Touch fasteners
View Patent ↗Molded male touch fastener components, and methods of making such components are disclosed. Components include multiple, discrete features that extend laterally from a common side of an upper end of a formation, for engagement of loops.
1. A touch fastener component comprising:
a sheet-form base; and
an array of fastener elements comprising discrete, laterally and longitudinally spaced apart stems, extending upward from the sheet-form base, each fastener element including a corresponding stem integrally molded with and extending upward from the base, and multiple, discrete, fastening prongs extending upward from the corresponding stem, each prong including a lower portion integrally molded with and extending upward from the corresponding stem, and an upper portion, wherein the upper portion of multiple prongs of a single fastener element overhang a side of the lower portion of their fastener element in a common direction, for engaging loops, and wherein each fastener element includes greater than five fastening prongs.
2. The touch fastener component of claim 1 , wherein greater than fifty percent of a top surface of each of the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs of each fastener element lie substantially in a single plane that is parallel the sheet-form base.
3. The touch fastener component of claim 2 , wherein greater than seventy five percent of a top surface of each of the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs of each fastener element lie substantially in a single plane that is parallel the sheet-form base.
4. The touch fastener component of claim 3 , wherein greater than ninety percent of a top surface of each of the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs of each fastener element lie substantially in a single plane that is parallel the sheet-form base.
5. The touch fastener component of claim 1 , wherein a density of the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs is from about 1,000 to about 20,000 projections per square inch.
6. The touch fastener component of claim 5 , wherein the density of the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs is from about 3,000 to about 12,000 projections per square inch.
7. The touch fastener component of claim 1 , wherein a maximum thickness of the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs is from about 0.0005 inch to about 0.026 inch.
8. The touch fastener component of claim 1 , wherein a maximum overhang of the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs is from about 0.0005 inch to about 0.010 inch.
9. The touch fastener component of claim 1 , wherein the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs of each fastener element are in-line in a first direction.
10. The touch fastener component of claim 9 , wherein the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs are in-line also in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
11. The touch fastener component of claim 1 , wherein each fastener element has two rows of projections in a single direction.
12. The touch fastener component of claim 11 , wherein each fastener element has three projections in each row.
13. A touch fastener component comprising:
a sheet-form base; and
an array of fastener elements extending upward from the sheet-form base, each fastener element including
a stem integrally molded with and extending upward from the base, and
a head overhanging multiple sides of the stem, the head having a substantially flat upper surface, the head also including multiple, discrete serrations extending laterally from a common side of the head in a common direction, and defining therebetween recesses sized to receive loop fibers engaged against surfaces of the serrations.
14. The touch fastener component of claim 13 , wherein greater than fifty percent of the top surface of each head lies substantially in a single plane that is parallel the sheet-form base.
15. The touch fastener component of claim 14 , wherein greater than seventy five percent of the top surface of each head lies substantially in a single plane that is parallel the sheet-form base.
16. The touch fastener component of claim 15 , wherein greater than ninety percent of the top surface of each head lies substantially in a single plane that is parallel the sheet-form base.
17. The touch fastener component of claim 13 , wherein each fastener element includes greater than five serrations.
18. The touch fastener component of claim 13 , wherein a density of the multiple, discrete serrations is from about 1,000 to about 20,000 projections per square inch.
19. The touch fastener component of claim 18 , wherein the density of the multiple, discrete serrations is from about 3,000 to about 12,000 projections per square inch.
20. The touch fastener component of claim 13 , wherein a maximum thickness of the multiple, discrete serrations is from about 0.0005 inch to about 0.020 inch.
21. The touch fastener component of claim 13 , wherein a maximum overhang of the multiple, discrete serrations is from about 0.0005 inch to about 0.010 inch.
22. A touch fastener component comprising:
a sheet-form base; and
an array of fastener elements comprising discrete, laterally and longitudinally spaced apart stems, extending upward from the sheet-form base, each fastener element including a corresponding stem integrally molded with and extending upward from the base, and multiple, discrete, fastening prongs extending upward from the corresponding stem, each prong including a lower portion integrally molded with and extending upward from the corresponding stem, and an upper portion, wherein the upper portion of multiple prongs of a single fastener element overhang a side of the lower portion of their fastener element in a common direction, for engaging loops, and wherein each fastener element has two rows of projections in a single direction.
23. The touch fastener component of claim 22 , wherein greater than fifty percent of a top surface of each of the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs of each fastener element lie substantially in a single plane that is parallel the sheet-form base.
24. The touch fastener component of claim 23 , wherein greater than seventy five percent of a top surface of each of the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs of each fastener element lie substantially in a single plane that is parallel the sheet-form base.
25. The touch fastener component of claim 24 , wherein greater than ninety percent of a top surface of each of the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs of each fastener element lie substantially in a single plane that is parallel the sheet-form base.
26. The touch fastener component of claim 22 , wherein each fastener element includes greater than five fastening prongs.
27. The touch fastener component of claim 22 , wherein a density of the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs is from about 1,000 to about 20,000 projections per square inch.
28. The touch fastener component of claim 27 , wherein the density of the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs is from about 3,000 to about 12,000 projections per square inch.
29. The touch fastener component of claim 22 , wherein a maximum thickness of the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs is from about 0.0005 inch to about 0.026 inch.
30. The touch fastener component of claim 22 , wherein a maximum overhang of the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs is from about 0.0005 inch to about 0.010 inch.
31. The touch fastener component of claim 22 , wherein the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs of each fastener element are in-line in a first direction.
32. The touch fastener component of claim 31 , wherein the multiple, discrete, fastening prongs are in-line also in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
33. The touch fastener component of claim 22 , wherein each fastener element has three projections in each row.