Patent Publication Number: US-6698067-B2

Title: Locking strap with handling structure

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to locking straps. More particularly, the present invention relates to a locking strap having structural features which permit the locking strap to be more easily grasped to thereby provide a more efficient locking mechanism. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Locking straps have long been used for a variety of functions. Some applications include the use as cable ties for assembling or bundling electrical wires or cables, as handcuffs, or for other purposes of bundling together or fastening items. Locking straps typically include an elongate member having a head at one end, a tail at the other end, and a longitudinal strap lying therebetween. The locking strap is used by wrapping the strap around a bundle of articles and inserting the tail through the head. The head and the body include cooperative looking elements so that when the tail is pulled tightly through the head, the locking elements secure the strap body in the head. 
     It is often difficult, however, to manually assemble the cooperative locking elements together, i.e., to pull the tail through the locking head. It is difficult to pull the tail through the head using the tail end of the strap because the strap at this point is not only relatively thin but the sparse amount of tail material makes it difficult for a user to grasp the tail. There is a tendency also for the tail to slip out from between the user&#39;s fingers making handling of the tie difficult. Furthermore, because a large insertion force is usually necessary to assemble the locking strap, it often leads to troublesome handling and the assembly is frequently less efficient and time consuming. 
     There have been several attempts to facilitate the fastening procedure for locking straps by providing a locking strap with a more grippable tail. U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,787 to Fortsch provides a cable tie with the head and tail including cooperative holding means for removably holding the tail in the head passage. The tail of the cable tie includes a plurality of tactile gripping elements extending from the surface of the tail. The gripping elements are extended, rounded elements which are positioned at spaced apart locations along a longitudinal edge of the surface of the tail. The tail, however, is still difficult to grip and pull through the head for locking of the cable tie. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,254 to Geisinger discloses a cable tie used as a handcuff which was designed to increase the ease of the assembly of the cable tie. A loop is provided near the tail of the cable tie, but the loop is not resiliently deformable, and was not designed for insertion of a finger therein. Because of the large insertion force typically necessary for the handcuffs, the cable tie is inefficient in the assembling thereof. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,535 to Mautner discloses a security seal with a locking strap near the tail end of the tie. The locking strap however, is not used to pull the tail end through the locking mechanism. The locking strap of Mautner has a fixed end and a free end retained within a slot in the security seal. The locking strap is retained in a slot within the tail during the assembly process. After the seal is assembled, the locking strap is pulled so that the free end moves longitudinally through the slot in the locking seal&#39;s body. The locking strap is further designed with a weakened section which breaks off the cable tie after the above-mentioned movement has taken place. This is done so that the cable tie cannot be tampered with; i.e., thereby locking the tail end of the strap in the head. 
     It is desirable, therefore, to provide a locking strap with features useful in readily pulling the strap through the head of the tail. It is also desirous to provide a cable tie with a grasping mechanism near its tail to make grasping the tail easier. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a flexible locking strap for tightening around one or more articles. The flexible locking strap is formed of an elongate member having a head at one end, a tail at the other end, and a central flexible strap body therebetween. The head of the strap has a passage therethrough for receipt of the tail. The head and the body of the flexible locking strap include cooperative locking members for locking said body within said head passage. The locking strap has a resilient finger grasp located between the tail and the central strap body, the grasp being configured to pass through said head passage and resiliently deform therewithin. After passage through the head passage, the finger grasp resumes its previous shape and thereby facilitates grasping and pulling the strap body tightly around articles. 
     A method of fastening a flexible locking strap is also disclosed in the present invention. The method comprises the steps of providing an elongate member having a head at one end, a tail at another end, and a central flexible strap body therebetween. The head contains a passage therethrough for receipt of the tail. The head and the central flexible strap body contain cooperative locking members for locking the body within the head passage. During the fastening process the tail is inserted through the passage in the head. The tail contains a resilient finger grasp located between the tail and the central strap body. The finger grasp resiliently deforms within the head passage and resumes its original expanded shape after insertion through the passage. The expanded shape facilitates grasping and pulling the strap body through the head passage in order to integrally dispose cooperative locking members on said body and within said head passage. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention a flexible locking strap for tightening around one or more articles is provided. The flexible strap has an elongate member having a head at one end, a tail at the other end and a central flexible strap body therebetween. The head has a passage therethrough for receipt of the tail. The head and the body include a cooperative locking member for locking the body within the head passage. A flexible pulling tab is also located between said tail and said central strap body, the flexible tab being in cantilevered attachment with the flexible locking strap. The flexible pulling tab is adapted for pulling the strap body through the head passage. 
     In a further embodiment of the present invention a further flexible locking strap is provided. The flexible locking strap includes and elongate member having a head at one end, a tail at the other end, and a central flexible strap body therebetween. The head has a passage therethrough for receipt of the tail. The head and the body include cooperative locking members for locking the body within the head passage. A finger loop is located between the tail and the central strap body, the finger loop being resiliently deformable. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a representative locking strap with handling structure embodying features of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the locking strap of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a locking strap of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the locking strap of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a top plan view of yet another embodiment of the locking strap of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the locking strap of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a further embodiment of the locking strap of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the locking strap of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a top plan view of yet a further embodiment of the locking strap of the present invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the locking strap of FIG.  9 . 
     FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of an interlocking head and strap body of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a locking strap with handling structure in accordance with one arrangement of the present invention. The flexible locking strap  12  includes an elongate member having a head  2  at one end, a tail  4  at the other end, and a central flexible strap body  6  therebetween. The head  2  of the strap has a passage  8  therethrough for receipt of the tail  4 . The head  2  and the body  6  of the flexible locking strap  12  include cooperative locking members, as will be described, for locking the body within the head passage  8 . The locking strap  12  has a resilient finger grasp  10  located between the tail  4  and the central strap body  6 , the grasp  10  being configured to pass through the head passage  8  and resiliently deform therethrough. After passage through the head passage  8 , the finger grasp  10  resumes its previous shape and thereby facilitates grasping and pulling the strap body tightly around articles. Locking strap  12  is preferably integrally molded from a suitable synthetic organic plastic resin, such as polyamide resin, which possesses sufficient strength and resiliency to permit the desired working thereof, as well as the desired latching and release. Other materials having the desired properties may also be used. 
     FIG. 2 shows a side elevational view of a locking strap  12  of FIG.  1 . Locking strap  12  is typically planar having a first major planar surface  14  and an opposed second major planar surface  16  and is formed in any desired length necessary to encompass the diameter of the object or objects to be fastened. The first planar surface  14  includes a plurality of transversely extending locking teeth  18  which are longitudinally spaced along the length of strap body  6 . When the locking strap  12  is in a locked position, the first major surface  14  is generally oriented toward the objects to be fastened, being bundled so that the teeth  18  may serve to enhance the grip upon the objects being bundled. It should be appreciated, however, that the locking strap may be oriented with first major surface  14  in the opposite direction. 
     First and second planar surfaces  14 ,  16  are connected, as shown in FIG. 1, by transverse sidewalls  20 ,  21  which form planes which are substantially parallel to each other. As can also be seen in FIG. 1, resilient finger grasp  10  is formed of two spaced apart strap portions  22  and  24  which separate at a far end  26  of the central strap body  6  and then reunite at strap portion  28  adjacent tail  4 . Strap portions  22  and  24  lie within the height of the strap defined by planer surfaces  14  and  16  and extend exteriorly laterally of the planes created by sidewalls  20 ,  21  forming an opening  25  of sufficient size for receipt of a finger therein. The grasp  10  will resiliently deform to be substantially coplanar with the planes formed by sidewalls  20 ,  21  when the grasp  10  is pushed through central passage  8  in the head of the locking strap  12 . Once the finger grasp  10  has been inserted through the passage  8  however, finger grasp  10  resiliently expands to resume its former shape in order to assist assembly of the locking strap  12  by allowing insertion of a finger therein. 
     As can be seen in FIG. 2, transversely extending locking teeth  18  project outwardly from the planar surface of first planar surface  14 . Locking teeth  18  are formed and mated to locking teeth  62  within head passage  8  (shown in FIG. 11) which are complementarily formed. When assembled, the respective locking teeth  18 ,  62  on the strap  12  and in the head  2  interlock to provide a mated locking relation. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 show another embodiment of a locking strap of the present invention. Locking strap  30  includes a locking strap similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Locking strap  30  however possesses resilient finger grasps  32  which are used in order to facilitate the assembly process. Finger grasps  32  are flexible cantilevered tabs which extend laterally outwardly from opposed sidewalls  34  and  36 . As can be seen in FIG. 4, flexible tabs  32  lie substantially within the height of the strap defined by first planar surface  38  and opposed second planar surface  40 . Similar to the finger grasp of FIGS. 1 and 2, the resilient finger grasps  32  of FIG. 3 resiliently deform during insertion through head passage  42 . During insertion through the head passage, resilient finger grasps  32  are pressed against sidewalls  36  and  34 . After insertion, resilient finger grasps  32  return to their previous shape and allow grasping thereafter to facilitate assembly of the locking strap. 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 show another embodiment of the locking strap of the present invention. A resilient finger grasp is shown in the form of flexible cantilevered tabs  44 . The flexible tabs  44  extend exteriorly above and below first and second opposed planar surfaces  46  and  48  and lie substantially within the width of the strap defined by opposed sidewalls  45  and  47 . Consistent with the other embodiments of the present invention, flexible tabs  44  are resiliently deformed during insertion through head passage  50 , in that flexible tabs are pressed against first and second planar surfaces  46  and  48 . After insertion flexible tabs  44  resume their original shape to allow grasping thereafter to facilitate the assembly process. 
     The locking strap shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is still another embodiment of the locking strap of the present invention. A first resilient finger grasp  50  and a second resilient finger grasp  52  are shown. Resilient finger grasps  50  and  52  interrupt the first and second planar surfaces  49 ,  51  to form loops for ease of grasping. Grasps  50  and  52  are constructed to resiliently deform when passed through a passage in head  54 . The resilient deformation typically involves compression of the grasps  50  and  52  to a position substantially coplanar with opposed planar surfaces  49  and  51 . A gripping flange  41  is also shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Gripping flange  41  is a continuous strap attached on either side of the head of the locking strap and further facilitates assembly of the locking strap by providing a further structure to grip and facilitate assembly. 
     The locking strap  55  of FIGS. 9 and 10 shows yet a further embodiment of the present invention. Locking strap  55  includes flexible tabs  56  similar to flexible tabs  44  depicted in FIG.  5 . Flexible tabs  56 , however, extend laterally exteriorly of transverse sidewalls  57 ,  59 , and lie substantially within the height of the strap defined by first and second planar surfaces  58  and  60  as shown in the side elevational view of FIG.  10 . Locking strap  55  additionally contains indented portions  53 ,  61  in transverse sidewalls  57 ,  59  to accommodate flexible tabs  56 . When flexible tabs  56  are resiliently deformed during insertion through the head passage, indented portions  53 ,  61  provide a space to accommodate the flexible tabs  56  such that tabs  56  lie substantially coincident with or laterally within the planar surfaces of transverse sidewalls  57 ,  59 . 
     While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described herein, those skilled in the art will realize that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention. The true scope of the invention is set forth in the claims appended hereto.