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:
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 hook member (16, 31, 33, 35, 51, 53, 57, 160) is provided that is capable of engaging fibers (156). The hook member includes a stem (18, 34) extending upwardly from a sheet-form base (11) to a distal end. The stems (18, 34) have leading (42, 50, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72) and trailing (44, 52, 58, 62, 66, 70, 74) edges that form an apex angle therebetween. A crook (40) is integrally formed with and arches along a curved axis directly from the stem (18, 34) of the hook member to a tip. The crook (40) has a width (Wc) measured along a line tangent to the tip and perpendicular to a central axis (80) that bisects the apex angle (alpha) and intersects a plane substantially parallel to the sheet-form base (11) that is less than about 20 percent of a height (H) of the hook member measured along a line extending perpendicular to the base (11).
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 skin-friendly hook component (20, 86, 94) of a hook and loop fastener that reduces or eliminates the occurrence of red-marking and/or irradiation if brought into contact with a wearer's skin. In one embodiment, the hook component can have a relatively large top surface area among the hooks (24) with respect to a surface area of the hook backing (26). In another embodiment, the hook backing (26) is highly flexible, attributable to a flexible resin and/or modified topography. In yet another embodiment, a highly flexible polymer, or polymers, can be used to make individual hooks (24) such that the hooks bend in response to a minimum amount of pressure. Various illustrated hook tapes have features (74, 78, 88, 98) along their edges to enhance skin-friendliness. A skin-friendly hook component results any combination of the disclosed embodiments. The hook component is particularly beneficial when used in absorbent articles.
Abstract:
A skin-friendly hook component (20, 86, 94) of a hook and loop fastener that reduces or eliminates the occurrence of red-marking and/or irradiation if brought into contact with a wearer's skin. In one embodiment, the hook component can have a relatively large top surface area among the hooks (24) with respect to a surface area of the hook backing (26). In another embodiment, the hook backing (26) is highly flexible, attributable to a flexible resin and/or modified topography. In yet another embodiment, a highly flexible polymer, or polymers, can be used to make individual hooks (24) such that the hooks bend in response to a minimum amount of pressure. Various illustrated hook tapes have features (74, 78, 88, 98) along their edges to enhance skin-friendliness. A skin-friendly hook component results any combination of the disclosed embodiments. The hook component is particularly beneficial when used in absorbent articles.
Abstract:
A touch fastener has a base and an array of discrete fastener elements each extending from the base and together forming with the base a contiguous mass of resin. Each discrete fastener element includes a stem rising from the base, and a head overhanging the base from a front side of the stem to a distal edge, the front side of the stem, an underside of the head, and an upper surface of the base together forming, in side profile, a generally curved retention space boundary surface such that the boundary surface forms, at its innermost extent, a retention cavity defined between curvature discontinuities spaced from both the base and the distal edge.
Abstract:
A molded area fastener product (10,10a,10b), such as a self-engaging fastener, has a strip-form base (12) of resin with a broad surface (14) from which an array of discrete fastener elements (16,16a,16b) extends. The fastener elements (16,16a,16b) each include a molded stem (22) extending from the broad surface (14) of the base (12) to a curved head (24,24a,24b) that extends toward a front side (26) of the fastener element (16,16a,16b), forms a crook (28) and ends in a distal tip (30,30a,30b). In some examples the curved head (24,24a,24b) protrudes beyond the stem (22) on the back side (32,32a) of the fastener element (16) to form an overhang (34) defined by an overhang surface (36) of the head (24,24a,24b) directed toward the base (12), and the crook (28) is defined in part by an underside head surface (38) that overhangs a lower portion (40) of the stem(22). In some examples the fastener elements (16,16a,16b) are arranged to provide a high distension overlap when mated with an identical fastener product.
Abstract:
A method of forming a mold having cavities (240) for molding loop-engageable, hook-shaped fastener elements is provided. The method includes supporting a first plate (236) having an outer surface (242) that defines a plane; cutting said outer surface (242) with a material-cutting beam (231) of a laser (234) along a predetermined curved profile to cut a cavity (240) into said outer surface (242) of said first plate (236), said predetermined curved profile being generally hook-shaped, and positioning a second plate adjacent said outer surface (242) of said first plate (236), said second plate providing a side wall surface for each of said cavities (240) of said first plate (236). A hook product includes a stem portion integrally molded with and extending from a sheet-form base to a distal end, the stem portion having a planar side, and a crook portion extending from the distal end of the stem portion to overhand the sheet-form base in an overhang direction, the crook portion having a flat planar side co-planar with the planar side of the stem, and an upper surface extending upwards form an upper extent of the planar side of the crook portion to an apex.
Abstract:
A segmented hook and loop type fastener (10) accommodates molding contours. Each segment (12) may be surrounded by a gasket (22) barrier, or covered by another sort of cover (322), or left unprotected. The fastener component (10) is a plurality of fastening segments (12). Carried on the fastening face (18) of a base member (16) are a plurality of fastening elements (20), either hook-type or loop-type. Located between and joining each adjacent pair of fastening segments (12) is a flexible neck (14) that is narrower than the fastening segment (12). The flexible neck (14) region is typically flexible around two or three orthogonal axes. Each segment may have a barrier for use during an operation to incorporate the fastener (10) into a molded body (53). The barrier would prevent any liquid foaming material from contacting the fastening elements (20) if the fastener is placed in the mold (53) with the fastening elements (20) pressed against the wall of the mold (53). The cover (322) may be enveloping or space filling. Several different types of apparatus and methods for fabricating such a fastener are also disclosed.