Hidden slide fastener and slider for hidden slide fastener

Abstract

In this hidden slide fastener, a flange of a slider is made movable to downsize the entirety of the hidden slide fastener while maintaining sufficient strength of a connection part 185 of a box pin 181.　Specifically, a second element passage (19) of the slider (10) for the hidden slide fastener is provided with, at the periphery thereof: a lower plate (21); a column (14) provided at substantially the center of the lower plate (21); a second lateral wall (17) provided on the other side of the lower plate (21); and a movable flange part (12) provided at the upper part of the second lateral wall (17). The distance between the second element passage and the column (14) can be changed by the movable flange part (12).

Description

Hidden slide zippers and sliders for hidden slide zippers

[0001] The present invention relates to a hidden slide fastener and a slider for the hidden slide fastener, and more particularly to a slider for the hidden slide fastener that is advantageous for miniaturizing a resin injection molded opening device, and a hidden slide fastener that uses the slider.

[0002] Hidden slide fasteners, in which the engaging elements of the slide fastener are not exposed on the surface side of the slide fastener, have been widely used. When the hidden slide fastener is used in the front placket of a garment, it is used as a hidden slide fastener provided with an opening device. Opening devices for such hidden slide fasteners include metal types in which a metal insert pin and box pin formed by die-casting or the like are fixed to the fastener tape by caulking or the like, and resin types in which the insert pin and box pin are formed by directly injecting resin into the fastener tape. Patent Document 1 is a prior document relating to the latter type of resin injection-molded opening device.

[0003] The structure of a typical slider used in a concealed slide fastener such as that described in Patent Document 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14 . As shown in FIG. 13 , a slider 170 for this commonly used concealed slide fastener has a flange 171, and a folded-back portion of a fastener chain element passes through a gap 173 between the flange 171 and a post 172. In this specification, the portion of the slider consisting of the side wall 175 and the upper plate 176 is referred to as the flange 171. The left and right flanges 171 are each erected from a lower plate 178 toward the front surface. When the slider 170 is lowered to the bottom, a portion of the lower side of the slider 170 enters the opening device 180 as shown in FIG. 14 . In this state, the insert pin 181 of the opening device 180 can be removed from the slider 170. Note that the fastener tape and pull tab are omitted in FIG. 14 , and only the slider 170, insert pin 181, and box pin 191 are shown for illustrative purposes.

[0004] Next, a conventional insert pin 181 will be described using Figure 15. Figure 15(A) is a view of the insert pin 181 as seen from the front side, and Figure 15(B) is a view of the insert pin 181 as seen from the back side. Figure 15(C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line P-P in Figure 15(B). Figure 15(D) is a cross-sectional view taken along line Q-Q in Figure 15(C). The insert pin 181 has a front portion 183, a back portion 184, a connecting portion 185 connecting them, and an auxiliary engaging portion 186 extending from the back portion 184 toward the coil fastener element. When inserting or removing the insert pin 181 from the slider 170, the connecting portion 185 needs to be able to pass through a gap 173 between the flange 171 and the pillar 172 of the slider 170, so the gap 173 is set to a size that allows the connecting portion 185 to pass through. When the insert pin 181 is inserted into the slider 170, the connecting portion 185 of the insert pin 181 passes through the gap 173 of the slider 170, and at the same time, the back surface portion 184 of the insert pin 181 can enter the inside of the slider 170, so that the insert pin 181 and the box pin 191 are combined as shown in Figure 14.

[0005] International Publication No. 2021-210160

[0006] In recent years, the need for lighter and thinner clothing products has been increasing, and so has the demand for smaller and lighter slide fasteners. When a slide fastener is made smaller, the slider is also made smaller in size as the element is made smaller, which naturally narrows the gap 173 between the slider flange 171 and post 172. If the insert pin 181 is made smaller in size to match the narrowing of the gap 173, the connecting portion 185 of the insert pin 181 becomes too thin. This causes problems such as defects during injection molding and reduced strength when the insert pin 181 and box pin 191 of the opening device are molded from resin. Therefore, conventional technology has limited the miniaturization of the resin opening device of a concealed slide fastener.

[0007] The present invention overcomes the limitations of conventional technology for miniaturizing the entire hidden slide fastener while maintaining sufficient strength of the connecting portion 185 of the insert pin 181 through a new idea, and specifically proposes the new idea of ​​making the flange of the slider of the hidden slide fastener movable.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a slider for a concealed slide fastener according to one aspect of the present invention is a slider for a concealed slide fastener (10) having a first element passage (18) and a second element passage (19) for guiding elements of the concealed slide fastener, The first element passage (18) is surrounded by a lower plate (21), a pillar (14) provided approximately in the center of the lower plate (21), a first side wall (16) provided on one side of the lower plate (21), and a first upper plate (15) provided on the upper part of the first side wall (16), and the second element passage (19) is surrounded by the lower plate (21), the pillar (14) provided approximately in the center of the lower plate (21), a second side wall (17) provided on the other side of the lower plate (21), and a movable flange portion (12) provided on the upper part of the second side wall (17), and is characterized in that the distance from the pillar (14) can be changed by the movable flange portion (12). In some cases, the movable flange portion (12) includes a second upper plate (27), a hanging portion (28), and a guide plate (29), the back surface of the second upper plate (27) being substantially parallel to the front surface (17-2) of the second side wall (17), the inner surface of the hanging portion (28) being substantially parallel to the outer side surface (17-3) of the second side wall (17), and the guide plate (29) being substantially parallel to the second upper plate (27). In some cases, the slider (10) has a storage portion (22) on the back side thereof relative to the lower plate (21). In some cases, the storage portion (22) houses a portion of the guide plate (29), an elastic member (31) that biases the guide plate (29), and an elastic force transmission member (32). In some cases, the end of the elastic force transmission member (32) is a button operation portion (37), and the button operation portion (37) is exposed to the outside of the storage portion (22).

[0009] A concealed slide fastener (50) according to one aspect of the present invention is a concealed slide fastener (50) using any of the above-described sliders (10) for a concealed slide fastener, the concealed slide fastener (50) comprising an opening device (80), the opening device (80) comprising an insert pin (81) and a box pin (91), the insert pin (81) comprising a front surface portion (83), a back surface portion (84) and a connecting portion (85) connecting them, the maximum thickness (W2) in the left-right direction of the connecting portion (85) of the insert pin (81) being greater than the minimum distance (D1) between the movable flange portion (12) and the post (14) when the distance between the movable flange portion (12) and the post (14) is at its smallest. In some cases, the distance between the movable flange portion (12) and the post (14) can be changed by inserting the insert pin (81) into the slider (10). Furthermore, the slider body (11) of the concealed slide fastener according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a lower plate (21), a pillar (14) erected from the lower plate (21) toward the surface at approximately the center of the lower plate (21), a first side wall (16) erected from the lower plate (21) on one side of the pillar (14), a first upper plate (15) provided on the upper part of the first side wall (16), and a second side wall (17) erected from the lower plate (21) on the other side of the pillar (14), and is characterized in that a third minimum distance (D3), which is the minimum value of the distance formed between the surface (17-2) of the second side wall (17) and the pillar (14), is larger than a second minimum distance (D2), which is the minimum value of the distance formed between the first upper plate (15) and the pillar (14). In some cases, the slider body (11) has a storage section (22) on the rear side of the lower plate (21).

[0010] According to the present invention, in a concealed slide fastener equipped with a resin opening device, it is possible to accommodate miniaturization of the opening device to a level that was not possible with conventional technology. Furthermore, by miniaturizing the resin opening device, it is also possible to miniaturize the concealed slide fastener equipped with a resin opening device itself.

