WO2004054892A1

WO2004054892A1 - Strap

Info

Publication number: WO2004054892A1
Application number: PCT/DK2003/000890
Authority: WO
Inventors: Regitze Worre
Original assignee: Regitze Worre
Priority date: 2002-12-17
Filing date: 2003-12-17
Publication date: 2004-07-01
Also published as: EP1590258A1; AU2003287908A1

Abstract

Strap (2) for bundling a strapping item (4), e.g. bundles of cables, hose connectors, pipes, and other items, where the strap is designed so that it is wound at least twice around the strapping item (4), having the common feature that all forces in connection with the tightening are absorbed in a relatively small area around the strapping head (6), providing a limitation to the force with which such a strap can be tightened. There is indicated a strap (2), the sides (10, 12) of which including mutually interacting toothings (26, 28), and where the strap includes a crossing aperture (16) in a broader section (14) in the extension of which is found a strapping head (6), including an aperture (92) communicating with an open groove (94) at the underside (96) of he strapping head, the groove running between the aperture (92) in the strapping head (6) and the crossing aperture (16). The mutually interacting toothings are hereby guided into mutual engagement, and the force from tensioning the strap is distributed over a large part of the strap which hereby may be tightened with greater force.

Description

STRAP

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a strap for strapping a strapping item, e.g. bundles of cable, hose connectors, pipes, and other items, of the kind which at one end is formed with a strapping head for receiving the opposite, free end part of the strap that includes a first and a second opposite broad side face, and where it is designed so that it is wound twice (or more) around the strapping item, as the strap is divided into a first and a second section in longitudinal direction, where the first section, which is a relatively wide section, includes the strapping head and a crossing aperture at its first end, whereas the second section is a relatively narrow, free end part with a width corresponding to or being slightly less than the width of the crossing aperture, and where the opposite broad side faces of the strap between its facing sides of the crossing aperture and close to a tapering end area of the free end part and the end including the strapping head, respectively, include a mutually interacting toothing for locking the strap at at least over its length through the strapping head.

From US patent no. 2 935 773 is known such a strapping head of the kind indicated, with a closed, channel-shaped strapping head which at its opposite sides has a toothing that interact for locking the strap when strapping an item.

From US patent no. 5 911 367 is furthermore known a strap with a closed, channel- shaped strapping head, where one sidewall of the strapping head includes a toothing interacting with a toothing at one side of the strap for locking the strap when strapping an item. The said strapping head also includes a crossing aperture close to the strap- ping head which enables winding the strap several times.

From US 3 747 164 is further known a strap with interacting toothing on its opposite sides, also including a closed, channel-shaped strapping head, the opposite sides of which facing the said toothed sides of the strap with the toothings of it for locking the strap when strapping an item.

Common to all straps mentioned in the three publications is that they are locked around a strapping item by a locking head with a channel in whicl strap is inserted for locking the strap around a strapping item, and to which all forces in connection with the tightening of the strap are transmitted. This condition sets certain limits to the force by which it is possible to perform tightening of such a strap, as the moment of resistance in the area between the strapping head and the strap will be a limiting factor. If an increase in the tightening force is desired, an increase in the moment of resistance can be attained by making the cross-sectional area at the transition between the clamping head and the strap itself greater, but conversely there will also be some limitations to how much this area can be increased by increasing the width or the thickness, respectively, of the strap. However, by the mentioned known straps, the tightening force around a strapping item will not always be completely the same, as the tightening of the strap will cause a not insubstantial factional force between the facing sides of the parts of the strap extending upon each other.

From US 3 111 496 is known a belt, the first end part of which, being about a buckle with an aperture divided with a cross pin, includes a toothing that interact with a toothing on the other free end part of the belt. Thanks to the interacting toothings, the belt has variable length and functions in the way that a part of the end part close to the buckle is passed around the cross pin, after which the free end is passed in under the first side limitation of the buckle and over the cross pin now covered by the first end part, and further under the second side limitation under the buckle, where the toothing on the part of the second free end part passed under the second side limitation of the buckle is held engaged with the toothing on the first end part of the belt. Designing a strap according to this principle will not be suitable as the laying double of the first end part around the pin of the buckle will create distance between the strapped item and the strap which will not be suitable, as the said distance implies that a uniform tightening force is not provided around the periphery of a strapping item.

