Method of making and using a touch fastener with magnetic attractant
First Claim
1. A method of making a component of a two component separable hook and loop fastener, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a magnetic attractant;
b. associating said magnetic attractant with a base and a plurality of fastening elements carried on said base, said fastening elements selected from the group consisting of loop elements and hook elements for use with a loop fastener; and
wherein said base and said fastening elements both comprise a magnetically inert constituent that is intimately associated throughout its entire volume with said magnetic attractant.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fastening component of a separable fastener has some portion that is necessary for its fastening function, such as the hooks, the base to which the hooks are attached or a substrate that is used for another purpose, comprised of a magnetically attractive constituent. Another portion of the fastening component is comprised of a magnetically inert constituent. The fastening element may be the hook portion or the loop portion of a typical fastener. The fastening elements and the base may be unitary, or of different precursors, such as in a woven fastener component. The magnetically inert constituent may comprise a polymeric plastic or a thermoplastic elastomer. The magnetic attractant may impregnate the magnetically inert constituent, or it may coat or be coated by the magnetically inert constituent. The magnetic attractant may comprise a metal powder. The metal may be selected from the group consisting of iron powder. The magnetic attractant may be an organo-iron or a rare earth metal. In a woven fastener, either the base structure or the hooks may include the magnetic attractant, or both may do so. The material that forms the hooks may be entirely of a magnetically attractive material, with the material that forms the woven base being magnetically inert. Rather than the magnetically attractive material being incorporated into the fastening elements or the base, it may be incorporated into the substrate that is formed from a precursor element that is separate from the base, and that is joined to the base.
61 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of making a component of a two component separable hook and loop fastener, said method comprising the steps of:
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a. providing a magnetic attractant; b. associating said magnetic attractant with a base and a plurality of fastening elements carried on said base, said fastening elements selected from the group consisting of loop elements and hook elements for use with a loop fastener; and wherein said base and said fastening elements both comprise a magnetically inert constituent that is intimately associated throughout its entire volume with said magnetic attractant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for making a molded article, said comprising the steps of:
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a. making a component of a two component separable fastener according to the steps comprising; i. providing a magnetic attractant; ii. associating said magnetic attractant with a plurality of fastening elements carried on a base; wherein said fastening elements comprise a magnetically inert constituent that is intimately associated with said magnetic attractant; b. placing said separable fastener component into a mold, with said fastening face facing a wall of said mold, said mold comprising; i. a fastening element receiving valley region; and ii. a magnet inside a mold wall adjacent said fastening element receiving valley; whereby said magnet attracts said fastener component toward said mold wall; and c. providing molding material to said mold. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification