Zipper with pivot engagement elements

Abstract

The present invention describes a zipper comprising a pair of tapes (29, 38), each tape having a series of engaging elements or teeth (5, 12) at its side edges, these engaging elements or teeth facing a sector of their engagement with the tape, and each of these engaging elements (5, 12) being able to pivot about its central vertical axis due to a support placed between the engaging elements (5, 12) and the tapes (29, 38), wherein the engaging elements (5, 12) engage with the support, which in turn engages with the tapes (29, 38), characterized in that said support consists of a cylinder (30) or two half-cylinders (18, 19), the two half-cylinders (18, 19) being placed in a mirror image manner on opposite sides of the tape (29).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flexible zipper that can be used to open and close various articles, for example, by way of non-limiting example only, suitcases, bags, clothes, and footwear.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to a zipper provided with pivotable teeth, i.e., capable of rotating on itself in a manner that allows the zipper to follow the curvature of the opening / closing line required by the article.

[0003] The rotation of the teeth can optimize the function of the zipper, and most importantly, there are arcuate grooves with a very small radius of curvature. Background Art

[0004] As is well known, a zipper consists of the following three elements:

[0005] A webbing,

[0006] Teeth,

[0007] A slider with a cap.

[0008] Specifically, a zipper consists of a pair of flatly arranged webbings. These two webbings are usually made of fabric and are characterized in that they have a series of engaging elements called teeth along their inner edges. These teeth are fixed and anchored to the webbings in an equidistant and parallel manner relative to one another.

[0009] Referring to Figures 1 to 4 in the accompanying drawings, the engaging elements have a typical U-shaped front shape and can be specifically distinguished as follows:

[0010] - A connecting end 1, i.e., the so-called head,

[0011] - An anchoring end 2, the part where the teeth hook onto the webbing,

[0012] - Intermediate parts 3, 4, between the two previous intermediate parts, which define the inner groove of the teeth by extension.

[0013] The legs of the teeth formed by the intermediate parts and the anchoring end are attached and clamped to the webbing. Specifically, the edges of the webbing are positioned in the grooves of the teeth, and then the leg members are clamped into the grooves.

[0014] The webbing with the engaging elements is called the tape.

[0015] The slider is the sliding part of the zipper, which allows it to open and / or close by forcing the interlocking of the teeth anchored to two tapes. The slider consists of two parallel plates separated by a wedge that forms a Y-shaped gap in which a series of teeth of the tapes slide in one track and another. In fact, the path formed by the wedge has such an angle as to allow the teeth to interlock or open during the slider sliding in one direction or the other. By dragging the slider along the tape in one direction, the engaging elements are forced to interlock with each other, while by dragging it in the other direction, the latter separate. The tapes are hooked to each other by the action of the slider to form a chain of teeth.

[0016] In the prior art, zippers are mainly manufactured in a linear layout on the plane of the tape.

[0017] This means that most of the zippers known in the prior art can only allow the opening and closing of the slot of an item when the item is configured as a straight segment and lies in the same plane as the tape.

[0018] However, the slots in many items often require a curved zipper, where the straight segment moves in a variable plane relative to the plane of the tape, such as in the case of a suitcase, a bag or clothing.

[0019] For this reason, the problem of zipper bending has arisen for professionals in the field, and they have found various technical solutions.

[0020] However, the technologies they proposed mainly affect the ability of the tape to follow the curvature of the required opening / closing line, rather than keeping the anchoring and interlocking mechanism of the teeth unchanged.

[0021] In fact, the curvature of the zipper is basically allowed by the ability of the tape to contract or expand, so the teeth fixed to it in a fixed manner then follow the expansion of the tape, and actually they remain stationary.

[0022] On the other hand, other technologies have focused on the teeth and created specific types with special interlocking mechanisms and related sliding sliders for this purpose (for example, see EP2705768).

[0023] However, the proposed technical solutions do have limitations and disadvantages.

[0024] In both cases, in fact, the radius of curvature cannot be small.

[0025] This is because the smaller the radius of curvature of the slot, the more fabric is generated in the concave folds of the tape, forming unsightly creases and wrinkles. The opposite problem of lack of fabric will exist in the protruding part, and due to its stiffness, it will not allow the tape to extend.

[0026] This problem has been solved by some people. The upstream webbing of the production has curvature lines that perfectly fit the notches through edge cutting. Thus, on the one hand, the excess fabric can be eliminated, and on the other hand, greater expansion and elongation are allowed.

[0027] The limitation of this technical solution is that the zipper must be produced with the radius of curvature initially required by the user and cannot adapt to other notches.

[0028] In the technical solutions related to the shape of the teeth, the range of the radius of curvature is further restricted by the shape of the teeth themselves. In fact, given the unstable system of the interlocking between the teeth, the latter will not be able to move to a great extent, otherwise the zipper itself will not be fixed.

[0029] Secondly, although the zippers known in the prior art can be used in horizontal and vertical positions, their functions are only articulated on the plane of the webbing itself. Similarly, the plane of the webbing will be the only plane where the possible curvature lines of the zippers allowed by the above technology can be found.

[0030] Specifically, the teeth fixed on the webbing without moving only bear the bending of the webbing itself, giving a false sense of movement. In fact, the teeth remain stationary, clamped on the webbing, and only the latter, through bending, makes them move away from each other according to the radius of the curvature itself, and the movement is in an appropriate V shape.

[0031] However, the above technical solutions do not solve the problem of the bending of the zipper when the plane of the notch is bent. As an example, consider the corners of a pulley suitcase or similar items.

[0032] In these cases, in order to make the zipper tensile, the mesh size of the teeth must be larger, and as a result, they are not aesthetically pleasing. In addition, the movement of the slider will be hindered and slowed down by the frictional force generated by the teeth located at the curve. This is because the teeth are stationary on the webbing.

[0033] US2193870 describes a zipper formed by a series of teeth that have a notch on one side and a freely rotatable spherical element on the other side. The spherical element of one tooth engages with the groove of the adjacent tooth, thus forming a zipper that can be used on a surface with a certain curvature. However, the inconvenience of this technical solution is also that it requires a predetermined shape, in which the distance between the teeth must be very close. Summary of the Invention

[0034] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a zipper that can overcome the above disadvantages.

[0035] More specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a zipper whose teeth can rotate by themselves to allow the zipper to follow the specific curvature of the opening / closing line required by the article to which it is applied.

[0036] These and other objects are achieved by a zipper according to the invention having pivotable engagement elements, the zipper having the features listed in appended independent claim 1.

[0037] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed by the dependent claims.

[0038] Substantially, the invention describes a zipper comprising a pair of tapes, each tape having a series of engagement elements or teeth on its side edges, these engagement elements or teeth facing their portion of engagement with the tape, and each of these engagement elements being able to pivot about its central vertical axis due to a support placed between the engagement element and the tape, wherein the engagement element engages with the support and the support engages with the tape, and wherein said support consists of a cylinder or two half-cylinders, said cylinder or two half-cylinders being arranged in a mirror image on opposite sides of the tape.

[0039] Beyond those that will be described in more detail below, the scope of the invention lies in creating a zipper that is capable of closing in an optimal manner any type of slot in articles that are also in different planes.

[0040] This is achieved by intelligent pivotable teeth, i.e., capable of rotating on their own about their central vertical axis such that the movement is transverse with respect to the plane of the tape.

[0041] Specifically, the scope of the invention only concerns the teeth, and with respect to zippers on the current market, what remains unchanged are the tapes that can be made of fabric or any other type of material, and the slider having its known operating mechanism.

[0042] The zipper is capable of following the curvature of the slot present in the article (which may have a very small radius), so it no longer results from the contraction / elongation of the tapes that remain unchanged, nor from a special tooth configuration that interlocks one with the other by the action of a specific slider, but from the rotation of each tooth, which, when needed, will naturally follow the required curvature line.

[0043] The above makes the invention extremely functional and extensible, as it can be used for any article, regardless of the type of opening / closing required.

[0044] The zipper forming the subject of the invention can be used to close only linear, only curved or mixed slots, i.e., linear and curved slots. In fact, the autonomous and independent mobility of each tooth causes the latter to rotate only when necessary, i.e., only when the closing line of the product requires curvature.

[0045] Also in the latter case, different from zippers on the current market, the slider slides smoothly on the zipper chain without getting stuck or hung up. The zipper is also more durable and more aesthetically pleasing.

[0046] As an example only, the field of bag and / or case products can be considered. These articles all have zippers with very large teeth and it is difficult to close the curvature imposed by the article itself, especially in travel bags, wheeled suitcases, etc.

[0047] Those skilled in the art can easily understand the scope of the invention of the present invention. The zipper forming the subject of the present invention can actually naturally follow the curvature of the article and can be extremely durable even with smaller net teeth.

[0048] In addition, the rotation of the teeth avoids the appearance of unsightly wrinkles or irregularities on the surface of the webbing, which is a drawback that may occur currently when the webbing line and the groove line do not exactly match.

[0049] In addition, the present invention is found to be very practical in another aspect.

[0050] Given that no further special technology is required, it can be easily adapted to commercially available webbing or ordinary zipper sliders and is easy to manufacture.

[0051] Given the fact that the construction of the zipper has not been modified in terms of its main functional elements, the latter can be conveniently used together with the present invention.

[0052] In particular, the sliding mechanism of the slider on the tooth chain has not changed, nor has the typical construction of the latter changed their interlocking function.

[0053] In fact, it is obvious that the tooth heads act on the interlocking system between the teeth, which has not changed compared to the zippers commercially available today ( Figure 1 No. 1, Figure 5 No. 5, and Figure 9 No. 12).

[0054] Specifically, the scope of the invention of the present invention relates to the two legs of the teeth ( Figure 5 No. 6 and No. 7 in Figure 9 and No. 13 and No. 14 in Figure 14 and Figure 29 ), and the mechanism for anchoring the latter to the webbing (

[0055] In fact, the teeth are no longer directly hung on the webbing, but are interlocked with specific supports that are actually directly fixed to the fabric. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] With reference to its purely illustrative and non-limiting embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, the further features of the present invention will become clearer through the following detailed description, wherein:

[0057] Figure 1 A front view showing the teeth of the prior art.

[0058] Figure 2 Front perspective view of a tooth of the prior art.

[0059] Figure 3 Side view of a tooth of the prior art.

[0060] Figure 4 Rear perspective view of a tooth of the prior art.

[0061] Figure 5 Front perspective view of a tooth according to the first embodiment.

[0062] Figure 6 Front perspective view of a tooth according to the first embodiment.

[0063] Figure 7 Side view of a tooth according to the first embodiment.

[0064] Figure 8 Rear perspective view of a tooth according to the first embodiment.

[0065] Figure 9 Front view of a tooth according to the second embodiment.

[0066] Figure 10 Front perspective view of a tooth according to the second embodiment.

[0067] Figure 11 Side view of a tooth according to the second embodiment.

[0068] Figure 12 Rear perspective view of a tooth according to the second embodiment.

[0069] Figure 13 Front view of a tooth according to the first embodiment.

[0070] Figure 14 Perspective view of a tooth support according to the first embodiment.

[0071] Figure 15 Full perspective view of a tooth as the subject matter of the present invention according to the first embodiment.

[0072] Figure 16 Top view of a tooth support with pins according to the first embodiment.

[0073] Figure 17 Bottom view of a tooth support with pins according to the first embodiment.

[0074] Figure 18 Internal perspective view of the first half cylinder of a tooth support according to the first embodiment.

[0075] Figure 19An internal perspective view of the second semi-cylindrical body of the tooth support according to the first embodiment.

[0076] Figure 20 An external perspective view of the first semi-cylindrical body of the tooth support according to the first embodiment.

[0077] Figure 21 An external perspective view of the second semi-cylindrical body of the tooth support according to the first embodiment.

[0078] Figure 22 A perspective view of the tooth support according to the first embodiment.

[0079] Figure 23 An upper perspective view of the tooth support according to the first embodiment.

[0080] Figure 24 A perspective view of a webbing with a series of tooth supports inserted into a fabric according to the first embodiment.

[0081] Figure 25 A longitudinal view of a cloth tape having a series of teeth forming the subject matter of the present invention according to the first embodiment.

[0082] Figure 26 A longitudinal perspective view of a cloth tape having a series of teeth forming the subject matter of the present invention according to the first embodiment.

[0083] Figure 27 A perspective view of a zipper and slider forming the subject matter of the present invention according to the first embodiment.

[0084] Figure 28 A front view of the teeth according to the second embodiment.

[0085] Figure 29 A perspective view of the tooth support according to the second embodiment.

[0086] Figure 30 A complete perspective view of the teeth forming the subject matter of the present invention according to the second embodiment.

[0087] Figure 31 A top view of the tooth support according to the second embodiment.

[0088] Figure 32 A bottom view of the tooth support according to the second embodiment.

[0089] Figure 33 A side view of the tooth support according to the second embodiment.

[0090] Figure 34 A longitudinal perspective view of the tooth support according to the second embodiment.

[0091] Figure 35 Shows a bottom perspective view of a tooth support according to the second embodiment.

[0092] Figure 36 Shows a longitudinal perspective view of teeth fixed to a webbing according to the second embodiment.

[0093] Figure 37 Shows a perspective view of a webbing having a series of tooth supports attached to a fabric according to the second embodiment.

[0094] Figure 38 Shows a longitudinal view of a cloth tape having a series of teeth forming the subject matter of the present invention according to the second embodiment.

[0095] Figure 39 Shows a longitudinal perspective view of a cloth tape having a series of teeth forming the subject matter of the present invention according to the second embodiment.

[0096] Figure 40 Shows a perspective view of a zipper and slider forming the subject matter of the present invention according to the second embodiment. Detailed Description

[0097] The present invention is described in terms of two possible embodiments, which in no case limit its examples.

[0098] In fact, the present invention can be carried out / implemented with variations within the scope of the above-described present invention. As clearly stated above, the core of the present invention relates to the ability of the teeth to pivot about their central vertical axis. This movement is allowed by a specific support placed between the teeth and the webbing, the construction of which allows the rotation of the teeth.

[0099] First Embodiment

[0100] According to a first embodiment of the present invention, as Figures 5 to 8 , and Figures 13 to 27 shown, the engaging element or tooth 5 is inserted into a specific support formed by two semi-cylinders 18 and 19, each of which is provided with holes two 27 and two 28 that cross them from one side to the other.

[0101] Each semi-cylinder 18, 19 is positioned on opposite faces of the webbing 29 in such a way that their vertical portions 25 and 26 are adjacent to the fabric strip.

[0102] Then, the two semi-cylinders 18 and 19 are connected to each other and to the webbing 29 by a pin 24 that passes through their holes two 27 and 28 and penetrates the webbing itself 29 in the middle. In this way, the semi-cylinders 18 and 19 are firmly fixed to the fabric and tied to each other to form a "small cylinder".

[0103] These cylinders form fixed points on the webbing of the zipper which is the subject of the present invention and can be mounted equidistantly or non - equidistantly from each other on the webbing 29 ( Figure 24 ).

[0104] The two half - cylinders are finally provided with two pairs of identical tracks 20, 21 and tracks 22, 23, which are positioned on their horizontal or upper and lower surfaces, perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the half - cylinders.

[0105] The teeth 5 shown in the various figures are characterized in that they have two legs - 6 and legs - 7 in the shape of an "E".

[0106] In its inner central part, there are four projections - 8, 9, 10, 11, which are depicted as oval - shaped by way of non - limiting example.

[0107] More specifically, two of these projections - 8 and 9 are positioned in the horizontal part of the "L" of the tooth leg. The other two projections - 10 and 11 are positioned in a mirror - image manner in front of these projections - 8 and 9, below the head of the tooth.

[0108] The above - mentioned projections are mainly designed to cooperate with the respective tracks of the above - mentioned half - cylinders.

[0109] More specifically, the lower projections - 8 and 9 are inserted into the lower tracks 22 and 23, while the upper projections - 10 and 11 are inserted into the upper tracks 20 and 21.

[0110] The final complete structure of the tooth 5 connected to the relevant support forming the subject of the present invention is as Figure 15 shown.

[0111] The rotation mechanism of the tooth 5 is intuitive: its projections slide in one direction or the other along the tracks of the two half - cylinders 18 and 19, so the rotation is an axial rotation about the vertical central axis of the tooth. Figure 25 is a schematic view of a series of teeth 5 applied to the webbing 29 by the support formed by the half - cylinders 18 and 19.

[0112] Thus, the subject of the present invention has a fixed part firmly stamped onto the webbing, namely the two half - cylinders 18 and 19, and a movable and pivotable part, namely the tooth 5 itself, which swings along the tracks 20, 21, 22, 23 of the half - cylinders 18 and 19 due to the sliding of the projections - 8, 9, 10, 11 of the tooth.

[0113] Thus, the zipper chain forming the subject of the present invention is composed of a series of teeth having the relevant support as described above ( Figure 26 ).

[0114] The practicality of the present invention is precisely reflected in the curvature of the article slot into which the zipper is inserted ( Figure 27 ). Under the action of the slider, the internal protrusions of the chain teeth automatically slide on the track of the semi-cylinder, making the closure of the article natural and ideal, with compressive resistance and aesthetics.

[0115] Second Embodiment

[0116] Regarding the second embodiment of the present invention, as Figures 9 to 12 and Figures 28 to 40 shown, the chain teeth 12 are interlocked with a specific support member, which is constituted by a cylinder 30 in this case.

[0117] The cylinder 30 has a vertical groove 37 along the central axis, with different heights and widths as required, which runs from one end to the other and thus penetrates the entire length of the lower base diameter.

[0118] The vertical groove 37 of the cylinder 30 divides the lower bottom part of the support member into two identical mirror-image semi-circular shapes 32 and 33, which can be seen more clearly in Figure 32 and Figure 35 .

[0119] The edges of the fabric webbing 38 are inserted into the above-mentioned groove ( Figure 36 ), the walls of which have knurling 36, which is designed to prevent the cylinder 30 from moving on the fabric. Then each cylinder is firmly fixed to the fabric by compression.

[0120] Similar to the first embodiment of the present invention already described, these cylinders constitute the fixing points of the zipper on the webbing and are installed therein, generally but not necessarily, equidistant from each other ( Figure 37 ).

[0121] Each cylinder is characterized in that it has the above-mentioned semi-circular bodies 32 and 33 as its lower bottom, in which two identical tracks 34 and 35 are placed, perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the cylinder.

[0122] At the center of the upper bottom of the above-mentioned cylinder 30, there is a hole 31, the size and shape of which are not limited. Only as a non-limiting example, it is shown as oval ( Figure 31 ).

[0123] The main task of the hole 31 is to be interlocked with the upper internal protrusion 17 of the chain teeth 12, which will be described below.

[0124] According to this embodiment ( Figure 28 ), the chain teeth 12 are characterized in that they have two L-shaped legs 13 and legs 14.

[0125] Three projections II 15, 16, and 17 project in its inner central part and are shown in the form of an oval as a non-limiting example.

[0126] More specifically, two projections II 15 and 16 are positioned in the horizontal part of the "L" of the tooth leg. Projection II 17 is then positioned in front of these, below the head of the tooth 12, exactly at the center of the horizontal line of the inner groove of the tooth itself.

[0127] As described above, the upper projection II 17 is inserted into the hole I 31 in the upper base of the cylinder 30. The lower projections II 15 and 16 are then inserted into the corresponding tracks 34, 35 on the crescent shape located on the lower base of the cylinder.

[0128] The final complete construction of the tooth connected to the relevant support forming the subject of the present invention is shown in Figure 30 in.

[0129] The rotation mechanism of the tooth is intuitive: its lower projections II slide along the tracks on the lower base of the cylinder in one direction or the other, thus rotating axially around the vertical axis at the center of the tooth.

[0130] Along this axis is the upper projection of the tooth, which is inserted into the hole in the upper base of the support, holding the tooth in a predetermined position and preventing it from sliding to one side or the other.

[0131] Therefore, the subject of the present invention has a part stably fixed to the webbing 38, namely the cylinder 30, and a movable and pivotable part, namely the tooth 12, which swings as the projections slide along the support tracks.

[0132] Therefore, the zipper chain forming the subject of the present invention is composed of a series of teeth having the relevant support as described above ( Figure 39 and Figure 40 )

[0133] The utility of the present invention is the same as that already described with reference to the first embodiment.

[0134] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments previously described and illustrated in the drawings, but many detailed changes can be made within the capabilities of those skilled in the art without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention itself as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A zipper, comprising a pair of webbings (29, 38), each webbing having a series of engaging elements (5, 12) on its side edges, these engaging elements facing relative to their connection sectors with the webbing, each of these engaging elements (5, 12) being able to pivot about its central vertical axis due to a support placed between the engaging element (5, 12) and the webbing (29, 38), wherein the engaging element (5, 12) engages with the support, and the support engages with the webbing (29, 38). Characterized in that, the support consists of a cylinder (30) or two semi - cylinders (18, 19), the two semi - cylinders (18, 19) being arranged in a mirror - image manner on opposite sides of the webbing (38, 29); the semi - cylinders (18, 19) have two pairs of identical tracks (20, 21, 22, 23) on their horizontal or upper and lower surfaces, perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the semi - cylinders; the engaging element (5) has a pair of L - shaped legs one (6, 7), and the L - shaped legs one (6, 7) have four protrusions one (8, 9, 10, 11) inside them, suitable for sliding on the tracks (20, 21, 22, 23) of the above - mentioned semi - cylinders (18, 19); each cylinder (30) has two semi - lunar bodies (32, 33) as its lower base, where two identical mirror - image tracks (34, 35) are placed, perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the cylinder; each cylinder (30) has a hole one (31) at the center of its upper base; the engaging element (12) has a pair of L - shaped legs two (13, 14), and the L - shaped legs two (13, 14) have three protrusions two (15, 16, 17) inside them, suitable for sliding in the above - mentioned mirror - image tracks (34, 35) of the cylinder (30) and the hole one (31).

2. The zipper according to claim 1, Characterized in that, the above - mentioned semi - cylinders (18, 19) have holes two (27, 28) that cross from one side of the semi - cylinders (18, 19) to the other side, and are firmly connected to each other, and are connected to the webbing itself (29) through a pin (24), the pin (24) passing through the holes two (27, 28) present in the semi - cylinders and piercing the fabric of the webbing in the middle.

3. The zipper according to claim 1, Characterized in that, it has two of the aforementioned protrusions one (8, 9) in the horizontal part of the "L" of each leg one (6, 7) of the engaging element (5), while the other two protrusions one (10, 11) are positioned in a mirror - image manner in front of the protrusions (8, 9) and below the head of the engaging element.

4. The zipper according to any one of claims 1 to 3, Characterized in that, the protrusions one positioned in the horizontal part of the legs one (6, 7) of the engaging element (5) are inserted into the lower tracks (22, 23) of the semi - cylinders (18, 19), while the mirror - arranged protrusions one (10, 11) are inserted into the upper tracks (20, 21) of the semi - cylinders (18, 19).

5. The zipper according to claim 1, characterized in that, the cylinder (30) has a vertical groove (37) along the central axis, and the vertical groove runs through the entire length of the diameter of the lower base.

6. The zipper according to claim 5, characterized in that, the edges of the webbing (38) are inserted into the aforementioned vertical groove (37), the groove walls have knurling (36), and each cylinder (30) is firmly fixed to the fabric by compression.

7. The zipper according to claim 1, characterized in that, it has two of the aforementioned protrusions two (15, 16) located at the horizontal portion of the "L" of the legs two (13, 14) of the engaging element (12), and another protrusion two (17) is located in front of the protrusions two (15, 16), below the head of the engaging element (12), exactly at the center of the horizontal line of its internal groove.

8. The zipper according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that, the protrusions two (15, 16) of the engaging element (12) are inserted into the mirror tracks (34, 35) of the cylinder, and the protrusion two (17) of the engaging element (12) is inserted into the hole one (31) in the upper base of the cylinder itself (30).

9. A pivotable engaging element (5, 12) configured to be applied to a pair of webbings (29, 38) by a corresponding support formed by a pair of semi-cylinders (18, 19) or by a cylinder (30) to form an element of the zipper according to any one of claims 1-8.

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