Abstract:
A tie for elongated objects has a flexible strap extending from a retaining head that includes side-by-side retaining and locking regions, the tops of which form a contact surface for objects to be held. The retaining region is constructed for fastening to a T-stud on a support. The locking region is constructed to receive an entry section of the strap looped about objects to be held and to lock the strap in the locking region.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims the benefit of German Utility Model Application No. 20 2006 001 990.1 filed Feb. 7, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a tie for elongated objects such as cables, pipes, or the like, having an elongated flexible strap with multiple retaining elements arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the strap, and having at one end of the strap a retaining head. In an embodiment, the retaining head has a U-shaped retaining region that accommodates a T-stud located on a supporting part, and also has a locking region with a locking channel for accommodating the flexible strap and with a member that cooperates with the retaining elements to secure the flexible strap in the locking channel. 
   A prior art tie is disclosed in German Patent Document G 85 22 688.2. In the prior art tie, a locking region is located above a retaining region of a retaining head, and the flexible strap molded onto the retaining region is fastened on the same side of the retaining head as an entry opening of the locking channel. The flexible strap is formed into a 180° loop, so that its opening for accommodating cables is located laterally adjacent to the retaining head. The prior art device has the disadvantage that the tie and a cable bundle require a relatively large amount of space on a supporting part. The cable bundle is inadequately supported on the support, and the retaining head has only a narrow contact surface for the cable bundle. 
   BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the invention is to provide a tie that permits improved support of retained elongated objects, that has a small space requirement on the support, and that is easy to use and economical to produce. 
   According to the invention, the retaining region and the locking region of the retaining head are located side-by-side with respect to an underside facing the supporting part, and their top side forms a contact surface extending over the retaining region and the locking region. The flexible strap is fastened to the locking region of the retaining head on one side of the contact surface and the entry opening of the locking channel is located on the other side of the contact surface. 
   As a result of the invention, secure support on the retaining head of the item to be held, for example a cable harness, is made possible, the retaining head forming an intermediate layer between the cable harness and the supporting part. The flexible strap preferably forms a loop of over 300°, so that even relatively large diameters can be encompassed and securely retained. Moreover, easy handling is possible, since the free end of the flexible strap can be inserted into the locking channel parallel to the surface of the supporting part. The loop formed by the flexible strap is located on the side of the retaining head facing away from the supporting part, so that no significant installation space laterally adjacent to the retaining head on the supporting part is necessary. The side-by-side arrangement of the retaining region and the locking region also achieves a small installed height of the retaining head. 
   In an embodiment of the invention, a U-shaped retaining region has an elastic latching finger whose free end projects into the entry opening of the U-shaped retaining region. The construction is such that the latching finger can be displaced from the entry opening by a T-stud when the latter is inserted into the U-shaped retaining region, and such that the latching finger holds the head of the T-stud in place in the U-shaped retaining region in an inserted position. Preferably, the latching finger is arranged in a recessed position in the U-shaped retaining region, which is open toward the contact surface, and the free end of the latching finger has a boundary surface that has a spacing from the plane of the contact surface that is smaller than the displacement travel of the free end of the latching finger necessary for introducing a T-stud. This construction achieves the result that elongated objects located on the tie prevent the latching finger from deflecting into a position that can release the T-stud. The objects located on the tie thus provide additional protection against spontaneous loosening of the tie from the T-stud. 
   To compensate for dimensional variations during assembly, provision can be made, according to an embodiment of the invention, so that the U-shaped retaining region has a length that is greater than the diameter of the T-stud. In this embodiment the U-shaped retaining region can have multiple constrictions arranged at uniform spacing from one another in the longitudinal direction, forming notches for frictionally locking the T-stud in multiple positions within the retaining region. 
   So that the tie can be securely gripped and moved in the direction of entry of the T-stud during installation, the side surfaces of the tie parallel to the direction of entry can be designed as concave grip recesses. 
