HK1127262B - Fluid tight slide fastener - Google Patents

Description

Fluid-tight slide fastener

Technical Field

The present invention, in its most general aspect, relates to a fluid-tight slide fastener in which an indicator, removably engaged in an upper stop when closed, is slidably coupled to opposite edges of two edge strips provided for the closing thereof.

In particular, the present invention relates to a zip fastener of the so-called fluid-tight type, which, due to its closure, is able to guarantee substantial impermeability with respect to fluids, in particular with respect to water and air, and also with respect to fluids, in particular with respect to water and air, when subjected to a certain pressure.

The invention also relates to an upper stop and a slider for a slide fastener of the above-mentioned type.

In the following description, the term "fluid tight" or "waterproof" denotes the ability of the zipper or parts thereof to prevent the passage of liquid and/or gas, in particular water and air, even when the zipper is subjected to a certain pressure difference, in particular a pressure difference of the order of 2 bar (bar) between the outside and the inside of the zipper.

Background

It is known that fluid tight zippers (or waterproof zippers) of the above type are widely used in different sporting events and outdoor activities, for example in diving or sailing wetsuits, camping tents, etc., where it is necessary to prevent the passage of water and air between the outside and the inside of the zipper, in particular also in the presence of a certain pressure difference.

In this zip fastener, the closure of the two stringers is achieved by means of reciprocal engagement of suitable closure elements, usually teeth arranged in line along opposite longitudinal edges of said stringers, determined by the sliding of the slider towards the upper stop.

Furthermore, zippers of the above type are generally provided at opposite ends thereof with respective end stops configured to be removably engaged to the slider when the fastening or opening operation of the same zipper is completed.

The above-mentioned end stops are generally referred to as upper and lower stops, respectively, and this designation will be used in the following description of the invention.

Therefore, in order to make the closure of the slide fastener a complete fluid seal, it is necessary not only to achieve a sealing connection of the side fastener chains constituting the slide fastener and a sealing connection between the slider and the lower stopper, but also a complete seal in the connection between the slider and the upper stopper.

It is known that even if a good precision can be produced in the slide fasteners of the prior art, the sealing required for the engagement between the upper stop and the slider cannot always be guaranteed due to the normally allowed dimensional tolerances in the production of these components.

In order to overcome such drawbacks, the prior art proposes a ribbed structure, usually made in the flat of the upper stop, the purpose of which is to come into contact with the flat of the corresponding slider in order to constitute a mechanical seal such as a "forced coupling" (or pressure coupling).

However, even well designed and fabricated ribs experience rapid and inevitable wear, with subsequent formation of gaps that disappear the original "seal".

Another solution proposed by the prior art to guarantee the seal provides the use of a sealing material, in particular grease, arranged between the upper stop and the slider.

However, this material is easily removed during use of the zipper, so that the required fluid seal is gradually and rapidly reduced, and in addition, it may soil the zipper or the garment to which it is applied, as well as the stowage.

Disclosure of Invention

The technical problem underlying the present invention is that of designing and manufacturing a suitable slide fastener in which the sliders and the respective upper stop have structural and functional characteristics which, when a fully closed reciprocal connection is obtained, are intended to ensure an optimal seal, both after prolonged use of the fastener and in conditions of high stress, in order to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art described above.

According to the present invention, this problem is solved by a fluid tight slide fastener of the considered type, which is characterized in that respective first and second inclined surfaces are provided for said slider and said upper stopper, so that the stopper slider, when engaged, constitutes a tapered fit with clearance recovery, a so-called clearance-recovery wedge.

Preferably, the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface for constituting a taper fit with clearance recovery are integrally formed in the upper stopper and the slider, respectively.

Preferably, said first and second inclined surfaces for constituting the clearance recovery taper fit comprise at least a portion having an inclined surface formed on the upper stop and at least a fitting inclined surface portion formed in the slider.

Thanks to the invention, and in particular to the presence of the first and second inclined surfaces described above, it is possible to achieve an effective recovery of the clearance between the upper stop and the slider, constituted by inevitable production errors of these components and/or wear due to long-term use of the slide fastener, guaranteeing the fluid seal required between the upper stop and the slider over time, all in a simple and lasting manner.

