Velcro Industries B.v.

Velero Industries B.v.

William L Huber

George A Provost

Mark A Clarner

Howard A Kingsford

Christopher M Gallant

William P Clune

Luis Parellada Armela

David P Kraus

Michel Labrecque

Jefferson Davis

Melissa Spezzafero

Ernesto S Tachauer

Wallace L Kurtz, Jr

Brian J Vanbenschoten

Juan Sánchez

Richard John Schmidt

Alexander J Neeb

Heidi S Tremblay

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

Molded male touch fastener components, and methods of making such components are disclosed. Components include multiple, discrete features that extend laterally from a common side of an upper end of a formation, for engagement of loops.

Touch fasteners

Touch fastener element

Forming a fastener component having heads constructed to engage loops formed e.g. of fibers of a mating component, comprises 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, by a process having a machine direction and a cross-machine direction. Each molded stem has at least two terminal features spaced from one another in the cross-machine direction, the features having a transverse shape about which engaging fibers can bend, the features having a thickness of about 0.25 mm (0.010 inch) or less, preferably about 0.20 mm (0.008 inch), and for personal care products and the like preferably about 0.1 mm (0.004 inch) or less. The terminal ends of the features are heated to a predetermined softening temperature and the terminal ends are contacted to reform the terminal ends to form heads therefrom that overhang the sheet-form base sufficiently to engage loops. Also shown are molded stems that have at least two terminal features spaced from one another in the machine direction; molded preform having substantially parallel side surfaces on all sides, e.g., of 'M' or crossed 'M' profile of substantially thin fin or crossed thin fin form of molded stems that carry upwardly directed, spaced apart prongs. Preforms are shown having at least three prongs along at least one coordinate. Each prong of a group of at least two neighboring prongs is coalesced to form a head or all prongs of a stem are coalesced to form a single head.

Hook and loop fastener

A fastener product includes a planar base, multiple discrete plateaus molded integrally with and extending from an upper surface of the base each plateau having an upper surface that is smaller in area than an overall area of the base covered by the plateau, and an array of discrete fastener elements integrally molded with and extending from the upper surface of the plateau. The product is molded on a mold roll covered by a sleeve either made of a resilient material or having apertures intersecting an inner surface of the sleeve at an inner opening that is smaller than an outer opening of the aperture at an outer sleeve surface to form an edge of the fastener product of decreased sharpness.

Discrete fastener regions

A bi-stable hook component of a touch fastener can bend into, and remain in, a stable concave position. Another stable position enables initial engagement with a mating component (e.g., a loop component). The concave position applies engagement-enhancing tension to the engaged loops, and in some cases forces end portions of the hooks into close proximity with one another to secure the fastening and to produce a curved touch fastener that, as engaged, can better conform to an underlying curved surface, such as the contour of a wearer's body. Absorbent articles having such a bi-stable fastening system are also disclosed.

Bi-stable fastening

Growing community of inventors

Epsom, NH, United States of America

William L Huber