Slider of waterproof slide fastener

Abstract

The present invention provides a slider of a waterproof slide fastener which is easily attached to a pair of fastener stringers and which exhibits waterproof properties. A slider 3 is integrated by the connection of a main member 30 with a sub-member 60. The main member comprises a first wing plate 11, a pillar 13, and a main plate part 31 extending from the pillar. The sub-member comprises left and right flanges 14 and a sub-plate part 61 that joins the right and left flanges. The main plate part and the sub plate part cooperate to constitute a second wing plate. The main plate part comprises: a main guide part 40 for guiding an element 8 of a fastener stringer 2; and a main connection part 50 integrated with the main guide part 40. The sub-plate part comprises a bridge part 63 that bridges the left and right flanges and a sub-connection part 65 that is integrated with the bridge part. The main connection part and the sub-connection part are connected to each other. The slider is prevented from moving forward by a first stopper 4. The first stopper comprises close-contact walls 22 projecting vertically. One close-contact wall is in close contact with the first wing plate, and the other close-contact wall is in close contact with the main guide part.

Description

Waterproof slide zipper slider

[0001] The present invention relates to a slider for a waterproof slide fastener that prevents the intrusion of liquids such as water.

[0002] As an example of a slider for a waterproof slide fastener, Patent Document 1 discloses one in which all parts except the pull tab are constructed as a single part. The waterproof slide fastener has stoppers arranged at both ends of the slider's range of movement.

[0003] As another example of a slider, Patent Document 2 discloses one in which the portion other than the pull tab is composed of two parts. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 does not mention whether this slider can be used in a waterproof slide fastener.

[0004] Patent No. 7339855 Patent No. 5828960

[0005] Waterproof slide fasteners are waterproof because one fastener and the slider are in close contact when the pair of fastener stringers are closed. However, if the slider of a waterproof slide fastener is damaged, there is a demand for a new slider to be installed.

[0006] The present invention was created in consideration of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a slider for a waterproof slide fastener that is easy to attach to a pair of fastener stringers and that exhibits waterproof properties.

[0007] The slider of the waterproof slide fastener of the present invention is a first stop located at the front end, which is the closed end, of the left and right openable fastener stringers, and when openable and closed, forward movement is prevented by the first stop including a housing body that is annular when viewed from the top and bottom, and a pair of sealing walls that protrude along the annular shape of the housing body from both the top and bottom surfaces. The slider of the waterproof slide fastener of the present invention also includes first and second wing plates that face each other from above and below and that sandwich the pair of sealing walls to seal them together, a post that joins the first and second wing plates at their front portions and is housed in the housing body, and left and right flanges that protrude from the left and right edges of the second wing plate toward the first wing plate. The slider of the waterproof slide fastener of the present invention is based on the above.

[0008] The slider of the waterproof slide fastener of the present invention comprises a main member and a sub-member that are joined together. The main member comprises a first wing that is in close contact with one of the close contact walls, a post, and a main plate that extends from the post and forms part of the second wing. The sub-member comprises left and right flanges and a sub-plate that joins the left and right flanges and cooperates with the main plate to form the second wing. The main plate comprises a main guide portion that is in close contact with at least a portion of the other close contact wall and guides elements of the fastener stringer, and a main connecting portion that is integral with the main guide portion and is for connecting to the sub-member. The sub-plate comprises a bridge portion that spans the left and right flanges, and a sub-connecting portion that is integral with the bridge portion and is for connecting to the main connecting portion. The slider of the waterproof slide fastener of the present invention is characterized by the above.

[0009] The main guide portion may be in contact with a part of the other close contact wall, but in order to improve waterproofing, it is preferable that the main guide portion be in close contact with the other close contact wall over the entire periphery.

[0010] When attaching the main member to the left and right fastener stringers, an element of the fastener stringer is inserted between the main guide portion and the first vane. To facilitate the insertion of the element between the main guide portion and the first vane, it is desirable that the main guide portion have a guide surface that comes into close contact with the other close contact wall and guides the element, and an inclined surface that is inclined relative to the guide surface when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. The inclined surface is located on at least one of the left and right edges of the main guide portion, and moves away from the first vane as it approaches the edge where it is located.

[0011] The shape of the main guide section is not critical, but to facilitate insertion of the element between the main guide section and the first vane, it is desirable to further configure the main guide section as follows: When viewed from above and below, the main guide section comprises a main guide body section that protrudes from around the pillar, and an extension section that extends rearward relative to the main guide body section. The main guide body section protrudes to the left and right relative to the extension section. The extension section has an inclined surface on at least one of the left edge and the right edge.

[0012] The main guide section may be used alone to guide the element between the left and right flanges. In this case, the surface of the second vane that guides the element is constituted only by the main guide section, and the bridge section is configured to join the left and right flanges without guiding the element. When the slider is moved, the element moves inside the slider, and a force is applied from the element to the left and right flanges. Since the bridge section supports the left and right flanges, it is desirable that the parts that support the left and right flanges have high rigidity, and this is preferably achieved as follows: That is, the bridge section includes a bridge section main body that spans the left and right flanges, and a pair of sub-guide sections that protrude from the bridge section main body toward the first vane and are adjacent to the main guide section on the left and right.

