Slide fastener element components and slide fastener products

Abstract

In a trunk portion (41) of an element (40), a concave portion (45) concave toward a fixation member (15) is provided on a counter-engagement portion side which is an opposite side to the engagement portion with respect to the fixation member (15), along a width direction of the element (40). The concave portion (45) is formed such that the depth is greater in a central portion than both end portions in the width direction of the element (40). This can suppress as much as possible a gap generated between the fixation member (15) and an element attachment edge portion (7) of a fabric (6) when an element member (10) is stitched onto the fabric, to improve appearance.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a slide fastener element member in which a plurality of fastener elements are attached to a fixing member, and to a slide fastener product having a set of slide fastener element members. [Background technology]

[0002] Slide fasteners are generally used as opening and closing devices for products such as clothing, daily necessities, industrial materials, and various seats for automobiles, trains, aircraft, etc. Slide fasteners used in such various products generally have a pair of left and right fastener stringers each having an element row formed on the tape side edge of the fastener tape, and a slider that slides along the left and right element rows. Also known as one type of slide fastener is a slide fastener provided with a separable end stop that allows the left and right fastener stringers to be separated.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a product with a slide fastener in which a slide fastener is formed without using a fastener tape and a separable bottom end stop is provided at a predetermined position on the slide fastener. Specifically, a plurality of elements are attached to a fixing member to form left and right element members, and each element member is sewn to left and right fabrics that form the garment.

[0004] Patent document 1 also describes that the body of the element has an insertion recess on the side facing the fabric, along the length of the element member, into which a portion of the element mounting edge of the fabric is inserted, and that each fastener element can be firmly and stably fixed to the element mounting edge in a predetermined orientation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 6786183 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In a product with a slide fastener such as that described in Patent Document 1, when the element member is sewn to the fabric, the element and the element attachment edge of the fabric come into contact, but in reality, the fixing member and the element attachment edge of the fabric often do not come into contact. As a result, a relatively large gap is created between the fixing member and the element attachment edge of the fabric, which can cause a problem of poor appearance when viewed from above. Therefore, further improvements are required from the perspective of improving appearance.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an element member for a slide fastener and a product with a slide fastener that can improve appearance by minimizing the gap that occurs between the fixing member and the element mounting edge of the fabric when the element member is sewn to the fabric. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is achieved by the following configuration. (1) An element member for a slide fastener, comprising a string-like fixing member and a plurality of elements attached to the fixing member and forming an element row, The element has a meshing portion that meshes with a mating element, and a body portion that extends from the meshing portion in a front-rear direction of the element and is fixed to the fixing member, The trunk portion is provided with a recessed portion recessed toward the fixing member along a width direction of the element on a counter-mesh portion side that is opposite to the mesh portion with respect to the fixing member, The recess is formed so that its depth is greater at both widthwise ends than at the widthwise center of the element. (2) The body of the element includes a front body portion and a back body portion located on the front side and the back side of the fixing member, respectively, in the height direction of the element, The recess is formed between opposing surfaces of the front body portion and the back body portion, An element member for a slide fastener as described in (1), wherein a connecting portion is provided within the recess at the widthwise center of the element, connecting the front body portion and the back body portion and contacting the fixing member on the anti-engagement side. (3) The slide fastener element member according to (2), wherein, in the recess, the fixing member is exposed on the non-meshing portion side at both widthwise ends of the element. (4) An element member for a slide fastener according to (2), wherein a thin-walled connecting portion is provided within the recess at both widthwise ends of the element, connecting the front body portion and the back body portion and contacting the fixing member on the anti-engagement side. (5) The recess is formed in a tapered shape such that the interval in the height direction gradually increases from the fixing member side toward the counter-engagement portion side by inclined surfaces formed in the front body portion and the back body portion, An element member for a slide fastener according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein the connecting portion has a flat side surface on the non-meshing portion side that connects to each inclined surface of the front body portion and the back body portion. (6) The slide fastener element member according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the maximum opening dimension of the recess is smaller than the height dimension of the element. (7) A pair of left and right slide fastener element members according to any one of (1) to (6), a slider for engaging left and right element rows formed by the plurality of elements, respectively; a fastener receiving member to which the pair of left and right slide fastener element members are attached; A product with a slide fastener. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the element member for a slide fastener and the product with a slide fastener of the present invention, when the element member is sewn to the fabric, the gap that occurs between the fixing member and the element mounting edge of the fabric can be minimized, thereby improving the appearance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic view of a main part of a product with a slide fastener according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the slide fastener product shown in FIG. 1 in an enlarged schematic view from the back side. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the product with the slide fastener shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a perspective view showing an element attached to a fixing member used in the slide fastener product shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a plan view of the element shown in FIG. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a rear side view of the element of FIG. 5A. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a bottom view of the element of FIG. 5A. [Figure 5D] FIG. 5D is a front side view of the element of FIG. 5A. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view showing a state in which the element is rotated relative to the fabric. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of a product with a slide fastener taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a modified example of an element attached to a fixing member used in the slide fastener product shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the element shown in FIG. 8 as seen from below. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A slide fastener element member and a slide fastener product according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the "vertical direction" refers to the sliding direction of the slider and the longitudinal direction of the element member and the width direction of the element. In particular, the direction in which the slider slides to interlock a pair of left and right element rows is referred to as "upward," and the direction in which the slider slides to separate the left and right element rows is referred to as "downward." The "left and right direction" refers to the direction in which the pair of element rows are arranged, a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the slider, and can also be referred to as the front-to-back direction of the element, with the direction toward the mating element being referred to as "forward" and the opposite side being referred to as "rearward." Furthermore, the "front-to-back direction" refers to the direction perpendicular to the vertical and left-to-right directions and can also be referred to as the height direction of the element. A pair of members may also be referred to as "left and right" members based on the drawings.

