EP0540701B1 - Lead-in device for sliding clasp fastener - Google Patents

Abstract

PCT No. PCT/CH92/00086 Sec. 371 Date Dec. 22, 1992 Sec. 102(e) Date Dec. 22, 1992 PCT Filed Apr. 29, 1992 PCT Pub. No. WO92/19120 PCT Pub. Date Nov. 12, 1992.The present device comprises a pin (8) affixed to the end of the strip (1) carrying the slider (4) and a plate (14) affixed to the end of the strip (2) carrying the leader (11). After engagement of the head (9) of the pin (8) inside the hole (17), the pin (8) is guided in the channel (18) while pulling the end of the strip (1) so as to position the leader (11) in front of the opening of the slider (4). This device can be operated with one hand.

Description

The present invention relates to an initiating device for rack closure consisting of two bands bordered by teeth, one of these bands carrying a slider and being provided with a nozzle integral with its end, and the other band being provided a primer which comprises its first tooth and is arranged so as to be able to be introduced into the mouth of the cursor, this device comprising at least two elements, namely a first element secured to the end of the strip carrying the end piece, and a second element secured to the end of the strip provided with the primer, one of these elements constituting a male coupling member formed by a needle made up of a rod and a head having an upper section, in the width direction, to that of the rod, and the other element being constituted by a plate comprising a corresponding female member, consisting of an opening made perpendicular to the plane of the plate e t composed of a circular hole arranged so as to allow the head of the needle and a channel to pass, these two members being arranged so that, after engagement in the female member, the male member is free to move move along a guided trajectory by driving the end of the strip to which it is integral, so as to bring each other opposite the primer and the mouth of the cursor, into which it must be introduced.

We know well zipper closures also called zippers or racks. These consist of two bands bordered by the teeth of each rack, a nozzle permanently fixed to the end of one of the bands, which has a groove intended to receive the primer of the other rack and finally a slider permanently adapted to the rack carrying the end piece and sliding thereon.

To operate a closure of this type, it is necessary to penetrate the primer of the first rack first in the mouth of the cursor and then slide it until it enters the nozzle and finally abuts against its bottom.

The cursor can then be pulled, ensuring the interpenetration of the teeth of the racks.

We can notice that all the movements take place in a plane, the one to which the two bands belong. Although the bands are generally flexible, this plan is easily imagined.

A device as mentioned at the start is described, for example, in patent document FR-E-38450. When the two bands of the rack closure according to this document are joined together, the primer is placed opposite and then introduced into the mouth of the cursor by a rotation of one of the two coupling members relative to the other, this introduction occurring laterally.

Unless you have exceptional dexterity, you must use both hands to carry out the priming operation. One hand turns the leader of the first strip toward the cursor on the second strip, which is held by the other hand.

Introducing the primer into the slider can sometimes be difficult, for example, when wearing gloves or when you cannot release both hands at the same time.

The object of the present invention is to provide a priming device which does not require the use of two hands.

To this end, the device according to the invention is characterized in that said hole is arranged in the vicinity of the end of the plate opposite to that which is attached to the corresponding strip, said channel extends from said hole towards the end of the plate attached to the strip and said tip comprises a groove allowing the introduction of the primer after the introduction of this primer into the mouth of the cursor.

This allows the primer to be introduced into the cursor by a translational movement. The priming operation can thus be carried out using one hand.

The invention also relates to a rack and pinion closure provided with this device.

