Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Of a slide fastener
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-31
2004-09-28
Omgba, Essama (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Of a slide fastener
C029S409000, C029S766000, C029S768000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06796015
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to slider-operated plastic zippers intended for use in reclosable pouches, bags or other packages. In particular, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for inserting sliders on zippers.
Reclosable fastener assemblies are useful for sealing thermoplastic pouches or bags. Such fastener assemblies often include a plastic zipper and a slider. Typically, the plastic zippers include a pair of interlockable fastener elements, or profiles, that form a closure. As the slider moves across the profiles, the profiles are opened or closed. The profiles in plastic zippers can take on various configurations, e.g. interlocking rib and groove elements having so-called male and female profiles, interlocking alternating hook-shaped closure elements, etc. Reclosable bags having slider-operated zippers are generally more desirable to consumers than bags having zippers without sliders because the slider eliminates the need for the consumer to align the interlockable zipper profiles before causing those profiles to engage.
Conventional slider-operated zipper assemblies typically comprise a plastic zipper having two interlocking profiles and a slider for opening and closing the zipper. In one type of slider-operated zipper assembly, the slider straddles the zipper and has a separating finger at one end that is inserted between the profiles to force them apart as the slider is moved along the zipper in an opening direction. The other end of the slider is sufficiently narrow to force the profiles into engagement and close the zipper when the slider is moved along the zipper in a closing direction.
Other types of slider-operated zipper assemblies avoid the use of a separating finger. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,450 discloses a zipper comprising a pair of mutually interlockable profiled structures, portions of which form a fulcrum about which the profiled structures may be pivoted out of engagement when lower edges of the bases are forced towards each other. The slider disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,450 comprises features that facilitate the insertion of a slider onto the zipper of a reclosable bag. More specifically, the slider can be inserted over a closed zipper without the requirement of first separating the interlocking members of the zipper.
An improvement in sliders is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/096,409 filed on Mar. 11, 2002 and entitled “Insertion Apparatus for Attaching Sliders onto Zipper Bags and Film”. This slider can be inserted on the zipper in a manner such that the zipper will be secured in the slider. As a result, during an opening of the reclosable bag the interlocking closure elements of the zipper will not unintentionally re-engage within the slider. For example, a re-engagement of the interlocking closure elements could occur when the zipper opening end of the slider is pushed toward a closed zipper park position. Such a re-engagement can occur during operation of the zipper or if the slider is inserted too far from a slider end stop on the zipper. By reducing the possibility of unintentional re-engagement of the interlocking members of the profiles, production of defective bags is reduced.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/096,409 further discloses a slider insertion apparatus comprising an activator with pusher that opens a first portion of the zipper, an insertion cylinder that inserts the slider onto a second portion of the zipper, and a zipper guide that holds a third portion of the zipper closed. The zipper guide and the activator with pusher are manufactured to facilitate movement of the zipper within the slider insertion apparatus; to properly position the profiles of the zipper for slider insertion; and to secure the zipper when the slider is inserted onto the zipper. A loading rack with a supply of sliders may be part of the slider insertion apparatus, with the loading rack being a mechanically attachable device or module.
In the slider insertion process, a closed zipper is guided by a pair of opposing grooves formed in opposing parts of the zipper guide to an insertion point under the activator with pusher. An activating fork of the activator with pusher offsets the interlocking members in a section adjacent to where the slider is inserted. The slider is inserted onto the interlocked zipper by the pusher. The interlocked zipper is supported in the area where the slider is inserted by a pair of guide blades. When it becomes necessary to either remove or install a zipper tape, e.g., during initial setup or unjamming of the slider inserter, one zipper guide part must be unfastened and disengaged. The disassembly and assembly of the zipper guide can be a laborious operation.
There is a need for an alternative design of a zipper guide that will enable a zipper tape to be installed or removed more easily, without disassembly of the zipper guide.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a zipper guide, e.g., for use in a slider insertion machine, that can be easily loaded with zipper tape without disassembly of the zipper guide.
One aspect of the invention is an apparatus comprising: a support structure; a first guide part supported by the support structure and comprising a first groove; and a second guide part supported by the support structure and comprising a second groove; and a retainer coupled to the support structure and having first and second states. The retainer is coupled to the second guide part in the first state and is uncoupled from the second guide part in the second state. The second guide part is locked in an extended position confronting the first guide part when the retainer is in the first state; the second guide part is movable between the extended position and a retracted position not confronting the first guide part when the retainer is in the second state. The first and second grooves are configured and disposed on the first and second guide parts respectively such that when the second guide part is in the extended position, the first and second grooves are in an opposed spaced parallel positional relationship. These confronting grooves form a guide for a section of closed zipper captured therebetween.
Another aspect of the invention is an apparatus comprising: a zipper guide for guiding a zipper tape during longitudinal movement and supporting the zipper tape during slider insertion; a pusher for inserting a slider onto a first section of the zipper tape; and an activator for activating a second section of the zipper tape, wherein the first and second sections overlap. The zipper guide comprises first and second guide parts having first and second grooves respectively, the first guide part being fixed and the second guide part being movable between extended and retracted positions. The first and second grooves are opposed to each other when the second guide part is in the extended position and not opposed to each other when the second guide part is in the retracted position.
A further aspect of the invention is a slider insertion apparatus comprising: an assembly for inserting sliders onto a zipper tape; and a zipper guide for guiding the zipper tape during longitudinal movement of the zipper tape and supporting the zipper tape during slider insertion. The zipper guide comprises first and second grooves and a spring-loaded release mechanism. The first and second grooves are opposed to each other when the zipper guide is in a first state and not opposed to each other when the zipper guide is in a second state. The zipper guide is transformed from the first state to the second state by manual operation of the release mechanism.
Yet another aspect of the invention is a slider insertion apparatus comprising: an assembly for inserting sliders onto a zipper tape; first and second shafts that are fixed relative to the assembly; a zipper guide for guiding the zipper tape during longitudinal movement of the zipper tape and supporting the zipper tape during slider insertion; and a retainer coupled to the first shaft and movable betw
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Omgba Essama
Ostrager Chong & Flaherty & Broitman P.C.
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