U.S. patent application number 09/775572 was filed with the patent office on 2001-06-21 for fastener assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to TOSKA CO. LTD. Invention is credited to kubota, Mikio, Suzuki, Tadashi.
Application Number | 20010004055 09/775572 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23167379 |
Filed Date | 2001-06-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010004055 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
kubota, Mikio ; et
al. |
June 21, 2001 |
Fastener assembly
Abstract
A fastener assembly comprising: a plurality of fasteners each
including a retaining projection, a fitting portion for engaging
with the retaining projection, and a filament portion arranged
between the retaining projection and the fitting portion; a first
joint member connecting with the retaining projections of the
fasteners through first cutting portions; and a second joint member
connecting with the fitting portions through second cutting
portions, to array the fasteners in a sheet shape. The axes of the
retaining projections and the axes of the fitting holes of the
fitting portions are formed perpendicular to the sheet-shaped array
plane of the fasteners. An attaching device can be simply charged
with the fastener assembly in a set and in an array and can be
disassembled in the device into individual fasteners so that each
of these fasteners is enabled to attach a price tag or label to a
commodity with a loop of its filament portion by inserting its
retaining projection easily to engage with the fitting portion. On
the other hand, the fastener assembly can be manually used by
disassembling it easily by hands into individual fasteners and can
be held in the array state without any entanglement while it is
being transported or stored.
Inventors: |
kubota, Mikio; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Suzuki, Tadashi; (Saitama-ken, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ARENT FOX KINTNER PLOTKIN & KAHN, PLLC
SUITE 600
1050 CONNECTICUT AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20036-5339
US
|
Assignee: |
TOSKA CO. LTD
|
Family ID: |
23167379 |
Appl. No.: |
09/775572 |
Filed: |
February 5, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09775572 |
Feb 5, 2001 |
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09302347 |
Apr 30, 1999 |
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6220434 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/343 ;
24/16PB; 24/30.5P; 292/321 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 292/496 20150401;
Y10T 292/499 20150401; B65D 2563/105 20130101; G09F 3/14 20130101;
Y10T 24/1498 20150115; B65D 63/1081 20130101; B65D 2563/102
20130101; Y10T 24/4691 20150115; Y10T 24/153 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/343 ;
292/321; 24/16.0PB; 24/30.50P |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/24 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 25, 1997 |
JP |
9-322898 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A fastener assembly comprising: a plurality of fasteners (1)
each including a retaining projection (3), a fitting portion (4)
for engaging with said retaining projection (3), and a filament
portion (2) arranged between said retaining projection (3) and said
fitting portion (4); a first joint member (5) connecting with the
retaining projections (3) of said fasteners (1); and a second joint
member (6) connecting with said fitting portions (4), to array said
fasteners (1) in a sheet shape.
2. A fastener assembly comprising: a plurality of fasteners (1)
each including a retaining projection (3), a fitting portion (4)
for engaging with said retaining projection (3), and a filament
portion (2) arranged between said retaining projection (3) and said
fitting portion (4); a first joint member (5) connecting with the
retaining projections (3) of said fasteners (1) through first
cutting portions (5c) extending in the extending direction of said
filament portions (2) and having a reduced section; and a second
joint member (6) connecting with said fitting portions (4) through
second cutting portions (6c) extending in the extending direction
of said filament portions (2) and having a reduced section, to
array said fasteners (1) in a sheet shape.
3. A fastener assembly comprising: a plurality of fasteners (1)
each including a retaining projection (3), a fitting portion (4)
for engaging with said retaining projection (3), and a filament
portion (2) arranged between said retaining projection (3) and said
fitting portion (4); first temporary joint portions (51) formed to
have a small filament section and jointing the retaining
projections (3) of said fasteners (1) to each other; and a second
joint member (6) connecting with said fitting portions (4) through
second cutting portions (6c) extending in the extending direction
of said filament portions (2) and having a reduced section, to
array said fasteners (1) in a sheet shape.
4. A fastener assembly comprising: a plurality of fasteners (1)
each including a retaining projection (3), a fitting portion (4)
for engaging with said retaining projection (3), and a filament
portion (2) arranged between said retaining projection (3) and said
fitting portion (4); first temporary joint portions (51) formed to
have a small filament section and jointing the retaining
projections (3) of said fasteners (1) to each other; and second
temporary joint portions (61) formed to have a small filament
section and jointing said fitting portions (4) to each other, to
array said fasteners (1) in a sheet shape.
5. A fastener assembly according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the
axes of said retaining projections (3) and the axes of the fitting
holes (42) of said fitting portions (4) are formed perpendicular to
the sheet-shaped array plane of said fasteners (1).
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a fastener of a synthetic
resin to be used for attaching a price tag or label to a commodity
while forming a loop of a filament shape or for bundling a
plurality of commodities such as slippers, sandals or shoes into
one set.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] As a joint for attaching a price tag or label to a commodity
such as clothes, there has been commonly used a retaining member of
a synthetic resin, as called the "tag pin". This retaining member
includes a thin, flexible filament portion, a cross bar portion
formed perpendicularly on one end of the filament portion, and a
flat, board-like head portion formed on the other end of the
filament portion, such that it is wholly formed into a shape of
letter "H".
[0005] Since this retaining member is far smaller than the price
tag of the commodity, it is necessary to assemble a number of
retaining members into one set so that they may be conveniently
manufactured and handled. In order to hit the retaining members
continuously by using a gun type attaching device, on the other
hand, they have to be assembled into one set when the attaching
device is to be charged with the remaining members at its feed
groove. Therefore, the numerous retaining members are integrally
molded of synthetic resin for use as an assembly on one joint rod
through joint portions.
[0006] This retaining member assembly is formed into a fine molding
having a comb shape in its entirety by jointing thirty five to one
hundred and twenty retaining members on a connecting rod at the
joint portions formed on an intermediate portion of a cross bar
portion. This joint rod has a length of 80 to 160 mm, and a variety
of sectional shapes such as a square, round or flattened round
shape are adopted as the section of the joint rod by different
makers.
[0007] When this retaining member is used to attach the price tag
or the like to the commodity such as clothes, as well known in the
art, a hollow needle, as mounted on the front portion of the
attaching device, is driven to pierce to the back of the commodity
while being inserted into the hole of the price tag or the like.
After this, a lever, as elastically projected to the front of a
grip portion of the attaching device, is squeezed to proceed a push
rod in the attaching device to push the cross bar portion of the
retaining member. Then, the cross bar portion is fed together with
the filament portion, while cutting the joint portion, through the
hollow needle to the back side of the commodity so that the price
tag or the like is fixed on the commodity while clamping them
between the cross bar portion on the back side and the head portion
on the surface side.
[0008] However, this retaining member causes a problem that the
commodity is holed because of piercing the hollow needle into the
commodity to bring the cross bar portion to the back side of the
commodity. Moreover, the application is restricted to such a thin
commodity or clothes as can pass the hollow needle easily. Since
the price tag is held by hooking the cross bar and the head portion
in the hole, moreover, this hole is widened to damage the commodity
if the price tag is pulled. Still moreover, regarding the retaining
member, there is a limit that the retaining member can not be
manually attached and the attaching device can not be dispensed
with.
[0009] Because of the type in which the retention is made by the
cross bar portion and the head portion, moreover, the retaining
member is liable to pass through a relatively small hole such as
the button hole of the commodity so that it cannot attach the price
tag or the like to the button hole or the like of the commodity. On
the other hand, the retaining member cannot be attached to the
handle or the like of a bag because it is not of the type in which
the retention is made by forming the loop.
[0010] On the other hand, there is the "string- or thread-shaped
connecting member" in which a retaining projection (or male
portion) is provided at one end of a flexible filament portion
whereas a fitting portion (or female portion) for fitting the
retaining projection to form the filament portion into a loop shape
is formed at the other end. In this string-shaped connecting
member, the retaining projection, the filament portion and the
fitting portion are linearly arranged such that the axis of the
retaining projection is formed in the extending direction of the
filament portion whereas the axis of the fitting hole of the
fitting portion, as formed to be inserted by the retaining
projection, is perpendicular to the filament portion, and such that
there is formed on the inner face of the fitting hole a retaining
pawl with which the retaining projection is to engage.
[0011] This string-shaped connecting member is sold or used as a
fastener or under the trade name of "LOX". This connecting member
can simply form a closed loop by hands without any damage such as
holing the commodity, so that it can be widely used for
applications to attach the price tag or the like to the handle of a
bag or to joint or bundle a plurality of commodities.
[0012] As the string-shaped connecting members are massively used
in recent years, there has been developed a device for handling
them automatically. It is considerably difficult to charge the
device with the string-shaped connecting members of the prior
art.
[0013] In the string-shaped connecting member of the prior art,
more specifically, the retaining projection, the filament portion
and the fitting portion are linearly arranged, and the axis of the
retaining projection is formed in the extending direction of the
filament portion whereas the axis of the fitting hole of the
fitting portion, as formed to be inserted by the retaining
projection, is formed perpendicular to the filament portion. In
order to form the connecting member into the loop shape, therefore,
the tip of the retaining projection has to be inserted into the
hole of the fitting portion after the retaining projection is
turned by 270 degrees to bring the retaining projection tip into a
position to face the hole of the fitting portion. In short, in the
automatic attaching device, when the fitting portion is gripped by
one arm, the retaining projection cannot be fitted unless its
direction is turned by the other arm.
[0014] When the price tag is to be attached to the handle of the
bag, for example, more specifically, the fitting portion is gripped
by one arm of the attaching device and is carried over the bag
handle and to the back of the handle. Simultaneously with this, the
retaining projection, having its filament portion inserted into the
hole of the price tag, is turned by 270 degrees from the extension
of the filament portion by the other arm and is then inserted below
the handle and fitted in the fitting portion supported on the other
side. These operations are manually simple, but when they are to be
performed by the attaching device, the device is extremely
complicated in its structure and is increased in its weight and
size to raise a difficulty in the deteriorated operability. On the
other hand, it is troublesome to charge the attaching device with
the numerous string-shaped connecting members.
[0015] Therefore, we have manufactured an assembly of string-shaped
connecting members in which a number of string-shaped connecting
members are arrayed between two parallel joint rods to form a sheet
shape as a whole. This assembly is excellent in its moldability,
and the attaching device can be simply charged with the assembly.
At the same time, the string-shaped connecting members may be
separated for use one by one from the assembly so that the assembly
is excellent in its handling quality. When the attaching device is
to be charged with the assembly, on the other hand, there has been
examined a method of bending the sheet-shaped array into a shape of
letter "U". Therefore, we have developed a method of inserting and
fitting the retaining projection simply into the hole of the
fitting portion to joint the filament portion in the loop shape not
by turning the retaining projection by 270 degrees with respect to
the fitting portion supported by one arm but by merely moving the
retaining projection forward with respect to the fitting
portion.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] According to the invention, there is provided a fastener
assembly which comprises: a plurality of fasteners each including a
retaining projection, a fitting portion for engaging with the
retaining projection, and a filament portion arranged between the
retaining projection and the fitting portion; a first joint member
connecting with the retaining projections of the fasteners through
first cutting portions; and a second joint member connecting with
the fitting portions through second cutting portions, to array the
fasteners in a sheet shape. The axes of the retaining projections
and the axes of the fitting holes of the fitting portions are
formed normal to the sheet-shaped array plane of the fasteners.
[0017] On the other hand, the retaining projections of the
fasteners are jointed to each other through first temporary joint
portions, and the fitting portions are jointed through second
cutting portions by second joint member, to form the fastener
assembly.
[0018] On the other hand, the retaining projections of the
fasteners are jointed to each other through first temporary joint
portions, and the fitting portions are jointed to each other
through second temporary joint portions, to form the fastener
assembly.
[0019] An attaching device can be simply charged with the
aforementioned fastener assembly in a set and in an array and can
be simply disassembled in the device into individual fasteners so
that each of these fasteners is enabled to attach a price tag or
label to a commodity with a loop of its filament portion by
inserting and engaging its retaining projection easily with the
fitting portion.
[0020] On the other hand, the fastener assembly can be manually
used by disassembling it easily by hands into individual fasteners
and can be held in the array state without any entanglement while
it is being transported or stored.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing a first embodiment of a
fastener assembly according to the invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a section taken along line A-A of FIG. 1;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a top plan view showing a second embodiment of a
fastener assembly according to the invention;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a section taken along line B-B of FIG. 3;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a top plan view showing a third embodiment of a
fastener assembly according to the invention;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a righthand side elevation of FIG. 5;
[0027] FIG. 7 is a front elevation showing a fastener simple
composing the fastener assembly according to the invention;
[0028] FIG. 8 is a top plan view of FIG. 7;
[0029] FIG. 9 is a bottom view of FIG. 7;
[0030] FIG. 10 is a righthand side elevation of FIG. 7;
[0031] FIG. 11 is a section taken along line C-C of FIG. 8;
[0032] FIG. 12 is a section taken along line D-D of FIG. 8;
[0033] FIG. 13 is a section of a portion when a retaining
projection and a fitting portion of the fastener of FIG. 7 are
fitted;
[0034] FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing a used state of the
fastener;
[0035] FIG. 15 is a righthand side elevation of a gun type
attaching device charged with the fastener assembly; and
[0036] FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram for explaining how the
fastener assembly is carried in the attaching device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0037] Embodiments of the invention will be described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0038] Description will be made at first on the fastener simple
composing the fastener assembly of the invention, as shown in FIGS.
7 to 11, and then on the fastener assembly, as shown in FIGS. 1 to
6.
[0039] A fastener 1 is made, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 11, of a
slender, flexible filament portion 2 having a retaining projection
(or male portion) 3 at its one end side and a fitting portion (or
female portion) 4 at its other end side.
[0040] This retaining protrusion 3 of the fastener 1 is formed of:
a cylindrical trunk portion 30 connecting at its side portion with
the filament portion 2; a neck portion 31 connecting with the trunk
portion 30 but having a smaller diameter than that of the trunk
portion 30; and a head portion 32 connecting with the neck portion
31 but having a larger diameter than that of the neck portion 31.
The head portion 32 is formed at its tip into such a tapering
conical or spherical shape as to be easily fitted in the fitting
portion 4.
[0041] On the other hand, this fitting portion 4 is formed of a
frame portion 40 having an engaging hole 42 therein, and a
retaining portion 44 formed on one side of the frame portion 40 and
having a radially smaller retaining hole 41 than the engaging hole
42, and is provided, in the retaining portion 44 on the side of the
engaging hole 42, with a pair of retaining members 43 enclosing the
retaining hole 41.
[0042] On the other hand, the individual axes of the retaining
projection 3 and the engaging hole 42 of the fitting portion 4 are
arranged perpendicularly to the filament portion 2 so as to
facilitate the engaging operation by a later-described attaching
device.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, moreover, the head portion
32 of the retaining projection 3 is turned by 180 degrees from the
extension of the filament portion 2 and is brought to face the
retaining hole 41 of the fitting portion 4. When the head portion
32 is pushed to an inserting direction X, it is brought into the
retaining hole 41 and protrudes into the engaging hole 42 while
elastically deforming and opening the surrounding retaining members
43. In this case, the fitting portion 4 may be turned by 180
degrees, or alternatively the retaining projection 3 may be turned
by 90 degrees and the fitting portion 4 may also be turned by 90
degrees. In short, when either the retaining projection 3 or the
fitting portion 4 is turned totally by 180 degrees, the head
portion 32 of the retaining projection 3 and the retaining hole 41
of the fitting portion 4 then come into the facing positions.
[0044] Now, when the head portion 32 protrudes from the retaining
members 43, these retaining members 43 restore their elastic
deformations to reduce their diameter so that their crest faces 43a
of the retaining members 43 abut against a retaining face 32a of
the head portion 32, as shown in FIG. 13, to prevent the head
portion 32 from moving in a returning direction Y.
[0045] As a result, the retaining projection 3 and the fitting
portion 4 can come into engagement to form a loop R of the filament
portion 2.
