JP7604231B2 - Hook and loop fastener - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a hook-and-loop fastener.

Hook-and-loop fasteners are typically used as fasteners for clothing, bags, shoes, and miscellaneous goods. Hook-and-loop fasteners consist of a pair of hook-and-loop fastener members that engage with each other, and some hook-and-loop fastener members are integrally formed with a base plate and a number of engaging elements that protrude from one side of the base plate. There have been various reports on hook-and-loop fasteners that engage with each other using these hook-and-loop fastener members.

For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a silent hook-and-loop fastener consisting of a first engaging body (10) and a second engaging body (20) as shown in FIG. 10, in which the first engaging body (10) is made of a hard resin and has a number of cylindrical projections (12) integrally formed on a base plate (11) with gaps (14) between the projections (12), and the second engaging body (20) is made of a soft resin and has cylindrical projections (22) implanted on a base fabric (21) with gaps (23) between the projections (22), and the projections (12, 22) of one engaging body and the gaps (14, 23) of the other engaging body fit together.

Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, as shown in FIG. 11, the hook is provided with a plurality of cylindrical projections (42) made of synthetic resin on the surface side of a relatively hard hook-and-loop fastener fabric (41) or a synthetic resin sheet, and a hook-and-loop fastener tape (40) is proposed in which the male and female hook-and-loop fastener tapes have the same shape, and the cylindrical projections (42) of one tape (40) engage with a recess (43) surrounded by the cylindrical projections (42) of the other tape (40).

JP 2014-004207 A JP 2017-148261 A

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for articles with excellent functionality and aesthetics, and there is a demand for hook-and-loop fasteners that can be applied to curved parts of articles.

However, in the silent hook-and-loop fastener described in Patent Document 1, as described above, the first engaging body (10) is made of hard resin, and the second engaging body (20) is made of soft resin, so it is considered difficult to apply it to curved parts of an article. In addition, the hook-and-loop fastener tape described in Patent Document 2 has a relatively hard hook-and-loop fabric (41) or synthetic resin sheet, so even if it can be flexibly curved in one direction, it is considered that it cannot be curved in the other direction. In this way, it is not easy to apply conventional hook-and-loop fasteners to curved parts of an article. In addition, when an infant wearing infant clothing equipped with conventional hook-and-loop fasteners turns from lying on its back to lying on its stomach, there is a risk that the engagement between the pair of hook-and-loop fastener members will be released. Therefore, it is considered that there is still room for improvement in hook-and-loop fasteners in conventional technologies such as Patent Documents 1 and 2.

The present invention was created in light of the above circumstances, and has as its objective the provision of a hook-and-loop fastener that can flexibly accommodate curved portions of an article. Another objective is to provide a hook-and-loop fastener that can flexibly accommodate twisting of an article, etc. A further objective of the present invention is to provide an article equipped with such a hook-and-loop fastener.

After extensive research to solve the above problems, the inventors discovered that it would be effective to configure one of the two hook-and-loop fastener members with a connecting portion made of a soft material that connects adjacent segments, and created the invention specified below.

The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following configuration.
[1]
A hook-and-loop fastener comprising a first hook-and-loop fastener member and a second hook-and-loop fastener member which are engageable and disengageable with each other,
The first hook-and-loop fastener member includes a plurality of first segments and a connecting portion made of a soft material connecting adjacent first segments,
The second hook-and-loop fastener member includes at least one second segment;
Each of the first and second segments has a substrate, a number of engagement portions protruding from the substrate, and an engagement space defined between the engagement portions;
A hook-and-loop fastener in which the first segment and the second segment engage with each other by receiving a portion of at least one of the multiple engaging portions of one of the first and second segments into an engaging space of the other.
[2]
The first hook-and-loop fastener member has an engagement space between adjacent first segments that can receive and disengage some of the multiple engagement portions of the second hook-and-loop fastener member.
[3]
The hook-and-loop fastener according to [1] or [2], wherein the substrates of the first and second segments have recesses or openings at locations corresponding to the engagement spaces, and when the first and second segments are engaged, a portion of at least one of the multiple engagement portions of the first and second segments fits into the recess or opening of the second and first segments.
[4]
The hook-and-loop fastener of [3], wherein the substrates of the first and second segments are outside the group of engaging portions consisting of the numerous engaging portions and further have recesses or openings at locations corresponding to the other engaging portions, and when the first and second segments are engaged, a portion of at least one of the numerous engaging portions of the first and second segments fits into the recess or opening of the second and first segments.
[5]
The hook-and-loop fastener according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the first hook-and-loop fastener member and the second hook-and-loop fastener member have the same structure.
[6]
The hook-and-loop fastener according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the soft member is one selected from the group consisting of a soft resin, a string, and a monofilament.
[7]
The hook-and-loop fastener according to [6], wherein the soft resin is an elastomer resin.
[8]
An article comprising the hook-and-loop fastener according to any one of [1] to [7].

