The removable lower stopper is used for reverse-opening sliding zippers.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- VN1202303297
- Authority / Receiving Office
- VN · VN
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2020-10-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-29
- Estimated Expiration
- 2040-10-28
AI Technical Summary
Conventional reverse-opening slide fasteners experience high resistance when the lower slider is pulled up, particularly due to interference between the insert pin, box pin, and locking pawl at the maximum density position, causing a catch that burdens the user.
Incorporating an escape groove on at least one side surface of the box pin or insert pin that receives the locking pawl, reducing the width occupied by these components and minimizing interference, allowing the locking pawl to be partially released and guided into a retracted position, thereby reducing the perceived catch and load when starting to pull up the lower slider.
The solution significantly reduces the second largest resistance encountered during the opening process, making it easier for users to initiate the upward motion of the lower slider by minimizing interference and the associated catch, thus enhancing user experience.
Smart Images
Figure VN1202303297_0
Abstract
Description
Reverse-opening slide fastener separation insert
[0001] The present invention relates to a separable bottom end stop for a reverse-opening slide fastener, and more particularly to a separable bottom end stop comprising a lower slider, an insert pin, and a box pin in a slide fastener equipped with a reverse-opening lower slider.
[0002] A reverse-opening slide fastener is known in which an upper slider and a lower slider are inserted into the element rows of a pair of left and right fastener stringers so that their rear openings face each other, and the fastener can be opened upward by pulling down the upper slider and opened in the reverse direction by pulling up the lower slider. Examples of such reverse-opening slide fasteners are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 4307413 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent No. 3621040 (Patent Document 2), etc.
[0003] In a reverse-opening slide fastener, when the lower slider is raised from its lower end position to the first element dividing position where the first element at the lower end is divided, the resistance to the sliding of the lower slider reaches its maximum when the first element is divided. It has also been found that in conventional reverse-opening slide fasteners, the second largest resistance occurs before the lower slider reaches the first element dividing position. This second largest resistance occurs as follows: As the lower slider is raised from its lower end position, the locking claws of the lower slider also move upward, and at a certain point, the insert pin, the locking claws of the lower slider, and the box pin are most closely aligned in the left-right width direction in the element guide path of the lower slider. This causes the insert pin, the box pin, and the locking claws to interfere with each other in the width direction, temporarily increasing the resistance to the sliding of the lower slider.
[0004] The thin line in Graph 1 shows the sliding resistance (N) of the lower slider versus the displacement (mm) of the lower slider when the lower slider in a conventional reverse-opening slide fastener is pulled up from its bottom end position past the first element division position. As can be seen from Graph 1, the resistance is greatest at 13.7 (N) at the first element (tooth) division position, but the second-largest resistance of 10.0 (N) occurs at the most dense position where the insert pins, locking claws, and box pins are most closely aligned in the width direction before the lower slider reaches the first element division position. This second-largest resistance is perceived by the user pulling up the lower slider as a snag on the lower slider, and this snag creates a load on the user when they begin to pull up the lower slider.
[0005] Patent No. 4307413 Patent No. 3621040
[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a separable bottom end stop for a reverse-opening slide fastener that can reduce the likelihood of the lower slider in the reverse-opening slide fastener getting caught when the lower slider begins to be pulled up from the lower end position.
[0007] In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reverse-opening slide fastener that can open the space between left and right element rows of left and right fastener stringers from the top and bottom ends, comprising: a lower slider for opening the space between the left and right element rows from the bottom end, the lower slider including a locking claw that is elastically biased to a protruding position where it protrudes into the element guide path of the lower slider; an insert pin connected to the bottom end of one of the left and right element rows; and a box pin connected to the bottom end of the other of the left and right element rows, wherein at least one of the box pin and the insert pin includes an escape groove on a side surface facing each other that can receive the locking claw, and at least one of the box pin and the insert pin has a protruding piece that protrudes from one of the facing side surfaces toward the other side surface, and the escape groove extends upward at least to the lower end of the protruding piece.
