Top stop for slide fastener

Abstract

To provide a top stop for a slide faster in which, in a slide fastener, when the top stop including a sheet and a top stop body is integrally molded with a pair of tapes by injection molding, filling a space part corresponding to the sheet in a cavity space with molten resin is facilitated, which improves a rate of non-defective items.SOLUTION: A top stop (3) is integrally molded with a pair of tapes (4) by injection molding, and includes a top stop body (6), a boundary part (8), and a sheet (7) that project with respect to a surface of the pair of tapes and arranged in the order toward the upper side. The top stop body has an annular shape when viewed from a front and rear direction, has an openable and closable annular lower part, and including a gate mark (6G) in an annular inner surface thereof. The boundary part extends from the inside toward the sheet with respect to both ends (6a) in a width direction of an upper surface of the top stop body. Thicknesses are thinner in order of a thickness (t8) of the boundary part and a thickness (t7) of the sheet. Lateral side surfaces (71) on the boundary part side of the sheet have a shape extending toward the outside of the width direction being the lateral direction, as extending upward from the boundary part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a top stop for a slide fastener (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the top stop) that is injection molded onto a pair of tapes that extend in the vertical direction and are arranged adjacent to each other on the left and right, and that stops the movement of the slider above the pair of element rows when the pair of element rows are closed and comes into close contact with the slider. [Background technology]

[0002] Some slide fasteners are formed by integrally molding a first stop that stops the movement of a slider above a pair of tapes and a sheet that extends upward from the first stop and joins the pair of tapes together by injection molding (Patent Document 1). The first stop performs its original function as a top stop, which is to stop the movement of the slider. In the present invention, the part that performs its original function as a top stop is molded onto the pair of tapes by injection molding, and the part that is integrally molded together at that time is referred to as the top stop. Therefore, the first stop and the sheet correspond to the top stop in the present invention, since they are integrally molded onto the pair of tapes by injection molding.

[0003] In the slide fastener disclosed in Patent Document 1, the sheet is rectangular when viewed in the thickness direction of the pair of tapes. A recess is formed at the boundary between the first fastener and the sheet. The recess is a trace of a positioning pin used to hold the tape in place during injection molding. A plurality of recesses are formed at intervals on both sides of the boundary. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019-180758 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the slide fastener disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the top stop is injection molded, there are areas in the cavity space that correspond to the shape of the sheet where the molten resin has difficulty flowing. More specifically, when viewed in the thickness direction of the pair of tapes, the molten resin has difficulty flowing at the two lower corners of the rectangular cavity space. Because there are areas where the molten resin has difficulty flowing, depending on the molding conditions, the sheet does not fill properly and does not assume a rectangular shape, resulting in a defective product due to poor appearance.

[0006] The present invention was created in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to make it easier to fill the space in the cavity corresponding to the seat with molten resin when integrally molding the seat including the seat and the seat body by injection molding, thereby improving the yield rate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The top stop for a slide fastener of the present invention is designed to stop the movement of a slider at the top of a pair of tapes that extend vertically and are arranged side by side, and to closely contact the slider when a pair of element rows fixed along the pair of tapes are closed. The top stop comprises a top stop body that protrudes from the front and back surfaces of the pair of tapes and is annular when viewed from the front and back, with the annular lower portion being openable and closable; a sheet that joins the pair of tapes above the top stop body in a manner that protrudes from one of the front and back surfaces; and a boundary portion between the top stop body and the sheet that joins the pair of tapes in a manner that protrudes from the one surface. The boundary portion extends from the inside of both widthwise ends of the top surface of the top stop body toward the sheet. The thickness of the protrusion of the tape from the one surface decreases in the order of the thickness of the boundary portion and the thickness of the sheet. The top stop body has a gate mark on the inner surface of the annular shape, indicating a trace of injection molding. The top stop body, the sheet, and the boundary portion are integrally molded with the pair of tapes by injection molding. The left and right side surfaces of the sheet on the boundary side are shaped to curve outward in the width direction as they extend upward from the boundary.

[0008] The left and right side surfaces of the boundary portion may have any shape. In order to facilitate the flow of molten resin into the space in the cavity corresponding to the side surface of the boundary portion of the sheet during injection molding of the top stop, it is desirable to facilitate the flow of molten resin into the space portion closer to the gate than the space corresponding to the sheet, i.e., the space portion corresponding to the boundary portion. An example of injection molding a top stop in this manner is as follows. The left and right side surfaces of the boundary are shaped to extend outward in the width direction as they move upward from the top stop body.

[0009] The thickness of the top stop body does not matter with regard to the thickness (maximum) of the protrusion from the one side of the tape. For example, the thickness of the top stop body and the thickness of the border part may be the same. Preferably, it is as follows. The thickness of the portion of the tape protruding from the one surface is made thinner in the order of the thickness of the top stop body, the thickness of the boundary portion, and the thickness of the sheet.