The invention also relates to an upper stop and a slider for a slide fastener of the above-mentioned type, characterized in that they comprise respective first and second inclined surfaces for constituting a clearance-restoring taper fit, a so-called clearance-restoring wedge, when the complete stop-slider is engaged.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the following description of an example of a preferred embodiment, given as an illustration and not as a limitation of the invention, with reference to the attached drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a zipper section according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the zipper part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the zipper part of FIG. 1 taken in the plane of line A-A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an upper stopper of the slide fastener of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4a shows a cross-sectional view of the upper stop taken in the plane of line A-A of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional view of the upper stop taken in the plane of line B-B of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4C shows a cross-sectional view of the upper stop taken in the plane of line C-C of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4d shows a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 4a, however, showing the upper stop coupled to the zipper strip of the zipper;

FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal sectional view of an upper stop of the slide fastener of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the slider of the zipper of FIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the slider taken in the plane of line A-A of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the slider taken in the plane of line B-B of FIG. 6;

figures 9 and 10 show a perspective view and a partial section respectively of a detail of the slider of figure 6;

figure 11 shows a longitudinal section of the slider and the upper stop connected to each other according to the invention;

FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional view of the slider and the upper stopper being coupled to each other according to the present invention;

fig. 13 and 14 each show a perspective view and a partial sectional view in which the slider and the upper stopper are coupled to each other;

figures 15 to 21 each show a perspective view of a detail of the slide fastener of figure 1 of the upper stop and of the lower element of the corresponding slider according to the invention, shown in the various steps of reciprocal connection;

fig. 22a and 22b each show a cross-sectional view of a detail of a slide fastener according to another embodiment of the invention.

For the sake of simplifying the drawing, in fig. 4, 4a, 4b and 5-21 the upper stop and the slider according to the invention are shown only on their own, to be precise from the other parts of the slide fastener, in particular the stop and the slider separated from the slide fastener stringer.

Detailed Description

A waterproof slide fastener according to the present invention, generally designated 10, will be described with reference to fig. 1-3.

The waterproof zipper 10 includes a pair of zipper strips 12 substantially parallel to each other and flanking each other, each having a zipper row 13 of closure elements 14 disposed along a portion of respective opposite longitudinal edge portions 12a of the zipper strips 12.

The zipper strip 12 is formed of a water repellent material, in particular, it is generally formed in the form of a multi-layer composite comprising a core of textile material and a covering layer of water repellent material, typically a thermoplastic elastomeric material applied to the textile material by extrusion or lamination techniques, so as to be flexible while being water repellent.

The closing element, which in this embodiment is constituted by the toothing 14, is also made of a waterproof material, typically a thermoplastic material of sufficient hardness, which is sealingly fixed to the zipper strip using conventional injection moulding techniques.

Furthermore, the zipper comprises a slider 15, the slider 15 being slidable along said zipper row 13 of teeth 14 so as to fluid-tightly engage or disengage said teeth 14 of said zipper strip 12; an upper stop 16 for the movement of the slide 15 in the direction of fluid-tight engagement of the teeth 14; and an opposite lower stop (not shown) for the movement of the slide 15 in the direction of separation of the teeth 14.

The upper stop 16 and the opposite lower stop are sealed to the zipper strip 12 in the vicinity of the respective upper and lower ends of the zipper row 13 of teeth 14 in a conventional manner, for example by injection molding techniques. Further, the fastener stringers 12 are sealed to each other along portions of the respective longitudinal edge portions 12a provided between the upper stopper 16 and the upper end of the fastener stringer 12 and between the lower stopper and the lower end of the fastener stringer 12. In this example, this is achieved by the covering layer 12b of waterproof material extending between the upper stop 16 and the upper end of the zipper strip 12 at the longitudinal edge 12a of the zipper strip. Although not shown, the same covering means may be applied between the lower stopper and the lower end of the fastener stringer.

In the present embodiment (fig. 4 and 5), the upper stop 16 consists of a block of plastic material, comprising a head 19 connected to two opposite arms 18. Further, the upper stop 16 has a shoulder 20 integrally formed at and extending below and above an end 22 of the head 19. The shoulder 20 is particularly aesthetically valuable and need not be present.

Advantageously, the head 19 is suitably shaped, together with the opposite arm 18, so as to form a seat 50 for the housing of the diamond-shaped structure 40 of the slider 15, as will be better shown below, said seat 50 having a shape substantially complementary to the diamond-shaped structure 40 (also known as heart in sector-shaped terminology).

More specifically, in the block of plastic material comprising the upper stop 16, the two parts, in particular the upper part 16a and the lower part 16b, which are symmetrical with respect to a horizontal plane passing through the centre line of the upper stop, are clearly different. The upper region 16 is sealed to the zipper strip 12 at its outer circumference by conventional techniques such as injection molding, corresponding to the centerline region. For example, the material constituting the upper stop 12 may be injected in a suitable mould containing the connecting portion of the zipper strip 12 so as to form thereon a sealing coating consisting of said material as shown in fig. 4 d. In this manner, one of the upper stop portions 16, such as the upper portion 16a, will be turned to the outside of the fabric article to which the zipper 10 is attached, while the other portion, such as the lower portion 16b, will be turned to the inside of the fabric article.

According to one aspect of the invention, the opposite surfaces of the head 19 are inclined, so that a sort of ramp termination is formed at the front end 22 of the steering shoulder 20 (or the free end 22 if there is no shoulder 20), while each of the arms 18 has two opposite inclined surfaces 21 with inclined surfaces connected to the head 19 and forming a sort of ramp extending from the inside to the outside of the respective arm 18.

The inclined surface 21 of the respective arm 18 is in turn followed by a respective portion 23 having a substantially plane and covering surface, so as to sealingly house the seat 50 of the diamond-shaped structure 40 when the upper stop 16-slide 15 are coupled, as will be explained in detail in the following description.

Preferably, in each of the blocks 16a and 16b of the upper stop 16, the head 19 has a slope greater than the slope of the inclined surface 21 of the corresponding arm 18.

In particular, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said head 19 has a slope with an angle in the range 5 ° to 25 °, while each inclined surface 21 in the arm 18 has a slope with an angle not greater than 8 ° with reference to a horizontal plane of symmetry.

Preferably, each inclined surface 21 of the arm 18 has a variable inclination of angle which increases towards the front end 22 of the upper stop 16.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, said head 19 has a slope with an angle in the range 10 ° to 15 °, while each inclined surface 21 of the arm 18 has an inclination with an angle in the range 2 ° and 6 ° with reference to a horizontal plane of symmetry.

Furthermore, in the upper stop 16, the arms 18 comprise respective opposite appendixes 25, each formed at an end of a respective arm 18, said appendixes 25 extending outwards and downwards from the respective arm 18 as extensions of the respective arm 18.

Advantageously, one of the opposite appendixes 25 has a recess 26 turned towards the tooth 14a closest to the upper stop 16, said recess having a shape matching the head 14b of said tooth 14 not being associated with the corresponding opposite tooth 14 once the zip strip 12 is completely closed.

According to another aspect of the invention (fig. 6-10), the slide 15 includes an upper element 42 and a lower element or base 43 reciprocally connected in spaced relation to one another by an intermediate diamond-shaped structure 40. On the upper element 42, the slot portion 44 forms an engagement for a pull-out piece, not shown in the slide 15.

The upper and lower elements 42 and 43 define internally, with the diamond-shaped structure 40, a seat 45 having a substantially Y-shaped portion for passage of the tooth 14 during sliding of the slide 15, to determine engagement or disengagement of the tooth 14 by interacting in a conventional manner with the wedge portion 40a of the diamond-shaped structure 40, and for connection with the upper stop 16 when reaching the end position.

According to the invention, each of the upper and lower elements 42 and 43 has internally a first portion 46 of a second inclined surface starting from the front end 15a of the slide 15, followed by a second opposite portion 47 of a second inclined surface having the first portion 46 connected to said second inclined surface.