[0008] In this specification, "upper" and "lower" are relative terms, and for example, the lower slider of a reverse-opening slide fastener may be positioned at the upper side and the upper slider at the lower side on the fabric of clothing, bags, etc. Furthermore, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, "upper" and "lower" are based on the longitudinal directions of the zipper stringer, insert pin, and box pin, and refer to one longitudinal direction of the zipper stringer, insert pin, and box pin as "upper" and the other longitudinal direction as "lower."
[0009] An example of the "lower end of the protrusion" in the present invention is the portion indicated by reference numeral 66a in FIG. 2 . That is, referring to FIG. 2 , the relief groove 63 extends upward in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction of the box pin 60) at least to the lower end 66a of the protrusion 66. In the present invention, when the lower slider is lifted from the lower end position to the first element division position, the locking claw of the lower slider also moves upward. At a certain point, the insert pin, the locking claw, and the box pin reach the most closely packed position in the left-right width direction in the element guide path of the lower slider. At this time, the locking claw is partially received in the relief groove provided on at least one side of the box pin and insert pin. When the lower slider is lifted to the first element division position, the locking claw does not displace in the width direction, but the box pin or insert pin displaces in the width direction, partially receiving the locking claw in the relief groove. This can be said to relatively release the locking claw in the width direction. This reduces the total width occupied by the insert pin, the locking claws, and the box pin in the width direction, and reduces interference in the width direction between the insert pin, the box pin, and the locking claws.
[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reverse-opening slide fastener that can open the space between left and right element rows of left and right fastener stringers from the top and bottom ends, the reverse-opening slide fastener comprising: a lower slider for opening the space between the left and right element rows from the bottom end, the lower slider including a locking claw that is elastically biased to a protruding position where it protrudes into the element guide path of the lower slider; an insert pin connected to the bottom end of one of the left and right element rows; and a box pin connected to the bottom end of the other of the left and right element rows, wherein at least one of the box pin and the insert pin includes an escape groove on its opposing side surface that can partially receive the locking claw when the upper ends of the box pin and the insert pin are received inside the lower slider from the rear opening when the lower slider is raised from the bottom end position to a first element dividing position where the first element at the bottom end is divided.
[0011] In the present invention, when the lower slider is raised from the bottom end position to the first element dividing position, the locking claws of the lower slider also move upward, and at a certain point, the longitudinal upper ends of the stationary box pin and insert pin are housed inside the lower slider from the rear opening (see FIG. 6 ). At this point, the insert pin, locking claws, and box pin are also at their most closely packed positions in the left-right width direction in the element guide path of the lower slider. At this time, the locking claws are partially received in relief grooves provided on at least one side of the box pin and insert pin, allowing the locking claws to escape relatively in the width direction. This reduces the total width occupied by the insert pin, locking claws, and box pin, and reduces widthwise interference between the insert pin, box pin, and locking claws.
[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the relief groove includes a relief portion that best accommodates the locking claw in the protruding position in the left-right width direction, and the relief portion is positioned above the locking claw of the lower slider at the lowest position. The relief portion of the relief groove best accommodates the locking claw in the protruding position in the left-right width direction when the insert pin, the locking claw, and the box pin are at the most closely packed position. In other words, the locking claw is most easily accommodated in the width direction at the relief portion of the relief groove. When the lower slider is at the lowest position, the relief portion is separated upward from the locking claw in the protruding position. When the lower slider moves upward from the lowest position, the locking claw in the protruding position approaches the relief portion, and the locking claw in the protruding position and the relief portion are aligned in the width direction at the most closely packed position.
[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the escape groove includes a guide surface that can guide the locking pawl from the protruding position to a retracted position where the locking pawl is retracted from the element guide path. When the lower slider is pulled up from the bottom end position to the first element dividing position, a part of the locking pawl of the lower slider that is in the protruding position enters the escape groove, and then the locking pawl moves upward together with the lower slider and is guided from the protruding position to the retracted position by the guide surface of the escape groove against the bias of the elastic member.
