Velcro Industries B.v.

Velero Industries B.v.

Michel Labrecque

Christopher M Gallant

Mark A Clarner

George A Provost

William P Clune

Howard A Kingsford

Luis Parellada Armela

David P Kraus

William L Huber

Jefferson Davis

Melissa Spezzafero

Ernesto S Tachauer

Clinton Dowd

Wallace L Kurtz, Jr

Brian J Vanbenschoten

Juan Sánchez

John Demain

A method of forming a fastener is provided, including (a) forming, from a thermoformable material, a preform product having a sheet-form base and an array of preform stems integrally molded with and extending from the base to corresponding terminal ends; (b) heating the terminal ends of the stems to a predetermined softening temperature, while maintaining the sheet-form base and a lower portion of each stem at a temperature lower than the softening temperature; and (c) contacting the terminal ends with a contact surface that is at a predetermined forming temperature, lower than the softening temperature, to deform the terminal ends to form heads therefrom that overhang the sheet-form base. Fasteners and other methods of forming them are also provided.

Fasteners engageable with loops of nonwoven fabrics and with other open structures, and methods and machines for making fasteners

Methods of making fastener products

An elongated electrical cable or flexible circuit board includes an electrically conductive path and an insulating body encompassing and electrically isolating the conductive path, the insulating body including an exposed surface having an array of fastener elements extending therefrom, the fastener elements arranged and constructed to engage mating fastener elements associated with a supporting surface to selectively secure the cable or flexible circuit board to the supporting surface. The fastener elements can be loop-engageable fasteners and/or loops. Such a cable or flexible circuit board is continuously formed by introducing an electrical insulating material including a thermoplastic resin into a gap formed adjacent a peripheral surface of a rotating mold roll, the mold roll defining an array of cavities 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 integrally with and extending from one broad side of a strip of said insulation material; while introducing conductive wires and/or a conductive path formed on or within a substrate 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.

Forming electrical cables

A male fastener element extends integrally from a planar base and includes a primary engagement hook and a secondary engagement structure (e.g., a hook). The primary engagement hook has a stem portion that is integrally molded with the planar base and that extends from the planar base to a distal end. The primary engagement hook also has an overhang portion that extends from the distal end of the stem portion and that has an underside surface overhanging an open volume for receiving loops. The secondary engagement structure, which is shorter than the primary engagement hook, is disposed immediately adjacent the primary engagement hook and extends from a side surface of the primary engagement hook. The secondary engagement structure extends from the base to a distal end that is disposed, in side view, below the underside surface of the overhang portion of the primary engagement hook.

Fastener elements and methods of manufacture

A male fastener element extends integrally from a planar base and includes a primary engagement hook and a secondary engagement structure (e.g., a hook). The primary engagement hook has a stem portion that is integrally molded with the planar base and that extends from the planar base to a distal end. The primary engagement hook also has an overhang portion that extends from the distal end of the stem portion and that has an underside surface overhanging an open volume for receiving loops. The secondary engagement structure, which is shorter than the primary engagement hook, is disposed immediately adjacent the primary engagement hook and extends from a side surface of the primary engagement hook. The secondary engagement structure extends from the base to a distal end that is disposed, in side view, below the surface of the overhang portion of the primary engagement hook.

Securing electrical conductors

Growing community of inventors

Manchester, NH, United States of America

Michel Labrecque