Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Zipper or required component thereof – Interlocking surface constructed from plural elements in series
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-28
2001-06-12
Sandy, Robert J. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Zipper or required component thereof
Interlocking surface constructed from plural elements in series
C024S405000, C024S401000, C024S406000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243927
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slide fastener which can be used for clothes, bag, and the like, and wherein engaging elements which are independent of each other are mounted to edge portions of fastener tapes at constant intervals, the engaging elements are placed with one upon another, and an engaging male portion and an engaging female portion respectively formed on the upper and lower engaging elements can be engaged with and disengaged from each other in upward and downward directions.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventional slide fastener of this type, there is a slide fastener as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 53-2091, wherein independent engaging elements
1
′ are mounted to opposed edge portions of a pair of fastener tapes
2
′ at constant intervals, the engaging elements
1
′ are placed with one upon another such that the elements
1
′ can be engaged with and detached from each other in upward and downward directions, the one engaging element
1
′ is formed with a spherical projection as an engaging male portion
6
′, the other engaging element is formed with a fitting hole as an engaging female portion
7
′ to be snap-fitted with the spherical projection, and the engaging elements
1
′ can be engaged with and detached from each other in upward and downward directions by a sliding movement of the slider
3
′, as shown in FIG.
27
.
In the slide fastener described in the preceding paragraph and shown in
FIG. 27
, when the engaging elements are placed with one upon another and engaged with each other by the sliding slider, the right and left fastener tapes mounted with the engaging elements are not in the same plane. Therefore, if a tensile load is applied to the right and left fastener tapes, a rotation moment acts on the engaged engaging elements. As a result, the engagement of the elements may be easily cancelled and the elements may be detached from each other. Therefore, the slide fastener suffers from a problem of unstableness.
Furthermore, because tip ends of the engaging elements are exposed in a state wherein the right and left engaging elements are placed with one upon another and are engaged with each other, the tip ends of the engaging elements are caught on other articles when the slide fastener is used, and the engagement of the engaging elements may be easily cancelled and the elements may be detached from each other, thereby causing a fastener chain split.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished with the above problems in view, and it is a first object of the invention to provide a slide fastener, wherein right and left fastener tapes are disposed in the same plane, and even if right and left tensile loads are applied to engaged engaging elements, the engaging elements are not easily displaced due to falling or rotating, thereby maintaining a regular engaging state without canceling of engagement of the engaging elements and detachment of the elements. The slide fastener is durable, firm, and presentable.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a slide fastener which is extremely presentable, wherein the engaging elements are formed into such shapes that a rotation moment hardly acts on the engaging elements even if tensile loads are applied to the right and left fastener tapes, thereby facilitating a smooth sliding operation of the slider.
It is a third object of the invention to provide a slide fastener which is extremely presentable, wherein the engaging elements are formed into such shapes that rotation and deviation of the engaging elements are prevented by the engaging elements themselves even if rotation moment acts on the engaging elements as a result of tensile loads applied to the right and left fastener tapes, thereby facilitating the smooth sliding operation of the slider.
It is a fourth object of the invention to provide a slide fastener, wherein the rotation moment hardly acts on the engaging elements by specifying the shapes of the right and left engaging elements, and the engaging elements can be manufactured and mounted easily.
It is a fifth object of the invention to provide a slide fastener, wherein the engaging elements are not rotated or displaced even if rotation moment acts on the engaging elements by specifying the shapes of the right and left engaging elements, and the engaging elements can be manufactured and mounted easily.
It is a sixth object of the invention to provide a slide fastener which is extremely presentable, wherein the engaging elements are not rotated or displaced even if the rotation moment acts on the engaging elements, and the engaging elements can be formed to be thin.
It is a seventh object of the invention to provide a slide fastener, wherein various kinds of engaging portions are formed by specifying the engaging portions of the engaging elements, the slide fastener has a desirable engaging function, and engaging and disengaging operations of the slide fastener can be carried out extremely easily.
It is an eighth object of the invention to provide a slide fastener, wherein the engaging male portion and the engaging female portion can be engaged with each other extremely easily by specifying a shape of the engaging male portion disposed in the engaging element, and a sliding operation of the slider can be carried out extremely smoothly.
It is a ninth object of the invention to provide a slide fastener, wherein the slide fastener can be manufactured with one kind of engaging element which means that it is unnecessary to differently manufacture the right and left engaging elements, by symmetrically disposing a plurality of engaging portions on the engaging element, and the slide fastener has effective engaging and disengaging functions.
It is a tenth object of the invention to provide a slide fastener, wherein a fitting state of the engaging elements with the slider is stabilized by specifying the shapes of the engaged engaging elements, and the engaging elements can be engaged and disengaged from each other easily and smoothly.
According to the main aspect of the invention, there is provided a slide fastener comprising discrete engaging elements which include engaging portions each having an engaging male portion and an engaging female portion to be engaged with and disengaged from each other in upward and downward directions and which are disposed on opposed edge portions of a pair of fastener tapes at constant intervals, and a slider including a guide portion formed laterally, in which the right and left fastener tapes, to which the opposed engaging elements are mounted are disposed in the same plane, and the opposed engaging elements are formed into such shapes that the engaging elements can not be displaced as a result of rotating or falling due to right and left tensile loads applied in engagement of the engaging elements.
Preferably, an engaging contact point between the engaging male portion and the engaging female portion of the engaging portions of the opposed engaging elements mounted to the right and left fastener tapes is in a plane where the right and left fastener tapes exist, and thus, the opposed engaging elements themselves are formed such that the engaging elements can not be displaced as a result of rotating or falling.
Further preferably, fitting faces which can abut on tip ends of the opposed engaging elements are formed in vicinity of tape mounting portions of the opposed engaging elements mounted to the right and left fastener tapes, and the opposed engaging elements themselves are formed such that the engaging elements can not be displaced as a result of rotating or falling.
Preferably, the opposed engaging elements have substantially L shapes in section in a lateral direction of a fastener chain, the engaging elements are defined at one ends thereof to be thick tape mounting portions and at the other ends thereof to be flat engaging tongues projecting from the tape mounting portions, the engaging elements are
Matsushima Hideyuki
Segawa Kiyomasa
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Sandy Robert J.
YKK Corporation
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