Loop materials for touch fastening
View Patent ↗Loop materials are provided for touch fastening. The loop materials include a web of nonwoven fibrous material defining a plane, the web including: (a) raised areas, elevated above the plane of the web, defining loops constructed for engagement with male touch fastener elements; (b) rib areas surrounding the raised areas to anchor the loops; and (c) between the rib areas, either open areas, or planar areas that are substantially in the plane of the web.
1. A loop material for touch fastening comprising:
a web of nonwoven fibrous material defining a plane, the web including:
(a) raised areas defined by fibers of the web, the raised areas being elevated above the plane of the web and defining loops constructed for engagement with male touch fastener elements;
(b) rib areas surrounding the raised areas to anchor the loops; and
(c) between the rib areas, planar areas that are substantially in the plane of the web, the planar areas being defined by the web.
2. A loop material for touch fastening comprising:
a web of nonwoven fibrous material defining a plane, the web including:
(a) raised areas elevated above the plane of the web, defining loops constructed for engagement with male touch fastener elements;
(b) rib areas surrounding the raised areas to anchor the loops; and
(c) between the rib areas, open areas that are free of fibers of the web.
3. The loop material of claim 1 or 2 wherein said rib areas comprise a polymeric reinforcing material.
4. The loop material of claim 3 wherein said polymeric reinforcing material is the same material as the fibrous material.
5. The loop material of claim 1 or 2 wherein said rib areas extend above the plane of the web.
6. The loop material of claim 1 or 2 wherein said rib areas comprise closed members that surround said raised areas.
7. The loop material of claim 6 wherein said raised areas are polygonal and said closed members comprise polygons.
8. The loop material of claim 6 wherein said raised areas are substantially dome-shaped and said closed members comprise rings or ellipses.
9. The loop material of claim 6 wherein at least some of said closed members are tangential to each other.
10. The loop material of claim 6 wherein said rib areas further comprise connecting members extending between said closed members.
11. The loop material of claim 10 wherein said closed members and said connecting members together define a network.
12. The loop material of claim 1 or 2 wherein the web comprises a carded web.
13. The loop material of claim 12 wherein said carded web comprises staple fibers.
14. The loop material of claim 2 wherein said rib areas comprise closed members that surround said raised areas and connecting members extending between said closed members, said closed members and said connecting members together define a network defining a net material.
15. The loop material of claim 1 wherein said planar areas comprise unbonded fibers.
16. The loop material of claim 1 or 15 wherein said planar areas comprise fibers backed by a layer of a polymeric reinforcing material.
17. The loop material of claim 1 or 15 wherein said planar areas are substantially free of polymeric reinforcing material.
18. A loop material for touch fastening comprising:
a nonwoven web defining a plane, the web including:
(a) raised areas, elevated above the plane of the web, defining loops constructed for engagement with male touch fastener elements;
(b) rib areas surrounding the raised areas to anchor the loops; and
(c) between the rib areas, planar areas that are substantially in the plane of the web, wherein the rib areas comprise fused fibers of the nonwoven web.