Smooth-Strap Cable Tie Locking Head for Tighter Bundling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art cable tie arrangements with periodic raised elements result in poor bundling due to tension being determined by spacing, leading to loose bundling of elongate elements like wires and cables.
Innovation Solution
A cable tie arrangement featuring a continuous strap with a smooth planar surface and a locking head with metal teeth that engage the strap to prevent movement in one direction while allowing tightening, ensuring optimal bundling by gripping the strap's surface rather than raised protrusions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If periodic raised elements are used on the strap to engage the locking head, then the cable tie can be manufactured with a simple structure, but the bundling quality deteriorates due to loose tension distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the engagement features from the strap surface by removing the periodic raised elements. Instead, the strap maintains a smooth planar surface, and the locking head incorporates the engagement features (teeth) within its body. This separation allows the strap to be simpler to manufacture while the locking head provides reliable engagement for optimal bundling.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality by concentrating the engagement functionality in specific locations within the locking head rather than distributing raised elements along the entire strap. The teeth are strategically positioned to engage the strap at critical points, providing reliable bundling without requiring complex strap geometry.
2Reliability
If the strap has a smooth planar surface without raised elements, then optimal bundling is achieved through better tension distribution, but the engagement mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The locking head is segmented into distinct functional components: the body providing structural support, the teeth for engagement, and the opening for strap passage. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the smooth strap engages with the segmented teeth structure, achieving reliable bundling while maintaining manufacturability.
3Reliability
If opposed teeth extend towards one another in the opening, then the strap sections are pressed together for secure engagement, but the gap between teeth must be precisely controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the gap parameter between opposed teeth to be substantially twice the strap thickness. This specific parameter relationship ensures that when the teeth engage the strap, they press the strap sections together with optimal force without requiring excessive manufacturing precision. The gap dimension is directly related to the strap thickness, providing a scalable solution.
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
This solution provides secure and optimal bundling of elongate elements by allowing the strap to be tightened based on the overall cross-section of the elements, resulting in better tension distribution and preventing loose bundling.
Implementation Method 1
the opposed teeth are arranged to engage the planar surface of the end section and the supply section to prevent movement of the end section and the supply section
Implementation Method 2
a metal locking element comprising a pair of opposed teeth extending into the opening and arranged to engage the strap in the opening
Implementation Method 3
the opposed teeth extend towards one another in the opening, so as to press the end section and the supply section together in the opening
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
Figure 7~9C
AI summary
The cable tie arrangement comprises a continuous strap (50) having a planar surface free of any racks and a separate locking head (100) defining an opening and having a metal locking element (110) comprising a pair of opposed teeth (115) extending into the opening for engaging the strap in the opening. In use, the continuous strap comprises a looped section for bundling elongate elements on a first side of the locking head. The looped section has an end section and a supply section. The opposed teeth engage the planar surface of the end section and the supply section to prevent movement of the end section and the supply section in one direction and to allow movement of the supply section in the other direction. The opposed teeth extend towards one another in the opening so as to press the end section and the supply section together in the opening.