GB2201127A

GB2201127A - Fastening superposed layers together

Info

Publication number: GB2201127A
Application number: GB08702660A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Roger Michael Barnett
Original assignee: TRW United Carr Ltd
Current assignee: TRW United Carr Ltd
Priority date: 1987-02-06
Filing date: 1987-02-06
Publication date: 1988-08-24
Also published as: GB8702660D0

Abstract

Apertured layers 14 and 16 formed by the end portions of a patient identification strap are secured together in superposed relationship by a fastener 22. The fastener comprises a male member 24 projecting from a surface 68 of a carrier 34 therefor and a female member 28 attached to the carrier. The male member extends through respective aligned apertures 20 and 26 of the layers and the members are non-releasably snap-fitted together to retain the layers on the male member between the carrier surface 68 and an opposed surface 72 associated with the female member. <IMAGE>

Description

FASTENING SUPERPOSED LAYERS TOGETHER This invention relates to fastening superposed layers together, and particularly, but not exclusively, to the fastening of the opposed end portions of a plastics strap, which is provided with means for accommodating an identification label, in superposed relationship. Such straps are used in hospitals for identifying patients, the strap being fitted around the patient's wrist or ankle, and fastened by fastening means provided on the strap which comprise metallic male and female members. The use of metallic fastening members represents a potential danger to a patient where electrodes have to be fitted to the patient's body because of the possibility of the electrodes contacting ing the metallic fastening members.

One object of the present- invention is to enable this danger to be avoided, and in one aspect the invention includes a plastics strap provided with means for accommodating an identification label and plastics fastening means for fastening opposed end portions of said strap in superposed relationship.

The invention also includes a one-piece plastics fastener for fastening at least two apertured layers together in superposed relationship, comprising a male member projecting from a surface of a carrier therefor and a female member attached- to said carrier, one of said members being adapted to extend through respective aligned apertures of said layers, and said members being non-releasably snap-fittable together for retaining said layers on said one member between said carrier surface and an opposed surface associated with said female member.

The invention also includes a plastics strap having means for accommodating an identification label intermediate its two end portions, to one of which a fastener as defined in the last preceding paragraph is attached with the said one member of the fastener extending through an aperture therein, and the other end portion having a plurality of said apertures therealong such that said other end portion can be arranged in superposed relationship with said first end portion by extending said one member through a selected aperture in said other end portion and thereafter said end portions can be fastened in said relationship by snapfitting said male and female members of said fastener together.

Preferably, in the fastener defined in the last but one preceding paragraph, the said one member includes a portion of reduced external cross-sectional dimensions for locating said layers prior to said members being snap-fitted together.

In the embodiments of the invention which will be described hereinafter, the male member extends only partially into sai-d female member when said members are snap-fitted together, and said surface associated with said female member comprises a surface at the end thereof adjacent said carrier surface when the members are snap-fitted together.

In one of these embodiments the said surface associated with said female member comprises a surface of a flange at said end of the female member. Furthermore in this case, advantageously said female member projects from said carrier on the same side thereof as the male member, the respective portions of the carrier from which the male and female members project being foldable towards each -other to enable said members to be snap-fitted together.

In the other of the described embodiments, said female member projects from said carrier on the opposite side thereof to the male member, the respective portions of the carrier from which-the male and female members project are foldable towards each other to enable the members to be snap-fitted together, and said surface associated with the female member comprises a surface of the portion of the carrier from which the female member projects- on the side of that portion opposite the female member.

In both embodiments advantageously said portions of the carrier from which the male and female members project are interconnected by a portion of reduced cross-section at least between said sides thereof.

The invention also includes a plastics strap having means for accommodating an identification label intermediate its two end portions, one of which is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures therealong, said strip having non-releasable, snapfittable male and female plastic members projecting therefrom, at least one of said members being located at the other end portion of the strip, said one member being adapted to extend through a selected one of said apertures when said end portions are arranged in superposed relationship such that when said male and female members are snap-fitted together the end portions are fastened together.

