Abstract: Lightweight, non-woven loop products for hook-and-loop fastening are disclosed, as are methods for making them and end products employing them. The products are non-woven webs of entangled fibers of substantial tenacity, the fibers forming both a sheet-form web body and hook-engageable, free-standing loops extending from the web body. The product is stretched and stabilized to produce spaced-apart loop clusters extending from a very thin web of taut fibers. In some embodiments, the fibers include low denier fibers and/or bicomponent fibers.

Abstract: A reclosable closure consists of two longitudinally continuous strips and which, when facially engaged, are held together by hook and loop fastening principles. The inner side of one strip has two fields of hook-engageable loops, separated by a female seal profile portion. The inner side of the other strip has two fields of molded hook elements arranged to engage the loops to hold the closure in its closed condition, and a central male seal profile portion for engaging the female seal profile portion to form a seal when the closure is closed. Another reclosable closure is held together by hook and loop fastening principles and includes a resilient bead that is compressed between opposing sides of the closure, or between spaced rails of an opposing side of the closure, when the hooks and loops of the closure are engaged. The closure is useful, for example, as a bag closure.

Abstract: A releasable touch fastener has an engagement area configured to produce a twisting about a centroid of the engagement area in the plane of engagement, in response to a unidirectional shear load acting within the plane of engagement. One fastener component has a flexible web carrying a multiplicity of loop-engageable fastener elements, or a region of adhesive, defining the engagement area. Elasticity of the engaged materials enhances the twisting effect.

Abstract: A method of making a fastener product having discrete regions of fastener element stems extending from a strip-form base includes providing a gap formed along a peripheral surface of a rotating mold roll, the mold roll having a plurality of cavities exposed about the peripheral surface. A sleeve is introduced to the gap. The sleeve is positioned about the mold roll and covers selected cavities. Molten resin is introduced to the gap such that the resin forms at least a part of the strip-form base of the product at the peripheral mold roll surface and at least partially fills a plurality of the cavities to form fastener element stems as projections extending from the strip-form base, while the resin remains blocked from said selected ones by the sleeve. The resin is solidified and stripped from the peripheral surface of the mold roll by pulling the projections from their respective cavities.

Abstract: An inflatable product includes overlapped areas of flexible material forming an inflatable pouch that is bounded by bonded regions of the flexible material and that includes a limited opening for inflating the pouch. The flexible material includes multiple fastening regions including a first fastening region in which an array of fastener elements with stems are arranged, the stems are integrally molded with and extending from a common resin substrate, and a second fastening region of fibrous loops releasably engageable with the fastener elements.

Abstract: Lightweight, non-woven loop products for hook-and-loop fastening are disclosed, as are methods for making them and end products employing them. The products are non-woven webs of entangled fibers of substantial tenacity, the fibers forming both a sheet-form web body and hook-engageable, free-standing loops extending from the web body. The product is stretched and stabilized to produce spaced-apart loop clusters extending from a very thin web of taut fibers. In important cases a binder is added to stabilize the product in its stretched condition. An example of the loop product is produced by needle-punching a batt of staple fibers in multiple needle-punching operations, applying a foamed acrylic binder, and then stretching the needled batt and curing the binder with the batt stretched. Other forming techniques are disclosed and several novel articles and uses employing such loop products are described, such as for filters and fasteners.

Abstract: Loop materials are provided for touch fastening. The loop materials include a web of nonwoven fibrous material defining a plane, the web including: (a) raised areas, elevated above the plane of the web, defining loops constructed for engagement with male touch fastener elements; (b) rib areas surrounding the raised areas to anchor the loops; and (c) between the rib areas, either open areas, or planar areas that are substantially in the plane of the web.

Abstract: A medical wrap includes a flexible, sheet-form substrate with a discrete medical function delivery region having a surface adapted to be placed against a patient's skin to provide a desired medical effect. The substrate carries a field of fibers exposed on one side thereof for engagement by fastener elements, and an array of fastener elements extending from a side of the substrate opposite the exposed fibers. The fastener elements each have a respective stem extending integrally from a film of resin disposed in a band across the substrate and encapsulating surface features of the substrate. The fastener elements are constructed to snag the exposed fibers when the substrate is wrapped about a patient in an overlapping manner, to secure the wrap about the patient with the medical function delivery region in a desired position. The wrap is useful as a hot or cold pack, medical dressing or drug delivery device.

Abstract: A loop fastener product is formed by needling a batt of fibers through a carrier sheet such as a plastic film, to form loops on the other side of the carrier sheet. A binder, such as a powder resin or plastic film, is placed over the fiber side of the product and fused to the carrier sheet to bond the fibers in place. In some cases the product is needled in only discrete areas, leaving other areas free of loops. The product may be formed into outer covers for disposable diapers. Fibers of one resin are readily combined with films and backings of other resins to produce particularly thin and low weight loop materials.

Abstract: A reclosable bag has opposing broad face panels defining a volume therebetween for holding a quantity of contents, an end of the body forming an expandable gusset between the broad face panels, and a reclosable bag closure between the expandable gusset and a corresponding edge region of one of the broad face panels. When the closure is opened, a bag opening is formed between the expandable gusset and said one of the broad face panels of the bag, to access the bag contents. In one example, the bag has upper and lower expandable gussets, while in another the bag has expandable side gussets. The closure is readily closed without precise alignment and despite the adjacent gusset.

Abstract: A method of packaging a food product for retail sale includes forming a bag of sheet material and inserting a food product into the bag. The bag includes a ventilated, reclosable closure arranged to secure the bag against loss of bag contents that has first and second bands of fastener elements placed to form the ventilated, reclosable closure along an opening of the bag. The closure allows an amount of air into and out of the bag with the bag in a closed position after the bag has been opened at the opening to access the food product. The first band of fastener elements is an array of male fastener elements with stems extending from a base and heads arranged to engage a field of fibers.

