HK1056581B - Stainless steel, slide fastener and buttons suitable for use with needle detector - Google Patents

Description

Stainless steel, zipper and button suitable for being combined with broken needle automatic stop device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a stainless steel suitable for use in combination with a damaged needle self-stop device without causing malfunction of the damaged needle self-stop device, and a slide fastener and a button which are mounted on clothes, footwear, etc. and suitable for use in combination with the damaged needle self-stop device.

Background

Conventionally, as such stainless steels, stainless steels disclosed in Japanese patent laid-open No.6-4905B and Japanese patent laid-open No.6-41624B are known. In the former patent publication, a non-magnetic stainless steel having excellent elasticity is disclosed, and in the latter patent publication, a work-hardened non-magnetic stainless steel which remains non-magnetic after being work-hardened by cold working is disclosed. However, although the stainless steel in the above patent publication is non-magnetic to such an extent that it is disclosed therein that the magnetic permeability is 1.01 or less, the magnetic force thereof is still larger than that of other alloys (i.e., copper alloy and aluminum alloy), and thus there is a problem that the stainless steel in the above patent publication is insufficient in coping with a broken needle self-stop device for detecting whether a broken needle or a portion thereof remains in clothes or the like since a broken needle during sewing is considerably small and it has a small magnetic force. On the other hand, as an alloy for personal ornamental use which does not cause the failure of the broken needle self-stop apparatus, an alloy disclosed in Japanese patent laid-open No.2000-256813A is known. This patent publication discloses that such alloys can be used in a variety of personal ornaments, such as buttons, zippers, key rings, earrings, tie pins, brooches, and pendants, as well as in components of the personal ornaments. However, the alloy disclosed in the patent application is an alloy having Zr (zirconium) and/or Ti (titanium) as its main component, and thus the alloy is a special alloy in view of the currently used alloy, and also has a problem that it is not easy to manufacture the alloy since the alloy structure must be controlled.

Furthermore, in the case of a slide fastener or a button made of only this alloy, it is sufficient to cope with the needle breakage stop device, but the slide fastener and the button are constituted by many different parts, and each part is made in accordance with its required characteristics. In the case where all the different parts of the zipper or button are made of such an alloy, some of the parts may lack the desired function. In particular, in the case where the member must have elasticity, the use of the above alloy is problematic, and therefore, conventional stainless steel or the like must be used; it is therefore impossible to sufficiently perform detection of whether or not a broken needle has entered into the clothes or the like during sewing.

Summary of The Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a stainless steel which can reliably perform detection of whether a broken needle has entered into clothes or the like during sewing, and a slide fastener and a button which satisfy their required characteristics and which can cope with a broken needle self-stop device since they are manufactured with such a stainless steel or their constituent parts. It should be noted that the stainless steel according to the present invention can be used not only in zippers and buttons suitable for use in connection with a broken needle self-stop device, but also in components where non-magnetism is required, such as gun parts and magnetic sensor housings.

The present invention is constituted as follows.

(1) A stainless steel suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device, the stainless steel having a magnetic permeability of 1.005 or less in a 1kOe magnetic field and a magnetization of 550memu/g or less in an 18kOe magnetic field.

(2) The stainless steel suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device as described in the above (1), further showing a broken needle detection performance of a 1.2mm or less-diameter iron ball.

(3) The stainless steel suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device as described in the above (1), further showing a broken needle detection performance of a 0.8mm or less-diameter iron ball.

(4) A stainless steel suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device as described in any one of the above (1), (2) and (3), comprising, in mass%, 0.01 to 0.15% C (carbon), 0.1 to 5% Si (silicon), 1 to 10% Mn (manganese), 8 to 25% Ni (nickel), 14 to 30% Cr (chromium), 0.01 to 0.25% N (nitrogen) and the balance iron and impurities, wherein the nickel equivalent is defined as Ni +0.6Mn +9.69(C + N) +0.18Cr-0.11Si²Has a value of 19 or more. In the definition of the nickel equivalent, Ni, Mn, C, N, Cr and Si represent the numerical values of the contents thereof expressed by mass percentages and not other specified values.

(5) The stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the broken needle self-stop device as recited in the above (4), further comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of, in mass%: a)0.5 to 3% of Cu (copper), b)0.05 to 0.5% of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nb (niobium), W (tungsten) and V (vanadium), and c)0.1 to 2% of Mo (molybdenum).

(6) The stainless steel suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop apparatus as recited in any one of the above (1) to (5), wherein the broken needle detecting performance is maintained after cold rolling with a reduction rate of 60% is performed.

(7) A zipper suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device, the zipper comprising: elements mounted on opposite edge portions of a pair of fastener tapes; stoppers mounted to both ends of the member; and a slider for opening and closing the element, characterized in that at least one member selected from the group consisting of the element, the stopper and the slider, and constituent parts thereof is made of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device, the stainless steel having a magnetic permeability of 1.005 or less in a 1kOe magnetic field and a magnetization of 550memu/g or less in an 18kOe magnetic field.

(8) A slide fastener suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop apparatus as described in the above (7), which also exhibits a broken needle detecting performance of a 1.2mm or less-diameter iron ball.

(9) The slide fastener suitable for use in combination with the damaged pin automatic stop device as described in the above (7), further showing a broken pin detection performance of a 0.8mm or less-diameter iron ball.

(10) A slide fastener suitable for use in combination with a dead needle self-stop device as described in any one of the above (7) to (9), characterized in that a slider of the slide fastener comprises a slider body, a pull tab disposed on the slider body, and a latch pawl swingable by operation of the pull tab and urged by urging means for urging toward the slider body side, and at least said urging means is made of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the dead needle self-stop device.

(11) A slide fastener suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device as described in (10) above, characterised in that the slider urging means is a spring which dominates or is disposed over the locking pawl.

