CA1121572A - Device for connecting the ends of a separable zipper - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An improved slide fastener of the type having opposed strings or rows of interlocking teeth or elements brought into engaging and dis-engaging relationship by a slider element includes a pair of especially adapted terminals which facilitate the engagement of the ends of the slide fastener and facilitate the initial movement of the slider to bring the teeth into engagement. The terminals are engagable by being brought together in a direction substantially perpendicular to the strings of the slide fastener. One of the terminals is configured to have a receiving aperture at least about several times larger than the area defined by one of the ports or teeth receiving openings in the slider for receiving the interlocking teeth to enable handy engagement with the other terminal. Once engaged, the terminals are essentially self-aligning, and are free to rotate relative to each other to permit the opposed rows of the slide fastener elements to self-align as the slider is urged forward.

Description

i7Z

DEVI OE FOR CONNECTI~G THE ENDS OF A SEPARABLE ZIPPER
_ _ _ . _ Ihe present invention pertains generally to slide fasteners and more particularly to the type of slide fastener ccm~only sold under the trademark "zipper", which has opposed strina,s or rcws of interlocking elements or "zipper" teeth which are brought into int~r-locking engagement or fastened by mo~e~nt of a slider in one direction along the rows and disengaged or unfastened by movem~nt of the slider in the opposite direction. Ihe trademark "zipper" is herein set forth in ~quotation marks.
1he present invention addresses the problem of reducina the difficulty inv~lved with the initial engagement of the ends of a separable "zipper" on a jacket or similar garment, but it will be appreciated that the solution provided by the present invention has useful application to the er.tire field of slide fasteners without limitation to garments, which will be disc~ssed by ~ay of example herein.
The tasX of initiating the operation of a conventional separable "zipper" requires a certain desree of care and dexterity so that many children find the task to ke i~possible to perform and even adults sometimes find the task to be awkward, inordinately time coilsw~iing and fru trating.
Conventional separable "zippers" for jackets and similar garments are typically .. ~ ~

arrc~nged for ri~lt-handed operation of the slider by the wearer. The "zip7~Yer"teeth are arranqed in rcws alonq the edges of flexible support-ing sheets, ccmnonly known as tapes or stringers, which are sewn to the left and right front vertical edqes of the jacket so that the r~ws of tecth can be interleaved or brought into interlocking engagement by operation of the slider. A terminal pin is provided at the end of each row of teeth at the bottcm of the jacket. In the case of a typical right-handed separable'~ipper', the slider is installed on the right rc~ of teeth and a socket or U-shaped member is installed on the terminal pin at the end of the right rc~ of teeth. The socket serves both as a stop for the slider and as a means for receiving the terminal pin at the end of the left row of teeth. Once the left terminal pin is properly inserted in the socket, the rcws of teeth will be aligned and ready to be brought into interlocking engagement in the conventional manner by the fo~Jard rnovement of the slider up the rcws of teeth.
The task of initiating operation of the conventional right-handed separable"zippe~'proceeds by ir~serting the left terminal pin through the left port of the slider down into the socket and then pullina, the slider forward up ~he rcws of teeth while holding the left terr~linal pin firmly in the socket by grasping the adjacent strinaer or fabric. If the left term,inal pin is not intially inserted fully into the socket, the slider will likely refuse to move forward because the teeth adjacent to the terminal pins will not be properly aligned. On the other hand, if the left terminal pin is initially inserted fully into the socket but is not held fir-mly in the socket, the forward movement of the slider will likely pull the left terminal pin free from the socket, thus preventing the fastening of the 'zipper"
The foregoing problems have been addressed in certain respects by the prior art. For example, in place of the conventionk~l terminal pins and socket, U.S. Patent No. 2,203,005 employ.s separable end-connecting members which enable proper alignment of the interlocking elements or teeth for engagement by the slider and which, once prcperly fastened, will not pull free frcm each other because of the forward move-ment of the slider. Hcwever, the approach of U.S. Patent No. 2,203,005 has not been adopted to any significant extent apparently because initial engagement of the specialized end-connecting members is no less difficult, if at all, in co~parison with the conventional terminal pins and socket.
In order to interconnect such end-connecting me~bers, substantial care and dexterity are required to align and enc3age parts that are as small or smaller than a conventional terminal pin and its associated slider port and socket terminal. Furthermore, the interengag~ment of such specialized end-connecting me~bers can not be achieved while the adjoining ends of the'~ipper"elements are substantially parallel. Ratiler, it is necessary that the end-connecting memkers first be positioned at a wide angle during insertion of a relatively small pivot pin of one end-connecting me~ber into a slot or opening of the other end-connecting member, whereupon only then can the end-connecting members be rotated to bring the adjoining ends of the'!zi~per'elements into parallel alignment for passage through the front ports of the slider.
The fore~oing problems are solved in accordance with the present il~l57;~

inverltioll cis claim~ by provicling at the ends of the rc,ws of"zipper"
teeth terminals which operate in a mamler similar to that of oonventional snap fasteners that have cooperating armular snaps which are mated by merely bringing th~m together in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the adjoining fabric a~ then pressing them into engagement between thunlb and forefinger. ~s with such snap terminals, the terminals of the present invention can be effortlessly fastened or engaged with a minin~n of attention to aligr~nent of the terminals during fastening since they naturally tend to self-align by virtue of their juxtaposition at corresponding positions on the opposed garment edges. Once a portion of one terminal is inserted into or nested within cooperating portions of the other terminal, the ends of the rc,ws of teeth will then be or will readily became aligned for interenag~nent by the slider as it is pulled forward. ~le cooperating or nesting portions of the tenminals are rela-tively large, preferably at least several times larger than the size of one of the front ports of the slider, such that relatively little dexterity is required to bring the terminals into opera,ive engagement. There is no need to feed or pass anything through the slider in order to operatively engage the terminals and align the rearmost ends of the"zipper"rcws in front of their corresponding slider ports. In addition, there is no tendency for the tenninals of the present invention to separate in re-sponse to the mere forhard movement of the slider during intial engagement of the rearmost ends of the rows of"zippe~'teeth as is the case with the conventional pin-and-socket type"zippe~'end connectors.
It will therefore be aF)preciated that the princi~al advantage of , . ~

