Patent Application
20140150216
The present invention relates to a stop for a slide fastener, for stopping the sliding of a slider thereof.
More specifically, the invention relates to a stop for a slide fastener, comprising a top plate and a bottom plate linked with each other at a transversely intermediate position by a connecting post, the stop being intended to be crimped onto side portions of fastener tapes provided with respective cores or cords.
The invention also relates to a slide fastener to which such a stop is attached, and a method for the manufacture of such stops.
In the present description and the annexed claims reference is made to a stop having a top plate and a bottom plate. By “top” plate and “bottom” plate are herein meant the plate members of a stop which in use in a garment or the like face the outside and the inside thereof, respectively.
In the following, reference will also be made to a “top edge” and a “bottom edge” of the stop, and in particular of the top plate thereof, to indicate the edges which in use are essentially perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the slider. In particular, the “top edge” is the edge facing the fastener elements or teeth and the “bottom edge” is that facing in the opposite direction.
US patent application No. US 2008/0115337 A1 discloses bottom end stops for slide fasteners having rather complicate shapes, wherein the lower side of the top plate is provided with flanges pointing towards the bottom plate, and the upper side of the bottom plate is similarly provided with flanges pointing towards the top plate.
In a first embodiment disclosed in said prior US application the lower side of the top plate is provided further with projections pointing downwards toward corresponding projections which protrude upwards from the upper side of the bottom plate.
Such prior stops for slide fasteners can be typically manufactured by die casting.
In a second embodiment disclosed in said US application the top plate has an upper flat surface adapted to be provided with a decoration, such as letters, marks and/or designs.
In all the stops disclosed in said US patent application the lower side of the bottom plate, which in use is on the inside of, for instance, a garment, has an overall surface which is quite uneven and marked by a deep central groove, which may prevent the stop from being felt as smooth.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a stop for a slide fastener which has a quite simpler cross-sectional shape, though ensuring a remarkable holding strength.
A second object of the invention is to provide a stop for slide fasteners which feels smoother in use, for instance when used in a garment or the like.
A third object of the invention is to provide a stop which permits the automatical detection of the longitudinal orientation thereof.
A fourth object of the invention is to provide a slide fastener with an improved stop.
A fifth object of the present invention is to propose an improved method for the manufacture of such stops.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method for detecting whether a bottom stop is correctly oriented in view of its attachment to the tapes of a slide fastener.
The above-mentioned first object is achieved according to the invention by a stop comprising
Such a stop has a quite simple cross-sectional shape, which allows the manufacture of a plurality of stops by shaping a blank wire member by pressure rolling, and subsequently cutting the shaped wire member to the desired size of the stops.
The above-mentioned second object is achieved according to the invention by a stop as defined above, wherein the bottom plate is shaped such that in the condition of use also the lower side thereof is substantially flat.
Thus, since also the lower side of the bottom plate of the stop is in use substantially flat, the stop as a whole is pleasantly perceived as completely smooth
According to an aspect of the invention the upper side surface of the top plate is substantially flat, allowing a decoration, such as a logo or a design, to be applied thereto.
According to another aspect of the invention, the proximal portion of each leg member of the bottom plate forms a convex protrusion adjacent the connecting post.
Such a configuration allows the avoidance of the formation of gaps between the core (cord) of the fastener tapes and the connecting post in the tape-accommodating receptacles defined by the top and bottom plates and said post. Thus, the tape edges can be more securely and tightly encompassed therein.
According to a still further aspect of the invention the upper side of each leg member of the bottom plate has a sloping surface extending from the respective flange towards a proximal portion of the leg member.
This configuration allows the avoidance of any weakening of the crimped tape edges when in use, providing resistance against the stresses to which the fastener tapes are subjected and which tend to pull them out of the stop.
As anticipated above, according to an important aspect of the present invention the stop can be conveniently formed by pressure rolling a blank wire member, though it is also possible to manufacture such stops by conventional die casting techniques.
The above-mentioned third object is achieved according to the present invention by a bottom stop having an uneven member formed on a surface below the upper surface of the top plate, allowing to distinguish established top and bottoms edges of the top plate of the stop.
Such an uneven member, which can be a recess or a protrusion, can be formed for instance in an edge position of one end of the stop, preferably in the bottom plate thereof, and more preferably centrally in said bottom plate, on the side of the latter opposed to the connecting post.
Such an uneven member can be conveniently provided with a sloping surface inclined with respect to a predetermined direction, and capable of being easily detected, for instance by means of a CCD camera, to detect whether the bottom stop is correctly oriented in view of its attachment to the tapes of a slide fastener.
The above-mentioned fourth object is achieved according to the present invention by a slide fastener of a per se known design, to which a stop according to the invention is attached, wherein the lower side of the top plate of the stop is substantially flat and the leg members of the bottom plate cooperate with the top plate to retain fastener tapes therebetween.
The above-mentioned fifth object is achieved according to the invention by a method for forming a plurality of stops, comprising
The above-mentioned still further object is achieved according to the invention by a method according to which an uneven member is formed in a rear side portion of the bottom stop, and said rear side portion is automatically scanned to detect said uneven member, to provide signals allowing to determine whether the top and bottom edges of the stop are disposed in a predetermined relative position.
Such a method is particularly useful to assess whether a stop member provided with a design or logo which is asymmetrical with respect to a transverse horizontal axis is correctly oriented in view of its attachment to the fastener tapes.
Further objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, provided purely by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
The present invention relates to an end stop. Though in the drawings only a bottom stop can be seen, stops according to the invention could be used in a closed slide fastener which has stops at both ends, if desired.
In
The fastener stringers comprise respective tapes 2 having a plurality of fastener elements or teeth 5 attached on one side edge in the length direction.
The slider 3 allows the fastener elements 5 to pass therethrough, whereby the slider slides on said elements 5 to engage/disengage them.
The bottom end stop 4 is located on the bottom end side of the slide fastener 1 and is attached adjacent to the lowermost fastener elements 5. Said bottom end stop 4 prevents the slider 3 from slipping away downwards from the fastener elements 5.
The fastener elements 5 are constituted of individual elements fixed at predetermined pitches in the length direction of the slide fastener 1. As a preferable example, the fastener elements 5 may be of single unit type, or continuous linear zigzag type, and the material thereof may be metal or resin.
The bottom end stop 4 is made of metal, and is attached by crimping to a core portion 6 formed on one side edge of the fastener tapes 2.
Referring to
Preferably, the upper side surface 10a of the top plate 10 is substantially flat.
Conveniently, the upper surface 10a of the stop 4 can be provided with a decoration, such as letters, marks, logos and designs. Such a decoration can be stamped or otherwise impressed onto the stop 4 during the manufacturing process.
Laser engraving can also be used as a technique for providing said decoration on the top plate 10 of the stop 4.
As can be seen in particular in
The leg members 11a are deformable from their edges in the direction of the top plate 10, to crimp the cores 6 of the fastener tapes 2 therebetween as shown in
Prior to the application to the fastener tapes the bottom plate 11 of the stop 4 is shaped such that after being deformed or “closed”, i.e. in the condition of use, the lower side surface 11b thereof is also substantially flat as shown in
The stop 4 can be attached to the fastener tapes 2 without deforming the top plate 10 thereof which possibly bears a decoration, and by applying pressure solely to the shaped leg members 11a.
Thanks to the fact that in the condition of use both the upper surface 10a and the lower surface 11b of the stop 4 are substantially flat, the stop 4 as a whole is pleasantly perceived as relatively smoother than the stops according to the prior art. Such a smooth feel is particularly of interest in connection with the lower side surface 11b of the bottom plate 11, which in use in a garment or the like will be on the inside thereof.
As anticipated above, the lower surface of the top plate 10 is essentially flat, said lower surface having no flanges protruding towards the bottom plate 11. This feature requires less material and makes the manufacture of the stop more straightforward.
Since the top plate 10 is not bent during the attaching process of the stop, the decoration possibly provided on the upper surface thereof is protected and consistent.
Referring once again to
As can be seen in particular in
Since the cores 6 of the tapes 2 are substantially circular in shape, in the absence of the protrusions 11c gaps could be formed between the connecting post 12 and said cores 6. The protrusions 11c substantially “fill” such possible gaps, holding the cores 6 in position better, and supporting the rest of the leg members 11a when attempts are made to pull the tapes 2 out of the stop 4.
As already mentioned above, on the extremity of the leg members 11a there is provided a respective flange 13 which points upwards towards the upper plate 10, to hold the corresponding core 6 and tape 2 in place. The top of each flange 13 joins with the relevant protrusion 11c through two adjacent, essentially flat surfaces 11d and 11e.
Surface 11e is the lowest or bottom surface, substantially parallel with the lower surface 11b of the relevant leg member 11a.
In the deformed condition of use of the stop 4 shown in
The protrusion 11c is at the intersection of the base of the connecting post 12 and surface 11e.
As a whole, the surface of the protrusion 11c and the essentially flat surfaces 11d and 11e define a sort of groove having a substantially trapezoid transverse profile. This trapezium-like profile encircles the deformed core 6 of the corresponding tape 2, cooperating to ensure that no free gaps are left around it, reducing movement and ensuring a stronger grip.
A distinguishing feature of the stop according to the present invention is that its transverse profile allows the manufacture thereof by properly shaping, in a pressure rolling process, a blank wire. This technique allows easier control of the quality of the metal, avoiding any local weaknesses in the product which, with conventional techniques like die casting, may be occasioned by cracking due to the need to heat and cool the metal.
With reference to
Such a plastic deformation can be carried out using properly shaped rollers, such as the upper and lower rollers 100, 101 and the side rollers 102, partially and diagrammatically shown in
The result of such a pressure rolling process is a continuous bar 200 (
Such a rolled wire member or bar 200 can thereafter be cut to the size of the stops, so as to obtain therefrom a plurality of stops 4.
With a view to facilitating and improving the pressure rolling process, care is taken that there are only smooth surfaces in the stop 4, ensuring that the rolled wire member comes freely out of the pressure roller assembly. With reference to
If the stops 4 obtained by the above-described method are to be provided with a decoration on the top plate 10 thereof, such a decoration can be engraved or otherwise provided on the top surface of the bar 200, before cutting it into a plurality of individual stops.
As an alternative, the individual stops 4 could be provided with the respective decoration after being cut from the bar 200.
Another embodiment of a bottom stop according to the present invention will be now described with reference to
In
The bottom stop 4 shown in particular in
When a stop 4 is (or is to be) provided with a logo and/or design on its top surface or front face 10a, if the logo and/or design is symmetrical about the horizontal axis, distinguishing the top and bottom edges of the front face of the stop may be not particularly important.
However, when this is not the case, it becomes necessary to establish the direction in which the stop 4 should face before it is attached to the fastener tapes.
The embodiment which will be now described with reference to
The bottom stop 4 shown in
With reference for instance to
As shown in
In alternative embodiments said uneven member 20 may be a protrusion.
The uneven member 20 can be conveniently provided in an edge portion of the stop, in particular centrally in an edge portion 11t of the lower plate 11, as shown in
In the embodiment shown in the drawings the recessed uneven member 20 is essentially channel-shaped, and includes a sloping surface portion 20a extending between two more or less parallel side surfaces 20b.
In the embodiment shown in the drawings the sloping surface 20a is inclined with respect to a direction orthogonal to the front face or upper side surface 10a of the stop 4.
Preferably, the uneven member 20 is provided in the end of the stop 4 which, when the latter has been affixed to the fastener tapes 2, is the top end of the stop, adjacent the elements or teeth 5, as shown in
The apparatus of
The die 302 has an upper surface 302b which is generally flat, but for a protrusion 302c which has a shape essentially complementary to that of the uneven member 20 to be provided in the stops 4.
The protrusion 302c is immediately adjacent the hole 302a of the die 302, whereby said hole has a first sharp cutting edge 302d and a second sharp cutting edge 302e at slightly different heights or levels. Said cutting edges are longitudinally separated by the distance L.
The upper press member 301 has a generally flat lower surface 301a, with longitudinally opposed stamping/cutting edges 301d and 301e, longitudinally separated essentially by the distance L.
The apparatus of
In particular, for cutting a stop 4 the wire member 200 is disposed relative to the stamping/cutting press member 301 and the cooperating die 302 in a position like that shows in
The press member 301 is then moved toward the die 302, and a stop 4 is stamped or cut away from the wire 200. In this process, a thin waste “slice” is cut away from the leading portion of the wire 200, and an uneven member 20 is created in the “new” leading portion of said wire 200 which will be subsequently stamped or cut to form the next stop 4.
Thus, at each stamping/cutting step a new stop 4 is formed, wherein the respective uneven member 20 had been provided in the immediately preceding stamping/cutting step.
Before each stamping/cutting operation, the leading end of the wire 200 is disposed, relative to the press member 301 and the die 302, in the same position described above, i.e. longitudinally beyond the cutting edge 302d of the hole 302 by an amount c.
Thus at each stamping/cutting step a thin waste “slice” of excess material is cut away from the leading end of the wire 200.
Such a cutting process guarantees that the thus obtained stops 4 are provided with sharp upper top and bottom edges 10t, 10b (
The above-described process is moreover such that the lower top and bottom edges 11f and 11g (
However, by reversing the position of the wire 200 between the press member 301 and the die 302, a rounded cut would be obtained at the top and bottom edges 10t, 10b of the front face 10a of the stops, and sharp cuts would be obtained at the lower top and bottom edges 11f and 11g.
With the above stamping/cutting process, the provision of the logo and/or design 40 on the front face of the stops 4 can be carried out before or after the stops 4 have been severed out from the wire member 200. The press member 301 might also be provided with a shaping surface adapted to engrave the logo and/or design 40 into each stop 4 while this is being stamped/cut away from the wire member 200.
Finally,
In
Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining the same, various details may be varied with the respect to what has been described above and illustrated in the drawings, without departing thereby from the scope of the invention as defined in the annexed claims.
Thus, for instance, an additional and different material can be attached to the upper side of the top plate 10.
Different designs can be created by plating effects on the metal, either by addition or removal of a coating or a colouring.
The upper surface 10a of the top plate 10 does not have to be entirely flat.
As to the metal used for the manufacture of the stop, aluminum and aluminum alloys, copper and copper alloys, zinc and zinc alloys can be advantageously taken into consideration. Aluminum (or alloys thereof) and copper (or alloys thereof) are most convenient for use in the claimed method.
The shape of the stop below the design-carrying upper surface can be a profile.
A better quality of a logo or design stamped onto the stop can be achieved when the logo or design is impressed prior to cutting the rolled blank wire member in the claimed method, as the “plastic flow” of the metal will prevent any unwanted deformation of the leg members of the stop.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCTEP2011062952 | Jul 2011 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2012/064344 | 7/20/2012 | WO | 00 | 1/23/2014 |