[0013] The main guide section and the pair of auxiliary guide sections cooperate to guide the element. Therefore, it is desirable that the boundary between the main guide section and the pair of auxiliary guide sections be as follows to prevent damage to the element: That is, a groove including an inclined surface is formed at the boundary between the main guide section and the auxiliary guide section.

[0014] The main connector may protrude from the main guide in any direction, but to facilitate the connection between the main and secondary members, the main connector and secondary connector are preferably configured as follows: the main connector protrudes from the main guide in the opposite direction to the first vane.

[0015] Furthermore, to facilitate the connection between the main member and the secondary member, the main connection portion and the secondary connection portion are preferably configured as follows: The main connection portion includes a protruding post protruding from the main guide portion on the side opposite the first vane, and a main connection plate that extends left and right from the tip of the protruding post and is held by the secondary connection portion. The secondary connection portion includes an opening that penetrates vertically relative to the bridge portion. The openings include a first opening and a second opening that communicate with the front and rear. The first opening allows the protruding post and the main connection plate to be inserted. When viewed from the top and bottom, the left and right width of the second opening is narrower than the left and right width of the first opening. The second opening guides the protruding post so that it can move in the front and rear directions from the first opening, and restricts the main connection plate from moving up and down.

[0016] The secondary connecting portion may be composed of only an opening. However, to strengthen the connection between the primary connecting portion and the secondary connecting portion, it is preferable that the secondary connecting portion be provided with a stopper that cooperates with the second opening to restrict movement of the primary connecting portion in the forward and backward directions. The stopper extends from the first opening in a manner that narrows the opening area of ​​the first opening when viewed from the top and bottom, and is elastically deformable in the vertical direction.

[0017] When the slider is moved from the rear to the first stop, or vice versa, when it is moved from the first stop to the rear, the slider and the first stop come into close contact with each other, so a force is generated from the first stop that expands the gap between the main guide section and the first vane. Repeated application of the expanding force reduces the durability of the main member and the secondary member. To make it difficult to expand the gap between the main guide section and the first vane and improve the durability of the main member, it is desirable to do the following: The protruding post should be positioned rearward of the post.

[0018] The slider of the waterproof slide fastener of the present invention is integrated by connecting the main member and the sub-member, so it can be easily attached to the left and right fastener stringers. Moreover, since the first vane and the main guide part are in close contact with the pair of contact walls, it also exhibits waterproofing.

[0019] If the main guide portion is in close contact with the other contact wall over the entire periphery, the waterproofness of the slider is improved.

[0020] If the main guide portion has a guide surface and an inclined surface, the inclined surface makes it easier to insert the element between the main guide portion and the first vane when attaching the main member to the left and right fastener stringers.

[0021] If the main guide portion comprises a main guide body portion and an extension portion, the extension portion is narrower in width from side to side than the main guide body portion, and an inclined surface is formed on the extension portion, so that when attaching the main member to the left and right fastener stringers, it becomes easier to insert an element between the extension portion and the first vane.

[0022] If the bridge portion comprises a bridge portion main body and a pair of auxiliary guide portions, the pair of auxiliary guide portions improves the rigidity of the bridge portion in the portions supporting the left and right flanges, thereby improving the durability of the auxiliary member.

[0023] If a groove including an inclined surface is formed at the boundary between the main guide portion and the sub-guide portion, the element is less likely to be damaged.

[0024] If the main connecting part has a protruding post and a main connecting plate, and the sub-connecting part has an opening, simply inserting the main connecting plate and the protruding post into the first opening of the openings and moving the sub-member to move the protruding post into the second opening of the openings will restrict the main connecting plate from moving in the vertical direction by the second opening, thereby facilitating the connection between the main member and the sub-member.

[0025] If the sub-connecting portion is provided with a stopper, the stopper and the second opening cooperate to restrict the main connecting portion so that it cannot move forward or backward, thereby strengthening the connection between the main connecting portion and the sub-connecting portion.

[0026] If the protruding pillar is arranged rearward relative to the pillar, the gap between the main guide section and the first vane is less likely to widen compared to when the protruding pillar is arranged forward relative to the pillar, thereby improving the durability of the main member.

[0027]

[0023] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a waterproof slide fastener according to a first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from below. Figures (A) to (E) are plan, bottom, front, back, and right side views of a slider according to the first embodiment. Figures (F) to (J) are cross-sectional views taken along lines F-F, G-G, H-H, I-I, and J-J in Figure 3. Figures (A) to (F) are plan, bottom, front, back, and right side views of the main components of the slider, and a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F in Figure 5. Figures (A) to (G) are plan, bottom, front, back, and right side views of the main components of the slider, a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F in Figure 6, and a cross-sectional view taken along line G-G in Figure 6. Figures (A) and (B) are plan and bottom views of a pair of fastener stringers. 8. (A) and (B) are a plan view and a bottom view showing the waterproof slide fastener of the first embodiment. A right side view of the waterproof slide fastener of the first embodiment. An enlarged rear view of the waterproof slide fastener of the first embodiment. A cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 8. A cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 8. A cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 9.

