Method of making a mechanical fastener and apparatus including a roller with protrusions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9475205-B2
Application number	US-201214401908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2012
Priority date	May 18, 2012
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

A method of making a mechanical fastener. The method includes providing a slit web having mechanical fastening elements and spreading the slit web in the cross-machine direction by directing the slit web over at least a first roller having first multiple protrusions around its peripheral surface. The slit web includes a plurality of interrupted slits that are interrupted by intact bridging regions of the web that divide the interrupted slits into a series of spaced slit portions aligned in the machine direction. The first multiple protrusions are positioned such that adjacent protrusions push through consecutive slit portions of a first of the interrupted slits to form a spread mechanical fastening web. An apparatus including the first roller and at least a subsequent roller is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a mechanical fastener, the method comprising:
providing a slit web having mechanical fastening elements and a length in a machine direction, wherein the slit web includes a plurality of laterally separated interrupted slits that are interrupted by intact bridging regions of the web, wherein the intact bridging regions divide the interrupted slits into a series of spaced slit portions aligned in the machine direction, and wherein for at least some adjacent interrupted slits, the spaced slit portions are staggered in a cross-machine direction; and
spreading the slit web in the cross-machine direction by directing the slit web over at least a first roller having first multiple protrusions around its peripheral surface, wherein the first multiple protrusions are positioned such that adjacent protrusions push through consecutive slit portions of a first one, two, or three of the interrupted slits to form a spread mechanical fastening web, wherein the spread mechanical fastening web comprises multiple strands of the slit web attached to each other at least at some of the intact bridging regions and separated from each other between at least some of the intact bridging regions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first multiple protrusions form a single row around the peripheral surface of the first roller, and wherein the adjacent protrusions push through the consecutive slit portions of one of the interrupted slits.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising directing the slit web over at least one second roller having multiple paired protrusions around its peripheral surface, wherein the multiple paired protrusions are positioned such that adjacent pairs push through consecutive slit portions of second and third of the interrupted slits, wherein the second and third of the interrupted slits are on opposite sides of the first one, two, or three of the interrupted slits.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising directing the slit web over a series of second rollers, each having multiple paired protrusions around its peripheral surface, wherein for each second roller, the multiple paired protrusions are positioned such that adjacent pairs push through consecutive slit portions of an opposing pair of the interrupted slits, wherein the opposing pair of the interrupted slits are on opposite sides of the first one, two, or three of the interrupted slits, and wherein for each consecutive roller in the series of second rollers, the paired protrusions and the opposing pair of the interrupted slits are spaced progressively further apart.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the multiple paired protrusions are centered on the peripheral surface of each second roller.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one second roller in the series of second rollers is heated.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising directing the slit web over a series of third rollers, each having multiple groups of protrusions around its peripheral surface, wherein for each third roller, the multiple groups of protrusions are positioned such that adjacent groups push through consecutive slit portions of a series of the interrupted slits, and wherein for each consecutive roller in the series of third rollers, the number of protrusions in each of the multiple groups of protrusions increases as the number of interrupted slits in the series of the interrupted slits increases.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein at least one third roller in the series of third rollers is heated.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein tension applied in the machine direction causes the protrusions to push through the slit portions.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of heating the spread mechanical fastening web or directing the spread mechanical fastening web onto a high-friction roller.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein heating comprises directing the spread mechanical fastening web onto a rotating heated cylinder.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising laminating the spread mechanical fastening web to a carrier.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the carrier is provided with a layer of an adhesive, wherein the spread mechanical fastening web is bonded to the carrier with the adhesive to form a laminate, and wherein the adhesive is exposed between the multiple strands in the laminate.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the carrier is a nonwoven web.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical fastening elements are male fastening elements comprising upstanding posts having bases attached to the slit web.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the slit web has loops.

Assignees

• Qi Shengguang
• Mao Xijun
• Cheng Zhaobin
• Gilbert Thomas J
• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Qi Shengguang
• Mao Xijun
• Cheng Zhaobin
• Gilbert Thomas J

Classifications

• B26D7/2621 Primary

  for circular cutters · CPC title

• A44B18/0049

  obtained by moulding processes (compression moulding or articles of indefinite length characterised by the shape of the surface B29C43/222; screen moulding B29C67/08) · CPC title

• A61F13/625 Primary

  characterised by the hook · CPC title

• B32B2038/0028

  Stretching, elongating · CPC title

• Y10T156/1062

  Prior to assembly · CPC title