Abstract:
An encirclement to stabilize, and if desired also to anchor bundles of wires. It includes a base segment and a pair of integral arm segments having interior arcuate surfaces to encircle the bundle when the stiffly flexible arms are brought together. A latch tooth extends from each arm segment. The latch teeth extend across a central plane which all of the segments confront, to engage and latch the arm segments to one another and thereby encircle the bundle to hold it together.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     A readily installed encirclement to stabilize, and if desired also to anchor bundles of wires. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Mechanisms and apparatus which utilize electrical and electronic systems invariably contain groups of wires that must be held in a disciplined arrangement in bundles lest they tangle or catch on something. Such risks frequently exist during assembly, transportation and repair. 
     Also, in the absence of some orderliness, the attachment of many wires to as many terminals is vastly confused if there is a tangle of wires. Accordingly, it is common practice to bundle groups of wires to the extent that the apparatus allows. 
     When a group of wires is to be bundled (a process sometimes called “cabling”), the wires are laid out and then held as a group by some kind of encirclement. If such preliminary subassembly is not possible, the group will later be gathered and encircled. 
     Then, and this is especially the situation in vehicles, it often is desirable to anchor the assembled bundle so as to stabilize it against moving around or sagging. 
     Encirclement devices and anchors are well-known in the prior art. Anything that will gather and hold a group of wires together, or hold them to a structure will suffice for the purpose. Even a piece of cord can do the job. Because of this simple objective, solutions to encirclement and anchoring requirements are numerous, and is a matter of some surprise that improvements are still possible at this day. 
     One reason is because assembly-line time has become a serious economic burden, and needs to be reduced as much as possible. A device which is even slightly quicker to install and adds little if anything to the cost is much desired. 
     In addition, repetitive motion injuries have become a serious concern. A device which requires finger manipulation and careful alignment can lead to anatomical damage of the installer, as well as to a lesser quality of the work that he does. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide an encirclement (sometimes herein called a “clip”) that needs only to be pressed over a group of wires, and its two arms pressed against one another. No more than a shove and a pinch. For anchoring, which is optional, a self-retentive spear can be stabbed into a structural opening. That is all. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide an encirclement that can be molded from organic plastic resin, at rapid production rates and at minimal cost. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An encirclement according to this invention is a ring-like structure made of stiffly flexible shape-retention material. It is preferably molded from a thermoplastic organic resin. It includes a base segment and a pair of opposed arm segments. Each arm segment carries a latch segment with an angular latch tooth which engage each other when crossed past one another and released. 
     The arm segments and latch segments each have a bearing face that lies in a common central plane so that when the latch teeth are engaged, the bearing faces bear against each other. 
     Preferably in the relaxed condition, the latch segments are spaced from one another and are angularly related to form a channel through which a bundle of wires can readily be passed when the encirclement is around it. 
     The above and other features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a known prior art device before installation; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view as in FIG. 1, with the device installed; 
     FIG. 3 is a right hand side view taken at line  3 — 3  in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the presently-preferred embodiment of this invention before installation; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 4 after installation; 
     FIG. 6 is a right hand side view taken at line  6 — 6  in FIG. 4, the left hand view being identical to it; and 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-section taken at line  7 — 7  in FIG.  6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 shows a known prior art encirclement  10 . It illustrates some of the disadvantages of the prior art. Encirclement  10  includes an optional spear  11  which can be stabbed into an opening (not shown) in structure. It includes a shank  12  that is continuous with a ring-like structure  13 . 
     Structure  13  includes a base segment  14 , and two arm segments  15 ,  16 . They are continuous and in their relaxed condition the arm segments leave an open channel  17  between them. Latch segments  18 ,  19  curve outwardly, and terminate in enlargements  20 ,  21 , preferably ball-shaped. Reinforcing ribs  22 ,  23  strengthen the shank. 
     The method of installing this encirclement is to press the latch segments against the bundle. The latch segments will move apart while it passes through the channel, and then will close again. 
     This will not lock the cable in the encirclement. To accomplish this, the installer must reach around the bundle and then twist the latch segments as shown. These tend to spring back, but the enlargements prevent it. Thus, the installation requires the installer to reach around and find the ends, then grab them, probably with both hands, and twist the latch segments. This is a complicated manual movement and involves the risk of repetitive motion injury when done many times an hour. Also it will be noted that this complicated movement takes time, and time on an assembly line is very expensive. This illustrates many of the disadvantages of the prior art. In addition, should forces arise which tend to spread the latch segments, the rounded enlargements at least theoretically could cam past one another and allow the encirclement to release. 
