Patent Application
20090106953
The invention relates to a fastener having protruding members that are held by corresponding flexible openings that releasably capture said members by flexibly grasping a necking base portion of the protruding members, and products using such a fastener. The invention also relates to a method for removably fastening two surfaces together using the aforementioned fastener.
Many products are in use having inter-engaging protruding members, inter-engaging hooks and loops, and inter-engaging flexible troughs.
A problem with the mechanisms mentioned above is if any of them are exposed, to sand, dirt, grit, and other particulate contaminants, they either perform less well or fail to perform altogether.
It is therefore an object of the present invention, which has been devised to overcome this problem, to provide a versatile fastening mechanism that is effective even when exposed to particulate contaminants such as dirt, sand, and grit.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a plurality of protruding members, having basal necking portions, adapted to be removably engaged with a plurality of flexible openings that open from one side of the substrate through to an opposite side, the elastic material of the flexible openings configured so that the head portion of the protruding members may penetrate through to the opposite side, wherein elastic material forming the flexible openings grasp and hold the basal necking portions of the protruding members.
Accordingly, the invention has no place for contaminants like dirt or sand to collect and interfere with the mechanism of the fastener. The mechanism is an elastic material forming the flexible openings; thereby dirt and sand cannot prevent the openings from engaging with the protruding members. Instead, contaminants tend to fall through the flexible openings, or else be pushed out by the protruding members when the protruding members are operationally engaged with the flexible openings and brushed away from the basal necking portions of the protruding members by the flexible material upon engagement and disengagement.
In this embodiment, the fastener 1 includes a substrate 5 that is spread across three zones: a first zone 10 at a first end 40, a second zone 20 at an opposite second end 50, and a third zone 30. The first and second zones 10,20 are separated by the third zone 30 which is flexible in bending.
The first zone includes a plurality of protruding members 60 arranged across the surface of the first, zone, 10.
Preferably, the head portion of the protruding members has a rounded end portion opposite the basal necking portion. Additionally, the head portion may have a spherical shape.
The second zone includes a plurality of flexible openings 70 arranged across the surface of the second zone 20 symmetrically to the arrangement of the protruding members 60.
Width d is greater than width e.
A first opening in the outer layer 90 has a maximum width f both above and below the flexible inner layer 100. Inner layer 100 has a second opening of width g centered within the first opening of width f.
The minimum width of g is less than that of f and d, while the maximum width of g is less or equal to the maximum width of f.
The protruding members 60 of the first zone 10 are engaged with the flexible openings 70 of the second zone 20 by bending the fastener at the third zone 30, aligning the protruding members 60 with the top side of corresponding flexible openings 70, and applying a force directed from the top side to the opposite bottom side so that the flexible openings 70 expand from width f to width g to allow passage of the protruding members 60 through to the bottom side of the second zone.
Disengagement of the first zone 10 and the second zone 20 is accomplished by applying force directed to pull the zones apart sufficient to cause the flexible openings 70 expand from width f to width d to allow passage of the protruding members 60 through to the top side of the second zone.
Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in
Disengagement of the fastener in the second embodiment is accomplished in the identical manner as with the first embodiment.
In one embodiment, the first zone is part of one surface of an opening portion of a flexible container (e.g., a plastic bag) and removably engages with the second zone attached to a second surface of the opening portion so that when engaged, the opening of the flexible container is closed. The protruding members in this embodiment range from 1/64 inch to 1/32 inch. The container can be sealed when the protruding members of and the flexible openings are fully engaged. The protruding members and the substrate of the first zone, for example, may be formed from a common, thermoformable material. Further, the container itself may be formed from this same thermoformable material.
In one embodiment, the protruding members of the first zone are placed along the circumferential surface of a wheel, such that protruding members are arranged all along the circumferential surface of this “protrusion gear” such that each protruding member is points perpendicularly to the circumferential surface of the wheel. This protrusion gear is attached to a drive shaft and is configured to couple with a second zone on a continuous belt or strap, so that the belt may be driven by the shaft and protrusion gear. The material for the belt is a flexible composite or rubber, while the wheel and the protruding members of the protrusion gear, is composed of a hard material such as rigid plastic, brass or steel.
In one embodiment, the protruding members may be anchored to a surface of a pouch-like container, and the flexible openings fashioned within a closing flap, so that the flap closes the container when the flexible openings engage the flexible openings. So that the protruding members and the flexible openings may be easily manipulated by hand, the head portions of the flexible openings may have maximum widths of ⅛ inch to ¾ inch. A non-exclusive list of applications of this embodiment include a purse, a pack, or a handbag. The protrusions in such an embodiment may be composed of, for example, metal such as brass or a molded polymer that may be colored appropriately.
In one embodiment, the first zone is anchored to a first section of a garment, and the second zone is constructed in a second section of a garment that is removably attached to the first section. In this embodiment the dimensions of the invention would be similar to that of the pouch-like container, above, e.g. ⅛ inch to ¾ inch so as to be easily manipulated by hand. In addition, the protruding members and or the flexible openings may have colored surfaces appropriate to the garment. A non-exclusive list of applications of this embodiment include a shoe buckle, skirt, trousers or slacks closure, and hat or helmet closure. As with the pouch, above, the protrusions may be composed of a metal such as brass or a molded polymer.
In one embodiment, the first zone and second zone are attached with the third zone as in the first embodiment, and the protruding members are constructed of sturdy, rigid plastic formed by injection-molding or else welded to the substrate of like material, the protruding members having a maximum width having a range e.g. ¼ inch to 1½ inch. This embodiment would serve as a dirt and sand resistant clamp to bind one object to another. This clamp may have either a continuous section of flexible openings in the second zone, or multiple fields of flexible openings (e.g. zone 2.1, zone 2.2, zone 2.3, etc.) spaced intermittently on the substrate. In this configuration, the clamp can be re-usably employed as a binder for multiple items (e.g. planks, pipes, paper, etc.).
In one embodiment, the substrate comprises a material with conductive properties for use with electronic circuits. The protruding members are constructed with maximum widths ranging from several millimeters to a few micrometers in order to make flexible connections of electronic circuits. These circuits can be used in applications where electronic modules are required to be mounted and dismounted from platforms, such as unmanned vehicles.
The invention would also include a method for detachable fastening a first surface to a second surface, including the steps of aligning protruding members with flexible openings in an elastic material, and the step of forcing the protruding members, the flexible openings permitting the head portions to pass through from a first side of the second surface to an opposite second side, and the elastic material contracting around the basal necking portions of the protruding members to detachably fasten the first surface to the second surface.
While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by those embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
