U.S. patent application number 14/771903 was filed with the patent office on 2016-01-14 for zip fastener.
This patent application is currently assigned to J & P COATS LIMITED. The applicant listed for this patent is J & P COATS LIMITED. Invention is credited to Luca CORDOVADO, Steven SMITH.
Application Number | 20160007694 14/771903 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50490814 |
Filed Date | 2016-01-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160007694 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SMITH; Steven ; et
al. |
January 14, 2016 |
ZIP FASTENER
Abstract
A zip slider comprises: a body (200) having two channels through
which opposing rows of zip teeth may be respectively fed into a
single channel in which the zip teeth are forced into
interdigitation; upper and lower jaw members (114, 140) mounted on
the body (200) and defining a slot between them; a biasing member
(180), pivotally mounted on the body (200), and being pivotable in
a first direction between a rest position and a deflected position,
wherein pivoting of the biasing member (180) out of the rest
position permits insertion of a loop of a pull tab into the jaws
(114, 140) and, in the rest position, the biasing member (180)
prohibits removal of the pull tab from the jaws (114, 140).
Inventors: |
SMITH; Steven; (Durham,
GB) ; CORDOVADO; Luca; (Sedegliano, IT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
J & P COATS LIMITED |
Uxbridge |
|
GB |
|
|
Assignee: |
J & P COATS LIMITED
Uxbridge
GB
|
Family ID: |
50490814 |
Appl. No.: |
14/771903 |
Filed: |
March 3, 2014 |
PCT Filed: |
March 3, 2014 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2014/000075 |
371 Date: |
September 1, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/418 ;
24/429 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A44B 19/306 20130101;
A44B 19/262 20130101; A44B 19/303 20130101; A44B 19/26 20130101;
A44B 19/308 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A44B 19/30 20060101
A44B019/30; A44B 19/26 20060101 A44B019/26 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 1, 2013 |
GB |
1303719.7 |
Feb 4, 2014 |
GB |
1401876.6 |
Claims
1. A zip slider comprising: a body having two channels through
which opposing rows of zip teeth may be respectively fed into a
single channel in which the zip teeth are forced into
interdigitation; upper and lower jaw members mounted on the body
and defining a slot between them; a biasing member, pivotally
mounted on the body, and being pivotable in a first direction
between a rest position and a deflected position, wherein pivoting
of the biasing member out of the rest position permits insertion of
a loop of a pull tab into to the jaws and, in the rest position,
the biasing member prohibits removal of the pull tab from the
jaws.
2. A zip slider according to claim 1 wherein the biasing member is
a wire spring, pivotally mounted upon one of the jaw members.
3. A zip slider according to claim 2 wherein the wire spring is
formed as a loop having a pair of limbs whose ends are pivotally
engaged with the one of the jaw members.
4. A zip slider according to claim 3 wherein the wire of the loop
is formed with its limbs mutually offset thereby to provide pivotal
biasing action of the loop relative the body when the limbs are
brought into register with each other.
5. A zip slider according to claim 2 wherein each limb comprises a
spigot at its end and the biasing member is mounted on the body by
engagement of the spigots in apertures within the body.
6. A zip slider according to claim 2 wherein the limbs are of equal
length.
7. A zip slider according to claim 2 wherein the limbs are of
differing lengths.
8. A zip slider according to claim 1 wherein, in the rest position,
the biasing member bears against the body.
9. A zip slider according to claim 1 further comprising a locking
member, mounted to the body and having a prong which may
retractably project through an aperture in the body and thereby
engage the inter-digitated zip teeth.
10. A zip slider according to claim 9 wherein the biasing member
bears against the locking member thereby to bias the prong into
engagement with the zip teeth.
11. A zip slider according to claim 9 wherein the locking member is
pivotally mounted on the body and pivoting of the locking member
enables projection of the prong into and retraction of the prong
from the aperture.
12. A zip slider according to claim 10 wherein the biasing member
is a wire spring, pivotally mounted on one of the jaw members and
bearing against the locking member at a point of the wire spring
remote from the pivot.
13. A zip slider according to claim 1 wherein the biasing member is
pivotally mounted on the upper jaw member.
14. A zip slider according to any one of claim 9 wherein the
locking member is pivotally mounted on the lower jaw member.
15. A zip slider according to claim 1 wherein zip teeth pass
through the channel in a first direction, thereby to define a
vertical axis orthogonal to the first direction, and the biasing
member has a surface which is deflectable upon pivoting from the
rest position to increase the angle of the surface relative to the
vertical.
