Skin locking clip

Abstract

To obtain a skin-locking clip that can reduce the insertion force of the insertion-side clip while ensuring the release force of the insertion-side clip. [Solution] The skin-locking clip 10 comprises a receiving clip 20 and an insertion clip 30. The receiving clip 20 comprises a base 22 held by the foam, a pair of wall portions 24L, 24R erected from the base 22, and protrusions 28L, 28R provided on the inner wall surfaces of the pair of wall portions 24L, 24R. The insertion clip 30 comprises an attachment portion 32 attached to the skin, a tapered insertion portion 34 connected to one end of the attachment portion 32 and inserted into a housing space S provided between the pair of wall portions 24L, 24R, and recesses 36L, 36R that protrude from the surface facing the inner wall surfaces of the pair of wall portions 24L, 24R when inserted into the housing space S, so as not to exceed the total width H of the insertion portion 34, and have walls in a direction intersecting the insertion direction to engage with the protrusions 28L, 28R.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a clip for fixing an epidermis to a sheet.

Background Art

[0002] A cushion pad of a sheet, for example, a vehicle seat, is formed by covering the surface of a foam made of polyurethane foam or the like with an epidermis made of, for example, a knitted fabric or leather. In order to fix the epidermis to the foam, a clip for fixing the epidermis (sometimes called a "hog ring clip") has been conventionally used. In Patent Documents 1 and 2, in order to ensure the pulling-out force, an engaging protrusion is provided on a resin clip attached to a seat cover, and a metal clip provided with an engaging hole portion that engages with the engaging protrusion is attached to the outside of the resin clip. An attachment structure is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, a conventional clip 100 for fixing an epidermis includes a receiving-side clip 120 on the side held by the foam and an insertion-side clip 130 on the side fixed to the epidermis. The receiving-side clip 120 includes a base portion 122 held by the foam and a pair of wall portions 124 erected from the surface of the base portion 122. The insertion-side clip 130 is formed in a long shape from the front side to the back side of the paper surface, and includes an attachment portion 132 attached to the epidermis and a tapered insertion portion 134 inserted into a housing space 100S provided between the pair of wall portions 124 of the receiving-side clip 120.

[0005] In such a conventional skin-locking clip 100, it is necessary to ensure a release force so that the insertion-side clip 130 does not easily come loose from the receiving-side clip 120. For this reason, each of the pair of wall portions 124 is provided with a locking claw 125 at its tip to which the insertion-side clip 130 locks, and a certain engagement allowance 100D is required at the point where the locking claw 125 and the insertion portion 134 of the insertion-side clip 130 lock together.

[0006] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the insertion-side clip 130 may tilt from side to side due to pulling from the surface. Even in this case, if a certain engagement allowance 100D is not secured, the release force will decrease, so it is necessary to secure an extra engagement allowance 100D. Thus, in order to secure the release force of the insertion-side clip 130, a large force is required to insert the insertion-side clip 130. In particular, when workers perform assembly work with bare hands, there is a possibility of injuring their fingertips, so it is desirable to reduce the insertion force of the insertion-side clip 130 while ensuring the release force.

[0007] However, in the structures described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the engaging projection is provided to protrude from the total width of the resin clip, making it difficult to reduce the insertion force of the resin clip, and there is room for improvement in terms of the balance between the withdrawal force and the insertion force.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above facts, and aims to provide a skin-locking clip that can reduce the insertion force of the insertion-side clip while ensuring the release force of the insertion-side clip. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A skin-locking clip according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a receiving clip having a base held by a foam, a pair of wall portions erected facing each other at a predetermined distance from the surface of the base, and a projection provided on the inner wall surface of the pair of wall portions; and an insertion clip having an attachment portion attached to the skin, a tapered insertion portion connected to one end of the attachment portion and inserted into a housing space provided between the pair of wall portions of the receiving clip, and a recess that protrudes from the surface facing the inner wall surface when inserted into the housing space so as not to exceed the total width of the insertion portion, and has a wall in a direction intersecting the insertion direction and engages with the projection.