It is the purpose of the invention to indicate a strap of the kind indicated in the intro- duction which ensures a uniform distribution of the tightening force around the periphery of a strapping item, and where the strapping head does not absorb forces oriented in the longitudinal axis of the strap in connection with locking and tightening the strap. This purpose is achieved with a strap of the kind indicated in the L characterised in that the strapping head is constituted by an extension of the first section of the free end part of the strap, the extension including a slotted aperture for receiving the free end part of the strap that is wound around the strapping item and passed through the crossing aperture, which aperture communicates with an open groove oriented in the longitudinal axis at the underside of the strapping head, the groove running between the side edge of the aperture facing the crossing aperture in the strapping head and the side edge of the crossing aperture facing the said aperture, the groove at the underside of the of the strapping head having a width at least corre- sponding to the second section of the free end part, as it appears from claim 1.

It is presupposed, as specified in the preamble of claim 1, that the strap is wound more than once around the strapping item, i.e. the free end part is passed through the crossing aperture before it is passed in through the aperture in the strapping head, after which the strap is tightened by pulling the free end part.

The advantage of the strap according to the invention is that tightening the strap around a strapping item will imply that the mutually interacting toothings on the opposite, broad side faces of the strap will engage each other, so that the strap during tight- ening will be concurrently self-locking each time the strap is tightened a length corresponding to the distance between to successive ridges on respective side faces of toothings situated on the strap. A further advantage will consist in that forces in connection with tightening the strap around the strapping item is not absorbed in the strapping head, since the part of the free end part extending through it is nowhere an- chored in the strapping head but is only passed through it and guided in the groove running between the aperture in the strapping head and the crossing aperture. Hereby, only axial forces will influence the strap at the tightening of it, and hereby there is achieved possibility of using a considerably greater tightening tension in connection with tightening the strap than by prior art straps, where the strapping head absorbs the large part or practically all of the tensile forces coming from tightening the strap, since the anchoring points in the strapping head are spaced apart from the periphery of the strapping item, which will cause twisting of the strap at the transition between the strapping head and the free end part of it. Furthermore, it is ensured that the different windings of the strapping items remain disposed in engagement by the groove at the underside of the strapping head having a width at least corresponding the second section of the free end part. The free end part is hereby controlled in lateral direction over its course through the aperture in the strapping head so that it is hereby ensured that the part of the toothing projecting below the plane of the second broad side face is received in hollows interacting therewith and provided by the lowest points in the toothing on the first broad side face of the strap.

As already mentioned, tightening of the strap is effected by a pure axial pull in the free end of the strap after this has been passed through the channel oriented in the axial length of the strap standing up from the first side face of the strap including toothing as specified above. When utilising the crossing aperture, the strap may, of course, be wound until several times around the strapping item before insertion in the strapping head itself.

Furthermore, it is noted that removing the strap after tightening will be impossible without destroying it, e.g. by cutting/shearing, as the toothing of the strapping head cannot yield to provide the required distance between the ridges of the toothing on the channel wall in continuation of the first broad side face of the strap and the ridges of the toothing on the second broad side face of the strap in order that the ridges of the toothings will go clear of each other. As a consequence of the special design of the strapping head, it will furthermore be so that the greater axial tightening force with which the strap is actuated, the greater will be the force pressing the interacting, toothed surfaces together. Thus it will be only the axial tensile force of the strap which is decisive for how great a tensile force the strap can be tightened with.

With the purpose of ensuring good contact between the interacting toothings on the second broad side face and the first broad side face, respectively, of the free end part of the strap, the strapping head can include a reinforcement that includes a first tab standing up over the first broad side part of the strap and oriented transversely on the side of the crossing aperture facing the strapping head, from which tab interspaced tabs oriented in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the strap and evenly decreasing towards the free end of the strapping head, the facing sides of which tabs are running in parallel over a distance with opposite sides of the slotted aperl head. Hereby is achieved good retaining ability of the sides of the toothings on the first and the second broad side face of the free end part of the strap. However, it will primarily be the initial part of the tensioning to which the said retaining ability will be important, cf. the previous paragraph.

The first tab standing up across the first broad side face of the strap and oriented transversely of the longitudinal axis of the strap is furthermore serving another purpose, namely as retainer in connection with tightening the strap with tightening pliers, the stationary member of which is brought in contact with the retainer during the tightening, and with the drawing member of the tightening pliers engaging the free end part of the strap passed through the aperture in the strapping head. Hereby are achieved very efficiently functioning tightemng measures for the strap according to the invention.

With the purpose of ensuring that the toothed surfaces remain in engagement with/in position above each other, the toothings on the first broad side face and the second broad side face may be arranged so that the extension of the toothing on the first broad side face is less than the width of the strap and is running between lateral limitations along the narrow sides of the strap, and so that the highest points of the toothing are at level with or below a plane that does not exceed a plane running between the lateral limitations, and where the second broad side face of the strap includes a toothing, the highest points of which projecting outside the plane of the second broad side face, as appears from claim 3.

Hereby is achieved that the toothing on the second broad side face may only be pushed out of position with difficulty when this is only engaging the toothing in the first broad side face.

With the intention of achieving a suitable guiding of the free end part of the strap according to the invention, the first section including the strapping head and the crossing aperture are having a length curving in longitudinal direction of the strap and towards the second side face, as indicated in claim 4. Hereby, the toothing on the second broad side face is naturally gu of the strap passed through aperture in the strapping head and in the open groove at the underside of the strapping head against the toothing in the first broad side face of the strap.

With the purpose of achieving a suitable and even distribution of the tightening force concerning getting the strap around the strapping item, it can be mentioned that the length of the crossing aperture should have a length corresponding to at least four times the thickness of the narrower second section of the strap, as indicated in claim 5. Hereby is achieved a good and even transition between the individual windings around the strapping item.

In connection with using the strap according to the invention, for aesthetical reasons it will often be necessary to have a certain equidistance between the used straps, or the case may be a strap which is to be disposed even very accurately around a strapping item in order to achieve an intended effect, and where on the outermost surface of the strapping item there is provided a marking accurately indicating where the strap is to be placed. For this purpose, at a length between the crossing aperture and the end including the strapping head, the strap has at least one through-going slot oriented in longitudinal direction of the strap, the length of which preferably being less than the length between the side of the crossing aperture facing the strapping head and the strapping head itself, as indicated in claim 6. Hereby, it will be easier for the users of the strap to mount it from a marking on the strapping item indicating the optimal position of the strap.

With the purpose of counteracting notch effect by the large forces to which the strap of the indicated kind is subjected in connection with the tightening, the crossing aperture may advantageously be made with rounded corners as indicated in claim 7.

With the object of facilitating disposition of the strap in connection with securing a strapping item with the strap more than once, the first and second lateral limitation, respectively, on the first broad side face of the strap presents walls oriented against the toothing and sloping away from the centre plane of the strap over the length between the highest points of the toothing and lowest points of it, as indicat hereby be achieved that the downwards projecting part of the toothing on the second broad side interacting with the toothing on the first broad side will be secured in lateral direction when the strap is wound more than once around the strapping item, which will facilitate the work with mounting the strap.

By further designing the strap so that the walls oriented against the toothing on the first broad side face and the outer sides of the toothing on the second broad side face of the strap are sloping with the same inclination, as indicated in claim 9, the effect is further enhanced, by the sloping sides having the same inclination, as indicated in claim 10, a perfect retention of the windings laid around a strapping item is attained.

It is furthermore preferred, that the width of the highest points of the toothing on the second broad side face substantially corresponds to the width of the toothing in the lowest points on the first broad side face, as indicated in claim 11. A well-defined and efficient retention of the side faces disposed opposite to each other and the toothings or which are engaging each other so that the side faces cannot be relatively displaced laterally is hereby achieved.

With the intention of performing an initial tightening of the strap according to the invention without using tools, the tapered end part in continuation of the second wide side face of the strap can include a number of outstanding gripping projections, as indicated in claim 12.

It is to be mentioned that the strap according to the invention may be tightened with even very great tensioning force, and the strap may thus be regarded as being fully capable of substituting the already known straps of metal provided with worm tightening mechanism. However, it is presupposed that in connection with tightening the strap according to the invention, a tool in possibly a pair of pliers or the like are used which are capable of exerting the axial tightening force needed.

Description of the Drawing

The invention is explained more in the following with reference to the drawing, where:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a strap according to the invention as seen obliquely from the front, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the strap according to the invention,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the free end part of the strap, seen from below, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the free end part of the strap according to the invention as seen obliquely from above, Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the strap according to the invention along the line A-A in Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the strap shown in Fig. 1, sectioned in longitudinal direction, Fig. 7 is a side view of the strap according to the invention, ready for tightening, and Fig. 8 the embodiment of the strap according to the invention shown in Fig. 1 and applied secured around a bundling item.

