Tying method and member

A tying method using a tying device made from a flat portion of a flexible material, the flat portion having a first opening formed therein and a second opening defining a slot in communication with the first opening and an edge of the flat portion, the slot defining first and second radially extending side regions of the flexible material on either side of the slot, comprising the steps of:

• fitting an object to be tied through the first opening;
• establishing a constrictive tying force on the object to be tied by reducing a diameter of the first opening by drawing the first side region toward the second side region in overlapping manner to thereby form a cone with the first opening at the apex thereof;
• and
• intertwining the first side region and the second side region so as to maintain the conical shape of the flexible material and the constrictive tying force on the object to be tied.

A tying member which is substantially a flat plate made of elastic synthetic resin which is subject to plastic deformation in a specific direction, the tying member comprising:

• a body substantially in the form of a flat plate made of elastic material, the plate body having;
• a first opening for accommodating an object to be tied up, the first opening being provided at one place within the plate body,
• a second opening communicating with the first opening, the second opening extending up to the outer peripheral end of the flat plate, the first opening in the plate body being closed as its diameter is reduced when the tying means is tightened into a conical shape with the first opening as the apex, and
• at least two mating pieces provided on the respective sides of the outer end of the second opening and used to hold the conical shape of the tying means after being mated together by tucking and bending the mating pieces in contact with the plate body.

A tying method comprising the steps of:

• fitting tying means which is substantially a flat plate made of elastic material to an object to be tied up via a second opening, the tying means having said second opening, a first opening for accommodating the object to be tied up, and mating means, the first opening being provided at one place within the flat plate, the second opening communicating with the first opening, the second opening extending up to the outer peripheral end of the flat plate;
• tightening the flat plate into substantially a conical shape with the first opening as the apex when the first opening is closed as its diameter is reduced by overlapping both side portions of the flat plate with the second opening as the boundary;
• and
• fixing the tying means thus tightened into the conical shape using the mating means,
• wherein said elastic material is an elastic synthetic resin which is subject to plastic deformation in a specific direction, in which said mating means is at least two mating pieces provided on the respective sides of the outer end of the second opening, and the tying means is fixed by bending a portion of either mating piece in contact with the plate body.