[0010] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the recess engages with the protruding portion, thereby restricting the direction of disengagement of the insertion portion, and thus ensuring the disengagement force of the insertion-side clip from the receiving-side clip. Furthermore, since the recess is smaller than the total width of the insertion portion, the insertion force of the insertion-side clip into the receiving-side clip can be reduced. As a result, the first embodiment of the present invention allows for reducing the insertion force of the insertion-side clip while ensuring the disengagement force of the insertion-side clip.

[0011] In the second aspect of the present invention, the skin-locking clip, in the configuration of the first aspect, is formed by two projections that are spaced apart in the insertion direction.

[0012] In the skin-locking clip of the second aspect of the present invention, the projection provided on the tip side of the insertion portion interferes with the protruding portion, and the projection provided on the rear end side does not interfere with the protruding portion, so that the insertion portion can be placed in a predetermined position.

[0013] In the third aspect of the present invention, the skin-locking clip, in the configuration of the first or second aspect, has the recess extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the insertion direction of the insertion-side clip.

[0014] In the third aspect of the present invention, the recess of the insertion-side clip extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the insertion direction. Therefore, the insertion-side clip does not require positioning relative to the receiving-side clip, thus improving work efficiency.

[0015] In the fourth aspect of the present invention, the skin-locking clip, in any configuration of the first to third aspects, has elastic walls and is equipped with locking claws at its tips that lock onto the insertion portion when the insertion portion is inserted into the housing space.

[0016] In the fourth aspect of the present invention, the skin-locking clip has a pair of elastic walls and is equipped with locking claws at its tip that lock onto the insertion part when the insertion part is inserted into the housing space, thereby improving the release force. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] As described above, the skin-locking clip of the present invention has the excellent effect of reducing the insertion force of the insertion-side clip while ensuring the release force of the insertion-side clip. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing the general configuration of a skin-locking clip according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of how the surface-locking clips are arranged on the foam of the sheet. [Figure 3] This is a schematic front view showing the state of a skin-locking clip after it has been locked, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a schematic front view showing the insertion-side clip of the skin-locking clip. [Figure 5] Figure 3 is a schematic front view showing the insertion of the insertion-side clip into the receiving-side clip in the skin-locking clip. [Figure 6] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the function and effect of the epidermal clip. [Figure 7] It is a front view schematically showing the functional configuration of a conventional clip for fixing an outer skin. [Figure 8] It is a front view for explaining the problems of a conventional clip for fixing an outer skin.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, the clip 10 for fixing an outer skin according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the drawings, the arrows X, Y, and Z indicate the width direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction (insertion direction) of the clip 10 for fixing an outer skin when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the clip 10 for fixing an outer skin, respectively, assuming them temporarily. Also, in FIG. 2, the illustration of the outer skin 14 is omitted so that the surface shape of the foam 12 can be easily understood. Further, FIG. 3 shows a state cut along the line A-A shown in FIG. 2.

[0020] The clip 10 for fixing an outer skin according to the present embodiment may be used, for example, when fixing the outer skin 14 to the foam 12 constituting the cushion pad of a vehicle seat as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. The clip 10 for fixing an outer skin includes a receiving-side clip 20 and an insertion-side clip 30. In the present embodiment, the case where the clip 10 for fixing an outer skin is applied to a vehicle seat is illustrated, but it can be similarly applied to a member in which a foam is covered with an outer skin other than a vehicle seat.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality (for example, 12 in FIG. 2) of the receiving-side clips 20 can be arranged at appropriate positions in the groove 12A provided in the foam 12. Also, the receiving-side clip 20 can be made of a well-known synthetic resin such as a plastic material (PC-ABS) in which ABS resin is mixed with a member having a predetermined elasticity, such as polyacetal (POM) or polycarbonate (PC), and a well-known resin molding method such as injection molding can be adopted as the molding method thereof.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, the receiving clip 20 includes at least a base 22 held by the foam 12, a pair of wall portions 24L, 24R erected from the surface of the base portion 22 at a predetermined distance apart in the left-right direction and facing each other, and locking claws 25L, 25R provided on the inner wall surfaces of the pair of wall portions 24L, 24R.

