Self-mating reclosable mechanical fastener

An elongated fastener in tape form comprising a base sheet and a multiplicity of parallel, narrowly spaced, elastically deformable ribs projecting from the base sheet transverse to the length of the tape;

• the ribs comprising a stem portion attached to and substantially upright from the base sheet and at least one flange attached to each side of the stem portion, the flanges being attached to the stem portion at points spaced from the base sheet and at least the outer portions of the flanges projecting toward the base sheet at an angle;
• the cross-sectional profile formed by the ribs being substantially uniform over the length of the ribs, but having a repeated deviation in the direction transverse to the ribs from the profile that would be formed by a full population of equally spaced, identical, undivided, symmetric ribs;
• the deviation from a full-population profile including the absence of structure, at a position adjacent to, and at the same height as, a flange on a plurality of regularly repeating ribs, that would impede movement of the flange during flexure of the rib while the fastener is interengaged with a mating fastener;
• the ribs having a length at least 10 times the width of the stem portion and the ribs having a width that is accommodated between the stem portions of adjacent ribs but is greater than the lateral spacing between facing flanges of adjacent ribs;
• whereby the ribbed surface of the fastener tape can be pressed together with an identical ribbed surface so that the ribs interengage and hold the surfaces together.

An elongated fastener in tape form comprising a base sheet and a multiplicity of parallel, narrowly spaced, elastically deformable ribs projecting from the base sheet transverse to the length of the tape;

• the ribs comprising a stem portion attached to and substantially upright from the base sheet and at least one flange attached to each side of the stem portion at points spaced from the base sheet;
• at least the outer portions of the flanges projecting toward the base sheet;
• the cross-sectional profile formed by the ribs being substantially uniform over the length of the ribs, but some ribs being taller than other ribs in a regularly repeated pattern in the direction transverse to the ribs;
• and the ribs individually having a width that is accommodated between the stem portions of adjacent ribs but is greater than the gap between adjacent ribs, whereby the ribbed surface of the fastener can be interengaged with an identical ribbed surface.

A garment having separate portions and a fastener attached to the garment for fastening the separate garment portions together, the fastener comprising a flexible base sheet and a multiplicity of parallel, narrowly spaced, elastically deformable ribs projecting from the base sheet;

• the ribs comprising a stem portion attached to and substantially upright from the base sheet and at least one flange attached to each side of the stem portion at points spaced from the base sheet;
• the outer portions of the flanges projecting toward the base sheet;
• the cross-sectional profile formed by the ribs being substantially uniform over the length of the ribs but having a regularly repeated deviation in the direction transverse to the ribs from the profile that would be formed by a full population of equally spaced, identical, undivided, symmetric ribs;
• the deviation from a full-population profile including the absence of structure, at a position adjacent to, and at the same height as, a flange on a plurality of regularly repeating ribs, that would impede movement of the flange during flexure of the rib while the fastener is interengaged with a mating fastener;
• and the ribs individually having a width that is accommodated between the stem portions of adjacent ribs but is greater than the gap between adjacent ribs, whereby the ribbed surface of the fastener can be interengaged with an identical ribbed surface.

A fastener comprising a base sheet and a multiplicity of parallel, narrowly spaced, elastically deformable ribs projecting from the base sheet;

• the ribs comprising a stem portion attached to and substantially upright from the base sheet and at least one flange attached to each side of the stem portion and spaced from the base sheet;
• the cross-sectional profile formed by the ribs being substantially uniform over the length of the ribs, but in the direction transverse to the ribs having a regularly repeated deviation from the profile that would be formed by a full population of equally spaced, identical, undivided, symmetric ribs;
• at least the topmost portion of the ribs including a friction-reducing agent to facilitate interengagement of the ribs with the ribs of a mating fastener;
• and the ribs individually having a width that is accommodated between the stem portions of adjacent ribs but is greater than the gap between adjacent ribs, whereby the ribbed surface of the fastener can be interengaged with an identical ribbed surface.

An article adapted to be connected to a surface and to limit passage of fluids through the area of connection comprising sheet material and, mounted on the sheet material, a fastener comprising a base sheet and a multiplicity of parallel, narrowly spaced, elastically deformable ribs projecting from the base sheet;

• the ribs comprising a stem portion attached to and substantially upright from the base sheet and at least one flange attached to each side of the stem portion at points spaced from the base sheet;
• at least the outer portions of the flanges projecting toward the base sheet;
• the cross-sectional profile formed by the ribs being substantially uniform over the length of the ribs, but in the direction transverse to the ribs having a regularly repeated deviation from the profile that would be formed by a full population of equally spaced, identical, undivided, symmetric ribs;
• the deviation from a full-population profile including the absence of structure, at a position adjacent to, and at the same height as, a flange on a plurality of regularly repeating ribs, that would impede movement of the flange during flexure of the rib while the fastener is interengaged with a mating fastener;
• and the ribs individually having a width that is accommodated between the stem portions of adjacent ribs but is greater than the gap between adjacent ribs, whereby the ribbed surface of the fastener can be interengaged with an identical ribbed surface;
• the ribs on the fastener being oriented transversely to the expected course of fluids through the area of connection.

A fastener comprising a base sheet and a multiplicity of parallel, narrowly spaced, elastically deformable ribs projecting from the base sheet;

• the ribs comprising a stem portion attached to and substantially upright from the base sheet and at least one flange attached to each side of the stem portion and spaced from the base sheet;
• the cross-sectional profile formed by the ribs being substantially uniform over the length of the ribs, but in the direction transverse to the ribs having a regularly repeated deviation from the profile that would be formed by a full population of equally spaced, identical, undivided, symmetric ribs;
• the deviation comprising attachment of the flanges on different sides of the stem portion at different spacings from the base sheet;
• and the ribs individually having a width that is accommodated between the stem portions of adjacent ribs but is greater than the gap between adjacent ribs, whereby the ribbed surface of the fastener can be interengaged with an identical ribbed surface.