FR3052644A1 - CURSOR AND SLIDING CLOSURE - Google Patents

Abstract

A slider (1) comprises a slider body (1a) which has an upper plate and a lower plate (12) connected by a post (13) and having respective guide vanes (8) protruding from each plate towards the other wafer along respective opposite side edges of the wafers. The guide vanes (8) define, together with the post (13), a substantially Y-shaped guide channel (14) for guiding, coupling and uncoupling the opposing teeth (7) passing therethrough along a longitudinal axis (LA-LA) of the cursor (1). The guide channel (14) comprises first and second end portions (14a; 14b), wherein, in use, the slide fastener teeth (7) are respectively disengaged from each other and engaged with each other. with the others. At the second end portion (14b) of the guide channel (14), the guide vanes (8) which face each other on at least one side of the longitudinal axis (LA- LA) have a respective bevelled end surface (8a) which is inclined from the outside of the guide channel (14) inwardly thereof towards the longitudinal axis (LA-LA).

Description

Slider and zipper

The present invention relates to a slider and a zipper. Generally, a slider is provided with a conventionally attached zipper.

Zippers with such sliders are commonly used with various items such as clothing, bags and suitcases.

When opening or closing a zipper, the user normally grabs the zipper (or slider) and pulls the slider forward or backward: this closes or opens the zipper in the direction of the cursor's movement.

In certain situations, a user can open a zipper without acting on the zipper or directly on the slider, but by acting rather directly on the article on which is fixed the zipper, to cause a large spacing of the ribbons. closing one of the other.

In general, if the slide of a zipper has no locking mechanism, it is usually possible to open the zipper in this way, as long as the material on both sides of the zipper has some flexibility.

FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings partially shows a slide fastener F according to the prior art, interposed between the container body B and the cover L of a conventional bag S. The slide fastener F comprises a cursor body 1a on which a pull tab 2 is pivotally attached in a manner known per se. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the lid L is flexible, but this is not necessarily always the case.

The closure F further comprises two attachment strips 3, 4 each comprising a flexible strip 5, 6 provided with a respective plurality of closure teeth 7 along an edge thereof.

The upper attachment band 3 is fixed to an edge of the lid L of the bag, while the hooking band 4 is fixed to the main body B of the latter.

With reference to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a person may want to open the bag S in an unorthodox manner, by pulling on the L-bag lid up rather than pulling the zipper or slider 1.

In general, when pulling on the lid of a suitcase, the zipper can get stuck, which may make it impossible to open the bag further.

In certain circumstances, the zipper may be damaged, possibly by breaking teeth or inappropriately jamming them in the internal passages of the slider.

Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the zipper 1 of Figure 1, and shows a curved upper guide vane 8 of the zipper 1, which cooperates in operation with the teeth 7 of the upper fastening band 3.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the end portion of said guide fin 8 remote from the pull tab generally has an end surface 8a which is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis LA-LA (FIG. slider, with slightly rounded upper and lower angles.

With this configuration, each time a user tries to open the bag S in the unorthodox manner described above, the cursor body rotates it (clockwise in FIG. 1), and the end surface 8a of the upper guide vanes 8 thereof is capable of abutting against the upper edge of a tooth 7 or entering the space between two teeth 7 of the upper attachment band 3, and to prevent further opening of the lid of the bag.

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a slide fastener slider which is capable of handling the problem discussed above.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a cursor of the type initially defined, in which in the plates, at the second end portion of the guide channel, the guide vanes which are confronted to each other on at least one side of the longitudinal axis have a respective beveled end surface which is inclined from the outside of the guide channel inwardly thereof towards the longitudinal axis. The invention relates to a slide fastener slider comprising two fastening strips, each comprising a ribbon provided with respective closing teeth. The slider includes a slider body having an upper slab and a lower slab connected by a post and having respective guide vanes protruding from each slab to the other slab along respective opposite side edges of said slats. The guide vanes define, with the upright, a substantially Y-shaped guide channel for guiding, coupling and uncoupling the opposing teeth passing therethrough along a longitudinal axis of the slider, the guide channel comprising first and second end portions.

In use, the zipper teeth of the fastening strips are respectively released from each other and engaged with each other.

At the second end portion of the guide channel formed in the wafers, the guide vanes which face each other on at least one side of the longitudinal axis have a respective beveled end surface. which is inclined from the outside of the guide channel inwardly thereof towards the longitudinal axis.

Advantageously, the sloped end surfaces of the guide fins facing each other are inclined at an angle of between 15 ° and 36 ° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the slider.

The sloped end surfaces of the guide vanes may be convex curved surfaces.

For example, the sloped end surfaces of the guide vanes each comprise a longitudinal sequence of adjacent planar surfaces, which together form a convex global end surface.

The slider is for example intended in the zipper in which the teeth of the closure of each of the fastening strips are separated from each other by a predetermined distance, the beveled end surfaces of the guide vanes extending longitudinally (i.e. parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slider) over a distance greater than the predetermined distance between the adjacent teeth of the stringer bands.

At the second end portion of the guide channel, all the guide vanes of the slider pads have respective end surfaces which are inclined from outside the guide channel inwardly therefrom, towards the longitudinal axis.

Advantageously, at the second end portion of the guide channel, between the guide vanes, at least one of the wafers has a plate-like wall portion with a bevelled end surface that is inclined from the outside. from the guide channel inwardly of the guide channel towards the longitudinal axis.

For example, the tapered end surface of the plate-like wall portion of said at least one wafer is a convex curved surface.

The tapered end surface of the plate-like wall portion of said at least one wafer may comprise a longitudinal sequence of adjacent flat surfaces that together form a convex, overall end surface.

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a slide fastener comprising a slider as described above.

According to a third aspect, the invention relates to an article, for example a textile article, comprising a zipper as described above.

Advantageously, the fastening strips of the zipper are fixed on a first part and a second part of the article, one of which can be moved relative to the other in order to cause a rotation of the slider relative to the strips. hooking and the occurrence of an angle of rotation between the longitudinal axis of the slider and a chain axis which passes through the centers of engagement of the teeth in engagement with the straps. The end surfaces of the guide vanes confronting each other are inclined, with respect to the chain axis, by an angle substantially equal to or greater than the angle of rotation. Other features and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly on reading the detailed description which follows, in association with the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1, already described, is a partial front view of a bag provided with a zipper according to the prior art; - Figure 2, already described, is a partial sectional view showing a guide fin in a slider for zipper according to the prior art; Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view similar to that shown in Fig. 2, showing a slider guide fin according to the present invention; - Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a slider according to the present invention; - Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a slider according to the present invention, shown in a particular use condition; FIGS. 6a and 6b are partial sectional views showing different embodiments of slider guide vanes according to the present invention; and FIGS. 7a, 7b and 7c are partial sectional views of different slider embodiments, said views being taken along the axis VII-VII of FIG. 5 at the trailing end of each of the sliders.

With reference in particular to FIGS. 3 and 4, a cursor 1 for a slide fastener according to the present invention comprises a cursor body 1a which comprises, in a manner known per se, an upper plate (not visible in FIGS. similar to the plate designated by reference 11 in Figure 1) and a lower plate 12, connected by a post 13.

As already mentioned above, each wafer 11, 12 has respective curved guide vanes 8 protruding from each wafer 11, 12 to the other wafer 12, 11 along respective opposite side edges of said wafers.

The guide vanes 8 of each wafer define, with the upright 13, a substantially Y-shaped channel, generally designated 14 (Figures 4 and 5). In a manner known per se, the guide channel 14 is designed to guide, couple and uncouple the teeth 7 of the attachment strips 3 and 4 which pass in it along a longitudinal axis of the slider indicated by LA -LA in Figures 1, 4 and 5.

The guide channel 14 comprises in particular a first end portion 14a, close to the upright 13, and a second end portion 14b, remote from the upright 13; in use, the zipper teeth 7 are respectively released from each other and engaged with each other.

In a slider 1 according to the present invention, at the second end portion 14b of the guide channel 14, the guide vanes 8 which face each other on at least one side of the longitudinal axis LA- LA have a respective bevelled end surface 8a which is inclined from the outside of the guide channel 14 towards the inside thereof, towards said longitudinal axis LA-LA and the post 13, as can be seen in particular on Figures 3 and 4.

