Molded Hook and Loop Fastener with Segmented Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing molded hook and loop fasteners face challenges in bending at larger curvatures and preventing foam resin material from intruding into the engaging element forming region during foam molding, leading to reduced fastening force and instability.
Innovation Solution
The design features left and right longitudinal protective walls, lateral protective walls, and forward and rearward extensions that act as eaves to prevent foam resin material intrusion, with a connection member bent in a zig-zag shape and an elliptical cross-section for enhanced flexibility and curvature, allowing the fastener to be easily bent and securely fixed to the mold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the molded hook and loop fastener uses a conventional rigid structure, then it provides stable fastening force, but it cannot be bent at larger curvatures and is difficult to adapt to complicated surface forms
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is divided into multiple hook and loop fastener parts connected by connection parts. This segmentation allows each part to bend independently at larger curvatures while maintaining the overall structural integrity and fastening force through the connection between parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection parts are designed with flexible characteristics, allowing the fastener to be bent at larger curvatures. The flexible connection parts maintain sufficient fastening force by providing elastic recovery while enabling adaptation to complicated surface forms.
2Productivity
If the molded hook and loop fastener is integrated into the cushion body at the same time as molding, then production efficiency is improved, but foam resin material intrudes into the engaging element forming region reducing fastening force
Solution Approach 1:
The molded hook and loop fastener is preliminarily set on the cavity surface of the mold before foam resin material is poured in. This preliminary positioning ensures that the engaging element forming region is protected from foam resin intrusion while maintaining the integrated molding process for improved productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection parts serve as intermediary structures that extend from the hook and loop fastener parts into the foam resin material. These connection parts act as barriers that prevent foam resin from intruding into the engaging element forming region while still allowing the fastener to be integrated during the molding process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the molded hook and loop fastener uses a long connection part, then it can be bent at larger curvatures, but the interval between adjacent fastener parts must be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The connection parts are designed with a zig-zag shape that utilizes three-dimensional space efficiently. This dimensional arrangement allows the connection parts to provide sufficient bending flexibility and length for large curvatures while minimizing the overall linear length of the fastener by folding the connection path into multiple dimensions.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4A~6B
AI summary
The molded hook and loop fastener (1) of the invention comprises multiple hook and loop fastener parts (10) on which multiple engaging elements (16) are disposed, and a connection member (30) for connecting the hook and loop fastener parts (10). The hook and loop fastener parts (10) comprise fixing parts (21) which fix the connection member (30) to backings (11). The backings (11) comprise forward and rearward extensions (23, 24) that extend in the longitudinal direction from the positions where the fixing parts (21) are disposed. The dimension (L1) in the longitudinal direction of the connection member (30) at a connection part (31) is set to be longer than the minimum interval (L2) between adjacent hook and loop fastener parts (10), thereby allowing the molded hook and loop fastener (1) to be bent easily in the width direction, and allowing the forward and rearward extensions (23, 24) to prevent foam resin material from directly hitting the lateral walls (15).