Patent Application
20070186392
The present invention relates to a novel zipper slide that reduces or eliminates entanglement of material from a garment in both the upper and lower surface of the zipper during use.
A conventional zipper consists of two rows of teeth and a slide, catch, or pull that when drawn over the two rows of teeth joins the teeth in one direction of pull and separates the teeth in the other direction. Conventional zippers frequently jam when extraneous material from the garment is drawn into and becomes entangled in the teeth of the zipper or between the slide and the zipper during operation. A number of anti-jam zippers have been developed that prevent entanglement of material between the two rows of teeth of a zipper such as for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,299 that provides overlapping flaps sewn into the fabric on the underside of the zipper teeth rows. These flaps prevent material from a garment such as a shirt or blouse from being drawn into the teeth of the zipper of a second garment worn over the shirt or blouse such as a jacket. Unfortunately this zipper configuration does not prevent the material of the upper surface of the jacket from becoming entangled in the zipper teeth or between the slide and the zipper during use.
Another zipper slide described in U.S. Patent application publication 2003/0192151 comprises a guard on the lower surface of the slide mechanism that is integral to the slide. The guard prevents material from becoming entangled in the teeth of the zipper in the same manner as U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,299 and unfortunately suffers from the same disadvantage. While the integral zipper slide guard reduces entanglement of material from another garment in the underside of the zipper it does not reduce entanglement of the material on the upper surface.
Therefore, there is a need for a zipper slide that reduces entanglement of material from a garment in either the upper or lower surface of the zipper teeth or between the zipper and the slide during normal use.
The present invention provides a novel zipper slide comprising a pull tab and a housing having a front portion where the two disconnected rows of zipper teeth occur, a back portion wherein the two connected rows of zipper teeth occur, a top portion having an adapter for receiving said pull tab and a bottom portion, said front portion having four front projecting guide arms directing said disconnected zipper teeth toward each other and interfering with material that could become entangled in said zipper teeth, two of said front projecting guide arms positioned on said top portion and the two remaining said front projecting guide arms positioned on said bottom portion, said front portion having two front grooves positioned between said two front projecting guide arms on said top portion and said two front projecting guide arms on said bottom portion, each for receiving a row of zipper teeth, said front grooves merging into one about the midpoint of said slide housing said grooves angling said teeth such that they join and are locked into place as said grooves merge and exit said slide housing at said back portion, said back portion having four back projecting guide arms directing said connected zipper teeth into said slide and interfering with material that could become entangled in said zipper teeth or under the slide, two of said back projecting guide arms positioned on said top portion and the two remaining said back projecting guide arms positioned on said bottom portion.
In one embodiment, each of the four front projecting guide arms are from ¼ to ⅔ the length of the housing and may be angled from not less than 5 degrees and not more than 45 degrees from the center line running lengthwise along the housing.
In another embodiment, each of the four back projecting guide arms are from 1/10 to ¼ the length of the housing and may be angled not less than 0 degrees to not more than 30 degrees from the center line running lengthwise along the housing.
In yet another embodiment, the adapter for receiving the pull-tab is preferably an elongated pull-tab lug running the length of and positioned on the top of the housing. The pull-tab is preferably slidably and pivotally connected to the housing by the elongated pull-tab lug.
In still another embodiment, methods of using the novel zipper slide of the present invention for interconnecting two disconnected rows of zipper teeth is provided comprising affixing the zipper guide onto two disconnected rows of zipper teeth, and sliding the zipper guide along the rows of disconnected zipper teeth thereby interlocking and joining the rows of zipper teeth.
Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein have the same meaning as are commonly understood by one of skill in the art to which this invention belongs. All patents, patent applications and publications referred to throughout the disclosure herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the event that there is a plurality of definitions for a term herein, those in this section prevail.
The term “adapter” as used herein refers to a means for slidably and pivotally retaining the pull-tab of the zipper slide to the housing by a variety of means known to one skilled in the art, such as, for example an elongated pull-tab lug that runs the length of the top side of the housing about the centerline or a loop provided at or about the center of the top portion.
In operation the zipper slide of the present invention functions to connect two disconnected stringers of zipper teeth into one in a similar fashion as commercially available zipper slides. However, the zipper slide of the present invention is unique in that it provides a means for interfering with or preventing the material of a garment from becoming entangled with the teeth of the zipper or between the zipper and the slide. Novel front and back projecting guides perform this function. The front projecting guides are provided in a length from about one-quarter to about two-thirds the length of the zipper slide. In preferred embodiments, the front projecting guides may be angled to allow the slide to move more freely over the zipper stringers. This angle may vary from not less than 5 degrees and not more than 45 degrees from the centerline running lengthwise along the housing. The back projecting guides are provided in a length from about one-tenth to about one-quarter the length of the zipper slide. In preferred embodiments, the back projecting guides are not angled or only slightly angled preferably not more than about 30 degrees from the centerline running lengthwise along the housing.
Preferably the slide is produced having identical top and bottom portions with identical adapters positioned in identical locations along both portions. In this configuration, manufacturing of a zipper does not require that the slide be oriented right side up since both sides are identical.
The present invention may be made by a variety of commercially available materials and processes. For example, the slide may be made of pure metal such as iron, nickel, aluminum or titanium or a metal composite such as steel, chromium alloy, titanium alloy or nickel alloy. The slide may also be made of plastic or nylon. Preferably the plastic is relatively rigid, resilient and resistant to abrasion from the stringers and teeth of the zipper. For example, the zipper may be made of acetyl plastics. The slide may be form molded in one piece or may be provided in two or more pieces. Preferably it is formed in the least number of pieces to reduce additional cost of assembly. If the slide is made in two pieces it may be provided in two halves, one half comprising the entire top portion and one comprising the entire bottom portion. These two halves may be joined together by a variety of methods known to those in the art, such as for example, adhesive, spot welding, compression fit, rivet or snap fit.
In use, the slide is positioned on two stringers of zipper teeth and the base of the stringers are fastened together. The slide when drawn over the disconnected stringers of zipper teeth produces connected and interlocked zipper teeth that are emitted from the back portion of the slide. Each stringer of zipper teeth is guided into the front grooves and move along the groove to about the center of the slide where the two grooves merge. The merging grooves are positioned at an angle that increases the distance between the teeth on each of the stringers allowing one tooth of one stringer to fit between two teeth of the other stringer thereby joining and interlocking the teeth one tooth at a time. When drawn in the opposite direction, the connected and interlocked zipper teeth are received by the back portion of the slide and emitted as two disconnected stringers of zipper teeth from the front portion of the slide. Disengaging the teeth of the zipper occurs in a similar, but opposite, method as that provided above.
