BENDABLE TOUCH FASTENER PRODUCTS

• US 20080120815A1
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Velcro BVBA
• Original Assignee: Velcro Industries BV (Chartwell Industries Ltd)
• Inventors: Line, Kevin Keith
• Granted Patent: US 7,807,244 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 24/445
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 18/0049 obtained by moulding processes compression moulding or articles of indefinite length characterised by the shape of the surface B29C43/222; screen moulding B29C67/08
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 18/0076 Adaptations for being fixed to a moulded article during moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/16 using magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/27 including readily dissociable fastener having numerous, protruding, unitary filaments randomly interlocking with, and simultaneously moving towards, mating structure [e.g., hook-loop type fastener]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/2733 having filaments formed from continuous element interwoven or knitted into distinct, mounting surface fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/139 Open-ended, self-supporting conduit, cylinder, or tube-type article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24008 including fastener for attaching to external surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24017 Hook or barb

Abstract

A bendable touch fastener product having a longitudinally continuous foundation member that has an array of touch fastener elements, having respective resin stem extending outwardly from an outer surface of the foundation member, such that the array of fastener element is bounded by longitudinal array edges and spaced apart from opposite side sealing surfaces, and a method of manufacture of the bendable touch fastener product.

Claims

1. A touch fastener component comprising an elongated, flexible foundation member having an exterior anchoring surface on one side and a fastening surface on an opposite side, the fastening surface carrying an array of touch fastener elements,

wherein the foundation member is hollow and defines a resiliently compressible interior cavity.

2. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the touch fastener elements are loop-engageable, male touch fastener elements.

3. The fastener of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of anchor elements carried by said anchoring surface and projecting away from the foundation member.

4. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the fastener elements each have stems of resin integral with resin of the fastening surface of the foundation member.

5. The fastener of claim 4, wherein the fastener elements are arranged in spaced apart, longitudinal rows, the fastener elements of each row comprising longitudinally spaced apart segments of an extruded rail.

6. The fastener of claim 1, further comprising a resiliently flexible, compressible gasket adhered to said foundation member between said fastening surface and said anchoring surface.

7. The fastener of claim 6, comprising two such compressible gaskets adhered to said foundation member and disposed on opposite sides of the fastener.

8. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the foundation member defines two such interior cavities separated by a longitudinal interior wall.

9. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the interior cavity is filled with a resiliently compressible foam.

10. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the array of fastener elements is carried on a flexible strip spirally wrapped around and adhered to the foundation member.

11. The fastener of claim 1, wherein the fastening surface is convex in lateral cross-section, such that fastener elements of the array extend from the fastening surface in different directions.

12. A touch fastener product comprising:

a hollow foundation structure; and

an array of touch fastener elements having stems extending outwardly from an outer surface of the foundation structure, wherein the array of fastener elements is bounded by longitudinal array edges and is spaced from opposite side sealing surfaces of the touch fastener product disposed on opposite sides of the foundation structure.

13. The touch fastener product of claim 12, further comprising an anchoring surface on the outer surface opposite the touch fastener array and devoid of touch fastener elements.

14. The touch fastener product of claim 13, wherein the anchoring surface has anchor projections extending outwardly therefrom.

15. The touch fastener product of claim 13, wherein a fabric is applied to the anchoring surface.

16. The touch fastener product of claim 12, further comprising at least one gasket, wherein at least one of the side sealing surfaces has at least one gasket attached thereto.

17. The touch fastener product of claim 16, wherein the at least one gasket extends from one side sealing surface around the anchoring surface to the other side sealing surface to form a gasket on both side sealing surfaces.

18. The touch fastener product of claim 12, wherein the hollow of the foundation member is filled with a material to form a solid core.

19. The touch fastener product of claim 18, wherein a material having ferromagnetic properties is integrated with the foundation member or solid core.

20. A molded polymeric body, said body comprising:

a foam body having an external surface; and

a touch fastener component adhered to said surface, said fastener component comprising a flexible, hollow foundation member defining a compressible interior volume and having an exterior anchoring surface facing and adhered to said body, and a fastening surface facing away from said body and carrying a plurality of hook-type fastener elements.

21. The molded polymeric body of claim 20, wherein the touch fastener component is disposed within a recess defined in the external surface, with the fastener elements facing out of the recess.

22. The molded polymeric body of claim 20, further comprising a resiliently flexible, compressible gasket adhered to both the foundation member and the polymeric body.

23. The polymeric body of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of anchor elements extending from the anchoring surface and embedded into the foam body.

24. The polymeric body of claim 20, in combination with a fabric cover extending about the foam body and secured by the touch fastener component.

25. A method of making a touch fastener component, the method comprising:

extruding a longitudinally continuous, hollow, flexible foundation member defining a resiliently compressible interior volume; and

providing an array of hook-type fastener elements on a fastening surface of said foundation member.

26. A method of making a polymeric body having a touch fastener component, said method comprising:

providing a mold defining a curved, elongated trench with side walls, the trench curving along a plane in an interior surface of the mold;

providing a touch fastener component comprising an elongated, flexible foundation member having an exterior anchoring surface on one side and a fastening surface on an opposite side, the fastening surface carrying an array of touch fastener elements, the foundation member being hollow and defining a resiliently compressible interior cavity;

placing the fastener component into the trench, such that the fastener component curves to follow the trench, with the fastening surface facing a bottom of the trench;

introducing liquid molding material into the mold, such that it contacts the anchoring surface of the fastener component;

allowing the molding material to solidify into a molded body into which the fastener component has been molded; and

removing the molded body and incorporated fastener component from the mold.

27. A method of manufacturing an elongated touch fastener product, the method comprising:

extruding a longitudinally continuous hollow foundation member; and

forming an array of touch fastener elements having respective resin stems extending outwardly from an outer surface of the foundation member,

wherein the array of fastener elements is formed bounded by longitudinal array edges and wherein the array is spaced from opposite side sealing surfaces of the fastener product disposed on opposite sides of the foundation member.

28. A method of manufacturing a flexible touch fastener product, the method comprising:

providing an elongated flexible core having an outer surface; and

attaching a longitudinally continuous fastener strip to the outer surface of the flexile core, the fastener strip having a strip-form base and an array of male touch fastener elements having respective stems extending outwardly from the base, wherein the fastener strip is attached so as to define a series of local flexure regions spaced apart longitudinally along the flexible core and separated by regions of relatively greater flexure stiffness.

29. A flexible touch fastener product comprising:

an elongated flexible core;

a longitudinally continuous fastener strip, having a strip-form base, attached to an outer surface of the flexible core; and

an array of male touch fastener elements having respective stems extending outwardly from the base, wherein the fastener strip is attached so as to define a series of local flexure regions spaced apart longitudinally along the flexible core and separated by regions of relatively greater flexure stiffness.

30. The flexible touch fastener product of claim 29 wherein the attached strip is helically wrapped about the flexible core with gaps between adjacent windings, such that the local flexure regions are defined by the gaps.

31. The flexible touch fastener product of claim 30 further comprising a gasket attached to opposite sides of the flexible core.

32. The flexible touch fastener product of claim 29 wherein the fastener strip is attached longitudinally along the core, the base of the strip forming a pattern of discontinuities that form the local flexure regions.

33. The flexible touch fastener product of claim 32 wherein the pattern is a zigzag pattern, the discontinuities comprising direction reversals of the zigzag pattern.

34. The flexible touch fastener product of claim 32 further comprising a gasket attached to opposite surfaces of the flexible core on either side of the fastener strip.

35. The flexible touch fastener product of claim 32 further comprising a material having ferromagnetic properties integrated with the flexible core.