[0011] 11 is a view of slider 10 from the front side (movable flange 12 closed). FIG. 11 is a left side view of slider 10 (movable flange 12 closed). FIG. 11 is a right side view of slider 10 (movable flange 12 closed). FIG. 11 is a view of slider 10 from the bottom of FIG. 1 (movable flange 12 closed). FIG. 11 is a view of slider 10 from the back side (movable flange 12 closed). FIG. 11 is a view for explaining the component configuration of slider 10. FIG. 11 is a view for explaining the internal structure of storage section 22 of slider 10. FIG. 11 is a view showing the movable flange 12 of FIG. 1 in the fully opened state. FIG. 11 is a view showing the movable flange 12 of FIG. 4 in the fully opened state. FIG. 11 is a view showing the movable flange 12 of FIG. 7 in the fully opened state. FIG. 11 shows the appearance of a portion of concealed slide fastener 50 where opening device 80 is provided, with FIG. 11(A) being a view from the front side and FIG. 11(B) being a view from the back side. Fig. 12(A) is a view of the insert pin 81 as seen from the front side, Fig. 12(B) is a view of the insert pin 81 as seen from the back side, Fig. 12(C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line P-P in Fig. 12(B) and Fig. 12(D) is a cross-sectional view taken along line Q-Q in Fig. 12(C). Fig. 13(A) is a view of the slider 170 as seen from the front side, and Fig. 13(B) is a view of Fig. 13(A) from below. Fig. 13(B) is a schematic view of the slider 170 as seen from the front side, and Fig. 13(B) is a view of Fig. 13(A) from below. Fig. 13(A) is a schematic view of the slider 170 as seen from the front side, and Fig. 13(B) is a view of the slider 170 as seen from the bottom side. 15A and 15B are diagrams for explaining a conventional insert pin 181, in which FIG. 15A is a diagram of the insert pin 181 as seen from the front side, FIG. 15B is a diagram of the insert pin 181 as seen from the back side, FIG. 15C is a cross-sectional view taken along line P-P in FIG. 15B, and FIG. 15D is a cross-sectional view taken along line Q-Q in FIG. 15C.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a view of a slider 10 for a hidden zipper in an embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the front side of the slide fastener (the side on which the pull tab for operating the slider is attached). Fig. 2 is a left side view of the slider 10 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a right side view of the slider 10 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view of the slider 10 from below Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view of the slider 10 in Fig. 1, as seen from the back side.

[0013] As shown in Figure 6, this slider 10 comprises a slider body 11, a movable flange portion 12, an elastic member 31, an elastic force transmission member 32, and a lid 33. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the direction in which the slider moves to close the fastener is referred to as the upward direction, the direction in which it moves to open it is referred to as the downward direction, the side of the slider on which the operating pull tab is attached (the side visible in Figure 1) is referred to as the front side, the opposite side is referred to as the back side, the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-back direction is referred to as the left-right direction, the side on which the movable flange portion 12 is located is referred to as the left side, and the opposite side is referred to as the right side.

[0014] The slider body 11 has a pillar 14 on its surface, and the pillar 14 has an attachment portion 14-2 for attaching a pull tab to operate the slider 10. For convenience, the illustration of the pull tab is omitted from the figure. The pillar 14 also has a partition structure (also called a diamond) 14-3 for guiding the element behind the attachment portion 14-2. In this specification, the partition structure 14-3 and the upper structure including the pull tab attachment portion 14-2 are collectively referred to as the pillar 14. If necessary, a known slider lock mechanism using a locking claw and spring can also be disposed on the pillar 14 (not shown in the figure). A first upper plate 15 and a first side wall 16 are provided on one side (right side) of the pillar 14 of the slider body 11, and a second side wall 17 is provided on the other side (left side). The pillars 14, first side wall 16, and second side wall 17 are connected to a common bottom plate 21 (note that, according to the definitions of the up-down direction and the front-back direction defined above, it would be more consistent to call it the back plate 21 rather than the bottom plate 21, but since the terms top plate (upper wing plate) and bottom plate (lower wing plate) are used as the normal terminology in slider technology, it will be referred to as the bottom plate 21. The same applies to the first top plate 15). The slider 10 has a first element passage 18 and a second element passage 19 for guiding the elements of the concealed slide fastener, and the first element passage 18 is surrounded by the bottom plate 21, the pillars 14 provided in approximately the center of the bottom plate 21, the first side wall 16 provided on one side of the bottom plate 21, and the first top plate 15 provided on the top of the first side wall 16. The second element passage 19 is surrounded by a lower plate 21, a pillar 14 provided in approximately the center of the lower plate 21, a second side wall 17 provided on the other side of the lower plate 21, and a movable flange portion 12 provided on the upper part of the first side wall 16. More specifically, the second upper plate 27 of the movable flange portion 12 forms part of the periphery of the second element passage 19. The first element passage 18 and the second element passage 19 refer to the passages inside the slider 10 through which the left and right separated fastener element rows enter the slider 10 until they mesh.

