1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a binding device, and more particularly to an adjustable and detachable binding device for binding up an object, wherein the binding device is adapted to not only selectively adjust a loop size to fit the diameter of the object but also detach from the object while the binding device can be reused to bind up the object due to the change of the diameter of the object.
2. Description of Related Arts
Traditionally, people used strings, ropes and zip locks as binding fasteners in industrial and routine duty practice. Recently, disposable plastic fasteners have been widely used. Compared with traditional fastening means, like rope, plastic fasteners have a variety of distinctive advantages such as convenience, lower costs, simplicity, free of corrosion, water proof, strength, and so on. As a result, plastic fasteners have replaced traditional fastening means in more and more applications.
Just as its name applies, fasteners are adapted for tying up or binding different objects tightly in position. Fasteners could be bent or deformed to define a loop boundary wherein objects were bind within. Those traditional binding devices including plastic fasteners are all shown satisfied performance according to this aspect. However, in many occasions, users not only need fastener to provide tight binding function, but also request fastener to be adjustable and detachable.
For instance, the most notorious binding device application is of gardening practice, especially in vineyard or orchard. To seek richer productivity, young growth plants would be bound with wood frames or standing rods to keep corrected extending direction. Meanwhile, some fruitful trees, which occupy large area, need to be bound for gust resistance. Therefore, gardeners should tie those plants with wood frames or rods by ropes or whatever binding means. Unfortunately, the diameters of plants, especially of those seedlings or young growth trees, changed from year to year. If the ropes or fasteners were too tight, the nutrition passage of plants would be restricted thus causing plants wither and yellow, even to the extent death. Therefore, gardeners have to adjust the fasteners' loop diameters from season to season. Here, it could be seen that traditional fastening devices have huge drawbacks.
If ropes or strings were fastened in detachable knots, the tight tension could not be guaranteed. Instead, if the dead knots were applied, gardeners would have to cut the ropes or strings to break the knots first, and then bind the plants again with new ropes. This procedure is time consuming and raw materials wasting. What is more, if the strings were made of metal materials, breaking process would be rather frustrating. On the other hand, the gardeners would have to carry plenty of new fastening devices to replace the old ones. It is hard to imagine that one gardener would bind all plants in an orchard of more than thousands of peach trees.
Another example, people sometimes would have to deal with bundles of different wires like cables, telephone lines, ordinary electrical lines, etc. To achieve a neat looking appearance, binding those cables with fasteners would be a good idea. However, if a user wishes to adjust the fastener, he or she may merely cut the fastener. The nonadjustable fastening devices do cause a lot of inconvenience.
Plastic fasteners are proven having adjustable function in comparison with traditional fastening means like rope. Nevertheless, it could be adjusted in unidirectional way instead of double direction. This is due to the fact plastic fastener for binding purpose is strip shaped and has an elongated body wherein a plurality of closely spaced zigzag teeth were formed on the down portion of its elongated body, while its top portion was formed with corresponding locking arrangement. In practice, users could bend the strip to form a loop structure, and insert the teeth end of elongated body into the slot of locking end until the zigzag teeth fully engaged with the lock thus fastening objects inside the loop. Here, the problem is that once the teeth were engaged with the lock, it could not be adjustable reversely. In other word, this kind of plastic fastener is only for tightening not for loosing up.
Therefore, adding an additional cable with the bound cables or removing one of the bound cables would eventually change the diameters of the loop. Users might merely cut the fastener, or else, have to use an additional fastener.
In brief, detaching and adjusting fasteners have been a perplexing problem for our lives. A kind of fasteners comprising detachable and adjustable function is highly desirable.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds