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Fastener tapesRelated Patent Categories: Stock Material Or Miscellaneous Articles, Layer Or Component Removable To Expose AdhesiveFastener tapes description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070026181, Fastener tapes. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] This invention relates to cooperative touch fasteners. BACKGROUND [0002] The majority of consumers purchase clothing and other garments in standard sizes, such as small, medium and large. Often times, these garments are not a perfect fit for the consumer. For example, if a person buys a shirt or coat that is large enough around the torso, the sleeves of the shirt might require shortening. The consumer can pay to have the garment altered, which for many is cost prohibitive, or if the consumer has the sewing skills and equipment, he can alter the garment himself. Frequently, the consumer has neither the money nor the skills to alter his clothing but instead wears clothes that don't have an ideal fit. Thus, it is desirable to provide to consumers a product that allows the user to alter clothing without sewing. It is also desirable that manufacturers be able to adjust the positioning of fasteners on products. [0003] Improved means for adjusting and securing fasteners, particularly touch fasteners such as hook-and-loop or inter-engaging projection array fasteners, to underlying substrates are sought. Also sought are improved means of temporarily holding a fastener in place until permanent binding is achieved. [0004] Some products employed to alter garments include a fabric tape which may be ironed on to a garment by melting a fusible resin, e.g., a thermoplastic polymer, carried on one surface of the tape (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,393). Some tapes include cooperating touch fastener elements extending from the opposite surface of the tape. When the garment is subjected to heat greater than the melting point of the resin, as may occur during drying in a clothes dryer, the resin can melt and cause the tape to disengage from the garment. SUMMARY [0005] In general, the invention features positionable and securable cooperative touch fasteners and methods of making and using such touch fasteners. The touch fasteners can include a first surface carrying a plurality of fastener elements, and an opposite surface that carries a pressure sensitive adhesive that adheres the opposite surface to a substrate (e.g., fabric, leather, or wood) when pressure is applied to the touch fastener. [0006] In one aspect, the invention features a touch fastener. The touch fastener includes a sheet-form base having an upper face and a lower face. A plurality of discrete fastener elements extend outwardly from the upper face of the base, and the lower face of the base includes an adhesive layer having a pressure-sensitive portion and a cross-linkable adhesive. [0007] In some embodiments, the cross-linkable adhesive is also pressure sensitive, or is encapsulated in a pressure-sensitive adhesive in the pressure-sensitive portion. [0008] In other embodiments, the lower face of the touch fastener has a first area of pressure sensitive adhesive and a second area of cross-linkable adhesive. [0009] In some embodiments, the fastener elements are hooks. In some instances, the hooks are integrally molded with the upper face of the base. The hooks can have a height of less than about 0.05 inch (1.27 millimeters), e.g., between about 0.005 and 0.05 inch (0.127 and 1.27 millimeters). In some cases, the hooks are arranged in an array that covers substantially the entire upper face of the base. The hook density can be at least about 100 hooks per square inch (15.5 hooks per square centimeter), e.g., at least about 1000 hooks per square inch (155 hooks per square centimeter). In some cases, the fastener elements include stems with rounded or planar heads (i.e., mushrooms). In some cases, the fastener elements include palm tree hooks. [0010] In some embodiments, the fastener elements are loops. The loops can be of a knit, woven, or non-woven material. [0011] In some cases, the base is a woven material from which the fastener elements extend as filament ends. [0012] In some embodiments, the cross-linkable adhesive is heat activated, e.g., a curable hot melt adhesive or a urethane. [0013] In other embodiments, the cross-linkable adhesive is moisture activated, e.g., a urathane. [0014] In some embodiments the cross-linkable adhesive is radiation activated, e.g., acrylic. The radiation can be UV, for example. [0015] In some embodiments, the touch fastener further comprises a release liner covering the pressure-sensitive portion. [0016] In another aspect, the invention features a method of permanently bonding a touch fastener to a material. The method includes providing a touch fastener having a sheet-form base with an upper face and a lower face. A plurality of discrete fastener elements extend outwardly from the upper face of the base, and the lower face includes an adhesive layer with a pressure-sensitive portion and a cross-linkable adhesive. The touch fastener is pressed against the material to temporarily adhere the touch fastener to the material in a desired location. Then the touch fastener is permanently bonded to the material by cross-linking the cross-linkable adhesive in the desired location. [0017] In another aspect, the invention features a method of positioning a touch fastener. The method includes adhering a touch fastener with pressure at an initial location on a material. The touch fastener has a sheet-form base with an upper face and a lower face. A plurality of discrete fastener elements extend outwardly from the upper face of the base, and the lower face has an adhesive layer with a pressure-sensitive portion and a cross-linkable