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.

A method for manufacturing a separable artificial muscle fastener includes: securing one or more muscle loops of an artificial muscle fiber to a substrate such that at least a portion of the one or more muscle loops extends out from the substrate; annealing the artificial muscle fiber to retain the one or more muscle loops; and cutting and removing a portion of the one or more muscle loops to transform the one or more muscle loops into one or more muscle hooks. When the one or more muscle hooks are engaged with one or more holders, actuating the one or more muscle hooks disengages the one or more muscle hooks from the one or more holders.

A wearable article includes hook-and-loop fastening components. The hook-and-loop fastening components have a section of nonwoven web material on which an array of hooks is formed. At least some of the hooks may be integrally formed from the nonwoven material. The section of nonwoven web material may also include a section of loops material, wherein at least some of the loops may be integrally formed from the web material. The section of loops material may have a machine direction dimension of at least 20 mm and a cross direction dimension of at least 20 mm, and a surface area of at least 314 mm.sup.2. The article may further include an identifiable linear path, the identifiable linear path having a width greater than 2 mm and forming an angle with the machine direction of 45 degrees or less. Any such identifiable path at least partially overlies the loops-forming bond(s), at a plurality of locations along the identifiable linear path.

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 laminate of an at least partially reticulated thermoplastic film joined to an extensible carrier. The reticulated thermoplastic film includes a backing with openings and discrete elements protruding from the first major surface. There are two discrete elements aligned in a first direction abutting opposite ends of any given opening. In a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, there is one discrete element between the given opening and an adjacent opening aligned in the second direction. Each portion of the thermoplastic backing around the given opening is plastically deformed in its lengthwise direction. A method of making a laminate is also disclosed. The method includes stretching a thermoplastic backing having a plurality of discrete elements in the first direction and laminating the backing to an extensible carrier. Subsequently stretching the laminate in a second direction forms a tear in the thermoplastic backing between two adjacent of the discrete elements.

A fastening tape having a substrate layer having a nonwoven layer with two opposite faces defining a first outer face and a second outer face of the substrate layer, and at least one fastening element provided on the first outer face of the substrate layer, the fastening tape being characterized in that the substrate layer presents an air permeability which is higher than 0 and lower than 30 l.m.sup.2.s1 as per ISO 9237 with a pressure of 200 Pa for a sample with a tested zone having a diameter of 8 mm.

A fixing belt which includes: a double-sided hook surface fastener having hook-like engaging elements on both surfaces thereof; and a double-sided loop surface fastener having loop-like engaging elements on both surfaces thereof. The double-sided hook surface fastener is an extrusion molding surface fastener, the double-sided hook surface fastener is folded back in a length direction in a shape of an alligator's mouth, and the double-sided hook surface fastener is fixed to a first mounting object at a folded-back portion by a rivet. One end portion of the double-sided loop surface fastener is tucked by the alligator's mouth, the double-sided loop surface fastener is folded back by an annular part fixed to a second mounting object, and the other end portion of the double-sided loop surface fastener engages with an outer side surface of the alligator's mouth.

A method for producing a touch-and-close fastener part includes producing a base structure from a thread system having individual loops which are at least partially of a polyamide or polyester plastics material. At least a portion of the loops are cut to form two stem-like loop ends. The loop ends are heated at a predeterminable temperature and for a predeterminable heating time until a head shape is produced as a thickening at the respective loop end under the surface tension of the plastics material. The head shape is formed with a convex upper side which, at the point of a linear transition, merges into a concave interlocking surface which is seamlessly transferred into the adjoining stem-like loop end for an interlocking element.

Systems and methods for joining two or more pieces of hook fastener tape. In some embodiments, the two or more pieces of tape are spliced together using ultrasonic welding. At least one of the splicing components used to splice the tapes together may be configured so that the component influences the profile of a connecting portion along which the two tapes are welded together. In some cases, at least one of the splicing components may be configured to minimize deformation of the tapes as they are welded together.

A molding apparatus includes a movable molding surface with molding cavities, a pressure shoe with a stationary outer surface that defines in cooperation with the molding surface a pressure zone, and a resin source configured to introduce molten resin into the pressure zone to be forced into the molding cavities by pressure in the pressure zone. The molding surface is movable with respect to the pressure shoe to introduce molding cavities to the pressure zone to be filled with resin while the outer surface of the pressure shoe and the molding surface define in between an entrance gap of decreasing width upstream of the pressure zone. The outer surface of the pressure shoe is spaced from the molding surface in the pressure zone to define a minimum gap at which the outer surface of the pressure shoe has a slope parallel to the molding surface. The pressure shoe is adapted to be held in a flexed condition against resin in the pressure zone while forcing resin into the cavities, with the outer surface of the pressure shoe curved upstream of the pressure zone.