Chain member for slide fastener and product equipped with slide fastener

Abstract

The present invention is provided with: a string-like fixing member (15); and a plurality of elements (40) that form an element row (11). The elements (40) each have an interlocking part (42) and a trunk part (41). In a case where a pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are curved in an interlocked state, the respective interlocking parts (42) of adjacent elements (40) of the left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are not in contact with each other when the trunk parts (41) of the adjacent elements (40) in either one of the slide fastener element members (10) are in contact with each other.

Description

Chain components for slide fasteners and products with slide fasteners

[0001] The present invention relates to a chain member for a slide fastener and a product with a slide fastener having the chain member for a slide fastener.

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

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

[0004] Patent document 1 also describes that the body of the element has a recess on the side facing the fabric, along the length of the element member, into which a portion of the element mounting edge of the fabric is inserted, thereby reducing the gap formed between the fixing member and the element mounting edge of the fabric and improving the appearance when viewed in a plane.

[0005] International Publication No. 2018 / 142548

[0006] In a slide fastener product such as that described in Patent Document 1, deepening the recess can reduce the gap formed between the fixing member and the element mounting edge of the fabric, improving the appearance. On the other hand, when a pair of interlocking element members are bent along the longitudinal direction, the body of an adjacent element may enter the recess formed in the body of one element, causing the elements to disengage, resulting in chain cracking. Therefore, there is a need for a chain member for a slide fastener that can prevent chain cracking even when the element has a recess formed in it into which a portion of the element mounting edge of the fabric is inserted.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a chain member for a slide fastener and a product with a slide fastener that prevents the elements from breaking and becoming disengaged when a pair of interlocking element rows are bent along the longitudinal direction.

[0008] The above object of the present invention is achieved by the following configuration: [1] A slide fastener chain member having a pair of slide fastener element members (10) on the left and right, each element member having a string-like fixing member (15) extending in the longitudinal direction and a plurality of elements (40) attached to the fixing member (15) and forming an element row (11), wherein the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are intermeshable with each other, the element (40) has an intermeshing portion (42) that intermeshes with the mating element (40) and a body portion (41) that extends in the left-right direction from the intermeshing portion (42) and is fixed to the fixing member (15), and the body portion (41) is provided with a recess (45) that is recessed toward the fixing member (15) along the longitudinal direction on the anti-intermeshing portion side that is opposite the intermeshing portion (42) with respect to the fixing member (15), a slide fastener chain member in which, when the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are bent along the longitudinal direction in a direction such that the front surfaces or back surfaces of the elements (40) face each other while the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are interlocked, when the body portions (41) of the elements (40) adjacent to each other in the slide fastener element members (10) come into contact with each other, the interlocking portions (42) of the elements (40) adjacent to each other in the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are not in contact with each other. [2] A slide fastener chain member comprising: the slide fastener chain member according to [1]; a slider (30) for interlocking the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10); and fastener attachment members (7, 7) to which the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are attached.

[0009] According to the present invention, when a pair of interlocked element rows are bent along the longitudinal direction, the elements can be prevented from becoming disengaged by bringing the body portions of elements adjacent in the longitudinal direction on the same element member into contact with each other.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the main parts of a slide fastener product according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the main parts, enlarged and schematically showing the slide fastener product shown in FIG. 1 from the back side. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the slide fastener product taken along line A-A in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the main parts showing the interlocking state of a pair of element members. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an element attached to a fixing member, used in the slide fastener product shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the element shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a rear view of the element shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a right side view of the element shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the element shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 10 is a front view of the main parts showing the element members bent along the longitudinal direction in an interlocking state. FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view of the main parts of FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a side view of FIG. 10. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 10 taken along line A-A.

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

[0012] The configuration of a slide fastener product 1 to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the essential parts of a slide fastener product according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the essential parts, enlarged from the back side, of the slide fastener product shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the slide fastener product taken along line A-A in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the essential parts showing the interlocking state of a pair of element members. The slide fastener product 1 according to this embodiment is a garment (clothing) with a slide fastener, and a slide fastener 5 as shown in FIG. 1 is formed in the placket portion of the front body of this slide fastener product 1. Furthermore, left and right element mounting edges 7 for mounting left and right element members 10 (described later), respectively, are provided on left and right fabrics 6 forming the front body (particularly the placket portion) that serve as the opening and closing portion of this slide fastener product 1.

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

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

[0015] In this embodiment, the element attachment edge 7 provided on the fabric 6 has a predetermined dimension in the width direction of the element member 10 from the opposing side edges of the fabrics 6 constituting the left and right placket portions facing each other toward the inside of the fabrics 6 in the completed product 1 with a slide fastener, and is formed continuously along the length direction of the element member 10. In this embodiment, the element attachment edge 7 is a portion that includes at least the range from the opposing side edges to the tip of the folded-back side attachment edge 9 in the width direction. This configuration can be seen in Figure 2.

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

[0017] As a result, even if the sewing thread 21 (upper thread 21a and bobbin thread 21b described later) of the fixing sewing portion 20 penetrates the element mounting edge portion 7 as described later, the sewing thread 21 does not easily cut the element mounting edge portion 7, thereby increasing the durability of the element mounting edge portion 7. Furthermore, by increasing the strength of the element mounting edge portion 7, the element member 10 can be firmly fixed to the element mounting edge portion 7, and the position and posture of each fastener element (hereinafter also referred to as element) 40 fixed to the element mounting edge portion 7 can be stabilized.

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

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

[0020] 1, the slider 30 attached to the element row 11 of this embodiment has a slider body 31 and a pull tab 32 held by the slider body 31. The slider body 31 of this embodiment has substantially the same structure as a conventional slider body generally used for injection-molded elements 40. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the slider body 31 of this embodiment has an upper blade 33, a lower blade 34 arranged parallel to and spaced apart from the upper blade 33, a connecting post (not shown) connecting the front ends (shoulder-side ends) of the upper blade 33 and the lower blade 34, upper and lower flanges 36, 37 arranged on the left and right edges of the upper blade 33 and the lower blade 34, and a pull tab attachment portion 38 arranged on the upper surface of the upper blade 33 and holding the pull tab 32.

[0021] Furthermore, left and right shoulder openings are formed at the front end of the slider body 31 with a connecting pillar sandwiched therebetween, and a rear opening is formed at the rear end of the slider body 31. A substantially Y-shaped element guide path that connects the left and right shoulder openings with the rear opening is formed between the upper blade 33 and the lower blade 34. By using a slider 30 having such a structure, the left and right element members 10 directly fixed to the element attachment edge 7 of the garment 1 can be smoothly engaged and separated.

[0022] Next, the specific configuration of the slide fastener element member 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an element attached to a fixing member used in the slide fastener product shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the element shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a rear view of the element shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a right side view of the element shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the element shown in FIG. 5. The slide fastener element member (hereinafter also simply referred to as element member) 10 in this embodiment comprises a string-like fixing member 15 and a plurality of independent elements 40 attached to the fixing member 15. The fixing member 15 is a single string-like member. The plurality of independent elements 40 are attached to the fixing member 15 at regular intervals in the width direction of the element 40 to form an element row 11. A pair (two) of element members 10 are treated as one set, and this pair of left and right element members 10, 10 is also referred to as a slide fastener chain member. The left and right element members 10 in FIG. 1 are sewn along the ends of the left and right element attachment edges 7 provided on the product 1 with a slide fastener, respectively.

[0023] The fixing member 15 is a flexible string (also called a knit cord) formed by wrapping a core yarn made of multiple parallel multifilaments in a hollow woven section made of multiple knitting yarns. The fixing member 15 used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can attach multiple elements 40, and may be formed of, for example, monofilament or twisted yarn (twisted cord). The fixing member 15 is a member whose cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is approximately circular, and as shown in FIG. 3 , it has a flattened cross-sectional shape due to deformation within the element 40. However, the cross-sectional shape of the fixing member is not particularly limited in the present invention.

[0024] Each element 40 of the element member 10 is formed integrally with the fixing member 15 and covers the entire outer peripheral surface of a portion of the fixing member 15 by injection molding a thermoplastic resin such as polyacetal onto the fixing member 15. Note that in the present invention, the material of the elements 40 is not limited to the above-mentioned synthetic resin, and the elements can also be formed from, for example, other synthetic resins or metals. Furthermore, the element member 10 of the present invention is not limited to elements 40 molded onto the fixing member 15 by injection molding, and also includes elements formed by, for example, fixing an element 40 formed in a predetermined shape to the fixing member 15 by welding or adhesive.

