Patent Publication Number: US-2007094849-A1

Title: Steel band retainer

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      This invention relates to a steel band retainer, particularly to one provided with plural pairs of a first and a second spike-like teeth rows, and the spike-like teeth of the first and the second row are shaped to have opposite-direction tips from each other so that the spike-shaped teeth may have stronger retaining force against the steel band after the steel band retainer is fixed around two ends of a steel band retainer superposed for packing.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      A conventional steel band retainer shown in  FIG. 1  includes a separating intermediate surface area  1  and a first spike-like teeth area  2  and a second spike-like teeth area  3  respectively at the two sides of the separating intermediate surface area  1 . Then the spike-like teeth of the first and the second teeth area tightly contact two ends of a steel band superposed for packing something.  
      Nevertheless, the first spike-shaped teeth area  2  and the second spike-shaped teeth area are divided by the intermediate area  1 , and the spike-like teeth of the first and the second spike-shaped teeth area  1  and  2  have retaining force owing to their opposite-direction inclined tips from each other. Therefore, in case the gap between the bottom portion and the upper portion of the steel band retainer is comparatively large after compressed in packing, the one half side of the retainer may not sufficiently be pressed to tightly contact the steel band, to potentially permit the two ends of the steel band become loose if the steel band is pulled away with excessive force.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The feature of the invention is the spike-like teeth of a first row and a second row making up plural pairs of spike-like teeth rows provided on a bottom plate of a steel band retainer, and the spike-like teeth of the first row have respectively an opposite-direction tip from those of the second row so as to produce more stable retaining force against the two ends of a steel band so that the steel band may not easily loosen even in case of receiving excessive pulling-away force. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
      This invention will be better understood be referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional steel band retainer;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a steel and retainer in the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of spike-like teeth in the first embodiment of a steel band retainer in the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of a steel band retainer under a retaining condition in the present invention; and,  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of spike-like teeth in a second embodiment of a steel band retainer in the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      A first embodiment of a steel band retainer  10  in the present invention, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , includes a bottom plate  11 , an upper plate  12  extending continuously almost in parallel from one side of the bottom plate  11 , and a side plate  13  extending up vertically from the other side of the bottom plate  11 .  
      The bottom plate  11  has its upper surface provided with plural pairs of two spike-like teeth rows consisting of a first spike-like teeth row  14  and a second spike-like teeth row  15 . The first spike-like teeth row  14  has a plurality of spike-like teeth  141  spaced apart straightly, and all the teeth  141  have respectively an inclined tip to the same direction. The second spike-like teeth  151  of the second teeth row  15  are also spaced apart straightly, having respectively an inclined tip to the opposite direction to those  141  of the first teeth row  14 .  
      In using, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , after the steel band retainer  10  is placed to surround two ends of a steel band  20  for packing, it is compressed against the steel band  20 , forcing the first and the second spike-like teeth rows  14  and  15  forcefully contact the outer surface of the steel band  20 , with the spike-like teeth  141  and  151  producing opposite-direction retaining force against the steel band so that the steel band may be retained with enough force, not becoming loose even in case of receiving excessive large pulling-away force.  
      Next,  FIG. 5  shows a second embodiment of a steel band retainer  30  in the present invention, which has almost the same structure, except that arrangement of the spike-like teeth is different from that in the first one. In the second embodiment, the first spike-like teeth row  31  and the second spike-like teeth row  32  are spaced apart in the lengthwise direction instead of the lateral direction on the bottom plate in the first one. Therefore, the second embodiment has the same function as that of the first one.  
      While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.