[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the depth of the escape groove in the width direction increases from bottom to top. As a result, when the slider is pulled up from the bottom end position, the escape groove gradually receives the locking pawl in the width direction. This makes it easier to guide the locking pawl into the escape groove.
[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the relief groove includes an inclined groove bottom surface that is inclined so as to gradually move away from the locking claw in the protruding position in the left-right width direction from the lower blade side toward the upper blade side of the lower slider. When the lower slider is lifted from the bottom end position to the first element separating position, a portion of the locking claw of the lower slider in the protruding position enters the relief groove. At this time, the inclined groove bottom surface of the relief groove is inclined so as to move away from the locking claw in the protruding position in the width direction from the lower blade side toward the upper blade side. Therefore, the clearance in the width direction between the locking claw and the box pin or insert pin having the relief groove increases from the lower blade side toward the upper blade side, thereby reducing interference in the width direction between the box pin or insert pin and the locking claw.
[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, only the box pin is provided with the relief groove. This embodiment will be described later with reference to the drawings, but the relief groove can be provided on the insert pin or on both the box pin and insert pin depending on the widthwise position and size of the locking claw.
[0017] In the present invention, when the lower slider is raised from the bottom end position to the first element split position, the locking claws are partially received in the widthwise direction in the relief grooves provided on at least one side surface of the box pin and insert pin, allowing the locking claws to relatively escape in the widthwise direction. This reduces interference in the widthwise direction between the insert pin and the box pin and the locking claws, thereby reducing the catching and load felt by the user when starting to raise the lower slider.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a reverse-opening slide fastener equipped with a separable bottom end stop for a reverse-opening slide fastener according to the present invention, cut in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction). FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a box pin. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the box pin taken along line A-A in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the lower slider at the lower end position, with the upper blades and other components omitted. FIG. 5 is a plan view similar to FIG. 4, showing the state in which the lower slider has been pulled up from the lower end position and the locking claw has approached the relief groove in the box pin. FIG. 6 is a plan view similar to FIG. 4, showing the state in which a portion of the locking claw of the lower slider has entered the relief groove in the box pin. FIG. 7 is a plan view similar to FIG. 4, showing the state in which the locking claw of the lower slider has been displaced to the retracted position. FIG. 8 is a plan view similar to FIG. 4, showing the state in which the lower slider has reached the first element separation position. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the upper slider taken along line B-B in FIG. 6, with the insert pin omitted. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 6, showing the state when the locking claw has moved from the horizontal groove side surface of the relief groove to the guide surface.
[0019] The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims and their equivalents. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a reverse-opening slide fastener (hereinafter simply referred to as a "slide fastener") 100 equipped with a separable bottom end stop for a reverse-opening slide fastener according to the present invention, cut longitudinally (vertically). Hereinafter, the terms "up" and "down" in the slide fastener 100 will be referred to as the longitudinal direction of the slide fastener 100 unless otherwise specified. The slide fastener 100 comprises a pair of left and right fastener stringers 10, an upper slider 20, and a lower slider 30. The left and right fastener stringers 10 comprise left and right fastener tapes 11 and element rows 12 each consisting of a series or multiple resin or metal elements 12a attached to the opposing edges of the left and right fastener tapes 11. The upper slider 20 is for upward opening, which opens the space between the left and right element rows 12 from the top end. The lower slider 30 is for reverse opening, which opens the space between the left and right element rows 12 from the bottom end. The upper and lower sliders 20, 30 are inserted into the left and right element rows 12 so that their rear openings (34a) face each other.
