FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to elastic wraps having reclosable fastening systems for retaining the wraps in place around the human body or a limb thereof, and more particularly to such elastic wraps wherein the fastening system uses hook and loop type fasteners.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A number of elastic wraps have been devised which can be worn on the body such that they are fastened to stay in place, yet they can be removed and reapplied. Ace™ brand bandages, a Trademark of Becton Dickinson, of Franklin Lake, NJ, is an example of an elastic wrap. Such bandages are wrapped multiple times around the body or a limb thereof under tension and held in place by friction between bandage layers. A free end of the bandage is then secured to the bandage body by one or more small metal clips. Each metal clip engages the free end of the elastic bandage and the bandage body where the free end overlaps tbe bandage body. A metal hook in the clip penetrates the free end and another hook penetrates the bandage body to hold the free end to the rest of the bandage. The stretch applied to the bandage causes the hooks to remain engaged. The metal clips are released by stretching the free end to loosen the hooks. The small metal clips are often separated from the wrap when the wrap is not in use. If clips are lost, the wrap is unusable. Handling separate fasteners is also inconvenient because tension in the wrap is usually maintained with one hand while the other hand closes the fastener.

An improved fastening system for elastic wraps is the Velcro™ hook and loop material, a Trademark of Velcro USA, Inc. of Manchester, NR This system uses a plurality of plastic hooks bonded to a wrap free end, for example, and a target material having fabric loops located at strategic positions) on the wrap, such that when the wrap is in place, the hooks face and overlap the loops. The pluraUty trf hooks and loops engage each other ar i hold the free end of the wrap to the overlapped portion. The free end is unfastened by peeling the hooked portion off the loop material. Because the hooks can engage only the loops, the wrap is either not easily adjusted to large variations in body or limb size, or the tension generated in the wrap varies with body or limb size. Neither ofthese conditions is desirable. What is needed is a fastening system which has no loose parts which can become lost or a targeted attachment location. A fastener having a continuous attachment location along the entire length of the wrap is desired. However, when a fastener can attach to any portion of the wrap,

inadvertent fastening may occur before the wrap is properly positioned. Therefore, what is also needed is a reclosable means for protecting the fastener system from premature fastening.

Installing an elastic wrap around one's own body or limb can be tricky in teπns of achieving the most comfortable tension because only one hand may be available for fastening purposes while the other is hand is holding a portion of the wrap to main ain wrap position. A further need, therefore, is for a fastening system which permits a progressive method of adjusting the wrap tension with one hand without losing control of wrap position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect of the present invention, a non-targeted reclosable fastener for an elastic wrap comprises an elastic wrap having a wrap starting end, a free end, and a wrap body therebetween. The wrap body has at least a portion which is stretchable along a longitudinal axis and a continuous surface along the longitudinal axis which serves as a loop portion of a hook and loop fastening system. The non-targeted reclosable fastener further comprises a hook portion permanently connected to the free end ofthe elastic wrap on a side opposite the loop portion. The hook portion engages the loop portion when the wrap is applied around a human body part such that the hook portion overlaps the loop portion anywhere along the longitudinal axis.

Preferably the continuous surface which serves as the loop portion comprises either a nonwoven material that has an outer suiface which is puckered to foπn rugosities and thereby generate a plurality of loops, or it comprises a knitted material that has an outer suiface which is brushed to increase nap and thereby expose a plurality of loops.

In another aspect of the piesent invention, a grip tab extends longitudinally beyond the hook portion, and a release paper is attached to the wrap body adjacent the hook portion. The grip tab has a pressure sensitive adhesive strip transverse to the longitudinal axis of the body wrap. When the hook portion is folded onto the wrap body, the hook portion faces the release paper and the adhesive strip ofthe grip tab removably secures the grip tab to the release paper until a user is ready to fasten the hook portion to the wrap body.

In still another aspect of the present invention, the wrap body and the hook portion have at least one slit therethrough, the slit extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis along a portion ofthe wrap body in order to generate a plurality of independently fastenable hook portions. The plurality of hook portions provide better wrap adjustability by enabling a user to secure a first o the hook portions to the wrap body followed by securing a second o the hook portions under a different tension, thereafter releasing the first hook portion and progressively adjusting each hook portion until a comfortable stretch is reached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim the present invention, it is believed that the present invention will be better understood from the following description of preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify identical elements and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the elastic wrap of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectioned side elevation view thereof, taken along section line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing a hook fastener connected at one end of the wrap and folded over against a release paper to prevent inadvertent engagement ofthe hooks with the wrap material;

FIG. 3A is a sectioned side elevation view thereof similar to FIG. 2, disclosing the hook fastener end ofthe wrap overlapping and engaging another portion o the wrap;

FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3 A, showing hooks enlarged with loop fibers at rugosities ofthe elastic wrap materials;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view thereof, showing the wrap applied to a user's upper arm; and FIG. 5 is a sectioned side elevation view of an alternative embodiment, similar to FIG. 2, disclosing a hook protecting means for preventing inadvertent engagement of hooks with the wrap material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, which provides an elastic wrap designed to enclose a body part, and is generally indicated as 10. As used herein elastic refers to that property of a material whereby the material, when subjected to a tensile force, will stretch or expand in the direction of the force and will essentially return to its original untensioned dimension upon removal ofthe force. Elastic wrap 10 has a starting end 12, a free end 14, and a wrap body 16 therebetween.

