초록 ▼

A method is disclosed for producing structures having a plurality of stems extending away from a fenestrated base to undercut islands projecting over fenestrations in the base. Such structures include slidingly-engaging fastener portions, self-engaging fasteners, uni-directional stepped fasteners, f

A method is disclosed for producing structures having a plurality of stems extending away from a fenestrated base to undercut islands projecting over fenestrations in the base. Such structures include slidingly-engaging fastener portions, self-engaging fasteners, uni-directional stepped fasteners, fastening segments integral with larger product components, and other structures with similar aspects. The method includes providing a set of partially bypassing dies to define a fenestrated common cavity contiguous with pluralities of undercut stem chambers and a terminal chamber, filling the cavity with a ductile moldable material, engaging the dies, and releasing the resultant product.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for producing a structure which includes a plurality of stems, each stem contiguous with at least two undercut segments spaced away from and overhanging the adjacent fenestration of a common fenestrated base, with a plurality of said stems associated with each fenestration, said appa

1. An apparatus for producing a structure which includes a plurality of stems, each stem contiguous with at least two undercut segments spaced away from and overhanging the adjacent fenestration of a common fenestrated base, with a plurality of said stems associated with each fenestration, said apparatus comprising: a molding axis;a first die including a plurality of first cavities each having a cavity opening and a cavity end generally perpendicular to said axis, a plurality of first cavity walls, and a plurality of first interfacing walls;a second die including a core correspondent with each said first cavity having a core end generally perpendicular to said axis, a plurality of second cavity walls, and a plurality of second interfacing walls; andmeans for engaging said first die with said second die to cut and form a moldable material inserted therebetween;said first die and said second die configured so that when they are engaged in alignment with said axis, a segment of each said core partially bypasses said cavity opening so that said first interfacing walls respectively interface with said second interfacing walls to effect a segmented gate separating individual stem chambers, each said stem chamber enclosed by portions of said first and said second cavity walls and extending to a terminal chamber having an underside coincident with said core end; whereby inserting said moldable material between said first and said second dies and engaging said dies produces said structure. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second dies includes a plurality of punching segments with cutting edges at the ends of said interfacing walls and also includes a plurality of non-cutting edges at the ends of said cavity walls. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said first and second dies are engaged, the distance from said cavity opening to said core end is at least as great as the distance from said core end to said cavity end, as measured in a direction parallel to said axis, so as to produce a slidingly engageable fastener portion upon insertion of said material and engagement of said dies. 4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for engaging said first and second dies comprises moving at least one of said dies along said molding axis in a reciprocating manner so as to sequentially die form and release a portion of said structure. 5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second dies are incorporated respectively into a set of first and second counter-rotating rollers and said means for engaging said first and second dies comprises rotating said rollers so as to align said dies along said molding axis, so as to effectively die form a continuous portion of said structure. 6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said moldable material is a ductile sheet with sufficient inherent shape memory to retain the three dimensional aspect of said structure at ambient temperatures. 7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said moldable material is a heated ductile sheet with sufficient shape memory to retain the three dimensional aspect of said structure when said material is cooled. 8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first die is a segment of a larger third die and said second die is a segment of a larger fourth die, said third die and said fourth die for producing a product having at least one segment including an integral portion of said structure. 9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first die includes at least three adjacent said first cavity openings in a longitudinally stepped configuration and said second die includes at least three adjacent said cores in a corresponding stepped configuration, wherein each said cavity end is generally coplanar with the longitudinally next said cavity opening and each said terminal chamber is contiguous with a common cavity associated with the longitudinally next core; thereby, upon inserting said material and engaging said dies, forming a longitudinally stepped embodiment of said structure with at least two said undercut segments associated with each step. 10. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first die also includes at least one core segment and said second die also includes at least one cavity segment corresponding to said core segment, so that engaging said dies along said axis by said means effects a contiguous generally planar fenestrated common cavity with a plurality of stem chambers extending away from opposite surfaces thereof to a plurality of corresponding undercut terminal chambers; thereby, upon inserting said material and engaging said dies, producing a double-sided structure with a plurality of undercut islands extending from each surface thereof. 11. A method for producing a structure which includes a plurality of islands with undercut segments interspersed with stems extending from a fenestrated common base, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing an apparatus according to claim 1;b. inserting said moldable material between said first and second dies;c. engaging said first and said second dies in alignment with said axis; andd. disengaging said dies to release the resultant structure. 12. A method for producing a slidingly engaging fastener portion, said method comprising: a. providing an apparatus according to claim 3;b. inserting said moldable material between said first and second dies;c. engaging said first and said second dies in alignment with said axis; andd. separating said dies to release the resultant fastener portion from said apparatus. 13. A method for producing a self-engaging structure, said method comprising: a. providing an apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the corresponding cavity and core segments associated with each surface of said common cavity are each oriented in opposing longitudinal directions;b. inserting said moldable material between said dies, wherein said material includes a generally flexible segment and is of sufficient length to circumferentially lap over itself;c. engaging said first and said second dies;d. separating said first and second dies;ande. removing the resultant self-engaging structure from said apparatus. 14. An apparatus for producing a slidingly engaging fastener portion, said fastener portion having a plurality of undercut segments overhanging each of a plurality of fenestrations, each fenestration bounded at least in part by at least one stem projecting from a fenestrated common base to a plurality of said undercut segments, wherein each said stem is associated with multiple undercut segments and with multiple fenestrations and wherein said stems and undercut segments are configured to receive and fasten with another portion of said structure, said apparatus comprising: a molding axis;a first die including at least one first cavity with a cavity opening and a cavity end;a second die including at least one core with a core end; andmeans for engaging said first and second dies to produce said fastener; wherein said first and second dies are configured so that when engaged in alignment with said axis they define a contiguous cavity comprising a generally planar common cavity surrounding the blockout of each said core, a plurality of stem cavities adjacent to each said core extending away from said common cavity to a terminal chamber with an underside generally perpendicular to said axis extending over said core end and between said stem cavities; and wherein the distance between each said cavity opening and said core end is at least as great as the distance between said core end and said cavity end; thereby inserting a moldable material between said dies and engaging said dies produces said slidingly engageable fastener portion. 15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein each said first cavity and each said core include a plurality of corresponding interfacing walls and wherein at least one of each set of corresponding interfacing walls includes a cutting edge at its terminal end. 16. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said first die also includes at least one core with a core end, and said second die also includes at least one cavity with a cavity opening and cavity end; thereby defining a generally planar common cavity with contiguous stem chambers and terminal chambers extending from each surface thereof so as to produce a double-sided slidingly engaging fastener portion upon insertion of said material and engagement of said dies. 17. An apparatus according to claim 14, for forming a continuous structure, said apparatus also comprising: a first roller including at least one said second die wherein said core constitutes a punching segment;a second roller including at least one corresponding said first die, wherein said first cavity receives said punching segment;said first and second rollers configured so that as they are counter-rotated said first die aligns and engages with said second die and said punching segment is received within said first cavity and so that the distance between corresponding surfaces is no less than the thickness of said moldable material;said apparatus also continuously feeding said moldable material as said rollers are counter-rotated. 18. A method for producing a slidingly engageable fastener portion, said method comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus according to claim 14; inserting a moldable material between said first die and said second die; engaging said first die and said second die substantially along said molding axis; and separating said first and second dies to release said fastener portion. 19. A method for producing a longitudinally stepped fastening structure, said method comprising the steps of: first, providing an apparatus in according to claim 14, wherein said first die and said second die each have a complementary stepped longitudinal profile and wherein each said cavity end is generally coplanar with a longitudinally next sequential cavity opening, and wherein each said terminal chamber is generally contiguous with a longitudinally next sequential said common cavity;secondly, inserting said moldable material between said first and second dies;thirdly, engaging said dies;andlastly, separating said dies to release said stepped fastening structure. 20. An apparatus for forming a structure that includes a contiguous base with a plurality of fenestrations and also includes a plurality of islands integrally connected to said base by contiguous stems, each said island having a plurality of undercut segments overhanging corresponding fenestrations separated by said stems and an island thickness, said apparatus further comprising: a second die with a plurality of punching core segments each defining a corresponding one of said fenestrations and the underside of each said undercut segment, with at least two punching edges at the terminal end of said core;a first die with a plurality of cavities each for receiving a corresponding said punching core segment;wherein, upon engaging said dies, said punching segments extend into said cavities by a distance at least equal to said island thickness so as to form and cut a malleable material placed between said dies into said structure.