US3864792A

US3864792A - Bridge top stop for slide fasteners

Info

Publication number: US3864792A
Application number: US481835A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kihei Takahashi; Hideo Takabatake
Original assignee: Yoshida Kogyo KK
Current assignee: YKK Corp
Priority date: 1973-06-25
Filing date: 1974-06-21
Publication date: 1975-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 1992-02-11
Also published as: ATA508874A; JPS5425849B2; DE7421537U; AT344641B; GB1439904A; FR2233958B1; FR2233958A1; BE816568A; DE2430341C3; ES204121U; AU7047574A; HK34978A; JPS5020843A; ES204121Y; CA1015138A; DE2430341A1; IT1014361B; BR7405287D0; CH564326A5; SE7408279L

Abstract

A bridge top stop consists of a body typically comprising a pair of wings or plate members interconnected at their lower ends by a central web or coupling link of wedge-shaped cross section. One of the plate members has a pair of flanges along its lateral edges, which flanges cooperate with the wedge-shaped web to form a downwardly diverging, inverted Y-shaped guide channel through the bridge top stop body for reception of fastener elements therein. For mounting this bridge top stop in position on a pair of fastener stringers, the opposed inside edge portions of the stringers are manipulated into and through the inverted Y-shaped guide channel of the top stop body from its lower end, just as when a pair of such stringers is threaded through the similar guide channel of the usual slider for slide fastener assemblage. Some of the fastener elements including the topmost ones of the respective stringers will interengage within the top stop body.

Description

United States Patent Takahashi et al,

[ Feb. 11, 1975 BRIDGE TOP STOP FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Inventors: Kihei Takahashi, Uozu; Hideo Takabatake, Kurobe, both of Japan [73] Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha,

Tokyo, Japan 22 Filed: June21,1974

21 Appl. No.: 481,835

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary ExaminerBernard A. Gelak Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bucknam and Archer [57] ABSTRACT A bridge top stop consists of a body typically comprising a pair of wings or plate members interconnected at their lower ends by a central web or coupling link of wedge-shaped cross section. One of the plate members has a pair of flanges along its lateral edges, which flanges cooperate with the wedge-shaped web to form a downwardly diverging, inverted Y-shaped guide channel through the bridge top stop body for reception of fastener elements therein. For mounting this bridge top stop in position on a pair of fastener stringers, the opposed inside edge portions of the stringers are manipulated into and through the inverted Y- shaped guide channel of the top stop body from its lower end, just as when a pair of such stringers is threaded through the similar guide channel of the usual slider for slide fastener assemblage. Some of the fastener elements including the topmost ones of the respective stringers will interengage within the top stop body.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED FEB] l [975 SHEET 2 [1F 2 FIG.4

IIIIIII/Illll r140 FIG.7

1 BRIDGE TOP STOP FOR SLIDE FASTENERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to slide fasteners and in particular to what is commonly referred to as bridge top stops whose primary function is to inseparably connect the upper ends of the stringers of a slide fastener for limiting the upward movement of a slider in the operation of coupling or closing the fastener stringers.

As is well known, slide fasteners equipped with bridge top stops of the character described have found extensive use in garment placket and other closure openings including those in bags, suitcases and like articles. While a wide variety of bridge top stops have been proposed and used in the art, most of them have been found not entirely satisfactory in that, for instance, such prior art bridge top stops cannot be easily mounted in position adjacent the upper ends of a pair of fastener stringers, requiring undue attention on the part of the workman to the relative positioning of the stringers and the top stop. This difficulty arises, among other reasons, from the fact that the prior art bridge top stops are usually clamped or otherwise secured directly onto the reinforced or beaded edges of the stringer tapes.

As a result of this common defect of the prior art, a pair of fastener stringers interconnected by such bridge top stop may become longitudinally displaced one with respect to the other or may become irregular in the required spacing between their adjacent longitudinal edges. It is therefore highly possible that the rows of fastener elements on the respective stringer tapes should shift out of their correct relative positions, with the resultant impairment of the smooth coupling and uncoupling of the fastener elements by the slider moving therealong.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the listed drawbacks of the prior art, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved bridge top stop for slide fasteners which can be easily and correctly mounted in position on a pair of fastener stringers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bridge top stop which can be mounted on the fastener stringers with sufficient mechanical strength and positional stability to remain in service over extended lengths of time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bridge top stop which can be formed of either metallic or thermoplastic material, with equally favorable manufactural and operational characteristics.

