SLIDE

Abstract

A slide according to the present invention comprises a slide body (10), a pull tab (30), and a cover body (40) and is characterized in that an upper plate (20) of the slide body (10) comprises a reference surface (21), a recess (22) with respect to the reference surface (21), and a projection (24) projecting from the reference surface (21), wherein the reference surface (21) and the recess (22) are arranged in the left and right side regions (52), and the recess (22) is arranged such that, in a longitudinal direction of the slide, it includes at least a portion of an intermediate region (55) located between the first mounting post (14) and the second mounting post (15), and the projection (24) is located behind the intermediate region (55). This reduces the likelihood of the pull tab (30) being fixed by the coating material, even when the slide is subjected to a coating process.

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to a slider for use in a zipper. Background technology

[0002] Sliders for zippers are disclosed in the international publication 2021 / 250748 (PTL 1) and other literature. For example, as in Fig. 8, a prior art slider 70 is formed with a slider body 71, a pull tab 72, a pawl body 73, a leaf spring member (elastic member) 74, and a cover body 75. The slider 70 is constructed by sequentially placing the pull tab 72, the pawl body 73, and the leaf spring member 74 on the slider body 71, and then fixing the cover body 75 to front and rear fixing posts 71a provided on the slider body 71.

[0003] The slider 70 has an automatic stop mechanism formed by the pawl body 73. Specifically, when the pull tab 72 of the slider 70 is not operated, the pawl body 73 is biased by the leaf spring member 74, and the pawl portion 73a of the pawl body 73 is thereby caused to automatically enter the element guide passage 71b of the slider body 71. Accordingly, the pawl portion 73a of the pawl body 73, having entered the element guide passage 71b, engages rows of elements inserted into the element guide passage 71b. As a result, a stop state of the slider 70 can be maintained, so that the slider 70 does not move freely along the element rows. BibliographyPatent specifications

[0004] PTL 1: International Publication No. 2021 / 250748 Summary of the inventionTechnical problem

[0005] After the above-described prior art slider 70 is assembled, the assembled slider 70 is generally subjected to a surface treatment, such as coating. As a method for coating sliders, one known method is to spray a coating material onto an assembled slider.

[0006] However, when prior art gate valves are dried after undergoing a coating process such as spray coating, a problem is encountered with some gate valves. The coating material dries while the pull tab is in contact with a top plate of the gate valve body, causing the pull tab to become immobile. Furthermore, a problem may arise in which the pull tab, which is secured to the gate valve body by the coating material, becomes detached, leaving an imprint of the pull tab on the gate valve body. Gate valves exhibiting such problems are eliminated as defective goods, and this can be one of the reasons for a reduction in work performance and a reduction in yield.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a slider capable of reducing the possibility of occurrence of fixation of the pull tab to the slider body due to the coating material even when subjected to a coating process. Solution to the problem

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a slider provided by the present invention is a slider comprising at least a slider body, a pull tab with a fastening axis portion, and a cover body, wherein the slider body comprises an upper plate, a lower plate arranged at a distance from the upper plate, a slider wedge coupling a front end portion of the upper plate and a front end portion of the lower plate, a first fastening column at a front side and a second fastening column at a rear side, wherein the first and second fastening columns extend upwardly from the upper plate, the cover body is fastened to the first fastening column and the second fastening column of the slider body,the fastening axis portion of the pull tab is arranged between the first fastening column and the second fastening column of the slider body and is held between the upper plate and the cover body, wherein the slider is for a zipper. In the slider, the upper plate has a reference surface exposed toward a top side, a recess with a recessed shape with respect to the reference surface, and a projection projecting from the reference surface and supporting a part of the pull tab when the pull tab is inclined, wherein the reference surface and the recess are arranged in both a left and a right side region on an outer side of the first fastening column and the second fastening column in a width direction of the slider, wherein the recess is arranged to cover at least a part of an intermediate region,which is arranged between the first fastening column and the second fastening column in a length direction of the slider, and wherein the projection is arranged behind the intermediate region in the length direction of the slider.,

[0009] In the slider according to the present invention, the upper plate preferably has an axis support that supports the fastening axis portion of the pull tab, and the axis support is arranged in at least a part of the intermediate region in the length direction of the slider.

[0010] In the slider according to the present invention, preferably, with respect to the length direction of the slider, a front end of the recess is arranged in front of the intermediate portion and a rear end of the recess is arranged between the intermediate portion and the projection.

[0011] In addition, the recess preferably has a lower surface curved in a recessed shape with respect to the length direction of the slider, and the lower surface of the recess is smooth and continuous from the reference surface.

[0012] Furthermore, the lower surface of the recess is preferably formed by a curved surface which is parallel to the width direction of the slider.

[0013] In the slider according to the present invention, the axis support is preferably arranged in the left and right recesses in the width direction of the slider, and is arranged at a height position equal to a height position of the reference surface in a height direction of the slider.

[0014] Preferably, in a side view of the slider in which the slider is viewed in the width direction of the slider, a non-contact area in which the pull tab does not come into contact with the upper plate when the pull tab is inclined is provided between the upper plate and the pull tab.

[0015] In addition, preferably, in a side view of the slider in which the slider is viewed in the width direction of the slider, with the pull tab inclined, a dimension from a position of a center of the fastening axis portion of the pull tab to a position of a tip of the projection in the length direction of the slider is defined as a reference dimension, a dimension from the front end of the recess (22) to the rear end of the recess in the length direction of the slider is 50% or more of the reference dimension.

