Device for connecting the ends of a separable zipper

A device for connecting the ends of a separable zipper of the type having first (12) and second (14) opposed rows of teeth and a slider (24) for engaging and disengaging the rows of teeth, each row of teeth being disposed along the edge of a supporting sheet (16a, 16b), the slider having first (39a) and second (39b) adjacent ports at the front thereof which leads to a common passageway within the slider, the slider having facing side rims (36a, 38a;

• 36b, 38b) defining first and second side slots through which the supporting sheets pass, the ports being adapted to receive the respective first and second rows of teeth as the slider is moved forward whereby the teeth in the opposed rows are progressively brought into interlocking engagement within the passageway, the slider having a center post (34) at the front thereof between the ports, the center post being adapted to progressively disengage the rows of teeth as the slider is moved rearwardly along the rows, the slider having two mutually perpendicular main axes, one being a longitudinal axis (L) lying in the direction of slider movement and the other being a transverse axis (T) bisecting the ports, the longitudinal and transverse axes intersecting each other to define a slider working plane, the device having first (20) and second (22) terminals disposed at the respective rearward ends of the first and second rows of teeth, the first terminal including means (28) for carrying the slider when the rows of teeth are fully disengaged, one of the terminals having portions (60, 64) defining an aperture (65) for receiving cooperating portions (52, 54) of the other terminal such that insertion of the cooperating portions into the receiving aperture by relative movement of the terminals in the direction substantially perpendicular to the slider working plane couples the terminals in operative engagement, characterized in that the area defined by the receiving aperture (65) is at least twice as large as the area defined by one of the slider ports (39b).

A device for connecting the ends of a separable zipper of the type having first (12) and second (14) opposed rows of teeth and a slider (24) for engaging and disengaging the rows of teeth, each row of teeth being disposed along the edge of a supporting sheet (16a, 16b), the slider having first (39a) and second (39b) adjacent ports at the front thereof which lead to a common passageway within the slider, the ports being adapted to receive the respective first and second rows of teeth as the slider is moved forward whereby the teeth in the opposed rows are progressively brought into interlocking engagement within the passageway, the slider having a center post (34) at the front thereof between the ports, the center post being adapted to progressively disengage the rows of teeth as the slider is moved rearwardly along the rows, the slider having two mutually perpendicular main axes, one being a longitudinal axis (L) lying in the direction of slider movement and the other being a transverse axis (T) bisecting the ports, the longitudinal and transverse axes intersecting each other to define a slider working plane, the device having first (20) and second (22) terminals disposed at the respective rearward ends of the first and second rows of teeth, the first terminal including means (28) for carrying the slider when the rows of teeth are fully disengaged, one of the terminals having portions (60, 64) defining an aperture (65) for receiving cooperating portions (52, 54) of the other terminal such that insertion of the cooperating portions into the receiving aperture by relative movement of the terminals in the direction substantially perpendicular to the slider working plane couples the terminals in operative engagement, characterized in that the terminals (20, 22) are adapted so that they can be brought together into operative engagement to align the rearmost end (46) of the second row of teeth in front of the second slider port (39b) solely by relative translational movement of the terminals.

A separable zipper comprising:

• first and second rows of teeth, each row of teeth being disposed along the edge of a supporting sheet;
• a slider having top and bottom plates and a center post for holding the plates in spaced-apart parallel planes, the plates having facing side rims defining first and second side slots through which the supporting sheets pass, the front edges of the side rims defining first and second ports on opposite sides of the center post, the ports leading to a common passageway within the slider where the teeth are progressively engaged or disengaged depending on the direction of slider movement;
• a first terminal disposed at the rearward end of the first row of teeth and adapted to carry the slider when the rows are fully disengaged;
• a second terminal disposed at the rearward end of the second row of teeth, the second terminal being engageable with the first terminal to bring at least the rearmost ends of the rows of teeth into a third plane intermediate and parallel to the spaced-apart parallel planes;
• the terminals including slidably cooperating surfaces for permitting relative rotational movement thereof thereabout an axis generally perpendicular to the parallel planes when the terminals are operatively engaged with the slider in its rearmost position on the first terminal, the terminals being characterized in that no part of the second terminal must be passed into either of the side slots of the slider in order to operatively engage the terminals and align the rearmost end of the second row of teeth in front of the second slider port.