GB2572656A

GB2572656A - Metal fastening for cables

Info

Publication number: GB2572656A
Application number: GB1813466.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rogers Nigel
Original assignee: Midland Fixings Ltd
Current assignee: Midland Fixings Ltd
Priority date: 2018-08-17
Filing date: 2018-08-17
Publication date: 2019-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 2038-08-17
Also published as: GB201813466D0; GB2572656B

Abstract

A fastening comprising a metal mount 10 having a first surface 14 arranged to receive a fastener (46) therethrough, and a raised portion 20 comprising a further surface against which one or more articles (e.g. cables) to be fastened can be located, and an aperture 30 through which a tie member (50) can pass to tie the one or more article to the raised portion. The metal mount 10 further comprises a tab portion 22 arranged to provide a grip during installation of the metal mount, the tab 22 being frangible from the mount so as to be selectively removable from the mount 10 once installed, wherein the tab is attached to the remainder of the mount by a weakened interface. Aspects include a method of fastening an article (e.g. cables) to a rigid support comprising gripping a fastening according to the above via the tab portion, positioning the mount in place and driving a fastener through the first surface whilst holding the tab, then flexing the tab portion to either remove it from the mount after installation or to position the tab against the rigid support as a further surface for receipt of a further fastener.

Description

Metal Fastening for Cables

The present invention concerns fastenings used for securing cables and other similar objects.

Conventional fastenings for cables within buildings comprise a plastic mount formed as a body of material with an opening to receive a fastener, such as a nail. The plastic mount also has an opening or eye to receive a conventional cable tie so that cables can be tied to the mount in use by passing the tie around the cables and through the eye before closing the tie.

A nail is typically driven through the opening using a nail gun into a wall, beam or other structural member against which the mount is held. Thus the nail, mount and cable tie collectively make up the fastening system.

Conventional plastic mounts have an upstanding spigot about the opening. The spigot is dimensioned so that it can be located in the distal end of the nail gun barrel. Once the spigot is inserted in the nail gun barrel, the user does not need to hold the plastic mount when locating the mount for installation. Instead the user can simply hold the nail gun to position the mount correctly and then fire the nail to fix the mount in place.

There have been found to be fire safety concerns with plastic cable fastenings. More specifically, plastic mounts/ties can melt causing cables to fall free and thereby causing an additional hazard during a fire. There have been reported deaths and injuries from individuals, such as fire fighters, becoming tangled in cables that have come free due to failed cable fastenings. The requirements of the recently published British Standard BS 7671:2018 18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations now make it mandatory in Regulation 521.10.202 in the United Kingdom that ‘Wiring systems shall be supported such that they will not be liable to premature collapse in the event of a fire’. This regulation precludes, for example, the use of non-metallic cable clips or cable ties as the sole means of support.

Where the spigot of a plastic mount is deformable in a manner that allows it to be resiliently located in the barrel of a nail gun, a metal spigot has been found to be generally unsuitable for that purpose.

It is an aim of the invention to provide a revised fastening that provides greater fire resistance whilst also being simple and safe to install.

According to the present invention, there is provided a fastening for articles such as cables, the fastening comprising a metal mount having a first surface arranged to receive a fastener in use, a raised portion depending from the first surface and against which one or more article to be fastened can be located, and an aperture through which a tie member can pass to tie the one or more article to the raised portion, wherein the fastening further comprises a tab portion arranged to provide a grip during installation of the metal mount, the tab being actuatable relative to the mount by the user so as to be either frangible from the mount or used as a further surface to receive a further fastener in use.

The tab may be frangible from the mount so as to be selectively removable from the mount once installed.

The metal mount comprising the first surface, raised portion and tab may be formed as a single, unitary member.

The metal mount, e.g. comprising the first surface, raised portion and tab, may be formed from sheet metal. The metal mount may be a single pressing or cut-out from a metal sheet.

The tab may be obliquely angled relative to the first surface.

The tab may depend from the first surface or raised portion. The tab may be spaced from the first surface by the raised portion.

