Abstract: A listing bead fastening tool has a body that defines a guiding recess shaped to receive a listing bead, and a guide rib extending from the body. The guide rib has a neck and a head that is connected to the body of the tool by the neck. The head has a width to allow it to pass through a retention channel defined by opposing rows of fastener elements extending from a base of a fastener strip to which the listing bead is to be fastened. The guiding recess of the body of the tool defines a listing bead insertion path that is angled with respect to the retention channel. Moving the tool along the retention channel causes the listing bead, which is retained within the guiding recess, to be progressively inserted into the retention channel and retained between the rows of fastener elements.

Abstract: A reclosable carton has a releasable closure, with one portion of the closure adhered to a wall of the carton body, and a mating portion of the closure adhered to a flange of a lid of the carton, such that the closure portions overlap with the lid closed. Each closure portion has an exposed surface defining a series of tapered ridges, each formed as a row of tapered scallops, spaced apart in a box lid closing direction, such that the ridges of one closure portion sequentially engage the ridges of the other closure portion as the lid is closed, to hold the lid in its closed position. The closure is subsequently released by flexure of the carton body or lid to separate the engaged ridges.

Abstract: A reusable closure system is disclosed for packaging applications. The closure system generally includes a base and hinged lid. The base is bondable to a package and includes a field of touch fasteners having one or more cut-lines therein defining a hinged pull-tab assembly. The lid includes a complementary touch fastener field and can be placed in the open position to expose the pull-tab assembly, which can then be peeled back to open the package by virtue of the bond between the pull-tab assembly and a frangible region in the package. After opening, the pull-tab assembly can be stowed to the lid, so as to provide a lid-based plug corresponding to the package hole. Optional tamper-evident elements allow a consumer to see the package has not yet been opened. Stay-open lid and anti-peel mechanisms may also be provided. A dispensable roll/fanfold of the closures can feed a flow-wrap packaging process.

Abstract: A reusable closure system is disclosed for flexible packaging applications. The system generally includes base and lid portions. The base portion can be bonded to underlying package material and includes first and second fields of touch fasteners separated by a multi-layer buffer zone. The buffer zone can be at least in part co-located with a frangible region of underlying package material. In some embodiments, the buffer zone is substantially free of active bonding agent, such that there is little or no active bonding agent overlapping the frangible region. One of the touch fastener fields of the base can be deployed at least partially within the area defined by the frangible region. The other touch fastener field is deployed around the buffer zone. The lid portion can be bonded to the package material and/or base portion, and includes a hinge and another touch fastener field to mate with the base fields.

Abstract: A method for forming a double-sided loop strap includes: receiving a continuous longitudinal strip of loop material including a strip-form base bearing a field of upstanding loops on a fastening side of the strip bounded by opposite longitudinal edges, folding each of the longitudinal edges away from the fastening side, such that the base overlaps itself, and securing the folded edges in place by permanently bonding together overlapped areas of the base to form the double-sided loop strap.

Abstract: A touch fastener loop material has a non-woven web of fibers forming both a base and a field of high-tenacity hook-engageable loops extending outward from one broad side of the base. The fibers are distributed such that the field of loops has a particular fiber volume distribution as a function of elevation above the base.

Abstract: A foam roofing underlayment is provided with a reinforcement membrane having an array of fastener elements for engaging fastener elements on a flexible roof membrane. The underlayment is formed by molding foam between the reinforcement membrane and a carrier membrane. The underlayment in secured to the roof using washers having fastener elements for engaging the fastener elements of the flexible roof membrane. An anti-peel flap with fastener elements is provided around the periphery of the washers. A slip sheet is used between the underlayment and the flexible roof membrane to permit accurate positioning of the flexible roof membrane prior to engagement of the fastener elements. The interstices between the fastener elements provide lateral moisture paths to vents in the flexible roof membrane.

Abstract: An edge of a moisture barrier membrane, such as of a roof assembly, is attached and sealed using a moisture-impermeable sealing tape. The membrane has a fibrous surface and a non-fibrous surface. The tap is secured to a surface to which the edge of the membrane is to be attached, and positioned to underlie and extend along the edge of the membrane. The tape has a first edge width carrying a field of discrete touch fastener elements, and a second edge width carrying a layer of adhesive. The fibrous surface of the moisture barrier membrane is engaged against the field of touch fastener elements, such that the moisture barrier membrane overlaps the first edge width of the tape, and then the sealing tape is folded over the edge of the moisture barrier membrane, such that the adhesive engages the non-fibrous surface of the moisture barrier membrane.

Abstract: Touch fastener products, as well as apparatus and methods for manufacturing such products, are described. The methods and apparatus feature certain mold cavity shapes that are designed to facilitate demolding of hammer hook touch fastener elements exhibiting desirable fastening properties. Such mold cavity shapes can be combined with particularly soft molding resins to produce useful fastening products.

