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).

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.

Methods and systems for mechanically forming one or more surface protrusions integrally from a garment material, the one or more surface protrusions extending outwardly from a garment surface of the garment material, include placing at least one selected area of the garment surface against a first surface of a forming die having a plurality of openings which have a configuration and orientation corresponding with the configuration and orientation of the one or more surface protrusions of the garment material. The garment surface may be softened by application of a source of energy, wherein the source of energy comprises at least two sonotrodes mounted in a rotary drum. At least some of the softened garment surface is positioned into at least one opening of the plurality of openings.

Methods and systems for mechanically forming one or more surface protrusions integrally from a garment material, the one or more surface protrusions extending outwardly from a garment surface of the garment material, include pre-heating at least one selected area of the garment material; placing the at least one selected area of the garment surface that is pre-heated against a first surface of a forming die, the first surface having a plurality of openings which have a configuration and orientation corresponding with the configuration and orientation of the one or more surface protrusions of the garment material. The garment surface may be softened by application of a source of energy, at least some of the softened garment surface positioned into at least one opening of the plurality of openings.

In this molded surface fastener, an engaging element includes a columnar stem portion, and micro pawl portions protruding outward from an upper end outer peripheral edge of the stem portion in a plan view of the engaging elements. A pawl width dimension of the micro pawl portions is smaller than a line segment connecting two points on the upper end outer peripheral edge of the stem portion. The micro pawl portions protrude toward a base portion. This molded surface fastener has a high peel strength and a shear strength with respect to a female surface fastener.

A polymer embossing-tool shim laminate includes a micro-embossed polymeric surface texture with a three-dimensional geometric pattern cured on a polymeric insulator film. The embossing-tool laminate enables methods of producing polymeric laminates with micro-sized, three-dimensional geometric patterns on their surfaces.

Film articles with dual-sided structures are ones in which both of the major surfaces of the film have a structured surface. The structured film articles have a first major surface and second major surface, where each surface has a plurality of spaced apart protrusions forming a repeating pattern. Each repeating pattern has a major axis, where the major axis is one of the major axes in the translational direction of the repeating pattern. The major axis of the repeating pattern on the second major surface forms an oblique angle with the major axis on the first major surface, where the angle is in the range of 10-90% of the angle of rotational symmetry of the repeating pattern. The structured film is a unitary substrate. The structured film articles are prepared by providing a flowable material composition having two major surfaces and simultaneously contacting the major surfaces with a first microstructuring tool, and a second microstructuring tool. Each microstructuring tool has a structured surface including a pattern of a plurality of depressions.

Provided is a molding hook and loop fastener, in which a barrier erected near left and right side edges of a substrate includes at least two rows of vertical wall arrays, and the vertical wall array positioned on the outermost side includes a plurality of gaps provided at a predetermined pitch in a length direction. At least two of the gaps are provided on the vertical wall array positioned on the outermost side with respect to a region between the engaging elements adjacent in the length direction of the substrate. Due to this, in the molding hook and loop fastener, an outer side and an inner side of the barrier can be divided by the vertical wall array, and flexibility of the molding hook and loop fastener can be improved.

Disclosed are the cut edges of an absorbent fabric comprising at least 45% and less than about 90% cellulosic or natural fibers, and a fusible component being stabilized by fusing the fusible component with an arrangement of spaced lines or spaced areas extending from the cut edges, and optionally over the entire absorbent fabric.

Discrete male touch fastener elements are molded of thermoplastic resin extending from a common, flexible base sheet, by introducing molten resin to a molding nip between two counter-rotating rolls consisting of a mold roll and a pressure roll arranged such that their rotation axes are parallel and together define a common plane containing each of the rotation axes. Solidified resin is stripped from molding cavities of the mold roll after the cavities have passed a rotating reaction roll forming a pressure nip with the mold roll. The reaction roll is spaced from the pressure roll by a distance less than an outer diameter of the mold roll, and the mold roll is simultaneously held against both the pressure roll and the reaction roll in a non-planar roll stack.