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a hook-and-loop fastener can be provided that can flexibly adapt to curved portions of an article and flexibly adapt to twisting of the article, etc.

1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of a hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention. FIG. 2(A) is a schematic plan view of a hook-and-loop fastener member in one embodiment of the hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention, and FIG. 2(B) is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 2(A). 3A is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B is a modified example of FIG. 3A. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a hook-and-loop fastener member in one embodiment of the hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention, in which a connecting portion of the hook-and-loop fastener member is curved. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of the BB line arrow portion of FIG. 1. 2 is a partially enlarged view illustrating the engagement state between a first segment and a second segment in one embodiment of a hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of a hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention. FIG. 8(A) is a schematic plan view of a hook-and-loop fastener member in another embodiment of the hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention, and FIG. 8(B) is a partial front view taken along line DD in FIG. 8(A). FIG. 9(A) is a schematic plan view of a hook-and-loop fastener member in another embodiment of the hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention, and FIG. 9(B) is a partial front view taken along line E-E of FIG. 9(A). This is a diagram described in Patent Document 1 (Figure 1). This is a diagram described in Patent Document 2 (Figure 7).

The preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below, and various modifications are possible as long as the configuration is substantially the same as that of the present invention and the same action and effect is achieved. In the embodiment described below, the segments are arranged in a vertical line, but the segments may be arranged vertically in a plurality of rows and horizontally in a plurality of rows. In the embodiment described below, the hook-and-loop fastener member is configured with three hook-and-loop fasteners vertically and three hook-and-loop fasteners horizontally, but the number of engaging parts of the segments may be arranged vertically in a plurality of rows and horizontally in a plurality of rows. In the following description, the "vertical direction" is defined as the front-rear direction of the substrate, and in particular, the direction of the side where the engaging parts protrude from the substrate in the first hook-and-loop fastener member described below is defined as the upper direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the lower direction. The "left-right direction" is a direction parallel to the main surface of the substrate of the segment and perpendicular to the direction in which the segments are connected to each other. The "front-rear direction" is a direction parallel to the main surface of the substrate of the segment and perpendicular to the direction in which the segments are connected to each other.

An embodiment of the hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG . 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention. FIG. 2(A) is a schematic plan view of a hook-and-loop fastener member in an embodiment of the hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention, and FIG. 2(B) is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the arrows C-C in FIG. 2(A). FIG. 3(A) is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the arrows A-A in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 (B) is a modified example of FIG . 3 (A). FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a hook-and-loop fastener member in an embodiment of the hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention, in which the connecting portion of the hook-and-loop fastener member is curved. FIG. 5 is a partial front view taken along the arrows B-B in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view for explaining an engagement state of a first segment and a second segment in an embodiment of the hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the hook-and-loop fastener (100) comprises a first hook-and-loop fastener member (110) and a second hook-and-loop fastener member (150) that can be engaged and disengaged with each other.

(Hook-and-loop fastener member)
As shown in FIG. 2(A), the first hook-and-loop fastener member (110) has a plurality of first segments (120, 130, 140) and connecting portions (125, 135) connecting adjacent first segments (120, 130, 140). The second hook-and-loop fastener member (150) is not particularly limited as long as it has at least one second segment (160, 170, 180) for engaging the first hook-and-loop fastener member (110) and the second hook-and-loop fastener member (150), but may have the same structure as the first hook-and-loop fastener member (110). More specifically, the second hook-and-loop fastener member (150) has a plurality of second segments (160, 170, 180) and connecting portions (165, 175) connecting adjacent second segments (160, 170, 180).

