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US5622578A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method for manufacturing refastenable fastening systems including a female loop fastening component and the products produced therefrom

Assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
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Filing: 1995-07-26
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Granted: 1997-04-22
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Expires: 2015-07-26
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Abstract

Abstract The invention is a refastenable mechanical fastening system including rows of female loops joined to a substrate. The loops taper from the base to the distal end and are typically nonperpendicularly oriented relative to the plane of the substrate. The shanks of each loop may also have an azimuthal angle relative to the machine direction of the substrate. Each loop includes an opening for receiving a portion of the prong of a male hook component. The loops are manufactured by the process of extruding liquid material through the apertures of a depositing member onto a moving substrate to form the base of the loop, stretching the liquid material in a direction parallel to the plane of the substrate, severing the stretched material to form a distal end which fuses with an adjacent amount of stretched material to forma loop. The advantageous usage of the fastening system in an article of manufacture, such as a disposable absorbent article, and more specifically, a diaper is also disclosed.

Inventors

  • 👤 Dennis A. Thomas

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 15:57
CPC Classifications
A; A44; A44B; A44B18/00; A44B18/0069; A44B18/0088; A44B18/0046; A44B18/0049; A44B18/0053; A44B18/0057; A61; A61F; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/56; A61F13/62; A61F13/622; A61F13/625; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T24/00; Y10T24/27; Y10T24/2708; Y10T24/275; Y10T24/2758; Y10T24/2792

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 155 words
A method for making one or more free formed loops useful as a component of a mechanical fastening system including complimentary male hooks, the method comprising the steps of: providing a depositing member having at least one aperture; providing a molten thermally sensitive material; providing a substrate; removing a discrete amount of said molten thermally sensitive material from said aperture; depositing said removed molten thermally sensitive material onto said substrate; stretching a portion of said discrete amount of said molten thermally sensitive material in a direction having a vector component parallel to the plane of the substrate so as to free form a member including a base, a shank and a distal portion; fusing said distal portion of said free formed members either to another free formed member or back upon itself to form an opening for receiving said male hooks; and solidifying said molten thermally sensitive material of said members to form a loop.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 155 words
A method for making one or more free formed loops useful as a component of a mechanical fastening system including complimentary male hooks, the method comprising the steps of: providing a depositing member having at least one aperture; providing a molten thermally sensitive material; providing a substrate; removing a discrete amount of said molten thermally sensitive material from said aperture; depositing said removed molten thermally sensitive material onto said substrate; stretching a portion of said discrete amount of said molten thermally sensitive material in a direction having a vector component parallel to the plane of the substrate so as to free form a member including a base, a shank and a distal portion; fusing said distal portion of said free formed members either to another free formed member or back upon itself to form an opening for receiving said male hooks; and solidifying said molten thermally sensitive material of said members to form a loop.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 12 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said depositing member comprises a screen.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said depositing member comprises a print cylinder.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said step of depositing said molten thermally sensitive material through said apertures comprises using a doctor blade.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of claim 3, wherein said print cylinder comprises between about 100 apertures per square centimeter to about 900 apertures per square centimeter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 4, wherein said print cylinder comprises between 144 apertures per square centimeter to about 576 apertures per square centimeter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said depositing member comprises a porous roll including an internal reservoir.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 30 words
The method of claim 7, wherein the step of depositing said molten thermally sensitive material through said apertures comprises supplying molten thermally sensitive material under pressure to said internal reservoir.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of solidifying said member comprises differentially cooling said molten thermally sensitive material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 4, wherein said step of providing a substrate comprises providing a substrate which is transported in a first direction.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2000-04-21 2000-10-21 2001-04-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2004-04-21 2004-10-21 2005-04-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2008-04-21 2008-10-21 2009-04-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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