GB2356220A

GB2356220A - Fastening or securing device

Info

Publication number: GB2356220A
Application number: GB9929526A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Howard Coles
Original assignee: HCL Fasteners Ltd
Current assignee: HCL Fasteners Ltd
Priority date: 1999-12-14
Filing date: 1999-12-14
Publication date: 2001-05-16
Also published as: AU2197401A; WO2001044708A1; GB9929526D0

Abstract

A fastening or securing device comprises a toothed strap 14 having a first and second end 42, 4 and a separate non-integral body 12 for holding the strap 14 in a closed loop. The body 12 comprises a first pair of jaws 22 having at least one barbed tooth 24 for engaging the first end 42 of the strap 14; a second pair of jaws 26 for securing the second end 44 of the strap 14; and a gear 92 which meshes with the teeth of the strap 14 and which can be turned to advance the first end 42 of the strap 14 through the body 12 and past the teeth 24 of the first pair of jaws 22 to tighten the strap 14. The gear 92 may be removed from the body 12 and the strap 14 may be tightened by hand. To release the strap 14, the first pair of jaws 22 may be levered apart by a pair of pliers to release the tension in the strap 14, then the second end 44 may be slid sideways from the second pair of jaws 26 through side opening (37, figure 4). The body 12 may be injection moulded and used with different length straps to provide different size securing devices.

Description

2356220 Fastening or Securing Devic

Technical Field

The present invention relates to fasterdng or securing devices for example hose clips, hose clamps, securing bands, bundling straps and straps for securing signs.

Background Art

Integrally fonned hose clips are well known that include a strap or band, at one end of which there is a pair of toothed jaws and at the other end of which there is a toothed tongue that can be inserted between the jaws to form the strap into a closed loop around an object, for example a hose. The tongue can be inserted into the jaws sufficiently to compress the hose and therefore keep it, for example, on a spigot. Hose clips of this type are disclosed in UK Patent No. 1,600, 601. Such clips are manufactured by injection moulding.

One disadvantage of the above type of hose clip is that the range of diameters of hoses that can be clamped by any one clip is limited and it is usually necessary to provide a series of clip sizes, each size corresponding to a range of hose diameters that it can clamp. Since each clip size will need a separate injection-moulding tool, the tooling costs can be high, particularly for clips intended for relatively large diameter hoses, which in any case are used less frequently than clips for smaller diameter hoses. Also, the cost of holding a stock of a large range of clip sizes is high.

Bundling straps and ties are also known consisting of a body and an integrally-formed toothed band; the toothed band is passed around the objects being bundled and the end of the band is inserted into an opening in the body and the band is pulled through the body sufficiently to secure the bundle of objects together. One disadvantage of this arrangement is that, in order to release the bundled objects, the band must be cut. Tberefore, the arrangement is not re-useable. Also, such straps must be made in a variety of sizes using several injection moulds to secure objects of differing diameters. Alternatively, if the band is of fixed length, it is not possible to use it to secure objects having a perimeter length longer than the length of the band. Such bundling straps can also be used for securing and TA 2052747.1 2 closing bags and sacks.

Metallic "Jubilee" hose clips are well-known and have a body permanently fixed to one end of a metal band; the other end can be looped around and secured by a worm gear incorporated in the body. The worm gear engages ridges on the band and can be rotated to tighten the band around an object. The pitch of the worm gear thread and the innate frictional resistance to the gear turning are such that, when the clip is tightened, tension in the band does not cause the release of the clip. Both the pitch of the worm gear thread and the resistance to the gear turning make it time consuming and awkward to tighten the clip.

In addition, the clip is made of steel and is expensive to make.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a looped securing device comprising:

a toothed strap having a first end and a second end; a body secured or securable to the second end of the strap and capable of engaging the first end of the strap and holding it in a closed loop, which body comprises:

a pair of jaws having at least one tooth for engaging corresponding teeth at the first end of the strap to retain the first end of the strap and hold the strap in a closed loop, a rotatable gear for engaging corresponding teeth on the strap which gear, when rotated, feeds the toothed strap through the jaws so that the at least one tooth of the pair of jaws engages with the teeth at the first end of the strap, the arrangement being such that the inter-engagement of the teeth on the strap with the at least one tooth of the pair of jaws prevents the first end of the strap from being pulled lengthways from between the pair of jaws to open the loop.

The or each tooth of the jaw advantageously has a sloping front face that rides over the teeth of the strap when fed by the gear to tighten the securing device so that the first end of the strap can be advanced lengthways through the jaws to tighten the strap but cannot \P1\ 2052747.1 3 be pulled lengthways through the jaws to slacken the strap.

The strap is preferably of uniform cross-section and the teeth on the strap preferably extend generally perpendicular to the axis of the strap; correspondingly, the teeth on the jaws extend generally perpendicular to the direction in which the gear feeds the strap between the jaws.

The body may be integral with the strap, but will generally not be. When it is not integral, the second end of the strap may be secured to the body by the body being formed with a further pair of jaws for engaging the second end of the strap. The further pair of jaws are preferably open at one side to allow the teeth of the strap to be engaged with the ftu-ther pair of jaws by sliding the second end to the strap sideways through the open side of the further pair of jaws.

