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Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsJayshree Seth, Ronald W. Ausen, Janet A. Venne, Katherine A. S. Graham
Estimating the term…
The present invention concerns an extrusion formed reticulated web, mesh or netting including reticulated hook fasteners for use with hook and loop fasteners the polymer netting comprising two sets of strands at angles to each other. The first set of strands are a plurality of oriented (molecular orientation created by stretching) strands extending in a first direction and are generally mutually parallel and linear. The second set of strands are a plurality of substantially parallel strands attached only to a first face of the first set of oriented strands. The first set of oriented strands occupy a first planar cross-sectional area in the thickness direction of the formed netting. Said second set of oriented strands occupy a second planar cross-sectional area in the thickness direction of the formed netting. Preferably, these first and second planar cross-sectional areas are substantially mutually exclusive and are abutting. The polymer netting is preferably made by extruding a thermoplastic resin through a die plate, which die plate is shaped to form a base film layer and spaced ridges or ribs projecting from a surface of the base layer. The spaced ridges or ribs formed by the die form the first set of strands forming the reticulated mesh or netting. The second set of transverse strands are formed by transversely cutting the base layer at spaced locations along a length, at a transverse angle to the ridges or ribs, to form discrete cut portions. Subsequently longitudinal stretching of the ridges (in the direction of the ridges or the machine direction) separates these cut portions of the backing, which cut portion then form the second set of spaced apart strands of the reticulated mesh or netting.
A polymer netting comprising a plurality of oriented strands extending in a first direction the strands having a first face and a second face and two side faces, a second set of strands attached only to said first face of said oriented strands.
A method for forming a thermoplastic polymer netting comprising simultaneously extruding a polymer film having at least on one face a plurality of integral strand structures, which strand structures extend in a first direction, cutting said formed film in a second direction at an angle to said first direction at multiple cut lines substantially through the entire film so as to form a plurality of cut portions, orienting said cut film in said first direction so as to separate said cut portions forming a second set of strands and thereby orienting said integral strand structures.
A self-engaging bundling material comprising a plurality of oriented strands extending in a first direction the strands having a first face and a second face and two side faces, a second set of strands attached only to said first face of said oriented strands wherein one of said sets of strands have hook structures on an outward facing face of the strands.
A polymer netting comprising a first set of a plurality of strands extending in a first direction formed of at least a first layer of thermoplastic resin and having a first face and a second face and two side faces, a second set of strands formed at least of a second layer of thermoplastic resin, said second set of strands attached only to said first face of said first set of strands.
50 The polymer netting of claim 49 wherein said netting is substantially closed when not under tension and opens when placed under longitudinal tension.
A method for forming a thermoplastic polymer netting comprising simultaneously extruding a polymer film layer formed of a first thermoplastic resin and a second thermoplastic resin layer forming on one face of the film layer a plurality of integral strand structures, which strand structures extend in a first direction, cutting said formed film in a second direction at an angle to said first direction at multiple cut lines substantially through the entire film so as to form a plurality of cut portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.