Separable bottom end stop assembly for slide fastener

ABSTRACT

The separable bottom end stop assembly has male and female members engageable with and releasable from each other in a front-to-back direction thereof. A slide plate of the male member has an engagement leg portion projected therefrom, while a sliding plate of the female member has an engagement hole. Sliding surfaces are respectively formed at peripheries of the engagement leg portion and the engagement hole of the slide plates. Each of the slide surfaces is formed with steep incline surfaces and a gentle incline surface. With the cam mechanism, when the male member and the female member are pressed from both surfaces thereof, an insert plate disposed at one of the male member and the female member is automatically guided to an inside of the slider held by a holding portion disposed at the other of the male member and the female member, which simultaneously causes the slider to start moving.

INFORMATION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TYPICAL EMBODIMENTS

The following is a detailed description of aspects of the separable bottom end stop assembly of a slide fastener of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The separable bottom end stop assembly of a slide fastener according to the present invention is a lateral-inserting type shown in FIG. . In the separable bottom end stop assembly, a male member and a female member having a pin or an engagement leg portion and a socket or an engagement hole respectively are attached to disc-shaped slides plates and of left and right fastener stringers , of the slide fastener. The sliding plates and of the male member and the female member are superposed and when pressed from both front and back directions, the engagement leg portion and the engagement hole are engaged, and at the same time the sliding plate of the female member is automatically rotated around the engagement leg portion in a horizontal direction thereof. Consequently, an insert plate of the female member is inserted between guide flanges of a slider which is held by a holding portion of the male member . The sliding plate is further rotated automatically, so that the insert plate is advanced into an inner portion of the slider. Subsequently, when a pull of the slider is pulled thereby sliding the slider, the insert plate is inserted into a concave insert portion of the male member , so that the fastener chain is thereby closed.

Respective end portions of fastener tapes , are reinforced by pressing reinforcing tapes , which are formed of thermoplastic resin films to both front and back surfaces of the fastener tapes , . The male member and the female member are formed integrally with front surfaces of the reinforcement tapes , using thermoplastic resin such as polyamide, polyacetal, polypropylene, polybutylene terephthalate by injection molding means so to be continuous with the fastener elements . It is to be noted that the separable bottom end stop assembly may also be formed using thermohardening resin or formed by metal die-casting.

In the first embodiment of the separable bottom end stop assembly shown in FIGS. 2 to , the male member which is attached so as to be integral with the end portion of one of the fastener stringers , is as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, provided with a circular slide plate at a front terminal end thereof. In the center of this slide plate , an engagement leg portion , which is a pin, is provided so as to project from the front surface thereof. An enlarged engagement head portion is provided at a front end of the engagement leg portion so as to project sideways. Further, a concave portion is provided on an inner side surface of the engagement head portion .

At the periphery of the base portion of the engagement leg portion of the slide plate , a slide surface having a step is formed. This slide surface is circular, and has a vertical surface at the portion along the side edge of the fastener tape , that is, from the holding portion side toward the center of the engagement leg portion . An upper step horizontal surface and a lower step horizontal surface are disposed such that the vertical surface is interposed therebetween. The lower step horizontal surface projects from the side edge of the fastener stringer to the outer side thereof, while the upper step horizontal surface is provided so as to be positioned from the side edge of the fastener stringer toward the inner side thereof. A first steep incline surface is provided at a position of approximately 165° from the vertical surface in the horizontal direction. The first steep incline surface is formed with an elevation angle approximately in the range from 50° to 70°. In a direction from the first steep incline surface to the upper step horizontal surface , a gentle incline surface having an elevation angle of approximately 5° to 10° is provided so as to extend between the ranges of approximately 50° and 60° about the center of the engagement leg portion . The terminal end of the gentle incline surface is provided with a second steep incline surface which has an elevation angle of 50-70° and this is provided so as to be continuous to the upper step horizontal surface . Consequently, a continuous slide surface having a cam mechanism is formed.