[0015] The area behind the lower plate 21 is a storage section 22, which is a space for storing the elastic member 31 and the elastic force transmission member 32. The storage section 22 is entirely covered by a wall, and the elastic member 31 and the elastic force transmission member 32 are stored so that they are not partially exposed to the outside. The right wall of the storage section 22 is a first storage wall 23 that is substantially continuous with the wall surface on one side (right side) of the first side wall 16, and the left wall of the storage section 22 is a second storage wall 24 that is substantially continuous with the outer side surface 17-3 exposed on the other side (left side) of the second side wall 17. The lower sides of the first storage wall 23 and the second storage wall 24 are connected by a third storage wall 25. The first storage wall 23 is provided with an operation notch 41. This operation notch 41 is a notch for passing the button operation portion 37 of the elastic force transmission member 32. A slit 26 is provided between second storage wall 24 and outer side surface 17-3 (see FIG. 2). This slit 26 is for guiding the left-right movement of movable flange portion 12, and a portion of guide plate 29 of movable flange portion 12 is movably inserted into this slit 26, with a portion of guide plate 29 housed inside storage section 22. A connecting hole 30-1 and a connecting recess 30-2 are provided at the tip side of guide plate 29 of movable flange portion 12, and at least the portion where connecting hole 30-1 and connecting recess 30-2 are located is housed inside storage section 22 through slit 26. After components such as elastic member 31 and elastic force transmission member 32 are housed inside storage section 22, the opening on the back side of storage section 22 is closed with lid 33. The lid 33 has an engaging portion 34, and after the engaging portion 34 is engaged with an engaging hole 35 provided in the third storage wall 25 of the slider body 11, the lid 33 is fixed to the back surface of the slider body 11 by any means such as adhesive, welding, or crimping.

[0016] The movable flange portion 12 comprises a second upper plate 27, a hanging portion 28, and a guide plate 29. The movable flange portion 12 is mechanically coupled to the slider body 11 so as to be movable relative to the slider body 11. The back surface of the second upper plate 27 is substantially parallel to the surface 17-2 of the second side wall 17 of the slider body 11, allowing them to slide relative to each other. The inner surface of the hanging portion 28 (the surface facing the slider body 11) is substantially parallel to the outer side surface 17-3 of the second side wall 17 of the slider body 11. The guide plate 29 is substantially parallel to the second upper plate 27 and is inserted into the slit 26 (see FIG. 2) of the slider body 11 so as to enter the storage section 22. The tip of the guide plate 29 is provided with a connecting hole 30-1 and a connecting recess 30-2, which are used for connecting and fixing and positioning during assembly of the slider 10.

[0017] In this embodiment, a coil spring is used as the elastic member 31, but this is not limited to this and any elastic member such as a leaf spring or rubber can be used. The elastic force transmission member 32 has a pair of connecting protrusions 36 at one end and a button operation portion 37 at the other end, with an elastic member storage portion 38 between the connecting protrusions 36 and the button operation portion 37 (see FIG. 6). The elastic member storage portion 38 has a rectangular frame shape, and the inside of the frame is a hollow storage space.

[0018] The method of assembling the components of the slider 10 and the structure thereof according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining the internal structure of the storage section 22 of the slider 10, and is a diagram of the slider 10 viewed from the back side with the lid 33 removed.

[0019] As described above, the housing section 22 is located on the back side of the slider 10, and the guide plate 29 of the movable flange portion 12 is inserted into the slit 26 of the second housing wall 24 of the housing section 22. At this time, the connecting recess 30-2 (see FIG. 6) provided at the tip of the guide plate 29 is aligned with the positioning protrusion 42 provided on the housing section 22 of the slider 10. This positioning protrusion 42 is provided on the housing section 22 of the slider 10 so as to extend further back from the rear surface of the lower plate 21. The elastic force transmission member 32 is then stored inside the housing section 22, with the connecting protrusion 36 of the elastic force transmission member 32 aligned so as to be insertable into the connecting hole 30-1 of the inserted and positioned guide plate 29. At this time, the button operation portion 37 of the elastic force transmission member 32 is exposed to the outside of the housing section 22 through the operation cutout 41 provided in the first housing wall 23. Finally, the elastic member 31 is placed in the elastic member storage section 38 of the elastic force transmission member 32. After assembling the components in this manner, the storage section 22 is closed with the lid 33. Note that the above assembly procedure is an example, and the order of the assembly procedure may be changed as appropriate.

[0020] Next, the operation of slider 10 in this embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 8 to 10. Figure 8 is a diagram showing movable flange 12 in the open state in Figure 1, Figure 9 is a diagram showing movable flange 12 in the open state in Figure 4, and Figure 10 is a diagram showing movable flange 12 in the open state in Figure 7.

[0021] In the state shown in Fig. 1, the elastic force of the elastic member 31 causes the button operation portion 37 to protrude from the operation cutout 41, as shown in Fig. 7, and the elastic force of the movable flange 12 also causes the movable flange 12 to be closest to the pillar 14 (this state is sometimes referred to in this specification as the "closed state"). The minimum value of the gap between the movable flange portion 12 and the pillar 14 when the gap between the movable flange portion 12 and the pillar 14 is smallest is defined as a first minimum gap D1 (see Fig. 1), and the minimum value of the gap between the first upper plate 15 on the opposite side and the pillar 14 is defined as a second minimum gap D2 (see Fig. 1). The first minimum gap D1 is approximately the same size as the second minimum gap D2. Functionally speaking, the first minimum gap D1 may be any gap larger than the gap through which the fastener tape can pass and smaller than the gap at which the fastener elements would slip out. It should be noted that first minimum distance D1 refers to the minimum distance between movable flange portion 12 and pillar 14 in the plane formed by the surface of second upper plate 27 of movable flange portion 12 (or any surface within second upper plate 27 that is parallel to the surface of second upper plate 27), and second minimum distance D2 refers to the minimum distance between first upper plate 15 and pillar 14 in the plane formed by the outermost surface of first upper plate 15 (or any surface within upper plate 15 that is parallel to the outermost surface of upper plate 15). When button operation unit 37 is pressed toward the inside of storage section 22 from this state, elastic member 31 bends, as shown in Figures 8 to 10, and the movement of elastic force transmission member 32 is transmitted to movable flange 12, causing movable flange 12 to move in a direction away from pillar 14. When movable flange 12 is in its most open position away from pillar 14, as shown in Figure 8, second element passage 19, which is provided between pillar 14 and second side wall 17, is open and not obstructed by second upper plate 27 of movable flange 12, making it easy to insert and operate the insert pin. When movable flange 12 is in this most distant position from pillar 14, the space between surface 17-2 of second side wall 17 and pillar 14 is open toward the surface, and the minimum value of the distance formed between surface 17-2 of second side wall 17 and pillar 14 that is exposed in this state is defined as third minimum distance D3 (see Figure 8). Note that third minimum distance D3 refers to the minimum distance between surface 17-2 of second side wall 17 and pillar 14 within the plane defined by surface 17-2 of second side wall 17.This third minimum distance D3 is larger than the second minimum distance D2, which is the minimum value of the distance formed between first upper plate 15 and column 14. Note that, as will be explained in detail later, the opening operation of movable flange 12 does not necessarily have to be performed by button operation unit 37; movable flange 12 may be pushed open by the tip of insert pin 81 when inserting insert pin 81.

[0022] By using such a slider 10 in which the movable flange 12 opens and moves, it is possible to miniaturize the plastic insert pin to a level where the strength quality could not be sufficiently ensured with conventional technology, and the reasons for this will be explained in more detail below.

[0023] FIG. 11 shows the appearance of a portion of the concealed slide fastener 50 where an opening device 80 is provided, with FIG. 11(A) being a view from the front side and FIG. 11(B) being a view from the back side. The insert pin 81 and box pin 91 of the opening device 80 in this embodiment of the present invention are both integrally fixed to the fastener tape 61 by injection molding, as in the prior art. Resin film portions 62 are provided on the outer lateral sides of the insert pin 81 and box pin 91, integrally attached to the fastener tape 61 by means of ultrasonic welding or the like. The pair of left and right fastener tapes 61 are folded back from the front side to the back side at tape fold portions 63, and a coil fastener element 64 is provided on the back side. The oval-shaped portions 65 provided on the front side are portions left as marks of a mold (pin) that holds the fastener tape 61 to prevent it from flapping inside the mold when the opening device 80 is injection molded onto the fastener tape 61.

