Flexible substrate connectors

• US 10,328,776 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tafco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tafco Corporation
• Inventors: Tortorella, Jr., Frank Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Canfield, Robert
• Application Number:
  US15/716,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20180092440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 16 872, 3810291, 52 3, 135119, 1351203, 24460, 428 80
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 13/0082 by riveting
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/104 Fastening means for tarpaulins
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/64 Tent or canopy cover fastenings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44017 with specific mounting means for attaching to rigid or semirigid supporting structure or structure-to-be-secured
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44026 for cooperating with aperture in supporting structure or structure-to-be-secured
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24008 including fastener for attaching to external surface

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed including6 a connector for a flexible substrate including a first connector piece including a first plurality of through holes and a second connector piece including a second plurality of through holes, the second connector piece disposable in opposition to the first connector piece to align the first plurality of through holes and the second plurality of through holes to define, via the first plurality of through holes and the second plurality of through holes, a grommet and a plurality of fastener receivers. The connector also includes a channel, defined at least in part by the first connector piece, extending across the first connector piece.

Claims

1. A connector for a flexible substrate, comprising:

a first connector piece including a first plurality of through holes;

a second connector piece including a second plurality of through holes, the second connector piece disposable in opposition to the first connector piece to align the first plurality of through holes and the second plurality of through holes to define, via the first plurality of through holes and the second plurality of through holes, a grommet and a plurality of fastener receivers; and

a channel, defined at least in part by the first connector piece, extending across the first connector piece, the second connector piece, or both the first connector piece and the second connector piece, forming a pathway to accommodate a reinforcing material of a reinforced periphery of the flexible substrate, the reinforcing material comprising at least one of a rope, a cord or a cable,

wherein a first through hole in the first plurality of through holes corresponds to the grommet and wherein a first through hole in the second plurality of through holes corresponds to the grommet are formed on a first side of the channel outside of a region of the first connector piece and the second connector piece which are to receive and retain the flexible substrate, and

wherein a second through hole in the first plurality of through holes and a second through hole in the second plurality of through holes correspond to a first fastener receiver of the plurality of fastener receivers and a third through hole in the first plurality of through holes and a third through hole in the second plurality of through holes correspond to a second fastener receiver of the plurality of fastener receivers, the first fastener receiver and the second fastener receiver being formed on a second side of the channel in the region of the first connector piece and the second connector piece which are to receive and retain the flexible substrate.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the first connector piece and the second connector piece are separate pieces.

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the second connector piece includes a male connector disposed adjacent a periphery of the second connector piece and the first connector piece includes a female connector disposed adjacent a periphery of the first connector piece.

4. The connector of claim 1, wherein at least one of the grommet or the plurality of fastener receivers includes a boss or a reinforced wall.

5. The connector of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of fastener receivers are disposed on a first side of the channel and at least some of the plurality of fastener receivers are disposed on a second side of the channel.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a flexible substrate, the flexible substrate including a reinforcing material in a reinforced periphery of the flexible substrate, the reinforcing material comprising at least one of a rope, a cord or a cable;

a connector including a first connector piece defining a first plurality of through holes and a second connector piece defining a second plurality of through holes, at least one of the first connector piece or the second connector piece defining a channel extending across the connector and forming a pathway to accommodate the reinforcing material of the flexible substrate; and

a plurality of mechanical fasteners connecting the connector to the flexible substrate,

wherein the first connector piece is disposed adjacent a top surface of the flexible substrate at a periphery of the flexible substrate and the second connector piece is disposed adjacent a bottom surface of the flexible substrate adjacent the periphery of the flexible substrate and in opposition to the first connector piece to align the first plurality of through holes and the second plurality of through holes to define a grommet and to define a plurality of fastener receivers, the plurality of mechanical fasteners being inserted through the fastener receivers and through the flexible substrate to connect the first connector piece, the second connector piece, and the flexible substrate,

wherein a first through hole in the first plurality of through holes corresponds to the grommet and wherein a first through hole in the second plurality of through holes corresponds to the grommet are formed on a first side of the channel outside of a region of the first connector piece and the second connector piece which are to receive and retain the flexible substrate, and