[0046] The sizes of the ordinary fastener 1 will be exemplified in
the following. The retaining projection 3 shown in FIG. 7 has a
height H of 6.3 mm and a diameter R of 1.6 mm; the neck portion 31
has an external diameter of 0.9 mm; the filament portion 2 has the
minimum diameter P of 0.3 to 0.5 mm; the frame portion 40 has a
longer side L of 4.6 mm and a width of 2.8 mm; the retaining hole
41 has an internal diameter of 1.65 mm; and the retaining members
43 have an internal diameter of 1.1 mm. Moreover, the retaining
projection 3 and the fitting portion 4 are formed at a spacing of
50 to 250 mm.
[0047] According to this fastener 1, as shown in FIG. 14, a price
tag 7 can be attached to the handle 8 of a bag 9 by inserting the
fastener 1 into the hole 7a of the price tag 7 and turning it
around the handle 8, and by inserting and forcing the retaining
projection 3 on one end side of the filament portion 2 of the
fastener 1 into the fitting portion 4 on the other end side to
bring the retaining projection 3 and the fitting portion 4 into
engagement thereby to form the loop R of the filament portion 2
easily by this single action.
[0048] Likewise, the price tag 7 or the like can be easily attached
to commodities such as clothes by forming the loop R of the
filament portion 2 through button holes or the like of the
clothes.
[0049] In a similar manner, a plurality of commodities can be
easily bundled into one set by forming the loop R of the filament
portion 2.
[0050] When these attaching operations of the fasteners 1 are to be
performed by a gun type attaching device disclosed in Japanese
Patent Application No. 9-209255, moreover, it is necessary to feed
the fasteners 1 sequentially to the position to be hit. For this
necessity, a number of fasteners 1 have to be formed into a series
of fastener assembly 10, 10A or 10B.
[0051] This fastener assembly 10, 10A or 10B is integrally molded
of a synthetic resin, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, by jointing the
retaining projections 3 and the fitting portions 4, as forming the
two ends of the fasteners 1, respectively, by a first joint member
5 and a second joint member 6 and so on.
[0052] First of all, the fastener assembly 10 of a first
embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, corresponds to the
construction in which the filament portions 2 have a relatively
large length or a relatively low rigidity. The first joint member 5
is formed of: a first joint rod 5a having a relatively large
sectional area and a relatively high strength; first projections 5b
projecting in the shape of comb teeth from the first joint rod 5a;
and first cutting portions 5c leading from the first projections 5b
to the trunk portions 30 of the retaining projections 3 and formed
in the extending direction of the filament portions 2 while being
reduced in their sections to be easily cut. The first joint member
5 thus formed is jointed to the retaining projections 3 on the side
opposed to the filament portions 2.
[0053] Like the first joint member 5, on the other hand, the second
joint member 6 is formed of: a second joint rod 6a having a
relatively high rigidity; second projections 6b projecting in the
shape of comb teeth from the second joint rod 6a; and second
cutting portions 6c leading from the second projections 6b to the
frame portions 40 of the fitting portions 4 and formed in the
extending direction of the filament portions 2 while being reduced
in their sections to be easily cut. The second joint member 6 thus
formed is jointed to the fitting portions 4 on the side opposed to
the filament portions 2.
[0054] In short, the fasteners 1 are supported and fixed at their
two individual ends by the first joint rod 5a and the second joint
rod 6a having relatively high rigidities through the first cutting
portions 5c and the second cutting portions 6c which are easy to
cut.
[0055] When the plurality of fasteners 1 are jointed by the first
joint member 5 and the second joint member 6 to form the fastener
assembly 10, moreover, they are arrayed in a sheet shape, and the
axes of the retaining projections 3 and the axes of the engaging
holes 42 of the fitting portions 4 are formed perpendicular to the
sheet-shaped plane of the fasteners 1.
[0056] In this case, the first and second joint rods 5a and 6a or
the joints of the fastener assembly 10 are provided at every ten
and several to several tens of the fasteners 1 with portions of
reduced sections such as V-shaped notches so that the fastener
assembly 10 can be easily cut at those portions by hands or by
using a cutter. This makes it possible to separate a unit of ten
and several to several tens of fasteners thereby to charge the
attaching device with each unit for the attaching operations.
