US3715415A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for the manufacture of a separable fastener
Assignee: American Velcro Inc
•
Filing: 1970-11-06
•
Granted: 1973-02-06
•
Expires: 1990-11-06
Abstract
Abstract A hook member is formed from non-woven sheet material for use in a separable fastening device of the type having two complementary members each provided with an engaging surface having thereon a very large number of hooking elements of the hook and loop type; the members are joined by pressing the engaging surfaces together with a large number of hooks and loops becoming inter-engaged whereupon they become resistant to separation by forces generally parallel to the interface plane of the surfaces and are readily separable by peeling forces applied substantially normal to the plane. The hooks in the hook member are formed from portions of the non-woven sheet displaced out of the plane thereof into a generally upright position by the steps of displacing the portions of the sheet material, and deflecting and heat treating these portions to form the hooks.
Inventors
- 👤 G Erb
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 21:16
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C61/00; B29C61/02; A; A44; A44B; A44B18/00; A44B18/0046; A44B18/0061; B29C35/00; B29C35/02; B29C35/08; B29C35/0805; B29C2035/0822; B29K; B29K2067/00; B29K2067/003; B29L; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/727; B29L2031/729; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T24/00; Y10T24/27; Y10T24/2775; Y10T24/2792; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/249921; Y10T428/249923
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
221 words
A method of making a fastener member for use in a fastening device of the type including at least two fastening member wherein at least one member includes a base sheet of heat shrinkable plastic material, each member having an engaging surface defined by a plurality of hooking elements of flexible resilient material, certain of the hooking elements being hook-type and other being loop-type, the fastening device being characterized by the property that when the respective engaging surfaces of the fastening members are pressed together in face-to-face relationship a large number of hook-type hooking elements engage a large number of loop-type hooking elements to constitute a bond which resists separation by forces generally parallel to the interfacial plane of engagement, comprising the steps of: a. displacing integral portions of the base sheet out of the plane thereof; b. continuously disposing a surface of the base sheet against a support member having teeth thereon such that the teeth extend through the base sheet thereby deflecting at least some of the displaced portions upwardly from the plane of the base sheet; and c. heating the deflected portions to curl them inwardly to an upright position with respect to the base sheet while maintaining contact with the support member to thereby form said deflected portions into a plurality of flexible, resilient hook-type hooking elements.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
221 words
A method of making a fastener member for use in a fastening device of the type including at least two fastening member wherein at least one member includes a base sheet of heat shrinkable plastic material, each member having an engaging surface defined by a plurality of hooking elements of flexible resilient material, certain of the hooking elements being hook-type and other being loop-type, the fastening device being characterized by the property that when the respective engaging surfaces of the fastening members are pressed together in face-to-face relationship a large number of hook-type hooking elements engage a large number of loop-type hooking elements to constitute a bond which resists separation by forces generally parallel to the interfacial plane of engagement, comprising the steps of: a. displacing integral portions of the base sheet out of the plane thereof; b. continuously disposing a surface of the base sheet against a support member having teeth thereon such that the teeth extend through the base sheet thereby deflecting at least some of the displaced portions upwardly from the plane of the base sheet; and c. heating the deflected portions to curl them inwardly to an upright position with respect to the base sheet while maintaining contact with the support member to thereby form said deflected portions into a plurality of flexible, resilient hook-type hooking elements.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the plastic material of the base sheet is pre-Stretched and thereby oriented along at least one axis, comprising the further step of disorienting an exposed surface of the base sheet by heating the deflected portions thereof and thereby forming the hooking elements.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the heat is projected from a source as a beam and is applied progressively from a tip portion of each deflected portion to its base end, segments of area between these ends receiving heat sequentially.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 1 further comprising the initial step of cutting the base sheet to form the integral, displaceable portions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
135 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the sheet material has an exposed surface and a subjacent surface and is shrinkable in one of said surfaces in response to heat applied to that surface, the other surface being unaffected by the heat source, further comprising the steps of: a. shielding portions of the exposed surface with a heat resistant shielding material such that only the displaced portions remain exposed to the heat; and b. controlling the heat treating to preclude substantially the transmission of heat to the subjacent surface of the deflected portions causing the exposed surfaces of the deflected portions to shrink relative to the subjacent surfaces thereof, and causing each deflected portion to curl generally toward the heat source into a generally upright and inwardly curled shape forming a flexible hook-type hooking element.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 5 wherein the heat shrinkable material of the base sheet is pre-stretched along at least one axis.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 5 further comprising the steps of removing the shielding material after heating and securing the inside surface of the base sheet to a stiffening material.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2122368A
Cited
US2724884A
Cited
US2891347A
Cited
US2952037A
Cited
US3004566A
Cited
US3069723A
Cited
US3086246A
Cited
US3092439A
Cited
US3270408A
Cited
US3433688A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-02-06 | 1976-08-07 | 1977-02-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-02-06 | 1980-08-07 | 1981-02-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-02-06 | 1984-08-07 | 1985-02-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |