Velcro Industries B.v.

Carol A Watts

Samuel White Pollard

Peter E Leach

Donald L Banfield

Lawrence E Lacombe

A fastening component of a separable fastener has some portion that is necessary for its fastening function, such as the space adjacent the fastening elements, the base to which the fastening elements are attached or a substrate that is used for another purpose, comprised of a magnetically attractive or electrically conductive porous metal containing layer. The fastening component may be the hook portion or the loop portion of a typical fastener. The fastening elements and the base may be unitary, or of different precursors. The porous metal layer may be embedded in the base portion of the fastening component, or any backing substrate, or therebetween. The porous metal layer may be fully or partially embedded. The porous metal may be an expanded, perforated, woven or non-woven structure. Rather than the magnetically attractive porous metal layer being incorporated into the fastening elements or their base, it may be incorporated into the substrate that is formed from a precursor element that is separate from the base, and that is joined to the base. The porous metal layer may also be located between the fastening elements, such as the hooks or loops, and a protective cover, part of whose function is to prevent foaming material from fouling the fastening elements. The porous metal containing layer may be wholly metal, or it may be a composite of a non-metal phase and a metal phase. Rather than using a separate substrate layer for anchoring such a fastener into a molded article being molded, a three-dimensional pattern may be embossed on the non-fastening surface of the fastener to aid in securing it to the molded article.

Touch fastener with porous metal containing layer

A fastening component for use with molded articles has a base with fastening elements upstanding therefrom and a relatively thin, protective cover attached thereto. The cover is attached to the base by thermal processes. For instance, the cover and the base can be cut into a shape by a die that substantially simultaneously cuts the shape from a larger web of both and joins the two pieces together by heat induced processes, such as welding. The shaped piece may be rectilinear or curved or any complex shape. The cover may include a pull tab at one or both ends. The pull tab is formed from the cover material itself, a piece of which is folded over on itself and cut and sealed to adjacent layers at the same time that the main shape is being cut and sealed. For some embodiments of the pull-tab, rather than heat sealing the protective cover to the base, an adhesive can be used.

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Pembroke, NH, United States of America

Carol A Watts