Slide fastener and method for manufacturing separable bottom end stop box for slide fastener

Abstract

In the present invention: among inner surfaces (25a, 25b, 25c, 25d) constituting an insertion pin hole (25) of a box (21), a front-side surface (25a) and / or a back-side surface (25b) facing a front surface (11b) / back surface (11c) of an insertion pin (11) has thereon a protrusion (26, 27) capable of engaging with a recess (16, 17); the protrusion (26, 27) has an asymmetric shape about a plane (P) which passes through the center of the protrusion (26, 27) in an opening / closing direction of the insertion pin (11) and is orthogonal to the opening / closing direction; and the protrusion (26, 27) includes an upper inclined surface (26a, 27a) which is formed so as to increase the thickness of the protrusion (26, 27) downwardly from an upper end part of the protrusion (26, 27) in the opening / closing direction of the insertion pin (11) and a lower inclined surface (26b, 27b) which is formed so as to increase the thickness of the protrusion (26, 27) upwardly from a lower end part of the protrusion (26, 27) in the opening / closing direction of the insertion pin (11), wherein the upper inclined surface (26a, 27a) has a larger inclination than the inclination of the lower inclined surface (26b, 27b).

Description

Method for manufacturing a box for a slide fastener and a separable bottom end stop for the slide fastener

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a box for a slide fastener and a separable bottom end stop for the slide fastener.

[0002] A separable bottom end stop for a slide fastener is generally provided at the lower end of left and right fastener stringers and includes one of the left and right insert pins and the other of the left and right boxes. The fastener stringer has an element row attached to the inner edge of the fastener tape. When the slider between the left and right fastener stringers is lowered to its lowest position where it abuts against the separable bottom end stop, the left and right fastener stringers can be separated by removing the insert pin from the box and lifting it up through the element guide path of the slider. From this separated state, the insert pin of one fastener stringer is passed through the element guide path of the slider, which is at the lowest position where it abuts against the box, and then inserted into the box, thereby aligning the lower end portions of the left and right fastener stringers. From this aligned state, the slider is moved upward to close the gap between the fastener elements of the left and right fastener stringers.

[0003] If the slider is moved upward when the insert pin is not fully inserted into the box, i.e., when the bottom ends of the left and right fastener stringers are not aligned, an incorrect combination of the left and right fastener stringers may occur. To prevent this from happening, it is desirable for the user to be able to recognize when the bottom ends of the pair of left and right fastener stringers are aligned.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a separable bottom end stop for a slide fastener in which an insert pin is removably fitted into a box body substantially parallel to the box pin. In this separable bottom end stop for a slide fastener, a recess is provided at the tip of one or both of the front and back surfaces of the insert pin, and a protrusion that protrudes into the recess is provided on the inner surface of an engagement hole in the box body into which the insert pin fits. Therefore, when the insert pin is fully inserted into the box, the recess of the insert pin engages and is held by the protrusion of the box body, and there is resistance when removing the insert pin from the box body, so that when the user attempts to pull the insert pin out of the box body, he or she can recognize that the lower ends of the pair of left and right fastener stringers are aligned.

[0005] Japanese National Law Publication No. 7-3925

[0006] The slide fastener of Patent Document 1 has as its main purpose the ability to easily insert the insert pin into the box even with one hand, and by forming a tapered surface on the convex and an inclined cam surface on the insert pin, it is possible to insert the insert pin smoothly into the engagement hole with little resistance when the insert pin hits the convex, Therefore, when inserting the insert pin into the box, there is little resistance or noise, and it may be difficult for the user to recognize the insertion feeling.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a method for manufacturing a box for a slide fastener and a separable bottom end stop for a slide fastener, which allows a user to properly recognize that a separable bottom end stop has been inserted into the box.

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is achieved by the following configuration.[1] A slide fastener (100) comprising: a pair of first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B); at least one slider (40) for opening and closing the first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B); and a separable bottom end stop (1) provided at the lower end of the first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B) in the longitudinal direction, wherein the separable bottom end stop (1) comprises: a first separable insert portion (10) provided on the first fastener stringer (30A); and a second separable insert portion (20) provided on the second fastener stringer (30B) and capable of connecting to and disconnecting from the first separable insert portion (10), wherein the first separable insert portion (10) includes an insert pin (11) provided on the inner edge side of the first fastener stringer (30A) in the width direction, The second separable inserting portion (2) includes a box (21) provided on the widthwise inner edge side of the second fastener stringer (30B), the box (21) has an insert pin hole (25) that opens upward and allows the insert pin (11) to be inserted and removed in the longitudinal direction, at least one of the front surface (11b) and the back surface (11c) of the insert pin (11) is provided with a recess (16, 17), and among the inner surfaces (25a, 25b, 25c, 25d) that constitute the insert pin hole (25) of the box (21), at least one of the front side surface (25a) and the back side surface (25b) that face the front surface (11b) and the back surface (11c) of the insert pin (11) is provided with a protrusion (26, 27) that can engage with the recess (16, 17), a slide fastener in which the convex portions (26, 27) have an asymmetrical shape with respect to a plane (P) that passes through the center of the convex portions (26, 27) in the insertion / removal direction of the insert pin (11) and is perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction, and the convex portions (26, 27) include upper inclined surfaces (26a, 27a) that increase in thickness of the convex portions (26, 27) downward from the upper end of the convex portions (26, 27) in the insertion / removal direction of the insert pin (11), and lower inclined surfaces (26b, 27b) that increase in thickness of the convex portions (26, 27) upward from the lower end of the convex portions (26, 27) in the insertion / removal direction of the insert pin (11), and the inclination of the upper inclined surfaces (26a, 27a) is greater than the inclination of the lower inclined surfaces (26b, 27b).[2] A slide fastener (100) comprising: a pair of first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B); at least one slider (40) for opening and closing the first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B); and a separable bottom end stop (1) provided at the lower end of the first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B) in the longitudinal direction, wherein the separable bottom end stop (1) comprises: a first separable insert portion (10) provided on the first fastener stringer (30A); and a second separable insert portion (20) provided on the second fastener stringer (30B) and capable of connecting to and disconnecting from the first separable insert portion (10), wherein the first separable insert portion (10) includes an insert pin (11) provided on the inner edge side of the first fastener stringer (30A) in the width direction, The second separable inserting portion (2) includes a box (21) provided on the widthwise inner edge side of the second fastener stringer (30B), the box (21) has an insert pin hole (25) that opens upward and allows the insert pin (11) to be inserted and removed in the longitudinal direction, at least one of the front surface (11b) and the back surface (11c) of the insert pin (11) is provided with a recess (16, 17), and among the inner surfaces (25a, 25b, 25c, 25d) that constitute the insert pin hole (25) of the box (21), at least one of the front side surface (25a) and the back side surface (25b) that face the front surface (11b) and the back surface (11c) of the insert pin (11) is provided with a protrusion (26, 27) that can engage with the recess (16, 17), A slide fastener, wherein a force (Fin) required to insert the insert pin into the insert pin hole (25) of the box is greater than a force (Fout) required to remove the insert pin from the insert pin hole (25) of the box.[3] A method for manufacturing a box (21) for a separable bottom end stop (1) for a slide fastener, wherein the box (21) is provided with convex portions (26, 27) on inner surfaces (25a, 25b) of an insert pin hole (25) through which an insert pin (11) can be inserted and removed, the box (21) is obtained by injection molding using a fixed mold (5), a movable mold (6) provided so as to be able to reciprocate in the front-to-back direction relative to the fixed mold (5), and first and second slides (7, 8) provided so as to be able to reciprocate in the up-and-down direction relative to the fixed mold (5), and a convex portion forming portion (26z) for shaping the convex portions (26, 27) is formed by butting a first concave portion (26x) provided in the first slide (7) with a second concave portion (26y) provided in the second slide (8).

[0009] According to the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a box for a slide fastener and a separable bottom end stop for a slide fastener, which allows a user to properly recognize that an insert pin has been inserted into the box.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a front view of a slide fastener 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view showing the first and second separable insert portions in a decoupled state, with the first and second fastener stringers separated. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the slider indicated by a broken line. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the first and second separable insert portions. FIG. 5A is a front view of the first separable insert portion as seen from the front side. FIG. 5B is a rear view of the first separable insert portion as seen from the back side. FIG. 5C is a right side view of the first separable insert portion as seen from the right side in the width direction. FIG. 6A is a front view of the second separable insert portion as seen from the front side. FIG. 6B is a rear view of the second separable insert portion as seen from the back side. FIG. 6C is a left side view of the second separable insert portion as seen from the left side in the width direction. FIG. 7A is a front view of the second separable insert portion as seen from the front side, showing the box as seen from the cross section A-A arrow in FIG. 6C. FIG. 7B is a rear view of the second separable insert portion as seen from the back side, and shows the box as seen from the cross section arrows B-B of FIG. 6C. FIG. 7C is a left side view of the second separable insert portion as seen from the left side in the width direction, and shows the box as seen from the cross section arrows C-C of FIG. 6A. FIG. 8 is a partial cross section as seen from the width direction, showing the state in which an insert pin is inserted into the insert pin hole of the box. FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the slide fastener of the second embodiment, showing the first and second separable insert portions in a disconnected state. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the first separable insert portion and the second separable insert portion. FIG. 11A is a front view of the first separable insert portion as seen from the front side. FIG. 11B is a rear view of the first separable insert portion as seen from the back side. FIG. 11C is a right side view of the first separable insert portion as seen from the right side in the width direction. FIG. 12A is a front view of the second separable insert portion as seen from the front side. FIG. 12B is a rear view of the second separable insert portion as seen from the back side. FIG. 12C is a left side view of the second separable insert portion as seen from the left side in the width direction. FIG. 13A is a front view of the second separable insert portion as seen from the front side, showing the box as seen from the cross section A-A of FIG. 12C. FIG. 13B is a rear view of the second separable insert portion as seen from the back side, showing the box as seen from the cross section B-B of FIG. 12C. FIG. 13C is a left side view of the second separable insert portion as seen from the left side, showing the box as seen from the cross section C-C of FIG. 12A. FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state in which an insert pin is inserted into the insert pin hole of the box as seen from the width direction. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a molding die used in the manufacturing method of the box.FIG. 16(a) is a side view of the first and second slides in the mold open state, viewed from the width direction; FIG. 16(b) is a front view of the first and second slides in the mold open state, viewed from the surface side; and FIG. 16(c) is a top view of the first slide. FIG. 17(a) is a side view of the first and second slides in the mold closed state, viewed from the width direction; and FIG. 17(b) is a front view of the first and second slides in the mold closed state, viewed from the surface side. FIGS. 18(a) to 18(g) are process diagrams showing the steps of the injection molding method. FIG. 19 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the insertion distance (horizontal axis) of the insert pin into the insert pin hole and the insertion resistance (vertical axis). FIG. 20 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the withdrawal distance (horizontal axis) of the insert pin from the insert pin hole and the withdrawal resistance (vertical axis).

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a slide fastener and a box for a separable bottom end stop for a slide fastener according to each embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0012] In this specification, the "vertical direction" refers to the sliding direction of the slider, the longitudinal direction of the slide fastener or fastener stringer, and the direction in which the insert pin is inserted into or removed from the box. Of the "vertical direction," the direction in which the slider slides to interlock the left and right element rows is particularly referred to as "upward," and the direction in which the slider slides to separate the left and right element rows is particularly referred to as "downward."

[0013] Furthermore, the "left-right direction" refers to the direction in which a pair of element rows are arranged, a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the slider, and can also be rephrased as the width direction of the slide fastener, fastener stringer, element, insert pin, and box.

