U.S. patent application number 12/266672 was filed with the patent office on 2009-05-14 for hook for cable and in particular elastic cable, and cable provided with such a hook.
This patent application is currently assigned to Joubert Productions. Invention is credited to Thierry Joubert, Xavier Joubert.
Application Number | 20090119887 12/266672 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39526594 |
Filed Date | 2009-05-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090119887 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Joubert; Xavier ; et
al. |
May 14, 2009 |
HOOK FOR CABLE AND IN PARTICULAR ELASTIC CABLE, AND CABLE PROVIDED
WITH SUCH A HOOK
Abstract
Hook for cable and in particular elastic cable, and cable
provided with such a hook. This fastening hook is intended to be
mounted at the end of a cable, in particular an elastic cable. The
hook includes an insert, defining a bore into which the end of the
cable is introduced. The end is traversed by a pin above the bore
of the insert thereby defined. The assembly thus constituted being
overmolded in a synthetic material and in particular a plastic.
Inventors: |
Joubert; Xavier; (Ambert,
FR) ; Joubert; Thierry; (Ambert, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MARJAMA MULDOON BLASIAK & SULLIVAN LLP
250 SOUTH CLINTON STREET, SUITE 300
SYRACUSE
NY
13202
US
|
Assignee: |
Joubert Productions
Ambert
FR
|
Family ID: |
39526594 |
Appl. No.: |
12/266672 |
Filed: |
November 7, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/265H |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 24/4755 20150115;
F16B 45/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
24/265.H |
International
Class: |
A44B 13/00 20060101
A44B013/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 8, 2007 |
FR |
0758872 |
Claims
1. A cable provided at least at one of its ends with a fastening
hook, the hook comprising an insert, defining a bore into which
said end of the cable is introduced, said end being traversed by a
pin above the bore defined within the insert an assembly of said
insert, said end of said cable and said pin being overmolded in a
synthetic material.
2. The cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insert has a
general shape of the hook, and is provided with an open loop.
3. The cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bore defined within
the insert is defined within said base, said base being oriented
substantially perpendicular to the rest of the insert.
4. The cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insert is
metallic.
5. The cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the overmolding
material is selected from the group comprising polypropylene,
polyoxymethylene or polyacetal (POM) and polyamide.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119
from French Patent Application No. 0758872 filed on Nov. 8, 2007 in
the French Patent Office, the entire disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a hook intended to be mounted on
the end of a cable or of a strap, and more particularly the end of
an elastic cable of a "bungie cord" type. It also relates to a
cable or strap provided with at least one such hook at one of its
ends.
[0003] Bungie cords or elastic cables are well known per se and are
used in a large number of applications, such as for example luggage
retaining nets, the securing of luggage on a rack, on a trolley,
etc. In order to ensure their reversible fastening on such a rack
or such a trolley, it is known to add a hook to them.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Such hooks have been well known for a very long time, and
conventionally consist of a one-piece portion, optionally made from
plastic, and provided with an orifice or bore, generally a through
orifice or bore, for allowing the passage and, above all, the
joining of the elastic cable at this level.
[0005] One of the difficulties encountered for this type of hook
resides specifically in this joining, which must at once be simple
to apply, compact and, furthermore, satisfactory in terms of
mechanical strength, in order to counteract the tensile forces on
the elastic cable.
[0006] Document FR-2 407 386 for example describes a hook
comprising a curved end in the form of an open loop, for permitting
the movable fastening of the hook to a hooking place, the other end
of the hook constituting a closed loop in which the cable itself
forms a loop, the said loop being closed by an attachment. It is
clear that this system, already old, takes relatively long to apply
and has limited reliability due to the attachment ensuring the
fastening of the cable loop to the hook loop.