[0020] The upper and lower sliders 20, 30 are essentially the same except for the relief groove 63 of the box pin 60, which will be described later. Therefore, the configuration of the lower slider 30 will be described below, and the configuration of the upper slider 20 will not be described. The lower slider 30 comprises a body 30a and a pull tab 36. The body 30a includes an upper blade 31, a lower blade 32 (see FIG. 4, etc.), and a guide post 33 (see FIG. 4, etc.) connecting the upper and lower blades 31, 32. A Y-shaped element guide path 34 (see FIGS. 8, 9, etc.) is defined between the upper and lower blades 31, 32. The element guide path 34 opens to a rear opening 34a of the lower slider 30 and to two shoulder openings 34b adjacent to the left and right of the guide post 33. The Y-shaped element guide path 34 is divided into a branched portion near the two shoulder openings 34b and a non-branched portion near the rear opening 34a. The left-right width of the non-branching portion of the element guide path 34 is defined by flanges 37 of the upper and lower blades 31, 32 (only the flange 37 of the lower blade is shown in Figure 4, etc.). A pull tab connecting portion 35 is provided on the front surface of the upper blade 31, and a pull tab 36 is connected to the pull tab connecting portion 35. When a user grasps the pull tab 36 and pulls the lower slider 30 up or down in the longitudinal direction of the slide fastener 100, the lower slider 30 slides up and down, opening and closing the space between the left and right element rows 12.
[0021] The lower slider 30 includes a locking pawl 40 (see FIGS. 9 and 10 , etc.). The locking pawl 40 is constantly biased by a leaf spring (not shown) serving as an elastic member disposed within the pull-tab connecting portion 35 toward a protruding position where it protrudes into the element guideway 34 through an opening 31b (see FIGS. 9 and 10 ) that penetrates the upper blade 31. In the protruding position, the locking pawl 40 abuts against the element 12a present in the element guideway 34, which acts as a resistance against the sliding of the lower slider 30. A base end 41 (see FIG. 10 ) of the locking pawl 40 is fixed to the upper blade 31. When a user grasps the pull tab 36 and raises it from its collapsed state, the locking pawl 40 retracts from the protruding position against the bias of the leaf spring to a retracted position where it is disengaged from the element guideway 34. This unlocks the locking pawl 40, allowing the lower slider 30 to move up and down. The above description of the lower slider 30 also applies substantially to the upper slider 20.
[0022] Each fastener stringer 10 includes an upper stop 13 connected to the upper end of each element row 12. The upper stop 13 limits further upward movement of the upper slider 20. The left fastener stringer 10 also includes an insert pin 50 (see FIG. 4, etc.) connected to the lower end of the left element row 12, and a box pin 60 (see FIG. 4, etc.) connected to the lower end of the right element row 12. The insert pin 50 and the box pin 60 are formed, for example, by injection molding or extrusion molding a thermoplastic resin such as polyacetal, polyamide, polypropylene, or polybutylene terephthalate onto the left and right fastener tapes 11. The insert pin 50 and the box pin 60 limit further downward movement of the lower slider 30.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the box pin 60. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the box pin 60 taken along line A-A in FIG. 2. The box pin 60 has an upper end surface 60a, which is one end surface in the longitudinal direction of the box pin 60, a lower end surface 60b, which is the other end surface in the longitudinal direction, a front side surface 61a, a back side surface 61b, and a side surface 62 facing the insert pin 50. The upper end surface 60a is the upper end in the longitudinal direction of the box pin 60. The longitudinal direction of the box pin 60 (and the insert pin 50) is substantially along the longitudinal direction of the slide fastener 100. Referring to FIG. 3, a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the box pin 60 is U-shaped for the majority of the area between the upper and lower end surfaces 60a, 60b, and the widthwise end of the fastener tape 11 (not shown) is present within the hollow interior of this box pin 60. The front side surface 61a of the box pin 60 is the surface facing the upper blade 31 of the lower slider 30, and the back side surface 61b is the surface facing the lower blade 32. Hereinafter, the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and connecting the front side surface 61a and the back side surface 61 will be referred to as the front-back direction.
