Hook and loop fastening

• Main Authors: ERICKSON PAUL R, KINGSFORD HOWARD A, JACOBS MARTIN I, BOUCHER JOHN L, SHEPARD WILLIAM H, DOWD CLINTON, KRANTZ K. THEODOR, CLUNE WILLIAM
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.05.2006
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; 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; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HABERDASHERY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULARARTICLES; JEWELLERY; LAYERED PRODUCTS; LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PROSTHESES; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

Fastenings, including stretchy or flexible "zebra-like" and "leopard-like" appearing materials, are disclosed having spaced bands or a distribution islands of molded loop-engageable hooks or molded pre-forms for hooks, between which are bands or regions of different character. Molding is by rigid molds filled from the base region of the stems. In embodiments, linear bands or islands of fastener elements are themselves inextensible in the direction of their extent and comprise multiple rows of fastener elements. For ease of forming a uniform, elastically stretchy or flexible product, the bands or islands of fastener elements extend in the machine direction during manufacture. Embodiments shown employ a widthwise continuous carrier of uniform character to which multiple spaced bands or islands of hooks have their molded stems in situ bonded, and in other embodiments, over-lapping margins of the bases of hook bands are in situ laminated to surface structure of adjacent bands of carrier using a laminating nip in which one of the rolls is a mold roll. For a preferred mode of manufacture of an elastically stretchy product, stretchy carrier material is stretchy only in the widthwise (cross-machine) direction. In composite hook and loop fastener products, the bands or regions of material between adjacent bands or islands of hooks comprise loop-engageable material, that is uniform in construction widthwise, the loop-forming material itself being an elastically stretchable or a flexible component. In useful product categories, the hook bands or islands and intervening regions of material have importantly different width ranges. Novel elastically stretchable and flexible loop-defining materials, and their methods of manufacture are shown. In situ lamination of hook, bands or islands on surfaces of materials held in a planar orientation or presenting a planar surface are also shown, flexible materials on tenter frames and rigid materials.