TWI844152B - Waterproof toothbrush and waterproof zipper - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a waterproof toothed chain tape and a waterproof zipper. The waterproof toothed chain tape comprises: a tape woven from weft yarns and warp yarns; spiral chain teeth sewn on the lower surface of the tape by sewing threads; and a waterproof membrane layered on the upper surface of the tape. The sewing threads comprise a plurality of floating portions. Each floating portion has two sinking ends driven by a sewing needle piercing the bottom structure of the tape to sink toward the lower surface. The bottom structure of the tape comprises a twill structure formed across the boundary of the chain tooth mounting portion and the main body of the tape. The ridges of the twill structure of the floating portion and the chain tooth mounting portion and/or the grooves between the ridges extend crosswise. Corresponding to the insertion position of the suture needle, a recess is formed between the raised portions. The recess may be located between adjacent ridges.

Description

Waterproof toothbrush belt and waterproof zipper

The present disclosure relates to a waterproof toothbrush belt and a waterproof zipper.

As disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a known technique for providing waterproofness to a zipper tape by laminating a waterproof film on a base fabric of the zipper tape via an adhesive layer. In Patent Document 1, a polyurethane film is used as the waterproof film, and an aqueous polyurethane adhesive is used as the adhesive layer. Similar to Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2 is related to a zipper provided with waterproofness, and in particular discloses that the zipper tooth mounting portion of the zipper tape is made into a 1/1 fabric structure in order to reduce the sliding resistance of the slider related to the opening and closing operation of the zipper. In paragraph 0025 of Patent Document 2, it is described that when the chain element mounting portion includes a twill fabric, poor thread winding related to the sewing of the spiral chain element occurs. In paragraph 0053 of Patent Document 2, a technology for making the chain element mounting portion and the belt body portion a twill fabric is disclosed. In Patent Documents 3 and 4, various fabric structures of zipper tapes are disclosed. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

Patent document 1: International Publication No. 2014/010019 Patent document 2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-65919 Patent document 3: International Publication No. 2015/189918 Patent document 4: International Publication No. 2019/106857

[The problem that the invention wants to solve]

When a waterproof film is deposited on the side opposite to the spiral chain teeth of the base structure of a zipper tape with spiral chain teeth sewn thereon, the appearance (surface) of the waterproof chain tape is sometimes deteriorated due to the gap between the waterproof film and the base structure (for example, the gap is not completely filled with adhesive, air remains there and looks cloudy). In order to improve the appearance of such waterproof chain tape, the inventor of this application has made efforts to study the relationship between the base structure of the zipper tape and the sewing thread, and came up with the following invention of this application. Furthermore, even if the amount of adhesive applied is simply increased, the waterproof chain tape becomes hard and the flexibility is reduced. [Means for solving the problem]

The waterproof zipper tape of one form disclosed herein comprises: a zipper tape woven from at least one weft yarn and a plurality of warp yarns; a spiral chain element sewn on the zipper tape by sewing thread in a manner arranged on the lower surface of the zipper tape; and a waterproof film laminated on the upper surface of the zipper tape on the side opposite to the spiral chain element. The zipper tape comprises: a chain element mounting portion overlapping the spiral chain element in the thickness direction of the zipper tape; and a tape body portion, which is the remaining portion other than the chain element mounting portion. The sewing thread includes a plurality of floating parts that float from the bottom structure of the zipper tape to the upper surface of the tape, each of which has two sinking ends, and the two sinking ends are driven by the sewing needle inserted into the bottom structure of the zipper tape to sink toward the lower surface of the zipper tape. The bottom structure of the zipper tape includes a twill structure formed across the boundary between the chain tooth mounting part and the main body of the tape. The ridges of the twill structure of the floating part and the chain tooth mounting part and/or the grooves between the ridges extend crosswise. The waterproof chain tape has a plurality of recessed parts formed between the floating parts corresponding to the insertion positions of the sewing needle, and the plurality of recessed parts include one or more recessed parts located between adjacent ridges.

In some embodiments, a plurality of floating portions are arranged in a straight line, and the ridges extend straightly at an angle relative to the arrangement direction of the floating portions. The angle formed by the arrangement direction of the floating portions and the extension direction of the ridges may be an angle in the range of 10° to 30°. Alternatively, the angle may be an angle in the range of 15° to 30° or in the range of 20° to 30°.

In some embodiments, in an image showing the projections and depressions on the upper surface of a zipper tape, each of a plurality of recesses is observed to have an area of 0.2 mm ² or less.

In some embodiments, in the image showing the projections and depressions on the upper surface of the zipper tape, the average area of the plurality of depressions is in the range of 0.1 mm ² to 0.2 mm ² .

In some embodiments, in an image showing the projections and depressions on the upper surface of a zipper tape, a median value of the distribution of the areas of the plurality of recesses is within a range of 0.3 mm ² to 0.6 mm ² .

In some embodiments, in an image showing the projections and depressions on the upper surface of a zipper tape, the plurality of recesses include at least one recess that is observed to be surrounded by a raised portion and ridges.

In some embodiments, the twill texture is formed in the entire range of the chain tooth mounting portion.

In some embodiments, the twill texture is formed in the entire range of the belt body except the belt end region on the side of the belt body opposite to the chain element mounting portion.

