# US 10,369,909 B2 · Surface fastener, cushioning structure, and seat structure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,909 B2 - Document ID: US10369909B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/127,702 - Filed: 2015-02-25 - Published: 2018-07-19 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-03-21 - Assignees: Delta Tooling Co., Ltd.; Kuraray Fastening Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Delta Tooling Co., Ltd.; Kuraray Fastening Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Etsunori Fujita; Yumi Ogura; Seiji Kawasaki; Shigeki Wagata; Yukitoshi Higashinaka; Satoru Ono; Tooru Tanokura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369909B2 ## CPC - B60N 2/5833: {by hook-and-loop type fasteners} - A44B 18/0049: {obtained by moulding processes (compression moulding or articles of indefinite length characterised by the shape of the surface B29C43/222; screen moulding B29C67/08)} - A44B 18/0061: {Male or hook elements (A44B18/0053 takes precedence)} - A44B 18/0073: {Attaching means} - B29C 48/12: Articles with an irregular circumference when viewed in cross-section, e.g. window profiles - B60N 2/5883: {by sewing, stitching or threading} - B29K 2067/006: {PBT, i.e. polybutylene terephthalate} - B29K 2075/00: Use of {PU, i.e.} polyureas or polyurethanes {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material - B29K 2081/06: {PSU, i.e. polysulfones; PES, i.e. polyethersulfones or derivatives thereof} - B29K 2105/04: cellular or porous - B29L 2031/58: Upholstery or cushions, e.g. vehicle upholstery or interior padding {(mattresses, cushions B29L2031/751)} - B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - A44B: BUTTONS, PINS, BUCKLES, SLIDE FASTENERS, OR THE LIKE (fastenings specially adapted for footwear A43C) - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract A surface fastener formed of a synthetic resin and in which a base with a 0.1 to 0.9 mm thickness and engagement element groups including engagement elements with a 0.2 to 0.8 mm protrusion height are integrally molded, and engagement element rows are composed of the plural engagement elements arranged in a row direction and each protruding independently. A cushioning member is covered with a covering member via the surface fastener. A resistance value of the surface fastener by itself as measured by a handle-o-meter method conforming to the JIS L 1096 E method is 80 to 150 g, whereas a load-deflection characteristic when a pressure is applied to an overlapping portion of the stacked surface fastener and cushioning member by a pressure plate with a 30 mm diameter approximates a similarly measured load-deflection characteristic of the cushioning member by itself. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A surface fastener which is used while stacked on a cushioning member to fix a covering member to the cushioning member that is to be covered, the surface fastener being formed of a synthetic resin and comprising an integrally molded base with a 0.1 to 0.9 mm thickness and an engagement element group including at least one engagement element row composed of a plurality of protruding engagement elements with a 0.2 to 0.8 mm protrusion height arranged in a row on one surface of the base, wherein a resistance value of the surface fastener as measured by a handle-o-meter method conforming to the JIS L 1096 E method is within an 80 to 150 g range, and wherein, when a load value is 40 N or more, a hysteretic characteristic of a load-deflection graph which is obtained when a pressure up to 100 N is applied to a stack of the surface fastener and the cushioning member by a pressure plate with a 30 mm diameter is within a ±5% range of a hysteretic characteristic of a load-deflection graph which is obtained when the pressure is applied only to the cushioning member under the same condition, and a spring constant of the surface fastener by itself is 0.5 N/mm or less. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The surface fastener according to claim 1, wherein the base is coupled to a predetermined position of a joining counterpart has a portion contributing to an occurrence of a bending point. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The surface fastener according to claim 2, wherein the base has a portion where a modulus of section sharply changes by a 5 to 50% range, and the portion is a portion contributing to the occurrence of a bending point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The surface fastener according to claim 3, wherein the base is coupled to the predetermined position of the joining counterpart by sewing and due to perforations formed by the sewing, the base has a portion where the modulus of section is in a 50 to 95% range of a modulus of section before the sewing, and the portion is the portion where the modulus of section sharply changes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The surface fastener according to claim 1, wherein the synthetic resin is a polyester elastomer resin. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The surface fastener according to claim 1, wherein the engagement elements include tilting engagement elements standing obliquely from the base, the surface fastener comprising a tilting engagement element group as the engagement element group, including at least one tilting engagement element row as the engagement element row, composed of the plural tilting engagement elements arranged in a row. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The surface fastener according to claim 6, wherein the tilting engagement element group includes a first tilting engagement element group and a second tilting engagement element group each including at least one row of the tilting engagement element row, and wherein first tilting engagement elements belonging to the first tilting engagement element group and second tilting engagement elements belonging to the second tilting engagement element group tilt in directions opposite to each other. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The surface fastener according to claim 7, wherein a boundary portion between the first tilting engagement element group and the second tilting engagement element group is an elementless portion not having the tilting engagement element, and the elementless portion is coupled to the predetermined position of a joining counterpart. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The surface fastener according to claim 1, wherein the engagement elements include vertical engagement elements standing substantially vertically from the base, the engagement element group compromising; a vertical engagement element group, including at least one vertical engagement element row as the engagement element row, composed of the plural vertical engagement elements arranged in a row, and wherein the engagement elements include tilting engagement elements standing obliquely from the base, and a tilting engagement element group, including at least one tilting engagement element row as the engagement element row, composed of the plural tilting engagement elements arranged in a row. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The surface fastener according to claim 9, wherein the tilting engagement element group includes a first tilting engagement element group and a second tilting engagement element group each including at least one row of the at least one tilting engagement element row, and wherein first tilting engagement elements belonging to the first tilting engagement element group and second tilting engagement elements belonging to the second tilting engagement element group tilt in directions opposite to each other. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The surface fastener according to claim 10, wherein a boundary portion between the first tilting engagement element group and the second tilting engagement element group is an elementless portion not having the tilting engagement element, and the elementless portion is coupled to the predetermined position of joining counterpart. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A cushioning structure in which a cushioning member is covered with a covering member, the cushioning structure comprising the surface fastener of claim 1 which is coupled to a predetermined position of the covering member and via which the cushioning member is covered with the covering member. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A seat structure in which a cushioning structure is disposed in a seat cushion part or a seat back part, the seat structure comprising, as the cushioning structure, the cushioning structure according to claim 12. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The seat structure according to claim 13, wherein an outer layer member is used as the covering member included in the cushioning structure, and the cushioning member is covered with the outer layer member via the surface fastener. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The cushioning structure according to claim 12, wherein the surface fastener is located on a surface opposite to a load support surface of the cushioning member, and tension generated when a load is applied to the cushioning member causes tilting engagement elements to further tilt in such a direction as to have increased engagement forces with an engagement counterpart. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The cushioning structure according to claim 15, wherein an elementless portion of the surface fastener is located on the surface opposite to the load support surface of the cushioning member, and when the load is applied to the cushioning member, the elementless portion deflects in a pressing direction of the applied load, and first tilting engagement elements belonging to a first tilting engagement element group and second tilting engagement elements belonging to a second tilting engagement element group, which tilting engagement elements tilt in the opposite directions, further tilt in such directions as to have increased engagement forces with the engagement counterpart.