Male touch fastener elements
AssigneeVelcro IP Holdings LLC
InventorsAntoli Fauria Torrent, Luis Parellada Armela, Emili Pubill Piera, James L. Tardiff
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Abstract
A male touch fastener product has an array of discrete fastening elements extending from a resin base. The elements are formed by molding stems and then deforming at least a rim of a distal end of each head to form an overhanging mushroom-type fastener element. Some are deformed against a hard surface to form flat fastener elements, and others are deformed against a compliant surface and form umbrella-shaped fastener elements. The fastener element heads feature particular structural relationships that enhance their performance, particularly with low-lying fibers.
Claims17
A method of making a male touch fastener product, the method comprising
- pressing moldable resin into respective molding cavities defined in a mold, thereby forming a resin layer on a surface of the mold while forming an array of spaced-apart resin projections extending from the resin layer;
- stripping the formed resin layer from the surface of the mold, thereby pulling solidified resin from the cavities;
- and then
- deforming distal ends of the projections by pressing the formed projections against a compliant outer surface of a heated roll, thereby forming from resin of each projection a fastener element comprising a stem extending from the resin layer to a head overhanging the resin layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.