Tie wrap connector

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/066,760, filed on Feb. 22, 2008 the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a tie wrap connector for connecting a flexible conduit a fitting such as a barbed fitting.

2. Description of Prior Art

Flexible tubing is widely utilized to deliver fluid from a fluid source to a storage site or fluid treatment site. The flexible tubing is connected to the storage volume or fluid treatment site in order to provide the desired fluid delivery. It is common practice to secure the flexible tubing to a barbed conduit in order to transfer fluid from a first location to a second location. It is necessary to provide a secure and leak proof connection at the end of the flexible tubing in order to avoid fluid contamination and/or leakage. Such a secure connection is particularly required in medical and pharmaceutical applications such as blood pumps, oxygen concentration cartridges, filtration cartridges, intravenous bags or the like.

At the present time, cable ties are utilized to provide a secure connection at the end of the flexible tubing. Cable ties comprise a strap and a locking head shaped to be locked to each other during their use. Presently available cable ties have the disadvantage of not being capable of providing a compressive force about the entire. circumference of the flexible tubing. This disadvantage results from the locking head not being sufficiently flexible to follow the contour of the outside surface of the flexible tubing. Accordingly, the risk of leakage is increased at the portion of the outside surface of the flexible tubing subject to decreased compressive force.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a connector for connecting a flexible tubing to a barbed fitting which prevents leakage and/or contamination of fluid located within the flexible tubing. In addition, it would be desirable to provide such a connector which remains intact even at elevated fluid pressure within the flexible tubing. Such a connector would provide ease of installation as well as security against fluid leakage or fluid contamination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a tie wrap connector which includes a solid insert having an arc shaped surface which conforms to an outside surface of a flexible conduit. The insert can be a separate piece or can be formed integrally with the tie wrap connector. The tie wrap connector includes a strap having a free end and a second end joined to a strap locking head. The strap includes a stepped surface which permits locking the strap within the locking head. The locking head has an opening to receive the free end of the strap. The locking head includes a ratcheting panel that receives the steps of the strap thereby to lock the strap within the locking head. The insert is positioned adjacent the locking head. When the strap is locked within the locking head and positioned about the surface of the flexible conduit, the arc surface of the insert exerts a compressive force on the outside surface of the flexible conduit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side, partially cross sectional view of the tie wrap connector of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the tie wrap connector of FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the tie wrap connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a tie wrap connector of the prior art in use.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a tie wrap connector of this invention in use.

FIG. 6 is a top, partial cross sectional view of the tie wrap connector of FIG. 5 in use.

FIG. 7 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a tie wrap connector of this invention in use.

FIG. 8 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a tie wrap connector of this invention in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the tie wrap connector of this invention 10 includes a strap 12, a locking head 14 and an insert 16 having an arc shaped surface 18. The insert 16 is formed integrally with the strap 12, such as by any conventional molding process. The locking head 14 includes an opening 20 that extends through the thickness of the locking head 14 and a locking device 22 such as the ratcheting panel shown in the Figure. The strap 12 includes steps 24 that cooperate with the device 22 so that the strap 12 is locked within the locking head 14 and, usually through the locking head 14 so that the steps 24 contact the locking device 22 thereby to lock the strap 12 in place within the locking head 14.

Referring to FIG. 4, a tie wrap connector 30 of the prior art is shown. The tie wrap connector 30 includes a strap 32 having steps 34 and a locking head 36. The locking head 36 includes any conventional means for passing the free end 38 through the locking head 36 and for locking the strap 34 within the locking head 36. Since the locking head 36 is not sufficiently flexible, a gap 38 is formed between the strap 32 and a portion 40 of the outside surface of flexible conduit 42. The flexible conduit 42 is positioned over hollow barbed conduit 44. Thus there is no compression force on the portion 40 of the flexible conduit 42 thereby increasing the possibility of leakage between the flexible conduit.42 and barbed conduit 44.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the tie wrap connector of this invention is shown. The tie wrap connection includes the strap 12, the locking head 14 and the insert 16 having the arc shaped surface 18. As the end 24 of the strap 12 is pulled through the locking head 14, a compressive force is exerted on the insert 16 by the strap 12. This, in turn, causes a compressive force to be exerted on the flexible conduit 42 by the insert 16. The remaining portion of the strap 12 in contact with the flexible conduit 42 also exerts a compressive force on the flexible conduit 42 so that the entire outside surface of the flexible conduit 42 is subject to direct compressive force. The strap 12 is kept in place against the flexible conduit 42 by the interaction of the locking device 22 and the steps 24 of the strap 12 thus securing the flexible conduit 42 to the barbed conduit 44 This results in an improved seal between the flexible conduit 42 and the barbed conduit 44.

It is to be understood that the insert 16 need not be formed integrally with the strap. It can comprise a separate piece that can be inserted in the desired area when it is desired to use the tie wrap connector. Optionally, in such a free-standing design the insert 16 may contain a device (not shown) for removably securing it to the strap 12 if desired such as a slot on the side of the insert 16 facing the strap 12 through which the strap 12 may be placed.

Additionally, the height of the insert 16 and the length of the arc 18 can be varied to accommodate a greater or lesser amount of the surface of the flexible tubing 42 as is required by the desired application, as is shown in FIGS. 5, 7 and 8. In FIG. 5, the height of the insert 16 relative to the opening 20 of the locking head 14 is substantially the same as that of the locking device 22 so that the arc 18 is spread over as much surface of the flexible conduit 42 as possible. In FIG. 7, the height of the insert 16 is less than that of the embodiment of FIG. 5 and is substantially the same as that of the base 50 of the locking device 22 in the locking head 14. In FIG. 8, the height of the insert 16 is substantially the same as the lower base 52 of the opening 20 of the locking head 14.