ll~lS72 the invention over prior-art separable"zip~ers'is the substantial simpli-fication in the act of engacJing the encls or terminal portions of the "zi.pper' The terminals of the present invention are sufficiently large and easy to operate suc~ that even chi~dren who are incapcible of fasten-ing a conventional pin-and-socket separable"zippei'can bring the terminals of the present invention into engacJement properly with little attention to allgnment and can pull the sl.ider forward up the rc~s of'~zippe~'teeth without the risk that the terminals will pull free of each other.
The presently preferred way of carrying out the invention is described in detail below with reference to drawings which illustrate five specific embodiments .in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention shc~wing first and second"zipper"terminals aligned just prior to engagement, the first terminal or slider base terminal carrying a slider adapted to interenga~e conventional rcxws of'~ippe~'teeth, the second terminal or receiving te~inal being adapted to mate with the first termunal in the indicated marner;
F'IGURE LA is a front elevational vi~w of a cor.ventional slider used in the present invention;
FIGU~E 2 is a perspective view shc~ing the terminals in operative engag~ment and the slider moved slightly forward up the rows of "zippe~' teeth;
FIGURF 3 is a plan vi~ of the terminals with the rearmost"zippe~' teeth in interlocking engagement;
FIGURE 4 is a view in cross-section taken along lines IV-rV of FIGURE 3 in the direction indicated;
FIGURE 5 is a view in cross-section taken along line V-V of FIGURE 3 in the direction indicated;
FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the presellt invention showing a slider base te.rminal and a receiving terminal aligned just prior to engagement, the view being similar to FIGURE 1 but with the slider removed in order to illustrate vari.ous details of the slider base terminal;
FIGURE 7 is a view in cross-section as the terminals of FIGURE
6 would appear when operatively engaged with the slider in its rearmost position on the slider base terminal, the view looking i~ the direction indicated from the line VII-~I of FIGURE 6;
FIGURE 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIGURE 7;
FIGURE 9 is a front elevational vi~w of another slider base terminal and associated slider carried thereon;
FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of the ma-te to the terminal of FIGURE 9, the terminals of FIGURES 9 and 10 representing a third embodi-ment of the present invention;
FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of a fourth embodimert of the present invention illustrating the top front surfaces of a slider base terminal and associated receiving terminal aligned just prior to engage-ment;
FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of the bottom surface of the slider base terminal of FIGURE 11 separate from its receiving terminal with the addition of a slider shc~n in phantom lines as it would appear ~ ,~

~1~1572 when carried in its rearmost position thereon;
FIGI ~ 13 is a plan view of the bottom surface of the slider base terminal of FIGURE 12i FIGURE 14 is a top plan vi~w of a fifth ~mbodiment of the present invention illustratinc3 a slidcr base terminal and a receiving terminal in operative engagementi FIGURE 15 is a view in cross-section taken along line XV-XV
of FIGURE 14 in the direction indicated; and FIGURE 16 is a view in cross-section taken along line XVI-XVI
of FIGURE 14 in the direction indicated.
. Referring to FIGURES 1-5, a device for connect,ing the ends of a separable"zipper"is illustrated and designated generally by reference numeral 10. The'kipper"includes interlocking elements or teeth arranged in adjacent rcws 12 and 14 in the convelltional manner along the respective edges of flexible supporting sheets or stringers 16a and 16b. Installation of the'zipper"in a suitable garment is achieved in a conventional manner, such as by sewing the strincJers 16a and 16b to the respective right edge 18a and left edge 18b of a garment shc~n in ~hantom in FIGURES 1-3. The terms "left" and "right" are used herein with reference to the point of view of a wearer of the garment. The device 10 c~nprises a first terminal or slider base terminal 20 and a second terminal or receiving terminal 22, which terminals can be operatively engacJed or brought together into working relationship in a manner similar to the operation of a conventional snap fastener such that the slider base terminal 20 is aligned over and then pressed into the receivin~ terminal 22 in the manner indicated.

ll;~lS7Z

As se~n in EIGURE 1, the slid~r base terminal 20 is adapted to carry a conventional slider 24 which is manually operable by means of a handle 26 pivotally mounted in a longitudinal slot 27 atop the slider 24. When the terminals 20 and 22 are disengaged, the slider 24 is norrmally carried on a base or generally disc-shaped platform 28 which, in the present example, forms an upper surface portion of the terminal 20.
The slider 24 includes top and bottom plates 30 and 32 held in spaced-apart parallel planes by a center post 34 which forms the leading edge of the slider 24 as it ves forwardly.
As seen in FIGURE 2, when the slider 24 is moved forwardly, it progressively forces the teeth in the opposed rc,ws 12 and 14 into inter-locking engagement. As seen in FIGURE lA, the slider plate 30 has dcwn-wardly extendir~ right and left side rims 36a and 36b and the bottom slider plate 32 has upwardly extending right and left side rims 38a and 38b. The rims 36a and 38a form a right side slot through which the stringer 16a passes and the rim~s 36b and 38b form a left side slot through which the stringer 16b passes, as is conventional in the"zippe~'art. As the slider 24 moves forward, the teeth in the opposed rows 12 and 14 enter respective right and left slider ports 39a and 39b formed between the front edges of the respective side rims and the center post 34. The manner in which the slider 24 engages and disengages the teeth in the opposed rcws 12 and 14 is generally knawn and thus will not be elaborated on further. From the foregoing, however, it will be appreciated that the slider 24 can be readily moved from the position seen in FIGURE 2 to its rearmost position ~5 on the slider base terminal 20 because the platform 28 is made to lie in the same plane as the adjacent portiors of the stringers 16a and 16b whenever the terminals 20 and 22 are operatively engaged. Since the stringers 16a and 16b are ordinarily flexible, the full length of each stringer 16a and 16b will not necessarily lie in a single p]ane. However, portions of the stringers 16a and 16b will lie in what will be referred to herein as the "slider working plane" when they pass through the slider 24. The term "slider working plane" is intended to mean that plane de-fined by the intersection of longitudinal and transverse axes of the slider 24, the longitudinal axis lying in the direction of slider move-ment as indicated by the dashed line L in FIG~RE 2 and the transverse axis bisecting the slider ports 39a and 39b as indicated by ',he dashed line T in FIGVRE lA.
m e slider base te~ inal 20 includes a raised shelf 40 which serves as a guide track for slidably cooperating with the upper rims 36a and 36b so as to keep the slider 24 in general forward alignment when situated in its rearmost position thereon. The platform 28 further includes a notch 42 for receiving the center post 34 of the slider 24 in the manner shGwn in FIGURE 1. l'he te~-minal 20 includes a guide segment 44 which defines the rearmost end of the right row 12 of'~ipper"teeth.
The guide segment 44 serves in the manner of a cam to guide the leading edge of the center post 34 into operative pro~imity with the rearmost .ippe~'tooth 12a of the right rGw 12. Similarly, the terminal 22 in-cludes a guide se~rent 46 which defines the rearmost end of the left rcw 14 of'~ippe~'teeth. 1'he gui~e segrl~ent 46 serves to guide the leading edge of the center post 34 into operative proximity with the rearmost E~

li;~157Z

"zipper"tooth 14a of the lcft rcw 14, provided the tcrminals 20 and 22 are operatively engaged and rotationally oricnted relativc to each other in the position shcwn. It is presently preferred that the guide seY~nent 44 and the raised shelf 40 have a comnon colinear right edge 48a for a smooth transition in the mov~nent of the slider 24 exiting fran al~ returning to the tenninals 20 and 22. Tne shelf ~0 also preferably has a straight left edge 48b at its rearmost position ar.d a generally S-shaped curved edge 49 lecading fran the edge 48b to the left edge of guide segment 44. The curved edge 49 pennits a slight lateral or rotational movenent of the slider 24 with respect to tenninal 20 as the center post 34 of the slider 24 is guided be-bween the guide segments 44 and 46 which tends to cause the tenninals 20 and 22 to rotate slightly relative to each other.
In accordance with a uni,(~c feature of the invention, the terminals 20 and 22 are engaged or nested in a manner similar to that of a snap fastener by pressing the tenninals 20 and 22 together after first aligning them in the manner indicated in FICURE 1 while the slider 24 is carried in its rearmost position on the platfonn 28. The nesting or mating portions of the tenninals 20 and 22 are preferably gcnerally annular in shape so that the tenninals 20 and 22 can be brought together without havin~ to first align the t~o"zi,oper"rows 12 and 14 at any particular angle to each other as will be appreciated more fully from the description tl~t follcws~
Referring again to FIGURE 1, the slider base tenninal 20 includes curved wall ~0 extending dow~ard fran the peri~hery of the platform 28.

S7~

The wall 50 preferably includes a cuff 52 projecting radially outward from a cylindrical surface 54 of the wall 50. In this embodiment, the cuff 52 is provided only throuyh a semicircular arc around the rearward half of the cylindrical surface 54. rl~e receiving terminal 22 includes a curved mating wall 56 extencling upward from the periphery of a generally circular floor 58. The wall 56 preferably includes an upper interior cylindrical surface 60 of a first diameter and a lower interior cylindrical surface 62 of a second diameter, the second diameter being greater than the first diameter. The wall 56 includes an upper peripheral rim 64 which with the cylindrical surface 60 defines an aperture 65 for receiving the mating wall 50 of terminal 20. The terminals 20 and 22 are brought into operative engagement by first seating the cuff 52 on the upper peripheral rim 64 of the wall 56 and then pressing the terminals 20 and 22 together until the bottom of the wall 50 abuts the floor 58, which is designed to occur when the rearmost portions of the stringers 16a and 16b have become essentially coplanar with the previously defined slider working plane when the s3ider 24 is in its rearmost position on terminal 20. Accordingly, the term "operative engagement" and terms of similar import are used herein to mean that the terminals 20 and 22 (and their counterparts in subsequently described ~mbodiments) are ma-ted or nested but not necessarily in any particular relative rotational position to each o-ther nor are they necessarily interlock~d. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the generally cylin-drical construction of the terminals 20 and 22 permits them to be engaged when the adjacent ~nds of the'~ipper~rows 12 and 14 are in a nonparallel orientation.

In order to facilitate ~lidin~l ter~unal 20 into the ter~inal 22, the cuff 52 is generally frustoconical 50 that it tapers with increasing diameter in moving axially u~ward along the wall 50 to a maximum diameter at a generally radially oriented shelf 66 which interconnects the conical surface of the cuff 52 with the cylindrical surface 54 of the wall 50. 'Ihe diameter of t~le cylindrical surface 54 is sligh-tly smaller than the diameter of the upper interior cylindrical surface 60 of the terminal 22, and the maximum diameter of the cuff 52 is slightly greater than the diameter of the surface 60 such that forcing the terminals 20 and 22 together causes the cuff 52 to compress slightly radially and/or causes the wall 56 to ex-pana radially as the cuff 52 slidably passes within the surface 60. The degree of cc~pression of the cuff 52 relative to the expansion of the wall 56 depends on the properties of the materials employed in fabricating the termir.als 2Q and 22, a relatively rigid and resilient Plastic being a pre-ferred material. When the shelf 66 passes beyond the surface 60, the cuff 52 and wall 56 resiliently retum to their normal dimensions with the shelf 56 abutting an anrular shoulder 68 which interconnects the two cylindrical surfaces 60 and 62. Once tne slider 24 is moved forward uP the rows 12 and 14 of'~ippe~'teeth, inadvertent disengagement of the terminals 20 and 22 is then prevented by virt.ue of the shelf 66 abutting the annular shoulder 68 at the rearward portions of the terminals 20 and 22 combined with the locking action of the rearmost'~ippe~'teeth 12a and 14a tending to keep the forward portions of the terminal.s 20 and 22 locked in the enyaged position shc~n in FIGU~E 2. In addition, the guide segments 44 and 46 can optionally be adapted to interlock with each other to further insure against inadvertent disengag~mellt of the tenninals 20 and 22, as will be described belcw with reference to FIGURES 3 and 4. However, disengagement of the terrninals 20 and 22 can readily be achieved when the slider 24 is situated in its rearmost position by pulling upward (in the view of FIGUK~
1) on the portion of the gannent hern or edge 18a adjacent to the slider base tenninal 20 and siTnultaneously downward on the porti~n of the gannent hem or edge 18b adjacent to the receiving terminal 22, which causes the forward portions of the terminals 20 and 22 to begin to separate since no locking action is then being provided by the unfastened"zippe~'teeth. Such pulling action on the garm~nt edges 18a and 18b causes the tenninals 20 and 22 to continue to tilt out of axial alignTnent until the cuff 52 can slip past the shoulder 68 permitting the terminals 20 and 22 to pull free fraTn each other.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the tenninals 20 and 22, once engaged, are kept essentially in coaxial alignment by the relatively snug fit of the slidably abutting walls 50 and 56. In accor-dance with an important feature of the device 10, the rnating walls 50 and 56 define circular arcs subtending angles in excess of 180 degrees so that, once engaged, the only relative moveTnent of the terminals 20 and 22 that can occur will be rotational and not translational. Thus, pulling the slider 24 forward away from the tenminals 20 and 22 to fasten the'kipper"rows 12 and 14 will not cause terminal 20 to mlove forward relative to terminal 22 because the forward portions of surface 54 will abut the cooperating portions of surface 60. Ilcwever, it is also a desirable feature of the device 10 that, while being carried in its 11;~157Z