[0014] Furthermore, the "front-to-back direction" is a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the left-to-right direction, and can also be rephrased as the thickness direction of the slide fastener, fastener stringer, element, insert pin, and box.

[0015] [First embodiment] Fig. 1 is a front view of a slide fastener 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view showing a state in which the first and second separable inserting portions are disconnected, with the first and second fastener stringers separated. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the slider indicated by a dashed line.

[0016] 1 and 2, a slide fastener 100 includes a pair of left and right first and second fastener stringers (hereinafter, fastener stringers will also be simply referred to as "stringers") 30A, 30B, a slider 40 that a user moves up and down to open and close the space between the first and second stringers 30A, 30B, and a separable bottom end stop for a slide fastener (hereinafter, referred to as "separable bottom end stop") 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is formed at the lower end of the first and second stringers 30A, 30B in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction). In this example, there is one slider 40 between the first and second stringers 30A, 30B, but there may be two or more.

[0017] Each of the first and second stringers 30A, 30B includes a strip-shaped fastener tape (hereinafter also simply referred to as "tape") 31a, 31b that is long in the vertical direction, a coil-shaped fastener element (hereinafter also simply referred to as "element") 32 attached along the inner edge, which is the edge on the opening and closing side in the width direction of each tape 31a, 31b, and an upper stop 33 that limits the upward movement of the slider 40.

[0018] Hereinafter, the tape 31a constituting the first stringer 30A may be referred to as the "first tape," and the tape 31b constituting the second stringer 30B may be referred to as the "second tape." In this example, the tapes 31a and 31b are made of woven or knitted polyamide fiber, polyester fiber, acrylic fiber, or the like, and the elements 32 are made of synthetic resin such as polyester or nylon, but are not limited to these. Also, the elements 32 are not limited to coil elements, and each element may be an independent type.

[0019] The slider 40 includes a slider body 41 and a pull tab 42 connected to the slider body 41. Referring also to Figure 3, which shows a side view of the slider 40 by a dashed line, the slider body 41 includes an upper blade 43 arranged on the front side of the first and second stringers 30A, 30B, and a lower blade 44 arranged on the back side of the first and second stringers 30A, 30B. The upper blade 43 and the lower blade 44 are connected by a guide post 45 above and at the center in the left-right direction therebetween, thereby defining a Y-shaped element guide path that branches upward between the upper blade 43 and the lower blade 44.

[0020] 1 and 3 designates a pull tab holder to which the pull tab 42 is connected, and the pull tab holder 46 protrudes from the upper blade 43. When the lower ends of the first and second stringers 30A, 30B shown in FIG. 1 are connected by a separable bottom end stop 1 (described later), if a user holds the pull tab 42 and moves the slider body 41 upward, the left and right elements 32 pass through the element guide paths between the upper and lower blades 43, 44 and engage with each other, closing the gap between the first and second stringers 30A, 30B. If the slider body 41 is moved downward, the left and right elements 32 are disengaged from each other, opening the gap between the first and second stringers 30A, 30B.

[0021] The upper blade 43 has raised portions 43a (see FIG. 6) on the left and right sides below it that protrude toward the lower blade 44 to prevent the left and right elements 32 from slipping out of the element guideways. The lower blade 44 also has raised portions 44a on the left and right sides below it that protrude slightly toward the upper blade 43. The distance T1 between these raised portions 43a, 44a is the minimum distance between the upper and lower blades 43, 44, and this minimum distance T1 is smaller than the maximum thickness of the element 32 in the front-to-back direction and larger than the thickness of the tape 31.

[0022] The separable bottom end stop 1 is formed by injection molding or extrusion molding a thermoplastic resin such as polyacetal, polyamide, polypropylene, or polybutylene terephthalate onto tape reinforcement sections 31c, which are formed by reinforcing the lower ends of the left and right tapes 31a, 31b with a thermoplastic resin. The tape reinforcement sections 31c are formed by welding a thermoplastic resin film such as polyamide or polyethylene to the lower ends of the left and right tapes 31a, 31b using ultrasonic processing or the like, or by penetrating and solidifying a thermoplastic resin liquid. The tape reinforcement sections 31c are preferably provided over the entire width of each tape 31a, 31b.

[0023] The separable bottom end stop 1 includes a first separable bottom end insert 10 provided at the lower end of the first stringer 30A and a second separable bottom end insert 20 provided at the lower end of the second stringer 30B. The first separable bottom end insert 10 and the second separable bottom end insert 20 can be connected and disconnected, and Fig. 1 shows the first and second separable bottom end inserts 10, 20 in a connected state, while Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of the first and second separable bottom end inserts 10, 20 in a disconnected state.

[0024] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the first separable insert 10 and the second separable insert 20. Fig. 5A is a front view of the first separable insert 10 as seen from the front side, Fig. 5B is a rear view of the first separable insert 10 as seen from the back side, and Fig. 5C is a right side view of the first separable insert 10 as seen from the right side in the width direction.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1 to 2 and 4 to 5C, the first separable insert portion 10 includes a vertically long insert pin 11 provided on the widthwise inner edge side of the lower end of the first stringer 30A, a vertically long first reinforcing bar portion 12 provided to the left of the insert pin 11 in the widthwise direction and approximately parallel to the insert pin 11, and a first connecting portion 13 connecting the insert pin 11 and the first reinforcing bar portion 12 in the widthwise direction.

[0026] In the front-to-back direction, the thickness of the insert pin 11 is slightly thicker than the thickness of the first tape 31a. Therefore, the front surface 11b and the back surface 11c of the insert pin 11 slightly protrude from the front surface and the back surface of the first tape 31a. The degree to which the front surface 11b and the back surface 11c of the insert pin 11 protrude from the front surface and the back surface of the tape 31 is the same as or slightly smaller than the degree to which the front surface and the back surface of the element 32 protrude from the front surface and the back surface of the tapes 31a and 31b.

[0027] The insert pin 11 has a protrusion 11a that protrudes rightward at the upper right end portion thereof. The protrusion 11a engages with a notch 21c of a box pin 21b, which will be described later.

[0028] The insert pin 11 is inserted into and removed from an insert pin hole 25 of a box 21 (described later) of the second separable insert portion 20, thereby connecting and disconnecting the first separable insert portion 10 and the second separable insert portion 20.

[0029] The lower portions of the front surface 11b and the back surface 11c of the insert pin 11 are provided with recesses 16, 17, respectively, which are recessed in a direction that reduces the thickness of the insert pin 11 in the front-to-back direction. The recesses 16, 17 are located slightly above the lower ends of the front surface 11b and the back surface 11c. Note that the recesses 16, 17 do not necessarily have to be provided on both the front surface 11b and the back surface 11c of the insert pin 11, but may be provided on at least one of the front surface 11b and the back surface 11c. Of the recesses 16, 17, the one provided on the front surface 11b is called the front-side recess 16, and the one provided on the back surface 11c is called the back-side recess 17.

[0030] The front-side recess 16 includes an upper inclined surface 16d that slopes downward from the upper end of the front-side recess 16 in the insertion / removal direction (vertical direction) of the insert pin 11, thereby increasing the thickness of the front-side recess 16; a lower inclined surface 16e that slopes upward from the lower end of the front-side recess 16 in the insertion / removal direction of the insert pin 11, thereby increasing the thickness of the front-side recess 16; and a parallel surface 16c that connects the upper inclined surface 16d and the lower inclined surface 16e and is parallel to the insertion / removal direction (vertical direction) and width direction (left / right direction) of the insert pin 11.

[0031] In addition, the back side recess 17 includes an upper inclined surface 17d that slopes toward the front as it moves downward from the upper end of the back side recess 17 in the insertion / removal direction (vertical direction) of the insert pin 11, thereby increasing the thickness of the back side recess 17, a lower inclined surface 17e that slopes toward the front as it moves upward from the lower end of the back side recess 17 in the insertion / removal direction of the insert pin 11, thereby increasing the thickness of the back side recess 17, and a parallel surface 17c that connects the upper inclined surface 17d and the lower inclined surface 17e and is parallel to the insertion / removal direction (vertical direction) and width direction (left / right direction) of the insert pin 11.

[0032] The front-side recess 16 and the back-side recess 17 are formed over the entire widthwise length of the front surface 11b and the back surface 11c of the insert pin 11. Therefore, the front-side recess 16 and the back-side recess 17 each penetrate the insert pin 11 in the widthwise direction and have left-side openings 16a, 17a on the left side in the widthwise direction and right-side openings 16b, 17b on the right side in the widthwise direction. The parallel surface 16c, which is the bottom surface of the front-side recess 16, is located closer to the front side than the surface 13a of the first connecting portion 13 adjacent in the widthwise direction. Therefore, a step 14 is formed between the parallel surface 16c of the front-side recess 16 and the surface 13a of the first connecting portion 13. Meanwhile, the parallel surface 17c, which is the bottom surface of the back-side recess 17, and the back surface 13b of the first connecting portion 13 adjacent in the widthwise direction are smoothly connected to each other and are flush with each other, forming the same plane.

[0033] The upper surface 18a of the front surface 11b of the insert pin 11, located above the front recess 16, is a parallel surface parallel to the vertical and width directions. The lower surface 18b of the front surface 11b of the insert pin 11, located below the front recess 16, includes a parallel surface 18c, a first inclined surface 18d, and a second inclined surface 18e. The parallel surface 18c connects to the lower end of the front recess 16 and extends parallel to the vertical and width directions. The first inclined surface 18d connects to the lower end of the parallel surface 18c and slopes downward toward the back surface 11c. The second inclined surface 18e connects the lower end of the first inclined surface 18d to the lower surface 11d of the insert pin 11 and slopes downward toward the back surface 11c. The inclination of the second inclined surface 18e is greater than the inclination of the first inclined surface 18d.

[0034] Of the back surface 11c of the insert pin 11, the back surface upper portion 19a, which is located above the back surface recess 17, is a parallel surface that is parallel to the up-down and width directions. Of the back surface 11c of the insert pin 11, the back surface lower portion 19b, which is located below the back surface recess 17, includes a parallel surface 19c and an inclined surface 19d. The parallel surface 19c is connected to the lower end of the back surface recess 17 and extends parallel to the up-down and width directions. The inclined surface 19d connects the lower end of the parallel surface 19c to the lower surface 11d of the insert pin 11 and inclines toward the front surface 11b as it extends downward. The inclined surface 19d connects the lower end of the first inclined surface 18d to the lower surface 11d of the insert pin 11.

[0035] The first reinforcing bar portion 12 serves to reinforce the fixation of the insert pin 11 to the first tape 31a by connecting to the insert pin 11 via the first connecting portion 13. The upper end of the first reinforcing bar portion 12 protrudes slightly upward beyond the upper end of the insert pin 11. The lower end of the insert pin 11 protrudes slightly downward beyond the lower end of the first reinforcing bar portion 12. The left-right width of the first reinforcing bar portion 12 is greater than the left-right width of the insert pin 11.

[0036] Prior to molding the first separable insert portion 10 including the first reinforcing strip portion 12, through-holes (not shown) penetrating the first tape 31a in the front-to-back direction are formed in the left first tape 31a in portions corresponding to the first reinforcing strip portion 12 and the first connecting portion 13. Thermoplastic resin is connected between the front and back of the first tape 31a through these through-holes, thereby firmly fixing the first reinforcing strip portion 12 and the first connecting portion 13 to the front and back of the first tape 31a and increasing the peel strength of the first reinforcing strip portion 12 and the first connecting portion 13 relative to the first tape 31a. Because the first reinforcing strip portion 12 and the first connecting portion 13 are firmly fixed to the first tape 31a in this way, the insert pin 11 is firmly fixed to the first tape 31a.

