Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A44—HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY
  • A44B—BUTTONS, PINS, BUCKLES, SLIDE FASTENERS, OR THE LIKE
  • A44B19/00—Slide fasteners
  • A44B19/24—Details
  • A44B19/26—Sliders

Definitions

• Slider covers for covering at least portions of a slider body of a slider.
• a slider typically consists of a slider body and a pull tab.
• Many slider bodies are made of metal and thus tend to be excessively hot or cold and have the potential to cause discomfort when they come into contact with a user's skin, particularly in hot or cold climates. In extreme temperatures, the metal slider can even cause frostbite or minor burn.
• Slider covers that are made of a thermally insulating material, such as plastic, can help shield a user's skin from certain parts of the slider when the slider is in certain positions.
• conventional slider covers have limitations. For example, the top and/or front of the slider body is not covered by conventional slider covers and still has the potential to cause discomfort when it comes into contact with a user's skin.
• the slider assembly comprises: (1) a slider body comprising a top wing and a bottom wing that are spaced apart from one another and joined by a connecting neck, wherein the bottom wing comprises a leading edge that extends along a front of the slider body; and (2) a slider cover comprising a body and a leading edge, wherein the slider cover is positioned with respect to the bottom wing of the slider body such that the body of the slider cover covers at least a portion of a bottom surface of the bottom wing, and the leading edge of the slider cover extends forwardly beyond the leading edge of the bottom wing.
• the slider cover is made of a thermally insulating material.
• Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a slider cover according to one version.
• Figure 2 is a top plan view of the slider cover of Figure 1.
• Figure 3 is a side plan view of the slider cover of Figure 1.
• Figure 4 is a front plan view of the slider cover of Figure 1.
• Figure 5 is a top plan view of a slider assembly, which includes the slider cover of Figure 1 and a slider body, engaged with a tape.
• Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 5 engaged with the tape of Figure 5.
• Figure 7 is a side plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 5 engaged with the tape of Figure 5.
• Figure 8 is a rear plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 5 engaged with the tape of Figure 5.
• Figure 9 is a side plan view of a slider body having a bottom wing with an enlarged flange according to one version.
• Figure 10 is a rear plan view of the slider body of Figure 9.
• Figure 11 is a top plan view of the slider body of Figure 9.
• Figure 12 is a front plan view of the slider body of Figure 9.
• Figure 13 is a bottom plan view of the slider body of Figure 9.
• Figure 14 is a front plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 5 positioned with respect to a user's chin.
• Figure 15 is a side plan view of the slider assembly and user's chin of Figure 14.
• Figure 16 is a side plan view of a slider assembly consisting of the slider cover of Figure 1 adhered to another version of a slider body.
• Figure 17 is a front plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 16.
• Figure 18 is a top plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 16.
• Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view of the slider assembly of Figure 16, taken along the line A-A of Figure 18.
• Figure 20 is a rear plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 16.
• Figure 21 is a side plan view of a slider assembly consisting of the slider cover of Figure 1 coupled to the slider body of Figure 9.
• Figure 22 is a front plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 21.
• Figure 23 is a top plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 21.
• Figure 24 is a cross-sectional view of the slider assembly of Figure 21, taken along the line B-B of Figure 23.
• Figure 25 is a rear plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 21.
• Figure 26 is a bottom plan view of a slider cover according to another version.
• Figure 27 is a top plan view of the slider cover of Figure 26.
• Figure 28 is a side plan view of the slider cover of Figure 26.
• Figure 29 is a front plan view of the slider cover of Figure 26.
• Figure 30 is a front plan view of a slider assembly consisting of the slider cover of
• Figure 26 and the slider body of Figure 5 positioned with respect to a user's chin.
• Figure 31 is a side plan view of the slider assembly and user's chin of Figure 30.
• Figure 32 is a side plan view of a slider assembly consisting of the slider cover of
• Figure 26 adhered to the slider body of Figure 16.
• Figure 33 is a front plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 32.
• Figure 34 is a top plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 32.
• Figure 35 is a cross-sectional view of the slider assembly of Figure 32, taken along the line C-C of Figure 34.
• Figure 36 is a rear plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 32.
• Figure 37 is a side plan view of a slider assembly consisting of the slider cover of Figure 26 coupled to the slider body of Figure 9.
• Figure 38 is a front plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 37.
