Patent Application
20180008053
All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.
The present invention relates generally to slide fasteners (e.g., zippers), and, in particular, to a slide fastener, having a single slider body, that can be implemented for use in connection with large-scale applications, such as mattress covers, boat or automobile covers, and the like.
There are a number of large-scale slide fastener applications that utilize a pair of slider bodies (two-way zippers) rather than a single slider body, which is more typical. A slide fastener with two slider bodies has the advantage of simplifying use of very long zippers in large-scale applications, such as, for example, mattress covers, automobile soft-top covers, boat covers, and the like. The two slider bodies operate in opposite directions from one another so that each slider body need only be pulled approximately halfway around the article to be zipped. However, slide fasteners with two slider bodies are more complex and more expensive than slide fasteners with a single slider body, and can also be more expensive to manufacture.
Slide fasteners with a single slider body can also be implemented for use in large-scale applications such as those mentioned above. For example, a slide fastener with a single slider body can be used to fasten a mattress cover around a mattress. In such an application, a slide fastener with a single slider body is typically installed and used at the point of manufacture of the mattress to be covered. In many cases, the slide fastener is used as an alternative to more permanent solutions, such as sewing the cover around the mattress.
With regard to the manufacture of bedding articles generally, the slide fastener is sometimes selected as a fastening mechanism in order to allow a cover to be removed for cleaning or replacement or to facilitate access to the filling or interior elements of the article. In other instances, a slide fastener is selected because the cover is prepared and/or sewn in a country where labor costs are low and then shipped in a flattened condition to a country where labor costs are high but where the retail consumer is located (which can offer the advantage of reduced shipping costs). In both situations, however, the slide fastener is generally intended to be used very infrequently or only once during the lifetime of the article. As a result, the slide fastener often includes a low quality slider body and pull tab (because repeated opening and closing of the slide fastener is not intended).
A typical known slide fastener that is used in connection with bedding applications (and, in particular, with a mattress cover) is generally made in a manner that emphasizes the initial closing strength of the slide fastener. The ability to use the slide fastener after it is first closed during manufacture of the bedding article is usually of far less significance. The fit of the cover is often very tight around the mattress, which requires precise alignment of the cover halves by the manufacturer in order to properly close the slide fastener around the mattress. Although such slide fasteners may have high lateral strength to prevent the slide fastener teeth from separating during the expected lifetime of the mattress, the slider body, pull tab, and other assembly features are often of a low quality in order to keep assembly costs to a minimum.
Because the slide fastener in the mattress is only intended to be used at the time of manufacture, the precise alignment requirements to ensure that the cover fits around the mattress are generally not too onerous. However, once the mattress reaches a retail consumer, attempted use of the slide fastener can present a host of operational difficulties. Depending on where the bottom stop of the slide fastener is sewn relative to the corners of the mattress, it may be very difficult for a retail consumer to operate the zipper at all. For example, if the bottom stops are mounted to a corner, it may be exceedingly difficult for a retail consumer to align the stops in order to engage the slide fastener teeth from opposed zipper tapes with one another. Further, if the mattress fits snugly within a bed frame, or the bed frame is arranged against a wall, the retail consumer may have to tilt the mattress or pull the mattress away from the wall in order to be able to access the slider body and pull it completely around the circumference of the mattress in order to remove the top cover. Still further, if the slider body and/or pull tab are of a low quality, there exists a possibility that the slide fastener becomes permanently broken or otherwise unusable if the mattress cover is unfastened by the retail consumer.
Accordingly, a need exists for improvement in the field of slide fasteners that are implemented for use in large-scale applications, such as mattress covers, boat or automobile covers, and the like. Furthermore, a need exists for an improved slide fastener, installed in a large-scale application, that is both easy for a consumer to use and can be operated on multiple occasions. These, and other needs, are addressed by one or more aspects of the present invention.
