Sheet fastener for sheet-like article

Abstract: A sheet fastener (1) for fastening a sheet-like article (5) to an attachment (2) having along opposite side edges a pair of generally C-cross-section fitting gutters (2c) with confronting openings (2d). The fastener (1) comprises a plate-like substrate (3) having opposite side margins (3a) adapted to be fitted in the respective fitting gutters (2c), and a multiplicity of surface-fastener male engaging elements (4) projecting integrally from one surface of the plate-like substrate (3) at its central region extending between the side margins (3a). The plate-like substrate (3) has a thickness substantially equal to the width of each of the fitting gutters (2c), and each side margin (3a) has a number of discrete recesses (3a) longitudinally spaced at distances. In another embodiment, the side margins (13a) and the associated gutters (20c) are stepped below the surface carrying the engaging elements (4).

Description: This invention relates to a fastener for fastening a sheet-like article to an attachment, and more particularly to a fastener strip having a multiplicity of surface-fastener male engaging elements of synthetic resin for hanging a curtain, a projection screen, a blackout curtain, an advertisement drop curtain, etc. on a hanger or for fastening an interior member, such as a wall paper or a carpet, to a panel. Attempts have been made to attach a curtain to a generally C-cross-section curtain rail. To this end, a concept has been proposed in which a fastener strip having a multiplicity of male engaging elements projecting integrally from one surface of a plate-like substrate is fitted in and along the curtain rail and, on the other hand, a fastener strip having a multiplicity of female engaging elements is attached to an upper edge of the curtain for engagement with the male fastener strip to thereby fastening the curtain to the curtain rail. As disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 5-70313, this fastener is usable not only for fastening a curtain but also for attaching an interior member, such as a wall paper and a carpet, to a panel. In the sheet fastener disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 5-70313, on which the pre-characterising portion of claim 1 is based, the plate-like substrate has on one surface a row of discrete ridges along each of opposite side margins so that the sheet fastener is firmly attached to the curtain rail as each discrete ridge row is pressed against the inner wall surface of each of opposite fitting gutters of the curtain rail. According to this prior art sheet fastener, because of the ridge row, it is pressed against the inner wall surfaces of the gutters of the attachment to realize firm fastening. However, since the height of the engaging-element-side surface of the plate-like substrate is smaller than the width of the fitting gutters of the attachment by the height of the ridge rows, the extent to which the engaging elements project above the upper surface of the attachment is limited so that the stems of the individual engaging elements must be increased in height in order to secure an adequate rate of engagement. This means, with their size unchanged, the stems would be too flexible so that an ideal degree of engaging strength is difficult to achieve. In JP-A-6-7208, a disc like fastener has fingers which project resiliently from side margins of the disc, to engage in a slot in the attachment member. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a sheet fastener which guarantees both an adequate rate of engagement and an adequate degree of engaging strength and can be secured to an attachment firmly. According to the invention, the above object is accomplished by an elongate sheet fastener for fastening a sheet-like article to an elongate attachment having along opposite side edges a pair of generally C-cross-section fitting gutters with confronting openings, the fastener comprising: a plate-like substrate having opposite side margins adapted to be fitted in the respective fitting gutters, the plate-like substrate having a thickness substantially equal to the width of each of the fitting gutters, the side margins having a number of discrete recesses which extend partway through the thickness of the margins and which are longitudinally spaced at distances; and a multiplicity of surface-fastener male engaging elements projecting integrally from one surface of the plate-like substrate at its central region extending between the side margins. Preferably, the plate-like substrate has continuous or discrete grooves in longitudinal or transverse rows between the male engaging elements, and the side margins have in part a wedge-shape cross section gradually decreasing in thickness toward the edge. Preferably, the plate-like substrate including the side margins is curved along its entire width with the engaging-element-side surface concave. In the most preferred embodiment, the attachment is a curtain rail having an L-shape attaching arm integrally projecting from each of opposite edges so as to define an inwardly opening, generally C-cross-section fitting gutter, which is substantially identical in construction with that of the conventional attachment. On the other hand, the sheet fastener is substantially identical in length with the attachment and has a width substantially equal to the distance between the bottom surfaces of the confronting gutters of the attachment, there being a multiplicity of hook-shape engaging elements projecting from one surface of the plate-like substrate through the entire region except the side margins. These engaging elements are identical in shape with those of an ordinary molded surface fastener and, alternatively, they may be mushroom-shaped engaging elements or male engaging elements each having a compound-leaf curved portion. The thickness of the plate-like substrate is substantially equal to the width of the fitting gutters of the