Slide fastener
AssigneeYKK Corporation
InventorsTakayuki Inukai, Toru Yabuya
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A slide fastener includes a pair of left and right fastener stringers each having an element row at each of opposing edge portions of left and right fastener tapes, and a slider configured to engage the element rows by moving forward between the pair of left and right fastener stringers and to disengage the element rows by moving backward. The slider includes an upper wing plate, a lower wing plate , a guide pillar for connecting the upper wing plate to the lower wing plate, a Y-shaped element path defined between the upper wing plate and the lower wing plate, left and right shoulder openings that are open forward the element path, and a rear opening that is open backward the element path.
Claims11
A slide fastener (1), comprising:
- a pair of left and right fastener stringers (2) each having an element row (4) at each of opposing edge portions of left and right fastener tapes (3);
- and a slider (10, 110) being configured to engage the element rows (4) by moving forward between the pair of left and right fastener stringers (2) and to disengage the element rows (4) by moving backward,
- wherein the slider (10, 110) comprises:
- an upper wing plate (20, 120);
- a lower wing plate (30, 30A, 130);
- a guide pillar (11, 111) for connecting the upper wing plate (20, 120) to the lower wing plate (30, 30A, 130);
- a Y-shaped element path (40) defined between the upper wing plate (20, 120) and the lower wing plate (30, 30A, 130);
- left and right shoulder openings (41) that are open forward the element path (40);
- and
- a rear opening (42) that is open backward the element path (40);
- wherein each of the upper wing plate (20, 120) and the lower wing plate (30, 30A, 130) has left and right front end sides (21a, 31a, 131a) that form opening ends of the left and right shoulder openings (41);
- wherein at least one of the upper wing plate (20, 120) and the lower wing plate (30, 30A, 130) has one or more concave portions (31B, 31C, 131B) recessed backward from the left and right front end sides (21a, 31a, 131a);
- and
- wherein a depth (D, Dx) of each of the concave portions (31B, 31C, 131B) recessed backward from the left and right front end sides (21a, 31a, 131a) is larger than zero, and less than or equal to a distance to each of end points (P, P1) of R of the guide pillar (11, 111),
- wherein at least one of the upper wing plate (20, 120) and the lower wing plate (30, 30A, 130) comprises left and right flanges (24, 34) that define left and right outer side surfaces of the element path (40) as inward surfaces (25, 35),
- wherein each of the inward surfaces (25, 35) of the left and right flanges (24, 34) comprises a first inward surface (26, 36) that intersects with an outer end (21aa, 31aa) of each of the left and right front end sides (21a, 31a, 131a),
- wherein the element path (40) comprises:
- branched portions (40A) defined on left and right sides of the guide pillar (11, 111), the branched portions (40A) being open at the left and right shoulder openings (41);
- and
- a confluent portion (40B) extending backward from the branched portions (40A) and being open at the rear opening (42),
- wherein the left and right flanges (24, 34) include branched flange portions (24A) corresponding to the branched portions (40A),
- wherein each of the branched flange portions (24A) includes the first inward surface (26);
- and a second inward surface (27) extending backward from the first inward surface (26), the second inward surface (26) being angled with respect to the first inward surface (26), and
- wherein an inclination angle with respect to a left-right intermediate axis (Ax) of the slider (10) is larger for the second inward surface (27) than for the first inward surface (26).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.