Abstract:
An apparatus includes an elongate flexible strap defining first and second ends and first and second sides, a ring attached to said first end of said strap, a first length of hook and loop fastener secured to a mid-portion of said strap on said second side, a second length of hook and loop fastener secured to said strap on said second side near said second end, and a flexible loop attached to said strap at said second end.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to Provisional Application No. 61/724,479, filed Nov. 9, 2012, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    This invention relates generally to cargo handling equipment. 
         [0004]    2. Background 
         [0005]    It is common to carry different loads in or on pick-up trucks, on trailers, inside and on roof racks of SUVs, large flatbed trucks, utility vans, enclosed trucks, etc. Most loads require different lengths of synthetic based cargo control. The most popular form of synthetic cargo control are polyester or nylon ratchet straps or cam lock straps. 
         [0006]    To keep inventory of these straps to a minimum, most people buy much longer lengths of webbing than is required for most loads so that they do not have to have many differing lengths of ratchet straps or winch straps on hand. 
         [0007]    Herein lies a problem: The ratchet buckle/ratcheting handle can only hold so much webbing on its spindle hub. A cam buckle cannot store any length of material because it has a “pass-through” configuration. So in both cases, one is typically left with loose webbing that must be dealt with somehow or it can pose as a danger to the vehicle, the load, or other vehicles or pedestrians within reach of the extra webbing. Furthermore, if the webbing is left to fling around, this extra length will damage itself and cause the ratchet strap to become unusable. 
         [0008]    Clamps can be used to secure the bitter ends of tie down straps, but using clamps is dangerous if they come off, and it takes too much time to arrange webbing for effective clamping. 
         [0009]    Tying the loose webbing to the side of vehicle is also not ideal, because knots weaken webbing and can cause damage to vehicle from abrasion. Similarly, tucking webbing under the tie down handle may allow the webbing to become loose and fall out, possibly causing accidents, damage to paint, etc. 
         [0010]    Additionally, U.S. regulations mandate a ratchet locking mechanism on 3 inch and larger tie-downs to prevent inadvertent release. Although some 1 and 2 inch ratchets also have a built in locking mechanism, where the user has to pull on a lever to release the handle, many do not. It would be advantageous to provide a device that not only can be used to deal with the problem of handling excess webbing, but can also be used to prevent inadvertent ratchet release, particularly for tie-downs lacking any locking mechanism. 
       IDENTIFICATION OF OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    A first object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus that will prevent a tie-down handle from inadvertently opening under load. 
         [0012]    Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus that provides for safe and rapid stowage of excess webbing or strap when a tie-down is too long for the cargo that it is securing. 
         [0013]    Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus that provides for neat and rapid stowage of tie-down assemblies when not in use. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0014]    In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to an apparatus that includes an elongate flexible strap defining first and second ends and first and second sides, a ring attached to said first end of said strap, a first length of hook and loop fastener secured to a mid-portion of said strap on said second side, a second length of hook and loop fastener secured to said strap on said second side near said second end, and a flexible loop attached to said strap at said second end. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The invention is described in detail hereinafter on the basis of the embodiments represented in the accompanying figures, in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a top side of a tie-down buddy apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the bottom side of the tie-down buddy apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of a top side of a tie-down buddy apparatus of  FIG. 1  shown attached to the back side of a tie-down ratchet assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is an exploded diagram of the of the tie-down buddy apparatus of  FIG. 1 , showing the back side of the tie-down buddy apparatus being connected to the back side of a tie-down ratchet assembly using a fastener. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show a tie-down buddy  10  according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.  FIGS. 3 and 4  show tie-down buddy  10  installed with a conventional tie-down ratchet assembly  5 . Tie-down buddy  10  is provided in a variety of lengths and widths to accommodate various ratchet strap assembly/cam buckle widths and lengths in order to meet three functions of use: 
         [0021]    1). When tie-down  5 , also referred to as a Cargo Control, is not in use, tie-down buddy  10  can be used to store the tie-down in a neat bundle. 