[0024] The concealed slide fastener 50 according to this embodiment of the present invention does not appear to differ significantly from a conventional concealed slide fastener in appearance as shown in Figure 11, but is smaller in size than conventional ones. The box pin 91 of the opening device 80 according to this embodiment of the present invention has a width L (see Figure 11(B)) of 5 mm to 8 mm and a height H (see Figure 11(A)) of 9.5 mm to 11 mm. Whereas conventional resin injection-molded opening devices for concealed slide fasteners have only been commercialized with box pin widths L of 8 mm to 11 mm and heights H of 10.5 mm to 12 mm, the opening device 80 according to the present invention has been miniaturized to a level that was difficult to achieve in terms of quality within the technical limits of conventional resin injection-molded opening devices.

[0025] The reason that miniaturization was possible is due to an improvement in the structure of the connecting portion 85 of the insert pin 81. This will be explained using Figure 12. Figure 12(A) is a view of the insert pin 81 as seen from the front side, and Figure 12(B) is a view of the insert pin 81 as seen from the back side. Figure 12(C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line P-P in Figure 12(B). Figure 12(D) is a cross-sectional view taken along line Q-Q in Figure 12(C). The insert pin 81 consists of a front portion 83, a back portion 84, a connecting portion 85 that connects them, and an auxiliary engaging portion 86 that extends from the back portion 84 toward the coil fastener element 64. The connecting portion 85 passes through a gap 173 between the flange 171 and the post 172 of the hidden fastener slider 170 as shown in Figures 13 and 14, and the insert pin 81 of the present invention is designed so that the length (thickness) of the connecting portion 85 in the left-right direction is relatively large compared to the overall width of the back surface 84 of the insert pin 81. It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present invention, the slider itself is made smaller than in the prior art, and therefore this gap 173 is also smaller than in the prior art. Specifically, the ratio of the maximum thickness W2 of the connecting portion 85 to the maximum width W1 in the left-right direction of the back surface 84 of the insert pin 81 of the present invention (note that W1 does not include the thickness of the auxiliary engagement portion 86) is greater than 45%, and preferably greater than 70%. In contrast, in Figure 15, which shows a conventional insert pin, the ratio of the maximum thickness W2 of the connecting portion 185 to the maximum width W1 in the left-right direction of the back surface portion 184 of the insert pin 181 measured in the same manner (note that W1 does not include the thickness of the auxiliary engagement portion 186) was approximately 25% to 35%.

[0026] In response to the need to reduce the size of the entire concealed slide fastener, the insert pin also needs to be made smaller. However, with the design method of the conventional insert pin 181 shown in FIGS. 13 to 15 , the thickness of the connecting portion 185 of the insert pin 181 also becomes smaller as the size is reduced. However, if the connecting portion 185 is made too thin, problems such as defects occurring during injection molding and reduced strength will occur. Therefore, it is necessary to design the connecting portion 85 to be relatively thick, as with the insert pin 81 of this embodiment. On the other hand, in response to the reduction in size of the entire concealed slide fastener, the conventional slider 170 has also been made smaller, and the gap 173 between the flange 171 and the post 172 of the slider 170 has also become smaller. Therefore, if the connecting portion 85 of the insert pin 85 is made thick enough to avoid the above-mentioned problems, the connecting portion 85 of the insert pin 85 will not be able to pass through the gap 173 between the flange 171 and the post 172 of the conventional slider 170. Therefore, within the scope of the conventional technology, there was a limit to the miniaturization of a resin injection opening type concealed slide fastener.

[0027] However, due to the function of the movable flange portion 12 of the slider 70 in the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to configure the maximum thickness W2 of the connecting portion 85 of the insert pin 81 to be larger than the first minimum distance D1 (see FIG. 1) formed between the movable flange portion 12 and the pillar 14 when the distance between the movable flange portion 12 and the pillar 14 is at its smallest. The maximum thickness W2 of the connecting portion 85 of the insert pin 81 is also configured to be larger than the second minimum distance D2 (see FIG. 1) formed between the first upper plate 15 and the pillar 14. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the insert pin as a whole while maintaining the strength of the connecting portion 85 of the insert pin 81. In other words, it is now possible to reduce the size of a resin insert pin to a level where sufficient strength quality could not be ensured with prior art.

[0028] Furthermore, the insert pin 81 of the embodiment of the present invention is devised to more effectively utilize the function of the movable flange portion 12 of the slider 70 of the present invention, which will be explained using FIG. 12(D).

[0029] 12(D), the lower tip 87 of the insert pin 81 in the up-down direction tapers toward the tip so that the movable flange portion 12 of the slider 10 can be smoothly opened when the insert pin 81 is inserted into the slider 10. The width in the left-right direction at the very tip of the lower tip 87 is preferably smaller than the distance (first minimum distance D1) between the post 14 and the second upper plate 27 when the movable flange portion 12 of the slider 10 is closed. This allows the movable flange portion 12 to be pushed open simultaneously with the operation of inserting the insert pin 81 into the slider 10, so it is not necessary to operate the button operation unit 37 of the slider 10. Alternatively, the button operation unit 37 may not be provided from the beginning.

[0030] 12(D), the upper tip 88 of the insert pin 81 in the vertical direction also tapers toward the tip. When the slider 10 is operated in the direction in which the slide fastener is opened from its closed state and the slider 10 is lowered to the bottom, the connecting portion 85 of the insert pin 81 may enter the interior of the slider 10 (between the movable flange portion 12 and the column 14) from below. This tapered structure of the upper tip 88 is provided so that the movable flange portion 12 of the slider 10 can be smoothly pushed open even in this case. The size of the very tip of the upper tip 88 in the left-right direction is preferably within the spatial range of the element exit passage (the passage through which the engaged element exits) that opens toward the bottom of the slider 10 when the movable flange portion 12 of the slider 10 is closed. In other words, the size is preferably such that the very tip of the upper tip 88 does not interfere with the components of the slider 10. As a result, the movable flange portion 12 can be automatically opened simply by lowering the slider 10 in the normal manner, so it is not necessary to operate the button operation unit 37 of the slider 10. Alternatively, the button operation unit 37 may not be provided from the beginning. Note that the recess 89 provided midway through the connecting portion 85 and the elongated semicircular portion 90 on the surface portion 83 shown in Figure 12(D) are marks left by a pressing pin that prevents the fastener tape 61 from flapping inside the mold when the insert pin 81 is injection molded.

[0031] The width (thickness) in the left-right direction of connecting portion 85 other than lower tip 87, upper tip 88, and recess 89 is made larger than the conventional design ratio, thereby achieving sufficient strength and injection moldability. Furthermore, because of this large thickness, even during the insertion operation of insert pin 81 into slider 10, a moderate frictional force is generated between movable flange portion 12 and connecting portion 85 due to a balance with the elastic force of elastic member 31 that presses movable flange portion 12 in the closing direction, resulting in an excellent operational feel and stable operation in terms of guide performance.

[0032] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a concealed slide fastener with a resin opening device that is miniaturized to a level that was not possible with conventional technology.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the movable flange 12 is provided on the left side, but the left and right may be reversed and the movable flange 12 may be provided on the right side.

[0034] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the movable flange 12 is slidably guided by the guide plate 29 and the slit 26, but this may be changed to another known linear guide slide mechanism or a mechanism in which the flange rotates.

[0035] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is also possible to appropriately utilize, use as an alternative technology, or add in addition, technologies that are substantially the same as or that are recognized by those skilled in the art as technologies that have similar effects to the technical matters described in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0036] Slider 10 for hidden fastener, slider body 11, movable flange portion 12, pillar 14, pull tab attachment portion 14-2, partition structure portion (diamond) 14-3, first upper plate 15, first side wall 16, second side wall 17, surface 17-2 of second side wall, outer side surface 17-3 of second side wall, first element passage 18, second element passage 19, lower plate 21, storage portion 22, first storage wall 23, second storage wall 24, third storage wall 25, slit 26, second upper plate 27, hanging portion 28, guide plate 29, connecting hole 30-1, connecting recess 30-2, elastic member 31, elastic force transmission member 32, lid 33, engagement portion 34, engagement hole 35, connecting protrusion 36, button operation portion 37, elastic member storage portion 38, operation cutout portion 41, Positioning convex wall 42, hidden slide fastener 50, fastener tape 61, resin film portion 62, tape folded portion 63, coil fastener element 64, elliptical portion 65, opening device 80, insert pin 81, surface portion 83, back surface portion 84, connecting portion 85, auxiliary engagement portion 86, lower tip portion 87, upper tip portion 88, recess 89, elongated semicircular portion 90, box pin 91, first minimum distance D1, second minimum distance D2, third minimum distance D3, overall width W1 in the left-right direction of insert pin 81, maximum thickness W2 of connecting portion 85 (prior art), slider 170, flange 171, pillar 172, gap 173, side wall 175, upper plate 176, lower plate 178, opening device 180, insert pin 181, surface portion 183, back surface portion 184, connecting portion 185, Auxiliary engagement portion 186, box pin 191

