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

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.

1 . A method for forming a precursor web for manufacturing a fastener, particularly a male fastener for a hook and loop fastening system, comprising:
 providing a substrate web with 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 the 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 completely, thereby forming a precursor web from which the preform projections are releasable; 
       removing the precursor web off the deposition device by winding up the precursor web onto a roll. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the preform projections are formed to have a mantle surface extending between a terminal end and an attached end, the mantle surface at least partially tapering between the attached end and the terminal end in the direction to the terminal end. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a contact release surface is provided as a closed loop that is moved around at least two rolls in the path of the deposition device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , a deposition device is provided embodied as a printing device having a printing roll with cavities on its mantle surface. 
     
     
         5 . A fastener web for engaging with a loop fabric, comprising a carrier with a front surface, onto which a multiplicity of discrete polymeric fastening members is bonded in a repeating pattern, said fastening members having a terminal end with a top surface and an attached end, and having a mantle surface extending between the top surface and the attached end, the mantle surface at least partially tapering from the top surface to the attached end in the direction to the attached end. 
     
     
         6 . The fastener web of  claim 5 , wherein the fastening members have an attached end area and at the terminal end a top surface area, the attached end area being smaller than the top surface area, said fastening members having a mantle surface extending between the terminal end and the attached end, whereby the mantle surface at least partially tapers in the direction to the attached end. 
     
     
         7 . The fastener web of  claim 5 , wherein the top surfaces of the fastening members have a shape that is substantially round, oval, hexagonal or star-like. 
     
     
         8 . A precursor web for manufacturing a fastener, particularly a male fastener for a hook and loop fastener, comprising a substrate web with a contact release surface, onto which a multiplicity of discrete preform projections formed out of a polymer material are releasably bonded in a repeating pattern, said preform projections having a terminal end with a top surface, an attached end and a mantle surface extending between the top surface and the attached end surface and being tapered from the attached end to the top surface. 
     
     
         9 . A hygiene article comprising a fastener of  claim 5 . 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the contact release surface is provided as a rotating roll with its mantle surface next to the deposition device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the contact release surface is embodied as a substrate web of finite extension wound onto a roll and moved by uncoiling from the roll and being guided along the deposition device with the contact release surface of the substrate web next to the deposition device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a deposition device is provided embodied as a printing device having a rotary screen with holes as cavities.