• Figure 39 is a top plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 37.
• Figure 40 is a cross-sectional view of the slider assembly of Figure 37, taken along the line D-D of Figure 39.
• Figure 41 is a rear plan view of the slider assembly of Figure 37.
• FIG. 1-25 show a slider cover 10 and Figures 26-41 show a slider cover 110.
• Slider cover 10 or 110 is positioned with respect to a slider body, such as slider body 20 shown in Figures 9-13 or slider body 20 shown in Figures 16-20, to cover at least a portion of the slider body and shield a user from making contact with the slider body.
• Slider assembly 8 refers to a slider cover 10 positioned with respect to a slider body
• slider assembly 108 refers to a slider cover 110 positioned with respect to a slider body.
• a slide fastener comprises right and left tapes and elements attached to opposite side edge portions of the tapes.
• a slider cooperates with the elements (such as elements 52 shown in Figures 5-8) located on the tapes (such as tapes 50 shown in Figures 5-8) to open and close a zipper.
• a slider typically includes a slider body, such as slider body 20, and a pull tab (not shown) that attaches to the slider body in a known manner.
• a generally Y-shaped channel such as guide channel 42 located between a top wing (such as wing 30) and a bottom wing (such as wing 32) of the slider body meshes together rows of opposing elements of the tape.
• the pull tab is moved in the opposite direction, the generally Y-shaped channel separates the rows of opposing elements.
• slider assembly 8 When slider assembly 8 is at one end of the slide fastener in a longitudinal direction of the slide fastener, slider assembly 8 is typically in a position to make contact with a user's skin, such as with the user's chin as shown in Figures 14-15. In particular, a front 28 and/or top 22 of the slider assembly 8 is positioned with respect to a user's chin.
• Slider assembly 8 includes a slider body 20 and a slider cover 10, as shown for example in Figures 16-25.
• slider body 20 would come into direct contact with the chin when positioned as in Figures 14-15.
• slider body 20 has a top 22, a bottom 24, a front 28, a rear 26 and right and left sides 51.
• a front side of the slider body 20 means the upper side relative to the plane of paper of Figure 11.
• a rear side of the slider body 20 means the lower side relative to the plane of paper of Figure 11.
• a left side of the slider body 20 means the left side relative to the plane of paper of Figure 11.
• a right side of the slider body 20 means the right side relative to the plane of paper of Figure 11.
• An upper side of the slider body 20 means the near side relative to the plane of paper of Figure 11.
• a lower side of the slider body 20 means the far side relative to the plane of paper of Figure 11.
• Slider body 20 includes a top wing 30 and a bottom wing 32 that are spaced apart from one another and joined at the front 28 by a connecting neck 46 (sometimes referred to as a diamond) to form a generally Y-shaped guide channel 42.
• the top wing 30 and the bottom wing 32 are tapered so as to gradually narrow the width dimension thereof in the right-left direction toward the rear 26.
• Pillar 34 around which a pull tab can be pivotably received, extends from the top 22 of the top wing 30 of the slider body 20.
• Slider body 20 can be of conventional construction so that the top and bottom wings are of a generally similar shape and size (see Figures 16-20) as viewed from above (i.e. in the top plan view of the slider body 20), or slider body can have a bottom wing 32 with an enlarged flange 48 as shown in
• Enlarged flange 48 may be a separate piece that is attached to the bottom 24 of bottom wing 32 (as shown in Figures 11-13), or may be integrally formed as part of bottom wing 32.
• FIGS 1-8 and 14-25 illustrate a slider cover 10.
• Slider cover 10 consists of a body 11 that may be formed of any suitable thermally insulating material, such as plastic (such as nylon, polyester, polypropylene, polyacetal, etc.), rubber, leather, or other suitable relatively soft material.
• plastic such as nylon, polyester, polypropylene, polyacetal, etc.
• slider cover 10 is formed of silicone or polyurethane materials. If formed of silicone, the silicone material may have a shore durometer hardness of between around 25 and around 100 on the ASTM D2240 Type A scale and a thermal conductivity of between about 0.7 and about 3 watts per Kelvin-meter (W/(m*K)).
• the polyurethane material may have a shore durometer hardness of around 20 to around 95 on the ASTM D2240 Type A scale and a thermal conductivity of between about 0.037 and about 0.332 watts per Kelvin-meter (W/(m*K)). Moreover, the polyurethane material may have a shore durometer hardness of around 30 to around 90 on the ASTM D2240 Type D scale.
• slider cover 10 is configured to cooperate with slider body 20 so that slider cover 10 engages bottom wing 32.
• slider cover 10 is positioned with respect to slider body 20 so that contact between the user's skin and the slider body is limited by the slider cover 10.
• the slider cover 10 prevents contact with the connecting neck 46 of the slider body.
• the body 11 of the slider cover 10 covers the whole surface of the bottom 24 of the bottom wing 32.
• the coverage of the bottom 24 of the bottom wing 32 by the body 11 is not limited to the example shown in the Figures.