[0037] Fig. 6A is a front view of the second separable insert 20 as seen from the front side, Fig. 6B is a rear view of the second separable insert 20 as seen from the back side, and Fig. 6C is a left side view of the second separable insert 20 as seen from the left side in the width direction. Fig. 7A is a front view of the second separable insert 20 as seen from the front side, showing the box body 21a as seen from the A-A cross section of Fig. 6C. Fig. 7B is a rear view of the second separable insert 20 as seen from the back side, showing the box body 21a as seen from the B-B cross section of Fig. 6C. Fig. 7C is a left side view of the second separable insert 20 as seen from the left side, showing the box body 21a as seen from the C-C cross section of Fig. 6A.

[0038] As shown in Figures 1 to 2 and Figures 6A to 7C, the second separable insert portion 20 comprises a box 21 arranged to cover the widthwise inner edge side of the lower end of the second stringer 30B, a second reinforcing bar portion 22 extending upward and away from the right side surface of the box 21 to the right in the widthwise direction, and a second connecting portion 23 connecting the box 21 and the second reinforcing bar portion 22.

[0039] The box 21 has a box body 21a having a butterfly pin hole 25 (see Figure 4, etc.) in the left half, through which the butterfly pin 11 can be inserted and removed in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction of the slide fastener 100), and a box pin 21b protruding upward from the right half of the top surface of the box body 21a.

[0040] In the front-to-back direction, the box body 21a is formed to be thicker than the box pin 21b and the second reinforcing strip 22. In the front-to-back direction, the box pin 21b has the same thickness as the insert pin 11. When the insert pin 11 of the first separable insert portion 10 is inserted into the insert pin hole 25 of the box body 21a of the second separable insert portion, the first and second separable insert portions 10, 20 are connected (see FIG. 1), and the lower ends of the first and second stringers 30A, 30B are aligned. When the insert pin 11 is pulled out of the insert pin hole 25 of the box body 21a, the connection between the first and second separable insert portions 10, 20 is released.

[0041] The box pin 21b is provided along the widthwise inner edge side of the second stringer 30B and is molded integrally with the box body 21a. The box pin 21b has a notch 21c (see FIG. 2) at its upper left end that receives the protrusion 11a of the insert pin 11 when connected to the first separable insert portion 10. When the first and second separable insert portions 10, 20 are connected, the upper end of the box pin 21b is located slightly below the upper end of the insert pin 11.

[0042] The second reinforcing strip portion 22 has almost the same shape as the first reinforcing strip portion 12 except for the base of the second reinforcing strip portion 22 that connects to the box 21, and has the same vertical length and front-to-back thickness as the first reinforcing strip portion 12.

[0043] Prior to injection molding of the second separable insert portion 20, through-holes (not shown) are formed through the second tape 31b in the front-to-back direction in portions of the right second tape 31b corresponding to the second reinforcing strip 22 and the second connecting portion 23. Thermoplastic resin is then passed through these through-holes to connect the front and back of the second tape 31b, thereby firmly securing the second reinforcing strip 22 and the second connecting portion 23 to the front and back of the second tape 31b, thereby increasing the peel strength of the second reinforcing strip 22 and the second connecting portion 23 relative to the second tape 31b. Since the second reinforcing strip 22 and the second connecting portion 23 are firmly secured to the second tape 31b in this manner, the box 21 is firmly secured to the second tape 31b.

[0044] As shown in Figure 2, the area between the insert pin 11 and the first reinforcing strip 12 in the first separable insert portion 10 and above the box body 21a, and the area between the box pin 21b and the second reinforcing strip 22 in the second separable insert portion 20 and above the box body 21a, are thin guide portions 15, 24 that are relatively thin compared to the insert pin 11, the box pin 21b, and the first and second reinforcing strips 12, 22 protruding from the front and back surfaces of the tape 31. The slider 40 can move from the state shown in Figure 1 to the lowest position where it abuts against the box body 21a. When the slider 40 is lowered to the lowest position, the thin guide portions 15, 24 of the first and second separable insert portions 10, 20 guide the protruding portions 43a, 44a (see Figure 3) on the left and right sides of the upper and lower wing plates 43, 44 of the slider 40. 1 to the lowest position where it abuts against the separable bottom end stop 1, the insert pin 11 of the first separable bottom end insert 10 is pulled out of the box body 21a, and the insert pin 11 is then pulled upward through the element guide path between the upper and lower blades 43, 44 of the slider 40, thereby releasing the connection between the first separable bottom end insert 10 and the second separable bottom end insert 20, and the first stringer 30A and the second stringer 30B are separated. At this time, the slider 40 remains on the second stringer 30B.

[0045] The box 21 of the first embodiment includes a box pin 21b that is aligned parallel to the right side (second tape 31b side) of the upper part of the insert pin 11 that extends vertically, and a box body 21a that has an insert pin hole 25 into which the lower part of the insert pin 11 can be inserted and removed. The insert pin hole 25 is formed in the left side (first tape 31a side) of the top surface of the box body 21a, and the box pin 21b is joined to the right side (second tape 31b side) of the top surface of the box body 21a in a state where it protrudes upward.

[0046] The box body 21a is a hexahedron with front, back, left, right, top, and bottom surfaces. In the illustrated example, each surface is flat. "Flat" refers not only to a flat surface but also to an arc-shaped curved surface (an arc-shaped convex surface or an arc-shaped concave surface). For example, in the illustrated example, the front and back surfaces are arc-shaped curved surfaces that convex (more specifically, surfaces that gradually convex toward the front from both ends toward the middle of the overall width). Furthermore, the box body 21a has a tape groove 61, into which the first tape 31a is inserted, on the left side of the left and right sides facing the first tape 31a. The tape groove 61 extends vertically and is open at the top and closed at the bottom. A slide pin hole 25 is connected to the tape groove 61 on the second tape 31b side, and the top of this slide pin hole 25 is open. Meanwhile, the bottom of the slide pin hole 25 is closed on the first tape 31a side and penetrates the second tape 31b side to form a slide hole 63.

[0047] The box 21a includes an upper and lower extension wall 53 extending downward from the lower end of the box pin 21b, a front body wall 54 and a rear body wall 55 protruding parallel to the first tape 31a side in the left-right direction from the front and rear end portions of the upper and rear extension wall 53, a joining wall 56 joining the first tape 31a-side ends of the front body wall 54 and the rear body wall 55 at the lower end of their respective vertical lengths, and groove walls 57, 57 protruding from the first tape 31a-side ends of the front body wall 54 and the rear body wall 55 so as to narrow the front-to-back gap formed between the front and rear body walls 54 and 55. The space formed between the pair of front and rear groove walls 57, 57 is a tape groove 61. In the illustrated example, each groove wall 57 is formed over the entire range above the joining wall 56 within the vertical length of the front and rear body walls 54 and 55. Therefore, the joint wall 56 is continuous below the pair of front and back groove walls 57, 57. Furthermore, the box 21 of this embodiment has an asymmetrical shape between the front and back, and the tape groove 61 is positioned closer to the back side than the center of the box 21 in the front-back direction, and is positioned closer to the back side body wall 55 than to the front side body wall 54.

[0048] The upper and lower extension walls 53 are rod-shaped with a rectangular cross section. In the illustrated example, the left-right width of the upper and lower extension walls 53 is wider than the box pin 21b. The left and right side surfaces of the upper and lower extension walls 53 facing the first tape 31a (the surfaces facing the insert pin hole 25) are formed substantially flush with the corresponding surfaces of the box pin 21b, while the left and right side surfaces of the upper and lower extension walls 53 facing the second tape 31b protrude to the right of the box pin 21b. The upper and lower widths of the upper and lower extension walls 53 are the same as the upper and lower widths of the box pin 21b. The front and rear trunk walls 54 and 55, which protrude widthwise (toward the first tape 31a) from both the front and rear ends of the upper and lower extension walls 53, are both plate-shaped.

[0049] The joint wall 56 has a groove closing portion 56a that closes the lower part of the tape groove 61, and a hole closing portion 56b that closes the first tape 31a side below the insert pin hole 25. Therefore, the space surrounded by the joint wall 56 (hole closing portion 56b), the upper and lower extension walls 53, the front body wall 54, and the rear body wall 55 becomes a slide hole 63 into which a first slide 7 (see FIG. 15 ) for resin molding, which will be described later, is inserted, and the slide hole 63 communicates with the insert pin hole 25.

[0050] The inner surface constituting the insert pin hole 25 of the box 21 includes a front side surface 25a formed by the back surface of the front body wall 54 and facing the front surface 11b of the insert pin 11, a back side surface 25b formed by the front surface of the back body wall 55 and facing the back surface 11c of the insert pin 11, a right side surface 25c formed by the side surface (left side surface) of the upper and lower extension walls 53 on the first tape 31a side and facing the side surface (right side surface) of the second tape 31b side of the insert pin 11, and a pair of left side surfaces 25d, 25d formed by the side surfaces (right sides) of the pair of front and back groove walls 57, 57 on the second tape 31b side and facing the side surface (left side surface) of the insert pin on the first tape 31a side. The pair of left side surfaces 25d, 25d are separated from each other in the front-to-back direction because a tape groove 61 is interposed between them in the front-to-back direction.

[0051] Of the inner surfaces constituting the insert pin hole 25 of the box 21, the front side surface 25a and the back side surface 25b that face the front surface 11b and the back surface 11c of the insert pin 11 are provided with protrusions 26, 27 that can engage with the front recess 16 and the back recess 17 of the insert pin 11, respectively. Note that the protrusions 26, 27 do not necessarily have to be provided on both the front side surface 25a and the back surface 25b, but may be provided on at least one of the front side surface 25a and the back surface 25b. Of the protrusions 26, 27, the one provided on the front side surface 25a (the back wall of the front body wall 54) is called the front protrusion 26, and the one provided on the back surface 25b is called the back protrusion 27.

[0052] As shown in Figures 7A, 7B, and 7C, the front side convex portion 26 and the back side convex portion 27 each have an asymmetric shape with respect to a plane P that passes through the center of the front side convex portion 26 and the back side convex portion 27 in the insertion / removal direction (up and down direction) of the insert pin 11 and is perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction.

[0053] More specifically, the front-side convex portion 26 includes an upper inclined surface 26a that slopes downward from the upper end of the front-side convex portion 26 in the insertion / removal direction (vertical direction) of the insert pin 11, thereby increasing the thickness of the front-side convex portion 26, and a lower inclined surface 26b that slopes upward from the lower end of the front-side convex portion 26 in the insertion / removal direction of the insert pin 11, thereby increasing the thickness of the front-side convex portion 26, and the slope of the upper inclined surface 26a is greater than the slope of the lower inclined surface 26b.

[0054] In addition, the back-side convex portion 27 includes an upper inclined surface 27a that slopes toward the front as it moves downward from the upper end of the back-side convex portion 27 in the insertion / removal direction (up and down direction) of the insert pin 11, thereby increasing the thickness of the back-side convex portion 27, and a lower inclined surface 27b that slopes toward the front as it moves upward from the lower end of the back-side convex portion 27 in the insertion / removal direction of the insert pin 11, thereby increasing the thickness of the back-side convex portion 27, and the slope of the upper inclined surface 27a is greater than the slope of the lower inclined surface 27b.

[0055] In this way, the inclination of the upper inclined surfaces 26a, 27a that come into contact when the insert pin 11 is inserted into the insert pin hole 25 is set to be relatively steep, and the inclination of the lower inclined surfaces 26b, 27b that come into contact when the insert pin 11 is pulled out of the insert pin hole 25 is set to be relatively gentle, so that the force Fin required to insert the insert pin 11 into the insert pin hole 25 is greater than the force Fout required to pull out the insert pin 11 from the insert pin hole 25, as will be described later.

