1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener for use in an opening/closing mouth of wet suit, waterproof trousers, waterproof shoes for use under water, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventionally known waterproof top end stop 101 for a slide fastener disclosed by a Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 4-36659 and shown in
In the waterproof top end stop 101 for a slide fastener shown in
The present invention has been achieved in view of the above-described problem, and a first object of the invention is to provide a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, in which a protrusion which makes contact with an inner face of each of upper and lower blades of a slider, namely, rib-like seal is formed as short as possible to raise waterproof and airproof properties, and pressing portions for positively pressing an outer side face of the top end stop are formed so as to bring contact faces of insertion leg portions, namely, contact portions of a diamond passage portions into a firm contact with each other by forming the contact portions as short as possible, thereby securing waterproof and airproof effects.
In addition to the first object, a second object of the invention is to provide a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, in which the pressing portions are provided on outer edge portions of insertion leg portions corresponding to the passage portions to close the passage portions accurately and smoothly, thereby raising waterproof and airproof effects.
In addition to the first object, a third object of the invention is to provide a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, in which a relation among the pressing portions installed on the insertion leg portions of the top end stop, the outer edge portions located inside the pressing portions and a slider which accommodates these pressing portions and outer edge portions is specified so as to raise waterproof and airproof effects effectively and accurately.
In addition to the first object, fourth and fifth objects of the invention are to provide a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, in which a configuration of the pressing portions which are formed on both outer sides of the insertion leg portions of the top end stop and make contact with flanges of the slider is specified so as to bring the contact portions of the insertion leg portions into an aggressive contact with each other effectively and accurately, thereby raising the waterproof and airproof effects.
In addition to the fourth object, a sixth object of the invention is to provide a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, in which the insertion leg portions are brought into a partial contact with the blades of the slider through the protrusion and pressing portions, thereby achieving smooth and light sliding of the slider.
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener having elasticity, which is fixed adjacent to fastener elements provided along opposing side edges of a pair of fastener tapes in a slide fastener and which is connected to the fastener tapes, wherein an accommodating portion capable of accommodating a diamond of a sliding slider is provided in a center thereof such that the accommodating portion is surrounded by insertion leg portions; protrusions which make contact with upper and lower blades of the slider are provided projectingly along an inner peripheral edge portion 11 provided on an inner edge of the accommodating portion; passage portions which allow the diamond of the slider to pass through is provided at end portions on inner sides of the insertion leg portions; and pressing portions projecting with respect to a contact faces of leg portions in the fastener elements adjacent to the top end stop or a faces making a sliding contact with the slider are provided on both outer sides of the top end stop, namely, outside the insertion leg portions. The pressing portions can be pressed inward when the slider is slid. Due to contact between the pressing portion and the slider, the passage portions are closed firmly.
According to a second aspect of the invention, in addition to the first aspect, there is provided a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, wherein the pressing portions installed in the top end stop are formed at positions corresponding to the passage portions which allow the diamond of the slider to pass through, that is, on outer edge portions of the insertion leg portions.
According to a third aspect of the invention, in addition to the first aspect, there is provided a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, wherein the pressing portions installed in the top end stop are provided on the outer edge portions on a side of an entrance of the insertion leg portions, and the outer edge portions provided inside of the top end stop from the pressing portions are formed narrower than an interval between right and left flanges of the slider to avoid making contact with the flanges.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in addition to the first aspect, there is provided a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, wherein the pressing portions installed in the top end stop are formed to project in up and down directions from the insertion leg portions.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in addition to the first aspect, there is provided a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, wherein the pressing portions installed in the top end stop are formed to project in an outward direction from the insertion leg portions.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, in addition to the fourth aspect, there is provided a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener, wherein the protrusions and pressing portions provided on the insertion leg portions of the top end stop project in up and down directions while a portion between the protrusions and pressing portions is recessed.
Advantages of the present invention will be described below.
According to the first aspect of the invention, even when the passage portions which allow the diamond of the slider to pass through are formed with short small contact faces, the pressing portions provided on both outer sides of the top end stop press the insertion leg portions inward aggressively so as to block water from penetrating or invading. Further, even if the protrusions making contact with the inner faces of blades of the slider is formed in a short length along the inner peripheral edge portion of the accommodating portion, waterproof and airproof properties can be exerted effectively, and moreover, the top end stop can be formed easily.
