U.S. patent application number 10/283250 was filed with the patent office on 2003-06-19 for slide fastener and method of manufacturing attachment having constituent members.
This patent application is currently assigned to YKK Corporation. Invention is credited to Fukuyama, Takahiro, Kikukawa, Norio, Sugimoto, Yasuhiko.
Application Number | 20030110600 10/283250 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19187296 |
Filed Date | 2003-06-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030110600 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kikukawa, Norio ; et
al. |
June 19, 2003 |
Slide fastener and method of manufacturing attachment having
constituent members
Abstract
An object of the present invention is to provide, through
plating, a slide fastener which has high decorativeness, and which
does not have problems in terms of functionality or product quality
such as corrosion resistance. Another object is to provide a method
of manufacturing an attachment having constituent members. In a
slide fastener in which a large number of elements are mounted on
an edge of a pair of mutually facing slide fastener tapes, each of
the elements has a facing surface where elements face one another
in a longitudinal direction of the slide fastener tapes, and a
surface other than the facing surface, a coating is formed through
electroless plating on the facing surface, and a coating is formed
through electrolytic plating on the surface other than the facing
surface. The coating on the surface other than the facing surface
is made to be a single-layer or multi-layer coating selected from
Sn, Cu--Sn alloy, Cu--Sn--Zn alloy, Rh, Pd, and Cu plating, and the
coating on the facing surface is Sn plating.
Inventors: |
Kikukawa, Norio;
(Namerikawa-shi, JP) ; Sugimoto, Yasuhiko;
(Nakaniikawa-gun, JP) ; Fukuyama, Takahiro;
(Kurobe-shi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow,
Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P.
1300 I Street, N.W.
Washington
DC
20005-3315
US
|
Assignee: |
YKK Corporation
|
Family ID: |
19187296 |
Appl. No.: |
10/283250 |
Filed: |
October 30, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/399 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C23C 18/52 20130101;
Y10T 24/2532 20150115; C25D 7/02 20130101; C22C 9/04 20130101; C23C
18/1653 20130101; C25D 5/627 20200801; A44B 19/42 20130101; C22C
9/05 20130101; B32B 15/01 20130101; C25D 5/10 20130101; C25D 5/611
20200801; A44B 19/00 20130101; C22C 9/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
24/399 |
International
Class: |
A44B 019/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 14, 2001 |
JP |
2001-381143 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A slide fastener comprising: a pair of mutually facing slide
fastener tapes; a plurality of elements being mounted on an edge of
each of the slide fastener tapes, each of the elements having a
facing surface where the elements face one another in a
longitudinal direction of said slide fastener tapes and having a
surface other than the facing surface; a coating formed on said
facing surface through an electroless plating; a coating formed on
said surface other than the facing surface through an electrolytic
plating; and a slider for engaging or separating said elements.
2. A slide fastener according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of
the coating on said surface other than a facing surface is 0.005 to
5 .mu.m, and the thickness of the coating on said facing surface is
0.005 to 0.2 .mu.m.
3. A slide fastener according to claim 1, wherein the coating on
said surface other than the facing surface is a single-layer or
multi-layer coating selected from Sn, Cu--Sn alloy, Cu--Sn--Zn
alloy, Rh, Pd, and Cu plating, and the coating on said facing
surface is Sn plating.
4. A slide fastener according to claim 1, further comprising a stop
mounted at an end of each of the slide fastener tapes in a
longitudinal direction thereof, said stop having a coating formed
through the electroless plating on a surface thereof perpendicular
to said longitudinal direction, and having a coating formed through
the electrolytic plating on a surface thereof parallel to said
longitudinal direction.
5. A slide fastener according to claim 1, wherein a base material
thereof is one selected from red brass, brass, and an alloy
represented by an undermentioned general formula:
Cu.sub.aZn.sub.bMn.sub.cM.sub.dX.sub.e where M is at least one
element selected from Al and Sn, X is at least one element selected
from Si, Ti and Cr, and regarding a, b, c, d and e, in mass %,
0.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.22, 7.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.20, 0.ltoreq.d.ltoreq.5,
0.ltoreq.e.ltoreq.0.3, and a is a remainder, with unavoidable
impurities being contained.
6. A method of manufacturing an attachment having a plurality of
constituent members comprising: electrolytic plating a surface of
an elongated body made of a metal or an alloy; cutting the
elongated body into a plurality of constituent members; mounting
the constituent members on an attachment; and electroless plating
the constituent members on the attachment.
7. A method of manufacturing an attachment having a plurality of
constituent members according to claim 6, wherein said attachment
having a plurality of constituent members is a slide fastener or a
slide fastener chain, said attachment is a pair of slide fastener
tapes, and the constituent members are a plurality of elements
and/or stops.
8. A method of manufacturing an attachment having a plurality of
constituent members according to claim 6, wherein a thickness of a
coating formed through the electrolytic plating is 0.005 to 5
.mu.m, and a thickness of a coating formed through the electroless
plating is 0.005 to 0.2 .mu.m.
9. A method of manufacturing an attachment having a plurality of
constituent members according to claim 6, wherein a single-layer or
multi-layer coating selected from Sn, Cu--Sn alloys, Cu--Sn--Zn
alloys, Rh, Pd, and Cu is formed through the electrolytic plating,
and a coating of Sn is formed through the electroless plating.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a slide fastener made of a
metal or an alloy, and to a method of manufacturing the slid
fastener and an attachment having a plurality of constituent
members such as a slide fastener chain, attached to clothing or the
like.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Conventionally, to improve designability and corrosion
resistance, articles have been plated through various methods. For
example, with regard to slide fasteners, a large number of metal
elements are mounted onto fastener tapes, and then the fastener
tapes are electroless-plated. In another method disclosed in
Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2587180, a conductive wire
is inserted along an edge of each fastener tapes in its
longitudinal direction, a large number of elements are mounted on a
slide fastener with spaces therebetween, and then the elements are
electrolytically plated.
[0005] However, in the former of the above, i.e. the case of a
coating by electroless plating, since the coating is not dense, an
article that is good from the perspective of designability and
corrosion resistance cannot be obtained. Moreover, in the case of
the latter of the above, the slide fastener obtained is too rigid
although designability and corrosion resistance of the article is
good because of the enough denseness of the coating. Because, it is
necessary to insert the conductive wire along the edge of each
fastener tape when mounting the elements on the fastener tape, and
the wire remains behind after the manufacture.
[0006] In contrast with the above, the present inventors have filed
a patent application on an invention disclosed in Japanese Patent
Publication No. 2001-8714. In the art disclosed in that
Publication, an elongated body from which elements will be
manufactured is electrolytically plated and is then cut to form the
elements, and then the elements are mounted on fastener tapes. The
aim was that in this method a slide fastener could have excellent
external appearance designability.
[0007] However, regarding the elements of the slide fastener, the
color of the substrate is seen at the cut surfaces along the
longitudinal direction of the element engaging part even after a
pair of slide fastener tapes have been engaged together. Because,
the engaging head parts to engage the elements one another are
formed by making the cut surfaces of the elongated body project
out. Moreover, depending on the material of the substrate, a
problem may arise with regard to the corrosion resistance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a slide
fastener which has high decorativeness, and which does not have
problems of functionality or product quality such as corrosion
resistance. Another object of the present invention is to provide a
method of manufacturing an attachment having a plurality of
constituent members, and the attachment includes slide
fasteners.
[0009] The present invention comprises the following forms.
[0010] (1) A slide fastener in which a plurality of elements are
mounted on an edge of a pair of mutually facing slide fastener
tapes, characterized in that each of the elements has a facing
surface where the elements face one another in a longitudinal
direction of the slide fastener tapes and has a surface other than
the facing surface, said facing surface has a coating formed
thereon through an electroless plating, and said surface other than
the facing surface has a coating formed thereon through an
electrolytic plating.
