Inscribable Cable Marking Strip

The invention concerns an inscribable cable marking strip, comprising a predominantly transparent adhesive tape having a self-adhesive underside and comprising, at the front of the strip, an inscribable marking section.

Cable marking strips of this type are used for the identification of cables. The self-adhesive cable marking strips disposed adjacent to each other or over each other on a carrier sheet have in their conventional configuration immediately at the upper onset of the strip, i.e., the leading end, an inscribable marking section, to be lettered by the user prior to winding the cable marking strip around the cable to be identified.

The section of the transparent adhesive tape following the marking section and several times longer than the respective marking section, is wound around the cable so that it covers the previously applied marking section, thereby preventing the soiling or smudging of the lettering. As, however, the marking section is located at the front or leading end of the strip which must be pressed onto the cable at the onset of the winding process, there is a danger that the user will obliterate the previously applied lettering by pressing the front end of the strip with his thumb onto the cable. Furthermore, since the fingers of the user frequently become soiled in the course of the work immediate preceding this operation, it is also possible that the marking section will become soiled during its application before it can be protected by the transparent tape section wound over it.

It is, therefore, the object of the invention to design a marking strip of the aforementioned type so that the danger of the marking section becoming soiled and the previously applied lettering smudged during its application to the cable to be identified is largely eliminated.

This object is attained according to the present invention in that the beginning or leading edge of the inscribable marking section is located at a distance from the adjacent front or leading end of the adhesive tape. In this manner, at the front end of the strip which is pressed onto the cable at the start of the fastening process, a short transparent section of the tape is provided that has no marking surface and therefore carries no lettering. It may be pressed by the user safely onto the cable, in order to establish an initial connection between the cable marking strip and the cable. As the transparent initial section of the cable marking strip has a relatively smooth surface and carries no lettering, there is no danger of soiling or of smudging the lettering.

The subsequent section of the strip which carries the marking section with the lettering, is wound without pressure and only under tension onto the cable; a physical contact of the user's fingers with the surface of the marking section is not required. In the course of the further winding of the cable with the subsequent transparent strip section, the marking section is covered and protected.

The invention shall be explained below with the aid of an example embodiment shown in the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of several cable marking strips, mounted adjacently to each other on a common carrier sheet,

FIG. 2 depicts, at an enlarged scale, a cable marking strip at the start of its application to a cable, and

FIG. 3 depicts the manipulation of the cable marking strip according to FIG. 2.

On a common carrier sheet 1 (FIG. 1), several cable marking strips 2 are adhesively mounted adjacent to each other so that they may be removed individually for use. Each of the cable marking strips 2 comprises a strip of a self-adhesive transparent tape 3. Near its upper or leading end 4, each adhesive strip 3 is provided at its surface with a marking section 5, formed, for example, by an inscribable layer printed on the top side of the transparent adhesive tape 3.

As seen with particular clarity in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper or leading edge 6 constituting the beginning of the inscribable marking section 5 is arranged at a distance from the adjacent start 4 of the adhesive tape 3. In this manner, each marking strip 2 is provided at its front end with a transparent, adhesive, noninscribable initial section 7. Preferably, the edge 6 is spaced at least 5 mm from the end 4.

Following the lettering of the marking section 5 with the identification desired, which may be effected while the strip is still on the carrier sheet 1, the cable marking strip 2 is pulled off the carrier sheet 1 and pressed with its transparent starting section 7 onto the cable 8 (FIG. 2) to be marked. As in the process, the user is pressuring only the unlettered transparent starting section 7, there is no danger of the marking section 5 provided with the lettering becoming soiled, or the writing smudged. As soon as the starting section 7 is fastened by the self-adhesive bottom side of the adhesive tape 3 to the cable 8, the cable marking strip 2 is wound with tension around the cable 8, whereby its longer, transparent main section 9 covers and protects the marking section 5. FIG. 3 shows the condition prevailing prior to the application of the end of the adhesive tape 3.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additions, modifications, substitutions, and deletions not specifically described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.