Background of the Invention Various devices, such as nails, tacks, push pins, staples and the like, have been used to attach one or more articles to a display or other surface or to attach two or more articles or two or more parts of an article together. Fasteners such as push pins and thumb tacks may be conveniently gripped by the user and, depending upon the material of the surface, may be easily pressed into the display and removed to release the fastened article. A disadvantage of using push pins, thumb tacks and the like in some applications is that the fastener may be inadvertently dislodged causing the retained articles to fall to the floor. Because of the ease of removal, this type of fastener provides little or no security. Nails, staples and the like provide additional retention strength and greater security in that considerable effort is typically required to remove the fastener from the display. In addition, the user's efforts to remove the fastener may damage the articles retained by the fastener or the surface to which the articles are attached.

A fastening device which may be used to conveniently and securely attach an article to a display or other surface is desirable. A fastening device which may be easily removed from the display to release the article is also desirable.

Objects and Summarv of the Invention It is a primary object of this invention to provide a fastener for securing an article to a display or other surface.

It is another object of this invention to provide a fastener which releasably engages a display or other surface to securely retain the article in position.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a fastener which may be conveniently removed from the display or other surface to release the fastened article.

It is another object of this invention to provide a fastener which may be used to attach two or more articles together, or two or more parts of an article together.

A more general object of this invention is to provide a fastener which may be economically manufactured and which may be efficiently and reliably employed to attach one or more articles to a surface.

In summary, this invention provides a fastener for releasably attaching at least one article to a surface. The fastener generally includes a body portion having first and second opposed ends and at least two leg portions depending from the body portion.

The body portion is resiliently deformable from an initial configuration, with the leg portions having a first orientation relative to one another, to an installation configuration, with the leg portions having a second orientation relative to one another, upon application of a compressive force to the opposed ends of the body portion.

Upon release of the compressive force, the body portion at least partially returns to the initial configuration to mount the fastener and article to the surface or another article.

In one aspect of the invention, the system of attaching one or more articles to an object also includes a tool adapted to engage the fastener and manipulate the fastener to move the legs from the first orientation to the second orientation and retain the legs in the second orientation during mounting of the fastener device and the article to the object.

The invention also includes the method of attaching an article to an object such as a display surface or another article comprising the steps of providing a fastener having a body portion and at least two leg portions depending therefrom with the leg portions being initially positioned in a first orientation, resiliently deforming the body portion to move the leg portions from the first orientation to a second orientation, inserting the leg portions into the object when the leg portions are in the second

orientation, and releasing the body portion to at least partially return the leg portions to the first orientation to mount the fastener and article to the object.

Additional objects and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description and appended claims when taken in conjunction with the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a front plan view of fasteners in accordance with this invention, shown securing articles to a surface.

Figure 2A is a side view, partially broken away, of a fastener in accordance with the present invention, shown positioned in front of an article and a surface.

Figure 2B is a side view showing the fastener of Figure 2A and a tool in accordance with the present invention prior to mounting the fastener and an article to a surface.

Figure 2C is a side view, partially broken away, showing the fastener of Figure 2A mounted to a surface.

Figure 3 is a side view of another fastener in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 4 is a side view, partially broken away, of still another fastener in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 5 is top plan view of a tool in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of another fastener in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the fastener of Figure 2A.

Figure 8 is a side view of a fastener in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 9 is a side view of a fastener in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 10 is a top plan view of a fastener in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 I is a side view, shown partially in cross section, of a fastener in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 12 is a side view, shown partially in cross section, of a fastener in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 13 is a side plan view of a fastener in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention, which is illustrated in the accompanying figures. Turning now to the drawings, wherein like components are designated by like reference numbers throughout the various figures, attention is directed to Figure 1.