Some exemplary embodiments of the present invention may overcome one or more of the above disadvantages and other disadvantages not described above, but the present invention is not required to overcome any particular disadvantage described above, and some exemplary embodiments of the present invention may not overcome any of the disadvantages described above.
Broadly defined, the present invention according to one aspect includes a cover for a bedding article. The cover includes a first cover portion having a first slide fastener tape of a breakaway slide fastener attached thereto and a second cover portion having a second slide fastener tape of the breakaway slide fastener attached thereto. The first slide fastener tape includes a first row of slide fastener teeth and a pliable top stop at an end of the first row of slide fastener teeth, and the second slide fastener tape includes a second row of slide fastener teeth and a non-pliable top stop at an end of the second row of slide fastener teeth. The cover further includes a single slider body configured to be maneuverable along the first slide fastener tape and the second slide fastener tape in order to bring the first row of slide fastener teeth into at least substantially interlocked arrangement with the second row of slide fastener teeth, thereby arranging the breakaway slide fastener in a closed configuration and pairing the first cover portion with the second cover portion around the bedding article. When the breakaway slide fastener is in the closed configuration, the single slider body is further configured to be maneuverable past the pliable top stop of the first slide fastener tape to permit the first row of slide fastener teeth to be separable from the second row of slide fastener teeth by a pulling force applied to at least one of the first slide fastener tape or the second slide fastener tape, thereby facilitating detachment of the first cover portion from the second cover portion.
In a feature of this aspect, the bedding article may be a mattress for a bed. In another feature of this aspect, the bedding article may be a futon cushion. In still another feature of this aspect, the bedding article may be a pillow.
In other features of this aspect, the slide fastener teeth of the first and second rows of slide fastener teeth may be coil-type teeth; when the breakaway slide fastener is arranged in the closed configuration, the pliable top stop may be disposed at a position that is offset from that of the non-pliable top stop; the single slider body may be further configured so as not to be maneuverable past the non-pliable top stop of the second slide fastener tape; and/or the pulling force may be a force that is applied at an angle relative to an axis defined by a direction that the single slider body is maneuverable along the first slide fastener tape and the second slide fastener tape when the breakaway slide fastener is in the closed configuration.
Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect includes a method of removing at least a portion of a cover for a bedding article. The method includes providing a bedding article at least substantially entirely enveloped by a cover comprised of a first cover portion disposed at a top of the bedding article and a second cover portion disposed at a bottom of the bedding article. The first cover portion includes a first slide fastener tape of a breakaway slide fastener attached thereto, and the first slide fastener tape includes a first row of slide fastener teeth and a pliable top stop at an end of the first row of slide fastener teeth. The second cover portion includes a second slide fastener tape of the breakaway slide fastener attached thereto, and the second slide fastener tape includes a second row of slide fastener teeth and a non-pliable top stop at an end of the second row of slide fastener teeth. The first row of slide fastener teeth is in an at least substantially interlocked arrangement with the second row of slide fastener teeth, thereby pairing the first cover portion with the second cover portion. The method further includes: maneuvering a single slider body of the breakaway slide fastener along the first slide fastener tape and the second slide fastener tape to position the single slider body at the pliable top stop of the first slide fastener tape; pulling the single slider body past the pliable top stop of the first slide fastener tape so that the single slider body is no longer engaged with the first slide fastener tape; and applying a pulling force to at least one of the first slide fastener tape and the second slide fastener tape to separate the first row of slide fastener teeth from the second row of slide fastener teeth, thereby detaching the first cover portion from the second cover portion.
In a feature of this aspect, the bedding article may be a mattress for a bed. In another feature of this aspect, the bedding article may be a futon cushion. In still another feature of this aspect, the bedding article may be a pillow.
In another feature of this aspect, the slide fastener teeth of the first and second rows of slide fastener teeth may be coil-type teeth.
In another feature of this aspect, the single slider body may be configured so as not to be maneuverable past the non-pliable top stop of the second slide fastener tape. In another feature of this aspect, when the first cover portion is detached from the second cover portion, the single slider body may remain engaged with the second slide fastener tape.