• la figure 1a est une vue en perspective de l'extrémité de la bande portant le curseur d'une fermeture à crémaillères munie du dispositif selon l'invention, conformément à une première forme d'exécution de ce dispositif;
• la figure 1b est une vue en perspective de l'extrémité de la bande munie de l'amorce destinée à être introduite dans la bouche du curseur, conformément à la première forme d'exécution du dispositif;
• les figures 2a, 2c et 2d sont des vues en plan illustrant le fonctionnement du dispositif d'amorçage selon l'invention;
• les figures 3 et 4 sont des représentations schématiques du curseur de la fermeture à crémaillères, conformément à une forme d'exécution particulière de ce curseur;
• la figure 5a est une vue en perspective de l'extrémité de la bande munie de l'amorce destinée à être introduite dans la bouche du curseur, conformément à une deuxième forme d'exécution particulière du dispositif selon l'invention;
• la figure 5b est une vue en perspective montrant la configuration prise par le dispositif, selon la deuxième forme d'exécution de celui-ci, après amorçage et début de fermeture avec mise en position rétractée d'un élément de guidage coulissant ;
• la figure 6 est une vue en perspective, analogue à la figure la, montrant une variante du dispositif pouvant s'appliquer à l'une ou l'autre des deux formes d'exécution de ce dispositif illustrées aux figures 1a à 5b ; et
• la figure 7 est une vue en coupe du dispositif, conformément à la forme d'exécution représentée à la figure 5a, à échelle agrandie par rapport à celle de cette dernière figure, selon le plan de coupe VII-VII repéré sur celle-ci.

It will be better understood thanks to the detailed description which follows, by way of nonlimiting example, of two particular embodiments of the device according to the invention, with reference to the appended drawing, in which:

• Figure 1a is a perspective view of the end of the strip carrying the slider of a rack closure provided with the device according to the invention, in accordance with a first embodiment of this device;
• Figure 1b is a perspective view of the end of the strip provided with the primer intended to be introduced into the mouth of the cursor, in accordance with the first embodiment of the device;
• Figures 2a, 2c and 2d are plan views illustrating the operation of the initiating device according to the invention;
• Figures 3 and 4 are schematic representations of the cursor of the rack closure, in accordance with a particular embodiment of this cursor;
• FIG. 5a is a perspective view of the end of the strip provided with the primer intended to be introduced into the mouth of the cursor, in accordance with a second particular embodiment of the device according to the invention;
• Figure 5b is a perspective view showing the configuration taken by the device, according to the second embodiment thereof, after initiation and start of closure with the retracted position of a sliding guide element;
• Figure 6 is a perspective view, similar to Figure la, showing a variant of the device which can be applied to either of the two embodiments of this device illustrated in Figures 1a to 5b; and
• Figure 7 is a sectional view of the device, according to the embodiment shown in Figure 5a, on an enlarged scale relative to that of the latter figure, according to the section plane VII-VII marked thereon.

Before starting the description itself, it should be noted that the variant described relates to a closure that must adapt to a garment, such as a jacket or jacket. The illustration given assumes that the cursor is adapted to the left side of the jacket. It goes without saying that a simple reversal in no way compromises the operation of the device, so that the device may as well be adapted to the case where the cursor is carried by the band of the closure fixed on the other panel.

Likewise, are the figures designed to best illustrate the device and the organs useful for its operation; the shapes and proportions are therefore purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any way limiting.

As shown in FIG. 1a, the first strip 1 of the closure, bordered by teeth 3, is provided with a slider 4 and a nozzle 5 fixed to the end of the strip 1. A checkered plate 6a, also attached to the end of strip 1, carries a primer (not visible in Figure 1a) a part of which is pinched in the nozzle 5 and the rest of which enters the cursor 4 when the latter abuts, at the end of the race, against the nozzle 5. A needle 8, composed of a rod 10 which can be of prismatic shape, as illustrated in Figure la but which can also have any other suitable shape, for example cylindrical or conical, and a hemispherical head 9, forming a rim around the rod 10, is integral with the face of the nozzle 5 opposite to that which is turned on the same side as the face of the cursor 4 carrying the pull tab 7.

As illustrated in FIG. 1b, the second strip 2, also bordered by teeth 3, carries, at its end, a primer 11 which constitutes the first tooth of the strip and which is arranged so that it can be introduced into the free mouth of the slider 4 (FIG. 1a) and slide through the lateral groove 12 of the latter, then into the lateral groove 13 of the end piece 5, to a final locking position, in a manner known per se. The primer 11 is carried by a checkered plate 6b which is fixed to the end of the strip 2 and which is similar to the plate 6a of the strip 1.

A guide plate 14, which may be of generally rectangular shape as illustrated in FIG. 1b, but could also have any other suitable shape, for example an oval or circular shape, is fixed, in the vicinity of one of its ends, on the end of the strip 2, extending beyond and in the extension of the latter, by means of an excess thickness portion 15 directly applied to the face of the end of the opposite strip 2 to that on which the plate 6b is placed.

