Textiles: knitting – Fabrics or articles – Incorporated unknitted materials
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-29
2003-05-20
Worrell, Danny (Department: 3765)
Textiles: knitting
Fabrics or articles
Incorporated unknitted materials
C066S195000, C066S202000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06564590
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a knitted-in slide fastener in which a fastener tape is composed of warp knitting structure and a continuous fastener element row which is of thermoplastic synthetic resin mono-filaments is knitted in and fixed along a fastener element mounting portion of a longitudinal side edge portion of the fastener tape at the same time. More particularly, the invention relates to a knitted-in slide fastener in which the knitting structure of the fastener element mounting portion is formed fine so as to stabilize a pitch between fastener elements and no fraying of composition yarns or separation of fastener element row occurs even when the composition yarn of the fastener element mounting portion is cut out by a sewing needle.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-314 has disclosed a knitted-in slide fastener in which at the same time when a fastener tape is knitted, a continuous fastener element row is knitted in and fixed to a fastener element mounting portion formed along a side edge in the longitudinal direction of the fastener tape. In the knitted-in slide fastener disclosed in this publication, another chain knitting yarn is knitted in duplication in a needle loop group composed of fixing chain knitting yarns for the fastener element row which forms a row of wale near a fastener tape main body, so that a foundation structure in the fastener element mounting portion is formed fine by a chain knitting in which knitting pattern thereof is duplicated. Consequently, it is intended to stabilize the dimension of the fastener element mounting portion and fix the fastener element row firmly.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-187909, for example, has disclosed technology for stabilizing the mounting of the fastener element row. According to the same publication, all the knitting yarns which compose the aforementioned fastener element mounting portion are provided with a higher heat shrinkage characteristic than that of knitting yarns which compose the fastener tape main body and after knitting, are subjected to heat processing, so that composition yarns of the fastener element mounting portion are allowed to shrink largely than the composition yarns of the fastener tape main body. Consequently, it is intended to form the fastener element mounting portion fine so as to tighten the fastener element row more tightly with the fixing chain knitting yarns thereby securing a high coupling strength.
The knitted-in slide fastener disclosed in the above-mentioned publication restricts an operating end of a slider by mounting an upper stop and a lower stop on both end portions thereof like an ordinary slide fastener. Because each of these upper and lower stops is composed of a small piece made of metallic material or synthetic resin material, mounting portions of the stops are protruded outside when such a slide fastener is sewed to trousers or skirt, so that its appearance is not good. Particularly, in case of the upper stops, which are mounted separately to the right and left, it is difficult to fit the slider to the upper stops, so that the fastener portion between the slider and the upper stops is open during use, thereby producing an inconvenience in appearance.
On the other hand, because the knitted-in slide fastener of the invention is excellent in plasticity in terms of the structure thereof as compared to the slide fastener formed of a woven fabric, it has been often employed in particularly plastic clothes. However, if the aforementioned stops are mounted, the inconvenience becomes remarkable. For the reason, since before, end portions of the fastener element row have been sewed directly to clothes through a sewing needle.
When it is intended to mount the fastener element row directly to clothes by sewing the end portions thereof with the sewing needle, the sewing needle should traverse the end portion of the fastener element row. Then, the sewing needle is pierced into the fixing knitting yarns existing at the fastener element mounting portion of the fastener tape or the other composition yarns existing at the same mounting portion located between respective fastener elements, so that the yarns pierced by the sewing needle is cut out. Consequently, by opening/closing operation or mechanical operation upon washing or the like of the slide fastener, fraying in yarn may occur in the fastener element mounting portion and part of the fastener element row may be separated from the fastener tape. Particularly, in the case that heat treatment such as thermal setting is carried out after manufacturing of a fastener stringer like the knitted-in slide fastener of the invention, the yarns are cut out easily due to interference with said sewing needle because hardness and tension of the yarn itself are heightened. Further particularly, if a yarn having a small-diameter in which plasticity is regarded important is used, the yarn is more highly inclined to be cut out.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been achieved to solve the above described problems and a concrete point of the invention is to provide a knitted-in slide fastener in which when end portions of the fastener element row of the fastener stringer are mounted directly to clothes by sewing, no fraying occurs in yarns even if knitting yarn, which composes the fastener element mounting portion of the fastener tape, is cut out due to the interference with a sewing needle so that the fastener element row is not separated from the fastener tape at that portion, thereby ensuring an excellent durability.
Especially, because according to the invention, part of the composition yarns of the fastener element mounting portion is composed of composite fiber yarns formed of the heat shrinkage fiber material and the heat fusion fiber material, when heat treatment is carried out after knitting, the heat shrinkage fiber material of the fastener element mounting portion shrinks largely in the longitudinal direction even if the knitting density is set to ordinary density, so that the fastener element mounting portion is formed fine at a high density. Further, tightening force to the fastener element is increased, so that the fastener element row can be fixed firmly to the fastener tape.
Further, according to the structure described above, if the fastener stringer is heat-treated at a higher temperature than the melting point of the heat fusion fiber material, part or all of the heat fusion fiber material is melted at the same time when the heat shrinkage fiber material shrinks, so that it may be fused with the heat shrinkage fiber material and at the same time, also fused with other composition yarns in the vicinity of the fastener element mounting portion.
By cooling this, the melted portion of the heat fusion fiber material is fused with at least the heat shrinkage fiber material and integrated therewith. Thus, even if the heat shrinkage fiber or other composition yarn happens to be cut out with such a situation that the composition yarn of the fastener element mounting portion interferes with the sewing needle when the end portion of the knitted-in slide fastener of the invention is mounted to clothes, fraying in yarn is blocked by this fusion portion because the cut yarn is fused with other yarn through the aforementioned heat fusion fiber material. Further, no further fraying in yarn occurs and then, separation of the fastener element row is not generated while a knitting pattern is maintained.
Further, when said heat fusion fiber material is melted, it is fused with not only the aforementioned yarn but also a portion in contact with the heat fusion fiber material of the element, at the same time. Thus, the fixing of the fastener elements to the fastener tape not only depends upon sandwiching of the upper and lower leg portions by the fixing knitting yarns from the front and rear sides thereof, but also is fastened and stabilized by integration of the composition yarns and the fast
Bell Boyd & Lloyd LLC
Worrell Danny
YKK Corporation
LandOfFree
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