Velcro Companies
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "about". Template:Use British EnglishScript error: No such module "Unsubst". Script error: No such module "Infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Velcro IP Holdings LLC,[1][2][3] trading as Velcro Companies and commonly referred to as Velcro (pronounced Script error: No such module "IPAc-en".),[4] is a British privately held company, founded by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral in the 1950s. It is the original manufacturer of hook-and-loop fasteners, which de Mestral invented.[1]
History
Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral who studied at EPFL invented his first touch fastener when, in 1941, he went for a walk in the Jura mountains, and wondered why burdock seeds clung to his woolen socks and coat, and also his dog Milka.[1][5] He discovered it could be turned into something useful.[3] He patented it in 1955,[1][3] and subsequently refined and developed its practical manufacture until its commercial introduction in the late 1950s.
The fastener consisted of two components: a lineal fabric strip with tiny hooks that could 'mate' with another fabric strip with smaller loops, attaching temporarily, until pulled apart.[6] Initially made of cotton, which proved impractical,[7] the fastener was eventually constructed with nylon and polyester.[3][8]
De Mestral gave the name Velcro,[1][2] a portmanteau of the French words velours ('velvet') and crochet ('hook'),[1][3] to his invention, as well as to the Swiss company he founded; Velcro SA.[1]
The company continues to manufacture and market the fastening system. Originally envisioned as a fastener for clothing, today, Velcro is used across a wide array of industries and applications; including healthcare, the military, land vehicles, aircraft, and even spacecraft.[5]
"Velcro" is used by some as a genericized trademark,[9] and is additionally sometimes used as a verb.[2] In 2017, Velcro released a "Don't Say Velcro" campaign in an attempt to keep their brand name distinctive from other hook-and-loop fasteners to help keep their trademark protection.[10]
References
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External links
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- Original 1955 patent — from Google Patents
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