[0056] The front-side protrusion 26 and the back-side protrusion 27 each include parallel surfaces 26c, 27c that connect the upper inclined surfaces 26a, 27a and the lower inclined surfaces 26b, 27b, and are parallel to the insertion / removal direction (vertical direction) and width direction (horizontal direction) of the insert pin 11. These parallel surfaces 26c, 27c are positioned so as to intersect with the plane P.

[0057] As described above, the front-side recess 16 and the back-side recess 17 of the insert pin 11 are formed over the entire width of the insert pin 11, whereas the front-side protrusion 26 and the back-side protrusion 27 of the box 21 are formed over a portion of the width of the insert pin hole 25 rather than over the entire width of the insert pin hole 25. The widthwise length M1 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B) of the front-side recess 16 and the back-side recess 17 is greater than the widthwise length M2 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B) of the front-side protrusion 26 and the back-side protrusion 27 (M1 > M2). Furthermore, the vertical length N1 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B) of the front-side recess 16 and the back-side recess 17 and the vertical length N2 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B) of the front-side protrusion 26 and the back-side protrusion 27 are approximately equal (N1 ≈ N2).

[0058] 8 is a partial cross-sectional view, viewed from the width direction, showing the insert pin 11 inserted into the insert pin hole 25 of the box 21. Note that in FIG. 8, the box body 21a of the box 21 is shown, while the box pin 21b is not shown. As shown in FIG. 8, when the insert pin 11 is fully inserted into the insert pin hole 25 of the box 21, the front-side convex portion 26 and the back-side convex portion 27 of the box 21 engage with the front-side concave portion 16 and the back-side concave portion 17 of the insert pin 11, preventing the insert pin 11 from slipping out of the box 21. Therefore, after the insert pin 11 is assembled with the box 21, the insert pin 11 does not shift, making it less likely that an element will be misassembled and making it easier to pull up the slider 40.

[0059] Here, below the front-side recess 16 and the back-side recess 17 of the insert pin 11, the portion between the pair of front and back parallel surfaces 18c, 19c has the largest dimension in the front-back direction, and the dimension of this portion in the front-back direction is L1. Furthermore, the portion of the insert pin hole 25 with the smallest dimension in the front-back direction is the portion between the parallel surfaces 26c, 27c of the pair of front and back protrusions 26, 27, and the dimension of this portion in the front-back direction is L2. Since the relationship between these dimensions L1 and L2 is L1 > L2, when the insert pin 11 is inserted into the insert pin hole 25 from above (the right side in FIG. 8 ), the lower end (the left end in FIG. 8 ) of the insert pin 11 interferes with the pair of front and back protrusions 26, 27 of the insert pin hole 25. It is preferable to set L1 so that the gap with the insert pin hole 25 is small to prevent rattling when the insert pin 11 is inserted.

[0060] More specifically, when the insert pin 11 is inserted into the insert pin hole 25, the first and second inclined surfaces 18d, 18e on the front side of the insert pin 11 and the inclined surface 19d on the back side come into contact with the upper inclined surfaces 26a, 27a of the pair of front and back protrusions 26, 27. By providing the box 21 and the insert pin 11 with multiple inclined surfaces 26a, 27a, 18d, 18e, 19d, the insert pin 11 is smoothly guided between the pair of front and back protrusions 26, 27. Then, the parallel surfaces 18c, 19c on the front and back of the insert pin 11 abut against the upper inclined surfaces 26a, 27a and parallel surfaces 26c, 27c of the convex portions 26, 27, and the insert pin 11 overcomes the convex portions 26, 27 while pushing the box 21 outward in the front-to-back direction, thereby engaging the front-side recess 16 and back-side recess 17 of the insert pin 11 with the front-side convex portions 26 and back-side convex portions 27 of the box 21.

[0061] As described above, the inclination of the upper inclined surfaces 26a, 27a is greater than the inclination of the lower inclined surfaces 26b, 27b, and the inclination of the upper inclined surfaces 26a, 27a that come into contact when the insert pin 11 is inserted into the insert pin hole 25 is relatively steep, so the force Fin required to insert the insert pin 11 into the insert pin hole 25, that is, the force required for the insert pin 11 to get over and engage the protrusions 26, 27, is set relatively large. Specifically, Fin is set to 4 to 6 N. The method for measuring Fin will be described later.

[0062] Therefore, a relatively large force is required to completely insert the insert pin 11 into the insert pin hole 25, and the resistance and sound produced when the insert pin 11 overcomes the protrusions 26, 27 gives the user a sense of insertion or a clicking sensation, as if the insert pin 11 is securely fitted, and the user can properly recognize that the insert pin 11 has been completely inserted into the box 21.

[0063] In particular, in this embodiment, the recesses 16, 17 are provided on the front surface 11b and back surface 11c of the insert pin 11, respectively, and the protrusions 26, 27 are provided on the front side surface 25a and back side surface 25b of the insert pin hole 25, respectively, so that the force Fin required to engage the protrusions 26, 27 with the recesses 16, 17 is greater, allowing the user to more reliably feel a clicking sensation as if the insert pin 11 is securely inserted, and more appropriately recognize that the insert pin 11 has been fully inserted into the box 21. If the positions of the recesses 16 and 17 are far apart in the insertion / removal direction, the timing at which the recess 16 engages will differ from the timing at which the recess 17 engages, so it is preferable that the positions of the recesses 16 and 17 in the insertion / removal direction be the same or close. The same applies to the corresponding protrusions 26, 27.

[0064] Furthermore, the convex portions 26, 27 smoothly connect the upper inclined surfaces 26a, 27a and the lower inclined surfaces 26b, 27b, and have parallel surfaces 26c, 27c that are parallel to the insertion / removal direction (up-down direction) and width direction (left-right direction) of the insert pin 11, so that the convex portions 26, 27 and the concave portions 16, 17 can be engaged with little rattle.

[0065] Furthermore, the recesses 16, 17 penetrate the insert pin 11 in the width direction and have left openings 16a, 17a and right openings 16b, 17b (see FIGS. 5A and 5B). Therefore, even if dust such as human dirt or clothing fibers enters the recesses 16, 17, it can be easily expelled from the left openings 16a, 17a and right openings 16b, 17b. Note that if such dust accumulates in the recesses 16, 17, it is undesirable because it prevents the user from getting a proper feeling of insertion when inserting the insert pin 11 into the insert pin hole 25.

[0066] Furthermore, as described above, the widthwise length M1 of the recesses 16, 17 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B) is set to be greater than the widthwise length M2 of the protrusions 26, 27 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B), so the protrusions 26, 27 easily fit into the recesses 16, 17. For example, the insert pin 11 may be inserted at an angle in the widthwise direction (left-right direction) relative to the insert pin hole 25, but even in this case, the recesses 16, 17 of the insert pin are reliably engaged with the protrusions 26, 27 of the insert pin hole 25. Furthermore, even if the protrusions 26, 27 come into contact with the recesses 16, 17 after engagement, the protrusions 26, 27 elastically deform in the widthwise direction within the recesses 16, 17, so local stress on the protrusions 26, 27 can be prevented.

[0067] Furthermore, when the recesses 16, 17 and the protrusions 26, 27 are engaged, the gap between the recesses 16, 17 and the protrusions 26, 27 in the width direction (left-right direction) is larger than the gap between the recesses 16, 17 and the protrusions 26, 27 in the insertion / removal direction (up-down direction) of the insert pin 11. This configuration provides a clicking feeling when the recesses 16, 17 and the protrusions 26, 27 are engaged, and also makes it easier for the protrusions 26, 27 to fit into the recesses 16, 17. The former widthwise gap is the difference M1-M2 between the widthwise length M1 of the recesses 16, 17 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B) and the widthwise length M2 of the protrusions 26, 27 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B), and is relatively large. The latter vertical gap is the difference N1-N2 between the vertical length N1 of the recesses 16, 17 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B) and the vertical length N2 of the protrusions 26, 27 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B), and is zero or very small.

[0068] When the insert pin 11 is removed upward (to the right in FIG. 8) from the state shown in FIG. 8, the lower end portion (left end portion in FIG. 8) of the insert pin 11 interferes with the pair of protrusions 26, 27 on the front and back of the insert pin hole 25, just as when the insert pin 11 is inserted.

[0069] More specifically, when the insert pin 11 is pulled out of the insert pin hole 25, the lower inclined surfaces 16e, 17e of the recesses 16, 17 on the front and back of the insert pin 11 come into contact with the lower inclined surfaces 26b, 27b of the pair of front and back protrusions 26, 27. By providing the box 21 and the insert pin 11 with multiple inclined surfaces 26b, 27b, 16e, 17e, the insert pin 11 is smoothly guided between the pair of front and back protrusions 26, 27. Then, the parallel surfaces 18c, 19c on the front and back of the insert pin 11 abut against the lower inclined surfaces 26b, 27b and parallel surfaces 26c, 27c of the convex portions 26, 27, and the insert pin 11 overcomes the convex portions 26, 27 while pushing the box 21 outward in the front-to-back direction, thereby releasing the engagement between the front-side recess 16 and back-side recess 17 of the insert pin 11 and the front-side convex portions 26 and back-side convex portions 27 of the box 21.

[0070] As described above, the inclination of the lower inclined surfaces 26b, 27b is smaller than the inclination of the upper inclined surfaces 26a, 27a, and the inclination of the lower inclined surfaces 26b, 27b that come into contact when the insert pin 11 is pulled out of the insert pin hole 25 is relatively gentle. Therefore, the force Fout required to pull the insert pin 11 out of the insert pin hole 25, i.e., the force required for the insert pin 11 to overcome the protrusions 26, 27 and release the engagement, is set to be relatively small. Specifically, Fout is set to be smaller than Fin. The method for measuring Fout will be described later.

[0071] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment, an example was described in which the first separable insert portion 10 is provided with the first reinforcing rib portion 12 and the first connecting portion 13, and the second separable insert portion 20 is provided with the second reinforcing rib portion 22 and the second connecting portion 23. However, as in the second embodiment described below, the first separable insert portion 10 does not have to have the first reinforcing rib portion 12 and the first connecting portion 13, and the second separable insert portion 20 does not have to have the second reinforcing rib portion 22 and the second connecting portion 23.

[0072] Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing the first and second separable insert portions 10, 20 in a disconnected state in the slide fastener 100 of the second embodiment. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the first separable insert portion 10 and the second separable insert portion 20. Fig. 11A is a front view of the first separable insert portion 10 as seen from the front side, Fig. 11B is a rear view of the first separable insert portion 10 as seen from the back side, and Fig. 11C is a right side view of the first separable insert portion 10 as seen from the right side in the width direction. Fig. 12A is a front view of the second separable insert portion 20 as seen from the front side, Fig. 12B is a rear view of the second separable insert portion 20 as seen from the back side, and Fig. 12C is a left side view of the second separable insert portion 20 as seen from the left side in the width direction. Figure 13A is a front view of the second separable insert 20 as seen from the front side, and shows the box 21 as seen from the A-A cross section of Figure 12C. Figure 13B is a rear view of the second separable insert 20 as seen from the back side, and shows the box 21 as seen from the B-B cross section of Figure 12C. Figure 13C is a left side view of the second separable insert 20 as seen from the left side, and shows the box 21 as seen from the C-C cross section of Figure 12A.

[0073] The insert pin 11 of the first releasable insert portion 10 and the box 21 of the second releasable insert portion 20 in the second embodiment are substantially identical to those in the first embodiment, and therefore the same parts are given the same symbols to simplify or omit the description.