However, in order to facilitate manufacture and assembly, it may be preferable to provide all the guide vanes 8 with a slider 1 of such beveled end surfaces 8a.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 5, when, in the example initially described, lid L of a suitcase S is opened in the unorthodox manner previously described (ie when the user of the bag simply raises the lid L), when said lid is lifted, the zipper F and its slider 1 are also raised. However, the guide vanes 8 cooperating with the teeth of the lower attachment band 4 finally come into contact with said teeth 7 and start pulling it upwards.

At the open part of the upper attachment band 3, the teeth 7 are also raised, released by the slider 1, and finally come into contact with the upper guide vanes 8 of the slider 1 and add to the rotation, following the movement of the lid upwards.

As mentioned above, at this point, with a normal zipper, the upper guide vanes 8 of the slider would strike the adjacent engaged teeth 7 of the upper attachment band 3 and prevent any further opening of the cover.

With the solution proposed by the present invention, the effect obtained is that these teeth slide on or along the bevel provided in the end surfaces of the upper guide vanes 8 and enter smoothly into the second end portion 14b of the guide channel 14.

Figure 5 shows a slider 1 according to the invention in a position taken during the unorthodox opening of the zipper. In said figure, next to the longitudinal axis LA-LA of the cursor body la, is represented a CA-CA axis called chain axis. The CA-CA chain axis is an axis that passes through the engagement centers of the teeth 7 of the fastening strips of the zipper.

Normally, when a cursor is pulled along an undeformed stringer chain, the LA-LA cursor axis and the CA-CA warp axis substantially coincide with each other. However, during an unorthodox opening of the zipper, said axes LA-LA and CA-CA no longer coincide with each other. As shown in FIG. 5, an angle α is formed between them. The angle α increases at the same time that the rotation undergone by the cursor 1 increases, and in general it can reach a maximum amplitude of about 35 °.

With reference to FIG. 5, in order to allow the slider 1 to move along the fastening strips during an unorthodox opening of the zipper, it is convenient that the angle of inclination β of the zipper beveled end surface 8a of the upper guide vanes 8 (at least), with respect to the longitudinal axis LA-LA of the latter, is substantially equal to or greater than the maximum amplitude expected from the angle α defined above. above.

In order to ensure that the tooth 7 which enters the second end portion 14b of the guide channel 14 during the unorthodox opening described above is not taken by the slider body la, the bevel of the end surface 8a of the upper fins 8 must extend longitudinally over a distance D greater than the distance d between two adjacent teeth 7 of the attachment strips, as shown in FIG.

The appropriate angles of inclination of the end surfaces 8a of the guide vanes 8 with respect to the LA-LA longitudinal axis of the slider may be between 15 ° and 36 °.

Figures 6a and 6b show alternative embodiments.

In the variant shown in FIG. 6a, the inclined end surface 8a of the guide vanes 8 is a convex curved surface.

In the variant shown in Fig. 6b, the inclined end surface 8a comprises a longitudinal continuation of adjacent flat surfaces 8b, 8c, which together form a convex overall end surface.

At the second end portion 14b of the guide channel 14, between the guide vanes 8, each wafer 11, 12 of the slider body 1a has a plate-like wall portion 15 located opposite the portion corresponding wall of the opposite wafer.

Advantageously, as shown in FIG. 7a, said plate-shaped wall portion 15 has a bevelled end surface 15a, inclined from outside the guide channel 14 inwardly thereof, towards the outside. longitudinal axis LA-LA and to the amount 13.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 7a, the inclined end surface 15a is an inclined flat surface, while in the embodiment of Fig. 7b, said inclined end surface 15a is a convex curved surface.

In another embodiment, shown in Fig. 7c, said inclined end surface 15a comprises a longitudinal continuation of adjacent flat surfaces 15b, 15c which together form a convex end surface 15a.

The presence of a tapered end surface 15a at the rear or second end of each wafer 11, 12, as described above, is particularly useful to reduce the risk that the teeth 7, in correspondence with a portion curved of a bag (or other item), collide with the wall portion 15 of the slider pads. The precautionary bevel angle of said end surfaces 15a may be calculated relative to the sharpness of such an angled portion of the bag (or other item).

