Hook for hook and loop fasteners

A hook for a hook and loop fastening system comprising:

• a base;
• a stem connected at its lower end to the base, the stem having an outer side and inner side;
• a crook having a first end and a hook tip, the first end connected to the stem, the crook projecting upwards from the stem and then downwards towards the base in a substantially smooth curve ending at the hook tip;
• the hook having a width, a height and a displacement volume, wherein displacement volume is the volume of a rectangular parallelepiped having a bottom plane, first and second side planes, first and second end planes and a top plane;
• the bottom plane orientated parallel to the base and tangent to the hook tip, the top plane parallel to the base and tangent to the top of the hook at the point where the crook achieves its maximum distance from the base, the side planes laying in the plane of the sides of the hook;
• the first end plane perpendicular to the bottom plane at the point where the bottom plane intersects the stem at its outer side, the second end plane perpendicular to the bottom plane and tangent to the outermost portion of the hook tip;
• wherein the displacement volume of the hook is less than 4.times.10.sup.-6 cubic inches.

In a hook for a hook and loop fastener having a profile defined by an inner generally concave face and an outer generally convex face, the hook comprising a planar base member intimately engaging a tapered base portion and extending there from to join, in a transition region, a tapered hook portion able to engage a loop applying a force to the hook portion substantially normal to the planar base member and terminating in a free end, the taper of the hook portion being much less than the taper of the base portion wherein the hook tapers continuously downwardly in width from the tapered base portion to the free end such that a loop engaging the hook in tension, with the force being substantially normal to the planar base member, will cause the hinging or buckling of the hook at a location adjacent the outer face in the transition region as the hook deforms under the applied force and such that a loop engaging the hook in shear, with the force substantially parallel to the planar base member, will transmit bending force through the tapered base portion between the location of buckling and the planar base member, the hook being of substantially constant thickness and having a substantially rectangular traverse cross section and a displacement volume, wherein displacement volume is the volume of a rectangular parallelepiped having a bottom plane, first and second side planes, first and second end planes and a top plane;

• the bottom plane oriented parallel to the base and tangent to the hook tip, the top plane parallel to the base and tangent to the top of the hook at the point where the hook achieves its maximum distance from the base, the side planes laying in the plane of the sides of the hook;
• the first end plane perpendicular to the bottom plane at the point where the bottom plane intersects the stem at its outer side, the second end plane perpendicular to the bottom plane and tangent to the outermost portion of the hook tip;
• wherein the volume displacement of the hook is less than 6.times.10.sup.-6 cubic inches (9.83.times.10.sup.-5 cubic centimeters).