[0025] As also shown in Figure 5, each element 40 in this embodiment has a meshing portion 42 that meshes with the element 40 of the mating element member 10, and a body portion 41 that extends from the meshing portion 42 in the front-to-rear direction of the element 40 (a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the fixing member 15 in a planar view) and is fixed to the fixing member 15.

[0026] Each element 40 in this embodiment has an element front half 43 and an element rear half 44 that are distinguished based on approximately the middle position in the height direction of the element 40 (in this embodiment, the center position of the fixing member 15 in the height direction of the element 40). In this case, the surface of the element front half 43 and the element rear half 44 are arranged perpendicular to the height direction of the element 40 and parallel to each other. A recess 45 extending in the width direction of the element 40 is formed between the element front half 43 and the element rear half 44 at the rear end of the element 40. In addition, the meshing portion 42 of each element 40 has an irregularly shaped portion 43b on the element front half 43 side and locking portions 44b, 44c on the element rear half 44 side.

[0027] The element front half 43 has a front interlocking head (irregularly shaped portion) 43b that interlocks with the mating element and forms the front half of the interlocking portion 42, and a front body portion 43a that extends from the front interlocking head 43b toward the rear of the element member 10 and sandwiches a fixing member between it and the element back half 44.

[0028] The front-side interlocking head 43b has a shape in which the element width gradually decreases toward the tip of the front-side interlocking head 43b, and has a pair of gradually decreasing portions 46 formed on the front-side body portion 43a side. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 5, a head-side inclined surface 46a that gradually decreases the element width toward the element surface is formed on the element side surface (upper and lower surfaces) of the front-side interlocking head 43b (gradually decreasing portions 46). The head-side inclined surface 46a may be an R-shaped curved surface on the element side surface of the front-side interlocking head 43b.

[0029] The front body portion 43a is formed in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that gradually widens toward the rear. In other words, the front body portion 43a has a shape in which the element width gradually increases toward the rear end of the front body portion 43a, and includes a pair of gradually increasing portions 47 formed on the side surfaces of the front body portion 43a. As shown in FIG. 5 , the element side surfaces (upper and lower surfaces) of the front body portion 43a (gradually increasing portions 47) are formed with body inclined surfaces 47a that gradually decrease the element width toward the element surface. The body inclined surfaces 47a have a larger inclination angle than the head-side inclined surfaces 46a. In other words, as shown in FIG. 6 , the chamfer width L1 of the head-side inclined surfaces 46a is wider than the chamfer width L2 of the body inclined surfaces 47a.

[0030] The element front half 43 has a head-side inclined surface 46a formed in the tapered portion 46, so that when the pair of element members 10 are engaged, there is no contact between the end (edge) of the front-side interlocking head 43b on the element surface and the end (edge) of the front-side interlocking head 43b on the element surface of the mating element, and a first gap S1 is formed in the up-down direction (element width direction). This configuration can be seen in Figure 4. Note that when the pair of element members 10 are engaged, the center of the thickness direction of the side surface of the element 40 may be in contact with the center of the thickness direction of the side surface of the mating element 40.

[0031] Furthermore, a predetermined gap is formed between the plurality of elements 40 constituting the same element member 10. That is, between adjacent elements 40 on the same element member 10, a second gap S2 is formed in the up-and-down direction (element width direction) between the ends of the front body portions 43 a on the element surfaces.

[0032] At this time, the pair of element members 10 in the interlocked state have a first gap S1 larger than the second gap S2 on the surfaces of the elements 40. At this time, the chamfer width L1 of the head-side inclined surface 46a is wider than the chamfer width L2 of the trunk inclined surface 47a, so the first gap S1 can be made larger than the second gap S2. This configuration can be seen in FIG. 4 . With this configuration, when the pair of interlocked element members 10 are bent in the longitudinal direction so that the surfaces of the elements 40 face each other, the element width direction end X of the front trunk portion 43a of one element 40 can come into contact with the element width direction end X of the front trunk portion 43a of an adjacent element 40 on the same element member 10 before the front interlocking head portion 43b of one element 40 comes into contact with the front interlocking head portion 43b of the mating element 40. This will be described in more detail below.

