This application relates to the field of fastening devices, and particularly to zipper arrangements.
Zippers are commonly used to fasten opposing fabric portions. One typical use for zippers is to close two separate fabric portions on the front of a garment such as a coat or jacket.
When closing a garment using known zipper arrangements on the front of a garment, the wearer must move a slider to the bottom of the garment and position it immediately above a retaining box. The wearer must then feed a small insertion pin on one side of the zipper through the slider and into the retaining box on the opposite side of the zipper. Once the insertion pin is fed through the slider and has engaged the retainer box, the wearer can pull the slider by gripping a pull tab and pulling the slider upward. The slider brings teeth on opposite sides of the zipper together and forces the teeth into interlocking engagement with each other.
The small size of the insertion pin and retaining box often makes it difficult to quickly couple the insertion pin and retaining box. This is especially true when the garment is bulky, such as a winter coat, or when the wearer has impeded contact with the retaining box and the insertion pin because he or she is wearing gloves. Users with mobility limiting medical conditions, such as arthritis, may also have difficulty coupling the insertion pin and the retaining box. Moreover, the relatively remote location of the insertion pin and retaining box at the bottom of the garment may make it difficult for the wearer to see the parts. This is especially true if the parts are somewhat blocked from view by a bulky garment, or if the wearer has poor eyesight.
When moving the slider upward to close the garment or downward to open the garment, the user of the zipper arrangement receives some feedback from the feel of the slider moving along the teeth. A smooth, freely moving feel typically indicates that the zipper is functioning properly. A rough, high friction feel may indicate an issue with the zipper. For example, it is not uncommon for a portion of the garment to be snagged within the slider as the slider is moved upward to close the zipper or downward to open the zipper, thus limiting free movement of the slider. The snagging of the garment can be frustrating for the user as well as cause damage to the garment or the zipper.
In addition to issues related to zipper coupling and sliding action, zipper comfort is sometimes an issue. In particular, in a garment with a zipper that extends to the collar, the slider may cause discomfort when it is moved to the upmost position in the collar area. Here, the relatively hard slider may rub against the skin on the wearer's neck and cause discomfort to the wearer. Additionally, when the garment is worn in cold weather, the typically metallic slider will become cold, and simple contact of the metallic slider against the wearer's skin will result in a cold feeling at the neck of the wearer.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide zipper arrangements where the components may be more easily accessed and assembled by the wearer. It would also be advantageous to provide a zipper arrangement with improved tactile feel while also reducing the chance of the garment becoming snagged within the slider as the slider is moved up or down. It would also be advantageous to provide a zipper arrangement that provides improved comfort when the slider is moved to various locations on the garment.
As disclosed herein, in at least one embodiment a garment with a zipper arrangement includes a collar, a plurality of right zipper elements provided along a front right portion of the garment, and a plurality of left zipper elements provided along the front left portion of the garment. A slider includes a front side, a top side, and a back side. The slider is configured to slide up as far as the collar and bring the plurality of right zipper elements into engagement with the plurality of left zipper elements. The slider is further configured to slide down and disengage the plurality of right zipper elements from the plurality of left zipper elements. A flexible pull member is coupled to the slider. The flexible pull member is designed and dimensioned to extend over the top side of the slider and be releasably coupled to an inner portion of the garment when the slider is at the collar. In at least one embodiment, the inner portion of the garment is an inside portion of the collar. In at least one alternative embodiment, inner portion of the garment is the back side of the slider. Various retention members may be used to releasably couple the pull member to the inner portion of the garment, including a magnet or a hook and loop fastener.
In association with the zipper arrangement disclosed herein, a method of closing a garment includes moving a slider in an upward direction on the garment in order to engage a plurality of right zipper elements with a plurality of left zipper elements provided a front of the garment. The method further includes stopping movement of the slider in the upward direction when the slider reaches a collar of the garment before folding the flexible pull member over the upper portion of the slider. Thereafter, the method includes folding a flexible pull member over an upper portion of the slider and releasably coupling the flexible pull member to an inner portion of the garment.
The above described features and advantages, as well as others, will become more readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. While it would be desirable to provide a garment with a zipper arrangement that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features, the teachings disclosed herein extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above-mentioned features or advantages.
Various embodiments of zipper arrangements are provided within this disclosure which address limitations of prior art zipper arrangements. Included in these zipper arrangements is a zipper arrangement with an insertion pin assembly aimed at improving the ability of a wearer to bring opposite sides of the zipper arrangement together to begin operating the zipper arrangement. Also included in this disclosure is an embodiment of a zipper arrangement aimed at reducing chances of the garment being snagged by the zipper arrangement while also improving the tactile feel of a slider. This zipper arrangement includes wheels within the slider that urge engagement or disengagement of teeth as the slider is moved along the length of the zipper arrangement. Further included in this disclosure is a zipper arrangement that includes a foldable pull tab for cases where the zipper arrangement extends to the wearer's neck.
Insertion Pin Assembly with a Funnel Opening
With reference to
The garment 10 is shown in
With continued reference now to
A perspective view of a lower portion of the zipper arrangement 12 is shown in
The insertion pin assembly 24 is stationary on the left side 16 of the tape 42 and includes a grip member 32 with an insertion pin 38 positioned adjacent the grip member 32. The insertion pin 38 is an elongated box shaped member that is generally rigid and dimensioned for insertion into the slider 28 and the retainer box 30. A flexible transition member 34 is provided above the insertion pin 38. The flexible transition member 34 spans between the insertion pin 38 and the teeth 46 on the left side 16 of the zipper arrangement 12. A first tooth 36 is provided at the top of the flexible transition member 34. As described further below, with the slider 28 in contact with the retainer box 30, the insertion pin 38 is configured to be inserted into the slider 28 and further into the retainer box 30. Accordingly, when the insertion pin 38 is bottomed out within the retainer box 30, the first tooth 36 above the flexible transition member 34 is at the top of the slider 28.
With continued reference to
A handle portion 52 is provided on the opposite side of the grip member 32 from the mouth 54. The handle portion 52 includes two generally smooth surfaces on the inner and outer sides of the grip member 32 that provide an inner grip surface and an outer grip surface that may be grasped by the wearer's fingers and thumb. Accordingly, the handle portion 52 is dimensioned to provide a surface that is sufficiently sized to receive substantially the entire pad of a man's or woman's thumb. The flared structure of the outer jaw 48 and inner jaw 50 result in a curved surface on the right side of the handle portion 52 that transitions into a generally flat surface on the left side of the handle portion 52.
With reference to
Referring to
Operation of the zipper arrangement 12 is described with reference to
Once the wearer has located the slider assembly 18 and the insertion pin assembly 24, the wearer can bring the two sides of the zipper arrangement 12 together. As described above, the mouth 54 of the grip member 32 is configured to receive the slider assembly 18 up to a point within the funnel-like opening that is defined by the distance 56 (see
After the wearer brings the slider assembly 18 and the insertion pin assembly 24 together, the wearer can easily align the insertion pin 38 with an opening (not shown) of the slider 28 by adjusting the position of the insertion pin assembly 24 while maintaining pressure between the slider assembly 18 and the insertion pin assembly 24. Once aligned, the wearer can move the insertion pin assembly 24 downward relative to the slider assembly 18 in order to insert the insertion pin 38 into the slider 28 and then further into the retainer box 30 until the insertion pin 38 bottoms out within the retainer box 30. In order to close the garment 10, the wearer can then move the slider 28 along the length of the zipper arrangement 12 to engage teeth 44 and 46 (see
Slider with Wheels
Referring to
The garment 110, similar to the garment 10 of
The slider assembly 118 includes a slider 128 having a generally trapezoidal or triangular perimeter shape and an associated pull tab 126 also having a similar trapezoidal or triangular perimeter shape. It will be recognized that the shape of the slider 128 is different from the conventional Y-shaped slider. With conventional Y-shaped sliders, the upper end of the slider is wider and configured to pass the disengaged teeth into and out of the slider, while the lower end is thinner and configured to pass engaged teeth into and out of the slider. In contrast, the slider 128 disclosed herein has a generally inverted arrangement from the typical Y-shaped slider. In particular, the bottom end of the slider 128 is wider than the upper end. Thus, with slider 128 disclosed the end of the slider that is configured to pass engaged teeth into and out of the slider 128 is wider than the end of the slider that is configured to pass disengaged teeth into and out of the slider 128.
The slider 128 has an internal chamber 132 which includes cavities 154 and 156. Within the cavity 154 is a right wheel 150 that can be viewed through an arcuate window 151. The right wheel 150 is configured to rotate about a hub 160 within the cavity 154. Similarly, within the cavity 156 is a left wheel 152 that can be viewed through an arcuate window 153. The left wheel 152 is configured to rotate about a hub 162 within the cavity 156. As the slider 128 is moved and teeth 144 and 146 move through the slider 128, the wheels 150 and 152 make contact with the backsides 170 and 172 of the teeth 144 and 146. The contact with the backsides 170 and 172 of the teeth 144 and 146 results in a slight pivoting of the teeth 144 and 146 as they are moved into and out of engagement with each other. In particular, when the slider 128 is moved in an engagement direction (i.e., upward in the embodiment of
With continued reference to
The internal chamber 132 also includes a central opening 169 at the bottom of the slider 128. The central opening 169 is configured to allow the teeth 144 and 146, already in an engaged state, to exit the internal chamber 132 as the slider 128 is pull upward as the zipper arrangement 100 is closed. Similarly, the central opening 169 is configured to allow the teeth 144 and 146 to enter the internal chamber 132 as the slider 128 is pulled downward as the zipper arrangement 100 is opened.
The pull tab 126 is hingedly attached to a stud 174 which is fixed with respect to the slider 128. The stud 174 can be integrally formed with the slider 128 or attached to the slider 128 as a separate component. A through hole 180 is formed in the stud 174 which is aligned with complementary partial holes (not shown) in the pull tab 126. A pin 182 is positioned in the through hole 180 which extends to the complementary partial holes (not shown) in the pull tab 126. The pin 182 enables the pull tab 126 to pivot with respect to the slider 128 according to an arrow 184.
With reference to
With reference now to
Referring to
Operation of the zipper arrangements 100 is discussed in the following paragraphs with respect to
Closure Operation
As a wearer of the garment 110 grips the pull tab 126 and swings the pull tab 126 upward according to the arrow 184, the wearer of the garment 110 can move the slider 128 upward. As the slider 128 moves upward, the teeth 144 and 146 enter the right opening 166 and the left opening 168 (positioned on opposite sides of the slider 128) and into the internal chamber 132. The backsides 170 of the teeth 144 are guided by the right guide 162 and the backsides 172 of the teeth 146 are guided by the left guide 164. The right guide 162 and the left guide 164 initiate the engagement of the teeth 144 and 146 as the pull tab 126 is pulled upward.
The trapezoidal or triangular shape of the slider 128 and the shape of the right opening 166 and the left opening 168 as well as the interface between the right opening 166 and the teeth 144 and the left opening 168 and the teeth 146 urge fabric of the garment 110 from snagging within the slider 128. Specifically, the anti-snagging quality is achieved by a tight interface between the backsides 170 and 172 of the teeth 144 and 146 and the right guide 162 and the left guide 164 which reduces the chance of part of the garment 110 being snagged within the slider 128.
Furthermore, the wheels 150 and 152 make firm contact with the backsides 170 and 172 of the teeth 144 and 146. As the slider 128 is pulled up, the right wheel 150 rotates about the hub 158 in a clockwise direction, while the left wheel 152 rotates about the hub 160 in a counterclockwise direction. The wheels 150 and 152 complete the engagement of the teeth 144 and 146 and urge the engaged teeth 144 and 146 to exit out of the central opening 169 and out of the slider 128. The wheels 150 and 152 provide a “smooth” feedback to the wearer of the garment 110 as he or she pulls the pull tab 126 upward, which enhances operational feel of the zipper arrangement 100.