In some embodiments, the twill texture includes a plurality of sub-regions with ridges extending in different directions.

In some embodiments, the sewing threads are thicker than the width of the warp yarns contained in the twill weave.

In some embodiments, (a) and/or (b) are satisfied: (a) the arrangement direction of the floating portion is consistent with or parallel to the length direction of the waterproof toothed chain tape; (b) the spiral chain teeth are sewn on the zipper tape by double-thread barstitching, and the sewing thread is the needle thread of the double-thread barstitching.

In some embodiments, at least a portion of each of the plurality of recesses is filled with an adhesive for laminating a waterproof membrane on the zipper tape.

Another form of waterproof zipper disclosed in the present invention includes: a pair of waterproof toothed chain tapes, wherein each waterproof toothed chain tape is a waterproof toothed chain tape described in any one of the above; and a slider for engaging and releasing the waterproof toothed chain tape pair. [Effect of the invention]

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the appearance of the waterproof toothbrush chain is improved.

Hereinafter, various embodiments and features are described with reference to the drawings. A person skilled in the art can combine various embodiments and/or features without excessive explanation, and can also understand the synergistic effect based on the combination. In principle, repeated descriptions between embodiments are omitted. The reference drawings are simplified for the purpose of describing the invention. Each feature is not only effective in the waterproof toothbrush belt and the manufacturing method related thereto disclosed in this application, but can be understood as a general feature that is also common to various other waterproof toothbrush belts and the manufacturing methods related thereto that are not disclosed in this specification.

In the specification of the present application, the moving direction of the slider 9 used to open/close the waterproof zipper 1 is set as the front-to-back direction (refer to the double-headed arrow FB in FIG. 1 ). The direction parallel to the width direction of the waterproof zipper 1 is set as the left-right direction (refer to the double-headed arrow LR in FIG. 1 ). The direction parallel to the thickness direction of the waterproof zipper 1 is set as the up-down direction. Furthermore, the up-down direction is orthogonal to the two directions of the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction. The up-down direction does not necessarily refer to the vertical direction (gravity direction). For example, when the length direction of the waterproof zipper 1 is arranged in the vertical direction, the up-down direction related to the waterproof zipper 1 is included in the horizontal direction (orthogonal to the vertical direction). In this way, the direction referenced in this specification is not related to the vertical direction. Furthermore, as described later, directions other than the front-to-back direction, the left-to-right direction, and the up-down direction may also be appropriately referenced.

The waterproof zipper 1 is a flexible strip component that extends long in the front-back direction with a predetermined left-right width, and has a pair of left and right waterproof toothed chain tapes 2m and 2n and a slider 9 for engaging and disengaging the waterproof toothed chain tapes 2m and 2n. Like the waterproof zipper 1, the waterproof toothed chain tapes 2m and 2n are also flexible strip components that extend long in the front-back direction with a constant left-right width. By advancing the slider 9, the left and right waterproof toothed chain tapes 2m and 2n (specifically, the spiral chain teeth 4m and 4n described later) are engaged, and a waterproof seal is formed by the butt joint of the opposing side edges 65 of the waterproof membranes 6m and 6n described later (refer to FIG. 4 ). By retreating the slider 9, the engagement of the left and right waterproof chain tapes 2m and 2n (specifically, the spiral chain teeth 4m and spiral chain teeth 4n described later) is released, and the butt joint between the facing side edges of the waterproof membranes 6m and 6n is also eliminated. Furthermore, although the butt joint between the facing side edges 65 of the waterproof membranes 6m and 6n does not have high resistance to water pressure, it can achieve simple waterproofing. The butt joint between the facing side edges 65 of the waterproof membranes 6m and 6n can also be omitted, in which case, a lower waterproof performance can be obtained.

The waterproof toothed chain tape 2m and the waterproof toothed chain tape 2n have: a zipper tape 3m and a zipper tape 3n; spiral chain teeth 4m and spiral chain teeth 4n, which are sewn to the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n by sewing thread 5 in a manner arranged on the lower surface 31 of the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n; and waterproof membranes 6m and 6n, which are laminated on the upper surface 32 of the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n on the side opposite to the spiral chain teeth 4m and the spiral chain teeth 4n. The waterproof toothed chain tape 2m and the waterproof toothed chain tape 2n have hardness and softness corresponding to the lamination of the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n and the waterproof membrane 6m and the waterproof membrane 6n. The waterproof membrane 6m, 6n supports the zipper tape 3m, 3n, and the selection range of the bottom fabric of the zipper tape 3m, 3n is expanded. In some cases, a fabric fabric that improves the flexibility of the zipper tape 3m, 3n is used, and the improved flexibility of the zipper tape 3m, 3n is compensated by the hardness of the waterproof membrane 6m, 6n.

The zipper tape 3m, 3n includes: a chain element mounting portion 33 for mounting the spiral chain element 4m, 4n and overlapping the spiral chain element 4m, 4n in the thickness direction of the zipper tape 3m, 3n; and a tape body portion 34, which is the remaining portion other than the chain element mounting portion 33. The chain element mounting portion 33 may be narrower than the tape body portion 34. The boundary P1 between the chain element mounting portion 33 and the tape body portion 34 is parallel to the center plane CP of the waterproof zipper 1, and may also be defined by a plane connected to the reverse portion 44 of the spiral chain element 4m, 4n described later. The center plane CP of the waterproof zipper 1 includes an axis that defines the moving path of the slider 9, and is orthogonal to the width direction (i.e., the left-right direction) of the waterproof zipper 1. When the left and right spiral chain teeth 4m, 4n are engaged, a gap is formed between the opposite side edges 36 of the left and right zipper tapes 3m, 3n. The gap is completely or partially covered by the waterproof membrane 6m, 6n, thereby achieving simple waterproofing.

The zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n are highly soft woven fabrics woven from at least one weft yarn 38 and a plurality of warp yarns 39. An automatic weaving machine can be used to weave the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n. The weft yarn 38 and the warp yarn 39 are yarns (e.g., monofilament yarns or multifilament yarns) having desired properties (denier value, color). The weft yarn 38 and the warp yarn 39 can be dyed before weaving the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n, or they can be dyed after weaving the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n. Two weft yarn portions aligned in the weft direction of the weft yarn 38 are gathered and spanned by the warp yarn 39, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described form. It is also possible for the warp yarn 39 to span one weft yarn portion of the weft yarn 38. Furthermore, the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n are woven fabrics woven from the weft yarn 38 and the warp yarn 39 as described above, so water is allowed to penetrate and pass through the threads themselves and the gaps between the threads.

The lower surface 31 and the upper surface 32 of the zipper tape 3m and 3n are depicted as flat surfaces in FIG. 4 , but are actually non-flat surfaces. All or each of the warp yarns 39 included in the zipper tape 3m and 3n repeatedly cross the weft yarns 38 on the upper side (i.e., the upper surface 32 side) and cross the weft yarns 38 on the lower side (i.e., the lower surface 31 side). As the warp yarns 39 in the width direction of the zipper tape 3m and 3n rise and fall as described above, the lower surface 31 and the upper surface 32 are formed with convex and concave surfaces in a two-dimensionally expanded manner.

The spiral chain teeth 4m and the spiral chain teeth 4n are typically formed by winding a monofilament in a spiral shape, and include a continuous arrangement of units U1 including an upper leg 41, a lower leg 42, a locking head 43, and a reversing portion 44 (see Figures 3 to 5). The upper leg 41 and the lower leg 42 extend in the width direction of the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n, and have an outer end and an inner end. The locking head 43 extends in the up-down direction in a manner connecting the outer end of the upper leg 41 with the outer end of the lower leg 42. The reversing portion 44 extends in a curved manner in a manner connecting the inner end of the lower leg 42 with the inner end of the upper leg 41 between adjacent units U1. Furthermore, the outer side of the tape refers to the direction from a point on the tape surface of the zipper tape toward a point outside the tape surface of the zipper tape, and may intersect (for example, be orthogonal) with the opposite side edge 36 depending on the situation. The inner side of the tape refers to the direction from a point outside the tape surface of the zipper tape toward a point on the tape surface of the zipper tape, and may intersect (for example, be orthogonal) with the opposite side edge 36 depending on the situation. The engaging head 43 has a wide engagement portion formed in the front-rear direction by plastic deformation of the monofilament, and can engage with the left and right spiral chain elements 4m and 4n.

There are various ways to sew the spiral chain element 4m and spiral chain element 4n to the zipper tape 3m and zipper tape 3n by the sewing thread 5. Including the illustrated example, the spiral chain element 4m and spiral chain element 4n are typically sewn to the zipper tape 3m and zipper tape 3n by double-thread lock stitching or flat stitching based on the operation of the sewing machine. The sewing needle of the sewing machine moves in the up-down direction so as to pass through the zipper tape 3m and zipper tape 3n, and the sewing of the sewing machine moves in the front-back direction so as to wrap the sewing thread around the loop on the lower side of the needle thread. In addition, the zipper tape 3m, zipper tape 3n and spiral chain teeth 4m, spiral chain teeth 4n are fed continuously or intermittently in the front-rear direction by the feeding mechanism of the sewing machine. In the case of double-thread lockstitching, it is better to use two sewing needles to form two stitches on the upper surface 32 of the tape, and the number of sewing needles can be appropriately changed.

As the sewing needle penetrates into the zipper tape 3m and 3n, the base fabric of the zipper tape 3m and 3n is deformed, for example, the weft yarn 38 thereof moves slightly (i.e., avoids) in the front-back direction (feeding direction), and/or the warp yarn 39 thereof moves slightly (i.e., avoids) in the tape width direction (left-right direction). The feed speed of the sewing machine is set to be constant, and the sewing needle is penetrated into the zipper tape 3m and 3n at a prescribed interval in the length direction of the zipper tape 3m and 3n. However, the penetration position of the sewing needle varies slightly depending on the feed accuracy, slippage, and tape softness of the sewing machine. Furthermore, in the illustrated example, the sewing needle is inserted into the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n during the transportation stop process and then pulled out.