Briefly summarized, this invention contemplates the provision of a bridge top stop of the character referred to, which includes a body having a downwardly diverging, inverted Y-shaped guide channel therethrough for receiving corresponding parts of rows of interlocking fastener elements carried along the respective inside edges of a pair of fastener stringer tapes. For mounting the bridge top stop on the fastener stringers, the opposed inside edges of these stringers are threaded through the inverted Y-shaped guide channelof the stop body, just as through the guide channel of the conventional slider, until the topmost fastener elements on the respective stringer tapes reach its upper end, with the result that some of the fastener elements including the topmost ones interengage in the guide channel of the top stop. Since the bridge top stop according to the invention can thus be substantially integrally united with parts of the rows of fastener elements throughout the entire longitudinal dimension thereof. the stop can be mounted in position on the stringers with high mechanical stability and is further effective to retain the fastener elements of the respective stringers in their correct relative positions.

The features which are believed to be novel and characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as the additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts of the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a slide fastener incorporating the bridge top stop according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bridge top stop shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the inside surface of a top wing or plate member in the bridge top stop of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the plane of line IVIV in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the embodiment of FIG. 5 mounted in position on a pair of fastener stringers; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view explanatory of a further preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference is first directed to FIG. 1 to briefly describe the general organization of a slide fastener employing the bridge top stop according to this invention. The illustrated slide fastener comprises a pair of stringers generally designated 10 and 11, respectively. Each stringer includes a tape 12 having along the reinforced inside edge 13 thereof a row of interlocking fastener elements 14 of any known or suitable type anchored thereto in a suitable manner. Although not shown in the drawings, it is assumed that the lower ends of the inside edges 13 of the stringer tapes 12 are connected by a suitable bottom end fitting or bottom stop in a known manner. The rows of fastener elements 14 can be engaged and disengaged relative to each other by a conventional slider, also not shown, which is slidable therealong. The reference numeral 15 generally designates a preferred form of the bridge top stop according to this invention.

As illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bridge top stop 15 has a substantially dovetail-shaped body 16 comprising a pair of similar wings or

plate members

17 and 18 interconnected at their lower ends by a centrally located web or neck 19 of wedge-shaped cross section. The opposite lateral sides of the top wing 17 terminate in downward flanges 20 which are each slightly bent at an intermediate point and which cooperate with the wedgeshaped web 19 to form a downwardly diverging, inverted Y-shaped guide channel 21 for accepting the upper end portions of the rows of interlocking fastener elements 14 therein. The lower end of the bridge top stop body 16 may be suitably concaved or recessed as seen in the drawings, thereby permitting the upper end portion of the unshown slider to fit snugly therein when the same is moved to its uppermost position to close the slider.

In order to mount the bridge top stop 15 of the above described configuration in position on the pair of stringers l and 11, the inside edges 13 of these stringers may be threaded through the inverted Y-shaped guide channel 21 of the top stop body 16 from its lower end, in much the same way as when a pair of such stringers is manipulated through the guide channel of the usual slider for slide fastener assemblage. The bridge top stop 15 is then shifted downwardly of the stringers l0 and 11 until the topmost ones of the'fastener elements 14 on the respective stringer tapes l2 reach the upper end of its body 16, as will be clearly seen from the showing of FIG. 1. It will also appear from a consideration of FIG. 1 that some of the fastener elements 14 including the topmost ones on the respective stringer tapes interengage in the upper end portion of the inverted Y-shaped guide channel 21 of the top stop body 16.