According to the second aspect of the invention, the passage portions provided inside the insertion leg portions is pressed and closed accurately to block penetration and invasion of water through the passage portions, thereby enhancing waterproof and airproof properties.
According to the third aspect of the invention, the pressing portions provided on the side of an entrance of the insertion leg portions are pressed inward by a sliding operation while inside portions, that is, deep sides relative to the pressing portions do not make contact with the flanges. Consequently, the sliding operation of the slider can be carried out lightly.
According to the fourth and fifth aspects of the invention, the pressing portions provided on the insertion leg portions can be brought into a sliding contact with the flanges of the slider securely, so that the passage portions provided inside the insertion leg portions can be pressed and closed securely. Consequently, extremely favorable waterproof and airproof effects are achieved.
According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the insertion leg portions make a partial contact with the inner faces of the upper and lower blades of the slider, so that the slider can be slid smoothly and lightly. Therefore, the advantages realized by the present invention are remarkable.
As regards a waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener of the present invention, as shown in
The top end stop 1 has one end closed. The top end stop 1 includes an accommodating portion 10 capable of accommodating a diamond 21 of the slider 2 provided in a center thereof, and insertion leg portions 13 formed on right and left sides of the other end such that they are adjacent to the fastener elements 7. Passage portions 14 which allow the diamond 21 of the slider 2 to pass through are formed at sides of entrance end portions of the insertion leg portions 13, namely, on sides of the insertion leg portions 13 adjacent to the fastener elements 7. The passage portions 14 are constructed such that right and left passage portions 14 join together to secure waterproof property when a fastener chain is closed with the slider 2.
Pressing portions 15 are provided by projecting right and left outer sides of the insertion leg portions 13 slightly outward with respect to outside edges of the fastener elements 7, so that the pressing portions 15 are projected in up and down directions while making contact with flanges 22 of the slider 2. Protrusions 12 are provided so as to be projected toward inner faces of upper and lower blades 20 of the slider 2 to make contact therewith along an inner peripheral edge portion 11 of the accommodating portion 10 which accommodates the diamond 21. Entrance end portions of the protrusions 12 face the passage portions 14 of the insertion leg portions 13, and end portions of the protrusions are cut out obliquely to form inclined faces 16, thereby reducing an impact on the upper and lower blades 20 to facilitate passage of the diamond 21 when it is inserted. Stoppers 17 are provided protrudedly on both closed end faces of the top end stop 1 so that head portions 23 of the blades 20 of the slider 2 can make contact with, thereby accommodating the slider 2 accurately in the accommodating portion 10.
In the meantime, back faces of the base fabrics 4 outside the closed stoppers 17 of the top end stop 1 are lined with a seal material 8 to integrate the right and left fastener tapes 5.
As regards a relation between the top end stop 1 and the slider 2, waterproof and airproof properties are exerted in such a manner that the diamond 21 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 10 of the top end stop 1 by sliding the slider 2, so that the top end stop 1 is used as a waterproof top end stop. At this time, when the top end stop 1 accommodates the diamond 21 of the slider 2 in the accommodating portion 10, the protrusions 12 provided along the inner peripheral edge portion 11 of the accommodating portion 10 make a pressure contact with inner faces of the blades 20 as shown in
In a waterproof top end stop according to a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, front and rear surfaces of a pair of fastener tapes 5 are coated with a waterproof material 6 of thermoplastic elastomer such as vinyl chloride or polyethylene or synthetic rubber so as to form a base fabrics 4. Then, fastener elements 7 are formed on opposing side edges of the base fabrics 4 by injection-molding using thermoplastic resin such as polyamide, polyacetal, polypropylene and polybutylene terephthalate. Each of the fastener elements 7 is formed of mainly a coupling head 28 and a leg portion 29. The leg portion 29 is formed of a square body while a contact face 31 is formed at an outer end of the leg portion 29 such that flanges 22 of a slider 2 makes a sliding contact therewith. Fin portions 30 in a flat shape are provided on the contact face 31 at a side of one of the fastener tapes 5, and the flanges 22 of the slider 2 makes contact with the fin portions 30 and the contact face 31 when the slider slides.
