Invisible zipper

Abstract

Even when a large horizontal pulling force is applied to the rear end portions of the left and right belts of the invisible zipper, the insert rod is prevented from being detached from the seat portion. The invisible zipper comprises: a pair of belts (6) bent into a U-shape with the left and right side edges facing each other up and down; a pair of chain tooth rows (7) respectively fixed to the lower surface sides of the pair of belts bent into the U-shape; and an open tail piece (4) comprising an insert rod (10) and a seat portion (11) respectively fixed to the rear end portions of the pair of belts. The insert rod comprises: an insert rod body (12) fixed to the belt (6) and extending forward and backward at the rear of the chain tooth row; and teeth (17) engaged with the chain teeth (7a) at the rear end of the chain tooth row, and protruding from the insert rod body and extending forward. The seat portion comprises a storage portion (29) for storing the rear portion of the insert rod body in a manner that the rear portion of the insert rod body can be inserted and removed in the front-back direction. The teeth are held in a disengaged position relative to the upper and lower legs when the splitter is normally closed, and project between the upper and lower legs when a transverse pulling force is applied to the splitter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a concealed zipper, in particular to a part that prevents an insert rod of an open tail piece from being separated from a seat. Background Art

[0002] An invisible zipper refers to a zipper in which the left and right chain element rows are arranged on the back side (lower side) relative to the left and right belts, and when the left and right chain element rows are engaged, the chain element rows are hidden by the belt when viewed from the surface side (upper surface side). In more detail, the invisible zipper adopts the following structure: the relative side edges of the left and right belts are folded back to the back side (lower surface side) in a U-shape, and chain element rows are fixed to the back side of the folded-back portions on the left and right. In addition, the left and right chain element rows are opened and closed (engaged and disengaged) due to the forward and backward movement of the slider. As an example of such an invisible zipper, there is an example in which an open tail piece is fixed to the rear end portion (the end portion of the open side) of the left and right belts (Patent Document 1). Incidentally, a component having a belt and a chain element row is referred to as a chain element belt.

[0003] The tailpiece is a component that connects the left and right fastener tapes when they are closed (the left and right fastener rows are meshed), and disconnects the left and right tapes when they are opened (the left and right fastener rows are disengaged and the tapes are further separated and opened). More specifically, the tailpiece includes an insert that is fixed to one tape at the end on the side where the left and right fastener tapes are opened, and a seat that is fixed to the other tape and allows the rear end of the insert to be inserted and removed.

[0004] On the back side (lower side) of the front surface (the surface facing the element row) of the plunger, an element engaging portion is provided as a tooth that meshes with the element at the rear end of the element row (Patent Document 1 (refer to Figure 8 The teeth are set to at least twice the gap between the elements. The definition of this gap is not explicitly disclosed, but it is believed to be the distance between the upper and lower legs. Furthermore, by setting the gap to at least twice this distance, the teeth reliably engage with the engaging head of the element at the rear end of the element row.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2014 / 192106 Summary of the Invention

[0008] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0009] However, sometimes, a force in the left and right direction (hereinafter referred to as a lateral pulling force) is applied to the rear end of a pair of tooth strips, such as separating a pair of tooth strips. If this lateral pulling force becomes larger, the engagement between the teeth and the meshing head may be disengaged, the insert rod may be disengaged from the seat, and the meshing of the pair of tooth strips may be forcibly separated.

[0010] The present invention is made in consideration of the above-mentioned actual situation and prevents the insert pin from being separated from the seat even when a large lateral pulling force is applied to the rear end portions of the left and right fastener tapes of the concealed slide fastener.

[0011] Solutions for solving problems

[0012] When the insert rod is disengaged from the seat, it moves forward relative to the seat. The inventors noted that in concealed zippers, when a significant lateral pulling force is applied to the rear ends of a pair of element tapes, the insert rod not only moves forward but also rotates slightly while still stored in the seat. They then considered whether this rotation, during which the teeth enter between the upper and lower legs of the rearmost element, would prevent the insert rod from disengaging from the seat. This led them to the present invention.

[0013] The invisible zipper of the present invention comprises: a pair of belts, which are opposite to each other on the left and right, and are bent into a U shape in a manner that the opposite side edges are opposite to each other up and down; a pair of chain element rows, which are respectively fixed to the lower surface sides of the opposite side edges of the pair of belts, and are composed of a plurality of chain elements continuous in the front-to-back direction; an open tail piece, which includes: an insert, which is fixed to the opposite side edges at the rear end portion of one belt; and a seat, which is fixed to the opposite side edges at the rear end portion of the other belt.

[0014] The fastener element comprises an upper leg and a lower leg that face each other vertically and extend horizontally; and an engaging head that can engage and disengage with another fastener element and connects the upper and lower legs. The plunger comprises an plunger body that is fixed to opposite side edges of one belt and extends forward and backward behind the element row; and a tooth that engages with the rear end element in the element row on the other belt side and protrudes from the plunger body and extends forward.

[0015] The seat portion includes: a belt fixing portion, which is fixed to the opposite side edge portion of the other belt and extends front and back behind the chain tooth row; and a storage portion, which protrudes laterally from the belt fixing portion and stores the rear portion of the insert rod body in a manner that the rear portion of the insert rod body can be inserted and removed in the front and back directions.

