Velcro Industries B.v.

Samuel White Pollard

Stephen C Jens

James Van Stumpf

George A Provost

Andrew Cecil Harvey

Clinton Dowd

Scott M Filion

Mark J Condon

Thomas G Lacey

Peter E Grulke

Richard M Formato

Keith G Buzzell

Gilbert G Fryklund

Peter E Leach

Donald L Banfield

Shawn C Banker

Lawrence E Lacombe

Carol A Watts

Christopher M Gallant

William P Clune

Howard A Kingsford

Martin I Jacobs

James W Babineau

Joseph K Parshley

Evangelos Kaparis

Clifton Wall

Mireia Musquera Ferrer

Jordi Blade Sastre

Methods of forming mold cavities suitable for hook and loop fastening are disclosed, along with effective hook construction and hook and loop fastener products that have an ultrathin cross-section. Photochemical techniques are employed to form plates that define hook-form mold cavities, and, alternatively, chemical etching is employed following preforming of the cavities and machining. Hooks having three-dimensional tapers with enhanced loop engaging characteristics are disclosed. By utilization of special surface finishes and tolerances, hook fasteners, having ultrathin cross-sections are realized, that pave the way for practical use of touch fasteners in a wide range of new areas.

Molding of fastening hooks and other devices

Molding apparatus and method for molding of features integral with a base, such as in the production of fastener elements for hook-and-loop type touch fasteners, e.g. by the Fischer process, employs a mold roll ( ) formed of rings ( ) that have coolant passages ( ) formed within the ring components ( ) themselves for substantially direct contact with cooling liquid. Axial tie rods ( ) compress the mold rings ( ) together, contributing to the sealing of the coolant passages and the stiffness of the mold roll. Mold cavities ( ), including cavities ( ) used for injection molding, and cooling passages ( ) formed in either mold rings ( ) or injection mold plates by photo-chemical etching, laser machining and other techniques are disclosed. Various machines and methods taking unique advantage of these features are disclosed, including ring alignment methods for improved base thickness control and for forming products with very thin bases.

Molding of fasteners and other features

A method for producing a multiplicity of fastener element molding cavities extending from a mold surface, for molding a plastic product having fastener elements integrally molded with and extending from a product base, and a mold so produced. The mold cavities are formed by depositing multiple layers of plating material on a workpiece in a predetermined pattern selected to produce a desired mold cavity shape, or by depositing a thick stratum of plating material over an array of fastener elements and then removing the fastener elements to leave shaped cavities within the plating material. The mold may be in the form of a roll or belt for continuous processing, or in any form for discrete injection molding. Molds having fastener element cavities defined by rigid cast materials are also disclosed.

Forming mold cavities

A method for producing a multiplicity of miniature cavities extending from a mold surface for molding a plastic product having features integrally molded with and extending from a product base, and a mold so produced. The mold cavities are formed by depositing multiple layers of plating material on a workpiece in a predetermined pattern selected to produce a desired mold cavity shape. The mold may be in the form of a roll or belt for continuous processing, or in any form for discrete injection molding. The invention is particularly applicable to the production of touch fastener products, such as those with arrays of miniature hooks.

A fastener strap sheet is provided that includes (a) a sheet material having a first surface and a second surface substantially opposite the first surface, the first surface being constructed for face-to-face cooperating engagement with the second surface; and (b) a pattern of cuts extending through the sheet material, the cuts defining an array of fastener straps, each fastener strap including an elongated body having a predetermined width, and a head portion at one end of the body having a width greater than the predetermined width and defining an opening through which the strap body can be pulled. The array of straps define a first set of straps and a second set of straps, the heads of the first set, being located on a first side of the array and the heads of the second set being located on a second, opposite side of the array, and the bodies of the first set being directly bordered by and parallel with the bodies of the second set, in an interdigitated arrangement.

Fastener straps

Molding apparatus and method for continuous molding of features integral with a base, such as in the production of fastener elements for hook-and-loop type touch fasteners, e.g. by the Fischer process, employs a mold roll formed of rings that have coolant passages formed within the ring components themselves for substantially direct contact with cooling liquid. Axial tie rods compress the mold rings together, contributing to the sealing of the coolant passages and the stiffness of the mold roll. Other types of sealing are disclosed. Mold cavities and cooling passages formed by photo-chemical etching, laser machining and other techniques are disclosed. Various machines and methods taking unique advantage of these features are disclosed, including ring alignment methods.

Continuous molding of fasteners and other features

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 method of manufacturing plates assembleable in a stack to provide a mold to form fastener elements includes applying a photoresist material to at least one side of the plate. The photoresist material is exposed to light. Portions of the photoresist material are removed based on the light exposure. Acid is applied to the plate, dissolving portions of the plate exposed to the acid and creating cavities.

Molding methods, molds and products

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.

Separable fastener having die-cut protective cover with pull tab and

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Durham, NH, United States of America

Samuel White Pollard