wherein a second through hole in the first plurality of through holes and a second through hole in the second plurality of through holes correspond to a first fastener receiver of the plurality of fastener receivers and a third through hole in the first plurality of through holes and a third through hole in the second plurality of through holes correspond to a second fastener receiver of the plurality of fastener receivers, the first fastener receiver and the second fastener receiver being formed on a second side of the channel in the region of the first connector piece and the second connector piece which are to receive and retain the flexible substrate.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first connector piece or the second connector piece includes a male connector, wherein another one of the first connector piece or the second connector piece includes a female connector and wherein the male connector connects to the female connector without passing through the flexible substrate.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the connector includes a plurality of connectors, with a first connector disposed at a first position at a periphery of the flexible substrate, a second connector disposed at a second position at a periphery of the flexible substrate, a third connector disposed at a third position at a periphery of the flexible substrate, and a fourth connector disposed at a fourth position at a periphery of the flexible substrate.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further including a fifth connector disposed at a fifth position at a periphery of the flexible substrate, a sixth connector disposed at a sixth position at a periphery of the flexible substrate, a seventh connector disposed at a seventh position at a periphery of the flexible substrate, and an eighth connector is disposed at an eighth position at a periphery of the flexible substrate.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the flexible substrate includes at least one of canvas, ripstop canvas, polyethylene, polyester, polyester coated with polyurethane, polyester oxford, nylon, nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon coated with polyurethane, ripstop nylon, ripstop fabric, polyvinylchloride, or vinyl.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the flexible substrate includes a tarp.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the flexible substrate includes a cargo covering.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the flexible substrate is a substrate from which a tent or a portion of a tent is formed.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the flexible substrate is a substrate from which luggage, a duffle bag, an amusement device or a parachute is formed.

15. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the mechanical fasteners include at least one of a rivet, a bolt or a pin.

16. A method of attaching a connector to a flexible substrate, comprising:

disposing a first connector piece on a first surface of the flexible substrate at a first peripheral portion of the flexible substrate, the first connector piece defining a first plurality of through holes;

disposing a second connector piece defining a second plurality of through holes on a second surface of the flexible substrate at the first peripheral portion in opposition to and in alignment with the first connector piece so that the second plurality of through holes are aligned with the first plurality of through holes including aligning a first through hole of the first plurality of through holes corresponding to a first portion of a grommet for the connector and a first through hole of the second plurality of through holes corresponding to a second portion of the grommet for the connector, aligning a second through hole of the first plurality of through holes corresponding to a first portion of a first fastener receiver for the connector and a second through hole of the second plurality of through holes corresponding to a second portion of the first fastener receiver for the connector, and aligning a third through hole of the first plurality of through holes corresponding to a first portion of a second fastener receiver for the connector and a third through hole of the second plurality of through holes corresponding to a second portion of the second fastener receiver for the connector, the first through holes corresponding to the grommet being formed on a first side of a channel defined by the first connector piece, the second connector piece, or both the first connector piece and the second connector piece to extend across the connector to define a pathway from a first lateral side of the connector to a second lateral side of the connector, the first side of the channel being outside of a region of the connector which receives and retains the flexible substrate;

disposing a reinforcing material of a reinforced periphery of the flexible substrate in the channel;

forming a plurality of through holes in the flexible substrate, the plurality of through holes in the flexible substrate including a first through hole in the flexible substrate at a position corresponding to the first through hole of the first connector piece and the second connector piece, a second through hole in the flexible substrate at a position corresponding to the second through hole of the first connector piece and the second connector piece, and a third through hole in the flexible substrate at a position corresponding to the third through hole of the first connector piece and the second connector piece; and

securing the first connector piece and the second connector piece to the flexible substrate via a first mechanical fastener inserted through the second through hole of the first connector piece and the second connector piece and the second through hole in the flexible substrate and a second mechanical fastener inserted through the third through hole of the first connector piece and the second connector piece and the third through hole in the flexible substrate.

17. The method of attaching the connector to the flexible substrate according to claim 16, wherein the first surface of the flexible substrate is a top surface and the second surface of the flexible substrate is a bottom surface.

18. The method of attaching the connector to the flexible substrate according to claim 17, wherein the reinforcing material comprises at least one of a rope, a cord or a cable.

19. The method of attaching the connector to the flexible substrate according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the first mechanical fastener or the second mechanical fastener comprises at least one of a rivet, a bolt or a pin.