Slide fastener

Abstract

A slide fastener (1) has a releasing end stop (15) having a shoulder (27) which impedes movement of the releasing end stop (15) through the channel (47) of the slider (35). The releasing end stop (15) is pivotable relative to the opposed coupling element (11) to allow movement of the releasing end stop (15) through the channel (47) of the slider (35) when additional force is applied to the slider (35). With this construction, the releasing end stop (15) enjoys a longer life span. Furthermore it is advantageously possible to use the same material for the top end stop (15) as for the coupling elements (11), so that the manufacturing process will be much simplified.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a top portion of a slide fastener including a release end stop, forming an embodiment of the invention with a slider thereof removed;

FIG. 2 a is a plan view of the releasing end stop of the slide fastener of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 b is a perspective view of the releasing end stop of FIG. 2a;

FIG. 3 is a partial, cut-away view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing the releasing top end stop and coupling elements within the channel of a slider when the releasing end stop impedes upward movement of the slider, i.e. in the direction of closing;

FIG. 4 is a partial, cut-away view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing the releasing end stop and coupling elements within the channel of the slider when the slider is forced past the releasing end stop;

FIGS. 5 a to 5d show a partial, cut-away view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing the slider, releasing end stop and coupling elements when the slider is moved down the slide fastener, i.e. in the direction of opening;

FIGS. 6 a and 6b show a modification of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5 with a releasing end stop of shorter length; and

FIG. 7 shows an article comprising the slide fastener of FIG. 1.

Claims

1. A slide fastener comprising a pair of first and second stringers each including a tape and a row of coupling elements mounted on a respective longitudinal edge thereof and a slider having flanges defining therebetween a channel through which the coupling elements pass and adapted to sidably move along the rows of the coupling elements; the first stringer including a releasing end stop adapted to engage with the flanges to impede movement of the releasing end stop through the slider; wherein the releasing end stop is pivotable relative to the opposed coupling element to allow movement of the releasing end stop through the slider when additional force is applied to the slider.

2. A slide fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slider has bifurcated channel defined in part by peripheral flanges and forming a neck at a rear end of the slider distal of an upper dividing wall; the releasing end stop including a body portion mounted on the tape and a shoulder projecting from the body portion and adapted to engage the flange of the slider.

3. A slide fastener as claimed in claim 2, wherein the shoulder engages an inner wall of the flange at a position which is closer to rear end of the slider than to the dividing wall.

4. A slide fastener as claimed in claim 2, wherein the releasing end stop has a recess for receiving a head of an opposed coupling element of the second stringer when the releasing end stop and the opposed coupling element enter the neck of the slider.

5. A slide fastener as claimed in claim 4, when additional force is applied to the slider and the shoulder moves toward the neck along the flange of the slider, the releasing end stop rotates on the head of the coupling element.

6. A slide fastener as claimed in claim 5, the recess including a first recess adjacent to the lower end of the releasing end stop and a second recess adjacent to the upper end thereof; the first and second recesses being adapted to receive the heads of the coupling elements, respectively, of the second stringer.

7. A slide fastener as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the releasing end stop and the opposed coupling elements are positioned in the region of the neck of the slider, a bottom of the second recess is further from the head of the opposed second coupling element than the bottom of the first recess is from the head of the first opposed coupling element, and wherein the releasable end stop rotates about the head of the first coupling element when additional force is applied to the slider and the shoulder slides down the flange of the slider towards the region of the neck.

8. A slide fastener as claimed in claim 4, wherein the tape has a cord along its edge, upon which the coupling elements are mounted and the cord is exposed at the bottoms of the recesses formed at a position of the body portion opposed to the shoulder.

9. A slide fastener having a releasing end stop 15, the releasing end stop engaging an opposed element when a slider of the slide fastener is slid over the releasing end stop, the combined width of the opposed element and the releasing end stop in a first orientation being greater than the width of the channel of the slider to impede movement of the slider over the releasing end stop, the releasing end stop pivoting relative to the element when additional force is applied to the slider to adopt an orientation, in which the combined width is reduced to allow movement of the slider past the releasing end stop.

10. A slide fastener as claimed in claim 9, in which the releasing end stop engages a peripheral flange of the channel of the slider to impede movement of the releasing end stop.

11. A slide fastener as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein an upper end of the releasing end stop has a sloping end surface opposed to a side wall of the dividing wall of the slider to slide past the dividing wall of the slider.

12. A slide fastener as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a lower end of the releasing end stop has a protrusion which abuts the side wall of the dividing wall of the slider sufficiently to ensure uncoupling of coupling elements adjoining the releasing end stop when the slider is slid down the fastener to open the fastener normally.