Thereafter, if the bridge top stop 15 is metal made, its top and bottom wings l7 and 18 may be mechanically compressed into positive clamping engagement with the pair of stringers l0 and 11 as illustrated in FIG. 1. If the bridge top stop 15 is formed of some synthetic resin of thermoplastic nature, on the other hand, then its wings l7 and 18 may be substantially integrally secured to the stringers l0 and 11 under application of heat and pressure, as by the known techniques of supersonic or high frequency heating. Generally, where a metal-made top stop is employed, the fastener elements with which the stop is intended for use may also be metal made, and where a thermoplastic top stop is employed, the fastener elements will likewise be thermoplastic.

FIGS. and 6 illustrate another preferred embodiment of the invention, in which the bridge top stop a has a single plate member 170 corresponding in function to the top wing 17 in the preceding embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4. The plate member 17a has on its inner surface a pair of flanges a extending along the respective lateral edges and a column 19a ofwedgeshaped cross section located centrally at the lower end. These flanges 20a and column 19a cooperate to form a downwardly diverging, inverted Y-shaped guide channel or groove 21a as in the preceding embodiment. The bridge top stop 15a of this general configuration may be formed of thermoplastic material and, as illustrated in FIG. 6, mounted in position on the pair of

fastener stringers

10 and 11 under application of heat and pressure. If desired, the inner surfaces of the plate member 17a defining the guide groove 210 may be knurled by way of slippage prevention. Other details of construction are substantially the same as those set forth in connection with the preceding embodiment.

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates another preferred embodiment of the invention which assumes the use of metal for both fastener elements 14a and bridge top stop 15b. The bridge top stop 15b also comprises top and bottom wings or

plate members

17b and 18b interconnected and configured so as to define a downwardly diverging, that is, inverted Y-shaped guide channel therethrough as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. This bridge top stop 15b can also be mounted in position on the pair of fastener stringers by compressing its top and

bottom wings

17b and 18b toward each other. However, this final embodiment of the invention features a plurality of longitudinally spaced teeth 22 which are formed on the inside surface of the bottom wing 18b, or of the top wing 17b if desired, by inwardly raising parts of the wing as seen in the drawing. These teeth 22 are intended to project into the spacings between the fastener elements 14a for added positional stability.

Having thus described the several useful and novel features of the bridge top stop according to the invention, it is believed that the many objects for which it was designed have been fully accomplished. However, while but a few of the several possible embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, certain additional modifications may well occur to those skilled in the art within the broad teaching hereof. The invention, therefore, should and is intended to comprehend all such modifications remaining within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a slide fastener including a pair of stringers each having a tape carrying a row of interlocking fastener elements on one inside edge thereof, and a slider slidable along said rows of fastener elements for coupling and uncoupling the same, a bridge top stop comprising a body adapted to be secured in position to the adjacent edges of said pair of stringers, and means on said body for defining a downwardly diverging, inverted Y- shaped guide channel therethrough, said guide channel being adapted to receive corresponding parts of said rows of fastener elements throughout the entire length thereof, in such a manner that some of the fastener elements including the topmost ones of the respective stringers interengage within said body.

2. A bridge top stop as defined in claim 1, wherein said body comprises a pair of plate members interconnected at their lower ends by a centrally located web of substantially wedge-shaped cross section.

3. A bridge top stop as defined in claim 2, wherein the lateral edges of at least one of said plate members are flanged toward the other plate member.

4. A bridge top stop as defined in claim 2, wherein said body is metallic and wherein a plurality of spaced apart teeth are formed on the inside surface of at least one of said plate members, said teeth being adapted to be received in the spacings between the fastener elements within said body.

5. A bridge top stop as defined in claim 1, wherein said body consists of a single plate member of thermoplastic material.

Claims

1. In a slide fastener including a pair of stringers each having a tape carrying a row of interlocking fastener elements on one inside edge thereof, and a slider slidable along said rows of fastener elements for coupling and uncoupling the same, a bridge top stop comprising a body adapted to be secured in position to the adjacent edges of said pair of stringers, and means on said body for defining a downwardly diverging, inverted Y-shaped guide channel therethrough, said guide channel being adapted to receive corresponding parts of said rows of fastener elements throughout the entire length thereof, in such a manner that some of the fastener elements including the topmost ones of the respective stringers interengage within said body.