[0074] As shown in Fig. 9 and other figures, the box pin 21b has a locking portion 21d that protrudes toward the first tape 31a from the upper end of one of the left and right side surfaces of the box pin 21b that faces the first tape 31a. The locking portion 21d is formed in the center of the box pin 21b in the front-to-back direction. Also, as shown in Fig. 11C, a locking groove 11e that accommodates the locking portion 21d is recessed and formed in the upper end of one of the left and right side surfaces of the insert pin 11 that faces the second tape 31b.

[0075] 14 is a partial cross-sectional view, viewed from the width direction, showing the insert pin 11 inserted into the insert pin hole 25 of the box 21. Note that in FIG. 14, the box body 21a of the box 21 is shown, while the box pin 21b is not shown. As in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, when the insert pin 11 is fully inserted into the insert pin hole 25 of the box 21, the front-side convex portion 26 and the back-side convex portion 27 of the box 21 engage with the front-side concave portion 16 and the back-side concave portion 17 of the insert pin 11, preventing the insert pin 11 from slipping out of the box 21. Therefore, after the insert pin 11 is assembled with the box 21, the insert pin 11 does not shift, making it less likely that an element will be misassembled and making it easier to pull up the slider 40.

[0076] As in the first embodiment, in this embodiment as well, the inclination of the upper inclined surfaces 26a, 27a is greater than the inclination of the lower inclined surfaces 26b, 27b, and the inclination of the upper inclined surfaces 26a, 27a that come into contact when the insert pin 11 is inserted into the insert pin hole 25 is relatively steep. Therefore, the force Fin required to insert the insert pin 11 into the insert pin hole 25, that is, the force required for the insert pin 11 to overcome and engage the protrusions 26, 27, is set to a relatively large value. Specifically, Fin is set to 4 to 6 N. The method for measuring Fin will be described later.

[0077] Therefore, a relatively large force is required to completely insert the insert pin 11 into the insert pin hole 25, and the resistance and sound produced when the insert pin 11 overcomes the protrusions 26, 27 give the user a sense of insertion and a clicking sensation, enabling the user to properly recognize that the insert pin 11 has been completely inserted into the box 21.

[0078] When the insert pin 11 is removed upward (to the right in FIG. 14) from the state shown in FIG. 14, the lower end (left end in FIG. 14) of the insert pin 11 interferes with the pair of protrusions 26, 27 on the front and back of the insert pin hole 25, just as when the insert pin 11 is inserted.

[0079] As in the first embodiment, in the second embodiment, the inclination of the lower inclined surfaces 26b, 27b is smaller than the inclination of the upper inclined surfaces 26a, 27a, and the inclination of the lower inclined surfaces 26b, 27b that come into contact when the insert pin 11 is pulled out of the insert pin hole 25 is relatively gentle. Therefore, the force Fout required to pull the insert pin 11 out of the insert pin hole 25, i.e., the force required for the insert pin 11 to overcome the protrusions 26, 27 and release the engagement, is set to be relatively small. Specifically, Fout is set to be smaller than Fin. The method for measuring Fin will be described later.

[0080] Other effects of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0081] [Manufacturing Method of Box] The manufacturing method of the box 21 of the first and second embodiments of the present invention uses injection molding using resin as a raw material. The manufacturing method of the box 21 of the second embodiment will be described below, but the same method can also be applied to the box 21 of the first embodiment (the box body 21 a and the box pin 21 b portions excluding the second reinforcing strip portion 22 and the second connecting portion 23).

[0082] Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing a molding die used in the manufacturing method of a box. Fig. 16(a) is a side view of the first and second slides in the mold open state, as seen from the width direction. Fig. 16(b) is a front view of the first and second slides in the mold open state, as seen from the surface side. Fig. 16(c) is a top view of the first slide, as seen from above. Fig. 17(a) is a side view of the first and second slides in the mold closed state, as seen from the width direction. Fig. 17(b) is a front view of the first and second slides in the mold closed state, as seen from the surface side. Figs. 18(a) to 18(g) are process diagrams showing the steps of the injection molding method.

[0083] As shown in Figure 15, the injection molding die used in this manufacturing method comprises a fixed die 5, a movable die 6 supported so as to be able to move back and forth in the front and back directions relative to the fixed die 5, and first and second slides 7 and 8 which are able to move back and forth in the up and down directions relative to the fixed die 5.

[0084] When the injection molding die is closed, it forms a cavity 91 as a space corresponding to the shape of the box 21, a gate 92 that forms the outer shape of the gate resin part 92r and serves as a passageway leading to the cavity 91, and a runner 93 as a passageway leading to the gate 92.

[0085] The cavity 91 includes a box pin recess 21bx that forms the outer shape of the box pin 21b, a box body recess 21ax that forms the outer surfaces (so-called six sides) of the outer shape of the box body 21a, and protrusions (tape groove protrusion 61x, butterfly pin hole protrusion 25x, slide hole protrusion 63x) that form the inner surfaces (tape groove 61, butterfly pin hole 25, slide hole 63) of the outer shape of the box body 21a.

[0086] The box body recess 21ax is composed of upper and lower extension wall recesses 53x that form the outer surfaces of the upper and lower extension walls 53 (the side of the left and right side surfaces of the box body 21a facing the second tape 31b, part of the front surface of the box body 21a, and part of the back surface of the box body 21a), a front barrel wall recess 54x and a back barrel wall recess 55x that form the outer surfaces of the front barrel wall 54 and the back barrel wall 55, respectively, a joint wall recess 56x that forms the outer surface of the joint wall 56 (part of the back surface and part of the side surface of the box body 21a), and a groove wall recess 57x that forms the outer surface of the groove wall 57 (part of the side surface of the box body 21a). Note that although the front barrel wall recess 54x is not shown in Figure 15, the front barrel wall recess 54x is provided in the movable mold 6 so as to face the back barrel wall recess 55x.

[0087] The convex portion includes a tape groove convex portion 61x that forms the tape groove 61, an insert pin hole convex portion 25x (anti-tape groove side portion convex portion 25y and groove side portion convex portion 25z) that forms the insert pin hole 25, and a slide hole convex portion 63x that forms the slide hole 63.

[0088] In this embodiment, the parting line formed on the box 21 that will be the finished product is at the midpoint of the overall height and width in the front-to-back direction of the box 21, and therefore the fixed mold 5 and the movable mold 6 are formed to have front-to-back symmetrical shapes. The surface of the fixed mold 5 (the surface that abuts against the movable mold 6) is formed with a box pin half-recess 21by, which is the back half of the box pin recess 21bx, and a box body half-recess 21ay, which is the back half of the box body recess 21ax, in which the back body wall recess 55x, the upper and lower extension wall half-recess 53y, which is the back half of the upper and lower extension wall recess 53x, and the runner half-recess 93y, which is the back half of the runner 93, are recessed.

[0089] Furthermore, on the surface of the fixed mold 5, a tape placement half-recess 31by, which is the back half of the tape placement recess 31bx for placing the second tape 31b, is formed in a recessed state that is connected to the box pin half-recess 21by and the upper and lower extension wall half-recess 53y (on the side opposite the runner half-recess 93y) and above and below. The depth of the tape placement half-recess 31by is half the thickness of the second tape 31b. Furthermore, of the left and right ends of the second tape 31b, the end that fixes the element 32 is formed thicker in the tape thickness direction than the remaining portion. In order to position this thick portion, a portion (positioning portion) 31bz of the tape placement half-recess 31by is formed deeper.

[0090] Furthermore, first and second reciprocating recesses 7y, 8y for moving the back halves of the reciprocating first and second slides 7, 8 are formed in the surface of the fixed mold 5. The first and second reciprocating recesses 7y, 8y are connected vertically and also to the box-body half recess 21ay. More specifically, the first and second reciprocating recesses 7y, 8y are formed in communication with the box-body half recess 21ay on the side opposite to the tape-mounting half recess 31by in the left-right direction.

[0091] The first reciprocating recess 7y is formed so as to communicate with the upper and lower extension wall half recess 53y on the side opposite to the tape placement half recess 31by, and to communicate downward with the rear body wall recess 55x.

[0092] The second reciprocating recess 8y is formed at a distance from the box pin half recess 21by on the opposite side from the tape loading half recess 31by. More specifically, the second reciprocating recess 8y is formed on the side of the wall 21bz opposite the tape loading half recess 31by, one of the left and right walls constituting the box pin half recess 21by. The second reciprocating recess 8y is also formed to communicate upward and laterally (opposite the upper and lower extension wall half recesses 53y) with the rear body wall recess 55x of the box body half recess 21ay.

[0093] Since the movable mold 6 has a symmetrical shape to the fixed mold 5, the surface of the movable mold 6 (the surface that abuts against the fixed mold 5) is formed with the front body wall recess 54x, the front half of the upper and lower extension wall recess 53x, the front half of the box pin recess 21bx, the front half of the tape mounting recess 31bx, and the front half of the runner 93.

[0094] The first slide 7 comprises a first base portion 71 on the underside of the box body 21a, which mainly forms the underside of the joining wall 56 (more specifically, the end portion of the underside of the upper and lower extension walls 53 on the butterfly pin hole 25 side and the joining wall 56), a first slide main body portion 72 which protrudes upward from the tape mounting semi-recess 31by in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the first base portion 71, and a first side surface forming portion 73 which protrudes upward from the first base portion 71 and forms the side of the joining wall 56 (the side on the tape groove 61 side) on the side of the box body 21a.

[0095] The first slide main body portion 72 is rod-shaped and extends vertically, and includes a slide hole protrusion 63x that protrudes upward from the first base portion 71 to form the slide hole 63, and an anti-tape groove side partial protrusion 25y that protrudes upward from the slide hole protrusion 63x and forms the portion of the insert pin hole protrusion 25x on the side opposite to the tape groove 61. The upper end surface of the anti-tape groove side partial protrusion 25y is a surface that abuts against the wall 21bz of the left and right walls that constitute the box pin semi-recess 21by, the wall 21bz being on the opposite side to the tape placement semi-recess 31by.

[0096] The counter-tape groove side partial convex portion 25y has a first base portion 25ya that connects to the slide hole convex portion 63x and extends upward, and a first tip portion 25yb that connects to the first base portion 25ya and extends upward.

[0097] The first base portion 25ya is an upward extension of the entire upper end portion of the slide hole protrusion 63x, and therefore the cross-sectional shape of the first base portion 25ya is a rod-like shape with a rectangular cross section that is substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the slide hole protrusion 63x.

[0098] The first tip portion 25yb is rod-shaped with a rectangular cross section and extends upward from the portion of the upper end of the first base portion 25ya that is on the second tape 31b side (the tape mounting recess 31bx side for mounting the second tape 31b) rather than the entire upper end of the first base portion 25ya. Therefore, the thickness of the first tip portion 25yb in the front-to-back direction is equal to the thickness of the first base portion 25ya in the front-to-back direction, but the width of the first tip portion 25yb in the left-to-right direction is smaller than the width of the first base portion 25ya in the left-to-right direction. Therefore, the anti-tape groove side protrusion 25y is formed into a stepped rod shape by the first base portion 25ya, which has a larger width in the left-to-right direction, and the first tip portion 25yb, which has a smaller width in the left-to-right direction.

[0099] Furthermore, a first recess 26x is provided on the upper end of the first base 25ya on the first tape 31a side (runner 93 side), which has a concave shape facing the back side and forms the front side convex portion 26 together with a second recess 26y described later.