A fastener 10, constructed in accordance with the present invention, is particularly suitable for attaching one or more articles 6 to an object such as a surface 8. A wide variety of articles, such as papers, illustrations, notices, signs, advertising materials, charts and the like, may be mounted to a surface using one or more fasteners 10. The surface 8 to which the articles 6 are mounted may formed of plastic, paper, fabric and other textured materials, as well as other suitable materials. These surfaces may be employed as displays or backdrops in window displays, sales booths, conventions, class rooms, meeting areas and lobbies. As is shown in Figure 1, one or more fasteners 10 may be used to attach the articles 6 to the surface 8, and where desired to link adjacent articles together in a selected side-by-side arrangement. Article 6a is attached to the surface 8 with four fasteners 10 positioned proximate the corners of the article, while only three fasteners 10 are used to attach article 6b to the surface 8, one of the fasteners 10 linking the article 6c to the article 6b and securing the article in place. The number of fasteners employed is a matter of choice, and depends in part on the rigidity of the article, the weight of the article, and the number of adjacent articles to which the article is connected, if any. Article 6a is pierced by the fasteners 10 when the article is mounted to the surface. With articles 6b and 6c, the fasteners extend through holes formed in the articles. Article 6d includes a chain or wire 7 which is engaged by the fastener 10 to mount the article with the article suspended from the wire 7. It is to be understood that the manner in which the article 6 is engaged by the fastener 10 is subject to considerable variation. The use of fastener 10 is not limited to posting articles to a planar surface. For example, the fastener 10 may be used by

professional cleaners and the like to temporarily attach tags or other documentation to clothing, blankets, or other items without damaging the fabric. Although not shown, the fastener 10 may also be used to secure two or more articles together, or two or more portions of an article together. For example, the fastener may be used to hold a pair of socks or other clothing together in the laundry. The use of fastener 10 is not to be limited to the applications mentioned herein.

Turning to Figures 2A-4, the fastener 10 of the present invention will be described in greater detail. Fastener 10 generally includes a plurality of legs or leg portions 12 joined together by a body portion 14. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 2A-2C, the fastener 10 includes two legs 12, although it is to be understood that the number of legs may be increased if desired. The legs 12 preferably terminate in a point 16 which may be used to pierce the material of the article 6 when mounting the article to the surface 8. The pointed ends 16 increase the versatility and convenience of the fastener 10 in that it is not necessary to form holes in the articles 6 prior to attaching the articles to the surface. However, it is to be understood that legs having blunt ends are also within the scope of this invention. The legs have a length of about 1/4 inch, although if desired the length of the legs may be increased or decreased depending upon the material characteristics of articles 6 and surface 8.

The legs 12 extend from the body portion 14 at an angle such that the longitudinal axes of the legs, generally designated 18, intersect. The angle between each inward oriented leg 12 and a line perpendicular to the body portion is preferably in the range of 15 ° to 45 °. Instead of the legs 12 being inclined toward one another as is shown in Figure 2A, the legs may be oriented in the opposite direction as shown for example in Figure 3. With the configuration of fastener 10 in Figure 3, the legs 12 are preferably oriented outwardly at an angle of 15 ° to 45 ° relative to a line perpendicular to the body portion.

The body portion 14 is resiliently deformable to manipulate the legs 12 from the angled orientation shown in Figure 2A to an installation orientation shown in Figure 2B. The legs 12 are moved from the orientation shown in Figure 2A to the orientation shown in Figure 2B by resiliently bending the body portion 14 about a bend axis, generally designated at 20, located between the legs 12. In the installation orientation, the legs 12 are oriented so that the longitudinal axes 18 of the legs 12 are substantially

parallel allowing the legs 12 to be easily pressed into the surface 8 to attach the device to the surface. While manipulating the legs to an exact parallel configuration is preferred, it is to be understood that with some surfaces 8 the legs 12 may be inserted at a slight angle. For example, when the surface 8 includes pre-formed holes 9 as shown in Figure 4 the body portion 14 need only be deformed until the legs 12 clear the edges of the holes. As used herein, the term"substantially parallel"encompasses the exact parallel configuration as well as those configurations where the legs are oriented at a slight angle which still permits insertion of the legs 12 into the surface 8.

In accordance with the present invention, the body portion 14 can be installed using an instrument such as the tool 24 shown in Figure 5. The installation tool 24 generally includes a pair of arms 26 which engage the opposed ends of the body portion 14. In the embodiment of the tool 24 shown particularly in Figure 2B, the arms 26 each include a flange 28 adapted to engage the edge of the body portion and an inner shoulder 30 which engages the surface of the body portion 14 to press the fastener 10 into the surface. Preferably, both arms 26 include an inner shoulder 30 to ensure that the pressing force is uniformly applied to the fastener 10 although if desired only one arm may be formed with an inner shoulder. Moreover, the inner shoulder 30 may be replaced by other means for applying a force for pressing the fastener into the surface 8.