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a strap 2 according to the invention. The strap includes a first, broader section 14, which includes a strapping head 6 and a crossing aperture 16 at one end, and a second, narrower section 18, the width of which corre- sponding to or being slightly less than the width of the crossing aperture 16. As it further appears from Fig. 3, the free end part of the strap includes a tapered end area 22 for inserting through the aperture 92 in the strapping head 6.

The second, narrower section 18 of the strap includes, cf. Figs. 2 - 4, a first side face 10 and a second side face 12, where the first side face 10 of the strap is provided with a toothing 26, the highest points 40 of which are disposed at level in the plane 42 between a first side limitation 32 and a second side limitation 34 of the toothing (cf. Fig. 5). The toothing 26 will thus come to lie in a kind of hollow. The second side face of the strap 12 includes a toothing 28 interacting with the toothing 26 on the first side face 10. The toothing 28 is projecting from the plane 44 of the second side face 12 between the first narrow side 36 and the second narrow side 38 of the strap 2. The toothing 28 is made so that it corresponds to and interacts with the toothing 26 on the broad side face 10 of the strap. In Fig. 5, which is a sectional view along the line A- A in Fig. 4, is of the second, narrower section 18 of the strap 2 is made, including the symmetric arrangement of the toothing 26 at the top side of the strap which is countersunk relative to the side limitations 32, 34, and how the toothing 28 at the underside 12 of the strap projects outside the side face of the strap to an extent corresponding to the distance between a ridge 40 and a low point 41 of the toothing 26 on the first broad side face of the strap 2.

As it further appears from Fig. 5, the strap 2 may in a particular embodiment be de- signed so that the first and second side limitation 32, 34, respectively, on the first broad side face 10 of the strap 2 present walls 62, 64 oriented against the toothing 26 and sloping away from the centre plane 60 of the strap across the length between the highest points 40 of the toothing 26 and the lowest points 41 of it. Furthermore, the outer sides 66, 68 of the toothing on the second, broad side face 12 may be designed so that these are sloping away from the centre plane 60 of the strap. These conditions imply that the mutually interacting toothings 26, 28 will be guided towards each other at the tightening of the strap so that a transverse force on the part of the strap 2 located outermost, when the latter is wound around a strapping item 4, will not be pushed out of mutual engagement.

Of course, it will be suitable that the walls 62, 64 oriented against the toothing 26 on the first broad side face 10 and the outer sides 66, 68 of the toothing 28 on the second, broad side face 12 of the strap 2 are sloping with the same inclination, as well as it will be preferred that the width of the highest points 70 on the toothing 28 on the sec- ond, broad side face 12 substantially corresponds to the width of the toothing 26 in the lowest points 41 on the first broad side face 10. Hereby is achieved an optimal, mutual contact surface between the toothings 26, 28 on the strap sides 10, 12.

As shown in Fig. 3, the free end part of the strap 8 includes a tapered end area 22 on which is provided gripping projections 72 for aiding the first manual passing through and tightening of the strap in the strapping head 6. Fig. 4 shows the tapered end part 22 in perspective view compared with the first, broad side face of the strap. The first section 14 of the strap shown in Fig. 1 includes a crossir continuation of this a strapping head 6 which is constituted by an extension 90 of the said first section 14, which extension includes a slotted aperture 92 for receiving the free end part 8 of the strap 2 wound around a strapping item 4 and passed through the crossing aperture 16. The aperture 92 communicates with an open groove 94 oriented in the longitudinal axis 101 of the strap at the underside 96 of the strapping head 6, the groove 94 extending between the side edge of the aperture 92 in the strapping head 6 facing the crossing aperture 16 and the side edge of the crossing aperture 16 facing the aperture 92.

From Fig. 1, and better, from Fig. 6, it also appears that the crossing aperture 16 appears as an elongated opening with rounded corners. The rounded corners 58 are established with the purpose of counteracting the notch effect in connection with tightening the strap and with tightening ability.