[0012] The slide fastener product 1 according to this embodiment is a garment (clothing) with a slide fastener, and a slide fastener 5 as shown in Fig. 1 is formed in the placket portion of the front body of this slide fastener product 1. Also, left and right element attachment edges 7 for attaching left and right element members 10 (described later), respectively, are provided on left and right fabrics 6 that form the front body (particularly the placket portion) that serves as the opening and closing portion of this slide fastener product 1.

[0013] In this case, the fabric 6 (also called garment fabric) constituting the placket of the slide fastener product 1 becomes the fastener receiving member to which the element members 10 are attached. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 1, the slide fastener 5 formed in this embodiment is directly fixed to the fabric 6 and has a pair of left and right element members 10 forming an element row 11, and a slider 30 that can engage and separate the left and right element rows 11.

[0014] In this embodiment, the thickness, shape, flexibility, and other properties of the fabric 6 that serves as the fastener attachment member are not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the fabric 6 be formed so that it can be pierced by a sewing needle when sewing with a sewing machine.

[0015] In this embodiment, the element attachment edge 7 provided on the fabric 6 has a predetermined dimension in the width direction of the element member 10 from the opposing side edges of the fabric 6 constituting the left and right placket portions toward the inside of the fabric 6 in the completed product 1 with a slide fastener, and is formed continuously along the length direction of the element member 10. In this embodiment, the element attachment edge 7 is a portion that includes at least the range from the opposing side edges to the tip of the folded-back side attachment edge 9 in the width direction.

[0016] 3, the left and right element mounting edges 7 are formed by folding back the side edges, which are the cut ends of the fabric 6, in a U-shape to the back side. By forming the element mounting edges 7 in this way, the element mounting edges 7 are locally made thicker than other parts of the thin fabric 6, and the strength of the element mounting edges 7 can be increased.