Opening Operation
The wearer can open the zipper arrangement 100 by pulling down on the pull tab 126. First the pull tab 126 swings toward the slider 128 about the pin 182, according to the arrow 184. Then the wearer can pull the pull tab 126 and the slider 128 downward. The right wheel 150 rotates in a counterclockwise direction about the hub 158, while the left wheel 152 rotates clockwise about the hub 160. Due to the firm contacts between the wheels 150 and 152 and the backsides 170 and 172 of the teeth 144 and 146, rotation of the wheels 150 and 152 urge an initial separation of the teeth 144 and 146. The right guide 162 and the left guide 164 and the shape of the right opening 166 and left opening 168 cause the teeth 144 and 146 to completely disengage as the slider 128 is pulled downward.
Because of the firm contact between the wheels 150 and 152 and the backsides 170 and 172 of the teeth 144 and 146, as the teeth 144 and 146 enter the central opening 169 chances for part of the fabric of the garment 110 to enter the slider 128 and be snagged within the slider 128 is substantially minimized.
Furthermore, similar to the discussion provided above, the wheels 150 and 152 generate a smooth feedback to the wearer as he or she pulls the slider 128 downward. The smooth feedback can provide a feeling of high-quality to the wearer as compared to zipper arrangements of the prior art.
Foldable Pull Tab
Referring now to
The garment 210, similar to the garment 10 (see
The slider assembly 218 includes a slider 228 with a pull member in the form of pull tab 226 coupled to the slider 228. The slider 228 includes a front side 230, a back side (not shown) and a top side 232. The front side 230 of the slider 228 generally faces the outside of the garment 210, the back side of the slider 228 generally faces the inside of the garment 210, and the top side 232 of the slider 228 generally faces the top of the garment (i.e., the top edge of the collar 212).
A stud 274 or other coupling member is provided on the front side 230 of the slider 228. The stud 274 extends through a hole 276 near the top end of the pull tab 226 and couples the pull tab 226 to the slider 228. The hole 276 of the pull tab 226 cooperates with the stud 274 of the slider 228 and allows the pull tab 226 to swivel according to an arrow 288.
The pull tab 226 is comprised of a generally flexible material such as a textile. For example, the pull tab 226 may be comprised of a cotton material, polyester material, blend, or other textile material that humans generally find comfortable against their skin. In other embodiments, the pull tab may be comprised of a flexible polymer material, or any of various other materials known in the art. The pull tab 226 is generally designed and dimensioned to be easily grasped by the fingers of a human. Accordingly, the pull tab 226 has a shape and size that will receive a substantial portion of the pads of a human's finger and thumb. Moreover, as described in further detail below, the pull tab 226 is sufficiently sized such that it may be pulled up and over the top side 232 of the slider 218 and brought into contact with the back side of the slider 218 or the inside of the collar 212. In the embodiment of
As shown in
A second retainer member (not shown) that is complementary to the first retainer member 290 is provided on the inside of the garment 210. The first retainer member 290 is configured to be releasably coupled to the second retainer member. For example, if the first retainer member 290 on the pull tab 226 is a magnet, the second retainer member may be a complementary magnetic member positioned on the inside of the collar 212. In at least one embodiment, the complementary magnetic member is simply the back side of the slider 218, the slider 218 being comprised of a steel or other magnetic metal material. In at least one alternative embodiment, the first retainer member 290 may be a loop portion of a hook and loop fastener, and the second retainer member may be a hook portion of the hook and loop fastener positioned on the back of the slider 218 or the inside of the collar 212. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the first retainer member 290 may be the button of a snap, and the second retainer member may be the recess portion of the snap. While a few possible embodiments of the first and second retainer members are disclosed herein, it will be recognized that numerous additional embodiments are possible.