In the above case, the sewing thread 5 includes at least two different threads such as the needle thread 51 and the sewing thread 56, which are regularly wound to fix the spiral chain teeth 4m and the spiral chain teeth 4n to the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n. The needle thread 51 includes a plurality of floating parts 52 (refer to FIG. 5) that float from the bottom structure of the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n to the upper surface 32 of the tape. Each floating part 52 has two sinking ends 52a and 52b, and the two sinking ends 52a and 52b are driven by the sewing needle 8 inserted into the bottom structure of the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n to sink to the lower surface 31 side of the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n. The plurality of raised portions 52 are typically arranged in a direction that is consistent with or parallel to the length direction of the waterproof toothed chain tape 2m and the waterproof toothed chain tape 2n (i.e., in a straight line), but are not necessarily limited thereto. The waterproof toothed chain tape 2m and the waterproof toothed chain tape 2n have a plurality of recessed portions 7 formed between the raised portions 52 corresponding to the insertion positions of the sewing needle 8. The recessed portions 7 will be described in more detail below.

In addition to the floating portion 52, the needle thread 51 also includes a thread portion 53 extending downward, a thread portion 54 entwined with a sewing thread 56, and a thread portion 55 extending upward in order to connect the sinking ends 52a and 52b of two adjacent floating portions 52. That is, the needle thread 51 is a winding thread in which the upper loop including the floating portion 52 and the lower loop including the thread portion 54 are alternately connected. The thread portion 53 and the thread portion 54 are shown as being in direct contact, but they should not be limited to the above form. In addition, the intertwining point 57 where the needle thread 51 and the sewing thread 56 are entwined is located closer to the lower leg 42 than the upper leg 41 in the vertical direction, but it is not limited to this.

By adjusting the amount of the thread 51 supplied each time the sewing needle 8 moves up and down, the tension of the thread 51 can be adjusted, and the same applies to the sewing thread 56. In short, by the entanglement of the thread 51 and the sewing thread 56, a predetermined tension or a tension within a predetermined range is generated on the thread 51 and the sewing thread 56. As a result, in addition to the penetration of the sewing needle 8 (avoidance of the sewing needle 8), the thread 51 itself also applies deformation to the base fabric of the zipper tape 3m, 3n, for example, the weft yarn 38 thereof is pushed and moved in the front-back direction (typically slightly) and/or the warp yarn 39 thereof is pushed and moved (typically slightly) in the left-right direction. The partial movement of these threads promotes the formation of the recessed portion 7 described later. Furthermore, it is not necessary to lower the sewing needle 8 by the unit U1 of the spiral chain teeth to entangle the needle thread 51 and the sewing thread 56. For example, the sewing needle 8 can be lowered by two or three units U1 to entangle the needle thread 51 and the sewing thread 56.

The waterproof membrane 6m and the waterproof membrane 6n are typically films of a predetermined thickness containing a thermoplastic resin. As the thermoplastic resin, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl alcohol can be used. The waterproof membrane 6m and the waterproof membrane 6n are exemplarily layered on the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n via an adhesive, but can also be layered on the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n by welding or coating. That is, the waterproof membrane 6m and the waterproof membrane 6n on the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n can also be layered by a method other than bonding. As a preferred example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the waterproof membrane comprises polyurethane, and the adhesive comprises a water-based polyurethane adhesive (Patent Document 1 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety).

Referring to Fig. 6, the bottom structure of the zipper tape 3m, 3n includes a diagonal structure 35 formed across the boundary P1 between the chain element mounting portion 33 and the tape body 34. Preferably, the diagonal structure 35 includes a plurality of ridges 26 extending across the boundary P1 between the chain element mounting portion 33 and the tape body 34. Thus, the difference in the layering state between the bottom structure of the zipper tape 3m, 3n and the waterproof membrane 6m, 6n is less likely to be seen on both sides of the boundary P1, thereby improving the uniformity of the appearance and/or the degree of surface flatness of the waterproof sprocket tape 2m, 2n. The degree of surface flatness can be obtained by calculating the surface roughness of the waterproof films 6m and 6n.

In more detail, the twill structure 35 includes a first area 35a formed across the boundary P1 between the sprocket mounting portion 33 and the belt body 34, and a second area 35b as the remaining portion. The first area 35a includes a plurality of ridges 26 extending in a manner intersecting the boundary P1. The second area 35b includes a belt end area 35r on the side opposite to the sprocket mounting portion 33 of the belt body 34, and a plurality of sub-areas 35p and 35q in which the ridges 26 extend in different (for example, opposite) directions. The belt end area 35r includes a plain weave structure, but other structures may also be used. In the sub-region 35p, the ridge 26 extends obliquely in a manner that it is away from the chain tooth mounting portion 33 as it extends radially upward. In the sub-region 35q, the ridge 26 extends obliquely in a manner that it is close to the chain tooth mounting portion 33 as it extends radially upward. That is, the ridges 26 of the sub-region 35p and the sub-region 35q are mirror images. In this way, the softness of the bottom structure can be adjusted according to the sub-regions with different extension directions of the ridge 26. Furthermore, by using a twill structure, a certain hardness can be obtained while maintaining high softness.

In some cases, the entire range of the chain element mounting portion 33 is formed of a twill structure, but it is not necessarily limited to this. In addition or alternatively, the entire range of the belt body portion 34 except the belt end area 35r is formed of a twill structure, but it is not necessarily limited to this. By expanding the range of the twill structure, it is possible to ensure that the sewing thread is surely inserted into the twill structure, and at the same time, as can be seen from the comparison between Figures 8 and 11, it is possible to promote the improvement of the surface flatness of the waterproof toothed chain tape 2m and the waterproof toothed chain tape 2n (and thus improve its appearance). The zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n shown in Figure 8 include a twill structure in the entire area except the belt end area 35r. The zipper tape shown in FIG. 11 does not include a twill structure in the tape body portion. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11 , the surface of the waterproof zipper tape has more obvious bumps and depressions than FIG. 8 , and the flatness is low.