Abstract: A dispenser for strip materials, e.g. hook and loop fastener material, which automatically finds formations in a continuous fastener strip during its dispensing and, at that point in the dispensing procedure, produces a resistance to the remaining supply, that enables parting of the lead unit from the remaining supply, thus dispensing a discrete unit. The dispenser has a receptacle to hold the supply of fastener strip material; it employs a retarding device to provide light drag against the motion of the strip as the leading strip unit moves from the dispenser in response to pull by a user. A detent downstream of the retarding device engages a corresponding formation in the strip material to resist movement of the remaining strip material, so that the strip ruptures along a line of weakness under a user's tension. Also disclosed are dispensable fastener strips of various forms, some advantageously formed by use of needled bat, and methods of forming the fastening strips.

Abstract: Lightweight, hook-engageable materials capable of functioning as hook-engageable fasteners are treated and configured for use for economical and attractive displays and decorations. Laminates of the material with various substrates with associated printing are used to form visually attractive point of purchase, merchandise or trade show displays. Self-supporting or stable materials having lettering or designs on their surface are used to form banners or floor coverings. Non-woven materials with varied areal density of fibers perform those functions with particular economy. Low density knit fabrics are also useful according to broad features of the invention. Methods are shown to produce reinforced corrugated board and desirably laminated and printed materials having hook-engageable surfaces.

Abstract: A gusseted bag of disposable packaging material has a roll-top closure comprising two releasably engageable fastener components. Each fastener component comprises a plastic base layer carrying either hook or loop elements. In some cases, one component is secured to one face of a rollable top of the bag, and the other component is carried on a flexible flap secured to a lower portion of an opposite face of the bag. In another embodiment, one fastener component extends in a strip from an upper edge of the bag down one face of the bag, and the other fastener component extends in a strip from an upper edge of the bag down an opposite face, such that when the top of the bag is folded downward, one fastener component will engage the other fastener component to hold the top closed.

Abstract: A reclosable bag is filled through an opening defined between a back side of a folded closure strip secured to an inner surface of the bag on one side of the bag opening, and an inner surface of the other side of the bag opening. The filled bag is sealed by joining the back side of the closure strip to the opposing bag wall at a point outboard of the closure strip and bag opening. The bag is later opened by breaking through a frangible section in a folded portion of the closure strip, between mating bands of hooks and loops. In some cases, an extension of one side of the bag forms a handle or a fitment; in particular, funnels can be formed from integral extensions of the closure strip, integral extensions of the bag-making material, or from a discrete preform which is joined to the bag construction.

Abstract: A reclosable package includes a pouch of flexible material defining a pocket with an openable mouth, and a reclosable, resealable closure attached to the flexible material and positioned to secure and seal the mouth of the pocket. The closure includes opposing, parallel strips of foam material secured to respective portions of the flexible material and having outer faces arranged to engage one another when the mouth of the pocket is in a closed state. The outer faces of the foam strips each carry an exposed, self-adhesive layer for securing and sealing the mouth of the pocket in its closed state. Such closures are also provided in strip form, and methods of making bags having such closures are disclosed.

Abstract: Touch fasteners useful for bags, packaging and other products as well as novel manufacturing of products incorporating such fasteners. A composite touch fastener has a fibrous loop strip partially encapsulated in, or otherwise permanently attached to, resin of a substrate, and an array of loop-engageable fastener elements integrally molded with resin of the substrate. The center portion of the closure seals the bag until it is torn away to expose the mating bands of loops and fastener elements. Methods of applying recloseable touch fasteners, e.g. hook and loop fasteners, to sheet or film include vertical form and fill and horizontal form and fill packaging and pouch making.

Abstract: A dispenser for strip materials, e.g. hook and loop fastener material, which automatically finds formations in a continuous fastener strip during its dispensing and, at that point in the dispensing procedure, produces a resistance to the remaining supply, that enables parting of the lead unit from the remaining supply, thus dispensing a discrete unit. The dispenser has a receptacle to hold the supply of fastener strip material; it employs a retarding device to provide light drag against the motion of the strip as the leading strip unit moves from the dispenser in response to pull by a user. A detent downstream of the retarding device engages a corresponding formation in the strip material to resist movement of the remaining strip material, so that the strip ruptures along a line of weakness under a user's tension. Also disclosed are dispensable fastener strips of various forms, some advantageously formed by use of needled bat, and methods of forming the fastening strips.

Abstract: A composite touch fastener has an elongated, sheet-form resin substrate, a fibrous loop strip partially encapsulated in, or otherwise permanently attached to, resin of the substrate, and an array of loop-engageable fastener elements integrally molded with resin of the substrate. The loop strip forms a discrete band of hook-engageable, free-standing loops along the length of the substrate, and has a substantially constant fiber density across its width. The array of fastener elements is arranged in a discrete band of fastener elements extending longitudinally along the substrate. The fastener product is useful as a repeated use bag closure, with a pair of grooves and a graspable rib integrally molded into the substrate between the fastener elements and loops. The center portion of the closure seals the bag until it is torn away to expose the mating bands of loops and fastener elements.

Abstract: A reclosable bag has a body with opposite faces having side edges and defining an interior. The bag also has a reclosable hook-and-loop fastener strip secured to one of the bag faces. The fastener strip may form a reclosable face closure for accessing the bag interior through a face of the bag. In some cases the closure strip extends around one or more of the edges of the bag to form a pour spout side opening or to define a hinge as in a flip top box.