Operation of the zipper arrangement 200 is described with reference to
Because of the folded position of the pull tab 226 covering the top side 232 of the slider 228, the pull tab 226 can provide comfort to the wearer against the inside surface of the slider 228 and other components of the zipper arrangement 200. As discussed previously, the pull tab 226 may be constructed from a soft material that provides the desired comfort. In at least one embodiment, the soft material is a textile, such as a cotton or polyester material. In addition, the pull tab 226, in its folded position, can insulate the slider 228 from the skin of the wearer which can be particularly important in cold weather where the slider 228 can feel cold to the wearer.
The first retainer member 290 can be used to maintain position of the pull tab 226 in its folded arrangement. As discussed above, the first retainer member 290 can be in the form of a magnetic strip that is sown within the pull tab 226 and is thereby configured to magnetically interface with the inside surface of the slider 228. Alternatively, the first retainer member 290 can be a button (not shown) that can be snapped with a complementary button (not shown) positioned on the inside surface of the slider 228. Other arrangements for the retainer 290 are also possible, e.g., complementary hook and loop members positioned on the pull tab 226 and the inside surface of the slider 228 or the inside surface of the collar 212.
While the foregoing provides a few alternative embodiments of the zipper arrangements 12, 100, and 200, it will be recognized that numerous other alternative embodiments for the zipper arrangement are possible, including additional alternative embodiments that relate to the slider 28 and the insertion pin assembly 24. For example, in one alternative embodiment, the slider 28 and the insertion pin assembly 24 may be formed from magnetic material with complementary poles that can generate a magnetic force to assist in bringing the slider 28 and the insertion pin assembly 24 together.
The foregoing example embodiments are but a few of numerous possible embodiments for the zipper arrangement, and it will be recognized that numerous additional embodiments are also possible and the foregoing embodiments should not be considered as limiting in any way. It will also be recognized that there are advantages to certain individual features and functions described herein that may be obtained without incorporating other features and functions described herein. Moreover, it will be recognized that various alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements of the above-disclosed embodiments and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different embodiments, systems or applications. Presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the appended claims. Therefore, the spirit and scope of any appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3047925 | Merino | Aug 1962 | A |
3448463 | Milone | Jun 1969 | A |
3641634 | Asai | Feb 1972 | A |
3754306 | Cirone | Aug 1973 | A |
4015296 | Malick | Apr 1977 | A |
4142275 | Krauer | Mar 1979 | A |
4232429 | Friedberg | Nov 1980 | A |
4261082 | Kamiya | Apr 1981 | A |
4309798 | Fraga | Jan 1982 | A |
4713946 | Hoerkens | Dec 1987 | A |
4819308 | Baroky | Apr 1989 | A |
4918794 | Harvey et al. | Apr 1990 | A |
4922585 | Suzuki et al. | May 1990 | A |
4928358 | Ishii et al. | May 1990 | A |
