Fabric (woven – knitted – or nonwoven textile or cloth – etc.) – Knit fabric – Including strand which is of specific structural definition
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-01
2001-01-30
Edwards, Newton (Department: 1774)
Fabric (woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.)
Knit fabric
Including strand which is of specific structural definition
C442S316000, C442S317000, C442S232000, C066S192000, C066S193000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06180545
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape for a slide fastener, and more particularly to a reflecting warp-knit slide fastener tape whose element-attaching marginal portion is restricted in warpwise stretchability by specifying the substances and individual warp-knitting patterns of knitting yarns and in which one or more reflective cords as of a light-reflective material are knitted in a portion contiguously inside of and along the element-attaching marginal portion. The presence of this resulting reflecting portion can be seen even from a distant place as It reflects light illuminated especially at night.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 63-135390 discloses a slide fastener tape in which a retroreflecting sheet is attached to a local portion of the tape surface. Republic of China Patent No. 284984 discloses a retroreflecting slide fastener tape in which a retroreflective strip is knitted contiguously to and along an element-attaching marginal portion by every several weft yarns so as to extend warpwise in a meandering pattern such as to be exposed alternately to front and rear surfaces of the tape.
In the retroreflecting slide fastener tape of the first-named publication, since the retroreflective sheet is attached to the front surface of the tape using an adhesive means, there is a fear that such retroreflective sheet might be peeled off the tape while the slide fastener is in use, so that an effective and reliable reflective feature cannot be retained for a long term, thus resulting in only an inadequate durability.
In the retroreflecting slide fastener tape of the second-named publication, although the retroreflective strip would not be peeled off the tape, the same retroreflective strip would tend to suffer possible damages, if exposed to the front tape surface to an elongated extent, as the retroreflective strip is merely woven at regular distances by weft yarns. And if the retroreflective strip is exposed to the front tape surface to only a limited extent, it would be impossible to expect a continuous high-definition reflecting feature. Further, due to its relatively complex woven structure, the tape portion in which the retroreflective strip is woven would be thick and rigid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the foregoing problems in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a reflecting warp-knit tape, for a slide fastener, which is thin and adequately flexible and in which various kinds of one or more reflective cords are sandwiched from their front and rear sides by knitting yarns without being peeled or removed off the tape after long-term use, giving a refined eye-catching design feature which is particularly suitable for an ornament of the dress and the traffic-safety clothing. Especially the tape of this invention has a feature that the reflecting portion are exposed to the front surface of the tape continuously along its entire length without being obstructed by the knitting yarns.
According to a first aspect of the invention, the above object is accomplished by a reflecting warp-knit tape for a slide fastener having a plurality kinds of warp-knit structures, comprising: a longitudinal web portion; and an element-attaching marginal portion extending contiguous to and along a longitudinal edge of the web portion. The element-attaching marginal portion has a knit structure which is longitudinally non-stretchable. The web portion has a reflecting portion composed of at least a reflective member made of reflective material.
In the present invention, “knitting of the reflecting member” inclusively means “forming a wale directly by the reflecting member itself which serves as a knitting yarn while forming a succession of stitches of the reflecting member” and “merely laying the reflecting member between adjacent wales so as to hold the reflecting member at its front and rear sides by other knitting yarns”.
With this arrangement, since the reflective members are knitted in the web portion simultaneously with the knitting of the warp-knit tape, it is possible to secure adequate flexibility of the warp-knit tape and also to attach the reflective members to the tape in a stabilized posture without being peeled or removed off the tape, comparing to the case where the reflective members are adhered or sewn onto the web portion.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the reflecting portion is formed by knitting the reflective member adjacent to an inner side of the longitudinal edge of the marginal portion of the web portion to extend substantially parallel to the element-attaching marginal portion. With this arrangement, the reflective member is knitted in contiguous to and along the marginal portion of the fastener element row that is the least stretchable and the most eye-catchable position. It is therefore possible to maintain the reflective members in their knit structure as any unnecessary stress would not be exerted on the reflective members knitted in the warp-knit tape and to surely appeal the existence of the reflective members.
According to a third aspect of the invention, the reflecting portion is formed by knitting the reflective member weftwise centrally in the web portion and extends longitudinally thereof, so that the position of the reflective members with respect to the fastener elements would not be different even if the fastener elements are mounted on either one of opposite marginal portions of the warp-knit tape, thus facilitating attaching the fastener elements, managing production of warp-knit tapes and maintenance as well.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, wales of the web portion located at opposite sides of the reflecting portion are bulkier than the remaining wales, so that the reflective members are protected by their adjacent bulky wales from being touched by other things.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, the reflective member formed of a strip of reflective film is knitted in to be located between adjacent wales and to be held by and sandwiched between other knitting yarns. With this arrangement, even though each reflective member is thin and narrow, since there disposed several reflective members together, the reflective members can be easily observed by naked eyes even from a distant place. And also, the reflective members fitted in the interwale spaces would hardly be displaced sideways as they restricts each other's movement.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, the reflective member formed of a strip of reflective film is knitted in to be located between adjacent wales and to be held by and sandwiched between other knitting yarns, and the knitting yarns have different knitting patterns, so that a front surface of the reflective member can be sandwiched from its front and rear sides by the plurality of knitting yarns. Therefore, the reflective member are held firmly from the front and rear sides by the knitting yarns and are free from becoming wavy or puckered toward the front and/or rear sides.
According to a seventh aspect of the invention, the reflective member is knitted in to be located between adjacent wales and to be held by and sandwiched between other knitting yarns, and those of the knitting yarns exposed over a front surface of the reflective member are transparent thermoplastic synthetic fiber yarns. Since a transparent material is used for the knitting yarn to hold the reflective members, it is possible to secure the reflection performance of the reflecting members so that no influence on the eye-catching feature would occur even in the case that the front surfaces of the reflective members are sandwiched by the plurality of knitting yarns. Further, since the transparent knitting yarns may be located only in the interwale space, in which the reflective member is placed, rather than the entire tape width, it is possible that its flexibility would not be lost, unlike the woven tape.
According to an eighth aspect of the invention, the reflective member formed of a
Matsuda Yoshio
Matsushima Hideyuki
Okeya Sadaji
Cronin Chris
Edwards Newton
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
YKK Corporation
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