[0023] The receiving clip 20 can be held in place on the foam 12 by inserting it into the mold of the foam 12, for example, when foaming the foam 12, so that it is positioned at the bottom of the groove 12A. At this time, the positions in the groove 12A where the receiving clip 20 can be placed are those where the depth is set to be greater than the height of the receiving clip 20. Furthermore, it is preferable that the receiving clip 20 held in place on the foam 12 by the method described above is held in a state where at least one pair of locking claws 25L, 25R and the housing space S described later are exposed to the outside of the foam 12. Note that the method of holding the receiving clip 20 to the foam 12 is not limited to the method described above, and it may also be held by adhesive or welding, for example.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the base portion 22 can be made of a plate having a predetermined thickness and formed in a substantially rectangular shape. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, retaining portions 22A for holding the foam body 12 may extend from both the left and right ends of the base portion 22.

[0025] The pair of wall portions 24L and 24R extend upward substantially perpendicularly from both left and right ends of the base portion 22 and are elastic in the width direction. The locking claws 25L and 25R are formed to extend from the inside of the tips of the pair of wall portions 24L and 24R toward each other and inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the left and right direction, with their tips toward the base portion 22. The gap formed between the tips of these locking claws 25L and 25R defines the insertion opening into which the insertion-side clip 30 is inserted. In addition, a pair of tapered surfaces 26L and 26R are formed on the left and right sides of this insertion opening to guide the insertion of the insertion-side clip 30. The tapered surfaces 26L and 26R are widened toward upward, and as the insertion-side clip 30 is guided by these tapered surfaces 26L and 26R and moves toward the insertion opening, the pair of wall portions 24L and 24R are elastically deformed in the width direction.

[0026] The area enclosed by the base portion 22, the pair of wall portions 24L and 24R, and the locking claws 25L and 25R can function as a accommodating space S for the insertion portion 34 of the insertion-side clip 30, which will be described later.

[0027] Furthermore, the pair of wall sections 24L and 24R are provided with a pair of projections 28L and 28R that protrude from the inner wall surfaces of the pair of wall sections 24L and 24R in a direction approaching each other within the accommodation space S. For example, the pair of projections 28L and 28R extend along the front-rear direction of the pair of wall sections 24L and 24R.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the insertion-side clip 30 is partially inserted into and fixed in the receiving space S of the receiving-side clip 20 described above, thereby enabling the skin 14 to be fixed to the foam 12. The insertion-side clip 30, like the receiving-side clip 20, can be made of a well-known synthetic resin, and a well-known resin molding method can be used for its molding. The insertion-side clip 30 is made of an elastic material, like the receiving-side clip 20, but it is more preferable that it be made of a more flexible material than the receiving-side clip 20.

[0029] The insertion-side clip 30 is formed in an elongated shape and, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, comprises at least an attachment portion 32 to which one end of the skin 14 can be attached, and an insertion portion 34 connected to the other end located below the attachment portion 32 and insertable into the receiving-side clip 20's storage space S.

[0030] The mounting portion 32 can be made of a plate-like body, and the edges of the outer skin 14 are directly or indirectly attached to one or both sides thereof. As for the method of attaching the outer skin 14 to the mounting portion 32, for example, sewing can be used, but it is not limited to this, and other attachment methods such as using adhesive or rivets or welding can also be used.

[0031] The insertion portion 34 is connected to one end of the mounting portion 32, specifically to the end of the insertion-side clip 30 on the insertion direction (-Z direction; for example, the direction corresponding to arrow M; hereinafter also referred to as "insertion direction M") side, and connects the receiving-side clip 20 and the insertion-side clip 30 by being inserted into the housing space S of the receiving-side clip 20. As shown in Figure 3, the insertion portion 34 has a tapered shape that gradually narrows in the left-right direction toward the tip side that becomes the receiving-side clip 20 side when the insertion-side clip 30 is inserted into the housing space S along the insertion direction M. In this embodiment, as an example, the insertion portion 34 is formed in a substantially triangular cross-section with its apex located toward the tip side.

