Method for manufacturing fasteners and precursor webs, a fastener and a precursor web

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9883718-B2
Application number	US-201314410462-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2013
Priority date	Jun 26, 2012
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for forming a fastener having fastener members ( 23, 63 ) wherein molten polymer material is deposited by a deposition device onto a contact release surface ( 7, 27, 32 ), thereby forming preform projections ( 20, 60 ), which contact the front surface ( 21 ) of a carrier ( 13, 62 ) with their terminal ends ( 22, 61 ) and bond to the carrier ( 13, 62 ). The carrier ( 13, 62 ) is removed with the preform projections ( 20, 60 ) attached, thereby separating the preform projections ( 20, 60 ) from the contact release surface ( 7, 27, 32 ) and forming fastening members ( 23, 63 ) projecting from the front surface ( 21 ) of the carrier ( 13, 62 ). The invention relates further to a method for manufacturing a precursor web ( 66 ) for manufacturing a fastener, a fastener web ( 91, 94,101 ) for engaging with a loop fabric and a precursor web ( 66 ) for manufacturing a fastener.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for forming a fastener having fastener members, particularly a male fastener for a hook and loop fastening system, comprising:
providing a carrier with a front surface;
providing a contact release surface;
providing a deposition device having a plurality of cavities;
providing a polymer material heated to a molten state;
filling said molten polymer material into said cavities;
depositing said molten polymer material from said cavities onto said contact release surface having a temperature below the softening or melting temperature of said molten polymer material, thereby forming preform projections sitting on and projecting from the contact release surface to their corresponding terminal ends;
said preform projections being in contact with the contact release surface for a time sufficient to solidify next to the contact release surface;
contacting the front surface of the carrier with the terminal ends said preform projections and bonding them to the carrier;
separating the preform projections from the contact release surface; and
thereby forming fastening members projecting from the front surface of the carrier.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the terminal ends of said preform projections are still molten or semi-molten, when they contact the front surface of the carrier.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of said preform projections are in contact with the contact release surface for a time sufficient to solidify completely and then at least the terminal ends of the preform projections are re-melted to a semi-molten or molten status before and/or while contacting them with the front surface of the carrier.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the terminal ends of the preform projections are heated in a region, where the front surface of the carrier is coming into contact with said terminal ends.

5. The method of claim 1 , the front surface of the carrier is heated at least to the softening temperature of the polymer material in the region, where the preform projections come into contact with the carrier.

6. The method of claim 1 , a first polymer material is used for forming the preform projections and at least the front surface of the carrier is formed out of a second material different in at least one property than the first polymer material.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preform projections are formed so that the fastening members bonded onto the front surface of the carrier are bonded by an attached end area and a terminal end, wherein the terminal end comprises a top surface area, wherein the attached end area is smaller than the top surface area and wherein the fastening members have a mantle surface extending between the terminal end and the attached end, wherein the mantle at least partially tapers in the direction to the attached end.

8. The method of claim 1 , the terminal ends of at least some fastening members bonded onto the front surface of the carrier are deformed by re-heating them and then contacting them with a shaping surface of a shaping device.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Hertlein Thomas

Classifications

• A44B18/0065

  of a mushroom type · CPC title

• Y10T24/2767

  having several, repeating, interlocking formations along length of filaments · CPC title

• A61F13/625

  characterised by the hook · CPC title

• A44B18/0049 Primary

  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

• A61F13/15756

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