The thickness of the part 15 is such that, when the cursor 4 is applied to the guide plate 14, the groove 12 of the cursor 4 is exactly at the same level as the primer 11. The thickness of the rest of the plate 14 is very slightly less than the length of the rod 10 of the needle 8.

It should be noted that the gridded plates 6a and 6b already exist on conventional rack closures and allow the passage of the needles of a sewing machine to fix them respectively at the ends of the bands 1 and 2 of the closure. In the case of the device according to the present invention, the plates 6a and 6b are advantageously molded respectively with the end piece 5 and the guide plate 14. According to the needs of designers of clothing, such as jackets, on which the closures with racks fitted with the priming device according to the invention are intended to be mounted, the plates 6a and 6b can be optionally extended towards the ends of the bands 1 and 2, and even beyond these.

The guide plate 14 has an opening 16 cut perpendicularly to its main faces. The opening 16 is essentially composed of a circular hole 17 of diameter slightly greater than that of the head 9 of the needle 8 (FIG. 1a), formed in the vicinity of the end of the plate 14 opposite to that which is attached to the strip 2, and of an elongated channel 18 starting from the hole 17 and extending to the part of the plate 14 adjacent to the extra thickness part 15. More precisely, the channel 18 is delimited by two edges 18a and 18b in an arc of circle having a substantially constant spacing between them, slightly greater than the width of the rod 10 of the needle 8, with a projecting edge 18a ending on the side opposite the hole 17, approximately below the primer 11. It it should be noted that the length of the plate 14 as well as that of the channel 18 are determined as a function of the dimensions of the slider 4 and of the end piece 5. It is therefore possible to reduce the length of the plate 14 (and that of the channel 18 ) by shortening the cursor 4, by example by half.

The device which has just been described operates in the following manner:
From an initial open position, illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b, in which the two bands 1 and 2 of the rack closure are separated from each other, the cursor 4 abutting against the end piece 5, we first introduce the needle 8 into the hole 17, from the side of the plate 14 facing upwards, in FIG. 1b, in such a way that the faces of the end piece 5 and of the slider 4, opposite the face of the cursor 4 carrying the pull tab 7 are applied flat against the upper face of the plate 14.

Due to the fact that, as indicated above, the thickness of the plate 14 is slightly less than the length of the rod 10 of the needle 8, and that the diameter of the hole 17 is slightly greater than that of the head 9 of the needle 8, the rim of the head 9 spontaneously clings to the underside of the plate 14 (that is to say of the face opposite to that on which the end piece 5 and the slider 4 are applied) by making thus a mutual attachment of the ends of the two bands 1 and 2.

Advantageously, it is possible to add to the device a member such as a spring clip or a clip making it possible, on the one hand, to make perceptible the introduction and the attachment of the needle 8 into the hole 17 and, on the other hand, to make this hooking safer.

It is clear that an effect similar to that of a clip can possibly be obtained, without adding additional elements to those of the particular embodiment described in detail above, for example by suitably shaping the members. male 8 and female 16, and in particular by giving a spheroidal shape to the head 9 of the needle 8, while adapting the diameter of the hole 17 and the elasticity of the plate 14, so that the passage of the head 9 through the hole 17 requires overcoming a certain mechanical resistance.

In the hanging position, illustrated in FIG. 2a, the ends of the bands 1 and 2 are free to pivot about the axis of the rod 10 of the needle 8 in a common plane determined by the main faces of the plate 14. This pivoting movement occurs spontaneously, when one apply a slight downward pull on the strips 1 and 2, holding the plate 14 with one hand, advantageously between the thumb and forefinger, while keeping the head 9 of the needle 8 hooked on the edge of the hole 17 Thus, the strips 1 and 2 tend to approach each other and the cursor 4 is moved in a circular sliding movement while remaining applied against the plate 14, passing from the position shown in FIG. 2a to that of FIG. 2b, without however the cursor 4 being able to exceed its ideal position of engagement on the primer 11, thanks to the presence of the extra thickness portion 15 which plays the role of stop.

