GB2464460A

GB2464460A - Anti-tamper device for hook-and-loop fastening

Info

Publication number: GB2464460A
Application number: GB0818798A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher John Kavanagh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-10-14
Filing date: 2008-10-14
Publication date: 2010-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2028-10-14
Also published as: GB0818798D0; GB2464460B

Abstract

An anti-tamper device for a hook-and-loop fastening between elongate elements 10, 11 is disclosed. The anti-tamper device comprises a stop 12 proud of a surface of at least one of the elements at a position spaced from a distal end of the element, and an annular slide element 13 shaped to surround the elements when they are joined. The arrangement is such that the slide element can slide over the joined elements into abutment with the stop while surrounding the hooks and loops, thereby preventing their separation. The slide element may comprise a cross member 14 which separates the elements as it moves toward the stop 12, such that a free end 16 of one element 11 can be pressed onto the other element 10 to entrap the cross member and prevent unintentional movement of the slide element away from the stop.

Description

"ANTI-TAMPER DEVICE FOR HOOK-AND-LOOP FASTENING" This invention relates to an anti-tamper device for a hook-and-loop fastening and more particularly to a device designed to prevent unintentional peeling apart of two elements provided with such a fastening.

Hook-and-loop fastenings are in very common use, for example on clothing, bag straps, shoes and many other applications. Such fastenings are best known by the trade name "Velcro". To join together two straps, for example, one has at a distal end an array of miniature hooks and the other an array of miniature loops. When the two are pressed together perpendicularly to the straps the hooks engage the loops to prevent separation of the straps in the plane of the connection, but to release the fastening one of the straps is peeled perpendicularly away from the other.

Velcro fastenings can come undone unintentionally. Children tend to pick at them. The Applicant has devised identity bracelets, using Velcro, to provide a child with, for example, a mobile phone number in case it gets lost but finds that children tend to play with the Velcro fastening so that a bracelet may be lost at the time when it is most needed.

The present invention provides an anti-tamper or safety device which will mitigate this problem.

In accordance with the invention there is provided an anti-tamper device for a connection between elongated elements one of which has on an inner surface in the region of a distal end an array of hooks and the other of which has on an inner surface in the region ofadistal end an array of loops which can be engaged by the hooks when the elements are brought together, the device comprising, in combination, a stop proud of a surface of at least one said elements at a position spaced from said distal end thereof and an annular slide element shaped to surround the elongated elements when the latter are joined, the arrangement being such that the slide element can slide over the joined elements into abutment with the stop while surrounding the hooks and loops, thereby preventing separation of the latter.

Said elements may be flat strips and the aperture of the slide element may be rectangular.

The slide element may further comprise a cross member bisecting its aperture, the cross member serving partially to separate the joined elements downstream of itself when the slide element is advanced to the stop.

Preferably the cross member tapers toward its edge nearer to the stop.

io Inner surfaces of the slide element confronting one another across its aperture may have central concave areas flanked by convex areas, the cross member being located parallel with and between said concave areas.

The stop may be a rivet applied to one of the elongated elements.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates in sectional elevation a Velcro fastening equipped with the device of the invention; Figure 2 is a front view of the slide element of the device; Figure 2 illustrates a use of the device of Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a modification of the slide element.

Figure 1 illustrates distal ends of two straps, 10 and 11, the strap 10 having on an inner surface an array of miniature hooks or loops (not shown) generally between the points x and x' and the strap 11 having on an inner surface an array of miniature loops or hooks (not shown) generally between the points x and y. This so-called Velcro type of fastening is well known and will not be further described.

It will be appreciated that instead of the straps 10 and 11 being two separate straps they may be the opposite ends of a single strap or loop, as in the case of an identity bracelet.

In accordance with the present invention the strap 10 is provided with a stop 12 proud of its outer surface at a position spaced from its distal end near to the inner extremity x of the Velcro fastening. This stop 12 may be a rivet or any other form of protrusion from the surface of the strap 10. Both straps 10 and 11 may be provided with such a stop 12 if desired.

Also in accordance with the invention an annular slide element 13 is provided which is capable of closely surrounding the two straps 10 and 11 when they are joined but which can be slid along them. When the straps 10 and 11 are separated the slide 13 is withdrawn along the strap 11 sufficiently to allow the two strap ends to be joined. It is then advanced along both straps to the stop 12, in which position it prevents separation of the straps in a direction perpendicular to their junction.

Preferably, but not essentially, the rectangular aperture of the slide 13 us bisected by a cross member 14 which, as shown in Figure 1, has a tapering edge 15 nearer to the stop 12. As the slide 13 slides over both straps 10 and 11 the cross member 14 separates them, providing at the free end of the strap 10 a "tab" 16 which can easily be grasped. When the user now presses the "tab" 16 down onto the strap lithe cross member 14 is trapped between the straps, and until intentional force is applied to the slide 13 it will not move away from the stop 12.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 4 the longer, confronting inner surfaces of the slide element 1 3A have concave central areas 17 flanked by convex areas 18, the cross member 14A being parallel with and between the concave areas 17. With this configuration the slide 1 3A presses the straps 10 and 11 together as it travels along them.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. An anti-tamper device for a connection between elongated elements one of which has on an inner surface in the region of a distal end an array of hooks and the other of which has on an inner surface in the region of a distal end an array of loops which can be engaged by the hooks when the elements are brought together, the device comprising, in combination, a stop proud of a surface of at least one of said elements at a position spaced from said distal end thereof and an annular slide element shaped to surround the elongated elements when the latter are joined, the arrangement being such that the slide element can slide over the joined elements into abutment with the stop while surrounding the hooks and loops, thereby preventing separation of the latter.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elements are flat strips and the aperture of the slide element is rectangular.
3. A device as claimed in either of the preceding claims wherein the slide element further comprises a cross member bisecting its aperture, the cross member serving partially to separate the joined elements downstream of itself when the slide element is advanced to the stop.
4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cross member tapers toward its edge nearer to the stop.
5. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein inner surfaces of the slide element confronting one another across its aperture have central concave areas flanked by convex areas.
6. A device as claimed in claim 5 as appendant to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the cross member is located parallel with and between said concave areas.
7. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stop is a rivet applied to one of the elongated elements.
8. An anti-tamper device for a connection between elongated elements one of which has on an inner surface in the region of its distal end an array of hooks and the other of which has on an inner surface in the region of its distal end an array of ioops which can be engaged by the hooks when the elements are brought together substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 -3 or in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.