   According to the invention, the flexible strap can have ratchet teeth, separated from one another by tooth gaps, which work together with a mating ratchet tooth that projects into the locking channel and is located on an elastic finger of the retaining region of the tie. The ratchet teeth and the mating ratchet tooth permit the strap to be fixed in a plurality of positions within the locking channel determined by the spacing of the ratchet teeth. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is explained in detail below with regard to illustrative (best mode) embodiments, which are shown in the drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a tie according to the invention, 
       FIG. 2  is a top view of the retaining head of the tie of  FIG. 1 , 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-section through the retaining region of the tie of  FIG. 1  in the installed position, 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-section of the locking region of the tie of  FIG. 1 , 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a tie according to the invention, 
       FIG. 6  is a top view of the retaining head of the tie of  FIG. 5 , and 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-section through the retaining head of the tie of  FIG. 5  in the installed position. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The tie  1  shown in  FIG. 1  is preferably manufactured as a single piece of thermoplastic material and comprises a flexible strap  2  and an approximately cuboid retaining head  3 , which is arranged at one end of the strap  2 . The strap  2  has an inner side  4  that faces inward when forming a closed loop and rests against the retained objects, for example cables. Opposite the inner side  4  is an outer side  5  which is provided with a large number of ratchet teeth  6 . The ratchet teeth  6  extend crosswise to the longitudinal direction of the strap  2  and are arranged at regular intervals from one another. Tooth gaps  7  are formed between the ratchet teeth  6 . The strap  2  has a constant width over most of its length, but an entry section  8  at its free end becomes continuously narrower toward the tip to facilitate the threading of the end into a locking region. 
   The retaining head  3  is divided into a retaining region  10  and a locking region  11 . The locking region  11  directly adjoins the strap  2  and extends in the longitudinal direction of the latter. The retaining region  10  is located side-by-side with (laterally adjacent to) the locking region  11  and extends parallel thereto. Together, the tops of the retaining region  10  and locking region  11  form a contact surface  12  for the objects to be held. The retaining head  3  has on its underside multiple feet  13  which serve to support it on a supporting part. 
   The retaining region  10  has a U-shaped recess  14 , which is bounded by a cylindrical surface section  15  and two parallel, flat surface sections  16 . The surface sections  15 ,  16  extend perpendicular to the contact surface  12 . Located between the surface sections  16  is an entry opening  17 . Provided in the recess  14  is a U-shaped step  18  with a step surface  19  parallel to the contact surface  12 . The step  18  ends at a latching finger  20  with a step surface inclined downward at the end region. The latching finger  20  is attached to a web  21  which crosses the entry opening  17  in the upper region adjacent to the contact surface  12 , and the finger extends in the direction of entry below the plane of the contact surface  12 . At its end, the latching finger  20  has a cam  22 , which ends at the height of the plane of the contact surface  12 . 
   As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the retaining region  10  is used for fastening the retaining head  3  to a T-stud  23 . T-studs are used primarily in motor vehicles to fasten components, and as a general rule are welded to a sheet metal supporting part  24 , for example a car body part. The T-stud  23  has a cylindrical foot  25  and a cylindrical head  26 , which has a greater diameter than the foot  25 . 
   In order to install the retaining head  3 , it is pushed onto the T-stud  23  with the entry opening  17  of the retaining region  10  approximately parallel to the surface of the supporting part  24 . In this process, the head  26  slides on the step surface  19  of the step  18 , displacing the latching finger  20  upward toward the contact surface  12 . In the final installed position shown in  FIG. 3 , the head  26  is then located at the end of the recess  14  bounded by the cylindrical surface section  15 , wherein the underside of the head rests against the step surface  19 . As the head  26  moves to this position, the latching finger  20  slides off the head  26  and springs back to its initial position, where it rests immediately opposite the cylindrical edge of the head  26 , as can be seen in  FIG. 3 , so that the head  26  can no longer exit the recess  14 . In this way, the retaining body  3  is securely held on the supporting part  24  with the aid of the T-stud  23 . Thereafter, if an object held by the strap  2  is located on the contact surface  12 , the latching finger  20  is additionally held in its locking position by the cam  22 , thus further reducing the danger of spontaneous loosening of the tie, for example under the influence of vibration. 
