Separable fastener for hidden slide fastener, and hidden slide fastener including same

Abstract

Regarding a fastener (10) for a hidden slide fastener (1), a male member (11) has a protrusion (71) protruding in the front-back direction, and a front cover (62) of a female member (12) has a blocking surface (72) that prevents the protrusion (71) from being displaced in a direction away from a fastener tape (5) in a state in which insertion of a first rod part (11b) into at least an accommodation groove (61g) is completed.

Description

Separable fastener for concealed slide fastener and concealed slide fastener including the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a separable stop for a concealed slide fastener and a concealed slide fastener including the same.

[0002] One advantage of a hidden slide fastener is that fastener elements are selectively arranged on the back side, making it difficult to see the fastener elements from the front side. In order to further improve the flatness of the front side of such a hidden slide fastener, there is a demand for designing the stopper to be flat on its front side (see Patent Document 4).

[0003] Note that fasteners (also called opening devices) having the structures shown in Patent Documents 1 to 3 are also known as fasteners for concealed slide fasteners. For example, Figure 3 of Patent Document 1 illustrates a female member and a male member on the left and right, and more specifically, shows the state immediately before the rod portion of the male member is inserted into the groove in the box portion of the female member. Once the rod portion is completely inserted into the groove in the box portion, the male member is partially covered from the front side by the top plate of the box portion (see reference numeral 721 in the figure). Patent Document 2 also discloses a fastener of the same type as Patent Document 1. Patent Document 3 discloses that the female member is assembled from two parts.

[0004] Chinese Utility Model No. 203692690 Chinese Utility Model No. 2750700 Chinese Utility Model No. 2609395 Utility Model Registration No. 3188025

[0005] Like fasteners for conventional slide fasteners, there is a demand for fasteners for concealed slide fasteners to have the ability to maintain the closed state of the concealed slide fastener, in short, sufficient resistance to lateral pulling. The male component of the fastener is fixed to both the main tape portion and the folded portion of the fastener tape, and in short, has a base portion fixed to the main tape portion and a rod portion fixed to the folded portion. According to the inventor's research, when the concealed slide fastener is pulled sideways, a rotational moment is applied to the rod portion, which is offset to the rear side (i.e., located on a different plane on the rear side) from the base portion, which is on the same plane as the portion of the fastener tape to which the pulling force is applied, causing a relatively large deformation of the male component, and in some cases, it may even be partially damaged. It is believed that in the cases of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the portion corresponding to the base portion described above is displaced when the concealed slide fastener is pulled sideways, resulting in similar problems.

[0006] As can be seen from the above non-limiting description, the inventors of the present application have discovered a new problem of suppressing deformation of the male member of the stopper when the concealed slide fastener is pulled sideways.

[0007] A separable fastener according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a separable fastener for a hidden slide fastener in which a boundary line or boundary slit extending in the front-to-rear direction is formed between first and second folded portions of first and second fastener tapes, and first and second tape main portions of the first and second fastener tapes are arranged on both sides of the boundary line or boundary slit, and the separable fastener comprises: a male member fixed to the first fastener tape at a position adjacent to and rear of a first fastener element attached to the first folded portion of the first fastener tape; and a female member to which the male member can be separably coupled, the female member being fixed to the second fastener tape at a position adjacent to and rear of a second fastener element attached to the second folded portion of the second fastener tape, the male member including at least a first base portion fixed to the front and back surfaces of the first tape main portion, and a first rod portion fixed to the first folded portion and extending in the front-to-rear direction at a position rearward of the first base portion, The female member includes a housing portion having a housing groove formed therein into which the first rod portion can be inserted and removed in the front-to-rear direction, and a front cover that at least partially covers the male member from the front side when the first rod portion is inserted into the housing groove, the male member having a protrusion that protrudes in the front-to-back direction, and the front cover having a stop surface that prevents the protrusion from displacing in a direction away from the second fastener tape at least when the insertion of the first rod portion into the housing groove is complete.