[0057] When this fastener assembly 10 is to be used with the gun
type attaching device of Japanese Patent Application No. 9-209255,
for example, as presented on its righthand side in FIG. 15, this
attaching device is charged with the fastener assembly 10 by
inserting the retaining projections 3 of the fastener assembly 10
together with the first joint member into a charging portion 76b,
as located on the righthand lower side, and by inserting the
fitting portion 4 together with the second joint member into a
charging portion 76a, as located at the righthand intermediate
portion, and pushing them in direction of arrows. At this time, the
retaining projections 3 and the fitting portions 4 are inserted
into the charging portions 76a and 76b which are arranged
vertically (above and below) in parallel with each other in the
righthand side face of the attaching device, so that the filament
portions 2 are arranged while being warped in the shape of letter
"U" on the righthand face of the attaching device.
[0058] FIG. 16 shows the state in which the fastener assembly 10 is
fed in the attaching device.
[0059] First of all, the fastener assembly 10 is charged with its
filament portions 2 being warped in the U-shape, so that the
charged retaining projections 3 and the engaging holes (or the
retaining holes) of the fitting portions 4 are respectively turned
in the direction by 90 degrees from the extensions of the filament
portions 2 so that they are arranged to vertically face each other.
In other words, the axis of the retaining projections 3 and the
axis of the engaging holes of the fitting members 4 are aligned
with each other.
[0060] Moreover, the charged retaining projections 3 are carried
forward by a wheel 14a and then turned in the direction (of their
axes) from downward (the vertical direction) to forward (the
horizontal direction) so that they are fed to the front of a rod
70, i.e., to the entrance of a hollow needle 75.
[0061] On the other hand, the charged fitting portions 4 are also
carried forward by a wheel 14b and then turned in the direction (of
the axes of their engaging holes 42) from downward (the vertical
direction) to forward (the horizontal direction) so that they are
fed to a grip position at which their head portions are to be
gripped by a head supporting portion 74d of a head carrier arm 74.
At this time, the filament portions 2 are proceeded while keeping
their U-shaped sheet shape without any entanglement.
[0062] Then, the hollow needle 75 is inserted into the hole 7a of
the price tag 7 and a button hole 9a of the commodity 9, and a
lever 73 is squeezed. As the head carrier arm 74 is moved from a
position indicated by double-dotted lines in FIG. 15 to a position
indicated by solid lines in accordance with the motions of links
74a and 74b, the fitting portions 4 are gripped by the head
supporting portion 74d of the head carrier arm 74 and are cut at
their connection with the second joint member 6 by the not-shown
blade. Then, the fitting portions 4 are carried to the front of the
hollow needle 75 and held on standby. Since this carriage of the
fitting portions 4 is performed by the link mechanism, the posture
of the fitting portions 4, i.e., the direction of the engaging
holes 42 of the fitting portions 4 is unchanged during the carriage
so that it is kept in alignment with the direction of the retaining
projections 3 to be driven into the engaging holes 42.
[0063] Simultaneously with this, each of the retaining projections
3 is driven by the rod 70, while being disconnected from the first
joint member 5 by the not-shown blade, through the hollow needle 75
and forced out of the tip of the hollow needle 75 and is inserted
to engage with the corresponding fitting portion 4 standing by
ahead of the hollow needle 75 so that the corresponding filament
portion 2 forms the loop R.
[0064] Then, the price tag 7 can be attached to the commodity 9 by
the loop R of the filament portion 2.
[0065] As the fasteners 1 are consumed, the first and second joint
members 5 and 6 having the fasteners 1 cut off are carried backward
in the attaching device until they are discharged, respectively,
from discharge passages 77b and 77a.
