FIELD OF INVENTION

[001] The present invention relates to a clip unit, more specifically, the present invention relates to a clip unit for preventing displacement of a surface overlay.

BACKGROUND

[002] Surface overlays are laid on over a pre-defined surface in order to cover a pre-defined surface for its protection. Such surface overlays are commonly utilized in routine life for different purposes and are accordingly designed. Surface overlays in the form of door mats, foot mats for vehicles, etc. are such few examples.

[003] Surface overlays utilized for vehicles are generally laid over the floor panels of vehicles. When the vehicle is in use, such surface overlays are subjected to constant pressure and owing to the movement of an occupant of the vehicle, may not be retained at their positions. This may cause unexpected skidding/slipping of the surface overlays. More importantly, such unexpected skidding of surface overlays from position may cause injury to a person while exiting the vehicle. This can be life threatening especially in cold countries/cities where there is heavy snowfall.

[004] Further, sudden displacement of surface overlay provided with a driver's seat causes interference in the operation of the brake and/or accelerator pedals in the vehicle.

[005] Moreover, such unexpected movement of the surface overlay may also deteriorate the surface overlay which in turn affects the durability of the surface overlay.

[006] In order to avoid such situations, various anti-skid solutions have been proposed. Such solutions include surface overlays with a roughened bottom surface (the surface that faces the floor panel of the vehicle), anti-skid adhesive tapes, clips or hooks, etc.

[007] However, such conventional solutions do not efficiently hold the surface overlay in position and are associated with several limitations. For example, surface overlays with a roughened bottom surface have reduced durability owing to wear and tear. The commonly used adhesive tapes gradually lose their adhesiveness due to the accumulation of dirt and dust. Likewise, in the case of clips, the conventional clips are cost-intensive and do often break easily with the application of pressure in harsh environments. Such conventional clips mostly include complex designs and may not be easily detached from the surface overlay thereby making it hard for a user to replace the same in case of any damage.

[008] Therefore, there exists a need for an improved anti-skid solution that can overcome the aforesaid limitations of conventional ones.

SUMMARY

[009] The present invention relates to a clip unit which may be utilized for the prevention of displacement i.e. unwanted movement/ sudden skidding of a surface overlay with respect to an underlying surface. The clip unit of the present invention can be easily attached to the underlying surface and prevents the surface overlay from being displaced.

[0010] The clip unit of the present invention includes various components that are temporarily and/or permanently coupled to each other to form an integrated unit. The components may include a base plate having at least one orifice and a projection having a retaining means. The base plate includes an indented structure that allows the clip unit to easily attach to the underlying surface. The clip unit may be secured to the underlying surface via a securing means. The securing means passes through the orifice of the base plate to the underlying surface. The retaining means provided with the projection includes a pre-defined shape which helps to hold the surface overlay in place.

[0011] The foregoing features and other features as well as the advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, exemplary constructions of the disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, the disclosure is not limited to specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those in the art will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, like elements have been indicated by identical numbers.

[0013] FIG.l depicts a perspective view of a clip unit 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0014] FIG. la shows a side view of the clip unit 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 2 depicts the clip unit 100 integrated with a surface overlay 200 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 2a illustrates an exploded view of the clip unit 100 with respect to the surface overlay 200, a floor panel 201a and a floor carpet 202b in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] Prior to describing the invention in detail, definitions of certain words or phrases used throughout this patent document will be defined: the terms "include" and "comprise", as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term "or" is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases "coupled with" and "associated therewith", as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have a property of, or the like; Definitions of certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, and those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that such definitions apply in many, if not most, instances to prior as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

[0018] Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments" unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms "including," "comprising," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to" unless expressly specified otherwise. An enumerated listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive and/or mutually inclusive unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms "a," "an," and "the" also refer to "one or more" unless expressly specified otherwise.

[0019] Although the operations of exemplary embodiments of the disclosed method may be described in a particular, sequential order for convenient presentation, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments can encompass an order of operations other than the particular, sequential order disclosed. For example, operations described sequentially may in some cases be rearranged or performed concurrently. Further, descriptions and disclosures provided in association with one particular embodiment are not limited to that embodiment and may be applied to any embodiment disclosed herein. Moreover, for the sake of simplicity, the attached figures may not show the various ways in which the disclosed system, method, and apparatus can be used in combination with other systems, methods, and apparatuses.

[0020] Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the embodiments may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments. These features and advantages of the embodiments will become more fully apparent from the following description and apportioned claims or may be learned by the practice of embodiments as set forth hereinafter.

[0021] The present invention relates to a clip unit. The clip unit of the present invention may be utilized for the prevention of displacement i.e. unwanted movement/ sudden skidding of a surface overlay over an underlying surface. The clip unit of the present invention can be easily attached to the underlying surface and prevents the surface overlay from being displaced.

