Bulb-holding gutter clip
View Patent ↗A clip for holding a light bulb for display on a gutter, shingle, or other structure includes a base, a support arm extending from an end of the base to a second end of the support arm, and a cantilever beam extending from the second end of the support arm towards the base. The cantilever beam and base define a clip mouth for receiving the structure into the clip. A bulb holder is rigidly attached to the support arm and defined a through-hole to receive the light bulb held by the clip. The bulb holder is attached to the support arm between the cantilever beam and base.
1 . A clip for holding a light bulb for display on a gutter, shingle, or other structure, the clip comprising:
an elongated base having a first end and a second end;
a support arm extending along a first longitudinal axis and having a first end and an axially opposite second end spaced away from the first end of the support arm, the first end of the support arm being rigidly connected to the second end of the base, a front of the support arm facing away from the elongated base, and a rear of the support arm facing towards the elongated base;
a cantilever beam having a first end and a second end, the first end of the cantilever beam being rigidly connected to the support arm, the cantilever beam extending away from the support arm to the second end of the cantilever beam, the second end of the cantilever beam being disposed over the base, the second end of the cantilever beam and the base cooperatively defining a gap therebetween that enables receiving an object thickness into the gap, the cantilever beam being elastically deformable to accommodate objects of different thicknesses being received into the gap; and
a bulb holder being rigidly attached to the support arm, the bulb holder being an unbroken tubular member extending from an upper side of the bulb holder to an opposite lower side of the bulb holder, the bulb holder defining a through-hole extending along a second axis from the upper side to the lower side of the bulb holder, the through-hole being configured to receive and hold a portion of a light bulb in the bulb holder, wherein the support arm and the bulb holder share a common portion attaching the bulb holder to the support arm; and
the bulb holder outer wall comprising a convex outer surface extending from the rear of the support arm at a first side of the common portion to the rear of the support arm at an opposite second side of the common portion, such that the common portion simultaneously forms a portion of both the bulb holder and the support arm.
2 . The clip of claim 1 wherein the bulb holder comprises a generally circular inner wall that completely surrounds the through-hole.
3 . The clip of claim 1 wherein the bulb holder comprises a generally circular wall surrounding the through-hole of the bulb holder and the bulb holder further comprises a plurality of tabs circumferentially spaced along the wall and extending radially from the wall into the through-hole.
4 . The clip of claim 3 wherein the tabs are flush with the upper side of the bulb holder.
5 . The clip of claim 1 wherein the bulb holder is disposed along the support arm substantially centered between the first end of the support arm and the second end of the support arm.
6 . The clip of claim 1 comprising at least one gusset rigidly attached to the bulb holder and to the support arm.
7 . The clip of claim 1 comprising at least one gusset rigidly attached to the base and to the support arm.
8 . The clip of claim 1 formed as a one-piece homogeneous member.
9 . The clip of claim 8 formed as an injection-molded member.
10 . The clip of claim 8 formed from a resin material.
11 . The clip of claim 1 formed from a resin or mixture of resins.
12 . The clip of claim 1 wherein the base comprises a generally flat base portion extending from the second end of the base away from the support arm and a generally flat tail portion extending from the base portion to the first end of the base, the tail portion extending away from the cantilever beam as the tail portion extends towards the first end of the base.
13 . The clip of claim 12 wherein the base comprises an upper side and an opposite lower side that each extend from the first end of the base to the second end of the base, the support arm extending away from the upper side of the base, and the upper side of the tail portion of the base comprises a plurality of protrusions formed thereon.
14 . The clip holder of claim 1 wherein the cantilever beam extends along a third axis, the bulb holder not disposed on the third axis.
15 . The clip of claim 1 wherein the support arm outside of the common portion has an “H” shaped cross section perpendicular to the first axis, the cross section comprising a center wall extending along the first axis and a pair of support walls extending along opposite lateral sides of the center wall.
16 . The clip of claim 15 wherein the support arm comprises an upper portion extending from the common portion to the cantilever beam, and the support walls of the upper portion extend beyond the cantilever beam.
17 . The clip of claim 15 wherein the support arm comprises an upper portion extending from the bulb holder to the second end of the support arm and a lower portion extending from the bulb holder to the first end of the support arm;
the center wall of the upper portion of the support arm spacing apart the support walls of the upper portion of the support arm a first distance apart; and
the center wall of the lower portion of the support arm spacing apart the support walls of the lower portion of the support arm a second distance apart greater than the first distance.