Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates generally to surface type
fasteners known as hook-and-loop fa~teners, and more particularly
to a fabric fastener tape carrying on its one surface a number
of improved hook-shaped material engaging means.
Prior Art:
According to a known method, a hooked fabric fastener
tape of the type described has on one of opposite surfaces of
a foundation structure a number of hook-shaped material engaging
elements and stems produced in pairs by cutting loops on the
respective one leg sections thereof, the loops being made of
synthetic resin monofilaments woven into the foundation
structure and raising from said one surface thereof. The prior
art hooked fabric fastener tape is disadvantageous in that the
stems have their respective free ends disposed adjacent to and
in substantially confronting relation to the free ends of the
corresponding hook-shaped material engaging elements. Such
stems have no function to hook any of the cooperating loops on
a mating looped fabric fastener tape. Indeed, they rather hinder
the loops from being introduced into hooking engagement with
the hook-shaped material engaging elements as the two fastener
tapes are pressed into face-to-face contact together. As a
result, the possibility of hooking between hooks and loops,
i.e. the firmness of engagement of a hook-and-loop fastener
decreases considerably.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a hooked
fabric fastener tape for hook-and-loop fasteners which can
adhere to or engage with a mating looped fabric fastener tape
with an increased degree of firmness.
Another object of the invention is to provide a hooked
fabric fastener tape having hook~shaped material engaging means
which can hook cooperating loops of a mating looped fabric
fastener tape reliably without causing mis-engagement therewith.
A further object of the invention is to provide a hooked
fabric fastener tape having an improved hooks reliably engageable
with any cooperating loops fanned apart on a mating looped
fabric fastener tape.
According to the present invention, a hooked fabric
fastener tape has on one surface of a foundation structure a
number of material engaging means each comprising a pair of
hooks produced from and by cutting one of loops of synthetic
resin threads woven into the foundation structure. One of
the hooks of each of the material engaging means is larger
in height than the other hook so as to provide a large opening
between the respective end portions thereof for easy reception
of cooperating loops of a mating looped fabric fastener tape.
The hooks of different height are reliably engageable with
virtually any of the cooperating loops fanned apart on the
looped fabric fastener tape.
The above and other objects, advantages and features
o the present invention will become apparent rom the follow-
ing description of preerred embodiments taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic side elevational
view of a hooked fabric fas~ener tape according to the present
invention; and
FIG. 2 ls a view similar to FIG. 1, showing a modified
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hooked fabric fastener tape of the present invention which is
brought into hooking engagement with a mating looped fabric
fastener tape.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to
FIG. 1, there is shown a hooked fabric fastener tape 10 con-
structed in accordance with the present invention. The hooked
fabric fastener tape 10 includes a foundation structure 11 and
a number of material engaging means 12 projecting from one
surface of the foundation structure 11. The foundation struc-
ture 11 is constituted by weaving together a weft thread and
a plurality of warp threads in a well-known manner. Each of
the material engaging means 12 comprises a pair of hooks 13,14
which have been produced from and by cutting one of loops of
synthetic resin threads woven, as a pluraliiy of auxially warp
threads, into the foundation structure 11 as the latter is
woven, each loops including a pair of leg sections and a head
section interconnecting the leg sections. The loops, hence
the hooks 13,14 are preferably made of thermoplas~ic monofila~
ments.
One of the hooks 13 of each material engaging means 12
is larger in height than the other hook 140 The one or large
hook 13 is formed jointly with one of the leg sections, the
head section and a portion of the other leg section which has
been cut whereas the other or small hook 14 is formed with the
r~m~inder of the other or cut leg section, the free end of the
rPm~;nder leg being curved to formed a locking end portion 15.
The locking end portion 15 of the small hook 14 is curved toward
the large hook 13 and directed to the one surface of the founda-
tion structure 11, thereby providing between the locking end
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portion 15 and the free end 16 of the large hook 13 a large
opening 17 for easy reception of cooperating loops 18a,18b of
a mating fabric fastener tape 19 shown by phantom lines in
FIG. 2. Although such small hooks 14 as illustrated are very
advantageous to give the hooked fabric fastener a maximum number
of hooks per unit area, they may have their respective locking
end portions curved into any di.rections with respect to the
corresponding large hooks 13.
FIG. 2 shows a modified hooked fabric fastener tape 20
having material engaging means 21 each comprising a pair of
hooks 22,23 projecting from one surface of a foundation struc~
ture 24, one of the hooks 22 being larger in height than the
other hook 23. The small hooks 23 are the same as the small
hooks 14 shown in FIG. 1, but the large hooks 22 are different
from the aforesaid large hooks 13 in ~hat their respective free
ends or locking end portions 25 are curled so as to hold more
securely the cooperating loops 18a,18b in hooking engagement
thexewith against force tending to separate the fabric fastener
tapes 19,20. Provided between the locking end portion 25 and
a locking end portion 26 of each small hook 23 is an opening 27
larger than the opening 17 shown in FIG. 1, the opening 27
allowing the cooperati~g loops 18a,18b of the.looped fabric
fastener tape 19 to enter more smoothly into hooking engagement
with the hooks 22,23 as the two fastener tapes 19,20 are pressed
together.
As best shown in FIG. 2, the hooked fabric fastener
tape 20(10) of the invention can adhere to or engage with the
mating looped fabric fastener 19 with an increased degree of
firmness thxough the hooking engagement between, on one handl
the large hooks 13(22) and recumbent ones 18a of fanned~apart
loops 18a,18b and, on the other hand, the small hooks 14(23)
and relatively upstanding loops 18b.
Although various minor modifications may be suggested ~y
those versed in the art, it should be understood that we wish
to embody wi-thin the scope of the patent warranted hereon, all
such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the
SCOpQ of our contribution to the art.
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