Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Including readily dissociable fastener having numerous,... – Having filaments formed from continuous element interwoven...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-11
2002-10-08
Sakran, Victor (Department: 3677)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Including readily dissociable fastener having numerous,...
Having filaments formed from continuous element interwoven...
C024S444000, C024S446000, C024S449000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06460228
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The invention herein relates to a monofilament interlaced loop surfaced and thin-profile fastener strip base material that is fabricated into a unitary structural entity by a knitting machine, the innovative features of which includes the interlacing of the upper and lower section wraps of the woof elements to form a bottom weave with a woof-oriented nylon monofilament, the overlaps of which continuously bind a pair of adjacent wraps and thereafter skips the next pair of adjacent wraps in an alternating pattern; the vertical linear interlinking of the overlaps by the said continuous binding then becomes the warf element of the bottom weave; the sections of monofilament that are not utilized for binding densely distributed along the bottom weave surface become arch-shaped freestanding loops that are flat and narrow and have an optimal degree of fastening strength and, furthermore, minimal lean propensity; as such, after the bottom weave undergoes bonding and shaping processes, the monofilament fastening surface formed by the said arch-shaped freestanding loops provides for the engagement of the hook ends along the bottom side of a male fastener strip to the bottom weave on the thin-profile base material to thereby achieve conjoinment.
2) Description of the Prior Art
Hook and loop fastener strips were invented decades ago and are in widespread usage; since such fastener strips can be attached and conjoined in virtually any arrangement, they typically have fabric bottom layers that are mounted by sewing or adhesion, the closure of the two-sided fastening components providing convenience and other advantages that have enabled them to replace conventional fasteners, zippers, buttons, and so on.
A survey of such products available on the market reveals various patents for improved structure fastener strips or case continuations thereof, the majority of which include a male fastener strip
1
having hook ends
21
distributed along the bottom portion (for the description below, refer to
FIG. 1
,
FIG. 1-A
, and FIG.
1
-B); the base material
1
(i.e., the female fastener strip) that provides for the engagement of the hook ends
21
is a textured material of distributed multifilar construction that is woven onto the top surface of the base material
1
to thereby produce a very soft, thick nap fastening surface
11
.
Since the end portions of the nap fastening surface
11
are essentially raw fibers not secured by knitting or weaving, after the hook ends
21
of the male fastener strip
2
are disengaged, the tearing force of the hook ends
21
readily loosens and pulls out the fibers; in addition to detracting from appearance, the extraction of fibers gradually lessens the degree of fastening strength between the male fastener strip
2
and the base material
1
.
Furthermore, the piled sponge-like characteristics of the nap fastening surface
11
causes the thickness of the said base material to reach approximately 2.5 mm (as indicated by the measurement
2
R in FIG.
1
-A); if the approximately 2.0 mm thickness (as indicated by the measurement
1
R in
FIG. 1-A
) of a conventional male fastener strip
2
is added, the total thickness following closure is approximately 3.5 mm (as indicated by the measurement TR
1
in
FIG. 1-B
, wherein the hook end
21
portions penetrating into and engaging the nap fastening surface
11
results in a slight reduction in the actual combined thickness of the two). As such, in general applications of such conventional fastener strips on apparel and other articles requiring fasteners, the serious shortcomings include the unavoidable forming of a discontinuity (of approximately 3.5 mm) along the area of closure that ruins appearance; moreover, the relatively lengthy hook ends
21
penetrating into and engaging the disarrayed fibers of the nap fastening surface
11
are such that when the male fastener strip
2
and the base material
1
are pulled apart during the unfastening operation, an ear shattering tearing sound is generated and, furthermore, the larger the square area of the fastening surface, the greater the audible intensity of the tearing, with excessive length also contributing to the discomfort of the user. These are the drawbacks of a fastener strip base material
1
utilizing a multifilar-construction nap fastening surface
11
and it is believed that they are among the main reasons why discontinuing the use of convenient fastener strips on some high-end apparel and products requiring fasteners has been considered.
Moreover, commercially available fastener strip base materials at present are confined to a specialized narrow range of textile structures, with the width of the base material products limiting them to belt-like and strip-like arrangements, which once again further restricts utility and applications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of the invention herein consists of interlacing the upper and lower section wraps of the woof elements to form a bottom weave with a woof-oriented nylon monofilament, the overlaps of which continuously bind a pair of adjacent wraps and thereafter skips the next pair of adjacent wraps in an alternating pattern; the vertical linear interlinking of the overlaps by the said continuous binding then becomes the warf element of the bottom weave; the sections of monofilament that are not utilized for binding densely distributed along the bottom weave surface become arch-shaped freestanding loops that are flat and narrow and have an optimal degree of fastening strength and, furthermore, minimal lean propensity; as such, after the bottom weave undergoes bonding and shaping processes, the monofilament fastening surface formed by the said arch-shaped freestanding loops provides for the engagement of the hook ends along the bottom side of a male fastener strip, with the thickness of the ultra-thin base material of the present invention reduced to approximately two-thirds that of a conventional base material, thereby decreasing the combined thickness and space occupancy of the base material and the male plastic fastener strip when conjoined during usage as well as lessening the discontinuity left between the two fastening components to a bare minimum, thereby effectively broadening the practical range of fastener strip applications, which is among the innovative features of the present invention.
Another objective of the invention herein consists of the arch-shaped freestanding loops that are flat and narrow and, furthermore, have minimal lean propensity, which by means of continuous overlaps and binding are tightly and securely interlinked to the bottom weave warf element; therefore, this provides the necessary degree of fastening strength when a male fastener strip is conjoined and, furthermore, optimal durability because separating the male fastener strip does not result in filar displacement.
Yet another objective of the invention herein consists of the arch-shaped freestanding loops that are flat and narrow and, furthermore, have minimal lean propensity, which when conjoined to the male fastener strip allows the hook ends along the bottom side to become engaged in a shallow arrangement without affecting the degree of fastening strength, thereby providing excellent practicality by facilitating separation from the base material of the present invention and reducing the noise of the unfastening operation.
Still another objective of the invention herein consists of the said flat and narrow arch-shaped freestanding loops, which provide for usage with short hook ends of the male fastener strip to further reduce the combined thickness and space occupancy of the base material and the male fastener strip when conjoined during usage and thereby further encouraging virtually unlimited fastener strip applications.
A further objective of the invention herein consists of the said flat and narrow arch-shaped freestanding loops, wherein the overlaps of the woof-oriented nylon monofilament continuously bind a pair of adjacent wraps and thereafter skips the
Sakran Victor
Troxell Law Office PLLC
LandOfFree
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