This application is based upon French Patent Application No. 03.07464, filed Jun. 20, 2003, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety and the priority of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. §119.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a closure system, particularly of the slide fastener type, impermeable or at least protected against wind and penetration of water and snow, as well as to a garment or other article, such as a backpack, equipped with such a closure system.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
Closure systems, particularly of the slide fastener or zipper type, are widely used on numerous types of articles, and more particularly, on garments, footwear articles, bags, etc.
For all these products, there is, in certain cases, a problem of having slide fasteners that are impermeable or at least resistant to the penetration of wind, water, snow, etc.
Generally, this problem is resolved by adding additional flaps covering the zipper. If these flaps are to render the slide fastener truly impermeable, it is often necessary to provide two mutually covering flaps and a connecting means of the self-gripping type, such as snap fasteners, etc.
Furthermore, the flaps pose a risk of blocking the slide fastener, as the slide thereof tends to become engaged in the material of these flaps. Not only do these ill-timed blockings hinder the proper functioning of the slide fastener, they can also lead to its destruction. Moreover, if they are used in an impermeable construction, all the seams must be made impermeable by special sealing films. Finally, constructions with flaps are bulky, cumbersome, and limit the possibilities for aesthetic choices.
In the document DE 201 18 165.7 and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,432, it has been proposed to position the slide fastener inside of the flap itself. This construction is particularly satisfactory; however, as is the case with all solutions proposing flaps, it requires the addition of yokes that are always difficult and expensive to make impermeable.
It is also known from the document FR 2 646 760 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,986 to construct a slide fastener, constituted of support tapes and teeth or links borne by these support tapes in which the links are only located on the side of the tape adapted to be turned inward of the article on which the slide fastener is mounted, the pull tab being constructed and arranged such that it can be manipulated from the outside of the article.
Such a fastener has an improved resistance to water penetration because its links are protected and can no longer channel water inward from the outside. This resistance can be further improved by providing an impermeable coating, on the side turned outward of the support tapes. Such fasteners are known to be particularly resistant to water penetration and are allowed for use without a protective flap on impermeable garments. However, depending on the construction and the mounting, such a fastener can pose slight risks of “leakages” depending on the amount of clearance remaining between the contiguous edges of the two tapes.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and to propose a slide fastener closure system which, in particular, makes it possible to improve the resistance to wind and to snow and water penetration, while being inexpensive or less expensive to manufacture.
This object is achieved in an article having an opening equipped with a slide fastener type closure, with the opening comprising a cutout having a generally rectilinear central portion and at least one end portion extending in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the central portions and the cutout having a flap that is capable of covering at least a portion of the slide fastener.
Indeed, the fact that it is the very cutout of the opening that defines a flap for protecting the slide fastener makes it possible to avoid the need for additional yokes and seams to make this flap.
As a result, there is reduction in the material, thickness, and manufacturing steps.
Furthermore, the effect obtained is much neater, “seamless,” and, therefore, it is more aesthetic.
The invention will be better understood and other characteristics thereof will become apparent from the following description, taken together with reference to the attached schematic drawings showing, by way of non-limiting examples, several preferred embodiments, and in which:
a is a detailed view of
a show the application of a closure system according to the invention to a garment, in this case a jacket 1. This jacket is provided with various closure systems 10 equipped with slide fasteners 30, such as zippers, each of these fasteners being at least partially covered by a flap 20.
As shown particularly in
As shown more particularly in
Initially, an adhesive film strip 12 is applied and secured by adhesive/glue to the inner surface or “wrong” side 11a of the material 11, in the location of the future closure system. The film 12, in this example, is a film made of a thermoplastic material, such as polyurethane, polyamide, polyester, etc. This can be a film marketed by Bemis Corporation under the trade mark “SEWFREE®,” for example.
As known, the material 11 provided with the adhesive film 12 can be glued to another material by means of this adhesive film by applying a pressure and a temperature that are predetermined as a function of the materials to be assembled and the adhesive film 12.
The material 11 covered with the adhesive film 12 is then turned over (see arrow A—
As shown in
As the case may be, a single end portion 23 could be provided.
The shape of the end portions 23 can be different. For example, they can be in the form of an arc of a circle, etc., as long as they extend in a different direction than that of the central portion 22 of the cutout, so as to define a flap 24 that is capable of covering at least a portion of the slide fastener.
As shown in
Preferably, although non-limiting, the flap 24 is at least partially reinforced by a band 13 or other reinforcing strip.
In this case, and as shown in
The application of pressure and temperature then makes it possible to glue the flap 13, 24 on the wrong side 11a of the material 11, by means of the adhesive film 12, on a first gluing zone 12a (see
As shown in
In the example shown, the slide fastener 30 comprises two tapes 31, links 32 located on the wrong side 31a of the tapes, and of a slide 33 whose pull tab 34 is located on the right side 31b of the tapes 31. As can be seen in
As described above, right side here means the side adapted to be located outside, whereas wrong side means the side adapted to be located inside of the garment or the like.
Such a slide fastener 30 construction is known as an inverted zipper, since the links 32 are found on the inside/wrong side of the garment, and is described particularly in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,986, commonly owned herewith.
It offers the advantage of guaranteeing a certain impermeability, which can be further improved by providing a polymeric coating, e.g., made of polyurethane, on the right or outer side 31b of the tapes 31.
A zipper construction of the classic type, non-inverted, could also be provided.
The zipper 30 is applied such that the right side 31b of the strips is facing the inner surface 11a of the material, the zone of the links 32 and slide 33 of the zipper straddling the opening 25, and the flap 24 and strips 31 being in contact with the adhesive film 12. It is then glued to the material 11 by means of an adhesive film 12, by applying a predetermined pressure and temperature in a second gluing zone 12b.
At the end, as shown in
The flap 24 is therefore obtained without adding material or an additional seam, except the provision of a reinforcing band or strip.
Depending on the material 11, the reinforcing band 13 could be eliminated.
The flap 24 covers the fastener 30 at least up to its longitudinal median axsi L, i.e., approximately 50% of the fastener. It could also cover a larger width of the latter, and at least 60% thereof, or even its entirety. In this latter case, the flap 24 simply comes from the cutout and is not folded over itself.
In the case where the slide fastener 30 is of the inverted type, as shown in the drawings, the effect obtained is very aesthetic, only the right side 31b of the tapes and a portion of the pull tab 34 of the fastener being visible.
Furthermore, as the flap 24, in any case, covers at least the junction zone L of the two tapes 31, additional impermeability is obtained.
As shown in
If necessary, this housing 11c can be obtained by adding an additional layer of material.
In this example, the closure system 10 is obtained on a seperate piece of material 11, which is then attached by adhesive to an opening 51 of the garment 50 or the like, by means of an adhesive film 52 of the Bemis type.
Furthermore, the closure system 10 has exactly the same structure as described previously in connection with
In any case, the flap 24 is preferably oriented so as to protect the opening 25 from the prevailing effects of the outside elements. Thus, if the opening 25 is horizontal, the flap 24 will be provided along the upper edge thereof so as to form a sort of tile or cover that protects from rain.
The present invention is not limited to the particularly disclosed embodiments that have been described hereinabove by way of non-limiting examples, but it encompasses all similar or equivalent embodiments.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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03 07464 | Jun 2003 | FR | national |
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Number | Date | Country |
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201 18 165 | Mar 2002 | DE |
2 646 760 | Nov 1990 | FR |
WO-9739644 | Oct 1997 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20050183247 A1 | Aug 2005 | US |