Figure 7 shows the fabric structure on the upper surface 32 side of the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n. In the tissue diagram of Figure 7, squares are arranged two-dimensionally in the column direction and the row direction. The column direction is consistent with the weft direction in which the weft yarns extend, and the row direction is consistent with the warp direction in which the warp yarns extend. Furthermore, when two weft yarn portions aligned in the tape width direction are spanned by the warp yarns, one square contains two weft yarn portions. The number of warp yarns contained in one square is one, but should not be limited to this. The rectangular square marked with shaded area represents the floating portion 52 of the warp yarn 39. The ridges 26 are formed by continuous raised portions 52 of the warp yarns 39 in an oblique direction relative to the weft yarns 38. The extending direction D1 of the ridges 26 can be defined by connecting the front and rear center points of each raised portion 52 with a straight line. Between the ridges 26 adjacent in the warp direction, grooves 27 extending obliquely in the same manner as the ridges 26 are formed.

In FIG. 7 , the needle thread 51 of a predetermined thickness is indicated by two parallel dotted lines, and the insertion position of the sewing needle 8 is indicated by dots. There is a floating portion 52 of the needle thread 51 between the dots. It is assumed that the insertion position of the sewing needle 8 is located within the dots, but it is also possible that it is slightly offset outside the dots. In the organization diagram of FIG. 7 , the floating portion 52 extends crosswise with the ridges 26 (also the grooves 27 between the ridges 26) of the diagonal structure in the chain tooth mounting portion 33. In addition, since there is a insertion position of the sewing needle 8 between the ridges 26 adjacent in the warp direction (for example, refer to P1 to P5 in FIG. 7 ), the recess 7 is located between the adjacent ridges 26. Due to the bulging of the ridge 26, the spatial size (volume) of the recess 7 is reduced, and when viewed from above, the recess 7 is formed with a smaller area. On the other hand, when the chain tooth mounting portion 33 is a plain weave fabric, there is no ridge itself. Therefore, the recess 7 will not become small in size and area due to the ridge. In the case where the chain tooth mounting portion 33 includes a ribbed fabric, if tension is applied to the sewing thread 5 in order to fix the spiral chain tooth, the weft yarn is easy to move in the warp direction, and the spatial size of the recess 7 becomes larger. Therefore, the same effect as the present embodiment cannot be obtained. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, when observing from the upper surface of the waterproof chain strip, the recess 7 is observed to be white and turbid.

In the present embodiment, the waterproof sprocket tape 2m and the waterproof sprocket tape 2n have a plurality of recesses 7 formed between the floating parts 52 corresponding to the insertion positions of the sewing needle 8, and the plurality of recesses 7 include one or more (typically, a plurality of) recesses 7 located between adjacent ridges 26. According to the above-described form, the recesses 7 are formed between the floating parts 52 with a smaller size and a smaller area by the ridges 26 of the bottom structure of the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n. Thus, when the waterproof film 6m, 6n is layered on the upper surface 32 of the zipper tape 3m, 3n, whether or not an adhesive is used, it is possible to prevent the appearance of the waterproof sprocket tape 2m, 2n from being deteriorated due to air being trapped in the recessed portion 7 (for example, the recessed portion appears cloudy). In this way, it is possible to avoid or prevent the reduction in yield due to the poor appearance of the waterproof sprocket tape 2m, 2n, while giving the waterproof sprocket tape 2m, 2n a sense of luxury. As an additional or alternative effect, the seam line 5 extends along the ridge 26 (in other words, does not extend in a manner orthogonal to the ridge 26), and the degree to which the seam line 5 appears to float from the bottom structure can be reduced. As an additional or alternative effect, as described above, since the recess 7 is formed with a smaller area, it is allowed to use a thicker (ie, larger in fiber thickness) sewing thread 5 that would otherwise form a large area recess 7. By using a thicker sewing thread 5, the mounting strength of the spiral chain teeth can be improved or a spiral chain teeth of a larger size can be mounted. In some cases, the sewing thread 5 is a thread having a larger width than the warp yarns included in the twill weave, and is preferably a twisted multifilament thread. Typically, the sewing thread 5 is a twisted multifilament thread having a substantially circular cross-section. Furthermore, the ridges 26 that contribute to the small size and small area of the recess 7 may be located on both sides of the recess 7 in the tape width direction (latitude direction).