[0007] Also proposed, for example in document FR-2 767 162, is a
hook of the type in question, in which the cable is accommodated in
a passage having a constriction designed to define a stop for
stopping the end of the cable, the latter being enlarged for the
purpose. This enlargement of the cable results in particular from
the bending back of the end of said cable on itself, this bending
being maintained or preserved by crimping by means of a metal clip,
such as a steel ring crushed after crimping. Here also, it is clear
that while the mechanical strength offered by this assembly method
is capable of meeting the tensile strength requirements previously
described, so that a nominal tensile load is unlikely to extract
the cable from the hook, on the other hand, the production of the
enlarged end of the cable demands a meticulous operation,
relatively lengthy to carry out, and therefore time-consuming and
hence incurring additional costs.
[0008] Document FR-2 881 488 proposes a hook of the type in
question, in which the cable is fastened to the hook by means of a
clip provided with two branches which cooperate with the cable at
the bore with which the hook is provided. While this fastening
method is also likely to provide the nominal tensile strength, on
the other hand, it presupposes the preparation of through orifices
in the actual hook, thereby entailing an additional step for the
production of the cable in question.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The invention proposes a hook of the type in question, that
is both simple to use, easy to fabricate, having sufficient
mechanical strength, and whose fabrication does not consume an
excessive length of time that is liable to affect its production
cost.
[0010] This fastening hook, designed to be mounted at the end of a
cable, in particular an elastic cable, includes an insert defining
a bore into which said end of the cable is introduced. This end is
traversed by a pin above the bore defined within the insert thereby
defined. The assembly thereby constituted is overmolded in a
synthetic material and in particular a plastic, typically
polypropylene, polyoxymethylene or polyacetal (POM) or
polyamide.
[0011] In other words, the invention consists in joining the end of
the cable to an insert by a simple pin, and then in overmolding the
assembly in a synthetic material, the assembly thereby becoming
completely embedded in the synthetic overmolding material, moreover
conferring the final shape on the hook.
[0012] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, this
insert is metallic.
[0013] According to another feature of the invention, the insert is
curved in such a way that during the overmolding, it substantially
matches the shape of the hook, but with the exception that its base
is thicker.
[0014] The invention also relates to a cable, elastic or not,
whereof at least one of the ends comprises a hook as previously
described.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The manner in which the invention can be implemented and the
advantages thereof will appear clearly from the illustrative but
non limiting embodiment that follows, in conjunction with the
appended figures.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic respective representation of the hook
obtained according to the invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a similar partly phantom view of said hook, for
illustrating all its components.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation showing the end of the
cable joined to the insert according to the invention, prior to the
overmolding step.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] FIG. 1 shows the hook as obtained according to the
invention. The hook thereby illustrated is in its final shape, that
is after the overmolding step as described in greater detail
below.
[0020] According to the invention, the hook first comprises an
insert 1, typically metallic, adopting the general shape of the
hook and in particular a conventional curved shape.
[0021] The base 2 of the insert 1 extends along a substantially
perpendicular plane to the rest of the hook. This base 2, which is
substantially circular, defines a bore 3, designed to accommodate
the end 5 of a cable 4, particularly an elastic cable.
[0022] The end 5 is secured at this level by the insertion of a pin
6, for example a metallic pin, projecting on either side of the end
5 in order to rest after insertion on the upper surface of the of
the base 2 near the bore 3 of the insert 1.
[0023] This makes it clear that there is no need to proceed with
any enlargement of the end 5 of the cable 4 to permit its
positioning and retention at this level.
[0024] The assembly thereby constituted, that is the insert 1 plus
the cable end 5 and the pin 6, then undergoes an overmolding step
in an appropriate mold, to confer its final shape on the hook. This
overmolding is carried out with plastic and in particular with
polypropylene, polyoxymethylene or polyacetal (POM) or
polyamide.
[0025] It is thus observed, for example in FIG. 1, that the end 5
of the elastic cable 4 is no longer visible, and the pin 6 is no
longer visible. In doing so, through the overmolding step, the
joining of the cable 4 to the hook, and hence in particular to the
insert 1, is secured, because due to this molding, there is no risk
that the pin 6 will accidentally escape from the end 5 of the cable
4.
[0026] This demonstrates the advantage of the hook according to the
invention, primarily due to its simplicity of assembly, and also
due to the enhanced securement of the joining method, which
eliminates any risk of accidental escape of the end 5 of the cable
4 from the hook.
* * * * *