In another feature of this aspect, applying a pulling force may include applying a pulling force at an angle relative to an axis defined by a direction that the single slider body is maneuverable along the first slide fastener tape and the second slide fastener tape when the breakaway slide fastener is in a closed configuration.
Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect includes a method of replacing a portion of a cover for a bedding article. The method includes providing a bedding article at least substantially entirely enveloped by a cover comprised of a first cover portion disposed at a top of the bedding article and a second cover portion disposed at a bottom of the bedding article. The first cover portion includes a first slide fastener tape of a breakaway slide fastener attached thereto, and the first slide fastener tape includes a first row of slide fastener teeth and a pliable top stop at an end of the first row of slide fastener teeth. The second cover portion includes a second slide fastener tape of the breakaway slide fastener attached thereto, and the second slide fastener tape includes a second row of slide fastener teeth and a non-pliable top stop at an end of the second row of slide fastener teeth. The first row of slide fastener teeth is in an at least substantially interlocked arrangement with the second row of slide fastener teeth, thereby pairing the first cover portion with the second cover portion. The method further includes: maneuvering a single slider body of the breakaway slide fastener along the first slide fastener tape and the second slide fastener tape to position the single slider body at the pliable top stop of the first slide fastener tape; pulling the single slider body past the pliable top stop of the first slide fastener tape so that the single slider body is no longer engaged with the first slide fastener tape; applying a pulling force to at least one of the first slide fastener tape and the second slide fastener tape to separate the first row of slide fastener teeth from the second row of slide fastener teeth, thereby detaching the first cover portion from the second cover portion; and replacing the detached first cover portion with a replacement first cover portion, the replacement first cover portion being configured to have a row of slide fastener teeth with a tooth pitch that matches a tooth pitch of the second row of slide fastener teeth of the second cover portion.
In a feature of this aspect, the bedding article may be a mattress for a bed.
In another feature of this aspect, applying a pulling force may include applying a pulling force at an angle relative to an axis defined by a direction that the single slider body is maneuverable along the first slide fastener tape and the second slide fastener tape when the breakaway slide fastener is in a closed configuration.
In another feature of this aspect, the method may further include: seating a pin disposed on a slide fastener tape of the replacement first cover portion with a box disposed on the second slide fastener tape of the second cover portion; and maneuvering the single slider body along the slide fastener tape of the replacement first cover portion and the second slide fastener tape to bring the row of slide fastener teeth of the replacement first cover portion into at least substantially interlocked arrangement with the second row of slide fastener teeth of the second cover portion, thereby pairing the replacement first cover portion with the second cover portion around the bedding article.
Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect includes a cover assembly for a boat cockpit. The cover assembly includes a cover comprised of at least one panel having a first slide fastener tape of a breakaway slide fastener attached along a perimeter edge thereof and a second slide fastener tape of a breakaway slide fastener attached to an edge of a panel attachment area of the boat cockpit. The first slide fastener tape includes a first row of slide fastener teeth and a pliable top stop at an end of the first row of slide fastener teeth, and the second slide fastener tape includes a second row of slide fastener teeth and a non-pliable top stop at an end of the second row of slide fastener teeth. The cover assembly further includes a single slider body configured to be maneuverable along the first slide fastener tape and the second slide fastener tape in order to bring the first row of slide fastener teeth into at least substantially interlocked arrangement with the second row of slide fastener teeth, thereby arranging the breakaway slide fastener into a closed configuration and pairing the at least one panel to the panel attachment area. When the breakaway slide fastener is in the closed configuration, the single slider body is further configured to be maneuverable past the pliable top stop of the first slide fastener tape to permit the first row of slide fastener teeth to be separable from the second row of slide fastener teeth by a pulling force applied to at least one of the first slide fastener tape or the second slide fastener tape, thereby facilitating detachment of the panel from the panel attachment area of the boat cockpit.
