HK1103273B - Waterproof top end stop of slide fastener - Google Patents

Description

Waterproof top end stop for slide fastener

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener used in an opening/closing opening of a wet-suit, waterproof pants, waterproof shoes, or the like for underwater use.

Background

Japanese utility model application laid-open No.4-36659 discloses a conventionally known waterproof top end stop 101 for a slide fastener, as shown in fig. 11, which comprises: a diamond 121 on the slider 102 can be received into the receiving hole 110 at the center; a passage portion 114 into which the diamond 121 can be inserted, which can be tightly closed and opened to the receiving hole 110; inner seal portions 111, 113 having a large thickness capable of surrounding the accommodation hole 110 and the passage portion 114; and a rib-like seal member 112 protruding from the surface of the inner seal portions 111, 113, penetrating the receiving hole 110 and the passage portion 114, the rib-like seal member 112 being formed integrally into a racket shape capable of being brought into close contact with inner faces of the upper and lower blades 120 of the slider 102.

In the waterproof top end stop 101 for a slide fastener shown in fig. 11, inner seal portions 111, 113 thereof have a large thickness so as to be able to cover the inside of the main body of the slider 102, the seal portions being integrally formed to be long in the longitudinal direction. The rib-like seal 112 comes into contact with the upper and lower tabs 120 of the slider 102 formed on the inner seal portions 111, 113, and this seal needs to protrude into the receiving hole 110 and the passage portion 114 in the shape of a racket. Since the rib seal 112 is provided at a long distance, this structure is not preferable from the viewpoint of water resistance and air tightness. Further, in such a top end stop 101, when the slider 102 is pulled up, the flange 122 of the slider 102 should be brought into close contact with the passage portion 114 with the diamond 121 so that the passage portion 114 is formed in the inner seal portions 111, 113. According to this structure, the side surfaces of the passage portion 114 are just in contact with each other by the flange 122 of the slider 102. Therefore, there is a problem in that water may penetrate or infiltrate the passage portion 114 because only the sides of the passage portion 114 are joined together.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a first object of the present invention is to provide a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, in which a projection contacting an inner face of each of upper and lower tabs of a slider, i.e., a rib-shaped seal, is configured to be as short as possible to improve waterproofness and airtightness; the pressing portion for positively pressing the outer side surface of the top end stop is formed so that the contact surfaces of the insertion leg portions, i.e., the contact portions of the diamond passage portions, are brought into close contact with each other by forming the contact portions as short as possible, thereby securing waterproof and airtight effects.

A second object of the present invention, in addition to the first object, is to provide a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, in which a pressing portion is arranged on an outer edge portion of an insertion leg portion corresponding to a passage portion for accurately and smoothly closing the passage portion, thereby improving waterproof and airtight effects.

A third object of the present invention, in addition to the first object, is to provide a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, in which the relationship between a pressing portion mounted on an insertion leg portion of the top end stop, an outer edge portion located inside the pressing portion, and a slider accommodating these pressing portion and outer edge portion is specified, so as to effectively and accurately improve waterproof and airtight effects.

In addition to the first object, fourth and fifth objects of the present invention are to provide a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, in which the structure of pressing portions formed on both outer sides of an insertion leg portion of the top end stop, which come into contact with a flange of a slider, is specified so that the contact portions of the insertion leg portions come into effective and accurate active contact with each other, thereby improving waterproof and airtight effects.

A sixth object of the present invention, in addition to the fourth object, is to provide a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, wherein the insertion leg portion is brought into contact with the pull-tab portion of the slider through the projection and the pressing portion, thereby achieving smooth and slight sliding of the slider.

In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener having elasticity, which is fixed adjacent to fastener elements arranged along opposite side edges of a pair of fastener tapes in the slide fastener and to which the waterproof top end stop is further attached, wherein a receiving portion capable of receiving a diamond of a slider is located at the center thereof so that the receiving portion is surrounded by an insertion leg portion; projections which come into contact with the upper and lower tabs of the slider are protrudingly provided along an inner peripheral edge portion 11 provided on the inner edge of the accommodating portion; a passage portion allowing passage of the diamond of the slider is provided on an inner side of the insertion leg; and pressing portions protruding with respect to contact surfaces of the leg portions in the fastener elements adjacent to the top end stop or surfaces making sliding contact with the slider are provided on both outer sides of the top end stop, i.e., on the outer sides of the insertion leg portions. The pressing portion can be pressed inward when the slider is slid. Since the contact is made between the pressing portion and the slider, the passage portion can be tightly closed.

In addition to the first aspect, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, wherein a pressing portion provided in the top end stop is formed at a position corresponding to a passage portion that allows passage of a diamond of a slider, i.e., on an outer edge portion of an insertion leg portion.

In addition to the first aspect, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, wherein a pressing portion disposed in the top end stop is located on an outer edge portion of a side of an entrance of an insertion leg portion, and an outer edge portion provided on an inner side of the top end stop from the pressing portion is formed narrower than an interval between left and right flanges of the slider, thereby avoiding contact with the flanges.

In addition to the first aspect, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, wherein a pressing portion arranged in the top end stop protrudes in up and down directions from the insertion leg portion.

In addition to the first aspect, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, wherein a pressing portion disposed in the top end stop protrudes in an outward direction from the insert leg.

In addition to the fourth aspect, according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, wherein a projection and a pressing portion provided on an insertion leg portion of the top end stop project in the up-down direction while a portion between the projection and the pressing portion is recessed.

The advantages of the present invention will be described below.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, even if the passage portion allowing the diamond of the slider to pass therethrough is formed with a short contact surface, the pressing portions formed on both outer sides of the top end stopper can positively press the insertion leg inward to block the penetration or intrusion of water. Further, even if the projection which comes into contact with the inner face of the pull tab of the slider has a short length along the inner peripheral edge portion of the accommodating portion, the waterproof and airtight properties can be effectively exerted, and the tip end stop can be easily produced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the pressing portion provided inside the insertion leg portion is pressed and accurately closed to prevent penetration and intrusion of water through the passage portion, thereby improving water resistance and airtightness.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the passage portion provided on the inlet side of the insertion leg portion is pressed inward by the sliding operation while not being in contact with the flange with respect to the inner side of the pressing portion, i.e., the side in the depth direction. Therefore, the sliding operation can be slightly achieved.

According to the fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention, the pressing portion provided on the insertion leg portion can be securely brought into sliding contact with the flange of the slider, so that the passage portion provided inside the insertion leg portion can be securely pressed and closed. Thus, good water and air tightness is achieved.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the insertion leg portion is partially in contact with the inner faces of the upper and lower tabs of the slider, whereby the slider can be smoothly and slightly slid. Thus, the advantages achieved by the present invention are significant.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a waterproof top end stop of the slide fastener;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the slider, partially broken away, showing the use of a waterproof top stop;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the top end stop of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front view showing the use of the top end stop;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a main portion showing a relationship between a pressing portion of a top end stop and a fastener element;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modification of the top end stop;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of the top end stop taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side view showing the slider in sliding contact with the top end stop;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another top end stop; and

fig. 11 is a front view showing the use of a known top end stop.

Detailed Description

With the waterproof top end stop of the slide fastener of the invention, as shown in fig. 1 and 5, the surfaces of a pair of fastener tapes 5 are coated with a waterproof material 6 such as a thermoplastic elastomer composed of vinyl chloride or polyethylene or synthetic rubber to form a base fabric 4. Fastener elements 7 made of a thermoplastic resin such as polyamide or polyacetal are formed on the side edges of the base fabric 4 by injection molding. A top end stop 1 is formed at an end portion to which the fastener element 7 can be attached, which is made of the same material as the above waterproof material 6 and has elasticity so as to be able to stop the slider 2.

The top end-stop 1 has one closed end. The top end stop 1 includes a receiving portion 10 whose inner center receives the diamond 21 of the slider 2, and insertion legs 13 formed on left and right sides of the other end, respectively, so that the legs 13 can be adjacent to the fastener elements 7. A passage portion 14 allowing the diamond 21 on the slider 2 to pass therethrough is formed on the side of the entrance end portion of the insertion leg portion 13, that is, on both sides of the insertion leg portion 13 adjacent to the fastener element 7. The passage portion 14 is configured such that when the slide fastener is closed with the slider 2, the left and right passages of the passage portion 14 can be connected together to secure waterproof performance.

The pressing portion 15 is formed by slightly projecting the left and right outer sides of the insertion leg portion 13 outward with respect to the outer edge of the fastener element 7, so that the pressing portion 15 projects in the up-down direction while being kept in contact with the flange 22 of the slider 2. The protrusions 12 are provided to protrude toward inner faces of upper and lower pull tabs 20 of the slider 2 so as to be able to come into contact with the pull tabs along the inner peripheral edge portions 11 of the accommodating portion 10 in which the diamond 21 is accommodated. The inlet end of the projection 12 faces the passage portion 14 of the insertion leg portion 13, and the end of the projection is chamfered to form a slope 16, thereby reducing the impact on the upper and lower pull-down tabs 20 and facilitating the passage of the diamond 21 when it is inserted. The stopper pieces 17 protrude on both closed end surfaces of the top end stopper 1 so that the tab 20 heads 23 of the slider 2 can contact each other, whereby the slider 2 can be accurately accommodated into the accommodating portion 10.

Meanwhile, the back surface of the base fabric 4 is lined with the sealing material 8 outside the closure stopper 17 of the top end stop 1, thereby uniting the left and right fastener tapes 5.

As for the relationship between the top end stop 1 and the slider 2, the waterproof and airtight properties are exhibited in such a manner that the diamond 21 is accommodated into the accommodating portion 10 of the top end stop 1 by the sliding of the slider 2, so that the top end stop 1 can function as a waterproof top end stop. At this time, when the top end stop 1 receives the diamond 21 of the slider 2 into the receiving portion 10, as shown in fig. 4, the projection 12 formed along the inner peripheral edge portion 11 of the receiving portion 10 is brought into press contact with the inner face of the pull tab 20, so that the upper and lower surfaces of the top end stop 1 and the inner face of the slider 2 are tightly closed together. As for the sealing function of the passage portion 14 allowing the diamond 21 to pass through, as shown in fig. 3 and 4, the passage portion 14 is formed in the insertion leg portion 13 of the top end stop 1, and the pressing portions 15 formed on the left and right insertion leg portions 13 are pressed inward by the flanges 22, so that the left and right portions of the passage portion 14 are brought into close contact with each other. Therefore, the waterproof and airtight effect of the top end-stop 1 is exerted by bringing the protrusion 12 and the pull-tab 20 into pressure contact, and by subjecting the pressing portion 15 to inward pressing by the flange 22, so as to seal the passage portion 14.

First embodiment

In the top end stop according to the first embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 9, both front and rear surfaces of a pair of fastener tapes 5 are coated with a waterproof material 6 of a thermoplastic elastomer such as vinyl chloride or polyethylene or synthetic rubber, thus forming a base fabric 4. Then, the fastener elements 7 are formed on the mutually opposite side edges of the base fabric 4 by injection molding using a thermoplastic resin such as polyamide, polyacetal, polypropylene, and polybutylene terephthalate. Each fastener element 7 is mainly composed of a coupling head 28 and a leg portion 29. The leg 29 is formed of a square body, and a contact face 31 is formed at the outer end of the leg 29 so that the flange 22 of the slider 2 can be brought into sliding contact therewith. A wing 30 in a flat shape is provided on a contact surface 31 of one side of one of the fastener tapes 5, and the flange 22 of the slider 2 can be brought into contact with the wing 30 and the contact surface 31 when the slider is slid.

The coupling head 28 protrudes from the leg portion 29 in the shape of the numeral 8, and an engaging piece 32 which is flat-shaped and flush with the edge of the fastener tape 5 is provided on the leg portion 29 at one side of the head portion 28 and is fitted into a groove 33 provided in the coupling head 28 of the mating fastener element. Thus, a groove 31 is formed at the front end of the coupling head 28, so that engaging pieces 32 protruding from both sides of the fastener element 7 of the mating fastener element are received to engage the left and right fastener elements 7 with each other.

The upper and lower tabs 20 of the slider 2 are connected together with diamond 21, and flanges 22 for guiding the fastener elements 7 are formed curvedly on both outer sides of the tabs 20. By the sliding movement of the slider 2 in the front-rear direction, the fastener elements 7 molded on the side edges of the base fabric 4 are brought into close contact with each other in both the front-rear and left-right directions, thereby imparting both the left and right base fabrics 4 with waterproof properties.

The top end stop 1 is injection molded from the same material as the thermoplastic elastomer coated on the surface of the base fabric 4, such as vinyl chloride or polyethylene or synthetic rubber. In the top end stop 1, a receiving portion 10 capable of receiving the diamond 21 on the slider 2 is formed at the center thereof and the front end thereof is closed, so that the fastener elements 7 can be continuously attached to the side edge of the base fabric 4, and the insert leg portions 13 are integrally formed on the right and left sides of the receiving portion 10. As shown in fig. 2, the top end stop 1 further includes a projection 12, and the projection 12 is receivable in left and right flanges 22 of the slider 2 and projects toward a surface along an inner peripheral edge portion 11 of the receiving portion 10 located at the center. The projection 12 is configured to contact with the inside of the upper and lower blades 20 of the slider 2 so that waterproof performance can be ensured. The protrusion 12 formed along the inner peripheral edge portion 11 means that the protrusion 12 is formed along the contour of the inner peripheral edge portion 11 at a predetermined interval from the inner peripheral edge portion 11, or the protrusion 12 is formed on the same plane as the inner peripheral edge portion 11. That is, the protrusions 12 are formed to surround the diamond 21 together with the accommodation portion 10.

As shown in fig. 3, the entrance end portions of the insertion legs 13 of the top end stop 1 can be brought into close contact with each other, thereby constituting the passages 14 allowing the diamond blocks 21 to pass smoothly. The formed projection 12 is terminated at the passage portion 14, and the passage portion 14 and the edge of the fastener tape 5 are formed on the same plane. Next, the slope 16 is formed by cutting a portion of the face facing the entrance of the projection 12, i.e., a corner of the face on the side adjacent to the fastener element 7 to provide a slope. The inclined surface 16 reduces the influence on the upper and lower pull-down tabs 20, thereby allowing the diamond 21 to pass smoothly.

The pressing portions 15 are provided on the left and right outer side portions of the entrance end of the insertion leg portion 13 of the top end stop 1, so that the pressing portions 15 can protrude outward with respect to the outer edge of the insertion leg portion 13 while protruding from the top and bottom surfaces of the insertion leg portion 13 toward the pull-tab 20. The pressing portion 15 protrudes with respect to the outer side surface, i.e., the leg portion 29 contact surface 31 in the fastener element 7 is molded as shown in fig. 3 and 6. When the slider 2 is slid towards the terminal end, a gap is created between the flange 22 of the slider 2 and the contact surface 31 of the leg 29. However, there is no gap between the flange 22 of the slider 2 and the pressing portion 15 molded on the outer side edge of the insertion leg portion 13 of the top end stop 1, so they are in close contact with each other. Therefore, the pressing portion 15 is pressed inward by the flange 22, whereby the passage portion 14 is tightly closed. Further, the width dimension from the outside of the pressing portion 15 to the edge portion of the fastener tape 5 is larger than the width dimension from the contact face 31 of the leg portion 29 to the end of the fastener tape 5. Since the pressing portion 15 protrudes toward the tab 20, the contact area between the pressing portion 15 and the flange 22 can be increased.

On the inner side or depth side with respect to the pressing portion 15 formed on the insertion leg portion 13, the width of the end stop 1 is formed narrower than the interval between the flanges 22 of the slider 2 as shown in fig. 3, so that the flanges 22 and the insertion leg portion 13 are inevitably brought into contact with each other to smoothly slide the slider 2. That is, the insertion leg portion 13 not in contact with the flange 22 is formed inside the outer position of the top end stop 1 corresponding to the passage portion 14 held in contact, while the pressing portion 15 is formed at each position corresponding to at least the passage portion 14. In other words, the pressing portions 15 are formed to have a length at least as long as those of the projections 12 facing the passage portion 14. Preferably, the pressing portion 15 is formed longer than the projection 12 and is the same length as or longer than the passage portion 14. A notch is provided between the accommodating section 10 and the projection 12 formed around the pressing section 15 in the insertion leg section 13 of the top end stop 1. Therefore, the slider 2 can smoothly and slightly slide due to the partial contact of the pull tab 20 of the slider 2. Meanwhile, although the left and right end portions at the entrance of the insertion leg portion 13 can be moved relative to each other corresponding to the arrangement of the fastener elements 7, the left and right end portions of the projection 12 can still be in contact with each other.

At the closed front end of the top end stop 1, as shown in fig. 9, the stopper piece 17 protrudes from the front and rear surfaces, so that the stopper piece 17 meets the outer edges of the shoulder openings of the head portions 23 of the upper and lower blades 20 of the slider 2 and comes into contact as shown in fig. 2. Therefore, the head 23 of the pull-tab 20 of the slider 2 comes into active contact (aggressive contact) with the stopper 17, preventing the slider 2 from sliding. The base fabric 4 outside the stop block 17 is lined with a sealing material 8 made of a thermoplastic elastomer to ensure waterproof properties.

The use of such a top end stop 1 will be explained below. When the sliders 2 installed on the left and right sides of the base fabric 4 are slid toward the top end stop 1 as shown in fig. 5, the diamond 21 pushes and opens the passage portion 14 of the top end stop 1 having elasticity, the head 23 of the pull tab 20 of the slider 2 comes into contact with the stopper 17, and the diamond 21 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 10. Therefore, the flange 22 of the slider 2 presses the left and right pressing portions 15, bringing the passage portions 14 into pressure contact with each other. Further, the projection 12 of the top end stop 1 is also brought into pressure contact with the inner face of the pull tab 20 of the slider 2, thereby maintaining the waterproof and airtight properties at the terminal end of the base fabric 4.

To release the waterproof and airtight properties, the slider 2 is slid in a direction away from the top end stop 1 by the diamond 21 to push away the passage portion 14 of the insertion leg portion 13, thereby enabling the slider 2 to be slid.

Fig. 7 and 8 show a modification of the waterproof top end stop according to the first embodiment. In the peripheral portion of the top end stop 1, an inclined portion is formed at least at the pressing portion 15 and the insertion leg portion 13 on the side of the fastener element 7 of the fastener tape 5. In the sectional view shown in fig. 8, the inclined portion is formed in a slope shape gradually decreasing in thickness toward the outside of the top end stop 1. With this feature, even if someone tries to peel it off intentionally, the top end-stop 1 is not easily grasped, thereby making it possible to provide a top end-stop 1 that can be used for a long time.

Second embodiment

According to a second embodiment shown in fig. 10, a waterproof top stop differs from the first embodiment in that: the pressing portion 15 disposed at the outer edge of the insertion leg portion 13 of the top end stop 1 is flat without protruding upward/downward. In detail, the top end stop 1 made of a thermoplastic elastomer has a housing portion 10 for housing diamond-shaped blocks 21, and protrusions 12 protruding upward/downward along an inner peripheral edge portion 11 of the housing portion 10 are provided on the front and rear surfaces so that they can come into pressure contact with the inner face of the pull tab 20. Next, pressing portions 15 are formed at outer edge portions of the left and right insertion leg portions 13 so that they are slightly expanded from the outer surfaces of the insertion leg portions 13. The pressing portion 15 has the same thickness as that of the insertion leg portion 13 appearing at the front and rear faces of the top end stop 1, and the pressing portion 15 is brought into sliding contact with the inner face of the flange 22 of the slider 2.

When the slider 2 slides toward the top end stop 1, the pressing portion 15 formed on the outer edge portion of the insertion leg portion 13 of the top end stop 1 is pressed by the flange 22 of the slider 2, so that the insertion leg portion 13 is pushed inward to bring the passage portions 14 into pressure contact with each other. In such a top end stop 1, the projection 12 provided along the inner peripheral edge portion 11 of the accommodating portion 10 is brought into pressure contact with the inner face of the pull tab 20 of the slider 2, and the passage portions 14 are brought into close contact with each other by the flange 22 of the slider 2. Thus, the top end stop 1 has a waterproof function.

The top end stop in the above-described first and second embodiments is not limited to use only in the injection-molded type fastener element, but may also be used in a slide fastener having a spiral-shaped fastener element or a zigzag-shaped fastener element made of synthetic resin monofilament. In this case, the contact surface of each leg of each fastener element means a reversed portion on the side opposite to the connecting heads extending from the upper and lower legs of the spiral or zigzag type fastener element, that is, the outside of the connecting portion, that is, a portion which is in contact with the flange of the slide slider.

The waterproof top end stop for slide fastener of the present invention is used at the opening portions of various wet-suit and waterproof pants and at the opening portions of waterproof shoes for underwater work, which are under water during use, and is also used at the opening portion of a bag to secure waterproof and airtight properties.

Claims (6)

1. A slide fastener having a waterproof top end stop (1), the waterproof top end stop (1) having elasticity and being fixed adjacent to fastener elements (7) provided along opposite side edges of a pair of fastener tapes (5) to join end portions of the respective fastener tapes (5),

the top end stop includes:

a receiving portion (10) for receiving a diamond (21) of the slider (2), which is surrounded by the insertion leg portion (13) and is provided at the center of the top end stop (1);

a projection (12) which is in contact with inner surfaces of upper and lower blades (20) of the slider (2), the projection being provided along an inner peripheral edge portion (11) of the accommodating portion (10); and

a passage portion (14) that allows passage of a diamond (21) of the slider (2), the passage portion being provided at an end of the insertion leg (13) on the slider mounting side;

the method is characterized in that: the top stop further comprises:

a pressing portion (15) that protrudes more than a slider contact face (31) of a leg portion (29) in the fastener element (7) adjacent to both outer sides of the top end stop (1), the pressing portion (15) being provided at an end portion of the insertion leg portion (13) only on a part of right and left outer edge portions in a width direction of the fastener tape (5), the passage portion (14) being configured to be tightly closed due to contact between the pressing portion (15) and the slider (2).

2. The slide fastener with a waterproof top end stop according to claim 1, wherein: the pressing portion (15) is arranged on an outer edge portion of only the insertion leg portion (13) corresponding to the passage portion (14).

3. The slide fastener with a waterproof top end stop according to claim 2, wherein: a pressing portion (15) is provided on an outer edge portion of only the insertion leg portion (13) on a side opposite to the accommodating portion (10) side, and

the outer edge portion of the top end stop on the side opposite to the fastener element (7) as viewed from the pressing portion (15) is formed narrower than the interval between the flanges (22) of the slider (2), so that when the outer edge portion of the pressing portion (15) is in contact with the flanges (22), the outer edge portion of the top end stop on the side opposite to the fastener element (7) as viewed from the pressing portion (15) is not in contact with the flanges (22).

4. The slide fastener with a waterproof top end stop according to claim 1, wherein: the pressing portion (15) is formed to protrude outward from the insertion leg portion (13) in the up-down direction in the perpendicular direction with respect to the tape surface of the fastener tape (5).

5. The slide fastener with a waterproof top end stop according to claim 1, wherein: the pressing portion (15) is formed to protrude outward from the insertion leg portion (13) in the width direction of the fastener tape (5).

6. The slide fastener with a waterproof top end stop according to claim 4, wherein: the insertion leg portion (13) is formed to be recessed between the projection (12) and the pressing portion (15), and the projection (12) and the pressing portion (15) project in the up-down direction in the perpendicular direction with respect to the tape surface of the fastener tape (5).