Since the strap can be of unifonn cross section, it can be formed, e.g. by extrusion, in long lengths and a strap for a particular application of the desired length can be cut from it. Thus the strap can be any desired length.

Although the body of the device of the present invention may have to be injection moulded, it can be used in connection with any length of straps so that it is not necessary to make separate injection moulds for each diameter of object to be encircled.

Brief Description of Drawing

Figure I is a side view of the device of the present invention with the strap being engaged in the body to form a closed loop; Figure 2 is an axial cross sectional view of the body of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view showing one side and the underside of the body and part of the strap of the device of the present invention; Figure 4 is a similar perspective view of the device of Figure 3 but showing the other side and the top of the body; Figure 5 is an enlarged isometric view of the gear of the device of Figures 1 to 4; Figure 6 is an axial cross sectional view of the device of the present invention; \P1\ 2052747.1 4 Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring firstly to Figure 1, there is shown a device of the present invention including body 12 and a toothed band or strap 14. The teeth are provided on the upper and lower flat surfaces of the strap 14 (see Figures 3 and 4); in Figure 1, the teeth are not shown, for ease of illustration. The strap is formed into a closed loop and the first and second ends 42, 44 are engaged in first and second jaws 22 and 26 of the body. By feeding the first end 42 of the strap through the first pair of jaws using a gear described below, the device can be tightened on the object or objects being clamped (shown generally by the reference number I I in Figure 1). The object I I may be a hose pushed onto a spigot, a bundle of objects, e.g. electrical cables or a collection of two or more articles that are to be secured together.

The strap may be formed by extrusion or injection moulding in long lengths, e.g. in excess of I metre,.and can be cut to any desired length to provide a clamp that can encircle the required object or objects. The teeth 16 of the strap (see Figures 3 and 4) are generally rectangular in profile with vertical front and rear faces, although the tops of the teeth are somewhat chanifered.

The body 12 is shown in Figure 2 and includes the first and second pairs of jaws 22 and 26 respectively having teeth 24 and 28. The teeth of the second pair of jaws each have a profile that is complimentary to the profile of teeth 16 on the strap 14, i.e. are of rectangular profile. The teeth of the second pair of jaws engage the teeth of the strap and so hold the second end 44 of the strap. Because the teeth of the strap and the teeth of the second pair of jaws have vertical faces, tension in the strap does not tend to force the second pair of jaws open and so, when tension is applied to the strap, the teeth of the second pair of jaws hold the second end of the strap firmly and can do so up to a tension determined by primarily by the strength of the plastic from which the strap and the body are made.

The second pair of jaws 26 is open at one side (the side shown nearest the observer in Figure 3) and is closed at the other side by a wall 34, see in particular Figure 4.

\P1\ 2052747.1 A passage 30 is provided in the body extending between the back of the first jaws 22 and a rear face 32 of the body (see Figure 2).

A bore 29 (see Figures 2 and 6) extends transversely through the body so that the top of the bore intersects the base of the passage 30; a toothed gear 92 (shown in detail in Figure 5) can be inserted into the bore 29 (see Figures 3 and 4). The gear 92 (see Figure 5) has a toothed shank 94, a hexagonal slotted head 96 and a tail 98. The tip 99 of the tail 98 of the gear is engaged in a hole 100 in the body and so holds the gear 92 in the bore 29. The tip 99 but can simply be pushed into the hole 100, where it is held by undercut 101 and may be removed from the hole 100 to release the gear from the bore 29 92 (see Figure 4).

In order to secure the device around an object, the second end 44 of the strap 14 (,see Figure 1) is inserted transversely through the open side 37 of the second pair of jaws in the direction parallel with the teeth 28 of the second jaws, as shown by arrow B 92 in Figure 4 so that the teeth of the strap 14 mesh with the teeth of the second jaws, thereby securing the second end 42 of the strap 14 to the body 12. The strap 14 is then bent around the object being clamped and the first end 42 of the strap is fed into the passage 30 in the back face 32 of the body 12 in the direction of arrow C shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 6, the teeth of gear 92 mesh with the teeth on the underside of the strap.

By turning the gear, e.g. using a screwdriver engaged in the slotted head 96, the first end 42 of the strap can be advanced down passage 30 towards the teeth 24 of the first pair of jaws 22.

The teeth 24 of the first jaws have sloping rear faces 25. As the first end 44 of the strap 14 is moved along the passage 30, it abuts the teeth 24 of the first pair of jaws 22. As the gear 92 is turned further, it urges the strap down the passage 30 and the resulting force exerted by the first end of the strap 14 on the sloping rear face 25 of the teeth 24 causes the top jaw 33 to flex resiliently around the thinned-out region 3 1. This flexing opens the first jaws and allows the strap to be advanced in the direction of arrow A in Figure 6. In this way, the teeth on the strap can be pushed past successive teeth 24 on the first jaws until the strap is tightened on the object 11.