[0011] (2) A slide fastener according to (1) above, wherein a
thickness of the coating on said surface other than the facing
surface is 0.005 to 5 .mu.m, and a thickness of the coating on said
facing surfaces is 0.005 to 0.2 .mu.m.
[0012] (3) A slide fastener according to (1) or (2) above, wherein
the coating on said surface other than the facing surface is a
single-layer or multi-layer coating selected from Sn, Cu--Sn alloy,
Cu--Sn--Zn alloy, Rh, Pd, and Cu plating, and the coating on said
facing surface is Sn plating.
[0013] (4) A slide fastener according to any of (1) through (3)
above, characterized in that a stop is further mounted at an end of
each of the slide fastener tapes in the longitudinal direction
thereof, and the stop has a coating formed through the electroless
plating on a surface thereof perpendicular to said longitudinal
direction, and has a coating formed through the electrolytic
plating on a surface thereof parallel to said longitudinal
direction.
[0014] (5) A slide fastener according to any of (1) through (4)
above, characterized in that a base material thereof is one
selected from red brass, brass, and an alloy represented by an
undermentioned general formula:
Cu.sub.aZn.sub.bMn.sub.cM.sub.dX.sub.e
[0015] where M is at least one element selected from Al and Sn, X
is at least one element selected from Si, Ti and Cr, and regarding
a, b, c, d and e, in mass %, 0.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.22,
7.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.20, 0.ltoreq.d.ltoreq.5, 0.ltoreq.e.ltoreq.0.3,
and a is a remainder, with unavoidable impurities being
contained.
[0016] (6) A method of manufacturing an attachment having a
plurality of constituent members, characterized by electrolytic
plating a surface of an elongated body made of a metal or an alloy,
cutting the elongated body into a plurality of constituent members,
mounting the constituent members on an attachment, and electroless
plating the constituent members on the attachment.
[0017] (7) A method of manufacturing an attachment having a
plurality of constituent members according to (6) above,
characterized in that the attachment having a plurality of
constituent members is a slide fastener or a slide fastener chain,
the attachment is a pair of slide fastener tapes, and the
constituent members are a plurality of elements and/or stops.
[0018] (8) A method of manufacturing an attachment having a
plurality of constituent members according to (6) or (7) above,
characterized in that a thickness of a coating formed through the
electrolytic plating is 0.005 to 5 .mu.m, and a thickness of a
coating formed through the electroless plating 0.005 to 0.2
.mu.m.
[0019] (9) A method of manufacturing an attachment having plurality
of constituent members according to any of (6) through (8) above,
characterized in that a single-layer or multi-layer coating
selected from Sn, Cu--Sn alloys, Cu--Sn--Zn alloys, Rh, Pd, and Cu
is formed through the electrolytic plating, and a coating of Sn is
formed through the electroless plating.
[0020] The slide fastener of the present invention will now be
described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0021] FIG. 1 is a conceptual drawing of the slide fastener. As
shown in FIG. 1, the slide fastener comprises a pair of fastener
tapes 1 each of which has a core part 2 formed at an edge on one
side of the tapes, elements 3 that are crimped (mounted) onto the
core part 2 of each fastener tape 1 at a prescribed interval, a top
stop 4 and a bottom stop 5 that are crimped onto the core part 2 of
each fastener tape 1 at the top and bottom ends respectively of the
elements 3, and a slider 6 that is disposed between facing pairs of
elements 3 and can be freely slid in an up/down direction to engage
or separate the elements 3. In the above, a slide fastener chain 7
is an article obtained by mounting elements 3 onto the core part 2
of a fastener tape 1.
[0022] Although not shown in the drawings, the slider 6 as shown in
FIG. 1 is manufactured by the following steps: pressing a long
plate-shaped body having a rectangular cross section, through
several stages; cutting the body at a prescribed interval to
manufacture slider bodies; and then mounting a spring or pull on
the slider body if necessary. The pulls are also manufactured from
the plate-shaped body having a rectangular cross section, by
punching out into a prescribed shape, and then are crimped onto the
slider bodies. The bottom stop 5 may be a separable fitting
comprising an insert pin, a box pin and a box, so that the pair of
slide fastener chains can be separated through the opening by the
slider.