It should be noted that, during this first movement, the needle 8 remains hooked against the edge of the circular hole and the slider 4 is pressed against the end piece 5 or only moves very little away from it. However, the mouth of the cursor into which the primer 11 is to be introduced, comes opposite the latter as illustrated in FIG. 2b.

It then suffices to push the needle 8, or to pull on the plate 14, so as to cause the engagement of the needle 8 in the channel 18 and its displacement, guided by the sliding of the edges of the rod 10 on those of the channel 18 , in the direction of the end of the channel 18 opposite the hole 17, to make the primer 11 penetrate into the mouth of the cursor 4, as shown in FIG. 2c, then continuing this movement in the lateral groove 13 of the end piece 5 to the final locking position illustrated in FIG. 2d.

As illustrated in FIG. 1a, as well as in FIGS. 2a to 2d which show the rectangular shape of the section of the rod 10 of the needle 8 (in the particular embodiment illustrated in the drawing), represented by lines in dashes, the vertical median plane of the rod 10 has an angular offset, relative to that of the end piece 5, in a direction (namely to the left according to the plan representation of FIGS. 2a to 2d) such that the primer 11 is presented exactly in the axis of the groove 13 of the nozzle 5.

From the position of FIG. 2d, it suffices to slide the cursor 4 upwards, for example by pulling on the pull tab 7, in the usual manner, to effect the closing of the slide.

From the above description, it will be understood that the device according to the invention is of a very simple arrangement and easy to produce industrially, without appreciably increasing the cost price of the assembly of a rack and pinion closure equipped with this. priming device with respect to a closure not comprising this priming device. In fact, this priming device can be made up of two very simple parts, namely the male guiding and operating member, such as the needle 8, and the guide plate 14. In addition, it is clear that the needle 8 and the tip 5 can be made in one piece, for example a molded or injected part of plastic or metal.

Of course, additional elements can be combined with the basic elements which have just been described.

In FIG. 3, we can see the cursor 4 provided with protrusions of semi-spheroidal or semi-ovoid shape, namely a dorsal protuberance 19 and a ventral protuberance 20. The pinching between two fingers, namely the thumb and the index finger, allows to advance the cursor, while taking advantage of a kind of fulcrum that the other fingers provide by holding, on the one hand, the bands 1 and 2, and, on the other hand, the fabric of the garment. This avoids the folding of the closure, or of the fabric, which does not fail to occur when one simply pulls on the zipper when the racks are barely engaged in the cursor. Thanks to the pressure that can be exerted on the protrusions, the cursor is propelled like a cherry stone would be.

In FIG. 4, we see the same elements as in FIG. 3, with the difference that the propulsion of the cursor is exerted towards the interior of the hand, the fingers resting on the protrusions of the cursor while the hand is located between the strips still separated.

The means of propelling the cursor by pinching between two fingers could, of course, be arranged in any other appropriate manner, for example by being constituted by lateral protuberances, shaped so as to produce the propelling effect of the "cherry stone" type. ". A propelling effect can also be obtained by pinching simply by giving an appropriate shape to the lateral edges of the slider or of a projecting part secured to its upper or lower face.

The embodiment of the device shown in FIGS. 5a, 5b and 7 is similar to that which is illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b, and the elements of this embodiment identical or similar to those of the first embodiment, which has just been described, will be designated, in the following description and in the drawing, by the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1a and 1b.

The essential difference between the embodiment as shown in FIG. 5a and that of FIG. 1b, consists in the fact that the guide plate 14 ′, which moreover fulfills the same function as the plate 14, n is not assembled in a fixed position with the plate 6b but is, on the contrary, arranged so that it can slide, relative to the latter, between a maximum elongation position, illustrated in FIG. 5a, and a retraction position illustrated in FIG. 5b.

For this purpose, the plate 14 'has an elongated groove 21, which extends longitudinally over most of its length and opens onto one of its lateral faces 22, constituting a slide whose profile is shown in Figure 7.