A thick external portion which protrude from the slide surface is provided at the fastener element side, and a stop portion for stopping the slider which is one step lower is provided at the external portion close to the slide surface . The inner edge of the stop portion extends to the upper end side so as to accommodate the guide flange of the slider . Also, fastener elements are attached continuously to the outer side of the stop portion . The stop portion has a holding portion , which can hold the slider and extends to the upper end side. Ann insert recess groove is formed at the outer surface of the holding portion such that the insert plate of the female member can be fit-inserted therein.

A guide surface , which can slide the guide flange of the slider having a concave surface, is formed between the holding portion and the inner side edge of the stop portion . A convex portion which projects from the vertical surface to the side is formed at the external portion of the lower end of the holding portion . This convex portion can be fit-inserted into the concave portion of the female member . As shown in FIG. 14, the back surface of the slide plate projects to the outer side and forms a thick grip portion . The grip portion has a plurality of grooves cut into the front surface thereof to provide a rough surface which prevents slipping so that the slide plate can be easily gripped. In addition, the back surface of the slide plate is formed with each of a thick external portion , a holding portion for the slider , a guide surface and a stop portion in a similar manner to the front surface thereof.

A female member , which opposes the male member , is provided at the end portion of the other side fastener stringer . As shown in FIGS. 8, and , the female member has a circular slide plate at the terminal end thereof, and an engagement hole is formed in the center thereof as the socket. A small engagement ridge is provided at the inner peripheral surface of the engagement hole so as project toward the inner side from the thinnest portion thereof. This engagement ridge engages with the engagement head portion of the engagement leg portion of the male member .

The back side of this slide plate , that is, the front surface which opposes the slide surface , has a slide surface , which has a step formed at the periphery of the engagement hole . The slide surface is circular and has a vertical surface at the portion along the side edge of the fastener tape , that is, from the insert plate side to the center of the engagement hole . As with the slide surface of the male member , an upper step horizontal surface and a lower step horizontal surface are disposed such that the vertical surface is interposed therebetween. The upper step horizontal surface projects from the side edge of the fastener stringer to the outer side thereof, while the lower step horizontal surface is provided so as to be positioned from the side edge of the fastener stringer toward the inner side thereof. The upper step horizontal surface has a first steep incline surface at a position of approximately 165° from the vertical surface in the horizontal direction thereof. The first steep incline surface is formed with an elevation angle approximately in the range from 50° to 70°. In a direction from the incline surface to the lower step horizontal surface , a gentle incline surface having an elevation angle of approximately 5° to 10° is provided so as to extend between the ranges of approximately 50° and 60° about the center of the engagement leg portion . The terminal end of gentle incline surface is provided with a second steep incline surface which has an elevation angle of 50-70° and this is provided so as to be continuous to the lower step horizontal surface . Consequently, a continuous slide surface having a cam mechanism is formed.

The slide surface around the engagement hole is provided with a suitable beveling in a range from the thickest lower step horizontal surface to the gentle incline surface which is the second thickest and from the front surfaces of these surface to the engagement ridge provided at the inner peripheral surface, so that the engagement head portion of the male member can be easily fit therein.

A thick external portion which protrude from the slide surface to the surface, that is, the surface which opposes the slide surface , is provided at the fastener element side, and a stop portion for stopping the slider which is one step lower is provided at the external portion close to the slide surface . The inner side edge of the stop portion extends to the upper end and can accommodate the slider . Also, an insert plate having a flat guide surface is formed at the front surface, so that the insert plate can be inserted into the insert recess groove of the male member . Also, the upper end of the outer side edge of the insert plate has a coupling portion which can couple with the opposing fastener element . Further, a concave portion is provided near the front end of the stop portion and can thus be fit together with the convex portion of the male member .