(12) A button adapted for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device, said button comprising: a front member disposed on a front surface of the garment, and a bottom member disposed on a back surface of the garment, and the button is attached to the garment by joining the front member and the bottom member together, characterized in that at least one member selected from the group consisting of the front member and the bottom member and constituent parts thereof is made of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device, the stainless steel having a magnetic permeability of 1.005 or less in a 1kOe magnetic field, and a magnetization of 550memu/g or less in an 18kOe magnetic field.

(13) The button suitable for use in combination with the damaged needle self-stop device as described in the above (12), further showing a broken needle detecting performance of a 1.2mm or less-diameter iron ball.

(14) The slide fastener suitable for use in combination with the broken needle self-stop apparatus as described in the above (12), further showing a broken needle detecting performance of a 0.8mm or less-diameter iron ball.

(15) A button adapted for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device, said button comprising: a pair of buttons consisting of a male button which is fixed to an article of clothing and has a projected head portion on one surface thereof, and a female button which is fixed to the article of clothing and has a concave portion which is separated from and engaged with the projected head portion of the male button, characterized in that at least one member selected from the group consisting of the male and female buttons and their components is made of stainless steel having a magnetic permeability of 1.005 or less in a magnetic field of 1kOe and a magnetization of 550memu/g or less in a magnetic field of 18kOe, which is suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device.

Throughout the specification, all contents of various elements constituting the stainless steel are expressed by mass percentages based on the total amount of the stainless steel, and are not expressed by other specified values.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 is a conceptual view of a slide fastener.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a slider to which the present invention is applied.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a slider to which the present invention is applied.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of another example of a slider.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of another example of the slider.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along a center line in the longitudinal direction of the slider.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the decorative button mounted at the edge of a jeans pocket or the like.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of another example of the decorative button.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a decorative button used on a jacket or the like.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the coupling button used for the clothes and the like.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the button.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of another example of a button.

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of another example of a button.

Description of The Preferred Embodiment

The following is a description of the stainless steel of the present invention.

The stainless steel of the present invention must have a magnetic permeability of 1.005 or less in a 1kOe magnetic field and a magnetization of 550memu/g or less in an 18kOe magnetic field, which will enable the stainless steel to be used in combination with a broken needle self-stop device, which is an object of the present invention. By these satisfied conditions, it is possible to provide finished products, parts and materials suitable for use in combination with the broken needle self-stop device, which allow the broken needle self-stop device to operate accurately in finding a broken needle or a broken needle portion that enters into clothes or the like during sewing, and which do not cause malfunction of the broken needle self-stop device even when stainless steel is used in a finished product for personal ornamental use or a constituent part of a finished product for personal ornamental use, i.e., a slide fastener and a button. Further, if the magnetic permeability in a 1kOe magnetic field is 1.003 or less and the magnetization in an 18kOe magnetic field is 440memu/g or less, it is desirable to further obtain the above-described effects.

Regarding the broken needle detection performance, as for the bad needle automatic stop device of the static magnetic field type which measures the amount of change in the rise of the magnetic flux density when passing a metal through the magnetic flux at a constant speed, the amount of change in the magnetic flux density corresponding to a 0.8 mm-diameter iron ball is set as a reference value (indication value) of 100 to 120, a value obtained by performing measurement on an article subjected to measurement is taken as a broken needle detection value, and the value is evaluated by comparison with the reference value. In particular, if the broken pin detection value of the article subjected to measurement is equal to or lower than the reference value, the broken pin detection performance is expressed as "0.8 mm or lower-diameter iron ball"; if the broken pin detection value of the article subjected to measurement is equal to or lower than the reference value of 1.2mm or lower-diameter iron ball, the broken pin detection performance is expressed as "1.2 mm or lower-diameter iron ball". In such a manner, the broken needle detectability is expressed as "0.8-, 1.2-or 1.5 mm-or lower-diameter iron ball"; in the case of a broken needle detection performance of 0.8mm or less-diameter iron ball, this means that even a broken needle of the minimum dedicated size used in sewing can be detected, and in the case of a broken needle detection performance of 1.2mm or less-diameter iron ball, this means that a broken needle of the size normally used can be accurately detected. In the present invention, the broken pin detection performance is preferably 1.2mm or less-diameter iron ball, more preferably 0.8mm or less-diameter iron ball. In the present invention, in the case of an alloy, the article subject to measurement is a piece of alloy having dimensions of 15mm × 15mm × 0.4mm, and the broken-pin detection value of the article subject to measurement is a result obtained by passing the article subject to measurement perpendicularly through a magnetic flux. Also, in the case of a slide fastener or a button as described later, the article subjected to measurement is a finished product or a part, and the broken pin detection value of the article subjected to measurement is a result obtained by causing the article subjected to measurement to vertically pass through a magnetic flux.

The following composition is preferable for the stainless steel used. That is, a stainless steel including, in mass%, 0.01 to 0.15% of C (carbon), 0.1 to 5% of Si (silicon), 1 to 10% of Mn (manganese), 8 to 25% of Ni (nickel), 14 to 30% of Cr (chromium), 0.01 to 0.25% of N (nitrogen), and the remainder of iron and impurities is preferable, wherein the nickel equivalent is defined as Ni +0.6Mn +9.69(C + N) +0.18Cr-0.11Si²Is effective having a value of 19 or more.

Since C (carbon) is an effective element for stabilizing the austenite phase, like N (nitrogen), and contributes to improvement of elastic properties, the lower limit of the C (carbon) content is set to 0.01%. However, C (carbon) is an element that causes a decrease in corrosion resistance, and if solid solution C (carbon) excessively occurs, the workability of stainless steel is deteriorated by hardening due to an increase in the amount of C (carbon) in solid solution, so the upper limit of the C (carbon) content is made 0.15% in consideration of this factor.