[0028] 1, 2 and 8, a waterproof slide fastener 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a pair of fastener stringers 2 arranged side by side on the left and right, a slider 3 that can move back and forth to open and close the pair of fastener stringers 2, a first stop 4 and a second stop that stop the movement of the slider 3 on both the front and rear sides of the range of movement of the slider 3, and a sheet 5 that joins the pair of fastener stringers 2 at their front ends. Note that the second stop is omitted from the figures.

[0029] The directions are defined as follows. The "front-rear direction" is the direction in which the pair of fastener stringers 2 are opened and closed, and is the up-down direction in FIG. 8(A). The "front direction" is the direction in which the pair of fastener stringers 2 are closed, and is the up-down direction in FIG. 8(A). The "rear direction" is the direction in which the pair of fastener stringers 2 are opened, and is the down-down direction in FIG. 8(A). The "left-right direction" is the left-right direction in FIG. 8(A). The "right direction" is the right-down direction in FIG. 8(A). The "up-down direction" is the thickness direction of the fastener stringer 2, and is the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 8(A). The "upward direction" is the direction facing forward in FIG. 8(A). The "downward direction" is the direction facing backward in FIG. 8(A). In each figure, the upward direction is represented by U, the downward direction by D, the forward direction by F, the backward direction by B, the leftward direction by L, and the rightward direction by R.

[0030] The pair of fastener stringers 2 includes a pair of tapes 6 extending in the front-rear direction and arranged side by side on the left and right, and a pair of element rows 7 fixed along the opposing left and right edges of the pair of tapes 6.

[0031] The tape 6 is a strip that is long from front to back, with its thickness direction being the up-down direction. Although not shown in detail, the tape 6 comprises a woven or knitted tape body and a covering layer that covers at least one surface of the tape body in the thickness direction. Examples of the covering layer include a layer made of a thermoplastic elastomer, a layer on which a water-repellent layer made of a water-repellent material is formed on the thermoplastic elastomer layer, or a water-repellent layer made of a water-repellent material formed in place of the thermoplastic elastomer layer. Therefore, the tape 6 is waterproof in the thickness direction.

[0032] The pair of element rows 7 is composed of a plurality of elements 8 fixed at intervals in the front and rear directions along the opposing left and right edges of the pair of tapes 6. More specifically, the elements 8 are formed by injection molding onto the tape 6. When the pair of fastener stringers 2 is in a closed state, the elements 8 of the pair of element rows 7 mesh with each other, and when the pair of fastener stringers 2 is in an open state, the elements 8 of the pair of element rows 7 are separated to the left and right.

[0033] 7, the element 8 comprises a body 8a fixed to opposing edges of the tape 6, a neck 8b protruding from the middle in the front-to-rear direction of the body 8a toward the opposing tape 6, a head 8c protruding from the neck 8b toward the opposing tape 6 and jutting out front and rear, a pair of shoulders 8d protruding from both the front and rear of the neck 8b, and a fin 8e protruding from the body 8a toward the opposite side from the opposing tape 6. Two fins 8e are fixed to the tape 6 with a gap between them in the front and rear.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, the opposing edges of the tape 6 are embedded in the vertical middle of the body 8a, the pair of fins 8e, the pair of shoulders 8d, and the neck 8b. Therefore, the element 8 is fixed by sandwiching the tape 6 from above and below. As shown in Figure 10, the upper surfaces of the pair of fins 8e and shoulders 8d are lower than the upper surface of the body 8a, and the lower surfaces of the pair of fins 8e and shoulders 8d are higher than the lower surface of the body 8a. Therefore, the pair of fins 8e and shoulders 8d are thinner in the vertical direction than the body 8a.

[0035] 2 and 10, the head 8c has a groove 8f on the surface facing the opposing tape 6. The groove 8f opens in the front-to-rear direction toward the opposing tape 6. When the elements 8 are engaged with each other, the groove 8f of the element 8 fixed to one tape 6 fits inside the other opposing tape 6 and the shoulder 8d fixed to the other opposing tape 6, maintaining waterproofing. The slider 3 engages and separates the elements 8.

[0036] 1, 2, and 8, the slider 3 is moved along a pair of element rows 7. The slider 3 includes a slider body 3a that engages with the pair of element rows 7 and is movable back and forth, and a pull tab (not shown) that is connected to the slider body 3a. When the slider 3 is in the forward limit position (closed limit position), the left and right elements 8 located most to the front are engaged with each other.

[0037] 3 and 4, the slider body 3a comprises an upper blade 11 and a lower blade 12 that face each other with a gap between them in the vertical direction, a column 13 that joins the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12, four flanges 14 that protrude from the left and right edges of the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 in a direction narrowing the gap between them, and a pull tab attachment portion 15 that protrudes from the top surface of the upper blade 11. In this embodiment, the upper blade 11 is the first blade of the present invention, and the lower blade 12 is the second blade of the present invention.

[0038] In terms of left-right width, the upper blade 11 has a narrower portion in front of the pillar 13 than the portion behind the pillar 13. In terms of left-right width, the lower blade 12, like the upper blade 11, has a narrower portion in front of the pillar 13 than the portion behind the pillar 13. Both the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 are symmetrical.

[0039] The pillars 13 extend in the vertical direction and join the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 at their respective front midpoints in the left-right direction. When the slider 3 opens and closes the pair of fastener stringers 2, the pillars 13 are sandwiched between the pair of element rows 7. The upper left and right flanges 14 are formed along the left and right edges of the upper blade 11. The lower left and right flanges 14 are formed along the left and right edges of the lower blade 12.

[0040] The pull-tab attachment portion 15 is located at the middle between the left and right sides of the upper surface of the upper blade 11. The pull-tab attachment portion 15 includes a main body portion (numeral omitted) extending in the front-to-rear direction above the upper blade 11, and a pair of end portions (numeral omitted) extending downward from the front and rear ends of the main body portion and joining to the upper blade 11. The pull-tab attachment portion 15 and the upper blade 11 cooperate to form a through-hole 15h for attaching the pull tab. The through-hole 15h penetrates in the left-to-right direction.

[0041] Inside the slider body 3a, an element path 16 through which the pair of element rows 7 pass and a pair of tape grooves 17 through which the pair of tapes 6 pass respectively are formed.

[0042] The element path 16 is shaped like a Y, branching off to the left and right of the pillar 13 and extending separately forward, before joining behind the pillar 13 and extending rearward. The element path 16 is further divided into upper and lower sections by the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12, divided left and right by the left and right flanges 14, and its front center section is defined by the pillar 13. The tape groove 17 is divided into upper and lower sections by the opposing upper and lower flanges 14, and in the left and right direction, it communicates with the element path 16 and the external space of the slider body 3a. This completes the basic configuration of the slider body 3a. The detailed configuration of the slider body 3a will be described later.

[0043] 7 to 13, the first stopper 4 is fixed at the end of the pair of fastener stringers 2 on the closing side, i.e., the front end, by joining the front ends of the pair of tapes 6. More specifically, the first stopper 4 is fixed to the pair of tapes 6 with a gap in front of the element row 7. The first stopper 4 is made of a resin having rubber elasticity, such as a thermoplastic elastomer, and is elastically deformable due to rubber elasticity.

[0044] The first stopper 4 includes an annular housing 21 that accommodates the column 13 and is openable and closable, a pair of contact walls 22 that protrude along the annular shape of the housing 21 from both thicknesswise surfaces (top and bottom surfaces) of the housing 21, and upper, lower, left, and right auxiliary contact walls 23 that protrude from both thicknesswise surfaces (top and bottom surfaces) of the housing 21 at the left and right edges of the rear of the housing 21. The pair of contact walls 22 are in close contact with each other while sandwiched between the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12. The upper, lower, left, and right auxiliary contact walls 23 are in close contact with the left and right inner surfaces of the left and right flanges 14. The first stopper 4 also includes a pair of raised portions 24 that protrude from both thicknesswise surfaces (top and bottom surfaces) of the housing 21 at the front of the housing 21, forward of the pair of contact walls 22. The lower raised portion 24 extends further forward than the upper raised portion 24.

[0045] The housing 21 has the opposing edges of a pair of tapes 6 embedded in the middle of its thickness direction. More specifically, the housing 21 covers both the upper and lower surfaces of the opposing edges of the pair of tapes 6, as well as the opposing surfaces of the pair of tapes 6. When the housing 21 houses the pillar 13, it has a ring shape surrounding the pillar 13 when viewed from above and below. A pillar housing hole 21a for housing the pillar 13 is formed penetrating the inside of the housing 21 in the vertical direction. An openable entrance 21b is formed at the rear of the housing 21 to allow the pillar 13 to enter and exit the pillar housing hole 21a. The entrance 21b of the housing 21 can be opened and closed by the rubber elasticity of the first stop 4. When the entrance 21b is open, it serves as a passage leading to the pillar housing hole 21a, and when the entrance 21b is closed, it is in close contact with the pillar housing hole 21a in the left-right direction.

[0046] The pair of close contact walls 22 extend around the entire circumference of the annular housing 21 and are formed on both the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 21 so as to protrude from the middle in the inward / outward direction (width direction) relative to the annular shape. The close contact walls 22 include a horizontal wall portion 22a extending left and right in front of the pillar receiving hole 21a, left and right vertical wall portions 22b extending rearward in a straight line from the left and right ends of the horizontal wall portion 22a, and left and right approaching wall portions 22c extending rearward from the rear ends of the left and right vertical wall portions 22b so as to approach each other left and right. The upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 closely contact the pair of close contact walls 22, sandwiching them from above and below around the entire circumference.

[0047] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the slider body 3a comprises a main member 30 and a sub-member 60 that are integrated by being connected together. That is, in this embodiment, the slider body 3a is composed of two parts. The main member 30 and the sub-member 60 are made of, for example, synthetic resin or metal. If the main member 30 and the sub-member 60 are made of synthetic resin, for example, polyacetal resin, they are injection-molded products. If the main member 30 and the sub-member 60 are made of metal, they are die-cast molded products. The main member 30 and the sub-member 60 are bilaterally symmetrical.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the main member 30 includes an upper blade 11, a post 13, a pull tab attachment portion 15, and a main plate portion 31 facing downward from the upper blade 11.

