Magnetorheological nanocomposite elastomer for releasable attachment applications

摘要

A releasable fastener (10) system comprises a loop portion (12) and a hook portion (14). The loop portion (12) includes a support (16) and a loop material (18) disposed on one side thereof whereas the hook portion (14) includes a support (20) and a plurality of closely spaced upstanding hook elements (22) extending from one side thereof. When the hook portion (14) and loop portion (12) are pressed together they interlock to form a releasable engagement. The resulting joint created by the engagement is relatively resistant to shear and pull forces and weak in peel strength forces. The hook elements (22) are formed of a magnetorheological elastomer that provides a change in shape orientation and/or flexural modulus of the hook elements. In this manner, the shape orientation and/or flexural modulus of the hook elements can be remotely changed to provide a reduction or magnification in the shear and/or pull-off forces in addition to providing variable damping capabilities to the fastener system.