[0024] The side surface 62 of the box pin 60 is provided with a relief groove 63 and a protrusion 66. The relief groove 63 is recessed to the right from the side surface 62 and extends to the front surface 61a. The depth of the relief groove 63 recessed to the right from the side surface 62 gradually increases from the bottom to the top in the longitudinal direction. The portion of the front surface 61a corresponding to the relief groove 63 is cut out. The relief groove 63 is located approximately midway between the top end surface 60a and the bottom end surface 60b of the box pin 60 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the box pin 60. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 63b denotes the lower end of the relief groove 63, and reference numeral 66a denotes the lower end of the protrusion 66. The relief groove 63 extends upward from the lower end 63b beyond the lower end 66a of the protrusion 66. The height of the protrusion 66 to the left from the side surface 62 gradually increases from the lower end 66a upward. The longitudinal length of the relief groove 63 is approximately one-third of the longitudinal length of the box pin 60 (the length between the upper end surface 60a and the lower end surface 60b). The relief groove 63 is provided on the side surface 62 of the box pin 60, approximately halfway toward the front side surface 61a in the front-to-back direction. The relief groove 63 has a substantially trapezoidal groove bottom surface (inclined groove bottom surface) 64, which is the bottom surface of the groove recessed to the right from the side surface 62, and groove side surfaces 65 connecting the groove bottom surface 64 and the side surface 62. As can be seen from FIG. 3 , the groove bottom surface 64 is slightly inclined to the right in the width direction from the end (the boundary with the groove side surface 65) on the rear side surface 61b side in the front-to-back direction toward the front side surface 61a. In other words, the groove bottom surface 64 gradually slopes slightly to the right in the width direction from the boundary with the groove side surface 65 toward the front side surface 61a (or the insert pin 50 or the locking claw 40 in the protruding position, not shown). Therefore, hereinafter, the groove bottom surface 64 will be referred to as the inclined groove bottom surface 64. The groove side surface 65 includes a horizontal groove side surface 65a extending downward in the longitudinal direction and substantially parallel to the front side surface 61a (or the back side surface 61b), and a guide surface 65b, which is an inclined groove side surface extending obliquely upward in the longitudinal direction (toward the upper end surface 60a) and toward the front side surface 61a in the front-back direction. The horizontal groove side surface 65a curves toward the guide surface 65b. In the vertical direction, the boundary between the horizontal groove side surface 65a and the guide surface 65b is located at the lower end 66a of the protrusion 66. The horizontal groove side surface 65a is set slightly closer to the back side surface 61b in the front-to-back direction than the protruding end of the locking claw 40 in the protruding position. The horizontal groove side surface 65a gradually widens in width (depth from the side surface 62) from the lower end 63b of the relief groove 63 upward in the longitudinal direction. The horizontal groove side surface 65a and the guide surface 65b are smoothly connected.The relief groove 63 includes a relief portion 63a recessed to the right from the side surface 62 at a position adjacent to and below the guide surface 65b. The relief portion 63a is located at a position corresponding to the upper end (on the guide surface 65b side) of the horizontal groove side surface 65a in the vertical direction. The relief portion 63a can receive the locking pawl 40 in the protruding position at its rightmost position.
[0025] 4 and other figures, the insert pin 50 includes an upper end surface 50a which is the upper end in the longitudinal direction, and a side surface 51 which faces the box pin 60. A protrusion 52 which protrudes to the right, i.e., toward the box pin 60, is provided above the side surface 51 of the insert pin 50. The protrusion 52 of the insert pin 50 and the protrusion 66 of the box pin 60 partially overlap in the front-to-back direction to limit the displacement of the insert pin 50 and the box pin 60 in the front-to-back direction, and also limit the relative downward displacement of the insert pin 50 or the box pin 60 with respect to the lower slider 30 when the lower slider 30 is in the lower end position (see FIG. 4).
