US 6,076,234 A · In-line cable tie

Abstract

A cable tie includes an elongate generally planar strap and a head. The head includes a tapering entrance into a passageway therethrough for inserting the strap and a flexibly hinged locking pawl adjacent the passageway. The head also includes a fixed locking tooth adjacent the entry end of the passageway for engaging the strap after full securing an article or articles to be bundled. The fixed locking tooth of the present invention is desirably positioned to allow unobstructed insertion of the tail through the head. The present invention is able to minimize the stretching of the strap body when adjacent to the locking pawl by providing an edge which frictionally engages the strap body as the strap body egresses from the passageway of the head. Furthermore, the present invention may include a pair of counter-rotatable locking elements positioned to one side of the passageway through the head. One of the counter-rotatable locking elements may deflect into engagement with a surface of an article being bundled so as to provide greater slip resistance of the cable tie with respect to the article and to further allow an even smaller bundling radius for the cable tie. Additionally, the present invention provides a cable tie having a tamper-resistant locking pawl. Furthermore, the cable tie of the present invention may include a deflectable locking element which may be integrally formed with the head or separately provided within the head.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A low profile bundling tie for bundling a number of articles, comprising:

an elongate strap having a locking head at one end and a tail at the other end, said elongate strap including a first major surface to be disposed away from said number of articles and a second major surface, opposite said first major surface, to be disposed towards said number of articles;
said head providing a strap ingress end and a strap egress end and an internal passageway communicating therebetween, said strap egress end being located proximal to said elongate strap, said passageway defining a strap insertion direction from said strap ingress end to said strap egress end and a strap withdrawal direction opposite said strap insertion direction;
and
said head further including a fixed locking member adjacent said strap ingress end, and extending away from said bundle of articles, for engaging said second major surface of said strap.

1 more element

A low profile bundling tie for bundling a number of articles including:

a locking head;
a tail;
and
an elongate strap therebetween having a first major surface and an opposed second major surface having and a number of transverse locking teeth thereon;
wherein said locking head includes an elongate passageway therethrough having a strap ingress end and an opposed strap egress end, and a transverse shoulder element supporting a pair of counter-rotatable deflectable locking members including a locking pawl supporting a first deflectable locking member extending into said passageway and being deflectable from said passageway upon said strap being inserted therepast in an insertion direction and providing locking engagement with said locking teeth of said strap upon movement of said strap in a withdrawal direction opposite to said insertion direction, and a second deflectable locking member hingedly supported by said transverse shoulder element so as to be counter rotatable to said first deflectable locking member, said second deflectable locking member positioned adjacent said strap ingress end so as to allow said tail and a portion of said strap to be inserted into said passageway clear of said second deflectable locking member and to provide locking engagement with said strap in said withdrawal direction.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

In-line cable tie

Life of this patent

In-line cable tie

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19