GB2432880A

GB2432880A - Releasable tie

Info

Publication number: GB2432880A
Application number: GB0524678A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Llewellyn Hunt
Original assignee: Braitrim UK Ltd
Current assignee: Braitrim UK Ltd
Priority date: 2005-12-02
Filing date: 2005-12-02
Publication date: 2007-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 2025-12-02
Also published as: GB0524678D0; GB2432880B

Abstract

A releasable tie 40 includes a strap 41 for passing around at least one object 130 to be tied, and a housing 42, including a pawl 423, attached to the strap for receiving a free end of the strap in a passage 421 through the releasable lock in an insertion direction. The housing is rotatable with respect to a portion of the strap in the passage between a locking orientation (fig 15), in which the pawl engages the portion of the strap, and a release orientation (fig 18) in which the strap is passable through the locking means in a withdrawal direction opposed to the insertion direction. A finger tab 43 is preferably provided for rotating the housing from the locking position to the release position.

Description

Releasable Tie This invention relates to a releasable tie. In

particular, the invention relates to a releasable tie for bundling garment hangers.

A known one-piece bundling tie, such as a cable tie 10 illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, includes an elongate flexible strap 11 a first end of which has a head 12 with a passage 121 for receiving a tail 114 of the strap. As best seen in Figure 2, a resilient pawl 122 is located within the strap-receiving passage 121, the paw! having teeth 123 to engage corresponding teeth 113 on a major face of the strap 11. High quality micro tool making is required to form the teeth 123 on the paw! 122 so that they will mesh accurately with the teeth 113 on the strap 11. On insertion of the tail 114 of the strap 11 through the strap-receiving passage 121 the teeth 123 of the pawl 122 resiliently engage the teeth 113 of the strap, preventing withdrawal of the strap from the strap-receiving opening 121, in order to bundle together a group of objects, such as cables, surrounded by a loop of the strap between the head 12 and the portion of the strap 11 engaged by the head. In order to remove the tie from the bundle it is necessary to cut the strap. This prevents re-use of the strap and requires the use of a cuffing tool. Where such ties are used for bundling together garment hangers from which garments are suspended, for example for transportation thereof, it is found that a cutting tool may be unavailable when required and, when a cutting tool is available, that there is a possibility of personal injury from use of the cutting tool.

Although special bundling devices are known for bundling garment hangers, especially where spacing of the garment hangers is also required, for example from EP0780077, EP0998868, DE20007438U1 and NL7100085, ties have been found to be an efficient and cost-effective solution in many applications.

Releasable ties are also known.

GB13 16862 and US3908233 disclose a releasable cable tie in which a pawl is hinged, by a live hinge, to a head, the paw! having an extension protruding from a strap-receiving passage in the head to permit the pawl to be rotated, with respect to the head, by means of a fingertip, or more probably a fingernail, out of engagement with the strap. However, in a locked position the extension is in very close proximity to the head and the strap, allowing very little purchase on the extension to disengage the pawl, which is typically under tension of the strap pulled tightly around the bundle, endangering injury to a fingernail used to disengage the paw!. Moreover the two hands may be required to release the tie.

US 399 1444, GB2266557 and US2003/0229972 disclose similar releasable cable ties with hinged pawis having a pawl extension protruding from a strap-receiving passage for disengaging the pawl from the strap by hingedly rotating the paw! with respect to a strap-receiving head of the tie, but with the same disadvantages as described above.

US6185791 discloses a releasable cable tie in which a head has a passage for receiving a toothed strap, the head having a slot in a sidewall of the passage with a bridging member across the slot and a latch pivotally mounted on the bridging member for engaging a selected tooth on the strap, such that, after latching, the latch may be disengaged, by a fingertip, from the selected tooth to release the strap. A similar relatively complex mechanism in an adjustable strap is described in US3855669. These have the same disadvantages of little finger purchase and the additional disadvantage of a relatively complex mechanism of multiple parts.

WO 99/58890 discloses a cable tie having a strap with a head at a first end thereof, the head having first and second capturing slots through which a tail of the strap may pass and re-pass respectively. The inner first slot is provided with a paw! for providing a permanent fixture of the tie to a first object around which the strap is passed and the second slot is provided with a hinged pawl which is selectively releasable by activation of a pivoted finger tap integral with the releasable pawl, the finger tap extending from an opposed face of the head from that from which the strap extends. One or more objects may therefore be releasably bundled with the first object to which the tie is permanently attached. Although the finger tab may provide better purchase than the previously described latch or paw! extensions, two hands may be required to release the tie. Moreover, the tie cannot be removed from the first object except by cutting the tie.

