Abstract:
A plastic male touch fastener component (100) has a sheet-form base (104) and an array of male fastener elements (102), each including a stem (108) extending outwardly from and integrally with the sheet-form base (104), and two heads (106) extending in essentially opposite directions in an engagement plane from a distal end of the stem (250) to corresponding tips (252), the fastener element having an upper surface that defines a well (254) between the heads (106). The fastener element is dimensioned with proportionately large heads for the size of the fastener, that nevertheless have clearance to distend to release loops. The shape of the fastener element also allows for demold from closed mold cavities.
Abstract:
An elongated electrical cable (30) or flexible circuit board (1500) includes an electrically conductive path (36, 1509) and an insulating body (632) encompassing and electrically isolating the conductive path, the insulating body including an exposed surface (624) having an array of fastener elements (622) extending therefrom, the fastener elements arranged and constructed to engage mating fastener elements associated with a supporting surface (16, 16') to selectively secure the cable or flexible circuit board to the supporting surface. The fastener elements can be loop-engageable fasteners (622) and/or loops (144). Such a cable or flexible circuit board is continuously formed by introducing an electrical insulating material including a thermoplastic resin into a gap (102, 202) formed adjacent a peripheral surface of a rotating mold roll (104), the mold roll defining an array of cavities (134) therein, the insulating material being introduced under pressure and temperature conditions selected to cause the insulating material to at least partially fill the cavities to form fastener element stems (623, 622') integrally with and extending from one broad side (624) of a strip of said insulation material; while introducing conductive wires (678) and/or a conductive path (1409, 1509) formed on or within a substrate (1401, 1501) to the gap so as to cause the insulating material to envelop and electrically isolate the conductive path and/or to cause the conductive path to become an integral part of the strip of insulation material from which the fastener element stems extend.
Abstract:
A releasable fastening arrangement includes a first fastening strip (140, 200) secured to and extending over a substrate surface (160) and having a first surface (145) carrying first fastening elements (146) extending from the surface. The releasable fastening arrangement also includes a second fastening strip (142) having a second surface carrying second fastening elements (148) that are engageable by the first fastening elements to form a releasable fastening. The first surface includes a flexible flap (204) that is surrounded by other portions of the first surface. The flap carries at least one of the first fastening elements, and has a distal edge (205) that is displaceable under peel loads applied to the at least one first fastening element carried by the flap.
Abstract:
A releasable fastening arrangement includes a first fastening strip secured to and extending over a substrate surface and having a first surface carrying first fastening elements extending from the surface. The releasable fastening arrangement can also include a second fastening strip having a second surface carrying second fastening elements that are engageable by the first fastening elements to form a releasable fastening. The first surface can include a flexible flap that is surrounded by other portions of the first surface. The flap can carry at least one of the first fastening elements, and can have a distal edge that is displaceable under peel loads applied to the at least one first fastening element carried by the flap.
Abstract:
A method for forming a hook-engageable landing zone on a fibrous surface by selecting a region of the surface to form the landing zone, by raising fibers from the surface in the selected region to form fibrous loops extending from the surface, and by anchoring the fibrous loops in the selected region to secure the loops and resist pullout during hook engagement.
Abstract:
A releasable touch fastener (600,602) includes a loop component (400) and a hook component (100,402), with a particularly small overall engaged thickness (t c ) in combination with a high fastening strength, both in peel and shear. The loop component (400) is a woven material, while the hook component may be woven or molded. The molded hook component (100,402) includes a scrim reinforcement (215) for tear resistance and sewability. The fastener is useful for high cycle applications, such as on non-disposable garments, footwear and luggage.
Abstract:
A plastic male touch fastener component (100) has a sheet-form base (104) and an array of male fastener elements (102), each including a stem (108) extending outwardly from and integrally with the sheet-form base (104), and two heads (106) extending in essentially opposite directions in an engagement plane from a distal end of the stem (250) to corresponding tips (252), the fastener element having an upper surface that defines a well (254) between the heads (106). The fastener element is dimensioned with proportionately large heads for the size of the fastener, that nevertheless have clearance to distend to release loops. The shape of the fastener element also allows for demold from closed mold cavities.
Abstract:
A touch fastener product has a base strip of resin carrying both mechanical fastener projections and adhesive, in some cases disposed on raised portions of the base strip. The fastener projections are arranged in discrete fields with lanes between the fields, and the adhesive is disposed within the lanes. The adhesive in each lane is shorter, as measured perpendicularly from the base strip, than the projections nearest the lane, by a distance that is less than ten percent of the width of the lane. In some cases molded stems extend through the adhesive in the lanes. The fastening face of the molded base strip is treated to give the fastening face a higher surface energy than the back face, to resist adhesive delamination during unspooling.
Abstract:
Various method of making RFID tags, RF-responsive antennae and other circuitry in flexible sheet form with touch fastener elements extending from one side of the sheet, for securing the tags. Some methods include continuous roll forming methods and/or the filling of molded channels with conductive compositions.
Abstract:
A flexible circuit has a roll-molded thermoplastic resin base sheet with an integrally molded mounting structure located to receive a light emitting diode device in an illuminating position. The mounting structure is a pin receptacle constructed to receive a pin of the light emitting diode device. An electrically conductive portion is carried by the resin base and positioned for electric connection to conductors of the device. Another flexible circuit carries discrete integrated circuit chips and a field of fastener elements extending from a surface of a resin strip carrying conductive traces interconnecting the chips.