The various effects are further described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. Fig. 8 is a photograph of the upper surface of the waterproof chain, and the convex and concave surfaces corresponding to the raised portions of the sewing line can be observed on the left and right of the center plane CP of the chain. Fig. 9 is an image obtained by observing the upper surface of the zipper tape before the waterproof film is layered using a three-dimensional shape measuring machine (one shot 3D shape measuring machine (VR-3200) manufactured by Keyence), and the depth is expressed using color difference (concentration difference in black and white). For better understanding, a comparison example is also referred to. In the comparison example, the zipper tape's zipper tooth mounting portion has the fabric structure shown in Fig. 10 (i.e., excluding twill fabric). In the comparative example, the tape body also does not include a twill fabric. FIG. 11 is a photograph of the upper surface of the waterproof chain of the comparative example. FIG. 12 is an image obtained by observing the upper surface of the zipper tape of the comparative example before the waterproof film is layered using a three-dimensional shape measuring machine (the same as the embodiment), and the depth is expressed using color difference (concentration difference in black and white). Furthermore, in either the embodiment or the comparative example, the waterproof film 6m and the waterproof film 6n are layered on the zipper tape 3m and the zipper tape 3n via an adhesive. In addition, except for the difference in the fabric structure of the zipper tape, the same material is used in the embodiment and the comparative example, and the same method is used for manufacturing, and the same conditions and devices are used for observation. Furthermore, in any of the embodiments and comparative examples, sewing threads (needle threads and stitching threads) thicker than the warp yarns and weft yarns are used.

In either of FIG. 8 and FIG. 11, undulations corresponding to the floating parts of the needle thread are observed near the center plane CP of the waterproof chain. In FIG. 11, white turbidity occurs around a plurality of floating parts. In FIG. 11, it is not limited to the parts between the floating parts, and even a slightly longer white turbidity extending along the floating parts occurs. On the other hand, in FIG. 8, although there are a few white turbidity parts in the parts between the floating parts, the area is smaller than that shown in FIG. 11. In addition, in FIG. 8, a slightly longer white turbidity extending along the floating parts is not generated.

In either of FIG. 9 and FIG. 12 , it can be confirmed that the recessed portion 7 is formed between the floating portions 52. In FIG. 9 and FIG. 12 , a dashed line is drawn along the outline of each floating portion 52 adjacent in the longitudinal direction, and a solid line is drawn along the outline of the recessed portion 7 between the floating portions 52. Although dashed lines and solid lines are not drawn for all the floating portions and recessed portions, it can be understood in the same way. As can be seen from the comparison between FIG. 9 and FIG. 12 , the area of the recessed portion 7 observed in FIG. 9 is smaller than the area of the recessed portion observed in FIG. 12 . The average value of the area can be used for comparison of the area.

In more detail, in any of the embodiments and comparative examples, two rows of traces L1 and L2 are formed in one of the waterproof toothed chain tapes 2m and 2n (composed of the arrangement of the floating parts). In FIG. 9 , recesses 7 are formed between adjacent floating parts 52 on each of the traces L1 and L2. In FIG. 12 , a small number of recesses 7 are formed on the trace L1, and a large number of large recesses 7 are formed on the trace L2. In FIG. 12 , even if the number and area of the recesses are suppressed on one of the traces L1, a large number of recesses are formed on the other trace L2, and the appearance of the waterproof toothed chain tape as a whole is deteriorated. In the embodiment, the recesses 7 are formed with a small area on any of the traces L1 and L2, and thus the appearance of the waterproof toothed chain tape is improved. There is a clear practical benefit in improving the appearance of the waterproof toothbrush tape by changing the fabric structure of the zipper tape without changing the amount of adhesive used. Increasing the amount of adhesive used may lead to an increase in the hardness of the waterproof toothbrush tape.

The ridge 26 extends straightly obliquely relative to the arrangement direction of the floating portion 52 (i.e., the extension direction of the trace), and the angle θ formed by the arrangement direction of the floating portion 52 and the extension direction of the ridge 26 (i.e., D1) can be any angle within the range of 10° to 30° (in other words, 10°, 30°, or an angle equal to the intermediate value thereof) (furthermore, the intermediate value is not limited to natural numbers such as 11°, 12°, ..., 28°, 29°, etc.). In this case, the angle difference between the floating portion 52 and the ridge 26 becomes smaller (i.e., the two are close to parallel), the flatness of the surface of the waterproof toothed chain tape 2m and the waterproof toothed chain tape 2n is improved, and the appearance can be improved. As the angle of the ridges 26 is reduced, the flexibility of the zipper tape decreases (i.e., becomes harder), and the sliding resistance of the slider in contact with the zipper tape may increase. Therefore, it is preferred that the angle θ is greater than 15° or greater than 20°. Advantageously, the angle θ formed by the arrangement direction of the floating portion 52 and the extension direction of the ridges 26 is any angle within the range of 15° to 30° or 20° to 30°.

In order to set the angle of the ridge 26, the number of warp yarns contained in a unit width (for example, 4 mm) is appropriately set. In some cases, 12 to 20 warp yarns, preferably 14 to 18 warp yarns, are introduced into the unit width of 4 mm of the chain element mounting portion 33.

The following features can be read from the image of FIG. 9 obtained by the three-dimensional shape measuring machine (specifically, an image showing the unevenness of the tape upper surface 32 of the zipper tape 3m, 3n before the waterproof film 6m, 6n is laminated). Of course, even after the waterproof film 6m, 6n is laminated, the same optical observation can be performed by peeling off the waterproof film 6m, 6n using an appropriate solvent. Depending on the type and setting of the three-dimensional shape measuring machine, the same optical observation can also be performed without peeling off the waterproof film 6m, 6n.

(a) It is observed that each (or all) of the plurality of recesses is present as a recess having an area of 0.2 ^mm2 or less. This feature is the result of the reduction in the space of the recess due to the bulging of the ridges. Without increasing the amount of adhesive used, the possibility of the recess being filled with adhesive increases, thereby achieving an improvement in the appearance of the waterproof tooth chain tape.