US2004/0139583 discloses a further bundling tie with first and second locking mechanisms in which the strap is an elongated strand of flexible material provided with a first set of beads spaced apart along a first length of the strand and a second set of beads spaced apart on a second length. A tab joined to the strand has a first generally keyhole shaped first locking slot for releasably receiving the first length of the strand and a similar second generally keyhole shaped locking slot for receiving the second length. The tie provides only limited discreet locking positions and no ratchet mechanism so that apparently only limited tautness could in general be provided around a bundle of objects.

GB2376714 discloses a releasable tie with a pivotally mounted locking lever mounted within a head of a tie to bear, in a locking position, on a rear face of a toothed strap, opposed to a toothed face of the strap, to urge a portion of the strap into locking engagement with a fixed toothed pawl so that teeth of the paw! engage teeth of the strap. The locking lever may be rotated to a release position in which the portion of the strap may be moved out of engagement with the fixed paw! to release the strap. The tie has the disadvantages of little finger purchase on the locking lever and a requirement for moving parts.

US590 1416 discloses a releasable tie strap in which a head of the tie strap has a hinged cover which can be releasably closed over the strap. The head has a ratchet tooth which engages ribs on the strap. The hinged cover is closed over the strap to cause the ratchet tooth to engage the ribs. The strap is drawn through the head to achieve a required tightness around an object or objects. The ratchet tooth prevents withdrawal of the strap from the head until the hinged cover is opened. The tie has the disadvantages of little finger purchase on the hinged lid for closing, and especially opening, the hinged lid and two hands may be required.

US4236280 discloses a releasable tie having a toothed strap and a head, one wall of which forms a resilient latching pawl. The paw! has a finger actuating platform extending away from and perpendicular to the inserted strap for moving the paw! out of engagement with the toothed strap. The tie suffers from the same disadvantages as previously described of little finger purchase on the actuating platform and a possible requirement for two hands to unlatch the tie.

US6477746 discloses a releasable ball-lock cable tie in which a head of the strap comprises a chamber containing a ball which may move between a release position and a locking position for releasing or locking a portion of the strap within the head.

The tie has the disadvantage of requiring a tool for insertion through an opening in the locking head to urge the ball from the locking position to the release position.

W087/07697 discloses a releasable ladder fastener comprising a ladder-like strap and opposed resiliently biased-apart barbed locking members on a stud mount boss at an end of the strap, the locking member being passable between rungs of the ladder-like strap to resiliently grasp side rails of the ladder-like strap. The fastener would appear to provide only limited tautness around objects bundled because of a lack of a ratchet mechanism and a difficulty of passing the barbs through the ladder-like strap under tension and the barbed locking members provide limited finger purchase for releasing the strap.

US5377387, US5537719 and US6ll93l4 each disclose relatively complex two-way adjustable ties which may be tightened and loosened in discreet increments or continuously, in which at least one end of a strap passes through a housing in a passage parallel with both ends of the strap. Shaped projections are provided on the strap and complementary projections on a holder. To adjust the strap the holder is turned or slid relative to the strap.

US3747164 discloses a releasable self-locking bundling strap which is locked by rotation of a head member in a first direction and released by rotation of the head member in a second opposed direction. A strap has oppositely oriented teeth on opposite major faces and passes twice through the head member in opposed directions through a passage parallel with both ends of the strap. The head member is provided with opposed sets of teeth, separate sets of teeth engaging first and second portions of the strap passing through the head member.

It is an object of the present invention at least to ameliorate the aforesaid

deficiencies in the prior art.

According to the invention, there is provided a releasable tie comprising: strap means for passing around at least one object to be tied; housing means attached to a first end of the strap means for receiving through passage means therethrough, substantially perpendicular to the first end of the strap means, a free second end of the strap means in an insertion direction; and pawl means located in the passage means, wherein the housing means is rotatable with respect to a portion of the strap means in the passage means between a locking orientation, in which the pawl means engages the portion of the strap means to prevent withdrawal of the strap means from the housing means, and a release orientation, in which the strap means is passable through the housing means in a withdrawal direction opposed to the insertion direction.

Preferably the strap means comprises ratchet means arranged to cooperate with the paw! means for tightening the strap means in an insertion direction around the at least one object to be tied.

Preferab!y the releasable tie further comprises graspable finger tab means for rotating the housing means with respect to the portion of strap means in the passage means from the!ocking orientation to the re!ease orientation.

Advantageously the strap means comprises at!east one aperture arranged to receive the pawl means.

