Method of making a mechanical fastening strip and reticulated mechanical fastening strip therefrom

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016008181-A1
Application number	US-201514860184-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 21, 2015
Priority date	Feb 16, 2011
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of making a mechanical fastening strip and a reticulated mechanical fastening strip are disclosed. The method includes providing a backing having upstanding posts; providing interrupted slits through the backing, the interrupted slits being interrupted by at least one intact bridging region; spreading the slit backing to provide multiple strands separated from each other between at least some of the bridging regions to provide at least one opening; and fixing the multiple strands of the backing in a spread configuration. The reticulated mechanical fastening strip includes multiple strands of a backing attached to each other at bridging regions in the backing and separated from each other between the bridging regions to provide openings. Upstanding posts on each of the multiple strands have bases attached to the backing, and each of the multiple strands has a width that is greater than that of the bases of its attached upstanding posts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of making a mechanical fastening strip, the method comprising:
providing a thermoplastic backing having multiple rows of upstanding posts; slitting through the thermoplastic backing to provide a slit backing having interrupted slits between at least some pairs of adjacent rows of the upstanding posts, wherein each interrupted slit is interrupted by at least one intact bridging region of the slit backing; spreading the slit backing to provide multiple strands of the thermoplastic backing attached to each other at least at some of the bridging regions and separated from each other between at least some of the bridging regions to provide at least one opening; and fixing the multiple strands of the thermoplastic backing in a spread configuration to maintain the at least one opening between the multiple strands of the thermoplastic backing.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein fixing the multiple strands comprises annealing.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining at least some of the multiple strands in a substantially coplanar arrangement.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the upstanding posts each have a base attached to the thermoplastic backing and a cap distal from the thermoplastic backing, wherein the cap has a larger area than a cross-sectional area of the base.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the upstanding posts each have a base attached to the thermoplastic backing and a tip distal from the thermoplastic backing, the method further comprising deforming the distal tip to form a cap.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple rows of upstanding posts are aligned in a machine direction, and wherein the interrupted slits extend in the machine direction.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a transverse slit through at least some of the bridging regions by slitting in a direction transverse to the interrupted slits, such that the transverse slit connects one adjacent interrupted slit on one side of the bridging region to another adjacent interrupted slit on the opposite side of the bridging region.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising joining the multiple strands of the thermoplastic backing to a carrier.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising applying adhesive to at least one of the carrier, the thermoplastic backing before it is slit, or the multiple strands of the thermoplastic backing.

10 . A method of making a mechanical fastening strip, the method comprising:
providing a thermoplastic backing having upstanding posts; slitting through the thermoplastic backing to provide a slit backing having interrupted slits, wherein each interrupted slit is interrupted by at least one intact bridging region of the slit backing; spreading the slit backing to provide multiple strands of the thermoplastic backing attached to each other at least at some of the bridging regions and separated from each other between at least some of the bridging regions to provide at least one opening; and annealing the multiple strands of the thermoplastic backing in a spread configuration to maintain the at least one opening between the multiple strands of the thermoplastic backing.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the annealing is carried out while constraining at least some of the multiple strands in a substantially coplanar arrangement.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the posts each have a base attached to the thermoplastic backing and a cap distal from the thermoplastic backing, wherein the cap has a larger area than a cross-sectional area of the base.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing a transverse slit through at least some of the bridging regions by slitting in a direction transverse to the interrupted slits, such that the transverse slit connects one adjacent interrupted slit on one side of the bridging region to another adjacent interrupted slit on the opposite side of the bridging region.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising applying adhesive to at least one of the carrier, the thermoplastic backing before it is slit, or the annealed backing; and joining the annealed backing to a carrier.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Wood Leigh E
• Gilbert Thomas J
• Peltier Mark A
• Kitzer Peter
• Hauschildt Volker
• Urban Andreas
• Unruh William C
• Biegler Kristopher K

Classifications

• B29C2071/025

  Quenching, i.e. rapid cooling of an object · CPC title

• A61F13/15756 Primary

  Applying tabs, strips, tapes, loops; Knotting the ends of pads · CPC title

• B29C2071/022

  Annealing · CPC title

• B29C71/0072

  for changing orientation · CPC title

• B29C2071/027

  Tempering, i.e. heating an object to a high temperature and quenching it · CPC title