[0008] A hidden slide fastener according to another aspect of the present disclosure comprises a first fastener stringer including a first fastener tape and a first fastener element, the first fastener element being attached to a first folded portion of the first fastener tape; a second fastener stringer including a second fastener tape and a second fastener element, the second fastener stringer including a second fastener tape and a second fastener element, the second fastener element being attached to a second folded portion of the second fastener tape; a separable fastener including a male member fixed to the first fastener tape at a position adjacent to the first fastener element; and a female member to which the male member can be separably connected, the female member being fixed to the second fastener tape at a position adjacent to the second fastener element; a boundary line or boundary slit extending in the front-to-rear direction is formed between the first and second folded portions; and first and second tape main portions of the first and second fastener tapes are arranged on both sides of the boundary line or boundary slit, The male component includes a first base portion fixed to at least the front and back surfaces of the first tape main portion, and a first rod portion fixed to the first folded portion and extending in the front-to-rear direction at a position behind the first base portion; the female component includes a housing portion having a housing groove formed therein into which the first rod portion can be inserted and removed in the front-to-rear direction, and a front cover that at least partially covers the male component from the front side when the first rod portion is inserted into the housing groove; the male component has a convex portion that protrudes in the front-to-rear direction, and the front cover has a stop surface that prevents the convex portion from displacing in a direction away from the second fastener tape at least when insertion of the first rod portion into the housing groove is complete.

[0009] The following features are applicable, alone or in any combination, to the separable fastener or hidden slide fastener described above.

[0010] Both the convex portion and the restraining surface may extend longitudinally in the front-rear direction. The front cover may extend in the front-rear direction and have a space into which the convex portion is inserted, and the restraining surface may be one wall surface defining the space. The width of the space may gradually decrease toward the rear. The female member may have a recess recessed toward the rear, into which the rear end of the convex portion can come into close contact. The female member may have at least one guide surface that guides the rear end of the convex portion, and the at least one guide surface may be inclined so as to move away from the second fastener tape as it extends rearward. An angle formed between a plane including the at least one guide surface and a center line of the concealed slide fastener may be less than 45°. The width of the convex portion may gradually decrease toward its rear end. The restraining surface may be one wall surface of a groove recessed in the front-rear direction and extending in the front-rear direction. The length of the convex portion in the front-rear direction may be equal to the length of the first rod portion in the front-rear direction. The maximum height of the convex portion from the front surface of the first base may be ½ or less or ⅓ or less of the maximum height of the first rod portion from the back surface of the first base. The first rod portion and the convex portion may be provided on opposite sides in the front-back direction. The stop surface may be at least partially spaced from the convex portion at least when the insertion of the first rod portion into the accommodating groove is complete.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to promote suppression of deformation of the male component of the stopper when the hidden slide fastener is pulled sideways.

[0012] 1 is a front elevational view of a concealed slide fastener according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a partial schematic view of the back side of the concealed slide fastener, showing a coil element in an engaged state. FIG. 3 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the concealed slide fastener, showing a schematic state in which a fastener element is fixed to a folded-back portion of a fastener tape. FIG. 4 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a stopper taken along dashed line X4-X4 in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an uncoupled state before a male member is coupled to a female member. The fastener tape has been omitted for convenience. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing an coupled state of a female member and a male member, with the male member shown by a two-dot chain line. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing an uncoupled state before a male member is coupled to a female member. FIG. 8 is a schematic side view showing an coupled state of a female member and a male member. FIG. 9 is a schematic horizontal cross-sectional view of a stopper taken along dashed line X9-X9 in FIG. 4. FIG. 10 is a schematic horizontal cross-sectional view of a stopper taken along dashed line X10-X10 in FIG. 4. FIG. 11 is a schematic horizontal cross-sectional view of a stopper taken along dashed line X11-X11 in FIG. 4. 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating a process of inserting a protrusion into a groove of a front cover, a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a fastener according to a first modified example, and a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a fastener according to a second modified example.