16. A zip slider according to claim 10 wherein the loop bears
against the locking member.
Description
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a zip fastener, and more
particularly to a zip slider.
[0003] Typically, a zip comprises two rows of mutually-opposing
teeth. The fastening action of the zip is achieved by
interdigitating the teeth of opposing rows with each other, thereby
causing the rows to knit together along their lengths. This
interdigitation is achieved by means of a zip slider. Motion of the
zip slider is guided along the length of the teeth by virtue of its
engagement with the teeth. Simultaneously, the zip slider comprises
a pair of channels through which opposing teeth pass when the
slider is moved along the length of the zip; and it is by means of
these channels that the teeth are forced into mutual engagement
(or, in the case of un-zipping by reversing the motion of the
slider relative to the teeth, disengagement) as the slider moves.
Motion of the zip slider is most usually powered manually. To
facilitate this, a pull tab is typically pivotally mounted on the
slider to enable easy gripping of the slider.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] The present invention relates to a zip slider which
comprises a detachable pull tab. Detachable pull tabs, that is to
say pull tabs which may be applied to the zip slider after
manufacture of the zip (and, where required, a garment in which the
zip has been incorporated) are known per se. For example, EP
1987730, JP2131704 and GB 2165583 both show zip sliders with
detachable pull tabs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention provides alternative forms of zip
slider.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a zip slider according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a cutaway perspective view of the slider shown in
FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the slider shown in FIGS. 1 and
2;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a section on A-A in FIG. 3;
[0011] FIG. 5 is a cutaway perspective view of a zip slider
according to an embodiment of the present invention with a pull tab
attached;
[0012] FIG. 6 is a side view of the slider shown in FIG. 5;
[0013] FIG. 7 is a perspective side view of a zip slider body
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 8 is a perspective side view of the zip slider body of
FIG. 7 from the opposite side;
[0015] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the zip slider of
FIGS. 7 and 8 in conjunction with additional components to provide
locking and retention of a pull tab;
[0016] FIG. 10 is a section through the slider of FIG. 9;
[0017] FIG. 11 is an assembled perspective view of a modified
version of the slider of FIGS. 7 to 10;
[0018] FIG. 12 is a section through shown the zip slider of FIG.
11; and
[0019] FIG. 13 is a perspective side view of a further embodiment
of zip slider according to the present invention which does not
incorporate any locking mechanism.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 4, a slider comprises a body 10
having a base part 12 made of two mutually opposing plates 14, 16
which, in common with a standard zip slider, are formed to create
two angled entry channels 18 into which the teeth of the two
opposing parts of an unfastened zip (not shown) are fed. The entry
channels feed into a single mating channel 20 and, as the slider is
moved along the zip the forces applied to the zip teeth by the side
walls 22 of the plates 14 urge the teeth to interdigitate thereby
to knit together and cause the zip to fasten when the zip slider is
moved relative to the zip in the direction of arrow F in FIG. 4 or,
when moved in the opposite direction, to disengage and cause the
zip to unfasten. Referring additionally to FIGS. 5 and 6, movement
of the slider relative to the zip teeth is actuated by means of a
pull tab 100.
[0021] To provide for connection of the pull tab 100 to the slider
body 10, the slider has an upper body 40 (sometimes referred to as
a `bridge`) mounted on the base 12 of the slider which, in
conjunction with the upper plate 14 of the base 12 forms a pair of
jaws 50 into which a window section 110 of the pull tab 30 may be
inserted and by means of which the pull tab 100 may be retained on
the slider 10. In the design of the present embodiment enables the
upper body 40 to be cast solidly with the other elements of the
slider body, unlike existing locking sliders which are are formed
from several pieces. The upper body 40 retains a locking member 60
which comprises a prong 62 that projects through an aperture 70 in
the upper plate 14 and into the mating channel 20. In this way the
prong 62 thereby is able to bear against the knitted teeth of the
zip in the mating channel to provide a force to retain the slider
in position relative to the zip. The locking member 60 is movable
relative to the upper body 40 to provide for projection of the
prong 62 into the mating channel 20 and retraction of the pawl out
of the mating channel 20. In the present embodiment the locking
member 60 is mounted on the upper body for pivoting motion relative
to the upper body 40 about its point of contact 64 and by virtue of
a clearance 66.
[0022] The prong is biased into a position where it projects into
the mating channel 20 (and thereby into a position of engagement
with the knitted zip teeth) by means of a biasing spring, which in
the present embodiment is provided by a wire loop spring 80 having
two limbs 82 which extend from a loop 84 at its base, which sits in
a slot 67 formed in the locking member 60. The loop spring 80
further has two spigots 86 which project outwardly from the upper
ends of the limbs 82 and which extend into apertures 88 in the
upper body 40 thereby to locate the spring in the upper body 40 in
a manner permitting pivotal motion of the loop 84 at its lower
extent relative to the upper body 40. The spring is formed in such
a manner that, when in its relaxed state, the limbs 82 of the
spring extend at different angles from the loop 84 which, in turn,
means that the two spigots 82 are offset relative to each other.
Because, by contrast, the apertures 88 in the upper body lie in
register with each other, when the spigots 86 are located in the
apertures 88, the tendency of the wire spring to seek to adopt its
relaxed configuration therefore has the effect of biasing the loop
84 of the spring to rotate anti-clockwise (as viewed in FIG. 4)
about the points of engagement of the spigots 86 with the apertures
88. This rotational biasing of the loop 84 causes it to bear
against the slot 67 in the prong and bias the pawl 62 to pivot and
thereby project further through the aperture 70. Conversely, the
engagement of the loop 84 against the slot 67 defines what is
effectively a rest position for the spring 80, when no external
forces act on it.
[0023] In addition to biasing the prong of the locking member into
the aperture 70, the wire loop spring 80 performs the further
function of retaining the pull tab 100 in engagement within the
jaws 50. Referring additionally to FIGS. 5 and 6, the pull tab 100
has a window section 110 at one end which terminates in a
substantially cylindrical bar 112. To connect the pull tab 100 to
the slider the bar 112 of the window section 110 is inserted
between the jaws 50. As it is inserted, the bar 112 first comes
into contact with the limbs 82 of the loop spring, the surfaces of
which are angled relative to the vertical as a result firstly of
the rotational biasing action of the loop spring 80 and secondly
engagement of the loop 84 in the slot 67 which therefore prevents
further rotation of the limbs 82 and loop 84. Further force applied
to the pull tab 100 after it has come into contact with the limbs
82 of the wire spring 80 will act to cause the limbs 82 and loop 84
of the spring 80 to pivot in a clockwise direction (as viewed in
FIG. 4) and thereby continue to permit insertion of the bar 112
into the jaws. This pivoting of the limbs 82 and loop 84 will
continue until the bar 112 is inserted to a point where it passes
beyond the loop 84, whereupon the bar 112 will no longer bear
against either the limbs 82 or the loop 84 of the wire spring 80
and so the biasing action of the spring 80 will cause it to return
to its rest position bearing against the slot 67. However, because
the bar 112 now lies within the jaws and has passed beyond the wire
spring 80, when the spring is in its rest position, the limbs 82 of
the wire spring now operate to prevent the bar 112 from being
removed from the jaws 50, since motion of the bar 112 in the
reverse direction will merely urge the limbs 82 to push the loop 84
more forcefully into engagement with the slot 67. Since the locking
member 60 has only a limited capacity for movement in the reverse
direction before it comes into contact with an abutting surface 74
on the upper plate 14, motion of the limbs 82 in the anti-clockwise
direction is therefore limited, with the result that the limbs 82
therefore act to retain the pull tab 100 in engagement with the
body 10 of the slider.
[0024] The pull tab 100 is therefore now securely retained in the
jaws 50 so that pulling forces applied to the pull tab 100 by a
user will cause the entire body 10 of the slider to move relative
to the zip teeth and, thereby fasten or unfasten the zip. It will
be noted that the locking member 60 further comprises a recess 68.
A fastening force, applied in the direction of arrow F, will cause
the bar to bear against the groin 68A of the recess and this will
have the effect, to some extent, of counteracting the biasing force
applied by the wire spring 80 urging the pawl 62 into engagement
with the zip teeth thereby enabling easier motion of the zip slider
to fasten the zip. Conversely, an unfastening force applied by the
pull tab 100 will initially cause the bar 112 to bear against the
limbs 82 which will, in turn, urge the pawl 62 to bear more
forcefully against the zip teeth and thereby act to prevent motion
of the slider body 10 to unfasten the zip. However, as the
unfastening force applied to the pull tab 100 increases, the bar
112 will be urged upwards by the angle of the limbs 82, and will
then engage the upper limb 69 of the locking member. This will then
have the effect of causing the prong 62 to lift away from the teeth
so that further force applied by the pull tab 100, via the bar 112
will then unfasten the zip.
[0025] Removal of the pull tab may be undertaken, if desired, by
inserting a suitable tool into the jaws 50 to displace the limbs 82
in a clockwise direction to a sufficient extent that the bar 112
may then pass back beyond the loop 84. This is a preferred method
since it then enables easy re-insertion. Alternatively, the spigots
of the wire spring.
[0026] In a modification of the embodiments described above, the
zip slider is a non-locking zip slider and, accordingly, there is
no mechanism to lock the zip teeth in place relative to the slider
body. One embodiment of such a modification would simply be for the
locking member 60 not to incorporate a prong 62 that projects onto
the zip teeth. Another embodiment would be for the upper plate of
the body to be formed such that a suitable slot is formed within
it, having a similar shape to that of the slot 67 in the locking
member.
[0027] Further, alternative embodiments of the present invention
will now be described which include alternative spring
configurations whereby no forces applied during movement of the
slider can be applied to the locking prong.
[0028] Referring now to FIGS. 7 to 10, a slider comprises a body
200 having a base part 112 made of two mutually opposing upper and
lower plates 114, 116 which, in conjunction with side walls 122,
depending downwardly from the edges of the upper plate 114, are
formed to create two angled entry channels which open onto the end
118 of the slider and into which the zip teeth (not shown) of the
two opposing parts of an unfastened zip (not shown) are fed. The
entry channels feed into a single mating channel which opens onto
end 120. As the slider is moved along the zip in the direction of
arrow F, the forces applied to the zip teeth by the side walls 122
urge the teeth to interdigitate and knit together, fastening the
zip; the fastened zip exiting the slider via the mating channel at
end 120. Movement of the slider relative to the zip teeth is
actuated by means of a pull tab not shown.
[0029] To provide for connection of a pull tab to the slider body
200, the slider has an upper body 140 (sometimes referred to as a
`bridge`) mounted on the base of the slider which, in conjunction
with the upper surface of the upper plate 114 of the base forms a
pair of jaws into which a window section of the pull tab may be
inserted and by means of which the pull tab may be retained on the
slider. In the design of the present embodiment enables the upper
body 140 to be cast solidly with the other elements of the slider
body, unlike existing locking sliders which are formed from several
pieces.
[0030] Typically, a zip slider will include a mechanism which
operates to lock the position of the slider relative to the zip
teeth. Usually, this is a prong located on the zip slider and which
projects into the mating channel to bear against the upper surface
of the interdigitated zip teeth and, by virtue of that engagement,
prohibit the relative motion of the slider and teeth. Evidently,
any locking prong is desirably disengagable from the zip teeth in
order to facilitate relative motion of the slider and zip teeth. In
the present embodiment a locking prong 160 is provided at one end
of an elongate, folded leaf spring 162. The leaf spring is folded
in such a manner as to create two functional elements: a locking
element 164 which is configured in a G shaped configuration with
the locking prong 160 as the downward facing tail of the G; and a C
shaped biasing element 166 from the lower part of which the locking
element 164 depends. In use, the biasing element 166 urges the
locking prong 160 of the locking element 164 downwardly and into
engagement with the interdigitated zip teeth. The leaf spring 162
is retained on the upper body 140 by means of an end cap 142 which
can be clipped into place after insertion of the leaf spring
162.
[0031] As with the previous embodiment, a pull tab (not shown) is
retained within the jaws by means of a wire loop spring 180. The
loop spring has two limbs 182 which extend from a loop 184 at its
base 186. The loop spring 180 further has two spigots 188 which
project outwardly from the upper ends of the limbs 182 and which
extend into apertures 190 in the upper body 140 thereby to locate
the spring in the upper body 114 in a manner permitting pivotal
motion of the loop 184 at its lower extent relative to the upper
body 114. The spring 180 is formed in such a manner that, when in
its relaxed state, the limbs 182 of the spring extend at different
angles from the loop 184 which, in turn, means that the two spigots
188 are offset relative to each other. Because, by contrast, the
apertures 190 in the upper body 114 are positioned such that, when
the spigots 186 are located in the apertures 190 the limbs 182 lie
in register with each other or, in other words, are mutually
aligned, the tendency of the wire spring 180 to seek to adopt its
most relaxed configuration therefore has the effect of biasing the
loop 184 of the spring 180 to rotate clockwise (as viewed in FIG.
13; anti clockwise in FIGS. 8 and 9) about the points of engagement
of the spigots 188 with the apertures 190. This rotational biasing
of the loop 184 causes it to bear against an abutting surface 200
(seen in FIG. 13) on the body of the slider. Connection of a pull
tab therefore involves inserting the end of the pull tab between
the jaws formed by the bridge 140 and upper surface of the body
114. This motion causes the pull tab to bear against the limbs 182
of the loop spring 180, the facing surfaces of which are angled
relative to the vertical as a result firstly of the rotational
biasing action of the loop spring 180 and secondly engagement of
the loop 184 with the surface 200 and, against the natural biasing
action of the spring 180 arising as a result of the offset limbs
182, causes them and the loop 184 to rotate anti-clockwise in FIG.
13 (clockwise in FIGS. 2 and 3). Continuing force applied to the
pull will cause the limbs 182 and loop 184 of the spring 180 to
pivot until the bar of the pull tab is inserted to a point where it
passes beyond the loop 184. Once the bar of the pull tab is clear
of the loop 184, the biasing action of the spring 180 will cause
the limbs 182 and loop 184 to snap back into abutment with the
surface 200. Because the bar of the pull tab now lies within the
jaws and has passed beyond the wire spring 180, when the spring is
in its rest position, motion of the bar in the reverse direction
will merely urge the limbs 182 to push the loop 184 more forcefully
into engagement with the surface 200 with the result that the limbs
182 of the loop spring 180 now operate to prevent the pull tab from
being removed from the jaws.
[0032] In order to move relative to the zip teeth, the locking
prong 160 must be disengaged from the zip teeth. This occurs as a
result of the pulling action of the pull tab during unzipping. The
action which is to be described can more readily be appreciated
when viewing the section of FIG. 10. Pulling of the pull tab
perfectly horizontally against the loop spring causes it first to
bear against the angled limbs 182 of the locking spring 180
whereupon it will ride up the angled surfaces of the limbs 182 and
bear upwardly against the upper surface of the locking element 164.
That upward force acts against the downward biasing action of the
biasing element 166 to cause upward, disengaging motion of the
locking element 164 thereby bringing the locking prong 160 out of
engagement with the interdigitated zip teeth (not shown) which, in
turn then permits movement of the zip slider body. In practice,
because users almost always pull a zip slider from a point somewhat
outwardly displaced from the zip, almost all forces applied by the
pull tab on the slider body will additionally involve some upward
component. When the zip slider is pull with such an additional
upward component, the result is a yet greater disengaging force
applied to the locking element 164 and against the action of the
biasing element 166.
[0033] A feature of the present embodiment is that the loop 184 of
the spring 180 bears against an abutting surface 200 on the slider
body and therefore no forces applied to the loop spring can cause
any increase in force applied to the locking prong.
[0034] Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, a modification of the
embodiment of FIGS. 7 to 10 is now illustrated. In addition, the
angle of illustration of this modification enables the mating
channel indicated by reference numeral 120M to be more clearly seen
as well as one of the entry channels 118E a modification, the
locking element 164 and biasing element 166 are two separate
structures. The locking element 164 is formed as a relatively rigid
monolithic metal structure (typically die cast from aluminium) and
the biasing element is a leaf spring 166 which bears against a hook
168 in the rear of the locking element 164 and downwardly against a
shoulder 169 in the upper surface of the locking element 164 to
urge the locking prong 160 into engagement with the interdigitated
teeth. Disengagement of the locking prong 160 occurs in precisely
the same way as a result of the same mechanism as described
previously in connection with FIGS. 7 to 10.
[0035] Referring now to FIG. 13, in yet a further modification, a
zip slider is provided without any locking capability. The zip
slider of this embodiment therefore merely includes the loop spring
180 to retain the pull tab.
[0036] In each of the foregoing embodiments, removal of the pull
tab may be undertaken, if desired, by inserting a suitable tool
into the jaws to displace the limbs 182 to a sufficient extent that
the bar of the pull tab may then pass back beyond the loop 184
whereupon the pull tab may be removed. This is a preferred method
since it then enables easy re-insertion.
[0037] The embodiments of the present invention described above
therefore provide the ability to latch a pull tab onto the slider
yet with a simple and low-cost construction. The ability to attach
a pull tab to a slider in this way is advantageous for a number of
reasons. It enables manufacturers to use different designs of pull
tab in dependence upon the style of garment in which the zip is to
be used, without having to purchase different zips in order to do
so. Further, it permits the entire construction of the garment,
including stitching and dyeing to be completed before attaching the
pull tab, thereby minimising the risk of damage to the garment or
zip slider as a result of the need to subject the zip with a pull
tab attached to the rigours of those processes.
[0038] The various modifications to embodiments disclosed herein
are not limited in their applicability to the embodiment in
connection with which they were first described and, unless
specifically stated otherwise, any modification is equally
applicable to all other embodiments described herein.
* * * * *