Abstract:
A silent fastener system having a hook portion and a loop portion wherein the hook portion has a base with hooks attached thereto. The hooks are biased in a curved configuration and are inserted through a hook guide which guides the hooks into the loop portion by moving the base along the hook guide in a first direction so that tips of the hooks advance into the loop portion. The hooks become curved in the loop portion thereby locking the hooks in the loop portion. The hooks are unlocked by moving the base in a second opposite direction causing the loops to retract into the hook guide without producing sound so that the hook and loop portions separate easily with production of audible sound. Alternate embodiments use linear hooks in place of curved hooks.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of hook and loop fasteners and, more particularly, to a silent hook and loop fastener system that locks and unlocks a hook element to a loop element and wherein the hook element and the loop element can be separated from each other with little resistance and with little production of any audible sound, compared to standard hook and loop systems. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Hook and loop fasteners are known in the art and they have been used in many diverse applications. The secure engagement of one half to the other and the substantial force required to separate the two halves has made these fasteners popular and useful. However, the force that must be applied to achieve separation of the two halves can make the separation process difficult in some cases and can produce sound or noise which may be undesirable. The inherently incremental nature of the known separation process requiring the two halves to be progressively “peeled” apart is generally responsible for the production of significant sound or noise. This sound or noise can make the use of hook and loop fasteners unsatisfactory in situations where silence is necessary such as in military combat situations or hunting activities. Hook and loop fasteners designed for “heavy duty” applications with substantial holding force can require separation forces which may exceed the physical ability of certain users thereby further limiting the application of these types fastening devices. Hook and loop fasteners are known which produce substantial holding force using electrical, magnetic, or thermal systems to lock and unlock hooks from loops. These systems are complex and relatively expensive and may not be practical in situations such as military combat or hunting activities. 
     What is needed is a hook and loop system with substantial holding force that can be operated manually which is easy to lock and unlock without generating any significant audible sound or noise. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is a relatively silent fastener system having a hook portion and a loop portion wherein the hook portion has a base with hooks attached thereto and the hooks are biased in a curved configuration. The hooks are inserted through a hook guide and guided into the loop portion, when the loop portion interfaces with the hook guide. This is accomplished by moving the base away from a first side of the hook guide towards a second opposite side of the hook guide so that tips of the hooks advance into the loop portion. The hooks become more curved in this configuration thereby locking the hooks into the loop portion. The hooks can be further guided into the loop portion so that the hooks become more curved and the tips of the hooks advance further through the loop portion back into the hook guide. The hooks are unlocked and removed from the loop portion by moving the base away from the second opposite side of the hook guide towards the first side of the hook guide so that the hooks are retracted out of the loop portion and into the hook guide with little production of any audible sound or noise. The loop portion and the hook guide can, thus, be separated from each other with little resistance and with little production of any audible sound when the hooks are retracted out of the loop portion and back into the hook guide. 
     In alternate embodiments of this invention the hooks can have a linear configuration and are attached to a base at an angle of 20 degrees to 75 degrees relative to the base, and are angled from a first side of the base towards a second opposite side of the base The hooks are advanced into the loop portion at an angle, thereby locking the hooks into the loop portion. The hooks are unlocked from the loop portion by pulling them in reverse out of the loop portion at the same angle of insertion with little production of audible sound. In another embodiment a hook guide can also be used with this system. In yet another embodiment a plurality of linear hooks are positioned at the ends of a stretchable hook base at an angle wherein the hooks are angled towards the center of the stretchable hook base. The stretchable hook base is stretched so that the hooks can enter the loop portion at an angle as the stretchable hook base is allowed to return to its unstretched configuration, thereby locking the hooks into the loop portion. The hooks are unlocked from the loop portion by stretching the stretchable base and pulling the hooks in reverse out of the loop portion at the same angle of insertion with little production of audible sound. The flexible pull features of this embodiment are especially useful in emergency closing of wounds for medical applications. 
