Reusable tie-all or bundle fastener
OwnerEdward J. Benoitinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reusable tie-all or bundle fastener, which comprises a single strap, made of plastic material with a socket having a passageway therethrough at one end of the tie, and a tongue with ratchet teeth on the other end adapted to slip through the passageway in the socket. There is a locking pawl in the socket which is pivoted to the socket and which has a lever so that it can be raised to release the pawl from between the strap teeth when a loop is formed from the tie-all so as to release the tie. Two or more ties can be used in combination to form an enlarged loop.
Claims4
A strap fastener for retaining and supporting a bundle of elongated elements, comprising:
- an elongated semi-flexible, elastic strap member defining a top wall, a bottom wall, two side edges, and first and second opposite end sections, the top wall of said strap member defining a first end section in register with said strap first end section and having a series of successively spaced, transverse serrations or grooves;
- a casing, extending outwardly from and anchored to a second end section of said strap member top wall opposite said first end section, and defining a through-channel adjacent said strap member top wall and substantially parallel thereto and forming a first free end mouth and a second opposite mouth;
- said strap member first end section constituting a free end section releasably engaged through said first mouth, into said channel, and escapingly through said second mouth so that said strap member forms a loop wherein said bundle of elements are destined to engage through said loop;
- said casing defining a first free end section and an opposite second end section, two side walls transversely integral to said strap member wherein said channel extends therebetween;
- an elongated, semi-flexible, elastic tongue, defining a first end section, integral to said casing side walls about said casing first end section, and an opposite second free end section or lip, movable away from or towards said channel hingedly about said tongue first end section;
- said tongue being prebiased to a position substantially parallel to said channel, wherein the tongue is laterally shielded by said casing side walls therebetween;
- said lip extending beyond the level of said second mouth, for clearing said casing side walls and thus facilitating manual handling thereof;
- a tooth, depending from an intermediate section of said tongue and directed toward said channel but extending short of said strap member top wall, said tooth defining a free end edge extending partially into said channel and matingly releasably engaged with a selected registering one of said strap serrations;
- said interengaged tooth free end edge and strap serration being of such a shape as to retain said strap member first end section into said channel against the unlooping bias from the looped said semi-flexible elastic strap member, once the latter has been pulled tightly around said bundle of elements;
- wherein release of said tooth from said selected strap serration is possible only upon pivotal motion of said tongue lip away from said channel;
- and further including releasable snap lock means, to prevent pivotal motion of said tongue lip away from said channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.