Conveniently the strap means comprises a ladder-like structure arranged such that the paw! means engages a rung-like member of the ladder-like structure.

Alternatively the strap means comprises at least one tooth arranged for engagement by the pawl means.

Advantageously a portion of the strap means proximate the free end thereof is a threading portion, having at least one dimension smaller than a corresponding dimension of a remaining portion of the strap means, to facilitate threading through the locking means.

Preferably an engagement surface of the pawl means is angled to the portion of the strap means within the passage means, in use, to engage the portion of the strap means to prevent withdrawal of the strap means in a withdrawal direction in the locking orientation but to release the portion of the strap means to allow withdrawal of the strap means in a withdrawal direction in the release orientation.

Advantageously the engagement surface of the pawl means in angled at substantially 150 to a longitudinal axis of the strap means at rest as moulded.

Preferably opposed transverse inner walls of the passage means taper inwards in the insertion direction at an entrance of the passage means.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a prior art cable tie; Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of the cable tie of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective cutaway view, on a reduced scale, of the cable tie of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a releasable tie according to the invention; Figure 5 is a side elevation of the releasable tie of Figure 4; Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-section along the line H-H of Figure 4; Figure 7 is an enlarged transverse cross-section along the line G-G of Figure 5; Figure 8 is a further plan view of the releasable tie of Figure 4; Figure 9 is an underside view of the releasable tie of Figure 8; Figure 10 is an enlarged detailed plan view of encircled portion B of the releasable tie of Figure 8; Figure 11 is an enlarged detailed underside view of encircled portion A of the releasable tie of Figure 9; Figure 12 is an enlarged detailed plan view of encircled portion C of the releasable tie of Figure 8; Figure 13 is a perspective view of the releasable tie of Figure 4 in use in a locked position; Figure 14 is a perspective cutaway view of the releasable tie of Figure 13; Figure 15 is a longitudinal cross section of the releasable tie of Figure 13; Figure 16 is a perspective view of the releasable tie of Figure 4 in use in a release position; Figure 17 is a perspective cutaway view of the releasable tie of Figure 16; Figure 18 is a longitudinal cross section of the releasable tie of Figure 16; Figure 19 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a releasable tie according to the invention in use in a locked position; Figure 20 is a perspective cutaway view of the releasable tie of Figure 19; Figure 21 is a longitudinal cross section of the releasable tie of Figure 19; Figure 22 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of a releasable tie of the invention in use bundling together garment hangers; and Figure 23 is an enlarged perspective view of the encircled portion A of Figure 22.

In the Figures, like reference numerals denote like parts.

Referring to Figures 4 to 11, a releasable tie 40 according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises an elongate, flexible, ladder-like strap 41. The strap 41 has a tendency to straighten at rest. The strap 41 is joined at a first end 411 thereof to a first major face of a generally cuboid head 42, being a housing having a transverse, generally rectangular slot or passage 421 dimensioned for receiving a free second end 412 of the strap 41, opposed to the first end 411. Extending from a second major face of the head 42, opposed to the first major face, is an elongate, ladder-like, preferably flexible, finger tab 43 of sufficient length for grasping between a finger and thumb, and of substantially a same transverse width as a transverse width of the head 42. The ladder-like, pierced form of the finger tab 43 provides improved grip on the finger tab as well as saving material compared with an unpierced finger tab. The pierced, ladder form of the strap also saves material compared with a toothed strap but also has a distinctive latching function which is to be described herein. It will be understood that any other form of pierced finger tab 43 may be employed for material saving reasons or, where material saving is not a consideration, the finger tab 43 may be un-pierced.

Also for material-saving reasons, a portion of the strap 41 proximate the head 42 is provided with an elongate, longitudinal slot 413 instead of ladder rungs. It will become clear from the following description herein that a maximum length of the elongate slot 413 is dependent on a minimum radius of a bundle of objects to be bundled with the tie 40.

As best seen in Figures 5 and 12, a portion 414, hereinafter a threadable portion, of the strap proximate the second end 412 of the strap 41 is thinner, or less deep, than a remaining portion of the strap 41.