Furthermore, the diamond-shaped formation 40 is preferably in a rear position opposite the front end 15a of the slider 15, so as to assist the stopper/slider tapered fit and enhance the associated seal in the front of the slider 15. Furthermore, the rear arrangement allows a larger opening for tooth access to be preferentially obtained, facilitating its access to the interior of the slider, thus improving the closure glide of the slide fastener 10.

Preferably, for each of the elements 42 and 43, a first portion 46 of said second inclined surface has a greater inclination than a second opposite portion 47 of the second inclined surface.

More specifically, according to the invention (fig. 11 to 14), each of the first portions 46 of the second inclined surfaces of the upper and lower elements 42 or 43 cooperates with one of the opposite inclined surfaces of the head 19 of the upper stop 16, respectively, while each of the second opposite portions 47 of the second inclined surfaces of the upper and lower elements 42 or 43 cooperates with a corresponding inclined surface 21 of one of the arms 18 of the upper stop 16, respectively.

In this way, thanks to the complete coupling between the slider 15 and the upper stop 16, a clearance recovery tapered fit, a so-called clearance recovery wedge, is constituted, which allows to maintain an effective and durable fluid seal between the slider 15 and the upper stop 16.

It should be noted that the presence of the portions of different inclination in the seat 45 for the upper stop 16 allows the slide 15 to be made in a single piece by injection moulding, advantageously avoiding the risk of fluid-tight problems caused by the respective separate pieces.

For the functioning of the slide fastener 10 (fig. 15 to 21) starting from a position in which the teeth 14 are partially or totally detached, the slider 15 is made to slide along the rows 13 of teeth 14, by means of opposite pull elements, to engage between the opposite teeth 14 of the respective rows 13.

This occurs in a conventional manner by means of the interaction of the counter-toothing 14 with the wedge-shaped portion 40a of the diamond-shaped structure 40 in a suitable seat 45 of the slider 15.

Once the teeth 14 are engaged, further advancement of the slider 15 towards the upper stop 16 will cause, through the diamond 40 (fig. 15), the opening of the arm 18 at the planar surface portion 23, at the same time as the above-mentioned arm 18 starts to insert itself into the seat 45 of the slider 15.

The insertion of the arms 18 in the seats 45 of the slide 15 then facilitates continued guidance by the transverse walls 51 of the seats 45 (or the inner transverse walls 51 of the upper and lower elements 42 and 43 of the slide 15), the transverse walls 51 interacting with the appendixes 25 of the walls 18, while the diamond-shaped structures 40 themselves are inserted in the respective seats 50 of the upper stop 16 (fig. 15 to 20).

Since the base 45 of the slider 15 is partially narrowed towards the inside from the front end 15a, the appendixes 25 of the arms 18 facilitate the successive insertion towards the inside during the insertion of the upper stop 16 into the slider 15 until they substantially abut against each other, determining, once fully inserted, the mutual abutting abutment of the arms 18 at the respective ends 24.

Furthermore, once fully inserted (fig. 21), the head 19 of the upper stop 16 is connected, by means of respective opposite inclined surfaces, to the first portions 46 of the respective second inclined surfaces of the upper and lower elements 42 and 43 of the slide 15, while the arms 18 of the upper stop 16 are connected, at the respective inclined surfaces 21, to the second opposite portions 47 of the respective second inclined surfaces of the upper and lower elements 42 and 43 of the slide 15. Such a connection between the upper stop 16 and the mating portion of the slider 15 constitutes a tapered fit with clearance recovery, so-called clearance recovery wedges, which facilitate allowing to maintain the fluid seal in an effective and durable manner.

According to another aspect of the invention, the upper stop 16 is made of a sufficiently flexible and soft thermoplastic material and is compatible with the waterproof covering material of the zipper strip 12 so as to easily allow the opening of the arms 18 during the insertion of the diamond-shaped structure 40 in the base 50, and the insertion of the transverse wall 51 of the slider 15 causes the arms 18 to slightly flatten at the respective free ends 24 while abutting against each other.

Preferably, said thermoplastic material consists of soft polyurethane.

Furthermore, the slide fastener 10 may be provided with means for ensuring locking of the slider 15 in the stop position on the upper stop 16, so as to avoid slight pull-back due to a different external force than that required for opening the slide fastener 10. This device may consist of a suitable anchoring system, which is itself conventional and therefore not described here.

Fig. 22a and 22b each show a detail of a slide fastener according to another embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, with reference to fig. 22a, the upper stop 16 has a gasket (or diaphragm) 60 extending along an inner circumferential portion turned towards the base 50 of the diamond-shaped structure 40. When reaching the upper end, this gasket 60 interacts with the seat 45 of the slider 15, allowing a further enhancement of the fluid seal between the slider 15 and the upper slider 16.

Alternatively, in fig. 22b, another system for sealing the upper stop 16 to the zipper strip 12 is shown, wherein the upper and lower positions 16a, 16b of said upper stop 16 are sealed on opposite surfaces of the connecting portion of the zipper strip 12 and are joined together by a portion 61 passing through said connecting portion of the zipper strip 12. This can be achieved by making a through hole in said connecting portion of the zipper strip, and then injecting the material constituting the upper stop 16 in a suitable mould containing the holed connecting portion of the zipper strip 12, thereby forming a sealed covering layer thereon.

In addition to the above advantages, it should be noted that the slide fastener according to the present invention can be simply and economically manufactured and can be mass-produced.

Naturally, to satisfy specific and contingent needs, a person skilled in the art may make numerous modifications and variants to the above-described zip fastener, all of which are therefore included within the scope of protection of the invention, as defined by the following claims. For example, the arms of the upper stop may be devoid of planar surface portions and have one or more inclined surfaces for conical engagement with corresponding cooperating inclined surfaces of the slide. Furthermore, the upper stop 16 may preferably be provided with surface ribs in the planar portion to further increase the sealing between the upper stop 16 and the slider 15 in the rear end position.

Claims (19)

1. A fluid containment zipper (10), the fluid containment zipper (10) comprising:

two side zipper chains (12), each of the two side strip zippers having a zipper row (13) of closure elements (14);

a slider (15);

an upper stop (16);

-upon closure of the zipper, the slider (15) is movably engaged with the upper slider (16), the zipper being characterized in that:

the upper stop (16) comprises at least one portion having a first inclined surface with a slope with reference to a horizontal plane of symmetry passing through a centre line of the upper stop;

the slide (15) comprises at least one portion having a second inclined surface with a slope with reference to the horizontal symmetry plane;

the first inclined surface of the upper stop (16) matches the second inclined surface of the slider (15), providing clearance between the slider and the upper stop to remove the wedge connection once the slide fastener (10) is closed and the slider (15) is engaged with the upper stop (16).

2. The zipper of claim 1, wherein: the first and second inclined surfaces are integrally formed in the upper stopper (16) and the slider (15), respectively.

3. The slide fastener according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: the upper stop (16) consists of a block of plastic material sealed to the zipper strip (12) on the outer circumference of the upper stop, said block comprising a head (19) connected to a pair of opposite left and right arms (18), said left and right arms and said head forming a seat (50) for a diamond-shaped structure (40) of the slider.

4. The zipper of claim 3, wherein: the at least one portion having a first inclined surface comprises the head, the left and right arms, the first inclined surface comprising inclined surfaces on opposing top and bottom sides on the head of the upper stop (16) and inclined surfaces on opposing top and bottom sides on each of the left and right arms (18) of the upper stop (16).

5. The zipper of claim 4, wherein: the inclined surfaces of the head (19) of the upper stop on opposite top and bottom sides have a slope greater than the slope of the inclined surfaces of each of the left and right arms (18) of the upper stop on opposite top and bottom sides.

6. The zipper of claim 5, wherein: the inclined surfaces of the head on the opposite top and bottom sides have a slope in the range of 5-25 degrees, while the inclined surfaces of each of the left and right arms (18) on the opposite top and bottom sides have a slope of no more than 8 degrees with reference to a horizontal plane of symmetry.

