Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Bag fasteners – Resilient slot bag tie
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-06
2001-03-27
Brittain, James R. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Bag fasteners
Resilient slot bag tie
C024S304000, C024S306000, C024S450000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205623
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to composite hook and loop fasteners, methods of their manufacture and products containing them.
A typical composite hook and loop fastener is produced by taking preformed hook and loop material and overlapping and attaching the two materials together along their edge margins or by totally overlapping one on top of the other. The attaching is usually done by ultrasonic welding, thermal fusing or an adhesive bond. This step of attaching preformed hook and loop material to form the composite fastener adds additional cost to the manufacturing process. Hook and loop materials may also be laminated in-situ during the formation of the hook component.
One particular application for an improved composite fastener, discussed in more detail below, is as a wrap tie for closing bags. An economical bag tie commonly used in retail stores comprises a wire covered with paper. The wire tie is wrapped around an open end of a bag and the ends of the wire are twisted together to close the bag. Another common type of a bag tie is a clip tie that consists of a piece of plastic with an opening. A gathered open end of the bag is pushed through the side of the opening to close the bag. Other closures include strings and tapes and closing arrangements that employ adhesives or removably engageable elements.
The wire ties and clip ties are often used in retail stores where items such as bakery products, fresh produce, dry goods, nails, etc. are placed in a bag and sold by weight or number. The consumer usually stores these products in the bags. The ties may be opened and closed several times before the bag is emptied. There is a need for low-cost dependable repeated-use closures for this and many other applications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A composite hook and loop fastener in the form of an elongated strip includes a loop component, a hook component permanently affixed to the loop component, and a backing layer disposed on a face of the wrap tie in a discrete region. The backing layer is used for permanent attachment of the wrap tie to a supporting surface. One end of the loop component is available for encircling an object to be wrapped and engaging the fastener elements of the hook component. The loop component has a self-supporting web of entangled fibers, the fibers forming both a sheet-form body and hook-engageable, free-standing loops extending from at least one surface of the body, and the hook component has fastener elements extending from a common base.
In general, in one aspect, the invention provides a wrap tie in the form of an elongated strip. The wrap tie has an elongated loop component having a web of fibers forming both a sheet-form body and hook-engageable loops extending from at least one surface of the body, a hook component permanently affixed to a first end of the loop component, the hook component comprising a base of synthetic resin and an array of loop-engageable fastener elements integrally molded with and extending from a first surface of the base, and a backing layer permanently affixed to a second surface of the base opposite the fastener elements, for permanent attachment of the wrap tie to a supporting surface. A second end of the loop component is available for encircling an object to be wrapped and engaging the fastener elements of the hook component.
Implementations of this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The web of the loop component may be non-woven and specifically a needled non-woven. The non-woven needled web may weight less than about 2 ounces per square yard (68 grams per square meter). The non-woven web may be in a stretched, stabilized state. The loops of the loop component may extend from loop structures, and at least some of the loop structures may each have a common, elongated trunk portion extending from the web from an associated knot and multiple loops extending from the trunk portion. The loop component may have an edge margin encapsulated in resin of the hook component, and a remainder free of hook component resin. The edge margin may be about 10% of the area of the loop component. The loop component may have an entire face encapsulated in resin of the hook component. The loop component may have two broad, opposite sides, and loops may extend from both sides. The hook component may be shorter than the loop component, as measured along the wrap tie, and the backing layer may overlap longitudinally the hook component and may be disposed on a side of the wrap tie opposite the fastener elements. The fastener elements of the hook component may be hook- or mushroom-shaped. The hook component may be disposed at one end of the elongated wrap tie, and the hook-shaped fastener elements may extend toward the other end of the wrap tie. The base of the hook component may include an integral extension void of fastener elements, for overlapping the loop component and for face-to-face attachment. The backing layer may be a pressure sensitive adhesive or a synthetic resin. A removable release liner may cover the pressure sensitive adhesive layer. The release liner may overlap longitudinally the loop component such that a portion of the release liner is exposed for grasping.
According to another aspect of the invention, a wrap tie has an elongated hook component having a base of synthetic resin and an array of fastener elements extending from a first surface of the base, a loop component permanently affixed to a first end of the hook component, the loop component having a web of fibers forming both a sheet-form body and hook-engageable loops extending from at least a first surface of the body, and a backing layer permanently affixed to a second surface of the body of loop component for permanent attachment of the wrap tie to a supporting surface. A second end of the hook component is available for encircling an object to be wrapped and engaging the hook-engageable loops of the loop component. The hook component may be in a stretched state.
According to another aspect of the invention, a bag has an open end and an elongated, strip-form wrap tie according to this invention, permanently affixed to an outer surface of the bag for closing the open end. The wrap tie is permanently bonded to the outer surface of the bag in a discrete region along the length of the wrap tie. One end of the loop component is available for encircling the open end of the bag to secure the bag in a closed state. The wrap tie may be permanently affixed to the bag by a pressure sensitive adhesive layer or a synthetic resin. The bag may be made of synthetic resin or paper.
According to another aspect of the invention a sheet-form composite touch fastener includes a loop component having a self-supporting non-woven web of entangled fibers, the fibers forming both a sheet-form web body and hook-engageable free-standing loops extending from at least one surface of the web body, and a hook component having a base of synthetic resin to which loop-engageable hooks are integrally molded. The resin of the hook component extends at least partially underneath the loop component and encapsulates fibers of the web body of the loop component.
Implementations of this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The loop component may have an edge margin encapsulated in resin of the hook component, and a remainder free of hook component resin. The edge margin may be about 10% of the area of the loop component. The loop component may have an entire face encapsulated in resin of the hook component. The loops of the loop component may extend from a common side of the sheet-form touch fastener. The loops of the loop component may be arranged on a side of the sheet-form composite touch fastener opposite to the hooks of the hook component. The fibers of the loop component may be encapsulated in the resin of the hook component and the loop component may comprise regions which are more encapsulated by resin than other regions.
According to another aspect of the invention a sheet-form composite touch fa
Clune William P.
Shepard William H.
Brittain James R.
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Velcro Industries B.V.
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