4928363 | Easton | May 1990 | A |
4949434 | Minami | Aug 1990 | A |
4997222 | Reed | Mar 1991 | A |
5020247 | Barret et al. | Jun 1991 | A |
5079809 | Teich et al. | Jan 1992 | A |
5081747 | Takizawa et al. | Jan 1992 | A |
5181299 | Huang | Jan 1993 | A |
5263201 | Hood | Nov 1993 | A |
5371927 | Aussedat | Dec 1994 | A |
5497535 | Kloor | Mar 1996 | A |
5940941 | Dishner et al. | Aug 1999 | A |
5956819 | Terasaki et al. | Sep 1999 | A |
5983465 | Wakai et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
6026546 | Lund et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
6026547 | O'Donnell Kiely | Feb 2000 | A |
6182338 | Watanabe | Feb 2001 | B1 |
6189249 | Hughes | Feb 2001 | B1 |
6243926 | Takashima et al. | Jun 2001 | B1 |
6279209 | Kang | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6430785 | Matsushima et al. | Aug 2002 | B1 |
6453521 | Dischler | Sep 2002 | B1 |
6490770 | Matsuda et al. | Dec 2002 | B1 |
6499200 | Yamagishi et al. | Dec 2002 | B1 |
6536084 | Davis | Mar 2003 | B2 |
6571432 | Rindle | Jun 2003 | B1 |
6588072 | Lin | Jul 2003 | B1 |
6604263 | Dischler | Aug 2003 | B1 |
6681456 | Dischler | Jan 2004 | B1 |
6701584 | Metzger | Mar 2004 | B2 |
6851162 | Yuki et al. | Feb 2005 | B2 |
6976293 | Traulle et al. | Dec 2005 | B2 |
7017242 | Bernasconi | Mar 2006 | B2 |
7028345 | Waldman | Apr 2006 | B2 |
7036190 | Demarest | May 2006 | B2 |
7043802 | Moeller et al. | May 2006 | B2 |
7111714 | Bell, III | Sep 2006 | B1 |
7114224 | Kondo et al. | Oct 2006 | B2 |
7137177 | Fujii et al. | Nov 2006 | B2 |
7152438 | Matsuda | Dec 2006 | B2 |
7188395 | Kondo et al. | Mar 2007 | B2 |
7200900 | Berns | Apr 2007 | B2 |
7204001 | Lin | Apr 2007 | B2 |
7293334 | Metzger | Nov 2007 | B2 |
7313847 | Felix et al. | Jan 2008 | B1 |
7353570 | Himi | Apr 2008 | B2 |
7404240 | Nedbal et al. | Jul 2008 | B2 |
7621025 | Sanna | Nov 2009 | B2 |
7665194 | Iwase | Feb 2010 | B2 |
20010004787 | Nagata et al. | Jun 2001 | A1 |
20010025384 | Kester | Oct 2001 | A1 |
20030056342 | Iwase et al. | Mar 2003 | A1 |
20030070206 | Palumbo | Apr 2003 | A1 |
20030177616 | Petravic et al. | Sep 2003 | A1 |
20040020017 | Nedbal et al. | Feb 2004 | A1 |
20040074059 | Traulle et al. | Apr 2004 | A1 |
20040088834 | Yu | May 2004 | A1 |
20040117954 | Lin | Jun 2004 | A1 |
20040148745 | Moeller et al. | Aug 2004 | A1 |
20050102803 | Wen et al. | May 2005 | A1 |
20050166371 | Tseng et al. | Aug 2005 | A1 |
20050204517 | Demarest | Sep 2005 | A1 |
20060107441 | Houdroge | May 2006 | A1 |
20060143797 | Waldman | Jul 2006 | A1 |
20060218758 | Chang | Oct 2006 | A1 |
20060242804 | Griffiths | Nov 2006 | A1 |
20070107171 | Kojima | May 2007 | A1 |
20070135953 | Crow | Jun 2007 | A1 |
20070226871 | Hood | Oct 2007 | A1 |
20070289110 | Bekeschus | Dec 2007 | A1 |
20080040837 | King et al. | Feb 2008 | A1 |
20080127395 | Blauer et al. | Jun 2008 | A1 |
20080155797 | Tamura | Jul 2008 | A1 |
20080209695 | Matsui et al. | Sep 2008 | A1 |
20080222854 | Keyaki et al. | Sep 2008 | A1 |
20090013505 | Hasegawa et al. | Jan 2009 | A1 |
20090049659 | Takani et al. | Feb 2009 | A1 |
20090056086 | Ujihara et al. | Mar 2009 | A1 |
20090077774 | Lee et al. | Mar 2009 | A1 |
20090229090 | Cossutti et al. | Sep 2009 | A1 |
20090320250 | Yamamoto et al. | Dec 2009 | A1 |
20100005557 | Cossutti et al. | Jan 2010 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20120117709 A1 | May 2012 | US |