Strap for securing a bundled cord and the like

A strap for securing a bundled power cord for convenient storage and a power tool having a power cord to which the strap is substantially permanently secured. The strap has fastening elements on two extended surfaces and a pair of slots through which the cord is passed to attach the strap to the cord. The slots, shown as slits, are sized relative to a plug on the cord so that the plug resists withdrawal of the cord from the slots and the flexible strap remains permanently on the cord without impeding the use of the power cord or tool. The attached strap is wrapped around the bundled cord, with the fastening elements on one side of the strap engaging the fastening elements on the other side of the strap to form a fastening and secure the cord. In preferred forms the strap is a flat strip of material carrying molded hooks on one side, synthetic resin integral with the hooks serving to secure loop material defining the opposite side of the strap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to straps for securing bundled cords and the like, 
particularly straps with touch fasteners for securing power cords of 
electric tools and appliances for convenient storage. 
There have been suggestions of use of touch fastener straps for bundling of 
cords and the like, but these have involved disadvantageous forming 
operations and other disadvantages. One such example known to the 
applicant is a permanently installed fastener employed to bundle power 
adaptor cords on laptop computers, consisting of an elongated length with 
loops on one side, and a short length with hooks. The short 
hook-comprising length is bonded to one end of the loop-comprising length, 
and the other end of the loop-comprising length is wrapped about the cord 
above the end plug and permanently bonded to the strap, in a heat staking 
operation, to form a single loop about the cord that is large enough to 
allow the cord to freely move through the strap but too small to pass the 
end plug. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is realized that desirable qualities of a strap, including low cost of 
manufacture, capability of easy repetitive use, and a construction that 
enables the strap to be advantageously moved from one cord to another but 
helps to avoid misplacing the strap between uses, are achievable by the 
simple formation of two or more spaced slots in a two-sided touch fastener 
strap that is suitably sized to receive, and remain attached to, a section 
of an unbundled cord or other structure during use. 
In one aspect of the invention, a unitary strap, useful for securing an 
arranged bundle of loops of a cord and the like, is provided. The strap 
comprises a first extended surface from which a multiplicity of fastener 
elements project, a second extended surface from which a multiplicity of 
fastener elements project, the elements of the second surface formed to 
mate with the elements of the first surface to form a disengageable 
fastening, and at least one pair of spaced slots. The slots are sized in 
length and positioned to pass the cord through both slots, with the strap 
material between the slots securing the strap to the cord. The strap is 
flexible and constructed and arranged such that in the wrapped state the 
fastener elements on the first and second surfaces form a disengageable 
fastening to secure the strap about the bundle. 
Preferred embodiments of the invention contain one or more of the following 
features: 
The strap is secured to a power cord, the strap being sized in length to be 
wrapped around a bundle of loops of the power cord. 
The strap is of flat sheet form having first and second opposite faces. The 
first extended surface comprises substantially the entire face of the 
strap, and the second extended surface comprises substantially the entire 
opposite face of the strap. The material forming the fastener elements of 
the first and second surfaces is bonded throughout the extent of the 
strap. 
The fasteners of the first surface are of molded synthetic resin. Sheet 
material carrying the fasteners of the second surface is intimately bonded 
by portions of synthetic resin integral with fastener elements of the 
first surface. 
The fastener elements of the first surface are hook-shaped and the fastener 
elements of the second surface are loops provided on the surface of the 
fabric. 
The slots comprise slits cut in the substance of the strap without removal 
of material. 
In a preferred embodiment the strap is constructed for use with a cord 
having a plug of predetermined size, the slots being sufficiently long to 
permit passage of the plug through the slots, but sufficiently short to 
prevent ready withdrawal of the plug. 
In another aspect of the invention a combination is provided of a power 
tool, a permanently attached power cord having an electrical plug on its 
end, and a strap as previously described. The strap is substantially 
permanently attached to the cord by insertion of the plug through the 
slots, the slots having a length preventing ready sliding of the plug out 
of the slots. 
One embodiment includes a patch of fastener material permanently attached 
to the power tool, the patch comprising fastener elements engageable with 
fastener elements on the strap to form a disengageable fastening. 