[0010] Regarding the left-right width (maximum value), the width of the boundary portion is narrower than the width of the sheet. This is because the left and right side surfaces of the sheet on the boundary side are shaped to point outward in the width direction as they move upward from the boundary portion. Regarding the left-right width (maximum value), the width of the top stop body and the width of the sheet may have any relationship; for example, the width of the top stop body may be the same as the width of the sheet, or may be narrower than the width of the sheet. The left-right width (maximum value) is preferably as follows: The left-right width (maximum value) should be wider in the order of the width of the boundary portion, the width of the top stop body, and the width of the sheet.

[0011] A desirable example of the top stop being molded into a desired shape without the pair of tapes flapping in the cavity space during injection molding of the top stop is as follows. The top stop body has a plurality of body recesses on a surface facing the same direction as the one side of the sheet as traces of the placement of positioning pins for holding the pair of tapes separately during injection molding, and the boundary portion has a plurality of boundary recesses on a surface facing the same direction as the one side of the sheet as traces of the placement of positioning pins for holding the pair of tapes separately during injection molding.

[0012] When the molten resin hits the positioning pin during injection molding of the top stop, the direction of the molten resin changes. If the direction of the molten resin is changed to make it easier to fill the space in the cavity corresponding to the side of the boundary between the sheets, the top stop is injection molded as follows. The plurality of boundary recesses include a pair of intra-boundary recesses disposed at the innermost positions in the width direction of the pair of tapes and a pair of extra-boundary recesses disposed at the outermost positions in the width direction of the pair of tapes, and a resin is filled between the left side surface of the boundary portion and the left extra-boundary recess, between the right side surface of the boundary portion and the right extra-boundary recess, and between the pair of intra-boundary recesses.

[0013] When the direction of the molten resin is changed to make it easier to fill the space in the cavity corresponding to the side of the boundary between the sheets with the molten resin, a desirable example is as follows. The gate mark is formed on the top stop body in a continuous shape on the left and right sides with the gap between the pair of tapes as the center. When viewed from the front and back direction, the area between adjacent main body recesses on the left and right sides is a passage area through which molten resin passes during injection molding. If a pair of imaginary lines is drawn from the center of the gate mark through both the left and right ends of each passage area, at least a portion of the boundary recess is located in the area between the pair of imaginary lines.

[0014] The pair of tapes and sheets of the slide fastener are adhered to the vicinity of the opening of another fabric. To improve the adhesion between the sheet and the fabric, it is desirable to do the following. The surface roughness of the sheet is uniform and is rougher than the surface roughness of the boundary portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The top stop of the present invention has a shape in which the left and right side surfaces of the sheet on the boundary side move outward in the width direction (left and right) as they move upward from the boundary. Therefore, compared to a top stop in which the sheet is rectangular when viewed from the front and back, when the top stop is injection molded, the molten resin flows smoothly into the part of the cavity space that corresponds to the side surfaces on the boundary side of the sheet, reducing molding defects in the sheet and improving the yield rate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing a main part of a slide fastener according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing a main part of the slide fastener of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a front view showing a main part of a slide fastener according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a right side view showing a main part of the slide fastener of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 1. (A) to (C) are cross-sectional views taken along lines AA, BB, and CC in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating the state when the top stop is injection molded. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating the direction in which molten resin advances when the top stop is injection molded. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] As shown in Fig. 1, a slide fastener F of a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a pair of fastener stringers 1 arranged side by side, a slider 2 that can move to open and close the pair of fastener stringers 1, and a pair of stops 3 that stop the movement of the slider 2 on both sides of the movement direction of the slider 2. Fig. 1 shows only the upper stop of the pair of stops 3.

[0018] Hereinafter, in order to explain the slide fastener F, the directions are defined as follows. The "vertical direction" is the direction in which the slider 2 is moved, and is also the longitudinal direction of the pair of fastener stringers 1. The vertical direction is the vertical direction in Figure 1. The "upward direction" is the direction in which the slider 2 is moved to close the pair of fastener stringers 1, and is the upward direction in Figure 1. The "downward direction" is the direction in which the slider 2 is moved to open the pair of fastener stringers 1, and is the downward direction in Figure 1. The upper stop of the pair of stops 3 is the top stop 3, and the lower stop is the bottom stop. When the slider 2 reaches the upper limit of its range of movement, it collides with the top stop 3. When the slider 2 collides with the top stop 3, the pair of fastener stringers 1 are closed, and the slide fastener F has the property of preventing water from passing through in its thickness direction, i.e., it has water-stopping properties. When the slider 2 reaches the lower limit of its range of movement, it collides with the bottom stop. The "left-right direction" is the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and is the direction in which a pair of fastener stringers 1 are arranged side by side. The "left direction" is the left direction in Figure 1. The "right direction" is the right direction in Figure 1. The "left-right direction" is also called the "width direction." The "inner side in the width direction," in terms of a pair of fastener stringers 1, is the side of one fastener stringer 1 relative to a location of the other fastener stringer 1. The "outer side in the width direction," in terms of a pair of fastener stringers 1, is the side of one fastener stringer 1 opposite to a location of the other fastener stringer 1. The "front-back direction" is the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and left-right direction, and is also called the "thickness direction." The front-back direction is the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of Figure 1. The "front direction" is the direction facing the front side of the paper surface of Figure 1. The "back direction" is the direction facing the back side of the paper surface of Figure 1. It does not matter whether the "front-back direction" here matches the front-back direction of the actual product to which the slide fastener is attached.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the pair of fastener stringers 1 comprises a pair of tapes 4 arranged side by side on the left and right, and a pair of element rows 5L fixed along the opposing side edges of the pair of tapes 4.