[0033] The element front half 43 is the portion that appears externally when a pair of element members 10 (element rows 11) are engaged, and has an excellent external shape due to a substantially rectangular rear front body portion 43a and a triangular front interlocking head portion 43b whose element width gradually decreases toward the tip. Specifically, when the slide fastener 5 is engaged, the elements 40 that interlock with each other are arranged in a honeycomb pattern. As shown in FIG. 6 , the element front half 43 may have a configuration in which the front interlocking head portion 43b slopes downward so that its thickness gradually decreases from the boundary with the front body portion 43a toward the tip. This reduces the sliding resistance of the slider 30, facilitates smooth insertion of the elements 40 into the slider 30, and prevents so-called tooth slippage.

[0034] The element rear half 44 has a rear interlocking head 44c that interlocks with the mating element, a rear neck 44b that extends from the rear interlocking head 44c toward the rear of the element and has a narrowed shape, and a rear body 44a that extends further toward the rear of the element from the rear neck 44b. In this embodiment, the rear neck 44b and the rear body 44a sandwich the fixing member 15 between themselves and the element front half 43. The front body 43a, the rear neck 44b, and the rear body 44a are located on the front and rear sides of the fixing member 15, respectively, in the height direction of the element 40. That is, in the element 40, the body 41 is fixed to the fixing member 15, and at the same time, a portion of the interlocking portion 42 may also be fixed to the fixing member 15.

[0035] Like the front body portion 43a, the rear body portion 44a is formed in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that gradually widens toward the rear. In other words, the rear body portion 44a has a shape in which the element width gradually increases toward the rear end of the rear body portion 44a, and has a pair of gradually increasing portions 48 formed on the side surfaces of the rear body portion 44a. Note that the element width W2 at the widest portion of the rear body portion 44a is smaller than the element width W1 at the widest portion of the front body portion 43a. This configuration can be seen in FIG. 7 .

[0036] The rear interlocking head 44c and the rear neck 44b are formed together in a potbellied shape, thereby constituting a locking portion that is the interlocking portion 42 of the element rear half 44. As a result, when the pair of element members 10 are in an interlocked state, the locking portion of the interlocking portion 42 and the locking portion of the interlocking portion 42 of the mating element 40 are fitted together and locked.

[0037] The recess 45 is provided on a side surface of the body 41 that faces the fabric 6, i.e., on a side surface of the body 41 on the anti-meshing side (rear of the element 40) that is opposite the meshing portion 42 with respect to the fixing member 15. The recess 45 is formed so that the rear end of the element 40 is recessed toward the fixing member 15, and is provided along the width direction of the element 40. When the element 40 is injection molded, the recess 45 is formed together with the connecting portion 50, which will be described later, by a slide core (not shown) that is used when the element 40 is injection molded.

[0038] Specifically, recess 45 is tapered such that the gap in the height direction gradually widens from the fixing member 15 side toward the counter-engagement portion side by inclined surfaces 45a, 45b, which are opposing surfaces formed on front body portion 43a and back body portion 44a, respectively. In addition, parallel flat surfaces 45a1, 45b1 are formed adjacent to inclined surfaces 45a, 45b on the opening edge of recess 45.

[0039] Also, a connecting portion 50 is provided within the recess 45 at the widthwise center of the element 40, connecting the front body portion 43a and the back body portion 44a and coming into contact with the fixing member 15 on the anti-meshing side. The connecting portion 50 is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape in a cross section along the height direction of the element 40, and has a flat side surface 50a on the anti-meshing side that connects to the inclined surfaces 45a, 45b of the front body portion 43a and the back body portion 44a. Therefore, as shown in Figure 9, at the widthwise center of the element 40, the body portion 41 of the element 40 covers the entire outer peripheral surface of the fixing member 15 held at the heightwise center of the element 40. The connecting portion 50 need only be large enough to ensure the rigidity of the body portion 41 of the element 40, and preferably has, for example, a thickness T1 that is at least 1 / 4 of the depth D2 of the recess 45 at both widthwise ends of the element 40 (see Figure 9), and a width W3 in the widthwise direction of the element 40 that is at least 1 / 4 of the width dimension of the element 40 (see Figure 8).

