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.

Embodiments relates to a hook side fastener having hooks and a loop side fastener having loops. The hooks and/or loops are made of bulk solidifying amorphous metal alloy. Other embodiments relate to methods of making and using the hook side and loop side fasteners.

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).

Mold-in fastener products are made by forming a longitudinally continuous hook tape having a flexible base and an array of discrete male touch fastener elements extending from an upper surface of the base, forming a layer of flexible barrier material on the upper surface of the base, such that the male touch fastener elements are embedded in the layer of flexible barrier material, severing the flexible barrier material to form a pattern of patches of flexible barrier material spaced apart and surrounded by a continuous lattice of barrier material, stripping the lattice from the upper surface of the base to expose regions of the base between patches, and severing the hook tape along the exposed regions of the base to form individual mold-in fastener products, each having a patch of flexible barrier material surrounded by an exposed base edge region carrying male touch fastener elements.

A surface bonding fastener for opening and closing an opening of a package comprises a first base sheet having a first surface; a second base sheet having a second surface facing the first surface; first and second blocking sheets secured to the first and second surfaces at first and second fixing ends; and plurality of first and second fastening units on first and second free ends opposite to the first and second fixing ends. The first and second fixing ends are closer to the opening of the package than the first and second free ends that are between the first and second base sheets. The first and second fastening units are arranged at intervals in a longitudinal direction and staggered in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The first and second fastening units are configured to be fastened with each other for closing the opening of the package.