[0016] The invisible slide fastener of the present invention has the above-mentioned specific technical features as its prerequisite.

[0017] Furthermore, in the invisible zipper of the present invention, the teeth remain in a disengaged position relative to the upper leg and the lower leg when the tail piece is normally closed, and protrude between the upper leg and the lower leg when a lateral pulling force is applied to the tail piece.

[0018] In the normal case when the tail piece is closed and when a lateral pulling force is applied to the tail piece, the teeth can be displaced relative to the position between the upper leg and the lower leg as described above. As a more specific structure, the following structure is desirable.

[0019] That is, the front part of the tooth is set to a thickness in the vertical direction that can be fitted between the upper leg and the lower leg, and the upper and lower positions are set to a position behind and adjacent to the lower leg of the rear end chain tooth when the tail piece is normally closed.

[0020] It is desirable that the teeth be thin so as to be easily inserted between the lower leg and the upper leg of the fastener element. However, in order to prevent the teeth from breaking even when a lateral pulling force is applied, it is desirable as follows.

[0021] Specifically, the tooth includes a base protruding laterally from the other side of the plunger body on the belt side, and a tooth body extending forward from the front surface of the base and engaging with the fastener element. The base is thicker than the tooth body in the vertical direction.

[0022] The plunger includes a plunger body and teeth. Regardless of other structures, in order to facilitate the teeth to protrude between the upper leg and the lower leg when a lateral pulling force is applied, the following is desirable.

[0023] That is, the plunger includes: a plunger lower wall fixed to a lower piece of a belt; a plunger upper wall fixed to an upper piece of a belt and opposite to the plunger lower wall; and a plunger engaging wall fixed to an engaging piece of a belt and engaging the plunger lower wall and the plunger upper wall.

[0024] The storage portion includes an upper wall storage portion for storing the rear portion of the upper wall of the plunger so that the rear portion of the upper wall of the plunger can be inserted and removed in the front-back direction. The upper wall storage portion includes a pair of opposing walls facing left and right.

[0025] The rear portion of the opposing wall on one belt side faces the rear portion of the upper wall of the plunger accommodated in the upper wall accommodation portion and is inclined relative to the front-rear direction so as to face the other belt side as it faces rearward.

[0026] Regardless of whether the upper and lower legs of the chain element are vertically aligned, if the rear end of the upper leg is positioned rearward relative to the rear end of the lower leg, compared to a case where the rear end of the upper leg is positioned in front of the rear end of the lower leg, when a lateral pulling force is applied, the tooth body will hook onto the lower side of the upper leg due to a slight rotation of the inserter body, making it difficult for the inserter to disengage from the seat. Conversely, if the rear end of the upper leg is positioned in front of the rear end of the lower leg, it can be said that the inserter is more likely to disengage from the seat than if the rear end of the upper leg is positioned in back relative to the rear end of the lower leg. In such a case, i.e., if the rear end of the upper leg is positioned in front of the rear end of the lower leg, the method of tilting the rear portion of the opposing wall on one belt side relative to the front-to-back direction so as to face the other belt side as it faces the rear, as described above, is effective in making it difficult for the inserter to disengage from the seat.

[0027] Effects of the Invention

[0028] The invisible zipper of the present invention allows the teeth to remain in a disengaged position relative to the upper leg and the lower leg when the tail piece is normally closed, and to protrude between the upper leg and the lower leg when a transverse pulling force is applied to the tail piece, so that the plunger is difficult to disengage from the seat.

[0029] In addition, the invisible zipper of the present invention sets the upper and lower positions of the teeth to positions adjacent to the lower leg of the chain tooth behind the lower leg when the tail piece is normally closed. Therefore, when a large horizontal pulling force is applied to the left and right belts to the extent that the insert rod tends to detach from the seat, the insert rod rotates relative to the seat in the original state of being stored in the storage portion and shifts slightly to the upper leg side. At the same time, it shifts forward, and the teeth protrude between the upper leg and the lower leg of the chain tooth. Therefore, it is difficult to rotate further and the insert rod is difficult to detach from the seat.

[0030] In addition, in the invisible zipper, when the teeth are provided with a base and a tooth body, and the base is provided to be thicker than the tooth body in the up and down directions, the base is reliably fixed to the insert rod body, and when a lateral pulling force is applied, the base reliably bears the force applied to the tooth body that has protruded into the upper leg and the lower leg. Compared with the case where the base and the tooth body are provided with the same thickness in the up and down directions, the teeth are difficult to break and the insert rod is difficult to detach from the seat.

[0031] In addition, when the invisible zipper sets the shape of the insert pin to include an insert pin lower wall, an insert pin upper wall and an insert pin connecting wall, and an upper wall storage portion is provided in the storage portion of the seat, the rear portion of the relative wall on one belt side to which the insert pin is fixed is inclined relative to the front-to-back direction in a manner toward the other belt side as it moves toward the rear. Therefore, if a lateral pulling force is applied, the upper wall of the insert pin is guided forward along the inclination, and the teeth move forward accordingly, making it easy for the teeth to protrude between the upper leg and the lower leg.

[0032] In addition, as long as the rear part of the relative wall of the invisible zipper is tilted relative to the front-to-back direction, even if the rear end of the upper leg is arranged forward relative to the rear end of the lower leg, if a horizontal pulling force is applied, the upper wall of the insert rod will be guided forward along the tilt, so it is difficult for the insert rod to detach from the seat. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 It is a bottom view showing the tail fitting and its surrounding portion of the concealed slide fastener according to the first embodiment, and shows a state in which no lateral pulling force is applied to the tail fitting.

[0034] Figure 2 It is a bottom view showing the tail piece of the concealed slide fastener and its surrounding parts according to the first embodiment, and illustrates a state in which a lateral pulling force is applied to the rear end portion of the concealed slide fastener.

[0035] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of the section taken along line III-III.

[0036] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of the section taken along line IV-IV.

[0037] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of the section taken along line VV.

[0038] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of the section taken along line VI-VI.

[0039] Figure 7 (A) and (B) are drawings showing the tail piece as viewed from the front, wherein (A) shows a state where no lateral pulling force is applied to the tail piece, and (B) shows a state where the lateral pulling force is applied.

[0040] Figure 8 This is a top view of the tail piece of the invisible zipper and its surroundings, showing the state where no horizontal pulling force is applied to the tail piece.

[0041] Figure 9 This is a top view of the opening piece of an invisible zipper and its surroundings, showing the state where a horizontal pulling force is applied to the opening piece.

[0042] Figure 10 It is an exploded perspective view showing the tail opening.

[0043] Figure 11 It is a bottom view showing a state in which the plunger and the seat portion of the tail piece are separated.

[0044] Figure 12 (A) to (F) are a top view, a bottom view, a left side view, a right side view, a front view, and a rear view showing the seat portion.

[0045] Figure 13 (A) to (F) are a top view, a bottom view, a left side view, a right side view, a front view, and a rear view showing the plunger.

[0046] Figure 14 It is a top view showing the concealed slide fastener according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] like Figure 14 As shown, the invisible zipper of the first embodiment comprises: a pair of linker tapes 1, 1, which extend forward and backward and are opposite to each other left and right, and the pair of linker tapes 1, 1 are bent into a U shape with the front and back (up and down) of the opposite side edges facing each other; a slider 2, which can move forward and backward at the opposite side edges of the pair of linker tapes 1, 1, and open and close the pair of linker tapes 1, 1 on the back side (lower surface side); a pair of front stop codes 3, 3, which are respectively fixed to the front end portions of the pair of linker tapes 1, 1, and stop the movement of the slider 2 toward the front side; and an open tail piece 4, which is fixed to the rear end portions of the pair of linker tapes 1, 1, and separates (separates) or closes (connects) the rear end portions of the pair of linker tapes 1, 1 left and right, and stops the movement of the slider 2 toward the rear side.

[0048] The term "opposing side edge" refers to the right edge in the case of the left-side fastener tape 1 and the left edge in the case of the right-side fastener tape 1. Hereinafter, for convenience, in the left-right direction, the side of the fastener tape 1 opposite to the fastener tape 1 itself will sometimes be referred to as the "inner side," and the side opposite to the inner side will sometimes be referred to as the "outer side." The relationship between the inner side and the outer side is not limited to the fastener tape 1 but also applies to other elements.

[0049] For direction, Figures 1 to 14 In the figures, L represents left, R represents right, F represents front, B represents back, U represents up, and D represents down.

[0050] like Figure 5 、 6 As shown in Figures 1 and 14, a pair of link tooth tapes 1, 1 include: a pair of tapes 6, 6, which are opposite to each other on the left and right, and are bent into a U shape in a manner that the opposite side edges (inner edges) are opposite to each other up and down; a pair of link tooth rows 7, 7, which are respectively fixed to the lower surface side of the lower part (the lower piece 6d discussed later) in the inner edge part of the pair of tapes 6, 6; a pair of core wires 8, 8, which respectively pass through the interior of the pair of link tooth rows 7, 7 in a manner for the pair of link tooth rows 7, 7 to be wound around, and extend forward and backward; and reinforcement films 9, 9, which are respectively adhered to the upper and lower surfaces of the rear end part of each tape 6.

[0051] The belt 6 includes a belt-shaped portion 6a extending horizontally, and a bent portion 6b continuous with opposing side edges (inner edges) of the belt-shaped portion 6a and bent in a U-shape.

[0052] The U-shaped curved portion 6b (belt body 6s) opens outward in the left-right direction. The curved portion 6b comprises an upper piece 6c on the front (upper) side, extending inward from the belt-shaped portion 6a in the left-right direction; a lower piece 6d, facing the upper piece 6c from below; and a joining piece 6e, which joins the upper and lower pieces 6c and 6d. In other words, the curved portion 6b forms a U-shape with the upper piece 6c, the lower piece 6d, and the joining piece 6e. Furthermore, a core wire 8 is disposed below the lower piece 6d.

[0053] Reinforcing film 9 is affixed to both the front and back surfaces (top and bottom) of belt 6, based on its pre-bend state. More specifically, on the top surface of belt 6, reinforcing film 9 is affixed to the top surfaces of strip portion 6a and curved portion 6b (top sheet 6c), as well as the inner side and bottom surface of core wire 8. On the bottom surface of belt 6, reinforcing film 9 is affixed to the bottom surface of strip portion 6a but not to the bottom surface of curved portion 6b. Furthermore, reinforcing film 9 is thinner than belt 6 and harder than belt 6.

[0054] Chain tooth row 7 Figure 1 、 3 The monofilament shown here is a synthetic resin monofilament. The monofilament is three-dimensionally bent into a spiral or serrated shape. In addition, the monofilament is sometimes called a coil chain element or a serrated chain element corresponding to the bent shape. In addition, the monofilament is in a form wound around a core wire 8 extending in a straight line in the front-to-back direction. The loop wound around the core wire 8 in the chain element row 7 is the chain element 7a. Therefore, the chain element row 7 is composed of a plurality of chain elements 7a that are continuous in the front-to-back direction and are capable of engaging and separating with respect to the chain elements 7a of other relative chain element rows 7.

[0055] The fastener element 7a includes an upper leg portion 7b and a lower leg portion 7c that face each other vertically and extend horizontally, and an engaging head portion 7d that can engage and disengage with another fastener element 7a and connects the upper leg portion 7b and the lower leg portion 7c at their inner ends in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the fastener element 7a includes an engaging portion 7e that engages with a fastener element 7a that is continuous with the preceding or following element 7a.

[0056] The engaging portion 7e engages the upper leg 7b or lower leg 7c of the element 7a with the upper leg 7b or lower leg 7c of the element 7a that is continuous with the element 7a on the front or rear side on the side opposite to the engaging head 7d (outer side in the left-right direction).

[0057] In the case of coil elements, the engaging portion 7e engages the upper leg 7b of one of the two consecutive elements 7a and the lower leg 7c of the other element 7a. Furthermore, in the case of zigzag elements, the engaging portion 7e engages the upper leg 7b of the front element 7a and the upper leg 7b of the center element 7a among the three consecutive elements 7a, and engages the lower leg 7c of the center element 7a and the lower leg 7c of the rear element row 7.

[0058] The upper leg portion 7 b is fixed to the lower surface of the lower piece 6 d of the belt 6 .

[0059] The engaging head 7d is shaped to protrude forward and backward relative to the upper leg portion 7b and the lower leg portion 7c.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the lower leg portion 7c has a portion directly below and opposite to the upper leg portion 7b and a portion protruding forward relative to the upper leg portion 7b. In other words, the lower leg portion 7c is not directly opposite to the upper leg portion 7b, and the rear end of the lower leg portion 7c is located further back than the rear end of the upper leg portion 7b. Figure 3 When the element row 7 is cut vertically along the front-back direction as shown, the center C1 of the lower leg portion 7c is arranged rearward of the center C2 of the upper leg portion 7b.

[0061] The tail piece 4 is arranged on the rear side with respect to the left and right element rows 7 described above.

[0062] like Figure 14 As shown, the tail piece 4 includes: an insert 10, which is fixed to the rear end of the belt 6 on one side (hereinafter referred to as the "left side"); and a seat 11, which is fixed to the rear end of the belt 6 on the other side (hereinafter referred to as the "right side"), and accommodates the rear end of the insert 10 in a manner that the rear end of the insert 10 can be inserted and removed in the front-to-back direction. The insert 10 and the seat 11 are both continuous with the rear ends of different chain element rows 7. The insert 10 and the seat 11 are both made of resin, and are resin products formed by placing the belt 6, core wire 8, and reinforcement film 9 into a mold for the insert 10 and insert molding. Therefore, the belt 6, core wire 8, and reinforcement film 9 are buried in the insert 10 and the seat 11.

[0063] like Figure 1 、 Figures 5-7 、 Figure 10 、 Figure 11 、 Figure 13 As shown, the insert 10 comprises: an insert body 12, which is fixed to the inner edge of the left belt 6 in the left-right direction and extends forward and backward behind the left chain tooth row 7; and a tooth 17, which engages with the rear end chain tooth 7a in the right chain tooth row 7 and protrudes from the insert body 12 and extends forward.

[0064] The plunger body 12 is U-shaped when viewed from the front-back direction, and is fixed along the U-shape of the inner edge portion of the belt 6 in the left-right direction.

[0065] In addition, the insert rod body 12 includes: an insert rod lower wall 13, which is fixed to the lower piece 6d of the belt 6; an insert rod upper wall 14, which is fixed to the upper piece 6c of the belt 6 and is opposite to the insert rod lower wall 13; an insert rod joining wall 15, which is fixed to the joining piece 6e of the belt 6 and joins the insert rod lower wall 13 and the insert rod lower wall 13; and an insert rod extension wall 16, which extends from the front of the insert rod upper wall 14 toward the outside in the left-right direction of the strip portion 6a.

[0066] The plunger body 12 (plunger lower wall 13, plunger upper wall 14 and plunger joint wall 15) has a side surface (inner side) on the right belt 6 side (seat bar 21 side) as a slope 10a that is inclined relative to the front-rear direction in a manner that moves outward in the left-right direction as it moves toward the rear.

[0067] The plunger upper wall 14 and plunger extension wall 16 are formed into a single plate-like shape that extends in the left-right and front-back directions. Furthermore, the combined width W1 of the plunger upper wall 14 and plunger extension wall 16 is set to be at least one time and no more than three times the width W2 of the plunger lower wall 13. The plunger lower wall 13, plunger upper wall 14, and plunger engagement wall 15 form a U-shape as a whole, projecting rearward relative to the plunger extension wall 16.

[0068] The tooth 17 includes a base 18 that projects laterally (inwardly) from the inner side surface in the left-right direction of the plunger lower wall 13 and a tooth body 19 that extends forward from the front surface of the base 18 and meshes with the fastener element 7 a .

[0069] Tooth body 19 as Figure 3 As shown, the upper and lower thicknesses are set to a size less than the gap between the upper leg 7b and the lower leg 7c, that is, a size that can be fitted between the upper leg 7b and the lower leg 7c. The upper and lower positions of the tooth body 19 are set to a position that is located below the rear of the upper leg 7b of the chain element 7a and separated from the rear of the upper leg 7c of the chain element 7a when it is engaged with the chain element 7a on the right side of the belt 6 (the normal state in which the tail piece 4 is closed), or more specifically, a position adjacent to the rear of the lower leg 7c of the chain element 7a. Incidentally, the position adjacent to the rear is a concept that includes the following positions: at least a part of the tooth body 19 exists in the extended space located behind the lower leg 7c, and the tooth body 19 is as shown. Figure 3 and although not shown, the position of the state separated from the lower leg portion 7c by a gap. Figure 1 As shown, the top (front portion) of the tooth body 19 is formed to bulge in an arc shape when viewed from above.

[0070] Base 18 as Figure 3 As shown, the tooth body 19 is formed thicker in the vertical direction. The tooth body 19 protrudes from the vertical middle portion of the front surface of the base 18. The front surface of the base 18 is stepped relative to the front surface of the tooth body 19.

[0071] In addition, the base 18 is as shown Figure 1 As shown, the front end of the plunger lower wall 13 protrudes laterally from the rear. Thus, the front-opening recess 10b is formed by the tooth body 19, the base 18, and the plunger lower wall 13. The recess 10b can accommodate the rearward-extending portion of the engaging head 7d of the fastener element 7a. The seat 11 accommodates the plunger 10, allowing insertion and removal.

[0072] like Figure 1 、 Figure 11 As shown, the seat portion 11 includes a seat bar 21, which is arranged laterally with respect to the insert 10 when the left and right element rows 7, 7 are engaged (normally when the splitter 4 is closed) and is fixed to the right belt 6; and a seat body 22, which is fixed to the seat bar 21 and allows the rear end of the insert 10 to be inserted and removed. In this embodiment, the seat portion 11 is a block formed by integrally molding the seat bar 21 and the seat body 22.

[0073] The seat rod 21 is a portion located forward of the rear portion of the plunger 10 (the portion inserted into the seat portion 11). The seat rod 21 is symmetrical with the front portion of the plunger 10. Figure 5 A portion of the outer shape of the seat bar 21 is indicated by a dashed line. The seat bar 21 includes a seat bar lower wall 23 fixed to the lower piece 6d of the strap 6; a seat bar upper wall 24 fixed to the upper piece 6c of the strap 6 and facing the seat bar lower wall 23; a seat bar connecting wall 25 fixed to the connecting piece 6e of the strap 6 and connecting the seat bar lower wall 23 and the seat bar upper wall 24; and a seat bar extension wall 26 extending from the seat bar upper wall 24 toward the left-right outer side of the strip-shaped portion 6a.

[0074] The seat bar extension wall 26 is as follows Figure 10 、 12 As shown, it extends rearward relative to the seat bar upper wall 24 and is fixed not only to the seat bar upper wall 24 but also to the outer side surface of the seat body 22 in the left-right direction.

[0075] The seat bar lower wall 23 has a stepped recess 23a on its inner side in the left-right direction at its front portion. The recess 23a accommodates the base 18 of the teeth 17 of the plunger 10. The recess 23a is formed not only on the seat bar lower wall 23 but also on the seat bar engaging wall 25 and the seat bar upper wall 24, that is, over the entire front-to-back region of the seat bar 21.

[0076] The seat body 22 is a hexahedron with front, back, left, right, top and bottom faces. Figure 12 The bottom surface of the seat 22 is formed as shown in (A) and (C). Figure 12 As shown in (B) and (D), the seat bar 21 protrudes downward in a stepped manner relative to the lower surface.

[0077] In addition, the seat body 22 includes: a fixing portion 28, which is fixed to the rear of the seat rod 21; and a storage portion 29, which protrudes from the fixing portion 28 to the side (inward in the left-right direction (insert rod 10 side)), and stores the rear portion of the insert rod 10 in a manner that the rear portion of the insert rod 10 can be inserted and removed in the front-to-back direction. The fixing portion 28 is integrated with the seat rod 21, extends in the front-to-back direction at the rear of the right-side chain element row 7, and is fixed to the right-side belt 6. And, the integrated body of the fixing portion 28 and the seat rod 21 is referred to as a belt fixing portion 30. Therefore, the seat portion 11 includes the belt fixing portion 30 and the storage portion 29 protruding to the side from the belt fixing portion 30 as parts in the left-right direction.

[0078] The storage portion 29 includes a lower wall storage portion 31 for storing the plunger lower wall 13 , an upper wall storage portion 32 for storing the rear portion of the plunger upper wall 14 , and a joint wall storage portion 33 for storing the plunger joint wall 15 .

[0079] The lower wall receiving portion 31 is shaped so as to surround the rear portion of the lower wall 13 of the plunger with a gap therebetween. More specifically, the lower wall receiving portion 31 comprises: a fixing portion 28; a seat lower wall 35 extending from the lower portion of the fixing portion 28 to the inner side in the left and right directions ( Figure 12 The seat body upper wall 36 is separated from the fixing portion 28 inwardly in the left and right directions and faces the seat body lower wall 35 from above; and the seat body side wall 37 is connected to the seat body upper wall 36 and the seat body lower wall 35 at their left and right inner ends. The space surrounded by the seat body upper wall 36, the seat body lower wall 35, the seat body side wall 37, and the fixing portion 28 is continuous in the front and rear direction, forming a space for accommodating the insert rod lower wall 13.

[0080] The engaging wall receiving portion 33 is shaped to surround the plunger engaging wall 15 from both sides with a gap therebetween. The engaging wall receiving portion 33 includes a seat lower wall 35 and a fixing portion 28 that are separated from each other. The space defined by the seat lower wall 35 and the fixing portion 28 serves as the space for receiving the plunger engaging wall 15.

[0081] like Figure 8 、 10As shown, the upper wall storage portion 32 is shaped to surround the rear portion of the plunger upper wall 14 (the portion protruding rearward relative to the plunger extension wall 16) from the left, right, bottom, and rear, with a gap therebetween. The upper wall storage portion 32 includes a pair of opposing walls 38, 39 that face each other left and right, and a bottom wall 41 that joins the pair of opposing walls 38, 39 at their rear ends. The right opposing wall 38 serves as the fixing portion 28. The left opposing wall 39 extends downward from the seat side wall 37. In other words, the left opposing wall 39 and the seat side wall 37 form a single wall that extends in the vertical and front-to-back directions. However, the front surface of the left opposing wall 39 is formed as a step lower than the front surface of the seat side wall 37. Furthermore, when the rear portion of the plunger 10 is housed in the seat 11, the plunger extension wall 16 of the plunger 10 is positioned opposite the left opposing wall 39.

[0082] The rear portions of the pair of opposing walls 38 and 39 are inclined relative to the front-to-back direction, with the gap between them narrowing as they approach the rear. Furthermore, the right opposing wall 38 is inclined from above relative to the left opposing wall 39. Thus, the rear portions of the opposing surfaces of the pair of opposing walls 38 and 39 each form inclined surfaces 38a and 39a inclined relative to the front-to-back direction, approaching each other as they approach the rear. Furthermore, the rear portions of the pair of opposing walls 38 and 39 are positioned horizontally opposite the rear portion of the plunger upper wall 14, which is housed in the upper wall housing portion 32.

[0083] In the first embodiment of the concealed zipper, the tail piece 4 and its surrounding portion form a portion that prevents the insertion rod 10 of the tail piece 4 from being separated from the seat 11. In the present embodiment of the concealed zipper, when the pair of element rows 7, 7 are normally engaged, that is, when the tail piece 4 is normally closed, Figure 1 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 5 、 Figure 7 (A) Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 1 , the teeth 17 are held in a disengaged position relative to the upper leg 7b and the lower leg 7c.

[0084] The tooth body 19 of the tooth 17 is as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the tooth body 19 is in a state of being meshed with the last end of the tooth 7a (meshing head 7d) in the tooth row 7 on the right side of the belt 6 (a state adjacent to the left and right). Figure 3 As shown, the tooth body 19 is located at a position adjacent to the lower leg 7c of the rearmost coupling element 7a. In other words, the tooth body 19 is in a state where it does not enter between the lower leg 7c and the upper leg 7b of the rearmost coupling element 7a. Figure 5 、 Figure 7As shown in (A), the rear portion of the plunger 10 is accommodated in the receiving portion 29 of the seat 11. At this time, there is a slight gap between the plunger 10 and the receiving portion 29 in the vertical and horizontal directions, and the plunger 10 can be inserted and removed relative to the receiving portion 29 using this gap. Figure 8 As shown, the base 18 of the tooth 17 is housed in the recess 23 a of the seat 11 .

[0085] In the case where a horizontal pulling force is applied to the rear end portions of the left and right belts 6 and 6 (a horizontal pulling force is applied to the closed tail piece 4), the invisible zipper of this embodiment is Figure 2 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 6 、 Figure 7 (B) Figure 9 As shown, the teeth 17 protrude between the upper leg 7b and the lower leg 7c.

[0086] like Figure 6 、 Figure 7 As shown in (B), a gap exists between the plunger 10 and the receptacle 29, causing the plunger 10 to rotate slightly relative to the seat 11. The plunger's lower wall 13 is now surrounded from above and below, and from left to right, by the lower wall receptacle 31. Therefore, the plunger's lower wall 13 serves as the axis of the plunger's rotation. This slight rotation about the plunger's lower wall 13 causes the tooth body 19 to shift upward (toward the bottom in the figure) compared to before the rotation. Consequently, the tooth body 19 approaches the upper leg 7b, shifting between the lower leg 7c and the upper leg 7b.

[0087] When the lateral pulling force is further applied and the plunger 10 is about to come out of the seat 11, Figure 2 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 9 As shown, the plunger 10 moves forward, and the tooth body 19 protrudes between the lower leg 7c and the upper leg 7b. If the tooth body 19 protrudes and collides with the lower side of the upper leg 7b, the plunger 10 becomes difficult to rotate further and difficult to detach from the seat 11.

[0088] In this way, the invisible zipper of this embodiment is configured to have the teeth 17: when the tail piece 4 is normally closed, it is maintained in a disengaged position relative to the upper leg 7b and the lower leg 7c, and when a horizontal pulling force is applied to the tail piece 4, it protrudes between the upper leg 7b and the lower leg 7c, so that the insert 10 is difficult to disengage from the seat 11.

[0089] Moreover, the invisible zipper of this embodiment sets the upper and lower positions of the teeth 17 to a position that is located below the rear of the upper leg 7b of the chain tooth 7a and separated from the rear of the upper leg 7b of the chain tooth 7a (a position adjacent to the rear of the lower leg 7c) when it is engaged with the left chain tooth 7a (in the normal case when the tail piece 4 is closed). Therefore, when a large lateral pulling force is applied to the left and right belts 6, 6 to such an extent that the insert rod 10 is separated from the seat 11, the insert rod 10 rotates relative to the seat 11 in the original state of being stored in the storage portion 29 and slightly shifts to the upper leg 7b side. At the same time, it shifts forward, and the tooth 17 protrudes between the upper leg 7b and the lower leg 7c of the chain tooth 7a. Therefore, it is difficult to rotate further and the insert rod 10 is difficult to separate from the seat 11.

[0090] In addition, the invisible zipper of this embodiment is provided with a tooth 17 having a base 18 and a tooth body 19, and the base 18 is provided to be thicker than the tooth body 19 in the up-down direction. Therefore, the base 18 is reliably fixed to the insert rod body 12, and when a transverse pulling force is applied, the base 18 is used to reliably bear the force applied to the tooth body 19 that has protruded between the upper leg 7b and the lower leg 7c. Compared with the case where the base 18 and the tooth body 19 are provided with the same thickness in the up-down direction, the tooth 17 is difficult to break and the insert rod 10 is difficult to detach from the seat 11.

[0091] In addition, the invisible zipper of this embodiment sets the shape of the insert rod 10 to include an insert rod lower wall 13, an insert rod upper wall 14 and an insert rod connecting wall 15, and an upper wall storage portion 32 is provided in the storage portion 29 of the seat 11, and the rear portion of the left relative wall 39 is set to an inclined surface 39a that is inclined relative to the front-to-back direction in a manner that is inclined toward the right as it moves toward the rear. Therefore, if a horizontal pulling force is applied, the insert rod upper wall 14 is guided forward along the inclined surface 39a, and the tooth 17 moves forward accordingly, and the tooth 17 can easily protrude between the upper leg 7b and the lower leg 7c.

[0092] In addition, the invisible zipper of this embodiment sets the rear part of the relative wall 39 on the left side as an inclined surface 39a inclined relative to the front-to-back direction. Therefore, the rear end of the upper leg 7b is arranged in the front relative to the rear end of the lower leg 7c. If a horizontal pulling force is applied, the upper wall 14 of the insert rod is guided forward along the incline, so that the insert rod 10 is difficult to detach from the seat 11.

[0093] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately modified within a scope not departing from the gist of the invention.

[0094] Description of Reference Numerals

[0095] 1. Chain tooth belt; 2. Slider; 3. Front stop; 4. Open tail piece; 6. Belt; 6a. Belt-shaped portion; 6b. Bend portion; 6c. Upper piece; 6d. Lower piece; 6e. Joint piece; 7. Chain tooth row; 7a. Chain tooth; 7b. Upper leg; C2. Center; 7c. Lower leg; C1. Center; 7d. Engaging head; 7e. Joint; 8. Core wire; 9. Reinforcement film; 10. Insert rod; 10a. Inclined surface; 10b. Concave portion; 11. Seat; 12. Insert rod body; 13. Insert rod lower wall; 14. Insert rod upper wall; 15. Insert rod joint wall; 16. Insert rod extension wall; 17, tooth; 18, base; 19, tooth body; 21, seat rod; 22, seat body; 23, seat rod lower wall; 23a, recess; 24, seat rod upper wall; 25, seat rod joint wall; 26, seat rod extension wall; 28, fixing part; 29, storage part; 30, belt fixing part; 31, lower wall storage part; 32, upper wall storage part; 33, joint wall storage part; 35, seat body lower wall; 36, seat body upper wall; 37, seat body side wall; 38, 39, opposite walls; 38a, 39a, inclined surface; 41, bottom wall; W1, W2, width.

Claims

1. An invisible zipper, characterized in that: The invisible zipper has: A pair of belts (6, 6) are opposed to each other on the left and right sides and are bent into a U-shape with their side edges facing each other up and down; A pair of fastener element rows (7, 7) respectively fixed to the lower surface sides of the opposite side edges of the pair of belts (6, 6), and composed of a plurality of fastener elements (7a) continuous in the front-back direction; as well as An open tail piece (4) comprising: a plunger (10) fixed to opposite side edges at the rear end of one of the strips (6); and a seat portion (11) fixed to opposite side edges at the rear end portion of the other of said belts (6), The chain tooth (7a) comprises: an upper leg portion (7b) and a lower leg portion (7c) which are opposed to each other vertically and extend left and right; and an engaging head portion (7d) which can engage with and disengage from other chain teeth (7a) and connects the upper leg portion (7b) and the lower leg portion (7c). The plunger (10) comprises: a plunger body (12) fixed to the opposite side edge of the one belt (6) and extending forward and backward at the rear of the chain tooth row (7); and teeth (17) engaged with the chain teeth (7a) at the rear end of the chain tooth row (7) on the other belt (6) side and protruding from the plunger body (12) and extending forward. The seat portion (11) comprises: a belt fixing portion (30) fixed to the opposite side edge portion of the other belt (6) and extending forward and backward at the rear of the chain tooth row (7); and a storage portion (29) protruding laterally from the belt fixing portion (30) and storing the rear portion of the insert rod body (12) in a manner that the rear portion of the insert rod body (12) can be inserted and removed in the front-back direction. The teeth (17) are held in a disengaged position relative to the upper leg (7b) and the lower leg (7c) when the tail piece (4) is normally closed, and project into between the upper leg (7b) and the lower leg (7c) when a transverse pulling force is applied to the tail piece (4). The lateral pulling force is a force in the left-right direction applied to the rear end portions of the pair of belts (6, 6).

2. An invisible zipper, characterized in that: The invisible zipper has: A pair of belts (6, 6) are opposed to each other on the left and right sides and are bent into a U-shape with their side edges facing each other up and down; A pair of fastener element rows (7, 7) respectively fixed to the lower surface sides of the opposite side edges of the pair of belts (6, 6), and composed of a plurality of fastener elements (7a) continuous in the front-back direction; as well as An open tail piece (4) comprising: a plunger (10) fixed to opposite side edges at the rear end of one of the strips (6); and a seat portion (11) fixed to opposite side edges at the rear end portion of the other of said belts (6), The chain tooth (7a) comprises: an upper leg portion (7b) and a lower leg portion (7c) which are opposed to each other vertically and extend left and right; and an engaging head portion (7d) which can engage with and disengage from other chain teeth (7a) and connects the upper leg portion (7b) and the lower leg portion (7c). The plunger (10) comprises: a plunger body (12) fixed to the opposite side edge of the one belt (6) and extending forward and backward at the rear of the chain tooth row (7); and teeth (17) engaged with the chain teeth (7a) at the rear end of the chain tooth row (7) on the other belt (6) side and protruding from the plunger body (12) and extending forward. The seat portion (11) comprises: a belt fixing portion (30) fixed to the opposite side edge portion of the other belt (6) and extending forward and backward at the rear of the chain tooth row (7); and a storage portion (29) protruding laterally from the belt fixing portion (30) and storing the rear portion of the insert rod body (12) in a manner that the rear portion of the insert rod body (12) can be inserted and removed in the front-back direction. The front portion of the tooth (17) is set to have a thickness in the vertical direction such that it can be fitted between the upper leg portion (7b) and the lower leg portion (7c) when a transverse pulling force is applied to the tail piece (4), and the upper and lower positions are set to positions adjacent to and behind the lower leg portion (7c) of the chain tooth (7a) at the rear end when the tail piece (4) is normally closed. The lateral pulling force is a force in the left-right direction applied to the rear end portions of the pair of belts (6, 6).

3. The invisible zipper according to claim 2, characterized in that: The tooth (17) comprises: a base (18) protruding laterally from the side surface of the other belt (6) side of the plunger body (12); and a tooth body (19) extending forward from the front surface of the base (18) and meshing with the chain tooth (7a). The base (18) is thicker than the tooth body (19) in the vertical direction.

4. The invisible zipper according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The plunger (10) comprises: a plunger lower wall (13) fixed to the lower piece (6d) of the one band (6); a plunger upper wall (14) fixed to the upper piece (6c) of the one band (6) and opposite to the plunger lower wall (13); and a plunger engaging wall (15) fixed to the engaging piece (6e) of the one band (6) and engaging the plunger lower wall (13) and the plunger upper wall (14). The storage portion (29) includes an upper wall storage portion (32) for storing the rear portion of the upper wall (14) of the plug so that the rear portion of the upper wall (14) of the plug can be inserted and removed in the front-to-back direction. The upper wall storage portion (32) includes a pair of opposite walls (38, 39) on the left and right sides. The rear portion of the opposing wall (39) on the one belt (6) side is opposite to the rear portion of the upper wall (14) of the plunger housed in the upper wall housing portion (32), and is inclined relative to the front-rear direction in a manner that it moves toward the other belt (6) side as it moves toward the rear.

5. The invisible zipper according to claim 4, characterized in that: The chain element (7a) is configured such that the rear end of the upper leg portion (7b) is positioned forward relative to the rear end of the lower leg portion (7c).

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