The patent for the original cable tie was in filed in 1958 by American company Thomas & Betts (now part of ABB). Inspired by a
solution used to organise large amounts of cabling in the wiring
harnesses of large aircraft, and the flexible plastic tie straps have
since been widely adopted. Their low production cost and ease of use has
led to cable ties having many domestic and industrial applications, not
limited to electrical cable management.
The rigid design of the traditional cable tie is intended to prevent any expansion or flexing of secured objects, however this can cause
issues when supporting or displaying fragile products, such as plants or
compressible tubing.
In these circumstances, a more sympathetic means of securing objects is required that provides sufficient retention but allows movement and
retains the convenience of the original cable tie, so that, for example,
growth or expansion is allowed for, and damage to the tied object is
mitigated.
Cable management company, HellermannTyton, is at the forefront of innovation in this area and has recently been granted a patent which
addresses the problems created by the traditional cable tie.Patent GB
2519141 describes a fastening tie (shown in the figures) with a flexible
elongated strap (2) and locking sections (22) arranged along its
length. A series of neck sections (24) interconnect with the locking
sections, each of which has a slot through which a further locking
section (22) passes when the strap formed into a loop. The neck section
includes a dome-shaped projection (32) which extends from the upper and
lower surfaces of the tie. The slots on the strap are expandable in
height to allow the neck (24) to pass through, thus preventing damage to
the article the fastener is tied to.
This patent is one of a number of applications filed in the UK and internationally in recent years by HellermannTyton, covering a range of
ties, tools and cable management devices across various sectors.
Building an Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio which both protects and
expands the company's product range is a strategic initiative which
makes good commercial sense, securing a strong position for the
business.
