Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Zipper or required component thereof – With distinct member for sealing surfaces
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-13
2004-01-27
Sandy, Robert J. (Department: 3677)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Zipper or required component thereof
With distinct member for sealing surfaces
Reexamination Certificate
active
06681455
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to airtight waterproof slide fastener, which is employed at a portion demanding airtight waterproof performance under high pressures such as in diving suits and underwater tunnels.
2. Description of the Related Art
Engagement teeth for the airtight waterproof slide fastener provided currently are largely divided into two types of structures, which are an engagement tooth structure disclosed in, for example, Germany Patent No. 856881, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 58-181210, and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 63-8763, and an engagement tooth structure disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1-54041, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-16648, and Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 5-2098. Composing elements of these engagement teeth include a spear-shaped coupling element having a coupling head at its front end and a substantially U-shaped clamp element having a nipping portion composed of a pair of small sheet pieces and a connecting portion for connecting end portions thereof. This clamp element is usually obtained by fastening a rectangular sheet piece into a substantially U-letter shape.
According to the engagement tooth structure disclosed in the above-mentioned Germany Patent No. 856881, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-181210, and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 63-8763, the coupling element is so constructed as to be directed from the center of the inside of the connecting portion of the clamp element such that the coupling head is exposed out and protruded integrally therewith. In order to fix this engagement teeth to the airtight waterproof fastener tape, insertion holes for the coupling heads are formed at a predetermined pitch along a side edge of this airtight waterproof tape and the coupling head of the engagement tooth is passed through this hole. Then, the airtight waterproof tape is bent and pushed in the shape of &OHgr; such that the insertion hole forming portion makes a firm contact with a curved bottom of the clamp element and then, the clamp element is fastened from both front and rear sides so as to nip the tape firmly in order to produce the airtight waterproof fastener stringer.
On the other hand, according to the structure of the engagement tooth disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1-54041, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-16648, and Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 5-2098, a coupling element comprising a coupling head at a front end thereof and an spear-shaped coupling element having a rectangular flange at the rear end thereof, and a substantially U-shaped clamp element are formed separately. To fix the engagement tooth onto the airtight waterproof tape, a side edge portion of the airtight waterproof tape is wound around from the flange side to the coupling head at the front end such that it wraps and holds the coupling element. Then, the clamp element is held through the airtight waterproof tape from the flange side of the coupling element up to just before the coupling head and fastened strongly so that the tape wraps and holds the clamp element. Consequently, the side edge portion of the airtight waterproof tape is bent in the shape of &OHgr; by means of the clamp element, so that the tape is nipped and fixed firmly, thereby an airtight waterproof fastener stringer is produced.
Air-tightness and waterproofness of these airtight waterproof slide fasteners is warranted by contact pressing force of the airtight waterproof tape portion which is bent and exposed outward between the coupling head of each of a pair of opposing fastener stringers and the clamp element. If this contact pressing force is weak, gap is generated between the tapes pressing each other, by hydraulic pressure or other external forces applied to the airtight waterproof tape.
By the way, in the above-described engagement tooth comprising integrated coupling element and clamp element, management of parts is facilitated because the number of required parts is reduced. However, to fix the engagement tooth to the airtight waterproof tape, insertion holes for the coupling heads need to be formed in the side edge portion of the airtight waterproof tape. Further, after inserting the coupling head into the insertion hole, it is necessary to push the tape toward the bottom face of the clamp element so that it is bent in the shape of letter U. Consequently, this fixing structure allows the airtight waterproof tape to move easily in the width direction of the tape, so that the nipping and fixing force by the clamp element tends to weaken. Thus, as described in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 58-181210, a lip for nipping the tape is projected from opposing faces at open side end portions of the clamp element so as to increase the fixing strength of the engagement tooth to the airtight waterproof tape.
For the airtight waterproof slide fastener of this type, securing its airtight waterproof performance depends upon contact pressing force between opposing tape portions when opposing engagement teeth of a pair of fastener stringers are coupled. Then, if a tongue piece is formed such that it is projected outward at right angle from one end or both ends of front and rear sides of the clamp element bent in a substantially U shape so as to increase the contact area, necessary contact pressing force is secured such that necessary airtight waterproof performance is easily obtained. However, formation of the tongue piece such that it is projected outward of the clamp element increases the thickness of the entire slider, which is a fastener opening/closing device, in a direction perpendicular to the airtight waterproof tape.
On the other hand, in the structure of the engagement tooth comprising a coupling element and a clamp element formed separately as indicated by the above Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1-54041, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-16648 and Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 5-2098, fixing work to the airtight waterproof tape is easy although the number of parts increases. Further, because fixing strength to the airtight waterproof tape is intensified by existence of a flange formed at the proximal end portion of the coupling element, this is a preferable engagement tooth structure from the viewpoint of practicability.
In any one of the above-mentioned engagement tooth structures, almost all conventional clamp elements have substantially rectangular shapes and opposing side faces in adjacent nipping portions of the clamp element are parallel to each other. Its exception is the above-mentioned Germany Patent No.856881. According to this specification, each clamp element fixed to a side edge of a pair of the fastener stringers in zigzag shape is formed in the shape of a trapezoid, whose width is decreased gradually toward a front end of the nipping portion when seen in side view.
Because the front end faces of the nipping portions of the clamp element disposed such that they oppose each other are disposed being shifted completely in the tape direction, they do not have any overlapping opposing faces. Thus, necessary contact pressing force between the waterproof tapes is not generated and airtight waterproof performance is reduced because no direct pressure force is applied to the airtight waterproof tape by the respective front end faces of the opposing nipping portions of the clamp element.
In the meantime, in the airtight waterproof slide fastener of this type, products with this fastener such as a diving suit may be folded or left without being tidied up, and be trod when they are not used. At this moment, the fastener stringer of the airtight waterproof slide fastener is folded between the engagement teeth at the same time.
FIG. 7
shows a folding condition of a fastener stringer
108
at this moment.
FIG. 7A
is a front view of the same fastener stringer
108
, while
Finnegan, Henderson Farabow, Garrett and Dunner L.L.P.
Sandy Robert J.
YKK Corporation
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