     In yet another embodiment the hook portion has a plurality of first hook bases with linear first hooks attached thereto, with the first hooks attached to each of the first hook bases at a first angle, and being angled in a first direction in line with the first hook base. The plurality of the first hook bases are attached to a first base holder wherein there is a space between each of the first hook bases. The hook portion also has a plurality of second hook bases with linear second hooks attached thereto, with the second hooks attached to each of the second hook bases at a second angle, and being angled in an opposite second direction in line with the second hook base. The plurality of the second hook bases are attached to a second base holder wherein there is a space between each of the second hook bases. The first hook bases are slidably positioned between the second hook bases so that the first hooks overlap the second hooks when the first and the second base holders are moved towards each other, and do not overlap each other when the first and the second base holders are moved away from each other. The hook portion is fastened and locked to the loop portion by moving the first and the second base holders from a non-overlapped configuration to an overlapped configuration of the first and second hooks. The hook portion is unlocked and unfastened from the loop portion by moving the first and the second base holders from an overlapped configuration to a non-overlapped configuration of the first and second hooks. 
     An advantage of the invention is a hook and loop system that generates little or no audible sound when the hook and loop portions are locked together or unlocked and separated. 
     Another advantage is effortless detachment of the hook portion from the loop portion. 
     Another advantage is that curved hooks or linear hooks can be used in the hook and loop system. 
     Another advantage is a hook and loop arrangement that provides up to 5 times more resistance to detachment when in a locked configuration compared to standard hook and loop arrangements. 
     Another advantage is a simple manual system for locking and unlocking the hook portion to the loop portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1   a - 1   d  show an embodiment of the present invention using flexible curved hooks on a sliding hook base. 
         FIGS. 2   a - 2   b  show an embodiment using angled linear hooks on a rigid hook base. 
         FIGS. 3   a - 3   c  show an embodiment using angled linear hooks on a stretchable hook base. 
         FIGS. 4   a - 4   b  show an embodiment using angled linear hooks on a sliding hook base 
         FIGS. 5   a - 5   d  show an embodiment using angled linear hooks that overlap on sliding hook bases. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While the following description details the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of the parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways. 
       FIGS. 1   a - 1   d  show illustrations of a first embodiment of the silent fastener system  10  of the present invention. The fastener  10  has a hook portion  11  and a loop portion  12 . The expression “loop portion” also includes the concept of a pile. Hook and loop and hook and pile fasteners are known in the art, particularly, for example, as Velcro™. The hook portion  11  has a moveable hook base  13  with hooks  14  attached thereto and a hook guide  15  in which the hooks are movably inserted. Hooks  14  are flexible and are biased into a curvilinear shape so that they form up to a complete circular shape spontaneously with a spring-like function. They can also be bent into an almost complete linear shape. Loop portion  12  is made of material having loops or a pile-type formation  16 . The loop portion  12  has a first side  17  and a second opposite side  18 . The hook guide  15  has a first side  19  and a second opposite side  20 . The hook base  13  has a first side  21  and a second opposite side  22 . 
       FIG. 1   a  shows the loop portion  12  on top of the hook portion  11 . The hooks  14  are inserted into the hook guide  15  from the bottom side of the hook guide  15  but do not protrude out of the top side of the hook guide  15 . In this configuration the hooks  14  have only a slight curvilinear shape, for example, about 80 degrees. In  FIG. 1   b  the moveable base  13  is moved away from the first side  19  towards the second opposite side  20  of the hook guide  15 , as indicated by the arrow. The free end (tip) of the hooks  14  move upward out of the hook guide  15 , into the loop portion  12  and become more curvilinear, for example, about 180 degrees. In this configuration the loop portion  12  is firmly attached to the hook portion  11  and will resist removal by the peeling off of the loop portion  12  and the hook guide  15  from each other.  FIG. 1   c  shows the movable hook base  13  moved even further forward from the first side  19  towards the second opposite side  20  of the hook guide  15 , as indicated by the arrow. The free ends or tips of the hooks  14  have moved even further into the loop portion  12  and have become even more curved, for example about 330 degrees wherein the tips of the hooks  14  curve down into the hook guide  15 . In this configuration the loop portion  12  is even more firmly locked to the hook guide  15 .  FIG. 1   d  shows that as the movable hook base  13  is pulled away from the second opposite side  20  and towards the first side  19  of the hook guide  15 , as shown by the arrow, the hooks  14  are pulled out of the loop portion  12  with little production of audible sound. Also, the loop portion  12  can be separated from the hook guide  15  with little resistance and with little audible sound. 
       FIGS. 2   a - 2   b  show illustrations of a second embodiment of the present invention, silent fastener system  25 . The fastener system  25  has a hook portion  26  and a loop portion  27 . The hook portion  26  has a hook base  28  with hooks  29 . The loop portion  27  has loops  34 . The hooks  29  are linear and are attached to the hook base  28  at an angle of 20 degrees to 75 degrees, preferably 30 degrees, relative to the hook base  28 . The hooks  29  are angled from a first side  32  of the hook base  28  towards a second opposite side  33  of the hook base  28 . The loop portion  27  has a first side  30  and a second opposite side  31 .  FIG. 2   a  shows the loop portion  27  positioned over the hook portion  26 .  FIG. 2   b  shows the hook portion  26  in contact with the loop portion  27 , with the hook base  28  pushed towards the second opposite side  31  of loop portion  27 , as shown by the arrow, so that hooks  29  are pushed into the loop portion  27 . In this configuration the loop portion  27  is firmly locked to the hook portion  26  and will resist removal by the peeling off of the hook portion  26  and loop portion  27  from each other. Moving the hook base  28  away from the second opposite side  31  of the loop portion  27 , in the opposite direction of the arrow, will cause the hooks  29  to come out of the loop portion  27  with little production of audible sound. Also, the loop portion  26  can then be separated from the hook portion  27  with little resistance and with little audible sound. 
       FIGS. 3   a - 3   c  show illustrations of a third embodiment, silent fastener system  35 . The fastener system  35  has a hook portion  36  and a loop portion  37 . The hook portion  26  has a stretchable hook base  38  with hooks  39 . The loop portion  37  has loops  40 . The hooks  39  are linear and attached to the stretchable base  38  at an angle of 20 degrees to 75 degrees, preferably 30 degrees, relative to the hook base  38 . A plurality of hooks  39  are angled from a first side  41  of the stretchable hook base  38  towards a center  43  of the stretchable hook base  38 , and a plurality of hooks  39  are angled from a second side  42  of the stretchable hook base  38  towards the center  43  of stretchable hook base  38 . The loop portion has a first side  44  and a second opposite side  45 . In  FIG. 3   a  the hook portion  36  is positioned over the loop portion  37 . In  FIG. 3   b  the hook portion  36  is shown stretched, as indicated by the arrows, by pulling the first side  41  of the stretchable hook base  38  towards the first side  44  of the loop portion  37  and by pulling the second side  42  of the stretchable hook base  38  towards the second side  45  of the loop portion  37 . The stretched hook portion  36  is placed on the loop portion  37  and the stretched hook portion  36  is released to allow the stretchable hook base  38  to return to its unstretched configuration, as shown by the arrows in  FIG. 3   c . In this configuration the loop portion  37  is firmly hooked to the hook portion  36  and will resist removal by the peeling off of the hook portion  36  and loop portion  37  from each other. Stretching the hook base  38  as described above will cause the hooks  39  to come out of the loop portion  37  with little production of audible sound. Also, the loop portion  37  can then be separated from the hook portion  36  with little resistance and with little sound. 
       FIGS. 4   a - 4   b  show illustrations of a fourth embodiment, silent fastener system  50 . The fastener  50  has a hook portion  51  and a loop portion  52 . The hook portion  51  has a hook base  53  with a hook guide  54  and hooks  55  positioned within the hook guide  54 . The loop portion has loops  56 . The hooks  55  are linear and are attached to the hook base  53  at an angle of 20 to 75 degrees, preferably 30 degrees, relative to the hook base  53 . The hooks  55  are angled from a first side  58  towards a second opposite side  59  of the hook base  53 . The hook portion  51  is positioned within a housing  57 . The hook guide  54  has a first side  60  and a second opposite side  61 . The housing  57  has a first side  62  and a second opposite side  63 . The loop portion  52  has a first side  64  and a second opposite side  65 .  FIG. 4   a  shows the hook base  53  positioned next to the first side  60  of the hook guide  54 . In  FIG. 4   b  the hook base  53  is shown pushed towards the second opposite side  61  of the hook guide  54  and towards the second opposite side  63  of the housing  57 , as indicated by the arrow. In this configuration the hooks  55  are extended out of the hook guide  54  at an angle into the loop portion  52 , whereby the loop portion  52  is, thus, firmly attached to the hook guide  54  and will resist removal by the peeling off of the hook guide  54  and the loop portion  52  from each other. Moving the hook base  53  back towards the first side of the hook guide  54  and first side  62  of housing  57  will pull the hooks  55  out of the loop portion  52  and into the hook guide  54  with little production of audible sound. Also, the loop portion  52  can then be separated from the hook guide  54  with little resistance and with little sound. 
       FIGS. 5   a - 5   d  show illustrations of a fifth embodiment, silent fastener system  70 .  FIG. 5   a  shows a pair of hook bases, a first hook base  71  and a second hook base  72 . Hook base  71  has linear first hooks  73  which are angled to the left (in a first direction in line with first hook base  71 ) at an angle of 20 to 75 degrees, preferably 30 degrees, relative to hook base  71 . Hook base  72  has linear second hooks  74  which are angled to the right (in a second opposite direction in line with second hook base  72 ) at an angle of 20 to 75 degrees, preferably 30 degrees, relative to hook base  72 . A plurality of first hook bases  71  are attached to a first base holder  75  and a plurality of hook bases  72  are attached to a second base holder  76 . There are spaces between each of the hook bases  71  and  72  so that hook bases  71  and  72  are slidably positioned next to each other as illustrated in a top view of the silent fastener system  70  in  FIG. 5   b . In this configuration there are alternating rows of hook bases  71  and  72  so that there are alternating rows of first hooks  73  and second hooks  74 . When the base holders  75  and  76  are pulled away from each other as shown in  FIG. 5   b , the first and second hooks  73 ,  74  do not cross over or overlap each other, as shown in a side view of the silent fastener system  70  in  FIG. 5   c . In  FIG. 5   d  the hook bases  71 ,  72  have been placed against a loop material  77 . The base holders  75 ,  76  have been moved or pushed towards each other so that the first and second hooks  73 ,  74  enter the loop material  77  at opposite angles, crossing over, or over lapping, each other. This crossing over configuration creates a secure lock of the first and second hooks  73 ,  74  in the loop material  77 . 
     Any suitable mechanism may be used to push or move the base holders  75 , 76  together simultaneously to lock the first and second hooks  73 ,  74  into loop material  77 , and to unlock the first and second hooks  73 ,  74  from loop material  77  by pulling or moving the base holders  75 ,  76  apart. Such a mechanism could include a knob with gearing providing the desired action. Alternatively, elastic bands, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3   a - 3   c , could be used as hook bases  71 ,  72 . Pulling the elastic bands would unlock (uncross) the hooks  73 ,  74 . Allowing the elastic bands to contract would allow the hooks  73 ,  74  to cross each other within the loop material  77 . As described for the other embodiments above, pulling or moving the hooks  73 ,  74  away from each other would allow the hooks  73 ,  74  to be removed from the loop material  77  with little or no production of any audible sound or noise. 
     The hook portion and the loop portion of the various embodiments can have any desired orientation with regard to their attachment to each other. The hook portion may be held in a fixed position while the loop portion is applied to the hook portion. The loop portion may be held in a fixed position while the hook portion is applied to the loop portion. The loop portion may be fixed to a first movable surface and the hook portion may be applied to a second movable surface wherein the hook portion and the loop portion are used to attach the first movable surface to the second movable surface. 
     The hook guide in the various embodiments can be made of any suitable mesh or grid-like material. Any kind of stopper mechanism may be used to restrict the movement of the hook base or hook portion from one side of the hook guide or loop portion to the other side of the hook guide or loop portion. The hook and loop materials may be made from any suitable types of plastic, metal, textile, or combinations thereof. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. For example, other types of loop materials may be used in addition to open loop piles. The straight or curved hooks may also attach to other materials such as foam, plastic, leather, cloth or skin. Attachment of hooks on a stretchable base for attachment to skin would be useful to close wounds in emergency situations because the hooks could penetrate the top layer of skin on one side of a wound and the stretchable material could close the wound when the hooks on the opposite side are attached to the skin, pulling the sides of the wound together. This method would also work on closing rips or tears in leather and the like. The hook and loop fastener system may also have circular and screw-type spiral configurations. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those of ordinary skill in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.