GB2166797A

GB2166797A - Separable slide fastener

Info

Publication number: GB2166797A
Application number: GB08525432A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yoshitoki Tsubokawa; Noboru Yamamoto
Original assignee: Yoshida Kogyo KK
Current assignee: YKK Corp
Priority date: 1984-10-25
Filing date: 1985-10-16
Publication date: 1986-05-14
Also published as: JPS6175713U; CA1284574C; BR8505404A; EP0179368A3; ES289787Y; DE3583424D1; EP0179368A2; GB8525432D0; KR870001809Y1; JPH0122507Y2; MY102466A; KR860004281U; EP0179368B1; AU4856585A; AU556318B2; ES289787U

Abstract

A separable slide fastener includes a pair of stringer tapes (11, 12) made of a pliable thread-free material such as a nonwoven fabric or a plastic material, a pair of rows of coupling elements (13, 14) on the respective stringer tapes, a separable end assembly (19) connected to bottom end portions of the stringer tapes, and reinforcement strips (23, 23) extending along the inner longitudinal edge of at least one stringer tape a the bottom end portions. The reinforcement strips (23, 23) have a length greater than that of the bottom end assembly (19), with the result that portions of the stringer tape contiguous to the upper end of the end assembly are prevented from being bent or stretched even after repeated operation of the fastener. The reinforcement can cover the whole length of the tape. <IMAGE>

Description

1 GB2166797A 1

SPECIFICATION

Separable slide fastener This invention relates to a slide fastener and 70 more particularly to a separable type of slide fastener having a separable bottom end con nection.

A variety of separable slide fasteners have been proposed for use on articles such as rain coats, anoraks, bags and the like. Such a se parable fastener is provided with a separable end assembly at one of its tape ends that allows the fastener to split apart at that end for the intended purpose. The end assembly takes the form of a pin member on one stringer and a socket member on the other stringer, both members being releasably inter engageable to couple the stringers. The ends of the stringer tapes, which are usually woven or knitte& are reinforced in the region of the separable assembly with a suitable reinforce ment strip of fabric or plastic film so as to ensure firm attachment of the fastener to the article and also to facilitate the manipulation of the end assembly.

Difficulties were encountered with separable slide fasteners having stringer tapes made of pliable thread-free material such as nonwoven fabric, the tape ends being reinforced only at the region of the separable end assembly with the result that then portion of the tape imme diately adjoining the upper end of the end as sembly is prone to bend and stretch upon repeated operation of the fastener, causing a 100 malfunction of the coupling elements adjacent to the end assembly and eventually a rupture of the chain of coupling elements. Bending forces when applied repeatedly to the tape portion bordering the end assembly would of ten tear off the tape along that area.

According to the present invention, there is provided a separable slide fastener comprising a pair of stringer tapes made of a pliable thread-free material, rows of coupling ele ments mounted on the respective tapes along inner longitudinal edges thereof, a slider adapted to bring said rows of coupling ele ments into and out of engagement, a sepa rable end assembly mounted on the botton end of said stringer tapes, and reinforcement strips respectively attached at least to one side of said tapes along an inner longitudinal edge thereof, characterized in that said rein forcement strips have a length greater than that of said end assembly and extend at last over the portion of each stringer tape which supports said end assembly and an adjust ment coupling element located next to said end assembly.

It is believed possible by means of the pre sent invention to provide a separable slide fastener having stringer tapes made of thread free materials which are reinforced against rupture of the chain of coupling elmeents or damage to the tape.

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like references refer to like parts unless stated otherwise and wherein:- Figure 1 is a perspective, partly plan view of a separable slide fastener according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional taken along line 11-11 of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-section view taken along line 111-111 of Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a plan view of a portion of a separable fastener according to another em- bodiment of the invention; Figure 5 is a plan view of a portion of a separable fastener according to a further embodiment of the invention; 85 Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on enlarged scale along line VI- VI and looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5; and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a separable fastener according to still another em- bodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a slide fastener 10 which is separable at its bottom end. The fastener 10 comprises a pair of stringer tapes 11 and 12 having confronting longitudinal edges along which the opposed rows of coupling elements 13 and 14 are secured as by sewn seams 15. The rows of coupling elements 13 and 14 are shown for purposes of illustration to be in the form of a continuous helical coil and are sew through a pair of cords 16, 16 (Fig. 2) to the respective tapes 11 and 12. A slider 17 is mounted astride the confronting edges of the tapes 11 and 12 and it is manipulated at its pull tab 18 to move slidably along the rows of coupling elements 13 and 14 to close or open the identical halves of the slide fastener 10 in the well known manner.

The stringer tapes 11 and 12 are made of a thread-free pliable sheet material such as for example vinylchloride, polyester, polyamide and other suitable synthetic resins, or nonwoven fabrics containing synthetic fibers. The tapes 11 and 12 may be therefore conveniently attached by ultrasonic or high-frequency welding to an article made of for example a thermoplastic material.

