ENHANCED FLEXIBILITY FASTENER, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ITS MAKING, AND PRODUCT INCORPORATING IT

• Main Authors: LEAK, A. TODD, STUMPF, JAMES V, PROVOST, GEORGE A, ROSLANSKY, APIROMRAJ S
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 14.05.1999
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; BUTTONS, PINS, BUCKLES, SLIDE FASTENERS, OR THE LIKE; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; HABERDASHERY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; JEWELLERY; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PROSTHESES; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS

A molded plastic hook fastener product for use in hook-and-loop fastening systems, said product comprising: a base (35); a multiplicity of hook elements (34c,34c') integrally molded with and rising from said base (35), said hook elements being arranged in rows extending lengthwise along a surface of said base and each of said hook elements defining a footprint on said surface where each said hook element joins said base; and a multiplicity of rip-stops (36a,36b,36c) integrally molded with and rising from said base, said rip-stops being arranged in rows extending lengthwise along said surface of said base and each of said rip-stops (36a,36b,36c) defining a footprint on said surface where each said rip-stop joins said base (35), said rows of rip-stops being interspersed among said rows of hook elements; at least many of said rip-stops (36a,36b,36c) being offset in the lengthwise direction relative to hook elements (34c,34c') in widthwise adjacent rows such that a substantial lengthwise portion of the footprints of the respective offset rip-stops and adjacent hook elements do not overlap lengthwise.