[0017] As a result, even if the sewing thread 21 (upper thread 21a and bobbin thread 21b described later) of the fixing sewing portion 20 penetrates the element mounting edge portion 7 as described later, the element mounting edge portion 7 is less likely to be cut by the sewing thread 21, thereby increasing the durability of the element mounting edge portion 7. Furthermore, by increasing the strength of the element mounting edge portion 7, the element member 10 can be firmly fixed to the element mounting edge portion 7, and the position and posture of each fastener element (hereinafter also referred to as element) 40 fixed to the element mounting edge portion 7 can be stabilized.

[0018] Furthermore, by folding the side edges of the fabric 6 in a U-shape, even if a ravel occurs on the side edge of the fabric 6, the ravel can be hidden on the back side of the element attachment edge 7 and not exposed to the outside. This allows the garment 1 to have a good appearance quality (good looks). It also prevents the ravel on the side edge of the fabric 6 from causing poor engagement between the left and right element rows 11 and reducing the sliding performance (smoothness of sliding) of the slider 30.

[0019] Furthermore, in this embodiment, for example, a reinforcing sheet member such as a resin film (not shown) can be attached by sticking to at least one of the front and back surfaces of the element mounting edge portion 7 and / or to the inside of the U-shaped folded side edge portion of the element mounting edge portion 7 (between the upper and lower folded portions), or can be sewn together with the element member 10. This also makes it possible to reinforce the element mounting edge portion 7. Note that in the present invention, the configuration of the fabric of the garment is not particularly limited, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the use of the garment, etc.

[0020] The slide fastener element member 10 in this embodiment comprises a string-like fixing member 15 and a plurality of independent elements 40 attached to the fixing member 15. The fixing member 15 is in the form of a single string. The plurality of independent elements 40 are attached to the fixing member 15 at regular intervals in the width direction of the element 40 to form an element row 11. A pair (two) of element members 10 are treated as one set. The left and right element members 10 in Figure 1 are sewn along the ends of the left and right element mounting edges 7 provided on the slide fastener product 1, respectively.

[0021] The fixing member 15 is a flexible string (also called a knit cord) formed by wrapping a core yarn made of multiple parallel multifilaments in a hollow woven section made of multiple knitting yarns. The fixing member 15 used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can attach multiple elements 40, and may be formed of, for example, monofilament or twisted yarn (twisted cord). The fixing member 15 is a member whose cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is substantially circular, and as shown in FIG. 3, it has a flattened cross-sectional shape due to deformation within the element 40. However, the cross-sectional shape of the fixing member is not particularly limited in the present invention.

[0022] Each element 40 of the element member 10 is formed integrally with the fixed member 15 and covers the entire outer peripheral surface of a portion of the fixed member 15 by injection molding a thermoplastic resin such as polyacetal onto the fixed member 15. Note that in the present invention, the material of the elements 40 is not limited to the above-mentioned synthetic resin, and the elements can also be formed from, for example, other synthetic resins or metals. Furthermore, the element member of the present invention is not limited to elements formed on the fixed member by injection molding, and also includes elements formed by, for example, fastening an element formed in a predetermined shape to the fixed member by welding or adhesive.

[0023] As also shown in Figures 2, 4, and 5A to 5C, each element 40 of this embodiment has a meshing portion 42 that meshes with the element 40 of the mating element member 10, and a body portion 41 that extends from the meshing portion 42 in the front-to-rear direction of the element 40 (a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the fixing member 15 when viewed in a plane) and is fixed to the fixing member 15.

[0024] Each element 40 in this embodiment has an element front half 43 and an element rear half 44 that are distinguished based on approximately the middle position in the height direction of the element 40 (in this embodiment, the center position of the fixing member 15 in the height direction of the element 40). The element front half 43 and the element rear half 44 have mutually different shapes. In this case, the surface of the element front half 43 and the back surface of the element rear half 44 are perpendicular to the height direction of the element 40 and are arranged parallel to each other.

[0025] The element front half 43 has a front engaging head 43b that engages with the mating element, and a front body 43a that extends from the front engaging head 43b toward the rear of the element member 10 and sandwiches the fixing member 15 between itself and the element back half 44.

[0026] The front body portion 43a is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The front interlocking head portion 43b has an element width that gradually decreases in two stages toward the tip of the front interlocking head portion 43b, and has a first gradually decreasing portion 46a formed on the front body portion 43a side and a second gradually decreasing portion 46b formed on the tip side from the first gradually decreasing portion 46a via a step portion 46c.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5D, the element side surfaces (upper and lower surfaces) of the first tapered portion 46a and the second tapered portion 46b are formed as inclined surfaces that gradually decrease the element width toward the element surface.

[0028] The element rear half 44 has a rear interlocking head 44c that interlocks with the mating element, a rear neck 44b that extends from the rear interlocking head 44c toward the rear of the element and has a narrowed shape, and a rear body 44a that extends further toward the rear of the element from the rear neck 44b. In this embodiment, the rear neck 44b and the rear body 44a sandwich the fixing member 15 between themselves and the element front half 43. The front body portion 43a, the back neck portion 44b and the back body portion 44a are located on the front side and the back side, respectively, of the fixing member 15 in the height direction of the element 40.

[0029] In the element front half 43, the element side surface of the front interlocking head 43b is brought into contact with the element side surface of the front interlocking head 43b of the mating element 40, and in the element back half 44, the back neck 44b and the back interlocking head 44c engage with the element back half 44 of the mating element 40, thereby interlocking the left and right element rows 11. Therefore, the front interlocking head 43b, the back neck 44b, and the back interlocking head 44c constitute the interlocking portion 42. That is, in the element 40, the body 41 is fixed to the fixing member 15, and at the same time, part of the interlocking portion 42 may also be fixed to the fixing member 15.

[0030] Furthermore, a recess 45 recessed toward the fixing member 15 is provided along the width direction of the element 40 on the side surface of the body 41 that faces the fabric 6, i.e., on the side surface of the body 41 on the anti-meshing side (rear of the element 40) that is opposite the meshing portion 42 with respect to the fixing member 15. When the element 40 is injection molded, this recess 45 is formed together with a connecting portion 50 (described later) by a slide core (not shown) that is used when the element 40 is injection molded.

[0031] Specifically, recess 45 is formed in a tapered shape with a gradually increasing heightwise distance from fixing member 15 toward the non-meshing portion side by inclined surfaces 45a, 45b, which are opposing surfaces formed on front body portion 43a and back body portion 44a, respectively. In addition, parallel flat surfaces 45a1, 45b1 are formed adjacent to inclined surfaces 45a, 45b at the opening edge of recess 45.

[0032] Furthermore, a connecting portion 50 is provided within the recess 45 in the widthwise center of the element 40, connecting the front body portion 43a and the back body portion 44a and coming into contact with the fixing member 15 on the anti-meshing side. The connecting portion 50 is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape in a cross section along the height direction of the element 40, and has a flat side surface 50a on the anti-meshing side that connects to the inclined surfaces 45a, 45b of the front body portion 43a and the back body portion 44a. Note that the term "flat side surface" in the claims of the present application includes a side surface that has some tapering or curvature, and a substantially flat side surface that has fine irregularities or the like. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the body 41 of the element 40, at the center in the width direction of the element 40, covers the entire outer circumferential surface of the fixing member 15 held at the center in the height direction of the element 40. The connecting portion 50 need only be large enough to ensure the rigidity of the body portion 41 of the element 40, and preferably has, for example, a thickness T1 that is at least 1 / 4 of the depth D2 of the recess 45 at both widthwise ends of the element 40 (see Figure 5C), and a width W1 in the widthwise direction of the element 40 that is at least 1 / 4 of the width dimension W of the element 40 (see Figure 5B).

