Fastener members and apparatus for their fabrication

Abstract

A fastener for engaging loops includes a base with a field of fastener elements molded with and extending from the base. The fastener elements are constructed to engage loops of a mating loop component to form a releasable fastener. The fastener elements comprise hooks and spikes, interspersed among the hooks, which extend at an acute angle from the base. By arranging the hooks and spikes in differing directions on the base, increased shear strength is provided in corresponding directions. Molds and methods for forming the fastener are also disclosed.

1 . A fastener for engaging loops, the fastener comprising: 
 a base ( 12 ); and    a field of fastener elements ( 14 ) molded with and extending from said base ( 12 ), said fastener elements constructed to engage loops of a mating loop component to form a releasable fastener, characterized in that said fastener elements include: 
 hooks ( 15 ) defining crooks ( 17 ) for capturing loops; and  
 spikes ( 16 ) interspersed among and separate from the hooks ( 15 ), said spikes extending at an acute angle from the base ( 12 ).  
   
     
     
         2 . The fastener of  claim 1  wherein said hooks ( 15 ) extend in a first direction along the base and said spikes ( 16 ) extend in a second direction along the base.  
     
     
         3 . The fastener of  claim 1  or  2  wherein said fasteners are arranged in rows ( 18 ); 
 a first set of said rows ( 19 ) comprising said hooks ( 15 ); and  
 a second set of said rows ( 20 ) comprising said spikes ( 16 ).  
 
     
     
         4 . The fastener of  claim 2  wherein said first and second directions define therebetween an angle of at least 10 degrees.  
     
     
         5 . The fastener of  claim 4  wherein said angle is at least 30 degrees.  
     
     
         6 . The fastener of  claim 5  wherein said angle is approximately 90 degrees.  
     
     
         7 . The fastener of  claim 1  or  2  wherein said spikes ( 16 ) are generally conical.  
     
     
         8 . The fastener of  claim 1  or  2  wherein said spikes ( 16 ) have a central axis, and extend from said base at an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with respect to said central axis and said base ( 12 ).  
     
     
         9 . The fastener of  claim 1  or  2  wherein said spikes ( 16 ) have a foundation ( 54 ) and a distal tip ( 41 ) with a tip radius of between 20 and 50% of the width of said foundation.  
     
     
         10 . The fastener of  claim 1  or  2  wherein said spikes ( 16 ) outnumber said hooks ( 15 ).  
     
     
         11 . The fastener of  claim 1  or  2  wherein said spikes ( 16 ) have a base portion ( 58 ) integrally molded with and extending from said base to a distal end ( 61 ); and 
 a tip portion ( 60 ) integrally molded with and extending from the distal end ( 61 ) of said base portion ( 58 ).  
 
     
     
         12 . The fastener of  claim 11  wherein said base portion ( 58 ) extends from said base ( 12 ) at a first angle, and said tip portion ( 60 ) extends from said distal end ( 61 ) at a second angle.  
     
     
         13 . The fastener of  claim 3  wherein 
 said hooks ( 15 ) having said crooks ( 17 ) are positioned in a direction parallel to said first set of rows ( 19 ); and  
 said spikes ( 16 ) are positioned in a direction transverse to said second set of rows ( 20 ).  
 
     
     
         14 . The fastener of  claim 1  or  2  wherein said hooks each have a single loop capturing crook ( 17 ).  
     
     
         15 . The fastener of  claim 1  or  2  wherein said hooks each have multiple loop-capturing crooks ( 92 ).  
     
     
         16 . The fastener of any of the above claims wherein said crooks ( 17 ) are located at a height above the base ( 12 ) and said spikes ( 16 ) extend to at least the height of the crooks ( 17 ) above the base ( 12 ).  
     
     
         17 . A fastener for engaging loops, the fastener comprising: 
 a base ( 12 ); and    a field of fastener elements ( 14 ) molded with and extending from said base ( 12 ), said fastener elements constructed to engage loops of a mating loop component to form a releasable fastener, characterized in that said fastener elements include: 
 latch stems ( 268 ); and  
 opposing elements interspersed among and separate from the latch stems ( 268 ), said opposing elements extending at an acute angle from the base ( 12 ); wherein said opposing elements have an engagement tip for capturing loops and said latch stems are located on said base adjacent to said spikes and beneath said engagement tip, said latch stems cooperating with said opposing elements to capture said loops.  
   
     
     
         18 . The fastener of  claim 17  wherein said opposing elements comprise spikes ( 16 ).  
     
     
         19 . The fastener of  claim 17  wherein said opposing elements comprise hooks ( 15 ).  
     
     
         20 . The fastener of  claim 18  wherein said engagement tip ( 60 ) is movable between a first position located above the adjacent spike and a second position located beneath said adjacent spike.  
     
     
         21 . A mold for producing the fastener of  claim 1 , the mold comprising: 
 a set of molding structures having molding surfaces,    said set of molding structures having: 
 hook mold structures ( 150   a,    150   b ) with hook mold surfaces ( 152 ) for producing said hooks and spike mold structures ( 150   c,    150   d ) with spike mold surfaces ( 154 ) for producing said spikes.  
   
     
     
         22 . The mold of  claim 21  wherein said set of molding structures comprises a set of mold rings, 
 said set of mold rings including a first mold ring having hook mold surfaces and a second mold ring having spike mold surfaces.  
 
     
     
         23 . The mold of  claim 21  wherein said hook mold surfaces produce hooks which extend in a first direction along the base and said spike mold surfaces produce spikes which extend in a second direction along the base.  
     
     
         24 . The mold of  claim 23  wherein said first and second directions define therebetween an angle of at least 10 degrees.  
     
     
         25 . The mold of  claim 21  wherein said spike mold structure has an exterior surface, and said spike mold surface extends into said spike mold structure at an angle of between about 30 to 60 degrees with respect to said exterior surface.  
     
     
         26 . A method for forming a loop engaging fastener of  claim 1  comprising: 
 providing a mold according to  claim 21;   
 delivering moldable resin to said mold such that the resin is forced into said mold surfaces;  
 solidifying said resin in said mold surfaces to form said hooks and said spikes; and  
 removing said hooks and said spikes from said mold surface.  
 
     
     
         27 . (New) A mold roll ( 112 ) for forming a fastener component, the mold roll having mold cavities open to the outer surface of the roll for forming a field of fastener elements supported by a base, by application of moldable resin under pressure against the outer surface of the mold roll in the manner to fill the cavities open to the outer surface and to form the base on the outer surface of the mold roll ( 112 ), 
 characterized in that the mold roll comprises an outer mold ring ( 202 ) placed over an inner mold ring ( 224 ), the outer mold ring having a set of mold cavities ( 204 ) that extend from its outer surface to its inner surface, and the inner mold ring having mold cavities ( 222 ) aligned with respective mold cavities in the outer ring, whereby moldable resin on the outer surface of the mold roll can flow from the mold cavities of the outer ring into the mold cavities of the inner ring, the cavities of both rings constructed to cooperate to form the fastener elements.    
     
     
         28 . (New) A method of forming a fastener component employing the mold roll of  claim 27  comprising continuously applying moldable resin under pressure to the outer surface of the roll as the roll is turned, preferably in which a nip is formed between the mold roll and a pressure roll and molten resin is introduced into the nip as the rolls counter-rotate, or in which an extruder nozzle extrudes molten resin under pressure against the outer surface of the mold roll as the roll turns.  
     
     
         29 . (New) The mold roll of  claim 27  or the method of  claim 28  in which the fastener elements have outer end portions shaped to engage fastener loops.