[0023] FIG. 2 shows a method of manufacturing the elements 3, the
top stops 4 and the bottom stops 5 of the slide fastener shown in
FIG. 1, and also a method of attaching these to the core parts 2 of
the fastener tapes 1. As shown in the drawing, the elements 3 is
prepared by the below steps: a deformed wire 8 having an
approximately Y-shaped cross section is cut into pieces of a
prescribed dimension; and pressing the pieces to form an engaging
head part 9 on each element 3. And then, foot parts 10 of each
element 3 are crimped onto the core part 2 of the fastener tape 1,
and thus mounting the element 3 on the fastener tape 1.
[0024] The top stop 4 is prepared by cutting a rectangular wire 11
having a rectangular cross section into pieces of a prescribed
dimension, and bending the pieces to form an approximately C-shaped
cross section. Subsequently, the top stop 4 is crimped onto the
core part 2 of the fastener tape 1, thus mounting on the top stop
4. The bottom stop 5 is prepared by cutting a deformed wire 12
having an approximately X-shaped cross section into pieces of a
prescribed dimension. And then, the top stop 5 is crimped onto the
core part 2 of the fastener tape 1, thus mounting on the top stop
5.
[0025] Note that in FIG. 1, it appears that the elements 3 and the
top and bottom stops 4 and 5 are mounted onto the fastener tape 1
at the same time. But, in actual practice, elements 3 are first
attached continuously onto the fastener tape 1 to manufacture a
fastener chain, and then the elements 3 in regions where a stop is
to be attached are removed from the fastener chain. Next, the
prescribed stops 4 and 5 are mounted on in these regions near to
the elements 3.
[0026] In the present invention, electrolytic plating is carried
out on the deformed wire 8 having an approximately Y-shaped cross
section to manufacture the elements 3, the deformed wire 12 having
an approximately X-shaped cross section to manufacture the bottom
stops 5, and the rectangular wire 11 having a rectangular cross
section to manufacture the top stops 4. After the elements 3, the
stops 4 and 5 have been mounted onto the fastener tape 1,
electroless plating is performed. Thus, all of the outer surfaces
of the elements and stops are plated.
[0027] Of the outer surfaces of the elements, the surface other
than the cut surfaces are covered with a dense coating formed
through the electrolytic plating. These plated surfaces have good
designability due to the dense coating. Moreover, these surfaces
become smooth and hence the lustrousness is also excellent, because
the surface other than the cut surfaces that will be subjected to
the electrolytic plating are smooth after the rolling. On the other
hand, a coating of the cut surfaces is not as good as above in
terms of designability, but the color can be matched to the color
of the surfaces other than the cut surfaces. In the case of a slide
fastener, the cut surfaces are partly seen from the outside, but
the cut surfaces do not require a decorativeness and lustrousness
as high as for the surfaces other than the cut surfaces, and hence
there is no particular problem. Moreover, the surface other than
the cut surfaces are more prone to wear from the sliding of the
slider, but by forming a dense coating through electrolytic plating
on the surfaces other than the cut surfaces as described above,
these surfaces can also have good wear resistance.
[0028] In the present invention, it is preferable to make the
thickness of the coating formed through the electrolytic plating
0.005 to 5 .mu.m, and the thickness of the coating formed through
the electroless plating 0.005 to 0.2 .mu.m. It is preferable to
make the thickness of the coating formed through the electrolytic
plating be in the above numerical range from the point of view of
the product quality such as designability and corrosion resistance.
As well as improvement of such qualities, the following problems
are prevented: the coatings flake off due to wear through sliding
of the slider; the coatings flake off from or crack on processed
faces during cold deformation processes such as cutting, pressing,
bending and crimping.
[0029] On the other hand, the thickness of the coating formed
through the electroless plating is stipulated with considering the
product quality such as designability and corrosion resistance, in
particular designability. However, if this coating thickness
exceeds the above range, then the coating formed through the
electrolytic plating will be damaged and hence designability and in
particular lustrousness of the coating will tend to be marred.
Accordingly, it is desirable to make the thickness of the coating
formed through the electroless plating be in the above range.
[0030] As examples of the electrolytic plating to form the coating,
such as Sn plating, Cu--Sn alloy plating, Cu--Sn--Zn alloy plating,
Rh plating, Pd plating, Au plating, Ag plating, Cu plating, black
Ni plating and so on may be included. As examples of the
electroless plating, such as Sn plating and so on may be included.
With a slide fastener, especially a fastener having an excellent
whiteness giving a classy feel, a single-layer coating is
preferably formed through the electrolytic plating such as Sn
plating, Cu--Sn alloy plating, Cu--Sn--Zn alloy plating, Rh plating
and Pd plating; in particular, by using Cu--Sn alloy plating,
Cu--Sn--Zn alloy plating, Rh plating or Pd plating, the coating
properties such as strength, hardness, corrosion resistance and
adhesion can also be excellent. The coating formed through the
electrolytic plating can be a multi-layer, in which case Cu is
plated as a foundation coating and then on the surface thereof the
above-mentioned electrolytic plating such as Sn plating, Cu--Sn
alloy plating, Cu--Sn--Zn alloy plating, Rh plating and Pd plating
is performed. Furthermore, the surface plated coating can also be a
multi-layer, with Sn plating, Cu--Sn alloy plating or Cu--Sn--Zn
alloy plating as a lower layer, and Rh plating or Pd plating as an
upper layer. By using a multi-layer coating in this way, the
surface luster and the surface quality can be improved. The coating
formed through the electroless plating is preferably made to be Sn
plating.
[0031] According to another aspect of the present invention, a
white slide fastener can be provided that not only has good product
quality such as designability and wear resistance but also copes
with the nickel allergy problem. Following is a description of this
form.
[0032] The material used as the base material of the slide fastener
is preferably an alloy represented by the undermentioned general
formula.
[0033] General formula:
Cu.sub.aZn.sub.bMn.sub.cM.sub.dX.sub.e
[0034] Where, M is at least one element selected from Al and Sn, X
is at least one element selected from Si, Ti and Cr, and regarding
a, b, c, d and e, in mass %, 0.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.22,
7.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.20, 0.ltoreq.d.ltoreq.5, 0.ltoreq.e.ltoreq.0.3,
and a is a remainder, with unavoidable impurities being
contained.
[0035] In the above general formula, more preferably M is Al, and
b, c and d are 0.5.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.5, 7.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.17, and
0.5.ltoreq.d.ltoreq.4, respectively. By using the alloy having a
composition as above, the base material can have a color tone such
that a* and b*, which represent the color tone as stipulated in JIS
Z 8729, are -2<a*<5 and -3<b*<16.
[0036] Note that the `color tone` mentioned in the present
specification is expressed using the manner for indicating the
color of objects stipulated in JIS Z 8729, and is represented by
the values of the lightness index L* (lightness: L star) and the
chromaticity indexes a* (greenness to redness: a star) and b*
(blueness to yellowness: b star).
[0037] In particular, to make an alloy be white, the closer to an
achromatic color the better, and hence the above numerical ranges
for the chromaticity indexes a* and b* are more preferably
0<a*<2 and 7<b*<16.
[0038] Regarding coatings formed on the base material by plating,
from the point of view of the whiteness, examples of the
electrolytic plating desirably include such as Sn plating, Cu--Sn
alloy plating, Cu--Sn--Zn alloy plating, Rh plating and Pd plating,
and example of the electroless plating preferably includes Sn
plating, as described earlier. The coatings displaying a high
degree of whiteness can be formed by using such plated coatings. On
that occasion, the color tone of the coating can be such that a*
and b*, which represent the color tone as stipulated in JIS Z 8729,
are 0<a*<2 and 7<b*<16. Moreover, by this aspect
described above, even if the base material happens to be exposed
due, for example, to the coatings formed on the surfaces flaking
off or cracking, no serious impairment on the external appearance
designability is expected because of the whiteness of the base
material. Furthermore, even in the case of a slide fastener,
because neither the base material nor the coatings contain Ni, the
problem of nickel allergy does not occur.
[0039] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a
white slide fastener can be provided that is satisfactory in terms
of designability, corrosion resistance and so on, and copes with
the nickel allergy problem, and also copes with needle
detectors.
[0040] In this aspect, red brass, brass or the like is used as the
base material. As a result, the problem of nickel allergy does not
occur because red brass and brass do not contain nickel. Further, a
needle detector does not malfunction though this problem occurred
before. Moreover, whiteness of the external appearance can be
realized through the plated coatings. In this case, to bestow
whiteness, examples of the coating formed through the electrolytic
plating preferably include such as Sn plating, Cu--Sn alloy
plating, Cu--Sn--Zn alloy plating, Rh plating and Pd plating, and
as the coating formed through the electroless plating, Sn plating
is preferable, as described earlier. As a result, a slide fastener
having a high degree of whiteness in terms of the external
appearance can be provided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0041] FIG. 1 is a conceptual drawing of a slide fastener.
[0042] FIG. 2 is a drawing to explain a method of attaching a
bottom stop, a top stop and elements to a slide fastener.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0043] Following is a specific description of the present invention
through examples. However, the present invention is not limited
whatsoever by the following examples.
EXAMPLE 1
[0044] Red brass having a composition of Cu.sub.85Zn.sub.15 by mass
% was melted in a continuous casting apparatus, and then continuous
wires were formed by casting through a carbon die of diameter 8 mm.
The continuous wires obtained were subjected to drawing and
rolling, thus manufacturing continuous deformed wires having an
approximately X-shaped cross section and an approximately Y-shaped
cross section and a continuous rectangular wire, as shown in FIG.
2. The continuous deformed wires and the continuous rectangular
wire obtained were electrolytically plated by use of Cu--Sn--Zn
alloy, and were then subjected to several cold workings that are
cutting, pressing, bending and crimping. And, the constituent
members thus obtained were mounted on fastener tapes, thus
producing a slide fastener. The slide fastener was
electroless-plated with Sn, thus producing the final product.
[0045] The above-mentioned electrolytic plating was carried out
under the following conditions in an alkaline cyanide bath.
[0046] Composition of Cu--Sn--Zn alloy plating solution:
1 Metallic copper 5 to 20 g/l Metallic tin 10 to 50 g/l Metallic
zinc 0.1 to 3 g/l
[0047] Treatment temperature: 15 to 50.degree. C.
[0048] Current density: 0.1 to 10A/dm.sup.2
[0049] Through the above treatment, Cu--Sn--Zn alloy coatings of
thickness 0.005 to 5 .mu.m were formed on the surfaces of the
deformed wires and the rectangular wire. The alloy composition of
the coatings obtained was Cu.sub.50-55Sn.sub.30-35Zn.sub.10-15 in
terms of mass %.
[0050] The slide fastener was electroless plated by immersion into
an acidic bath for 1 minute in under conditions of an Sn
concentration of 14 to 24 g/l and a temperature of 15 to 52.degree.
C.
[0051] Through the above electroless plating, an Sn coating of
thickness 0.1 .mu.m was formed on the cut surfaces of the stops and
the elements of the slide fastener. Moreover, the Sn coating was
also formed in places on top of the Cu--Sn--Zn alloy plated coating
that was formed through the electrolytic plating, but this did not
mar the decorativeness or the lustrousness.
[0052] The slide fastener obtained as above had a high surface
whiteness, and its external appearance displayed excellent
decorativeness and lustrousness. Moreover, because neither the base
material nor the coatings contained Ni, there was no nickel allergy
problem. Further, when detecting for broken needles using a needle
detector, the needle detector never malfunctioned.
