Patent ID: 7311647
Filing Date: 2007-12-25
Classification: B29C,B29D,B29L,B31B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacture comprising the following steps: (a) during a respective indexing portion of a respective work cycle, advancing a fastener tape made of flexible thermoplastic material along a process pathway, said fastener tape not advancing during a respective dwell time of said respective work cycle; (b) during each dwell time, deforming said fastener tape in a respective zone that is resident at a first fixed station situated along said process pathway, said deformed zones being spaced at intervals along the portion of said fastener tape that is downstream of said first fixed station; (c) while said fastener tape is advancing along said process pathway during the indexing portion of each work cycle, transmitting light toward a volume of space at a second fixed station, said process pathway being arranged such that said deformed zones intersect and pass through said volume of space during advancement of said fastener tape; and (d) photodetecting at least portions of said transmitted light after some or all of said transmitted light has entered and then exited said volume of space at said second fixed station, said photodetected portions of said transmitted light being converted into electrical signals that indicate a time when transmitted light impinges on an edge of a deformed zone as said deformed zone passes through said volume of space, wherein the distance that said fastener tape is advanced in step (a) during an indexing portion of a particular work cycle is determined in accordance with an algorithm that takes into account characteristics of electrical signals acquired in step (d) during earlier work cycles.