In Figs. 2 and 6, which are a side view and a side sectional view, respectively, of an embodiment of the strap according to the invention, cf. Fig. 1, the interacting toothings 28 of the second, broad side face 12 of the strap and the toothing 26 on the first, broad side face 10 of the strap. These toothings are intended for locking the strap 2 when the free end part 8 of the strap 2 inserted through the crossing aperture 16 is subsequently passed in from the fore end 100 of the strapping head 6, through the aperture 92 and is inserted in the open groove 94 at the underside of the extension 90 of the strapping head 6, as shown in Fig. 7, showing an embodiment of the strap where this is ready for being tightened around a strapping item. Hereby, the toothings 26, 28 will be brought into mutual engagement, guided by the groove 94, since the groove wall will press on the facing sides 10, 12 of the strap and thereby the interacting toothings 26, 28. Tightening of the strap 2 by pulling the free end part 8, typically by means of tightening pliers, will imply that the said toothings 26, 28 will be brought into mutual arresting along the entire periphery around the strapping item 4, as indicated in Fig. 8, which shows a cross-sectional view of a tubular item 4 (strapping item) around which is disposed e.g. a hose 5 that is desired secured upon the tubular item 4 by means of the strap 2 according to the invention. As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the strapping head 6 further includes including first tab 90 standing up over the first broad side part 10 of the strap and oriented transversely on the side of the crossing aperture 16 facing the strapping head 6. From the tab 90 interspaced tabs 102, 104 oriented in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the strap and evenly decreasing towards the free end 100 of the strapping head, the facing sides 106, 108 of which tabs are running in parallel over a distance with opposite sides of the slotted aperture 92 in the strapping head 6. The reinforcement 98 serves to guide and maintain the stability of the tightening head 6.

As it furthermore and most clearly appear from Fig. 1, the section 14 of the strap 2 including the strapping head 6 and the crossing aperture 16 has a length curving in longitudinal direction of the strap and towards the second side face 12, serving to press the toothings 26, 28 against each other during the initial tightening of the strap 2, so that the strap is held in position until it is tightened.

Furthermore, in most cases the strap is presupposed made in plastic which can be expected to show a certain degree of yieldability without substantially reducing the strength properties of the strap. This will furthermore not be strictly needed for achieving an even very large tightening force by the strap according to the invention that the vertical side faces 82, 84 of the toothings 26, 28 on the first and the second broad side face 10, 12, respectively, are to be entirely in contact with each other.

Finally, it is to be remarked that combinations of the above mentioned embodiments of the strap according to the invention will of course be possible, but does not alter the inventive aspect consisting in providing a strap of the above indicated kind with mutually interacting toothings that by using the strap serve to make it self-locking. List of reference numbers:

2 strap

4 strapping item 6 strapping head

8 free end part (16) of strap (2)

10 first side face of the strap (2)

12 second side face of the strap (2)

14 first broad section which at one end includes the strapping head (4) and a crossing aperture (16)

16 crossing aperture

18 second section narrower section the width of which corresponding to or being slightly less than the width of the crossing aperture (16)

20 first facing side of the crossing aperture (16) of the strap 22 tapering end area of the free end part (8)

24 second facing side of the crossing aperture (16) of the strap

26 toothing on the first broad side face (10) of the strap (2)

28 toothing on second broad side face (12) of the strap (2)

30 extension of strapping head 32 first lateral limitation of toothing

34 second lateral limitation of toothing

36 first narrow side of strap

38 second narrow side of strap

40 highest points of the toothing (26) 41 lowest point of the toothing (26)

42 plane between the first and second lateral limitation of the toothing

44 plane of the second broad side face (12) of the strap (2)

46 channel in strapping head (6)

48 extension of lateral limitation (32) 50 extension of lateral limitation (34)

52 connection between lateral limitations (48, 50)

54 side of (52) facing the first wall of the strapping head (30)

56 projection (52) facing the first broad side face (10) of the strap (2) rounded corners of crossing aperture (16) centre plane of strap inclining wall in toothing (26) against lateral limitation (34) inclining wall in toothing (26) against lateral limitation (32) inclining outer side of toothing (28) inclining outer side of toothing (28) highest points of toothing (28) on the second broad side face (12) of the strap (2) gripping projections on tapering end (22) of strap flat stem in the channel (46) mouth of the channel

slot between crossing aperture and strapping head vertical sides of toothing (26) vertical sides of toothing (28) locking boss toothing at end of locking boss (86) covering upon the strapping item (4) to be secured by the strap (2) slotted aperture in (30) open groove at underside of strapping item underside of strapping head (6) upper side of strapping head (6) reinforcement at upper side (99) of strapping head (6) tab oriented transversely of the longitudinal axis of the strap free end of strapping head (6) longitudinal axis of strapping head tab oriented in parallel with the strap and against the free end (100) tab oriented in parallel with the strap and against the free end (100) facing side of tab (102) facing side of tab (104)