[0049] The main plate portion 31 extends from the lower end of the column 13. The main plate portion 31 includes a main guide portion 40 that comes into close contact with at least a portion of the lower close contact wall 22, and a main connecting portion 50 for connecting to the sub-member 60. The main guide portion 40 and the main connecting portion 50 are joined and integrated. In this embodiment, the main guide portion 40 comes into close contact with the entire periphery of the lower close contact wall 22.

[0050] The main guide portion 40 is plate-shaped, and the thickness direction is the vertical direction. When viewed from the vertical direction, the main guide portion 40 includes a main guide body portion 41 that protrudes from around the pillar 13, and an extension portion 45 that extends rearward from the main guide body portion 41.

[0051] The extension 45 has a rectangular shape that is long in the front-rear direction when viewed from the top-bottom direction. The left and right side surfaces of the extension 45 are parallel to the front-rear direction. The boundary between the extension 45 and the main guide body 41 is the rear end of the pillar 13.

[0052] The main guide main body 41 extends substantially horizontally forward and to the left and right sides from the lower end of the pillar 13. In this embodiment, the main guide main body 41 extends left and right from the extension 45. Hereinafter, the width in the left-right direction will be abbreviated as "width." The width of the front portion of the main guide main body 41 is wider than the width of the rear portion of the main guide main body 41. More specifically, the width of the front portion of the main guide main body 41 is the same over the entire length in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the left and right side surfaces of the front portion of the main guide main body 41 are parallel to the front-to-rear direction. The rear portion of the main guide main body 41 narrows toward the rear. In other words, the left and right side surfaces of the rear portion of the main guide main body 41 are inclined with respect to the front-to-rear direction. The width (maximum dimension) 41W of the main guide main body 41 is wider than the width (maximum dimension) 45W of the extension 45.

[0053] The upper surface of the main guide portion 40 includes a guide surface 40a that comes into close contact with the contact wall 22 and guides the element 8, and a pair of inclined surfaces 40b that are inclined relative to the guide surface 40a when viewed from the front-rear direction.

[0054] The guide surface 40a is formed on the entire upper surface of the main guide body portion 41 and on the left and right intermediate portions of the extension portion 45. The front edge portion of the guide surface 40a is a surface that slopes downward toward the front. The portion of the guide surface 40a other than the front edge portion (hereinafter referred to as the main portion) is a substantially horizontal surface.

[0055] The inclined surfaces 40b are formed on the left and right edges of the extension 45. The inclined surfaces 40b are lower than the guide surface 40a. The inclined surfaces 40b are inclined so as to move away from the upper blade 11 as they move toward the edge of the edge where they are located. In other words, the left inclined surface 40b is inclined downward as it moves toward the left. The right inclined surface 40b is also inclined downward as it moves toward the right. An edge is a part with width when viewed from the top-bottom direction. An edge is a line when viewed from the top-bottom direction. The inclination angle of the inclined surfaces 40b is, for example, in the range of 30 to 60 degrees with respect to the horizontal.

[0056] The rear edge 40c of the underside of the main guide part 40 is a slope that slopes upward relative to the horizontal as it moves rearward. As will be described later, the slope of the rear edge 40c makes it easier to connect the main member 30 and the sub-member 60. The front part 40d of the underside of the main guide part 40 is a substantially horizontal plane and is located forward of the rear edge 40c. The main connecting part 50 will be described later.

[0057] As shown in Figures 1 to 4 and 6, the sub-member 60 includes left and right flanges 14 and a sub-plate 61 that joins the left and right flanges 14. The sub-plate 61 is connected to the main plate 31. The main plate 31 and the sub-plate 61 cooperate to form the lower blade 12. In other words, the main plate 31 and the sub-plate 61 are both part of the lower blade 12. The lower blade 12 has a greater thickness (maximum dimension) in the vertical direction than the upper blade 11.

[0058] The sub-plate portion 61 includes a bridge portion 63 that spans the left and right flanges 14, and a sub-connecting portion 65 for connecting to the main connecting portion 50. The bridge portion 63 and the sub-connecting portion 65 are integral with each other.

[0059] The bridge portion 63 includes a bridge portion main body 71 that spans the left and right flanges 14, and left and right auxiliary guide portions 74 that protrude upward from the bridge portion main body 71 and are adjacent to the main guide portion 40 on the left and right. An accommodation groove 63a that accommodates the main guide portion 40 is formed on the upper surface of the bridge portion 63 by the bridge portion main body 71 and the left and right auxiliary guide portions 74. The accommodation groove 63a is recessed downward relative to the left and right auxiliary guide portions 74.

[0060] The distance between the left and right auxiliary guide sections 74 is shaped to correspond to the width of the main guide section 40. In other words, the distance between the left and right auxiliary guide sections 74 varies in three stages in the front-to-rear direction. The distance W1 between the front portions of the left and right auxiliary guide sections 74 is the widest. The distance W2 between the rear portions of the left and right auxiliary guide sections 74 is the narrowest. The distance between the intermediate portions between the front and rear of the left and right auxiliary guide sections 74 narrows from the front to the rear.

[0061] When the main member 30 and the sub-member 60 are connected, grooves 76 are formed at the boundaries between the left and right sub-guide portions 74 and the main guide portion 40. The grooves 76 are recessed downward. The right groove 76 is formed by the right inclined surface 40b and the left side surface of the right sub-guide portion 74. The left groove 76 is formed by the left inclined surface 40b and the right side surface of the left sub-guide portion 74.