[0100] The first recess 26x has a shape corresponding to the lower half of the front-side protrusion 26, in order to form the lower half of the front-side protrusion 26. That is, the bottom surface of the first recess 26x includes a lower inclined surface forming portion 26bx that forms the lower inclined surface 26b of the front-side protrusion 26 and that is inclined toward the back side as it extends upward from the lower end of the first recess 26x, thereby increasing the depth of the first recess 26x in the front-back direction, and a parallel surface lower half forming portion 26cxa that forms the lower half of the parallel surface 26c of the front-side protrusion 26 and is parallel to the up-down direction and the width direction. The upper edge 28x of the parallel surface lower half forming portion 26cxa is a tapered surface that tapers upward toward the second tape 31b (the tape mounting recess 31bx side for mounting the second tape 31b), and this tapered surface forms a mating surface with the tapered surface of the lower edge 28y of the parallel surface upper half forming portion 26cxb described later.

[0101] The second slide 8 includes a second base portion 81 on the upper surface side of the box body 21a, which forms the tape groove 61 side relative to the upper and lower extension walls 53; a groove-side partial convex portion 25z that forms the tape groove 61 side of the insert pin hole convex portion 25x on the left or right side; a tape groove convex portion 61x; and a second side surface forming portion 83 that forms the side surface of the groove wall 57 on the side surface of the box body 21a. The groove-side partial convex portion 25z and the tape groove convex portion 61x form a second slide main body portion 82. The groove-side partial convex portion 25z, the tape groove convex portion 61x, and the second side surface forming portion 83 protrude downward from the underside of the second base portion 81 in this order from the box pin recess 21bx side toward the opposite side (runner 93 side) in the left-right direction. The lower end surfaces of the groove-side partial convex portion 25z, the tape groove convex portion 61x, and the second side surface forming portion 83 are flush with each other and aligned in the left-right direction.

[0102] The groove side partial convex portion 25z has a second base portion 25za extending downward from the lower surface of the second base portion 81, and a second tip portion 25zb connecting to the second base portion 25za and extending downward.

[0103] The second base portion 25za has a rod-like shape with a rectangular cross section. The second tip portion 25zb has a rod-like shape with a rectangular cross section and extends downward from a portion of the lower end of the second base portion 25za that is closer to the first tape 31a (runner 93) rather than the entire lower end of the second base portion 25za. Therefore, the thickness of the second tip portion 25zb in the front-to-back direction is equal to the thickness of the second base portion 25za in the front-to-back direction, but the width of the second tip portion 25zb in the left-to-right direction is smaller than the width of the second base portion 25za in the left-to-right direction. Therefore, the groove-side portion convex portion 25z has a stepped rod shape formed by the second base portion 25za, which has a larger width in the left-to-right direction, and the second tip portion 25zb, which has a smaller width in the left-to-right direction.

[0104] Furthermore, a second recess 26y is provided on the second tape 31b side (the tape mounting recess 31bx side for mounting the second tape 31b) of the lower end of the second base 25za, which has a concave shape facing toward the back side and forms the front side convex portion 26 together with the above-mentioned first recess 26x.

[0105] The second recess 26y forms the upper half of the front-side protrusion 26, and therefore has a shape corresponding to the upper half of the front-side protrusion 26. That is, the bottom surface of the second recess 26y is provided with an upper inclined surface forming portion 26ax that forms the upper inclined surface 26a of the front-side protrusion 26 and is inclined toward the back side as it extends downward from the upper end of the first recess 26x, thereby increasing the depth of the second recess 26y in the front-back direction, and a parallel surface upper half forming portion 26cxb that forms the upper half of the parallel surface 26c of the front-side protrusion 26 and is parallel to the up-down direction and the width direction. The lower edge 28y of the parallel surface upper half forming portion 26cxb is a tapered surface that tapers downward toward the first tape 31a (the opposite side to the tape mounting recess 31bx for mounting the second tape 31b), and this tapered surface forms a mating surface with the tapered surface of the upper edge 28x of the above-mentioned parallel surface lower half forming portion 26cxa.

[0106] As shown in Figure 17, in the mold closed state, the side of the groove side partial convex portion 25z on the second tape side 31b side (tape mounting recess 31bx side) and the side of the anti-tape groove side partial convex portion 25y on the first tape 31a side (runner 93 side) are in surface contact, so that the groove side partial convex portion 25z and the anti-tape groove side partial convex portion 25y form an insert pin hole convex portion 25x for forming the insert pin hole 25.

[0107] Furthermore, in the state shown in Figures 17(a) to (b), the lower edge 28y of the parallel surface upper half forming portion 26cxb and the tapered surface of the upper edge 28x of the parallel surface lower half forming portion 26cxa are in surface contact, so that the first recess 26x of the anti-tape groove side portion convex portion 25y and the second recess 26y of the groove side portion convex portion 25z are butted together in the vertical direction, and a front side convex portion forming portion 26z for shaping the front side convex portion 26 is formed.

[0108] The front-side convexity forming portion 26z consisting of the first recess 26x and the second recess 26y has a shape corresponding to the front-side convexity 26, and therefore the inclination of the upper inclined surface forming portion 26ax of the second recess 26y is greater than the inclination of the lower inclined surface forming portion 26bx of the first recess 26x, corresponding to the fact that the inclination of the upper inclined surface 26a of the front-side convexity 26 is greater than the inclination of the lower inclined surface 26b.

[0109] 15 to 17(b), only the front sides of the first slide 7 and the second slide 8 are shown, and therefore only the first recess 26x and the second recess 26y of the front-side convexity forming portion 26z that forms the front-side convexity 26 have been described. However, the first slide 7 and the second slide 8 have symmetrical shapes on the front and back, and a back-side convexity forming portion that forms the back-side convexity 27 is provided on the back side of the first slide 7 and the second slide 8. The back-side convexity forming portion comprises a recess (not shown) that is provided symmetrically with the first recess 26x on the back side of the anti-tape groove side portion convexity 25y, and a recess (not shown) that is provided symmetrically with the second recess 26y on the back side of the groove side portion convexity 25z. When the mold is closed, this pair of recesses (not shown) are butted together in the vertical direction, forming a back-side convexity forming portion that forms the back-side convexity 27. The detailed structure of the back-side convex-portion forming portion is omitted here because the above description of the front-side convex-portion forming portion 26z is applicable.

[0110] Furthermore, the groove-side partial convex portion 25z, the tape groove convex portion 61x, and the second side surface forming portion 83 form spaces on the front and back of the tape groove convex portion 61x that correspond to the shape of the groove wall 57. Therefore, the tape groove convex portion 61x is formed at a different level in the front-to-back direction from the groove-side partial convex portion 25z and the second side surface forming portion 83. In other words, the tape groove convex portion 61x is located in the middle of the overall height width on the front and back of both the groove-side partial convex portion 25z and the second side surface forming portion 83.

[0111] 15 and 16(a)-(c), a gate 92 is formed on the surface where the first and second side surface forming portions 73, 83 butt together. The gate 92 extends in the left-right direction, and the inlet and outlet portions of the gate 92 for molten resin are formed with irregular shapes (in the illustrated example, the inlet portion is circular and the outlet portion is rectangular). Furthermore, the inlet portion of the gate 92 for molten resin has an inlet recess 92x, which is a depression corresponding to half the shape of the inlet portion, formed in each of the first and second side surface forming portions 73, 83, while the outlet portion of the gate 92 for molten resin has an outlet recess 92y, which is a depression, formed only in the first side surface forming portion 73, and the second side surface forming portion 83 has a flat surface 92z (see FIGS. 16(a)-(c) and 17(a)-(b)) that closes the outlet recess 92y.

[0112] 17(a) and 17(b) , when the injection mold is clamped, the movable mold 6 abuts against the fixed mold 5, and the first slide main body portion 72 of the first slide 7 that has moved forward upward abuts against the fixed mold 5, and the second slide 8 that has moved forward downward abuts against the first slide 7. When the first and second slides 7, 8 abut against each other, a joint wall space 56s corresponding to the shape of the joint wall 56 is formed by the first slide 7 (the slide hole convex portion 63x, the first base portion 71, and the first side surface forming portion 73 of the first slide main body portion 72) and the second slide 8 (the lower end surfaces of the groove side portion convex portion 25z of the insert pin hole convex portion 25x and the tape groove convex portion 61x of the second slide 8). The space 56s for the joining wall is a space corresponding to the shapes of the groove closing portion 56a and the hole closing portion 56b of the joining wall 56, and is a closed space corresponding to the shape of the portion of the cavity 91 that closes both the lower portion of the tape groove 61 side of the insert pin hole 25 and the lower portion of the tape groove 61.

[0113] An embodiment of a method for molding the box 21 using the injection mold described above will now be described.

[0114] (1) First, as shown in Figure 18(a), the injection mold is in an open state. Then, as shown in Figure 18(b), the step of placing the second tape 31b on the fixed mold 5 is performed. Specifically, one left-right end of the second tape 31b is placed and positioned on the positioning portion 31bz (see Figure 15) of the tape placement recess 31bx of the fixed mold 5. As a result, one widthwise side of the second tape 31b is positioned on the cavity 91 side, and the other widthwise side is positioned away from the cavity 91.

[0115] At this time, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 15 and 16(a) to (c), the first slide 7 is positioned in a state where it is retracted below the rear body wall recess 55x (return state), and the second slide 8 is positioned in a state where it is retracted above the rear body wall recess 55x (return state).

[0116] (2) Next, the mold clamping step is performed as shown in FIG. 18(c). Specifically, the movable mold 6 is moved forward in the front-to-back direction relative to the fixed mold 5, so that the two molds 5, 6 are butted together. In conjunction with this forward movement, the first and second slides 7, 8 are moved forward in the vertical direction (the first slide 7 is moved upward, and the second slide 8 is moved downward) from the state shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16(a)-(c) to the state shown in FIG. 17(a)-(b) so that the lower end surface of the upper / lower extension wall recess 53x of the box pin recess 21bx of the fixed mold 5 is butted against the upper end surface of the box pin recess 21bx of the first slide 7, and the upper end surface of the first side surface forming portion 73 of the first slide 7 is butted against the lower end surface of the second side surface forming portion 83 of the second slide 8. This forms a cavity 91, a gate 92, and a runner 93, and they are connected to each other so that molten resin can pass through them. At this time, the anti-tape groove side partial convex portion 25y of the first slide 7 and the groove side partial convex portion 25z of the second slide 8 are in surface contact on the left and right, thereby forming an insert pin hole convex portion 25x. As described above with reference to Figures 17(a) and 17(b), the lower edge 28y of the parallel surface upper half forming portion 26cxb and the tapered surface of the upper edge 28x of the parallel surface lower half forming portion 26cxa are in surface contact, whereby the first recess 26x of the anti-tape groove side partial convex portion 25y and the second recess 26y of the groove side partial convex portion 25z are butted together in the vertical direction, thereby forming the front side convex portion forming portion 26z for forming the front side convex portion 26. Similarly, although not shown, a back side convex portion forming portion for forming the back side convex portion 27 is formed.

[0117] The forward movement of the first and second slides 7, 8 is performed by, for example, utilizing a structure of an angular pin protruding from one of the fixed mold 5 and the movable mold 6 toward the other mold, and a guide hole for guiding the angular pin formed in the other mold, or by driving a dedicated motor. When the first and second slides 7, 8 are reciprocated by a dedicated motor, it is not necessarily necessary to drive the dedicated motor at the same time as the mold clamping process, and it may be before or after the mold clamping process.

[0118] (3) Next, as shown in FIG. 18(c), an injection process is performed in which molten resin is injected. The molten resin is injected into the cavity 91 via the runner 93 and gate 92. The molten resin then enters the joining wall space 56s (closed space) from the gate 92 and immediately collides with the first slide 7 (more specifically, the slide hole protrusion 63x of the first slide main body 72). The molten resin is forced to change course upon impact and is expected to proceed so as to form the front body wall 54 and the back body wall 55. The molten resin then fills the cavity 91 as shown in FIG. 18(d). In the illustrated example, the impact surface of the slide hole protrusion 63x is a plane that is perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0119] (4) After a predetermined time has passed since injection, the resin has cooled to a degree that allows it to sufficiently maintain its shape, and the mold opening process is then carried out as shown in Figure 18(e). Specifically, the movable mold 6 is moved back. If an angular pin is used, the first and second slides 7 and 8 are moved back simultaneously with the movable mold 6's movement. If an angular pin is not used, a dedicated motor is driven to move the first and second slides 7 and 8 back simultaneously with the movable mold 6's movement, or up or down.

[0120] (5) Thereafter, as shown in Figures 18(f) and 18(g), the runner resin portion 93r filled in the runner 93 and the gate resin portion 92r filled in the gate 92 are separated from the product box 21, and the product box 21 is released from the fixed mold 5 with an ejector pin and collected.

[0121] As described above, the box 21 manufactured in this manner has a relatively steep inclination of the upper inclined surfaces 26a, 27a that come into contact when the insert pin 11 is inserted into the insert pin hole 25, and a relatively gentle inclination of the lower inclined surfaces 26b, 27b that come into contact when the insert pin 11 is pulled out of the insert pin hole 25, so that the force Fin required to insert the insert pin 11 into the insert pin hole 25 is greater than the force Fout required to pull out the insert pin 11 from the insert pin hole 25. A method for measuring the forces Fin and Fout will be described below.

[0122] [Method for measuring the force Fin required to insert the insert pin into the insert pin hole] The force Fin required to insert the insert pin 11 into the insert pin hole 25, i.e., the force Fin required for the insert pin 11 to overcome and engage the protrusions 26, 27, was measured using the following method.

[0123] The slide fasteners 100 of the first and second embodiments were released from the combination to form a pair of first and second fastener stringers 30A, 30B, and the insert pin 11 was inserted into the insert pin hole 25 of the box 21, and the insertion strength (insertion resistance) at this time was measured. The insertion strength was measured using a tensile tester manufactured by INSTRON. The first tape 31a on which the insert pin 11 is provided and the second tape 31b on which the box 21 is provided were clamped, and the strength (insertion resistance) was measured when at least one of the first tape 31a and the second tape 31b was pulled so that the insert pin 11 could be inserted into the insert pin hole 25 of the box 21. At this time, the slider 40 was previously positioned at the lowest position where it abuts against the box body 21a, so that the insert pin 11 could be inserted into the insert pin hole 25 via the slider 40 when at least one of the first tape 31a and the second tape 31b was pulled.

[0124] 19 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the insertion distance (horizontal axis) of the insert pin 11 into the insert pin hole 25 and the insertion resistance (vertical axis). There can be multiple peaks in the insertion resistance, but the first peak that occurs after the start of insertion is used as the peak value of the insertion resistance. This is because this first peak represents the peak that occurs when the insert pin 11 gets over the protrusions 26, 27.

[0125] The reason why the insertion resistance decreases after exceeding the first peak is because the insert pin 11 climbs over the convex portions 26, 27 and the concave portions 16, 17 of the insert pin 11 engage with the convex portions 26, 27 of the insert pin hole 25. Note that a second peak may be obtained after the first peak, but this second peak is generated when the lower end of the insert pin 11 hits the hole closing portion 56b of the joint wall 56 or the like when insertion is continued after the concave portions 16, 17 of the insert pin 11 engage with the convex portions 26, 27 of the insert pin hole 25, and therefore this second peak is not used as the peak value of the insertion resistance.

[0126] 19 was 4.14 N, which was within the above-mentioned preferred range of 4 to 6 N. If the peak value was within the range of 4 to 6 N, this would be an appropriate force for inserting the insert pin 11 into the insert pin hole 25, and therefore the user would get a sense of insertion or click as if the insert pin 11 clicks into place due to the resistance and sound produced when the insert pin 11 overcomes the protrusions 26, 27, and would be able to properly recognize that the insert pin 11 has been fully inserted into the box 21.

[0127] On the other hand, if the peak value exceeds 6 N, the insertion resistance is excessively large, which is undesirable because the user needs a large force to insert the insert pin 11 into the insert pin hole 25. Furthermore, the user may mistakenly believe that the insert pin 11 has reached the bottom end of the insert pin hole 25 and that insertion is complete when the insert pin 11 hits the protrusions 26, 27 of the insert pin 11 before climbing over them.

[0128] On the other hand, if the peak value is less than 4N, the insertion resistance is too small and the user cannot get a proper insertion feeling or clicking sensation.

[0129] [Method for measuring the force Fout required to pull the insert pin out of the insert pin hole] The force Fout required to pull the insert pin 11 out of the insert pin hole 25, i.e., the force Fout required for the insert pin 11 to overcome the protrusions 26, 27 and release the engagement, was measured using the following method.

[0130] With the pair of first and second fastener stringers 30A, 30B assembled, the insert pin 11 was pulled out of the insert pin hole 25 of the box 21, and the pull-out strength (pull-out resistance) at that time was measured. The pull-out strength was measured using a tensile tester manufactured by INSTRON Corporation. The first tape 31a on which the insert pin 11 was provided and the pull tab 42 of the slider 40 were each clamped, and the strength (pull-out resistance) was measured when at least one of the first tape 31a and the pull tab 42 of the slider 40 was pulled so that the insert pin 11 was pulled out of the insert pin hole 25 of the box 21. At this time, the slider 40 was previously positioned in a lowermost position where it abuts against the box body 21a so that the insert pin 11 can be pulled out of the insert pin hole 25 via the slider 40 when at least one of the first tape 31a and the pull tab 42 of the slider 40 was pulled.

[0131] 20 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the pull-out distance (horizontal axis) of the insert pin 11 from the insert pin hole 25 and the pull-out resistance (vertical axis). The peak value of the pull-out resistance in the graph is used as the force Fout required to pull the insert pin 11 out of the insert pin hole 25.

[0132] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications and improvements can be made as appropriate within the scope of feasibility.

[0133] As described above, the present specification discloses the following:

[0134] [1] A slide fastener (100) comprising: a pair of first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B); at least one slider (40) for opening and closing the first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B); and a separable bottom end stop (1) provided at the lower end of the first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B) in the longitudinal direction, wherein the separable bottom end stop (1) comprises: a first separable insert portion (10) provided on the first fastener stringer (30A); and a second separable insert portion (20) provided on the second fastener stringer (30B) and capable of connecting to and disconnecting from the first separable insert portion (10), wherein the first separable insert portion (10) includes an insert pin (11) provided on the inner edge side of the first fastener stringer (30A) in the width direction, The second separable inserting portion (2) includes a box (21) provided on the widthwise inner edge side of the second fastener stringer (30B), the box (21) has an insert pin hole (25) that opens upward and allows the insert pin (11) to be inserted and removed in the longitudinal direction, at least one of the front surface (11b) and the back surface (11c) of the insert pin (11) is provided with a recess (16, 17), and among the inner surfaces (25a, 25b, 25c, 25d) that constitute the insert pin hole (25) of the box (21), at least one of the front side surface (25a) and the back side surface (25b) that face the front surface (11b) and the back surface (11c) of the insert pin (11) is provided with a protrusion (26, 27) that can engage with the recess (16, 17), a slide fastener in which the convex portions (26, 27) have an asymmetrical shape with respect to a plane (P) that passes through the center of the convex portions (26, 27) in the insertion / removal direction of the insert pin (11) and is perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction, and the convex portions (26, 27) include upper inclined surfaces (26a, 27a) that increase in thickness of the convex portions (26, 27) downward from the upper end of the convex portions (26, 27) in the insertion / removal direction of the insert pin (11), and lower inclined surfaces (26b, 27b) that increase in thickness of the convex portions (26, 27) upward from the lower end of the convex portions (26, 27) in the insertion / removal direction of the insert pin (11), and the inclination of the upper inclined surfaces (26a, 27a) is greater than the inclination of the lower inclined surfaces (26b, 27b).

[0135] According to this configuration, a relatively large force is required to completely insert the insert pin (11) into the insert pin hole (25), so the user can get a sense of insertion and a clicking sensation from the resistance and sound when the insert pin (11) gets over the protrusions (26, 27), and can properly recognize that the insert pin (11) has been completely inserted into the box (21).

[0136] [2] The slide fastener according to [1], wherein the force (Fin) required to insert the insert pin (11) into the insert pin hole (25) is greater than the force (Fout) required to remove the insert pin (11) from the insert pin hole (25).

[0137] According to this configuration, a relatively large force is required to completely insert the insert pin (11) into the insert pin hole (25), so the user can get a sense of insertion and a clicking sensation from the resistance and sound when the insert pin (11) gets over the protrusions (26, 27), and can properly recognize that the insert pin (11) has been completely inserted into the box (21).

[0138] [3] The slide fastener according to [1] or [2], wherein the force required to insert the insert pin (11) into the insert pin hole (25) is 4 to 6 N.

[0139] According to this configuration, a relatively large force is required to completely insert the insert pin (11) into the insert pin hole (25), so the user can get a sense of insertion and a clicking sensation from the resistance and sound when the insert pin (11) gets over the protrusions (26, 27), and can properly recognize that the insert pin (11) has been completely inserted into the box (21).

[0140] [4] A slide fastener according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the recesses (16, 17) are provided on the front surface (11b) and the back surface (11c) of the insert pin (11), respectively, and the protrusions (26, 27) are provided on the front side surface (25a) and the back side surface (25b) of the insert pin hole (25) of the box (21), respectively.

[0141] According to this configuration, the force Fin required to engage the convex portions (26, 27) with the concave portions (16, 17) is increased, allowing the user to more reliably get a sense of insertion and a clicking sensation, and enabling the user to more appropriately recognize that the insert pin (11) has been completely inserted into the box (21).

[0142] [5] A slide fastener according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the convex portions (26, 27) connect the upper inclined surfaces (26a, 27a) and the lower inclined surfaces (26b, 27b) and include parallel surfaces (26c, 27c) that are parallel to the insertion / removal direction and the width direction.

[0143] According to this configuration, the convex portions (26, 27) connect the upper inclined surfaces (26a, 27a) and the lower inclined surfaces 26b, 27b and have parallel surfaces 26c, 27c that are parallel to the insertion / removal direction (up-down direction) and width direction (left-right direction) of the insert pin (11). Therefore, the convex portions (26, 27) can be engaged with the concave portions (16, 17) with little rattle.

[0144] [6] The slide fastener according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the recesses (16, 17) penetrate the insert pin (11) in the width direction.

[0145] With this configuration, even if dust such as human dirt or clothing fibers enters the recesses (16, 17), it can be easily discharged in the width direction from the recesses (16, 17).

[0146] [7] A slide fastener according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the widthwise length (M1) of the recessed portions (16, 17) is greater than the widthwise length (M2) of the protruding portions (26, 27).

[0147] According to this configuration, the convex portions (26, 27) can easily fit into the concave portions (16, 17). For example, there may be cases where the insert pin (11) is inserted at an angle in the width direction (left-right direction) relative to the insert pin hole 25, but even in this case, the concave portions (16, 17) of the insert pin are reliably engaged with the convex portions (26, 27) of the insert pin hole 25. Furthermore, even if the convex portions (26, 27) come into contact with the concave portions (16, 17) after engagement, the convex portions (26, 27) elastically deform in the width direction within the concave portions (16, 17), thereby preventing local stress from occurring in the convex portions (26, 27).

[0148] [8] A slide fastener according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein when the recesses (16, 17) and the protrusions (26, 27) are engaged with each other, the gap in the width direction between the recesses (16, 17) and the protrusions (26, 27) is larger than the gap in the insertion / removal direction between the recesses (16, 17) and the protrusions (26, 27).