As shown in FIG. 14, the front surface of the slide plate is formed with a thick grip portion at an outermost end thereof so as to project to the outer side. The grip portion has a plurality of grooves cut into the front surface thereof to provide a rough surface which prevents slipping. The surface of the slide plate in which the opposite sides of the grip portion and the engagement hole are joined is at a higher position than the external portion as shown in FIG. 14, and accordingly, the external portion is lower than the slide portion . In addition, an incline surface which inclines gently toward the external portion is formed at the end side. By providing this incline surface , when the male member and the female member are pressed together from the front and back with the fingers, the fingers can slide on the incline surface , so that the slider can be pushed forward when the closing operation of the fastener chain is carried out.

The external portion has a stop portion for stopping the slider close to the slide plate , and a concave portion is provided close to the front end of the stop portion . The side edge of the external portion extends to the upper end side and is formed so as to accommodate the slider . The front surface of the external portion has a flat guide surface and thus the insert plate is formed. Further, the coupling portion is provided at the upper end of the outer side edge of the insert plate . The back side of these parts are configured in the same manner.

Next, as shown in FIG. 15, the slider which is fit-inserted and used in the fastener chain having a male member and a female member is a slider having a semi-automatic stopping device and is generally called a semi-automatic slider. The slider has an accommodation hole through which a guide pillar of the body and the upper wing plate has a pair of mounting portions for mounting a pull . A claw hole is formed at a rear opening side of the slider close to the mounting portions . A plate spring which is to be mounted to the body has an M-shaped cross section, and one end thereof is accommodated and fixed in the accommodating hole while the other end has a locking pawl which fits into the claw hole . A pull having a semicircular-shaped cam , whose pivot is formed above the locking pawl , is disposed at the lower side of the plate spring and attached to the attachment portion . A rubber plate is attached to the pull so as to impart flexibility thereto.

When the slider causes the pull to become upright from the body and when the pull is caused to fall at the shoulder side, that is, in the forward direction, the plate spring is automatically lifted up by the semicircular cam of the pull , so that the locking pawl is caused to come up out of the guide groove of the body . As a result, the slider is slid automatically. When the slider is to be stopped, because if the pull is disposed in a hanging state with respect to the body , the cam does not operate. Therefore the locking pawl is inserted between the fastener elements and the slider is stopped.

The following describes the separable bottom end stop assembly of the present invention in a state of use. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the male member and the female member attached to fastener stringers , are separated. From this state, first the slider which has been inserted through the fastener stringer having the male member is pulled down to the holding portion of the male member and held therein. While the slider causes the pull to stand upright from the body or when the pull caused to fall to the shoulder side, the right and left fastener stringers , are opened at approximately 70° about the center of the slide plate or as shown in FIG. . In this state, when the engagement leg portion of the male member and the engagement hole of the female member are brought together and then forcefully pressed together, as shown in FIG. 13, the engagement head portion and the engagement ridge are engaged and cannot be removed from each other. At this time, the positional relationship between the slide surface and the slide surface is such that the gentle incline surface of the slide surface and the lower step horizontal surface of the slide surface are joined together and the gentle incline surface of the slide surface and the upper step horizontal surface of the slide surface are joined together.

When the slide plates and of the male member and the female member are forcefully pressed from the back and front, the gentle incline surface causes a force to be generated, which attempts to rotate the slide plate of the female member around the engagement leg portion . The gentle incline surface of the slide surface of the female member slides on the upper step horizontal surface of the slide surface of the male member , and the lower step horizontal surface of the slide surface of the female member slides and moves on the gentle incline surface of the slide surface of the male member . When the steep incline surfaces and of both the slide surfaces and contact with each other, the slide plate moves forcefully along the incline surfaces and in front and back directions thereof. As a result, a great rotational force is applied to the slide plate , and as shown in FIG. 4, the female member is rotated until the front end of the insert plate is positioned between the flanges of the slider . The positional relationship between the slide surface and the slide surface at this time, is as shown in FIG. 12, such that the gentle incline surface of the slide surface contacts with the gentle incline surface of the slide surface , and the first steep incline surface of the slide surface contacts the second steep incline surface of the slide surface and the second steep incline surface of the slide surface contacts the first steep incline surface of the slide surface , and there are small gaps between the upper step horizontal surface of the slide surface and the upper step horizontal surface of the slide surface and between the lower step horizontal surface of the slide surface and the lower step horizontal surface of the slide surface .