In order that the invention may be better understood, the two embodiments referred to above will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a plastics strap for use in hospitals for identifying patients: Figure 2 is a side view of the same strap with a fastener attached to one of its end portions; Figure 3 is a side view of the same strap and fastener showing the end portions of the strap fastened in superposed relationship by the fastener; Figure 4 is a top plan view of the fastener shown in Figure 2 to an enlarged scale; Figure 5 is a view along the line V-V in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the fastener showing the male and female portions thereof snap-fitted together to fasten the end portions of the strap in superposed relationship; and Figures 7 to 9 are views corresponding to views 4 to 6 of an alternative fastener, Figure 8 being a view along the line VIII-VIII of Figure 7.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, there is shown a plastics strap 10 having means 12 for accommodating an identification label intermediate its two end portions 14 and 16. The means for accommodating the identification label comprises a pocket formed by a strip of plastics material heat welded to the strap along its peripheral edges and open at its end 19 to allow insertion of a patient identification label (not shown). The end- portion 14 is provided with an aperture 20 to enable a one-piece plastics fastener 22 to be attached to the strap by insertion of a male member 24 of the fastener 22 through the aperture 20 as shown in Figure 2.The other end portion 16 of the strap 10 is provided with a plurality of apertures 26 spaced therealong such that it can be arranged in superposed relationship with the end portion 14 after the strap has been wrapped around a wrist or ankle of a patient by extending the male member 24 of the fastener through a selected aperture 26 in the end portion 16.

Thereafter, any excess length of the end portion 16 may be cut off and a female member 28 of the fastener 22 snap-fitted over the male member 24 to fasten the end portions 14 and 16 together as shown in Figure 3. The above fitting procedure is carried out when the fastener is attached to the strap so as to extend therefrom in the longitudinal direction of the strap as shown-in Figure 2. However, it will be understood that the fastener may alternatively be attached to the strap so as to extend transversely of its longitudinal direction, in which case any excess length of the end portion 16 can be cut off after the male and female members have been snap-fitted together.

In the illustrated arrangement, the plastics material of the strap 10 is sufficiently transparent to enable the identification label inserted in the pocket to be visible when the strap is fitted to a patient, and access to the pocket for unauthorised removal of the label is prevented because the open end 19 of the pocket lies against the skin of the patient.

The male and female members 24, 28 of the fastener are non-releasably snap-fittable together such that removal of the strap from a- patient after fitting requires the strap itself to be cut through or otherwise broken somewhere along its length, thus rendering the strap unsuitable for further use. In this connection, the male and female members should not release when the strap is subjected to a tensile load less than that which causes it to break, e.g. 10 Kg.

Alternatively the male member may be provided with a necked portion, such as portion 58, dimensioned such that the male member will break if the strap is subjected to a predetermined load, thus rendering the strap unsuitable for further use.

The fastener 22 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures 4 to 6. The male member 24 and the female member 28 are carried by respective end portions 30, 32 of a carrier 34. The carrier is generally plate like and the female member 28 projects from the carrier on the same side 36 thereof as the male member 34. The respective portions 30, 32 of the carrier are foldable towards each other to enable the members 24, 28 to be snap-fitted together as shown in Figure 6. To allow, or at least assist, this folding, the portions 30, 32 of the carrier are interconnected by a portion 38 thereof of reduced cross-section between the side 36 -and the opposite side 40 thereof.Additionally, as shown in Figure 4, the portion 38 is of reduced cross-section between the opposed edges 42, 44 of the carrier, the carrier having an overall 'dog-bone' shape in plan.

The male member 24 is generally cylindrical and provided with a dome-shaped free end portion 46. A slot 48 divides the male member 24 axially throughout a substantial amount of its longitudinal extent into two opposed portions 50 which are resiliently deflectable towards each other. Although the slot extends transversely with respect to the -carrier in the illustrated embodiment, it is to be understood that it may alternatively extend in other directions with respect to the carrier, e.g. lengthwise thereof. The male member 24 includes an intermediate portion 52 of reduced external cross-sectional dimension disposed between two shoulders 54, 56. The end portion 58 of the member 24 immediately adjacent the portion 30 of the carrier is also of reduced external cross-sectional dimension.