[0026] 4 to 8 are plan views, omitting the upper blades 31, illustrating the process of lifting the lower slider 30 from its lower end position (see FIG. 4 ) to the first element dividing position (see FIG. 8 ) where the lower slider 30 divides the first element 12b, the lowermost element of the left and right element rows 12. The left and right fastener tapes 11 are also omitted from FIGS. 4 to 8 . The lower slider 30 moves upward in the longitudinal direction from its lower end position to the first element dividing position, while the insert pin 50 and the box pin 60 remain in the same position in the longitudinal direction. At this time, the locking claw 40 also moves upward together with the lower slider 30, but the locking claw 40 does not move left or right. In this embodiment, the lower end position of the lower slider 30 is a position where further downward movement of the lower slider 30 is restricted by the insert pin 50 and the box pin 60. When the lower slider 30 is in the lowermost position (see FIG. 4 ), the gap between the left and right element rows 12 between the lower slider 30 and the upper slider 20 is closed. Furthermore, at the lowermost position of the lower slider 30, the upper portions of the insert pin 50 and the box pin 60 are exposed upward from the rear opening 34 a of the lower slider 30 to the greatest extent. The exposed portions of the upper portions of the insert pin 50 and the box pin 60 from the lower slider 30 gradually decrease as the lower slider 30 is pulled up (see FIGS. 5 and 6 ). As shown in FIG. 6 , the upper end faces 50 a, 60 a of the insert pin 50 and the box pin 60 are housed inside the lower slider 30 from the rear opening 34 a (the insert pin 50 and the box pin 60 are least exposed outside the lower slider 30). At this point, as will be described later, the insert pin 50, the locking claws 40, and the box pin 60 are aligned most closely in the left-right width direction in the element guide path 34 of the lower slider 30, forming a maximum-packed position. If the lower slider 30 moves further upward from this point, the lower portions of the insert pin 50 and the box pin 60 begin to be exposed downward from the left and right shoulders 34b of the lower slider 30 (see Figure 7), and the lower slider 30 reaches the first element split position (see Figure 8).
[0027] In this embodiment, as can be seen from FIG. 4 and other figures, the locking pawl 40 is located slightly to the right of the left-right midpoint of the lower slider 30 in the width direction, i.e., toward the box pin 60. The opening 31b (see FIG. 9 and other figures) of the upper wing 31 through which the locking pawl 40 passes is also located to the right of the left-right midpoint. Therefore, in this embodiment, an escape groove 63 for escaping the locking pawl 40 is provided in the box pin 60. Referring to FIG. 4 , when the lower slider 30 is in its lowermost position, the escape portion 63a of the escape groove 63 of the box pin 60 is positioned above and spaced apart from the locking pawl 40 in the protruding position. In other words, the locking pawl 40 of the lower slider 30 in its lowermost position and the escape portion 63a of the escape groove 63 of the box pin 60 are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, when the lower slider 30 is in its lowermost position, the lower end 63b of the escape groove 63 is also positioned above the locking pawl 40. In this embodiment, the entire relief groove 63 is spaced upward from the locking claw 40 as shown in FIG. 4, but the lower end 63b of the relief groove 63 may be located at approximately the same vertical position as the locking claw 40 or even lower.
[0028] When the lower slider 30 begins to be pulled upward from the lower end position shown in Fig. 4 , the locking claw 40 in the protruding position approaches the lower end 63b of the escape groove 63 of the box pin 60, as shown in Fig. 5 . As the lower slider 30 moves further upward from this point, the insert pin 50 and the box pin 60, which are restrained between the left and right flanges 37, are slightly displaced in the width direction so as to approach each other, causing the escape groove 63 of the box pin 60 to partially accommodate the locking claw 40 in the protruding position. Because the escape groove 63 gradually deepens upward from the lower end 63b, the locking claw 40 is easily guided into the escape groove 63. As the lower slider 30 moves further upward from the point shown in Fig. 5 , at a certain point, the upper end surfaces 50a, 60a of the insert pin 50 and the box pin 60, respectively, are housed inside the lower slider 30 from the rear opening 34a, as shown in Fig. 6 . In this state, the insert pin 50, the locking claw 40, and the box pin 60 are positioned at the most closely packed position in the width direction between the element guide path 34 of the lower slider 30, i.e., the left and right flanges 37. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6 (and FIG. 9), a portion of the locking claw 40 is received in the rightmost, deepest relief portion 63a of the relief groove 63 of the box pin 60. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the upper slider 20 taken along line B-B in FIG. 6. The insert pin 50 is omitted in FIG. 9. When the insert pin 50, the locking claw 40, and the box pin 60 are positioned at the most closely packed position, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, a portion of the locking claw 40 in the protruding position is received in the relief portion 63a of the relief groove 63, allowing the locking claw 40 to be relatively released to the rightmost position in the width direction. The total width occupied by the insert pin 50, the locking claw 40, and the box pin 60 in the width direction can be reduced by the amount that the locking claw 40 is partially received in the escape portion 63a of the escape groove 63. This reduces interference in the width direction between the insert pin 50, the box pin 60, and the locking claw 40.