[0013] Various embodiments and features will be described below with reference to the drawings. Those skilled in the art will be able to combine the various embodiments and / or features without the need for excessive explanation, and will also be able to understand the synergistic effects of such combinations. Duplicate descriptions between embodiments will generally be omitted. The reference drawings are primarily intended to describe the invention, and are simplified for ease of illustration. Each feature is not only effective for the separable stopper for a concealed slide fastener disclosed in this application, but is understood as a universal feature that is also applicable to various other separable stoppers for concealed slide fasteners not disclosed in this specification.

[0014] In this specification, the front-to-rear direction corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the hidden slide fastener (or its fastener tape and fastener tape), the left-to-right direction corresponds to the width direction of the hidden slide fastener (or its fastener tape and fastener tape), and the front-to-back direction corresponds to the direction perpendicular to both the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions. Note that the front-to-rear direction can be redefined to correspond to the moving direction of the slider for opening and closing the hidden slide fastener.

[0015] First, the structure of the hidden slide fastener 1 will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the hidden slide fastener 1 is a long part that extends in a predetermined direction with a predetermined width, and is attached to an opening of an article (not shown) such as clothing, a bag, or shoes to enable the opening to be opened and closed. The surface 1m of the hidden slide fastener 1 does not have fastener elements 4 and 6, which will be described later, arranged thereon, and has a high degree of flatness. Therefore, when attached to an article, the hidden slide fastener 1 is prevented from being conspicuous from the outside.

[0016] The concealed slide fastener 1 has a (first or left) fastener stringer 2m, a (second or right) fastener stringer 2n, a slider 8, and a separable stopper 10. The fastener stringer 2m includes a (first or left) fastener tape 3 and a (first or left) fastener element 4. Similarly, the fastener stringer 2n includes a (second or right) fastener tape 5 and a (second or right) fastener element 6. In this specification, elements with the same name may be distinguished using terms such as first and second, or terms relating to direction, but these terms may be omitted solely for the sake of simplicity of description.

[0017] The fastener tapes 3, 5 are typically woven fabric, knitted fabric, or a mixture of these, and extend in the same predetermined direction as the concealed slide fastener 1. In the illustrated example, the fastener elements 4, 6 are coil elements (monofilament spirals with engaging heads provided at a predetermined pitch), but are not limited to this and may also be rows of fastener elements made of resin or metal. Resin fastener elements can be attached to the fastener tape by injection molding. Metal elements can be attached to the fastener tape by crimping.

[0018] The fastener tape 3 has both side edges 38, 39 located at both ends in the width direction and extending in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 2). The fastener tape 3 is folded along an imaginary line parallel to the longitudinal direction between the both side edges 38, 39, and has a folded portion 31 and a tape main portion 35 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The width of the folded portion 31 is set to a necessary and sufficient width for attaching fastener elements, and therefore is sufficiently smaller than the width of the tape main portion 35, typically 1 / 3 or less.

[0019] The boundary between the folded portion 31 and the main tape portion 35 can be distinguished based on whether it is within the plane PL (see FIG. 3 ) on which the main tape portion 35 exists. For example, in FIG. 3 , once the fastener tape 3 passes the boundary B1, it extends in a direction away from the plane PL, and therefore the boundary B1 can be used to distinguish the folded portion 31 from the main tape portion 35. The folded portion 31 includes a folded end formed by the above-mentioned folding, and this folded end faces the center plane CP including the center line CL of the concealed slide fastener 1. The same explanation as above applies to the fastener tape 5, except that both side ends 38, 39 are read as both side ends 58, 59, the folded portion 31 is read as the folded portion 51, and the main tape portion 35 is read as the main tape portion 55.

[0020] The fastener element 4 is attached to the folded portion 31 of the fastener tape 3 (for example, by sewing, injection molding, crimping, etc.), and the fastener element 6 is attached to the folded portion 51 of the fastener tape 5 (for example, by sewing, injection molding, crimping, etc.) (see FIG. 3). In the illustrated example, the fastener element 4 is located on the rear side compared to both the tape main portion 35 and the folded portion 31, but this is not necessarily the case. The same applies to the fastener element 6.

