DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a connecting element.

As known, there are currently numerous connecting elements on the market that are suitable for retaining between themselves two or more elongated elements that may be made of different shapes and materials.

Among the most important connecting elements are those that retain the elongated elements inside a seat formed by the curvilinear bend of the body of the element itself.

Normally, this type of connecting element is defined by elastic bands or metal rings or other similar elements that are preformed or are bent by the user to define the retaining seat.

In the known connecting elements however, accessing the retaining seat always requires a complex manual operation that sometimes also implies using tools that make the use of the connecting element non immediate and requires the use of both hands.

Further, the known connecting elements are sometimes not reusable and are thus discarded with significant use costs.

Not least, it must be emphasized that the known connecting elements have a static retaining force that is not always fit for purpose.

The task proposed by the present invention is to devise a connection element that eliminates the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above.

In the context of this task, one aim of the invention is to devise a connecting element that has constant operating regularity over time, also for long periods.

Another aim of the invention is to devise a connecting element that enables it to be used with extreme facility without the assistance of tools.

Another aim of the invention is to devise a connecting element that enables it to be used also using only one hand. Another aim of the invention is to devise connecting element that enables a significant dynamic retaining force to be exerted and that can be reused for a very great number of times.

This task, as well as these and other aims, are attained by a connecting element having a body with a longitudinal extent that is greater than the transverse extent, characterized in that said body defines along said longitudinal extent a housing seat of at least one first and second elongated element for joint retaining thereof, said body further having a first and a second end portion extending from said seat, said first and second end portions being elastically movable between an open position and a closed position of said housing seat.

The appended claims specify better the further features of the invention.

In particular, the first and second end portions have respectively a first and a second end that diverge from one another to define at least one first mouth for facilitated introduction of said first and second end portion of said first and second body, further, the first and second ends are curvilinear.

The first and second end portion of said first and second body are different from one another in terms of material and/or conformation.

The first and second end portion define respectively a second mouth for facilitated extraction of said first and second body.

The first and second end have a curvature that is adapted to form a first support hook and the transverse extent of the body is greater in said first and second end and less in a central zone thereof.

The body has a variable thickness between the centre and said ends, which are rounded and enlarged, and has the first and second end portions having a contact zone with the same conformation. Additional features and advantages will become more apparent from the description of preferred but non-exclusive embodiments of the invention that are illustrated by way of indicative and non-limiting example in the appended drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a lateral raised view of the connecting element in a closed position according to the invention;

figure 2 is a lateral raised view of the connecting element in an open position according to the invention;

figure 3 is a lateral raised view of the connecting element in a closed position with the first and second body inside the seat thereof according to the invention;

figure 3a is the representation of figure 3 in which the closing means is visible;

figure 4 and figure 5 are a top and bottom plan view of the connecting element in a closed position according to the invention;

figure 6 shows a lateral raised view of the connecting element according to a further embodiment;

figure 7 shows a perspective view of the connecting element of figure 6;

figure 8 shows a lateral raised rear view of the connecting element of figure 6 in the open position;

figure 8a is a view along the line of section A-A of figure 8;

figure 9 shows a lateral raised rear view of the connecting element of figure 8 in the closed position.

figure 9a is a view along the line of section A-A of figure 9;

fig 10 shows a lateral raised view of the retaining bearings of the connecting element of figure 6; figure 10a a shows a perspective view of retaining bearings of the connecting element of figure 10. With particular reference to the figures disclosed above, the connecting elementaccording to the invention is indicated overall by the reference number 1.

In particular, the connecting element as shown by way of example in fig. 4 and fig. 5 has a body 2 with a longitudinal extent that is greater than the transverse extent thereof.

The longitudinal extent of the body 2 defines a housing seat 3 that can be of any dimension and conformation provided that it is suitable for housing internally at least one first and second elongated element 4 and 5 for the joint retaining thereof.

The first and second elongated elements 4 and 5, by way of approximate but non-exclusive example, can be handles of a trolley and of a bag or of two pockets or of two or more electric cables or any other element that has a great longitudinal extent and has to be fixed fast and firmly to another element or to other elements.

The first and second elongated elements 4 and 5 must accordingly have a certain length and can be made of any material and have any conformation provided that it is adapted to be of dimensions such as to be able to be arranged inside the seat 3.

Advantageously, the body has, further, a first and a second end portion 6 and 7 that extend from the seat 3

The first and second end portions 6 and 7 are elastically movable between an open position as shown in fig. 2 and a closed position of the housing seat 3 as shown in fig. 3.

The elasticity of the first and of the second end portion is obtained owing to the fact that the body 2 is made of plastics.

The first and second end portion 6 and 7 diverge from one another and have respectively a first and a second end 8 and 9 that are spaced apart from one another to define between them at least one first facilitated insertion mouth 10 of the first and second elongated elements 4 and 5 that, in order to be able to be retained in the seat 3, must have a minimum length that is greater than the transverse extent of the body 2. In particular, the first and second end portion are curvilinear and the radius of curvature defines the size of the first mouth 10.