In all the embodiments described above, the slider body 1a can be made, for example, of a metal part, such as an aluminum alloy, a zinc alloy, etc., by means of a casting process. under pressure.

Alternatively, slider body 1a may be made from a thermoplastic material, such as polyamide, polypropylene, polyacetal, polybutylene terephthalate, by means of an injection molding process. Other manufacturing methods can also be used.

Claims (12)

Slider (1) for a slide fastener (F) comprising two fastening strips (3, 4), each comprising a strip (5, 6) provided with respective closing teeth (7), the slider (1) comprising a slider body (la) having an upper plate (11) and a lower plate (12) connected by a post (13) and having respective guide vanes (8) projecting from each plate (11, 12). ) to the other wafer (12, 11) along respective opposite side edges of said wafers (11, 12), the guide vanes (8) defining, with the upright (13), a substantially shaped guide channel. Y (14) for guiding, coupling and uncoupling the opposing teeth (7) passing therethrough along a longitudinal axis (LA-LA) of the slider (1); the guide channel (14) comprising first and second end portions (14a; 14b), wherein, in use, the zipper teeth (7) of the hooking strips (3, 4) are respectively disengaged from each other and engaged with each other; the slider (1) being characterized in that at the second end portion (14b) of the guide channel (14) formed in the plates (11, 12), the guide vanes (8) confronting each other to each other on at least one side of the longitudinal axis (LA-LA) have a respective beveled end surface (8a) which is inclined from the outside of the guide channel (14) towards the inside of it, towards the longitudinal axis (LA-LA). 2. Slider according to claim 1, wherein the end surfaces (8a) of the guide vanes (8) facing each other are inclined at an angle of between 15 ° and 36 ° relative to the longitudinal axis (LA-LA) of the cursor (1). The slider of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sloped end surfaces (8a) are convex curved surfaces. A slider according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sloped end surfaces (8a) of the guide vanes (8) comprise a longitudinal sequence of adjacent flat surfaces (8b, 8c), which together form a surface of convex global end (8a). 5. Slider according to any one of the preceding claims, for use in the zipper (F), wherein the teeth (7) of each of the fastening strips (3, 4) are separated from each other a predetermined distance (d), the end surfaces (8a) of the guide vanes (8) extending longitudinally over a distance (D) greater than the predetermined distance (d) between the adjacent teeth (7) of the fastening strips (3, 4) of the zipper (F). A slider according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at the second end portion (14b) of the guide channel (14), all the guide vanes (8) of the slider (1) have respective end surfaces (8a) which are inclined from the outside of the guide channel (14) towards the inside of the guide channel (14) towards the longitudinal axis (LA-LA). Slider according to any one of the preceding claims, in which, at the second end portion (14b) of the guide channel (14), between the guide vanes (8), at least one of the platelets ( 11, 12) has a plate-shaped wall portion (15) with a beveled end surface (15a) which is inclined from the outside of the guide channel (14) towards the inside of the guide channel (14). ), towards the longitudinal axis (LA-LA). The slider of claim 7, wherein the tapered end surface (15a) of the plate-like wall portion (15) of said at least one wafer (11, 12) is a convex curved surface. The slider of claim 7, wherein the beveled end surface (15a) of the plate-like wall portion (15) of said at least one wafer (11, 12) comprises a longitudinal sequence of adjacent flat surfaces. (15b, 15c) which together form a convex global end surface (15a). 10. A zipper (F) comprising the slider (1) of one or more of the preceding claims. An article (S) comprising the zipper (F) of claim 10. 12. Article (S) according to claim 11, wherein the fastening strips (3, 4) of the zipper (F) are fixed on a first portion (L) and a second portion (B) of the article (S), one of which (L) can be moved relative to the other (B) in order to cause a rotation of the slider (1) with respect to the fastening strips (3, 4) and the appearance of an angle of rotation (a) between the longitudinal axis (LA-LA) of the slider (1) and a chain axis (CA-CA) which passes through the engagement centers of the engaged teeth (7) of the strips hooking (3, 4); the end faces (8a) of the guide vanes (8) facing each other being inclined, with respect to the chain axis (CA-CA), by an angle substantially equal to or greater than angle of rotation (a).