[0062] The upper surface of the auxiliary guide portion 74 is an auxiliary guide surface 74a that guides the elements 8. The auxiliary guide surface 74a is a substantially horizontal surface. The pair of auxiliary guide surfaces 74a and the guide surface 40a cooperate to guide the lower surfaces of the left and right elements 8. The main guide portion 40, including the guide surfaces 40a, forms the middle portion in the left-right direction of the lower surface of the element path 16, and the bridge portion 63, including the pair of auxiliary guide surfaces 74a, forms the left and right edge portions of the lower surface of the element path 16. In this manner, in this embodiment, the main guide portion 40 and the bridge portion 63 cooperate to form the upper surface of the lower blade 12.

[0063] The bridge portion main body 71 spans the lower ends of the left and right flanges 14 and overlaps with the main guide portion 40 so as to cover it from below. A recess 72 recessed forward is formed in the middle of the left and right rear edges of the bridge portion main body 71.

[0064] The sub-connecting portion 65 is formed integrally with the bridge portion main body 71. By connecting the sub-connecting portion 65 and the main connecting portion 50, the main member 30 and the sub-member 60 are integrated.

[0065] 3 to 5, the main connecting part 50 includes a protruding post 51 that protrudes downward from the underside of the main guide part 40, and a main connecting plate 55 that protrudes to the left and right from the lower end of the protruding post 51. In this embodiment, the main connecting plate 55 is held in an inseparable manner by the sub-connecting part 65.

[0066] The main connecting plate 55 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the top-bottom direction. The four sides of the rectangle are parallel in the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction. The protruding pillar 51 is disposed rearward of the pillar 13. The main guide portion 40 is interposed between the protruding pillar 51 and the pillar 13. In terms of the range in the front-to-back direction, the front portion of the protruding pillar 51 and the rear portion of the pillar 13 overlap, and the rear portion of the protruding pillar 51 is disposed rearward of the pillar 13. The protruding pillar 51 is formed over the entire length of the main connecting plate 55 in the front-to-back direction.

[0067] As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, the secondary connecting portion 65 has an opening 80 that passes through the bridge portion main body 71 in the vertical direction, and a stopper 85 that restricts the primary connecting portion 50 so that it cannot move forward or backward.

[0068] Assuming that the stopper 85 is not present, the opening 80 is wider than in the present embodiment in which the stopper 85 is present. In other words, the stopper 85 narrows the opening area of ​​the opening 80 when the sub-member 60 is viewed from above and below. The opening 80 includes a first opening 81 and a second opening 82 that communicate with each other from the front to the rear.

[0069] The first opening 81 is located at the front of the opening 80. The protruding post 51 and the main connecting plate 55 can be inserted into the first opening 81. The first opening 81 has a rectangular shape. The four sides of the rectangle are parallel to the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0070] The second opening 82 is located at the rear of the opening 80. The second opening 82 is formed continuous with the first opening 81 at the rear. The width 82W of the upper part of the second opening 82 is narrower than the width 81W of the lower part of the first opening 81. Therefore, when viewed from the top-bottom direction, the width 82W of the second opening 82 is narrower than the width 81W of the first opening 81. The upper part of the second opening 82 protrudes inward on both sides relative to the lower part of the second opening 82. The portions forming the left and right sides of the upper part of the second opening 82 are called left and right protrusions 83. The left and right protrusions 83 narrow the width of the upper part of the second opening 82 compared to the first opening 81. The left and right protrusions 83 guide the protruding post 51 so that it can move from the first opening 81 to the second opening 82. On the other hand, the left and right protrusion pieces 83 are sandwiched vertically between the main connecting plate 55 and the main guide portion 40, and as a result, the second opening 82 restricts the main connecting plate 55 from moving vertically. The depth of the lower part of the second opening 82 is substantially the same as the thickness of the main connecting plate 55, and the main connecting plate 55 is accommodated in the lower part of the second opening 82.

[0071] The second opening 82 and the stopper 85 cooperate to restrict the main connecting part 50 from moving forward and backward. In this embodiment, the second opening 82 and the stopper 85 cooperate to sandwich the main connecting plate 55 from the front and rear. The stopper 85 extends rearward from the front middle part of the first opening 81. The stopper 85 is a plate and is elastically deformable in the thickness direction of the plate. More specifically, the stopper 85 is elastically deformable in the first up-down direction with the joint with the second opening 82 as a fulcrum. The lower surface of the stopper 85 and the lower surface of the main connecting plate 55 form part of the lower surface of the lower wing 12 and are flush with each other.

[0072] The slider 3 of the first embodiment is integrated by connecting the main member 30 and the sub-member 60, so it can be easily attached to the left and right fastener stringers 2. Moreover, when the slider 3 is moved until it contacts the first stopper 4 to close the pair of fastener stringers 2, the upper blade 11 and the main guide portion 40 come into close contact with the pair of contact walls 22, so waterproofing can also be achieved. Furthermore, since the upper blade 11 comes into close contact with the upper contact wall 22 all around and the main guide portion 40 comes into close contact with the lower contact wall 22 all around, the waterproofing of the slider 3 is improved.

