Importance

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Abstract

In an injection molded cable tie that includes an elongated strap with an adjacent locking head at one end of the strap, a tip at the opposite end of the strap and ratchet teeth on one side of the strap, wherein the locking head defines an opening for allowing the tip end of the strap to be pulled through said opening and includes a pawl having teeth for engaging the ratchet teeth to lock the strap in the locking head after the tip end of the strap has been pulled through said opening, the pawl is thick enough so that when the strap is under normal tension in a locked position the pawl will not bend to such an extent that the pawl teeth lose engagement with the ratchet teeth and enable the strap to be at least partially released from its locked position, one side of the pawl includes the pawl teeth and the same side and/or the opposite side of the pawl includes at least one hollow section formed by the mold. When the cable tie is made by injection molding plastic material, the portion of the mold defining the hollow section of the pawl inhibits deformation of the surfaces of the pawl teeth that engage the ratchet teeth that might otherwise result from shrinkage of the injected plastic material in the mold cavity.

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First Claim