Retaining means

Claim 2

In combination a backing and fastening means each fastening means comprising a thin, narrow, bendable strap, having a tab at the end thereof, forming a continuation of the plane of the adjacent strap portion and of a width at the juncture with the strap to define therewith a pair of locking shoulders, the tab and strap having an appreciable measure of stiffness to resist buckling under force applied to the edges thereof, substantially in the plane thereof; the backing having a tab-receiving slot therethrough of non-uniform width, at least a portion of said slot diverging from a narrow portion to a wider portion, the wider portion being of a width at least wide enough to accept the tab therethrough with minimum buckling of the tab out of its planar configuration, the arrangement being such that on presentation of the tab to the slot by pushing the strap towards the slot in the direction of the divergence of said slot from said narrow portion to said wider portion with the plane of the tab transverse the width of the slot, the tab on being pushed into the slot by the strap at said narrow portion will first cooperate with the divergent side walls of the slot between said narrow portion and said wider portion to seek the wider slot portion and under further pushing the tab will thereupon resiliently buckle out of its planarconfiguration sufficiently to pass through the slot and thereupon recover to its planar configuration with its shoulders located behind the backing in a minimum locking position, the strap being maintained substantially planer at all times when the tab is inserted into said slot, the strap on being pulled in the reverse direction will return the tab in the direction of the converging sides of said slot from said wider portion to the said narrower portion, to locate the locking shoulders of the tab behind the backing in a maximum locking position to prevent tab removal therefrom until sufficient force is exerted to buckle the tab out of its planar configuration to a degree substantially greater than the buckling required for insertion of the tab through the slot.

Claim 3

The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strap is carried by said bucking and is adapted to register with said slot.

Claim 4

The combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein said tab is tapered from a broadest portion adjacent said locking shoulders, to a narrow forwardmost portion and said slot is tapered from a widest portion to a narrow portion nearer the peripheral edge of said backing at which the strap is adapted to extend.

Claim 5

The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein the width of said broadest portion of said tab is about 5% greater than the width of the wider portion of said slot.

Claim 6

The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said backing and fastening means comprises a plastics material.

Claim 7

The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein the shape of said slot is selected from the group of an arrowhead, semi-circle or semi-ellipse and the peripheral configuration of said tab is selected from the group of an arrowhead, semi-ellipse or semi-circle.

Claim 8

In combination a backing and fastening mEans, each fastening means comprising a thin, narrow, bendable strap, having a tab at the end thereof, forming a continuation of the plane of the adjacent strap portion and of a width at the juncture with the strap to define therewith a pair of locking shoulders, the tab and strap having an appreciable measure of stiffness to resist buckling under force applied to the edges thereof, substantially in the plane thereof; the backing having a cut therethrough defining a flap coincident with, and covering, a tab receiving slot of non-uniform width, at least a portion of said slot and said flap diverging from a narrow portion to a wider portion, the wider portion being of a width at least wide enough to accept the tap therethrough with minimum buckling of the tab out of its planar configuration, the arrangement being such that on presentation of the tab by pushing the strap towards the slot beneath the flap in the direction of the divergence of said flap and slot from said narrow portion to said wider portion, with the plane of the tab transverse the width of the slot, the tab on being pushed beneath the flap into the slot by the strap at said narrow portion, will first cooperate with the undersurface of the flap and the divergent side walls of the slot between said narrow portion and said wider portion, to seek a wider slot portion and under further pushing the tab will thereupon resiliently buckle out of its planar configuration sufficiently to pass through the slot and thereupon recover to its planar configuration with its shoulders located behind the backing in a minimum locking position, the strap being maintained substantially planar at all times when the tab is inserted into said slot, the strap on being pulled in the reverse direction will return the tab, deflected by the flap, in the direction of the converging sides of said slot from said wider portion to said narrow portion to locate the locking shoulders behind the backing in a maximum locking position to prevent tab removal therefrom until stufficient force is exerted to buckle the tab out of its planar configuration to a degree substantially greater than the buckling required for insertion of the tab through the slot.

Claim 9

In combination a backing and fastening mEans, each fastening means comprising a thin, narrow, bendable strap, having a tab at the end thereof, forming a continuation of the plane of the adjacent strap portion and of a width at the juncture with the strap to define therewith a pair of locking shoulders, the tab and strap having an appreciable measure of stiffness to resist buckling under force applied to the edges thereof, substantially in the plane thereof; the backing having a cut therethrough defining a flap coincident with, and covering, a tab receiving slot of non-uniform width, at least a portion of said slot and said flap diverging from a narrow portion to a wider portion, the wider portion being of a width at least wide enough to accept the tap therethrough with minimum buckling of the tab out of its planar configuration, the arrangement being such that on presentation of the tab by pushing the strap towards the slot beneath the flap in the direction of the divergence of said flap and slot from said narrow portion to said wider portion, with the plane of the tab transverse the width of the slot, the tab on being pushed beneath the flap into the slot by the strap at said narrow portion, will first cooperate with the undersurface of the flap and the divergent side walls of the slot between said narrow portion and said wider portion, to seek a wider slot portion and under further pushing the tab will thereupon resiliently buckle out of its planar configuration sufficiently to pass through the slot and thereupon recover to its planar configuration with its shoulders located behind the backing in a minimum locking position, the strap being maintained substantially planar at all times when the tab is inserted into said slot, the strap on being pulled in the reverse direction will return the tab, deflected by the flap, in the direction of the converging sides of said slot from said wider portion to said narrow portion to locate the locking shoulders behind the backing in a maximum locking position to prevent tab removal therefrom until stufficient force is exerted to buckle the tab out of its planar configuration to a degree substantially greater than the buckling required for insertion of the tab through the slot.

Claim 10

The combination as claimed in claim 7 wherein said strap is carried by said backing and is adapted to register with said slot.

Claim 11

The combination as claimed in claim 8 wherein said tab is tapered from a broadest portion adjacent said locking shoulders to a narrow forwardmost portion and said slot is tapered from a widest portion to a narrow portion nearer the peripheral edge of said backing at which the strap is adapted to extend.

Claim 12

The combination as claimed in claim 9 wherein the width of said broadest portion is about 5 percent greater than the width of the wider portion of said flap and slot.

Claim 13

The combination as claimed in claim 9 wherein said backing and fastening means comprises a plastics.

Claim 14

The combination as claimed in claim 9 wherein the shape of said slot and flap is selected from the group of an arrowhead, semi-circle or semi-ellipse and the peripheral configuration of said tab is selected from the group of an arrowhead, semi-ellipse or semi-circle.