FR2619873A1 - Sliding fastener - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of fasteners. The sliding fastener according to the invention, including a closed bead 1 provided with a thin disc 4 with a cruciform slit 5, is essentially characterised in that it is of planar overall shape and that it includes a shackle 8 fastened to the closed bead, formed of two parallel arms 7 joined together by a circular strip and defining a free internal height H which is at least equal to the external dimension D of the said closed bead, the fastener overall being made of a single piece made from a flexible material. Application to holding sized wood, particularly vines.

Description

 The present invention relates to a fastener intended to be slidably mounted on a support such as a wire and to hold an object in the vicinity of said support.

Such a fastener can find various applications, in particular in the field of agriculture where it is for example necessary to maintain rods at the desired height and in alignment with respect to rows of wires or other visual materials.

 In the vineyard in particular, we know that an annual pruning is necessary in order to avoid any vegetative degeneration and to ensure a good transfer of sap with a view to good fruiting. The pruning operation is carried out in winter, in descending sap, and it is followed, before the sap rise, by manual placement of pruning wood which must be attached to the wire of the row by curving. For this last operation, use a short length of fine annealed wire or plastic wire, or a small metal band closed with a special pliers. However, the wood is only attached for one year and the tie must be cut every winter to allow a new size to be made.

 Such a traditional way of proceeding results in a repetitive, slow and labor-intensive way when the areas are large.

 The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks in particular in the field of agriculture, by providing an efficient and inexpensive fastener, easy to install and capable of remaining in place and being used again for several years, therefore also resistant to bad weather while being able to be installed and handled in winter at low temperatures.

 According to the invention, the fastener, comprising a closed bead whose internal space is provided with a flexible veil with a cruciform slot, is of generally planar shape and comprises a handle contiguous to said bead, formed of two parallel arms joined together by a circular band and determining a free internal height at least equal to the external dimension of said bead, the whole of the fastener being made in a single piece made of a flexible material.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows, given with reference to the appended drawings in which
Figure 1 shows a schematic plan view of a possible embodiment of a fastener according to the invention
2 shows a schematic view of the fastener, in section along AA of Figure 1
FIG. 3 represents a schematic plan view of the method of attaching the fastener to a wire; 'and
FIG. 4 represents a graph of an aging test cycle which a fastener according to the invention must in particular satisfy.

 In these drawings, the same references designate the same elements.

 Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a fastener according to the invention may comprise a bead forming an annular part constituted by a torus 2 provided with external reinforcing ribs 3, the internal part consisting of a flexible veil 4 in which is formed a cruciform slot 5. A general reference loop 6 is attached to the periphery of the annular part 1 and comprises two parallel arms 7 joined opposite to said annular part 1 by a circular band 8. As mentioned above, the the handle 6 determines a free interior height H at least equal to the outside diameter D of the annular part 1.

 The fastener as described above is intended to be kept sliding on a wire 9, for example an iron wire of a row of vines. To this end, it suffices to introduce the annular part 1 between the two arms 7 of the handle, around the wire 9, to form a knot known as "reverse half-keys", represented in FIG. 3.

This assembly allows the fastener to slide along the wire 9 if necessary and, for example, to maintain a size of wood (not shown), itself introduced and fixed by the cruciform slot 5, strictly in the direction of the row while ensuring its total maintenance during the removal of the wood, carried out every year at the size. Given the method of mounting the fastener on a wire, the latter is made of a flexible material, such as that sold commercially under the name "Vistoflex" by
Essochem, which consists of an injectable thermoplastic elastomer. Therefore, the manufacture of the fastener can be carried out by molding in one piece.

 The flexible material mentioned above, in addition to allowing the attachment of the fastener on a wire and the maintenance of a rod introduced into the veil, must retain its physical and mechanical properties at low temperature, since the fastener is intended to be handled in winter and be able to be used for several years without the need to replace it on the wire, thus being exposed to the weather for an extended period of time.

 Among the tests which the fastener according to the invention must undergo in order to fully fulfill its role, it is useful to carry out an aging test, a cycle of which is shown in the graph in FIG. 4, abscissa the time in hours and, on the ordinate, the temperature in C. The cycle represented is twelve hours, and it is carried out twenty times at 90 Ó of humidity. Other tests include a tensile test, the fastener having to withstand a force of 2 daN, an ultraviolet resistance test according to standard NST 51056, and a test of resistance to specific chemical agents such as the usual approved phytosanitary products. .

 although the fastener has been described above according to an embodiment with an annular bead, it is obvious that said bead can take any other appropriate geometric shape depending on the intended application, for example oval, rectangular, triangular, for a good adaptation to the organ to be fixed and to facilitate its handling and its installation.

 It is understood that the present invention has only been described and shown for explanatory purposes but in no way limitative and that any useful modification may be made to it, in particular in the field of technical equivalences, without going beyond its ambit.

Claims (5)

 1. Sliding fastener, comprising a closed bead, the interior space of which is provided with a flexible veil with cruciform slot, characterized in that it is of generally planar shape and that it comprises a handle (6) attached to the bead closed, formed by two parallel arms (7) joined by a circular band and determining a free internal height (H) at least equal to the external dimension (D) of said closed bead, the whole of the fastener being made up of a single part made of flexible material.  2. Fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that the closed bead provided with a veil is of any suitable geometric shape.  3. Fastener according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the bead is annular (1) and formed by a torus (2) provided with external ribs (3) of reinforcement.  4. Fastener according to any. Of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the flexible material consists of an injectable thermoplastic elastomer retaining its physical and mechanical properties for several years in bad weather.  5. Fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it can undergo a tensile force of 2 daN.