[0029] 6 and 9, the locking pawl 40 partially rests on the horizontal groove side surface 65a of the relief groove 63 and closely faces the inclined groove bottom surface 64 of the relief groove 63. The surface of the locking pawl 40 facing the inclined groove bottom surface 64 is perpendicular to both the up-down and left-right directions. At this time, the inclined groove bottom surface 64 of the relief groove 63 is inclined so as to gradually move slightly away from the locking pawl 40 in the protruding position in the width direction toward the upper blade 31 in the front-back direction. Therefore, the clearance in the width direction between the locking pawl 40 and the box pin 60 (the inclined groove bottom surface 64) increases from the lower blade 32 toward the upper blade 31 in the front-back direction. This also reduces the widthwise interference between the box pin 60 and the locking pawl 40.
[0030] As the lower slider 30 moves further upward from the point shown in FIG. 6 to the point shown in FIG. 7, the locking pawl 40 also moves upward. At this time, the portion of the locking pawl 40 that entered the relief groove 63 slides on the horizontal groove side surface 65a of the relief groove 63 and moves onto the guide surface 65b of the relief groove 63. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 6, showing the point at which the locking pawl 40 moves from the horizontal groove side surface 65a of the relief groove 63 to the guide surface 65b. As the lower slider 30 moves further upward from the point shown in FIG. 10, the locking pawl 40 slides on the guide surface 65b of the relief groove 63 and is guided by the guide surface 65b toward the upper blade 31 in the front-to-back direction, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 10. As a result, the locking pawl 40 displaces from the protruding position to a retracted position where it disengages from the element guide path 34 of the lower slider 30 against the bias of the leaf spring. 7 shows the state when the locking claw 40 has been displaced to the retracted position. If the lower slider 30 is further pulled up from the state shown in FIG. 7, the lower slider 30 reaches the first element dividing position shown in FIG. 8 and divides the first element 12b.
[0031] Graph 1
[0032] The bold line in Graph 1 shows the sliding resistance (N) of the lower slider 30 versus the displacement (mm) of the lower slider 30 when the lower slider 30 in the reverse-opening slide fastener 100 described above is pulled up from its bottom end position past the first element division position. As can be seen from Graph 1, the resistance reaches its maximum of 11.2 (N) at the first element (tooth) division position. Furthermore, before the lower slider 30 reaches the first element division position, at the most dense position where the insert pin 50, the locking claws 40, and the box pin 60 are most closely aligned in the width direction, the conventional product experienced the second-largest resistance of 10.0 (N). However, in the lower slider 30, the escape groove 63 provided in the box pin 60 allows the locking claws 40 to escape relatively, so this second-largest resistance is virtually eliminated. This reduces the catching and load when starting to pull up the lower slider 30 from its bottom end position in the reverse-opening slide fastener 100.
[0033] In the above embodiment, an example was given in which the escape groove 63 was provided in the box pin 60, but in cases such as when the locking claw 40 is located to the left of the midpoint in the width direction or when the arrangement of the insert pin and box pin is reversed from that described above, the escape groove can be provided in the insert pin, or it can be provided in both the insert pin and the box pin.