         [0022]    2). When tie-down  5  is in use, tie-down buddy  10  is used to tightly hold the excess webbing (not illustrated) to the ratchet strap in a neat bundle. 
         [0023]    3). When the tie-down  5  is in use, tie-down buddy  10  aids in safety even if there is no excess webbing to secure. Because tie-down buddy  10  wraps around the ratchet handle, it can be utilized as a primary or secondary locking mechanism, not allowing the ratchet handle to open up and possibly release its hold on the webbing. 
         [0024]    Tie-down buddy  10  preferably has a main strap body  11  formed of synthetic webbing, such as polypropylene, polyester, or nylon. Various weave pattern options may be used for main body  11  as appropriate. A plastic or metal ring  12  is connected to tie-down buddy body  11  at a first end  13 , preferably by sewing. The size of ring  12  is relative to tie-down buddy webbing width. Front side  9  of body  11  may include female (felt) hook and loop (e.g., Velcro) fastener strips spanning anywhere along the length of body  11 , depending on model. 
         [0025]    The back side  14  of body  11  preferably includes female (felt) hook and loop (e.g. Velcro) fastener strip  16  spanning anywhere from at least ⅓ the length of the body  11 , to at least ¾ the length of body  11 , and up to a full length of the body  11 , depending on model. The second end  15  of body  11  (opposite of ring  12 ) includes a length of male hook and loop fastener  17 . However, the male and female sections of hook and loop fastener may be interchanged as desired. 
         [0026]    A round or flat material loop  19  at the second end  15  of the body  11  provides a grab point to give the user an extra level of pulling ability to ensure the webbing is taut to the ratchet buckle or taught to the fixed end webbing of cam buckle (not illustrated). The use of the ring  19  ensures a secure attachment that has at least 2× holding capacity of just straight Velcro male-female bond to avoid Velcro release during high speed use. Preferably, ring  19  is made of a synthetic material similar to body  11 . Optionally, an extra catch (not illustrated) at the end may be added for further security and/or for a hanging apparatus. 
         [0027]    Tie-down buddy assembly  10  may be attached to the frame of a ratchet buckle  5  by means of rivet, plastic compression pin, or some other plastic or metal fastener  20  that passes through one or more holes or eyelets  22  formed in webbing  11  and one or more holes  24  formed in the frame of tie-down  5 . In other embodiments, tie-down buddy assembly  10  may not be attached to the frame of a ratchet buckle  5 . Fastener  20  may optionally be hidden between layers of webbing (not illustrated) to prevent it from scratching the vehicle or load, particularly if it is made of metal. Tie-down buddy assembly  10  may be supplied assembled with tie-down  5  or separately as a stand-alone accessory for ratchet buckles and/or cam buckles. 
         [0028]    Tie-down buddy  10  is used as follows: 
         [0029]    Step 1. The user will unstrap the ratchet buddy to release all webbing. 
         [0030]    Step 2. He will then secure the load with the appropriate ratchet or cam buckle assembly and ensure ratchet handle is in locked or down position. 
         [0031]    Step 3. He will gather all the loose excess webbing by either rolling the webbing in a circle, oblong shape, or loop or by folding the webbing in a back and forth motion. 
         [0032]    Step 4. He will then place the excess folded webbing on top of the ratchet handle or on webbing. Take the tie-down buddy and loop the free end through the ring and back over while pulling tightly before laying the Male and Female faces together. After putting the faces together, the user will double check the tie-down webbing is secure by pulling on it. If it is not secured, release the Male and Female faces and pull the Tie-down buddy tighter and then relay Male and Female faces together. Tie-down buddy  10  has now secured the webbing for safe travel. 
         [0033]    Step 5. When the user is ready to release the load, they reverse the method. 
         [0034]    Step 6. To Store the ratchet assembly, they repeat steps 3 and 4. 
         [0035]    While some embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in detail, the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown; modifications and adaptations of the above embodiment may occur to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and adaptations are in the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth herein: