Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Zipper or required component thereof – Including means for obstructing movement of slider
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-18
2004-04-06
Brittain, James R. (Department: 3677)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Zipper or required component thereof
Including means for obstructing movement of slider
Reexamination Certificate
active
06715187
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to zip fasteners and, more specifically, to a zip fastener top-end piece arrangement, which effectively prevents the zipper slide from falling out of the zipper tape when the zip fastener unfastened.
The top-end pieces of regular nylon zip fasteners include two types, namely, the metal type and the plastic type. A metal top-end piece is fixedly fastened to the zipper tape and the top end of the row of teeth by crimping. A plastic top-end piece is fixedly fastened to the zipper tape and the top end of the row of teeth by an ultrasonic sealing apparatus. A metal top-end piece tends to be forced away from the zipper tape, and may injure the user's fingers easily when the user closing or opening the zip fastener. The method of fastening a plastic top-end piece to a zipper tape has drawbacks. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the plastic top-end piece
31
covers a part of the top sidewall of the zipper tape
3
over the top end of the row of teeth. Because the plastic top-end piece
31
is connected to the top sidewall of the zipper tape
3
only, it tends to be forced away from the zipper tape
3
. Further, the sharp corner edges
311
of the plastic top-end piece
31
may injure the user's fingers accidentally when the user opening or closing the zip fastener.
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a zip fastener top-end piece arrangement, which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. It is one object of the present invention to provide a zip fastener top-end piece arrangement, which prohibits the zipper slide from falling out of the zipper tape. It is another object of the present invention to provide a zip fastener top-end piece arrangement, which does not injure the user's fingers when the user opening/closing the zip fastener. To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the zip fastener top-end piece arrangement comprises a zipper tape having a longitudinal row of teeth, and a top-end piece fixedly located on the zipper tape and a top end of the longitudinal row of teeth and adapted to limit upward movement of the sipper slide being coupled to the zipper tape. The top-end piece comprises a bottom block bonded to the zipper tape and the top end of the row of teeth, and a top block injection-molded on the zipper tape and defining with the bottom block an open space. The top block comprises an outer top stop edge and a protruded inner bottom stop portion for stopping upward movement of the zipper slide being coupled to the zipper tape. The top block further comprises a springy hook downwardly extended from a bottom sidewall thereof toward the bottom block. The bottom block has a recessed hole disposed in a top side thereof and adapted to receive the springy hook. The springy hook is forced away from the recessed hole when the user inserts the zipper slide through the open space into engagement with the zipper tape. The springy hook is forced into engagement with the recessed hole by the zipper slide being coupled to the zipper tape when the zipper slide being coupled to the zipper tape pulled upwards to the top block.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1910953 (1933-05-01), Johnson
patent: 2381359 (1945-08-01), Mikulas
patent: 2423202 (1947-07-01), Morin
patent: 2535504 (1950-12-01), Morin
patent: 4232431 (1980-11-01), Akashi
patent: 5860193 (1999-01-01), Wang
patent: 6070306 (2000-06-01), Wang
patent: 6327755 (2001-12-01), Wang
patent: 2352271 (2001-01-01), None
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