# US 2013/0239371 A1 · Composite hook and loop fasteners, methods of their manufacture, and products containing them > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0239371 A1 - Document ID: US20130239371A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/890,751 - Filed: 2013-05-09 - Published: 2013-09-19 - Earliest claimed: 1998-11-06 - Assignees: Velcro Industries B.V. - Applicants: Velcro Industries B.V. - Inventors: William H. Shepard; William P. Clune - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130239371A1 ## CPC - A44B 18/008: {Hooks or loops provided with means to reinforce the attachment, e.g. by adhesive means (tab fastener elements for absorbent pads combining adhesive and mechanical fastening A61F13/581)} - 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 18/0088: {Mixed male and female members} - B29C 2043/465: {having one or more cavities, e.g. for forming distinct products} - B29L 2031/729: {Hook and loop-type fasteners} - Y10T 24/15: Bag fasteners - Y10T 24/2708: Combined with diverse fastener - Y10T 24/2742: having filaments of varied shape or size on same mounting surface - Y10T 24/2758: Thermal or adhesive - Y10T 24/2775: having opposed structure formed from distinct filaments of diverse shape to those mating therewith - Y10T 24/2792: having mounting surface and filaments constructed from common piece of material - Y10T 24/33: having adhesive fastener - 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) - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A composite hook and loop fastener in the form of an elongated strip has an elongated loop component, a hook component permanently affixed to the loop component, and a backing layer disposed on a face of the wrap tie in a discrete region. The backing layer is used for permanent attachment of the wrap tie to a supporting surface. One end of the loop component is available for encircling an object to be wrapped and engaging the fastener elements of the hook component. The loop component has a self-supporting web of entangled fibers, the fibers forming both a sheet-form body and hook-engageable, free-standing loops extending from at least one surface of the body, and the hook component has fastener elements extending from a common base. The backing layer may be a pressure sensitive adhesive or a synthetic resin. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-56. (canceled) ### Claim 57 A wrap tie in the form of an elongated strip for closing a bag, the wrap tie comprising: an elongated loop component having hook-engageable loops extending therefrom, the loop component comprising a needled non-woven web.; a hook component permanently affixed to a first end of the loop component at one end of the wrap tie, the hook component comprising a base of synthetic resin; and an array of loop-engageable fastener elements integrally molded with and extending from a first surface of the base; and a backing layer permanently affixed to a second surface of the base opposite the fastener elements, for permanent attachment of the hook component of the wrap tie to a bag near an open end of the bag, with the elongated loop component free to be wrapped around the bag to engage the fastener elements of the hook component to close the bag, wherein the backing layer comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive, and a removable release liner covering the pressure sensitive adhesive backing layer in which the release liner longitudinally overlaps the loop component such that a portion of the release liner is exposed for grasping. ### Claim 58 A method of manufacturing sheet-form composite touch fasteners, the method comprising the steps of: providing a longitudinally continuous sheet of a loop material comprising a non-woven web of entangled fibers, the fibers forming both a sheet-form web body having oppositely directed faces and hook-engageable loops extending from at least one face of the web body; introducing the loop material and molten resin to a gap adjacent a mold roll that has a cylindrical outer surface from which cavities extend in discrete longitudinal regions of the outer surface, the molten resin being introduced to the gap in discrete regions between the mold roll and a receiving face of the continuous sheet of loop material, such that longitudinal edges of the resin engage the outer surface of the mold roll in cavity-free regions between the discrete longitudinal regions in which the cavities extend and such that the resin is subjected to pressure between the mold roll and the loop material, forcing the resin into the cavities defined in the mold roll to form a laminate with a surface having spaced-apart resin-covered regions and exposed regions of the loop material, the resin-covered regions each having a resin base and multiple, loop-engageable fastener elements having stems integrally molded with and extending from the resin base in the direction in which the receiving face is