(segment)
Each of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) has a substrate (121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181), a number of engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) protruding from the substrate (121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181), and an engagement space (123, 133, 143, 163, 173, 183) defined between the multiple engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182).

From the viewpoint of intended use, the material of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) is preferably a soft resin. In addition, from the viewpoint of molding the first and second hook-and-loop fastener members (110, 150) with a molding machine, the material of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) may be the same as that of the connecting portion (125, 135, 165, 175).

A large number of engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) protrude from a large number of locations on one main surface of the substrate (121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181). The large number of engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) are regularly arranged. Here, the engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) are arranged at right angles, three vertically and three horizontally, within the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180), as shown in FIG. 2(A), but are not limited thereto, and may be arranged at 45° intervals in a diagonal direction, for example.

As shown in Fig. 2(B), the engagement portion (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) is composed of a cylindrical stem (122a, 132a, 142a, 162a, 172a, 182a) and an ellipsoidal engagement head (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) protruding from the tip of the stem (122a, 132a, 142a, 162a, 172a, 182a). Note that in the present invention, the shape of the stem (122a, 132a, 142a, 162a, 172a, 182a) is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be a prism shape, a truncated cone shape, or an inverted truncated cone shape (see Fig. 3(B)). Moreover, the shape of the engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) is not limited to an ellipsoidal shape, and may be a disk shape, a hemisphere shape, a semi-ellipsoidal shape (see FIG. 3(B)), etc. Moreover, from the viewpoint of molding the first and second hook-and-loop fastener members (110, 150) by a molding machine, the engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) may be integral with the stems (122a, 132a, 142a, 162a, 172a, 182a).

The diameter of the engagement head (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) is larger than the diameter of the stem (122a, 132a, 142a, 162a, 172a, 182a). As a result, in one embodiment of the present invention, a part of at least one engagement portion (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) among the multiple engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) is inserted into the engagement space (123, 133, 143, 163, 173, 183) of the second and first segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180). When the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) are moved in the up-down, left-right, or front-back direction after being received in the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180), the base ends of the engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) come into contact with the base ends of the other engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b). As a result, the engagement between the first segment (120, 130, 140) and the second segment (160, 170, 180) is not easily released. The above-mentioned engagement space (123, 133, 143, 163, 173, 183) is the area between the two vertical and two horizontal engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) of one segment that correspond to the engagement portion (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) of the other segment when the first segment (120, 130, 140) and the second segment (160, 170, 180) are engaged with each other.

The diameters of the engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) and the diameters of the stems (122a, 132a, 142a, 162a, 172a, 182a) are so-called concentric. As shown in FIG. 2B, the tips of the engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) have a concave recess from the viewpoint of ease of removal from a mold when each segment (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) is molded using a mold. The tips of the engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) do not have to have a concave recess.

(Engagement Space)
The engagement spaces (123, 133, 143, 163, 173, 183) engage the first segments (120, 130, 140) and the second segments (160, 170, 180) by receiving a portion of at least one of the multiple engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) of one of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) into the other engagement space (123, 133, 143, 163, 173, 183). At this time, the center line of the engagement space (123, 133, 143, 163, 173, 183) approximately coincides with the axis of the engagement head (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) when the engagement portion (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) is received in the engagement space (123, 133, 143, 163, 173, 183).

