Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Including readily dissociable fastener having numerous,... – Having mounting surface and filaments constructed from...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-29
2002-10-15
Sandy, Robert J. (Department: 3677)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Including readily dissociable fastener having numerous,...
Having mounting surface and filaments constructed from...
C024S306000, C024S442000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06463635
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface fastener, which is used as a stopper for attaching a superficial skin member on a surface of a cushion body, for example, in a seat of a vehicle or a home seat such as a shitting chair or a sofa. More particularly, the present invention relates to a surface fastener, which is strongly embedded and fixed in a stable manner in the cushion body upon molding the cushion body by a foam molding.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, this kind of surface fastener is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-37712. As shown in
FIG. 33
, a strip-shaped woven surface fastener
8
′ is provided with portions in which no hook-shaped engaging elements
4
′ are arranged at end margins
3
′ on opposite sides of a surface thereof. At these end margins
3
′, members, which constitute of non-woven cloth NW′ and have nearly equal heights as those of the engaging elements
4
′, are attached along a longitudinal direction of the surface fastener
8
′, so that foam resin material is prevented from penetrating the surface, on which the engaging elements
4
′ of the surface fastener are planted, during the molding of a cushion body.
Another conventional molded surface fastener is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2788564. As shown in
FIG. 34
, the molded surface fastener has a fin-shape enclosing portion
2
″, which extends on a periphery of a base member
1
″ made of synthetic resin and inclines in an outer oblique direction. Inside of this enclosing portion
2
″, engaging elements
4
″ of the surface fastener are planted. A number of fixing legs
32
″, each of which has an enlarged head
33
″ for planting and fixing, are disposed on a rear surface of the base member
1
″. The respective base members
1
″ are connected to each other with connecting threads
31
″. As a result, foam resin material is prevented from penetrating the surface, on which the engaging elements
4
″ of the surface fastener are planted, upon molding the cushion body.
The strip-shape woven surface fastener
8
′ as described above and shown in
FIG. 33
is, however, provided with the portion on which the engaging elements
4
′ of the surface fastener
8
′ are not arranged at the end margins
3
′ on the opposite sides of the surface thereof, and these end margins
3
′ are attached with non-woven cloth NW′ having the nearly equal height as those of the engaging elements
4
′ of the surface fastener
8
′ along the longitudinal direction of the surface fastener
8
′ by a supersonic processing, a high-frequency processing or the like. Further, this surface fastener
8
′ is inserted in a hollow groove disposed on a surface of a metal mold upon molding the cushion body to close the edge portions of the hollow groove by the non-woven cloth, so that the foam resin material is prevented from penetrating the surface of the engaging elements
4
′. Therefore, after the edge margins
3
′ of the surface fastener
8
′ is embedded in the cushion body, it is possible that a portion of the edge margins
3
′ of the strip-shaped surface fastener
8
′ may be pulled out of the foam mold body by a pulling force of a loop surface fastener attached to the superficial skin of the seat in use. Thus, there is a deficiency with regard to an attachment strength of the surface fastener
8
′. Furthermore, since the engaging elements
4
′ of the surface fastener
8
′ are attached so as to stand out from the surface of the cushion, the attached portion makes a user feel uncomfortable.
Further, in the molded surface fastener as shown in
FIG. 34
, since the enclosed area of the base member, on which the engaging elements
4
″ of the surface fastener are planted, is blockaded by the fin-shape enclosing portion
2
″ inclining in the outer oblique direction and an outer surface of the enclosing portion
2
″ is smooth, the molded surface fastener is embedded and fixed in the cushion body made of foam resin by the fixing legs, which are disposed on the rear surface of the base member
1
″. Therefore, it is not possible that a front edge of the enclosing portion
2
″ disposed on the periphery of the base member
1
″ is strongly embedded in a stable fashion in the cushion body made of foam resin, so that the molded surface fastener becomes unstable. As a result, the enclosing portion
2
″ may tremble during the use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made taking the foregoing problem into consideration. A main object of a first aspect of the present invention is to provide a surface fastener having an excellent engagement force, in which a base portion of the surface fastener can be very simply and strongly fixed on a cushion body of a foam resin molding type by using the surface fastener without providing a specific processing to a foam metal mold, foam resin material is prevented from penetrating the surface fastener specifically upon molding the cushion body, such as a cushion for a seat, on the surface fastener, and a fence portion formed in a periphery of the surface fastener or a fence portion made of thermoplastic resin foam is strongly connected to the cushion body so that the surface fastener is capable of being used in a stable state. Further, this surface fastener is provided with an attaching portion that can be easily attached.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a surface fastener, which is provided with fence portions and has attaching portions defined not only in a longitudinal direction of the surface fastener but also in the peripheries thereof including both sides thereof so that the surface fastener can be attached easily.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a surface fastener, which is very easy to manufacture and which has flexibility and a high quality.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a surface fastener, which is easy to use and which can be either a single or a plurality of surface fasteners produced from a strip-shaped surface fastener depending on a place and a purpose for its use.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a surface fastener, which is provided with a mechanism for effectively connecting a rear surface of a base portion of the surface fastener to a cushion body of a foam resin molding type, so as to be more strongly embed the base portion in the cushion body. The mechanism may include fixing yarns, for example.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a surface fastener, which is provided with a mechanism for strongly connecting the rear surface of the base portion of the surface fastener to the cushion body of the foam resin molding type, so as to more strongly embed the base portion in the cushion body. The mechanism may include, for example, a cloth such as a female surface fastener member or a non-woven cloth that the foam resin material can penetrate.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a surface fastener, which is provided with a mechanism for more strongly connecting the rear surface of the base portion of the surface fastener to the cushion body of the foam resin molding type. The mechanism may include engaging elements for fixing, for example.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a surface fastener, which applies magnetic powder in an appropriate form and accurately effects its function in such a manner that the base portion of the surface fastener is placed accurately in a stable fashion in a metal mold.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a surface fastener, which has flexibility and free from uncomfortable touch in use, and which is easy to manufacture.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a surface fastener, which can be supported such that the surface fas
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP
YKK Corporation
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