adhesive. Thereafter, the method includes determining whether the initial location of the touch fastener is a desirable location, if the initial location is not a desirable location, the touch fastener is repositioned to a second location. Once the touch fastener is in a desirable location, the cross-linkable adhesive is cross-linked, thereby permanently bonding the touch fastener to the desirable location on the material. [0018] Another aspect of the invention features a method of altering a garment. The method includes temporarily adhering a first portion of a touch fastener to one region of a garment, the first portion of the touch fastener having a sheet-form base with an upper face and a lower face. A plurality of discrete fastener elements extend outwardly from the upper face, and the lower face has an adhesive layer with a pressure-sensitive portion and a cross-linkable adhesive. The method further includes temporarily adhering a second portion of a touch fastener to another region of the garment, the second portion of the touch fastener having a sheet-form base with an upper face and a lower face. A plurality of discrete fastener elements extend outwardly from the upper face of the base of the second portion and are configured to engage the fastener elements of the first portion, and the lower face has an adhesive layer with a pressure-sensitive portion and a cross-linkable adhesive. It is determined whether the first and second portions are at desirable initial locations and if necessary either or both of the first and second portions are repositioned. Once each of the first and second touch fastener portions is in a desirable location, it is permanently bonded to a respective region of the fabric by cross-linking the cross-linkable adhesive. The touch fasteners are then fastened by touching the first and second portions together, thereby altering the garment. [0019] In some embodiments, the alteration includes changing the hem of a pant or changing the length of a sleeve. [0020] In another aspect, the invention features a method of hanging window coverings. The method includes temporarily adhering on one region of a window covering a first portion of a touch fastener having a sheet-form base with an upper face and a lower face. A plurality of discrete fastener elements extend outwardly from the upper face, and the lower face has an adhesive layer with a pressure-sensitive portion and a cross-linkable adhesive. The method further includes temporarily adhering at an initial location on a wooden piece adjacent to a window a second portion of a touch fastener having a sheet-form base with an upper face and a lower face. A plurality of discrete fastener elements extend outwardly from the upper face of the base of the second portion and are configured to engage the fastener elements of the first portion, and the lower face has an adhesive layer with a pressure-sensitive portion and a cross-linkable adhesive. It is determined whether the first and second portions are at desirable initial locations and if necessary, either or both of the first and second portions are repositioned. Once each of the first and second touch fastener portions is in a desirable location, it is permanently bonded to the respective region of the wooden piece adjacent to the window or the window covering by cross-linking the cross-linkable adhesive. The touch fasteners are then fastened together by touching the first and second portions together, thereby hanging the window covering. [0021] In another aspect, the invention features method of covering a furnishing with a material. The method includes temporarily adhering a first portion of a touch fastener to a region of a material, the first portion of the touch fastener having a sheet-form base with an upper face and a lower face. A plurality of discrete fastener elements extend outwardly from the upper face, and the lower face has an adhesive layer with a pressure-sensitive portion and a cross-linkable adhesive. The method further includes temporarily adhering a second portion of a touch fastener to one region of the furnishing, the second portion of a touch fastener having a sheet-form base with an upper face and a lower face. A plurality of discrete fastener elements extend outwardly from the upper face of the base of the second portion and are configured to engage the fastener elements of the first portion, and the lower face has an adhesive layer with a pressure-sensitive portion and a cross-linkable adhesive. It is determined whether the first and second portions are at desirable initial locations, and if necessary either or both of the first and second portions are repositioned. Once each of the first and second touch fastener portions is in a desirable location, it is permanently bonded to a respective region of either the material or the furnishing by cross-linking the cross-linkable adhesive. The touch fasteners are then fastened together by touching the first and second portions together, thereby covering the furnishing with material. Continue reading about Fastener tapes... Full patent description for Fastener tapes Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Fastener tapes patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Fastener tapes or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Pvc tube provided with a friction-reducing layer and method for the production thereof Next Patent Application: Translucent flame retardant tape Industry Class: Stock material or miscellaneous articles ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Fastener tapes patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.10973 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Electronics: Semiconductor , Audio , Illumination , Connectors , Crypto , 174 |
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