Etching a substrate: processes – Nongaseous phase etching of substrate – Etching inorganic substrate
Reexamination Certificate
1997-06-25
2001-06-12
Gulakowski, Randy (Department: 1746)
Etching a substrate: processes
Nongaseous phase etching of substrate
Etching inorganic substrate
C252S079400, C510S255000, C134S003000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06245251
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for the production of a slide fastener or stringers thereof having coupling elements made of copper or a copper alloy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, in the slide fastener or the stringers thereof having coupling elements made of copper or a copper alloy, the coupling elements made of copper or a copper alloy are generally formed by sequentially cutting a multiplicity of coupling element blanks
2
′ of a prescribed thickness from a linear material
1
made of copper or a copper alloy and possessed of a prescribed sectional shape conforming to the shape of coupling elements as illustrated in FIG.
1
and then imparting meshing or engaging depressions
3
and meshing or engaging projections
4
by the forming punch to the opposite faces of the coupling element blanks as illustrated in FIG.
2
and the coupling elements
2
thus cut and formed are sequentially fixed as spaced with a prescribed interval on the longitudinal edge of a fastener tape
5
. As a result, such marks of cutting as undulating notches produced on outer faces
2
a
of the coupling elements
2
and burred parts produced on edge parts
2
b
thereof during the process of cutting the linear material
1
mentioned above persist on the coupling elements and compel the coupling elements to give an objectionable prickly touch. A slide fastener which is fabricated with these coupling elements
2
has the problem that a slider thereof is not smoothly moved when the two stringers thereof are mutually engaged or disengaged. Further, since the coupling elements are made of copper or a copper alloy, they have the problem that they offer no resistance to corrosion and easily yield their outer faces to oxidation and discoloration.
As means for improving the touch of the coupling elements or the ease of motion of the slider and as means for improving the resistance of the coupling elements to corrosion, the method of chemical polishing treatment which comprises chemically polishing the undulating parts on the outer faces of the coupling elements has been known. The chemical polishing treatment generally uses a chemical polishing liquid which contains hydrogen peroxide and sulfuric acid. It is implemented by wholly immersing in the chemical polishing liquid the slide fastener stringers having the coupling elements made of copper or a copper alloy fixed as spaced with a prescribed interval to the longitudinal edges of the fastener tapes. According to this chemical polishing treatment, an oxide is formed on the surfaces of the coupling elements made of copper or a copper alloy and the undulating cutting marks on the outer surfaces of the coupling elements are smoothly flattened when the oxide is dissolved by the acid.
Such mechanical means as punches and dies are used when the multiplicity of coupling element blanks are cut from the linear material of copper or a copper alloy and the meshing depressions and meshing projections are formed on the surfaces of the coupling element blanks with a forming punch. As an inevitable consequence, cutting oil and machine oil adhere to the outer surfaces of the coupling elements and they tend to impair the evenness of the chemical polishing. These coupling elements, therefore, must undergo a degreasing treatment with an aqueous alkali solution prior to the chemical polishing treatment. Since the chemical polishing liquid is an acidic liquid, the coupling elements which have undergone the degreasing treatment must be given a neutralizing treatment prior to the chemical polishing treatment. Further, when the coupling elements made of copper or a copper alloy are chemically polished with a treating liquid containing hydrogen peroxide, they require a step of washing with an acid (pickling step) for the removal of the skin of copper oxide (CuO) which is formed on the outer surfaces of the coupling elements.
When the slide fastener stringers having the coupling elements of copper or a copper alloy are subjected to the chemical polishing treatment, therefore, they need to be first degreased with an alkali, washed with water, neutralized (as with sulfuric acid), washed with water, chemically polished by immersion in the chemical polishing liquid, washed with water, further washed with acid (sulfuric acid), and washed with water. The chemical polishing treatment, therefore, is problematic in terms of cost because the number of component steps is so large as to boost the cost of materials and the cost of energy required for the steps. Further, the fact that the number of component steps is so large as mentioned above has entrained such problems as discoloring the fastener tapes dyed in advance and deteriorating the materials thereof.
Besides, the chemical polishing treatment by the use of the liquid containing hydrogen peroxide as mentioned above has the problem that the hydrogen peroxide during the treatment undergoes decomposition with evolution of bubbles and the produced bubbles adhere to the outer surfaces of the coupling elements and, as a result, disrupt the evenness of the chemical polishing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to eliminate the problems encountered by the prior art as mentioned above and provide a method which is capable of producing a slide fastener or stringers of the slide fastener having coupling elements made of copper or a copper alloy, which coupling elements excel in smoothness of outer surface and abounding in gloss, with a very few steps as compared with the conventional chemical polishing treatment and consequently with high productivity and low cost.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for the production of a slide fastener or stringers thereof which have coupling elements excelling in strength of attachment to the fastener tapes, resistance to corrosion, fastness to rubbing, fastness to laundering, and fastness to solvents and enjoying excellent touch and high gloss and which avoid discoloring the fastener tapes or deteriorating the material thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method which is capable of producing a slide fastener or stringers thereof excelling in resistance to corrosion, adhesion of a coating, and weatherability while enabling the rustproofing treatment and/or the coating treatment or the plating treatment as well as the treatment for smoothing the outer faces of coupling elements to be carried out rapidly in a series of steps.
In accordance with the fundamental embodiment of the present invention, to accomplish the objects mentioned above, there is provided a method for the production of a slide fastener or stringers thereof, which method comprises: providing a slide fastener or stringer thereof manufactured by cutting and forming a multiplicity of coupling elements from a linear material made of copper or a copper alloy and fixing the coupling elements as spaced with a prescribed interval to the longitudinal edge of a fastener tape; and then immersing the coupling elements of the slide fastener or stringer in an acidic treating liquid containing hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, a surfactant, and an aliphatic alcohol to effect acid treatment thereby smoothing the outer surfaces of the coupling elements.
The method of the present invention may be applied appropriately to coupling elements made of copper or a copper alloy composed of 60-100% of Cu, 0-35% of Zn, 0-15% of Ni, and an inevitable impurity. As the acidic treating liquid mentioned above, an acidic aqueous solution containing 50-250 g/liter of hydrogen peroxide, 10-150 g/liter of sulfuric acid, 1-5 g/liter of phosphoric acid, 0.01-2 g/liter of a surfactant (surface-active agent), and 1-100 g/liter of an aliphatic alcohol may be used advantageously.
Further according to the present invention, for the purpose of improving the coupling elements of the slide fastener in such properties as resistance to corrosion, weatherability, and durability, the coupling elements of the s
Ahmed Shamim
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP
Gulakowski Randy
YKK Corporation
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