The first and second end portion define respectively, on a side opposite the first mouth 10, a second facilitated extraction mouth 11 for facilitated extraction from the seat 3 of the first and second elongated elements 4 and 5.

Further, the first and second end portion have a contact zone with the same conformation to ensure a perfect connection between themselves for a significant portion of length.

In one constructional variant, the first and/or second end have a very accentuated curvature, which is not shown in the drawings, adapted to form a first and/or a second hook to which it is possible to hang for example a bag containing various products.

In a preferred solution, the body 2 has a greater transverse extent in the first and second end, which in this manner are more easily graspable and handleable by the user whilst it has a transverse extent that is less in a central zone 12 so as to have suitable progressive elasticity. In order to be able to have a preset elasticity according to needs, the body 2 has a variable thickness between the central zone and the ends thereof, in particular a greater thickness in the central zone 12 thereof and less at the ends thereof.

The ends are further rounded and enlarged in order to ensure an optimal grasp of the element and avoid thin parts with sharp corners that could be harmful to the user and to objects that come into contact therewith.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, advantageously the body 2 have an extension element 13 that extends from at least one of the first and second end portions 6, 7. L presence of the extension element 13 is such as to define a supplementary body 30.

The body 2 and the supplementary body 3 are symmetrical to one another and are advantageously made as a single piece.

Further, the supplementary body 30 has a supplementary housing seat 14. The supplementary housing seat 14 is similar to the housing seat 3 and has the same functions. Inside the supplementary seat 14 the elongated elements 4 and 5 or further elongated elements can be inserted.

Advantageously, in fact, the extension element 13 has at least a third end portion 15 that is movable between an open position and a closed position of the supplementary housing seat 14. The third end portion 15 defines, just like the end portions 6, 7, a supplementary facilitated insertion mouth 31 for inserting further elongated elements that can be made of any material and have any conformation to be able to be arranged inside the housing seat 14.

In the second alternative embodiment, as illustrated in figures 6, 7 and 8, the supplementary body 30 has first closing means 16a of the supplementary housing seat 14.

Further, also the body 2 has second closing means 16b for closing the housing seat 3 as shown in figure 3b.

The first 16a and second 16b closing means each comprise a hook 23 that defines a chamber 28 and an open zone 22.

For the sake of simplicity of exposition, reference is now made to figure 8a, which shows in detail the hook 23 of the first closing means 16a. The features of the hook 23 illustrated below apply also to the hook of the second closing means 16b.

In particular, the hook 23 is made as a single piece with the third end portion 15. It is in fact defined by a first portion 20 that extends from one side of the third end portion 15 and extends perpendicularly to the third end portion 15.

Further, the hook has a second end portion 21, parallel to said first portion 20 that extends perpendicularly in the direction of the side of the third end portion 15 opposite the side from which the first portion 20 extends.

The first portion 20 and the second end portion 21 are connected together by an intermediate portion 35 that extends parallel to the third end portion 15. The first 16a and second 16b closing means each further comprise a corresponding thinned coupling zone 24 that is coupled with the hook 23, being arranged in the chamber 28 and is made at the housing seat 3 and the supplementary housing seat 14.

The coupling zone 24 can have an increased thickness so as to have substantially the same elastic force as the remaining parts of the body 2 and of the body 30.

In practice, a user, in order to ensure the seal of the elongated elements inside the housing seat 3 or in the supplementary seat 14, inserts the hook 23 at the coupling zone 24, which coupling zone 24 has a conformation that is such as to be able to be completely and stably inserted inside the chamber 28.

For example, the lack of material in the coupling zone 24 is substantially the same as twice the thickness of the walls of the hook 23, permitting perfect alignment of the material on the extension element 13 and/or the end portions 6 and 7.

Once in position, the hook 23 ensures closure of the housing seat 3 and of the supplementary housing seat 14 and thus ensures retaining the elongated elements 4, 5 or the further elongated elements.

The housing seat 3 and the supplementary housing seat 14 comprise along an inner surface thereof retaining bearings 25 adapted to ensure joint retaining of the first and the second elongated element 4, 5 and of further elongated elements.

The bearings are made of an elastically yieldable material so as to be able to adapt to any type of shape of the elongated elements inserted respectively inside the seat 3 and the supplementary seat 14.

The retaining bearings 25 in fact exert valid friction on the elongated elements or another element inserted into the seat 3 and/or into the seat 14 so as to retain the body 2 and 30 in a position pre-chosen by the user. In one embodiment of the invention the housing seat 3 and the supplementary seat 14 can have the same shape and dimension.

In another embodiment of the invention, the housing seat 3 and the supplementary seat 14 can have different shapes and dimensions.

The invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the scope of the inventive concept; further, all the details can be substituted by technically equivalent elements.

The materials used, as well as the dimensions, can be any according to the needs and the state of the art.