Fastener tape with loops for use as part of hook-and-loop fastener assembly

• US 5,520,021 A
• Filed: 04/26/1995
• Issued: 05/28/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aplix Incorporated (Aplix)
• Original Assignee: Aplix Incorporated (Aplix)
• Inventors: Clerici, Pierro R.
• Primary Examiner(s): CALVERT, JOHN JAMES
• Application Number:
  US08/427,797
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 66/193, 66/191, 66/192, 66/195
• US Class Current: 66/193
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 18/0034 Female or loop elements A44B18/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/02 Pile fabrics or articles having similar surface features
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0311 Small thickness fabric, e.g. ribbons, tapes or straps
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/0632 of the touch-and-close type
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/08 Upholstery, mattresses
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/12 Vehicles D10B2505/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A fabric tape having loops for complementary attachment to a hook-carrying member of a hook-and-loop fastener assembly. The fabric tape includes a fabric backing having a front face and a rear face; and a multitude of elongated yarn loops formed on the front face of the backing, at least some of the loops defining a clockwise-extending axis with reference to the front face of the backing and at least some of the loops defining a counter-clockwise-extending axis with reference to the front face of the backing. The loops are positioned in uniform ranks and files on the front face of the backing.

Claims

1. A nonelastic fabric tape having loops for complementary attachment to hooks carried on a member of a hook-and-loop fastener assembly, said fabric tape comprising:

(a) a narrow flat knitted backing having a front face and a rear face and formed of knitted warp and weft yarns forming a nonelastic backing; and

(b) loop yarns attached by knitting stitches to said warp yarns at spaced-apart points to form upstanding loops on the front face of said backing, at least some of said loop yarns being canted in a first direction with reference to the front face of the backing and others of said loop yarns being canted in a second direction with reference to the front face of the backing opposite said first direction, said loop yarns being attached to said warp yarns according to the pattern wherein;

(1) each of said loop yarns is attached to a first warp yarn at an intersection of said first warp yarn with a first weft yarn;

(2) said each of loop yarns is attached to said first warp yarn at an intersection between said first warp yarn and a second weft yarn adjacent said first weft yarn without forming an upstanding loop between said intersections; and

(3) said each of said loop is attached to a second warp yarn adjacent said first warp yarn at an intersection between said second warp yarn and a third weft yarn adjacent said second weft yarn, said loop yarn forming the upstanding loop between said second warp yarn and a third weft yarn adjacent said second weft yarn.

2. A fabric tape according to claim 1, said loops are positioned in warp-wise and weft-wise extending rows on the front face of the backing.

3. A fabric tape according to claim 1, wherein said fabric comprises a crochet-type flat-knitted fabric having lengthwise warp yarns and widthwise weft yarns.

4. A fabric tape according to claim 3, wherein each loop is comprised of a length of a yarn extending along the lengthwise warp direction of the fabric and forming a multitude of adjacent loops, each of said loops being formed by a plurality of filaments, each filament comprising a thermoplastic filament of at least 18 denier.

5. A fabric tape according to claim 3, wherein the front face of the fabric tape contains at least 20 loops per square centimeter.

6. A fabric tape according to claim 3, wherein the front face of the fabric tape contains no more than 50 loops per square centimeter.

7. A fabric tape according to claim 3, wherein said fabric contains at least twelve 150-denier weft yarns per centimeter, six 150-denier warp yarns per centimeter and at least twenty and no more than fifty 200-denier loop yarns per square centimeter.

8. A fabric tape according to claim 3, wherein said fabric contains thirteen 300-denier weft yarns per centimeter, six 300-denier warp yarns per centimeter and at least twenty and no more than fifty 300-denier loop yarns per square centimeter.

9. A fabric tape according to claim 3, wherein said fabric contains no more than fourteen 600-denier weft yarns per centimeter, no more than six 450-denier warp yarns per centimeter and at least twenty and no more than fifty 400-denier loop yarns per square centimeter.

10. A fabric tape according to claims 7,8 or 9 wherein said loop yarns are multifilament yarns.

11. A fabric tape according to claim 3, wherein said loops extend along the length of the tape in an alternating canted orientation.

12. A fabric tape according to claim 11, wherein:

(a) a first series of loops extends across the width of the fabric in the weft direction along a first group of adjacent courses and are canted in a first direction; and

(b) a second series of loops extend across the width of the fabric in the weft direction along a second group of adjacent courses alternating with said first group of courses, and are canted in a second direction opposite from said second direction.

13. A fabric tape according to claim 11, wherein all of the loops in a group of adjacent courses are alternately canted in first and second opposite directions.

14. A fabric tape according to claim 3 wherein said fabric contains 36 loops per square centimeter with approximately one-half of said loops being canted in said first direction and approximately one-half of said loops being canted in said second direction.