As shown in FIG. 2(A), the substrates (121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) have recesses or openings at locations corresponding to the engagement spaces (123, 133, 143, 163, 173, 183). A recess indicates a portion formed by recessing one side of the substrate, and an opening indicates a portion formed by penetrating the substrate. In addition, the substrates (121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) are outside the group of engagement portions consisting of numerous engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) and further have recesses or openings at locations corresponding to the other engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182). As shown in Fig. 1, when the first segment (120, 130, 140) and the second segment (160, 170, 180) are engaged with each other, a part of at least one of the multiple engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) enters a recess or an opening of the second and first segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180). This reduces the bulkiness of the hook-and-loop fastener (100), and prevents the first segment (120, 130, 140) from being easily disengaged from the second segment (160, 170, 180) by an external impact. In addition, the hook-and-loop fastener (100) has a structure that makes it difficult for lint and dust to adhere to it. In conventional hook-and-loop fasteners, lint and dust are easily attached to the hook-and-loop fastener member that is raised in a hook shape such as a J-shape or the other hook-and-loop fastener member that is raised densely in a loop shape. However, in the hook-and-loop fastener (100), as described above, the substrate in each segment only engages the first segment (120, 130, 140) with the second segment (160, 170, 180), and lint and dust are difficult to adhere to the numerous engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180), and further, no regular maintenance is required to maintain the engagement force. In the above substrates (121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181), the recesses or openings are regularly arranged as shown in FIG. 2(A).

When the first segment (120, 130, 140) and the second segment (160, 170, 180) engage with each other, the tip of the engagement head (122b) of the first segment (120) abuts against the side wall surface (161a) of the base plate (161) of the second segment (160), as shown in FIG. 3(A). When the first segment (120, 130, 140) is moved in the up-down, left-right, or front-rear direction, the base ends of the engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) come into contact with the base ends of the other engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b), and friction occurs between the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the engaging head (122b) of the first segment (120) and the side wall surface (161a) of the second segment (160). As a result, the engagement between the first segment (120, 130, 140) and the second segment (160, 170, 180) is not easily released. In addition, even if the substrate (121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181) does not have a recess or opening as shown in Figure 2 (A), the engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) are accommodated in the engagement spaces (123, 133, 143, 163, 173, 183) of the corresponding first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180), so that the first segments (120, 130, 140) and the second segments (160, 170, 180) engage with each other.

The distance (H) of the recess or opening is smaller than the maximum diameter (R) of the engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) and larger than the diameter (r) of the tip of the engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) from the viewpoint of reducing the bulkiness of the hook-and-loop fastener (100) and preventing the first and second hook-and-loop fastener members (110, 150) from coming off due to an external impact. This allows the engagement between the first segment (120, 130, 140) and the second segment (160, 170, 180) to be maintained. In the present invention, the distance (H) of the recess or opening is the shortest distance from the side wall surface (161a) in the recess or opening to the opposing side wall surface (161a). As shown in FIG. 3B, the engagement portion (122) may be composed of an inverted truncated cone-shaped stem (122a) that expands in diameter in the upward direction and an engagement head (122b) whose tip is a semi-ellipsoid. In such an engagement portion (122), the distance (H) of the recess or opening in the left-right direction is smaller than the maximum diameter (R) of the engagement head (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) and larger than the diameter (r) of the tip of the engagement head (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b). This allows the engagement between the first segment (120, 130, 140) and the second segment (160, 170, 180) to be maintained.

(Connection part)
As shown in Fig. 2(A), the connecting portions (125, 135, 165, 175) connect adjacent first segments (120, 130, 140) and connect adjacent second segments (160, 170, 180). Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, the first hook-and-loop fastener member (110) and the second hook-and-loop fastener member (150) can flexibly accommodate curved portions of an article by bending the connecting portions (125, 135, 165, 175) as starting points. Therefore, the hook-and-loop fastener (100) does not lose its function as an opening and closing device even when the first segments (120, 130, 140) and the second segments (160, 170, 180) engage with each other.

