Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Bale and package ties – hose clamps – Plastic band
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-23
2003-12-09
Brittain, James R. (Department: 3676)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Bale and package ties, hose clamps
Plastic band
Reexamination Certificate
active
06658703
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a self-locking cable tie strap with symmetrical structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the state of the art are well-known self-locking cable tie straps for binding together in a bundle wires or cables for the realization of harnesses of any kind.
The cable tie straps according to the known art comprise a head part provided with a retaining tooth or pawl, sometimes realized with a metallic insert, arranged to cooperate with a flexible member integral with the head and provided with a toothing on one side arranged for engaging in an irreversible way the retaining tooth or pawl at the moment of the fastening of the bundle of cables and wires. These tie straps according to the prior art have the tooth or pawl in the head that operate in a unidirectional way and are arranged to cooperate with the toothing on the flexible member or tail that is provided with the toothing on one side only.
This known construction of the self-locking tie straps with an irreversible locking entails that owing to the asymmetrical structure of the same, at the moment of their application for the binding of cables or wires it is necessary to pay attention to the direction of insertion of the flexible member or tail to ensure correct engagement and locking with the head.
There are also known members for the temporary locking of electrical wires with a releasable locking with a symmetrical structure used for the temporary locking of electrical cords of electrical or electronic apparatus during the packaging, having a symmetrical structure that is however not suitable for assemblies of the industrial type and that do not show the capabilities of locking and safety of locking of the cable tie straps for industrial use mentioned above.
It is also to be remarked that in the cable tie straps for industrial use to which the present invention is mainly referred, the known asymmetrical structure does not shown inconveniences when these straps are applied by hand; a minimum amount of attention on the part of the operator is sufficient.
However, in the case of binding machines of the industrial type, the asymmetry of the known cable tie straps entails several serious inconveniences. The cable tie straps according to the prior art owing to the asymmetry cause a partially free binding at the base of connection of the flexible part or tail with the head part. This free part at the base of the head assumes a more or less acute angle in relation to the pull exerted at the binding and related to the diameter of the cables, straining the material of the strap at the connection part with the head possible development of nicks or breakage at the connection base.
The straps according to the prior art are provided as tapes to allow the feeding of the tapes to an automatic binding tool.
The asymmetrical shape of the straps according to the prior art fed from an auxiliary distributor is the main origin of jamming of the mechanism of the auxiliary distributor as well as of the binding tool and the feeding conduit, since the feeding method is based on a transfer of the strap along a closed path by fluid propulsion (compressed air). The orientation of the strap is consequently extremely important to ensure the receiving of the strap within the binding tool into a correct position.
In order to ensure the correct orientation, systems according to the prior art use a flexible tube having a square or rectangular cross section that reproduces the outline of the head of the strap and consequently the strap inserted into an auxiliary device of the distributor is “shot” along the piping by means of a jet of air, maintaining its orientation.
This method that seems correct became critical and causes inconvenience when there is impressed a torsion to the square section piping or when the piping itself is bent with a radius shorter than a given limit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a strap in plastic material having a symmetrical shape for the binding of cable that allows the introduction of the flexible portion (tongue) through the head from both sides rendering easier in this way the orientation of the strip fed by a jet of air along a tubing.
The symmetry of the strap allows therefore its travel in a piping having a round cross section eliminating any problem of jamming along a path determining the orientation of the strip with a spontaneous rotation (+90°, −90°) at the entry of the binding tool.
It is another aim of the present invention to provide a symmetrical strap shaped as a hammer where the connection point of the flexible portion or tail, provided with toothing on both sides, to the head portion with openings on both sides, is radiuses with a symmetrical radius eliminating the narrow angle open zone and possible cracks or breakage for tensile stress.
It is another aim of the present invention to provide a symmetrical strap where the binding locking is determined by a part internal to the head located on the same axis with the flexible part or tail and by an opposite retaining tooth where the internal portion assumes a correct locking angle owing to the insertion of the tongue through the head in a sense or the other and where when the tension has been impressed by elastic deformation of the tongue the opposite tooth engages further the opposite tooth.
Other aims, features and advantages of the cable tie strap according to the present invention will become clear from the following disclosure that shows exemplary and non-limiting embodiments of the invention and from the figure of the attached drawings, wherein:
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Khokhar Wasim
Teagno Vladimiro
Wells, Jr. Peter M.
Brittain James R.
Hoffmann & Baron , LLP
Thomas & Betts International Inc.
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