rearmost position on the tern~nal 20 with the terminals 20 and 22 operatively engaged, the slider 24 is carried within the nesting portions of the terminals 20 and 22. Accordingly, the preferred mating walls 50 and 56 are not continuous through a full 360 degrees, but are provided with gaps 69a and 69b at their forward portions to permit the slider 24 to exit fram the nesting portions of the terminals 20 and 22 as it m~ves forward to engage the'~ipper"rcws 12 and 14. One advantage of this preferred arranqement is that, while the slider 24 is carried in its rearmost position on the terminal 20, the axis of relative rotational movement of the terminals 20 and 22 passes approx~-nately through the center of the slider 24 which is snugly encampassed within the cylinders defined by walls 50 and 56. Thus, if the"zippe~'rows 12 and 14 are not aligned in parallel when it is desired to fasten them together, pulling forwardly on the handle 26 and rearwardly on the receiving terminal 22 will automatically cause the terminals 20 and 22 to rotate ~mtil the rcws 12 cmd 14 are substantially parallel, whereupon the slider 24 is permitted to exit forwardly through the aligned gaps 69a and 69b in the walls 50 and 56.
Most preferably, the gaps 69a and 69b in the forward ~ortions of the walls 50 and 56 are just slightly wider than the n~xi~lm w:idth of the slider 24 so that it will not exit through the gaps 69a and 69b until they are perfectly aligned, thus assuring that the guide sements 44 and 46 will pass through the two front ports 39a and 39b of the slider 24 on opposite sides of the center post 34. If the terminals 20 and 22 are -initially brought together with the rearmost ends of the'~ippe~'rows 12 ~ 5 77Z

and 14 well out of parallel, at right angles for example, then the leading edge of the center post 34, as the user pulls forwardly on the slider handle 26, will slidably bear against the cylindrical surface 60 as the terminals 20 and 22 begin to rotate into aligrment.
It will be appreciated that the for~going preferred features of the device 10 permit the terminals 20 and 22 to be snapped into engagement even when the wearer is in a sitting position during which the"zippe~' rows 12 ar.d 14 are ordinal^ly misaligned.
In order to facilitate pulling rearwardly on the terminal 22, a tab 70 is provided at the rear thereof for grasping, for example, bet~een the thu~b and index finger of the left hand of the wearer. The provision of the slot 27 atop the slider 24 is believed to facilitate the rotational action of tne terminals 20 and 22 by permitting the point of pivotal attachment of the handle 26 to the slider 24 to move forward of the axis of rotation. As the slider 24 begins to move forwardly, the center post 34 slidably engages the facing surfaces of the guide segments 44 and 46 which in turn pass through the slider 24 and are brought into engagement as seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 because the interior passageway of the slider 24 narrows progressively. As the slider 24 continues forwardly, the"zipper"
teeth in the rows 12 and 14 are progressively brought into interlocking engagement in the conventional manner.
Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4 in conjunction with FIGURE 2, additional features of the preferred"zipper"terminal device 10 will be described. After the slider 24 has been pulled forward up the~zipper"
rows 12 and 14, the terminals 20 and 22 will remain locked in engagement iL1;~157Z

by virtue of the insertion of a tonguc 72 on guide segment 46 into a cooperating groove 74 in guide segment 44. The mating of the tongue 72 and groove 74 occurs autcmatically with a final slight rotation of the terminals 20 and 22 as the rearmost interior surface of the left upper rim 36b of the slider 24 pushes countercloc~wise Oll the guide segment 46 while the rearmost interior surface of the right upper rim 36a pushes clockwise on the guide segment 44. As previously mentioned, even without the tongue-and-groove locking feature of the guide segments 44 and 46, the interlocked rearmost"zipper"teeth 12a and 14a will tend to keep the forward portions of the terminals 20 and 22 in engagement while the cuff 52 ~FIGURE 1) of terminal 20 abuts the annular shoulder 68 of terminal 22 to keep the rearward portions of the terminals 20 and 22 locked in engage-ment.
To further assist in securing the terminals 20 and 22, the guide segment 44 preferably interlocks with the'~ipper"tooth 14a in like manner as the various other"zipper"teeth of the oppo~sed rcws 12 and 14 interlock with each other. In particular, the guide se~ment 44 includes a forwardly extending projection 76 evident in FIGURE 1, which is adapted to engage a mating indentation in ~he rearward portion of the`'zipperl'tooth 14a in the manner depicted in FIGURE 3.
With particular reference to FIGURES 3-5, a preferred technique will nc~ be described for securing the terminals 20 and 22 to th~- stringers 16a and 16b and the adjacent garment edges 18a and 18b. EXtending radially outward frcm the upper forward portions of the terminals 20 and 22 are win~s 80 and 82, respectively. me wings 80 and 82 each include top llZ1572 (80a, 8~a) and bottom (80b, 82b) layers of a folded flange. As exemplified in FIGURE 5, the wing 82 has a top layer 82a and a bottom layer 82b joined at a bend or rold 82c. Disposed between the layers 82a and 32b is the rearmost corner of the stringer 16b. Although other means of attacilment are also feasible, it is presently preferred for sake of simplicity that the respective wings 80 and 82 be glued to their respective stringers 16a and 16b and that the wing-stringer assemblies thell be s~cured to their respective adjacent garment edges 18a and 18b (shcwn in l?hantom in FIG~ 3) by sewing. Accordingly, slotted openings 84 are provided in the wings 80 and 82, which openings reYjister in the respective top and botLo~ layers of the wings 80 and 82 to permit a needle and thread (nc~ sh~r.) to p~ss therethrough. As exemplified in FIGURE 5, the exterior faces of the wings 80 and 82 may be curved between openings 84 to facilitate ~iding the point of the needle into any of the oFer.ings 84, since they are most likely obscured from view by the garment edge 18a or 18b to be attached thereat.
Referring briefly again to FI~URE 4, it will be seen tilat the stringers 16a and 16b are provided with beaded edges 86a and 8fib, respectively, in accordance with one of several well-kncwn prior art techniques for securing the individual"zippe~'teeth to the stringers 16a and 16b. (It will, of co~-se, ~e appreciated that the invention ~an ~e pracLiced u_iny~ other suit~ble slide-fastening interlocking elements and associated means for attachment to the edges of a garment.) The guide segments 44 and 46 include hollow interiors for accepting the rear-most portions of the beaded edges 86a and 86b so that attachment o' the B