As a result of the engagement between the first segment (120, 130, 140) and the second segment (160, 170, 180), as described above, a portion of at least one of the multiple engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) of one segment is received into the engagement space (123, 133, 143, 163, 173, 183) of the other segment. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the first hook-and-loop fastener member (110) has engagement spaces (123, 133, 143) between adjacent first segments (120, 130, 140) capable of receiving at least a portion of the numerous engagement portions (162, 172, 182) of the second hook-and-loop fastener member (150) in an engageable and disengageable manner, from the viewpoint of reducing the bulk of the hook-and-loop fastener (100) and increasing the freedom of attachment using the first and second hook-and-loop fastener members (110, 150). In addition, the second hook-and-loop fastener member (150) has engagement spaces (163, 173, 183) between adjacent second segments (160, 170, 180) that can receive at least a portion of the multiple engagement portions (122, 132, 142) of the first hook-and-loop fastener member (150) in an engageable and disengageable manner. In this case, the separation distance (D) between adjacent first segments (120, 130, 140) and between adjacent second segments (160, 170, 180) is smaller than the maximum diameter (R) of the engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) and larger than the diameter (r) of the tips of the engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b), from the viewpoint of reducing the bulkiness of the hook-and-loop fastener (100) and preventing the hook-and-loop fastener members (110, 150) from coming off due to external impact. In such a case, the engaging heads (122b, 132b, 172b, 182b) are abutted against the side surfaces (121b, 131b, 161b, 171b) of the base plates (121, 131, 161, 171) of the other segment and the opposing side surfaces (131b, 141b, 171b, 181b) of the base plates (131, 141, 171, 181). When the first segment (120, 130, 140) is moved up and down, left and right, or front and back, the base ends of the engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) come into contact with the base ends of the other engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b), and further friction is generated between the side surfaces (121b, 131b, 141b, 161b, 171b, 181b) of the substrate (121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181) and the outer peripheral surfaces of the tips of the engaging heads (122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b). As a result, the engagement between the first segment (120, 130, 140) and the second segment (160, 170, 180) is not easily released.

The material of the connecting parts (125, 135, 165, 175) is a soft material from the viewpoint of flexibly responding to curved parts of the article and twisting of the article. Examples of the soft material include soft resins of the same or different quality as the segments, strings, monofilaments, etc. As a result, even if an external impact is applied to the article equipped with the hook-and-loop fastener (100), the engagement between the first segment (120, 130, 140) and the second segment (160, 170, 180) is not easily released, and the hook-and-loop fastener (100) does not easily come off the article. The material of the connecting parts (125, 135, 165, 175) is preferably a soft resin. In addition, the soft resin is preferably an elastomer resin, and considering that it has appropriate hardness and flexibility, various elastomer resins such as polyurethane, polyester, polyamide, acrylic, silicone, polystyrene, styrene butadiene, and nitrile butadiene are examples of such elastomer resins. In particular, the elastomer resin is more preferably a polyester-based or silicone-based resin from the viewpoint of using the hook-and-loop fastener (100) on clothing, etc. The first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) and the connecting portions (125, 135, 165, 175) are preferably made of the same material from the viewpoint of facilitating molding such as injection molding or extrusion molding.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first segment (120) and the second segment (160, 170, 180) may be engaged with each other so that the engagement angle θ between the first segment (120, 130, 140) and the second segment (160, 170, 180) is 45°. For example, if the engagement portions (162, 172, 182) of the second segment (160, 170, 180) are arranged diagonally at 45° intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions, a portion of at least one engagement portion (122, 132, 142) among the multiple engagement portions (122, 132, 142) of the first segment (120, 130, 140) can be received in the engagement space (163, 173, 183) of the second segment (160, 170, 180), and a portion of at least one engagement portion (162, 172, 182) among the multiple engagement portions (162, 172, 182) of the second segment (160, 170, 180) can be received in the engagement space (123, 133, 143) of the first segment (120, 130, 140). In the present invention, the engagement angle (θ) is an acute angle formed by the intersection of the main surface of the substrate (121, 131, 141) of the first segment (120, 130, 140) and the main surface of the substrate (161, 171, 181) of the second segment (160, 170, 180). The engagement angle (θ) is not limited to 45° and can be appropriately adjusted as long as the first segment (120, 130, 140) and the second segment (160, 170, 180) can engage with each other. In such a case, the arrangement of the engagement parts (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180) may be appropriately adjusted in accordance with the engagement angle (θ).

Next, another embodiment of the hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that explanations of components that overlap with those described above will be omitted.

Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of a hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention. Figure 8(A) is a schematic plan view of a hook-and-loop fastener member in another embodiment of the hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention, and Figure 8(B) is a partial front view taken along line D-D in Figure 8(A).