[0149] According to this configuration, a feeling of insertion can be obtained when the recesses (16, 17) and the protrusions (26, 27) are engaged, and the protrusions (26, 27) can be easily fitted into the recesses (16, 17).

[0150] [9] A slide fastener (100) comprising: a pair of first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B); at least one slider (40) for opening and closing the first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B); and a separable bottom end stop (1) provided at the lower end of the first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B) in the longitudinal direction, wherein the separable bottom end stop (1) comprises: a first separable insert portion (10) provided on the first fastener stringer (30A); and a second separable insert portion (20) provided on the second fastener stringer (30B) and capable of connecting to and disconnecting from the first separable insert portion (10), wherein the first separable insert portion (10) includes an insert pin (11) provided on the inner edge side of the first fastener stringer (30A) in the width direction, The second separable inserting portion (2) includes a box (21) provided on the widthwise inner edge side of the second fastener stringer (30B), the box (21) has an insert pin hole (25) that opens upward and allows the insert pin (11) to be inserted and removed in the longitudinal direction, at least one of the front surface (11b) and the back surface (11c) of the insert pin (11) is provided with a recess (16, 17), and among the inner surfaces (25a, 25b, 25c, 25d) that constitute the insert pin hole (25) of the box (21), at least one of the front side surface (25a) and the back side surface (25b) that face the front surface (11b) and the back surface (11c) of the insert pin (11) is provided with a protrusion (26, 27) that can engage with the recess (16, 17), A slide fastener, wherein a force (Fin) required to insert the insert pin into the insert pin hole (25) of the box is greater than a force (Fout) required to remove the insert pin from the insert pin hole (25) of the box.

[0151] According to this configuration, a relatively large force is required to completely insert the insert pin (11) into the insert pin hole 25, so the user can get a sense of insertion and a clicking sensation from the resistance and sound when the insert pin (11) overcomes the protrusions (26, 27), and can properly recognize that the insert pin (11) has been completely inserted into the box (21).

[0152]

[10] A method for manufacturing a box (21) for a separable bottom end stop (1) for a slide fastener, wherein the box (21) is provided with convex portions (26, 27) on inner surfaces (25a, 25b) of an insert pin hole (25) through which an insert pin (11) can be inserted and removed, the box (21) is obtained by injection molding using a fixed mold (5), a movable mold (6) provided so as to be able to reciprocate in the front-to-back direction relative to the fixed mold (5), and first and second slides (7, 8) provided so as to be able to reciprocate in the up-and-down direction relative to the fixed mold (5), and a convex portion forming portion (26z) for shaping the convex portions (26, 27) is formed by butting a first concave portion (26x) provided in the first slide (7) with a second concave portion (26y) provided in the second slide (8).

[0153] According to this configuration, the protrusions (26, 27) can be formed on the inner surface (25a, 25b) of the insert pin hole (25) of the box (21) by injection molding.

[0154] 1 Separable bottom end stop 5 Fixed mold 6 Movable mold 7 First slide 7y First reciprocating recess 8 Second slide 8y Second reciprocating recess 10 First separable bottom end stop 11 Insert pin 11a Protrusion 11b Front surface 11c Back surface 11d Lower surface 11e Locking groove 12 First reinforcing bar 13 First connecting portion 13a Front surface 13b Back surface 14 Step 15 Thin guide portion 16 Front recess (recess) 16a Left opening 16b Right opening 16c Parallel surface 16d Upper inclined surface 16e Lower inclined surface 17 Back recess (recess) 17a Left opening 17b Right opening 17c Parallel surface 17d Upper inclined surface 17e Lower inclined surface 18a Upper surface 18b Lower surface 18c Parallel surface 18d First inclined surface 18e Second inclined surface 19a Back surface upper portion 19b Back surface lower portion 19c Parallel surface 19d Inclined surface 20 Second separable insert portion 21 Box 21a Box body 21ax Box body recess 21b Box pin 21bx Box pin recess 21by Box pin half recess 21bz Wall 21c Notch 21d Locking portion 22 Second reinforcing strip portion 23 Second connecting portion 24 Thin-walled guide portion 25 Insert pin hole 25a Front side surface (inner surface) 25b Back side surface (inner surface) 25c Right side surface (inner surface) 25d Left side surface (inner surface) 25x Insert pin hole convex portion 25y Opposite tape groove side portion convex portion 25ya First base portion 25yb First tip portion 25z Groove-side portion convex portion 26 Front-side convex portion (convex portion) 26a Upper inclined surface 26ax Upper inclined surface forming portion 26b Lower inclined surface 26bx Lower inclined surface forming portion 26c Parallel surface 26cxa Parallel surface lower half forming portion 26cxb Parallel surface upper half forming portion 26x First recess 26y Second recess 26z Front-side convex portion forming portion (convex portion forming portion) 27 Back-side convex portion (convex portion) 27a Upper inclined surface 27b Lower inclined surface 27c Parallel surface 28x Upper end edge 28y Lower end edge 30A First fastener stringer 30B Second fastener stringer 31a First tape 31b Second tape 31bx Tape placement concave portion 31by Tape placement half concave portion 31bz Positioning portion 31c Tape reinforcement portion 32 Element 33 Upper stop 40 Slider 41 Slider body 42 Pull tab 43 Upper wing plate 43a Raised portion 44 Lower wing plate 44a Raised portion 46 Pull tab holding portion 53 Upper and lower extension walls 53x Upper and lower extension wall recesses53y Upper and lower extension wall half recess 54 Front body wall 54x Front body wall recess 55 Back body wall 55x Back body wall recess 56 Joining wall 56a Groove closing portion 56b Hole closing portion 56s Joining wall space portion 56x Joining wall recess 57 Groove wall 57x Groove wall recess 61 Tape groove 61x Tape groove protrusion 63 Slide hole 63x Slide hole protrusion 71 First base portion 72 First slide main body portion 73 First side surface forming portion 81 Second base portion 82 Second slide main body portion 83 Second side surface forming portion 91 Cavity 92 Gate 92r Gate resin portion 92x Inlet recess 92y Outlet recess 92z Flat surface 93 Runner 93r Runner resin portion 93y Runner half recess 100 Slide fastener

Claims

1. A pair of first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B); At least one slider (40) for opening and closing the first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B); A separable bottom end stop (1) provided at the lower end of the first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B) in the longitudinal direction; A slide fastener (100) comprising: The separable bottom end stop (1) is A first separable insert portion (10) provided on the first fastener stringer (30A); A second separable insert portion (20) provided on the second fastener stringer (30B) and capable of being connected to and disconnected from the first separable insert portion (10); Equipped with The first separable insertion portion (10) includes an insert pin (11) provided on an inner edge side in the width direction of the first fastener stringer (30A), The second separable insertion portion (20) includes a box (21) provided on the widthwise inner edge side of the second fastener stringer (30B), The box (21) has an insert pin hole (25) that opens upward and allows the insert pin (11) to be inserted and removed in the longitudinal direction, At least one of the front surface (11b) and the back surface (11c) of the insert pin (11) is provided with a recess (16, 17), Among the inner surfaces (25a, 25b, 25c, 25d) constituting the insert pin hole (25) of the box (21), at least one of the front side surface (25a) and the back side surface (25b) facing the front surface (11b) and the back surface (11c) of the insert pin (11) is provided with a protrusion (26, 27) engageable with the recess (16, 17), the convex portions (26, 27) have an asymmetric shape with respect to a plane (P) that passes through a center of the convex portion (26, 27) in the insertion / removal direction of the butterfly pin (11) and is perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction, The convex portions (26, 27) include upper inclined surfaces (26a, 27a) that increase the thickness of the convex portions (26, 27) downward from the upper ends of the convex portions (26, 27) in the insertion / removal direction of the insert pin (11), and lower inclined surfaces (26b, 27b) that increase the thickness of the convex portions (26, 27) upward from the lower ends of the convex portions (26, 27) in the insertion / removal direction of the insert pin (11), The inclination of the upper inclined surface (26a, 27a) is greater than the inclination of the lower inclined surface (26b, 27b). Slide fastener.

2. A force (Fin) required to insert the insert pin (11) into the insert pin hole (25) is greater than a force (Fout) required to remove the insert pin (11) from the insert pin hole (25).

2. The slide fastener according to claim 1.

3. The force required to insert the insert pin (11) into the insert pin hole (25) is 4 to 6 N.

3. A slide fastener according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The recesses (16, 17) are provided on the front surface (11b) and the back surface (11c) of the insert pin (11), The protrusions (26, 27) are provided on the front side surface (25a) and the back side surface (25b) of the insert pin hole (25) of the box (21), respectively.

3. A slide fastener according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The convex portion (26, 27) includes a parallel surface (26c, 27c) that connects the upper inclined surface (26a, 27a) and the lower inclined surface (26b, 27b) and is parallel to the insertion / removal direction and the width direction.

3. A slide fastener according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The recesses (16, 17) penetrate the insert pin (11) in the width direction.

3. A slide fastener according to claim 1 or 2.

7. A length (M1) of the recess (16, 17) in the width direction is greater than a length (M2) of the protrusion (26, 27) in the width direction.

3. A slide fastener according to claim 1 or 2.

8. when the recess (16, 17) and the protrusion (26, 27) are engaged with each other, a gap between the recess (16, 17) and the protrusion (26, 27) in the width direction is larger than a gap between the recess (16, 17) and the protrusion (26, 27) in the insertion / removal direction.

3. A slide fastener according to claim 1 or 2.

9. A pair of first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B); At least one slider (40) for opening and closing the first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B); A separable bottom end stop (1) provided at the lower end of the first and second fastener stringers (30A, 30B) in the longitudinal direction; A slide fastener (100) comprising: The separable bottom end stop (1) is A first separable insert portion (10) provided on the first fastener stringer (30A); A second separable insert portion (20) provided on the second fastener stringer (30B) and capable of being connected to and disconnected from the first separable insert portion (10); Equipped with The first separable insertion portion (10) includes an insert pin (11) provided on an inner edge side in the width direction of the first fastener stringer (30A), The second separable insertion portion (2) includes a box (21) provided on the widthwise inner edge side of the second fastener stringer (30B), The box (21) has an insert pin hole (25) that opens upward and allows the insert pin (11) to be inserted and removed in the longitudinal direction, At least one of the front surface (11b) and the back surface (11c) of the insert pin (11) is provided with a recess (16, 17), Among the inner surfaces (25a, 25b, 25c, 25d) constituting the insert pin hole (25) of the box (21), at least one of the front side surface (25a) and the back side surface (25b) facing the front surface (11b) and the back surface (11c) of the insert pin (11) is provided with a protrusion (26, 27) engageable with the recess (16, 17), A force (Fin) required to insert the insert pin into the insert pin hole (25) of the box is greater than a force (Fout) required to remove the insert pin from the insert pin hole (25) of the box. Slide fastener.

10. A method for manufacturing a box (21) for a separable bottom end stop (1) for a slide fastener, comprising the steps of: The box (21) is provided with protrusions (26, 27) on the inner surface (25a, 25b) of the butterfly pin hole (25) into which the butterfly pin (11) can be inserted and removed, The box (21) is obtained by injection molding using a fixed mold (5), a movable mold (6) provided so as to be capable of reciprocating in a front-to-back direction relative to the fixed mold (5), and first and second slides (7, 8) provided so as to be capable of reciprocating in a vertical direction relative to the fixed mold (5), A first recess (26x) recessed in the first slide (7) and a second recess (26y) recessed in the second slide (8) are butted together to form a protrusion forming portion (26z) for forming the protrusions (26, 27). A method for manufacturing a box for a separable bottom end stop for a slide fastener.