[0034] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Fastener stringer 11 Fastener tape 12 Element row 12a Element 12b First element 13 Top stop 20 Upper slider 30 Lower slider 30a Body 31 Upper wing 32 Lower wing 33 Guide pillar 34 Element guide path 34a Rear opening 34b Shoulder opening 35 Pull tab connecting portion 36 Pull tab 40 Locking claw 50 Insert pin 50a Upper end surface (upper end) of insert pin 51 Side surface of insert pin 52 Projection piece 60 Box pin 60a Upper end surface (upper end) of box pin 62 Side surface of box pin 63 Relief groove 63a Relief portion 64 Inclined groove bottom surface (groove bottom surface) 65 Groove side surface 65a Horizontal groove side surface 65b Guide surface (inclined groove side surface) 66 Projection piece 100 Reverse-opening slide zipper
Claims
1. In a reverse-opening slide fastener (100) capable of opening between the left and right element rows (12) of the left and right fastener stringers (10) from the upper and lower ends, a lower slider (30) for opening between the left and right element rows (12) from the lower end, the lower slider (30) including a locking claw (40) elastically biased to a protruding position protruding into the element guide path (34) of the lower slider (30), a butterfly bar (50) connected to one lower end of the left and right element rows (12), and a box bar (60) connected to the other lower end of the left and right element rows (12), at least one of the box bar (60) and the butterfly bar (50) includes a relief groove (63) on the mutually facing side surfaces (62) capable of receiving the locking claw (40), and at least one of the box bar (60) and the butterfly bar (50) has a protruding piece (66) protruding from one mutually facing side surface (62) toward the other side surface (51), and the relief groove (63) extends upward at least to the lower end of the protruding piece (66). A separating and inserting tool for a reverse-opening slide fastener characterized by this.
2. In a reverse-opening slide fastener (100) capable of opening between the left and right element rows (12) of the left and right fastener stringers (10) from the upper and lower ends, a lower slider (30) for opening between the left and right element rows (12) from the lower end, the lower slider (30) including a locking claw (40) elastically biased to a protruding position protruding into the element guide path (34) of the lower slider (30), a butterfly bar (50) connected to one lower end of the left and right element rows (12), and a box bar (60) connected to the other lower end of the left and right element rows (12), at least one of the box bar (60) and the butterfly bar (50) includes a relief groove (63) on the mutually facing side surfaces (62) capable of partially receiving the locking claw (40) when the upper ends of the box bar (60) and the butterfly bar (50) are received into the lower slider (30) from the rear opening (34a) when pulling the lower slider (30) from its lower end position to the first element dividing position dividing the lower end first element (12b). A separating and inserting tool for a reverse-opening slide fastener characterized by this.
3. The relief groove (63) includes a relief portion (63a) that most readily receives the locking claw (40) at the protruding position in the left-right width direction, and the relief portion (63a) is disposed above the locking claw (40) of the lower slider (30) at the lower end position. The separating and inserting tool for a reverse-opening slide fastener according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.
4. The relief groove (63) includes a guide surface (65b) capable of guiding the locking claw (40) from the protruding position to a retracted position where it is retracted from the element guide path (34). The separating and inserting tool for a reverse-opening slide fastener according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.
5. The relief groove (63) has a depth in the left-right width direction that increases from bottom to top. The separating and inserting tool for a reverse-opening slide fastener according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.
6. The relief groove (63) includes an inclined groove bottom surface (64) that is inclined so as to gradually separate from the lower wing plate (32) side to the upper wing plate (31) side of the lower slider (30) in the left-right width direction with respect to the locking claw (40) at the protruding position. The separating and inserting tool for a reverse-opening slide fastener according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.
7. The separating and inserting tool for a reverse-opening slide fastener according to claim 1 or 2, wherein only the box bar (60) is provided with the relief groove (63).