(b) The average area of the plurality of recessed portions is within a range of 0.1 mm ² to 0.2 mm ^2. This can promote a more effective improvement in the appearance of the waterproof toothed chain.

(c) The median value of the distribution of the areas of the plurality of recessed portions is within the range of 0.3 mm ² to 0.6 mm ^2. This can promote a more effective improvement in the appearance of the waterproof toothed chain.

(d) At least one concave portion surrounded by a raised portion and a ridge is observed. In FIG9 , the concave portion surrounded by a solid line on the trace L1 is surrounded by the raised portions 52 located at the front and rear in the warp direction and the ridges 26 located at the left and right in the latitudinal direction. Due to the difference in the fabric structure of the chain tooth mounting portion, the concave portion surrounded by the raised portion and the ridge is not observed in FIG12 as described above. Furthermore, the above-mentioned feature can also be confirmed by an image other than the image of FIG9 or by observation under a microscope.

Advantageously, at least a portion of all the recesses 7 is filled with an adhesive for laminating the waterproof membrane 6m, 6n on the zipper tape 3m, 3n, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It is also assumed that some recesses in a group of recesses 7 are not filled with an adhesive at all. For example, in the manufacture of the waterproof zipper 1, a waterproof sprocket tape as an intermediate product is sometimes partially removed in order to install the slider 9. No adhesive is applied to such removed portion, or a smaller amount of adhesive is applied, and as a result, the waterproof sprocket tape may have a partially deteriorated appearance.

Finally, a method for manufacturing a waterproof toothed chain is briefly described. FIG13 is a schematic flow chart showing a method for manufacturing a waterproof toothed chain. FIG14 is a schematic step chart showing a method for laminating a waterproof film on a waterproof chain. FIG15 is a schematic step chart showing a method for cutting a waterproof film laminated on a waterproof chain by a cutter.

First, a zipper tape is woven using weft yarns and warp yarns (S1). Advantageously, except for the tape end region of the tape body 34, the entire tape body is formed by a twill structure. As described above, the twill structure may include multiple regions with different ridge directions. Next, a spiral chain element is sewn to the zipper tape (S2). For this purpose, an industrial sewing machine can be used. The spiral chain element is sewn to the zipper tape by double-thread lock stitching or flat stitching. Next, a waterproof membrane is laminated on the zipper tape (S3). Before lamination, an adhesive can be applied in layers to the upper surface of the zipper tape. Due to the ridges 26, a large number of recesses are formed in a small area, and the recesses are filled more fully with the adhesive. The same effect can be obtained when the waterproof membrane is welded.

As shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, a waterproof film may be laminated on a zipper chain engaged with waterproof toothed chain tapes 2m and 2n, and then the waterproof film may be cut by a cutter 81 at a position on the gap between the left and right zipper tapes 3m and 3n.

According to the above teachings, a person skilled in the art can make various changes to various implementations and features. The symbols added in the scope of the patent application are used for reference and should not be used for the purpose of limiting the interpretation of the scope of the patent application.

1: Waterproof zipper 2m, 2n: Waterproof toothed zipper tape 3m, 3n: Zipper tape 4m, 4n: Spiral chain teeth 5: Sewing thread 6m, 6n: Waterproof membrane 7: Recess 8: Sewing needle 9: Slider 26: Ribbon 27: Groove 31: Lower surface of belt 32: Upper surface of belt 33: Chain tooth mounting part 34: Belt body 35: Twill weave 35a: First area 35b: Second area 35p: Sub-area 35q: Sub-area 35r: Belt end area 36, 65: Opposite side edges 38: Weft yarn 39: Warp yarn 41: Upper leg 42: Lower leg 43: Engagement head 44: Reversal part 51: Needle thread 52: Floating part 52a: Sinking end 52b: Sinking end 53, 54, 55: Thread part 56: Sewing line 57: Interlacing point 81: Cutter CP: Center plane D1: Extension direction FB, LR: Double-headed arrow L1, L2: Stitch P1: Boundary P1~P5: Insertion position S1, S2, S3: Steps U1: Unit θ: Angle

FIG. 1 is a schematic partial top view of a waterproof zipper of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic partial bottom view of the waterproof zipper. FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the left and right waterproof toothed chain tapes in an engaged state, wherein the engaging heads of the left and right spiral chain teeth are alternately engaged in the front-rear direction. FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the waterproof toothed chain tape, and schematically shows the state in which the spiral chain teeth are sewn to the bottom structure of the zipper tape by sewing thread. FIG. 6 is a structural diagram showing the fabric structure of the zipper tape. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the fabric structure of a part of the chain tooth mounting portion and the insertion position of the sewing needle. FIG8 is a photograph of the upper surface of the waterproof chain, and the convex and concave corresponding to the floating part of the seam can be observed on the left and right of the center line of the chain. FIG9 is an image obtained by observing the upper surface of the zipper tape before the waterproof film is layered using a three-dimensional shape measuring machine, and the depth is expressed by color difference (darkness in black and white printed paper). FIG10 is a texture diagram showing the fabric structure of the zipper tooth mounting part of the zipper tape of the comparative example. FIG11 is a photograph of the upper surface of the waterproof chain of the comparative example, and the convex and concave corresponding to the floating part of the seam can be observed on the left and right of the center line of the chain. FIG12 is an image obtained by observing the upper surface of the zipper tape of the comparative example before the waterproof film is layered using a three-dimensional shape measuring machine, and the depth is expressed using color difference (darkness in black and white printed paper). FIG13 is a schematic flow chart showing a method for manufacturing a waterproof toothed chain tape. FIG14 is a schematic step diagram for layering a waterproof film on a waterproof chain. FIG15 is a schematic step diagram for cutting the waterproof film layered on the waterproof chain using a cutter.

