Snag resistant slide fastener
AssigneeColumbia Sportswear North America, Inc.
InventorsMichael “Woody” Blackford, Gary Davis, Paul Blalock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conventional zipper is the preferred means for closure of many jackets and other outerwear. Conventional zippers are prone to jamming and snagging due to the introduction of the liner into the slider body as the zipper is opened and closed. Embodiments herein provide modified slider bodies with one or more features such as an elongated spring cap, a protrusion on the bottom plate and/or plate coupler of the slider body, and/or vertically offset side rails. These features may minimize introduction of loose fabric, such as the lining of a lined garment, into the tape slot of the slider body, thereby help reduce jamming of the slider body during operation of the slide fastener.
Claims17
A slider body comprising:
- a top plate comprising top side rails;
- a bottom plate comprising bottom side rails disposed parallel to the top side rails;
- a tape slot disposed between the bottom side rails and the top side rails, wherein a length of the tape slot is defined by a horizontal distance over which the bottom side rails and top side rails overlap;
- a first flanking region adjacent a first end of said tape slot, the first flanking region defining a horizontal region of the slider body with a bottom side rail and no top side rail;
- a second flanking region adjacent a second end of said tape slot, the second flanking region defining a horizontal region of the slider body with a top side rail and no bottom side rail;
- and
- a plate coupler coupled to the top plate and the bottom plate.
A slider body comprising:
- a top plate coupled to a slider cap and including top side rails;
- a bottom plate including bottom side rails disposed below and horizontally parallel to the top side rails, wherein the top side rails and bottom side rails are offset from one another with the top side rails extending further than the bottom side rails in a first horizontal direction, and the bottom side rails extending further than the top side rails in a second horizontal direction, the first horizontal direction opposite the second horizontal direction;
- and
- a plate coupler coupled to the top plate and the bottom plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.