US20040103502A1

US20040103502A1 - Zipper slide for invisible zip fastener

Info

Publication number: US20040103502A1
Application number: US10/307,340
Authority: US
Inventors: Tan Ming Chen; Stephen Cheng
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-12-02
Filing date: 2002-12-02
Publication date: 2004-06-03

Abstract

A zipper slide is constructed to include a slide body having a locating hole and a retaining hole, a mount integral with the slide body at the top, a pull-tab, the pull tab having a coupling hole pivotally coupled to pivot holders of the mount, and a spring member inserted through the coupling hole of the pull-tab and connected between the locating hole and retaining hole of the slide body to hold down the pull-tab, the spring member having a pointed rear end inserted through the retaining hole of the slide body for engaging the interlocking teeth of the zipper tapes in which the zipper slide to stop the zipper slide from displacement when the pull-tab turned to a horizontal position in parallel to the slide body.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a zip fastener and, more specifically, to zipper slide for invisible zip fastener, which does not slide accidentally.

2. Description of the Related Art

FIG. 1 shows a zipper slide for invisible zip fastener constructed according to the prior art. The

zipper slide

7 comprises a slide body 70 coupled to the interlocking teeth 8 of zipper tapes, a hook plate 71 pivoted to the slide body 70, a pull-tab 73, and a connecting plate 72 coupled between one eyed end 74 of the pull-tab 73 and the hook plate 71 for enabling the pull-tab 73 to be coupled to the slide 10. This structure of zipper slide 7 is not satisfactory in function. Because the pull-tab 73 is coupled to the slide body 70 through the connecting plate 72 and the hook plate 71, it oscillates with the movement of the bag, clothes, or the like in which the zipper slide 7 is installed, showing the presence of the invisible zipper. Further, this structure of zipper slide is not suitable for installation in zipper tapes by an automatic machine because the slide body 70 moves back and forth with the hook plate 71 when the pull-tab 73 held by tool means of an automatic machine. Because the installation procedure of the zipper slide 7 consumes much labor, resulting in high manufacturing cost and long manufacturing time of the zip fastener.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished to provide a zipper slide for invisible zip fastener, which eliminates the aforesaid problem. It is one object of the present invention to provide a zipper slide for invisible zip fastener, which is completely kept from sight when installed in a bag, clothes, or the like. It is another object of the present invention to provide a zipper slide for invisible zip fastener, which is suitable for mass production to reduce the cost. To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, the zipper slide for invisible zip fastener comprises a slide body having a locating hole and a retaining hole, a mount integral with the slide body at the top, a pull-tab, the pull tab having a coupling hole pivotally coupled to pivot holders of the mount, and a spring member inserted through the coupling hole of the pull-tab and connected between the locating hole and-retaining hole of the slide body to hold down the pull-tab, the spring member having a pointed rear end inserted through the retaining hole of the slide body. When the pull-tab turned to a horizontal position in parallel to the slide body, the pointed rear end of the spring member is forced by the spring power of the spring member into engagement with the interlocking teeth of the zipper tapes in which the zipper slide to stop the zipper slide from displacement relative to the zipper tapes. On the contrary, when the pull-tab turned upwards from the horizontal position to a tilted or vertical position, the pointed rear end of the spring member is disengaged from the interlocking teeth of the zipper tapes, for enabling the pull-tab to be pulled to move the slide body and to further close/open the interlocking teeth of the zipper tapes. Further, because the spring member holds down the pull-tab, the zipper slide can be held by tool means of an automatic machine for quick installation in zipper tapes with less labor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a zipper slide for invisible zip fastener according to the prior art. [0006]
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a zipper slide for invisible zip fastener according to the present invention. [0007]
FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the zipper slide for invisible zip fastener according to the present invention. [0008]
FIG. 4 is a side view in section of the zipper slide for invisible zip fastener according to the present invention, showing the pull-tab set in the horizontal position. [0009]
FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 but showing the pull-tab turned to the vertical position. [0010]
FIG. 6 is a top view of a part of the zipper slide for invisible zip fastener according to the present invention. [0011]
FIG. 7 is a rear side view of a part of the zipper slide for invisible zip fastener according to the present invention. [0012]
FIG. 8 is a top view of a part of an alternate form of the zipper slide for invisible zip fastener according to the present invention. [0013]
FIG. 9 is a rear side view of FIG. 8.[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 2, a zipper slide for invisible zip fastener in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a [0015] slide body 1, a mount 2, a spring member 3, and a pull-tab 4.
Referring to FIGS. [0016] 2˜7, the slide body 1 comprises a bottom panel 10, two substantially
-shaped sidewalls 12 located on the bottom panel 10 at two opposite lateral sides, a middle partition block 11 upwardly extended from the bottom panel 10 on the middle, two sliding ways 120 defined between the sidewalls 12 and separated by the partition block 11 for receiving the interlocking teeth 5 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) of the zipper tapes (not shown). The partition block 11 comprises a locating hole 110 and a retaining hole 111 in the top side thereof (see FIGS. 4˜6) for the positioning of the spring member 3.
The [0017] mount 2 is relatively shorter than the slide body 1, and formed integral with the top side of the partition block 11. The mount 2 comprises a recessed portion 20 and a coupling structure 21. The coupling structure 21 is comprised of two substantially U-shaped pivot holders 22 symmetrically provided at two opposite lateral sides of the recessed portion 20.
The [0018] spring member 3 is a long, narrow spring plate has an invertedly disposed T-shaped anchoring portion 30 extended from one end and inserted through a hole (not shown) in the recessed portion 20 and fastened to the locating hole 110 of the slide body 1, and a pointed locating portion 31 extended from the other end and inserted through hole (not shown) in the recessed portion 20 and fastened to the retaining hole 111 of the slide body 1.
The pull-[0019] tab 4 has a front coupling hole 40 and a transversely extended fixed pivot rod 41 at the front side of the front coupling hole 40. The pivot rod 41 has a noncircular cross-section, for example, a semicircular, rectangular, or oval cross-section. The pivot rod 41 of the pull-tab 4 is attached to the pivot holders 22 of the mount 2 before installation of the spring member 3, and then the pivot holders 22 are deformed to pivotally secure the pivot rod 41 to the mount 21, for enabling the pull-tab 4 to be turned relative to the mount 2 and the slide body 1. After installation of the pull-tab 4, the spring member 3 is inserted through the coupling hole 40 to force the anchoring portion 30 and the pointed locating portion 31 into engagement with the locating hole 110 and retaining hole 111 of the slide body 1 respectively. When the spring member 3 installed in the slide body 1, it holds down the pivot rod 41 of the pull-tab 4, keeping the pull-tab 4 in position.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 again, because the [0020] pivot rod 41 of the pull-tab 4 is fastened pivotally with the pivot holders 22 of the mount 2 the pull-tab 4 can be turned relative to the mount 2 between the horizontal position shown in FIG. 4 and the vertical position shown in FIG. 5. When the pull-tab 4 turned to the horizontal (or vertical) position and released from the hand, the spring member 3 holds down the pull-tab 4 in the horizontal (or vertical) position. Because the cross-section of the pivot-rod 41 is not circular, it has a major axis and a minor axis across the major axis. When the pull-tab 4 turned to the horizontal position (see FIG. 4), the minor axis of the cross-section of the pivot rod 41 is disposed in vertical, and the pointed locating portion 31 is forced through the retaining hole 111 of the slide body 1 into engagement with the interlocking teeth 5 of the zipper tapes to stop the zipper slide from sliding on the zipper tapes. When the pull-tab 4 turned to the vertical position (see FIG. 5), the pointed locating portion 31 is disengaged from the interlocking teeth 5 of the zipper tapes and received inside the retaining hole 111 of the slide body 1, for enabling the pull-tab 4 to be pulled to move the slide body 1 and to further open/close the interlocking teeth 5 of the zipper tapes.
As indicated above, when the pull-[0021] tab 4 set in the horizontal position, the spring member 3 holds down the pull-tab 4 in position, and at the same time the pointed locating portion 31 is forced through the retaining hole 111 of the slide body 1 into engagement with the interlocking teeth 5 of the zipper tapes to stop the zipper slide from sliding on the zipper tapes. When used in an invisible zip fastener, the pull-tab 4 does not swing with the bag or clothes in which the invisible zip fastener is installed. Further, the pull-tab 4 can be held positively by tool means of a machine to keep the zipper slide in position for quick installation in zipper tapes.
FIGS. 8 and 9 show an alternate form of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the two [0022] sidewalls 12′ of the slide body 1′ have substantially a L-shaped profile and symmetrically provided at the left and right sides of the bottom panel 10′ of the slide body 1′; the mount 2′ is located on the top side of the middle partition block 11′ of the slide body 1′, having a length equal to the bottom panel 10′. The slide body 1′ and the mount 2′ show an integrated structure that is easy to make.
A prototype of zipper slide for invisible zip fastener has been constructed with the features of the annexed drawings of FIGS. [0023] 2˜9. The zipper slide for invisible zip fastener functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. [0024]