The tab may be attached to the remainder of the mount by a weakened portion/interface, e.g. a line of weakness. The weakened portion/interface may comprise one or more perforation, slot or other discontinuity.

The weakened portion may be formed at a corner between the tab and the remainder of the mount.

The weakened portion may be such that flexing of the tab back and forth about the weakened portion serves to break the weakened portion, e.g. at the interface between the tab and the remainder of the mount.

The raised portion may comprise an upstanding wall, e.g. depending from the first surface.

The raised portion may comprise first and second walls spaced by an intermediate/further surface. The first and/or second wall may be upstanding with respect to the first surface. The first and/or second wall may be obliquely angled relative to the first surface, e.g. opposingly obliquely angled.

The raised portion may comprise the aperture. The aperture may be provided in either or both of the first and second walls. If an aperture is provided in both wall, the apertures may be laterally aligned, e.g. with respect to a longitudinal axis of the mount.

The aperture may be slot-like in form, e.g. being rectangular or oblong in form.

The raised portion may comprise a further surface, e.g. against which the one or more article can be located. The further surface may be curved/concave in form.

The raised portion may comprise one or more strengthening formation, such as a rib. The formation may extend in a longitudinal direction over the raised portion, e.g. around one or more corner of the raised portion. The strengthening formation may terminate short of, or at, the weakened portion.

The first surface may comprise a wall thickness suitable to be punctured by a fastener, such as a nail, in use. The first surface may comprise an opening. The opening in first surface may be curved/circular. The opening may be arranged to receive a fastener, such as a screw.

The first surface may comprise a locating feature for locating a fastener in use, e.g. in the vicinity of the opening, if present. The locating feature may comprise a marking or visual indicia. The locating feature may be circular. The locating feature may partially surround, or intersect with, the opening.

The tab may comprise a textured surface portion.

The tab may comprise a wall thickness suitable to be punctured by a fastener, such as a nail, in use.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a fastening system comprising a fastening according to the first aspect, a tie arranged to be inserted in the aperture, and a fastener arranged to be inserted through the opening of the first surface.

The tie may be arranged to pass through the aperture and beneath the raised portion (e.g. the intermediate/further surface).

The tie may be closable to form a closed loop around the one or more article and the raised portion.

The tie may be metal, e.g. a metal cable tie.

The fastener may comprise a shank and a head, e.g. such as a nail. The first portion may permit selective use with first (e.g. nail) and second (e.g. screw) types of fastener. The second type of fastener may be insertable through the opening, e.g. having a head formation that is greater in width than the opening.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of tying/fastening an article to a rigid support, such as a wall, beam or other structural member of a building. The method may comprise gripping a fastening according to the first aspect via the tab so as to position the mount in place against the rigid support and driving a fastener through the first portion whilst holding the tab, then selectively flexing the tab to remove it from the mount after installation.

Any of the optional features described in relation to any one aspect may be applied to any further aspect of the invention, wherever practicable.

Practicable embodiments of the invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the drawings, of which:

Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a mount according to an example of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section view through the mount of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a plan view of the mount of Figure 1; and,

Figure 4 shows a section view through the mount of Figure 1 when in use as part of a cable fixing system.

In Figures 1 to 3, there is shown an example of a metal mount 10 formed of a single piece of sheet metal, such as steel, although other suitably heat resistant metals/materials could be considered.

The mount 10 comprises a body of material shaped so as to provide a desired profile and associated features within the structure of the unitary/single-piece mount itself. The mount may be cut and/or pressed to provide the desired profile. The mount is formed of sheet material but is pressed/shaped so as to have a three-dimensional profile as shown in Figure 1.

The mount 10 comprises a first portion 12, a raised portion 20 and a tab portion 22. In this example the first 12, raised 20 and tab 22 portions are provided in sequence, i.e. with the first portion12 being spaced from the tab portion 22 by the intermediate raised portion 20. The first portion adjoins (or depends from) the raised portion 20 on one side thereof, whereas the tab portion 22 adjoins (or depends from) the raised portion 20 on another (e.g. opposing) side thereof.

