Adjustable fastening device with attachment eyes

Abstract

A flexible fastening device made of a moldable polymeric material, the device having a fastener clip attached to an elongate strand and a plurality of beads longitudinally spaced along smaller diameter strand sections, each bead being insertable through an aperture in the fastener clip when the strand is looped around a supported object to selectively adjust an area encircled by the fastening device, the fastener clip also having a second, smaller aperture that is releasably engageable with the smaller diameter strand sections between the beads, and a plurality of the beads having an attachment eye, which is an aperture transverse to the strand sections for receiving a nail, screw or other fastener for attachment of the fastening device to a supporting object.

1 . An adjustable, molded polymeric fastening device comprising a fastening member attached to an elongate, flexible fastening section, 
 the fastening section further comprising an elongate strand having a diameter and a plurality of beads spaced apart in fixed relation to the strand, each bead having a diameter greater than the strand diameter and a plurality of the beads each having an attachment eye,    the fastening member comprising an aperture large enough to receive a beads therethrough and a retainer section adjacent to the aperture,    wherein one end of the strand is connected to the fastening member and an opposite free end of the strand and the beads are insertable through the aperture in the fastening member and releasably attachable to the retainer section to form a variable sized loop to releasably confine a supported object inside the loop.    
     
     
         2 . The fastening device of  claim 1  wherein the attachment eye comprises a transverse aperture through the bead.  
     
     
         3 . The fastening device of  claim 1  wherein the retainer section is a smaller opening communicating with the aperture, the smaller opening being large enough to receive the strand but not large enough to permit passage of a bead therethrough.  
     
     
         4 . The fastening device of  claim 3  wherein the smaller opening is more distal than the fastening member aperture to the end of the strand that is connected to the fastening member.  
     
     
         5 . A one-piece elongate, flexible fastening device made of a moldable polymeric material, the fastening device being releasably attachable around at least a portion of a supported object and comprising: 
 a first end having a fastener clip connected to a first strand section;    a second end having a second strand section insertable through the fastener clip; and    a longitudinally extending, flexible fastener section intermediate the first and second strand sections, the flexible fastener section comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced beads separated by additional strand sections;    the beads and strand sections each having a cross-sectional area, with the cross-sectional area of each bead being greater than the cross-sectional area of each strand section;    the fastener clip further comprising an aperture defining a first area proximal to the first strand section and a second area communicating with the first area and distal to the first strand section;    the first area being slightly greater than the cross-sectional area of each bead to permit the passage of each bead therethrough;    the second area being less than the cross-sectional area of each bead but slightly greater than the cross-sectional area of each strand section to prevent the passage of each bead therethrough while permitting lateral insertion of each strand section into the second area;    a plurality of beads each having an attachment eye comprising a bead aperture that is transverse to the longitudinally extending fastener section.    
     
     
         6 . The fastening device of  claim 5  wherein the fastener clip, beads and strand sections are unitarily molded.  
     
     
         7 . A flexible fastening device made of a moldable polymeric material, the device having a fastener clip attached to an elongate strand and a plurality of beads longitudinally spaced along smaller diameter strand sections, each bead being insertable through an aperture in the fastener clip when the strand is looped around a supported object to selectively adjust an area encircled by the fastening device, the fastener clip also having a second, smaller aperture that is releasably engageable with the smaller diameter strand sections between the beads, and a plurality of the beads having an attachment eye comprising an aperture transverse to the strand sections.  
     
     
         8 . The fastening device of  claim 7  wherein the fastener clip, beads and strand sections are unitarily molded.