Patent Publication Number: US-2003229972-A1

Title: Releasable tie strap

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] This invention relates to straps used to group, bundle and secure objects. In particular, it relates to self-securing tie straps that loop and tighten around a group of wires or other objects to be secured together.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] It is common to have a tie strap that can be tightened around an object or group of objects, with the tightened state being achieved and maintained by means of a series of grooves across the strip into which an angled toggle within a terminal block on the end of the strap fits. The angled toggle allows the strip to pass through the terminal block in the tightening direction, but catches in a groove across the strip if the strip is attempted to be withdrawn.  
       [0003] A great many solutions have been disclosed for the problem of rendering a tie strap releasable. There are many devices that require the user to press a tool such as a small screwdriver against a release tab. This can be a nuisance for a worker who is frequently adjusting a tie strap to accomodate its position or the number of cables enclosed by it. Others have additional plastic pieces in addition to a terminal block through which the tie end is looped. These extra plastic pieces have the disadvantages that they can break and that they cost extra time and expense in manufacture of the cable. Other devices have been disclosed that have the locking terminal block itself come apart with releasable tabs, which again makes for complicated manufacture and extra time in assembling or releasing the tie strap.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004] A tie strap is provided that is releasable by means of an extended, resilient locking tab within an aperture within a terminal on the strap. The opposite end of the tie strap can be threaded through the aperture in order to tie wires and other objects. The extended resilient locking tab is affixed to the tie strap within the terminal. An extended end of the locking tab can be grasped and pivoted such that the tab&#39;s locking tip is pulled out of a groove between retaining ridges on the strap. The strap can then be pulled through the aperture to loosen or release the tie strap. The base of the tab is thickened where it adjoins the strap such that the tab can return to a locking position with its tip between retaining ridges on the strap, upon the tab being released by the user, despite the tab having been released a plurality of times.  
       [0005] The invention is essentially a releasable tie strap having a strap portion that can be looped through a locking terminal block, the strap portion having a series of grooves and ridges, the locking terminal block having at least one locking tab that snaps into place within the grooves and ridges as the strap portion is passed though the locking terminal block, the locking tab being adjoined to a locking tab member that is resiliently pivotable in one direction to allow the ridges to pass but to catch a ridge and to lock the strap portion when tugged backward, the locking tab member having an extension that enables a user to pivot the locking tab even farther in order to clear the ridges on the strap portion in order to allow the strap portion to be tugged backward through the locking terminal block. It is beneficial to have the extension extend parallel to the position of a leading part of the strap portion when it protrudes from the locking terminal block in order that the leading part of the strap portion provides a shield for the extension to guard against accidental release by force from extraneous objects on the extension from the direction of the leading part of the strap portion. A preferred embodiment is for the releasable tie strap to be reusable after a release, by means of the locking tab having a buttress between the locking tab member and the strap portion adjacent to the locking terminal block, that provides increased strength and enhanced resilience to the locking tab member such that it returns to its pre-release position after a release of the tie strap, ready to re-engage with the grooves and ridges of the strap portion.  
       [0006] The device is extremely easy to use in releasing and re-tightening the tie strap. It cheap to manufacture, requiring a minimal amount of extra plastic over typical non-releasable tie straps. The process of making the releasable tie strap is itself easy, in that only two places of mold need to be routed out in order to form the releasable tie strap from a mold that previously produced only non-releasable tie straps.  
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0007]FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective of a releasable tie strap of the present invention, in a flat, unlooped state.  
     [0008]FIG. 2 is a top view of the releasable tie strap of FIG. 1.  
     [0009]FIG. 3 is an isometric perspective of the releasable tie strap of FIG. 1, looped for use.  
     [0010]FIG. 4 is a partial cutaway, isometric view of non-releasable tie strap.  
     [0011]FIG. 5 is a partial cutaway, isometric view of the releasable tie strap of FIG. 1.  
     [0012]FIG. 6 is a partial cutaway, isometric view of the releasable tie strap of FIG. 1, with its release tab bent back into a releasing position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     [0013] Referring to FIG. 1, the releasable tie strap  1  has a leading tip  1  and a locking terminal block  3 . The strap has a locking top groove portion  4  comprising a series of ridges and grooves that will snap into place within the locking terminal block  3 , held in place by one or more complementary locking tabs within the locking terminal block  3  that fit within any of the grooves. The release tab  5  enables a user to press the release tab  5  away from the locking term block  3 , thereby releasing the primary locking tab within the locking terminal block  3  and allowing backward movement of the strap and its leading tip  2  within the terminal block  3 . A release buttress  8  is necessary to provide resilience for the release tab to return to a locking position for the primary locking tab to which the release tab is adjoined, in order to allow the releasable tie strap to be used again and again.  
     [0014] Referring to FIG. 2, a top view shows the primary locking tab  6  and the secondary locking ridge and groove complementary portion  7  within the locking terminal block. The locking top groove portion  4  will end up engaging with the secondary locking ridge and groove complementary portion  7  when the leading tip  2  from FIG. 1 is pulled down and then up through the bottom portion  9  of the locking terminal block  9 , as shown in FIG. 3. The locking underside groove portion  10  also comprising a series of ridges and grooves will likewise engage but with the primary locking tab  6  from FIG. 2.  
     [0015] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, within the locking terminal block  3 , the primary locking tab  6  will pivot upward and leftward when force is applied by the user in the direction of the arrow  12  to allow the ridges of the underside locking groove portion to snap past the primary locking tab  6  until the tie strap is sufficiently tightened. Reverse force applied to the strap however would cause the engaged groove and its flanking ridge to pull the primary locking tab  6  downward and against the strap portion when it is looped through the locking terminal block  3 , where the primary locking tab  6  would pinch the strap portion against an opposite side  9  of the locking terminal block cannot pivot further downward and leftward to allow the locking underside grooved portion  10  to slide backward. This principle applies also in the case of the prior art non-releasable tie strap  40 , shown in FIG. 4, with its analogous locking terminal block  23  and its analogous primary locking tab  26 . But the placement of the release tab  5  adjoined to the primary locking tab  6  allows the user to pivot the primary locking tab  6  even further up and to the left, as shown in FIG. 6, in order to allow the strap to be withdrawn wholly or partially from the locking terminal block  3 . The buttress  8  provides the necessary resilience to allow the tie strap to be reused even after a release. The buttress at its thickest portion above the strap portion surface should at least 2 millimetres in thickness from its top surface to the juncture of the locking tab to the locking tab member in order to provide the required resilience for reusablability when the releasable tie strap is made from typical resilient plastic material.  
     [0016] A further point that is appreciated on reviewing FIG. 3, is that the position of the leading tip  2  or a mid-portion of the strap provides a shield against an unintentional release of the releasable tie strap  1  by objects pressing from the right adjacent to the leading tip, but not actually between the leading tip  2  and the release tab  5 . The extension should protrude beyond a surface of the locking terminal block by a distance of approximately 2 millimetres, to provide a finger hold on the extension while not having it unnecessarily long and causing unintended releases by catching the extension on surrounding objects when in use.  
     [0017] Thus a releasable tie strap is provided that can easily be manufactured, used, adjusted backwards or forwards, released and reused.  
     [0018] The within-described invention may be embodied in other specific forms and with additional options and accessories without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalence of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.