\PI\ 2052747.1 6 If the circumference of the strap is substantially greater than that of the object 11, the end 42 of strap may be advanced beyond the first pair of jaws 22 using the gear 92. The initial tightening can be performed by turning gear 92 and sufficient tension in the strap may be produced in this way. However, additional tension in the strap can be brought about by grasping the first end of the strap, e.g. by a special tool or a pair of pliers, and pulling it in direction A (see Figure 6), causing the strap to be pulled through the first pair of jaws 22 to tighten the strap on the object or objects being encircled.

If required, the gear can be removed from the bore 29 once the strap is tensioned because the first end 42 is held by the teeth 24 of the first pair of jaws.

The body 12 is made of a tough but resilient material, for example "nylon 66" or fibreglass-filled nylon so that the first pair of jaws 22 can flex to open when the strap is advanced through them. The rear surfaces of the teeth of the strap and the front surfaces 27 of the teeth of the first jaws prevent the strap from being pulled back through the jaws (i.e. in the direction opposite to arrow A in Figure 6), e.g. by tension in the strap.

The device can be released by levering the first jaws apart, e.g. using a pair of pliers, and so releasing the tension in the strap. The second end 44 of the strap can then be slid sideways from within the second pair of jaws through the open side 37 in the direction opposite to that of arrow B. Once released, the strap can be pulled through the first jaws 22 by pulling on the first end 42 of the strap in the direction of arrow A in Figure 6 to release the strap fully from the body.

The gear 92 may be formed in the same moulding operation as the body 12 in such a way that it can be easily detached from the head and inserted into the bore 29. For example, the gear could be integrally moulded with the body and attached to the body by a thin breakable tie (not shown).

Teeth on the inside of the strap 14 can bite into the object 11 being clamped; in order to avoid this, a resilient pad (not shown) may be placed between the strap and the object.

\P1\ 2052747.1 7 It is conjectured that a reel of strap material and a number of bodies 12 will be provided to a user. In order to form a clip, he will take one of the bodies 12 and cut off a sufficient length of strap 14 from the reel to encircle the object being clamped. The strap will be secured in a loop using the body 12 and tightened, as described above. In this way the user does not have to keep a range of clips of different sizes in stock and the manufacturer needs only two forming dies to make the device, one for the strap and one for the body/gear.

Pre-sized clamps can be produced by the use of straps of predetennined length.

The device can be used wherever objects have to be secured, clamped, bundled, held or tied together. For example, it could be used to close bags, to secure scaffold sheeting onto scaffolding, to bundle pipes or cables together, in packaging, as a hose clip or for securing signs to posts.

Th 2052747.1 8 CLABIS 1. A looped securing device comprising:

a toothed strap (14) having a first end and a second end; a body (12) secured or securable to the second end of the strap and capable of engaging the first end of the strap and holding the strap in a closed loop, which body (12) comprises:

a pair of jaws (22) having at least one tooth for engaging corresponding teeth at the first end of the strap to retain the first end of the strap and hold the strap in a closed loop, a gear (92) for engaging corresponding teeth on the strap, which gear, when advanced, feeds the toothed strap through the jaws so that the at least one tooth of the pair.of jaws engages wi&. the teeth at the first end of the strap, the arrangement being such that the inter-engagement of the teeth on the strap with the at least one tooth of the pair of jaws prevents the first end of the strap from being pulled lengthwise from between the pair of jaws to open the loop.

2. A device according to claim I wherein the strap (14) is of uniforni cross-section.

3. A device according to claim I or claim 2, wherein each jaw of the pair of jaws (22) carries at least one tooth (24) and the strap (14) has two opposed faces each carrying teeth.

4. A device according to claim any one of claims I to 3, wherein the said at least one tooth (24) has a sloping face (25) that engages and rides over the teeth of the strap (14) when fed through the jaws by the gear (92) in a direction to tighten the securing device.

5. A device according to any one of claims I to 4, wherein the body (12) comprises a further pair of jaws (24) for engaging the second end (44) of the strap (14), thereby securing the body (12) to the second end of the strap.

\PI\ 2052747.1 9 6. A device according to any claim 5, wherein the further pair of jaws (26) carry teeth (28) for engaging the teeth on the strap. 7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said further pair of jaws (26) are open at one side (37) to allow the teeth of the strap (14) to be engaged with the further pair of jaws by sliding the second end to the strap sideways through the said open 5 side (37). 8. A device according to claim any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein each tooth on the strap (14) has a rectangular profile with front and rear faces that are substantially perpendicular to the axis of the strap. 10 9. A device according to claim any one, of claims 1 to 8, wherein the teeth on the strap (14) extend generally perpendicular to the axis of the strap and the gear (92) has gear teeth that extend generally perpendicular to the direction (A) in which the gear feeds the strap through the jaws. 15 10. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the said at least one tooth (24) and the teeth on the strap (14) are such that the first end (44) of the strap can be pulled lengthways through the jaws (22) to tighten the strap but cannot be pulled lengthways through the jaws (22) to slacken the strap. 20 11. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first and second ends (42, 44) of the strap enter into the body (12) from substantially opposite directions. 12. A securing system comprising a plurality of bodies (12) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 and a length of strap material that is severable to make a strap as 25 claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11.

\PI\ 2052747.1