[0066] Next in the fastener assembly 10A of a second embodiment
shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the retaining projections 3 are jointed one
another at their trunk portions 30 by first temporary joint
portions 51 of a thin filament shape having a small section, and
the fitting portions 4 are jointed at their frame portions 40 to
the second joint member 6 having the second cutting portions 6c
formed in the extending direction of the filament portions 2. This
second joint member 6 is formed of: a second joint rod 6a having a
relatively high rigidity; second projections 6b projecting in the
shape of comb teeth from the second joint rods 6a; and second
cutting portions 6c leading from the second projections 6b to the
frame portions 40 of the fitting portions 4 and formed in the
extending direction of the filament portions 2 while being reduced
in their sections to be easily cut. The second joint member 6 thus
formed is jointed to the fitting portions 4 on the side opposed to
the filament portions 2.
[0067] Moreover, the fasteners 1 are jointed by the first temporary
joint member 51 and the second joint member 6 so that they are
arrayed in a sheet shape, and the axes of the retaining projections
3 and the axes of the engaging holes 42 of the fitting portions 4
are formed perpendicular to the arrayed plane of the fasteners
1.
[0068] On the other hand, the fastener assembly 10B of a third
embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 corresponds to the construction
having filament portions 2 having a relatively small length and a
relatively high rigidity. The trunk portions 30 of the retaining
projections 3 are mutually jointed by the first temporary joint
portions 51 having a small section, and the frame portions 40 of
the fitting portions 4 are mutually jointed by the second temporary
joint portions 61 having a small section.
[0069] Moreover, the fasteners 1 are jointed by the first temporary
joint portion 51 and the second temporary joint portions 61 so that
they are arrayed in a sheet shape, and the axes of the retaining
projections 3 and the axes of the engaging holes 42 of the fitting
portions 4 are formed perpendicular to the arrayed plane of the
fasteners 1.
[0070] The sizes of the ordinary fastener assembly 10, 10A or 10B
will be exemplified in the following. For the aforementioned sizes
of the fasteners 1: the distances between centers of the fasteners
1 are 3.5 mm; the first and second joint rods 5a and 6a have a
width of 2.0 mm and a thickness of 0.8 mm; the first and second
projections 5b and 6b have a length of 1.5 mm, a width of 0.6 mm
and a thickness of 0.8 mm; the first and second cutting portions 5c
and 6c have an external diameter of 0.3 mm and a length of 0.5 mm;
and the first and second temporary joint portions 51 and 61 have an
external diameter of 0.3 mm. Moreover, twenty to two hundreds
fasteners 1 make one fastener assembly 10.
[0071] When the individual fasteners 1 are to be disassembled in
the attaching device, according to the fastener assembly 10, 10A or
10B thus constructed, they can be easily separated and fed
individually by cutting them at their first and second cutting
portions 5c and 6c or first and second temporary joint portions 51
and 61 having the reduced section by the blades belonging to the
device.
[0072] On the other hand, the retaining projections 3 and the
fitting portions 4 can be inserted into the charging portions 76a
and 76b disposed vertically (above and below) in parallel in the
righthand side face of the attaching device, so that this device
can be easily charged with the retaining projections 3 and the
fitting portions 4 with the sheet of the filament portions 2 being
arranged in the U-shape outside of the attaching device. At the
time feeding them to the front side of the attaching device,
moreover, the filament portions can be carried without any
entanglement while being in the U-shaped sheet. When the fastener 1
is jointed into the loop shape, still moreover, only the engaging
sealers 1 are cut off so that the loops R of the independent
fasteners 1 can be formed sequentially and continuously without any
entanglement.
[0073] On the other hand, it means nothing but the axes of the
retaining projections 3 and the axes of the engaging holes 42 of
the fitting portions 4 are formed perpendicular to the filament
portions 2, in view of the individual fasteners 1, that the axes of
the retaining projections 3 and the axes of the engaging holes 42
of the fitting portions 4 are perpendicular to the arrayed plane of
the fasteners 1. Moreover, the axes of the retaining projections 3
are perpendicular to the filament portions 2 so that the filament
portions 2 raise no obstruction against the rear end faces of the
retaining projections 3. As a result, the feed of the retaining
projections 3 need not resort to the method of clamping them but
can adopt a simple push method of pushing the rear end face of each
of the retaining projections 3 with the push rod 70. In this
method, moreover, the rear end face of the retaining projections 3
and the push area of the push rod 70 can be enlarged to push out
the retaining projection 3 without fail. Still moreover, this
retaining projection 3 can be easily inserted into the engaging
hole 42 of the fitting portion 4 because the axis of the engaging
hole 42 is perpendicular to the filament portion 2 so that it
raises no obstruction against the insertion.