The coupling head 28 is projected from the leg portion 29 in a form of a number 8, and engaging pieces 32 which are in a flat shape and flush with the edge of the fastener tape 5 are provided on the leg portion 29 at a side of the head portion 28 and fitted to a concave groove 33 provided in the coupling head 28 of a mating fastener element. Therefore, the concave groove 33 is formed in a front end of the coupling head 28, so that the engaging pieces 32 projected from both sides of the fastener element 7 of the mating fastener element are accommodated to engage the right and left fastener elements 7 with each other.
The upper and lower blades 20 of the slider 2 are joined with the diamond 21, and the flanges 22 for guiding the fastener elements 7 are provided curvedly on both outer sides of the blades 20. By sliding this slider 2 in back and forth directions, the fastener elements 7 molded on the side edges of the base fabrics 4 are brought into firm contact with each other both in back and forth directions and in right and left directions so as to provide the right and left base fabric 4 with waterproof property.
A top end stop 1 is injection-molded with the same material as the thermoplastic elastomer such as vinyl chloride or polyethylene or synthetic rubber applied to the surfaces of the base fabrics 4. In the top end stop 1, the accommodating portion 10 capable of accommodating the diamond 21 of the slider 2 is formed in the center with a front end thereof closed such that it is continuous to the fastener elements 7 attached to the side edges of the base fabrics 4, and insertion leg portions 13 are provided integrally on right and left sides of the accommodating portion 10. As shown in
Entrance end portions of the insertion leg portions 13 of the top end stop 1 can be brought into a firm contact with each other as shown in
Pressing portions 15 are provided on part of right and left outer sides of the entrance end portions of the insertion leg portions 13 of the top end stop 1 such that the pressing portions 15 are projected outward with respect to outer edges of the insertion leg portions 13 while they are projected toward the blades 20 from upper and bottom surfaces of the insertion leg portions 13. The pressing portions 15 are projected outward with respect to outer side faces, namely, the contact faces 31 of the leg portion 29 in the fastener element 7 molded as shown in
On an inner side or deep side relative to the pressing portions 15 formed on the insertion leg portions 13, a width of the top end stop 1 is formed narrower than a gap between the flanges 22 of the slider 2 as shown in
Stoppers 17 are projected from the front and rear surfaces as shown in
A use condition of this top end stop 1 will be described hereinafter. When the slider 2 mounted on the right and left base fabrics 4 is slid toward the top end stop 1 as shown in
To release the waterproof and airproof properties, the slider 2 is slid in a direction of departing from the top end stop 1 to push apart the passage portions 14 of the insertion leg portions 13 by means of the diamond 21, thereby allowing the slider 2 to slide.
A waterproof top end stop according to a second embodiment shown in
When the slider 2 is slid toward the top end stop 1, the pressing portions 15 formed on the outer edges of the insertion leg portions 13 of the top end stop 1 are pressed by the flanges 22 of the slider 2, so that the insertion leg portions 13 are pushed inward to bring passage portions 14 into a pressure contact with each other. In this top end stop 1, the protrusions 12 provided along the inner peripheral portion 11 of the accommodating portion 10 make a pressure contact with the inner faces of the blades 20 of the slider 2, and the passage portions 14 are brought into a firm contact with each other by the flanges 22 of the slider 2. Consequently, the top end stop 1 has a waterproof function.
The top end stops of the first and second embodiments described above are not restricted to an injection type fastener element but may be applied to a fastener chain having a coil-like fastener element or a zigzag-like fastener element formed of synthetic resin mono-filament. In such a case, contact faces of each leg portion of each fastener element refers to an inverted portion on an opposite side to a coupling head continuous from upper and lower leg portions of the coil-like or zigzag-like fastener element, namely, an outside of a connecting portion, meaning a portion which makes contact with flanges of a sliding slider.
The waterproof top end stop for a slide fastener of the present invention is used in an opening portion of a variety of wet suits and waterproof trousers and an opening portion of waterproof shoe for underwater operation, located under water when used, and in an opening portion of a bag, ensuring waterproof and airproof properties.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2005-284939 | Sep 2005 | JP | national |