.

~ - .

lS72 wings 80 and 82 to the resl~ctive strmyers 16a and 16b will automatically self-align the guide seg~ts 44 and 46 with the respective rows 12 and 14 of "zipper" teeth.
An additional feature of the inventive device 10 which is apparent from FIGURES 1 and 4 involves the provi~sion of an L-shaped member 88 extending forwardly from the wall 56 and the floor 58 of the terminal 22. me Lrshaped member 88 gives added support to the guide segment 46 and adjoining wina, 82 to resist flexing at the point of attach-ment of the wing 82 to the rim 64 of the terminal 22. Ihe placement of the Lrshaped member 88 also co.~veniently permits it to serve as a guide ch~te for t`ne slider 24, as will be appreciated from the view of FIGURE 2.
A second embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to FIGURES 6-8, wherein a "zipper" terminal device is illustrated and desianated ~;enerally by reference nu~eral 110. In order to simplify the description of the d~,vice 110, parts that function in a similar manner to corresponding parts in the above-described device 10 are designated using similar reference numerals. The followin,a, description will focus only on the st important differences of the device 110 with respect to the above-described device 10. It will be appreciated t'aat, while they are not shown in the similar view of FIGURE 6, the rows 12 and 14 of "zipper" teeth of E`IGURE 1 would be provided in essentially the same manner along tne beaced ed~es 186a and 186b of the respective stringers 116a and 116b.
The most significant difference bctween the d~vice 110 and the above-described device 10 is the inclusion of a slider retaining mechanism lS7~

comprising a spring mem~er 190 suspended from the slider b.~se terminal 12n so t-hat it l.!ill lie within t-he interior pa~ssageway 191 of the slider 124 and retain the slider 124 in its rearmost position on the terminal 120 unless the terminals 120 and 122 are operatively engaged in the position shcwn in FIGURE 7. The spring member 190 includes a catch 192, which extends into an opening 194 in the bottom plate 132 of the slider 124 when the spring member 190 is unflexed as shch7n in phantom in FIC,U~E 8, whereby the forward rnovemer.t of the slider 124 is prevented by virtue of the catch 192 contacting a wall 196 of the bottom plate 132.
The spring r~3mber 190 includes an arm 198 extending through an op~ening 200-in a rearward portion of the wall 150 of terminal 120. When the terminals 120 and 122 are operatively engaged, the slider 124 is released for forward movement by a projection 202 extending upward from a rearward portion of the wall 156 of terminal 122 to fle~ the spring mem~er 190.
The termiulal 120 preferably includes a lip 204 which extends dcwnward rro~ the rear of the shelf 140 in order to cover the arm 198 to prevent accidental release of the sli.der 124. Ihe lip 204 and the adjacent portion of terminal wall 150 form a narrc~7 gap into w~ich the projection 202 ex-tends when the terminals 120 and 122 are operatively engaged, thereby pushing the arm 198 upward to flex the spring mer~er 190 thus lifting the catcn 192 out of the o7~ening 194.
As seen best in FIGURE 6, the upper peri~heral rim of the wall 156 includes two beveled surfaces 164a and 164b which serve to guide the slider base terminal 120 down into operative engagement with the receiving terminal 122. The sprin~ flexing projection 202 extends upward from the r ~

lli~lS72 upper ~veled sur~ace 164a to provide a curved c~m surface 206 which is sliclably engag~d by the sprinq arm 198 to gradually fl.ex the spring member 190 as the terminals 120 and 122 are rotated to bring the guide segments 144 and 146 into operative proximity. ~IUS, the slider 124 will not be released for forward movement until the guide segements 144 and 146 are aligned for passage throuc,~h the front ports of the slider 124 on opposite sides of the center post 134. As the slider base terminal 120 is rotated clockwise with respect to the receiving terminal 122, the arm 198 rides up along cam surface 206 to the top of the projection 202 thereby lifting the catch 192 out of the opening 194, as depicted in ~IGURE 7.
It is clearly evident from the foregoing description of the device 110 that one important advantage of such a slider retaining mechanism is that the slider 124 will not be re]eased to exit forwardly through the gaps 169a and 169b in the walls 150 and 156 until the relative rotational position of the terminals 120 and 122 is appropriate for fastening the'~ipper" ~nother important advantage of such a slider re-taining mechanism is that the slider 124 and slider base terminal 120 can be controlled togeth~r as a unit using the slider's handle 126, which is conveniently pivotable and longitudinally movable within the slot 127.
Thus, for example, when the terminals 120 and 122 are separated and the slider 124 is captured on the terminal 120 by virtue of the spring catch 192 extending dcwn into the opening 1.94, engagement of the terminals 120 and 122 is easily achieved by grasping the handle 126 with one hand and the wing 182 of terminal 122 with the other hand and then merely forcing 11;~157Z

the terminals 120 and 122 together.
When compared to the device 10 of FIGURES 1-5, the operation of the device 110 of FIGURES 6-8 more nearly approximates the workings of a conventional snap fastener as will be appreciated frcm the follcw-ing description of additional features of the device 110. It will be seen frcm FIGURE 6 that the cuff 152 is coextensive with the entire periphery of the wall 150, which is disposed through an arc substantially in excess of 180 degrees. ~uring engagement of the terminals 120 and 122, the cuff 152 is guided by the beveled edges 164a and 164b through the receiving aperture 165 and down past the innermost surface 160 of terminal 122 thereby compressing the cuff 152 and/or expanding the wall 156 until the outermost edge of the cuff 152 passes beyond the surface 160, whereupon the cuff 152 and the wall 156 resiliently return to their normal dimensions. At this point, terminals 120 and 122 are locked against axial movement but are free to rotate relative to each other.
It will of course be appreciated that the distance from the floor 158 to the shoulder 168 will preferably be only slightly greater than the distance frc~ the bottcm of the wall 150 to the outermost edge of the cuff 152 so that, as the bottom of the wall 150 snaps into abutment with the floor 158, the terminals 120 and 122 contemporaneously become operatively engaged and interlocked against axial movement without having to rotate the terminals 120 and 122 relative to each other.
The terminals 120 and 122 are readily disengaged by pulling upward on the handle 126 of the slider 124, when situated on the terminal 120, while holding dcwn on terminal 122 with opposing forces sufficiently lS72 stronq to recompress the cuff 152 and,'or reexpand the wall 156 until the cuff 152 can again pass within the surface 160. In order to facilitate this mode of release, the cuff 152 is provided with a curved upper edge 166 for reducinq the force required to pull the tenninals 120 and 122 apart. In addition, it n~y be desirable to provide axial slits 208 radially spaced apart around the wall 156 for increased flexibility. ~uch slits 208 are particularly advantageous ~here the tenninals 120 and 122 are fabricated fran a relatively rigid material, such as steel.
In ccmparing the two en~odiments 10 and 110, it will be appreciated that in both cases the slider base terminal (20 or 120) is snapped into engagement with its receiving terminal (22 or 122), whereas the mode of release employed by device 10 differs sanewhat fran that employed by device 110~ In the case of the device 10, the tenninals 20 and 22 are disengaged by tilting them out of coaxial alignTnent by forcing their forward portions apart until the cuff 52 of tenminal 20 can be withdrawn from beneath the shoulder 68 at the rearwal-d portion of terminal 22. In the case of device 110, the tenninals 120 and 122 are snapped out of engagement while generally main-taining the terminals 120 and 122 in coaxial alignment. Such snap-release is achieved by grasping the slider handle 126 or the wing 180 with one hand and the wing 182 with the other hand and pulling in opposite directions. In either case, the disengag~ment of the respective terminals of devices 10 and 110 re-quires no special concentration or dexterity. In both cases, the respective terminals readily and automatically release from each other 11;~1~7~

in respollse to l~xlerate forces tendinq lo pull th~m apart. ~Icwever, the snap-release action of the terminals 120 and 122 -tends to apply slightly more stress to the ~ing 182 of device ]10 than is applied to the wing 82 of device 10. Accordingly, as seen in FIGURE 6, the L-shaped S member 188 is preferably permanently secured to the lower wing plate 182b for added support.
In the following description of several additional embodiments of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 9-15, it will be appreciated that the "zip~er" teeth and associated stringers, which are not shown, can be attached to the terminals in the same manner as with the first embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 1-5. It will also be appreciated that the wings (380, 382, 480, 482, 580, 582) and guide segments (344, 346, 444, 4~.6, 544, 546), which are merely shown sche-matically as solid memk~rs in FIGURES 9-15, preferably have provisions for receiving the stringers in a manner similar to that depicted in FIGURE 4.
A third embodiment of the invention will ncw be described with reference to FIGURES 9 and 10 wherein parts that function in a similar manner to previously described parts are designated using similar reference numerals. As se~l in EIGU~E 9, the slider 324 is carried above the platform 328 of the slider base terminal 320. This arrange-ment eliminates the need for a gap in the wall 350 as is required in the first two embcdiments of the invention in which the slider is carried partially within the nesting portion of its slider base tenminal. Further-more, the mating wa]l 356 of the receiving terminal 322 of FIGURE 10 is 11~1572 provided through a complete 360 d~gree arc or ring. It will therefore be appreciated that when the terminals 320 and 322 of this embodiment are operatively engaged, the s~ider 324 is carried in its rearmost position above and entirely outside of the nesting portions defined by the annular walls 350 and 356 of the terminals 320 and 322. The structural simplicity of this third embodiment of the invention, though not as compact as the previously described embodiments, makes it ccmparatively less expensive to fabricate. The slider 324 is held in proper alignment when in its rearmost position on the slider base terminal 320 by means of a guide track 340, which is affixed atop the platform 328, and cooperating L-shaped flanges 341a and 341b, which extend dcwnward from the bottan of the slider 324. The c3uide track 340 appears generally T'shaped in the view of FIGURE 9 and pref-erably tapers to a pointed forward end in the manner of guide track 440 to be described below in conjunction with FIGURE 11.
The terminals 320 and 322 are adapted to be snapped into en-gag~ment by merely pressing the slider base terminal 320 down t~rough the receiving aperture 365 and into the terminal 322. The wall 350 of ternuLnal 320 has an outwardly curved peripheral surface 366 which abuts ~0 a cooperating recess or indented surface 368 along the interior of the wall 356 of terminal 322. The interior dimension of the upper beveled rim 364 of terminal 322 and the cooperating portions of the wall 350 of terminal 320 are adapted so that the wall 350 will contract slightly and/or the wall 356 will expand slightly so as to allcw the engagement of the terminals 320 and 322. When engaged, however, the terminals 320 and 322 ' ; ~

~1~157~

are ess~ltially ~rec to rotate relative to each other so that the guide se~3ment 346 can be positioned to pass into the left front slider port 339b just to the left of the center post 334. The guide segment 346 is supported over and just forward from the rim 364 by means of the Wil~ 382 which in tunl cantilevers frcm its L-shaped supporting wall 388.
A fourth embodiment of the invention will nc,w be described with reference to FIGURES 11-13 wherein parts that function in a similar manner to previously described parts are designated using similar reference numerals. It will be appreciated that the slider 424 (partially visible in phantom in FIGURES 12 and 13) is held in proper orientation on the slider base terminal 420 by means of a guide track 440 (seen in FIGURE 11) which cooperates with flanges (not shc~n) on the bottcm of the slider 424 in a similar manner to the guide track 340 and flanges 341a and 341b of the previously described embodiment as illustrated in FIGURE 9. Tb the rear of the guide track 440 is a rim 443 which serves as a stop for the slider 424. Like the previous embodiment of FIGURES
9 and 10, the slider 424 is supported in its rearmost position on a plat-form 428 above and entirely out~side of the nesting portions of the terminals 420 and 422, as will be apparent frcm FIGURES 11 and 12. The wings 480 and 482 and guide segments 444 and 446 are therefore supported above the plane of the pla fform 428, the wing 480 cantilevering frcm a supporting shelf 445 and the wing 482 cantilevering from an L-shaped supporting wall 488.
m e slider base terminal 420 includes spiral-shaped bottcm walls lS7Z

or surfaces 450a and 450b which are adapted to slidably abut comple-mentary walls or surfaces 456a and 456b of the receiving terminal 422 during engage~ent of the terminals 420 and 422. By bringing the surfaces 450a and 450b into contact with the respective surfaces 456a and 456b and rotating the terminals 420 and 422 relative to each other until the guide segment 446 is aligned for passage through the left front port 439b of the slider 424, locking or latching members 466a and 466b on the bottom of termina] 420 become partially engaged with ~Gmplementary members 468a and 468b dcwn within the aperture 465 Or terminal 422. Thereafter, as the slider 424 is moved forwardly beyond the guide segments 444 and 446, a final slight rotation of the terminals 420 and 422 causes the latching meN~ers 466a and 466b of terminal 420 to become c~pletely engaged with the respective latching members 468a and 468b of terminal 422. Preferably, when the slider 424 is in its rearmost position, it extends forward slightly beyond the front edge of surface 450a so that the right side of the center post 434 abuts the adjacent edge of the guide segment 444 as depicted in FIGURE 13. Thus, when the terminal 420 is rotated fully clockwise with respect to terminal 422, the left side of the center post 434 will abut the guide segment 446, thereby assuring that the "zipper" rows are perfectly aligned in front of their respective slider ports prior to moving the slider 424 forward.
It wi]l be appreciated that the generally cone-like arrangement of the terminals 420 and 422 greatly facilitates guiding them into operative engagement. The receiving aperture 456 defined by the upper peripheral rim 464 of terminal 422 provides an easy target for the bottom portion of 11;~157Z

terminal 420. ~Irthermore, the dua]-spiral constnlction of the cooperating surfaces of the terminals 420 and 422 tends to pramote rotation in the proper direction for interlocking the terminals 420 and 422 merely by the force of pressing the terminals 420 and 422 together.
A "zipper" terminal device 510 in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the invention will ncw be described with reference to FIGURES 14-16 wherein parts that function in a similar manner to pre-viously described parts are designated using similar reference numerals.
The slider employed in this embodiment is illustrated by the phantom outline 524 in FIGURE 14. When in its rearmost position as shc~n, the slider 524 is carried forward and entirely outside of the nesting portions of the terminal 520 and 522. For this purpose, the slider base terminal 520 is provided with guiding and retainin~ walls 540 which provide a slider receptacle. on both sicles of a ce,ntral web 528. Ihe web 528 is inserted between the plates of the slider 524 in a manner similar to the way in which the platform 28 is inserted between the plates 30 and 32 of the slider 24 of FIGVRE 1. When in its rearmost position, the slider 524 is held in proper alic3nment by the walls 540 with the center post 534 of the slider 524 resting in a notch 542 in the web 528. As seen in FIGURE 15, the slider base terminal 520 includes a raise,d annular portion 550 adapted to mate with an annllar recess~d portion 556 of the receiving terminal 522. ~he nesting or mating portions of the terminals 520 and 522 include peri~heral rims 566 and 568, respectively, which operate in the manner of a snap fastener to hold the terminals 520 ancl -522 in operative engagement while permitting relative rotational move-ment thereof.
The operation of the device 510 proceeds as follows. I~ith the slider 524 in its rearmost position on the terminal 520 as depicted in FIGURE 14, the terminals 520 and 522 are pressed or snapped into operative engagement as seen best in the view of FIGURE 15. The exterior faces of the terminals 520 and 522 are provided with shallow recesses 551 and 557 to facilitate grasping the respective annular nesting portions 550 and 556 between the thumb and index finger of the user while snapping the terminals 520 and 522 into engagement. Once engaged, the terminal 522 is rotated slightly counterclockwise with respect to the terminal 520 to the approximate position seen in FIGUA~E 14 wherein the guide segment 546 has become aligned for passage through the respective front port of the slider 524. This relative rotation will tend to occur autcmatically as the user pulls dcwnward on the terminals 520 and 522 provided they are not graspecl too tightly. Thereafter, the slider 524 can be pulled up the rcws of "zipper" teeth (not shown). As the slider 524 passes the guide segments 544 and 546, they are first forced apart slightly by the center post 534 and then brought back tightly together as the passageway within the slider 524 narrows. The guide segment 544 preferably includes a tongue portion 572 which fits into a cooperating groove 574 in the guide segment 546 as seen best in FIGURE 15, thereby interlocking the front portions of the terminals 520 and 522 when the "zipper" teeth (not shown) are fastened.
To further assist in interlocking the terminals 520 and 522 as will be appreciated best from the view of FIGURE 16, an inner edge 583 of the wing ll;~lS72 582 can be nested within a cooperatil~ groove 585 in the adjacent edge of the terminal 520. In FIGURE 16, the edge 583 is shown in the position just prior to its entering the groove 585. In addition, the edge 583 can be extended dcwn around the upper periphery of the adjoining annular nesting portion 556 to interlock with a cooperating portion of the groove 585 as seen best in FIGURE 15.
In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, the nesting portions 550 and 556 are relatively large compRred to the conventional terminal pin (not shown) which would be used with the slider 524 in a conventional pin-and-socket separable "zipper". In FIGURE 14, the~pertinent parts of which are generally accurately scaled, the dia~eter of the receiving aperture 565 (sh~n in dotted outline) of the nesting portion 556 is approximately equal to the width of the slider 524. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the area of the receiving aperture 565 is several times larger than the area of one of the slider ports.
Accordingly, aligning and engagin~ the nesting portions 550 and 556 of the terminals 520 and 522 is significantly easier than the act of feeding a terminal pin (not sha~n) into the respective front slider p~rt in a comparably sized prior-art separable "zipper".
It will be appreciated that the size differences are even more advantageous when comparing the previously described four embodiments to the prior art. For example, it will be appreciated that the receiving aperture 65 of the device 10 of FIGURE 1 has a diameter at least as large as the overall length of the slider 24. Ihus, it should be readily apparent that the area of the receiving aperture 65 of the device 10 is ~,, ,~
~3 i~157Z