[0074] In the fastener assembly, on the other hand, the axes of the
retaining projections 3 and the axes of the engaging holes 42 of
the fitting portions 4 are in parallel with each other. Therefore,
when the vertically arranged charging portions of the attaching
device are charged with the retaining projections 3 and the fitting
portions 4 with the sheet of the filament portions 2 being bent in
the U-shape, the axes of the retaining projections 3 and the axes
of the engaging holes 42 of the fitting portions 4 can be
vertically aligned. This makes it possible to perform the
operations of not only carrying, gripping, inserting and engaging
the retaining projections 3 and the fitting portions 4 in the
attaching device but also positioning the same efficiently and
properly. Moreover, the posture of the fitting portion 4 and the
retaining projection 3 can be controlled mechanically so simply and
smoothly as to make it simple and accurate to carry and arrange the
fitting portion 4 ahead of the hollow needle with its engaging hole
42 being directed toward the hollow needle and to proceed the
retaining projection 3 in the hollow needle and bring it into
engagement with the fitting portion 4.
[0075] On the other hand, the individual fasteners 1 can be
manually disassembled by hands easily by cutting them at their
first and second cutting portions 5c and 6c or first and second
temporary joint portions 51 and 61 having the reduced sections by
means of scissors or a cutter. Moreover, each fastener 1 is
provided with two cutting portions at which it can be easily cut
because they can be simultaneously confirmed from their top or
bottom plan view.
[0076] In addition, the fastener assembly 10, 10A or 10B can be
freed from being entangled during carriage or storage because their
fasteners 1 are arrayed in the sheet shape.
[0077] Especially in the fastener assembly 10 of the first
embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fastener assembly 10 is
jointed with the first and second joint rods 5a and 6a having the
relatively high rigidity so that the fasteners 1 can be prevented
from being entangled by each other and from slipping out of the
array. Moreover, the attaching device can be simply charged with
the fastener assembly 10 having the fasteners arrayed, by making
use of the rigidities of the first and second joint rods 5a and 6a
at the two ends. Still moreover, these first and second joint rods
5a and 6a are provided outside of the two end portions of the
fasteners 1 so that they can be easily confirmed from their top or
bottom plan view to allow their easy grip.
[0078] Next, according to the fastener assembly 10A of the second
embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fasteners 1 are jointed on
their one-hand-sides through the second joint rod 6a having the
relatively high rigidity and on their other sides by the first
temporary joint portions 51 having the relatively low rigidity. As
compared with the fastener assembly 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2, therefore,
the array of the side of the retaining projections 3 is easily
disturbed but can be sufficiently held on only the side of the
second joint rod 6a when the filament portions 2 are not so long.
Moreover, the joints of the retaining projections 3 are made only
by the first temporary joint portions 51 which are thin so that the
material of a synthetic resin for the fastener assembly 10A can be
spared. The easiness in gripping the second joint rod 6a is similar
to that of the case of the fastener assembly 10 of the first
embodiment.
[0079] According to the fastener assembly 10B of the third
embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, moreover, the fasteners 1 are
jointed through the first and second temporary joint portions 51
and 61 having the lower rigidity so that their array is easily
disturbed. However, the filament portions 2 can be sufficiently
held in the array when they are short. Moreover, the fasteners 1
are jointed exclusively by the first and second temporary joint
portions 51 and 61 made thin, so that the material of a synthetic
resin for the fastener assembly 10B can be drastically spared.
Still moreover, the fastener assembly 10B is low in its two end
rigidity so that it can be rolled up for no bulky transportation
with its fasteners 1 being superposed. Still moreover, the fastener
assembly 10B is flexible and bendable because it is jointed
exclusively by the first and second temporary joint portions 51 and
61, so that it can also be used with an attaching device having a
sharp curve at its portion for feeding the fasteners 1.
* * * * *