Claims

What the invention claimed is:

1. A zipper slide installed in two zipper tapes and moved to close/open interlocking teeth of said zipper tapes, comprising:

a slide body, said slide body comprising a bottom panel, two sidewalls located on said bottom panel at two opposite lateral sides, a partition block located on said bottom panel on the middle between said sidewalls, and two sliding ways defined between said sidewalls and separated by said partition block for receiving the interlocking teeth of a pair of zipper tapes, said partition block having a locating hole and a retaining hole in a top side thereof;

a mount fixedly located on said partition block of said slide body, said mount comprising a recessed portion and a coupling structure, said coupling structure being comprised of pivot holders symmetrically provided at two opposite lateral sides of said recessed portion;

a pull-tab, said pull-tab having a coupling hole pivotally coupled to said pivot holders of said mount; and

a spring member set in the recessed portion of said mount and inserted through the coupling hole of said pull-tab, said spring member having a first end fastened to the locating hole of said slide body and a second end inserted into the retaining hole of said slide body.

2. The zipper slide as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sidewalls of said slide body have a substantially

-shaped profile and define with said mount and said partition block said sliding ways.

3. The zipper slide as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sidewalls of said slide body have a substantially L-shaped profile and define with mount and said partition block said sliding ways.

4. The zipper slide as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mount is formed integral with said partition block of said slide body.

5. The zipper slide as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring member has an invertedly disposed T-shaped anchoring portion extended from the first end thereof and fastened to the locating hole of said slide body, and a pointed locating portion extended from the second end there and inserted into the retaining hole of said slide body and adapted to engage interlocking teeth of the zipper tapes in which the zipper slide is installed to stop the zipper slide from displacement relative to the zipper tapes when said pull-tab set in a horizontal position in parallel to said slide body.