IES80830B2 - An arrangement for preventing lifting of adhesively attached fastening materials - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an arrangement for preventing a piece of hook and loop fastening material (2) adhesively attached to a surface (3) from lifting off the surface in response to the repeated application and removal of a co-operating piece of hook and loop fastening material. The arrangement achieves continuing adherence of a region (10) of the periphery of a portion of a two-part fastener to a surface through the use of a further portion of material (13, 14) which is associated with the surface outwardly of the periphery of the portion and overlays at least part of the periphery region. Preferably the further portion is provided with an adhesive layer for adhesion to the surface.

Description

The present invention relates to an arrangement for preventing a 10 piece of hook and loop fastening material adhesively attached to a surface from lifting off the surface in response to the repeated application and removal of a co-operating piece of hook and loop fastening material.

Description of the Prior Art 15 Hook and loop type fastenings are frequently sold under the Tradename VELCRO. VELCRO is a fastening consisting of two strips of nylon or other suitable fabric, one having tiny hooked threads and the other a coarse surface having looped threads, that form a strong bond when pressed together.

The hook or loop strips of a hook and loop fastening, hereinafter referred to simply as hook and loop fastening strips, may be attached to objects using a variety of methods including stitching or adhesive means.

This invention relates in particular to the use of adhesive to attach a strip of hook and loop fastening to a surface. In a particular arrangement, the -2hook and loop fastening material is provided on its underside with an adhesive layer with a portion of removable protective material. When the removable material is peeled away the thin adhesive on the underside of the hook and loop fastening strip is exposed. This enables attachment of the hook and loop fastening strip to a suitable surface without the need for further adhesive. Examples of suitable surfaces may include wood, plastic or metal.

However, repeated action of attaching and removing a co-operating hook and loop fastening strip portion to and from the adhesively attached hook and loop fastening strip results in the adhesive bonding at the edge of the hook and loop fastening material weakening, eventually resulting in the lifting of the hook and loop fastening material from the underlying surface, typically long before the working life of the hook and loop fastening expires A further problem with hook and loop fastenings is that no successful method exists for printing onto them.

Brief Summary of the Invention It is an objective of this invention to reduce the lifting action of an adhesively attached hook and loop fastening strip. This is achieved according to the invention by the provision of a further material for adhesive attachment to a surface adjacent to an adhesively adhered hook -3and loop fastening strip portion to extend also over an edge region of the hook and loop fastening strip portion. This further material reduces the lifting effect previously described.

The further material also provides a medium which may be printed on thus overcoming the difficulties in printing onto hook and loop fastening.

There is accordingly provided according to the present invention relates to an arrangement for adhering a portion of a two-part fastener comprising mutually retentive material portions to a surface, wherein continuing adherence to the surface of at least a region of the periphery of the material portion is achieved by a further portion of material for association with the surface outwardly of said region of the periphery and to overlay at least part of said region. The association may be effected by said further portion of material being provided with an adhesive layer for adhesion or said further portion of material being stitchable to said surface.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the further portion of material covers the perimeter region of the two-part fastener portion.

In a particular embodiment, the fastening elements, for example hooks or loops, may be absent on at least one edge region of the two-part fastener portion, preferably the fastening elements are absent from the entire peripheral region of the two-part fastener portion or from two opposing edges of the two-part fastener portion. -4In a favoured embodiment, the further portion may be substantially rectangular or substantially circular. The further portion may however be any suitable shape, without limitation as to configuration.

According to an especially favoured construction of the invention, the arrangement comprises a protective backing layer.

The protective backing layer is suitably separable at least from the further portion and optionally also from the two-part fastener portion by a peeling action.

In any embodiment of the invention, the further portion may be provided to be receptive of printing. The further portion may then be preprinted with text, logos or other graphics.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will now be described in more detail having regard to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side pictorial view of a piece of VELCRO adhesively attached to a surface with the retentive layer of the invention attached to the adjacent surface.

Figure 2 is a pictorial view of a modified VELCRO strip for use in the arrangement of the invention. -5Figure 3 is a view of the invention as applied to the modified strip of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view of a further embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 is a top view of the embodiment depicted in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a top view of an alternative embodiment to that shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 8 is a top view of an alternative embodiment to the embodiment shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a top view of an embodiment of the invention illustrating the printing of matter onto the peripheral retentive layer.

Detailed Description of the Drawings A strip of VELCRO material, consisting of a strip 1 of nylon fabric having hooked threads 2, is depicted in Figure 1 adhesively attached to an underlying surface 3. A peripheral material portion 4 shown attached by suitable means, preferably adhesive or stitching, to the surface adjacent to the VELCRO strip 1. This peripheral material portion extends a short distance over the edges of the VELCRO material. This extending section of the peripheral material portion restrains the edge of the VELCRO material and prevents it from lifting away from the underlying surface.

A further peripheral material portion 5 of material restrains the opposite edge of the VELCRO strip in the same way as hereinbefore described. -6The peripheral material portion may be made from a variety of materials examples of which may include paper or cellulose but preferably is a thin plastics material.

Depending on the size and shape of the VELCRO strip it may be necessary to provide this additional peripheral material portion on each side of the VELCRO strip to prevent any of the edges from lifting on or around its entire periphery. However the use of material on two sides of the VELCRO strip may be sufficient to restrain the entire VELCRO strip.

In a further embodiment, a specially prepared strip 10 of VELCRO material as illustrated in Figure 2 is seen with the hooked threads 2 absent from the areas 11,12 adjacent to the two edges. The VELCRO material can be manufactured with the hooks absent from particular areas or the hooks may be removed later using suitable means e.g. cutting or heating.

The absence of threads, in the areas adjacent to the edges, enables the additional peripheral material portions 12,13 to be adhesively or otherwise attached to tlie VELCRO strip without interference from the hooked threads as illustrated in Figure 3. This additional peripheral material portion extends beyond the edges of the VELCRO strip and is adhesively or otherwise attached to the surface underneath 3, the additional peripheral material portion preventing the periphery VELCRO material from lifting from the surface underneath.

In a preferred embodiment the VELCRO material 10 and peripheral material portion 13,14, or just the peripheral material portion 13,14, are -Ί provided with a protective removable sheet 15, as shown in Figure 4, covering a thin layer of suitable adhesive. When the removable material 15 is peeled away the thin adhesive on the underside of the hook and loop fastening strip is exposed. This enables attachment of the hook and loop fastening strip io a suitable surface without the need for further adhesive.

In another embodiment the VELCRO material and peripheral material portion, or just the peripheral material portion, are removably provided on a protective sheet with a thin layer of suitable adhesive between the protective sheet and the VELCRO and peripheral materials. When the VELCRO material and or the peripheral material are peeled away the thin adhesive on the underside of the VELCRO material and the peripheral material is left exposed. This enables attachment of the VELCRO strip to a suitable surface without the need for further adhesive.

The use of a removable layer as herein before described allows the storage of the VELCRO strip and peripheral material layer in a form ready for use.

These prepared combinations of VELCRO strip, peripheral material portion and removable backing may be prepared in a variety of shapes examples of which are depicted in figures 5 through 8.

The combination of Figure 5 shows the peripheral material portion 16 covering the area 17 of the VELCRO strip which has no hooked threads but leaves the area 18 with the hooked threads exposed. -8It is easier to produce a VELCRO strip with the hooked threads only absent along two edges, rather than four; an example of how the peripheral material portion might be applied to such a strip is shown in Figure 6. The peripheral material portion 16 only covers that part 19 of the VELCRO material which is absent of hooked threads.

VELCRO may also be produced in other shapes and forms which are suitable for the application of the peripheral material portion. As an example a VELCRO strip in the shape of a disc is depicted in Figure 7. The peripheral material portion 20 is shown surrounding the VELCRO disc and covering the area 21 of the VELCRO disc which has no hooked threads present while leaving the area 22 of the VELCRO disc having hooked threads exposed.

The VELCRO discs are typically produced by cutting means from the standard VELCRO strips as herein before described and as it easier to manufacture the VELCRO strips with hooked threads absent from two edges rather than four, a further embodiment of the invention is where the hooked threads are absent only from two opposite parts 23 of the circumference of the disc, as shown in Figure 8, rather than the entire disc as depicted in Figure 7.

The invention has been described with reference to the “hooked thread” type of the VELCRO material; however it will be readily apparent to anybody skilled in the art that the invention may also be applied to the corresponding “coarse surface” or “loop” type of the VELCRO material. -9Although VELCRO is difficult to print on the use of the additional layer for restraining the edges provides a surface which facilitates printing onto as illustrated by the graphical symbols 25 shown on the peripheral portion 16 shown in Figure 9.

Further it will be appreciated that depending on the size of peripheral material portion the need for adhesive to attach the VELCRO strip to an underlying surface may become redundant, the VELCRO strip being held in place by the peripheral material portion.

The arrangement as previously described is particularly useful for the attachment of items to surfaces, where those items are removed and replaced frequently. An example of such an application would be a mobile phone and a car’s dashboard where the phone may be attached to the dashboard using a two part fastener, the phone frequently being removed and replaced. Another example of such an application would be the use of a two part fastener for the attaching of a remote control to the side of a television or hi-fi stereo system.

The ability to print onto the peripheral material portion is also of significant benefit in that marketing logos may be printed on to the peripheral material portion for advertising purposes which is currently not possible.

Claims (5)

1. An arrangement for adhering a portion of a two-part fastener comprising mutually retentive material portions to a surface, wherein continuing 5 adherence to the surface of at least a region of the periphery of the material portion is achieved by a further portion of material for association with the surface outwardly of said region of the periphery and to overlay at least part of said region. 10

2. An arrangement as described in claim 1, wherein said association is effected by said further portion of material being provided with an adhesive layer for adhesion to said surface.

3. An arrangement as described in claims 1 and 2, wherein the further 15 portion of material covers the perimeter region of the two-part fastener portion.

4. An arrangement as described in claims 1 to 3, wherein on at least one edge region of the two-part fastener portion, the fastening elements, for 20 example hooks or loops, are absent.

5. A two-part fastener arrangement substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.