A method of forming snap closures includes molding a series of discrete male and female snaps extending integrally from a base.
1. A method of forming snap closures, the method comprising:
introducing moldable resin into a gap defined adjacent a rotatable mold roll defining snap-forming cavities in its peripheral surface, each cavity defining an undercut;
pressing some of the resin into the cavities to mold a series of discrete, spaced-apart male snaps, each male snap having at least one molded feature corresponding to at least one of the cavities in the mold roll, a remainder of the resin remaining on the peripheral surface of the mold roll and forming at least part of a longitudinal base from which the male snaps extend;
molding of the resin a series of female snaps on the base, each female snap having a plurality of molded features defining a central region, and each female snap being aligned with one of the male snaps and sized to releasably retain its associated male snap when the associated male snap is disposed in the central region of the female snap;
stripping the base and molded male snaps from the mold roll, the molded features of each male snap overhanging the base on multiple sides outside the male snap, and the molded features of each female snap overhanging the base on multiple sides within the female snap; and
separating the base to form multiple snap closures, each closure including at least one male snap and at least one associated female snap.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the snap-forming cavities are arranged in associated groups of at least three cavities forming a segmented ring, and each male snap has at least three molded features forming a segmented ring.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each female snap has at least three molded features forming a segmented ring.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each female snap comprises two opposed molded features.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least some of the opposed molded features partially form two adjacent female snaps.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein each female snap further comprises two additional opposed molded features, the molded features defining a substantially enclosed central region therebetween.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the snap-forming cavities used to form the molding features of the male snaps are substantially identical to at least some cavities used to form the molding features of the female snaps.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the female snaps are molded in associated cavities defined within the peripheral surface of the mold roll.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the female snaps are molded in associated cavities defined within the peripheral surface of a counter-rotating pressure roll that, together with the mold roll, defines the gap into which the resin is introduced.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base, as molded, carries a longitudinal row of male snaps and a longitudinal row of corresponding female snaps, with a flexible web therebetween.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein each male snap essentially consists of three to five molded features together comprising between about 60 and about 80 percent of a circumference of their associated ring, such that breaks between the molded features togethercomprise between about 20 and about 40 percent of the circumference of their associated ring.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein each male snap essentially consists of four molded features, each molded feature extending between about 18 and about 36 degrees ofits associated ring.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal base is separated bysevering the base across its width.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein separating the base comprises separating afirst portion of the base from a second portion of the base, the first portion of the basecomprising at least one male snap and at least one female snap, and the second portion of the base comprising at least one male snap and at least one female snap.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein separating the first portion of the base fromthe second portion of the base comprises separating the base along a frangible region.