[0073] In the slider 3 of the first embodiment, the main guide portion 40 has guide surfaces 40a and inclined surfaces 40b, and the inclined surfaces 40b are provided on the left and right edges of the main guide portion 40, so that when attaching the main member 30 to the left and right fastener stringers 2, it becomes easy to insert the element 8 between the main guide portion 40 and the upper blade 11 from the left and right. Moreover, in the slider 3 of the first embodiment, the main guide portion 40 has a main guide body portion 41 and an extension portion 45, and the width of the extension portion 45 is narrower than the width of the main guide body portion 41, so that it becomes easy to insert the element 8 between the upper blade 11 and the extension portion 45.

[0074] The bridge portion 63 of the sub-member 60 comprises a bridge portion main body 71 and a pair of sub-guide portions 74, and the pair of sub-guide portions 74 improves the rigidity of the bridge portion 63 in the portions supporting the left and right flanges 14, thereby improving the durability of the sub-member 60.

[0075] In the slider 3 of the first embodiment, the groove portion 76 including the inclined surface 40b is formed at the boundary between the main guide portion 40 and the sub-guide portion 74, so that the element 8 is less likely to be damaged.

[0076] In the slider 3 of the first embodiment, the main connecting portion 50 includes a protruding post 51 and a main connecting plate 55, and the sub-connecting portion 65 includes an opening 80. Therefore, when connecting the main member 30 and the sub-member 60, the main connecting plate 55 and the protruding post 51 are inserted into the first opening 81, and then the sub-member 60 is moved to move the protruding post 51 into the second opening 82 of the opening 80. The second opening 82 restricts the main connecting plate 55 from moving vertically. Furthermore, the rear edge 40c of the underside of the main guide portion 40 is sloped, making it easy to insert the main connecting plate 55 from the first opening 81 into the second opening 82. Specifically, when inserting the main connecting plate 55 and the protruding post 51 into the first opening 81, the main member 30 is first tilted relative to the sub-member 60, and the rear edge 40c is placed directly above the left and right overhanging pieces 83. Next, while maintaining this tilted position, the main member 30 is pushed downward and moved rearward. As a result, the main connecting plate 55 pushes the stopper 85 downward, and the protruding post 51 moves along the gap between the left and right protruding pieces 83, facilitating insertion from the first opening 81 into the second opening 82. This facilitates connection between the main member 30 and the sub-member 60. Furthermore, since the thickness of the main connecting plate 55 and the depth of the lower part of the second opening 82 are substantially the same and the main connecting plate 55 is housed in the second opening 82, the main connecting plate 55 is housed in the bridge portion 63. As a result, the appearance of the slider 3 of the first embodiment is improved.

[0077] In the slider 3 of the first embodiment, the secondary connecting portion 65 is provided with a stopper 85, and the stopper 85 and the second opening 82 work together to restrict the main connecting portion 50 from moving back and forth, thereby strengthening the connection between the main connecting portion 50 and the secondary connecting portion 65.

[0078] In the slider 3 of the first embodiment, the protruding pillar 51 is positioned rearward relative to the pillar 13, so the gap between the main guide portion 40 and the upper blade 11 is less likely to widen compared to when the protruding pillar 51 is positioned forward relative to the protruding pillar 51, thereby improving the durability of the main member 30.

[0079] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the present embodiment, the upper blade 11 is the first blade and the lower blade 12 is the second blade. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The upper blade 11 may be the second blade and the lower blade 12 may be the first blade. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the upper surface of the lower blade 12 is formed by the main guide portion 40 and the left and right sub-guide portions 74. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The upper surface may be formed only by the main guide portion 40. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the slider body 3a is formed of two parts, the main member 30 and the sub-member 60, which are directly connected to each other to form an integrated unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The slider body 3a may be formed of two parts, the main member 30 and the sub-member 60, and a dedicated connecting member as a separate part, which connects the main member 30 and the sub-member 60 to each other to form an integrated unit. In this case, the main connecting portion 50 of the main member 30 and the sub-connecting portion 65 of the sub-member 60 are connected by a dedicated connecting member.

[0080] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Waterproof slide fastener 2 Fastener stringer 3 Slider 3a Slider body 4 First fastener 5 Sheet 6 Tape 7 Element row 8 Element 8a Body 8b Neck 8c Head 8d Shoulder 8e Fin 8f Groove 11 Upper wing 12 Lower wing 13 Column 14 Flange 15 Pull tab attachment portion 15h Through hole 16 Element path 17 Tape groove 21 Container 21a Column accommodation hole 21b Inlet portion 22 Contact wall 22a Horizontal wall portion 22b Vertical wall portion 22c Approach wall portion 23 Secondary contact wall 24 Raised portion 30 Main member 31 Main plate portion 40 Main guide portion 40a Guide surface 40b Inclined surface 40c Trailing edge portion 40d Front portion 41 Main guide body portion 45 Extension portion 41W, 45W Width 50 Main connecting portion 51 Protruding pillar 55 Main connecting plate 60 Sub-member 61 Sub-plate portion 63 Bridge portion 63a Accommodation groove 65 Sub-connecting portion 71 Bridge portion body 72 Recess 74 Sub-guide portion 74a Sub-guide surface 76 Groove portion 80 Opening 81 First opening 81W, 82W Width 82 Second opening 83 Projecting piece 85 Stopper W1, W2 Spacing