directed, resin of the bases encapsulating fibers of said web body at the receiving face of the loop material in the resin-covered regions, thereby bonding the resin to the loop material; and then cutting the laminate to form said composite touch fasteners, each composite touch fastener having a surface comprising at least a portion of one of the exposed regions of the loop material, and at least a portion of one of the resin-covered regions. ### Claim 59 (depends on 58) The method of claim 58, wherein molten resin is introduced to the gap as multiple, spaced-apart bands of resin. ### Claim 60 (depends on 59) The method claim 59, wherein the bands are longitudinally continuous. ### Claim 61 (depends on 58) The method of claim 58, wherein the gap is in the form of a nip defined between the mold roll and a counter-rotating pressure roll. ### Claim 62 (depends on 58) The method of claim 58, wherein the laminate is cut across both loop material and one or more resin bases, such that the composite touch fastener formed comprises both loops and at least a portion of one or more resin-covered regions. ### Claim 63 (depends on 58) The method of claim 58, wherein portions of the loop material where the molten resin is introduced, and portions containing exposed fastener loops in the composite touch fasteners, are of the same construction. ### Claim 64 (depends on 58) The method of claim 58, wherein the mold roll defines mold cavities each having outer and inner mold cavity portions, the outer mold cavity portions shaped to form the stems integral with the outer surfaces of the base portion and the inner mold cavity portions shaped to form loop-engageable features on distal ends of the stems. ### Claim 65 (depends on 58) The method of claim 58, including so selecting the loop material, so conducting the method of forming the laminate, and so cutting the resulting laminate, as to provide composite touch fasteners capable of being wrapped about one or more objects and secured by engagement of loop-engageable fastener elements with fastener loops of the composite touch fasteners. ### Claim 66 (depends on 58) The method of claim 58, including applying adhesive to a selected region of the laminate for attaching the composite touch fastener to an article. ### Claim 67 (depends on 58) The method of claim 58, wherein a distribution of the loop-engageable fastener elements is produced that is narrower than a region of the receiving face that is substantially free of the resin. ### Claim 68 (depends on 58) The method of claim 58, wherein the face of the loop material opposite to the receiving face is entirely covered with engageable fastener loops. ### Claim 69 (depends on 58) The method of claim 58, wherein the exposed regions of the loop material of the surface are disposed between spaced-apart resin-covered regions, such that the laminate has a broad side with both hook-engageable loops and loop-engageable hooks. ### Claim 70 (depends on 58) The method of claim 58, wherein the loop-engageable fastener elements are formed as loop-engageable fastener hooks having crook-form tips. ### Claim 71 (depends on 58) The method of claim 58, wherein the loop-engageable fastener elements are formed as loop-engageable mushrooms. ### Claim 72 A method of manufacturing sheet-form composite touch fasteners, the method comprising the steps of: providing a fix and longitudinally continuous sheet of a loop material comprising a non-woven web of entangled fibers, the fibers forming both a sheet-form web body having oppositely directed faces and hook-engageable loops extending from at least one face of the web body; introducing the loop material and molten resin to a gap adjacent a mold roll, the molten resin being introduced to the gap in discrete regions between the mold roll and a receiving face of the continuous sheet of loop material, such that the resin is subjected to pressure between the mold roll and the loop material, forcing the resin into cavities defined in the mold roll to form a laminate with a surface having spaced-apart resin-covered regions and exposed regions of the loop material, the resin-covered regions each having a resin base and multiple, loop-engageable fastener elements having stems integrally molded with and extending from the resin base in the direction in which the receiving face is directed, resin of the bases encapsulating fibers of said web body at the receiving face of the loop material in the resin-covered regions, thereby bonding the resin to the loop material; and then cutting the laminate to form said composite touch fasteners, each composite touch fastener having a surface comprising at least a portion of one of the exposed regions of the loop material, and at least a portion of one of the resin-covered regions. wherein the mold roll has a cylindrical outer surface from which the cavities extend in two discrete longitudinal regions of the outer surface, each of the longitudinal regions corresponding to a respective one of the spaced-apart resin-covered regions of the outer surface and separated from each other by a length of the cylindrical outer surface void of the cavities and corresponding to one of the exposed regions of the laminate. ### Claim 73 A method of manufacturing a composite material having fastener loops and loop-engageable fastener elements, the method comprising: providing at least one longitudinally continuous flexible material having oppositely directed faces, the flexible material having fastener loops extending from at least one of its faces, introducing molten resin to a plurality of spaced-apart, discrete regions of a resin-receiving face of the flexible material while leaving free of resin other regions of the resin-receiving face of the flexible material, at least some fastener loops of the flexible material on one or both faces of the flexible material remaining free of resin and positioned to be engaged by loop-engageable fastener elements; and forming the resin to provide both a resin base portion joined to the resin-receiving face of the flexible material and resin loop-engageable fastener elements having resin stems integrally formed with and extending outwardly from an outer surface of the resin base portion, the stems extending in the same direction as the direction faced by the resin-receiving face of the flexible material. ### Claim 74 (depends on 73) The method of claim 73, wherein the flexible material is of the same construction where the molten resin is introduced and where the fastener loops free of resin are positioned. ### Claim 75 (depends on 73) The method of claim 73, wherein the flexible material is selected from the group consisting of nonwoven, knit and woven sheet material. ### Claim 76 (depends on 73) The method of claim 73, wherein the resin-receiving face of the flexible material is comprised of fibers, resin of the base portion encapsulating fibers at the resin-receiving face of the flexible material to bond the resin to the flexible material. ### Claim 77 (depends on 73) The method of claim 73, wherein forming the resin comprises employing a rotating roll having an outer surface constructed to form the outer surface of the resin base portion, the outer surface of the roll defining cavities constructed to form the stems of the fastener elements integrally with and extending outwardly from the surface of the base portion. ### Claim 78 (depends on 77) The method of claim 77 in which the rotating roll is a mold roll that is paired with a counter-rotating second roll to form a nip, and in which the sheet material is introduced into the nip with the resin-receiving face of the flexible material directed toward the mold roll and with the molten resin located between the mold roll and the resin-receiving face of the flexible material. ### Claim 79 (depends on 78) The method of claim 78, wherein multiple, spaced-apart continuous bands of molten resin of limited transverse dimension enter the nip with the flexible material and are formed into base portions joined to the flexible material and stems integral with and extending outwardly from the outer surfaces of the respective base portions. ### Claim 80 (depends on 77) The method of claim 77, wherein the roll is a mold roll having mold cavities constructed with outer and inner mold cavity portions, the outer mold cavity portions shaped to form the stems integral with the outer surfaces of the base portion and the inner mold cavity portions shaped to form loop-engageable features on the outer ends of the stems. ### Claim 81 (depends on 73) The method of claim 73, including so selecting the flexible material, and so conducting the method of forming the composite material, as to result in a composite material capable of being wrapped about one or more objects and secured by engagement of loop-engageable fastener elements with fastener loops of the product. ### Claim 82 (depends on 73) The method of claim 73, including applying adhesive to a selected region of the composite material. ### Claim 83 (depends on 73) The method of claim 73, comprising forming multiple, spaced apart regions of loop engageable fastener elements separated by separate bands of flexible material. ### Claim 84 (depends on 73) The method of claim 73, wherein a distribution of the loop-engageable fastener elements is produced that is narrower than a region of the resin-receiving face that is substantially free of the resin. ### Claim 85 (depends on 73) The method of claim 73, wherein the face of the flexible material opposite to the resin-receiving face is entirely covered with engageable fastener loops. ### Claim 86 (depends on 73) The method of claim 73, wherein the free of resin other regions of the resin-receiving face of the flexible material are disposed between spaced-apart resin-covered regions, such that the composite material has a broad side with both hook-engageable loops and loop-engageable hooks.