[0020] The element row 5L is formed by a large number of elements 5 fixed at intervals above and below along opposing side edges of the tape 4. More specifically, the elements 5 are made of a resin harder than the tape 4, and are formed by injection molding (insert molding) into the tape 4. When the pair of fastener stringers 1 is closed, the elements 5 of the pair of element rows 5L mesh with each other, and when the pair of fastener stringers 1 is open, the elements 5 of the pair of element rows 5L are separated to the left and right.

[0021] The slider 2 is moved along the pair of element rows 5L. The slider 2 includes a slider body 21 that is attached to the pair of element rows 5L and is movable back and forth, and a pull tab (not shown) that is connected to the slider body 21.

[0022] The slider body 21 comprises a pair of opposing vanes 22, 23 spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, a connecting column 24 connecting the pair of vanes 22, 23, and a flange (not shown) protruding from the left and right ends of at least one of the pair of vanes 22, 23 in a direction narrowing the gap between the opposing vanes 22, 23. The connecting pillar 24 extends in the front-to-rear direction and connects the pair of blades 22, 23 at the middle in the left-to-right direction in front of each other. The connecting pillar 24 is sandwiched between the pair of element rows 5L. In addition to the pair of wing plates 22, 23, the connecting post 24, and the flange, the slider body 21 also includes a pull-tab attachment portion 25 that protrudes from one of the pair of wing plates 22, 23 (in the illustrated example, the back surface of the back wing plate 23 (the surface facing the front in FIG. 2)). A through-hole (not shown) for attaching a pull tab is formed in the pull-tab attachment portion 25.

[0023] The tape 4 is a long strip extending vertically. The tape 4 comprises a woven or knitted tape body and a plate-shaped covering layer that covers both sides of the tape body in the thickness direction. More specifically, in this embodiment, the tape 4 is covered with a covering layer on both the front and back sides and on the left and right sides of the tape body. Therefore, the tape 4 has water-stopping properties in the thickness direction. The coating layer is a layer made of an elastic resin, such as vinyl chloride or a thermoplastic elastomer (polyethylene, synthetic rubber, etc.), and is formed by insert extrusion molding onto the tape body. Specifically, the tape 4 is formed by using the tape body as an insert part and extruding the tape body and the coating layer simultaneously.

[0024] Furthermore, when the pair of fastener stringers 1 are closed, the pair of tapes 4 are in contact with each other on the left and right sides of their opposing side edges, with the exception of a portion. This portion is the portion where the connecting post 24 of the slider 2 is disposed, and is the through-hole 41 that has a circular shape surrounding the connecting post 24 when viewed from the front and back directions. More specifically, when the pair of fastener stringers 1 are closed, the slider 2 is positioned at the upper limit position of its movement range, and the connecting post 24 is disposed inside the through-hole 41. The through hole 41 is formed by two openings 42 that are continuous and face each other on the left and right. The openings 42 are open toward the inside in the width direction at the opposing side edges of the tape 4, and are roughly semicircular in shape in the drawing.

[0025] 1 to 3, the top stop 3 is fixed to the pair of tapes 4 in a state where it joins the tops of the pair of tapes 4, and more specifically, it is fixed to the pair of tapes 4 with a gap above the element row 5L. The top stop 3 is made of a resin with rubber elasticity, such as a thermoplastic elastomer (polyurethane, etc.), and is elastically deformable due to its rubber elasticity. The top stop 3 includes a top stop main body 6 that can come into close contact with the slider 2 from the front and back, a sheet 7 that joins the pair of tapes 4 at a position spaced above the movement range of the slider 2, and a boundary portion 8 that joins the pair of tapes 4 between the top stop main body 6 and the sheet 7 in the vertical direction.

[0026] The upper stop body 6 is formed in a shape that bulges with respect to both the front and back surfaces of the pair of tapes 4. On the other hand, the boundary portion 8 and the sheet 7 are formed in a shape that bulges with respect to the front surface, which is one side of the front and back surfaces of the pair of tapes 4. The upper stop body 6, the sheet 7, and the boundary portion 8 are defined as follows.