26: Ridge 27: Groove 33: Chain tooth mounting part 51: Needle thread 52: Floating part D1: Extension direction P1~P5: Insertion position

Claims (13)

A waterproof toothed zipper tape comprises: a zipper tape (3m, 3n) woven from at least one weft yarn (38) and a plurality of warp yarns (39); spiral chain teeth (4m, 4n) sewn to the zipper tape (3m, 3n) by sewing threads (5) in a manner of being arranged on a lower surface (31) of the zipper tape (3m, 3n); and a waterproof membrane (6m, 6n) laminated on the zipper tape (3m, 3n) on a side opposite to the spiral chain teeth (4m, 4n). n), the zipper tape (3m, 3n) comprising: a chain tooth mounting portion (33) overlapping with the spiral chain tooth (4m, 4n) in the thickness direction of the zipper tape (3m, 3n); and a tape body portion (34) being the remaining portion other than the chain tooth mounting portion (33), the sewing thread (5) comprising a plurality of floating portions (52) respectively floating from the bottom tissue of the zipper tape (3m, 3n) to the upper surface (32) of the tape, Each floating portion (52) has two sinking ends (52a, 52b), and the two sinking ends (52a, 52b) are driven by a sewing needle (8) inserted into the bottom structure of the zipper tape (3m, 3n) to sink toward the lower surface (31) side of the zipper tape (3m, 3n), wherein the bottom structure of the zipper tape (3m, 3n) includes a twill structure formed across the boundary (P1) between the zipper tooth mounting portion (33) and the tape main body (34). , the floating part (52) and the ridges (26) of the diagonal structure of the chain tooth mounting part (33) and/or the grooves (27) between the ridges (26) extend crosswise, and the waterproof chain tape (2m, 2n) has a plurality of recesses (7) formed between the floating parts (52) corresponding to the insertion positions of the sewing needle (8), and the plurality of recesses (7) include one or more recesses (7) located between the adjacent ridges (26). The waterproof tooth chain belt as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of floating parts (52) are arranged in a straight line, the ridges (26) extend in a straight line obliquely relative to the arrangement direction of the floating parts (52), and the angle formed by the arrangement direction of the floating parts (52) and the extension direction of the ridges (26) is within the range of 10° to 30°. A waterproof toothbrush tape as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein in an image representing the projections and depressions on the upper surface (32) of the zipper tape (3m, 3n), each of the plurality of recesses (7) is observed to appear as a recess (7) having an area of less than 0.2 ^mm2 . The waterproof toothbrush tape as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein in the image showing the concavo-convexity of the tape upper surface (32) of the zipper tape (3m, 3n), the average area of the plurality of recesses (7) is in the range of 0.1 ^mm2 to 0.2 ^mm2 . The waterproof toothbrush tape as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein in the image showing the projections and depressions of the tape upper surface (32) of the zipper tape (3m, 3n), the central value of the distribution of the areas of the plurality of recesses (7) is within the range of 0.3 ^mm2 to 0.6 ^mm2 . A waterproof toothbrush tape as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein in the image representing the concavoconvexity of the upper surface (32) of the zipper tape (3m, 3n), the plurality of concave portions (7) include at least one concave portion (7) observed to be surrounded by the floating portion (52) and the ridge (26). A waterproof toothed chain belt as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the diagonal texture is formed in the entire range of the chain element mounting portion (33). A waterproof toothed chain belt as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the diagonal texture is formed in the entire range of the belt body (34) except the belt end area (35r) on the side opposite to the chain element mounting portion (33) of the belt body (34). A waterproof toothbrush belt as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the diagonal structure includes a plurality of sub-regions with different extension directions of the ridges (26). A waterproof toothbrush chain as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the sewing thread (5) is thicker than the width of the warp yarn contained in the twill structure. The waterproof toothed chain tape as described in claim 1 or claim 2 satisfies (a) and/or (b): (a) the arrangement direction of the floating portion (52) is consistent with or parallel to the length direction of the waterproof toothed chain tape (2m, 2n); (b) the spiral chain teeth (4m, 4n) are sewn to the zipper tape (3m, 3n) by double-thread lockstitching, and the sewing thread (5) is the needle thread of the double-thread lockstitching. The waterproof toothbrush tape as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of recesses (7) is filled with an adhesive, and the adhesive is used to laminate the waterproof membrane (6m, 6n) on the zipper tape (3m, 3n). A waterproof zipper comprises: a pair of waterproof toothed chain tapes (2m, 2n), wherein each waterproof toothed chain tape (2m, 2n) is a waterproof toothed chain tape (2m, 2n) as described in any one of claim 1 to claim 12; and a slider (9) for engaging and releasing the pair of waterproof toothed chain tapes (2m, 2n).