Claims

1. A slider (10) for a concealed slide fastener having a first element passage (18) and a second element passage (19) for guiding elements of the concealed slide fastener, wherein the first element passage (18) includes a lower plate (21), a post (14) provided at a substantially central portion of the lower plate (21), a first side wall (16) provided on one side of the lower plate (21), and a first upper plate (15) provided at an upper portion of the first side wall (16) around it; the second element passage (19) includes the lower plate (21), the post (14) provided at a substantially central portion of the lower plate (21), a second side wall (17) provided on the other side of the lower plate (21), and a movable flange portion (12) provided at an upper portion of the second side wall (17) around it, and the movable flange portion (12) is capable of changing the distance from the post (14). The slider for a concealed slide fastener is characterized by this.

2. The movable flange portion (12) includes a second upper plate (27), a hanging portion (28), and a guide plate (29). The back surface of the second upper plate (27) is a surface substantially parallel to the surface (17-2) of the second side wall (17). The inner surface of the hanging portion (28) is a surface substantially parallel to the outer side surface (17-3) of the second side wall (17). The guide plate (29) is a surface substantially parallel to the second upper plate (27). The slider for a concealed slide fastener according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

3. The slider (10) has a storage portion (22) on the back side of the lower plate (21). The slider for a concealed slide fastener according to claim 2 is characterized by this.

4. The storage portion (22) houses a part of the guide plate (29), an elastic member (31) for biasing the guide plate (29), and an elastic force transmission member (32). The slider for a concealed slide fastener according to claim 3 is characterized by this.

5. The end of the elastic force transmission member (32) is a button operation portion (37), and the button operation portion (37) is exposed outside the storage portion (22). The slider for a concealed slide fastener according to claim 4 is characterized by this.

6. A concealed slide fastener (50) using the slider (10) for a concealed slide fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the concealed slide fastener (50) is provided with an opener (80), the opener (80) includes a butterfly bar (81) and a box bar (91), the butterfly bar (81) is composed of a front surface portion (83), a back surface portion (84), and a connecting portion (85) connecting them, and the maximum thickness (W2) in the left - right direction of the connecting portion (85) of the butterfly bar (81) is larger than the minimum distance (D1) between the movable flange portion (12) and the post (14) in a state where the movable flange portion (12) makes the smallest distance from the post (14). A concealed slide fastener characterized by this.

7. A concealed slide fastener (50) using the slider (10) for a concealed slide fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the distance between the movable flange portion (12) and the post (14) can be changed by an operation of inserting the butterfly bar (81) into the slider (10).

8. A slider body (11) of a concealed slide fastener, the slider body (11) includes a lower plate (21), a post (14) erected from the lower plate (21) toward the surface at a substantially central portion of the lower plate (21), a first side wall (16) provided so as to be erected from the lower plate (21) on one side of the side of the post (14), a first upper plate (15) provided at an upper portion of the first side wall (16), and a second side wall (17) provided so as to be erected from the lower plate (21) on the other side of the side of the post (14). The third minimum distance (D3), which is the minimum value of the distance formed by the surface (17 - 2) of the second side wall (17) and the post (14), is larger than the second minimum distance (D2), which is the minimum value of the distance formed by the first upper plate (15) and the post (14). A slider body for a concealed slide fastener characterized by this.

9. The slider body (11) of the concealed slide fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that a storage portion (22) is formed on the back side of the lower plate (21).

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