     The preferred encirclement  30  according to this invention is a ring-like structure made of a stiffly flexible shape retentive material, preferably made from a thermoplastic organic resin such as NYLEX or any other suitable thermoplastic resin of the NYLEX family. 
     It can include an optional spear  31  with a shank  32  useful for a handle. On its free end there is a lock  33  which is comprised of a pair of barbs  34 ,  35  and two flexible spring leaves  36 ,  37 . The barbs are spaced from the spring leaves by a spacer  38 . 
     The barbs and leaves are springy. After the barbs are pressed into a body or passed through an opening (neither being shown) they will spring out. The shank will be pressed axially so the leaves bear against the body, flattening as they do so. Their spring back force that is exerted through the spacer will cause the barbs to tend to move apart and engage the body so as to anchor the encirclement to it. 
     The handle and the lock are optional. Both can be omitted, or the shank can be included as a handle but without a lock, as preferred. 
     The structure includes a central base segment  40  extending on each side of a central axis. The structure is symmetrical when viewed in the plane of FIG.  4 . It is not symmetrical as viewed in FIG. 6, for a reason to be disclosed. 
     Arm segments  41 ,  42  extend from opposite ends of the base segment, and are arcuate. Latch segments  43 ,  44  extend from respective free ends  45 ,  46  of arm segments  41 .  42 . 
     Flange segments  50 ,  51  extend from the free ends of the latch segments, in opposite directions from one another. Thus, the internal curvatures of the arm segments are opposite from the curvature between the flange segments and the arm segments. 
     Latch teeth  60 ,  61  extend from respective latch segments  43 ,  44 . As shown in FIG. 4, these are plate-like teeth which are not designed to be flexible. They are for retentive locking purposes. 
     The invention will best be understood by examining FIGS. 6 and 7, which show a central plane  65 , which is also the plane of FIGS. 4 and 5. All of the segments have a bearing face which lies in the plane. Thus, for example, bearing face  66  on arm segment  42  lies on plane  65  and bearing face  67  on arm segment  41  also lies in the plane. The situation is identical for the latch segments and flange segments. When the arm segments are brought together, portions of them bear against one another. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, arm segment  42  faces to the right and arm segment  41  faces to the left. They are offset relative to one another, opposite in plan view, and adjacent in side view (FIG.  6 ). Some parts of bearing surfaces  66  and  67  bear against one another when the device is closed. 
     Now, bearing in mind that at least the arm segments are stiffly flexible, notice that the latch teeth cross over the central plane, each in the opposite direction from the other. As best shown in FIG. 7, latch tooth  60  on latch arm  43  has a cam surface  70  and a latch surface  71 . Latch tooth  61  on a latch arm  44  has a cam surface  72  and a latch surface  73 . 
     Both of these teeth cross the central plane  65  and interfere with one another when the arm segments are brought toward one another and pass one another. At this event, the arm segments yield enough that the cam surfaces can pass over one another, after which the arm segments return to their original shape. 
     After that, assuming that the tips of the teeth have passed one another, the spring back of the structure brings the latch surfaces  71  and  73  together in opposition, and the structure is locked closed as shown in FIGS. 5,  6  and  7 . To simplify the drawings, bundles have not been shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. They could nearly fill it. 
     The encirclement can be re-opened only by reducing the cross-section enclosed by the base segment and arm segments. This is an unlikely event unless strenuous efforts are made to release the latch keys from one another. 
     Installation is simple. The latch arms must be spread, which is simple when they are slanted relative to one another, and even easier when there is a gap between them as shown. Then the encirclement merely need be pressed over the bundle. 
     This encirclement can readily and inexpensively be produced. For installation, all the installer must do is axially press the device over the bundle, and then press the flange segments toward one another until the teeth past one another, and release it. There is no twisting movement such as needed to make a tie or twist. It is very quick. 
     It can advantageously be molded in a simple piece from any suitable organic plastic resin or mixture of resins. 
     This invention is not to be limited by the embodiment shown in the drawings and described in the description, which is given by way of example and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims.