Touch Fastener Part With Weakened Edge For Curved Foam Attachment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch fastener parts are inefficient in attaching to curved foam body parts during the foaming process due to their high bending stiffness, requiring multiple shorter parts and increasing the amount of work involved.
Innovation Solution
A touch fastener part design with a second substrate tape that has a weakened lateral edge area, allowing for easier bending by reducing stiffness, enabling the use of continuous longitudinal parts that follow curved seam courses, and incorporating a self-adhesive cover sheeting to protect hooking elements from foam material during the foaming process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If both substrate tapes are formed from injection-molded plastic section with standard structure, then structural strength and integrity are maintained, but bending stiffness becomes too high for curved seam courses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a weakening of resistance specifically in the lateral edge area of the second substrate tape, while maintaining the full strength of the central area and hooking element region. This localized modification allows bending in curved areas without compromising overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The weakening of resistance divides the second substrate tape into regions of different stiffness - a stiffer central region for structural support and a more flexible lateral edge region for bending adaptation to curved seam courses.
2Productivity
If standard continuous longitudinal touch fastener parts are used, then productivity increases by reducing the number of parts, but they cannot follow curved seam courses due to high bending resistance
Solution Approach 1:
By providing weakening of resistance only in the lateral edge area rather than throughout the entire tape, the patent enables curved adaptation while maintaining the continuity and length of the touch fastener part, thus preserving productivity benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch fastener part transitions from a rigid, straight configuration to a flexible, curved configuration during the foaming process, adapting dynamically to the curved seam courses while remaining a single continuous piece.
3Ease of operation
If the second substrate tape is made wider to provide free lateral edge areas for bending, then bending flexibility improves, but device complexity and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the second substrate tape into a central connection region and lateral edge areas with different functional requirements, creating a structured design that manages complexity through clear functional zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The lateral edge areas serve multiple functions: providing bending flexibility, facilitating curved seam course adaptation, and maintaining structural connection to the central region, thereby reducing overall device complexity through multi-functional design.
Data Source
AI summary
A touch fastener part has a first substrate tape (10) with hooking elements (12) arranged on one side and has a second substrate tape (16) connected to the first substrate tape (10). The second substrate tape (10) has a connectors (20) on its side facing away from the hooking elements (12) and is wider than the first substrate tape (10). At least one free lateral edge area (22) of the second substrate tape (16) projects beyond the adjacent longitudinal edge of the first substrate tape (10). The two substrate tapes (10, 16) can be bent along and transversely to their longitudinal orientation by at least one free side edge area (22) of the second substrate tape (16) being provided with a weakening of resistance (27) in such a way that bending the two substrate tapes (10, 16) transversely to their longitudinal orientation is facilitated.