[0021] As the slider 8 advances, the fastener elements 4, 6 engage (in the illustrated coil-shaped element, the engaging heads of both elements engage alternately). At this time, a boundary line or boundary slit 9 extending in the front-to-rear direction is formed between the folded portions 31, 51. The folded portions 31, 51 are arranged on both sides of the boundary line or boundary slit 9 (similarly for the center line CL of the hidden slide fastener 1), and similarly, the tape main portions 35, 55 are arranged on both sides of the boundary line or boundary slit 9 (similarly for the center line CL of the hidden slide fastener 1). When the hidden slide fastener 1 is in the closed state, whether the folded portions 31, 51 contact each other on the center line CL of the hidden slide fastener 1 depends on the material of the fastener tapes 3, 5 (presence or absence of nap) and the degree or manner of folding. Generally, the folded portions 31, 51 do not contact each other on the center line CL of the hidden slide fastener 1, and a boundary slit is formed between them. The fastener elements may be visible from the front side through the boundary slit, but careful observation is required.

[0022] The backward movement of the slider 8 disengages the fastener elements 4, 6. As shown in FIG. 1 , the slider 8 includes a bottom plate 81, a separation post erected at the center of the width direction of the front of the bottom plate 81, a pull tab attachment portion 82 provided at the top of the separation post, left and right walls erected at the left and right side edges of the bottom plate 81, and left and right guide plates 83, 84 connected to the tops of the left and right walls. The slider 8 has two front openings on the left and right sides of the separation post and one rear opening at the rear of the separation post. A Y-shaped element passage is defined by the separation post and the left and right side walls. The guide plate 83 is inserted into the gap between the tape main portion 35 and the folded portion 31 formed by the above-mentioned folding, and the guide plate 84 is also inserted into the gap between the tape main portion 55 and the folded portion 51 formed by the above-mentioned folding, thereby ensuring smooth sliding of the slider 8. When the slider 8 is positioned at the rearmost position, the second rod portion 12b of the female member 12 (described later) is inserted into the slider 8 through the rear opening. This prevents the slider 8 from being displaced when a first rod portion 11b of a male member 11 (described later) is inserted into the slider 8 through the front opening of the slider 8.

[0023] The separable fastener 10 has a male member 11 and a female member 12 to which the male member 11 can be connected in a separable manner. The male member 11 is fixed to the fastener tape 3 at a position adjacent to and rear of the fastener element 4. The female member 12 is fixed to the fastener tape 5 at a position adjacent to and rear of the fastener element 6. The male member 11 and the female member 12 are typically made of resin and manufactured by injection molding, but are not limited to this and may also be made of metal. In particular, the female member 12 is not limited to being a one-part configuration and may be a two-part assembly.

[0024] 4 to 8. As shown in Fig. 4, the male component 11 has a first base portion 11a fixed to at least the front and back surfaces of the tape main portion 35, a first rod portion 11b fixed to the folded portion 31 and extending in the front-rear direction at a position on the back side of the first base portion 11a, and a first connecting portion 11c connecting the first base portion 11a and the first rod portion 11b in such a manner that a guide groove G1 is formed between them.

