A drawstring (draw string, draw-string) is a string
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
, cord, lace, or rope used to "draw
Draw, drawing, draws, or drawn may refer to:
Common uses
* Draw (terrain), a terrain feature formed by two parallel ridges or spurs with low ground in between them
* Drawing (manufacturing), a process where metal, glass, or plastic or anythin ...
" (gather
Gather, gatherer, or gathering may refer to:
Anthropology and sociology
*Hunter-gatherer, a person or a society whose subsistence depends on hunting and gathering of wild foods
* Intensive gathering, the practice of cultivating wild plants as a s ...
, or shorten) fabric or other material. Ends of a drawstring are often terminated with a sheath called an aglet. The ends may be tied to hold the drawstring in place (and simultaneously close an opening). Alternatively, it may be kept drawn using a cordlock. Typically, the drawstring is loose when not being used and tightened when needed during use.
A drawstring may be threaded through a hem or casing (a continuous tube of material) or laced through holes, which may be lined with eyelets. A shoelace is a drawstring. It may also be laced through loops attached to the material, in the same way that belt loops are. A belt is a usually flat drawstring.
Hazard
In 1996 the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued guidelines for drawstrings on children's upper outerwear to help prevent children fromstrangling
Strangling is compression of the neck that may lead to unconsciousness or death by causing an increasingly hypoxic state in the brain. Fatal strangling typically occurs in cases of violence, accidents, and is one of two main ways that hangin ...
or getting entangled on the neck and waist drawstrings of upper outerwear garments, such as jackets and sweatshirts. Drawstrings on children's clothing are a hidden hazard
A hazard is a potential source of harm. Substances, events, or circumstances can constitute hazards when their nature would allow them, even just theoretically, to cause damage to health, life, property, or any other interest of value. The probab ...
that can lead to deaths and injuries when they catch on such items as playground
A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...
equipment, bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
doors, or cribs. From 1985 to 1999, the CPSC received reports of 22 deaths and 48 non-fatal incidents involving the entanglement of children's clothing drawstrings.,
Consumer Product Safety Commission
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC, CPSC, or commission) is an independent agency of the United States government. The CPSC seeks to promote the safety of consumer products by addressing “unreasonable risks” of in ...
(retrieved 21 August 2010) In 2006, the CPSC issued a letter to manufacturers, retailers, and importers of children's upper outwear garments, urging them to make certain the garments do not have hood drawstrings that can pose a strangulation hazard to children.Drawstrings,
American Apparel and Footwear Association
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) is a 501(c)(6) trade association. AAFA was formed in August 2000 through the merger of the ''American Apparel and Manufacturers Association'' (AAMA) and ''Footwear Industries of America'' (FIA).
A ...
(retrieved 21 August 2010) Several product recalls due to possible strangulation hazards have occurred.
Similarity in nature
In biology, a type of protein in the Rho family of GTPases heals wounds by contraction, much like a draw-string being pulled to close a bag.Ojime
An is a bead used in Japanese (carrying cases). It is typically under an inch in length. Each is carved into a particular shape and image, similar to the , though smaller. It is used to fasten the cord of the so that it does not unstack whil ...
(緒締め), a marking on a kohaku (an ornamental koi/carp fish), is named after the Japanese word for the drawstring of a pouch or purse.
References
{{Commons category Textile closures