The female member 28 is provided with a passage 60 for receiving the male member 24. The passage 60 includes a first portion 62 which converges inwardly from the free end 64 of the female member for causing the portions 50 of the male member to be urged together when the male and female members are being fitted together. The first portion 62- of the passage extends into a second portion 64 thereof qf larger internal cross-sectional dimension for accommodating the domeshaped head 46 of the male member with the shoulder 54 of the male member located behind an internal shoulder 66 provided at the transition between the passage portions 62 and 64 as illustrated in Figure 6.

When the end portion 14 of the strap is attached to the fastener 22 by inserting the male member 24 through the aperture 20, the end portion 14 is located on the portion 58 of the male member adjacent the surface 68 of the carrier- portion 30 from which the male member projects. The material of the strap is readily deformable such that the aperture 20 can pass .over the portions of the male member of larger external cross-sectional dimension than the portion 58. The end portion 16 of the strap is thereafter located over the male member and in superposed relationship with the end portion 14 by insertion of the male member through a selected aperture 26. Again, the resilience of the material of the strap enables the selective aperture 26 to pass over the portions of larger external crosssectional dimensions until the end portion 2-6 is located about the portion 58 of the male member.

At this stage, the end portions 14 and 16 of the strap are located between the surface 68 of the carrier portion 30 and an external shoulder 70 of the male member 24. When the male and female members are snapfitted together, the male member extends only partially into the female member and the end portions 14 and 16 are retained on the male member between the surface 68 of the carrier portion 30 and an opposed surface 72 associated with the female member and provided at the end thereof which is adjacent the carrier surface 68 when the members 24 and 28 are snap-fitted together.

In the arrangement shown, the surface 72 comprises a surface of an annular flange 74 at the free end of the female member. The thicknesses of the layers of end portions retained between the surfaces 68 and 72 and the spacing apart of those surfaces when the male and female members are snap~fitted together are preferably such that relative rotational movement of the end portions about the portion 58 of the male member is at least hindered.

Referring now to Figures 7 to 9, there is shown an alternative fastener for use with the strap 10 shown in Figure 1. The fastener illustrated in Figures 7 to 9 is generally similar to the fastener illustrated in Figures 4 to 6 and accordingly like parts have been given like reference numerals provided with a prime.

Whereas in the fastener 22 illustrated in Figures 4 to 6 the female member 28 projects from the carrier on the same side thereof as the male member 24, in the fastener 22' illustrated in Figures 7 to 9, the female member 28' projects from the carrier 34' on the opposite thereof to the male member 24'. The passage 60' of the female member 28' opens at a surface 76 of the portion32' of the carrier 34' on the same side of the carrier as the surface 68' from which the male member 24' projects. The first portion 62' of the passage~60' extends from the surface 76 into the second enlarged portion 64' of the passage. Thus, when the male and female members 24' and 28' are snap-fitted together, as shown in Figure 9, after the end portions 14 and 16 of the straps have been located between the surface 68' of the carrier portion 30' and the external shoulder 70' of the male member 24', the end portions 14 and 16 are retained on the male member 24' between the surface 68' of the carrier portion 30 and the surface 76 of the- carrier portion 32'.

It will be appreciated that the strap 10 would -ordinarily be supplied with its end portion 14 already attached to a fastener 22 or 22' by being located on the portion 58 or 58' of the male member of the fastener.

From the above it will be seen that each of the fasteners 22 and 22' comprises a male member 54 or 54' projecting from a surface 68 or 68' of a carrier 34 or 34' therefor and a female member 28 or 28' attached to the carrier, the male member being adapted to extend through respective aligned apertures 20 and 26 of two layers formed by the end portions of the strap 10, and the male and female members being non-releasably snapfittable together for retaining the layers on the male member between the carrier surface 68 or 68' and an opposed surface 72 or 76 associated with the female member. It will be appreciated however that the spacing of the above-mentioned surfaces when the male and female members are snap-fitted together may be such as to enable the fastener to fasten more than two apertured layers together.