[0022] The clip unit of the present invention includes various components that are temporarily and/or permanently coupled to each other to form an integrated unit. The components may include a base plate having at least one orifice and a projection having a retaining means. The base plate includes an indented structure that allows the clip unit to easily attach to the underlying surface. The clip unit may be secured to the underlying surface via a securing means. The securing means passes through the orifice of the base plate to the underlying surface. The surface overlay is snuggly fitted around the projection which helps to prevent lateral movement of the surface overlay. The retaining means provided with the projection includes a pre-defined shape which helps to hold the surface overlay in place by preventing upward movement of the surface overlay.

[0023] Referring to figures, FIG. 1 discloses a perspective view of the clip unit 100. The clip unit 100 of the present invention helps to prevent displacement of a surface overlay over an underlying surface. The clip unit 100 may be easily attached to any underlying surface depending upon the type of surface overlay for which the clip unit 100 is employed. An exemplary embodiment of the attachment of the clip unit 100 to the underlying surface is described in detail below.

[0024] The clip unit 100 may be made of any durable material such as without limitation, polymer, metal etc. In an embodiment, the clip unit 100 is made of polyamide 6 (PA6).

[0025] The clip unit 100 is made of various components which include, one or more of, a base plate 101 and a projection 103 as depicted in Fig.l. The said components may be attached to each other by a temporary or permanent means such as adhesives, locking, snap-fit mechanism, welding, moulding, etc. In an embodiment, the base plate 101 and the projection 103 are permanently attached to each other by way of a moulding process thereby, forming a single integral structure.

[0026] The base plate 101 of the clip unit 100 may be made of pre-defined dimensions having a length, a width, and a thickness selected in view of the application for which the clip unit 100 is to be employed and also to enhance the durability of the clip unit 100.

[0027] The base plate 101 may include a top surface 10a and a bottom surface (not shown). The bottom surface may be in contact with the underlying surface while the top surface 10a may be provided with the projection 103.

[0028] The base plate 101 of the present invention may be an indented structure. The base plate 101 may be divided in three portions, namely, a first portion 101a, a transition portion 101b, and a second portion 101c. The said portions 101a, 101b, 101c may include any predefined shape. In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the first portion 101a and the transition portion 101b may be rectangular-shaped structures. The second portion 101c may include a trapezoid shape having soft edges. It should be noted that the aforesaid shapes of the first, transition and second portions 101a, 101b, 101c are only provided for exemplary purposes and may include other shapes also.

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and la, the three portions i.e. the first portion 101a, the transition portion 101b, and the second portion 101c form the indented structure of the base plate 101. As shown in FIGS. 1 and la, the top surface 10a as well as the bottom surface formed by the first portion 101a, the transition portion 101b, and the second portion 101c may be indented. Alternately, only the bottom surface formed by the first portion 101a, the transition portion 101b, and the second portion 101c may be indented (not shown). The indented structure of the base plate 101 enables the clip unit 100 to be firmly attached to and seated within the underlying surface(s) (described below in detail).

[0030] The transition portion 101b may be disposed between the first portion 101a and the second portion 101c thereby connecting the said two portions 101a, 101b. The transition portion 101b may be a tilted portion. The transition portion 101b may be inclined with respect to the first and the second portions 101a, 101c. The angle of inclination 'A' of the transition portion 101b may range from 145° to 155° with respect to the first and second portions 101a, 101c. In an embodiment, the angle of inclination 'A' is 150°. Owing to the tilted transition portion 101b, the second portion 101c is elevated with respect to the first portion 101a. The elevated distance 'L' between the second portion 101c and the first portion 101a may vary between 25.59mm to 43.84mm depending upon the side face axial distance which varies between 3.8mm to 7.9mm. The aforesaid structure of the base plate 101 helps the clip unit 100 to be firmly seated within the underlying surface(s) thereby allowing easy and firm attachment of the clip unit 100 to the underlying surface (described in detail below).

[0031] The first portion 101a may be provided with at least one orifice al. In an embodiment, the first portion 101a is provided with one orifice al as indicated in FIG. 1. The orifice al may extend from the top surface 10a to the bottom surface of the base plate 101. The orifice al allows passage of a securing means 20 for attachment of the clip unit 100 to the underlying surface. The securing means 20 may include a threaded screw, bolt, nail, etc.

[0032] The orifice al includes a pre-defined shape corresponding to the shape of the securing means 20. In an embodiment, the orifice al is circular. The orifice al may include an internal surface which may be smooth or rough. In an embodiment, the internal surface of the orifice al is rough having a plurality of threads/grooves. The nature of the internal surface of the orifice al affects the mating of the securing means 20 with the orifice al. For example, for a threaded screw, the internal surface of the orifice al may include corresponding threads.

[0033] The second portion 101c of the base plate 101 may be provided with at least one projection 103. The projection 103 may be an upwardly raised structure disposed on the second portion (101c) and extends away from the top surface 10a as indicated in FIGs. 1 and la. The projection 103 may include pre-defined dimensions and pre-defined shape such a circular, rectangular, triangular, etc. In an embodiment, the projection 103 may be cylindrical in shape. The projection 103 may be a hollow or a solid structure. In an embodiment, the projection 103 is a hollow structure. [0034] The projection 103 may include pre-defined dimensions. The said dimensions of the projection 103 allow the surface overlay to be snuggly fitted around the projection 103 thereby preventing any lateral movement of the surface overlay.