In features of this aspect, the slide fastener teeth of the first and second rows of slide fastener teeth may be coil-type teeth; when the breakaway slide fastener is arranged in the closed configuration, the pliable top stop may be disposed at a position that is offset from that of the non-pliable top stop; the single slider body may be further configured so as not to be maneuverable past the non-pliable top stop of the second slide fastener tape; and/or the pulling force may be a force that is applied at an angle relative to an axis defined by a direction that the single slider body is maneuverable along the first slide fastener tape and the second slide fastener tape when the breakaway slide fastener is in the closed configuration.
In another feature of this aspect, the at least one panel may be configured to cover a portion of the boat cockpit. In another feature of this aspect, the at least one panel may be configured to cover substantially the entirety of the boat cockpit.
In another feature of this aspect, the at least one panel may include a plurality of panels.
Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect includes a method of removing a cover from a boat cockpit. The method includes providing a cover, comprised of at least one panel, and a panel attachment area of a boat cockpit. The at least one panel includes a first slide fastener tape of a breakaway slide fastener attached along a perimeter edge thereof, and the first slide fastener tape includes a first row of slide fastener teeth and a pliable top stop at an end of the first row of slide fastener teeth. The panel attachment area of the boat cockpit includes a second slide fastener tape of a breakaway slide fastener attached to an edge thereof, and the second slide fastener tape includes a second row of slide fastener teeth and a non-pliable top stop at an end of the second row of slide fastener teeth. The first row of slide fastener teeth is in an at least substantially interlocked arrangement with the second row of slide fastener teeth, thereby coupling the at least one panel to the panel attachment area. The method further includes: maneuvering a single slider body of the breakaway slide fastener along the first slide fastener tape and the second slide fastener tape to position the single slider body at the pliable top stop of the first slide fastener tape; pulling the single slider body past the pliable top stop of the first slide fastener tape so that the single slider body is no longer engaged with the first slide fastener tape; and applying a pulling force to at least one of the first slide fastener tape and the second slide fastener tape to separate the first row of slide fastener teeth from the second row of slide fastener teeth, thereby detaching the at least one panel from the panel attachment area and facilitating removal of the cover from the boat cockpit.
In a feature of this aspect, the slide fastener teeth of the first and second rows of slide fastener teeth may be coil-type teeth.
In another feature of this aspect, the single slider body may be configured so as not to be maneuverable past the non-pliable top stop of the second slide fastener tape. In another feature of this aspect, when the at least one panel is detached from the panel attachment area, the single slider body may remain engaged with the second slide fastener tape.
In another feature of this aspect, applying a pulling force may include applying a pulling force at an angle relative to an axis defined by a direction that the single slider body is maneuverable along the first slide fastener tape and the second slide fastener tape when the breakaway slide fastener is in a closed configuration.
In another feature of this aspect, the at least one panel may be configured to cover a portion of the boat cockpit. In another feature of this aspect, the at least one panel may be configured to cover substantially the entirety of the boat cockpit.
In another feature of this aspect, the at least one panel may include a plurality of panels.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
Further features, embodiments, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, wherein:
As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art (“Ordinary Artisan”) that the present invention has broad utility and application. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the invention and may further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed features. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present invention.
Accordingly, while the present invention is described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present invention, and is made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.
Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders while still falling within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention is to be defined by the appended claims rather than the description set forth herein.
Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which the Ordinary Artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used herein—as understood by the Ordinary Artisan based on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the Ordinary Artisan should prevail.
Regarding applicability of 35 U.S.C. §112, ¶6, no claim element is intended to be read in accordance with this statutory provision unless the explicit phrase “means for” or “step for” is actually used in such claim element, whereupon this statutory provision is intended to apply in the interpretation of such claim element.
Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having an apple” describes “a picnic basket having at least one apple” as well as “a picnic basket having apples.” In contrast, reference to “a picnic basket having a single apple” describes “a picnic basket having only one apple.”