Furthermore, in a fastener such as that shown in Figures 4 to 6 where the male and female members extend from the same side of the carrier, the male member may extend completely into the female member when the members are snap-fitted together, in which case the apertured layers would be fitted onto the exterior of the female member-rather than the male member prior to such snap-fitting.

It is further envisaged that rather than provide the strap with a separate one-piece plastics fastener attached to the end portion 14, that end portion 14 itself may be provided with non-releasable snapfittable male and female plastics members projecting from it, in which case one of these members would be adapted to extend through a selected one of the apertures 26 of the end portion 16 when the end portions 14 and 16 were arranged in superposed relationship such that when the male and female members were snap-fitted together the end portions would be fastened together.

In yet another alternative arrangement, the strap could be provided with non-releasable snap-fittable male and female plastics members projecting from the free end of end portion 16 and the end portion 14 respectively. In this case, a selected aperture 26 would be fitted over the member at the end 14 and the strap end portion 16 turned back on itself so that the member provided at its free end could be snap-fitted.to the member projecting from the end portion 14.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A one-piece plastics fastener for fastening at least two apertured layers together in superposed relationship, comprising a male member projecting from a surface of a carrier therefor and a female member attached to said carrier, one of said members being adapted to extend through respective aligned apertures of said layers, and said members being non-releasably snap-fittable together for retaining said layers on said one member between said carrier surface and an opposed surface associated with said female member.

2. A fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one member includes a portion of reduced external crosssectional dimension for locating said layers prior to said members being snap-fitted together.

3. A fastener as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the male member extends only partially into said female member when said members are snap-fitted together, and said surface associated with said female member comprises a surface at the end thereof adjacent said carrier surface when the members are snap-fitted together.

4. A fastener as claimed in claim 3, wherein said surface associated with said female member comprises a surface of a flange at said end of the female member.

5. A fastener as claimed in claim 4, wherein said female member projects from said carrier on the same side thereof as the male member, the respective portions of the carrier from which the male and female members project being -foldable towards each other to enable said members to be snap-fitted together.

6. A fastener as claimed in claim 3, wherein said female member projects from said carrier on the opposite side thereof to the male member, the respective portions of the carrier from which the male and female members project being foldable towards each other to enable the members to be snap-fitted together, and said surface associated with the female member comprising a surface of the portion of the carrier from which the female member projects on the side of that portion opposite the female member.

7. A fastener as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein said portions of the carrier from which the male and female members project are interconnected by a portion of reduced cross-section at least between said sides thereof.

8. A plastics strap having means for accommodating an identification label intermediate its two end portions, to one of which a fastener as claimed in any one of the preceding claims is attached with the said one member of the fastener extending through an aperture therein, and the other end portion having a plurality of said apertures therealong such that said other end portion can be arranged in superposed relationship with said first end portion by extending said one member through a selected aperture in said other end portion and thereafter said end portions can be fastened in said relationship by snap-fitting said male and female members of said fastener together.

9. A plastics strap having means for accommodating an identification label intermediate its two end portions, one of which is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures therealong, said strap having nonreleasable, snap-fittable male and female plastic members projecting therefrom, at least one of said members being located at the other end portion of the strip, said one member being adapted to extend through a selected one of said apertures when said end portions are arranged in superposed relationship such that when said male and female members are snap-fitted together the end portions are fastened together.

10. A plastics strap as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein said means for accommodating an identification label comprises a pocket.

11. A plastics strap provided with means for accommodating an identification label and plastics fastening means for fastening opposed end portions of said strap in superposed relationship.

12. A one-piece plastics fastener substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 4 to 6 or 7 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A plastics strap with a fastener attached to one end portion, substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.