Referring especially to Figures 6, 7, 10 and 11, and as oriented therein, the transverse slot or passage 421, of generally rectangular horizontal cross-section, in the head 42, is provided in a lower portion thereof, on a first inner wall 424 proximate the finger tab 43, with a generally upward inclined pawl 423. As best seen in Figure 6, an upper surface 4231 of the pawl 423 is inclined upwards at an acute angle a to a longitudinal axis of the tie 40 at rest in a straight, as moulded, configuration. A suitable angle a has been found to be substantially 150. A portion of the first inner wall 424 above the paw!, and a portion of a second inner wall 425, opposed to the first inner wall 424, above a point of intersection of a projection of the upper surface 4231 of the pawl 423 with the second inner wall 425, are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tie 40 and therefore substantially parallel to each other. A portion of the first inner wall 424 below the upper surface 4231 of the paw! 423 tapers inwards in a direction of insertion of the second end 412 of the strap into the passage 421 at an obtuse angle 13 to the longitudinal axis of the tie 40 at rest as moulded. A suitable angle 13 has been found to be substantially 109 . A portion of the second inner wall 425 below the point of intersection tapers inwards in a direction of insertion of the second end 412 of the strap into the passage 421 at an acute angle y to the longitudinal axis of the tie 40 at rest. A suitable angle y has been found to be substantially 650. The upper surface 4231 of the pawl 423 conveniently defines a portion of a split line when the tie 40 is moulded. As best seen in Figure 6, a lower surface of the paw! 423, comprises an outer, or lower, portion tapering shallowly in the direction of insertion of the second end 412 of the strap 41 and an inner, or upper, more steeply tapering portion.

An inner edge of the pawl projecting into the transverse s!ot 421 from the first inner wall 424 is separated from the second inner wall 425 by a distance, to form a restriction in the slot or passage, corresponding substantially to a thickness or depth of the strap 41 such that the threadable portion 414 of the strap 41 forms a sliding fit between the pawl 423 and the second inner wall 425 through the restriction, and a remaining portion of the strap 41 forms an interference fit. As shown in Figure 6, opposed transverse walls of rungs of the strap taper downwards so that the opposed walls are inclined to each other at an angle e to facilitate release of the tie from a mould during manufacture, the mould split line being along an upper edge of the strap.

A suitable angle 0 has been found to be 10 . However, in order to provide sufficiently sharp edges it is not necessary to use high quality, specialist, micro tool-making for the moulding tool as is required for the toothed pawis of toothed cable ties of the prior art.

Referring to Figures 13 to 15, in use to bundle a collection of objects 130 the strap 41 is passed around the objects 130 and the threadable portion 414 threaded into the tapering entrance aperture of the rectangular slot or passage 421, through the restriction between the inner end of the paw! 423 and the second inner wall 425 to emerge from an exit aperture of the rectangular slot or passage 421. The threadable portion 414 is then grasped to pull a further portion of the strap through the rectangular slot or passage 421 until the strap is tightened to a required tension around the collection of objects 130. Since the strap, other than the threadable portion, forms an interference fit between the outer end of the pawl and the second inner wall 425, rungs of the strap resiliently pass between the end of the pawl and the second inner wall 425, with the end of the pawl tending successively to enter each aperture between each pair of rungs passing through the passage 421 as the strap is pulled through the passage 421, in a ratchet-like manner. On releasing tension on the free portion of the strap 41 emergent from the passage 421, the bias in the strap tending to cause the strap to straighten may assist in urging a rung 415 then on the end of the pawl fully onto the paw! upper surface 4231. As best shown in the cross-section of Figure 15, because of the angle of the upper surface 4231 of the paw! 423, tension in the portion of the strap around the bundle of objects 130 will then causes a rung 415 to lodge on the upper surface 4231 of the pawl 423, against the first inner wall 424, preventing withdrawal of the strap from the passage 421.

It will be understood that once the tie is fixed in place, the free end of the strap could, if required, be cut away, but this obviously prevents re-use of the tie, and involves the use of a cutting tool, which is not always desirable.

Referring to Figures 16 to 18, in order to release the tie, the finger tab 43 is grasped and rotated in a direction of arcuate arrow-head line 151 in Figures 15 and 18 towards the free portion of the strap emergent from the head 42. Tension is then applied to the finger tab 43 in a direction of arrow-headed line 181 in Figure 18 substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the finger tab 43 to rotate the housing 42 with respect to the portion of the strap 41 within the passage in a direction of arcuate arrow-headed line 182 in Figures 15 and 18, such that tension in the strap 41 around the objects 130 moves the rung 415 from engagement with the upper surface 4231 of the paw! 423 substantially into abutment with the second inner wall 425. Tension in the portion of the strap around the object 130, in addition to continuing tension on the finger tab 43 transferred to the housing 42, with the possible addition of a force applied to push the emergent portion of the strap 41 back through the housing in a direction opposed to the insertion direction, singly or in combination urge the strap past the pawl 423 through the restriction between the inner end of the pawl and the second inner wall 425 and out of the head 42 in a withdrawal direction opposed to the insertion direction. However, it has been found in practice that a one-handed action pulling on the finger tab is sufficient to release the tie.

