Improved holding device

Abstract

The holding device (1) comprises a base (10) and a plurality of holding elements (20) including a rod (30) covered by a head (40); in each holding element (20), in the projection on the plane formed by the upper surface (12) of the base (10), the lower end (34) of the rod (30) is inscribed in a first circle C1 having a center O1, the head (40) is inscribed in a second circle C2 having a center O2, the second circle is in contact with one end of the head (40) along the longitudinal direction (MD), and the maximum dimension of the head (40) passing through the center of the circle C2 and extending along the longitudinal direction (MD) and / or the transverse direction (CD) is less than 80% of the diameter D2 of the second circle C2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of holding devices, in particular hook holding devices.

Background Art

[0002] Hook closing systems are well known and are used in many applications, and in fact have led to the manufacture of hooks of multiple shapes and, more generally, holding elements of multiple shapes intended to cooperate with each other or with complementary elements such as loops.

[0003] A recurring problem with such products relates in particular to the holding force applied, especially when the dimensions of the hooks are significantly reduced and taking into account the associated manufacturing constraints.

[0004] In fact, the manufacture of hooks with high resistance inevitably leads to excessive sizes, which impairs the smoothness of the system and thus the user's feel, and is very disadvantageous in certain fields, especially the hygiene field, and also leads to an increase in the consumption of materials, which is disadvantageous both in terms of cost and in terms of manufacture. Also, recurring problems arise with the reproducibility of the holding elements, especially considering the shortage of raw materials on a global scale.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure aims to address these various problems by proposing a holding device that is simpler in shape, more easily reproducible, and can be obtained from a wider range of raw materials, especially in view of the global shortage of raw materials.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] Accordingly, the present invention proposes a holding device for making, for example, a self-gripping connection: The holding device comprises - a base extending along a longitudinal direction and having an upper surface and a lower surface, - A plurality of holding elements extending on the upper surface of the base, each holding element comprising a rod covered by a head, the rod being arranged to cooperate with a mating part, for example, to form a self-gripping connection, each rod having a lower end connected to the base and an upper end on the opposite side where the head extends, and a plurality of holding elements; Here, for each holding element, in the projection on the plane formed by the upper surface of the base: - The lower end of the rod is inscribed in a first circle C1 having a center O1; - The head is inscribed in a second circle C2 having a center O2 and a diameter D2, the second circle being the smallest circle containing the head, and this second circle C2 touches one end of the head along the longitudinal direction and / or the transverse direction; The maximum dimension of the head extending along the longitudinal direction and / or the transverse direction and passing through the center O2 of such a second circle C2 is less than 80% of the diameter D2 of the second circle C2.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the second circle C2 is included in the first circle C1.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the first circle C1 has a diameter D1, and the distance between O1 and O2 is 50% or less, particularly less than 30%, less than 25%, less than 20%, less than 15%, or less than 10% of the diameter D1 of the first circle C1. Optionally, the distance between O1 and O2 is 0% or more, or greater than 0%, or greater than 1%, or greater than 4% of the diameter D1 of the first circle C1. Such a structure means that the base and the head of the rod are centered or substantially centered with respect to each other, and thus the rod of the holding element is straight or substantially straight. This makes it possible to improve the mechanical strength of the holding element and limit deformation under the influence of shear during the interaction with the fibers of the non-woven fabric.

[0009] According to one embodiment, that the second circle C2 is included in the first circle C1 means that at least 95%, particularly 98%, and particularly 100% of the surface of the circle C2 is included in the first circle C1.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the distance between O1 and O2 is 50% or less of the diameter D2 of the second circle C2, particularly less than 30%, less than 25%, less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 12%, or less than 10%. Optionally, the distance between O1 and O2 is 0% or more, or greater than 0%, or greater than 1%, or greater than 4% of the diameter D2 of the second circle C2. Also, such a structure means that the base and the head of the rod are relatively centrally located or substantially centrally located. Therefore, it means that the rod of the holding element is linear or substantially linear. This makes it possible to improve the mechanical strength of the holding element and limit the deformation under the influence of shear during the interaction with the fibers of the non-woven fabric.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the distance between O1 and O2 is 100 μm or less, particularly 75 μm or less, 50 μm or less, or 30 μm or less.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the upper end of the rod is inscribed in a third circle C3, and the circle C3 is included in the second circle C2.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the non-woven fabric is fixed to the lower surface of the base.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the ratio of the diameter D2 of the circle C2 to the diameter D1 of the circle C1 is between 0.3 and 0.95, more specifically between 0.5 and 0.9. Therefore, the widest dimension of the head is smaller than the width of the lower end of the rod. The lower end or leg of the rod is thus reinforced, and the shear or peeling force applied by the non-woven fabric is distributed to limit the deformation of the rod at the level of its lower end.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the holding element has a hooking height Ha configured to be between 30 μm and 120 μm, more particularly between 30 μm and 70 μm, and even more particularly between 40 μm and 60 μm.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the holding element has a hooking dimension Da that is greater than 40 μm, particularly greater than 60 μm, and / or less than 120 μm, particularly less than 100 μm. The hooking dimension Da corresponds to the maximum direction between the upper end 32 of the rod 30 and the radially outer end of the head 40, measured along the radial direction with respect to the central axis of the rod 30. According to one embodiment, the holding element has at least one hooking dimension Da, and the radial direction is the machine direction and / or the transverse direction. According to one embodiment, the holding element has at least two hooking dimensions Da, one of the hooking dimensions Da having a radial direction along the machine direction and the other of the hooking dimensions Da having a radial direction along the transverse direction. According to one embodiment, the holding element has at least two hooking dimensions Da, one of the hooking dimensions Da having a radial direction along the transverse direction and the other of the hooking dimensions Da having a radial direction along the transverse direction.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the head has a thickness Hh configured to be between 30 μm and 70 μm, particularly between 40 μm and 60 μm.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the rod has a height Ht configured to be between 150 μm and 330 μm, particularly between 200 μm and 300 μm.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the ratio of the thickness Hh of the head to the height Ht of the rod is configured to be between 0.05 and 0.3, more particularly between 0.1 and 0.25. Accordingly, the rod of the holding element is reinforced, thereby limiting deformation and optimizing performance, such as peeling and / or shearing performance.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the ratio of the hooking height Ha to the height Ht of the rod is configured to be between 0.05 and 0.4, particularly between 0.05 and 0.3, and more particularly between 0.1 and 0.25. With such a configuration, particularly when engaging with a counterpart, it becomes possible to sufficiently hold the fibers and / or filaments of the counterpart, particularly the fibers and / or filaments of the non-woven fabric of the counterpart, while allowing the fibers and / or filaments of the counterpart to pass through more easily.

[0021] According to one embodiment, in a side view along the longitudinal direction and / or the transverse direction, the rod has a proximal portion extending from the lower end of the rod, a distal portion extending from the upper end of the rod, and an intermediate portion disposed between the proximal portion and the distal portion, and the distal portion and the proximal portion have a curvature greater than the curvature of the intermediate portion with respect to a straight line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction.

[0022] According to one embodiment, in a side view along the longitudinal direction and / or the transverse direction, in a view projected onto a plane perpendicular to this side view, the rod has two opposing edges (here, two opposing outer edges), and at least one of these edges includes a curvature having one inflection point, two inflection points, or three or more inflection points, for example, 10 inflection points, and these inflection points are distinct. In some cases, each of the two edges may include a curvature having one inflection point, two inflection points, or three or more inflection points, for example, 10 inflection points, and these inflection points are distinct.

[0023] According to one embodiment, in a side view along the longitudinal direction and / or the transverse direction, in a view projected onto a plane perpendicular to this side view, the rod has two opposing edges (here, two opposing outer edges), and at least one of these edges, and in some cases both edges, has a shape of a general tilde or inverted tilde, or an S or inverted S shape.

[0024] According to one embodiment, in a side view along the longitudinal direction and / or the transverse direction, the ratio between the dimension of the upper end of the rod and the dimension of the lower end of the rod of the holding device is configured to be between 0.3 and 0.75, particularly between 0.3 and 0.65, more particularly between 0.35 and 0.55, and even more particularly between 0.35 and 0.5. Such a structure of the rod retains a good ability to hold the fibers of the non-woven fabric and makes it possible to facilitate demolding in particular while reducing the material consumed.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the holding device is intended to cooperate with a loop to effect contact closure. According to one embodiment, along the longitudinal direction and / or the transverse direction, the total number of the engaging portions 42 or the lobes 42 is configured to be 1 to 4 (inclusive), optionally 1 to 3 (inclusive), or 2 to 4 (inclusive), or 2 to 3 (inclusive). According to another embodiment, at least two, or at least three, of the engaging portions are connected to each other in a continuous manner, and in particular, all the engaging portions are connected to each other in a continuous manner.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] The present invention and its advantages will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of different embodiments of the present invention given as non-limiting examples.

[0027]

Figure 1

[0028]

Figure 2

[0029]

Figure 3

[0030]

Figure 4

[0031]

Figure 5

[0032]

Figure 6

[0033] In all the figures, common elements are identified by the same numerical reference.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] Here, the holding device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

[0035] Each figure represents a holding device 1 having a base 10. This base 10 generally has the shape of a ribbon extending along a longitudinal or machine direction MD and a transverse direction CD perpendicular to the longitudinal direction MD.

[0036] The longitudinal direction MD is the main direction in which the base 10 extends. In terms of manufacturing, this corresponds to the displacement direction of the holding device 1 in the tool for manufacturing or forming.

[0037] The base 10 has the general shape of a ribbon with a thickness T and has edges. The longitudinal direction MD is usually parallel to the end of the base 10, and this end defines the end of the base 10 along the transverse direction CD.

[0038] The base 10 is defined with an upper surface 12 and a lower surface 14 opposite to the upper surface. The terms "upper" and "lower" are arbitrary and not restrictive. Within the framework of the present disclosure, the base 10 is represented as being arranged flat. However, it is understood that the base 10 is typically flexible, and thus this specification should not be construed restrictively.

[0039] The retaining device 1 comprises a plurality of retaining elements 20 extending from the upper surface 12 of the base 10. The retaining elements 20 are typically formed integrally with the base 10. The retaining elements 20 are typically adapted or formed such that the retaining device can cooperate with the loop to effect contact closure.

[0040] Each retaining element 20 comprises a rod 30 and a head 40.

[0041] The rod 30 extends from the upper surface 12 of the base 10. Thereby, a lower end 34 of the rod 30 connected to the base 10 and an upper end 32 of the rod 30 opposite the lower end 34 of the rod 30 are defined, and the upper end 32 is the portion of the rod 30 furthest from the base 10.

[0042] The rod 30 can have, for example, a circular, elliptical, polygonal, or more generally any suitable shape. In particular, it is possible to manufacture a rod 30 having a cross-section in the shape of a cross or a "plus". Such a cross-sectional shape typically has four ribs extending radially around the central axis of the rod 30, substantially evenly, for example evenly, around the central axis of the rod 30. More generally, the rod 30 can follow a general shape of a star having, for example, an elliptical or square or rectangular cross-section, or having X evenly distributed arms, where X is composed between 3 and 10, each arm having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal ends of each arm being continuous, and the distal ends of the arms being spaced from each other by the same angle.

[0043] The cross-section of the rod 30 is typically variable according to the height, which is measured along a direction perpendicular to the upper surface 12 of the base 10. According to one embodiment, the cross-section of the rod 30 decreases predominantly or strictly from the lower end 34 of the rod 30 towards the upper end 32 of the rod 30.

[0044] As an example, considering the rod 30 in a side view along the longitudinal direction MD and / or the transverse direction CD, the rod 30 has a proximal portion extending from the lower end 34 of the rod 30, a distal portion extending from the upper end 32 of the rod 30, and an intermediate portion disposed between the proximal portion and the distal portion.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the cross-section of the rod 30 decreases from the lower end 34 of the rod 30 to the intermediate portion of the rod 30 and increases from this intermediate portion to the upper end of the rod.

[0046] The intermediate portion can, for example, also have a constant cross-section or can have a cross-section that decreases along the direction from the base 20 towards the head 40.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the proximal portion and the intermediate portion are delimited from each other by an inflection of the curvature and / or the intermediate portion and the distal portion are delimited from each other by an inflection of the curvature. In some cases, the distal portion and the proximal portion typically have a greater curvature than the curvature of the intermediate portion with respect to a straight line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction MD and the transverse direction CD. Such a shape of the rod 30, where the radius of curvature of the distal portion of the rod is smaller than the radius of curvature of the intermediate portion, makes it possible to provide a greater fiber or filament holding capacity for holding the counterpart of the loop.

[0048] In some cases, in a side view along the vertical and / or horizontal directions, in a view projected onto a plane perpendicular to this side view, the boundary between the proximal portion and the intermediate portion is defined along one of the two edges of the rod 30, by the presence of a lower inflection point, or along each of the two edges of the rod 30, by the presence of a lower inflection point, and / or the boundary between the intermediate portion and the distal portion is defined along one of the two edges of the rod 30, by the presence of an upper inflection point, or along each of the two edges of the rod 30, by the presence of an upper inflection point. In some cases, the straight line connecting the upper inflection points forms the boundary between the intermediate portion and the distal portion, and / or the straight line connecting the lower inflection points forms the boundary between the proximal portion and the intermediate portion. In other cases, a straight line parallel to the base 10 passing through the inflection point closest to the head 40 forms the boundary between the intermediate portion and the distal portion, and / or a straight line parallel to the base 10 passing through the inflection point closest to the base 10 forms the boundary between the intermediate portion and the proximal portion.

[0049] According to one embodiment, the height of the distal portion is smaller than the height of the intermediate portion and / or the proximal portion. According to one embodiment, the sum of the height of the distal portion and the height of the intermediate portion is smaller than the height of the proximal portion. According to one embodiment, the ratio of the height of the distal portion to the height of the proximal portion is less than 0.5, particularly less than 0.4, particularly less than 0.3, and / or greater than 0.05, particularly greater than 0.1. In some cases, the rod comprises one or more intermediate portions.

[0050] The ratio between the heights of the different portions can, in particular, adjust the consumption of the material for the manufacture of the rod, the demolding constraints and the mechanical performance. If the cross-section is reduced, the required material can be reduced. For rods with the same head shape, rods with a smaller cross-section at the distal end, for example, have improved performance in terms of hooking, but compared to another rod without this characteristic and with the same head shape, the demolding constraints increase.

[0051] Optionally, in a side view along the longitudinal direction MD and / or the transverse direction CD, the rod 30 has two opposing edges of a general shape of a tilde or an inverted tilde, for example an S or an inverted S.

[0052] The head 40 extends from the upper end 32 of the rod 30. The head has at least one portion that extends beyond the upper end 32 of the rod 30 and defines a hook portion 42 or lobe adapted to engage with a fiber and / or a loop and / or a complementary retaining element to effect a self-gripping connection. Thus, the head 40 typically has a maximum cross-section with a surface that is strictly larger than the surface of the upper end 32 of the rod 30.

[0053] The head 40 of the retaining element 10 is typically made from a preform (not shown) resulting from a shaping that consists of at least one rod and optionally a head, and the upper end of the rod and / or the head of the preform is deformed. The deformation is typically carried out by calendering, for example hot calendering. The head 40 typically has an irregular shape, especially when obtained by calendering.

[0054] The retaining device 1 according to the invention has a retaining element having a specific shape as described below.

[0055] For each rod 30, the lower end 34 is considered to be the portion of the rod 30 that defines a change in the thickness of the base 10 leading to an increase in thickness. Thus, the lower end 34 of the rod 30 extends, for example, in a plane parallel to the plane formed by the upper surface 12 of the base 10 and corresponds to the portion of the rod 30 that is in a first plane above the upper surface 12 of the base 10 along a direction perpendicular to the upper surface 12 of the base 10. Thus, when the upper surface 12 of the base 10 is considered to be planar, the lower end 34 of the rod can be delimited, for example, by a change in curvature upwards from the upper surface 12 of the base 10.

[0056] Then, a first circle C1 is defined within which the lower end 34 of the rod 30 is inscribed. An inscribed circle means the smallest circle that can completely enclose the considered cross-section, which here is the cross-section of the rod 30 in a plane defined by the upper surface 12 of the base 10 and corresponding to the lower end 34 of the rod 30. For this first circle C1, a center O1 and a diameter D1 are defined.

[0057] Next, a second circle C2 is defined within which the head 40 is inscribed and which is tangent to one end of the head 40 along the longitudinal direction MD. Thus, this circle corresponds to the smallest circle that can completely surround the projection of the head 40 in a plane parallel to the upper surface 12 of the base 10 while being tangent to one end of the head 40 in the longitudinal direction. For this second circle C2, a center O2 and a diameter D2 are defined.

[0058] The end of the head 40 along the longitudinal direction MD is determined to be the point furthest from the upper end of the rod according to the side view of the holding element under consideration, i.e., according to a view along a plane perpendicular to the transverse direction CD, or according to a view along a plane defined by an axis perpendicular to both the transverse direction CD and the longitudinal direction MD.

[0059] Here, it should be noted that the longitudinal direction MD and the transverse direction CD are not equivalent. In the case of the holding device 1 where the head of the holding element is formed by a forming method, for example, calendering, the moving direction of the holding device in the tool affects the shape of the head of the holding element, causing the material to spread along the transverse direction CD and become congested along the longitudinal direction. Thus, for example, the longitudinal direction MD can be distinguished from the transverse direction CD by the fact that the maximum dimension of the head along the transverse direction CD is larger than the maximum dimension of the head along the longitudinal direction MD.

[0060] Next, a third circle C3 is defined that the upper end 32 of the rod 30 is inscribed in. That is, it is the smallest circle that can completely enclose the cross-section being considered (here, the cross-section of the rod 30 in a plane parallel to the upper surface 12 of the base 10 and corresponding to the upper end 32 of the rod 30). For this third circle C3, a center O3 and a diameter D3 are defined. If the circle C3 cannot be identified from the top view of the holding element 20, it is possible to report the dimensions observable in a side view along the lateral direction CD and / or the longitudinal direction MD in the view projected onto the plane of the base 10, in comparison with the lower end 34 of the rod 30 and other dimensions of the head 40.

[0061] In the holding device 1 according to the present invention, the second circle C2 is included within the first circle C1. In other words, the first circle C1 completely surrounds the second circle C2.

[0062] Furthermore, the maximum dimension of the head 40 along the longitudinal direction MD is less than 80% of the diameter D2 of the second circle C2, and in some cases, the maximum dimension of the head 40 along the longitudinal direction MD is in the range where its lower limit is 30%, or 40%, or 50%, or 55%, and / or its upper limit is 80%, or 75%.

[0063] Such a shape of the holding element 20 is advantageous in several aspects. With the proposed shape, it is possible to obtain shear characteristics at least equivalent to those of conventional holding elements. Furthermore, such a shape is advantageous in terms of ease of manufacture, and thus, in particular, by obtaining the holding element 20 according to the present invention in which the material forming the head 40 has not deformed after demolding as compared with the heads of conventional holding elements described, for example, in patent application EP3448194, the risk of dimensional drift of the holding element 20 is reduced. Furthermore, minimizing the deformation, and thus the displacement, of the material provides better reproducibility.

[0064] Optionally, the holding element 20 is configured such that the ratio between the diameter D3 of the third circle C3 and the diameter D1 of the first circle D1, i.e., the ratio between the upper end 32 and the lower end 34 of the rod 30, is between 0.3 and 0.75, particularly between 0.3 and 0.65, more particularly between 0.35 and 0.55, and even more particularly between 0.35 and 0.5. Such parameters make it possible to reduce the demolding constraint of the rod 30 while ensuring the passage of the head during demolding and minimizing the material required for the manufacture of the holding element 20.

[0065] Optionally, the distance between the centers O1 and O2 measured in the projection on the plane defined by the upper surface 12 of the base 10 is less than 50%, or less than 30%, less than 25%, less than 20%, less than 15%, or less than 10% of the diameter D1. Optionally, the distance between the centers O1 and O2 measured in the projection on the plane defined by the upper surface 12 of the base 10 is 0% or more, greater than 0%, greater than 1%, or greater than 4% of the diameter D1 of the first circle C1.

[0066] Optionally, the distance between the centers O1 and O2 measured in the projection on the plane defined by the upper surface 12 of the base 10 is less than 50% of the diameter D2, or less than 25% of the diameter D2, or more specifically less than 10% of the diameter D2. Optionally, the distance between the centers O1 and O2 measured in the projection on the plane defined by the upper surface 12 of the base 10 is 0% or more, or greater than 0%, or greater than 1%, or greater than 4% of the diameter D2 of the second circle C2.

[0067] Optionally, the distance between O1 and O2 is less than 100 μm, particularly less than 75 μm, or less than 50 μm, or less than 30 μm, and / or 0 μm or more, or greater than 0 μm. Thus, when the holding element 20 cooperates with the loop partner, the displacement force of the head 40 is not oriented along a preferred direction but is substantially constant in a plurality of directions, which results in reducing the unexpected release of the loop cooperating with the holding element 20, e.g., the release of the loop along a specific stress direction. Thus, the shearing and peeling performance is improved.

[0068] Optionally, the ratio of the diameter D2 of the circle C2 to the diameter D1 of the circle C1 is composed of 0.3 to 0.95, or 0.5 to 0.9, or 0.6 to 0.85, or 0.6 to 0.8. Such a ratio makes it possible to obtain a holding device that can be more easily demolded, appropriately demold the holding element 20, and obtain a head 40 having sufficient material to ensure satisfactory hooking performance, especially in peeling and / or shearing, without unnecessarily increasing the amount of material required for the rod 30, particularly at the lower end 34 of the rod 30. It provides a good compromise between these.

[0069] Optionally, the lower surface 14 of the base 10 can be fixed to a base material such as a non-woven fabric material, for example, by adhesion or partial encapsulation of a woven fabric material to the lower surface 14 of the base 10.

[0070] The height H of each holding element 20 is defined as the maximum dimension of each holding element 20 from the upper surface 12 of the base 10 along a direction perpendicular to the upper surface 12 of the base 10, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction MD and the transverse direction CD. Different heights and thicknesses defined below are also measured along this same direction.

[0071] For each holding element 20, the height Ht of the rod 30 is defined as the distance between the upper surface 12 of the base 10 and the upper end 32 of the rod 30. Optionally, the rod 30 has a height Ht composed between 150 μm and 330 μm, particularly between 200 μm and 300 μm.

[0072] For each holding element 20, the thickness Hh of the head 40 is defined as the distance between the upper end 32 of the rod 30 and the upper end of the holding element 20. The thickness Hh of the head 40 is composed, for example, between 30 μm and 70 μm, particularly between 40 μm and 60 μm.

[0073] Optionally, the ratio between the thickness Hh of the head 40 and the height Ht of the rod 30 is configured to be between 0.05 and 0.3, more particularly between 0.1 and 0.25. With such a ratio, the head 40 has a sufficient thinness to be easily inserted into the loop partner while having sufficient resistance to peeling and shearing in cooperation with the loop partner.

[0074] For each holding element 20, a hooking height Ha is defined, which is the distance measured along the height direction between the lower end and the upper end of the head 40. The hooking height Ha makes it possible to delimit a space under the head 40, in particular for holding, for example, non-woven fibers and / or filaments while applying a force. Advantageously, the size of this space is larger than the diameter of the non-woven fibers intended to cooperate with the holding element 20.

[0075] For example, as represented in Figure 6, when the hooking part 42 or lobe 42 of the head 40 extends radially with respect to the head, the hooking height Ha is equal to the thickness Hh of the head 40.

[0076] When the hooking part 42 or lobe 42 of the head 40 is not substantially horizontal and faces the base 10, as schematically represented in Figure 5 for example, the hooking height Ha is measured as the distance between two straight lines respectively parallel to the longitudinal direction MD and the transverse direction CD, one passing through the upper end of the head 40 and the other passing through the lower end of the head, that is, through the point of the hooking part 42 or lobe 42 closest to the upper surface 12 of the base 10 along the height direction. At this time, the hooking height Ha is larger than the thickness Hh of the head 40.

[0077] In the proposed device, the holding element 20 typically has a hooking height Ha configured to be between 30 μm and 120 μm, more particularly between 30 μm and 70 μm, and even more particularly between 40 μm and 60 μm. Such a hooking height makes it possible to improve the gripping and holding of partners such as loops.

[0078] Optionally, the ratio between the catch height Ha and the height Ht of the rod 30 is configured to be between 0.05 and 0.4, in particular between 0.05 and 0.3, more particularly between 0.1 and 0.25. The holding element 20 having such characteristics thus has a head 40 that is thin enough to be easily introduced into the loop partner while having sufficient resistance to peeling and shearing in cooperation with the loop partner.

[0079] Various measurements are carried out, for example, by the average carried out with the holding element 20 and at least four adjacent holding elements.

[0080] Optionally, the maximum dimension of the rod 30 at the lower end 34 is configured to be between 110 μm and 900 μm, in particular between 350 μm and 550 μm. Thus, with such dimensions, the rod 30 is well fixed to the base 10, ensuring good rigidity of the rod when the rod 30 cooperates with the fiber and / or loop and / or complementary holding element to produce a self-gripping connection.

[0081] According to a second aspect of the invention, the holding device 1 comprises - a base 10 extending along the longitudinal direction MD and having an upper surface 12 and a lower surface 14; - a plurality of holding elements 20 extending on the upper surface 12 of the base 10, each holding element 20 comprising a rod 30 covered by a head 40, each rod 30 comprising a lower end 34 connected to the base 10 and an upper end 32 on the opposite side where the head 40 extends; Here, for each holding element 20, in the projection in the plane formed by the upper surface 12 of the base 10: - the lower end 34 of the rod 30 is inscribed within a first circle C1 having a center O1; - the head 40 is inscribed within a second circle C2 having a center O2 and a diameter D2, the second circle C2 being the smallest circle containing the head 40, and this second circle C2 typically touches one end of the head 40 along the longitudinal direction MD and / or the transverse direction CD; Here - The minimum distance between the edges of the two first circles C1 of the two lower ends 34 of two adjacent rods 30 is greater than at least 50 μm, in particular greater than 70 microns, more particularly greater than 90 microns, and / or less than 300 μm, less than 250 μm, more particularly less than 200 μm, and / or - In the projection on the plane formed by the upper surface 12 of the base 10, in a representative region having the holding element 20, the occupancy rate of the first circle C1 of the holding element 20 in the representative region is 25% or more and 80% or less, in particular 40% or more and 80% or less, particularly 50% or more and 70% or less.

[0082] Adjacent means the holding elements that are continuous along the same line formed by the holding elements 20 on the upper surface 12 of the base 10, or the closest holding elements 20 belonging to two consecutive lines.

[0083] Here, the representative region means a region composed of a plurality of basic repeating patterns, for example, 5 to 10 patterns, typically 6 to 7 patterns. This region is usually observed from a photograph obtained at a magnification of X100 using a digital microscope "VHX 6000" manufactured by Keyence Corporation, and the measured values are obtained by the image analysis software of the digital microscope.

[0084] Accordingly, with such an arrangement, the space between the lower ends 34 of the rods 30 of the holding element 20 and / or the occupancy rate of the lower ends 34 of the rods 30 of the holding element 20, due to the improved flexibility of the holding device 1, allows the base 10 to maintain flexibility while having peel performance and shear performance equivalent to those of the prior products, and furthermore, is sufficient to improve the peel performance. Thus, the base 10 is sufficiently flexible so that it can be wound in a roll shape for transport without consuming too much material while having acceptable peel performance and shear performance. In addition, with such an occupancy rate, it is possible to obtain good flexibility of the holding device 1, especially when it is arranged for sanitary applications, such as absorbent articles, especially for open or closed diapers. In previous products having a shape such that the first circle C1 is included within the second circle C2, or only a part of the second circle C2 is inscribed within the first circle C1, there were no such problems. However, nevertheless, there were problems as described above, especially in terms of material consumption and the user's feeling.

[0085] According to another embodiment, the flexibility of the base 10 is improved by a base 10 having a thickness between 10 μm and 100 μm, especially between 15 μm and 65 μm, particularly between 16 μm and 65 μm, or between 22 μm and 49 μm.

[0086] According to another embodiment, the flexibility of the base 10 is further improved with respect to a base 10 whose basis weight is between 15 g / m 2 and 120 g / m 2 , especially between 20 g / m 2 and 90 g / m 2 , and in some cases between 26 g / m 2 and 70 g / m 2 .

[0087] These different characteristics exhibit a synergistic effect and improve the flexibility of the base 10.

[0088] The non-woven fabric is, for example, less than 80 g / m 2 , and in some cases 5 - 120 g / m 2 , 10 - 70 g / m 2has a per-tsubo weight.

[0089] Optionally, the third circle C3 is included within the second circle C2.

[0090] Typically, each holding element 20 according to the present invention has a general shape that is different from or similar to the general shape of this same holding element 20 in a side view along the transverse direction CD in a side view along the longitudinal direction MD. Typically, each holding element 20 according to the present invention has a rod 30, and this rod 30 has a general shape that is different from or similar to the general shape of this same rod 30 in a side view along the transverse direction CD in a side view along the longitudinal direction MD. Typically, each holding element 20 according to the present invention has a head 40, and this head 40 has a general shape that is different from or similar to the general shape of this same head 40 in a side view along the transverse direction CD in a side view along the longitudinal direction MD. According to one embodiment, FIGS. 4 and 5 correspond to the same holding element 20 in a view along the transverse direction CD and in a view along the longitudinal direction MD respectively, or FIGS. 4 and 6 correspond to the same holding element 20 in a view along the transverse direction CD and in a view along the longitudinal direction MD respectively.

[0091] Optionally, the number of holding elements 20 per unit area is less than 600 holding elements 20 per 1 cm 2 and in particular comprises 160 to 340 holding elements 20 per 1 cm. 2

[0092] In the present application, the height and thickness are usually observed from a photograph obtained at an appropriate magnification, for example, at a magnification of X500 as in the case of FIG. 2, using a digital microscope (reference number "VHX 6000") manufactured by Keyence Corporation, and the measured values are obtained by the image analysis software of the digital microscope.

[0093] ​Generally, it is possible to distinguish between two types of self - gripping connections. The retaining elements either cooperate with other retaining elements of the same type / nature or cooperate in the form of fibers and / or filaments and / or loops to effect a mechanical connection, or the retaining elements cooperate with a surface to effect an adhesive - type connection (Gecko) or utilize van der Waals forces. This second type of connection can, in some cases, be regarded as a connection called a self - gripping connection, but such retaining elements that use van der Waals forces have quite different behaviors and characteristics from those that use mechanical connections. In fact, in the case of retaining elements that utilize van der Waals forces, only the upper surface of the head ensures fixation with the receiving surface, whereas in the case of retaining elements for mechanical fixation, the fixation is not ensured by the upper surface of the head but by the lower surfaces of the head and the rod. According to one embodiment, the device according to the invention is only suitable for mechanical connections.

