Patent Application
20050278901
The present invention is related to a flat strap with a reinforcing structure. Several metal reinforcing wires are longitudinally integrally embedded in a plastic strap of the flat strap. The metal reinforcing wires serve to enhance the shear strength and tension strength of the flat strap to enhance durability thereof and ensure safety in use of the flat strap. In addition, electrically conductive wires can be enclosed in the metal reinforcing wires to conduct current.
There are various binding straps applicable to various fields. For example, a common binding strap is used to tie cargoes for facilitating transfer thereof. A ski strap is used to bind the ski on a user's foot. Also, a binding strap is often used to tie a large-size package or a trunk to secure the transfer thereof and avoid unexpected opening of the package or trunk. The conventional binding strap is integrally made of plastic material or formed of slender threads by weaving. Such strap has sufficient tension strength, while having insufficient shear strength. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the tension strength or shear strength of the binding strap to ensure safety in use of the binding strap.
Moreover, the fiber-made or plastic-made binding strap can simply provide binding or tying effect, while lacking electric signal transmission function. This limits the application of the strap product.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved flat strap structure including at least one metal reinforcing wire and a strap made of plastic material by molding. The metal reinforcing wire is integrally embedded in the plastic strap. The metal reinforcing wire is formed of flexible steel strings with excellent strength so that the shear strength and tension strength of the flat strap are enhanced.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide the above flat strap structure in which the metal reinforcing wire can be composed of multiple electrically conductive wires enclosed by a layer of cable. Therefore, the flat strap can also conduct current and transmit electric signal to widen the application field of the flat strap.
The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:
Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 5. The flat strap structure of the present invention is composed of at least one metal reinforcing wire 3 and a strap 2 made of plastic material by molding. The metal reinforcing wire 3 is integrally longitudinally embedded in the plastic strap 2. The metal reinforcing wire 3 is formed of flexible metal wire or steel cable 31 or is composed of electrically conductive wires 33 enclosed by at least one layer of cable 32. The metal reinforcing wire 3 serves to enhance the tension strength or shear strength of the flat strap 1. In the case that the electrically conductive wires 33 enclosed by the cable 32 is embedded in the plastic strap 2, not only the flat strap 1 is reinforced, but also the flat strap 1 can conduct current to transmit electric signal. For example, an interruption-detective alarm device 5 can be mounted at two ends of the strap 1 as shown in
In the above structure, the steel cable 31 or the electrically conductive wires 33 enclosed by the cable 32 is embedded in the plastic strap 2. Therefore, the tension strength or shear strength of the flat strap 1 is enhanced relative to the conventional fiber or plastic strap. Especially, the flat strap 1 is used to tie a valuable article to secure the transfer thereof.
In addition, in order to ensure that the flat strap 1 can be truly wound/unwound without deflection, two lateral edges of at least one face of the flat strap 1 are formed with guide ribs 21 extending along the lateral edges of the flat strap 1. The guide ribs 21 serve to guide the flat strap 1 when wound/unwound. Moreover, at least one face of the plastic strap 2 is formed with a row of recesses 22 continuously arranged in the extending direction of the flat strap 1. By means of the recesses 22, the flat strap 1 can be engaged with and located by a machine or the length of the flat strap 1 can be counted.
The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, as shown in