Si (silicon) is an effective element for obtaining high strength, and therefore, it is preferable that the Si (silicon) content is at least 0.1%. However, since the magnetic permeability is significantly increased after cold working due to the increase of the Si (silicon) content, it becomes impossible to maintain the non-magnetic property, and thus the upper limit of the Si (silicon) content is set to 5%.

Mn (manganese) is a stabilizing element of an austenite phase like Ni (nickel), and therefore, an increase in magnetic permeability is suppressed in cold working. Further, Mn (manganese) is an element that increases the solid solubility of N (nitrogen). In order to exhibit these capabilities, the Mn (manganese) content must be at least 1%, and must be adjusted along with the Ni (nickel) content in order to remain nonmagnetic after cold working; however, if Mn (manganese) is contained more than 10%, the effect equivalent thereto will not be seen, so the upper limit of the Mn (manganese) content is set to 10%.

Ni (nickel) is an essential component of austenitic stainless steel, and is an effective element contributing to the stabilization of the austenite phase. In order to maintain non-magnetic properties after cold working, the Ni (nickel) content must be at least 8%, and must be adjusted along with the Mn (manganese) content in relation to the Si (silicon) content. However, Ni (nickel) causes a decrease in elastic characteristics after cold working, and therefore the upper limit of the Ni (nickel) content is set to 25%.

Cr (chromium) is an essential component of stainless steel, and in order to obtain excellent corrosion resistance, the Cr (chromium) content must be at least 14%; however, if Cr (chromium) is contained in a large amount, δ ferrite is generated in a large amount, and thus it will be impossible to ensure non-magnetic properties; the upper limit of the Cr (chromium) content is therefore set to 30%.

N (nitrogen) is an element that contributes to maintaining non-magnetism, which is a main feature of the stainless steel of the present invention and is used to improve strength and obtain excellent elastic characteristics; therefore, the lower limit of the N (nitrogen) content is made 0.01%. However, if the N (nitrogen) content exceeds 0.25%, the hardening due to the increase in the amount of N (nitrogen) in solid solution, like C (carbon), deteriorates the workability of the stainless steel. But also its castability will be destroyed, so that it will not be possible to obtain a strong (sound) steel ingot; therefore, the upper limit of the N (nitrogen) content is set to 0.25%. In general, in the case of workability (e.g., shape fixability), it is required to make the service life of the press die longer, and therefore stainless steel must be made softer, and therefore it is preferable to set the upper limit of the N (nitrogen) content to less than 0.06%.

Cu (copper) is a stabilizing element of an austenite phase, and is an effective element for imparting workability. In order to exhibit this effect, it is preferable to add Cu (copper) in an amount of at least 0.5%. However, if more than 3% of Cu (copper) is added, such an excessive addition of Cu (copper) exceeding the solid solubility limit impairs workability, so that the upper limit of the Cu (copper) content is made to be 3%.

Nb (niobium), W (tungsten) and V (vanadium) are all elements that increase work-hardening ability, and in order to exhibit this effect, it is preferable to add Nb (niobium), W (tungsten) and V (vanadium) in a total amount of at least 0.05%. However, if a large amount of Nb (niobium), W (tungsten), and V (vanadium) is added, a loss in hot workability will occur, and δ ferrite will be generated, so it will be impossible to maintain non-magnetism; therefore, the upper limit of the total content of Nb (niobium), W (tungsten) and V (vanadium) is made 0.5%.

Mo (molybdenum) is an element contributing to the improvement of corrosion resistance, and in order to exhibit this effect, it is preferable to add Mo (molybdenum) in an amount of at least 0.1%. However, if a large amount of Mo (molybdenum) is added, the generation of δ ferrite will increase, and thus it will be impossible to maintain non-magnetic properties; the upper limit of the Mo (molybdenum) content is thus set to 2%.

Further, in order to obtain high strength, it is necessary to impart a working tension to the stainless steel of the present invention and to harden the stainless steel by cold working. Cold working corresponding to a cold rolling reduction ratio of from 30 to 80% is necessary. In order to ensure non-magnetic properties despite performing such cold working, the Ni (nickel) equivalent value specified as described above must be at least 19. The cold rolling reduction ratio is referred to as the percentage of the change in sheet thickness of the material in the case of cold rolling from the initial sheet thickness. However, if the contents of Ni (nickel) and Mn (manganese) are too high to increase the Ni (nickel) equivalent value, the work-hardening ability of the steel will be reduced, and therefore the contents of Ni (nickel) and Mn (manganese) must be as previously specified.

Further, the constituent parts of the slide fastener or the like to which the stainless steel of the present invention is applied are manufactured by cold rolling having a cold rolling reduction ratio of at least 60% as defined above, and thus it is necessary to maintain the performance of the broken pin detection after the cold rolling reduction of 60% is performed. As described above, for the stainless steel of the present invention, in order to obtain high strength, a cold rolling reduction ratio of 30% to 80% is necessary, and thus it is necessary to maintain the performance of the broken pin detection after performing at least 30% cold rolling reduction; depending on the finished product or part produced, a 60% cold reduction must be applied, and therefore it is generally preferred to maintain the performance of the broken pin test after the 60% cold reduction is applied.

The following is a detailed description of a slide fastener and a button to which the present invention is applicable with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, a detailed description will be given of the slide fastener F.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual view of a zipper; as shown in fig. 1, a slide fastener F includes a pair of fastener tapes 1, each fastener tape 1 being formed with a core portion 2 at an edge on one side thereof; elements 3, which are fixed (mounted) on the core portion 2 of each fastener tape 1 by caulking at a prescribed interval; an upper stopper 4 and a lower stopper 5, said upper stopper 4 and lower stopper 5 being fixed by caulking said upper stopper 4 and lower stopper 5 on the core 2 of each fastener tape 1 at the upper end and lower end of the element 3, respectively; and a zipper slider (hereinafter referred to as "slider") S which is located between the pair of opposing elements 3 and is freely slidable in the up/down direction so as to engage and disengage (open and close) the elements 3. It should be noted that, in the above description, the article obtained by mounting the elements 3 to the core portion 2 of the fastener tape 1 is the fastener chain 7. It should also be noted that, although not shown in the drawings, the lower stopper 5 may be made as a separable lower stopper member including an insertion pin, a box pin, and a box body, so that the pair of zipper chains 7 can be separated by an opening operation of the slider S. In the present invention, stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the above-described broken needle self-stop device may be used for the member 3, the upper stopper 4, the lower stopper 5, the slider S, the separable lower stopper part, etc., as long as these members are made of metal. Also, stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the above-described broken needle self-stop device may be used as components of the slider S and the separable bottom stop member, such as an insert pin, a box body, and the like (the components of the slider S will be described in detail later). Further, the above description is given based on the slide fastener using the element 3, the upper stopper 4, and the lower stopper 5 made of metal, but the present invention is also applicable to the slide fastener using the element 3, the upper stopper 4, and the lower stopper 5 made of resin (for example, by injection molding) or resin wire (for example, coil-shaped), in which case the applicable object of the present invention becomes other parts made of metal, and the like.

The following is a detailed description of the slider S.

Fig. 2 and 3 show a slider S to which the present invention is applied; fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the relationship between various components in an exploded manner, and fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along a center line in the longitudinal direction of the slider. 11 denotes the slider body, 12 denotes the pull tab, and 13 denotes the latch pawl-dominant spring. In the latch pawl-dominant spring 13, a spring portion 14 at the front and a latch pawl portion 15 at the rear are integrally formed. As shown in fig. 3, the slider S1 is constituted by arranging the pull tab 12 on the slider body 11 and mounting the latch pawl-dominant spring 13 on the top of the slider body 11. With such a slider S1, when in an unused state, as shown in fig. 3, the end of the latch pawl portion 15 of the latch pawl-dominant spring 13 is pushed down by the force exerted from the spring portion 14 of the latch pawl-dominant spring 13, so the end of the latch pawl portion 15 of the latch pawl-dominant spring 13 is caught between the elements (not shown), thus stopping the downward movement of the slider S1. On the other hand, during use, the pull-tab 12 is operated upward against the force from the spring portion 14, so that the end of the latch pawl portion 15 is moved upward, thus releasing its latch with the element (not shown), thereby allowing the slider S1 to move downward.

Fig. 4, 5 and 6 show another embodiment of the slider S; fig. 4 is a perspective view of the slider S2, fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the relationship between various components in an exploded manner, and fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along a center line in the longitudinal direction of the slider. As previously mentioned, 11 denotes the slider body and 12 denotes the pull tab; 16 denotes a latching pawl, 17 denotes a leaf spring and 18 denotes a lid. As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the slider S2 is constructed by arranging the pull tab 12 and the latching pawl 16 on the slider body 11, fixing the plate spring 17 on the top of the slider body 11, and fixing the lid 18 on the top of the slider body 11. With such a slider S2, when in an unused state, as shown in fig. 6, the end of the latch pawl 16 is pushed down by the force applied from the leaf spring 17, so the end of the latch pawl 16 is caught between the members (not shown), thus stopping the downward movement of the slider S2. On the other hand, during use, the pull-tab 12 is operated upward against the force from the leaf spring 17, so that the end of the latching pawl 16 is moved upward, thus releasing its latching with the element (not shown), so that the slider S2 can be moved downward.

For the above slider, the latch pawl-dominant spring 13 of slider S1 and at least the leaf spring 17 of slider S2 are made of stainless steel suitable for use in conjunction with a broken needle self-stop device of the present invention. Further, in the above description, the latch pawl 16 and the cover 18, and the pull-tab 12 and the slider body 11 may be made of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the dead needle self-stop device of the present invention, and a slider suitable for use in combination with the dead needle self-stop device of the present invention may also be provided by making the latch pawl-dominant spring 13 and the plate spring 17 of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the dead needle self-stop device, and making the slider body 11, the latch pawl 16, the cover 18 and the pull-tab 12 of brass, red brass or the like. Further, by manufacturing the slider having the structure as described above and making the element 3, the upper stopper 4 and the lower stopper 5 of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the dead-end stop device or other brass, red brass or the like, it is also possible to provide a slide fastener suitable for use in combination with the dead-end stop device of the present invention.

Next, a detailed description will be given of button B. In the present invention, "button B" has a meaning that it includes: decorative buttons B1-B3 shown in fig. 7-9, attachment button B4 shown in fig. 10, and snap fasteners SB1, SB2 and SB3 shown in fig. 11-13. Further, "front component" means a component generally disposed on the outer surface side of the garment, and "bottom component" means a component generally disposed on the back surface side of the garment.

Each type of button B will be described in detail below.

Fig. 7 shows a decorative button B1 mounted at the edge of, for example, a jeans pocket or the like. As shown in the sectional view of fig. 7, the decorative button B1 includes the connecting member 21, the covering member 22, and the accessory member 23. The button B1 is mounted on the garment 20 by fixing the cover member 22 to the bottom of the connecting member 21 (the connecting member 21 and the cover member 22 together constitute a bottom member), piercing the shaft of the connecting member 21 into the garment 20 and causing the shaft of the connecting member 21 to further pass through the accessory member 23 (the obverse member), and then expanding the tip of the shaft of the connecting member 21.

The decorative button B2 of fig. 8 is different from the decorative button B1 of fig. 7 in that the shaft of the connecting member 21 is expanded and hidden within the accessory member 23. Otherwise, the decorative button B2 of fig. 8 is the same as the decorative button B1 of fig. 7.

With respect to the decorative buttons B1 and B2 described above, the accessory part 23, which is normally exposed on the outer surface side, is made of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the damaged needle self-stop device of the present invention, considering that the accessory part 23 must be capable of being deformed by caulking fixation and not susceptible to discoloration, deterioration and corrosion. Further, in the above description, the covering member 22 and the connecting member 21 may also be made of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the dead-needle self-stop device of the present invention, and a decorative button suitable for use in combination with the dead-needle self-stop device may be provided by manufacturing the covering member 22 and the connecting member 21 of brass, red brass, or the like.

Fig. 9 shows a decorative button B3 for use on a coat or the like. As shown in the cross-sectional view of fig. 9, decorative button B3 includes accessory part 23 and base part 24 (base part). Button B3 is attached to garment 20 by placing bottom piece 24 on the back of garment 20, piercing accessory piece 23 into garment 20, passing accessory piece 23 through the back surface of bottom piece 24, and affixing accessory piece 23 to bottom piece 24 by caulking.

For the decorative button B3, the accessory part 23, which is normally exposed on the outer surface side, is made of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the dead-end device of the present invention, considering that the accessory part 23 must be able to deform due to caulking fixation and not be susceptible to discoloration, deterioration and corrosion. Further, in the above description, the base member 24 may also be made of stainless steel suitable for use in conjunction with the dead-needle self-stop device of the present invention, and a decorative button suitable for use in conjunction with the dead-needle self-stop device may be provided by making the base member 24 of brass, red brass, or the like.

Fig. 10 shows an attachment button B4 for use on a garment or the like, which is fastened by passing the top (enlarged portion of the button) through an attachment hole formed on the other side of the garment 20 to attach the attachment button B4. As shown in the sectional view in fig. 10, the attachment button B4 includes the attachment member 21, the covering member 22, the accessory member 23, the decorative member 25, and the support member 26. The button B4 is mounted on the garment by fixing the cover member 22 to the bottom of the connecting member 21 (the connecting member 21 and the cover member 22 together constitute a bottom member), piercing the shaft of the connecting member 21 into the garment 20 and passing the shaft of the connecting member 21 through the accessory member 23, and expanding the shaft of the connecting member 21, thereby engaging the accessory member 23 and the decorative member 25, the accessory member 23 having the support member 26 therein and the support member 26 fixed therein (the accessory member 23, the decorative member 25 and the support member 26 together constitute a facade member).

With the above-described attaching button B4, considering that the accessory part 23 must be capable of being deformed by caulking fixation and not be susceptible to discoloration, deterioration and corrosion, the accessory part 23 exposed to the outer surface side is usually made of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the damaged needle self-stopping device of the present invention. Also, considering that the ornamental member 25 must be capable of being deformed by caulking fixation and not be susceptible to discoloration, deterioration and corrosion, the ornamental member 25, which is usually exposed on the outer surface side, is made of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the dead-needle automatic stop device of the present invention. Further, in the above description, the connecting member 21, the covering member 22 and the supporting member 26 may also be made of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the damaged needle self-stopping device of the present invention, and the connecting button suitable for use in combination with the damaged needle self-stopping device may be provided by making the connecting member 21, the covering member 22 and the supporting member 26 of brass, red brass or the like.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view showing a button SB1 other than the button SB to which the present invention is applied; the button SB1 includes a female button 31 and a male button 32. The female buckle 31 includes a female part 33 (bottom part) and a female fixing part 35 (front part), a recess 33a is formed in the female part 33, an elastic part is provided on an inner circumferential surface of the recess 33a, a male buckle 32 described below is engaged with the elastic part, and the female fixing part 35 is penetrated into the garment 20, thereby fixing the female part 33. The male buckle 32 includes a male member 34 (front member) and a male fastening member 36 (bottom member), the male member 34 having a bulging head portion 34a engaged with the elastic portion of the female member 33, and the male fastening member 36 piercing into the garment 20 to fasten the male member 34.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view showing another example of the button SB; button SB2 includes female buckle 31 and male buckle 32, as described above for button SB 1. The female buckle 31 includes a cover member 37, a female fixing member 35, a female member 33, and a spring 38, the female fixing member 35 being fitted in the cover member 37, preventing deformation of the cover member 37, and penetrating into the garment 20, thereby fixing the cover member 37 and the female member 33 described below (the cover member 37 and the female fixing member 35 together constitute a front member) by the garment 20, the female member 33 having a recess 33a formed therein, the male buckle 32 described below being accommodated in the recess 33a, and the spring 38 being disposed in the recess 33a of the female member 33 and engaging with the male buckle 32 described below (the female member 33 and the spring 38 together constitute a bottom member). The male buckle 32 includes a male member 34 (front member) and a male fixing member 36 (bottom member), the male member 34 having a bulging head 34a engaged with a spring 38 disposed in a recess 33a of the female member 33, the male fixing member 36 penetrating into the garment 20, thereby fixing the male member 34.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view showing another example of the button SB; the push button SB3 includes a female buckle 31 and a male buckle 32, as with the push buttons SB1 and SB2 described above. Female buckle 31 differs from that of button SB2 in that although spring 38 of button SB2 has a partially cut-away annular shape, button SB3 uses a spring 38 of the shape shown in fig. 13 and female part 33 has a shape matching it, but otherwise identical to that of button SB 2. And the male buckle 32 is identical to the male buckle 32 of the push button SB 1.

With respect to the push button SB described above, in the push buttons SB1, SB2, and SB3, at least the female member 33 is made of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the broken needle self-stop device of the present invention. Further, in the above description, the male member 34, the female and male fixing members 35 and 36, and the covering member 37 may also be made of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the bad needle self-stop apparatus of the present invention, and by making the female member 33 of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the bad needle self-stop apparatus of the present invention, and making the male member 34, the female and male fixing members 35 and 36, and the covering member 37 of brass, red brass, or the like, it is also possible to provide a snap fastener suitable for use in combination with the bad needle self-stop apparatus. Further, in view of the need for less susceptibility to discoloration, deterioration and corrosion, it is preferred that the female securing member 35 of the push button SB1 and the covering member 37 of the push buttons SB2 and SB3 be made of stainless steel suitable for use in conjunction with the broken needle self-stop device of the present invention.

Example (c):

the following is a detailed description of the present invention by way of example, but the present invention is of course not limited to the following examples.

TABLE 1

	The components (mass percent) are as follows: fe											Ni equivalent weight
													C	Si	Mn	Ni	Cr	N	Mo	Cu	W	Nb	V
	Example 1	0.131	2.3	9.6	13.8	26.5	0.23	-	-	-	-													-	27.2
Example 2												0.065	0.6	3.8	13.0	20.3	0.04	-	-	-	-		19.9
	Example 3	0.095	1.5	7.7	17.3	22.3	0.20	-	-																28.5
Example 4												0.065	1.1	6.0	20.2	23.6	0.08	-	-				29.3
	Example 5	0.065	1.4	3.6	12.5	19.5	0.05	-	-																19.1
Example 6												0.093	0.8	5.1	13.6	17.7	0.06	-	-				21.3
	Example 7	0.072	0.2	8.3	12.1	15.3	0.03	-	-																20.8
Example 8												0.062	0.6	5.1	13.6	19.5	0.04	-	-				21.1
	Example 9	0.059	0.6	4.3	13.2	20.1	0.03	-	-																20.2
Example 10												0.066	0.7	3.8	12.8	20.4	0.03	-	-				19.7
	Example 11	0.066	0.7	3.8	12.8	20.4	0.12	-	-																20.5
Example 12												0.070	0.3	6.5	10.3	20.0	0.10	-	-				19.4
	Example 13	0.072	0.3	3.0	12.3	19.0	0.15	-	-																19.7
Example 14												0.063	0.6	1.5	14.8	22.3	0.02	-	-				20.5
	Example 15	0.051	0.5	1.5	19.1	24.7	0.03	0.30	-																25.2
Example 16												0.073	0.6	3.0	12.2	18.9	0.13	1.50	-				19.3
	Example 17	0.077	0.6	3.2	12.4	18.9	0.17	-	2.20																20.1
Example 18												0.067	0.5	3.1	12.0	19.3	0.12	-	-	0.30			19.1
	Example 19	0.059	0.6	3.2	12.3	18.9	0.11	-	-		0.33														19.2
Example 20												0.072	0.7	3.0	12.2	19.2	0.14	-	-			0.35	19.5
	Comparative example 1	0.041	0.7	0.6	7.8	18.1	0.04	-	-																12.1
Comparative example 2												0.052	0.6	3.2	10.0	18.9	0.03	-	-				16.1
	Comparative example 3	0.040	0.8	2.0	12.0	17.8	0.03	-	-																17.0
Comparative example 4												0.041	0.3	1.0	13.0	22.0	0.03						18.2
	Comparative example 5	0.055	0.6	0.8	8.1	18.3	0.03																		12.6
Comparative example 6												0.072	0.4	0.7	8.1	18.3	0.03						12.8

Test materials (examples 1 to 20) made of stainless steel of the present invention as shown in table 1 were manufactured as follows. Also, the test materials in the comparative examples were also manufactured in the same manner.

The amounts of each of the specified ingredients shown in table 1 were weighed out. 30kg of each component was melted in a usual manner using a high-frequency induction heating melting furnace and cast into an ingot having a thickness of 10mm and a width of 120 mm. Subsequently, each ingot was subjected to solution annealing, cold-rolled to a thickness of 3 mm; intermediate annealing, and cold rolling to the thickness of 1.5 mm; and final annealing. The material thus obtained had dimensions of 120mm by 300 mm. Then, cold rolling was further performed to reach a cold rolling reduction ratio of 60%, and the thus obtained material was used as a test material.

Magnetic permeability was measured for each of the obtained test materials using a magnetic scale ShimadzuMB-3 in a 1kOe magnetic field. The results are shown in table 2. As can be seen from table 2, the magnetic permeability is extreme (not more than 1.005) for the test material of the present invention.

In addition, the magnetization was measured for each of the obtained test materials. The magnetization was determined for each test material using an alternating gradient force magnetometer (AGFM; model AFGM 2900-04C); a specified amount of the specimen was placed in the magnetic field of an electromagnet, a magnetic field of 18kOe was generated from the electromagnet, and the magnetization was measured by changing the magnetic field. The measurement was performed at a measurement speed of 50 msec/point. As can be seen from the results in Table 2, the magnetization is extremely low as 550memu/g or less for the test material of the present invention even in a strong magnetic field of 18 kOe.

TABLE 2

	Magnetic permeability	Magnetization memu/g at 18KOe	Needle breakage detection value	Button capable of detecting broken needle
						0.8mm diameter iron ball	1.2mm diameter iron ball
				Example 1	1.003			412	65	3	10
Example 2	1.002	422	67			3	10
				Example 3	1.002			409	64	3	10
Example 4	1.003	403	60			3	10
				Example 5	1.004			432	78	3	10
Example 6	1.003	415	68			3	10
				Example 7	1.002			419	69	3	10
Example 8	1.003	414	68			3	10
				Example 9	1.003			420	69	3	10
Example 10	1.002	431	72			3	10
				Example 11	1.003			423	71	3	10
Example 12	1.002	435	79			3	10
				Example 13	1.003			435	75	3	10
Example 14	1.003	428	73			3	10
				Example 15	1.003			416	68	3	10
Example 16	1.003	545	86			3	10
				Example 17	1.003			524	83	3	10
Example 18	1.003	490	82			3	10
				Example 19	1.003			515	84	3	10
Example 20	1.004	528	84			3	10
				Comparative example 1	1.21			8920	604	0	0
Comparative example 2	1.03	937	133			0	2
				Comparative example 3	1.02			647	97	1	4
Comparative example 4	1.008	574	84			2	5
				Comparative example 5	1.14			5029	398	0	1
Comparative example 6	1.12	5830	430			0	0

Further, a block of 15mm × 15mm × 0.4mm of each test material was used, and a broken needle detection value was measured. As for the broken-pin detection value, for a bad-pin automatic stop motion device of a static magnetic field type which measures an amount of change in magnetic flux density when a metal is passed through a magnetic flux at a constant speed, a change amount in magnetic flux density corresponding to a 0.8 mm-diameter iron ball is set as a reference value (indication value) of 100 to 120, and a value obtained by performing measurement on each test material subjected to measurement is taken as the broken-pin detection value. The measurement results obtained as described above are shown in table 2. The values shown in table 2 are numerical values with respect to the above-mentioned reference values. As can be seen from the results in table 2, the test material of the present invention has an extremely low broken needle detection value of 86 or less.

Further, the female member 33, the female fixing member 35 and the covering member 37 were manufactured using each of the obtained test materials, and the female buckle 31 of the snap fastener SB2 shown in fig. 12 was manufactured. It should be noted that rolling is performed as described earlier so that the cold rolling reduction ratio is 60% before the female button 31 of the snap fastener SB2 is manufactured. The manufactured female buckle 31 was loaded into a broken needle automatic stop device, and the number of female buckles 31 was investigated in the case where a specified broken needle was detectable. The value of the 0.8 mm-diameter iron ball in table 2 is the number of the female buttons 31 in the case where the broken pin equivalent to the 0.8 mm-diameter iron ball can be detected, similarly, while the value of the 1.2 mm-diameter iron ball in table 2 is the number of the female buttons 31 in the case where the broken pin equivalent to the 1.2 mm-diameter iron ball can be detected. As can be seen from table 2, for the female button 31 made of each test material of the present invention, the broken pin corresponding to the 0.8 mm-diameter iron ball was detected even in the case where there were 3 female buttons 31, and when the broken pin corresponding to the 1.2 mm-diameter iron ball was detected, the broken pin was detected even in the case where there were 10 female buttons 31. These results mean that the detection of broken needles can be performed not only in the case where the laundry is fed into the broken needle self-stop device so that the snap fasteners attached to the laundry pass through the broken needle self-stop device one at a time, but also even in the case where 3 to 10 snap fasteners simultaneously pass through the broken needle self-stop device.

Next, a study of the relationship between the machining ratio (reduction ratio) and the hardness, magnetization, and the detected value of broken needles will be performed. The test material was prepared, manufactured as described earlier so that the cold rolling reduction ratio thereof was 60%, and the cold rolling was not performed after the final annealing, so that the cold rolling reduction ratio thereof was 0%. Hardness was measured as vickers hardness with a load of 20kg, and magnetization and broken needle detection values were measured as described earlier. The results are shown in Table 3.

TABLE 3

	Hardness of		Magnetization memu/g at 18KOe		Needle breakage detection value
							0％	60％	0％	60％	0％	60％
	Example 1	176	422	401	412	61							65
Example 2							145	360	403	422	65	67
	Example 3	172	409	398	409	63							64
Example 4							149	366	390	403	59	60
	Example 5	144	363	428	432	73							78
Example 6							139	368	411	415	65	68
	Example 7	140	367	408	419	65							69
Example 8							127	366	402	414	66	68
	Example 9	132	370	497	420	67							69
Example 10							145	387	428	431	68	72
	Example 11	173	408	417	423	68							71
Example 12							171	404	427	435	72	79
	Example 13	177	420	428	435	73							75
Example 14							145	389	419	428	68	73
	Example 15	143	380	406	416	64							68
Example 16							155	390	511	545	78	86
	Example 17	165	419	495	524	75							83
Example 18							162	404	477	490	77	82
	Example 19	164	405	492	515	78							84
Example 20							168	413	519	528	80	84
	Comparative example 1	141	382	821	8920	129							604
Comparative example 2							138	378	640	937	91	133
	Comparative example 3	139	381	503	647	88							97
Comparative example 4							137	370	469	574	79	84
	Comparative example 5	140	383	793	5029	107							398
Comparative example 6							138	379	713	5830	94	430

As can be seen from table 3, the hardness becomes higher when the cold rolling reduction ratio is larger, and the test materials in the present examples have higher hardness than those of the comparative examples, regardless of the cold rolling reduction ratio. Further, it can be seen that although the magnetization becomes large in the case of increasing the cold rolling reduction ratio thereof for the test material of the comparative example, the magnetization is not affected by the cold rolling reduction ratio for the test material of the present example, and it can be seen that the magnetization of the test material of the present example is lower than that of the test material of the comparative example regardless of the cold rolling reduction ratio. Further, it can also be seen that, although the broken needle detection value was significantly increased with increasing the cold rolling reduction ratio for the test material of the comparative example, the broken needle detection value was not affected by the cold rolling reduction ratio for the test material of the present example.

According to the stainless steel suitable for use in combination with the broken needle self-stop device of the present invention, the detection of whether or not the broken needle enters into the clothes or the like during sewing can be sufficiently performed. Further, according to the slide fastener and the button of the present invention, it is possible to provide a slide fastener and a button satisfying performance required for use thereof, and therefore, can be used in combination with the broken needle self-stop device in sufficiently performing detection as to whether or not the broken needle enters into clothes or the like during sewing.

Claims (13)

1. A stainless steel suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device, the stainless steel having a magnetic permeability of 1.005 or less in a 1kOe magnetic field and a magnetization of 550memu/g or less in an 18kOe magnetic field, the stainless steel comprising, in mass percent, 0.01 to 0.15% C, 0.1 to 5% Si, 1 to 10% Mn, 8 to 25% Ni, 14 to 30% Cr, 0.01 to 0.25% N, and the balance iron and impurities, wherein the nickel equivalent is defined as Ni +0.6Mn +9.69(C + N) +0.18Cr-0.11Si²Has a value of 19 or more, and the stainless steel further comprises a nickel content expressed in mass percentage fromAt least one auxiliary element selected from the group consisting of: a)0.5 to 3% of Cu, b)0.05 to 0.5% of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nb, W and V, and c)0.1 to 2% of Mo.

2. The stainless steel suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device according to claim 1, further exhibiting a broken needle detection performance of a 1.2mm or less-diameter iron ball.

3. The stainless steel suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device according to claim 1, further exhibiting a broken needle detection performance of a 0.8mm or less-diameter iron ball.

4. The stainless steel suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the broken needle detecting performance is maintained after performing cold rolling with a reduction rate of 60%.

5. A zipper suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device, the zipper comprising:

elements mounted on opposite edge portions of a pair of fastener tapes;

stoppers mounted to both end portions of the member; and

a slider for opening and closing the element,

characterized in that at least one component selected from the group consisting of said element, stop and slider and their constituents is made of a stainless steel suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device, said stainless steel having a magnetic permeability of 1.005 or less in a 1kOe magnetic field and a magnetization of 550memu/g or less in an 18kOe magnetic field, said stainless steel comprising, expressed in mass percent, 0.01 to 0.15% C, 0.1 to 5% Si, 1 to 10% Mn, 8 to 25% Ni, 14 to 30% Cr, 0.01 to 0.25% N and the remainder iron and impurities, wherein the nickel equivalent is defined as Ni +0.6Mn +9.69(C + N) +0.18Cr-0.11Si²Has a value of 19 or more, and the stainless steelComprising at least one auxiliary element, expressed in mass percentage, selected from the group consisting of: a)0.5 to 3% of Cu, b)0.05 to 0.5% of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nb, W and V, and c)0.1 to 2% of Mo.

6. The slide fastener suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device according to claim 5, further exhibiting a broken needle detection performance of a 1.2mm or less-diameter iron ball.

7. The slide fastener suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device according to claim 5, further exhibiting a broken needle detection performance of a 0.8mm or less-diameter iron ball.

8. A slide fastener suitable for use in combination with a damaged needle self-stop device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the slider of the slide fastener comprises a slider body, a pull tab arranged on the slider body, and a latching pawl swingable by operation of the pull tab and urged by urging means urging toward the slider body side, and at least said urging means is made of stainless steel suitable for use in combination with a damaged needle self-stop device.

9. A zipper adapted for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device as in claim 8, wherein the pushing means of the slider is a spring dominating or arranged on said locking pawl.

10. A button adapted for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device, said button comprising: a front part disposed on the front surface of the garment, and a bottom part disposed on the back surface of the garment, and the button is attached to the garment by joining the front part and the bottom part together,

characterised in that it comprises said frontal part and bottom part and also the sameAt least one member selected from the group consisting of stainless steel having a magnetic permeability of 1.005 or less in a 1kOe magnetic field and a magnetization of 550memu/g or less in an 18kOe magnetic field, the stainless steel including, in mass%, 0.01 to 0.15% of C, 0.1 to 5% of Si, 1 to 10% of Mn, 8 to 25% of Ni, 14 to 30% of Cr, 0.01 to 0.25% of N and the balance of Fe and impurities, wherein the nickel equivalent is defined as Ni +0.6Mn +9.69(C + N) +0.18Cr-0.11Si²Has a value of 19 or more, said stainless steel further comprising, in mass percent, at least one auxiliary element selected from the group consisting of: a)0.5 to 3% of Cu, b)0.05 to 0.5% of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nb, W and V, and c)0.1 to 2% of Mo.

11. The button suitable for use in combination with the damaged needle automatic stop device according to claim 10, further exhibiting a broken needle detection performance of a 1.2mm or less-diameter iron ball.

12. The slide fastener suitable for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device according to claim 10, further exhibiting a broken needle detection performance of a 0.8mm or less-diameter iron ball.

13. A button adapted for use in combination with a broken needle self-stop device, said button comprising: a pair of buttons consisting of a male button fixed to the article and having a projected head on one surface thereof and a female button fixed to the article and having a concave portion separated from and engaged with the projected head of the male button,

characterized in that at least one member selected from the group consisting of the male and female clasps and their constituent parts is made of stainless steel having a magnetic permeability of 1.005 or less in a magnetic field of 1kOe and a magnetization of 550memu/g or less in a magnetic field of 18kOe, which is suitable for use in combination with the dead-needle self-stop deviceThe stainless steel includes, in mass%, 0.01 to 0.15% of C, 0.1 to 5% of Si, 1 to 10% of Mn, 8 to 25% of Ni, 14 to 30% of Cr, 0.01 to 0.25% of N, and the balance of Fe and impurities, wherein Ni equivalent is defined as Ni +0.6Mn +9.69(C + N) +0.18Cr-0.11Si²Has a value of 19 or more, said stainless steel further comprising, in mass percent, at least one auxiliary element selected from the group consisting of: a)0.5 to 3% of Cu, b)0.05 to 0.5% of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nb, W and V, and c)0.1 to 2% of Mo.