As is shown in Figure 5, in the illustrated embodiment, the arms 26 of the tool 24 are coupled at a pivot point 32 and include finger grips 34 which may be used to manipulate the tool 24. Blocks 36 are provided on the inner edges of the arms 26 to limit the inward movement of the flanges 28, controlling the amount by which the body portion 14 may be deformed. Other means, such as a screw, may be used instead of blocks 36, with the screw being adjustable to vary the amount of inward movement of the flanges 28. A spring 38 positioned between the arms 26 urges the tips of the arms 26 together. The user engages a fastener 10 by using finger grips 34 to manipulate the arms 26 to grip the fastener and, by applying additional pressing force, deforming the device to move the legs 12 to the substantially parallel orientation. With the tool 24 shown in Figure 4, the fastener 10 may be conveniently held by the tool until it is inserted into the surface 8, thereby freeing one of the user's hands to hold the article 6 in the desired location on the surface. It is to be understood that the tool 24 is not to

be limited to the illustrated embodiment, but is subject to considerable variation in accordance with this invention.

Once the fastener 10 is inserted into the surface, the arms 26 of the tool 24 are opened to release the fastener 10. As is shown in Figure 2C, when the pressing force is removed the legs 12 are allowed to return at least partially to their original angled orientation, causing the legs 12 to grip the material of the surface 8. The legs 12 thereby substantially resist removal from the surface to hold the fastener 10 and the attached article 6 in place. The amount by which the legs 12 are allowed to return to their original orientation depends upon the material of the surface 8. Figure 2C shows an example where the surface is formed of a soft or pliable material such that the legs substantially return to the initial orientation shown in Figure 2A. In this example, the surface material is gripped between the legs 12 and the underside of the body portion 14 to hold the fastener and the attached article in place. In Figure 4, where the legs 12 are inserted through pre-formed holes 9, the material surrounding the holes 9 may limit the movement of the legs 12 to the initial orientation, causing the legs to apply a compressive force to the surface material separating the holes 9 to grip the surface 8 and prevent removal of the fastener from the surface. Thus, the fastener 10 is made to grip the surface 8 by releasing the legs 12 from the substantially parallel insertion configuration shown in Figure 2B.

Figures 2A-4 show embodiments of the invention where the fastener 10 includes two opposed legs 12. However, it is to be understood that a greater number of legs may be employed if desired. For example, Figure 6 shows a modification of the invention where the fastener includes three legs 12. Preferably the legs are disposed on opposite sides of the bend axis 20 of the body portion, with two legs being positioned on one side and the remaining leg positioned on the other side. For modifications of the invention including an even number of legs, such as four or six legs (not shown), the legs 12 may be evenly distributed on opposite sides of the bend axis or one side of the body portion may be provided with a greater number of legs 12 than the other. The arrangement of the legs may be symmetrical or non-symmetrical as desired.

As shown in Figure 7, the upper surface 42 of the body portion 14 is in the shape of a rectangle having a width slightly greater than the diameter of the legs 12 such that the fastener 10 will have minimal visual impact when used to secure an article

6 to the surface 8. However, if desired, the upper surface 42 may be formed in other aesthetically pleasing shapes. The upper surface 42 may also be of a size and shape suitable for being imprinted with a logo or wording. It is to be understood that the shape of body portion 14 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, but is subject to considerable variation.

In the modification shown in Figures 2A-2C, the body portion 14 has a concave upper surface 42 and a substantially planar lower surface 44, providing a thin section 46. This configuration facilitates manipulation of the fastener from the initial position shown in Figure 2A to the installation position shown in Figure 2B. The opposed ends 48 of the body portion 14 are shaped so that they may be easily gripped by the arms 26 of the tool to install and remove the fastener 10.

