A pressure-sensitive adhesive fastener (100) is overlapped with a target object (150) on one surface (110a) side provided with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (121) and protruding members (130) to be coupled with the target object (150). With the pressure-sensitive adhesive fastener (100) coupled with the target object (150), the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (121) is bonded to the target object (150), and part of column sections (131) and insertion sections (132) of the protruding members (130) enter gaps in the target object (150). This entrance creates such a mode that the protruding members (130) are stuck into the target object (150), resulting in a prevention of a shift in position between the pressure-sensitive adhesive fastener (100) and the target object (150).

The method of making a laminate (100) includes stretching a thermoplastic layer (102) so that it plastically deforms, relaxing the plastically deformed thermoplastic layer (102) to reduce its tensile strain, and subsequently laminating the thermoplastic layer (102) to a substrate (104) to make the laminate (100). The stretching, relaxing, and laminating are completed in-line. The thermoplastic layer has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, with the first surface of the thermoplastic layer bearing a plurality of male fastening elements. The second surface of the thermoplastic layer (100) is laminated to the substrate (104).

The article includes a thermoplastic layer having opposing first and second side edges and a first surface bearing male fastening elements. The thermoplastic layer is plastically deformed and has a retardance profile having an average retardance along a line from the first edge to a location 500 micrometers from the first edge and a distance from the first edge where 75% of the average retardance is observed of at least 10 micrometers. In some cases, a distance between the first and second side edges is up to 50 millimeters. In some cases, the article is a fastening tab. The method includes providing a thermoplastic film having opposing first and second side edges, with a distance between the opposing side edges of up to 50 millimeters, and stretching the thermoplastic film to form the thermoplastic layer, which is plastically deformed. The first surface of the thermoplastic film bears male fastening elements.

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.

This manufacturing method of a molded surface fastener involves a primary molding step for forming a primary molded body and a secondary molding step for compressing a provisional element of the primary molded body while heating the same. A molding apparatus is provided with a mold member comprising multiple penetration holes and multiple concave portions, whereof each penetration hole communicates to at least one concave portion; in the primary molding step, the molding apparatus is used to form a primary molded body comprising a provisional element having a primary stem portion and a pawl portion is formed from the protruded portion by compressing the provisional element. By this means, it is possible to stably manufacture a molded surface fastener that has an engaging element comprising a pawl portion that projects from the outer peripheral edge of an engaging head portion.

A vehicle cover assembly comprising; a flexible cover; one or more side rails; and a fastener assembly that is secured to a vehicle bed comprising; a cover fastener that is on one or more edge regions of the flexible cover; and a side rail fastener with one or more rows of fasteners comprising; a plurality of dual hooks on the base that releasably connect with the cover fastener of the flexible cover; and a plurality of spacers between the plurality of dual hooks.

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.

A material engagement element sheet formed from a sheet material (10) incorporates a pattern of material engagement element slots (14), each slot containing an array of material engagement elements (20) which have a tapered distal section (30), a flange section (34) and a proximal section (32) which is attached to an edge of the slots in the sheet material.. The material engagement element sheet material may be a single layer of shape memory material, or the sheet material may be a composite of different layers some of which may include pre-strained shape memory materials with distinguishable activation parameters. The material engagement element slot configuration allows for the simultaneous processing of the material engagement elements. The material engagement elements may be processed such that they are in a state that is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the material engagement element sheet. The configuration of the flexible base material and the pattern of the material engagement element slots may be used in order to manufacture various material engagement element devices including a material engagement element pad device (166), a cylindrical material engagement element device (104, 105), and a spherical material engagement element device (152).

There is provided a hook-and-loop fastener manufacturing method. Injection molding is performed to form a molded product in which a pillar group and a base plate having a surface from which the pillar group protrudes are integrated into a unified body. A tip part of the pillar group is cut to form a cut product in which a small pillar group shorter than the pillar group and the base plate are integrated into a unified body. A tip part of the small pillar group is melted to form pillar body portions which are non-melted portions and engaging portions which are melted portions and thicker than the pillar body portions from small pillars. The engaging portions are cooled to determine shapes of a plurality of engaging elements including the pillar body portions and the engaging portions.

Described is a fastening tape that includes a plurality of attachment portions extending upwardly from a bottom portion of the fastening tape. The fastening tape also includes at least one inner wall disposed adjacent to at least some of the plurality of attachment portions and at least one outer wall offset from the at least one inner wall such that a cavity is disposed between the at least one inner wall and the at least one outer wall. Finally, the fastening tape includes an injected foam member disposed in the cavity.