[0016] Further, a maximum depth of the recess from the reference surface in the height direction of the slider is preferably 2% or more and 10% or less of a dimension of the upper plate from the reference surface to a lower surface of the upper plate in the height direction of the slider. Advantageous effects of the invention

[0017] With the slider according to the present invention, even when the slider is subjected to a coating process, it is possible to reduce the possibility of occurrence of fixation of a pull tab to a slider body by the coating material, and thus it is possible to improve the working result with respect to the slider and increase the yield with respect to the slider. Brief description of the drawings [ Fig. 1] Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a slider body and a pull tab of a slider according to an embodiment of the present invention. [ Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a plan view of the Fig. 1 shown slider body and the pull tab. [ Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a side view of the Fig. 1 shown slider body and the pull tab. [ Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is an enlarged schematic view of the main part of the slider body and the pull tab. [ Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the slider body. [ Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a plan view of the slider body. [ Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is a side view of the slider body. [ Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a released state of a prior art slider. Description of the embodiments

[0018] Hereinafter, a suitable embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0019] Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a slider body and a pull tab of a slider according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 are a top view and a side view, respectively, of the slider body and the pull tab. In Fig. 3 a cover body is indicated by a dashed line. Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing a relationship between a top plate of the slider body and the pull tab.

[0020] In the following description, the front-to-back direction refers to a length direction or a sliding direction of the slider. Specifically, a direction in which the slider moves to connect left and right rows of elements when used for a zipper is regarded as the front (a direction of a shoulder opening side), and a direction (direction of a rear opening side) in which the slider moves to separate the rows of elements is regarded as the rear.

[0021] The up-down direction refers to the height direction of the slider, and the up-down direction is a direction orthogonal to, for example, a reference surface, which will be described later, the upper plate of the slider body. Specifically, a side of the slider where the pull tab is attached to the slider body is considered the top side, and a side opposite thereto is considered the bottom side. The left-right direction refers to the width direction of the slider, and the left-right direction is a direction orthogonal to the length direction and the height direction of the slider.

[0022] The slider according to the present embodiment is used by slidably attaching it to the left and right rows of elements of a slide fastener. In this case, the left and right rows of elements provided with the slide fastener are each formed by a plurality of continuous coil-shaped elements. The coil-shaped rows of elements are inserted into a link guide passage 18 of the slider, which will be described later, and the slider is thus connected to the rows of elements. The left and right rows of elements can be coupled and separated by sliding the slider along the link rows.

[0023] The slider according to the present embodiment is provided with an automatic stop mechanism formed by a pawl body (not shown), which is capable of automatically maintaining a stop state of the slider when the slider is stopped with respect to the rows of coupling elements. The slider according to the present invention may be formed without the automatic stop mechanism.

[0024] The slider according to the present embodiment is formed of five components, which are a slider body 10, a pull tab 30, a pawl body (not shown), an elastic member (not shown), and a cover body 40. In the present embodiment, the elastic member is formed by a leaf spring member.

[0025] The slider according to the present embodiment has essential features in the slider body 10 (specifically, a top plate 20 of the slider body 10), and the shapes, structures, materials, etc. of the pawl body, the elastic member (leaf spring member), and the cover body 40 are not particularly limited according to the present invention. Therefore, the slider body 10 and the pull tab 30 will be mainly described below. The pawl body, the elastic member, and the cover body 40 are configured substantially similarly to those in general use, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0026] In the present embodiment, the pull tab 30 includes a pull tab body portion 31 intended to be held between fingers, for example, left and right arm portions 32 extending from an end portion of the pull tab body portion 31, and a fastening axis portion 33 coupling the portions together at the tips of the left and right arm portions 32. A cross section of the fastening axis portion 33 orthogonal to an axial direction (width direction of the slider) of the fastening axis portion 33 is circular. The pull tab 30 has a rectangular open window portion surrounded by the pull tab body portion 31, the left and right arm portions 32, and the fastening axis portion 33. According to the present invention, the shape, size, material, etc. of the pull tab are not particularly limited.

[0027] In the present embodiment, the slider body 10 includes the upper blade 20, a lower blade 11 arranged at a distance from the upper blade 20, a slider wedge 12 that couples a front end portion (shoulder opening side end portion) of the upper blade 20 and a front end portion (shoulder opening side end portion) of the lower blade 11 to each other, left and right upper flange portions 13 provided at left and right side portions of the upper blade, respectively, a first fixing pillar (front fixing pillar) 14 provided at the front side because it is located at the front end portion of the upper blade blade 20, and a second fixing pillar (rear fixing pillar) 15 provided at the rear side because it is located at a rear end portion of the upper blade 20.Left and right side edge portions of the rear half portion of the lower shield 11 are provided with left and right bulging portions each bulging toward the upper shield 20.

[0028] A front end portion of the slider body 10 has left and right shoulder openings 16 with the slider wedge 12 therebetween. A rear end portion of the slider body 10 has a rear opening 17. The element guide passage 18 has a substantially Y-shape through which the left and right shoulder openings 16 communicate with the rear opening 17 and is formed between the upper flap 20 and the lower flap 11 of the slider body 10. Left and right side edge portions of the slider body 10 are each provided with a tape insertion gap 19 into which the corresponding left and right fastener tapes (not shown) of a slide fastener are to be inserted. In this case, the left and right tape insertion gaps 19 of the slider body 10 are each formed between the corresponding left and right upper flange portions 13 and a bulge portion 11a of the lower flap 11.

[0029] As in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the top plate 20 according to the present embodiment includes a reference surface 21 exposed to the top surface, left and right recesses 22 recessed with respect to the reference surface 21, left and right axis supports 23 supporting the fixing axis portion 33 of the pull tab 30, four projections 24 projecting from the reference surface 21, and left and right side edge portions 25 each having a smooth curved outer surface.

[0030] Here, the upper shield 20 according to the present embodiment, as for example in Fig. 6, a region where the first fixing pillar 14 and the second fixing pillar 15 are formed along the left-right direction (the width direction of the slider) is referred to as a central region 51, and regions on the left and right sides of the central region 51 are referred to as side regions 52. In addition, in the upper blade 20, a region between the first fixing pillar 14 and the second fixing pillar 15 in the front-rear direction (the length direction of the slider) is referred to as an intermediate region 55, and a portion in front of the intermediate region 55 and a portion behind the intermediate region 55 are referred to as a front region 56 and a rear region 57, respectively.In this case, the intermediate region 55 of the upper blade 20 is a region extending from the rear edge (specifically, the rear side edge of a first inclined surface 14d, which will be described later, of the first fixing column 14) of the first fixing column 14 to the front edge (specifically, the front side edge of a second inclined surface 15d, which will be described later, of the second fixing column 15) of the second fixing column 15 along the front-rear direction.

[0031] In the present embodiment, the reference surface 21 of the upper blade 20 is an upper surface of the upper blade 20 orthogonal to the up-down direction and is formed by a flat surface. The reference surface 21 is provided in both the left and right side regions 52 of the upper blade 20 along the left-right direction. The reference surface 21 is also provided on at least a part of the front region 56 of the upper blade 20 and at least a part of the rear region 57 along the front-back direction.

[0032] Particularly, in the present embodiment, since the flat reference surface (upper surface) 21 is provided in both the left and right side regions 52 at the front end portion of the upper blade 20 where a width dimension (dimension with respect to the left-right direction) gradually decreases toward the front and is provided in both the left and right side regions 52 at the rear end portion of the upper blade 20 near the rear opening 17, it is possible to smoothly perform an inserting step in which, for example, left and right rows of coupling elements are inserted into the slider after the slider according to the present embodiment is manufactured.

[0033] Specifically, for example, after the slider according to the present embodiment is manufactured, an insertion step of mechanically inserting the left and right rows of elements of a fastener chain into the element guide passage 18 of the slider is performed. In the insertion step, first, to insert the rows of elements into the slider, the front end portion and the rear end portion of the upper blade 20 and the front end portion and the rear end portion of the lower blade 11 of the slider body 10 are clamped and pressed by a slider holder along the up-down direction, so that the slider is held by the slider holder.At this time, since the flat reference surface 21 of the upper blade 20 according to the present embodiment is provided in both the left and right side regions 52 at the front end portion and the rear end portion of the upper blade 20, it is possible to stably hold the slider in a predetermined orientation with the slider holder. Thus, it is possible to smoothly and stably perform the operation of inserting the left and right rows of fastener elements into the fastener element guide passage 18 of the slider with one machine.

[0034] The four protrusions 24 provided on the upper plate 20 all have identical shapes and sizes. Each of the protrusions 24 has a circular tip surface (upper end surface) parallel to the reference surface 21 of the upper plate 20 and an outer peripheral surface extending from the outer peripheral periphery of the tip surface to the reference surface 21. The outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 24 has a substantially spherical shape. The shape of each of the protrusions 24 is not particularly limited in the present invention.

[0035] The projections 24 in the present embodiment include a left-right pair of first projections 24a arranged in front of the intermediate portion 55 of the upper blade 20, provided on the left and right sides of the first fixing pillar 14, and a left-right pair of second projections 24b arranged behind the intermediate portion 55 of the upper blade 20, provided on the left and right sides of the second fixing pillar 15. In this case, the first projections 24a on the front side are arranged one each in the left and right side portions 52 of the front portion 56 of the upper blade 20. The second projections 24b on the rear side are arranged one each in the left and right side portions 52 of the rear portion 57 of the upper blade 20.

[0036] In the present embodiment, the height dimension (in other words, a dimension between the reference surface 21 and the tip surface of each of the projections 24 along the up-down direction) of each of the projections 24 from the reference surface 21 is 3% or more and 20% or less, preferably 5% or more and 15% or less of the thickness dimension (in other words, a dimension from a fastener guide surface of the upper plate 20 facing the element guide passage 18 to the reference surface 21 along the up-down direction) of the upper plate 20.

[0037] By setting the height dimension of each of the projections 24 to 3% or more of the thickness dimension of the upper blade 20, it is possible to cause the pull tab 30 to come into contact with the left and right projections 24 to be supported by the projections 24 when the pull tab 30 is inclined with respect to the slider body 10 toward the shoulder openings 16 or toward the rear opening 17, and thus it is possible to separate the pull tab 30 from the reference surface 21 of the upper blade 20 at least in the vicinity of the projections 24 in the front-rear direction.

[0038] By setting the height dimension of each of the protrusions 24 to 20% or less of the thickness dimension of the upper plate 20, it is possible to make the protrusions 24 less conspicuous in the external appearance of the slider. It is also possible to reduce the possibility of fingers getting caught on the protrusions 24, for example, when the slider body 10 is touched by the fingers. Specifically, the height dimension of each of the protrusions 24 from the reference surface 21 in the present embodiment is set to, for example, 0.05 mm or more and 0.30 mm or less.

[0039] As in Fig. 6, the first projections 24a on the front side are arranged at positions closer to the intermediate region 55 along the front-rear direction than the second projections 24b on the rear side. Consequently, when the pull tab 30 is inclined toward the shoulder openings 16 of the slider body 10, it is possible to highly separate the pull tab 30 from the reference surface 21 of the upper blade 20 in the vicinity of the projections 24, for example, compared to the pull tab 30 inclined toward the rear opening 17 of the slider body 10.

[0040] To reduce the area in which the pull tab 30 comes into contact with the upper plate 20 when the pull tab 30 is inclined toward the rear opening 17, recesses 22 are provided on the left and right side portions 52 of the upper plate, respectively, and are formed to recess downward with respect to the reference surface 21 of the upper plate 20. In the present embodiment, the left and right recesses 22 are formed to be left-right symmetrical with respect to a center line of the upper plate 20 along the left-right direction.

[0041] The left and right recesses 22 each have a lower surface 22a curved in a shape that is recessed with respect to the front-rear direction, and the lower surface 22a is formed as a curved surface with a smooth recessed surface shape. In other words, each recess 22 is shaped such that the depth of the recess 22 is greatest at a central portion with respect to the length direction of that recess 22, and such that the depth of the recess 22 gradually decreases from the central portion of the recess 22 toward the front and rear. Here, the depth of the recess 22 is an extension from the lower surface 22a of the recess 22 to the reference surface 21 in the up-down direction.

[0042] According to the present embodiment, a maximum depth D (in other words, the depth at the central portion of each recess 22) of each recess 22 is set to 2% or more and 10% or less, preferably 3% or more and 8% or less of the thickness dimension of the upper blade 20 (see Fig. 4). The maximum depth D of each recess 22 is also set to 25% or more and 50% or less of the height dimension of each of the projections 24 from the reference surface 21.

[0043] Since each of the recesses 22 has the maximum depth D which is 2% or more of the thickness dimension of the upper plate 20, if the pull tab 30 is as in Fig. 4, is inclined toward the rear opening 17 of the slider body 10, a gap (for example, a gap of 0.03 mm or more) between the pull tab 30 and the bottom surface 22a of each of the recesses 22 can be easily provided. In addition, since each of the recesses 22 has the maximum depth D that is 10% or less of the thickness dimension of the upper blade 20, a decrease in the strength of the upper blade 20 can be reduced by the provision of the recesses 22. For example, in the present embodiment, the maximum depth D of each of the recesses 22 is set to 0.02 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less.

[0044] According to the present invention, each of the recesses 22 may be shaped so that the lower surface 22a of the recess 22 is not a curved surface as in the present embodiment, and is formed, for example, to have a flat surface parallel to the front-rear direction or a flat surface inclined with respect to the front-rear direction. For example, in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, for easy understanding of the extent of the design of each recess 22, lines are shown that indicate the boundaries between the lower surface 22a of each recess 22 and the reference surface 21 provided in front of and behind the projection 22. However, in the actual slider body 10, the lower surface 22a of each recess 22 is formed smooth and continuous with respect to the reference surface 21 in front of and behind it, as in Fig. 4, so that the boundaries between the lower surface 22a and the reference surface 21 are not clearly visible.

[0045] By such left and right recesses 22 provided on the upper plate 20, it is possible when the pull tab 30 is inclined with respect to the slider body 10 toward the rear opening 17 and comes into contact with the left and right second projections 24b (see Fig. 3 and Fig. 4), compared with the case where, for example, the recesses 22 are not provided on the upper plate 20, to reduce an area (contact area) in which the pull tab 30 comes into direct contact with the upper plate 20.

[0046] The left and right recesses 22 are each continuous from a position at the corresponding side portion 52 near the central portion 51 to the outside in the width direction (see Fig. 6). In this case, a thin and long reference surface 21 extending along the front-rear direction is formed between each of the recesses 22 and the central region 51. In the present invention, each of the left and right recesses 22 may be formed to extend inward in the left-right direction to the position of the boundary between the central region 51 and the corresponding side region 52.

[0047] The lower surface 22a of each of the recesses 22 extends parallel to the left-right direction and thus has a surface shape that is constant along the left-right direction. Since the lower surface 22a of each of the left and right recesses 22 is formed smoothly as described above to be continuous with the reference surface 21 in front of and behind the reference surface 21 and is formed parallel to the left-right direction, even if the recesses 22 are provided on the upper surface of the upper plate 20, it is possible to make the recesses 22 less conspicuous in the external appearance of the slider. Thus, it is possible to reduce or eliminate the influence of the recesses 22 on the external appearance quality of the slider.

[0048] In the front-rear direction, the left and right recesses 22 are each formed to include at least a part of at least the intermediate region 55, preferably to include the entirety of the intermediate region 55 (see Fig. 6). For example, a front end (front edge) 22b of each of the recesses 22 is located forward of the intermediate portion 55 in the front-rear direction, specifically, in the present embodiment, it is located between the intermediate portion 55 and the first projections 24a on the front side. A rear end (rear edge) 22c of each of the recesses 22 is located rearward of the intermediate portion 55 in the front-rear direction, specifically, it is located between the intermediate portion 55 and the second projections 24b on the rear side. Consequently, an area where the pull tab 30 comes into contact with the upper plate 20 when the pull tab 30 is inclined toward the rear opening 17 can be stably reduced.

[0049] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, each recess 22 is provided such that its dimension from the intermediate portion 55 to the rear end 22c of the recess 22 with respect to the front-rear direction is larger than its dimension from the intermediate portion 55 to the front end 22b of the recess 22 with respect to the front-rear direction. Therefore, if, as in the present embodiment, the first projections 24a on the front side are arranged at positions closer to the intermediate portion 55 than those of the second projections 24b on the rear side, it is possible to reduce the size of each recess 22 along the front-rear direction while ensuring the effect of reducing the contact area of ​​the pull tab 30 with the upper plate 20, as described above.

[0050] For example, according to the present embodiment, when the dimension of each recess 22 from the front end 22b to the rear end 22c along the front-rear direction is defined as the length dimension L1 of the recess 22, the length dimension L1 of the recess 22 is set to be larger than the dimension of the intermediate portion 55 in the front-rear direction and to be set smaller than the dimension in the front-rear direction from the first projections 24a on the front side to the second projections 24b on the rear side.

[0051] Further, for example, when the pull tab 30 is inclined toward the rear opening 17 with respect to the slider body 10, the dimension from the position of the center (axial center) of the fixing axis portion 33 of the pull tab 30 to the position (in other words, a position of contact between the pull tab 30 and the projections 24) of the tip surface of each of the projections 24 of the upper blade 20 on the rear side in the length direction of the slider is defined as a reference dimension L2, the length dimension L1 of each of the recesses is set to 50% or more of the reference dimension L2 (see Fig. 4). Since the recesses 22 each have a length dimension L1, as described above, which is 50% or more of the reference dimension L2, it is possible to effectively reduce the area in which the pull tab 30, which is inclined toward the rear opening 17, comes into contact with the upper plate 20.

[0052] The length dimension L1 of each of the recesses 22 is preferably set to 100% or less of the reference dimension L2. Consequently, it is possible to mitigate a decrease in the strength of the upper plate 20 by providing the recesses 22, and it is also possible to provide the recesses 22 on the upper plate 20 so that they are less conspicuous in the external appearance of the slider.

[0053] In the present invention, it is sufficient for the left and right recesses 22 to be provided so that each of them has a size such that at least a part of the intermediate region 55 is included therein in the front-rear direction. Therefore, for example, each recess 22 may be formed so that the front end 22b of the recess 22 is located in the intermediate region 55, or may be formed so that it extends continuously from a position on the front side of the first projections 24a to a position on the rear side of the second projections 24b along the front-rear direction.

[0054] The left and right axle supports 23 provided on the upper plate 20 are provided so that the fastening axle portion 33 of the pull tab 30 is supported in the intermediate region 55 between the first fastening column 14 and the second fastening column 15. A supporting surface (upper surface) of each of the left and right axle supports 23 is arranged at a height equal to a height of the reference surface 21 of the upper plate 20 with respect to the up-down direction. In other words, the reference surface 21 of the upper plate 20 and the supporting surfaces of the axle supports 23 are provided to form a flat coplanar surface (single flat surface). The supporting surfaces of the left and right axle supports 23 are thus arranged on the upper surface of the lower surfaces 22a of each of the recesses 22 in the up-down direction.Consequently, when the pull tab 30 is inclined toward the rear opening 17, a gap is easily formed between the pull tab 30 and the lower surface 22a of each of the recesses 22.

[0055] In the present embodiment, the left and right axle supports 23 are each formed to be thin and long with respect to the front-rear direction in the entirety of the intermediate portion 55, for example, in a plan view (see Fig. 6) of the slider body 10. Furthermore, in the left-right direction, the left and right axis supports 23 are arranged between the left and right recesses 22 (in other words, placed in a region on the inside of the left and right recesses 22) and are provided so as to include a boundary between the central region 51 and each of the side regions 52.

[0056] A central recess 26, which is recessed such that a central portion is deepest with respect to the width direction, is provided between the left and right axle supports 23 in the present embodiment. The left and right axle supports 23 are thus arranged away from each other. With the central recess 26 thus formed between the left and right axle supports 23, for example, when a rotary-type pull tab in which left and right arm portions of the pull tab and a fixing axle portion are formed in a circular arc shape is held between the upper plate 20 and the cover body 40 instead of the pull tab 30 of the present embodiment, it is possible to smoothly rotate the rotary-type pull tab leftward and rightward with respect to the slider body.

[0057] In the present invention, it is sufficient for the axle supports 23 of the upper blade 20 to be provided such that at least a part of the axle supports 23 is arranged in the intermediate region 55 in the up-down direction when viewed in a plan view of the slider body 10. Therefore, in the present invention, for example, one axle support may be provided in the central region in the left-right direction. Alternatively, for example, a pair of left and right axle supports may each be provided at a portion near the outer side with respect to the width direction in corresponding left and right side regions. In addition, in the present invention, the axle supports may be provided in only a part of the intermediate region and not in the entire intermediate region with respect to the front-rear direction.Furthermore, although the support surfaces of the axle supports 23 according to the present embodiment are each arranged at a height equal to the height of the reference surface 21 of the upper blade 20 with respect to the up-down direction, the axle supports in the present invention may be formed such that the height of each of the support surfaces is changed within a range from the reference surface of the upper blade to the tip surfaces of the projections with respect to the up-down direction.

[0058] In the slider body 10 of the present embodiment, the first fixing post 14 and the second fixing post 15 are formed to extend upward from the upper plate 20. In addition, the first fixing post 14 and the second fixing post 15 are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. Consequently, a space suitable for receiving the fixing axis portion 33 of the pull tab 30 is provided between the first fixing post 14 and the second fixing post 15.

[0059] The first fastening column 14 and the second fastening column 15 of the slider body 10 are covered by the cover body 40, and the cover body 40 is fixed to the first fastening column 14 and the second fastening column 15 and is thus fixed to the slider body 10 (see Fig. 3). According to the present embodiment, after the first fixing column 14 and the second fixing column 15 are covered by the cover body 40, a part of the cover body 40 is partially pressed to undergo plastic deformation, and the cover body 40 is thus fixed to the first fixing column 14 and the second fixing column 15. In the present invention, the method and means for fixing the cover body 40 to the first fixing column 14 and the second fixing column 15 of the slider body 10 are not particularly limited.

[0060] For fastening the leaf spring member (elastic member) not shown, the first fastening post 14 is provided at the front with left and right first spring supports 14a that support the leaf spring member, and a first projection 14b that engages the leaf spring member. The first fastening post 14 is also provided with a pawl receiving recess 14c that receives a part of the pawl body (not shown), and with the first inclined surface 14d that slopes downward toward the rear. The first inclined surface 14d of the first fastening post 14 is provided at a rear end portion of the first fastening post 14 facing the second fastening post 15.

[0061] For fastening the leaf spring part (elastic part), the second fastening column 15 is provided on the rear side with a second spring support 15a that supports the leaf spring part, and a second projection 15b that projects further upward than the second spring support 15a and engages with the leaf spring part. The second fastening column 15 is also provided with a pawl hole 15c that communicates with the element guide passage 18, and with the second inclined surface 15d that slopes downward toward the front side. By providing the pawl hole 15c, a part (pawl portion) of the pawl body, which is biased by the leaf spring part, can penetrate into the element guide passage 18. The second inclined surface 15d of the second fastening column 15 is provided at a front end portion of the second fastening column 15 facing the first fastening column 14.

[0062] In the present invention, as long as the first fixing column 14 and the second fixing column 15 of the slider body 10 are formed at least so that the cover body 40 can be connected thereto, the shapes, structures, sizes, etc. of the first fixing column 14 and the second fixing column 15 are not particularly limited.

[0063] When the slider according to the present embodiment is to be assembled using the slider body 10, the pull tab 30, the pawl body (not shown), the elastic part (not shown) and the cover body 40 described above, the pull tab 30 is first placed on the upper plate 20 of the slider body 10. At this time, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the fastening axis portion 33 of the pull tab 30 is inserted into the gap between the first fastening column 14 and the second fastening column 15 of the slider body 10, while the first fastening column 14 or the second fastening column 15 is inserted into the open window portion of the pull tab 30. At this time, the fastening axis portion 33 of the pull tab 30 is placed on the left and right axis supports 23 of the upper shield 20, whereby the fastening axis portion 33 is supported by the axis supports 23.

[0064] Next, the pawl body and the elastic member are sequentially placed on the slider body 10 where the pull tab 30 has been placed. To place the pawl body on the slider body 10, a part of the pawl body is inserted into the pawl receiving recess 14c provided on the first mounting post 14 of the slider body 10, while the pawl portion of the pawl is inserted into the pawl hole 15c provided on the second mounting post 15.

[0065] Next, the cover body 40 is attached to the slider body 10, where the pull tab 30, the pawl body, and the elastic member have been placed. At this time, the first fastening post 14 and the second fastening post 15 of the slider body 10 are covered by the cover body 40, so that the first fastening post 14 and the second fastening post 15 are accommodated by the cover body 40. Furthermore, a part of the cover body 40 is pressed to elastically deform, thereby attaching the cover body 40 to the first fastening post 14 and the second fastening post 15.

[0066] Consequently, the slider of the present embodiment in which the fixing axis portion 33 of the pull tab 30 is disposed between the first fixing column 14 and the second fixing column 15 of the slider body 10, and in which the fixing axis portion 33 is held between the upper plate 20 and the cover body 40, is manufactured.

[0067] According to the slider of the present embodiment described above, for example, when the pull tab 30 is inclined toward (rearwardly) the rear opening 17 with respect to the slider body 10, the fixing axis portion 33 of the pull tab 30 is supported by the left and right axis supports 23 of the slider body 10, and the left and right arm portions 32 of the pull tab 30 are supported by the left and right second projections 24b of the slider body 10 (see Fig. 4). In this case, the pull tab 30 is in contact only with the left and right axle supports 23 and the left and right second projections 24b, which serve as portions of the slider body 10 for supporting the pull tab 30, and is supported by the slider body 10. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the slider body 10 is provided with the left and right recesses 22 in the respective left and right side portions 52 of the upper blade 20. Consequently, a gap can be provided between the bottom surface 22a of each of the recesses 22 and the pull tab 30.

[0068] With such a gap, when viewed from the side of the slider ( Fig. 4) A non-contact region 59, in which the pull tab 30 does not come into contact with the upper plate 20, is provided between the upper plate 20 and the rearwardly inclined pull tab 30 along the left-right direction. In the present embodiment, the non-contact region 59 is provided in at least a region from the front edge position of the second fixing pillar 15 to the rear end position 22c of each of the recesses 22 in the front-rear direction. In other words, the region from the front edge position of the second fixing pillar 15 to the rear end position 22c of each of the recesses 22 can be described as a region in the rear region 57 where the recesses 22 are provided.Specifically, in the present embodiment, the non-contact portion 59 is provided at least in the entirety of a range (in other words, the range of the reference dimension L2) from the position of the center of the fixing axis portion 33 of the pull tab 30 to the position of contact between the pull tab 30 and the second protrusions 24b in the front-rear direction.

[0069] As a result, the area of ​​a portion where the pull tab 30 tilted backward comes into contact with the slider body 10 can be greatly reduced compared with, for example, prior art sliders such as those in PTL 1. In the present invention, for example, depending on the set position and size of each of the recesses 22 and the shape, size, etc. of the pull tab 30, the pull tab 30 can come into contact with the slider body 10 at a portion other than the left and right axis supports 23 and the left and right second projections 24b when the pull tab 30 tilts backward.

[0070] When the pull tab 30 is inclined toward the shoulder openings 16 (forward) with respect to the slider body 10, the fastening axis portion 33 of the pull tab 30 is supported by the left and right axis supports 23 of the slider body 10, and the left and right arm portions 32 of the pull tab 30 are supported by the left and right first projections 24a of the slider body 10. At this time, the first projections 24a are arranged on the front side at positions shown in a side view (see, for example, Fig. 3) are closer to the fastening axis portion 33 of the slider pull tab 30 than the second protrusions 24b on the rear side. Consequently, when the pull tab 30 is tilted forward, the pull tab 30 can be held at a larger angle of inclination with respect to the reference surface 21 of the upper plate 20 compared to, for example, the pull tab 30 tilted backward. It is thus possible to reduce the area where the pull tab 30 comes into contact with the upper plate 20.

[0071] By providing the left and right recesses 22 on the upper plate 20 in this way, it is possible to significantly reduce the contact area where the slider 30 comes into contact with the upper plate 20 of the slider body 10 when the pull tab 30 is tilted forward or backward in the slider according to the present embodiment, compared to, for example, general prior art sliders. Accordingly, when a slider according to the present embodiment is subjected to a coating process such as spray coating and the coated slider is then dried, the possibility of a problem that the drying of the coating material fixes the pull tab 30 to the upper plate 20 and a problem that the fixation of the pull tab 30 results in an imprint of the pull tab 30 on the slider body 10 can be reduced.Accordingly, it is possible to reduce a coating defect of the slide, and thus it is possible to improve the working result regarding the slide and increase the yield regarding the slide.

[0072] Additionally, in the slider of the present embodiment, the left and right recesses 22 of the upper blade 20 are formed parallel to the left-right direction and are formed to be continuous with the left and right side edge portions 25 of the upper blade 20. Therefore, when a spray coating process is performed on the slider, a coating material flowing into the recess 22 of the upper blade 20 can be smoothly discharged to the outside in the left-right direction. Thus, it is possible to prevent the coating material from easily accumulating in the recesses 22, and to coat the slider beautifully.

[0073] Furthermore, by forming the left and right recesses 22 continuously with the left and right side edge portions 25 of the upper plate 20, for example, even when a pull tab (for example, a pull tab including a fixing axis portion elongated in the left-right direction) in which the dimension of the fixing axis portion is different from that in the present embodiment is fixed to the slider body 10, similarly to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent or reduce fixation of the pull tab to the upper plate 20 after a coating process.

[0074] As described above, in the slider of the present embodiment, the lower surface 22a of each of the recesses 22 is formed with a smooth recessed surface shape and runs smoothly continuously with the reference surface 21 in front of and behind the reference surface 21. Further, each of the recesses 22 is formed so that its depth with respect to the reference surface 21 is small and is formed so that it has a small dimension in the front-rear direction in a region where the effect of reducing the contact area between the pull tab 30 and the upper plate 20 can be achieved. Furthermore, in the slider according to the present embodiment, when the pull tab 30 is formed as shown in FIG. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, is inclined towards the rear opening 17, the left and right recesses 22 provided on the upper shield 20 are covered by the pull tab 30 so that they cannot be easily seen.

[0075] Consequently, even if the recesses 22 are provided on the upper plate 20, as described above, it is possible to make the recesses 22 less conspicuous in the external appearance of the slider. It is also possible to reduce the possibility of fingers or nails getting caught in the recesses 22 of the upper plate 20, for example, when performing a sliding operation of the slider. Accordingly, the slider of the present embodiment can maintain the same quality as prior art sliders.

[0076] Therefore, even if the slider of the present embodiment is attached to rows of coupling links of a fastener chain instead of a slider of the prior art, the possibility of a user experiencing discomfort can be reduced. In addition, for products with attached zippers such as clothing and bags, changes in external appearance, design features, and so on caused by the influence of the zipper on the attached zipper products can be minimized.

[0077] It should be noted that the present invention is by no means limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible as long as the modifications have substantially the same structure as those of the present invention and produce similar effects.

[0078] For example, as described above, the slider of the above-described embodiment is mainly used for a slide fastener in which the rows of elements are formed by a plurality of elements continuously arranged in a coil shape. However, the slider according to the present invention can be configured to be used, for example, for a slide fastener in which the rows of elements are formed by a plurality of metallic elements, or for a slide fastener in which a plurality of independent elements are formed on a fastener tape by injection molding synthetic resin.

[0079] Additionally, in the slider of the above-described embodiment, the four projections 24, including the two first projections 24a on the front side and the two second projections 24b on the rear side, are provided on the upper plate 20. However, in the present invention, it is sufficient that the upper plate 20 is provided with at least one projection 24 on the rear side of the intermediate portion 55. Thus, for example, the slider body can be formed without a projection provided on the front side of the intermediate portion. List of reference symbols 10 slide bodies 11 Lower shield 11a Bulge 12 slide wedge 13 Upper flange section 14 First fastening column (front fastening column) 14a First spring support 14b First lead 14c Jack recess 14d First inclined surface 15 Second mounting column (rear mounting column) 15a Second spring support 15b Second lead 15c jack hole 15d Second inclined surface 16 Shoulder opening 17 Rear opening 18 Coupling link guide passage 19 Tape insertion gap 20 Upper shield 21 Reference surface (upper surface) 22 recess 22a Lower surface 22b Front end (front edge) 22c Rear end (rear edge) 23 Axle support 24 lead 24a First lead 24b Second lead 25 margin section 26 Central recess 30 pull tab 31 Pull tab body section 32 arm area 33 Mounting axis section 40 cover bodies 51 Central Area 52 page range 55 Intermediate area 56 Front area 57 Rear area 59 Contact-free area D Maximum depth of the recess L1 Length dimension of the recess L2 reference dimension

Claims

[1] A slider comprising at least one slider body (10), a pull tab (30) with a fastening axis section (33), and a cover body (40), wherein the slider body (10) comprises an upper plate (20), a lower plate (11) arranged at a distance from the upper plate (20), a slider wedge (12) coupling a front end section of the upper plate (20) to a front end section of the lower plate (11), a first fastening column (14) on a front side and a second fastening column (15) on a rear side, wherein the first fastening column (14) and the second fastening column (15) extend upwards from the upper plate (20), the cover body (40) is fastened to the first fastening column (14) and the second fastening column (15) of the slider body (10),the fastening axis section (33) of the pull tab (30) is arranged between the first fastening column (14) and the second fastening column (15) of the slider body (10) and is held between the upper plate (20) and the cover body (40), the slider being for a zipper, and , characterized by is that the upper plate (20) has a reference surface (21) exposed towards an upper side, a recess (22) having a recessed shape with respect to the reference surface (21) and a projection (24) projecting from the reference surface (21) and supporting a part of the pull tab (30) when the pull tab (30) is inclined, wherein the reference surface (21) and the recess (22) are arranged in both a left and a right side region (52) on an outer side of the first fastening column (14) and the second fastening column (15) in a width direction of the slider, the recess (22) is arranged to include at least part of an intermediate region (55) arranged between the first fastening column (14) and the second fastening column (15) in a length direction of the slider, the projection (24) is arranged in the length direction of the slider behind the intermediate region (55) in the length direction of the slider. [2] Slider according to claim 1 characterized by that the upper plate (20) has an axle support (23) which supports the fastening axle section (33) of the pull tab (30), and the axle support (23) is arranged in at least a part of the intermediate region (55) in the length direction of the slider. [3] Slider according to claim 1 or 2 characterized bythat in the length direction of the slider, a front end (22b) of the recess (22) is arranged in front of the intermediate region (55) and a rear end (22c) of the recess (22) is arranged between the intermediate region (55) and the projection (24). [4] Slider according to one of claims 1 to 3 characterized by that the recess (22) has a lower surface (22a) which is curved in a recessed shape with respect to the length direction of the slider and the lower surface (22a) of the recess (22) is smooth and continuous from the reference surface (21). [5] Slider according to one of claims 1 to 4 characterized by that the lower surface (22a) of the recess (22) is formed by a curved surface which is parallel to the width direction of the slider. [6] Slider according to one of claims 1 to 5 characterized bythat the axis support (23) is arranged in the left and right recesses (22) in the width direction of the slider, and is arranged at a height position which is equal to a height position of the reference surface (21) in a height direction of the slider. [7] Slider according to one of claims 1 to 6 characterized by in a side view of the slider in which the slider is viewed in the width direction of the slider, a non-contact area (59) in which the pull tab (30) does not come into contact with the upper plate (20) when the pull tab (30) is inclined is present between the upper plate (20) and the pull tab (30). [8] Slider according to one of claims 1 to 7 characterized byin that, in a side view of the slider in which the slider is viewed along the width direction of the slider, with the pull tab (30) inclined, when a dimension from a position of a center of the fastening axis portion (33) of the pull tab (30) to a position of a tip of the projection (24) in the length direction of the slider is defined as a reference dimension (L2), a dimension (L1) from the front end (22b) of the recess (22) to the rear end (22c) of the recess (22) in the length direction of the slider is 50% or more of the reference dimension (L2). [9] Slider according to one of claims 1 to 8 characterized by that a maximum depth (D) of the recess (22) from the reference surface (21) in the height direction of the slider is 2% or more and 10% or less of a dimension of the upper plate (20) from the reference surface (21) to a lower surface of the upper plate (20) in the height direction of the slider.

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