[0040] As shown in Fig. 9, the recess 45 is formed so that the depth D2 at both widthwise ends of the element 40 is deeper than the depth D1 at the widthwise center. This allows the element mounting edge 7 of the fabric 6, housed within the recess 45, to extend further into the meshing portion at both widthwise ends of the element 40 than at the widthwise center, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. As a result, as seen from the front and back of the element member 10, the gap between the fixing members 15 between adjacent elements 40 and the element mounting edge 7 of the fabric 6 facing the fixing members 15 is eliminated or sufficiently reduced, improving the appearance of the slide fastener-equipped product 1. While Fig. 2 shows a gap between the fixing members 15 and the element mounting edge 7 of the fabric 6 for ease of explanation, in reality, the fixing members 15 are elastic and bulge slightly in the front-to-rear direction of the element 40, making the gap less noticeable. Furthermore, since the depth D1 of the recess in the widthwise center of the element 40 is shallower than the depth D2 at both widthwise ends, the rigidity of the body portion 41 of the element 40 can be ensured.

[0041] On the other hand, at the widthwise center of the element 40, the opposing side edge 7a of the element mounting edge 7 abuts against the connecting portion 50, and the tip portion thereof bulges in the height direction of the element 40 and is accommodated in the recess 45. This configuration can be seen in FIG.

[0042] As explained above, in the product 1 with slide fastener of this embodiment, the depth of the recess 45 formed on the anti-interlocking portion side of the body 41 is formed so that it is deeper at both widthwise ends than at the widthwise center of the element 40, so that the element attachment edge 7 of the fabric 6 housed in the recess 45 can reach the interlocking portion side at both widthwise ends than at the widthwise center of the element 40. Therefore, when viewed from the front and back of the element member 10, the gap between the fixing member 15 between adjacent elements 40 and the element attachment edge 7 of the fabric 6 facing the fixing member 15 is eliminated or made sufficiently small, thereby improving the appearance of the product 1 with slide fastener.

[0043] Next, the operation and effect when a pair of element members 10 in an interlocked state are curved along the longitudinal direction will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 13. Figure 10 is a front view of the main parts showing the element members in an interlocked state curved along the longitudinal direction. Figure 11 is a rear perspective view of the main parts of Figure 10. Figure 12 is a side view of Figure 10. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of Figure 10. Note that the fixing member 15 is a string-like member extending along the longitudinal direction so as to bridge between the elements 40, but for convenience of illustration, the fixing member 15 is omitted between adjacent elements 40 in Figures 11 and 12.

[0044] According to the element member 10 of this embodiment, when a pair of interlocked element members 10 (element rows 11) are bent in a direction such that the element front halves 43 (surfaces of the elements 40) face each other, the element width direction end X of the front body portion 43a can be brought into contact with the element width direction end X of the front body portion 43a of an adjacent element 40 on the same element member 10 before the front interlocking head portion 43b comes into contact with the front interlocking head portion 43b of the mating element. In this case, the end X of the front body portion 43a becomes the width direction end portion of the portion where the element width W1 is widest. In other words, when the pair of interlocked element members 10 are bent in a direction such that the element front halves 43 face each other, the element width direction end X of the front body portion 43a comes into contact with the element width direction end X of the front body portion 43a of an adjacent element 40 on the same element member 10 (on the fixing member 15), as shown in FIG. 12 . On the other hand, as shown in Figure 13, there is no contact between the meshing portion 42 (front side meshing head 43b) of the element 40 and the meshing portion 42 (front side meshing head 43b) of the mating element 40, and a gap S is formed.

[0045] According to this configuration, even when a pair of meshed element members 10 are bent along the longitudinal direction, the posture of the body portion 41 of the element 40 is more stable, and the body portion 41 (the widthwise end portion of the front body portion 43a) of the element 40 can be prevented from entering the recess 45 of an adjacent element 40. That is, as shown in Fig. 7, the element member 10 has a wider element width at (the rear end portion of) the front body portion 43a of the element front half portion 43, and as shown in Fig. 4, the pair of meshed element members 10 are configured so that the first gap S1 is greater than the second gap S2, thereby efficiently preventing chain cracking.

[0046] Furthermore, when a pair of element members 10 in an interlocked state are bent in a direction in which the element back halves 44 (back surfaces of the elements 40) face each other, the element width direction end of the back body portion 44a comes into contact with the element width direction end of the back body portion 44a of an adjacent element 40 in the same element member 10. On the other hand, there may be no contact between the interlocking portion 42 (back side interlocking head portion 44c and back side neck portion 44b) of one element 40 and the interlocking portion 42 (back side interlocking head portion 44c and back side neck portion 44b) of the mating element 40.

