Cable ties are widely used for temporarily and permanently securing one article to another or for binding together bundles of wires, cables or coiled articles and the like.

Typically such cable ties include a flat flexible tail which is provided with serrations along one major face and an integral head formed with a tail capturing slot and an associated pawl mechanism which engages with the serrations of a complementary tail passed through the slot so as to prevent retraction of that tail from the slot. Such cable ties will be referred to hereinafter as"of the type described".

The complementary tail may be the tail integral with the head or the tail of another cable tie.

While such cable ties are extremely useful and are widely used throughout the world, the most common types are not reusable as it is not possible to withdraw the tail from its engaged position.

Such cable ties are lightweight, easy to use, strong and provide a relative long service life. Furthermore they are easy to interconnect head to tail to provide a longer tie if required. One of the reasons for the popularity of such cable ties is that they are moulded as lightweight single piece articles and thus their production costs are minimal. Retention of leads, hoses and cables on racks or as a readily handled assembly is often achieved in an unsatisfactory manner which may cause such elongate articles to stretch or be broken. Such articles, especially electrical leads and other certifiable products require tagging as part of the certification process. This is also often achieved in an unsatisfactory manner.

For example, wrap around stickers may slide along electrical cable marked thereby and thus not provide the marking at the plug/socket end of the cable as required.

This invention aims to increase the versatility of cable ties.

With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a cable tie of the type described and having a head formed with at least two

capturing slots and associated pawl mechanisms. The pawl mechanism in both capturing slots may be substantially identical and provide a non-releasable engagement with a cable tie tail.

In such cable ties, for example, a first loop of tail may encompass an article or articles whereafter the free tail portion extending from the first capturing slot may be used as a further tie by passing the free tail portion through the unused capturing slot so as to capture a further article or articles to be tied. Alternatively, if the cable tie is used in conventional manner and it can be slid from the articles it surrounds, the formed loop may be pulled tight through the first capturing slot leaving the head with a free capturing slot for use in conventional manner.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, at least one of the pawl mechanisms is a selectively releasable pawl mechanism whereby the tail may be captured in the capturing slot associated with the selectively releasable pawl mechanism for subsequent release to enable the tail to be withdrawn for release of any article secured by the cable tie. Suitably the selectively releasable pawl mechanism is resiliently biassed to its engaged attitude.

Thus, for example, one slot may be used to capture an extension lead adjacent the plug or socket and when the extension lead is coupled to a further extension lead, the free tail may be passed around the further extension lead through the other slot to hold the leads together and prevent separation of the plugs electrically connecting the leads together. Upon actuation of the selectively releasable pawl mechanism, the tail may be withdrawn from the other slot to enable the cables to be unplugged and freed from one another. In another typical application the free tail may be used to temporarily secure the coils of a coiled cable together for storage.

Preferably the cable tie is formed as a one piece plastic moulding and the releasable pawl mechanism includes an integral finger tab which may be manually operated to cause the releasable pawl mechanism to move in the capturing slot from locking engagement with the tail of the tie to a disengaged position at which the tail may be moved freely through the slot unimpeded by the pawl mechanism.

Suitably the pawl mechanism includes a pawl member which is hingedly or

pivotly connected to the head portion by means of a resilient joining section which is so configured as to twist in the direction of pivoting away from its normal engaged position upon such manipulation of the finger tab which results in release of the pawl member from the serrations on the tail.

The finger tab could be formed separated from the pawl member and arranged to cooperate therewith, such as to move into abutment therewith, upon operative manipulation of the finger tab to effect release of the pawl mechanism.

If desired either of the finger tab or the releasable pawl member could be formed separate from the head and be pin connected to the head for pivotable movement between an operative engaged position and a disengaged position.

The releasable pawl may be biased to its engaged position such as by its integral mounting in the head portion. Alternatively the releasable pawl may be maintained in its engaged position by pressure applied to the pawl through the finger tab or be maintained in the engaged position only by the tension in the tail tending to retract the tail through the capturing slot.

In a further aspect this invention resides broadly in a releasable engagement for the tail of a cable tie including: a capturing slot formed in a head portion of the cable tie; a releasable pawl pivotly connected to the head portion by a resilient joining section; a finger tab formed integrally with the pawl and protruding from the head portion and operable to free the releasable pawn from its engagement with the tail.

The resilient joining section may extend across the pawl or from opposite sides of the pawl.

In a further aspect this invention resides broadly in a cable tie having a display panel formed integrally with the head portion thereof.

Preferably the display panel is of a sufficient size so that at least a date may be legibly provided thereon. Such a cable tie would be useful in providing expiry dates for articles which require regular certification such as electrical leads, electrical appliances, fire extinguishers and other utilities. Of course, other information may be provided on the display panel if desired.

The cable tie may be of the type described or it may be a cable tie according to this invention as variously defined above. In such arrangement the cable tie may be permanently secured to an extension lead near its end with a certification marking or the like on the display panel, wherein the cable tie may be used to releasably connect secure the end of the lead to a suitable utility such as another lead or a plug or socket, for example. The display panel may also include electronic identification if required.

In a further aspect this invention resides in a cable tie having a head and a tail, the head being formed with at least two capturing slots and associated pawl mechanisms, wherein at least one of the pawl mechanism is selectively releasable and is provided with a finger tab which projects from the head and is pivotable relative thereto for causing the releasable pawl mechanism to move in the capturing slot from locking engagement with the tail of the tie to an disengaged position at which the tail may be moved freely through the slot unimpeded by the

pawl mechanism.

