled by means of the pivot pins 222 and the bores 221, as shown in Fig. 7, the pivot pins 222 do not break despite prolonged rotation due to the high toughness of their material.In addition, the snap clamp 3 is made of a material that is more rigid compared to the materials of the clamping body 1 and the bracket 2, so that the snap clamp 3 does not become brittle when expanding and contracting for a longer period of time, which contributes to a longer service life of the hair clip. According to the invention, the pattern layer 11 is located in the center of each clamping body 1, and the pattern layer 11 can be provided with a specific pattern to visually enhance the hair clip. When using the hair clip, the hand does not touch the pattern layer 11, thus preventing fading or wear of the surface of the pattern layer 11 and ensuring that a good appearance is maintained even after prolonged use. The clamping bodies 1 are made of transparent acrylic, which provides greater clarity of the pattern layer 11. Furthermore, the same pattern can be viewed from both the outer and inner transparent layers of the clamping body 1. Therefore, the hair clip according to the invention is optically transparent. The hair clip according to the invention contains no metal components, thus preventing corrosion and damage to metal components and extending the lifespan of the hair clip. Furthermore, the clamping bodies 1, the brackets 2, the pivot pin 23, and the snap clamp 3 are made from the first, second, and third materials, respectively, and can be easily separated and recycled, which is more environmentally friendly. The hair clip according to the invention is characterized in that the hair clip, through the combination of the first, the second and the third material, has a high-quality optical pattern, a longer service life and better environmental protection due to the design with metal-free components. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to these exemplary embodiments, but rather that modifications are possible in such a way that individual features can be omitted or different combinations of features can be implemented, as long as the scope of protection of the appended claims is not exceeded. The disclosure of the present invention includes all combinations of the individual features presented. Reference symbol list 1 Clamping body 10 Transparent layer 11 Pattern layer 12 Actuating part 13 Claw part 14 Opening 15 Acrylic plate 2 Bracket 21 Plate part 22 Tab 221 Bore 222 Pivot pin 23 Swivel bolt 24 Snap lock part 241 Notch 3 Snap clamp 31 End part

Claims

A metal-free hair clip comprising: - two clamping bodies (1) arranged approximately symmetrically to each other and made of a transparent first material, wherein a pattern layer (11) is attached in the center of the clamping body (1), the two opposite sides of which are enclosed by a transparent layer (10), wherein an actuating part (12) is provided in the upper region of each clamping body (1) and an inwardly curved claw part (13) is provided in the lower region thereof, wherein an opening (14) is arranged above the claw part (13); - two brackets (2) made of a second material which is tougher than the first material, wherein each bracket (2) has a plate part (21) on the inside of which tabs (22) are provided, wherein the tabs (22) of the two plate parts (21) of the two brackets (2) are pivotably connected to each other, wherein on the outside of each plate part (21)a snap-lock part (24) is arranged at a location corresponding to the tab (22), wherein the outer surface of the plate part (21) is firmly connected to the upper part of the clamping body (1) and the snap-lock part (24) is located at the location of the opening (14); and a snap clamp (3) made of a third material that is tough and more rigid compared to the first and second materials, wherein the snap clamp (3) is approximately semicircular in shape and has two open end parts (31) that are inserted into the openings (14) of the two clamping bodies (1) and each snap into the snap-lock part (24) of the respective bracket (2), thus providing a clamping force to the two clamping bodies (1). Hair clip according to claim 1, characterized in that the first material is acrylic and the pattern layer (11) is a patterned fabric or a plurality of patterned color blocks. Hair clip according to claim 1, characterized in that the hair clip is provided with a pivot bolt (23) which is made of the second material, wherein the respective tab (22) has a bore (221) through which the pivot bolt (23) can be inserted. Hair clip according to claim 1, characterized in that the second material is acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer; that the clips (2) are manufactured by injection molding; that the third material is polyoxymethylene; that the snap clamp (3) is manufactured by injection molding; and that the outer surface of the plate part (21) is firmly connected to the inner surface of the upper area of ​​the clamping body (1) by bonding. Hair clip according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective tab (22) has a pivot pin (222) or a bore (221), wherein the pivot pin (222) is rotatably mounted in the bore (221). Method for manufacturing a metal-free hair clip, comprising the following steps: S1: Manufacturing two clamping bodies (1) from the first material, which is acrylic, wherein a pattern layer (11) is applied in the center of the clamping body (1), the two opposite sides of which are enclosed by a transparent layer (10), wherein an actuating part (12) is provided in the upper region of each clamping body (1) and an inwardly curved claw part (13) is provided in the lower region of the same, wherein an opening (14) is arranged above the claw part (13);S2: Manufacturing two brackets (2) from the second material, which is tougher than the first material, wherein each bracket (2) has a plate part (21) on the inside of which tabs (22) are provided, wherein the tabs (22) of the two plate parts (21) of the two brackets (2) are pivotably connected to each other, wherein a snap-lock part (24) is arranged on the outside of each plate part (21) at a location corresponding to the tab (22); S3: Manufacturing a snap clamp (3) from the third material by injection molding, wherein the third material is tough and more rigid than the first and the second material, wherein the snap clamp (3) is formed in an approximately semicircular arc shape;S4: Firmly connecting the outer surface of the plate part (21) of the respective bracket (2) with the inner surface of the upper area of ​​the respective clamping body (1), arranging the tabs (22) at the location of the opening (14) and pivotally connecting the two brackets (2); and S5: Inserting the two open end parts (31) of the snap clamp (3) into the opening (14) of the two clamping bodies (1) and causing the two end parts (31) to snap into the snap-lock parts (24) of the two brackets (2). The method according to claim 6, characterized in that in step S1 “producing the clamping elements”, a mold for forming plates or blocks is first provided and a liquid acrylic material for the lower layer is poured into the cavity of the mold, wherein a pattern layer (11) is applied to the acrylic material which has hardened, wherein a liquid acrylic material for the upper layer is subsequently poured onto the pattern layer (11), wherein the flat acrylic sheet (15) is then removed when the acrylic material of the upper layer has hardened; and that pieces in the contour of the clamping element (1) are cut out from the acrylic sheet (15) and the cut-out pieces are further formed into clamping elements (1) by hot stamping and bending. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the second material is acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer; that the plate part (21) and the clamping body (1) are firmly connected to each other by adhesive bonding; and that the third material is polyoxymethylene. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that in step S2 a pivot bolt (23) is further manufactured from the second material and the respective tab (22) has a bore (221) through which the pivot bolt (23) can be inserted. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that in step S2 the respective tab (22) has a pivot pin (222) or a bore (221), wherein the pivot pin (222) is rotatably mounted in the bore (221).

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