[0047] The mating portion 42 (rear neck portion 44b and rear mating head portion 44c) of the potbellied element rear half 44 may be fitted into and contacted with the potbellied mating ...

[0048] Furthermore, the shape of the interlocking portion 42 of the element front half portion 43 is not limited to the above example, as long as the first gap S1 between the front interlocking head portions 43b on the surfaces of adjacent mating elements 40 is larger than the second gap S2 between the front body portions 43a on the surfaces of adjacent elements 40 attached to the same adjacent fixing member 15. In other words, the shape of the front interlocking head portion (irregularly shaped portion) 43b of the element 40 can be changed depending on the design of the slide fastener 5. Furthermore, although the irregularly shaped portion 43b is arranged on the front side of the element member 10 in the above embodiment, the irregularly shaped portion 43b may also be arranged on the back side of the element member 10.

[0049] In the above embodiment, clothing has been described as the slide fastener product, but the slide fastener product according to the present invention includes not only clothing (apparel), but also various other products such as everyday items such as shoes and bags, industrial materials, and various types of seats for automobiles, trains, aircraft, etc.

[0050] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate changes, modifications, etc. are possible within the scope of feasibility.

[0051] As described above, the present specification discloses the following: (1) A slide fastener chain member having a pair of slide fastener element members (10) on the left and right, each element member having a string-like fixing member (15) extending in the longitudinal direction and a plurality of elements (40) attached to the fixing member (15) and forming an element row (11), wherein the pair of slide fastener element members (10, 10) on the left and right are interlockable with each other, the element (40) has an interlocking portion (42) that interlocks with the element (40) on the interlocking side, and a body portion (41) that extends in the left-right direction from the interlocking portion (42) and is fixed to the fixing member (15), and the body portion (41) is provided with a recess (45) that is recessed toward the fixing member (15) along the longitudinal direction on the anti-interlocking portion side that is opposite the interlocking portion (42) with respect to the fixing member (15), A slide fastener chain member, wherein, when the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are bent along the longitudinal direction in a direction such that the front surfaces or back surfaces of the elements (40) face each other while the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are interlocked, when the body portions (41) of the elements (40) adjacent to each other in the slide fastener element member (10) come into contact with each other, the interlocking portions (42) of the elements (40) adjacent to each other in the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are not in contact with each other. According to this configuration, when a pair of interlocked element rows is bent along the longitudinal direction, the body portions of elements adjacent in the longitudinal direction on the same element member come into contact with each other first, thereby stabilizing the position of the elements and preventing the elements from becoming disengaged.

[0052] (2) The slide fastener chain member according to (1), wherein the body portion (41) is formed so that the element width (W1, W2) in the longitudinal direction becomes wider toward the end on the anti-meshing side, and when the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are bent along the longitudinal direction in a direction so that the front surfaces or back surfaces of the elements (40) face each other, the end portions (X) in the element width direction of the body portions (41) of adjacent slide fastener element members (10) come into contact with each other. According to this configuration, when the pair of interlocked element members are bent along the longitudinal direction, the body portions of elements adjacent in the longitudinal direction on the same element member are likely to come into contact with each other first.

[0053] (3) The slide fastener chain member according to (1) or (2), wherein the meshing portion (42) has locking portions (44b, 44c) provided on the back side of the element (40) and formed in an elliptical shape of the element (40), and an irregularly shaped portion (43b) provided on the front side of the element (40) and formed to narrow toward the tip, and when the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are in a meshed state and the elements (40) are curved in a direction facing each other along the longitudinal direction, when the body portions (41) of the elements (40) adjacent to each other of the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) come into contact with each other, the irregularly shaped portions (43b) of the elements (40) adjacent to each other of the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) do not come into contact with each other. This configuration improves the appearance of the front side of the elements when viewed in the meshed state. Furthermore, even when a deformed portion is provided, the position of the element is stable when the pair of element members are bent, and the occurrence of chain cracking can be prevented.

[0054] (4) The chain member for a slide fastener according to (3), wherein the element width of the body portion (41) on the front side of the element (40) on which the irregularly shaped portion (43c) is provided is greater than the element width of the back side of the element (40) on which the locking portions (44b, 44c) are provided. This configuration can efficiently prevent the occurrence of chain cracking while improving the appearance of the front side of the elements that is visible in the engaged state.