[0032] The total width H of the insertion portion 34 is smaller than the total width 100H of the conventional insertion portion 134 shown in Figure 7. Specifically, the total width H of the insertion portion 34 is narrowed to the limit that ensures sufficient release force so that the insertion-side clip 30, which is provided with a pair of recesses 36L and 36R described later, does not easily come out of the receiving-side clip 20.

[0033] Furthermore, the insertion portion 34 is provided with a pair of recesses 36L, 36R that protrude from the surfaces facing the inner wall surfaces of the pair of wall portions 24L, 24R so as not to exceed the total width H of the insertion portion 34 when inserted into the accommodation space S. In this embodiment, as an example, the pair of recesses 36L, 36R are each composed of two protrusions 37L, 37R, provided with a gap in the insertion direction M (-Z direction), as shown in Figure 4. Of the two protrusions 37L, 37R, the front end side in the insertion direction M is designated as the lower protrusion 38L, 38R, and the rear end side is designated as the upper protrusion 39L, 39R. The two protrusions 37L, 37R each extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the insertion direction M. In other words, the two protrusions 37L, 37R extend along the Y direction of the insertion portion 34.

[0034] Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0035] In this embodiment, the skin-locking clip 10 fixes the skin 14 to the foam body 12 by inserting the insertion-side clip 30, to which the skin 14 is attached, into the receiving-side clip 20, which is held by the foam body 12, as shown in Figure 1. Specifically, in order to attach the skin 14 to the foam body 12, first, the base 22 of the receiving-side clip 20 is held in place at an arbitrary position within the groove 12A of the foam body 12, and the skin 14 is attached to the mounting portion 32 of the insertion-side clip 30. Next, the insertion-side clip 30 with the skin 14 attached is moved along the insertion direction M, and insertion into the receiving-side clip 20 is started.

[0036] As the insertion-side clip 30 moves in the insertion direction M, the tapered surfaces 26L and 26R first come into contact with the widthwise side surface of the insertion portion 34. Subsequently, as the insertion-side clip 30 moves further, the tapered surfaces 26L and 26R are pressed against the insertion portion 34, causing the pair of wall portions 24L and 24R to elastically deform, increasing their width in the left-right direction, as shown in Figure 5. Then, the lower projections 38L and 38R come into contact with the protruding portions 28L and 28R, and as the insertion portion 34 moves further, the lower projections 38L and 38R pass over the protruding portions 28L and 28R and are positioned in the accommodating space S below the protruding portions 28L and 28R.

[0037] Then, the protruding portions 28L and 28R are positioned between the lower protrusions 38L and 38R and the upper protrusions 39L and 39R, that is, in the recessed areas of the recesses 36L and 36R. In this state, the entire insertion portion 34 is located within the housing space S, and the pair of wall portions 24L and 24R, which have been pressed by the insertion portion 34 and elastically deformed to a large extent in the left-right direction, return to their original state as shown in Figure 3, with their left-right width reduced. In this state, the protruding portions 28L and 28R engage with the recessed areas of the recesses 36L and 36R. That is, the protruding portions 28L and 28R are positioned between the lower protrusions 38L and 38R and the upper protrusions 39L and 39R. The upper end of the insertion portion 34 (the end opposite to the insertion direction M) is locked by the lower ends of the locking claws 25L and 25R. In this way, the insertion-side clip 30 is held by the receiving-side clip 20.

[0038] In this manner, the insertion clip 30 held by the receiving clip 20 may be subjected to a load in the direction of arrow N, i.e., left or right, due to pulling from the skin 14, for example, as shown in Figure 6. In this case, the insertion clip 30 has protrusions 28L and 28R located between the lower protrusions 38L and 38R and the upper protrusions 39L and 39R, that is, the protrusions 28L and 28R are engaged with the recessed parts of the recesses 36L and 36R, so that the tilting of the insertion part 34 can be suppressed and the direction in which the insertion part 34 can be removed can be restricted. This ensures that the force that allows the insertion clip 30 to be removed from the receiving clip 20 can be secured.

