Plastic article in situ molded to a porous substrate

• US 5,357,659 A
• Filed: 12/27/1990
• Issued: 10/25/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Walter T. Ackermann
• Original Assignee: Walter T. Ackermann
• Inventors: Ackermann, Walter T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brittain, James R.
• Application Number:
  US07/633,758
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 425/520, 24/90 HA, 24/107, 24/108, 24/662, 24/618, 24/689, 24/693, 428/99, 428/101, 428/198
• US Class Current: 24/662
• CPC Class Codes: A41H 37/04 Setting snap fasteners A41H37/001, A41H37/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 17/0035 Their fastening
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/008 Using vibrations during moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/50 using adhesive tape , e.g. thermoplastic tape; using threads or the like B29C65/3444 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/5028 being textile in woven or non-woven form
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/474 said single elements being substantially non-flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7212 characterised by the composition of the fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/729 Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73772 the to-be-joined areas of both parts to be joined being amorphous
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73776 the to-be-joined areas of both parts to be joined being crystalline
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8242 Pneumatic or hydraulic drives using fluid pressure directly acting on the parts to be joined B29C66/8266
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/83221 cooperating reciprocating tools, each tool reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/74 Moulding material on a relatively small portion of the preformed part, e.g. outsert moulding B29C70/845 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2309/08 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2313/00 Use of textile products or fabrics as reinforcement B29K2105/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2019/00 Buttons or semi-finished parts of buttons for haberdashery push-buttons B29L2031/46
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3683 Button with cavity for friction grip fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45775 : having resiliently biased interlocking component or segment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45937 : Consisting of thermally fusible substance

Abstract

An article of manufacture comprises a molded-plastic fitment such as one of the halves of a snap fastener molded in situ to a porous substrate such as a garment fabric. Various embodiments are described for the article, as well as dies for forming the same, and methods and a machine for making the same.

Claims

1. As an article of manufacture, a unitary single-piece snap-fastener stud having a central axis of symmetry and in-situ molded to an unapertured portion of porous substrate from a solid pellet of plastic material, said stud having a functional stud formation at one axial end and having a mounting base at its other axial end;

said functional stud formation being a circumferentially continuous cup-shaped annulus that is open in the direction away from the base end, and the outer surface of said annulus having a convex bead at axial offset from the base end and within the axial span of the annulus, the bead region of said annulus having stiffly compliant deformability upon interfering snap-action fit to and removal from a mating snap-fastener socket, said molded stud being the product of compressive deformation of the pellet in contact with the substrate and under such ultrasonic modulation of continuous force normal to the substrate as to create many point contacts each of which acts as a small area of energy focus for local initiation of melting engagement of the solid pellet with the substrate in full-thickness solidly consolidated impregnation of the substrate over the area of said mounting base, and said mounting base extending over the area within a perimeter which peripherally continuously surrounds said functional stud formation.

2. In combination with the stud article of claim 1, a second article of manufacture, comprising a unitary single-piece snap-fastener socket having interfering snap-action mating fit to and removal from said stud article, said socket having a central axis of symmetry and in situ molded to an unapertured second portion of porous substrate from another solid pellet of plastic material, said socket having a functional socket formation at one axial end and having a socket-mounting base at its other end;

said functional socket formation being a circumferentially continuous cup-shaped socket annulus that is open in the direction away from its socket-base end, and the inner surface of said socket annulus having a convex bead at axial offset from the socket-base end and within the axial span of the socket annulus, the bead region of said socket annulus having stiffly compliant deformability upon interfering snap-action mating fit to and removal from said snap-fastener stud, said molded socket being the product of compressive deformation of said other pellet in contact with said second substrate portion and under such ultrasonic modulation of continuous force normal to said second substrate portion as to create many point contacts each of which acts as a small area of energy focus for local initiation of melting engagement of said other solid pellet with the substrate in full-thickness solidly consolidated impregnation of the substrate over the area of said socket-mounting base, said socket-mounting base extending over the area within a perimeter which peripherally continuously surrounds said functional socket formation.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said snap-fastener stud and said snap-fastener socket are on substrates that are first and second elongate tapes of flexible porous material, wherein said snap-fastener stud is one of a distributed and spaced array of first snap-fastener studs each of which is molded from a different solid pellet of plastic material to one side of said first tape, and wherein said snap-fastener socket is one of a plurality of a correspondingly distributed and spaced array of snap-fastener sockets of plastic material, each of said sockets being molded from a different solid pellet of plastic material to one side of said second tape.

4. The article of claim 3, additionally including at the other side of each said substrate a plastic cover of the impregnated pores associated with each of said studs and sockets, each said cover being also formed from the pellet material of the stud or socket with which it is associated, and each said cover being integrally connected with its associated molded snap-fastener stud or socket via pore-impregnating plastic material of one and the same pellet.

5. The article of claim 3, in which said tapes are preassembled via mutually detachable engagement of correspondingly spaced mating studs and sockets.

6. The article of claim 1, in which said substrate is of flexible material.

7. The article of claim 1, in which said substrate is part of a garment.

8. The article of claim 1, in which said substrate is a composite of multiple plies with melted material of said pellet solidly impregnating the pores of said multiple plies.