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 method of molding resin on a flexible substrate includes forming discrete regions of resin and forcing resin of at least some of the regions into molding cavities to form a respective array of resin projections extending from a resin base of the regions. Forming the discrete regions of resin includes depositing molten resin directly onto either the substrate or a surface in which the cavities are defined. The resin is deposited as the substrate moves in a processing direction, and the resin is deposited by resin sources spaced from each other along the processing direction.

A male touch fastener product with a resin surface and an array of spaced-apart male touch fastener elements carried on the surface. Each touch fastener element has a stem extending from the surface and a head disposed at a distal end of the stem and extending laterally from the stem to a distal edge overhanging the surface. The head, stem and surface form a contiguous mass of resin, the head. The distal edge has multiple toes extending laterally outward and varying in shape and size about the edge, with adjacent toes having facing, free-form resin surfaces defining crevices therebetween. The fastener element is particularly flexible and engages with very fine fibers.

A hook fastener includes a stem having two lateral edges, a first surface, and a second surface. A cap extends from an upper end of the stem, and the cap includes an upper surface, a first end, a second end, and a pair of overhanging portions. The upper surface of the cap is sloped between the first end and the second end. The first and second ends are at opposite longitudinal ends of the cap, and each overhanging portion extends in a lateral direction from the stem.

A fastening tape having flexibility in a longitudinal direction of the fastening tape. The fastening tape includes a plurality of fasteners, a support, and magnetic material positioned on the support. The support defines a plurality of plateaus and a plurality of valleys. The magnetic material is positioned on at least a portion of one of the plurality of plateaus or the plurality of valleys of the support such that a height of the magnetic material varies in the longitudinal direction. Because the height of the magnetic material varies, the fastening tape is more flexible in the longitudinal direction. In some cases, the fastening tape is also flexible in the lateral direction.

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.

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.

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.

A hook strap type seat covering fixing structure for a seat cushion of a car includes an elongated hook strap which has a plurality of hooks formed on a first surface thereof, a peripheral wall formed on the first surface and surrounding the plurality hooks, and reinforcing configurations formed along lateral longitudinal sides of the hook strap outside the peripheral wall; two barrier sponges each attached on top of the reinforcing configurations formed along lateral longitudinal sides of the hook strap; a backing layer affixed to a second surface, opposing the first surface, of the hook strap; and a magnetic material layer disposed between the second surface of the hook strap and the backing layer.