Spring operated clip

Claim 1

Spring clip integrally molded of synthetic plastic material comprising a pair of lever arms adapted for pivotable movement about a fulcrum provided by interengageable post and socket detents formed on opposed inner surface portions of a pair of bosses, each boss extending from opposite side edges of each arm, the axis of engagement of said post and socket detents extending transversely of the direction of pivotable movement of said lever arms, the inner end portions of said lever arms being in the form of jaws which by manipulation of the outer ends of said lever arms are movable toward and away from each other for selectively clamping and releasing a material disposed therebetween, a resilient spring forming web of synthetic plastic material disposed between the outer end portions of said lever arms, the spring web being generally U-shaped and of substantially lesser thickness than said arm portions of the clip and with the outer end portions of the spring web extending from the outer ends of said lever arms and having a curved central portion disposed toward said detents, said spring web being in unstressed condition when the detents are not engaged and being energized to bias said jaws toward their mutual clamping relation when said post and socket detents are engaged, whereby said jaws are urged closed by said spring web and are opened by compressing said spring by squeezing together the outer end portions of said lever arms, said clip being molded with said bosses spaced apart with their inner surfaces generally co-planar and said spring web in its relaxed condition, said mating post and socket detents adapted to snap-fit into engagement when said lever arms are squeezed together after removal of the clip from the mold, said post and socket detents serving as the pivot fulcrum of the lever arms of said clip.