Abstract: A male touch fastener strip includes an elongated base and a field of male fastener elements each having a stem extending from a broad face of the base and a head for engaging fibers. The fastener element stems and broad face of the base together form a unitary mass of resin, such as a resin containing a magnetically attractable substance. Wings extend from respective longitudinal edges of the base and define discrete corrugations extending in a series along the fastener strip and forming corresponding undulations in the rear face of the strip along its longitudinal edges. The corrugated wings can also support a foam gasket.

Abstract: A touch fastener loop material has a non-woven web of fibers forming both a base and a field of high-tenacity hook-engageable loops extending outward from one broad side of the base. The fibers are arranged with a particularly low density while maintaining hook-engageability and usefulness as a fastening material.

Abstract: A seat trim cover includes a flexible web and a plurality of molded clips spaced-apart at predetermined intervals along a distal edge of the web. Each of the clips includes a base attached to the web and an opposing pair of latch elements extending from the clip base. Each clip also defines a tool retention feature, such as an elongated slot. The clips are designed to be forced into engagement with a retainer of a seat cushion by engaging the tool retention feature of the clip with a tool, and applying force to the engaged tool to force the clip into engagement with the retainer.

Abstract: A method of making a sheet-form loop-engageable fastener product includes placing a layer of staple fibers on a first side of a substrate, needling fibers of the layer through the substrate to form loops extending from a second side of the substrate, removing end regions from at least some of the loops to form stems, and forming loop-engageable heads at free ends of at least some of the stems.

Abstract: A male touch fastener strip includes an elongated base and a field of male fastener elements each having a stem extending from a broad face of the base and a head for engaging fibers. The fastener element stems and broad face of the base together form a unitary mass of resin, such as a resin containing a magnetically attractable substance. Wings extend from respective longitudinal edges of the base and define discrete corrugations extending in a series along the fastener strip and forming corresponding undulations in the rear face of the strip along its longitudinal edges. The corrugated wings can also support a foam gasket.

Abstract: A covered foam cushion (10), such as for an automotive seat, has a foam bun (12) with a contoured outer surface defining an elongated trench (16) between opposing side walls (18, 20). A retainer (28, 28a) is permanently secured to the foam bun and recessed within the trench between the side walls. A cover (14) extends over at least a portion of the foam bun and is held in place by a clip (26, 26a) permanently secured to a distal edge of a flange (24) of the cover within the trench of the foam bun. The clip is fastened to the retainer and has lateral protrusions (30, 30a) that bear against the opposing side walls of the trench.

Abstract: Methods for forming a touch fastening material are described as including: providing a lengthwise-incoherent layer of staple fibers supported directly on a bed of bristle tips of a brush; needling the layer of staple fibers by cycling needles through the layer of staple fibers and into the brush; then, while the needled layer of staple fibers remains supported on the brush, fusing portions of the staple fibers by at least partially melting resin of the fibers disposed outside the brush; and then pulling the layer of fibers from the brush as a lengthwise-coherent touch fastening material having exposed fastening loops pulled from between the brush bristles.

Abstract: A releasable fastening features a first fastening strip including an elongated, flexible base carrying an array of discrete fastener elements arranged in rows and columns, and a second fastening strip configured to releasably engage with the first fastening strip. The first fastening strip also includes a longitudinally continuous rib supported by the upper surface of the base of the first fastening strip, the rib extending sufficiently far from the base of the first fastening strip to engage a sealing portion of the second fastening strip, and of a bending strength sufficiently low that the rib is placed in an elastically bent state, when the first and second fastening strips are in the engaged state, thereby forming with the sealing portion of the second fastening strip a non-interlocking barrier to resist flow across the fastening with the first and second fastening strips in the engaged state.

Abstract: A seat trim cover includes a flexible web and a plurality of molded clips spaced-apart at predetermined intervals along a distal edge of the web. Each of the clips includes a base attached to the web and one or more latch elements extending from the base to a point beyond the distal edge of the web. The latch elements of each clip are configured to clasp a cushion retainer when forced into engagement with the retainer.

Abstract: An edge-beaded fastener product such as a cushion cover tie-down has a molded profile bead secured to and extending along a flexible strip adjacent a longitudinal edge of the strip. The profile bead has a shoulder or an inboard sidewall extending away from the strip, such as for retaining a clip or hog ring. The flexible strip may have a reinforced region, inboard of the shoulder, in which resin contiguous with resin forming the profile bead encapsulates surface features of the strip. The product is made by molding resin directly onto the strip. Multiple lanes of resin may be molded on a single substrate, which is severed to form individual strips with severed, exposed strip edges.

Abstract: A fabric, such as a loop fastener material, is finished by applying a foam to a surface of the fabric, the foam containing both a liquid binder and a powder. The binder is allowed to flow into pores of the fabric and coat fiber interstices of the fabric as the foam collapses, and is dried to stabilize the fabric. The powder is of a particle size selected to cause most of the powder to remain on the surface of the fabric while the binder is dried to bond the powder to the fabric surface. The powder, as bonded to the fabric surface, is activatable, such as by heat or RF or UV energy, to adhere the stabilized fabric to another surface or to provide a desired surface property.