The first portion 12 which is flat/planar in form and has a first surface 14, which is an outward facing surface in use. The first surface 14 is upwardly facing in the orientation shown in Figure 1.

The first portion 12 has an opening 16 which takes the form of a through hole extending through the thickness of the first portion from the first surface 14 to an opposing surface on the opposing side of the first portion. The first 14 and opposing surfaces are major surfaces such that the intermediate surface (i.e. the thickness of the first portion 12) is a considerably smaller dimension.

The opening 16 is circular in plan in this example but could be otherwise shaped provided it is sufficient for use with a conventional fastener as discussed hereinbelow. The width dimension of the opening would be less that the width of a head formation of a suitable fastener. The opening width is approximately 6mm in this example.

The first portion 12 may also comprise a marking or indicia 18 in the first surface

14. The marking/indicia 18 indicate an area in which to apply a fastener, such as a nail, e.g. alignment indicia. The indicia 18 may indicate the intended location for positioning the end of a nail gun barrel. The indicia 18 may comprise a score, depression, recess, e.g. the depth of the which may be a fraction, e.g. half, of the thickness of the first portion 12. The indicia 18 could otherwise comprise a marking applied to the surface of the first portion, e.g. by printing/stamping. The indicia 18 may be circular in plan and/or may be larger in area than the opening 16. The indicia may have a width/diameter of 12-20mm, e.g. approximately 16mm.

In this example, the indicia 18 adjoins the opening 16 such that the indicia 18 only partially surrounds the opening 16.

The raised portion 20 comprises first 24 and second 26 upstanding walls and an intermediate wall 28 extending between the upstanding walls such that the walls 24 and 26 are spaced by the intermediate wall 28. The walls 24 and 26 are upstanding with respect to a plane of the first portion 12.

The first and second upstanding walls are obliquely angled with respect to the plane of the first portion 12, e.g. by an angle of between 40° and 80°. An angle of 50°-70° has been used. The first and second upstanding walls are opposingly angled/sloped. In other examples, either or both upstanding walls could be perpendicular to the first portion 12, although the oblique angle has been found to be beneficial.

The intermediate wall 28 spans the upstanding walls 24, 26 and extends in a direction generally parallel to the plane of the first portion 12. However in this example, the intermediate wall 28 is arched/bowed towards the plane of the first portion 12 such that the raised portion is generally ‘M’ shaped in section/profile as can be best seen in Figure 2. The intermediate wall is curved in this example but could be angled in other examples.

An aperture 30 is provided in each upstanding wall 24 and 26. Each aperture 30 is provided part way up each upstanding wall 24, 26, i.e. to the same height, and is laterally aligned such that the respective apertures are opposing or in-line. As can be best seen in Figure 2, the height of the apertures 30 is slightly below the lowest point of the intermediate wall 28 such that it is possible to follow a straight-line path, e.g. along a longitudinal axis, through both apertures 30.

The apertures 30 are rectangular in form, i.e. being letterbox openings, in this example but could be other slot-like shapes provided they can adequately accommodate a cable tie in use.

The upstanding wall 24 adjoins the first portion 12 at a corner 32 such that the first portion 12 and wall 24 are a continuous body of material.

The upstanding wall 26 adjoins the tab portion 22 at corner 36. The interface between the upstanding wall 26 and tab 22 comprises a region of weakness 34, e.g. in the vicinity of the corner 36. The region of weakness 34 comprises one or more discontinuity in the material of the mount. In this example an elongate discontinuity is laterally oriented relative to a longitudinal axis of the mount 10 and spans a majority of the width of the tab portion 22. Thus the tab portion 22 is connected to the wall 26 via edge portions or tie portions on opposing lateral sides of the tab. In other examples, the region of weakness could comprise a plurality of discontinuities or openings. Additionally or alternatively, the region of weakness could comprise a region/line of reduced wall thickness, such as a lateral grove or channel.

The weakened interface between the tab portion 22 and the remainder of the mount can be described as a line of weakness in this example. Whilst the tab portion 22 depends from the wall 26 of the raised portion in this example, in other examples the tab portion could depend from the first portion.

The tab portion 22 comprises an extension portion of the mount that a user can grip when locating or installing the mount. The tab extends from the corner 36 to a free end 40. The tab has a textured surface region 38 indicating where the tab should be gripped, e.g. by a user’s thumb. The textured region may comprise a series of grooves, ridges or other formations. The tab is elongate in this example.

The tab 22 is obliquely oriented relative to the plane of the first portion 12. The angle therebetween may be greater than 10°, 20° or 30°, e.g. between 30° and 60°.

The tab 22 is angled in an opposing sense to the oblique angle of the adjoining upstanding wall 26. The internal angle formed at the corner 36 may be between 60° and 120°. In this example the angle is approximately a right angle, e.g. being between 90° and 100°.

The angle of the tab has been found to be a relatively important consideration since it allows the mount to be held safely during installation of the mount 10, as well as allowing the tab to be flexed about the interface between the tab 22 and wall 26 as will be described below.

The raised portion 20 comprises one or more strengthening formation 42. In this example the strengthening formation 42 extends from the adjoining region of the first portion 12, up/over upstanding wall 24, intermediate wall 28 and down the opposing upstanding wall 26. The strengthening formation 42 terminates at or adjacent corner 36, i.e. prior to the weakened region 34 and the tab portion 22.

The strengthening formation 42 is elongate in form and extends in the longitudinal direction. The strengthening formation 42 comprises one or more strengthening rib. In this example a plurality of strengthening ribs 42 are provided, e.g. three ribs.

The formations 42 provide additional strength in the raised portion, e.g. around the corners between the walls 24, 26 and the intermediate wall 28. This contrasts with the strength of the weakened interface between the tab and wall 26.

The thickness of the sheet material used for any, or any combination, of the first portion, the raised portion, the tab and/or the mount as a whole may be in the region of 0.5-2 mm or 0.7-1.5 mm, e.g. approximately or exactly 1 mm.

The wall thickness of the first portion 12 is sufficient to be punctured by a nail fired from a nail gun into the region marked by indicia 18. If a nail gun is not available/inoperative, or if it is inappropriate to use a nail gun, then the opening 16 allows use of another fastener such as a screw to install the mount. Alternatively, a nail could be manually applied through the opening 16 if desired.

The overall mount 10 is elongate in form and generally oblong in plan. The length of the mount may be between 75 and 100 mm. The width may be 20-30 mm, e.g. 22-25 mm. The first portion 12 and raised portion 20 may each be between 25 and mm in length, e.g. 30mm or less. The tab portion may be longer, e.g. having a length of 30-60mm.

The raised portion 20 may be approximately 10mm high from the plane of the first portion 12.

The mount can be conveniently pressed, stamped or cut, e.g. laser cut, from a sheet material in a simple and cost-effective manner.

Turning now to Figure 4, in use the user can grip the tab 22 between a finger and thumb in one hand to hold the mount 10 at a desired location against a support structure 44 such as a wall, beam, or similar structure. In particular, the user holds the tab 22 to locate the first portion 12 of the mount at the desired location. The user then locates the barrel of a nail gun (not shown) against the first portion, e.g. aligned with the indicia 18 to help correctly locate the nail gun barrel relative. The user triggers the firing of a nail 46 into the structure 44 through the indicia 18 of the first portion, such that the mount is held fast on the structure 44 and the user can then let go of the tab 22. The first portion is thus held against the structure 44 by a head portion of the nail.

If a nail gun is not available/appropriate to use, the mount can be fixed in place using another fastener, such as a screw, applied through the opening 16. In all uses, the user’s thumb/finger is safely removed from the first portion 12 by holding the remote safety tab 22.

One or more cable 48 can be secured to the installed mount 10 by inserting a conventional metal cable tie 50 through the openings 30 of the upstanding walls 24, 26, around the one or more cable 48 and then closing the cable tie 50 to form a closed loop. The cable tie may comprise a conventional locking/non-return mechanism 52 to secure the tie 50 in the closed condition. The cable tie 50 may be tightened so that there is minimal slack and the cable(s) 48 is held securely against the intermediate wall 28.

