SLEDGES AND FASTENINGS

Abstract

A carriage (100, 100A, 100B, 100C) includes a lower blade (110), an upper blade (120, 120A, 120C), a guide post (130, 130B), and flanges. The flanges are arranged on the lateral edges of one of the lower blade (110) and the upper blade (120, 120A, 120C) and another of the lower blade (110) and the upper blade (120, 120A, 120C), and the flanges are separated by a gap (G). A first groove (132, 132B) is provided on the guide post (130, 130B) and corresponds to the gap (G). A fastener (20, 20A) includes fastener strands (50) and the carriage (100, 100A, 100B, 100C). A boundary between the first groove (132, 132B) and the guide column (130, 130B) forms a stepped portion (134) located between a fastener band (52) and an element column coil (54) of the fastener strands (50).

Description

BACKGROUNDTechnical FieldThe disclosure relates to technology in the field of closure systems, and more particularly to a slide and fastener.Prior ArtA conventional fastener typically includes a fastener string comprising a pair of fastener strings, each fastener string consisting of a strip-shaped fastener tape and a plurality of element columns disposed thereon. The fastener also includes a carriage attached to a fastener string for slidably opening or closing the element columns. Moreover, a pull tab can also be attached to the carriage as required. When the carriage is attached to the attachment string, the element columns on the attachment string pass through the element passage formed between the lower sheet and the upper sheet of the carriage. During the sliding operation of the carriage, the fastener strings are opened or closed under the guidance of the guide column of the carriage. During this operation, the inner edge of the fastener tape easily comes into contact with the guide column side of the carriage and causes friction, whereby the fastener tape can be easily damaged. In addition, when a waterproof layer is provided on the surface of the fastener to make the fastener thicker, the slide experiences increased sliding resistance during the sliding operation, thereby hindering smooth opening and closing operation. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the structure of the carriage and the fastener.SUMMARYThe disclosure provides a carriage and a fastener that can improve ease of travel of the carriage when sliding on the fastener string, thereby reducing damage to the fastener string and providing good operability.In the disclosure, there is provided a carriage in which the carriage can be installed on a pair of fastener strings to form a fastener, and includes a lower sheet, an upper sheet disposed opposite above the lower sheet, and a guide column disposed between the lower sheet and the upper sheet and connecting a front portion of the lower sheet and a front portion of the upper sheet in a front-rear direction; and a pair of flanges disposed respectively at two opposite side edges of the lower sheet or the upper sheet in a width direction and extending toward the other lower sheet or the upper sheet. An inner surface of the other of the lower sheet and the upper sheet and an end surface of the flanges are opposed to each other and separated by a gap. On a side surface of the guide pillar, a first groove corresponding to the gap in an up-down direction is provided.In an embodiment of the disclosure, the sled also includes a tongue pull installation eye disposed above the top sheet. The first groove is disposed at an end of the guide pillar near the tongue pull installation eye.In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first groove is disposed on two opposite side surfaces of the guide pillar in the width direction.In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first groove is disposed on a rear side surface of the guide pillar in the front-rear direction.In an embodiment of the disclosure, an inner surface of the upper sheet facing the lower sheet is provided with a second groove, and the second groove is located at a position on the inner surface of the upper sheet in the vicinity of the guide pillar.In an embodiment of the disclosure, a front end edge of a front end portion of the lower sheet is more rearward than a front end edge of the front end portion of the upper sheet in the front-rear direction. The guide post connects the front end edge of the lower sheet and the front portion of the upper sheet, and is separated from the front end edge of the upper sheet by a distance. Between a front end side of the guide column and the front end edge of the upper blade, a retracting portion is formed.In an embodiment of the disclosure, the lower sheet includes a front end edge located at the front end portion and a pair of shoulder opening side edges extending rearward from the front end edge on opposite sides in the width direction, respectively, the front end edge being configured as an arc shape protruding outward, and the shoulder opening side edges being configured as inwardly concave arc shapes, while avoiding portions are formed on opposite sides of the lower sheet in the width direction.In an embodiment of the disclosure, the upper sheet includes a front end edge located at the front portion and a pair of shoulder opening side edges each extending rearward from the front end edge on opposite sides in the width direction, the front end edge being configured as an arc shape protruding outward, and the shoulder opening side edges being configured as arc shapes protruding outward.In an embodiment of the disclosure, the upper sheet includes a front end edge located at the front portion, a pair of shoulder opening side edges each extending rearward from the front end edge on opposite sides in the width direction, and a rear side opening edge located rearward more than the shoulder opening side edges in the front-rear direction. The front end edge and the rear side opening edge are each configured in a linear shape extending in the width direction, and the pair of shoulder side opening edges are configured in a linear shape extending in the