Multi-purpose tie strip and method of tying items together

Abstract

A tie strip includes an elongated resilient strip having two longitudinal side members and a plurality of slightly outwardly bent transverse rungs interconnecting the side members and defining a plurality of apertures. A first end of the strip is threaded and squeezed through a selected aperture at an opposite second end of the strip to form a loop. The first and second ends are pulled in opposite directions until a desired loop size is reached where a rung at the selected aperture stretches into a flattened rung, while another rung being squeezed in the selected aperture arches into an arched rung and interlocks with the flattened rung. The second end is pulled in a reversed direction to release the loop. A method of tying items together is also disclosed.

1 . A tie strip comprising:
 an elongated resilient strip having two longitudinal side members and a plurality of transverse rungs interconnecting the side members and defining therebetween a plurality of apertures, the rungs being bent slightly outwards from one side of a plane of the strip on which the two side members disposed;   wherein a first end of the strip is configured to thread and squeeze through a selected aperture at an opposite second end of the strip to form a loop around an item or items to be tied with the slightly bent rungs facing outwards;   wherein when the first and second ends of the strip are pulled in opposite loop-tightening directions until a desired loop size is reached, one of the rungs at the selected aperture at the second end of the strip stretches laterally into a flattened rung, while another one of the rungs being squeezed in the selected aperture arches outwards into an arched rung and interlocks with the flattened rung, and   wherein when the second end of the strip is flipped and pulled in a reversed loop-loosening direction, the flattened rung presses down the arched rung thereby allowing retrieval of the first end from the selected aperture and hence loosening of the loop.   
     
     
         2 . The tie strip as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each slightly outwardly bent rung is generally in the shape of an angle bracket “ ”. 
     
     
         3 . The tie strip as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the flattened rung generally lies on the plane of the strip. 
     
     
         4 . The tie strip as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the arched rung is generally in the shape of an arch. 
     
     
         5 . The tie strip as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the elongated resilient strip is made of an elastic material. 
     
     
         6 . The tie strip as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the elongated resilient strip is made of polyamide fiber. 
     
     
         7 . The tie strip as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the elongated resilient strip is made of knitted nylon having a weight of about 1,000 deniers. 
     
     
         8 . The tie strip as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the elongated resilient strip is made of a semi-rigid polymer material. 
     
     
         9 . The tie strip as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the elongated resilient strip has a thickness of about 1.25 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The tie strip as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the elongated resilient strip is generally in the shape of a ladder, the longitudinal side members are straight and parallel, and the transverse rungs are equally spaced apart. 
     
     
         11 . The tie strip as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each aperture is generally rectangular in shape. 
     
     
         12 . The tie strip as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first end is a tapered end comprises a tapered portion formed by the ends of the two side members tapering towards each other and joining at a needle-shaped tip portion. 
     
     
         13 . A method of tying an item or items comprising the steps of:
 providing an elongated resilient strip having two longitudinal side members and a plurality of transverse rungs interconnecting the side members and defining therebetween a plurality of apertures, the rungs being bent slightly outwards from one side of a plane of the strip on which the two side members disposed;   threading and squeezing a first end of the strip through a selected aperture at an opposite second end of the strip to form a loop around the item or items to be tied with the slightly bent rungs facing outwards;   pulling the first and second ends of the strip in opposite loop-tightening directions until a desired loop size is reached, wherein one of the rungs around the selected aperture stretches laterally into a flattened rung, while another one of the rungs being squeezed in the selected aperture arches outwards into an arched rung and interlocks with the flattened rung; and   cutting off the portion of the tie strip that passed through the selected aperture, and producing a shortened tie strip, which is ready for tying of further item or items without the production of any wasted material.   
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of flipping and pulling the second end of the strip in a reversed loop-loosening direction such that the flattened rung presses down the arched rung thereby allowing retrieval of the first end from the selected aperture and hence loosening of the loop. 
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of using the shortened tie strip and repeating steps (b) to (d) to tie further item or items. 
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the elongated resilient strip is made of an elastic material. 
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the elongated resilient strip is made of polyamide fiber. 
     
     
         18 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the elongated resilient strip is made of knitted nylon having a weight of about 1,000 deniers. 
     
     
         19 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the elongated resilient strip is made of a semi-rigid polymer material. 
     
     
         20 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the elongated resilient strip has a thickness of about 1.25 mm.