Cooperative touch fasteners have a sheet-form base with an upper face and a lower face. Extending outwardly from, and integral with the upper face of the base is a plurality of fastener elements. Additionally, the lower face of the sheet-form base has a pressure adhesive property and is coated with a cross-linkable adhesive. The cooperative touch fasteners can be used to alter garments, hang window coverings and attach finishing covers. Additionally, the fasteners can be used in place of snaps and buttons, in medical devices, with diapers and in conjunction with a variety of manufacturing techniques.
1. A touch fastener comprising:
a sheet-form base having an upper face and a lower face;
extending outwardly from the upper face of the base, a plurality of discrete fastener elements; and
the lower face including an adhesive layer having a pressure sensitive portion, and comprising a cross-linkable adhesive, wherein the pressure sensitive portion is pressure sensitive at room temperature and the cross-linkable adhesive is cross-linkable by a user to permanently secure the touch fastener to a substrate.
2. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein the cross-linkable adhesive is also pressure sensitive.
3. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein the cross-linkable adhesive is encapsulated in a pressure sensitive adhesive in the pressure-sensitive portion.
4. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein the lower face comprises a first area of pressure sensitive adhesive and a second area of cross-linkable adhesive.
5. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein the fastener elements comprise hooks.
6. The touch fastener of claim 5 , wherein the hooks are integrally molded with the upper face of the base.
7. The touch fastener of claim 5 , wherein the hooks have a height of less than about 0.05 inch (1.27 millimeters).
8. The touch fastener of claim 5 , wherein the hooks have a height of between about 0.005 and 0.05 inch (0.127 and 1.27 millimeters).
9. The touch fastener of claim 5 , wherein the hooks are arranged in an array uniformly covering substantially the entire upper face or the base.
10. The touch fastener of claim 5 , wherein the hooks are arranged with a hook density of at least about 100 hooks per square inch (15.5 hooks per square centimeter).
11. The touch fastener of claim 10 , wherein the hook density is at least about 1000 hooks per square inch (155 per square centimeter).
12. The touch fastener of claim 5 , wherein the hooks are mushroom-shaped.
13. The touch fastener of claim 5 , wherein the hooks comprise palm tree hooks.
14. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein the fastener elements comprise loops.
15. The touch fastener of claim 14 , wherein the loops are of a knit, woven, or non-woven material.
16. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein the base is a woven material from which the fastener elements extend as filament ends.
17. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein the cross-linkable adhesive is heat activated.
18. The touch fastener of claim 17 , wherein the heat activated cross-linkable adhesive is a curable hot melt adhesive, or a urethane.
19. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein the cross-linkable adhesive moisture activatable.
20. The touch fastener of claim 19 , wherein the moisture activatable cross-linkable adhesive is a urethane.
21. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein the cross-linkable adhesive is radiation activatable.
22. The touch fastener of claim 21 , wherein the cross-linkable adhesive is UV activatable.
23. The touch fastener of claim 1 , further comprising a release liner covering the pressure-sensitive portion.
24. A touch fastener comprising:
a sheet-form base having an upper face and a lower face;
extending outwardly from the upper face of the base, a plurality of discrete fastener elements; and
the lower face including an adhesive layer have a pressure sensitive portion, and comprising a cross-linkable adhesive, wherein the cross-linkable adhesive is encapsulated in a pressure sensitive adhesive in the pressure-sensitive portion.
25. The touch fastener of claim 24 , wherein the cross-linkable adhesive is heat activated.
26. The touch fastener of claim 25 , wherein the heat activated cross-linkable adhesive is a curable hot melt adhesive, or a urethane.
27. A touch fastener comprising:
a sheet-form base having an upper face and a lower face;
extending outwardly from the upper face of the base, a plurality of discrete fastener elements; and
the lower face including an adhesive layer have a pressure sensitive portion, and comprising a cross-linkable adhesive, wherein the lower face comprises a first area of pressure sensitive adhesive and a second area of cross-linkable adhesive.
28. The touch fastener of claim 27 , wherein the cross-linkable adhesive is heat activated.
29. The touch fastener of claim 28 , wherein the heat activated cross-linkable adhesive is a curable hot melt adhesive, or a urethane.