The internal face (corresponding to the lower face according to FIG. 5b) of the plate 6b is provided with an appendage 23, advantageously molded with the rest of the part 6b, which carries a rail 24 (FIG. 7) whose profile corresponds to that of the groove 21 and which is engaged therein so as to slide therein allowing movement in translation of the plate 14 'between the two extreme positions shown, respectively, in FIG. 5a and in FIG. 5b.

Advantageously, the groove 21 extends to an opening (not shown) in the rear face of the plate 14 ', so as to allow the insertion of the rail 24 in the groove 21, and a stop 25 (including a side face is visible in Figure 5b) is placed in the groove 21 after this assembly, in order to limit the extension movement of the plate 14 'and thus prevent it from detaching from the part 6b.

The front edge 26 of the plate 14 'is curved and forms a rim 26a, which extends above the upper surface of the plate 14' and is extended by a surface 26b up to the rear end of the plate 14 '. This rim 26a constitutes a guide member for the head 9 or 9 '(Figure 6) of the needle 8 or 8' (Figure 6) during the initiation of the slide fastener and it facilitates the execution of this initiation of one hand.

Advantageously, the part of the plate 14 'close to its rear edge 27 is provided, on the part of its upper face which slides on the lower face of the plate 6b, with a member, such as a boss or a clip (not shown) cooperating with a corresponding cavity (also not shown ) formed in the underside of the plate 6b in order to make the position of maximum extension of the plate 14 'perceptible and to allow the latter to be temporarily retained in this position.

In the retraction position illustrated in FIG. 5b, the rear edge 27 of the plate 14 'abuts on a hooking member 28 constituted by an appendage projecting under the underside of the slider 4, the latter then being pushed onto a part of the length of the rack closure corresponding to the length of the part of the plate 14 'retracted under the inner face of the bands 1 and 2 of the rack closure (this length corresponding to practically the entire plate, apart the anterior edge 26 which protrudes, revealing the rim 26a).

From this position, simply slide the cursor 4, as mentioned above, to achieve complete or partial closure of the slide. When opening the slide, by sliding downwards (corresponding to the right of FIG. 5b) of the cursor 4, the latter first comes up against the rear edge 27 of the plate 14 'then drives it to the fully extended position shown in Figure 5a. However, it is also possible to place the plate 14 ′ in its extended position, from the retracted position illustrated in FIG. 5b, by pulling directly on the plate 14 ′ by gripping it by its front edge 26a.

Advantageously, a member such as a boss or a clip (not shown), cooperating with a corresponding cavity (also not shown) formed in the hooking member 28 of the cursor 4, is disposed on the rear edge 27 of the plate. 14 'or in the vicinity thereof, in order to make perceptible the engagement of the rear end of the plate 14' with the cursor and to allow this hold to be temporarily maintained.

Also advantageously, the front part of the plate 14 ′ can also be provided with a member (not shown) such as a boss or a clip, cooperating with a cavity, formed in the underside of the plate 6b, which may possibly be the same as that mentioned above, in order to make perceptible the maximum retraction position of the plate 14 'and to allow this position to be temporarily maintained.

The variant arrangement shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to the part of the device illustrated in FIG. 1a and the identical or similar elements of the arrangements according to these two figures are designated by the same reference numbers.

In accordance with the variant illustrated in FIG. 6, the head 9 ′ of the needle 8 ′ has a conical shape and it has a circular boss 29 at the periphery of the part close to its base, this boss being arranged so that the maximum diameter of the head 9 'is slightly greater than that of the hole 17 of the opening 16 of the plate 14' (Figure 5a).

As shown in FIG. 5a, the internal face of the hole 17 has a groove 30 whose shape and dimensions correspond to those of the boss 29.

The cooperation between the groove 30 and the boss 29, made possible by the elasticity of the materials constituting the boss 29 and / or the plate 14 ', allows temporary attachment of the needle 8' in the hole 17, during the priming maneuver of the zipper, which also contributes to facilitating the execution of this maneuver with one hand.

As can be seen in FIG. 6, the rear edges of the upper and lower faces of the end piece 5 have two respective bosses 31 and 31 'cooperating with corresponding claws 32 and 32' formed on the front face of the slider 4. This allows to obtain a temporary securing of the cursor with the endpiece which ensures optimal guidance of the cursor during the initiation of the zipper.

