Waterproof slide fastener

Abstract

A waterproof slide fastener comprising: a pair of fastener stringers in which a plurality of fastener elements are arranged in line by molding integrally along opposing element attaching edge portions of a pair of waterproof fastener tapes, in which a belt shaped core material composed of a woven fabric, knitted fabric or unwoven fabric is covered with a waterproof layer; and a slider for engaging and disengaging the fastener elements, wherein the waterproof layer is composed of a polyurethane elastomer and the fastener elements are composed of a polymer alloy of polyurethane resin and ABS resin, thereby providing the waterproof slide fastener in which its fastener tape has an excellent adhesion characteristic to an attachment object such as the one covered with urethane coating, an excellent bending characteristic, a high fixing strength between the fastener tape and the fastener elements an excellent engaging strength and water-tightness.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a waterproof slide fastener in which a slider is inserted through a pair of fastener stringers each provided with a plurality of synthetic resin fastener elements by integrally molding on each element attaching edge portion of the waterproof fastener tape produced by covering a woven or knitted belt shaped core material with a waterproof layer.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]This kind of the waterproof slide fastener has a pair of right and left fastener tapes. Each fastener tape contains a belt body woven or knitted with a fiber yarn or a belt-like unwoven fabric as its core material, and both front and rear faces of the core material are covered with a waterproof layer composed of an elastomer. With side edge portions opposing each other of the pair of fattener tapes serving as element attaching edge portions, fastener elements made of synthetic resin are integrally molded...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]Accordingly, the present invention has been achieved in views of the above-described problems, and an object of the invention is to provide a waterproof slide fastener in which its fastener tape has an excellent adhesion characteristic to an attachment object such as the one covered with urethane coating, an excellent bending characteristic, and a high fixing strength between the fastener tape and a fastener element, the waterproof slide fastener further having an excellent engaging strength and water-tightness.

[0021]Next, to solve the aforementioned inconvenience in case of using polyurethane resin for the material of the fastener element, further experiments and considerations were accumulated about the material. As a result, it has been found that because the ABS resin has a good affinity with polyurethane resin and excellent moldability, use of a polymer alloy of polyurethane resin and ABS resin as the material of the fastener element improves apparently the moldability of the fastener element and intensifies the stiffness of the fastener element, thereby reaching completeness of the present invention.

[0022]That is, if the waterproof layer to be formed in the fastener tape is made of a polyurethane elastomer and the fastener element to be molded integrally on the fastener tape is a waterproof slide fastener composed of a polymer alloy of polyurethane resin and ABS resin, the properties of the respective materials can be exerted. Consequently, the fastener tape has an excellent adhesive characteristic to an attachment object such as the one covered with urethane coating and an excellent abrasion resistance. Further, the moldability and stiffness of the fastener element are excellent and fixing strength between the fastener tape and the fastener element is raised.

[0023]Thus, the waterproof slide fastener of the present invention has an excellent adhesive characteristic to an attachment object made of polyurethane base synthetic resin because it is easy to be molded and the surface of the fastener tape is covered with a polyurethane elastomer. Thus, the waterproof slide fastener is preferably applicable to the attachment object composed of polyurethane base. The waterproof slide fastener of the present invention is excellent in flexibility, abrasion resistance, engaging strength and water-tightness of its tape.

[0024]Furthermore, the inventors also considered the ratio between the polyurethane resin and the ABS resin in the polymer alloy which constitutes the fastener element in order to improve the function of the waterproof slide fastener. As a result, when the ratio between the polyurethane resin and the ABS resin (polyurethane resin / ABS resin) in the waterproof slide fastener of the invention is 20 / 80 to 50 / 50 in terms of weight ratio, the moldability, strength and stiffness of the fastener element are further improved. Accordingly, the waterproof slide fastener of the invention excels in the traverse pulling resistance and the like, thereby securing high quality. The effects which the present invention exerts are considerably great.

Problems solved by technology

However, although the thermoplastic polyester elastomer for covering the fastener tape is excellent in strength and molding processability, its adhesion characteristic to the attachment object composed of polyurethane base is poor.

For this reason, a fastener tape having a waterproof layer composed of a thermoplastic polyester elastomer cannot be bonded to a polyurethane base material or polyurethane coated material easily.

In particular, when an attempt is made to attach a waterproof slide fastener having the waterproof layer formed of a polyester elastomer to an attachment object composed of polyurethane base, high frequency fusion which is ordinarily used cannot be adopted, and instead, sewing or adhesive agent is needed, so that work requiring time and labor is necessary.

Further, a polyester elastomer is poor in plasticity as an elastomer.

Thus, a fastener tape covered with a polyester elastomer tends to be relatively hard, so that flexibility at the time of bending the tape into a U shape or twisting it through its front and rear faces is low.

Therefore, when a waterproof slide fastener in which its waterproof layer is formed of a polyester elastomer is attached to an attachment object such as a wet suit, an attachment portion of the waterproof slide fastener becomes hard.

As a consequence, a user feels it difficult to wear or put out the attachment object, and wear comfort when he / she wears it may lower.

This possibly lowers the engaging strength and water tightness of the waterproof slide fastener.

Further, the fastener element may rotate around the connecting portion, so that right and left element rows cannot be engaged with each other properly.

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