Pull-Tight Seal With Break-Away Tail For Inspection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional pull tight seals and cable ties have a protruding tail that interferes with inspection and can get caught in other devices, especially in emergency situations like with fire extinguishers, due to its design that allows only one-directional motion through the lock.

Innovation Solution

A flexible tie with a head and tail of different cross-sectional geometries, featuring a lock, barbs for one-directional passage, and a predetermined break-point that allows clean snapping off of the tail after securing, preventing unwieldy protrusions and ensuring easy inspection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the tail is designed to protrude from the locking portion to ensure secure fastening, then the fastening reliability is improved, but the tail interferes with device inspection and can get caught in other devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefastening reliabilityVSAvoidinterference with inspection and tangling

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The tail is segmented into two functional portions: a locking portion that protrudes to ensure secure fastening, and a break-away portion that can be cleanly removed. This segmentation allows the tail to fulfill its securing function while eliminating the harmful protruding portion afterward, resolving the contradiction between reliability and interference.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A break-away feature is preliminarily incorporated into the tail design at a predetermined location. This preliminary action enables the user to easily remove the protruding portion after fastening, preventing inspection interference and tangling while maintaining the reliability benefits of the protruding locking portion during use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the tail is made long enough to allow proper wrapping and locking, then the ease of operation is improved, but the unwieldy portion interferes with device operation in emergency situations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of wrapping and lockingVSAvoidinterference with emergency device operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The tail is divided into an operation portion sufficient for wrapping and locking, and a removable break-away portion. This segmentation provides enough length for ease of operation while allowing the excess portion to be cleanly removed, eliminating interference with emergency device operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The break-away portion of the tail is designed to be discarded after serving its purpose of enabling proper wrapping and locking. This discarding of the unwieldy portion after it has fulfilled its operational function eliminates interference with emergency device operation while maintaining ease of operation during installation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Ease of manufacture

If the tail maintains a consistent cross-sectional geometry throughout, then the manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the tail cannot be cleanly broken at a predetermined point

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidclean break at predetermined point

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The tail transitions from a first cross-sectional geometry in the locking portion to a second cross-sectional geometry in the break-away portion. This local quality change at the break-away point creates a predetermined weak point that allows clean breaking, while the rest of the tail maintains sufficient structural integrity, balancing manufacturing feasibility with operational functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution prevents tail protrusions from interfering with device operation and reduces the risk of tangling by allowing a controlled break, enhancing usability and safety, especially in emergency contexts.

Implementation Method 1

the user pulls a tail portion through a locking portion of the pull tight that locks barbs via a ratchet effect

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRatchet effect: Ratchet

Data Source

PatentUS8555467B2Pull tight seal or cable tie with break-away tail

Publication Date: 2013.10.15 BROOKS EQUIP CO LLC

AI summary

A flexible tie including a head having a first cross-sectional geometry and a tail extending from the head in a longitudinal direction and having a second cross-sectional geometry different from the first cross-sectional geometry. The tie includes a lock disposed on the head and including a passage configured to receive the tail and a plurality of barbs disposed on the tail and configured to pass through the passage in the lock in a first direction, and configured to be restricted from retreating through the passage in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The tie also includes a tail break-point disposed on the tail and including a first cross-sectional area, as viewed along the longitudinal direction, smaller than any other cross-sectional area of the tail as viewed along the longitudinal direction. In some configurations, the tie includes a visual indicator in the head.