very much greater than the area of one of the slider ports, such as the left slider port 39b.
Therefore, each of the above-described embodiments of the invention greatly reduces the care and dexterity required in connecting the ends of a separable "zipper". Rather than having to first feed a relatively small terminal pin through one port of a slider as is done with conventional pin-and-socket type separable zippers, relatively large and substantially self-aligning terminals are first fastened and then, if need be, rotated until the rcws of "zipper" teeth are properly aligned for interfastening by the slider.
Ihose skilled in the art will appreciate that the presently illustrated five embodiments are merely exemplary of the great variety of alternate embodiments contemplated by the present invention. For eYample, the present invention can be practiced using a terminal arrange-ment wherein the nesting portions are disposed to one side of the slider when in its rearmost position so that the axis of rotation of the terminals does not intersect the line along which the slider moves, as is the case with each of the presently illustrated embodiments. Furthermore, other terminal devices are contemplated wherein the slider is carried in its realTnost position on the terminal having the fernale rather than the male structure of the nesting portions, so that the term "receiving terminal"
as used herein is not intended to be limi-ted to terminals having the f~male structure. Other modifications and aiternatives are within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the a~pended claims.
~hat is claimed is:

Claims (15)

1. A slide fastener, comprising:
first and second opposed rows of teeth and a slider for engaging and disengaging the rows of teeth, each row of teeth being disposed along the edge of a supporting sheet, the slider having first and second adjacent ports at the front thereof which lead to a common passageway within the slider, the ports being adapted to receive the respective first and second rows of teeth as the slider is moved foward whereby the teeth in the opposed rows are progressively brought into interlocking engagement within the passageway, the slider having a center post at the front thereof between the ports adapted to progressively disengage the rows of teeth as the slider is moved rearwardly along the rows, the slider having two mutually perpendicular main axes, one being a longitudinal axis (L) lying in the direction of slider movement and the other being a transverse axis (T) bisecting the ports, the longitudinal and transverse axes intersecting each other to define a slider working plane;
first and second terminals disposed at the respective rearward ends of the first and second rows of teeth, the first terminal including means for carrying the slider when the rows of teeth are fully disengaged, one of the terminals having portions defining an aperture for receiving cooperating portions of the other terminal, the area defined by the receiving aperture being at least about several times larger than the area defined by one of the slider ports such that insertion of the cooperating portions into the receiving aperture by relative movement of the terminals in the direction substantially perpendicular to the slider working plane couples the terminals in operative engagement.

2. The slide fastener of claim 1 further characterized in that the terminals are adapted so that they can be brought together into operative engagement to align the rearmost end of the second row of teeth in front of the second slider port solely by relative translational movement of the terminals.

3. The slide fastener of claim 2 wherein the terminals are further characterized in that no part of the second terminal must be passed through any portion of the slider in order to operatively engage the terminals and align the rearmost end of the second row of teeth in front of the second slider port.

4. The slide fastener of claim 1 further characterized in that the terminals include slidably cooperating surfaces for permitting relative rotational movement of the terminals when the terminals are operatively engaged with the slider in its rearmost position on the first terminal, the axis of rotational movement being substantially perpendicular to said slider working plane, the terminals being adapted to permit their operative engagement solely by relative translational movement along the rotational axis while the terminals are rotationally positioned relative to each other within a range of angles including the relative rotational position wherein the rearmost ends of the first and second rows of teeth are aligned in front of the respective first and second slider ports.

5. The slide fastener of claim 4 further characterized in that the first and second terminals include respective first and second mating walls, one such wall defining the receiving aperture and the other such wall defining the cooperating portions that are inserted into the receiving aperture during coupling of the terminals, the mating walls including means for interlocking the terminals against separation when the rows of teeth are fastened.

6. The slide fastener of claim 5 further characterized by means on the first terminal abutting means on the second terminal to stop the relative translational movement of the terminals during coupling upon reaching a point such that at least the rearmost end of the second row of teeth is brought into the slider working plane, whereby the terminals are then operatively engaged.

7. The slide fastener of claim 6 further characterized in that the terminal interlocking means becomes operative as the terminals initially become operatively engaged without having to rotate the terminals relative to each other.

8. The slide fastener of claim 5 further characterized in that the terminal interlocking means become operative only after rotating the operatively engaged terminals.

9. The slide fastener of claim 5 further characterized in that the slider is carried in its rearmost position at least partially within the mating walls wherein the mating walls are provided with gaps at the front thereof for passage of the slider therethrough.

10. The slide fastener of claim 5 further characterized in that the slider is carried in its rearmost position entirely outside of the mating walls wherein each mating wall is disposed through a full 360 degrees.

11. The slide fastener of claim 10 further characterized in that the slider is carried in its rearmost position above the mating walls so that the rotational axis of the terminals passes through the slider.

12. The slide fastener of claim 10 further characterized in that the slider is carried in its rearmost position adjacent to the mating walls so that the rotational axis of the terminals does not pass through the slider.

13. The slide fastener of claim 5 further characterized by means for retaining the slider on the first terminal when the first and second terminals are disengaged wherein the retaining means is adapted to release the slider for forward movement when the terminals are operative-ly engaged.

14. The slide fastener of claim 13 further characterized in that the retaining means is adapted to release the slider only when the terminals are operatively engaged and rotationally positioned so that the rearmost end of the second row of teeth is aligned in front of the second slider port.

15. The slide fastener of claim 5 further characterized in that the first terminal includes a guide segment at the rearmost end of the first row of teeth and the second terminal includes a guide segment at the rearmost end of the second row of teeth, one such guide segment including a tongue portion and the other such guide segment including a groove portion, the groove portion being adapted to receive the tongue portion to interlock the terminals against separation once the slider has moved forwardly beyond the guide segments.