Apart from the additional functions indicated or suggested in the description above and which arise from the differences in arrangement between the two embodiments of the device, the operating principle of the latter remains the same in the two embodiments described.

It should be noted that the respective size and shape of the elements and organs, described above, which are involved in the operation of the device, can be modified very widely without compromising the application of the present invention.

The most obvious advantage of the initiating device according to the invention is, of course, to allow the control of a rack closure with one hand. However, although illustrated and described to apply to a garment, the device can also have appreciable advantages in other fields using rack closures. It is also conceivable that the device according to the invention will give rack closures new fields of use, fields hitherto prohibited because of the drawbacks that the device is precisely trying to make disappear.

Claims (12)

1. A lead-in device for a slide fastener consisting of two strips provided with tabs along the edge, one (1) of these strips carrying a slider (4) and being provided with an end part (5) integral with its end, and the other strip (2) being provided with a leader (11) which includes its first tab and which is arranged so that it can be introduced into the opening of the slider (4), this device comprising at least two members, namely a first member integral with the end of the strip (1) bearing the end part (5) and a second member integral with an end of the strip (2) provided with the leader (11), one of these members forming a male coupling member formed of a pin (8, 8') consisting of a rod (10) and of a head (9, 9') having a section in the direction of the width greater than that of the rod (10), and the other member being formed by a plate (14, 14') including a corresponding female member consisting of an opening (16) made perpendicularly to the plane of the plate (14, 14') comprising a circular hole (17), arranged in such a manner as to allow the passage of the head (9, 9') of the pin (8, 8'), and of a channel (18), these two members being arranged so that after engagement in the female member (16), the male member (8, 8') is free to move along a guided trajectory while pulling the end of the strip (1) to which it is affixed in such a manner as to place the leader (11) and the opening of the slider (4) into which it is to be introduced in front of each other, characterized in that said hole (17) is arranged near the end of the plate (14, 14') opposite that which is fixed to the corresponding strip (2), said channel (18) extending from said hole (17) towards the end of the plate (14, 14') fixed to the strip (2) and said end part (5) comprises a groove (13) allowing the introduction of the leader after the introduction of said leader into the opening of the slider.
2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pin (8, 8') and the end part (5) are formed as a single piece by moulding.
3. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the channel (18) is limited by two edges (18a, 18b) shaped as arcs of a circle, and in that the vertical median plane of the rod (10) of the pin (8) is angularly offset with respect to that of the end part (5) in a direction such that the leader (11) be presented exactly on the axis of the groove (13) of the end part (5).
4. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a member which enables to reenforce and to feel the engagement of the pin (8, 8') inside the hole (17) provided in the plate (14, 14').
5. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate (14) comprises a stop designed so as to prevent the slider (4) from overshooting the position allowing the engagement of the leader (11) into the slider (4).
6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate (14') is assembled with an end part (6b) affixed to the end of the strip (2) carrying the leader (11) so as to be capable of sliding with respect to this end part (6b) between a position of maximum extension enabling the leading-in operation of the fastener, and a retracted position which can be attained both before and after closing the slide.
7. A device according to claim 6, characterized in that the plate (14') has a longitudinal groove (21) providing a slideway for a rail (24) carried by an extension (23) protruding from the inner face of the end part (6b).
8. A device according to claim 6 or claim 7, characterized in that it comprises means enabling to feel the position of maximun extension of the plate (14') and/or the retracted position thereof, and to retain temporarily this plate when it is in one or the other of these two positions.
9. A slide fastener provided with the lead-in device according to one of claims 1 to 8.
10. A slide fastener according to claim 9, characterized in that the slider (4) is provided with propulsion means arranged so that it can move forward when squeezed between two fingers.
11. A slide fastener according to claim 10, characterized in that said propulsion means consist of protrusions having a hemispheroidal or hemiovoidal shape.
12. Slide fastener according to claim 10, characterized in that said propulsion means consist of the side edges of the slider (4) which are shaped so that their squeezing between two fingers has the effect of generating a force in the direction parallel to the length of the strips provided with tabs.

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