The raised portion 20 forms a void between the support structure 44 and the intermediate wall 28 in use that permits simple insertion of a cable tie through the void. Furthermore, the concave wall 28 helps provide a secure contact surface for supporting the cables in combination with the cable tie 50.

Once the cables are secured in place, the user may flex the tab portion 22 in the direction of arrow 54, e.g. applying torque about the corner/interface between the tab 22 and the wall 26. The user can flex/bend the tab back and forth, thereby causing stress at the interface, which will lead the interface to break, thereby allowing the tab to be removed. In this manner the tab 22 provides a safety tab formation, by which a user can safely hold the mount during installation but which can be removed once installed, if desired. This prevents the tab becoming an obstruction or snag point once the mount is installed.

The user could remove the tab prior to fastening of the cables 48 to the mount. Alternatively, the user could leave the tab in place after installation if it does not cause an obstruction.

If the tab is retained on the mount it can usefully offer another fastening point. For example, the tab 22 can be flexed towards the support structure 44 as shown in Figure 4 and used to provide another fixing structure through which a fastener/nail can be provided. For heavier installations, the tab can thus remain in place to provide additional support to the mount. A nail may be fired though the tab portion in the same manner as described above in relation to the first portion.

Any of the features described above in relation to the first portion 12 may be provided for the tab 22. Those two portions could be of similar dimensions if desired.

The tab 22 may also be useful to provide another fixing point in a corner, e.g. where the tab can be bent to be substantially perpendicular to the first surface 12.

The oblique angle of the tab 22 may be beneficial in that the tab can be actuated to be parallel with, or perpendicular to, the first surface 12 without breaking. However repeated back and forth actuation of the tab will cause it to come away from the mount. The frangible interface between the tab and the remainder of the mount 10 may be strengthened or weakened as desired.

Whilst the above examples relate to installation of cables, the mount and fastening system could be used to install other articles, such as pipes, ducts, rods or similar elongate members. The mount and fastening system could also be used as mounts for hanging objects therefrom.

According to the preceding description, there is provided a metal cable tie mount for use, in conjunction with ties, primarily to secure cables, pipes and other services to a support structure such as a ceiling, wall, floor and other element of a building. The mount is designed to be fixed to the support structure with a fastener fired from direct fastening tools including powder, gas and battery powered machines as well as having the facility to be manually/screw fixed. The provision of a removable safety tab allows the installer to safely hold and position the mount during the nail fixing operation.

Claims

1. A fastening for articles such as cables, the fastening comprising a metal mount having:

a first surface arranged to receive a fastener therethrough in use;

a raised portion depending from the first surface, the raised portion comprising a further surface against which one or more article to be fastened can be located and an aperture through which a tie member can pass to tie the one or more article to the raised portion; and, a tab portion arranged to provide a grip during installation of the metal mount, the tab being frangible from the mount so as to be selectively removable from the mount once installed.

2. A fastening according to claim 1, wherein the mount comprises the first surface, raised portion and tab portion is provided as a single, unitary member of sheet metal having a three-dimensional profile.

3. A fastening according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tab portion is obliquely angled relative to the first surface.

4. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the tab portion depends from the raised portion, the tab portion being spaced from the first surface by the raised portion.

5. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the tab is attached to the remainder of the mount by a weakened interface, such as a line of weakness.

6. A fastening according to claim 5, wherein the weakened interface comprises one or more discontinuity.

7. A fastening according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the weakened interface extends laterally with respect to a longitudinal axis of the mount.

8. A fastening according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the interface is provided at a corner between the tab portion and the raised portion.

9. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the raised portion comprises an upstanding wall depending from the first surface.

10. A fastening according to claim 9, wherein the aperture is provided in the upstanding wall.

11. A fastening according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the raised portion comprise first and second upstanding walls spaced by an intermediate surface.

12. A fastening according to claim 11, wherein the intermediate surface is convex in form.

13. A fastening according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the first and/or second wall is obliquely angled relative to the first surface.

14. A fastening according to claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein the aperture is provided in the first wall and a further aperture is provided in the second wall, the aperture and further aperture being laterally aligned with respect to a longitudinal axis of the mount.

15. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the raised portion comprises on or more strengthening rib extending in a longitudinal direction over the raised portion.

16. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the first surface comprises a wall thickness arranged to be punctured by the fastener.

17. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the first surface comprises alignment indicia for indicating an area in which to apply a fastener.

18. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the first surface comprises an opening, which may receive a fastener in use.

19. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the tab portion comprises a grip formation.

20. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the tab portion is connected to the raised portion at a corner arranged to permit pivoting or flexing of the tab in an angular direction about said corner.

21. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the tab portion is selectively retainable on the mount to provide a further surface through which a fastener may be applied in use.

22. A fastening system comprising a fastening according to any preceding claim, a tie arranged to be inserted through the aperture, and a fastener arranged to be inserted through the first surface.

23. A method of fastening an article to a rigid support, comprising gripping a fastening according to any one of claims 1 to 20 via the tab portion, positioning the mount in place against the rigid support and driving a fastener through the first surface whilst holding the tab, then flexing the tab portion to remove it from the mount after installation.

23. A fastening system according to claim 22, wherein the tie is arranged to pass through the aperture and beneath the raised portion and is selectively closable to form a closed loop around the one or more article and the raised portion.

24. A method of fastening an article to a rigid support, comprising gripping a fastening according to any one of claims 1 to 21 via the tab portion, positioning the mount in place against the rigid support and driving a fastener through the first surface whilst holding the tab, then flexing the tab portion to either remove it from the mount after installation or to position the tab against the rigid support as a further surface for receipt of a further fastener.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows

30 08 19

Claims:

5 a first surface arranged to receive a fastener therethrough in use;

a raised portion depending from the first surface, the raised portion comprising a further surface against which one or more article to be fastened can be located and an aperture through which a tie member can pass to tie the one or more article to the raised portion; and,

10 a tab portion arranged to provide a grip during installation of the metal mount, the tab being frangible from the mount so as to be selectively removable from the mount once installed, wherein the tab is attached to the remainder of the mount by a weakened interface.

15 2. A fastening according to claim 1, wherein the mount comprises the first surface, raised portion and tab portion is provided as a single, unitary member of sheet metal having a three-dimensional profile.

3. A fastening according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tab portion is obliquely 20 angled relative to the first surface.

5. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the weakened interface comprises a line of weakness.

30 6. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the weakened interface extends laterally with respect to a longitudinal axis of the mount.

7. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the interface is provided at a corner between the tab portion and the raised portion.

8. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the raised portion comprises an upstanding wall depending from the first surface.

9. A fastening according to claim 8, wherein the aperture is provided in the upstanding wall.

10. A fastening according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the raised portion comprise first and second upstanding walls spaced by an intermediate surface.

11. A fastening according to claim 10, wherein the intermediate surface is convex in form.

12. A fastening according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the first and/or second wall is obliquely angled relative to the first surface.

13. A fastening according to claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein the aperture is provided in the first wall and a further aperture is provided in the second wall, the aperture and further aperture being laterally aligned with respect to a longitudinal axis of the mount.

14. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the raised portion comprises on or more strengthening rib extending in a longitudinal direction over the raised portion.

15. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the first surface comprises a wall thickness arranged to be punctured by the fastener.

16. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the first surface comprises alignment indicia for indicating an area in which to apply a fastener.

17. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the first surface comprises an opening, which may receive a fastener in use.

18. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the tab portion comprises a grip formation.

19. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the tab portion is connected to the raised portion at a corner arranged to permit pivoting or flexing of the tab in an angular direction about said corner.

20. A fastening according to any preceding claim, wherein the tab portion is selectively retainable on the mount to provide a further surface through which a fastener may be applied in use.

21. A fastening system comprising a fastening according to any preceding claim, a tie arranged to be inserted through the aperture, and a fastener arranged to be inserted through the first surface.

22. A fastening system according to claim 21, wherein the tie is arranged to pass through the aperture and beneath the raised portion and is selectively closable to form a closed loop around the one or more article and the raised portion.