US 7,337,509 B2Granted

Slide fastener

AssigneeYKK Corporation

InventorsYuji Kondo, Yasuaki Funo, Miyako Tamura, Eriko Sakamoto, Iku Sato, Takumi Itagawa

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Abstract

The invention provides a fastener slider, wherein the fastener element comprising an element main body constituted of a base portion attached to a fastener tape, a neck portion and an engaging head portion continuous from the neck portion and expanding in a tape length direction and stiffening means provided on the element main body, allowing a fastener stringer to bend when the elements are separated and inhibiting the fastener chain from bending when the elements are engaged in a stiffening condition, the stiffening means having a first firm contact face making firm contact with mating stiffening means when the elements are engaged and a second firm contact face making firm contact with a partial surface of the engaging head portion of the fastener element when the elements are engaged, thereby the slide fastener having a rigid, linear or curved rod-like configuration when fastener elements are engaged, allowing it to deform in multiple directions.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A slide fastener having a pair of right and left fastener stringers in which a large number of fastener elements are attached at a predetermined pitch in a length direction of fastener tapes, wherein

each fastener element comprises:
an element main body having a base portion attached to each fastener tape, a neck portion projecting from the base portion, and an engaging head portion projecting from the neck portion and expanding in the length direction of the fastener tape so as to engage a mating engaging head portion;
and
stiffening means which is provided on the element main body, allowing the fastener stringers to bend when the fastener elements are separated and the stiffening means stiffening and blocking the fastener chain from bending when the fastener elements are engaged,
the stiffening means comprises:
a first firm contact plane which makes firm contact with mating stiffening means when the fastener elements are engaged;
one or more rectangular swollen portions swollen respectively from the neck portion to the engaging head portion on first and second surfaces of the element main body;
the first firm contact plane is a side face extending in a fastener tape traversing direction and/or in a tape length direction of each rectangular swollen portion;
and
a concave portion, to which a part of the engaging head portion of the mating fastener element is fitted, is formed between the rectangular swollen portions swollen on the first and second surfaces.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/294,277Filed 5 Dec 2005
Priority: JP 2004-36452416 Dec 2004
Published: US 2006/0130292 A122 Jun 2006
Granted: 4 Mar 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

A44B 19/08
With a series of separate interlocking members secured to each stringer tape: stringers arranged side-by-side when fastened, e.g. at least…
Y10T 24/2539
Zipper or required component thereof: interlocking surface constructed from plural elements in series
Y10T 24/2543
Interlocking surface constructed from plural elements in series: with element structural feature unrelated to interlocking or securing portion
Y10T 24/2548
Interlocking surface constructed from plural elements in series: preattached to mounting cord