Abstract:
The retaining strap comprises a thin, elongate piece of expandable and non marring material having a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal slots therein to which objects, via retainers, can be engaged. The retaining strap also has terminal connectors thereon for securing the strap to itself and/or other objects to be engaged thereby.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a retaining strap. More particularly the strap is made of a material which is capable of longitudinal expansion and includes a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal slots therein to which the strap itself can be bound or for use with other objects such as hooks, washers, attachment rings, etc. to assist in retaining an object. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Heretofore various forms of retaining straps have been proposed. 
     One well known form of such retaining strap is commonly referred to as a bungee cord. 
     As will be described in greater detail hereinbelow, the retaining strap of the present invention provides advantages which prior art straps are incapable of accomplishing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention there is provided a retaining strap comprising an elongate body made of longitudinally expandable material and having a plurality of spaced apart slots disposed longitudinally along the body, the strap further including a connector at each end thereof which engages within a slot to engage the strap to itself or to engage an object to be retained by the strap. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of the retaining strap of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an end view taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective top view of the strap of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective side view showing an attachment ring secured to the strap. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a washer secured to one end of the strap. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective top view showing a hook engaged to an elongate end slot of the strap. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is illustrated therein the retaining strap made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and generally identified by the reference numeral  10 . 
     The strap  10  is preferably made of a non marring, expandable material and includes an elongate, flattened body  11  having two ends  12  and  14  each of which in turn includes a terminal connector  16  mounted thereon. 
     The terminal connector  16  is conical with a base  18  of the conical connector  16  being engaged to the body  11  of the strap  10  by a thin shaft  20 . 
     As best illustrated in FIG. 2, the base  18  of the conical connector  16  has a circular groove  22  therein surrounding the point of attachment of the shaft  20  thereof, making the base  18  inwardly flexible. 
     Longitudinally inwardly of the shaft  20  at each end  12 ,  14  of body  11 , the body  11  flattens out, having narrower side surfaces  24  and  26  respectively, as compared to identical top and bottom surfaces  28  and  30 , respectively, thereof. 
     Extending through the body  11 , toward each end  12  and  14  a centered longitudinal slot  32  is provided extending through the body  11  from the top surface  28  to the bottom surface  30 . 
     Provided next, longitudinally inwardly of each elongate slot  32 , is a pair of spaced apart keyhole slots  34 , each keyhole slot  34  comprising a large opening portion  36  with a stepped down opening portion  38  of each keyhole slot  34  being positioned longitudinally inwardly of the stepped down opening portion  38 . The keyhole slots  34  also extend through the body  11  from the top surface  28  to the bottom surface  30 . 
     Each stepped down opening portion  38  of each keyhole slot  34  is surrounded by an elevated lip or ridge  40  which, in the preferred embodiment, is semicircular on both the top and bottom surfaces  28  and  30 , respectively. 
     It will be understood that the keyhole slots  34  may be used to connect a portion of the strap  10 , to itself, as best illustrated in FIG. 3, and thus the large opening portion  36  of each slot  34  must be of a size sufficient to allow passage of the conical connector  16  therethrough while the stepped down opening portion  38  must be large enough to accommodate engagement of the shaft  20  therein but too small to allow passage of the conical connector  16 . 
     It will further be understood that the lip or ridge  40  surrounding the stepped down opening portion  38  of each slot  34  should be of a size to allow the circular groove  22  of the conical connector  16  to seat thereupon, providing an effective means for “locking” the conical connector  16  in place, against accidental release. 
     When release is desired, the conical connector  16  is unseated, from over the stepped down opening portion  38 , moved into the larger opening portion  36 , and slid therethrough. 
     If desired the larger opening portion  36  could be made slightly smaller than the base  18  of the conical connector  16  since provision of the circular groove  22  therein allows for some flexibility to the base  18 , and thus ensures further against accidental release, though this should not be construed as limiting. 
     Such self-engageability of the strap  11  allow for same to be effectively engaged to a securement  50  of an object to be retained, the securement  50  in FIG. 4 being illustrated to take the form of a ring  50 . 
     Turning now to FIG. 5, it will be seen that the conical connector  16  can also be used to engage the strap  10  to a ring element  54 , such as a washer  54 , which is at times found strengthening an opening in an object such as a tarpaulin (not shown), so long as the opening  56  in the ring element  54  is smaller than the base  18  of the conical connector  16 . 
     Further, in FIG. 6, it is shown that any of the slots  32  or  34 , and in this particular instance, the longitudinal slot  34 , can also be used to engage the retaining strap  10 , in suitable manner, to an item incorporating its own retainer  58 , such as a hook  58  often found on an object such as a tent (not shown). 
     As described above, the strap  10  provides a number of advantages, some of which have been described above and others of which are inherent in the invention. Also, modifications may be proposed to the strap  10  without departing from the teachings herein. Accordingly the scope of the invention is only to be limited as necessitated by the accompanying claims.