As shown in FIG. 7, the hook-and-loop fastener (200) comprises a first hook-and-loop fastener member (210) and a second hook-and-loop fastener member (250) which can be engaged and disengaged with each other.

As shown in Fig. 8 (A), the first hook-and-loop fastener member (210) has a plurality of first segments (220, 230, 240) and soft member connecting portions (225, 235) connecting adjacent first segments (220, 230, 240). The second hook-and-loop fastener member (250) has the same structure as the first hook-and-loop fastener member (210), and more specifically, has a plurality of second segments (260, 270, 280) and soft member connecting portions (265, 275) connecting adjacent second segments (260, 270, 280).

Each of the first and second segments (220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280) has a substrate (221, 231, 241, 261, 271, 281), a number of engagement portions (222, 232, 242, 262, 272, 282) protruding from the substrate (221, 231, 241, 261, 271, 281), and an engagement space (223, 233, 243, 263, 273, 283) defined between the multiple engagement portions (222, 232, 242, 262, 272, 282). The engagement portions (222, 232, 242, 262, 272, 282) are arranged in each segment (220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280) with four vertically and four horizontally arranged at right angles, but this is not limited to this and, for example, the engagement portions may be arranged diagonally at 45° intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions.

As shown in FIG. 8 (B), the engagement portions (222, 232, 242, 262, 272, 282) are composed of cylindrical stems (222a, 232a, 242a, 262a, 272a, 282a) and ellipsoidal engagement heads (222b, 232b, 242b, 262b, 272b, 282b) protruding from the tips of the stems (222a, 232a, 242a, 262a, 272a, 282a).

The substrates (221, 231, 241, 261, 271, 281) of the first and second segments (220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280) have recesses or openings at locations corresponding to the engagement spaces (223, 233, 243, 263, 273, 283). The substrates of the first and second segments (220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280) are outside the group of engagement parts consisting of a large number of engagement parts (222, 232, 242, 262, 272, 282), and further have recesses or openings at locations corresponding to the other engagement parts (222, 232, 242, 262, 272, 282). As a result, when the first and second segments (220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280) are engaged with each other, a part of at least one of the multiple engagement portions (222, 232, 242, 262, 272, 282) of the first and second segments (220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280) enters into a recess or opening of the second and first segments (220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280). The recesses or openings of the substrate (221, 231, 241, 261, 271, 281) are regularly arranged. The openings formed through the substrate may be configured in a mesh shape (see FIG. 8A) so that the substrate can be directly sewn to a fabric by a sewing machine or the like.

Furthermore, another embodiment of the hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that explanations of components that overlap with those described above will be omitted.

Figure 9 (A) is a schematic plan view of a hook-and-loop fastener member in another embodiment of the hook-and-loop fastener of the present invention, and Figure 9 (B) is a partial front view of the E-E arrows in Figure 9 (A).

As shown in Figure 9 (A), the hook-and-loop fastener comprises a first hook-and-loop fastener member (310) and a second hook-and-loop fastener member (350) which can be engaged and disengaged with each other.

The first hook-and-loop fastener member (310) has a plurality of first segments (320, 330, 340) and soft member connecting portions (325, 335) connecting adjacent first segments (320, 330, 340). The second hook-and-loop fastener member (350) has the same structure as the first hook-and-loop fastener member (310), and more specifically, has a plurality of second segments (360, 370, 380) and soft member connecting portions (365, 375) connecting adjacent second segments (360, 370, 380).

Each of the first and second segments (320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) includes a substrate (321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381) and a number of engagement portions (322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382) protruding from the substrate (321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381). The base plate (321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381) has engagement spaces (323, 333, 343, 363, 373, 383) defined between the engagement surfaces of the base plates (321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381) and has grooves (324a, 324b, 334a, 334b, 344a, 344b, 364a, 364b, 374a, 374b, 384a, 384b) extending in the front-rear direction on the main surfaces at both ends of the base plates (321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381). When the first hook-and-loop fastener member (310) and the second hook-and-loop fastener member (350) are engaged with each other, sewing to the hook-and-loop fastener attachment portions of various articles can be easily performed by passing sewing thread through the recessed groove portions (324a, 324b, 334a, 334b, 344a, 344b, 364a, 364b, 374a, 374b, 384a, 384b). Moreover, the engaging portions (322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382) are arranged diagonally at 45° intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions from the viewpoint of strengthening the engagement between the first hook-and-loop fastener member (310) and the second hook-and-loop fastener member (350) by increasing the number of engaging portions (322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382) that enter the engaging spaces (323, 333, 343, 363, 373, 383) in each segment (320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380). The arrangement of the engaging portions (322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382) is not limited, and they may be arranged at right angles vertically and horizontally.