Instead of the concave-shaped upper surface, the body portion 14 may be provided with other configurations which facilitate manipulation of the fastener 10 between the initial and installation positions. For example, Figure 8 shows an example of a fastener 10 having a substantially planar body portion 14. Application pins 54 project upwardly from the upper surface of the body portion 14. The application pins 54 are used to manipulate the legs 12 to the insertion orientation. The fastener 10 is prepared for insertion by pivoting the pins 54 in the direction of the arrows. This inward movement may be accomplished by engaging the outer surfaces of the pins 54 with the tool 24 or another suitable tool. Instead of a tool, the body portion 14 may be manipulated without a tool using the fingers. Preferably, the pins 54 are oriented are parallel to the axis of the legs 12. However, if desired the pins 54 may be provided with a different angle of inclination relative to the legs 12. For example, Figure 9 shows a fastener 10 in which the pins 54 are substantially perpendicular to the upper surface 46 of the body portion 14.

In Figures 8 and 9, the pins 54 are integrally formed with the body portion 14.

The pins 54 may also be separate members which are mounted to the body portion 14.

Where the fastener 10 includes two legs, as in Figure 8, the pins 54 may be substantially aligned with the axis of the legs 12. If a greater number of legs 12 is provided, as with the fastener shown in Figure 6, the fastener 10 may be provided with fewer legs than pins such that the pins will not be aligned with the axis of the legs. Instead, the pins 54 can be positioned at any optimum location for deforming the body portion 14. For

fasteners with large body portions 14, a greater number of pins 54 may be employed if desired. The pins 54 may be thin, elongate members as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

Alternatively, the pins 54 may have other shapes as shown for example in Figure 10, where the pins 54 are of approximately the same width and thickness as the body portion 14. The pins 54 may also have other shapes, particularly those which may be easily gripped by the user.

Turning to Figure 11, the body portion 14 is provided with spaced bores 56.

The bores 56 extend inwardly from the upper surface 42 into the legs 12. Prior to installation of the fastener 10, installation pins or needles 58 are slipped into the bores 56. The body portion 14 is deformed by pivoting the pins 58 toward one another.

After the fastener has been inserted into the surface 8, the pins 58 may be removed from the bores 56 and reinserted to remove the fastener 10 from the surface. However, it is to be understood that the pins 58 may be left in the bores 56 if desired.

Figure 12 shows another modification of the invention in which the legs of the fastener are separate from the body portion 14. The fastener 10 includes a plate body 62 having a plurality of holes 64 formed therein. Elongate rods 66 are inserted through each of the holes, with the portion 66a of the rods depending from the plate body 62 defining the legs of the fastener. The portion 66b of the rods projecting from the upper surface of the plate body 62 define installation pins which may be pivoted to manipulate the portions 66a to the substantially parallel installation orientation. Preferably, the portion 66b of the rods is of greater diameter than the portion 66a to limit further movement of the rod 66 through the hole 64. Alternatively, the rod 66 may be provided with a collar or other means for preventing the rod 66 from being pushed completely through the hole 64.

The fastener 10 may be easily removed from the surface 8 by manipulating the body portion 14, pins 54, pins 58, or rods 66b to move the legs 12 into a substantially parallel orientation and then pulling the fastener from the surface. To facilitate removal of the fastener 10 without deforming the body portion 14 to the orientation shown in Figure 2B, the lower surface 44 of the body portion 14 may include a recessed section 66 to permit insertion of a fingernail or flat tool between the body portion 14 and the article 6 for lifting the body portion 14 to pry the legs 12 from the surface as is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 13 shows another modification of the invention. The fastener 10 is fabricated from a suitable wire material which is bent to the desired shape. For the embodiment shown in Figure 13, the wire material is bent to form the pins 54, body portion 14 and legs 12 of the fastener. The tips of the legs 12 are preferably pointed to easily pierce the article and object to which the article is attached. In other modifications of the invention, the legs 12 may have blunt tips. Moreover, it is to be understood that the wire form fastener 10 may have other shapes in accordance with the present invention.

As is apparent from the foregoing description, the fastener of the present invention is particularly suitable for attaching one or more articles to a selected surface.

The fastener of the present invention may be formed of any suitable material including metals and plastic materials. The plastic material may be clear, so that the viewer's attention is not called to the body portion 14, or the material may be colored to provide a decorative accent to the display.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.