Elastic wrap 10 has a longitudinal axis 26. Wrap body 16 of elastic wrap 10 has at least a portion which is stretchable along longitudinal axis 26. Wrap body 16 has an outer surface 18 and an opposing outer surface 20, both suiface 18 and opposing surface 20 preferably extending from starting end 12 to free end 14 of wrap 10. Surface 18 contains a plurality of loops 22 disposed continuously along tbe longitudinal axis 26 of wrap body 16 said plurality of loops 22 serving as the loop portion of a hook and loop fastening system. Opposing surface 20 of wrap body 16 contains a plurality of hooks 46 defining a hook portion 24 which is permanently connected to suiface 20 adjacent free end 14. As used herein, the term permanently connected is defined as the joining of two or more elements which remain joined duiing their intended use. Hook portion 24

on surface 20 together with plurality of loops 22 on suiface 18 provide a hook and loop fastening system.

Referring to FIG. 3A elastic wrap 10 is shown via centerline 47 forming a closed loop as it would in its intended application. As elastic wrap 10 is wrapped around a body part to enclose it, free end 14 overlaps starting end 12 of wrap body 16. This overlapping of wrap body 16 positions hook portion 24 on surface 20 over loops 22 of surface 18. In FIG. 3B, hook portion 24 on suiface 20 is depicted engaging loops 22 on surface 18. This engagement of hook portion 24 and loops 22 form the hook and loop fastening system which maintains the elastic wrap 10 on the body part to which it was applied. Since loops 22 are disposed continuously along the longitudinal axis 26 of wrap body 16, hook portion 24 may be engaged with loops 22 at any position along wrap body 16.

In a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention wrap 10 and hook portion 24 have a slit 28 therethrough along the longitudinal axis 26 starting at free end 14 and extending into wrap body 16. Slit 28 provides a plurality of hook portions 24 which can be independently fastened to loops 22. The plurality of independent hook portions 24 permits easier application and differential tensioning of wrap 10 during use.

Since hook portion 24 is capable of engaging loops 22 at any point along wrap body 16 it is desired that hook portion 24 be protected from engaging with loops 22 prior to application by the user. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention hook portion 24 is affixed to a grip tab 28. The grip tab 28 extends longitudinally beyond hook portion 24 adjacent free end 14. Prior to use, grip tab 28 and book portion 24 are folded against and removably secured against a release paper 30 by a pressure sensitive adhesive strip 32 extending the width of grip tab 28 in a direction transverse the longitudinal axis of wrap 10. Release paper 30 remains attached to wrap 10 at free end 14 throughout application and use. To use the wrap the user positions wrap 10 by holding starting end 12 against the body part to be wrapped. Surface 20 feces the body part and surface 18 faces outward. The user then wraps wrap 10 around the bocfy part to enclose it and releases grip tab

28 from release paper 30, exposing hook portion 24 attached thereto. Hook portion 24 then engages with loops 22 on outer suiface 18 when the user presses free end 14 against wrap body 16.

Alternatively, hook portion 24 may be protected from premature engagement with loops 22 by providing a target portion 44 as depicted in FIG. 5. Target portion 44 contains loops 48. Prior to use, grip tab 28, with hook portion 24 attached, is folded against and removably secured against target portion 44 by loops 48. The peel force necessary to separate hook portion 24 fiom loops 48 of target portion 44 is less than the force required to separate hook portion 24 from loops 22 of wrap body 16. This condition may be achieved by constructing target portion 44 such that fewer loops 48 are engaged with hook portion 24. One way to provide fewer loops 48 in target portion 44 is to reduce the amplitude of rugosities in target portion 44.

Hooks 46 may be airy number of styles, shapes, and/or densities depending upon the use. Hooks 46 may be bent shafts as in FIG. 3B, mushroom capped, harpoon-shaped, or any other

suitable shape. Hooks 46 may be unidirectional, bidirectional, or omnidirectional depending upon the application and companion loops 22. Hooks 46 must be chosen in conjunction with companion loops 22 so as to provide the peel and shear forces that are required for different applications.

In a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, elastic wrap 10 is comprised of a first fibrous layer 34 facing suiface 20, a second fibrous layer 36 feeing opposing surfece 18, and an elastic member 38 interposed therebetween. Fibrous layer 34 and fibrous layer 36 may be composed of a number of different materials which include but are not limited to; woven or knit fabrics that have been brushed to increase the "nap" and expose more "loops", through-air bonded nonwovens, carded nonwovens, spunbonded nonwovens, etc. Elastic member 38 can be selected from natural or synthetic rubber, or any number of polymeric materials which are capable of elongation and recovery. Suitable materials include but are not limited to; Styrene Block Copolymers; rubber, Lycra™, a Trademark of E.I. DuPont De Nemours of Wilmington, DL; Krayton™, a Trademark of Shell Oil Co. of Houston, TX; polyethylenes, including metallocene catalyst FE; and foams, including polyurethane and polyester, etc. Elastic member 38 can be in the foπn of: strands, scrims, ribbons, tapes, and structural elastic-like film. Elastic member 38 can be bonded to fibrous layer 34 and 36 in any number of ways including but not limited to: double sided adhesive tapes, hot melt adhesive, pressure sensitive adhesives, ultrasonic bonding, pressure bonding, etc. Adhesives, if used, can be applied via hot melt beads, foam, spiral hot melt, melt blown, spray, immersion, transfer, etc. Suitable elastic properties can be achieved via a number of construction techniques: lamination with strained elastic, zero-strain elastics with subsequent activation in either machine direction or cross direction, or a combination ofthese techniques.

A prefeπed method of construction of elastic wrap 10 is accomplished by first straining elastic member 38 in the longitudinal direction at least thirty percent That is, the dimension in the longitudinal direction of elastic member 38 when it is strained is at least thirty per cent longer than the unstrained dimension of elastic member 38. While elastic member 38 is held in this strained configuration, fibrous layer 34 and fibrous layer 36 are juxtaposed on either side of elastic member 38 and discontinuously bonded one to another at bond sites 40. Once bonded, elastic member 38 is allowed to relax and return to its unstrained configuration. This relaxing of elastic member 38 causes fibrous layer 36 to pucker and form rugosities 42 between bond sites 40. Rugosities 42 of fibrous layer 36 provide a plurality of loops 22 on surfece 18. Ideally, elastic member 38 is strained sufficiently during assembly of wrap 10 such that during normal use the wearer does not fully extend wrap 10. If the wrap were fully extended during use this would have the effect of miηimi-Hng the amplitude of the rugosities 42 and lower the engagement force between hooks 46 and loops 22. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, a wrap is made using the following materials and method. An elastic film of Styrene Block Copolymer (SBC) is used with a layer of polypropylene (PP) spunbond nonwoven on either side. A trilaminate is made by stretching

the elastic SBC about 100% ( twice its original length). While the SBC is held in this strained position, the PP nonwoven layers are positioned on either side and ultrasonically bonded together in a discrete bond pattern. The trilaminate is then released and allowed to return to a relaxed position. The PP nonwoven is gathered or puckered between the bonding sites. An SBC that has been successfully used is a 0.0024 inch (2.4 mil) thick EXX500D which is produced by Exxon Chemicals, Lake Zurich, IL. Nonwovens that have been successfully used are a 14 gram/square yard (gsy) and a 17 gsy spunbond PP available from Veratec, Walpole, MA The combining operation (stretching, combining, bonding) has been done by Veratec, Walpole, MA The resulting trilaminate elastic material is available from Veratec as PO671.0. Hook portion 24 and loop portion 22 ideally are chosen to provide shear strength greater than the elastic tension exerted by wrap 10 during use. Hook portion 24 that has been found to work particularly well with the above described elastic loop material is the following; Harpoon shaped hooks which are oriented along the longitudinal axis of wrap 10. Hooks like this are available from Aplix of Charlotte, NC, and are available as 960B, which are made of polypropylene molded to a polypropylene base, and are approximately 0.8 mm in length. These hooks are mounted to a grip tab which is folded over onto a release paper. This grip tab is then attached to the free end of the wrap. Pressure sensitive adhesive keeps the grip tab closed protecting the ho until the wearer peels back the grip tab exposing the hooks during application. The grip tab, with the pressure sensitive adhesive already attached is made by the 3M Company of St Paul, MN and is available as Soft White Fastening Tape, 2-11/16 inch wide. This tape is available on rolls and is then cut in length to fit the width of the wrap to which it is to be applied. The hooks may be attached to the grip tab with adhesive, ultrasonic bonding, pressure bonding, sewn, or any other suitable means.

It has been found that application ofthe wrap to the body is facilitated if the hook end of the wrap is divided into two or more ends where each ofthe ends has a separate hook portion. This allows an attachment of one hook portion, the attachment of the second hook portion, and then reapplication or repositioning of the first hook portion. This configuration also allows for variation, along a direction transverse the longitudinal axis ofthe wrap, in the extension, and hence the tension, ofthe wrap to provide for a customized fit In order to achieve both the compression that an elastic wrap provides and the therapeutic effect of heat or cold in the same wrap, thermal elements could be embedde in the elastic wrap of the present invention. One or more elements could be located in the wrap body, preferably opposite the point on the body where the free end overlaps the wrap body to secure tbe wrap dosed.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications that are within the scope ofthe invention.