# US 2021/0277925 A1 · Safety Push Pin > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0277925 A1 - Document ID: US20210277925A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/811,290 - Filed: 2020-03-06 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-06 - Inventors: Matthew Rimmel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210277925A1 ## CPC - F16B 15/02: with specially-shaped heads, e.g. with enlarged surfaces (ornaments for furniture A47B95/04; removable ornamental heads for nails A47G3/00) - F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D) ## Abstract A push pin, which has a position in which the pin is stowed to avoid unintended pin pricks and a fully-deployed position, is disclosed. The push pin includes: a main body with a trough and a pin, a pin body rotatably coupled to the main body; and a tension member coupled between the main body and the pin body. The tension member biases the pin body toward a stowed position in which the pin of the pin body is stowed in the trough of the main body. With a thumb-actuated nub on the pin body, the user of the push pin pushes against the tension member to rotate the pin body into the fully-deployed position for use. The tension member is an elastic loop in some embodiments and a torsion spring in other embodiments. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A push pin, comprising: a main body having a trough; a pin body rotatably coupled to the main body; and a tension member coupled between the main body and the pin body, wherein: the pin body has a pin extending outwardly; and the tension member biases the pin body toward a stowed position in which the pin of the pin body is stowed in the trough of the main body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The push pin of claim 1, wherein the tension member is an elastic loop that is looped around an element on the main body and is looped around an element on the pin body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The push pin of claim 1, wherein the tension member is an elastic loop that is looped around the trough of the main body and is looped around the pin of the pin body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The push pin of claim 1, wherein the tension member is a torsion spring having a first end and a second end with the first end engaged with the main body and the second end engaged with the pin body. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The push pin of claim 1, wherein: the tension member is a torsion spring having a first wire section, a second wire section, and a helical section; the pin body has two coaxial axles; the helical section of the tension member is placed over one of the axles; the main body has a cavity defined therein; the first wire section extends into the cavity; and the second wire section presses against the thumb-actuated nub. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The push pin of claim 5, wherein: a force applied to the thumb-actuated nub causes the pin body to rotate with respect to the main body and causes the torsion spring to unwind. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The push pin of claim 1, wherein: the pin body rotates with respect to the main body about a rotation axis; the tension member is a torsion spring that has a helical portion with a centerline of the helical portion aligned with the rotation axis; the torsion spring further includes a first end that extends outwardly from the torsion spring and engages with the main body; and the torsion spring further includes a second end that extends outwardly from the torsion spring and abuts the pin body. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The push pin of claim 1, wherein: the pin body rotates with respect to the main body about a rotation axis; and the pin body includes a thumb actuator nub that is offset from the rotation axis. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The push pin of claim 1, wherein: the pin body rotates with respect to the main body about a rotation axis; the main body has two cradles; the pin body has two axles extending outwardly therefrom with centerlines of the axles coaxial with the rotation axis and perpendicular with the pin of the pin body; and a first of the two axles engages with a first of the two cradles and a second of the two axles engages with a second of the two cradles. ### Claim 10 A push pin, comprising: a main body having: a head with a central axis, a trough that extends outwardly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the central axis, and two cradles defined therein; a pin body having: a pin, two axles, and a thumb-actuator nub; and an elastic loop looped around the trough and the pin, wherein: a first of the two axles snaps into a first of the cradles; a second of the two axles snaps into a second of the cradles; and the elastic loop biases the pin body toward a stowed position in which the pin of the pin body is stowed in the trough of the main body. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The push pin of claim 10, wherein: the two axles are coaxial along a rotation axis; and the thumb actuator nub is offset from the rotation axis. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The push pin of claim 10, wherein the push pin is manufactured by: molding the main body; overmolding the pin body over a pin; snapping axles of the pin body into cradles of the main body; looping the elastic loop over the trough of the main body; and looping the elastic loop over the pin of the pin body. ### Claim 13 A push pin, comprising: a main body having: a head with a central axis, a trough that extends outwardly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the central axis, and two cradles defined therein; a pin body having: a pin, two axles, and a thumb-actuator nub; and a torsion spring having a helical portion, a first end, and a second end with the helical portion slipped over one of the two axles, wherein: the first end of the torsion spring engages with the main body; the second end of the torsion spring rests against the thumb-actuator nub; a first of the two axles snaps into a first of the cradles; a second of the two axles snaps into a second of the cradles; and the torsion spring biases the pin body toward a stowed position in which the pin of the pin body is stowed in the trough of the main body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The push pin of claim 13, wherein: the main body has a cavity defined in an underside of the main body; and the first end of the torsion spring engages with the cavity. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The push pin of claim 13, wherein: the two axles are collinear along a rotation axis; and the thumb actuator nub is offset from the rotation axis. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The push pin of claim 13, wherein: the first end of the torsion spring is straight; and the second end of the torsion spring is hooked. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The push pin of claim 13, wherein the first and second ends of the torsion spring are hooked. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The push pin of claim 13, wherein the main body has a cavity defined in an underside of the head of the main body. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The push pin of claim 13 wherein the push pin is manufactured by: molding the main body; overmolding the pin body over a pin; sliding the torsion spring over one of the two axles; and snapping axles of the pin body into cradles of the main body with a first end of the spring engaging with the cavity.