Velcro
 Velcro official logo and wordmark | |
| Velcro Companies[1] | |
| Formerly | Velcro SA.[2] |
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Manufacturing: fastening systems |
| Founder | George de Mestral |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Number of locations | Manufacturing: 7 countries[1] |
Area served | Worldwide[1] |
Key people | [1] |
| Products | Hook-and-loop fasteners,and other products[1] |
| Brands | VELCRO[1] |
Number of employees | 2,500[1] |
| Subsidiaries | Alfatex Group[3] |
| Website | www |
Velcro IP Holdings LLC,[2][4][5]doing business asVelcro Companiesand commonly referred to asVelcro(pronounced/ˈvɛlkroʊ/),[1]is a British privately held company, founded by Swiss electrical engineerGeorge de Mestralin the 1950s. It is the original manufacturer ofhook-and-loop fasteners,which de Mestral invented.[2]
History
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Swisselectrical engineerGeorge de Mestralwho studied atEPFLinvented his first touch fastener when, in 1941, he went for a walk in theAlps,and wondered whyburdockseeds clung to his woolen socks and coat, and also his dog Milka.[2][6]He discovered it could be turned into something useful.[5]He patented it in 1955,[2][5]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.[7]Initially made of cotton, which proved impractical,[8]the fastener was eventually constructed with nylon andpolyester.[5][9]
De Mestral gave the nameVelcro,[2][4]aportmanteauof the French wordsvelours('velvet') andcrochet('hook'),[2][5]to his invention, as well as to the Swiss company he founded; Velcro SA.[2]
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.[6]
"Velcro" is used by some as agenericized trademark,[10]and is additionally sometimes used as a verb.[4]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.[11]
References
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- ^abcdefghi"Company Information".www.Velcro.co.uk.Velcro IP Holdings LLC. Archived fromthe originalon 25 January 2022.Retrieved29 April2021.
- ^abcdefghStephens, Thomas (4 January 2007)."How a Swiss invention hooked the world".www.SwissInfo.ch.Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR.Archived fromthe originalon 8 February 2012.Retrieved9 May2008.
- ^"Alfatex Group history".www.Velcro.co.uk.Velcro IP Holdings LLC.Retrieved29 April2021.
- ^abc"Velcro - Meaning of Velcro in English".www.Lexico.com.Oxford English Dictionaryonline. Archived fromthe originalon 13 January 2022.Retrieved29 April2021.
- ^abcdeSuddath, Claire (15 June 2010)."A brief history of: Velcro".content.Time.com.TIME USA, LLC.Archivedfrom the original on 20 February 2013.Retrieved29 April2021.
- ^ab"Who Invented VELCRO® | History of VELCRO® brand and George de Mestral".www.Velcro.co.uk.Velcro IP Holdings LLC.Archivedfrom the original on 29 April 2021.Retrieved29 April2021.
- ^Definition of Velcro.Merriam-Webster Dictionary.Archivedfrom the original on 8 December 2019.Retrieved29 April2021.
- ^Strauss, Steven D. (December 2001).The Big Idea: How Business Innovators Get Great Ideas to Market.Kaplan Business. pp. 15–18.ISBN978-0-7931-4837-0.Retrieved9 May2008.
- ^Schwarcz, Joseph A. (October 2003).Dr. Joe & What You Didn't Know: 99 Fascinating Questions About the Chemistry of Everyday Life.ECW Press.p. 178.ISBN978-1-55022-577-8.Retrieved9 May2008.
But not every Velcro application has worked... a strap-on device for impotent men also flopped.
- ^Freeman, Allyn; Bob Golden (September 1997).Why Didn't I Think of That: Bizarre Origins of Ingenious Inventions We Couldn't Live Without.Wiley. pp. 99–104.ISBN978-0-471-16511-8.Archivedfrom the original on 10 September 2024.Retrieved9 May2008.
- ^Ramer, Holly."Velcro's video implores consumers to say 'hook and loop'".USA TODAY.Archivedfrom the original on 26 November 2023.Retrieved3 January2024.
External links
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