• the body 11 may cover at least a portion of the bottom 24 of the bottom wing 32 at the side of the front 28 of the slider body 20.
• the bottom 24 of the bottom wing 32 may not be covered at the side of the rear 26 of the slider body 20.
• a leading edge 14 of the slider cover 10 extends forwardly beyond a leading edge 44 of the bottom wing 32.
• the leading edge 44 is an edge extending along the front 28 of the slider body 20. At the center 53 of leading edge 44 in the right-left direction of the slider body
• slider cover 10 extends forwardly beyond leading edge 44 by dimension Y (see Figures 16 and 18). In this way, the leading edge 14 of slider cover 10 projects so that it restricts contact between a user and the connecting neck 46 of slider body and/or the top 22 of slider body.
• the amount of slider cover 10 that extends beyond the slider body is greater with respect to the front of the assembly than other parts of the assembly. For example, as shown in
• lateral edges 16 of the slider cover 10 extend rightwards and leftwards beyond lateral edges 45 of the bottom wing 32.
• the lateral edges 45 are edges extending along the right and left sides 51 of the slider body 20.
• point Al which is on one side of the slider body 20 in the right-left direction at the front 28 of the slider body 20
• point Bl which is on the opposite side of the slider body 20 in the right-left direction at the front 28 of the slider body 20 across the connecting neck 46 with respect to the point Al
• the amount of slider cover 10 that extends forwardly beyond that particular point on the leading edge 44 of the slider body 20 is greater than the amount of the lateral edges 16 of the slider cover 10 that extends rightwards and leftwards beyond the lateral edges 45 of the slider body 20.
• Slider cover 10 can engage slider body 20 in any suitable manner.
• Slider cover 10 includes an optional recess 12 ( Figure 2) that is shaped and sized to receive bottom wing 32 of slider body 20.
• Slider cover 10 can then be adhered using any suitable glue or adhesive to the bottom wing 32 of the slider body 20.
• the adhesion between the slider cover 10 and the slider body 20 is not limited to the example which uses glue or adhesive.
• a recess 12 Figure 2
• Figures 16-20 illustrate a slider cover 10 adhered to a slider body 20 of conventional construction where the shape and/or size of the top and bottom wings 30, 32 are generally the same as viewed from above (i.e. in the top plan view of the slider body 20), and where the bottom 24 of the bottom wing 32 is received within recess 12 of the slider cover 10.
• a slider body 20 having a bottom wing 32 with an enlarged flange 48 which projects from the periphery of the bottom wing 32 may include a plurality of holes 40 arranged at a predetermined interval along the periphery 49 of the enlarged flange 48. The holes 40 penetrate through the enlarged flange 48 in the upper-lower direction. Slider cover 10 is coupled to bottom wing 32 by way of enlarged flange 48 using injection molding.
• bottom wing 32 of the slider body 20 is introduced into a mold used to form the slider cover 10 so that the liquid /molten material used to form slider cover 10 flows into holes 40 and a stronger engagement results between slider cover 10 and slider body 20 after the material cools and solidifies.
• Figure 24 is a cross sectional view showing how slider cover 10 is attached to bottom wing 32 by injection molding through hole 40.
• slider cover 10 can be coupled to slider body 20 by setting in methods, such as are used with attaching a stretchable cover to a cell phone or MP3 player.
• FIGS 26-41 illustrate a slider cover 110.
• Slider cover 110 is similar to slider cover 10, except slider cover 110 includes a projection 116 that extends generally upwards from slider cover body 111.
• projection 116 extends generally perpendicularly from slider cover body 111, although projection 116 could extend at other suitable angles.
• Figure 32 for example, when positioned with respect to slider body 20, projection 116 covers connecting neck 46 and thus prevents contact of a user's skin with connecting neck 46.
• Projection 116 includes a dimension Z ( Figure 28) that is generally equal to or greater than the dimension X of the connecting neck 46 ( Figure 9) in the upper-lower direction of the slider body 20.
• the projection 116 only has to cover at least a portion of the connecting neck 46 at the side of the bottom wing 32. That is, the dimension Z of the projection 116 may be less than the dimension X of the connecting neck 46.
• Slider cover 110 can be made from the same materials as slider cover 10. Like slider cover 10, slider cover 110 can be attached using any suitable method to either a conventional slider body or a slider body having a bottom wing with an enlarged flange 48.

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• Slide Fasteners (AREA)
• Orthopedics, Nursing, And Contraception (AREA)
• Adjustable Resistors (AREA)

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Citations (10)

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• 2012
  • 2012-03-22 CN CN201280014742.9A patent/CN103442610B/zh active Active
  • 2012-03-22 WO PCT/US2012/030083 patent/WO2012129382A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2012-03-23 TW TW101110258A patent/TWI474790B/zh active

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