Self-attaching elastic cord

Abstract

A binding device comprising an elongated elastic member that contains at least one region of loop material generally adjacent to at least one region of hook material. The regions of different material allow binding when the loop material of the binding member comes in contact with the hook material. The elastic member is flexible and may bend back on itself to engage the hook and loop material. For example, an elastic self-attaching cord may include a surface that contains regions of loop material generally adjacent to hook material at evenly spaced intervals or placed at random intervals. Another examples are a tube or strip binding member. The elastic tube or strip binding device also contains loop material generally adjacent to hook material positioned on the surface of the tube or strip.

We claim the following:  
     
         1 . An elastic binding device comprising: 
 an elongated elastic body with a surface;    at least one region of a loop material on said surface; and    at lease one region of a hook material on said surface.    
     
     
         2 . The elastic binding device of  claim 1  wherein at least one region of said loop material is generally adjacent to at least one region of said hook material.  
     
     
         3 . The elastic binding device of  claim 1  wherein said elongated elastic body is adapted to fasten to itself by said hook material engaging said loop material.  
     
     
         4 . The elastic binding device of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of regions with a loop material and a plurality of regions with a hook material.  
     
     
         5 . The elastic binding device of  claim 4  wherein said regions are evenly spaced.  
     
     
         6 . The elastic binding device of  claim 4  wherein said regions are randomly spaced.  
     
     
         7 . The elastic binding device of  claim 1  wherein said elongated elastic body is an elastic cord.  
     
     
         8 . The elastic binding device of  claim 1  wherein said elongated elastic body is a bungy cord.  
     
     
         9 . The elastic binding device of  claim 1  wherein said elongated elastic body is a shock cord.  
     
     
         10 . The elastic self-attaching binding device of  claim 1  wherein said elongated elastic body is an elastic strip having an top side and a bottom side.  
     
     
         11 . The elastic self-attaching binding device of  claim 10  wherein said top side is at least partially covered with a hook material and said bottom side is at least partially covered with loop material.  
     
     
         12 . The elastic binding device of  claim 1  wherein said elongated elastic body is an elastic tube.  
     
     
         13 . An elastic self-attaching cord comprising: 
 an elastic cord having a surface, said surface comprising a plurality hook regions and loop regions, wherein at least one of said hook region is generally adjacent to at least one region of said loop region.    
     
     
         14 . An elastic self-attaching tube comprising: 
 an elastic tube having an outer circumferential surface;    a plurality of hooks connected to said outer circumferential surface; and    a plurality of loops connected to said outer circumferential surface.    
     
     
         15 . An elastic binding device comprising: 
 an elongated elastic member;    a sleeve having an outer surface, said sleeve being positionable over said elongated elastic member, said outer surface having at least one region of a loop material generally adjacent to at least one region of a hook material.    
     
     
         16 . An elastic binding device comprising: 
 a cord having a surface, said cord comprising a plurality of elastic members and a plurality of non-elastic members, said surface having at least one region of loop material and at least one region of hook material.