[0033] Meanwhile, in the recess 45, the fixing member 15 is exposed on the non-meshing side at both widthwise ends of the element 40. However, the heightwise distance L1 at which the fixing member 15 is exposed, which is given by the two inclined surfaces 45a, 45b, is sufficiently smaller than the height dimension H1 of the fixing member 15 (see FIGS. 5B and 5C). Therefore, most of the outer peripheral surface of the fixing member 15 is sufficiently enclosed and held within the body portion 41, even at both widthwise ends of the element 40, and does not shift position within the body portion 41.

[0034] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5C , the recess 45 is formed so that the depth D2 at both widthwise ends of the element 40 is deeper than the depth D1 at the widthwise center. This allows the element mounting edge 7 of the fabric 6, housed within the recess 45, to extend further into the meshing portion at both widthwise ends of the element 40 than at the widthwise center. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , when viewed from the front and back of the element member 10, the gap between the fixing member 15 between adjacent elements 40 and the element mounting edge 7 of the fabric 6 facing the fixing member 15 is eliminated or sufficiently reduced, improving the appearance of the slide fastener product 1. Note that, for ease of explanation, a gap is shown between the fixing member 15 and the element mounting edge 7 of the fabric 6 in FIG. 2 . However, in reality, the fixing member 15 is elastic and bulges slightly in the front-to-rear direction of the element 40, making the gap less noticeable. Furthermore, the depth D1 of the recess in the widthwise center of the element 40 is shallower than the depth D2 at both widthwise ends, so that the rigidity of the body portion 41 of the element 40 can be ensured.

[0035] On the other hand, in the widthwise center of the element 40, the opposing side edge 7a of the element mounting edge 7 abuts against the connecting portion 50, and the tip portion bulges in the height direction of the element 40 and is accommodated within the recess 45.

[0036] In this embodiment, the recess 45 is formed by flat inclined surfaces 45a, 45b of the front body portion 43a and the back body portion 44a, but it may be formed between the opposing surfaces of the front body portion 43a and the back body portion 44a, and may be a concave curved surface instead of the inclined surfaces 45a, 45b. Furthermore, the connecting portion 50 may also have other shapes as long as the rigidity of the element 40 can be ensured.

[0037] Furthermore, the maximum opening dimension L2 of the recess 45 is larger than the height dimension H3 in the front-to-back direction of the element mounting edge 7 of the fabric 6 (see FIG. 3). As a result, even if a force that rotates the element member 10 around the fixing member 15 acts on the element mounting edge 7 of the fabric 6 as shown in FIG. 6, the opposing side edge 7a of the element mounting edge 7 remains housed within the recess 45, and the fabric 6 can be prevented from climbing up onto the surface of the element 40.

[0038] The element members 10 as described above are arranged adjacent to the outer side of the element mounting edge 7 of the fabric 6 in the width direction and are fixed by fixing sewn parts 20 (fixing stitch lines). In this case, the fixing sewn parts 20 are formed by sewing with a zigzag stitch sewing machine and are also formed by folding in a zigzag shape in the length direction by lock stitching. The fixing sewn parts 20 fix the element members 10 to the element mounting edge 7 of the fabric 6 with the body 41 of each element 40 in contact with the element mounting edge 7.

[0039] Here, a zigzag stitch sewing machine is a sewing machine that can sew a zigzag lock stitch on fabric 6 or the like by oscillating the sewing needle in a direction intersecting the feed direction of the sewing machine. The oscillation of the sewing needle in a zigzag stitch sewing machine is sometimes called zigzag swing. By using such a zigzag stitch sewing machine and setting coordinate data for the X coordinate (position in the feed direction) and Y coordinate (position in the intersecting direction) that represent the needle drop position of the sewing needle in the zigzag stitch sewing machine and performing sewing, the fixing sewn portion 20 formed after sewing can be easily bent so as to form a zigzag shape in the intersecting direction relative to the feed direction of the zigzag stitch sewing machine.

[0040] The sewing thread 21 of the fixing sewn portion 20 formed by lock stitching has an upper thread (needle thread) 21a that runs on the surface of the element mounting edge portion 7 and contacts the upper half of the surface side of the fixing member 15, and a lower thread (bobbin thread) 21b that runs on the back side of the element mounting edge portion 7 and contacts the back half of the fixing member 15. In this case, because the fixing sewn portion 20 is formed by lock stitching, the upper thread 21a and the lower thread 21b are arranged in a positional relationship that is plane-symmetrical to each other in the up-down direction, except for the part where they intersect.

[0041] The upper thread 21a and lower thread 21b of the lock stitching are made of conventional sewing machine threads. The upper thread 21a and lower thread 21b of the lock stitching cross (intersect) each other at the position where the fixing sewn portion 20 pierces the element mounting edge portion 7 and at the position where the fixing sewn portion 20 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fixing member 15.

[0042] 1, the slider 30 attached to the element row 11 of this embodiment has a slider body 31 and a pull tab 32 held by the slider body 31. The slider body 31 of this embodiment has substantially the same structure as a conventional slider body generally used for injection-molded elements 40. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the slider body 31 of this embodiment has an upper wing 33, a lower wing 34 arranged parallel to and spaced apart from the upper wing 33, a connecting post (not shown) connecting the front ends (shoulder-side ends) of the upper wing 33 and the lower wing 34, upper and lower flanges 36 and 37 arranged on the left and right side edges of the upper wing 33 and the lower wing 34, and a pull tab attachment portion 38 arranged on the upper surface of the upper wing 33 and holding the pull tab 32.

[0043] Furthermore, left and right shoulder openings are formed at the front end of the slider body 31 with a connecting pillar sandwiched therebetween, and a rear opening is formed at the rear end of the slider body 31. A substantially Y-shaped element guide path that connects the left and right shoulder openings with the rear opening is formed between the upper wing plate 33 and the lower wing plate 34. By using a slider 30 having such a structure, the left and right element members 10 directly fixed to the element attachment edge 7 of the garment 1 can be smoothly engaged and separated.

[0044] In addition, in terms of the dimensional relationship between the recess 45 of the element 40 and the slider 30, the maximum opening dimension L2 of the recess 45 is smaller than the height dimension H2 of the element. As a result, side surfaces 47a, 47b are provided on the non-engagement side of the front body portion 43a and the back body portion 44a, and can guide the inner surfaces of the upper and lower flange portions 36, 37 of the slider 30. Furthermore, since the maximum opening dimension L2 of the recess 45 is designed to be narrower than the distance L3 between the upper and lower flange portions 36, 37, the opening edges of the side surfaces 47a, 47b and the inclined surfaces 45a, 45b of the element 40 slide against the inner surfaces of the upper and lower flange portions 36, 37, preventing wear of these inner surfaces.

[0045] As explained above, in the slide fastener product 1 of this embodiment, the depth of the recess 45 formed on the anti-interlocking portion side of the body 41 is formed so that it is deeper at both widthwise ends than at the widthwise center of the element 40, so that the element mounting edge 7 of the fabric 6 housed in the recess 45 can reach the interlocking portion side at both widthwise ends than at the widthwise center of the element 40. Therefore, when viewed from the front and back of the element member 10, the gap between the fixing member 15 between adjacent elements 40 and the element mounting edge 7 of the fabric 6 facing the fixing member 15 is eliminated or made sufficiently small, thereby improving the appearance of the slide fastener product 1.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the fixing members 15 are exposed on the anti-meshing side at both widthwise ends of the element 40, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, thin-walled connecting portions 60 that connect the front body portion 43a and the back body portion 44a at both widthwise ends of the element 40 and come into contact with the fixing members 15 on the anti-meshing side may be provided in the recess 45 during injection molding. The thin-walled connecting portions 60 are also continuous with the connecting portions 50 in the widthwise direction of the element 40. Furthermore, when the element member 10 is sewn to the element mounting edge portion 7 of the fabric 6, the element mounting edge portion 7 of the fabric 6 comes into contact with the thin-walled connecting portions 60 at both widthwise ends of the element 40.

[0047] However, even in this case, the thickness dimension T2 of the thin-walled connecting portion 60 is smaller than the thickness dimension T1 of the connecting portion 50, and the recess 45 is formed so that the depth is deeper at both ends in the width direction of the element 40 than at the center in the width direction (D1 <D2)。 Therefore, as in the above embodiment, when viewed from the front and back of the element member 10, the gap between the fixing member 15 between adjacent elements 40 and the element mounting edge portion 7 of the fabric 6 facing the fixing member 15 is eliminated or made sufficiently small, thereby improving the appearance of the slide fastener product 1. 8, the thin-walled connecting portion 60 does not necessarily have to be provided over the entire width of the element 40. For example, the thin-walled connecting portion 60 may be provided over a portion of the width of the element 40. Furthermore, the thickness dimension T2 does not necessarily have to be constant; for example, a through-hole or a notch may be provided in a portion of the thin-walled connecting portion 60.

[0048] In the above embodiment, clothing has been described as a slide fastener product, but the slide fastener product of the present invention includes not only clothing (apparel), but also various other products such as everyday items such as shoes and bags, industrial materials, and various types of seats for automobiles, trains, aircraft, etc.

[0049] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate changes, modifications, etc. are possible within the scope of feasibility.

[0050] As described above, the present specification discloses the following: (1) An element member for a slide fastener, comprising a string-like fixing member and a plurality of elements attached to the fixing member and forming an element row, The element has a meshing portion that meshes with a mating element, and a body portion that extends from the meshing portion in a front-rear direction of the element and is fixed to the fixing member, The trunk portion is provided with a recessed portion recessed toward the fixing member along a width direction of the element on a counter-mesh portion side that is opposite to the mesh portion with respect to the fixing member, The recess is formed so that its depth is greater at both widthwise ends than at the widthwise center of the element. According to this configuration, when the element member is sewn to the fabric, the gap that occurs between the fixing member and the element mounting edge of the fabric can be minimized, thereby improving the appearance.

[0051] (2) The body of the element includes a front body portion and a back body portion located on the front side and the back side of the fixing member, respectively, in the height direction of the element, The recess is formed between opposing surfaces of the front body portion and the back body portion, An element member for a slide fastener as described in (1), wherein a connecting portion is provided within the recess at the widthwise center of the element, connecting the front body portion and the back body portion and contacting the fixing member on the anti-engagement side. According to this configuration, the rigidity of the body of the element can be ensured by the connecting portion provided at the center of the element in the width direction.

[0052] (3) The slide fastener element member according to (2), wherein, in the recess, the fixing member is exposed on the non-meshing portion side at both widthwise ends of the element. With this configuration, the element mounting edge of the fabric can be brought into contact with the fixing member at both widthwise ends of the element, and when the element member is sewn to the fabric, the gap that occurs between the fixing member and the element mounting edge of the fabric is minimized, thereby improving the appearance.

[0053] (4) An element member for a slide fastener according to (2), wherein a thin-walled connecting portion is provided within the recess at both widthwise ends of the element, connecting the front body portion and the back body portion and contacting the fixing member on the anti-engagement side. According to this configuration, the thin-walled connecting portions provided at both widthwise ends of the element can further ensure the rigidity of the body portion of the element. Furthermore, even if resin gets into the gap between the fixing member and the slide core at both widthwise ends of the element when the element is injection molded, the gap that occurs between the fixing member and the element mounting edge of the fabric can be minimized, thereby improving the appearance.

[0054] (5) The recess is formed in a tapered shape such that the interval in the height direction gradually increases from the fixing member side toward the counter-engagement portion side by inclined surfaces formed in the front body portion and the back body portion, An element member for a slide fastener according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein the connecting portion has a flat side surface on the non-meshing portion side that connects to each inclined surface of the front body portion and the back body portion. With this configuration, the tapered recess can adequately accommodate the element mounting edge of the fabric, and even if a force that causes the element member to rotate around the fixing member acts on the element mounting edge of the fabric, the tip portion of the element mounting edge remains accommodated within the recess, preventing the fabric from riding up onto the surface of the element.

[0055] (6) The slide fastener element member according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the maximum opening dimension of the recess is smaller than the height dimension of the element. According to this configuration, side surfaces are provided on the non-engagement side of the front body portion and the back body portion, so that the inner surfaces of the upper and lower flange portions of the slider can be guided.

[0056] (7) A pair of left and right slide fastener element members according to any one of (1) to (6), a slider for engaging left and right element rows formed by the plurality of elements, respectively; a fastener receiving member to which the pair of left and right slide fastener element members are attached; A product with a slide fastener. With this configuration, when the element member is sewn to the fabric, the gap that occurs between the fixing member and the element attachment edge of the fabric is minimized, improving the appearance. Also, since the depth of the recess in the width direction center of the element is shallower than at both width direction ends, the rigidity of the body of the element can be ensured. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1. Products with slide fasteners 6 Fabric (zipper attachment material) 7 Element mounting edge 10 Element member (element member for slide fastener) 11 Element Column 15 Fixing member 30 Slider 31 Slider Body 32 Pull handle 40 Fastener element (element) 41 Torso 42 Meshing part 43 Element front half 43a Obverse body 43b Front engaging head 44 Back half of element 44a Back body 44b Back side neck 44c Back side engagement head 45a, 45b Slanted surface (opposite surface) H Element height dimension L2 Maximum opening dimension of recess

Claims

1. A slide fastener element member (10) comprising a string-like fixing member (15) and a plurality of elements (40) attached to the fixing member and forming an element row (11), The element has a meshing portion (42) that meshes with a mating element, and a trunk portion (41) that extends from the meshing portion in the front-rear direction of the element and is fixed to the fixing member, The trunk portion has a recess (45) recessed toward the fixing member along the width direction of the element on the anti-mesh portion side, which is the opposite side of the mesh portion with respect to the fixing member, The recess is formed so that the depth is greater at both ends in the width direction of the element than at a center portion in the width direction of the element, The body portion of the element includes a front body portion (43a) and a back body portion (44a) located on the front side and the back side, respectively, of the fixing member in the height direction of the element, The recess is formed between the opposing surfaces (45a, 45b) of the front body portion and the back body portion, A slide fastener element member (10) is provided within the recess at the widthwise center of the element with a connecting portion (50) that connects the front body portion and the back body portion and contacts the fixing member on the anti-engagement side.

2. 2. The slide fastener element member (10) according to claim 1, wherein, in the recess, the fixing member is exposed on the non-meshing portion side at both widthwise ends of the element.

3. 2. An element member (10) for a slide fastener according to claim 1, wherein a thin-walled connecting portion (60) is provided within the recess at both widthwise ends of the element, connecting the front body portion and the back body portion and contacting the fixing member on the anti-engagement side.

4. The recess is formed in a tapered shape such that the interval in the height direction gradually increases from the fixing member side toward the anti-meshing portion side by inclined surfaces (45a, 45b) formed in the front body portion and the back body portion, The connecting portion has a flat side surface (50a) on the anti-meshing portion side that connects to each inclined surface of the front body portion and the back body portion. An element member (10) for a slide fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. 2. The slide fastener element member (10) according to claim 1, wherein the maximum opening dimension (L2) of said recess is smaller than the height dimension (H) of said element.

6. A pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10) according to claim 1; a slider (30) for engaging the left and right element rows (11) formed by the plurality of elements, respectively; a fastener receiving member (6) to which the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10) are attached; A product (1) with a slide fastener.

7. A product (1) with a slide fastener as described in Claim 6, wherein the end portions in the front-to-rear direction of the element of the fastener attachment member (6) contact the connecting portion (50).

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