front-rear direction.The disclosure also includes a fastener including a pair of fastener strings and a carriage installed on the pair of fastener strings to open or close the pair of fastener strings. The fastener strings include a fastener tape and an element column coil installed on a first surface of the fastener tape. A boundary between the first groove and a side surface of the guide pillar forms a step-shaped portion, and the step-shaped portion is located between a second surface of the fastener tape opposite the first surface and an end surface of the element pillar coil opposite the fastener tape.From the above, in the carriage of this embodiment, one of the lower sheet and the upper sheet is provided with a pair of flanges at two opposite side edges in the width direction. The inner surface of the other of the lower sheet and the upper sheet and the end surface of the flanges are opposed to each other and separated by a gap. The side surface of the guide pillar is provided with a first groove corresponding to the gap in the up-down direction. When the carriage is installed on the fastener string to form the fastener, the outer edge of the fastener tape passes through the gap of the carriage, and the inner edge of the fastener tape corresponds to the first groove provided on the side surface of the guide pillar of the carriage. In this way, the arrangement of the first groove can reduce friction between the inner edge of the fastener tape and the side surface of the guide pillar and reduce the sliding resistance of the carriage on the fastener string. Accordingly, a carriage and a fastener of the disclosure can improve the ease of the carriage sliding on the fastener, thereby reducing damage to the fastener string and providing good operability.In order to make the above-mentioned features and advantages of the disclosure comprehensible, embodiments are described in detail below together with the drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFIG. 1 is a three-dimensional schematic illustration of a carriage according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional schematic view of the carriage shown in FIG. 1 from another viewpoint. FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the carriage shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the carriage shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional schematic illustration of a fastener with the carriage of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of the fastener shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of the back side of the fastener shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of the front side of the fastener shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of a dual open end fastener using two carriages of FIG. 1 according to another embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 10 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a first modification of the carriage shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the carriage shown in FIG. 1 after cutting the guide column in the front-rear direction. Fig. 12 is a schematic side view of a second modification of the carriage shown in Fig. 1. FIG. 13 is a three-dimensional schematic view of a third modification of the carriage shown in FIG. 1 from a different viewpoint.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTSThe exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be discussed in detail. Examples of the exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional schematic illustration of a carriage according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional schematic view of the carriage shown in FIG. 1 from another viewpoint. FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the carriage shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the carriage shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional schematic illustration of a fastener using the carriage of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of the fastener shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of the rear side of the fastener illustrated in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of the front side of the fastener shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of a dual open end fastener using two carriages of FIG. 1 according to another embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 10 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a first modification of the carriage shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the carriage shown in FIG. 1 after cutting the guide column along the front-rear direction. Fig. 12 is a schematic side view of a second modification of the carriage shown in Fig. 1. FIG. 13 is a three-dimensional schematic view of a third modification of the carriage shown in FIG. 1 from a different viewpoint. The specific structure of the carriage 100, the applied fastener strand 50, and the formed fastener 20 in an embodiment of the disclosure, as well as its modifications, will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1-13. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the disclosure may be adapted according to requirements.Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, in this embodiment, the carriage 100 is adapted to be installed on a pair of fastener strings 50 to form the fastener 20. The fastener 20 includes a pair of fastener strands 50 and a carriage 100. The carriage 100 is installed on the pair of fastener strings 50 to open or close the pair of fastener strings 50. The fastener string 50 includes, for example, the fastener tape 52 and the element column spool 54 installed on a first surface 52 aof the fastener tape 52 (as shown in FIG. 5 ). The second surface 52 bof the fastener tape 52 opposite to the first surface 52 ais not provided with the element pillar coil 54, and may be provided with a waterproof film or other laminating layer (not illustrated) as needed. However, the disclosure does not limit whether the second surface 52 bis provided with a laminating layer. Although this embodiment is described in the example of the fastener string 50 having the element column coil 54, the disclosure does not limit the types of fastener strings 50 to which the carriage 100 can be attached. The carriage 100 may also be attached to fastener strings with other types of element columns.Specifically, in this embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the carriage 100 includes a lower blade 110, an upper blade 120, a guide pillar 130, and a pair of flanges (e.g., the lower flange 140 described later). The lower sheet 110 and the upper sheet 120 are each configured as a plate-shaped member, and the upper sheet 120 is oppositely disposed above the lower sheet 110. The guide pillar 130 is disposed between the lower sheet 110 and the upper sheet 120 and connects the front end portions E 1 of the lower sheet 110 and the upper sheet 120 in the front-rear direction (i.e., in the longitudinal direction L). Accordingly, the rear end portions E 2 of the lower sheet 110 and the upper sheet 120 in the front-rear direction (i.e., in the longitudinal direction L) are configured in an open state. Accordingly, the carriage 100 forms an element passage 102 for a pair of fastener strings 50 extending between the lower sheet 110 and the upper sheet 120 and on opposite sides of the guide pillar 130 in the left-right direction (i.e., in the width direction W).Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a pair of flanges (e.g., the lower flange 140) are respectively disposed on two opposite side edges of one of the lower sheet 110 and the upper sheet 120 (e.g., the lower sheet 110) in the width direction W and extend toward the other of the lower sheet 110 and the upper sheet 120 (e.g., the upper sheet 120). That is, in this embodiment, the flanges are lower flanges 140 disposed at two opposite side edges in the width direction W of the lower sheet 110. Accordingly, in this embodiment, a pair of upper flanges 150 may also be disposed on the two opposite side edges in the width direction W of the upper sheet 120. The upper flange 150 and the aforementioned lower flange 140 are opposed in the up-down direction (i.e., in the thickness direction T). However, in other embodiments not shown, only a pair of lower flanges 140 may be disposed on the lower sheet 110 or only a pair of upper flanges 150 may be disposed on the upper sheet 120. That is, either the lower sheet 110 or the upper sheet 120 is provided with a flange. Accordingly, a pair of flanges (e.g., the lower flange 140 and / or the upper flange 150) are located outside of the above-mentioned member passage 102, whereby the member pillar coils 54 of the pair of fastener strings 50 may be constrained in the member passage 102, such that the carriage 100 may open or close the member pillar coils 54 at the fastener strings 50. However, the disclosure does not limit the number, position, and arrangement of the flanges that can be adjusted as needed.In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the lower sheet 110 and the upper sheet 120 are respectively provided with a pair of flanges (i.e., the lower flanges 140 and the upper flanges 150), the end surfaces of the lower flange 140 on the lower sheet 110 and the end surfaces of the upper flange 150 on the upper sheet 120 are opposed to each other and separated by a gap G. That is, the end surfaces of the lower flange 140 and the upper flange 150 are separated from each other without contacting each other. The gap G refers to the space between the end surface of the lower flange 140 on the lower blade 110 and the end surface of the upper flange 150 on the upper blade 120. Therefore, when the carriage 100 is attached to the fastener string 50 to form the fastener 20, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the outer edges of the fastener tapes 52 of the pair of fastener strings 50 may extend outward from the gap G, so that the carriage 100 may slide on the fastener tape 52 of the fastener string 50 in a manner that enables installation to the element column reel 54, thereby enabling opening or closing of the element column reel 54. In the case where a pair of flanges (e.g., the lower flange 140) is provided only on one of the lower sheet 110 and the upper sheet 120 (e.g., the lower sheet 110) (not shown), the inner surface of the other of the lower sheet 110 and the upper sheet 120 (e.g., the upper sheet 120) and the end surface of the flanges (e.g., the lower flange 140) may be opposed to each other and separated by a gap G. However, the disclosure does not limit the arrangement of the flanges and the position of the gap G, which can be adjusted as needed.For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the dimension (height) of the lower flange 140 in the up-down direction (i.e., the thickness direction T) is larger than the dimension (height) of the upper flange 150 in the up-down direction (i.e., the thickness direction T) so that the gap G is closer to the upper sheet 120. In this manner, when the sled 100 is installed on the fastener string 50 to form the fastener 20, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the preferred installation method includes disposing the element pillar coil 54 on the fastener tape 52 (i.e., the first surface 52 a) facing the lower sheet 110 such that the element pillar coil 54 is constrained by the larger lower flange 140. In this case, the element pillar coil 54 is concealed on the inner side of the fastener tape 52 (i.e., on the side opposite to the upper sheet 120), so that the fastener 20 can be used as the concealed fastener. In the case where the lower flange 140 is provided only on the lower sheet 110 (not shown), the preferred installation method is also to place the element pillar coil 54 on the fastener tape 52 (i.e., the first surface 52 a) facing the lower sheet 110, so that the element pillar coil 54 is restricted by the lower flange 140. When the height of the lower flange 140 is less than the height of the upper flange 150 (not shown), or when the upper flange 120 is provided only on the upper flange 150 (not shown), the preferred installation method is to place the element pillar reel 54 on the fastener tape 52 (i.e., the first surface 52 a) facing the upper sheet 120 so that the element pillar reel 54 is bounded by the upper flange 150. However, the disclosure does not limit the position of the gap G and the relative position of the fastener strand 50 when the sled 100 is installed, which may be adjusted as needed.In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first groove 132 is provided on the side surface of the guide pillar 130, and the first groove 132 corresponds to the gap G in the up-down direction (i.e., the thickness direction T). That is, when the carriage 100 is viewed from the front or the side, the height level of the first groove 132 in the up-down direction (i.e., the thickness direction T) is substantially the same as the height level of the gap G in the up-down direction (i.e., the thickness direction T). The first groove 132 forms a recess on the side surface of the guide pillar 130, so that the dimension of the portion of the guide pillar 130 where the first groove 132 is provided in the width direction W becomes smaller. In this way, when the carriage 100 is installed on the fastener string 50 to form the fastener 20, the outer edges of the fastener tapes 52 of the pair of fastener strings 50 extend outward through the gap G of the carriage 100, and the inner edge of the fastener tape 52 corresponds to the first groove 132 on the side surface of the guide pillar 130 of the carriage 100.By the above arrangement, in the carriage 100 of this embodiment, one of the lower sheet 110 and the upper sheet 120 (e.g., the lower sheet 110) is provided with a pair of flanges (e.g., the lower flange 140) at two opposite side edges in the width direction W. The inner surface of the other of the lower sheet 110 and the upper sheet 120 (e.g., the upper sheet 120) and the end surface of the flanges (e.g., the lower flange 140) are opposed to each other and separated by a gap G. The side surface of the guide pillar 130 is provided with a first groove 132 corresponding to the gap G in the up-down direction (i.e., the thickness direction T). When the carriage 100 is installed on the fastener string 50 to form the fastener 20, the outer edge of the fastener tape 52 passes through the gap G of the carriage 100, and the inner edge of the fastener tape 52 corresponds to the first groove 132 provided on the side surface of the guide pillar 130 of the carriage 100. In this way, the arrangement of the first groove 132 can reduce friction between the inner edge of the fastener tape 52 and the side surface of the guide pillar 130, and reduce the sliding resistance of the carriage 100 on the fastener string 50. Accordingly, the carriage 100 and the fastener 20 can improve the ease of the carriage 100 sliding on the fastener string 50, thereby reducing damage to the fastener string 50 and providing good operability.Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the carriage 100 further includes a tongue pull installation eye 160, and the tongue pull installation eye 160 is disposed above the upper sheet 120. Moreover, the first groove 132 is disposed at an end of the guide pillar 130 in the vicinity of the tongue pull installation eye 160 (i.e., at an end in the vicinity of the upper sheet 120 in the thickness direction T). In this way, when the carriage 100 is installed on the fastener string 50 to form the fastener 20, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, it preferably uses the upper sheet 120 provided with the tab pull installation eye 160 as an operation appearance surface. The fastener string 50 is installed so that the element pillar coil 54 (i.e., the first surface 52 a) provided on the fastener tape 52 faces the lower sheet 110, so that the element pillar coil 54 is concealed on the inside of the fastener tape 52 (i.e., on the side opposite to the upper sheet 120), so that the fastener 20 can be used as a concealed fastener. At this time, the outer edge of the fastener tape 52 passes through the gap G in the vicinity of the upper sheet 120, and the inner edge of the fastener tape 52 corresponds to the first groove 132 in the vicinity of the upper sheet 120. In this way, during the sliding operation of the carriage 100, the fastener tape 52 does not need to substantially bend relative to the fastener string 50 in the up-down direction (i.e., the thickness direction T), thereby reducing the sliding resistance of the carriage 100 on the fastener string 50. However, in other embodiments not illustrated, the tongue pull installation loop 160 may be omitted, and the lower sheet 110 may be used as an operation appearance surface. The disclosure is not limited thereto, and the disclosure may be adjusted according to requirements.Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the first groove 132 extends from the interface between the guide pillar 130 and the upper blade 120 toward the lower blade 110. In this way, the dimension (width) in the width direction W of the upper end portion of the guide pillar 130 in the vicinity of the upper sheet 120 is smaller than the dimension (width) in the width direction W of the lower end portion of the guide pillar 130 in the vicinity of the lower sheet 110, and the boundary between the first groove 132 and the side surface of the guide pillar 130 (e.g., the lower end surface of the first groove 132) forms a step portion 134. In this case, when the step-shaped portion 134 is located higher than the second surface 52 bof the fastener tape 52 in the up-down direction (i.e., in the thickness direction T), i.e., when the dimension of the first groove 132 is too small so that the first groove 132 is located above the inner edge of the fastener tape 52, the inner edge of the fastener tape 52 contacts the side surface or the step-shaped portion 134 of the guide pillar 130. This contact may result in the fastener tape 52 being damaged by friction. In particular, when a laminating layer (not illustrated) such as a waterproof film is provided on the second surface 52 bof the fastener tape 52, the laminating layer is easily peeled off due to friction, and there arises a problem of reduced waterproof. Similarly, when the step-shaped portion 134 is lower in the up-down direction (i.e., in the thickness direction T) than the end surface (i.e., (i.e., the lower end surface 54 a) of the element pillar coil 54 opposite to the fastener tape 52, i.e., when the dimension of the first groove 132 is too large, so that the first groove 132 encloses the fastener tape 52 and the element pillar coil 54, the side surface of the guide pillar 130 cannot guide and limit the element pillar coil 54 efficiently, which may easily result in instability problems during sliding of the carriage 100.Based on the above considerations, in this embodiment, the step-shaped portion 134 formed by the boundary between the first groove 132 and the side surface of the guide pillar 130 is further arranged corresponding to the positions of the fastener tape 52 and the element pillar reel 54 in the fastener string 50 used in the carriage 100. For example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the step-shaped portion 134 is located between (i.e., within the range R) the second surface 52 bof the fastener tape 52 opposite the first surface 52 aand the end surface (i.e., the lower end surface 54 a) of the element column coil 54 opposite the fastener tape 52, and it can be seen that, when the first groove 132 extends from the interface between the guide column 130 and the upper sheet 120 to the lower sheet 110, the above-mentioned configuration of the lower end portion of the first groove 132, i.e., the step portion 134, can eliminate the situation that the dimension of the first groove 132 is too small or too large. In this way, the first groove 132 can function better (with less friction and less sliding resistance) by the above arrangement. Accordingly, the carriage 100 and the fastener 20 may reduce damage to the fastener strand 50 and provide good operability. However, in other embodiments not illustrated, the first groove 132 may be disposed at an end of the guide pillar 130 near the lower sheet 110 in the thickness direction T or at a central portion of the guide pillar 130. The disclosure is not limited thereto, and the disclosure may be adjusted according to requirements.In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the lower sheet 110 has a front end edge 112 located at the front portion E 1 and a pair of shoulder opening side edges 114 respectively extending rearward from the front end edge 112 on opposite sides in the width direction W. The front end edge 112 is configured as an arc shape protruding outward, and the shoulder opening side edge 114 is configured as an inwardly concave arc shape. The shoulder opening side edges 114 form escape portions 116 on opposite sides of the lower sheet 110 in the width direction W (as shown in FIG. 7 ). By the above arrangement, the lower sheet 110 of the carriage 100 corresponds to the first surface 52 aof the fastener tape 52 provided with the element column reel 54 when the carriage 100 is installed on the fastener string 50 to form the fastener 20, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7. The element column spool 54 of the fastener string 50 is guided by the guide of the guide column 130 of the carriage 100 through the element passage 102. The element column coil 54 passes through the escape portion 116 formed by the shoulder opening lateral edge 114 of the lower sheet 110 during the sliding operation of the carriage 100 relative to the fastener string 50, and thus the escape portion 116 formed by the shoulder opening lateral edge 114 of the lower sheet 110 can reduce the friction between the lower sheet 110 and the lower end surface 54 aof the element column coil 54 and reduce the sliding resistance of the carriage 100 on the fastener string 50. Accordingly, the carriage 100 and the fastener 20 can reduce damage to the fastener string 50 and provide good operability. However, the disclosure does not limit the shape of the bottom sheet 110 (i.e., does not limit the inclusion or exclusion of the escape portion 116), nor does it limit the sled 100 to be attachable only to the fastener string 50 with the element column coil 54. The disclosure may be adjusted as needed.Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the upper sheet 120 has a front end edge 122 located at the front portion E 1, a pair of shoulder opening lateral edges 124 respectively extending rearward from the front end edge 122 on opposite sides in the width direction W, and a rear side opening edge 126 located rearward in the front-rear direction (i.e., in the longitudinal direction L) than the shoulder opening lateral edge 124. The front end edge 122 and the rear side opening edge 126 are each configured in a linear shape extending in the width direction W, and the pair of shoulder side opening edges 124 is configured in a linear shape extending in the front-rear direction (i.e., in the length direction L). By the above arrangement, when the carriage 100 is installed on the fastener string 50 to form the fastener 20, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the upper sheet 120 of the carriage 100 corresponds to the second surface 52 bof the fastener tape 52 without the element column reel 54, whereby the substantially rectangular upper sheet 120 may be in contact with the second surface 52 bof the fastener tape 52 to increase the stability of the carriage 100 as it slides relative to the fastener string 50. Moreover, the front end edge 122 of the upper sheet 120 of the carriage 100 is parallel to the front end edge of the fastener tape 52 (extending in the width direction W), whereby when the fastener string 50 is closed by the carriage 100, the front end edge 122 of the upper sheet 120 and the front end edge of the fastener tape 52 correspond to each other and further overlap (as in FIG. 8 ), so that the gap between the carriage 100 and the end portion of the fastener string 50 can be reduced and the aesthetic appearance of the carriage 100 on the fastener string 50 can be improved with the upper sheet 120 as an operation appearance surface.Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, the front end edge 112 of the front end portion E 1 of the lower sheet 110 is more rearward than the front end edge 122 of the front end portion E 1 of the upper sheet 120 in the front-rear direction (i.e., the longitudinal direction L). The guide post 130 connects the front end edge 112 of the lower sheet 110 and the front end portion E 1 of the upper sheet 120, and is separated from the front end edge 122 of the upper sheet 120 by a distance D. Between the front end side of the guide column 130 and the front end edge 122 of the upper blade 120, a retracting portion 136 is formed. By the above-described arrangement, when the two carriages 100 are installed on the fastener string 50 to form a double open end fastener 20A, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, the two carriages 100 are installed such that the front end portions E 1 face each other, so that when the fastener string 50 is closed by two carriages 100, the front end edges 112 of the lower sheet 110 of the two carriages 100 abut each other and the front end edges 122 of the upper sheet 120 abut each other, so that the gap between the two carriages 100 and the fastener string 50 in the front-rear direction (i.e., the longitudinal direction L) and the up-down direction (i.e., the thickness direction T) can be reduced. Specifically, when the upper sheet 120 of the carriage 100 has a front end edge 122 configured in a linear shape extending in the width direction W as shown in FIG. 8, the upper sheet 120 of the two carriages 100 abut each other with the linear front end edges 122, thereby reducing the gap between the two carriages 100 and the fastener string 50 in the width direction W and the front and rear directions (i.e., (i.e., the longitudinal direction L), and the aesthetics of the carriage 100 on the fastener string 50 with the upper sheet 120 as a working surface can be improved. However, the disclosure does not limit the carriage 100 to be arranged only in pairs. The carriage 100 may also be individually disposed on the fastener string 50 as shown in FIG. 6. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 8, the gap between the carriage 100 and the end portion of the fastener string 50 can be reduced. Moreover, the disclosure does not limit the inclusion or exclusion of the retracting portion 136, which can be adjusted as needed.Accordingly, in the first modification shown in FIG. 10, the carriage 100A has a similar structural configuration to the aforementioned carriage 100. The main difference is that the upper sheet 120A of the carriage 100A is different from the upper sheet 120 of the aforementioned carriage 100. For other parts (e.g., the lower blade 110, the guide post 130, the lower flange 140, the upper flange 150, the tongue pull installation eye 160, and the first groove 132, etc.), reference may be made to the foregoing description, which is not repeated here. Specifically, in the modification shown in FIG. 10, the upper sheet 120A has a front end edge 122A located at the front portion E 1 and a pair of shoulder opening lateral edges 124A respectively extending rearward from the front end edge 122A on opposite sides in the width direction W. The front end edge 122A is configured as an arc shape protruding outward, and the shoulder opening side edge 124A is configured as an arc shape protruding outward. By the above arrangement, the upper sheet 120A of the carriage 100A can contact the second surface 52 bof the fastener tape 52 with a smaller area when the carriage 100A is installed on the fastener string 50 to form the fastener 20, thereby reducing friction of the carriage 100A in sliding relative to the fastener string 50. From this, it is understood that the disclosure does not limit the shape of the upper sheet 120 and 120A, which can be adjusted as needed. The carriage 100A in the modification shown in FIG. 10 may also be provided with the retracting portion 136, and the carriage 100A may also be arranged in pairs on the fastener string 50 to form a double open end fastener 20A, thereby reducing the gap between the two carriages 100A and the fastener string 50, but the disclosure does not limit the application of the carriage 100A that can be adjusted according to requirements.Referring to FIGS. 4 and 11, the guide pillar 130 in this embodiment includes a front side surface S 1, two opposing side surfaces S 2 and S 3 separated and parallel to each other in the width direction W, and a pair of inclined rear side surfaces S 4 and S 5. The guide pillar 130 is configured as a pillar structure having a substantially pentagonal (diamond-shaped) cross section. The first groove 132 is disposed, for example, on two opposite side surfaces S 2 and S 3 of the guide pillar 130 in the width direction W and on the rear side surfaces S 4 and S 5 (e.g., the hatched area in FIG. 11 ) of the guide pillar 130 in the front-rear direction (i.e., the length direction L). That is, the first groove 132 is not disposed on the front side surface S 1 (because the fastener string 50 does not contact the front side surface S 1). By the above arrangement, when the carriage 100 is installed on the fastener strings 50 to form the fastener 20, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 11, the fastener string 50 is separated from each other by the opposite side surfaces S 2 and S 3 and the rear side surfaces S 4 and S 5 of the guide pillar 130 during the sliding operation of the carriage 100. In this way, the arrangement of the first groove 132 can reduce friction between the inner edge of the fastener tape 52 and the side surfaces of the guide pillar 130 (i.e., the opposite side surfaces S 2 and S 3 and the rear side surfaces S 4 and S 5) and reduce the sliding resistance of the carriage 100 on the fastener string 50. Accordingly, the carriage 100 and the fastener 20 can improve the ease of the carriage 100 sliding on the fastener string 50, thereby reducing damage to the fastener string 50 and providing good operability.Accordingly, in the second modification shown in FIG. 12, the carriage 100B has a similar structural configuration to the aforementioned carriage 100. The main difference is that the first groove 132B of the carriage 100B is not disposed on the two opposite side surfaces S 2 and S 3 of the guide pillar 130B in the width direction W (as shown in FIG. 12 ), but is disposed only on the rear side surfaces S 4 and S 5 of the guide pillar 130B in the front-rear direction (i.e., in the length direction L). For other parts (e.g., the lower blade 110, the upper blade 120, the lower flange 140, the upper flange 150, and the tongue pull installation eye 160, etc.), reference may be made to the foregoing description, which is not repeated herein. By the above arrangement, when the carriage 100B is installed on the fastener strings 50 to form the fastener 20, the fastener strings 50 are separated from each other by the rear side surfaces S 4 and S 5 of the guide pillar 130B during the sliding operation of the carriage 100B. In this way, the arrangement of the first groove 132B can reduce friction between the inner edge of the fastener tape 52 and the side surfaces of the guide pillar 130B (i.e., the rear side surfaces S 4 and S 5). Moreover, as compared with the carriage 100 of the aforementioned embodiment, the first groove 132B may be disposed in a region (i.e., the rear side surfaces S 4 and S 5) that does not interfere with the cutting of the guide pillar 130B in the subsequent processes, which is advantageous for the subsequent processes, although the friction reducing effect of the carriage 100B may be less. However, in other embodiments not illustrated, the first groove 132 may be disposed only on the two opposing side surfaces S 2 and S 3 or also on all side surfaces of the guide pillar 130 (including the front side surface S 1) to form an annular groove. The disclosure does not limit the arrangement position and dimension of the first groove 132, which can be adjusted as needed.Moreover, in the third modification shown in FIG. 13, the carriage 100C has a similar structural configuration to the aforementioned carriage 100. The main difference is that the upper sheet 120C of the carriage 100C is provided with a second groove 128 on the inner surface facing the lower sheet 110, and the second groove 128 is located at a position on the inner surface of the upper sheet 120C in the vicinity of the guide column 130. That is, the second groove 128 is disposed on the upper blade 120C at a position near the first groove 132 such that the first groove 132 and the second groove 128 coincide with each other (which may also be further connected to each other, but are not limited thereto). Preferably, the second groove 128 extends from the portion where the upper blade 120C is connected to the guide pillar 130 toward the rear end portion E 2, and gradually narrows in the width direction W and gradually merges toward the center. For other parts (e.g., the lower blade 110, the guide post 130, the lower flange 140, the upper flange 150, the tongue pull installation eye 160, and the first groove 132, etc.), reference may be made to the foregoing description, which is not repeated here. By the above arrangement, the arrangement of the second groove 128 can reduce the friction between the inner edge of the fastener tape 52 and the interface between the guide pillar 130 and the upper blade 120C when the carriage 100C is installed on the fastener strings 50 to form the fastener 20. Accordingly, the carriage 100C and the fastener 20 can improve the ease of the carriage 100C sliding on the fastener string 50, thereby reducing damage to the fastener string 50 and providing good operability. However, the disclosure does not limit the shape and inclusion or exclusion of the second groove 128, which may be adjusted as needed.In summary, in the carriage of this embodiment, one of the lower sheet and the upper sheet is provided with a pair of flanges at two opposite side edges in the width direction. The inner surface of the other of the lower sheet and the upper sheet and the end surface of the flanges are opposed to each other and separated by a gap. The side surface of the guide pillar is provided with a first groove corresponding to the gap in the up-down direction. When the carriage is installed on the fastener string to form the fastener, the outer edge of the fastener tape passes through the gap of the carriage, and the inner edge of the fastener tape corresponds to the first groove provided on the side surface of the guide pillar of the carriage. In this way, the arrangement of the first groove can reduce friction between the inner edge of the fastener tape and the side surface of the guide pillar, and reduce the sliding resistance of the carriage on the fastener tape. Preferably, the boundary between the first groove and the side surface of the guide pillar forms a step-shaped portion, and the step-shaped portion is further disposed corresponding to the positions of the fastener tape and the element reel in the fastener tape used in the carriage. Accordingly, a carriage and a fastener of the disclosure can improve the ease of the carriage sliding on the fastener string, thereby reducing damage to the fastener string and providing good operability.Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical solutions of the disclosure, but not for limiting the disclosure; although the disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, persons having ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the above embodiments may still be modified or parts or all of the technical features thereof may be equivalently replaced; however, these changes or substitutions do not lead to the substance of the corresponding technical solutions deviating from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the disclosure.REFERENCE NUMERALS20, 20A Fastener 50 Fastener string 52 Fastener tape 52 aFirst surface 52 bSecond surface 54 Element column coil 54 aLow end surface 100, 100A, 100B, 100C Carriage 102 Element passage 110 Lower blade 112, 122, 122AFront end edge 114, 124, 124A Shoulder opening side edge 116 Escape portions 120, 120A, 120C Upper blade 126Back opening side edge 128 Second groove 130, 130B Guide column 132, 132B First groove 134 Step-shaped portion 136 Retracting portion 140Low flange 150Up flange 160 Laschen-pull installation hole D Distance E 1Front end portion E 2Back end portion G Gap L Length direction R Region S 1Front side surface S 2, S 3 Side surface S 4, S 5 Rear side surface T Thickness direction W Width direction

Claims

A carriage (100, 100A, 100B, 100C) adapted to be installed on a pair of fastener strings (50) to form a fastener (20, 20A), comprising: a lower sheet (110); an upper sheet (120, 120A, 120C) disposed opposite over the lower sheet (110); a guide column (130, 130B) disposed between the lower sheet (110) and the upper sheet (120, 120A, 120C) and connecting a front end portion (E1) of the lower sheet (110) and a front end portion (E1) of the upper sheet (120, 120A, 120C) in a front-rear direction; and a pair of flanges each disposed on two opposite side edges of one of the lower sheet (110) and the upper sheet (120, 120A, 120C) on a width direction (W) and extending toward one of the other lower sheet (110) and the upper sheet (120, 120A, 120C), wherein an inner surface of the other of the lower sheet (110) and the upper sheet (120, 120A, 120C) and an end surface of the flanges are opposed to each other and separated by a gap (G), a first groove (132, 132B) is provided on a side surface (S2, S3) of the guide column (130, 130B), and the first groove (132, 132B) corresponds to the gap (G) in an up-down direction.The sled (100, 100A, 100B, 100C) of claim 1, further comprising: a tongue pull installation eye (160) disposed above the top sheet (120, 120A, 120C), wherein the first groove (132, 132B) is disposed at an end of the guide pillar (130, 130B) proximate the tongue pull installation eye (160).The carriage (100, 100A) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first groove (132) is disposed on two opposite side surfaces (S2, S3) of the guide pillar (130) in the width direction (W).The carriage (100B) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first groove (132B) is disposed on a rear side surface (S4, S5) of the guide pillar (130B) in the front-rear direction.The carriage (100C) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, an inner surface of the upper sheet (120C) facing the lower sheet (110) is provided with a second groove (128), and the second groove (128) is located at a location on the inner side of the upper sheet (120C) near the guide pillar (130).The carriage (100, 100A, 100B, 100C) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, a front end edge (112) of the front end portion (E1) of the lower sheet (110) is located more rearward than a front end edge (122, 122A) of the front end portion (E1) of the upper sheet (120, 120A, 120C) in the front-rear direction, the guide column (130, 130B) connects the front end edge (112) of the lower sheet (110) and the front end portion (E1) of the upper sheet (120, 120A, 120C), and is separated from the front end edge (122, 122A) of the upper sheet (120, 120A, 120C) by a distance (D), and a retracting portion (136) is formed between a front end side of the guide column (130, 130B) and the front end edge (122, 122A) of the upper sheet (120, 120A, 120C).The carriage (100, 100A, 100B, 100C) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower sheet (110) has a front end edge (112) located at the front end portion (E1) and a pair of shoulder opening lateral edges (114) respectively extending rearward from the front end edge (112) on opposite sides in the width direction (W), the front end edge (112) being formed as an outwardly protruding arc shape, and the shoulder opening lateral edges (114) being configured as inwardly concave arc shapes, while avoiding portions (116) are formed on opposite sides of the lower sheet (110) in the width direction (W).The carriage (100A) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper sheet (120A) has a front end edge (122A) located at the front end portion (E1) and a pair of shoulder opening lateral edges (124A) respectively extending rearward from the front end edge (122A) on opposite sides in the width direction (W), the front end edge (122A) being configured as an outwardly protruding arc shape, and the shoulder opening lateral edges (124A) being arc-shaped and protruding outward.The carriage (100, 100B, 100C) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper sheet (120, 120C) has a front end edge (122) located at the front end portion (E1), a pair of shoulder opening side edges (124) each extending rearward from the front end edge (122) on opposite sides in the width direction (W), and a rear shoulder opening side edge (126) located rearward further in the front-rear direction than the shoulder opening side edges (124), the front end edge (122) and the rear shoulder opening side edge (126) each being configured in a linear shape extending in the width direction (W), and the pair of shoulder opening side edges (124) has a linear shape extending in the front-rear direction.A fastener (20, 20A) comprising: a pair of fastener strings (50); and the carriage (100, 100A, 100B, 100C) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 installed on the pair of fastener strings (50) to open or close the pair of fastener strings (50), wherein the pair of fastener strings (50) comprises a fastener tape (52) and an element column coil (54) installed on a first surface (52a) of the fastener tape (52), a boundary (B) between the first groove (132, 132B) and a side surface (S2, S3) of the guide column (130, 130B) forms a step portion (134), and the step-shaped portion (134) is located between a second surface (52b) of the fastener tape (52) opposing the first surface (52a) and an end surface of the element column coil (54) opposing the fastener tape (52).

Images