Hook and loop fastener

Abstract: A warp knit, weft inserted lap side loop pile fabric (10) for use as a female connector in a hook and loop fastener in which adjacent loops (12) in each wale (18) alternate from one direction to the other. If desired the back of the fabric can be coated to provide strength and rigidity to the fabric.

Description: This invention relates generally to a wrap knit, weft inserted fabric which can be employed as the female fabric for securing an article of manufacturing in a preselected position which may or may not have a coated backing for strength and rigidity. EP-A-0,091,273 discloses a warp knit weft inserted lap side loop pile fabric for use as a female member to receive hooks on an article of manufacture comprising spaced wales of chain stitches on a technical face of the fabric, spaced wales of tricot loop stitches on the back of the fabric and inserted weft yarn retained by the chain stitches. EP-A-0,517,275 discloses a warp knit fabric again for use as a female member, the fabric having two sets of ground yarns knitted in a dimensionally stable construction with a set of lopp-forming yarns formed in stitch patterns producing elongated underlap loops extending outwardly from the technical back of the fabric. It is an object of the invention to provide a warp knit, weft inserted lap side loop pile fabric which can be employed as the female member of a securing means. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent as the specification proceeds to describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of the hook fasteners in relation to the novel loop pile fabric; Fig. 2 is the top view of the lap (technical back) side of the novel warp knit fabric; Fig. 3 is a point diagram of the action of the guide bars of the knitting machine; Fig. 4 is a point diagram of the guide bars of the knitting machine to produce a modification of Figs. 1-3; Fig. 5 is a point diagram of the guide bars showing a still further modification; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the female fabric member coated with a strengthening material. Looking now to Fig. 1, the new and improved fabric 10 has upstanding loops 12 shown in position where they can be engaged by hook member 11 which consists of hooks 14 connected to a support member 15. In practice, the fabric 10 would be connected to a supporting structure (not shown) so that when the article to be secured in a fixed position, to which the hook member 11 is attached, as projected towards the loops 12, the hooks 14 will engage same and be secured therein. The hook member 11 is not, per se, a part of the invention and can be any suitable type, such as that formed by the molding or casting of nylon to form the desired configuration shown in FIG. 1. The substrate fabric 10, as represented in FIGS. 1-5, is a warp knit, weft inserted fabric knit on a two-bar, weft insertion warp knitting machine. As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the loops 12 are lap loops formed by the front bar of the knitting machine while each of the weft inserted yarn 16 are held therein substantially parallel to one another by and between chain stitch wales 18 formed by the back bar. The weft yarn 16 is preferably 70 denier textured polyester but can be in the range of 40-150 denier. The fabric 10 thereby presents a surface of loops 12 which can be readily manufactured on a warp knitting machine and at the same time provides added strength due to the insertion of the weft yarn 16. The loops 12, as shown in FIG. 1, are free loops in the sense that they are open and project freely upward and are connected only at the base to their respective wale. It should be noted that the free loops in each wale alternate from one direction to the other along the wale (e.g. in Figure 2, one loop is to the left and the next adjacent loop in the same wale is to the right). Also the loops in each wale are shifted in the same direction as the loop in the next adjacent wales. This shifting of the loops 12 provides for a more secure and positive engagement of the loops 12 by the grasping portion 13 of the hook member 11 of the male interconnecting member. FIGS. 1-3 show one form of the novel fabric constructed with the pattern wheel for the front bar 70 denier textured polyester yarn set to knit a 3-2, 1-2, 0-1, 2-1 stitch 17 and the pattern wheel for the back bar 150 denier polyester yarn set to knit a 0-1, 1-0, 0-1, 1-0 chain stitch. The weft inserted filling yarn 16 is a 150 denier polyester 10 yarn. This form of the fabric provides a lap side loop the height of which is slightly less than the spacing between adjacent wales of the chain stitch yarn 18. If it is desired to provide a fabric with a longer lap side loop, the construction shown in FIG. 4 can be employed with the pattern wheel for the front bar set to knit a 3-4, 0-1, 4-3, 7-6 stitch and the pattern wheel for the back bar set to knit a 0-1, 1-0, 1-0, 1-0 chain stitch. In the form of the invention the lap loop 12 for engagement by the hooks 14 will have a potential height greater than the distance between adjacent wales in the fabric. Figure 5 illustrates a fabric which has a set of large loops to the left and right side followed by a set of short loops. The pattern wheel for the front bar is to knit 3-4, 2-3, 4-3, 7-6, 3-4, 0-1, 4-3, 5-4 and the back bar to knit 0-1, 0-1, 1-0, 1-0. As in the above embodiments the front bar yarn is 70 denier textured polyester and the back bar yarn is 150 denier flat polyester yarn. The front bar yarn can be in the range of 70-150 denier and the back bar yarn can be in the range of 40-150 denier. FIG. 6 shows the basic substrate fabric 10 coated with an acrylic latex foam with the bubbles broken after coating. The acrylic latex is placed on the fabric in a foam condition and the bubbles are then broken with a knife. After the bubbles are broken, the acrylic latex is set by the application of heat. This provides strength and rigidity to the substrate so that it can readily be handled and has a longer service life. Other coating materials such as polyurethane, polyethylene and P.V.C. plastisol can be, among others, used to provide strength for the female fabric of the invention. It can readily be seen that a knit fabric has been disclosed which can readily function as the female member of a hook and loop connection and which does not readily tear due to the weft inserted yarn that provides stability in the weft direction of the fabric.

Claims: A weft inserted warp knit fabric (10), for use as a female fabric in a hook and loop fastener, having a face side and a back side whereby the back side of the fabric having a plurality of spaced wales (18) of stitches with a lap portion of each of the stitches projecting outwardly therefrom to form a free loop (12) connected only at its base to its respective wale (18) and a weft yarn (16) inserted into the courses of the fabric between the face and back side of the fabric and extending across the full width of the fabric characterised in that the adjacent loops (12) in each wale are tilted sidewise alternately in opposite directions. A fabric (10) in accordance with Claim 1 wherein the loops (12) are polyester yarn. A fabric (10) in accordance with Claim 2 wherein the polyester yarns are textured. A fabric (10) in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the weft inserted yarn (16) is textured polyester. A fabric (10) in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the face of the knit fabric is coated to provide strength thereto. A fabric (10) in accordance with any preceding claim wherein a set of loops on one side of the wales (18) are bigger than a set of loops on the opposite sides of the wales. A fabric (10) in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the face side stitches are chain stitches knit with a pattern of 1-0, 0-1, 0-1, 1-0. A fabric (10) in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the back side loops are formed with a knit pattern of 3-2, 1-2, 0-1, 2-1. A fabric (10) in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the back side loops are formed by a stitch pattern of 3-4, 0-1, 4-3, 7-6. A fabric (10) in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the fabric is a two bar fabric with the face side being knit with a pattern of 0-1, 0-1, 1-0, 1-0 and the back side loops formed by a stitch pattern of 3-4, 2-3, 4-3, 7-6, 3-4, 0-1, 4-3, 5-4. A fabric (10) in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the face side wales (18) are chain stitches. A fabric (10) in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the fabric (10) forms part of an interlocking, readily separable closure member comprising a male member (11) having a plurality of loop engaging members (13;14) on one side thereof and a female member (10) having a plurality of loops (12) upstanding therefrom engaged or engagable by the engaging members (13;14).

Inventors: RHODE WERNER, RHODE, WERNER
Applicants: MILLIKEN RES CORP, MILLIKEN RESEARCH CORPORATION
Application year: 1995
Main classification: D04B21
IPC codes: A44B18, D04B21