HK1018187B - Separable bottom stop assembly of slide fastener - Google Patents

Description

Separable bottom stop assembly for slide fastener

Technical Field

The present invention relates to zippers, and more particularly, to bottom stop assemblies for zippers having separable bottom assemblies.

Background

A separable zipper comprises two longitudinal strips that can be completely separated. A longitudinal strip is provided with a zipper puller, and the bottom end of the longitudinal strip is provided with a bottom end stop which is combined with an opening box. When the user zips the zipper, the open box receives the bottom end stop of the other longitudinal strip.

Typically, two longitudinal strips are sewn to each side of an opening in an openable and closable article (e.g., bag, garment, etc.). The open box has a large volume and can hinder the sewing process. To solve this problem, there have been various designs of the open box in which the open box is firmly connected by being caught on a box pin fixed to the longitudinal strip after the longitudinal strip has been sewn in place of the openable and closable object.

DE-PS-626241 discloses engaging saw teeth on a box pin in corresponding holes provided in the front and rear walls of an open box. This fixation makes the appearance of the box poor, since the teeth are exposed outside the corresponding holes.

US-A-4112553 discloses an open box with saw-shaped teeth on the inner face of the front and rear walls of the box. The bottom end stop has a slot into which the teeth engage to prevent the open box from being removed later. The front and rear outer surfaces of the case thus have a flat, neat appearance.

Japanese utility model-55-93308 shows an arrangement in which a structural member at the lower end of the box pin protrudes through a through hole in the bottom wall of the open box to secure the parts together.

JP- ｃA-37-14329 discloses an arrangement in which ｃA tongue extending from the side wall of the box engages in ｃA groove in the bottom stop.

The problem with these snap-fit designs is to provide a fixation that is not visible to the user, so that although not affecting the appearance of the split box, the fixation provided resists movement of the split box relative to the box pin, since the box is subjected to considerable lateral forces when the other end stop is inserted into the box.

JP- ｃA-6-46906 discloses ｃA fixing device in which the outer edge of the lower end of the bottom stop has ｃA shoulder which engages under ｃA resilient tab in the box.

Japanese utility model-6-38624 discloses a fixing device in which the lower end of a bottom stopper is bifurcated. A shoulder on each outer side of the bottom leg engages under a respective lip of the open box. When the legs are inserted into the box, the legs are facing the opposite top. This design solves some of the problems described above, but still has the problem that the cartridge pin can move axially in the cartridge.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a separable bottom stop assembly of a slide fastener which is simple in structure and can completely prevent the axial movement of a box pin in a box with a split, while the other components are not exposed to the outer surface and the thickness thereof is not too thick.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a separable bottom stop assembly for a separable slide fastener comprising a box pin mounted at the end of one longitudinal strip of the slide fastener and a split box securely engaged by said box pin by snap fit and receiving in use a spigot attached to one end of the other longitudinal strip, said split box including front and rear walls; an inner web connecting said front and rear walls at a portion intermediate opposite ends of said side edges, said inner web having upper and lower joining surfaces; the flange provided on the side edge is directed to the flange of the other wall; a first channel defined by said front and rear walls, said inner web and said flange for receiving a box pin, and a second channel defined by said front and rear walls, said inner web and said flange for receiving a pin, wherein said flange is spaced to allow a strip of said longitudinal strip to pass through, said assembly characterized by

The protrusion is arranged in the flange to limit a first channel;

said box pin having upper and lower engagement surfaces on a side facing said inner web for engaging with upper and lower engagement surfaces of said inner web to prevent upward and downward movement of said box pin in said first channel, an

The box pin is shaped so that the side facing the flange abuts against the projection projecting from the flange in a region below the lower joint plane, while the side facing the inner web is brought into close contact with the inner web in a region close to the upper joint plane.

Preferably, the upper end of said flange is thin so as to bend when the box pin is inserted into said first channel.

Preferably, the lower end of said flange is thickened towards the bottom of said first channel.

Preferably, the box pin is provided with a notch on the side surface facing the inner web, and the notch wraps the inner web.

Preferably, when said box pin is fully inserted into said first channel, said box pin abuts said flange in a region below the lower engagement surface of said inner web.

Preferably, an inner side surface of the slit is flush with the side surface of the inner web in an upper region near the inner web.

Drawings

Other advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

the invention is explained in detail below with reference to the drawings and exemplary embodiments, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 2, showing the separable bottom stop assembly of the separable zipper in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in fig. 1.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The illustrated example shows one attachment structure for a separable bottom stop assembly of a conventional zipper. However, it is clear that the invention can also be used for concealed zippers.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 2, showing the lower end of the zipper, showing a separable bottom stop assembly. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in fig. 1. The bottom stop assembly of the separable zipper is shown in the drawings.

The zipper with bottom stop assembly comprises a first longitudinal strip 4 having a box pin 8, the bottom end of the tape 6 secured to the longitudinal strip 4 being wrapped around a flange 12 formed at the edge of the tape. A box 14 having an opening may be securely engaged with the box pin 8 by a snap fit (as will be described in more detail below). The latch 16 is secured to the band 18 of the second longitudinal strip 20 at a flange 22 surrounding its bottom end 24. When the zipper is closed by coupling the first and second longitudinal strips 4, 20, the latch 16 may be slid into the open box 14.

The box pin 8 and the plug pin 16 are made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin material and are insert-molded into the belts 6, 18, respectively. The opening box 14 is injection-molded from a thermoplastic synthetic resin material.

The above-described structures are well known in the art. The present invention relates to the construction of the box pin 8 and the open box 14 to achieve a secure fit between the box pin 8 and the open box 14.

The box 14 has front and rear walls 26, 28 connected by an inner web 30 at an intermediate portion between the left and right ends of the front and rear walls 26, 26. The inner web 30 has upper and lower engagement surfaces 32, 34.

The bottom ends of the walls 26, 28 are joined by bottom webs 36, 38. The webs 36, 38 are spaced side-to-side to facilitate the formation of the inner web 30.

The side edges 46 of the front and rear walls 26, 28 have flanges 44 facing each other and defining, with the walls 26, 28 and the web 30, a first channel 47 for receiving the box pin 8. Flanges 44 extend from front and rear walls 26, 28 toward each other and are spaced apart to allow strap 6 to pass therebetween. A groove 49 is provided longitudinally in the flange 44 at its inner corner with the walls 26, 28, so that a rib-shaped projection 48 is formed on the flange 44, which projects into the first channel to act as a pressure means. The groove 49 is shallower towards the bottom of the channel 47 so that the flange 44 is thicker in this bottom region and the flange 44 is not deformed too much at the bottom of the first channel 47. The face 31 of the inner web 30 facing the first channel 47 is gradually bulging outwards at the bottom.

The side 42, on the other hand, is similarly provided with a flange 40 opposite the first channel 47 of the front and rear walls 26, 28 and defining, with the walls 26, 28 and the inner web 30, a second channel 43 for receiving the bolt 16. The flanges 40 are spaced apart to allow the strap 18 to pass therethrough.

As can be seen in fig. 2, the box pin 8 is always rectangular in cross-section. Referring to fig. 1, the cut-out 50 in the inner side 52 of the box pin 8 facing the inner web 30 defines upper and lower engagement surfaces 54, 56 at its top and bottom ends, the engagement surfaces 54, 56 serving as limiting means when snap-fit into engagement with the upper and lower engagement surfaces 32, 34 of the inner web 30.

The outer side face 58 of the box pin 8 facing the flange 44 of the open box 14 has an outward projection 60 bulging toward the flange 44 in a region lower than the level of the lower joint face 56. The projection 60 abuts the rib-shaped projection 48, thus ensuring that the push-cut 50 is securely engaged with the inner web 30. The inner side 59 of the cutout 50 lies flat against the side 31 of the inner web 30 in an upper region 64 close to the engagement faces 32, 54.

The box pin 8 fits tightly between the front and rear walls 26, 28, preventing interference between the front and rear walls 26, 28. The protrusion 60 and the flat surface of the box pin 8 prevent the box pin 8 from being disturbed back and forth, left and right, and thus a firm engagement can be achieved.

The lower end 66 of the box pin 8 between its lower end 68 and the inner web 30 is chamfered towards a point to facilitate insertion of the lower end 66 into the first channel 47.

The strips 6, 18 of the longitudinal strips of the zipper are normally made with box pins 8 and pins 16 on the opposite strips 6, 18, respectively, and are supplied to the manufacturer of garments and bags together with the open box 14. The lower end 66 of the box pin 8 is inserted into the first channel 47. During insertion, as the flange 44 is forced between the inner web 30 and the ribbed protrusion 48, the box pin 8 deforms the flange 44 until the cut-out 50 engages the inner web 30, inclusive.

Claims (6)

1. A separable bottom stop assembly (2) for a separable slide fastener comprising a box pin (8) and an open box (14), the box pin (8) being mounted at the end of one longitudinal strip (4) of the slide fastener, the open box (14) being securely engaged by said box pin (8) by snap fit and receiving in use a spigot (16) attached to one end of the other longitudinal strip (20), said open box (14) including front and rear walls (26, 28); an inner web (30) connecting said front and rear walls (26, 28) at a portion intermediate opposite ends of said side edges (46, 42), said inner web (30) having upper and lower engagement surfaces (32, 34); the flanges (44, 40) provided on one side (42) being directed towards the flanges (44, 40) of the other side (46); a first channel (47) defined by said front and rear walls (26, 28), said inner web (30) and said flange (44) for receiving a box pin (8), and a second channel (43) defined by said front and rear walls (26, 28), said inner web (30) and said flange (40) for receiving a pin (16), wherein said flanges (44, 44; 40, 40) are spaced to allow a strip (6, 18) of said longitudinal strips (4, 20) to pass through, said assembly being characterized in that

The projection (48) being provided in the flange (44) to define a first channel (47);

said box pin (8) having upper and lower engagement surfaces (54, 56) on the side facing said inner web (30) for engaging with upper and lower engagement surfaces (32, 34) of said inner web (30) to prevent upward and downward movement of said box pin (8) in said first channel (47), and

the box pin (8) is shaped so that the side (58) facing the flange (44) abuts against a projection (48) projecting from the flange in a region below the lower abutment surface (56), while the side (59) facing the inner web (30) is brought into close contact with the inner web (30) in a region close to the upper abutment surface (54).

2. The separable bottom stop assembly according to claim 1, wherein said flange (44) is thinner at its upper end to bend when the box pin (8) is inserted into said first channel (47).

3. A separable bottom stop assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a lower end portion of said flange (44) is thickened toward a bottom of said first channel (47).

4. Separable bottom stop assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said box pin (8) is provided with a cut-out (50) at the side facing said inner web (30), said cut-out (50) enveloping said inner web (30).

5. The separable bottom stop assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said box pin (8) abuts said flange (44) at a region below said lower abutment surface (34) of said inner web (30) when said box pin (8) is fully inserted into said first channel (47).

6. A separable bottom stop assembly according to claim 4, wherein an inner side surface (59) of said slit (50) is flush against said side surface (31) of said inner web (30) in an upper region adjacent to said inner web (30).