CROSS-RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
No federal funds were used in the research or development of prototypes.
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
This invention occurred because a zipper opened below the slider and jammed it on Christopher Felix's leather jacket. The standard commercial world wanted $75 to repair the jacket, by sewing on a new zipper. This made Christopher angry so he considered alternatives and the drawings that follow are the result of that thought process. This device will repair itself by disengaging the slider so the jams can be repaired.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Our current prototypes are made from commercially available zipper sliders. We have added a button that releases the bottom plate of the zipper slider. This allows disengagement of the zipper slider from the zipper. You may then repair the zipper and return the slider to the starting position, and reengage the zipper slider by releasing the button.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:
FIG. 1 is an assembly view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a top view of the top plate of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a top view of the bottom plate of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a top view of the top plate of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a partially assembled side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a top view of the spring plate latch of FIG. 1 in an open position.
FIG. 7 is a top view of the spring plate latch of FIG. 1 is a closed position.
FIG. 8 is a front cut-away view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.
FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the bottom plate of FIG. 1.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves problems of zippers becoming separated, stuck or jammed by providing a zipper slide as discussed below. One of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following discussion is illustrative and intended to describe preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention to the embodiments discussed.
Referring now to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, an improved zipper slider is described. A top plate 10 has a handle 5 for moving the improved zipper slider along a zipper. An aperture 9 in the top plate permits a locking latch pin 55 to slidably pass through top plate 10. Locking latch pin 55 has bulbous ends 50 and 51 which retain locking latch pin 55 within aperture 9. Locking latch pin 55 is made from steel or other hard, durable material. An aperture 15 receives a second steel pin 45 which is used to keep the bottom plate 40 aligned with the top plate 10.
The zipper bottom 20 cooperates with the top plate 10 to define channels 60 through which a zipper passes during the process of zipping and unzipping the zipper. An aperture 25 permits locking latch pin 55 to pass through the zipper bottom 20. An aperture 26 permits the second steel pin 45 to pass through the zipper bottom 20.
A spring plate latch 30 comprises a spring area 35. Spring area 35 contains an aperture 34 to permit locking latch pin 55 to pass through the spring plate latch 30. Spring area 35 also contains an aperture 36 to permit the second steel pin 45 to pass through the spring plate latch 30. Apertures 31 in the spring plate latch 30 permit security pins 41 to pass through the spring plate latch 30 and into the zipper bottom 20.
Security pins 41 are secured to the bottom plate 40. The second steel pin 45 is also secured to the bottom plate 40. In this manner, the security pins 41 keep the zipper bottom 20 aligned with the bottom plate 40 that keeps the whole assembly aligned and the proper distance from the top zipper slider plate via locking latch pin 55 and the second steel pin 45.
Referring now to FIG. 8, it is seen that locking latch pin 55 holds top plate 10 in place via bulbous end 50. It is also seen that bulbous end 51 of locking latch pin 55 is retained between the bottom plate 40 and the spring plate latch 30. Thus, bulbous end 51 rests in depression 42 in the bottom plate 40.
Referring now to FIG. 5, operation of the improved zipper slider is described. In the event a zipper becomes separated behind the zipper, or the zipper slider becomes jammed due to fabric entering a zipper channel 60 a user can disengage the inventive zipper slider. Disengagement is accomplished by pulling on bulbous end 50 of locking latch pin 55. This causes the spring plate latch 30 to flex in the spring area 35, as depicted in FIG. 6. As seen in FIG. 6, flexing the spring area 35 causes aperture 34 to enlarge as the spring area 35 is deformed. For a minor pull on bulbous end 50, spring area 35 flexes and enlarges aperture 34 thus permitting the top plate 10 to move away from the zipper bottom 20. If the user stops pulling at this point, spring area 35 returns to its original position, depicted in FIG. 7, thus pushing on the bulbous end 51 and causing the locking latch pin 55 to move the top plate 10 back towards the zipper bottom 20. However, if the user continues to pull on the bulbous end 50, spring area 35 flexes to the point where aperture 34 opens enough to permit bulbous end 51 to pass therethrough. When this happens, the inventive zipper slide is separated into two pieces as depicted in FIG. 5. The inventive zipper slide can then be put back together by pushing bulbous end 51 back through aperture 34.
In the manufacturing, of this invention none of our prototypes will require the bottom plate. The drawings are to provide some understanding of the concept. Referring to FIG. 10, the first useful prototype was a button on top of the pull area. This is spring controlled to keep the bottom plate in position when the button is not depressed. The zipper pull goes over the button without pulling on it so it does not release un-intentionally. There are two steel pins through the solid part of the zipper that keep the bottom plate aligned even when the button is depressed. Other types of releasable zipper sliders we are considering are levers and hinges that release only one side, rotating top or bottom plates of the zipper slider, or any lever and pin releases. In fact the concept is any repairable zipper slider.
Patent Grant
7313847