As shown in Fig. 9(B), the engagement portion (322, 362) is composed of a cylindrical stem (322a, 362a) and a semispherical engagement head (322b, 362b) protruding from the tip of the stem (322a, 362a). As mentioned above, the shape of the engagement head (322b, 362b) is not particularly limited.

The substrates (321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381) of the first and second segments (320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) have recesses or openings at locations corresponding to the engagement spaces (323, 333, 343, 363, 373, 383). For example, when recesses are provided at locations corresponding to the engagement spaces (323, 333, 343, 363, 373, 383), the substrates (321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381) are less likely to deform or crack due to external impact. In addition, the substrates of the first and second segments (320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) further have recesses or openings at locations outside the group of engagement portions consisting of numerous engagement portions (322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382) that correspond to the other engagement portions (322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382). As a result, when the first and second segments (320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) are engaged with each other, a portion of at least one of the multiple engagement portions (322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382) of the first and second segments (320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) enters into a recess or opening of the second and first segments (320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380). Note that the recesses or openings of the substrate (321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381) are regularly arranged. In another embodiment shown in FIG. 9(A), instead of having openings formed through the substrates (321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381) for sewing directly to fabric with a sewing machine or the like, grooves (324a, 324b, 334a, 334b, 344a, 344b, 364a, 364b, 374a, 374b, 384a, 384b) extending in the front-to-rear direction are formed on the main surfaces at both ends of the substrates (321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381), making it possible to sew directly to fabric.

In one embodiment, the hook-and-loop fastener (100, 200) according to the present invention may be manufactured by any known method capable of integrally molding the hook-and-loop fastener member (110, 150, 210, 250, 310, 350) and the connecting portion (125, 135, 165, 175, 225, 235, 265, 275, 325, 335, 365, 375). The obtained hook-and-loop fastener (100, 200) is sewn to the hook-and-loop fastener attachment portion of various articles, thereby manufacturing articles equipped with the hook-and-loop fastener (100, 200). Examples of articles that can be used include openings in clothes, pockets, bags, shoes (e.g., boots, shoes), tents, bed mats, vehicle seats, building materials, etc.

The above describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention.

100, 200 Hook-and-loop fastener 110, 210, 310 First hook-and-loop fastener member 120, 130, 140, 220, 230, 240, 320, 330, 340 First segment 121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181, 221, 231, 241, 261, 271, 281, 321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381 Substrate 121b, 131b, 141b, 161b, 171b, 181b Side surface 122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182, 222, 232, 242, 262, 272, 282, 322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382 Engagement portions 122a, 132a, 142a, 162a, 172a, 182a, 222a, 232a, 242a, 262a, 272a, 282a, 322a, 362a Stem 122b, 132b, 142b, 162b, 172b, 182b, 222b, 232b, 242b, 262b, 272b, 282b, 322b, 362b Engagement heads 123, 133, 143, 163, 173, 183, 223, 233, 243, 263, 273, 283, 323, 333, 343, 363, 373, 383 Engagement spaces 125, 135, 165, 175, 225, 235, 265, 275, 325, 335, 365, 375 Connection portions 150, 250, 350 Second hook-and-loop fastener members 160, 170, 180, 260, 270, 280, 360, 370, 380 Second segment 161a Side wall surfaces 324a, 324b, 334a, 334b, 344a, 344b, 364a, 364b, 374a, 374b, 384a, 384b Groove portion H: Distance L of recess or opening: Separation distance R: Maximum diameter r: Diameter θ of tip portion: Engagement angle

Claims (7)