Referring to Figures 19 to 21 a second embodiment 190 of the invention is similar to the first embodiment 40 except that the laddered strap 41 is replaced by a toothed strap 191 similar to the strap 11 of the prior art.

Thus, the paw! 423, instead of engaging a rung 415 of the laddered strap 41 of the first embodiment 40, engages a tooth 1915. A portion of the toothed strap 1913 proximate the head 42, which passes around the objects to be bundled, may be un-toothed. Alternatively the portion 1913 could be provided with an elongate slot, similar to the elongate slot 413 of the first embodiment 40, for material saving reasons.

In all other respects the second embodiment 190 is substantially the same as the first embodiment 40 and operates in a substantially same manner, although the angle of the upper face of the pawl may be different from that of the first embodiment to allow for retention and release of a tooth in a locking and release orientation respectively.

Figures 22 and 23 illustrate an application of the tie of the invention in bundling of garment hangers 220 by tying hooks thereof together. Although illustrated without garments, this use of the tie has particular applicability in the bulk transport of garments suspended from garment hangers, for example from a manufacturer to a warehouse, handling within the warehouse and transport from the warehouse to a retail establishment.

It will be understood that the invention provides at least the separable advantages over the non-releasable prior art of not requiring a cutting tool to remove the tie and of being reusable. The invention has at least the separable advantages over known releasable ties of requiring no tool to apply or release the tie and of providing a readily graspable finger tab for releasing the tie. The releasable tie of the invention can be removed very quickly and easily with one hand. Moreover, the tie has no hinges or moving parts, apart from movement of a strap with respect to a head, and is mouldable in a single moulding with very simple tooling, using an open and close tool with no complicated ejection sequence or shut-off. The high precision, micro tool-making of the prior art, requiring, in the case of a prior art toothed tie, a complex tool with sequenced ejection to form teeth with undercuts, is not required. The avoidance of high precision tool-making reduces cost of manufacture. Moreover, because the tool used for the invention is not complex, the tool requires less maintenance than the prior art tool and therefore has less downtime and also lasts longer. The reduced material content of the tie of the invention compared with the prior art tie provides additional cost savings.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A releasable tie comprising: strap means for passing around at least one object to be tied; housing means attached to a first end of the strap means for receiving through passage means therethrough, substantially perpendicular to the first end of the strap means, a free second end of the strap means in an insertion direction; and paw! means located in the passage means, wherein the housing means is rotatable with respect to a portion of the strap means in the passage means between a locking orientation, in which the pawl means engages the portion of the strap means to prevent withdrawal of the strap means from the housing means, and a release orientation, in which the strap means is passable through the housing means in a withdrawal direction opposed to the insertion direction.

2. A releasable tie as claimed in claim 1, wherein the strap means comprises ratchet means arranged to cooperate with the pawl means for tightening the strap means in an insertion direction around the at least one object to be tied.

3. A releasable tie as claimed in claims 1 or 2, further comprising graspable finger tab means for rotating the housing means with respect to the portion of strap means in the passage means from the locking orientation to the release orientation.

4. A releasable tie as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the strap means comprises at least one aperture arranged to receive the pawl means.

5. A releasable tie as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the strap means comprises a ladder-like structure arranged such that the pawl means engages a rung-like member of the ladder-like structure.

6. A releasable tie as claimed in claim in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the strap : * : : :* means comprises at least one tooth arranged for engagement by the paw! S... * S

S... means.

7. A releasable tie as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein a portion of * the strap means proximate the free end thereof is a threading portion, having at least one dimension smaller than a corresponding dimension of a remaining :. portion of the strap means, to facilitate threading through the housing means.

*SSSS* * S 8. A releasable tie as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein an engagement surface of the pawl means is angled to the portion of the strap means within the passage means, in use, to engage the portion of the strap means to prevent withdrawal of the strap means in a withdrawal direction in the locking orientation but to release the portion of the strap means to allow withdrawal of the strap means in a withdrawal direction in the release orientation.

9. A releasable tie as claimed in claim 8, wherein the engagement surface of the paw! means in angled at substantially 150 to a longitudinal axis of the strap means at rest as moulded.

10. A releasable tie as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein opposed transverse inner walls of the passage means taper inwards in the insertion direction at an entrance of the passage means.

11. A releasable tie substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 4 to 23 of the accompanying drawings. * a. * I * S... S... * S I... *. * S * ISS *5S

SI S IS..

S

S..... * I t9: