CABLE TIES
A cable tie having a pre-shaped strap extending from the locking head, including a portion of the strap having a non-linear shape that can be circular, U-shaped, or V-shaped. A cable tie including a strap having a first surface including a plurality of serrations, and including one or more toothless portions that do not have serrations. A cable tie including a strap and a locking head, and further including one or more channeling loops fixed in a position along the length of the strap, or a separate channeling loop having a channel configured for accepting both the strap and a distal end of the strap after its passing through the locking head.
The present invention relates to cable ties for bundling and tying together items.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONCable ties, also known as harnessing devices, bundling devices, security straps, have been a commodity bundling strap for decades. Generally, a cable tie is a one-piece tie of synthetic plastic material, comprising a flexible elongate strap, a head at one end of the strap, an aperture extending through the head, a pawl (sometimes also referred to as a tang) disposed within the aperture. The pawl is pivotably connected to a wall of the head for movement in an arc across the aperture in the lengthwise direction of the strap, and is formed with one or more transverse teeth extending into the aperture. The strap includes a series of transverse ratchet serrations formed on one surface. The ratchet serrations and pawl teeth are profiled so as to co-operate and permit passage of the free end of said strap through the aperture from the pivoted end of the pawl, so as to prevent subsequent withdrawal of the strap in the opposite direction.
In use, the strap is looped around a bundle of articles (for example, electric cables or the like) or around, between, or through any other feature, and the free end of the strap is inserted into and pulled through the aperture in the head, the pawl teeth ratcheting the serrations in the strap to tighten around the bundle and to prevent withdrawal of the strap from the aperture.
Cable ties come in variety of fastening styles and sizes, as illustrated in the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,658,478, 4,009,509, 4,754,529, 3,965,538, 3,484,905, 3,368,247, 3,660,869, 4,776,067, and 7,017,237, the disclosures of which are all incorporated by reference in their entireties. Notwithstanding the simplicity of their function, there remains a need for improvements in the function and utility of cable ties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a cable tie having a pre-shaped strap extending from the locking head, including a portion of the strap having a non-linear shape. The non-linear portion can be substantially the entire length of the strap, including the entire length of the serration portion of the strap, or any one or more portions at any position along the strap. The non-linear shape can include, without limitation, a curved, a sinusoidal curve, an angled or bend, and combinations thereof. Specific non-linear shapes include, without limitation, a circular shape, a U-shape, and a V-shape.
The present invention also provides a cable tie with a strap having a first surface including a plurality of serrations, and including one or more toothless portions along the length of the strap which do not have serrations. The toothless portions allow the locking head to move freely along the toothless portion without ratcheting engagement.
The present invention also provides a cable tie that can be used with one or more channeling loops that are positioned along the length of the strap, to receive the distal end of the same or a separate cable tie strap. A channel loop can be fixed in position to, including being formed integral with, the strap. A channel loop can also be a separate element that is using in combination with a cable tie. The cable tie can be a conventional cable tie, or a cable tie of the present invention described herein.
The elements of the strap and locking head are well known in the art. In an illustration of an embodiment of the cable tie, the strap 9 can include a plurality of transversely disposed serrations 8 that extend substantially the entire length of the strap, from the proximal end at the connection of the strap with the locking head 10, to the distal tip end 33.
Any conventional locking head 10 can be employed with the cable tie 30.
One can easily imagine the challenge presented with threading a standard straight-formed cable tie in through the locking port, and fishing the distal end back through the handle opening 3, which is at best a two-handed operation by a person with reasonably good dexterity. If the finger of the person using the conventional cable tie slips during the fishing of the distal end out through the opening, the strap springs back into the container, and the fishing process begins again. By comparison, the circular cable tie 30 can be threaded through the locking port 5 and back out the handle opening 5 with one hand, without requiring great dexterity.
There are undoubtedly numerous advantages to the use of a pre-formed cable tie, including the circular cable tie, over conventional straight-strapped ties.
The U-shaped cable tie has the same number of advantageous uses as the other pre-formed cable tie described above, again including as a locking strap for a handled box with a locking port lid as described above. The distal end of the U-shaped cable tie can be inserted through the locking port and out through the handle opening, and then inserted into the locking head and cinched tight to provide a locking strap.
The cable ties with a pre-shaped, non-linear strap can be formed by conventional means, including forming the strap from a thermoplastic in molding or extrusion process and apparatus that secures the strap in the desired shape until the molten thermoplastic material has cooled to a temperature at which the solid thermoplastic material maintains the desired shape without external force or retaining.
Alternatively, a cable tie formed into the conventional linear shape can be positioned and retained into the desired shape, and then the thermoplastic material of the strap is heated to a softening temperature at which the thermoplastic will adopt the pre-formed shape after the material is cooled in the retained shape to a temperature at which the thermoplastic material maintains the desired shape without external force or retaining.
Cable Tie Strap without Serrations
In any of the embodiments and other aspects of the invention, a cable tie is provided that has a strap that includes one or more portions along the length of the strap which do not have serrations. These “toothless” portions allow the locking head and the pawl to move along the length of the strap without ratcheting engagement, so that the position of the locking head can be advanced and retreated along the length, and the circumference of the connected cable tie can be varied. This gives the user some flexibility to insert and connect the distal end of the strap to the locking head and position the locking head into a toothless portion so that the circumference can be reversibly adjusted to accommodate additional cables, tubes, or other items that will be secured by the cable tie. The cable tie can be a conventional cable tie, or a cable tie of the present invention described herein.
In another such embodiment, the strap 62 can include a second serration portion 64b that subsequently engage and are ratcheted by the locking head 12. The length of the second serration portion 64b can be of any remaining length of the strap, up to and including the remaining length of the strap. The locking head 12 can be cinched along the length of the second portion of serrations 64b to further restrict the circumference of the closed loop.
In yet another such embodiment, the strap 62 can include a second toothless portion 65b that subsequently allows the locking head 12 to be slid back and forth along the toothless portion. The length of the second toothless portion 65b can be of any remaining length of the strap, including the remaining length of the strap.
Again in
It can be understood that any number of alternating serration sections and toothless sections can be positioned the length of the strap, with either a serration section or a toothless section the proximal end, adjacent the locking head. The alternating serration and toothless sections can be of the same lengths, or different lengths. The portion of the strap 62 most proximate to the locking head 12 can be a serrated portion as shown in
It can also be understood that the toothless portions can be used in any of the other cable tie embodiments described herein, for example the V-shaped and U-shaped straps, including along the linear portion or bend portion of a strap.
The locking head of any one of the cable tie embodiments of the present invention can alternatively be configured having the strap connected to an edge of one of the walls of the locking head, such as the base wall, and extending parallel with the aperture through the locking head, as shown in
In any of the embodiments and other aspects of the invention, a cable tie can be used with one or more channeling loops that are positioned along the length of the strap, to receive the distal end of the same or a separate cable tie strap. A channel loop can be fixed in position to, including being formed integral with, the strap. A channel loop can also be a separate element that is using in combination with a cable tie. The cable tie can be a conventional cable tie, or a cable tie of the present invention described herein.
In an aspect and further embodiment of the invention, the attached channeling loop 85 can be positioned adjacent to the locking head, and even in contact with or as an integral extension of the body of the locking head, to prevent access to the pawl 11 of the locking head after the strap has been ratcheted into place. The proximity of the channeling loop blocks access to the pawl, preventing a person from “picking” the lock and loosening the cable tie. In this case, the only way to remove the secured cable ties is by cutting the strap.
It is understood that any of the cable ties of the invention can have longer or shorter lengths, or widths, depending upon the user's need.
Claims
1. A cable tie having a pre-shaped strap extending from the locking head, including a portion of the strap having a non-linear shape.
2. The cable tie of claim 1 wherein the non-linear portion is substantially the entire length of the strap.
3. The cable tie of claim 1 wherein the non-linear shape is selected from the group consisting of a curve, a sinusoidal curve, an angle, a bend, and combinations thereof.
4. The cable tie of claim 1 wherein the non-linear shape is circular.
5. The cable tie of claim 1 wherein the non-linear shape is a U-shape.
6. The cable tie of claim 1 wherein the non-linear shape is a V-shape.
7. The cable tie of claim 6 wherein the non-linear shape is the V-shape is provided by a strap having a proximal portion extending from the locking head, and a distal portion joined to the proximal portion at a bend.
8. The cable tie of claim 7 wherein the proximal portion is longer than the distal portion.
9. The cable tie according to claim 1, wherein the strap includes one or more toothless portions that do not have serrations.
10. The cable tie according to claim 3, wherein the strap includes one or more toothless portions that do not have serrations.
11. The cable tie according to claim 4, wherein the strap includes one or more toothless portions that do not have serrations.
12. The cable tie according to claim 5, wherein the strap includes one or more toothless portions that do not have serrations.
13. A cable tie including a strap that includes one or more toothless portions that do not have serrations.
14. A cable tie including a strap and a locking head, and one or more channeling loops disposed along the length of the strap.
15. The cable tie according to claim 14 wherein at least one of the one or more channeling loops is fixed in a position along the length of the strap.
16. The cable tie according to claim 15 wherein the at least one fixed channeling loop is positioned adjacent the locking head.
17. The cable tie according to claim 16 wherein the at least one channeling loop is in contact with the locking head.
18. The cable tie set according to claim 14 wherein the one or more channeling loop is a separate element having a channel configured for accepting both the strap and a distal end of the strap after its passing through the locking head.
19. The cable tie set according to claim 18, wherein the strap comprises an extending portion that blocks passage of the separate channeling loop from passing off the distal end of the strap.
20. The cable tie set according to claim 18, wherein separate channeling loop includes an intermediate wall that defines a first channel and a separate second channel.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 15, 2013
Publication Date: Sep 18, 2014
Inventor: William M. SCOTT (Villa Hills, KY)
Application Number: 13/835,159
International Classification: B65D 63/10 (20060101);