Fastener loop material, its manufacture, and products incorporating the material
AssigneeVelcro Industries B.V.
InventorsWilliam H. Shepard, Paul R. Erickson, Michael J. Onderko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Lightweight, non-woven loop products for hook-and-loop fastening are disclosed, as are methods for making them and end products employing them. The products are non-woven webs of entangled fibers of substantial tenacity, the fibers forming both a sheet-form web body and hook-engageable, free-standing loops extending from the web body. The product is stretched and stabilized to produce spaced-apart loop clusters extending from a very thin web of taut fibers. In some embodiments, the fibers include low denier fibers and/or bicomponent fibers.
Claims61
A loop product for hook-and-loop fastening, the loop product comprising a nonwoven web of entangled fibers, the fibers forming a sheet-form web body stabilized in a condition of at least about 20 percent areal stretch, in which hook-engageable loops extend in clusters from tightened entanglements within the web body, the entanglements being joined together by straightened fibers, the product having a basis weight of less than about 4 ounces per square yard wherein the fibers comprise a blend of relatively higher denier fibers and relatively lower denier fibers.
A loop product for hook-and-loop fastening, the loop product comprising a nonwoven web of entangled fibers, the fibers forming a sheet-form web body stabilized in a condition of at least about 20 percent areal stretch, in which hook-engageable loops extend in clusters from tightened entanglements within the web body, the entanglements being joined together by straightened fibers, the product having a basis weight of less than about 4 ounces per square yard and at least some of the fibers having a fiber denier of less than 3.
A loop product for hook-and-loop fastening, the loop product comprising a non-woven web of entangled fibers, the fibers forming a sheet-form web body stabilized with binder in a condition of at least about 20 percent areal stretch, in which hook-engageable loops extend in clusters from tightened entanglements within the web body, the entanglements being joined together by straightened fibers, the product having a basis weight of less than about 4 ounces per square yard, said fibers comprising bicomponent fibers prior to stabilization of the web, the bicomponent fibers including a first polymer that melts during stabilization to provide said binder, and a second polymer that does not melt during stabilization.
A loop product for hook-and-loop fastening, the loop product comprising a nonwoven web of entangled fibers, the fibers forming a sheet-form web body stabilized with binder in a condition of at least about 20 percent areal stretch, in which hook-engageable loops extend in clusters from tightened entanglements within the web body, the entanglements being joined together by straightened fibers, the product having a basis weight of less than about 4 ounces per square yard, wherein said binder comprises a stable foam coating.
A loop product for hook-and-loop fastening, the loop product comprising a nonwoven web of entangled fibers, the fibers forming a sheet-form web body stabilized with binder in a condition of at least about 20 percent areal stretch, in which hook-engageable loops extend in clusters from tightened entanglements within the web body, the entanglements being joined together by straightened fibers, the product having a basis weight of less than about 4 ounces per square yard, wherein said binder comprises a polymer film.
A loop product for hook-and-loop fastening, the loop product comprising a nonwoven web of entangled fibers, the fibers forming a sheet-form web body stabilized with binder in a condition of areal stretch, in which hook-engageable loops extend in clusters from tightened entanglements within the web body, the entanglements being joined together by straightened fibers, the product having a basis weight of less than about 4 ounces per square yard, wherein said fibers comprise a blend of relatively higher denier fibers and relatively lower denier fibers.
A method of forming a loop fastener component for hook-and-loop fastening from a generally planar non-woven batt of entangled fibers, the fibers comprising bicomponent fibers that include a first polymer having a first melting temperature and a second polymer having a second melting temperature that is relatively higher than the first melting temperature, the method comprising
- stretching the batt by at least 20 percent in at least one direction in its plane, thereby producing a stretched web of weight less than about 4 ounces per square yard and having a generally planar web body with hook-engageable loops extending therefrom, a substantial number of fibers of the body being regionally taut in the plane of the web body, and extending in different directions radiating from bases of the loops;
- and
- stabilizing the web in its stretched condition by heating the web to a temperature that is between the first and second melting temperatures, causing the first polymer to melt and act as a binder.
A method of forming a loop fastener component for hook-and-loop fastening from a generally planar non-woven batt of entangled fibers, the method comprising
- stretching the batt by at least 20 percent in at least one direction in its plane, thereby producing a stretched web of weight less than about 4 ounces per square yard and having a generally planar web body with hook-engageable loops extending therefrom, a substantial number of fibers of the body being regionally taut in the plane of the web body, and extending in different directions radiating from bases of the loops;
- and
- stabilizing the web in its stretched condition by applying a stable foam to a surface of the web opposite the surface from which the hook-engageable loops extend.
A method of forming a loop fastener component for hook-and-loop fastening from a generally planar non-woven batt of entangled fibers, the method comprising stretching the batt by at least 20 percent in at least one direction in its plane, thereby producing a stretched web of weight less than about 4 ounces per square yard and having a generally planar web body with hook-engageable loops extending therefrom, a substantial number of fibers of the body being regionally taut in the plane of the web body, and extending in different directions radiating from bases of the loops;
- and
- stabilizing the web in its stretched condition by extruding a polymer film onto a surface of the web opposite the surface from which the hook-engageable loops extend.
A method of forming a loop fastener product, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming a nonwoven web having hook-engageable loops extending from a first surface;
- and
- extruding a polymeric film onto a second surface of said nonwoven web, opposite said first surface.
A method of forming a loop fastener product, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming a nonwoven web having hook-engageable loops extending from a first surface;
- and
- applying a layer of a stable foam onto a second surface of said nonwoven web, opposite said first surface.
A loop product for hook-and-loop fastening, the loop product comprising a non-woven web of entangled fibers, the fibers forming a sheet-form web body stabilized with binder in a condition of at least about 20 percent areal stretch, in which hook-engageable loops extend in clusters from tightened entanglements within the web body, the entanglements being joined together by straightened fibers, and a foam layer disposed on a surface of the non-woven web opposite the surface from which the hook-engageable loops extend.
A loop product for hook-and-loop fastening, the loop product comprising
- a non-woven web of entangled fibers, the fibers forming a sheet-form web body stabilized with binder in a condition of at least about 20 percent areal stretch, in which hook-engageable loops extend in clusters from tightened entanglements within the web body, the entanglements being joined together by straightened fibers, and
- an optically scannable image printed on a surface of the non-woven web from which the hook-engageable loops extend.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.