US Patent 8230555 Active material based fasteners including cable ties and twist ties

Active material based fasteners that are reversible are provided. These fasteners can be in the form of, for example, cable ties and twist ties. In an embodiment, a fastener for securing an object comprises: a flexible elongated member capable of at least partially surrounding the object; and an adjustment mechanism in operable communication with the flexible elongated member, the adjustment mechanism comprising an active material capable of undergoing a change in a property upon exposure to an activation source, wherein the elongated member is configured to engage or release the object in response to the change in the property.