7. The zipper of claim 5, wherein: the inclined surfaces of the head on the opposite top and bottom sides have a slope in the range of 5-25 degrees, while the inclined surfaces of each of the left and right arms (18) on the opposite top and bottom sides have a slope of between 2-6 degrees with reference to a horizontal plane of symmetry.

8. The zipper of claim 5, wherein: the inclined surfaces of the head on the opposing top and bottom sides have a slope in the range of between 10-15 degrees, while the inclined surfaces of each of the left and right arms (18) on the opposing top and bottom sides have a slope of no more than 8 degrees with reference to a horizontal plane of symmetry.

9. The zipper of claim 5, wherein: the inclined surfaces of the head on the opposite top and bottom sides have a slope in the range of 10-15 degrees, while the inclined surfaces of each of the left and right arms (18) on the opposite top and bottom sides have a slope of between 2-6 degrees with reference to a horizontal plane of symmetry.

10. The zipper of claim 5, wherein: the inclined surfaces of each of the left and right arms (18) on opposite top and bottom sides have variable slopes.

11. The zipper of claim 10, wherein: the angle of the variable slope with which the inclined surfaces on the opposite top and bottom sides of each of the left and right arms (18) have increases toward the front end (22) of the upper stop (16).

12. The slide fastener according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: at least one portion of the slide (15) having a second inclined surface comprises an upper element (42) and a lower element (43), which are connected by a rhomboid structure (40) and which, together with the rhomboid structure, internally form a seat (45) for the upper stop (16).

13. The zipper of claim 12, wherein: the second inclined surface includes a front inclined surface and left and right inclined surfaces following the front inclined surface, the left inclined surface, and the right inclined surface being formed in each of the upper element (42) and the lower element (43).

14. The zipper of claim 13, wherein: for each of the upper element (42) and the lower element (43), the front inclined surface has a slope greater than the slopes of the left and right inclined surfaces.

15. The slide fastener according to claim 13 or 14, wherein: each of the front inclined surfaces of the upper or lower elements (42, 43) of said slide cooperates with one of the opposite inclined surfaces of the head of the upper stop (16), while each of the left and right inclined surfaces of the upper or lower elements cooperates with a respective inclined surface of each arm (18) of the upper stop (16).

16. The zipper of claim 13, wherein: the diamond-shaped structure (40) is in a rear position with respect to the front end (15a) of the slider (15).

17. The zipper of claim 13, wherein: each of the pair of left and right arms (18) of the upper stop (16) has a respective appendix (25) facing outwards, the appendices (25) of said left and right arms (18) being guided by the internal transverse walls (51) of the upper (42) and lower (43) elements of said slider (15) during the engagement of the upper stop (16) with the slider (15), and the appendices (25) of said left and right arms (18) abutting against each other at their respective ends (24) once fully engaged.

18. An upper stop (16) for a fluid tight slide fastener (10) as defined in claim 1, said upper stop being constructed of a block of plastic material including a head connected to a pair of opposing left and right arms (18), said left and right arms and said head forming a base (50) for a diamond-shaped structure (40) of a slider of said slide fastener, and characterized by: the at least one portion having a first inclined surface comprising the head, the left and right arms, the first inclined surface comprising inclined surfaces on opposite top and bottom sides on the head of the upper stop (16) and inclined surfaces on opposite top and bottom sides on each of the left and right arms (18) of the upper stop (16), the first inclined surface having a slope with reference to a horizontal plane of symmetry and allowing clearance removal of the wedge connection with the second inclined surface of the slider (15) of the slide fastener.

19. A slider (15) for a fluid tight slide fastener (10) according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the slider (15) having a second inclined surface comprises an upper element (42) and a lower element (43), the upper and lower elements being connected by an intermediate diamond-shaped structure (40), and characterized in that:

the second inclined surfaces include front inclined surfaces and left and right inclined surfaces following the front inclined surfaces, the front, left and right inclined surfaces being formed in each of the upper and lower elements (42, 43), the front, left and right inclined surfaces having a slope with reference to a horizontal plane of symmetry such that when the slider (15) is part of the slide fastener, the slider (15) is able to provide a clearance-removing wedge-connection with the first inclined surface of the upper slider (16) of the slide fastener.