EXAMPLE 2
[0053] The immersion time during the electroless plating in Example
1 was changed, thus manufacturing slide fasteners having coatings
of various thicknesses. The slide fasteners obtained were evaluated
with regard to the coating thickness, the decorativeness and the
lustrousness based on the immersion time.
[0054] The evaluation results are shown in Table 1.
2TABLE 1 Evaluation table Immersion Coating Electroless plated time
thickness coating (s) (.mu.m) Lustrousness Whiteness Example 0 0
.largecircle. X 2-1 Example 10 0.05 .largecircle. .largecircle. 2-2
Example 20 0.06 .largecircle. .largecircle. 2-3 Example 30 0.06
.largecircle. .largecircle. 2-4 Example 60 0.10 .largecircle.
.largecircle. 2-5 Example 12 0.10 .largecircle. .largecircle. 2-6
Example 300 0.22 X .largecircle. 2-7
[0055] From the evaluation results shown in Table 1, in the case
that a coating of thickness more than 0.2 .mu.m is formed on the
cut surfaces, the lustrousness of the coating formed through the
electrolytic plating is lost, and hence the decorativeness drops.
It is theorized that this trend caused by leaching of Cu and Zn
components in the Cu--Sn--Zn alloy coating formed through the
electrolytic plating, into the electroless plating bath, and by
replacing such component with the Sn in the bath.
[0056] It is presumed that this replacement occurs even in the case
that the thickness of the coating formed through the electroless
plating on the cut surfaces is low. But, the greater the amount of
replacement the more the lustrousness of the coating formed through
the electrolytic plating is lost, and hence once the thickness of
the coating formed through the electroless plating on the cut
surfaces reaches about 0.2 .mu.m, the effect of the less
lustrousness becomes more apparent in terms of the external
appearance.
[0057] From the above results, to keep the lustrousness, it is
necessary to make the thickness of the coating formed on the cut
surfaces through the electroless plating not more than 0.2
.mu.m.
EXAMPLE 3
[0058] Continuous wires were formed as in Example 1 using brass
having a composition of Cu.sub.70Zn.sub.30 by mass % as a raw
material, and the continuous deformed wires and the continuous
rectangular wire were formed from these continuous wires. Then, as
in Example 1, the wires were electrolytically plated and then
subjected to several types of cold working to manufacture a slide
fastener. Next, the slide fastener was electroless plated to
produce the final product. The slide fastener obtained in the
present Example showed a high surface whiteness, and in terms of
the external appearance, it had excellent decorativeness and
lustrousness. Moreover, because neither the base material nor the
coatings contained Ni, there was no nickel allergy problem.
Furthermore, when detecting for broken needles using a needle
detector, the detector never malfunctioned.
EXAMPLE 4
[0059] Continuous wires were produced in the same way as Example 1
using an alloy having a composition of Cu.sub.73Zn.sub.15Mn.sub.12
by mass % as a raw material, and the continuous deformed wires and
the continuous rectangular wire were formed from these continuous
wires. As in Example 1, the wires were electrolytically plated and
then subjected to several cold workings to produce a slide
fastener. Then, the slide fastener was electroless-plated, thus
obtaining the final product. The slide fastener obtained in the
present Example had a high surface whiteness, and the external
appearance displayed excellent decorativeness and lustrousness.
Moreover, there was no nickel allergy problem because neither the
base material nor the coatings contained Ni.
[0060] According to the present invention, by the combination of
electrolytic plating and electroless plating, it is possible to
obtain an attachment having constituent members and serving as a
slide fastener, for which the decorativeness is high and there are
no problems in terms of functionality or product quality such as
corrosion resistance. Moreover, by using materials that do not
contain Ni as a base material and the coating materials, there is
no nickel allergy problem. And moreover, if ferromagnetic elements
are not used then an effect can be achieved whereby there will be
no malfunctioning of a needle detector when detecting for broken
needles using the detector.
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