Tightening band

Claim 2

A fastening member of the tightening band type comprising an elongated tape having opposed first and second end portions and a generally uniform transverse cross-sectional area between said end portions except at said first end portion whereby said tape has substantially the same strength to resist stress all along its length, said first and second end portions including free ends and having complementary cooperating attachment means formed thereon inwardly of said free ends for holding said end portions together in any of a plurality of relative positions, said first and second end portions each also including prehension means for cooperating with a tightening tool to enable said first and second end portions to be moved with respect to each other in adjacent relation thereby to engage said cooperating attachment means in a desired relative position, said first end portion of the tape having at least one zone of smaller cross-sectional area than the remainder of the tape defining a zone of least resistance whose strength to resist stress is less than that of the remainder of the tape and being located between the attachment means and the prehension means of said first end portion of the tape.

Claim 3

A fastening member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the zone of smaller smaller cross-sectional area comprises a hole made in the tape.

Claim 4

A fastening member as claimed in claim 1 wherein the zone of smaller cross-sectional area comprises at least one notch formed on one of the side edges of said first end portion of the tape.

Claim 5

A fastening member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the zone of smaller cross-sectional area comprises a section of said tape in said first end portion having reduced thickness over at least a part of the width of the tape.

Claim 6

A fastening member as claimed in claim 1, wherein said zone of smaller cross-sectional area comprises two successive spaced sections of smaller cross-sectional area in said first end portion of the tape with the section which is further away from the free end of the first end portion of the tape having a cross-sectional area which is greater than the cross-sectional area of the section which is closer to said free end but less than the cross-sectional area of the remainder of the tape.

Claim 7

A fastening member of the tightening band type comprising an elongated tape having opposed first and second end portions and a substantially uniform width and thickness along its entire length except at a predetermined zone in said first end portion whereby said tape has substantially the same strength to resist stress all along its length except at said zone, said first and second end portions including free ends and having complementary cooperating attachment means formed thereon inwardly of said free ends for holding said end portions together in any of a plurality of relative positions, said first and second end portions each also including prehension means for cooperating with a tightening tool to enable said first and second end portions to be moved with respect to each other in adjacent relation thereby to engage said cooperating attachment means in a desired relative position, said first end portion of the tape at said zone being smaller in at least one of its width and thickness dimensions than the remainder of the tape to define a zone of least resistance whose strength to resist stress is less than that of the remainder of the tape, said zone being located between the attachment means and the prehension means of said first end portion of the tape.

Claim 8

A fastening member of the tightening band type comprising an elongated tape having opposed first and second end portions and a substantially uniform width and thickness along its entire length except at a predetermined zone in said first end portion whereby said tape has substantially the same strength to resist stress all along its length except at said zone, said first and second end portions including free ends and having complementary cooperating attachment means formed thereon inwardly of said free ends for holding said end portions together in any of a plurality of relative positions, said first and second end portions each also including prehension means for cooperating with a tightening tool to enable said first and second end portions to be moved with respect to each other in adjacent relation thereby to engage said cooperating attachment means in a desired relative position, said first end portion of the tape at said zone being smaller in at least one of its width and thickness dimensions than the remainder of the tape to define a zone of least resistance whose strength to resist stress is less than that of the remainder of the tape, said zone being located between the attachment means and the prehension means of said first end portion of the tape.