[0027] Regarding the thickness (maximum value) that bulges with respect to the front surface of the tape 4, the thickness t8 of the boundary portion 8 is thicker than the thickness t7 of the sheet 7. That is, t8 > t7. In this case, the relationship between the thickness t6 of the upper stop body 6 and the thickness t7 of the sheet 7 is not restricted. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the thickness (maximum value) that bulges with respect to the front surface of the tape 4 becomes thinner in the order of the thickness t6 of the upper stop body 6, the thickness t8 of the boundary portion 8, and the thickness t7 of the sheet 7. That is, t6 > t8 > t7. It may be that t6 = t8. As will be described later, the upper stop body 6 includes a container 61, a close contact wall 62, a stopper 63, and an upper wall 64. Among these, the container 61, the close contact wall 62, and the upper wall 64 have portions located on the front surface side with respect to the front surface of the tape 4. In this embodiment, the one located most on the front surface side with respect to the front surface of the tape 4 is the upper wall 64, followed by the close contact wall 62, and then the container 61. In this embodiment, the thickness (maximum value) t6 of the upper stop body is the portion of the upper wall 64. The close contact wall 62 bulges more with respect to the front surface of the tape 4 than the boundary portion 8. Therefore, in the case of a configuration without the upper wall 64, the thickness (maximum value) t6 of the upper stop body 6 is the portion of the close contact wall 62. Incidentally, in the case of a configuration without the upper wall 64, the surface of the container 61 and the surface of the boundary portion may be a continuous flat surface at the same height. The boundary portion 8 has the thinnest thickness that bulges with respect to the front surface of the tape 4 with respect to the boundary with the sheet 7, and is the same as the thickness of the sheet 7.

[0028] The boundary portion 8 extends from the inside toward the sheet 7 with respect to both ends 6a in the width direction of the upper surface 69 of the upper stop body 6. In other words, regarding the boundary between the boundary portion 8 and the upper stop body 7, both ends 8a in the width direction of the boundary portion 8 are located inside both ends 6a in the width direction of the upper surface 69 of the upper stop body 6. The dimension in the width direction, that is, the width (maximum value), becomes wider in the order of the width W8 of the boundary portion 8, the width W6 of the upper stop body 6, and the width W7 of the sheet 7. That is, W8 < W6 < W7. It may be that W6 = W7.

[0029] The top stop body 6 protrudes from the front and back surfaces of the pair of tapes 4, is annular when viewed from the front and back, and has an openable and closable lower portion. The top stop body 6 includes a housing 61 that accommodates the connecting posts 24 of the slider 2 so that they can move in and out, a pair of contact walls 62 that protrude from both sides (front and back) in the thickness direction of the housing 61 to come into contact with the pair of blades 22, 23 from the front and back, a stopper 63 that protrudes from the upper end of one side (back side) in the thickness direction of the housing 61 to a height facing the opposing surface of one of the blades 23 (the upper surface of the back blade 23 in the figure), and an upper wall 64 that protrudes from the upper end of the other side (front side) in the thickness direction of the housing 61.

[0030] The housing 61 has opposing side edges of the pair of tapes 4 embedded therein. More specifically, the housing 61 covers both the front and back surfaces of the pair of tapes 4 with respect to the opposing side edges of the pair of tapes 4, as well as the inner surface of the through-hole 41. The housing 61 is annular and can be opened and closed, surrounding the connecting post 24 from its outer periphery. The housing 61 has a post receiving hole 61a formed inside the housing 61 in the front-to-back direction to receive the connecting post 24, and an openable entrance 61b at the bottom of the housing 61. The entrance 61b allows the connecting post 24 to enter and exit the post receiving hole 61a. The entrance 61b of the housing 61 can be opened and closed by the rubber elasticity of the top stop 3. When the entrance 61b is open, a passage leading to the post receiving hole 61a is formed, and when the entrance 61b is closed, the entrance 61b is tightly fitted in the left-right direction.

[0031] The top stop 3 is formed by injection molding (insert molding) the pair of tapes 4. Specifically, the top stop 3 is formed by injection molding the pair of tapes 4 as insert parts. Therefore, the top stop body 6, sheet 7, and boundary portion 8 that make up the top stop 3 are made of the same material and are continuous. It is desirable that the covering layer of the tape 4 and the top stop 3 are made of different materials. In addition, a mold is formed so that multiple gate passages connect to a cavity space shaped to correspond to the top stop 3. In FIG. 1, three gates G formed by injection molding are shown by dotted lines. The gates G are bonded to the annular inner surface of the housing 61. By cutting the gates G, gate marks 6G are formed on the annular inner surface of the column housing hole 61a in the housing 61, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0032] The gate marks 6G indicate traces of injection molding. The gate marks 6G are formed in the middle of the thickness direction of the housing body 61. One of the three gate marks 6G is formed in the middle of the width direction on the side of the inner circumferential surface of the pillar receiving hole 61a opposite the entrance portion 61b, and the other two are formed in symmetrical positions on the left and right side surfaces of the inner circumferential surface of the pillar receiving hole 61a. The three gate marks 6G are circular. When distinguishing between the three gate marks 6G, they are referred to as the left gate mark 6G, the middle gate mark 6G, and the right gate mark 6G, with reference to Figure 1. The middle gate mark 6G is formed in a shape that is continuous on the left and right (straddles) the top stop body 6, centered between the pair of tapes 4. In other words, the opposing side edges of the pair of tapes 4 are located above the middle gate mark 6G.

[0033] The pair of contact walls 62 extend along the entire circumference of the annular housing 61 in the circumferential direction, and protrude from the center in the inward and outward directions relative to the annular shape on both the front and back surfaces of the housing 61. The pair of contact walls 62 come into contact with the surfaces of the pair of vanes 22, 23 that face each other in the front and back directions.

[0034] The stopper 63 has a thickness that protrudes from the housing 61 toward the rear side of the fastener 3 and is thicker than the thickness of the close contact wall 62. The thickness of the stopper 63 is thicker than the thickness of the upper wall 64. The stopper 63 is also formed at the upper end of the housing 61 so as to be in a position where it will collide with the upper surface of the rear blade 23 when the connecting post 24 is housed in the post housing hole 61a. With respect to the width in the inward and outward directions relative to the annular shape of the housing 61, the width of the stopper 63 is wider than the width of the close contact wall 62.

[0035] The upper wall 64, with respect to the surface of the stopper 3, has a thickness that protrudes from the container 61 toward the front surface, which is thicker than the thickness of the contact wall 62. The width of the upper wall 64 in the inward / outward direction relative to the annular shape of the container 61 is wider than the width of the contact wall 62. The upper wall 64 and the stopper 63 are arc-shaped, bulging upward from both outer ends inward in the width direction. In this embodiment, the upper surfaces of the upper wall 64 and the container 61 are continuous surfaces that are approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction. More specifically, they are surfaces that are slightly inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction (vertical plane). Because of the inclination, the upper surfaces of the upper wall 64 and the container 61 appear to have a step in FIG. 1 . Furthermore, the upper surfaces of the upper wall 64 and the container 61 are arc-shaped when viewed from the front and back. The upper surfaces of the upper wall 64 and the container 61 cooperate to form the upper surface 69 of the top stop body 6. In this embodiment, a boundary portion 8 extends upward from the center of the width of the top surface of the container 61 .

[0036] The boundary portion 8 is symmetrical. The left and right side surfaces 81 of the boundary portion 8 are parallel to the vertical direction or inclined relative to the vertical direction, so as to move outward in the width direction as they extend upward. In this embodiment, the left and right side surfaces 81 of the boundary portion 8 are inclined relative to the vertical direction, so as to move outward in the width direction as they extend upward from the top stop body 6. The acute angle formed between the side surface 81 of the boundary portion 8 and a line parallel to the vertical direction is the inclination angle θ8 of the boundary portion 8. The top surface 82 of the boundary portion 8 is parallel to the width direction. In terms of its position in the front-back direction, the surface of the boundary portion 8 is located closer to the surface of the tape 4 than the surfaces of the upper wall 64 and the contact wall 62, and is substantially in the same position as the surface of the container 61.

[0037] The sheet 7 is bilaterally symmetrical. The outer edge of the surface of the sheet 7 in the width direction is a slope that gradually approaches the surface of the tape 4 as it moves outward in the width direction (see Figure 5(A)). The surface of the sheet 7 other than the outer edge in the width direction is a plane perpendicular to the front-to-back direction. Note that the portion of the surface of the sheet 7 corresponding to the width W8 of the boundary portion 8 is a plane perpendicular to the front-to-back direction.

[0038] When viewed from the front, the left and right side surfaces 71 of the sheet 7 include a pair of inclined portions 71a that slope outward in the width direction as they extend upward from the boundary portion 8 (lower end), and a pair of parallel portions 71b that extend upward from the upper ends of the pair of inclined portions 71a and are parallel to the vertical direction. The inclined portions 71a are the side surfaces 71 on the boundary portion 8 (lower end) side of the sheet 7. The acute angle formed between the inclined portions 71a and a line parallel to the vertical direction is the inclination angle θ7 of the sheet 7. The inclination angle θ7 of the sheet 7 is greater than the inclination angle θ8 of the boundary portion 8. When viewed from the front, the upper surface 72 of the sheet 7 is parallel to the width direction.

[0039] When the top stop 3 is injection molded, the pair of tapes 4 are pressed down by positioning pins from the front and back sides to stabilize the position of the pair of tapes 4 in the cavity space of the mold. The positioning pins press down at multiple locations on the front and back sides of the portion of the cavity space that corresponds to the top stop main body 6, and at multiple locations on the portion of the cavity space that corresponds to the boundary portion 8. As a result, multiple main body recesses P, which are recesses that are traces of the placement of the positioning pins, are formed on the front and back sides of the top stop main body 6. In addition, multiple boundary recesses Q, which are recesses that are traces of the placement of the positioning pins, are formed on the surface of the boundary portion 8. The main body recesses P and boundary recesses Q are circular when viewed from the front and back sides. When viewed from the front and back sides, the tapes 4 are exposed at the bottom of the main body recesses P and boundary recesses Q.