Designated at 19 is a separable end assembly composed of a socket member 20 including integrally formed stud 21 and attached on one stringer tape 11 and a pin member 22 attached to the other stringer tape 12, the socket and pin members being releasably interengageable to couple the fastener halves in a manner well known. The end assembly 19 may be clinched or injection-moled onto the bottom ends of the stringer tapes 11, 12. The socket member 20 may have a slider function, as is well known, so as to permit the fastener to open from the reverse direc- tion.

2 GB2166797A 2 In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, there is provided a reinforcement strip 23 attached to and extending all way from one end to the other along the lower inner longitudinal marginal surface of each of the tapes 11 and 12 which underlies the row of coupling elements 13, (14). The reinforcement strip 23 is made of an intimate weave of synthetic fibers, a knitted taffeta or a film of synthetic resins.

The reinforcement strips 23 when brought together edge to edge have a combined width W, at least greater than the widthW2 of the socket member 20, or preferably greater than the track of the slider 17. The end assembly 19 is mounted astride ane envelops the bottom ends of the stringer tapes 11, 12 at the region which includes the rows of elements 13, 14 sewn seams 15, cords 16 and reinforcement strips 23, as shown in Fig. 3. Im- portantly, the reinforcement strips 23 each have a length greater than that of the end assembldy 19 nd more specifically extend along the inner cconfronting edges of the tapes 11, 12 beyond the exposed ends 21' and 22' of the stud 21 and the pin 22, respectively that adjoin the rows of elements 13, 14, so as to protect the tape portions adjacent to the end assembly 19 against damage which would otherwise result from re- peated handling of pin 22 and socket 20.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified embodiment in which a pair of reinforcement strips 23a, 23a are applied only to the tape end portions where the end assembly 19 is located, in- stead of the strips 23 extending along the entire length of the fastener as embodied in Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a further modification which is substantially the same as the em- bodiment of Fig. 1, except that there is provided a further reinforcement strip 23' extending transversely of and wrapping around both sides of the tape 13, (14) at the region of the end assembly 19, so as to provide increased strength at that tape region.

Fig. 7 illustrates another embodiment in which a reinforcement strip 23b (which in this embodiment is the only reinforcement strip) wraps around both sides of each of the tapes 11, 12 and extends along the inner longitudinal edge of the tape either through the entire length of the fastener or only at the bottom tape end where the end assembly 19 and at least one endmost coupling element are lo- cated, the illustrated elements 13, 14 being of a discrete formation in which individual elements are mounted astride of the confronting edges of the tape.

Claims

1. A separable slide fastener comprising:

(a) a pair of stringer tapes made of a pliable thread-free material; (b) rows of coupling elements mounted on the respective tapes along inner longitudinal edges thereof; (c) a slider adapted to bring said rows of coupling elements into and out of engagement; (d) a separable end assembly mounted on the bottom ends of said stringer tapes; and (e) reinforcement strips respectively attached at least to one side of said tapes along the inner longitudinal edges thereof and having a length greater than that of said end assembly, each said reinforcement strip extending at least over the portion of the stringer tape which supports said end assembly and an endmost coupling element located next to said end assembly.

2. A separable slide fastener according to claim 1, said reinforcement strips extending respectively along the inner longitudinal edges of said stringer tapes over the entire length of the fastener.

3. A separable slide fastener according to claim 1, each of said reinforcement strips extending on both sides of a corresponding one of the stringer tapes along the inner longitudi- nal edge thereof through the entire lengths of the fastener, and enveloping bottom end portions of the tapes.

4, A separable slide fastener according to claim 1, 2 or 3, said reinforcement strips, measured when said rows of coupling elements on the respective tapes are in a mutual engagement, having a combined width which is greater than at least the width of said end assembly.

5. A separable slide fastener according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein further reinforcement strips extend transversely across and envelope the bottom end portions of said tapes in the region of said end assembly.

6. A separable slide fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 5, each of said reinforcement strips being made of an intimate weave of synthetic fibers.

7. A separable slide fastener according to anyone of claims 1 to 5, each of said reinforcement strips being made of a knitted taffeta.

8. A separable slide fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 5, each of said rein- forcement strips being made of a film of synthetic regins.

9. A separable slide fastener substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A separable slide fastener substantially as described with reference to and as illus trated in Figs. 1 to 3 modified as in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A separable slide fastener substantially as described with reference to and as illus trated in Figs. 1 to 3 modified as in Fig. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A separable slide fastener substantially as described with reference to and as illus- 3 GB2166797A 3 trated in Figs. 1 to 3 modified as in Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings.

Printed in the United Kingdom for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Dd 8818935, 1986, 4235. Published at The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A l AY, from which copies may be obtained.