The present invention relates to printed hook components for hook and loop mechanical fasteners, and other components such as on diaper chassis and other personal hygiene articles, and methods for making the same. The hook component comprises an organic polymer, a laser-sensitive agent, and a laser-induced print on the hook component created by the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with the laser-sensitive agent. The hook component can be used in a variety of applications, including mechanical fastening devices for personal hygiene articles such as diapers, adult incontinence pads, and medical gowns.

A method of bonding or debonding objects includes providing a first object including a first substrate with moveable features thereon which provide an actuated and a non-actuated state having different protrusion from the first substrate or a different curvature. A second object has an array of loops thereon. The moveable features while in one of the actuated state and non-actuated state are positioned, sized and shaped to fit within the loops. The moveable features include or are mechanically coupled to a material which responds to application of an actuating condition including electrical current, temperature, or an electromagnetic field by changing between the actuated state and the non-actuated state. Electrical current, temperature, or an electromagnetic field is automatically applied or changed to trigger a state change between the actuated state and non-actuated state that results in a bonding event or a debonding event between the first object and the second object.

A method and apparatus for protecting a structure. A surface of the structure is covered with a deformable cover having a first type of connector physically associated with a surface of the deformable cover. The first type of connector is configured to connect to a second type of connector for the structure. The surface of the structure with the deformable cover is protected.

The invention relates to a diaper closing strip (1), comprising a substrate (2) and a plurality of mechanical closing elements (3) arranged thereon, which mechanical closing elements have a front-side engaging surface and a rear-side fastening surface, wherein an adhesive element (6) is arranged between the substrate (1) and the rear-side fastening surface of each mechanical closing element (3), which adhesive element does not completely cover the rear-side fastening surface of the mechanical closing element (3).

A male touch fastener strip includes an elongated base and a field of male fastener elements each having a stem extending from a broad face of the base and a head for engaging fibers. The fastener element stems and broad face of the base together form a unitary mass of resin, such as a resin containing a magnetically attractable substance. Wings extend from respective longitudinal edges of the base and define discrete corrugations extending in a series along the fastener strip and forming corresponding undulations in the rear face of the strip along its longitudinal edges. The corrugated wings can also support a foam gasket.

This surface fastener has a substrate portion and a plurality of engaging elements, each of the engaging elements being provided with a stem portion standing from the substrate portion and a hook portion extending in the fastener width direction from the stem portion. The engaging element has a narrow width tip end portion provided with at least a hook portion and an enlarged width portion provided with only the stem portion, separated by a reference surface along the fastener length and height directions as a boundary. This makes an undercut hardly formable in the molding of the engaging element, and deficiencies such as deformation and the like of the engaging element can be prevented. Further, the strength of the stem portion can be increased, and a damage which a loop-shaped engaging element and the engaging element receive when the loop-shaped engaging element is attached or pulled out can be reduced.

A fastener member 10 is provided with a base portion 11 having a main surface 15, and a plurality of engaging members 12 provided upright on the main surface 15, in which mechanical coupling with a loop member 30 is achieved by causing the engaging members 12 to engage the loop member 30. The fastener member 10 is provided with an arm portion 13 disposed on the base portion 11 via a base connection portion 13a such that a tip side can pivot in a direction so as to approach the main surface 15, a claw portion 18 that is provided to the arm portion 13, and a hook-shaped protruding portion 14 provided to the base portion 11. The claw portion 18 and the hook-shaped protruding portion 14 latch onto one another when the fastener member 10 and the loop member 30 are coupled. The tip side of the arm portion 13 is positioned to a position opposite the main surface 15 away from the tips of the engaging portions 12 when the fastener member 10 and the loop member 30 are not coupled.

A fastening tab for an absorbent article, the fastening tab comprising a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end comprising a backing including a first major surface and a second major surface, wherein said first major surface is provided with a release surface, wherein the fastening tab further comprises a mechanical fastening patch, said patch comprising on one side male fastening elements and on the opposite side an adhesive, wherein the patch is releasably attached to the release surface via the adhesive, said distal end comprising a backing including a first major surface and a second major surface, wherein said first major surface has a structure or is provided with a structure that is adapted to be releasably engaged by said male fastening elements of the patch. Fastening tapes comprising a plurality of such fastening tabs, wherein the fastening tabs are arranged in an endless form on the tape so that individual fastening tabs can be provided from the fastening tape by cutting the tape across its width and rolls of such fastening tapes.

A covering system for insulation devices (2) on (load-bearing) structures has a connecting device (24) including a carrier surface (28) with touch-and-close fastener elements (30) that can be connected to correspondingly designed touch-and-close fastener elements (22). A reactive functional surface (36) is fitted, as a further component of the connecting device (24), on the side (34) of the carrier surface (28) directed away from the touch-and-close fastener elements (30). The reactive functional surface bonds permanently, under predeterminable shaping pressure and at a predeterminable reaction temperature, to a preferably closed-cell foam material (4; 26) of the insulation device (2).

The invention provides a method wherein a first unit (10) is provided having a field of grip elements (12), and a second unit (20) provided with retention means (22) suitable for co-operating with the grip elements (12) of the first unit (10) in order to provide a self-gripping fastening. The first and second units are put into contact in such a manner that the grip elements (12) of the first unit and the retention means (22) of the second unit provide a self-gripping fastening (F). A treatment zone of the self-gripping fastening is treated in order to deform the grip elements (12) of the first unit (10) and/or the retention means (22) of the second unit (20), whereby the first and second units (10, 20) are permanently secured to each other, thereby forming an assembled structure.