Claims

1. Strap (2) for strapping a strapping item (4), e.g. bundles of cable, hose connectors, pipes, and other items, of the kind which at one end is formed with a (strapping) head (6) for receiving the opposite, free end part (8) of the strap (2) that includes a first and a second opposite broad side face (10,12), and where it is designed so that it is wound twice (or more) around the strapping item (4), as the strap (2) is divided into a first and a second section (14, 18) in longitudinal direction, where the first section (14), which is a relatively wide section (14), includes the (strapping) head (6) and a crossing aper- ture (16) at its first end, whereas the second section (18) is a relatively narrow, free end part with a width corresponding to or being slightly less than the width of the crossing aperture (16), and where the opposite broad side faces (10,12) of the strap (2) between its facing sides (20, 24) of the crossing aperture (16) and close to a tapering end area (22) of the free end part (16) and the end including the strapping head (6), respectively, include a mutually interacting toothing (26,28) for locking the strap (2) at at least over its length through the strapping head (6), characterised in that the strapping head (6) is constituted by an extension (90) of the first section (14) of the free end part (8) of the strap, the extension including a slotted aperture (92) for receiving the free end part (8) of the strap that is wound around the strapping item (4) and passed through the crossing aperture (16), which aperture (92) communicates with an open groove (94) oriented in the longitudinal axis at the underside (96) of the strapping head, the groove (94) ru ing between the side edge of the aperture (92) facing the crossing aperture in the strapping head (6) and the side edge of the crossing aperture (16) facing the said aperture (92), the groove (94) at the underside (96) of the of the strapping head having a width at least corresponding to the second section (18) of the

2. Strap according to claim 1, characterised in that the strapping head (6) includes a reinforcement (98) that includes a first tab (90) standing up over the first broad side part (10) of the strap and oriented transversely on the side of the crossing aperture (16) facing the strapping head (6), from which tab (90) interspaced tabs (102, 104) oriented in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the strap and evenly decreasing towards the free end (100) of the strapping head, the facing sides (106, 108) o: ning in parallel over a distance with opposite sides of the slotted aperture (92) in the strapping head (6).

3. Strap according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the extension of the toothing

(26) on the first broad side face (10) is less than the width of the strap (2) and is running between lateral limitations (32, 34) along the narrow sides (36, 38) of the strap, and so that the highest points (40) of the toothing (26) are at level with or below a plane that does not exceed a plane (42) running between the lateral limitations (32, 34), and where the second broad side face (12) of the strap (2) includes a toothing

(28), the highest points (43) of which projecting outside the plane (44) of the second broad side face (12).

4. Strap according to any of claims 1 - 3, characterised in that the first section (14) including the strapping head (6) and the crossing aperture (16) are having a length curving in longitudinal direction of the strap and towards the second side face (12).

5. Strap according to any of claims 1 - 4, characterised in that crossing aperture (16) has a length corresponding to at least four times the thickness of the narrower second section (18) of the strap (2).

6. Strap according to any of claims 1 - 5, characterised in that at a length between the crossing aperture (16) and the end (14) including the strapping head (6), the strap has at least one through-going slot oriented in longitudinal direction of the strap, the length of which preferably being less than the length between the side (24) of the crossing aperture (16) facing the strapping head (6) and the strapping head (6) itself.

7. Strap according to any of claims 1 - 6, characterised in that the crossing aperture (16) has rounded corners (58).

8. Strap according to any of claims 1 - 7, characterised in that the first and second lateral limitation (32, 34), respectively, on the first broad side face (10) of the strap (2) presents walls (62, 64) oriented against the toothing (26) and sloping away from the centre plane (60) of the strap over the length between the highe: toothing (26) and lowest points (41) of it.

9. Strap according to any of claims 1 - 8, characterised in that the outer sides (66, 68) of the toothing (28) on the second broad side face (12) is sloping away from the centre plane (60) of the strap.

10. Strap according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the walls (62, 64) oriented against the toothing (26) on the first broad side face (10) and the outer sides (66, 68) of the toothing (28) on the second broad side face (12) of the strap (2) are sloping with the same inclination.

11. Strap according to any of claims 1 - 10, characterised in that the width of the highest points (70) of the toothing (28) on the second broad side face (12) substan- tially corresponds to the width of the toothing (26) in tlie lowest points (41) on the first broad side face (10).

12. Strap according to any of claims 1 - 11, characterised in that the tapered end part (22) in continuation of the second wide side face (12) of the strap (2) includes a num- ber of outstanding gripping proj ections (72) .