Forming loop materials

• US 7,547,469 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2005
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Velcro BVBA
• Original Assignee: Velcro Industries BV (Chartwell Industries Ltd)
• Inventors: Barker, James R., Provost, George A.
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, JENNA LEIGH
• Application Number:
  US11/102,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20050208259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 428/88
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 18/0011 Female or loop elements A44B18/0007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/627 characterised by the loop
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/06 characterised by a fibrous or filamentary layer mechanically connected, e.g. by needling to another layer, e.g. of fibres, of paper
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/485 in combination with weld-bonding
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 11/00 Non-woven pile fabrics layered products forming non-woven pile fabrics B32B
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 11/08 formed by creation of a pile on at least one surface of a non-woven fabric without addition of pile-forming material, e.g. by needling, by differential shrinking needling machines D04H18/00
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 18/02 with needles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23929 Edge feature or configured or discontinuous surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23957 Particular shape or structure of pile
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23979 Particular backing structure or composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23986 With coating, impregnation, or bond
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/682 Needled nonwoven fabric

Abstract

Loop materials are provided for touch fastening. Some loop materials include a flexible sheet-form substrate, and hook-engageable fibers secured individually and directly to the substrate, the fibers being disposed in discrete fastening regions of the substrate, leaving fiber-free substrate between adjacent fastening regions. Methods of making and using such loop materials are also provided.

Claims

1. A loop material for touch fastening, the loop material comprising:

a flexible sheet-form substrate; and

hook-engageable staple fibers needled through the substrate only in discrete fastening regions of the substrate, to form loops extending from a front side of the substrate in the discrete fastening regions,

areas of the front side and an opposite back side of the substrate being free of staple fibers between adjacent discrete fastening regions;

the staple fibers being secured to the back side of the substrate to anchor the loops.

2. The loop material of claim 1 wherein the fibers extend through holes pierced through the substrate.

3. The loop material of claim 1 wherein the fibers are fused to a surface of the substrate at discrete bonding locations within the fastening regions.

4. The loop material of claim 1 wherein the discrete fastening regions are surrounded by the areas of substrate that are free of staple fibers.

5. The loop material of claim 1 wherein the discrete fastening regions are circular.

6. The loop material of claim 1 wherein the discrete fastening regions comprise parallel lanes separated by the areas of substrate that are free of staple fibers.

7. The loop material of claim 6 wherein the lanes are longitudinally continuous.

8. The loop material of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a polymer film.

9. The loop material of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a scrim.

10. The loop material of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises paper.

11. The loop material of claim 1 wherein the substrate defines parting lines defining individual fastening products therebetween, each fastening product containing an undivided one of the discrete fastening regions.

12. The loop material of claim 1 further comprising discrete, spaced apart regions of fastener elements.

13. The loop material of claim 1 wherein the fibers have strength, defined as tenacity times denier, of at least 8 grams.

14. The loop material of claim 1 wherein the fibers include bicomponent fibers having a core of one material and a sheath of another material, material of the sheaths of the bicomponent fibers binding fibers together.

15. The loop material of claim 1 having an overall weight of less than about 2 ounces per square yard (67 grams per square meter).

16. The loop material of claim 1 in a continuous length, spooled into roll form.

17. The loop material of claim 1 wherein the staple fibers were disposed on the substrate, prior to needling, in a layer of a total fiber weight of less than about 2 ounces per square yard (67 grams per square meter).

18. The loop material of claim 1 wherein the loop material has an overall weight of less than about 5 ounces per square yard (167 grams per square meter).

19. A loop material for touch fastening, the loop material comprising:

a flexible sheet-form substrate; and

hook-engageable staple fibers needled through the substrate and secured to a back side of the substrate,

wherein the fibers are secured to the back side of the substrate only in discrete fastening regions of the substrate, leaving areas of the back side and an opposite front side of the substrate free of staple fibers between adjacent discrete fastening regions.

20. The loop material of claim 19 wherein the discrete fastening regions are surrounded by the areas of substrate that are free of staple fibers.

21. The loop material of claim 20 wherein the discrete fastening regions are circular.

22. The loop material of claim 19 wherein the discrete fastening regions comprise parallel lanes separated by the areas of substrate that are free of staple fibers.

23. The loop material of claim 22 wherein the lanes are longitudinally continuous.

24. The loop material of claim 19 wherein the substrate defines parting lines defining individual fastening products therebetween, each fastening product containing an undivided one of the discrete fastening regions.

25. The loop material of claim 19 further comprising discrete, spaced apart regions of male fastener elements.

26. The loop material of claim 19 wherein the loop material has an overall weight of less than about 5 ounces per square yard (167 grams per square meter).

27. A loop material for touch fastening, the loop material comprising:

a flexible sheet-form substrate;

discrete, spaced apart regions of male fastener elements extending from a first surface of the substrate; and

staple fibers needled through the substrate from a back surface of the substrate to form hook-engageable loops extending from the first surface of the substrate and secured to the back surface of the substrate,

wherein the fibers are secured to the substrate only in discrete loop bearing regions of the substrate, leaving areas of the first and back surfaces of the substrate free of staple fibers between adjacent discrete loop bearing regions.