[0055] (5) A slide fastener product comprising: the slide fastener chain member according to any one of (1) to (4); a slider (30) for engaging the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10); and fastener attachment members (7, 7) to which the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are attached. According to this configuration, even if the pair of engaged element rows are curved along the longitudinal direction, the elements can be prevented from disengaging, thereby improving the convenience and durability of the slide fastener product.

[0056] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Slide fastener product 5 Slide fastener 6 Fabric 7 Element attachment edge (fastener attachment member) 7a Opposite side edge 9 Side attachment edge 10 Slide fastener element member, element member 10, 10 Slide fastener chain member 11 Element row 15 Fixing member 20 Fixing sewing portion 21 Sewing thread 21a Upper thread 21b Lower thread 30 Slider 31 Slider body 32 Pull tab 33 Upper blade 34 Lower blade 36 Flange portion 37 Flange portion 38 Pull tab attachment portion 40 Element 41 Body portion 42 Interlocking portion 43 Element front half portion 43a Front body portion 43b Front interlocking head portion (irregularly shaped portion) 44 Element back half portion 44a Back body portion 44b Back neck portion (locking portion) 44c Back side interlocking head (locking portion) 45 Recess 45a Inclined surface 45b Inclined surface 45a1 Flat surface 45b1 Flat surface 46 Gradually decreasing portion 46a Head side inclined surface 47 Gradually increasing portion 47a Body inclined surface 48 Gradually increasing portion 50 Connecting portion 50a Side surface S1 First gap S2 Second gap W1 Element width of front side body W2 Element width of back side body W3 Width of connecting portion

Claims

1. A slide fastener chain member having a pair of left and right slide fastener element members, each slide fastener element member (10) comprising: a string-like fixing member (15) extending in the longitudinal direction; and a plurality of elements (40) attached to the fixing member (15) and forming an element row (11), wherein the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are engageable with each other, each element (40) having an engaging portion (42) that engages with the engaging partner element (40), and a body portion (41) that extends in the left-right direction from the engaging portion (42) and is fixed to the fixing member (15), a recess (45) that is recessed toward the fixing member (15) is provided along the longitudinal direction on the body portion (41) on the anti-engaging portion side that is opposite to the engaging portion (42) with respect to the fixing member (15), and when the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are engaged and curved in a direction in which the surfaces or the back surfaces of the elements (40) face each other along the longitudinal direction, when the body portions (41) of the adjacent elements (40) of the slide fastener element member (10) come into contact with each other, the engaging portions (42) of the adjacent elements (40) of the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are non-contact.

2. The element width (W1, W2) in the longitudinal direction is formed wider toward the end on the anti-engaging portion side of the body portion (41), and when the pair of left and right slide fastener element members (10, 10) are engaged and curved in a direction in which the surfaces or the back surfaces of the elements (40) face each other along the longitudinal direction, the ends (X) in the element width direction of the adjacent body portions (41) of the slide fastener element member (10) come into contact with each other. The slide fastener chain member according to claim 1.

3. The meshing portion (42) is provided on the back side of the element (40) and has locking portions (44b, 44c) formed in an elliptical shape of the element (40), and is provided on the front side of the element (40) and has a deformed portion (43b) formed to be narrower toward the tip end. When the left and right pair of slide fastener element members (10, 10) are meshed and the surfaces of the elements (40) are curved in the direction in which they face each other along the longitudinal direction, when the body portions (41) of the adjacent elements (40) of the slide fastener element members (10) come into contact with each other, the deformed portions (43b) of the adjacent elements (40) of the left and right pair of slide fastener element members (10, 10) are non-contact. The slide fastener chain member according to claim 1.

4. Regarding the element width at the end portion on the non-meshing portion side of the body portion (41), the element width on the front side of the element (40) provided with the deformed portion (43c) is larger than the element width on the back side of the element (40) provided with the locking portions (44b, 44c). The slide fastener chain member according to claim 3.

5. The slide fastener chain member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a slider (30) for meshing the left and right pair of slide fastener element members (10, 10), and a fastener-attached member (7, 7) to which the left and right pair of slide fastener element members (10, 10) are attached. A product with a slide fastener.

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