A hook-and-loop fastener (100, 200) comprising a first hook-and-loop fastener member (110, 210, 310) and a second hook-and-loop fastener member (150, 250, 350) which are engageable and disengageable with each other,
The first hook-and-loop fastener member (110, 210, 310) comprises a plurality of first segments (120, 130, 140, 220, 230, 240, 320, 330, 340) and a connecting portion (125, 135, 225, 235, 325, 335) made of a soft material connecting adjacent first segments,
The second hook-and-loop fastener member (150, 250, 350) comprises at least one second segment (160, 170, 180, 260, 270, 280, 360, 370, 380);
The first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) are each protruding from a substrate (121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181, 221, 231, 241, 261, 271, 281, 321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381) and the substrate (121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181, 221, 231, 241, 261, 271, 281, 321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381). and an engagement space (123, 133, 143, 163, 173, 183, 223, 233, 243, 263, 273, 283, 323, 333, 343, 363, 373, 383) defined between the numerous engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182, 222, 232, 242, 262, 272, 282, 322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382),
At least one of the multiple engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182, 222, 232, 242, 262, 272, 282, 322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382) of one of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) 72, 282, 322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382) into the other engagement space (123, 133, 143, 163, 173, 183, 223, 233, 243, 263, 273, 283, 323, 333, 343, 363, 373, 383), thereby engaging the first segment (120, 130, 140, 220, 230, 240, 320, 330, 340) with the second segment (160, 170, 180, 260, 270, 280, 360, 370, 380),
The first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) and the connecting portion (125, 135, 225, 235, 325, 335) are made of the same material,
in a direction parallel to the main surfaces of the substrates (121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181, 221, 231, 241, 261, 271, 281, 321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380); The length of the connecting portion (125, 135, 225, 235, 325, 335) in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) are connected to each other, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380), in a direction parallel to a main surface of a substrate (121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181, 221, 231, 241, 261, 271, 281, 321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, shorter than the length of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) are connected to each other,
The substrates (121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181, 221, 231, 241, 261, 271, 281, 321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) are 3, 143, 163, 173, 183, 223, 233, 243, 263, 273, 283, 323, 333, 343, 363, 373, 383), and in a state where the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) are engaged with each other, At least one of the multiple engagement portions (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182, 222, 232, 242, 262, 272, 282, 322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) A hook-and-loop fastener in which a portion of (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182, 222, 232, 242, 262, 272, 282, 322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382) enters the opening of the second and first segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) . The hook-and-loop fastener according to claim 1, wherein the first hook-and-loop fastener member (110, 210, 310) has an engagement space between adjacent first segments (120, 130, 140, 220, 230, 240, 320, 330, 340) that can receive some of the engagement portions (162, 172, 182, 262, 272, 282, 362, 372, 382) of the multiple engagement portions (162, 172, 182, 262, 272, 282, 362, 372, 382) of the second hook-and-loop fastener member (150, 250, 350) in an engageable and disengageable manner. The base plate (121, 131, 141, 161, 171, 181, 221, 231, 241, 261, 271, 281, 321, 331, 341, 361, 371, 381) of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) is and an opening is provided at a location outside the engagement portion group consisting of the first and second segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 262, 272, 282, 322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382) and corresponds to the other engagement portion (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182, 222, 232, 242, 262, 272, 282, 322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382), 20, 210, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) are engaged with each other, 2. The hook -and-loop fastener according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of at least one engagement portion (122, 132, 142, 162, 172, 182, 222, 232, 242, 262, 272, 282, 322, 332, 342, 362, 372, 382) of the second and first segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380) enters the opening of the second and first segments (120, 130, 140, 160, 170, 180, 220, 230, 240, 260, 270, 280, 320, 330, 340, 360, 370, 380). The hook-and-loop fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the first hook-and-loop fastener member (110, 210, 310) and the second hook-and-loop fastener member (150, 250, 350) have the same structure. The hook-and-loop fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the soft member is one selected from the group consisting of a soft resin, a string, and a monofilament. The hook-and-loop fastener according to claim 5 , wherein the soft resin is an elastomeric resin. An article comprising a hook-and-loop fastener (100, 200) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 .

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