Claims

1. A first stopper (4) disposed at the front end which is the closed end of the left and right fastener stringers (2) that can be opened and closed, the first stopper (4) including an annular container (21) that can be opened and closed and is annular when viewed from above and below in the closed state, and a pair of close contact walls (22) that bulge along the annular shape of the container (21) from both the upper and lower surfaces of the container (21). The slider (3) of the waterproof slide fastener (1) that is stopped from moving forward by the first stopper (4), the slider (3) having a first wing plate (11) and a second wing plate (12) that face each other vertically and closely contact while sandwiching the pair of close contact walls (22) from above and below, a column (13) that joins the first wing plate (11) and the second wing plate (12) at the front portions of each other and is accommodated in the container (21), and left and right flanges (14) that project from the left and right edge portions of the second wing plate (12) toward the first wing plate (11). In the slider (3) of the waterproof slide fastener (1), it includes a main member (30) and a sub-member (60) that are integrated by connection. The main member (30) includes the first wing plate (11) that closely contacts one of the close contact walls (22), the column (13), and a main board portion (31) that extends from the column (13) and constitutes a part of the second wing plate (12). The sub-member (60) includes the left and right flanges (14) and a sub-board portion (61) that joins the left and right flanges (14) and cooperates with the main board portion (31) to constitute the second wing plate (12). The main board portion (31) includes a main guiding portion (40) that closely contacts at least a part of the other close contact wall (22) and guides the element (8) of the fastener stringer (2), and a main connecting portion (50) that is integral with the main guiding portion (40) and is for connecting to the sub-member (60). The sub-board portion (61) includes a bridge portion (63) that spans the left and right flanges (14), and a sub-connecting portion (65) that is integral with the bridge portion (63) and is for connecting to the main connecting portion (50). The slider (3) of the waterproof slide fastener (1) is characterized by the above.

2. The slider (3) of the waterproof slide fastener (1) according to claim 1, wherein the main guiding portion (40) closely contacts the entire circumference of the other close contact wall (22).

3. The inner part (40) of the main guide is provided with a guide surface (40a) that is in close contact with the other close contact wall (22) and guides the element (8), and an inclined surface (40b) that is inclined with respect to the guide surface (40a) when viewed in the front-rear direction. The inclined surface (40b) is disposed at at least one of the left edge and the right edge of the inner part (40) of the main guide, and is characterized by moving away from the first wing plate (11) as it approaches the edge at the disposed edge. The slider (3) of the waterproof slide fastener (1) according to claim 2.

4. The inner part (40) of the main guide includes a main guide body part (41) that projects from around the column (13) when viewed in the vertical direction, and an extension part (45) that extends rearward with respect to the main guide body part (41). The main guide body part (41) projects left and right with respect to the extension part (45), and the extension part (45) is provided with the inclined surface (40b) at at least one of the left edge and the right edge. The slider (3) of the waterproof slide fastener (1) according to claim 3.

5. The bridge part (63) includes a bridge part main body (71) that spans the left and right flanges (14), and a pair of sub-guide parts (74) that project from the bridge part main body (71) toward the first wing plate (11) and are adjacent to the inner part (40) of the main guide on the left and right. The slider (3) of the waterproof slide fastener (1) according to claim 2 or 3.

6. A groove part (76) including the inclined surface (40b) is formed at the boundary between the inner part (40) of the main guide and the sub-guide part (74). The slider (3) of the waterproof slide fastener (1) according to claim 5.

7. The main connecting part (50) projects from the inner part (40) of the main guide to the side opposite to the first wing plate (11). The slider (3) of the waterproof slide fastener (1) according to claim 1.

8. The main connecting portion (50) includes a protruding column (51) that protrudes from the main guiding portion (40) to the side opposite to the first wing plate (11), and a main connecting plate (55) that extends left and right from the tip of the protruding column (51) and is held by the sub-connecting portion (65). The sub-connecting portion (65) includes an opening (80) that penetrates vertically with respect to the bridge portion (63). The opening (80) includes a first opening (81) and a second opening (82) that communicate with each other in the front-rear direction. The first opening (81) allows the protruding column (51) and the main connecting plate (55) to be inserted. When viewed in the vertical direction, the left and right width (82W) of the second opening (82) is narrower than the left and right width (81W) of the first opening 81. The second opening (82) guides the protruding column (51) to be movable in the front-rear direction from the first opening (81), and restricts the main connecting plate (55) from moving in the vertical direction. The slider (3) of the waterproof slide fastener (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that.

9. The sub-connecting portion (65) includes a stopper (85) that cooperates with the second opening (82) to restrict the main connecting portion (50) from moving in the front-rear direction. The stopper (85) extends from the first opening (81) in a state of narrowing the opening area of the first opening (81) when viewed in the vertical direction, and is elastically deformable in the vertical direction. The slider (3) of the waterproof slide fastener (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that.

10. The protruding column (51) is arranged behind the column (13). The slider (3) of the waterproof slide fastener (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that.

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