Slider for a zipper, zipper and closable object

Abstract

Slider (1) for a zipper with two U-shaped bent and fixed fastener tapes (14) and attach / detach fastener elements (13) attached along an end edge of the bent fastener tapes (14), the slider (1) comprising: - a lower plate (2), - a guide column (5) extending from the lower plate (2) and arranged to guide the two closure bands (14), - a pulling device holder (6) for holding a pulling device (7), the pulling device holder (6) extending from the guide column (5), - a pair of side walls (3a) extending along the sliding direction of the slider (1) and arranged on either side of the guide column (5), the side walls (3a) being arranged to guide the fastening straps (14) between them and the guide column (5), - a pair of upper plates (3b), the upper plates (3b) extending from the side walls (3a) and being arranged to extend towards the guide post (5), the slider (1) further comprising a neck portion (101) arranged between the guide post (5) and the puller bracket (6).

Description

Technical FieldThe present invention relates to a slider for a slide fastener.Prior ArtSlide fasteners are used in a variety of fields to seal garments, for example, but also frequently in the automotive industry when various parts of a car seat are to be detachably connected to each other, for example.There are various types of closures. One type of fastener that is frequently used, for example, in pant slits or to close jackets or other garments has an arrangement in which the fastener tapes of the zipper have metal or plastic teeth that are visible outwardly. To improve the aesthetic appearance, these teeth are usually covered by a piece of fabric so that they are not visible from the outside. However, in other contexts, these teeth are visible to the user. In such shutters, the shutter belts extend to the left and right of the slider relative to the shutter / slide direction.Note that, in the context of the present disclosure, the term "upper" denotes the direction in which a pulling device (which will be explained later) is attached to a slide fastener, and the term "lower" denotes the direction opposite to the upward direction. The terms "left" and "right" refer to the left and right sides when viewed along the direction in which the slide fastener slides to connect the fastener tapes to each other. The term "forward" refers to the direction in which the slider is displaced when the fastener tapes are fastened together, while the term "rearward" refers to the opposite direction in which the slider disengages the fastener tapes from each other.Another type of zipper is a slider designed so that the fastener elements are less visible from the outside. In this case, the fastener elements (and to some extent also the fastener tapes to which they are attached) are, due to the manner in which the fastener tapes are guided, buried in the article to which the zipper is attached, so that the fastener tapes and more particularly the fastener elements are less visible or even invisible from the outside. In these cases, both fastener tapes extend from the top of the zipper and only then to the left and right. Since the closure elements are concealed in the fold thus formed, they are less visible towards the outside. Such a configuration is often used in, for example, the automobile industry where such slide fasteners are used to fasten together various upholstery of a car seat. The details of such a slide construction can be found, for example, in EP 2 578 106 A1.A slide construction from the prior art, somewhat similar to the construction of EP 2 578 106 A1, is shown in FIG. 1. As can be seen from this figure, a slide 1' has a die aging 6' at its upper end. This puller holder 6' serves to slide a slide body 50' relative to two mounting straps (not shown) that would protrude from the top of the slide body 50'. Due to the protruding fastening straps, a tension member (not shown) attached to the puller holder 6' can contact the fastening strap and any material connected to that strap. This can then lead to the pulling device damaging the material connected to the fastening tapes and / or protruding relative to the fabric, as can be seen from Fig. 8, in which a slider 1' of the prior art with a pulling device 7' fastened thereto is shown. Such a situation is less aesthetically pleasing. Moreover, the probability of accidental contact with and accidental actuation of the pulling device 7' increases.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to providing a slider for a zipper that avoids these problems and, in particular, provides a slider that is less susceptible to failure and more aesthetically pleasing. The invention furthermore aims to provide a slide fastener with such a slider and a lockable object with a corresponding slide fastener.The invention is defined by the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are defined in the respective dependent claims.According to the present invention, a slider for a slide fastener is arranged such that two fastener tapes are bent and fixed in a U-shape and protrude at the top of the slider / slider body. The slider is provided for attaching / detaching fastener elements attached along an end edge of the bent fastener tape. By bending and fixing the two fastener tapes in a U-shape, they are arranged so that the fastener elements are hidden in the fold formed by the two attached bent fastener tapes. That is, the present invention relates to the hidden fastener configuration.According to the present invention, the slider comprises a lower plate. This lower plate is arranged as the lowermost structure of the slider and carries the further components of the slider which serve for the attachment / detachment of the fastening elements.A guide pillar is disposed on the lower plate so as to extend upward therefrom. The guide column is to be arranged between the two non-fastened fastening straps and either separates them when the fastening elements are released or guides them together (together with further components described below) when fastened. Thus, the guide column is disposed at a central position relative to the left-right direction.A puller holder is attached to the guide column. This puller holder may in embodiments take the form of a hook that can hold a puller. It may also have the form of a loop through whose opening the pulling device extends. The puller holder is arranged to extend from the guide column so that pulling on the puller exerts a force on the puller holder which in turn acts on the pusher / pusher body to displace it. As a result of this sliding movement, the fastening elements are fastened to one another or released from one another in the manner as described, for example, in EP 2 578 106 A1 and is known in the prior art. By this fastening or detachment, the objects fastened to the zipper are fastened or detached again.The slider further includes a pair of side walls. The side walls extend along the sliding direction of the slider and are arranged on both sides of the guide column. The side walls extend from the bottom plate. The side walls, when using the slider, each receive one of the fastening straps between it and the guide column and guide them either towards each other to connect them together or away from each other to release / separate them when the slider is slid forwards or backwards.At an upper end of the side walls, upper plates are arranged which extend from the side walls inward in the direction of the guide column. These top plates leave a gap between them and the guide column. The fastening tape is guided through this gap during use.According to the invention, the pusher comprises a neck portion disposed between the guide column and the puller holder. That is, the neck portion is arranged such that the puller holder is not directly seated on the guide post. This neck portion may be in the form of a piece of material disposed between the lowermost part of the puller support which can be used to attach a puller and an uppermost surface of the top plates. That is, the neck portion ensures that there is some clearance between the uppermost portion of the top plates and the lowermost portion of the puller support to which a puller could be attached. For example, in a hook-shaped puller holder, the neck portion provides that the lowermost portion of the area defined by the hook and the uppermost surface of the top plates are spaced a distance d from each other. In the case of a puller holder forming a loop, the distance d is defined as the distance between the top surface of the top plates and the bottom of the opening surrounded by the loop through which the puller is to be threaded.The neck portion increases the point at which the fasteners exit the gap between the guide post and the top plates and the puller. This provides some clearance for the puller so as to prevent the puller from being stopped or otherwise contacting the material joined by the zipper. Accordingly, the corresponding slider is less susceptible to faults and leads to a more aesthetically pleasing overall image.It is preferred that the neck portion has a length d perpendicular to the bottom plate which is in the range of greater than or equal to 70% of the height h of the slider body, preferably in the range of 70% to 100% of the height h of the slider body. In embodiments, this leads to a length d in the range from 1 mm to 10 mm, preferably in the range from 2 mm to 4 mm. Such a length has been found to be particularly useful for most fabrics and other types of flexible materials (particularly natural and artificial leather) used with slide fasteners. The height h of the slider body is the distance between the top surface of the upper plates and the bottom surface of the lower plate.In embodiments, the guide column includes a first portion that is tapered in the sliding direction. With such a first portion, the guide column helps separate the closure elements to release them from each other or also to join them together to connect them together. It is preferred that also the neck portion comprises a second portion, which is also tapered on the same side in the sliding direction. Thus, the neck portion can also either contribute to moving the joined pieces of material apart or to bringing them together. Thus, both the first portion and the second portion contribute to fastening or loosening the two fastening tapes.It is also preferred that at least one and preferably all of the top plates are aligned with the respective side wall from which they extend at at least one end in the sliding direction, preferably at both ends in the sliding direction. That is, the top plates do not extend beyond the side wall to which they are attached in the sliding direction, but end in the sliding direction at the same location where the side wall to which they are attached ends. This reduces the size of the slider and thus also the deformation of the fastened material and the visibility of the slider outwards.A further aspect of the invention relates to a zipper comprising the slider according to one of the preceding aspects. A corresponding zipper combines the aforementioned advantages.According to a further aspect of the invention, a closable article is claimed which comprises a zipper according to the preceding aspects. This lockable article further comprises two portions of flexible material joined together by the zipper. The zipper includes a puller movably supported by the puller holder. The neck portion is arranged such that the puller is freely movable at least partially relative to the puller support and without interference from the flexible material. That is, the puller is free from interference from the flexible material, so that it can freely oscillate relative to the puller holder at least to some extent without being interfered with by the flexible material. Accordingly, the neck portion is long enough to sufficiently space the puller from the flexible material so that the puller will not be affected by the flexible material, at least to some extent, and thus can lie flat on the flexible material without being held in a somewhat upright position relative to the flexible material.It is preferred that the object to be fastened is a car seat and that the flexible material preferably comprises natural and / or artificial leather. In such a car seat, a non-protruding pulling device is particularly preferred to achieve an appealing appearance and to avoid accidental engagement with the pulling device and / or damage to the material of the car seat.Brief Description of the DrawingsFIG. 1 shows a slide according to the prior art. Fig. 2 is a side view of a slider according to the present invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the slider according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a front view of the slider according to the present invention. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the slider according to the present invention. Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the slider according to the present invention. Figure 7 shows the slider according to the present invention in a zipper with flexible material attached. Figure 8 shows a sealable article having a slider according to the present invention and the slider according to the prior art attached thereto.Detailed Description of the DrawingsHereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.Fig. 2 shows a side view of the slider 1 according to the present invention. A puller holder 6 is connected to a slide body 50 by means of a neck portion 101 which extends vertically relative to the slide body 50. The slider body 50 has, as shown in more detail in the plan view in Fig. 3, a lower plate 2 to which a pair of side walls 3a extending upward are attached, as seen in Fig. 2. These side walls 3 aare disposed on the left and right sides of the slide body 50 relative to the sliding direction indicated by an arrow in FIGS. 2 and 3. The slider 50 further includes the side walls 3 a, the guide pillar 5, and the upper plates 3 b.From Fig. 3 the overall shape of the guide column 5 extending from the lower plate 2 can be seen more clearly. The guide pillar 5 has a shape tapering toward the lower side of the side of FIG. 3, i.e., in the rearward direction. When the slider 1 shown in FIG. 3 is moved in the direction of the arrow, the fastening elements of the fastening tape used with it are fastened to one another.On the top of the side walls 3a are mounted upper plates 3b which extend inwardly from the side walls 3a to which they are attached. These upper plates 3b form a gap 11 between them and the guide column 5, through which gap 11 fastening straps (not shown in Fig. 3) project when the slider 1 is in use. Thus, the side walls 3a and the upper plates 3b, as well as the lower plate 2 and the guide column 5, form between them a channel C through which the closure elements 13 of the sliding closure are guided. This channel C, which is open to the outside in the sliding direction of the slider 1 via the gap 11 and via the inlet and outlet at the front and rear ends, has the shape of a letter Y in plan view, wherein the single leg of the letter Y represents the part of the slider where the fastener tapes are connected to one another and the upper legs of the letter Y represent the part of the slide fastener where the fastener tapes are separated from one another.Fig. 4 shows a front view of the slider 1, from which view the above-described channel C extending from the front to the rear end of the slider 1 can be seen more clearly. From this figure, the neck portion 101 can also be seen. This neck portion 101 separates the top surface of the top plates 3 band the lowermost part of the opening, which is part of the puller holder 6, from each other by a distance d as shown in FIG. 2. This distance d serves to provide some freedom of movement for a puller which is held in the opening 6a of the puller holder 6 and when using materials to be fastened together with the slide 1 and extending upward from the slide 1. That is, due to this gap provided by the neck portion 101, a puller attached to the puller holder 6 is not held in an upright position by the material of the slide fastener or a material with which the slide fastener is used.FIG. 5 shows the slide 1 in a perspective view, in which the shape of the channel C can also be seen more clearly. In this figure, the tapered first portion 102 of the guide column 5 disposed at the bottom of the slider body 50 and the tapered second portion 103 which is part of the neck portion 101 can be seen more clearly. The first portion 102 serves to separate the fasteners from each other, while the second portion 103 helps to push the materials to which the fasteners or the fastening strap attached thereto are joined away from each other.FIG. 6 shows the slide 1 in an exploded view. As can be seen from this figure, the slide 1 comprises two components 1a, 1b which are connected to one another, for example, by caulking, as described in EP 2 578 106 A1, paragraphs 92 and 93.Fig. 7 shows a configuration in which a closable article is connected to each other by two of its components using a slider 1 according to the present invention. As can be seen from this drawing, closure elements 13 are arranged within the channel C of the slide and are connected to one another by the sliding movement of the slide 1. In this way, the fastening straps 14 fastened to the closure elements 13 are also drawn close to one another. As a result, the flexible materials 201 are in turn connected to one another. Thanks to the neck portion 101, the puller holder 6 protrudes from the flexible materials 201, which means that a puller attached to the puller holder 6 can lie flat on the flexible materials 201 instead of protruding.This effect is shown in Fig. 8, where a prior art slide 1' is attached with a pulling device 7' attached thereto. As can be seen from this figure, the pulling device 7' protrudes due to the interference from the flexible material of the object 200 to be attached. In contrast, the pulling device 7 attached to a slide 1 according to the present invention lies flat on the material of the object to be attached and thus causes less adverse effects.References included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedEP 2 578 106 A1 [0005, 0006, 0012, 0029]

Claims

A slider (1) for a slide fastener having two U-shaped bent and fixed fastener tapes (14) and attachment / detachment fastener elements (13) attached along an end edge of the bent fastener tapes (14), the slider (1) comprising: - a lower plate (2), - a guide pillar (5) extending from the lower plate (2) and arranged to guide the two fastener tapes (14), - a puller holder (6) for holding a puller (7), the puller holder (6) extending from the guide pillar (5), - a pair of side walls (3a) extending along the sliding direction of the slider (1) and arranged on both sides of the guide pillar (5), the side walls (3a) being arranged so as to be close to and close to the slide pillar (5), A method of guiding the fastening straps (14) between them and the guide column (5), a pair of upper plates (3b), the upper plates (3b) extending from the side walls (3a) and being arranged to extend towards the guide column (5), the pusher (1) further comprising a neck portion (101) arranged between the guide column (5) and the puller holder (6).The slider (1) according to claim 1, wherein the neck portion (101) has a length (d) measured perpendicular to the lower plate (2), which is in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm, preferably in the range of 2 mm to 4 mm, and / or wherein the length (d) is greater than or equal to 70% of the distance (h) between the lowermost surface of the lower plate (2) and the uppermost surface of the upper plates (3b).The slider (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the guide column (5) comprises a first portion (102), which is tapered in the sliding direction, and wherein the neck portion (101) comprises a second portion (103), which is tapered in the sliding direction, such that both the first portion (102) and the second portion (103) are tapered on the same side in the sliding direction, wherein the same side preferably points in the direction in which the fastening elements (14) are fastened to each other.The slider (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one, preferably all, upper plates (3b) are aligned with the respective side wall (3a) from which they extend at at least one end in the sliding direction, preferably at both ends in the sliding direction.A zipper with the slider (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.A closable article (200) comprising a zipper according to claim 5 and two portions made of flexible material (201) closed together by the zipper, the zipper comprising a puller (7) movably supported by the puller support (6), wherein the neck portion (101) is arranged such that the puller (7) is freely movable relative to the puller support (6) at least partially without interference from the flexible material (201).The lockable article (200) according to claim 6, wherein the lockable article (200) is a car seat and wherein the flexible material (201) preferably comprises natural and / or artificial leather.

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