[0040] The surface roughness of sheet 7 is uniform over the entire surface. There are no depressions on the surface of sheet 7 as traces of the positioning pins. The surface roughness of boundary portion 8 is uniform over the entire surface, except for boundary depression Q. The surface roughness of sheet 7 is rougher than that of boundary portion 8. Therefore, the surface of sheet 7 is more uneven than the surface of boundary portion 8. The appearances of the surfaces of sheet 7 and boundary portion 8 are clearly different. When comparing the surface roughness of sheet 7 with that of boundary portion 8, boundary depression Q is excluded from the comparison.

[0041] Four boundary recesses Q are formed on the surface of the boundary portion 8 at intervals in the width direction. The four boundary recesses Q are arranged two by two on the surface side of each tape 4 at intervals in the width direction. The four boundary recesses Q are distinguished by the following names. The two boundary recesses Q arranged on the surface side of each tape 4 are spaced apart in the width direction. Of the two boundary recesses Q arranged on the surface side of each tape 4, the boundary recesses Q arranged on the innermost side in the width direction relative to that tape 4 is called the intra-boundary recess Q1. Of the two boundary recesses Q arranged on the surface side of each tape 4, the boundary recesses Q arranged on the outermost side in the width direction relative to that tape 4 is called the extra-boundary recess Q2.

[0042] The distance between the positioning pins that form adjacent boundary recesses Q in the width direction is large enough to allow the molten resin to pass through smoothly. Furthermore, the distance between the portion of the cavity space corresponding to the left side surface 81 of the boundary recess Q and the positioning pin that forms the left extra-boundary recess Q2, as well as the distance between the portion of the cavity space corresponding to the right side surface 81 of the boundary recess Q and the positioning pin that forms the right extra-boundary recess Q2, are also large enough to allow the molten resin to pass through smoothly. Therefore, resin is filled between the left side surface 81 of the boundary portion 8 and the left extra-boundary recess Q2, between the right side surface 81 of the boundary portion 8 and the right extra-boundary recess Q2, and between the pair of intra-boundary recesses Q1.

[0043] A plurality of main body recesses P are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction of the annular shape along the outer periphery of the contact wall 62 on the front and back surfaces of the container 61. In this embodiment, ten main body recesses P are formed on each of the front and back surfaces of the container 61. The main body recesses P are formed at intervals in the width direction on the back surface of the stopper 63, but none are formed on the top wall 64. The main body recesses P on the front surface side of the container 61 and the main body recesses P on the back surface side of the container 61 are formed at the same position when viewed from the front and back surfaces. On the front surface of the container 61, above the pillar receiving hole 61a, in other words, above the central gate mark 6G, a plurality of main body recesses P are formed at intervals in the width direction. In this embodiment, four main body recesses P are formed above the central gate mark 6G. The four main body recesses P are arranged two by two on the front surface side of each tape 4 at intervals in the width direction. The four main body recesses P are distinguished as follows: The two main body recesses P arranged on the front surface side of each tape 4 are spaced apart in the width direction. Of the two main body recesses P arranged on the surface side of each tape 4, the main body recess P arranged on the innermost side in the width direction of the tape 4 is referred to as the inner main body recess P1. Of the two main body recesses P arranged on the surface side of each tape 4, the main body recess P arranged on the outermost side in the width direction of the tape 4 is referred to as the outer main body recess P2.

[0044] 6, for the four main body recesses P located above the central gate mark 6G, the distance between the positioning pins that define adjacent main body recesses P in the width direction is large enough to allow molten resin to pass through smoothly. Also, in the width direction, the distance between the portion of the cavity space corresponding to the left side surface of the top stop body 6 and the positioning pin that defines the left main body outer recess P2, and the distance between the portion of the cavity space corresponding to the right side surface of the top stop body 6 and the positioning pin that defines the right main body outer recess P2, are also large enough to allow molten resin to pass through smoothly.

[0045] When viewed from the front, the area between the positioning pins that define adjacent main body recesses P on the left and right is a passage area for the molten resin to pass through. If a pair of imaginary lines L is drawn from the center of the central gate mark 6G through both the left and right ends of each passage area, at least a portion of the boundary recess Q is located in the area between the pair of imaginary lines L. Specifically, when viewed from the front, with respect to the passage area between the left outer-body recess P2 and the left inner-body recess P1, the entire left outer-body recess Q2 is located between the pair of imaginary lines L. When viewed from the front, with respect to the passage area between the right outer-body recess P2 and the right inner-body recess P1, the entire right outer-body recess Q2 is located between the pair of imaginary lines L. When viewed from the front, with respect to the passage area between the pair of inner-body recesses P1, the outer portions of the pair of inner-body recesses Q1 are located outside the pair of imaginary lines L, and the portions of the pair of inner-body recesses Q1 other than the outer portions are located between the pair of imaginary lines L. Note that the imaginary line L is a tangent to the circular main body recess P when viewed from the front-back direction.

[0046] With respect to the front and back surfaces of the housing body 61, below the upper end of the pillar accommodating hole 61a, in other words, below the central gate mark 6G, a plurality of main body recesses P are formed at intervals in the vertical direction on the left and right sides of the pillar accommodating hole 61a. In this embodiment, below the central gate mark 6G, three main body recesses P are formed at intervals in the vertical direction on the front and back surfaces of the housing body 61, respectively, on the left and right sides of the pillar accommodating hole 61a.

[0047] As shown in Figure 7, when injection molding the fastener 3, molten resin is injected into the cavity space from three gates G, passes between the positioning pins that form the main body recess P and the boundary recess Q, and fills the cavity space.

[0048] In the top stop 3 of this embodiment, the top stop body 6, sheet 7, and boundary portion 8 are all raised relative to the surfaces of the pair of tapes 4, and the thicknesses of the raised portions from the surface are made thinner in the order of top stop body 6 thickness t6, boundary portion 8 thickness t8, and sheet 7 thickness t7. This allows the molten resin to flow smoothly into the portions of the cavity corresponding to the top stop body 6, boundary portion 8, and sheet 7 in that order during injection molding of the top stop 3. The top stop 3 of this embodiment has left and right side surfaces 71 (inclined portions 71a) on the boundary portion 8 side of the sheet 7 shaped to extend outward in the width direction (left and right) as they extend upward from the boundary portion 8. Therefore, compared to a top stop with a rectangular sheet when viewed from the front, for example, when injection molding the top stop 3, the molten resin flows smoothly into the portions of the cavity corresponding to the side surfaces of the sheet 7 on the boundary portion 8 side. This reduces molding defects in the sheet 7 and improves the yield rate. Furthermore, by reducing molding defects in the sheet 7, the sheet 7 and the pair of tapes 4 are continuous with no gaps in the front-to-back direction, making it difficult for the sheet 7 to peel off from the tapes 4.

[0049] Furthermore, in the top stop 3 of this embodiment, not only the left and right side surfaces 71 (inclined portions 71a) on the boundary 8 side of the sheet 7, but also the left and right side surfaces 81 of the boundary 8 are shaped to extend outward in the width direction as they move upward from the top stop main body 6. Therefore, during injection molding of the top stop 3, the molten resin flows smoothly from the portion of the cavity space corresponding to the boundary 8 to the portion corresponding to the left and right side surfaces 71 (inclined portions 71a) on the boundary 8 side of the sheet 7, reducing molding defects in the sheet 7.

[0050] Furthermore, the top stop 3 of this embodiment has multiple main body recesses P on the front and back surfaces of the top stop body 6, and also multiple boundary recesses Q on the surface of the boundary portion 8, so the following can be said: During injection molding of the top stop 3, the pair of tapes 4 are held down by the positioning pins that form the main body recesses P and the boundary recesses Q, so the pair of tapes 4 do not flap in the cavity space, and molding defects of the top stop 3, including the sheet 7, are reduced.

[0051] Furthermore, the top stop 3 of this embodiment has a pair of intra-boundary recesses Q1 and a pair of extra-boundary recesses Q2, and resin is filled between the left side surface 81 of the boundary 8 and the left extra-boundary recess Q2, between the right side surface 81 of the boundary 8 and the right extra-boundary recess Q2, and between the pair of intra-boundary recesses Q1, and therefore the following can be said: During injection molding of the top stop 3, molten resin flows smoothly between the portion of the cavity space corresponding to the left side surface 81 of the boundary 8 and the positioning pin that forms the left extra-boundary recess Q2, between the portion corresponding to the right side surface 81 of the boundary 8 and the positioning pin that forms the right extra-boundary recess Q2, and between the pair of positioning pins that form the pair of intra-boundary recesses Q1, allowing the molten resin to flow smoothly toward the sheet 7 and reducing molding defects in the sheet 7.

[0052] Furthermore, in the top stop 3 of this embodiment, the central gate mark 6G is formed on the top stop body 6 so that it is continuous from side to side, centered between the pair of tapes 4, when viewed from the front. Therefore, during injection molding of the top stop 3, the molten resin is injected upward from the central gate G, passes between the positioning pins that form the adjacent main body recesses P on the left and right, and flows into the portion of the cavity space that corresponds to the boundary portion 8. Then, because the positioning pins that form the boundary recesses Q are positioned in the region between the pair of imaginary lines L, the molten resin branches in the width direction at the positioning pins and, as for the outer side in the width direction, flows along the portion of the cavity space that corresponds to the side surface 71 (inclined portion 71a) of the sheet 7 on the boundary portion 8 side. As a result, molding defects in the sheet 7 are reduced.

[0053] Furthermore, the top stop 3 of this embodiment has a uniform surface roughness of the sheet 7 that is rougher than the surface roughness of the boundary portion 8, so that when fabric is adhered to the sheet 7, the fabric can be adhered more firmly to the sheet 7 than, for example, a sheet having a surface roughness equivalent to that of the boundary portion.

[0054] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] F Slide fastener 1 zipper stringer 2 Slider 21 Slider body 22,23 Wing plate 24 Connecting column 25 Pull attachment part 3 Upper stop 4 Tape 41 through hole 42 Opening 5L Element Row 5 Elements 6 Top stop body 6a edge 6G Gate remains 61 Containment Unit 61a Pillar receiving hole 61b Entrance 62 Close Wall 63 Stopper 64 Upper Wall 69 Top 7 seats 71 Side 71a Slope 71b Parallel part 72 Top surface θ7 Inclination angle 8 Boundary 8a edge 81 Side 82 Top surface θ8 Tilt angle G Gate L Virtual Line t6, t7, t8 thickness P Main body recess P1 Recessed portion inside the main body P2 Main body outer recess Q Boundary recess Q1 Concave area within boundary Q2 Outer boundary recess W6,W7,W8 width

Claims

1. A top stop (3) for a slide fastener stops the movement of a slider (2) at the top of a pair of tapes (4) extending vertically and arranged side by side on the left and right, and comes into close contact with the slider (2) when a pair of element rows (5L) fixed along the pair of tapes (4) are closed. an upper stop body (6) that protrudes from the front and back surfaces of the pair of tapes (4), is annular when viewed from the front and back direction, and has an openable and closable lower portion; A sheet (7) that joins the pair of tapes (4) on the upper side of the top stop body (6) in a raised manner relative to one of the front and back surfaces; A boundary portion (8) is provided between the top stop body (6) and the sheet (7) to join the pair of tapes (4) in a protruding manner relative to the one surface, The boundary portion (8) extends from the inside of both ends (6a) in the width direction of the upper surface (69) of the top stop body (6) toward the sheet (7), The thickness of the tape (4) protruding from one side becomes thinner in the order of the thickness (t8) of the boundary portion (8) and the thickness (t7) of the sheet (7), The upper stop body (6) has a gate mark (6G) on the annular inner surface, which indicates a mark of injection molding. The top stop body (6), the sheet (7) and the boundary portion (8) are integrally formed with the pair of tapes (4) by injection molding, The left and right side surfaces (71) of the sheet (7) on the boundary portion (8) side are shaped to extend outward in the width direction as they extend upward from the boundary portion (8).

2. The top stop (3) for a slide fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that the left and right side surfaces (81) of the boundary portion (8) are shaped to extend outward in the width direction as they extend upward from the top stop body (6).

3. The top stop (3) for a slide fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that the thickness of the tape (4) protruding from one side becomes thinner in the following order: the thickness (t6) of the top stop body (6), the thickness (t8) of the boundary portion (8), and the thickness (t7) of the sheet (7).

4. The top stop (3) for a slide fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that the widths of the left and right sides increase in the order of the width (W8) of the boundary portion (8), the width (W6) of the top stop body (6), and the width (W7) of the sheet (7).

5. The top stop body (6) has a plurality of body recesses (P) on a surface facing the same direction as the one surface of the sheet (7), as traces of positioning pins for separately holding the pair of tapes (4) during injection molding, The top stop (3) for a slide fastener according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the boundary portion (8) has a plurality of boundary recesses (Q) on a surface facing the same direction as the one surface of the sheet (7), as traces of positioning pins used to hold the pair of tapes (4) separately during injection molding.

6. The plurality of boundary recesses (Q) include a pair of intra-boundary recesses (Q1) arranged at the innermost positions in the width direction of the pair of tapes (4), and a pair of extra-boundary recesses (Q2) arranged at the outermost positions in the width direction of the pair of tapes (4), The top stop (3) for a slide fastener according to claim 5, characterized in that resin is filled between the left side surface (81) of the boundary portion (8) and the left out-of-boundary recess (Q2), between the right side surface (81) of the boundary portion (8) and the right out-of-boundary recess (Q2), and between a pair of the in-boundary recesses (Q1).

7. The gate mark (6G) is formed continuously on the left and right sides of the top stop body (6) with the pair of tapes (4) at the center, When viewed from the front and back direction, the space between the adjacent main body recesses (P) on the left and right is a passage area through which molten resin passes during injection molding, The slide fastener top stop (3) according to claim 6, characterized in that when a pair of imaginary lines (L) are drawn from the center of the gate mark (6G) passing through both the left and right ends of each passing range, at least a portion of the boundary recess (Q) is positioned in the area between the pair of imaginary lines (L).

8. 6. The top stop (3) for a slide fastener according to claim 5, wherein the surface roughness of the sheet (7) is uniform and is rougher than the surface roughness of the boundary portion (8).

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