US 2015/0320129 A1Published application

Tie supporting, anchoring and/or securing apparatuses or devices and methods of using same

OwnerJohn P. Carneyinventor

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Abstract

Tie supporting, anchoring and/or securing apparatuses or devices, and methods of using same, are provided. The apparatuses or devices include a buttress element operating to hold and/or support at least a portion of a tie, thereby preventing the loosening, shifting, etc. of that portion of the tie. The apparatuses or devices may further include at least one of a body or flex frame and a cinch mechanism, which extend(s) from the buttress element, and that operate(s) to lock and unlock a portion of a tie therein, thereby preventing the shifting, changing, moving, etc. of the tie. The flex frame may be opened by pinching or applying a force thereto and closed by releasing or removing the force applied thereto. The cinch mechanism may be opened by aligning holes thereof and closed or locked by misaligning holes thereof. The cinch mechanism may be integrated with a portion of the buttress element.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A tie securing, anchoring and/or supporting apparatus, comprising:

a body or flex frame having a first portion with first and second ends thereof and a second portion with first and second ends thereof, the first end of the first portion being connected to the first end of the second portion, the second end of the first portion operating to be releasably or permanently connected to the second end of the second portion, and the first and second portions being sized and shaped to define a hole or a zone of space therebetween, the hole or zone of space of the body or flex frame operating to be widened and/or opened to receive a portion of a tie therein and to be narrowed and/or closed to hold the portion of the tie therein, and
a buttress element connected to and extending from the body or flex frame, the buttress element having a first portion and a second portion, at least one of the first portion of the buttress element and the second portion of the buttress element extending from the body or flex frame, the first and second portions being sized and shaped to define a zone of space therebetween and operating to receive and hold at least a portion of a tie therein, wherein
the first and second portions of the body or flex frame are springingly biased towards each other.

A tie securing, anchoring and/or supporting apparatus, comprising:

a cinch mechanism having at least a first hole and at least a second hole, the at least first hole and the at least second hole operating to align and misalign with each other such that when the at least first hole and the at least second hole are aligned a portion of a tie may be disposed therethrough and/or removed therefrom and when the at least first hole and the at least second hole are misaligned the at least first hole and the at least second hole operate to hold the portion of the tie disposed therethrough, thereby securing, anchoring and/or supporting the portion of the tie;
and
a buttress element connected to and extending from the cinch mechanism, the buttress element having a first portion and a second portion, at least one of the first and second portions extending from the cinch mechanism, the first and second portions being sized and shaped to define a zone of space therebetween and operating to receive and hold at least a portion of a tie therein.

A method of using at least one tie securing, anchoring and/or supporting apparatus or device, comprising:

(i) applying a force to a body or flex frame of the at least one apparatus or device to open, or expand a hole of, the body or flex frame a predetermined amount;
(ii) positioning and/or placing a portion of a tie into and/or onto the body or flex frame and/or the hole thereof or removing the portion of the tie from the body or flex frame and/or the hole thereof;
and
(iii) releasing or removing the force placed on the body or flex frame of the apparatus or device such that the resilient elasticity and/or the spring-like bias of the body or flex frame and/or the portions of the body or flex frame, the portions of the body or flex frame being springingly biased towards each other, operate to close, and/or narrow the hole of, the body or flex frame and/or anchor, secure, lock and/or support the portion of the tie in a predetermined, pre-selected position, orientation and/or configuration.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.