Subsequently, by the movement of the gentle incline surface of the slide surface of the female member along the gentle incline surface of the slide surface of the male-member , the rotational force applied to the female member is maintained and further rotates the female member . Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the insert plate is guided and inserted to the inner portion of the slider . In addition, when the slider is pulled up and the left and right fastener stringers , are closed, the vertical surfaces , of the male member and the female member are brought into contact with each other. At this time, the positional relationship between the slide surface and the slide surface is such that the lower step horizontal surface of the slide surface and the lower step horizontal surface of the slide surface , and also the upper step horizontal surface of the slide surface and the upper step horizontal surface of the slide surface are in contact with each other. The steep incline surface , the gentle incline surface and the second steep incline surface of the slide surface oppose the second steep incline surface , the gentle incline surface and the first steep incline surface of the slide surface with a small space between each of them.

As can also be understood from the above description, even when the male member and the female member are rotated from the state shown in FIGS. 4 and 12 to the state shown FIGS. 1 and 11, the male member and the female member do not move relatively in a vertical direction, but move only in the horizontal direction. Accordingly in the state of FIG. 4, the side edge of the insert plate of the female member oppose the insert recess groove of the male member between the guide flanges of the slider and can move horizontally to be inserted therein.

Immediately before the state shown in FIG. 4, the first steep incline surface and the second steep incline surface of the slide surface of the male member are about to oppose and contact the second steep incline surface and the first steep incline surface of the slide surface of the female member . By pressing the slide plate of the male member and the slide plate of the female member at the back and front thereof with even one hand, the steep incline surfaces contact each other and due to the action of the cam, the insert plate is quickly led between the guide flanges of the slider . At this time force is applied by bringing the male member close to the female member on the back side thereof by using the index finger. Further by pushing the front surface of the female member with the thumb forward, the rear opening portion of the slider is pressed with the force and the slider can be slid forward to a small extent with only one hand. As a result, the right and left fastener stringers , couple with each other by engagement of the fastener elements , and thus subsequently if the pull of the slider is pulled forward, the fastener chain can be closed as shown in FIG. .

When the fastener chain is to be separated, the slider is pulled down to the holding portion of the male member . Then in a state in which the pull is upright or made to fall towards the shoulder side, the female member is opened and separated in the horizontal direction with respect to the male member . As a result, the second steep incline surface of the slide surface and the second steep incline surface of the slide surface contact each other. Due to the action of the cam, the engagement head portion of the engagement leg portion and the engagement projection of the engagement hole are automatically released, so that the slide plate of the female member can be easily removed from the slide plate of male member . It is to be noted that the reference number shown in FIG. 1 represents a top end stop for preventing the slider from coming off from the stringer .

