Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Forming continuous or indefinite length work – Of varying cross-sectional area or with intermittent...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-22
2003-12-09
Eashoo, Mark (Department: 1732)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Forming continuous or indefinite length work
Of varying cross-sectional area or with intermittent...
C264S171130, C264S257000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06660202
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to dispensing fasteners and other items made in continuous strip form and to fastener strips suitable for dispensing.
The invention in one aspect concerns an overall system including a dispenser and a cooperating continuous strip of fastener units that leads to lower cost and wider applicability of fastening by the hook and loop technique.
Elongated strips of hook and loop fasteners are used as straps or ties for bundling and wrapping products, for applying identification markings to products, etc.
Previously, a continuous strip of fastener units has been provided with cross-perforations or lines of weakness spaced at predetermined interval lengths to define the individual units, which can be detached from one another. In some cases, the strip is wound upon itself to form a supply roll. The user uncoils a unit from the roll, finds the line of weakness, and breaks it from the supply roll by tension. Time can be lost in finding the line of weakness, and if a mistake is made, two units instead of one may be detached.
Other items made in continuous sequence as a continuous strip, to be detached at lines of weakness, present similar problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A dispenser device is provided which automatically finds the second unit in a continuous strip during dispensing of a leading unit and, during the dispensing procedure, automatically applies resistance to the second unit, so that pull on the leading unit parts it from the remaining supply. The labor saved by automatically singulating a strip-form unit decreases cost and increases convenience, especially in the case of touch fasteners.
It is also realized that, by providing a dispenser that is convenient to use, there are potential large volume applications for strip-form fastener units for marking, bundling, or wrapping a wide variety of products that include banding or bundling of wires, fiber optic cables, hydraulic or pneumatic tubes, and many other products that are typically grouped together for use or for sale.
In a preferred form, a supply of strip-form fastener units is provided as a roll. Dispensing is achieved by the user grasping the free end of the roll and pulling it across a mechanism which finds the second unit, locks on to it and applies strong resistance to its movement, so that, as the user continues to pull, the leading unit breaks away from the next unit under tensile force. In a preferred form, the device which senses the strip and resists movement of the next-succeeding unit automatically releases the remaining unit when the perforation is broken. In preferred forms, the next succeeding strip-form unit, which now becomes the leading unit, is automatically lifted and presented to be grasped for repeating the procedure.
In preferred forms, the dispenser also has a mechanism which continuously applies light drag resistance to the strip material being pulled from the roll so that pull on the roll does not cause it to overrun or result in improper action.
In its preferred form, the device which senses the strip and resists movement of the next-succeeding unit automatically releases the remaining unit when the perforation is broken.
In a preferred form, a formation is provided on each unit of the strip material and a detent, in preferred form a simple claw, engages the formation applies the resistance to the second unit so that tension on the lead unit breaks it away.
Preferably the sensing and strong resisting action is performed by a detent over which the strip material slides during dispensing movement.
Advantageously, the strip-form units are provided with an inherent curling tendency or set (curl memory) from having been wound in a roll, and the supply roll is so arranged in the dispenser, that this curling characteristic serve to help raise the end of the lead strip unit, to present it to be grasped.
The techniques of the invention are applicable to many strip materials, but in particular, to fastener materials, especially hook and loop fastener components such as hook strips, loop strips, strips having hooks on one side and loops on the other, and strips having pressure sensitive adhesive or other fastening features on one or both sides.
An inexpensive fastener material, capable of being dispensed by this technique, is two-sided material, having fastener hooks on one side and loop material on the other, formed by in situ molding and laminating in which the resin that forms at least part of the base layer of the hooks serves also as the bonding agent for adhering the needled non woven loop material to the base layer.
In a particularly effective system, the strip-form fastener units comprise molded fastener hooks to which is directly bonded a needled and stretched non-woven material whose loops or fibers are constructed and arranged to be engaged by the hooks. Advantageously this product is formed by the in situ molding techniques.
Another fastener material especially adapted for the dispensing techniques disclosed is a tape having hooks or loops on one surface and pressure sensitive adhesive on the other side, the tape having special formations that enable the dispensing system to function. In some cases a release liner is employed on the adhesive. In important other cases, the adhesive is formulated to releasably engage overlying portions of the tape, so that it can be supplied rolled or folded upon itself, with no release liner. For applying drag to such a tape while being withdrawn from the dispenser, it is advantageous to apply the light drag force by action of a roller, such as a roller that is spring biased against the adhesive side of the tape, which turns with the advancing adhesive, and presses the opposite side of the strip against a braking (drag) surface.
According to one particular aspect of the invention, a dispenser is provided for a supply of continuous strip material, the material having formations that include parting lines spaced at points along the length to define successive units of predetermined length, the parting lines enabling a leading unit to part from the remaining material when the material at the respective parting line is subjected to parting tension, the dispenser comprising a receptacle to hold the supply of strip material, a retarder constructed and arranged to provide drag against the motion of the material as a leading unit is removed from the dispenser in response to pull by a user, and a device, (in certain preferred embodiments located downstream of the retarder) positioned to be engaged by the strip material as the leading unit is pulled from the dispenser, the device comprising at least one detent constructed to engage a corresponding formation of the second unit following the leading unit to resist movement of the following unit so that the leading unit parts from the remaining material at the respective parting line.
Preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention have one or more of the following features.
The receptacle of the dispenser is constructed and arranged to hold a supply of fastener strip material having parting lines defining strip-form fastener units. The dispenser is combined with a supply of fastener strip material having fastener elements on at least one of its sides, preferably the fastener elements comprising hooks or fibers or loops for hook and loop fastening or fasteners constructed for self-engageable fastening; in some advantageous cases, the fastener strip material is two-sided, having hooks on one side and hook engageable fibers or loops on the other side, and in some cases, the fastener strip material has hooks or hook-engageable fibers or loops on one side and pressure-sensitive adhesive on the other side. In certain cases, a release layer lies over the pressure sensitive-adhesive and the parting line extends into the release layer.
The detent comprises at least one stationary claw over which the strip material slides as the leading unit is pulled from the dispenser until a formation of the second unit of strip material that is engageable by the claw is engaged by the c
Erickson Paul R.
Shepard William H.
Eashoo Mark
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Velcro Industries B.V.
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