A retaining device, includes a base (51) extending in a longitudinal direction and presenting a top face (511) and a bottom face (512); and a plurality of retaining elements extending from the top face (511) of the base (51), each of the retaining elements being formed by a stem (52) surmounted by a head (53), the stem (52) having a bottom end (521) connected to the base (51), and a top end (522) opposite from the bottom end (521), the head (53) surmounting the top end (522) of the stem (52), and having a bottom face facing towards the base and a top face opposite from the bottom face.

Provided is a molding apparatus used for manufacturing a molded surface fastener wherein a die wheel driving rotationally has a concentric double cylinder structure provided with an outer side cylindrical body that has provided therethrough a plurality of penetrating holes, and an inner side cylindrical body that has formed, in the outer peripheral surface thereof, a plurality of grooved portions, the grooved portions located in the inner side cylindrical body include a use grooved portion that intersects with the penetrating hole of the outer side cylindrical body and a non-use grooved portion that is covered by the inner peripheral surface of the outer side cylindrical body. By using this molding apparatus obtained is a molded surface fastener in which a plurality of types of engaging elements having different shapes in a plan view are arranged cyclically in a reference direction.

An active interlocking fastener system is adapted to control an interlock in response to an external stimulus. The interlocking fastener system includes a first element including a plurality of first interlocking fasteners. The interlocking fastener system also includes a second element including a plurality of second interlocking fasteners configured to couple to the first plurality of interlocking fasteners. The plurality of first interlocking fasteners or the plurality of second interlocking fasteners includes a reactive material configured to vary a mechanical engagement between the plurality of first interlocking fasteners and the plurality of second interlocking fasteners as a function of the external stimulus.

An energy dissipating link for a tether includes: an elongated base having opposite, first and second end portions; a first touch fastener permanently coupled to the base proximate the first base end portion; and a second touch fastener permanently coupled to the base proximate the second base end portion. The second touch fastener is engageable with the first touch fastener to form a releasable closure defining a shear plane. With the first and second touch fasteners engaged to transmit a tensile load between the first and second end portions, and with the engaged touch fasteners loaded in shear in the shear plane, the base includes a longitudinally slack idler section between the first and second end portions. The idler section of the base is configured to transmit tensile load upon an energy-dissipating shear disengagement of the first and second touch fasteners by a tensile overload.

A laminated touch fastener is made in a continuous process on a mold roll. Flowable resin is pressed against the mold roll in limited areas to form projections extending from resin layers that are laminated to a flexible substrate while carried on the mold roll. In one example a continuous channel about the mold roll is positioned such that the resin at least partially fills the channel as the layers are formed, thereby forming in the channel a raised portion in which the resin layer is of a greater thickness than at a point between the projections and the raised portion. In another example, grooves in the mold roll receive ribs of a pressure applicator during forming of the layers, the ribs blocking lateral flow of the resin to form a desired edge profile.

A molded surface fastener has engagement regions in which engaging elements are disposed in an erect manner and space regions with no engaging elements, the engagement regions and the space regions alternating in the longitudinal direction. Each space region has a pair of left and right vertical wall portions that are disposed on a substrate portion in an erect manner and a convex rib portion that protrudes from the center of the substrate portion in the width direction, and the convex rib portion is integrally connected to a main lateral wall portion disposed in the width direction of the engagement region. By implementing a simple cutting process, this molded surface fastener can be easily adapted to usages in which the fastener has to be in a curved shape bending in the width direction.

An adjusting strap adjusts the tube orifice diameter of a flexible tube-shaped object and has an inner annular wall, an outer annular wall, and an interlayer between the inner annular wall and the outer annular wall. The adjusting strap has a head portion, a tail portion, and a flexible rope strap portion between the head portion and the tail portion. The tail portion comprises a tail housing, and an avoidance hole passing through the tail housing and available for the head portion and the rope strap portion to pass through. When the adjusting strap is mounted in the flexible tube-shaped object, the head portion passes through the avoidance hole and penetrates the outer annular wall of the flexible tube-shaped object, the rope strap portion is partially received in the interlayer, and the tail portion is completely received in the interlayer and is connected to the flexible tube-shaped object.

A molding apparatus (10) for forming a retaining device. The molding apparatus (10) comprises a molding strip (12) and a molding support (24). The molding strip (12) has an inside face (14), an outside face (16), and a plurality of through cavities (18) extending from the outside face (16) to the inside face (14), the molding strip (12) extending in a longitudinal direction (X) and presenting both a transverse direction (Y) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X), and also a height direction (Z) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X) and to the transverse direction (Y). The inside face (14) is configured to press against a molding face (26) of the molding support (24), wherein the inside face (14) of the molding strip (12) and/or the molding face (26) of the molding support (24) includes an array of passages, the array of passages forming vents and connecting together the cavities (18) when the molding strip (12) is pressed against the molding support (24).

A sealable securing system includes a hook member including a first base, at least one hook group coupled to the first base, and a first seal coupled to the first base. The hook member is configured to be secured to a first component. A loop member includes a second base, at least one loop group coupled to the second base, and a second seal coupled to the second base. The loop member is configured to be secured to a second component. The hook member and the loop member are configured to removably secure to one another.

A closure system (10) for the front end (11) of a horse rug (12) which holds together the sides (13, 14) of the horse rug (12) over the chest of a horse (indicated by reference numeral 15). The closure system (10) consists of a pair of opposed straps (16, 17), each strap (16, 17) being fixed to a respective side (13, 14) of the rug (12) at the front end (11) thereof, and a connector (18) to which each strap (16, 17) is attachable, the connector (18) being of a shape such that, in use, when the sides (13, 14) of the front end (11) of the rug (12) are brought together and the straps (16, 17) are attached to the connector (18), the connector (18) sits snugly against the horse's chest (at 15), which minimises the possibility of the closure becoming snagged by any obstacles.