When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one of the items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having cheese or crackers” describes “a picnic basket having cheese without crackers,” “a picnic basket having crackers without cheese,” and “a picnic basket having both cheese and crackers.” Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and” denotes “all of the items of the list.” Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having cheese and crackers” describes “a picnic basket having cheese, wherein the picnic basket further has crackers,” as well as describes “a picnic basket having crackers, wherein the picnic basket further has cheese.”
Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like components throughout the several views, one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention are next described. The following description of one or more preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
As shown in
As is further shown in
In accordance with a process of assembling the slide fastener 100, the pitch of the slide fastener teeth (i.e., the distance between mating pairs of slide fastener teeth) should be precise. One reason for such precision arises from the manufacturing process, as detailed below. In a method of manufacturing a slide fastener with coil-type slide fastener teeth, the slide fastener teeth are formed by feeding two identical tapes into a coil-forming machine where two polyester mono-filaments are formed into spirals and then simultaneously sewn to the two tapes. This step results in creation of two slide fastener tapes, each with a row of slide fastener teeth that are interlocked upon exit from the coil-forming machine.
The interlocked slide fastener tapes (often referred to as a zipper chain) are then gapped, whereby some length of the slide fastener teeth are removed from the slide fastener tapes to form a gapped section. It is contemplated that the zipper chain can be gapped at regular intervals to create multiple gapped sections in the zipper chain. In particular, it is contemplated that the zipper chain can be gapped at intervals based on the desired finished length of the slide fastener.
Gapped sections of the zipper chain can then be laminated with a film. A slider body can be pulled through the zipper chain from one end thereof—at least for a short portion—and the zipper chain can be cut at the closest laminated section to form a slide fastener with a single slider body installed thereon.
Top stops, as detailed above, can be installed at one end of the pair of slide fastener tapes, and a pin-and-box assembly, as detailed above, can be installed at the other end of the pair of slide fastener tapes. In particular, one end of the cut zipper chain can be inserted into a molding machine, where the pliable top stop and the non-pliable top stop can be molded onto the zipper chain. The pin-and-box assembly can be installed at the other end of the cut zipper chain at a laminated section (with the pin installed at a laminated end of one of the slide fastener tapes and the box installed at the same laminated end of the other slide fastener tape).
Returning to
It should be noted that the pliable top stop 112 and the non-pliable top stop 110 are disposed at different positions along the length of the respective slide fastener tapes 101,102. In particular, as shown in
As further shown in
As described above, it is contemplated that the breakaway slide fastener 100 can be opened quickly without the need to maneuver the slider body 120 along the length of the slide fastener tapes 101,102. Once the slide fastener teeth 115,116 are fully burst, the slide fastener 100 is fully open, and the slide fastener tapes 101,102 can be fully separated from one another. After separating the slide fastener tapes 101,102, the slider body 120 remains attached to the slide fastener tape 102 having the non-pliable top stop 110 and the box 104 of the pin-and-box assembly.