In another aspect of the invention, a method of securing an arranged bundle 
of loops of a power cord with a strap is provided. The strap comprises a 
first extended surface from which a multiplicity of fastener elements 
project, a second extended surface from which a multiplicity of fastener 
elements project, and at least one pair of spaced slots. The elements of 
the second surface are formed to mate with the elements of the first 
surface to form a disengageable fastening. The pair of spaced slots is 
sized in length and positioned to pass the cord through both slots, with 
the strap material between the slots securing the strap to the cord. The 
strap is flexible and sized in length to be wrapped around the bundle of 
loops, the strap constructed and arranged such that in the wrapped state 
the fastener elements on the first and second surfaces form a fastening to 
secure the strap about the bundle. The method comprises the steps of 
inserting the cord through the pair of slots in the strap, allowing the 
strap to remain attached to the cord when the cord is extended during use 
of the cord to deliver power, and after such use, forming the cord into a 
bundle of adjacent loops and wrapping the strap about the bundle such that 
the fastener elements on the first surface of the strap engage the 
fastener elements of the second surface of the strap to form a fastening.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The figures illustrate the structure and function of a power cord strap 
according to the invention. Referring first to FIG. 1, the strap 10 is of 
elongated sheet form and comprises two opposing surfaces 12 and 14. 
Projecting from surface 12 is a multiplicity of touch fastener elements 
16, with a multiplicity of touch fastener elements 18 projecting from 
surface 14. The form and structure of elements 16 and 18, broadly, is such 
that they are engageable to form a disengageable fastening. As shown in 
the preferred embodiment, elements 16 are of molded hook-shape and 
elements 18 are loop-shaped, together forming a hook-and-loop type 
fastening. Strap 10 is of sufficient length L.sub.1 that the ends of the 
strap will substantially overlap when it is wrapped around the intended 
object, e.g. a bundled power cord. 
The strap has two slots 20 of length L.sub.2, with L.sub.2 long enough to 
permit plug 24 at the free end of a power cord 22 to pass through both 
slots by bending the strap material out of the plane of the strap. To this 
end, L.sub.2 must be at least larger than half of the periphery of plug 
24, half of the periphery being the sum of the width W and thickness t of 
the plug. When released, portions of the strap bear against both sides of 
the cord as shown in FIG. 2, and plug 24 serves as a stop to keep the 
strap on the cord. In this state strap 10 is substantially permanently 
attached to cord 22, may be positioned along the length of cord 22 by 
sliding the cord through slots 20, but if desired is easily removed by a 
reversal of the steps above. 
The word "slot", as used herein, refers to an opening extending from one 
broad side of the strap to the other broad side, surrounded by strap 
material. The slot 20 is preferably elongated and of negligible width, 
preferably a cut slit formed without removal of material. 
The two slots are positioned to leave sufficient durable margins of strap 
material to ensure that the strap remains on the cord. 
FIG. 3 shows cord 22, now bundled in a compact state for convenient 
storage, being wrapped by the attached strap 10. Ideally, strap 10 is 
under tension while cord 22 is being wrapped, keeping the bundle 
relatively tight and resulting in residual strap tension to help to keep 
the bundle together during storage. 
Strap 10 is wrapped around the bundle until fastener elements 16 engage 
fastener elements 18 to secure the bundle, as in FIGS. 4 and 5. In the 
preferred embodiment, hook elements 16 engage loop elements 18, as shown 
in FIG. 6. 
In some configurations patches 26 and/or 28 of fastener material, 
comprising fastener elements cooperative with elements 16 and 18, 
respectively are permanently attached to tool 30 so that the wrapped cord 
bundle may be secured to the tool during storage by engaging the fastener 
elements of either patch with the exposed fastener elements on strap 10. 
During use of the unbundled power cord it is advantageous that the strap 
remains on the cord in the vicinity of the plug, such that it does not 
impede use of the tool or appliance powered by the cord. 
Other embodiments of the invention may employ fastener elements of 
different structures or shapes, as long as elements 16 and 18 are 
configured to engage to form a releasable fastening. For instance, 
mushroom fastener elements that mate with loops or with other formations 
may be used. 
In the preferred embodiment, the strap material is a structure, configured 
and formed by the techniques as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,260,015 and 
5,518,795, which are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set 
forth. In the production of the material for use as the strap material, a 
sheet fabric carrying touch-fastener loops on one surface is introduced to 
one side of the nip during the molding process, by which its back surface 
is intimately bonded to a layer of synthetic resin material carrying 
integral fastener elements on the other surface. In certain preferred 
embodiments the sheet fabric is a pile fabric of woven or knit 
construction, and in other embodiments it is unwoven, having surface 
fibers that are anchored at both ends to function as loops. 
In various embodiments the slots may be formed by cutting or slitting the 
molded material, or as part of the strap material molding process. 
Other cords may likewise be bundled with straps according to the invention, 
suitably constructed for their purpose. Straps of this type may be used, 
for instance, on structures such as mooring or rigging lines that may have 
end enlargements such as knots, eyes, etc., or upon appliances themselves 
in which a section of the appliance extends through the slots. 
Other features and embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art, and 
are covered by the following claims.