[0039] On the other hand, the insertion load when inserting the insertion-side clip 30 into the receiving-side clip 20 is determined by the widest part of the insertion portion 34, i.e., the total width H. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the insertion-side clip 30 has a pair of recesses 36L, 36R, i.e., two protrusions 37L, 37R, which are smaller than the total width H of the insertion portion 34. Therefore, compared to conventional insertion-side clips in which the protrusions protrude beyond the total width H, the insertion force of the insertion-side clip 30 into the receiving-side clip 20 can be reduced. As a result, the skin-locking clip 10 of the present invention can reduce the insertion force of the insertion-side clip 30 while ensuring the release force of the insertion-side clip 30.

[0040] Furthermore, in the skin-locking clip 10 of this embodiment, the lower protrusions 38L and 38R provided on the tip side of the insertion portion 34 interfere with the protruding portions 28L and 28R, while the upper protrusions 39L and 39R provided on the rear end side do not interfere with the protruding portions 28L and 28R, so the insertion portion 34 can be placed in a predetermined position.

[0041] Furthermore, in the skin-locking clip 10 of this embodiment, the recesses 36L and 36R, that is, the lower protrusions 38L and 38R and the upper protrusions 39L and 39R, extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the insertion direction M, that is, along the Y direction of the insertion portion 34. Therefore, the insertion-side clip 30 does not require positioning relative to the receiving-side clip 20, thus improving work efficiency.

[0042] Furthermore, in the skin-locking clip 10 of this embodiment, the pair of wall portions are elastic, and the tip is equipped with locking claws 25L and 25R that lock onto the insertion portion 34 when it is inserted into the housing space S, thereby improving the release force of the insertion-side clip 30.

[0043] [Supplementary explanation] In the embodiment described above, the pair of recesses 36 are composed of two protrusions 37L and 37R, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The pair of recesses 36 may be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped with the Y direction as its longitudinal direction, and may have a groove extending longitudinally on its outer surface in the X direction. The pair of recesses 36 only need to have a wall in a direction intersecting the insertion direction M, i.e., in the X direction. This wall faces the pair of protrusions 28L and 28R.

[0044] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the two protrusions 37L and 37R each extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the insertion direction M, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The two protrusions 37L and 37R may be provided continuously in the Y direction of the insertion portion 34 at predetermined intervals.

[0045] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above, and can be implemented in various other ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 10. Clips for securing the surface 12 Foam 14 Epidermis 20 Receiving clip 22 Base 24L, 24R Pair of wall sections (wall sections) 25L, 25R locking claw 28L, 24R Pair of protrusions (protrusions) 30 Insertion side clip 32 Mounting part 34 Insertion part 36L, 36R recessed 37L, 37R protrusion 38L, 38R lower protrusion 39L, 39R upper protrusion H Total width S Containment space

Claims

1. A base held in the foam, A pair of wall portions erected facing each other at a predetermined distance from the surface of the base, A projection provided on the inner wall surface of the pair of wall portions, A receiving clip equipped with, A mounting part that is attached to the surface, A tapered insertion portion is connected to one end of the mounting portion and inserted into a housing space provided between the pair of wall portions of the receiving clip, A recess that, when inserted into the aforementioned storage space, protrudes from the surface facing the inner wall surface so as not to exceed the total width of the insertion portion, and has a wall in a direction intersecting the insertion direction and engages with the protruding portion, An insertion-side clip equipped with, A clip for securing the surface, equipped with the necessary components.

2. The skin-locking clip according to claim 1, wherein the recess is formed by two projections provided with a gap between them in the insertion direction.

3. The skin-locking clip according to claim 1, wherein the recess extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the insertion direction of the insertion-side clip.

4. The skin-locking clip according to claim 1, wherein the pair of wall portions are elastic and have locking claws at their tips that engage with the insertion portion when the insertion portion is inserted into the housing space.

Images