It is further contemplated that the slide fastener 100 can be unfastened and refastened on multiple occasions without breaking or otherwise becoming damaged. In this regard, the slider body 120 can be pulled along the slide fastener tape 102 (to which it is still attached) and toward the box 104 of the pin-and-box assembly. The other slide fastener tape 101 can be positioned adjacent the slide fastener tape 102, and the pin 103 of the pin-and-box assembly can be inserted through the slider body 120 and into the box 104 of the pin-and-box assembly. The slider body 120 is then ready to be maneuvered along both slide fastener tapes 101,102 so as to bring the slide fastener teeth 115,116 into interlocking arrangement with one another, thereby fastening the slide fastener tapes 101,102 together. To re-fasten the slide fastener 100, the slider body 120 can be pulled all the way along the slide fastener tapes 101,102 toward the pliable top stop 112 (as shown in
As can now be understood, the breakaway slide fastener 100 described in connection with
In one contemplated application, the breakaway slide fastener 100 can be used as a closure for a bedding article, such as a mattress for a bed. In this regard,
Covering large articles, such as the mattress 225 depicted in
However, use of the breakaway slide fastener 100 described above in connection with
With reference to
Notably, in the embodiment described in
With further reference to
Turning now to
Turning now to
Advantageously, a retail consumer only needs to pull the slider body 120 past the pliable top stop 112 by a very short distance (usually measuring no more than a fraction of an inch) in order to initiate the breakaway process. Once the breakaway process has been initiated, the retail consumer can simply pull the mattress cover top half 221 away from the bottom half 222 and the mattress 225 in order to burst the slide fastener teeth along the entire length of the slide fastener 100. The detached mattress cover top half 221 is then fully removed. In some contemplated embodiments, the mattress cover top half 221 can be laundered and then refastened to the mattress cover bottom half 222. In other contemplated embodiments, the mattress cover top half 221 can be replaced with a substitute mattress cover top half In an embodiment where the mattress cover top half 221 is replaced with a substitute mattress cover top half, the slide fastener teeth of the substitute top half should be configured to have the same pitch as the existing mattress cover bottom half 222. In this regard, the retail consumer can ensure that the substitute mattress cover top half can be properly mated with the existing mattress cover bottom half 222.
As should now be clear, the breakaway slide fastener 100 of the present invention advantageously allows the retail consumer to begin the unfastening process from a single location along the length of the mattress 225 (i.e., the location of the slider body 120). Once the slider body 120 is moved past the pliable top stop 112, the retail consumer simply pulls the slide fastener tapes 101,102 apart to complete the unfastening process. Because the retail consumer is not required to maneuver the slider body 120 any further to complete the process, the need to have access to more than a very small portion of one side of the mattress 225 can be eliminated.
In another contemplated application, the breakaway slide fastener 100 can be used as a closure for a boat cockpit cover 332. In this regard,
Boat cockpit covers can be manufactured to have any of a range of different sizes and/or configurations, and, in many cases, covers are manufactured to fit a particular boat model. Due to their size and scope of coverage, boat cockpit covers are often very difficult to fasten into position over the boat cockpit. Further, it is desirable that a boat cover fit very tautly in order to prevent wind damage that might occur to a boat cover that is not taut. In addition, a boat cover is typically exposed to extreme variations in temperature and humidity, which makes a taut fit even more challenging to the designer of such covers. In many cases, the cover extends over substantially all of the boat cockpit area, thereby leaving little room for a user to stand when fastening or unfastening the cover from the boat. As shown in
An exemplary boat cockpit cover that utilizes the breakaway slide fastener of the present invention generally includes one or more panels that can be fastened into position over the boat cockpit area using one or more breakaway slide fasteners. One such boat cockpit cover 332 is illustrated in
A process for fastening the central panel 334 into position over the boat cockpit area mirrors the process described above in connection with
With reference to
In order to unfasten and detach the central panel 334, the process described above can be reversed. However, the pliable top stop of the breakaway slide fastener 100 makes reversal of the process described above unnecessary. In many instances, the taut fit of a typical boat cover is obtained only when the cover is completely fastened, but there may be significant looseness prior to complete closure. For this reason, it may be difficult to unfasten a cover by reversing the process described above due to the difficulty of pushing a slide fastener slider body when the cover is partially loosened. Similar to the method discussed above in connection with
Advantageously, a user only needs to pull the slider body 120 past the pliable top stop 112 by a very short distance (usually measuring no more than a fraction of an inch) in order to initiate the breakaway process. Once the breakaway process has been initiated, the user can simply pull the central panel 334 at a slight angle in order to burst the slide fastener teeth along the entire length of the slide fastener 100.
Based on the foregoing information, it will be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those specifically described herein, as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing descriptions thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention.
Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to one or more preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for the purpose of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications or equivalent arrangements; the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.
The present application is a U.S. nonprovisional patent application of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/054,446, filed Sep. 24, 2014, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62054446 | Sep 2014 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14861468 | Sep 2015 | US |
| Child | 15677251 | US |
