Cable tie

Abstract

A cable tie may include a belt and a buckle to which a proximal end of the belt is connected. When the belt wrapped around a clamped article is inserted into an insertion hole of the buckle through an inlet end and is then tightened, the belt can be locked to the buckle while the belt is fastened around the clamped article. After the belt is locked to the buckle, an excess portion of the belt drawn from an outlet end of the insertion hole of the buckle is cut off while leaving a remaining portion. The buckle has a protecting portion that is configured to cover both sides of the remaining portion of the belt. The protecting portion is configured to cover all of four corners of a cut surface of the remaining portion of the belt.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cable tie, comprising:
 a belt, and   a buckle to which a proximal end of the belt is connected,   wherein when the belt wrapped around a clamped article is inserted into an insertion hole of the buckle through an inlet end and is then tightened, the belt can be locked to the buckle while the belt is fastened around the clamped article,   wherein after the belt is locked to the buckle, an excess portion of the belt drawn from an outlet end of the insertion hole of the buckle is cut off while leaving a remaining portion, so that the clamped article can be clamped by the cable tie,   wherein the buckle has a protecting portion that is positioned adjacent to the outlet end of the insertion hole and is configured to cover both sides of the remaining portion of the belt,   wherein the remaining portion of the belt has a substantially rectangular cut surface, and   wherein the protecting portion is configured to cover all of four corners of the substantially rectangular cut surface of the remaining portion of the belt.   
     
     
         2 . The cable tie as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the protection portion is tapered from a proximal end connected to the buckle toward a distal end in a width direction of the belt. 
     
     
         3 . The cable tie as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the protection portion has arcuate bulged portions formed in a distal end thereof, and wherein the arcuate bulged portions are configured such that in a pressed condition in which the protecting portion is pressed against a tool head of a specialized tool in order to cut the excess portion of the belt, only top portions thereof enter a slot formed in the tool head. 
     
     
         4 . The cable tie as defined in  claim 3 , wherein a curvature of the arcuate bulged portions is determined such that even when an inclination is produced between an axis line of the protecting portion and a line perpendicular to an opening surface of the slot of the tool head in the pressed condition in which the protecting portion is pressed against the tool head of the specialized tool in order to cut the excess portion of the belt, the arcuate bulged portions do not interfere with a traveling path of a blade of an internal cutter of the specialized tool. 
     
     
         5 . The cable tie as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the protection portion has projected portions formed in a distal end thereof, and wherein the projected portions are configured such that in a condition in which the protecting portion is pressed against a tool head of a specialized tool in order to cut the excess portion of the belt, the projected portions enter a slot formed in the tool head. 
     
     
         6 . The cable tie as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the protection portion has a substantially C-shape in cross section.