   In order to make it easier to push the retaining head  3  onto the T-stud  23 , the retaining head  3  has concave grip recesses  27  on its opposing side surfaces parallel to the direction of installation, permitting improved application of force. The grip recesses  27  are especially advantageous when the tie  1  is fastened to the T-stud  23  before being applied to a cable harness or pipe. In contrast, if the tie  1  is first attached with the aid of the strap to an object to be fastened, which is also possible, then this object offers sufficient gripping area to transmit the necessary installation force to the tie  1 . 
   The locking region  11  has a locking channel  28  extending in the longitudinal direction of the strap  2 . The locking channel extends through the retaining head  3  and is bounded on both sides by parallel walls  29 ,  30 . At the underside of the retaining head  3 , two connecting webs  31 ,  32  cross the locking channel  28 . The connecting web  31  is arranged at the entry opening  33  of the locking channel  28 . Attached thereto is a latching finger  34  which extends toward the connecting web  32  and carries two mating ratchet teeth  35  on its top side. The locking channel  28  is bounded at its upper edge by two opposing guide strips  36  and a transverse web  37  onto which web the strap  2  is molded. 
   In order to fasten objects to the tie  1 , the strap  2  is wrapped far enough around the objects that it forms a loop together with the retaining head  3 . The entry section of the strap  2  is then introduced into the locking channel  28  through the entry opening  33 , and is pushed into the channel until it extends far enough from the opposite side of the retaining head  3  to be gripped. Pulling on the entry section  8  then draws the strap  2  through the locking channel  28  until the strap tightly encloses the objects to be held. During this process, the ratchet teeth  6  slide over the mating ratchet teeth  35 , with the latching finger  34  deflecting elastically downward. Once the strap  2  has reached its final position in the locking channel  28  and tends to slide back opposite to the direction of entry, the mating ratchet teeth  35  enter the nearest tooth gaps  7  of the strap  2  so that the ratchet teeth  6  and the mating ratchet teeth  35  come into engagement with one another, thereby securing the strap in the locking channel  28 . 
     FIGS. 5 through 7  show a variation of a tie  41 , which differs from the tie  1  in the location and size of the retaining region. The tie  41  has a strap  42  and a retaining head  43  with a retaining region  44  and a locking region  45 . The strap  42  and the locking region  45  resemble those of the tie  1 , and thus require no further explanation here. The retaining region  44  is located at one side of the locking region  45  and has a U-shaped recess  46  that extends transverse to the longitudinal axis of the strap  42  and whose entry opening  47  is located on the side of the retaining region  44  facing away from the locking region  45 . The recess  46  is bounded by a cylindrical surface section  48  and two adjoining parallel surface sections  49 , and contains a step  50  with a step surface  51 . In the longitudinal direction of the surface sections  49 , the recess  46  preferably has a length exceeding twice the diameter of the head  26  of a T-stud  23  associated with the retaining region  44 . The step  50  is also made correspondingly long along the surface sections  49 , and has two parallel sections  52 ,  53  whose surfaces facing one another have inward-facing and opposing resilient projections  54  at equal intervals whose clear distance from one another is smaller than the diameter of the foot  25  of a T-stud  23 . Provided in the entry opening  47 , as in the previously described example embodiment, is a latching finger  56  held by a web  55 , whose free end is located above the open end of the step  50 . 
   As a result of the described construction of the sections  52 ,  53  of the step  50 , a T-stud  23  can assume various positions within the recess  46 , and can in each case be brought from one position to the next by snapping past two opposing projections  54 . In each position, the T-stud  23  is frictionally held in place by the projections  54 . This construction permits adjustment of the retaining head  43  in the longitudinal direction of the recess  46  during installation in order to compensate for dimensional variations. 
   The ties described have the advantage that they can easily be installed on T-studs and provide a high degree of security against spontaneous loosening. The strap can easily be inserted into the locking region even after prior installation of the tie on a T-stud, so that it is possible to grip a cable harness, for example, even after installation of the tie. If the tie is first fastened to a cable harness, the construction of the retaining region ensures that the unit consisting of the cable harness and the tie can be installed easily. 
   While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, changes can be made without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the following claims.