Reclosable Fastener Strip With Elongated Hooks For Watertight Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fasteners like buttons and zippers fail to effectively prevent water from entering garments, as they do not provide a reliable watertight seal.
Innovation Solution
A reclosable fastener strip comprising two elongated strip halves with elongated hooks and recesses, where each hook has a neck portion and an enlarged head hook portion, allowing secure engagement and providing a watertight seal by blocking water entry through the sides.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fasteners like buttons or zippers are used, then the garment can be closed and opened, but water can pass through clearances in the fastener
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is divided into multiple independent hook units arranged in parallel rows, where each hook unit consists of individual hooks that can engage with corresponding recesses. This segmentation allows each hook to independently block water passage, creating multiple sealing lines that prevent water infiltration while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from conventional single-row fastening to multi-row parallel hook arrangements. By extending the fastening mechanism into the lateral dimension with multiple rows of hooks spaced apart, the patent creates a multi-dimensional sealing barrier that blocks water from passing through clearances, while the hooks remain operable through simple engagement and disengagement motions.
2Reliability
If multiple hook units are arranged in parallel rows to prevent water passage, then watertight sealing is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple hook units are merged into a single integrated fastener strip, where all hook units are formed on one continuous strip body. This merging approach creates a unified structure that provides multi-row sealing capability without requiring separate fastener components, thereby improving watertightness while avoiding excessive structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each hook unit is designed with universal engagement features that can interact with corresponding recesses in the opposing strip. The hooks incorporate both sealing function (blocking water) and fastening function (holding strips together) within a single element, eliminating the need for separate sealing mechanisms and reducing overall structural complexity.
3Reliability
If hooks are made elongated in the lengthwise direction to securely block water, then sealing capability is improved, but the hooks require more space and may increase fastener width
Solution Approach 1:
The hooks are designed with elongated shapes specifically in the lengthwise direction where water flow is most likely to occur, providing enhanced sealing capability along the primary water passage path. The lateral dimensions of the hooks are kept compact to minimize fastener width, creating a localized quality enhancement that addresses water sealing without excessive width increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener strips are made from flexible waterproof materials that combine durability with water resistance. This composite material approach allows the elongated hooks to maintain their sealing geometry while the material itself provides waterproof properties, reducing the need for oversized hooks and minimizing the overall fastener width.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A reclosable fastener strip includes first and second strip halves (1, 2) each having a strip body (11, 21) and two hook units (10, 20). Each hook unit has at least one pair of elongated hooks (12, 22) formed on a major surface (111, 211) of the strip body and cooperatively defining a recess (14, 24) therebetween. Each elongated hook is configured and dimensioned to permit being fitted securely in the recess of a corresponding pair of the elongated hooks so as to provide a suitable watertight seal.