Fastener product
View Patent ↗A hook member is provided that is capable of engaging fibers. The hook member includes a stem extending upwardly from a sheet-form base to a distal end. The stem has leading and trailing edges that form an apex angle therebetween. A crook is integrally formed with and arches along a curved axis directly from the stem of the hook member to a tip. The crook has a width measured along a line tangent to the tip and perpendicular to a central axis that bisects the apex angle and intersects a plane substantially parallel to the sheet-form base that is less than about 20 percent of a height of the hook member measured along a line extending perpendicular to the base.
1. A touch fastener comprising:
a sheet-form base; and
a plurality of hook member groupings comprising
at least three hook members, each of the hook members comprising
a stem portion extending outwardly from and integrally with the sheet-form base; and
a crook integrally formed with and arching along a curved axis from the stem to a tip;
adjacent hook member groupings being separated by regions of the sheet-form base that are substantially free of hook members, each of the regions spanning a distance that is greater than a distance between adjacent hook members of the hook member groupings,
wherein each of the hook members has a leading edge and a trailing edge defining therebetween an apex angle and includes a central axis bisecting the apex angle and intersecting a plane parallel to the sheet-form base, the central axes of the hook members and the plane parallel to the sheet-form base forming therebetween at least three different base angles with respect to a common base reference, and each of the central axes of the hook members residing in a common plane.
2. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein the common plane extends substantially perpendicular to the sheet-form base.
3. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein the crook has a width, measured along a line tangent to the tip and perpendicular to the central axis, that is less than about 20 percent of a height of the hook member measured along a line extending perpendicular to the base.
4. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein the hook member groupings are longitudinally spaced apart about the sheet-form base.
5. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein the hook member groupings are arranged in substantially parallel rows about the sheet-form base.
6. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein portions of the substrate between at least some of the hook member groupings are free of hook members.
7. The touch fastener of claim 1 , wherein the common plane extends substantially perpendicular to the base.
8. A touch fastener comprising:
a sheet-form base; and
a hook member grouping arranged in a discrete region of the sheet-form base, the hook member grouping comprising
at least three hook members including stem portions extending outwardly from and integrally with the sheet-form base and head portions that overhang the base, each of the hook members having a leading edge and a trailing edge defining therebetween an apex angle;
wherein each of the hook members includes a central axis bisecting the apex angle and intersecting a plane parallel to the base, the central axes of the hook members and the plane parallel to the base forming therebetween at least three different base angles with respect to a common base reference, and each of the central axes of the hook members residing in a common plane,
wherein the hook member grouping is adjacent a region of the sheet-form base that is substantially free of hook members, the region spanning a distance that is greater than a distance between adjacent hook members of the hook member grouping.
9. The touch fastener of claim 8 , wherein the at least three hook members have a height measured along a line extending perpendicular to the base greater than 0.15 inch.
10. The touch fastener of claim 8 , wherein a width of the crook measured along a line tangent to the tip and perpendicular to the central axis is less than about 20 percent of the height of the hook member measured along a line extending perpendicular to the base.
11. The touch fastener of claim 8 , wherein each of the head portions form a crook that is integrally formed with and arching along a curved axis directly from the stem to a tip.
12. The touch fastener of claim 8 , wherein each of the head portions is a mushroom.
13. The touch fastener of claim 8 , wherein the common plane extends substantially perpendicular to the base.
14. For a touch fastener having an array of hook members, a hook member capable of engaging fibers, the hook member comprising:
a stem extending upwardly from a sheet-form base to a distal end, the stem having a leading edge and a trailing edge that form an apex angle therebetween; and
a crook integrally formed with and arching along a curved axis directly from the stem to a tip;
wherein the crook has a width measured along a line tangent to the tip and perpendicular to a central axis that bisects the apex angle and intersects a plane substantially parallel to the sheet-form base that is less than about 20 percent of a height of the hook member measured along a line extending perpendicular to the base.
15. The touch fastener of claim 14 , wherein the height of the hook member is greater than about 0.15 inch.
16. The touch fastener of claim 14 , wherein a displacement volume of the crook is 3×10 −6 cubic inches or less.
17. The touch fastener of claim 14 , wherein the central axis of the hook member intersects the plane parallel to the sheet-form base at an angle between about 30 to 90 degrees.
18. The touch fastener of claim 17 , wherein the angle of intersection is about 90 degrees.
19. The touch fastener claim 14 , wherein the apex angle is less than about 20 degrees.
20. The touch fastener of claim 14 , wherein the hook member has parallel sides in an end view.
21. The touch fastener of claim 14 , wherein the stem is integrally molded with the sheet-form base.
22. The touch fastener of claim 14 , wherein the hook member comprises nylon.
23. The touch fastener of claim 14 , wherein the hook member comprises polypropylene.
24. The touch fastener of claim 14 , wherein the hook member has a thickness of about 0.03 inch or less.
25. The touch fastener of claim 14 , wherein the array of hook members includes at least some hook members having central axes that intersect the plane parallel to the sheet-form base at angles different than central axes of other of the hook members.
26. The touch fastener product of claim 14 , wherein the array of hook members are arranged in discrete regions along the substrate.
27. The touch fastener product of claim 26 , wherein the regions are parallel rows.
28. The touch fastener of claim 26 , wherein the regions form a checkerboard-like pattern.
29. A touch fastener product comprising:
a substrate having at least two fibrous tufts, each tuft including a plurality of fibers extending to free distal fiber ends, the fibers of one tuft at least partially overlapped with the fibers of the other tuft; and
a hook member sized to engage fibers of the plurality of fibers, the hook member including a stem portion extending upwardly from and integrally molded with a sheet-form base and a head portion that overhangs the bade, the hook member having a height measured perpendicular to the base at least about 50 percent of an average fiber height over an area unit.
30. The touch fastener product of claim 29 , wherein the head portion is a crook that is integrally formed with and arching along a curved axis directly from the stem to a tip.
31. The touch fastener product of claim 29 , wherein the head portion is a mushroom.
32. The touch fastener product of claim 29 , wherein the hook member height is about 67 percent of the average fiber height over the area unit.
33. The touch fastener product of claim 29 , wherein the crook having a width measured along a line tangent to a tip of the crook and perpendicular to a central axis that bisects an apex angle formed between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the stem that is less than about 20 percent of the height of the hook member.
34. A touch fastener product comprising:
a substrate having at least two fibrous tufts, each tuft including a plurality of fibers extending to free distal fiber ends, the fibers of one tuft at least partially overlapped with the fibers of the other tuft; and
a hook member sized to engage fibers of the plurality of fibers, the hook member including a stem portion extending upwardly from a base and a crook portion integrally formed with the stem, the hook member having a height measured perpendicular to the base at least about 50 percent of an average fiber height.
35. The touch fastener product of claim 34 , wherein the height of the hook member is about 67 percent of the height of the average fiber height.
36. The touch fastener product of claim 34 , wherein the substrate is a carpet.
37. The touch fastener of claim 34 , wherein the crook having a width measured along a line tangent to a tip of the crook and perpendicular to a central axis that bisects an apex angle formed between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the stem that is less than about 20 percent of the height of the hook member.