Finally the second embodiment of the separable bottom end stop assembly is shown in FIGS. 16 to , which is the same as that of the first embodiment except that configurations of the slide surfaces and of the sliding plates and on the male member and the female member . The slide surface of the male member is, as shown in FIG. 16, formed with a vertical surface at the holding portion side, on opposite sides of which an upper step horizontal surface and a lower step horizontal surface are formed through a step. A steep incline surface is provided at the lower step horizontal surface so as to be disposed at a position of approximately 165° from the vertical surface in the horizontal direction. The first steep incline surface is formed with an elevation angle approximately in the range from 50° to 70°. In a direction from the incline surface to the upper step horizontal surface , a gentle incline surface having an elevation angle of approximately 50 to 10° is provided so as to extend between the ranges of approximately 50° and 60° about the center of the engagement leg portion . The gentle incline surface is continuous to the upper step horizontal surface . As a result, a slide surface provided with a cam mechanism is formed. Thus the difference between the first embodiment is in that the terminal end of the gentle incline surface is not provided with a steep incline surface but contacts the upper step horizontal surface .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 17, the slide surface of the female member has a vertical surface at the insert plate side thereof. This vertical surface is formed between the upper step horizontal surface and the lower step horizontal surface . A steep incline surface is provided at the lower step horizontal surface , which is at a position of approximately 165° from the vertical surface in the horizontal direction thereof. The steep incline surface is formed with an elevation angle approximately in the range from 50° to 70°. In a direction from the steep incline surface to the upper step horizontal surface , a gentle incline surface having an elevation angle of approximately 5° to 10° is provided so as to extend between the ranges of approximately 50° and 60° about the center of the engagement hole . The terminal end of the gentle incline surface connects to the upper step horizontal surface . As a result, a slide surface provided with a cam mechanism is formed. Thus the difference between this second embodiment and the first embodiment is in that the terminal end of the gentle incline surface is not provided with a steep incline surface but contacts the upper step horizontal surface.

The positional relationship of the joining of the slide surface of the male member and the slide surface of the female member according to the second embodiment will be described in the following. In order to engage the engagement head portion of the engagement leg portion and the engagement ridge of the engagement hole , as shown in FIG. 20, the engagement is carried out at the time when the steep incline surface of the slide surface joins with the gentle incline surface of the slide surface . In the state when the insert plate is inserted between the guide flanges of the slider , as shown in FIG. 19, the steep incline surface and the gentle incline surface of the slide surface oppose and come in contact with the gentle incline surface and the steep incline surface of the slide surface and there are small gaps between the upper step horizontal surface of the slide surface and the upper step horizontal surface of the slide surface and between the lower step horizontal surface of the slide surface and the lower step horizontal surface of the slide surface . In addition, in the state in which the vertical surfaces are in contact with each other, when the slide surfaces and are joined together, there is a small space between the steep incline surface and the gentle incline surface of the slide surface , and the steep incline surface and the gentle incline surface of the slide surface , as shown in FIG. .

Even with the above-described configurations of the slide surface of the male member and the slide surface of the female member , when the slide plate of the male member and the slide plate of the female member are, as is the case in the first embodiment, pressed at the front and back with only one hand while the male member and the female member are at such a position as being opened at approximately 30°, the steep incline surfaces and can be brought into contact with each other. Due to the action of the cam, the insert plate can be led speedily between the guide flanges of the slider . Further force is applied by using the index finger to bring the female member close the male member , and by pushing the front surface of the female member with the thumb forward, the rear opening portion of the slider is pressed with force, so that the slider can be easily slid forward to a small extent with only one hand, thus completing the fitting together of the male member and the female member .

Further, in order to separate and release the male member and the female member , from the state shown in FIG. 20, if they are opened by about 90° for example, the lower end corner portion of the steep incline surface of the female member abuts the gentle incline surface of the male member near the terminal end thereof. Consequently, the female member is pushed upwards and the engaged state of the engagement head portion of the engagement leg portion and the engagement projection of the engagement hole is released, and the female member is taken out and thus released.

It is to be noted that the steep incline surface , , the gentle incline surface and the limiting conditions of the specified angles adopted in this invention can be suitably modified in accordance with the size of the fastener chain, the various uses of the fastener and the needs of the customers. However it is necessary to provide the cam mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a slide fastener including the lateral-inserting type separable bottom end stop assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a male member and a female member in a state in which the left and right fastener stringers are separated.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the fastener chain in an open state.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the state of the fastener chain immediately before the insert plate is inserted into the slider.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the state of the fastener chain immediately before the closing thereof.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the male member of the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the male member of the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the female member of the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the female member of the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a rear view of the female member of the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the separable bottom end stop assembly at the time of closing of the fastener chain of the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the separable bottom end stop immediately before the closing of the fastener chain of the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the separable bottom end stop at the time of opening of the fastener chain of the first embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a cross section of the male member and the female member in an engaged state.