[0035] The projection 103 includes an attached end 103a and a tip 103b. The tip 103b of the projection 103 may be sharp or blunt. In an exemplary embodiment, the tip 103b of the projection 103 is dome-shaped. The dome shaped tip 103b of the projection 103 allows the projection 103 to smoothly and slidably receive the surface overlay around the projection 103.

[0036] The second portion 101c of the base plate 101 near the attached end 103a of the projection 103 may include a hole a2. The hole a2 is utilized for coupling the clip unit 100 with the vehicle as described below in detail.

[0037] The projection 103 may further include a retaining means 103c. The retaining means 103c may be in the form of a protrusion extending from the projection 103 laterally. The retaining means 103c may cover a surface on the circumference of the projection 103 at least partially. In an embodiment, the retaining means 103c is in the form of a ring that completely covers the circumference of the projection 103.

[0038] Alternately, the retaining means 103c may extend from a pre-defined location of the projection 103. The pre-defined location of the projection 103 may be any location on the surface of the projection 103. In an embodiment as shown in FIGs. 1 and la, the pre-defined location is above the attached end 103a of the projection 103 facing the transition portion 101b of the base plate 101. Alternately, the retaining means 103c may be disposed above the attached end 103a facing away from the transition portion 101b of the base plate 101.

[0039] The number of retaining means 103c present in the clip unit 100 may vary. In case of multiple retaining means 103c, the retaining means 103c may be disposed in a pre-defined manner. The pre-defined manner includes the plurality of the retaining means 103c being spaced apart from each other at a fixed distance or at any random order.

[0040] The retaining means 103c may include a pre-defined shape such as rectangular, triangular, square, etc. In an embodiment, the retaining means 103c is a wedge-shaped structure. The wedge-shaped structure helps to restrict the upward movement of the surface overlay once fixed with the help of the clip unit 100 of the present invention. The retaining means 103c of the clip unit 100 may allow to hold the surface overlay in place with respect to the underlying surface. [0041] The clip unit 100 as described in the foregoing paragraphs may be employed in relation to any conventional surface overlay and may prevent displacement of the surface overlay with respect to its underlying surface.

[0042] For exemplary depiction and explanation, FIG. 2 is provided which illustrates one of the embodiments where the clip unit 100 is employed for preventing the displacement of a floor mat 200 (surface overlay) used in an automobile over an underlying floor panel 201a and an underlying floor carpet 201b (underlying surfaces). In the said embodiment, the clip unit 100 of the present invention helps to control the skidding of the floor mat 200 during brake pedal push up thereby ensuring the safety of occupants of the vehicle during brake pedal push up.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2, the clip unit 100 is placed over the underlying floor panel 201a of the vehicle and the floor carpet 201b. The hole a2 of the clip unit 100 allows coupling the clip unit 100 with the floor panel 201a by way of say, screw fastening. The floor carpet 201b may be provided with a cut out bl as indicated in FIG. 2a. The cut out bl may be dimensioned in such a way that the cut out bl is able to receive the first portion 101a of the base plate 101.

Therefore, the first portion 101a sits within the cut out bl and is in direct contact with the floor panel 201a. Owing to the elevated second portion 101c of the base plate 101, the second portion 101c is disposed over the floor carpet 201b and does not contact the floor panel 201a. Such an arrangement where the clip unit 100 is completely seated within the cut out bl ensures secure and firm positioning of the clip unit 100 with respect to the underlying surfaces i.e. the floor panel 201a and the floor carpet 201b. Therefore, whenever any force/pressure is applied by an occu pa nt/d river of the vehicle on the floor mat 200 and also on the clip unit 100, the clip unit 100 is able to withstand the same and is not plugged out.

[0044] In another embodiment, the first portion 101a, the transition portion 101b, and the second portion 101c may form a uniform structure without any indentation. In such a case, another block having a hole may be detachably added below the first portion 101a and the same may be seated within the cut out bl.

[0045] The position of the clip unit 100 at this instance is further secured by way of the securing means 20. The securing means 20 passes through the orifice al provided on the first portion 101a of the base plate 101 and is further tightened into the floor panel 201a. The clip unit 100 is attached to the floor panel 201a and the floor carpet 201b. [0046] The surface overlay 200 is inserted through the tip 103b of the projection 103. The surface overlay 200 may include an opening 200a which is dimensioned based upon the dimensions of the projection 103. The surface overlay 200 may be inserted into the projection 103 through the opening 200a. The surface overlay 200 is snuggly fitted around the projection 103 which helps to prevent lateral movement of the surface overlay 200.

[0047] The surface overlay 200 may then be fixed onto the clip unit 100 using the retaining means 103c and held in position. Though FIGs. 2 and 2a depict the surface overlay 200 secured via a single clip unit 100, however, it may be noted that the surface overlay 200 may be secured using a plurality of clip units 100. [0048] Such an arrangement of the clip unit 100 prevents any displacement of the surface overlay 200 thereby reducing any inconveniences/accidents that are caused due to skidding and slipping of surface overlays 200.

[0049] The scope of the invention is only limited by the appended patent claims. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings of the present invention is/are used.