In a further aspect this invention resides broadly in a flexible electrical cable having a releasable connection at one end and a cable tie as defined above and provided with at least one releasable pawl mechanism permanently secured to the cable adjacent the releasable connection and a free tail portion left protruding from the capturing slot for releasable engagement with the other capturing slot. The flexible electrical cable may also including a display panel formed integrally with the head of the tie.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a typical embodiment of the present invention and wherein: FIGS. 1 & 2 are plan and side views of a typical cable tie according to the

present invention; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken through the head portion of the cable tie; FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrates a further embodiment of this invention in plan view and enlarged side view of the head portion.

The cable tie 10 illustrated in the drawings has a conventional tail 11 of any desired length formed with a recessed serrated face portion 12 extending between opposed flanges 13 as illustrated.

The tail 11 which extends from a head portion 14 in conventional manner, includes a permanent capture slot 15, through which the tail 11 may be inserted to form a loop about the article or articles to be captured by the tie. In conventional manner, the tail 11 is operatively inserted into the slot 15 for non-releasable engagement with a pawl mechanism 16'.

When the tail 11 is so inserted, the pawl 16 of the pawl mechanism 16' ratchets along the saw-tooth shaped serrations until the desired size of the formed loop of cable tie has been formed. Thereafter, withdrawal of the tail 11 from the head portion 14 is prevented by abutment of the pawl 16 against the abutment face 21 of one or more saw-tooth serrations 18.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the pawl 16 is formed integrally at its base 17 through opposed lateral extensions 19 extending to respective sides of the slot 15. The pawl 16 is biased to its engaged position by the extensions 19 but may deflect by bending either the pawl 16 or by twisting the lateral extensions 19 to allow the pawl to ride over the ramped backs of the serrations.

However, any attempt to withdraw the tail 11 from the slot 15 will cause the stop face 20 of the pawl 16 to engage with the complementary shaped face 21 of the tail serrations 18 as shown in Fig. 3, and prevent retraction of the tail 11.

In this embodiment a further slot 25 is formed in the head portion 14 parallel to the slot 15 and a similar but reversed pawl mechanism 26'which includes a pawl 26 formed integrally with the side walls 28 so that the free tail portion 30 which has previously passed through the slot 15 can be turned around and passed back through the slot 25 for non-retractable engagement with the reversed configured pawl 26. The pawl 16 is formed integrally with the adjacent side walls 29 in the same manner.

The slot 15 is formed between the slot 25 and the tail 11 and the pawl 26 is formed with an integral finger tab 31 which extends away from the pawl 26 adjacent the connecting extensions 19', shaded solid in Fig. 3, and beyond the

head portion 14 so that the finger tab 31 may be manipulated in the direction of arrow 29 to pivot the pawl 26 away from the tail portion 30.

A central recess 32 is provided in the slot 25 to receive the pivoted pawl 26 to enable the returned tail portion 30 to be withdrawn from the slot 25. The pawl 26 also includes a flange extension 27 which normally sits close to the serrated surface 12. The flange extension 27 will engage this face 12 and prevent over rotation of the pawl beyond its locking position.

It will be seen that the central recess 32 does not extend across the full width of the slot 25. Shoulder portions 33 are formed at each side of the slot 25 which bear on the flanges 13 of the returned tail portion 30 so as to locate the returned portion 30 in the slot with minimum free play to and from the pawl 26.

Thus when the finger tab 31 is manipulated to move the pawl 26 into the central recess 32, the tail portion 30 can be slid from the slot without catching the pawl 26. Shoulder portions 34 are also formed at each side of the slot 15 and also bear on the flanges 13 of the tail 11 in a similar manner.

In this embodiment, the head portion 14 is formed integrally with a display panel 38 which may contain desired information. This may be placed either by writing directly on the panel 38 or by adhering a sticker with information printed thereon onto the display panel.

While the selectively releasable pawl 26 is illustrated as being oppositely arranged to the pawl 16, it could of course be similarly arranged to the pawl 26 and the finger tab could extend out to one side of the head portion 14. Alternatively the further slot 25 could extend at right angles or any angle to the slot 15 as the flexibility of the tail portion 11 will enable it to be fed into the slot at any desired angle.

The tail 11 is further provided with nibs 35 protruding from the plain section 36 of the tail 11 on the same side as the serrated face portion 12 so that when the tail 11 is wrapped around an electrical lead, for example, the nibs will push into the plastic sheath of the lead and provide a secure grip to locate the tie fixedly thereon.

It is believed that a cable tie according to the above embodiment could be

found to be very useful for a wide variety of applications. For example it may be permanently secured to the plug-in lead of a power tool and releasably attached to an extension lead adjacent its socket connection. Thus a worker who drops such a releasably secured tool from an elevated position can grab hold of the extension lead and either retrieve the tool without it becoming unplugged or catch the lead to prevent the tool from hitting the ground.

In the cable tie 40 illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the finger tab or lever 41 has a stop 42 projecting from its inner end in the direction in which the tab 41 is moved for release. A complementary stop 44 is formed on the head 45 at one or both sides of the tab 41 which limits the extent of pivotal movement of the lever 41 and prevents such pivotal movement beyond that required to release the tail 46. This is provided so that the tab 41 is not over-rotated causing plastic deformation of the opposed lateral extensions 48 which extend to respective sides of the slot 49.

It will of course be realised that the above has been given only by way of illustrative example of the invention and that all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall with the broad scope and ambit of the invention as is defined in the appended claims.