FIG. 15 is cross section of the slider having a semiautomatic stop device.

FIG. 16 is a front view of a male member according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a rear view of a male member of the second embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a bottom view of the separable bottom end stop assembly at the time of closing of the fastener chain of the second embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a bottom view of the separable bottom end stop assembly immediately before closing of the fastener chain of the second embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a bottom view of the separable bottom end stop assembly at the time of opening of the fastener chain of the second embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a front view of the male member and the female member of a known separable bottom end stop assembly in a state in which they are engaged.

CLAIMS

1. A separable bottom end stop assembly for a slide fastener comprising a male member and a female member which are engageable with and releasable from each other, in which said male member is provided with a first slide plate from which an engagement leg portion projects, said female member is provided with a second slide plate in which an engagement hole is formed to be fitly engaged with the engagement leg portion, first and second sliding surfaces are respectively formed at peripheries of the engagement leg portion and the engagement hole, and at the time of engagement, the male member and the female member are rotatable respectively with the first and second slide surfaces and being in slide contact with each other, wherein each of the first and second slide surfaces is formed with at least one steep incline surfaces is continuous to a gentle incline surface, said steep incline surface and said gentle incline surface automatically advancing an insert plate which is disposed at one of the male member and the female member to an inside of a slider which is held by a holding portion which is disposed at the other of the male member and the female member when said first and second slide plates are pressed from both surfaces thereof.

2. The separable bottom end stop assembly for a slide fastener according to claim 1, wherein the steep incline surface is continuous to the gentle incline surface, and the steep incline surface automatically advances the insert plate toward the slider which is held at the holding portion when the first and second sliding plates are pressed from both surfaces thereof, and the gentle incline surface automatically guides the insert plate to the inside of the slider.

3. The separable bottom end stop assembly for a slide fastener according to claim 1, wherein the steep incline surface inclines at angle of 50° to 70°, and the gentle incline surface inclines at an angle of 50° to 10°.

4. The separable bottom end stop assembly for a slide fastener according to claim 1, wherein each of the slide surfaces includes an upper step horizontal surface and a lower step horizontal surface which are disposed through a step, and said steep incline surface includes a first steep incline surface and a second steep incline surface, said first steep incline surface, said gentle incline surface, and said second steep incline surface, which incline at different angles with respect to both the upper and lower step horizontal surfaces, being provided successively in a direction from the lower step horizontal surface to the upper step horizontal surface.

5. The separable bottom end stop assembly for a slide fastener according to claim 1, wherein each of the slide surfaces includes an upper step horizontal surface and a lower step horizontal surface which are disposed through a step, said steep incline surface and said gentle incline surface, which incline at different angles with respect to both the upper and lower step horizontal surfaces, being provided successively in a direction from the lower step horizontal surface to the upper step horizontal surface.

6. The separable bottom end stop assembly for a slide fastener according to claim 4 or 5, wherein each of the first and second slide surfaces is provided with a vertical surface at a side of said holding portion or said insert plate, and the upper step horizontal surface and the lower step horizontal surface are provided on both sides of said vertical surface, and said steep incline surface is provided so as to have a starting point between 160° and 170° from the vertical surface about a center of the engagement leg portion and the engagement hole, and the gentle incline surface is provided between 50° to 60° from an end point of the steep incline surface.

7. The separable bottom end stop assembly for a slide fastener according to claim 1, wherein the steep incline surface on the fist slide plate contacts the steep incline surface on the second slide plate while the gentle incline surface on the first slide plate contacts the gentle incline surface on the second slide plate.

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