attachment, and each of the side margins has on its engaging-element-side surface a row of discrete recesses along the length. If the side margins had only flat surfaces, they would have tended to become wavy or puckered longitudinally after molding and could not have been fitted smoothly into the respective fitting gutters of the attachment. In the illustrated embodiment, each side margin has on one side a continuous uneven surface though its entire length so as to be free from becoming puckered. Further, partly since the plate-like substrate and the side margins have the same thickness, and partly since this thickness is a rational thickness substantially equal to the width of the fitting gutters of the attachment, it is possible to minimize the difference in height between the upper surface of the plate-like substrate and the upper surface of the fitting gutters of the attachment so that it is unnecessary to increase the height of the stems of the male engaging elements. This means, the curved portions of the male engaging elements which project from the plate-like substrate can project above the fitting gutters of the attachment to an adequate extent so that the male engaging elements can firmly be engaged with the female engaging elements of the companion fastener member, thus guaranteeing a required degree of engaging strength. Further, the plate-like substrate has on one surface a plurality of longitudinal grooves between each pair of adjacent longitudinal rows of male engaging elements. The grooves serve to give an appropriate degree of deformability to the plate-like substrate if the substrate itself is rigid, and also serve to correct the curved form created transversely of the substrate during molding. As long as it is possible to give an appropriate degree of deformability to the substrate, the plate-like substrate may alternatively have on one surface a plurality of transverse grooves between each pair of adjacent longitudinal rows of male engaging elements. As the male-engaging surface of hook-shape engaging elements of the fastener is pressed against the companion female-engaging surface of loop-shape engaging elements of a surface fastener member attached to the rear surface of a sheet-like article, such as a curtain, at its upper end by suitable securing means such as sewing or adhering, the hook-shape engaging elements and the loop-shape engaging elements come into mutual engagement. FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, exploded perspective view showing a sheet fastener, together with an attachment, according to a first embodiment of this invention; FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the sheet fastener of the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the manner in which the sheet fastener is attached to the attachment; FIG. 4 is a detailed cross-sectional view showing a modification of the sheet fastener of the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view showing another modification of the sheet fastener of the first embodiment; FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing still another modification of the sheet fastener of the first embodiment; Preferred embodiments of this invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, exploded perspective view showing a sheet fastener, together with an attachment, according to a first embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the sheet fastener of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view showing the manner in which the sheet fastener of the first embodiment is attached to the attachment. In FIGS. 1 through 3, reference numeral 1 designates to a sheet fastener for sheet-like article of the first embodiment, and reference numeral 2 designates an attachment to which the sheet fastener 1 is to be attached. In this embodiment, the attachment 2 is a curtain rail on which a non-illustrated curtain is hung. The attachment 2 has an L-shape attaching arm 2b integrally extending along each of opposite side edges of a plate-like attaching portion 2a so as to form an inwardly opening, generally C-cross-section fitting gutter 2c in which each of opposite side margins (described below) is to be fitted. This attachment is substantially identical in construction with the conventional attachment. On the other hand, the sheet fastener 1 has a plate-like substrate 3 having a length L substantially equal to the length of the attachment 2, a width W substantially equal to the distance between the bottom surfaces of the confronting fitting gutters 2c of the attachment 2 as shown in FIG. 1 and 3, and a thickness T substantially equal to the width of the fitting gutters 2c. The sheet fastener 1 has a multiplicity of hook-shape engaging elements 4 integrally projecting from one surface of the plate-like substrate 3 at its central region extending between opposite side margins 3a. The individual hook-shape engaging element 4 has a stem 4a standing from the substrate 3, and a curved portion 4b extending from the stem 4a longitudinally of the substrate 3 and terminating in a tip directed toward the substrate 3. The individual hook-shape engaging element 4 additionally has a reinforcing rib 4c integrally formed on the side surface of the stem 4a and having a desired height. The engaging elements 4 should by no means be limited to the illustrated example and may be mushroom-shape engaging elements or male engaging elements each having a multi-leaf curved portion, curved portion, or other shapes. The thickness T of the plate-like substrate 3 is substantially equal to the width of the fitting gutters 2c of the attachment 2, and the shape of the side margins 3a constitutes an important part of the invention. Specifically, each side margin 3a has on its engaging-element-side surface a longitudinal row of discrete recesses 3a', thus making the engaging-element-side surface continuously uneven through its entire length. Generally, in continuously molding the above-mentioned band-like fastener, if the side margins had simply smooth surfaces, the side margins would have become puckered longitudinally so that they would have been very difficult to enter the fitting gutters 2c of the attachment 2 sideways during attaching as shown in FIG.3. Consequently, in this embodiment, the side margins 3a are provided with these longitudinal continuous uneven surfaces to eliminate the puckering. FIG. 4 shows a modification of the side margin 3a, according to which the side margin 3a has a wedge-shape cross section to facilitate inserting into the fitting gutter 2c of the attachment 2 sideways. With the rows of discrete recesses 3a' along the respective side margins 3a, since it is possible to set the thickness of plate-like substrate 3 equal to that of the side margins 3a and also to set this thickness to a rational thickness substantially equal to the width of the fitting gutters 2c of the attachment 2, the upper surface of the plate-like substrate 3 can be approximated to the height of the fitting gutters 2c of the attachment 2. This means, the curved portions 4b of the individual male engaging elements 4 project above the fitting gutters 2c by an adequate extent, without unnecessarily increasing the height of the stems 4a, so that they can engage with the companion female engaging elements certainly with an adequate degree of engaging strength. Further, in this embodiment, the plate-like substrate 3 has on one surface longitudinal grooves 3b between each adjacent pair of longitudinal rows of male engaging elements 4 as is apparent from FIGS. 1 through 3. The grooves 3b serve to give the substrate 3, which is originally rigid, an adequate degree of deformability and also to correct the incorrectly curved form created transversely of the substrate during molding. As long as it is possible to give an appropriate degree of deformability to the substrate 3, the plate-like substrate 3 may alternatively have on one surface transverse grooves 3c one between each pair of adjacent longitudinal rows of male engaging elements 4 as shown in FIG. 5. Further, the substrate 3 can be curved in molding in such a manner that its engaging-element-side surface becomes laterally concave with a predetermined curvature as shown in FIG. 6. At that time, the original curvature of the individual curved portion of the substrate 3 is set so as to cancel a possible lateral curvature, which will presumably occur after the ordinary molding. The sheet fastener 1 is continuously molded by injection molding or extrusion molding using thermoplastic synthetic resin, such as polyamide resin, polyester resin or polypropylene resin. On the other hand, the attachment 2 is molded in a shape having a desired cross section by the ordinary extrusion method using metal, such as aluminum alloy or stainless steel, or hard synthetic resin. With the sheet fastener 1 attached to the attachment 2, the surface fastener member, which has the female engaging surface of loop-shape engaging elements and is attached to the rear surface of the edge of a sheet-like article, such as a carpet, a wall paper or a curtain, by suitable securing means such as sewing or adhering, is pressed against the male engaging surface of hook-shape engaging elements 4 of the sheet fastener 1 to thereby bring the hook-shape engaging elements 4 into engagement with the loop-shape engaging elements. The engaging elements constituting the female engaging surface need not be loop fibers, and alternatively, various female engaging elements having such a structure as to be engageable with the male engaging elements 4, i.e. various hooks, napped fibers of napping woven or knit cloth or non-woven cloth, may be used. As is apparent from the foregoing description, partly since the sheet fastener 1 can be firmly attached to the attachment 2, and partly since the engaging elements 4 can project above the fitting gutters 2c of the attachment 2 to an adequate extent without increasing the height of the stems of the engaging elements 4, it can be joined certainly and firmly with a surface fastener having companion female engaging elements attached to a sheet-like article.

Claims: An elongate attachment (2) and an elongate sheet fastener (1) for fastening a sheet-like article to the attachment (2), the attachment (2) having along opposite side edges a pair of generally C-cross-section fitting gutters (2c) with confronting openings (2d), said fastener comprising: (a) a plate-like substrate (3) having opposite side margins (3a) adapted to be fitted in the respective fitting gutters (2c); and (b) a multiplicity of surface-fastener male engaging elements (4) projecting integrally from one surface of said plate-like substrate (3) at its central region extending between said side margins (3a), characterised by said plate-like substrate (3) having a thickness substantially equal to the width of each of the fitting gutters (2c), said side margins (3a) having a number of discrete recesses (3a') which do not extend completely through the thickness of the side margins (3a) and which are longitudinally spaced along the side margins (3a). A sheet fastener according to claim 1, said sheet fastener being characterized by said plate-like substrate (3) has continuous or discrete grooves (3b, 3c) in longitudinal or transverse rows between said male engaging elements (4). A sheet fastener according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each of said side margins (3a) has in part a wedge-shape cross section gradually decreasing in thickness toward the edge. A sheet fastener according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that said plate-like substrate (3) including said side margins (3a) is curved along its entire width with the engaging-element-side surface concave.

Inventors: MURASAKI RYUICHI, MURASAKI, RYUICHI
Applicants: YKK CORP, YKK CORPORATION
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A47H13
IPC codes: A47H13, A44B18