[0094] Although the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, it is clear that modifications and changes can be made to these embodiments without departing from the general scope of the invention as defined by the claims. In particular, the individual features of different illustrated / mentioned embodiments can be combined in additional embodiments. Thus, the description and the drawings should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

[0095] Also, it is clear that all features described with reference to one method can be replaced, either alone or in combination, in one device among the different aspects of the invention specifically presented, and conversely, all features described with reference to one device can be replaced, either alone or in combination, in one method.

Claims

Claim 1 A holding device (1), comprising: - a base (10) extending along a longitudinal direction (MD) and having an upper surface (12) and a lower surface (14); - a plurality of holding elements (20) extending on the upper surface (12) of the base (10), each holding element (20) comprising a rod (30) covered by a head (40), each rod (30) having a lower end (34) connected to the base (10) and an upper end (32) on the opposite side where the head (40) extends, and a plurality of holding elements (20); Here, for each holding element (20), in a projection on a plane formed by the upper surface (12) of the base (10): - the lower end (34) of the rod (30) is inscribed in a first circle C1 having a center O1, the head (40) is inscribed in a second circle C2 having a center O2 and a diameter D2, the second circle is the smallest circle including the head, and this second circle C2 is in contact with one end of the head (40) along the longitudinal direction (MD) and / or the transverse direction (CD); A holding device (1), wherein a maximum dimension of the head (40) extending along the longitudinal direction (MD) and / or the transverse direction (CD) passing through the center O2 of such a second circle C2 is less than 80% of the diameter D2 of the second circle C2. Claim 2 The holding device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the second circle C2 is included in the first circle C1. Claim 3 The first circle C1 has a diameter D1, and a distance between O1 and O2 is 50% or less, particularly less than 30%, less than 25%, less than 20%, less than 15%, or less than 10% of the diameter D1 of the first circle C1. Optionally, the distance between O1 and O2 is 0% or more, or greater than 0%, or greater than 1%, or greater than 4% of the diameter D1 of the first circle C1. The holding device (1) according to claim 1 or 2. Claim 4 The distance between O1 and O2 is 50% or less, particularly less than 30%, less than 25%, less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 12%, or less than 10% of the diameter D2 of the second circle C2. Optionally, the distance between O1 and O2 is 0% or more, or greater than 0%, or greater than 1%, or greater than 4% of the diameter D2 of the second circle C2. The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Claim 5 The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the distance between O1 and O2 is 100 μm or less, particularly 75 μm or less, 50 μm or less, or 30 μm or less.

6. The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the upper end of the rod is inscribed in a third circle C3, and the circle C3 is included in the second circle C2.

7. The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the non-woven fabric (50) is fixed to the lower surface (14) of the base (10).

8. The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the ratio of the diameter D2 of the circle C2 to the diameter D1 of the circle C1 is between 0.3 and 0.95, more specifically between 0.5 and 0.

9.

9. The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the holding element (20) has a hooking height (Ha) configured between 30 μm and 120 μm, more particularly between 30 μm and 70 μm, and even more particularly between 40 μm and 60 μm.

10. The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the head (40) has a thickness (Hh) configured between 30 μm and 70 μm, particularly between 40 μm and 60 μm.

11. The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the rod (30) has a height (Ht) configured between 150 μm and 330 μm, particularly between 200 μm and 300 μm.

12. The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the ratio of the thickness (Hh) of the head (40) to the height (Ht) of the rod (30) is configured between 0.05 and 0.3, more particularly between 0.1 and 0.

25.

13. The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the ratio of the hooking height (Ha) to the height (Ht) of the rod (30) is configured between 0.05 and 0.4, particularly between 0.05 and 0.3, and more particularly between 0.1 and 0.

25.

14. In a side view along the longitudinal direction (MD) and / or the transverse direction (CD), the rod (30) has a proximal portion extending from the lower end (34), a distal portion extending from the upper end (32), and an intermediate portion disposed between the proximal portion and the distal portion, wherein the distal portion and the proximal portion have a curvature greater than that of the intermediate portion with respect to a straight line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (MD) and the transverse direction (CD). The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. In a side view along the longitudinal direction (MD) and / or the transverse direction (CD), in a view projected onto a plane perpendicular to this side view, the rod (30) has two opposing edges, at least one, and in some cases both of which have a shape of a general tilde or inverted tilde, or an S or inverted S shape. The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. In a side view along the longitudinal direction (MD) and / or the transverse direction (CD), the ratio between the dimension of the upper end (32) of the rod (30) and the dimension of the lower end (34) of the rod (30) of the holding device (1) is between 0.3 and 0.75, particularly between 0.3 and 0.65, more particularly between 0.35 and 0.55, and even more particularly between 0.35 and 0.

5. The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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