[0025] In some cases, the first base portion 11a is a flat wing portion (see FIGS. 4 and 5) existing on the plane PL (see FIG. 3). Preferably, the first base portion 11a has a surface 11p at a predetermined height from the surface 3p of the fastener tape 3 (specifically, the surface of the tape main portion 35) and a back surface 11q at a predetermined height from the back surface 3q of the fastener tape 3 (specifically, the back surface of the tape main portion 35). The thickness of the first base portion 11a is determined between the surface 11p and the back surface 11q. The first rod portion 11b is offset from the plane PL on which the first base portion 11a is disposed toward the back side in the front-back direction. This is a result of the male component 11 being fixed over a range spanning the tape main portion 35 and the folded portion 31. The first rod portion 11b may be molded to include the core cord provided in the folded portion 31. This enhances the attachment strength of the male component 11 to the fastener tape 3. The guide plate 83 described above can be inserted into the guide groove G1.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5, the female member 12 has an accommodation section 61 in which an accommodation groove 61g is formed, into which the first rod portion 11b can be inserted and removed in the front-to-rear direction, an obverse cover 62 that at least partially covers the male member 11 from the obverse side when the first rod portion 11b is inserted into the accommodation groove 61g, a second base portion 12a fixed to at least the obverse and reverse surfaces of the tape main portion 55, a second rod portion 12b fixed to the folded portion 51 and extending in the front-to-rear direction at a position behind the second base portion 12a, and a second connecting portion 12c that connects the second base portion 12a and the second rod portion 12b in such a way that a guide groove G2 is formed between them.

[0027] The receiving portion 61 and the front cover 62 are typically disposed opposite each other in the front-rear direction, thereby forming a box portion 63 that at least partially receives the male member 11 (particularly, its rear end or rear half). As shown in FIG. 4 , the receiving portion 61 has a bottom plate 41 that provides the bottom surface of the receiving groove 61g, a side wall 42 that rises from the bottom plate 41 on the side farther from the fastener tape 5, and a wall surface 61f that rises from the bottom surface of the receiving groove 61g on the side closer to the fastener tape 5 and faces the wall surface 42j of the side wall 42. The groove width of the receiving groove 61g is defined between the wall surface 42j of the side wall 42 and the wall surface 61f. In some cases, including the illustrated example, the wall surface 42j of the side wall 42 does not have a flange that protrudes toward the fastener tape 5 and is inserted into the guide groove G1. This facilitates easier insertion of the first rod portion 11b into the receiving groove 61g. Furthermore, even without such a flange, deformation of the male member 11 can be effectively suppressed as will be described later.

[0028] The front cover 62 may have a top plate 91 and side walls 92. The top plate 91 may face the bottom plate 41 in the front-rear direction. The side walls 92 may face the side walls 42 in the front-rear direction. A side window 45 is formed between the side walls 42 and 92. The side window 45 extends in the front-rear direction and has an open end at the front. The first base portion 11a (e.g., the rear end or rear half) of the male member 11 is inserted into this side window 45. The side window 45 can be omitted, but in this case, the box portion 63 may become large. Note that the wall surface 61f described above extends to the front side until it connects to the top plate 91 and faces the side wall 92 (the stop surface 72 described below).

[0029] One or more or all of the second base portion 12a, the second rod portion 12b, and the second connecting portion 12c may be connected to the box portion 63. Like the first base portion 11a, the second base portion 12a is a flat wing portion that exists on the plane PL. Preferably, the second base portion 12a has a surface 12p at a predetermined height from the surface 5p of the fastener tape 5 (i.e., the surface of the tape main portion 55) and a back surface 12q at a predetermined height from the back surface 5q of the fastener tape 5 (i.e., the surface of the tape main portion 55). The second rod portion 12b is offset from the plane PL on which the second base portion 12a is disposed, toward the rear side in the front-to-back direction. The front cover 62 may be connected to the surface 12p of the second base 12a and disposed on the front side thereof (i.e., in another plane that is on the front side of the plane PL). The bottom plate 41 of the storage portion 61 may be offset from the rear side of the second rod portion 12b. This arrangement ensures a sufficient space height between the bottom plate 41 and the top plate 91 (in the front-to-back direction).

[0030] In this embodiment, the male member 11 (e.g., its first base portion 11a) has a protrusion 71 protruding in the front-rear direction, and the front cover 62 has a stop surface 72 that prevents the protrusion 71 from displacing away from the fastener tape 5 at least when the first rod portion 11b has been completely inserted into the receiving groove 61g. As a result, even if the fastener tapes 3, 5 are pulled laterally away from the center line CL (or center plane CP) in the width direction, the protrusion 71 abuts against the stop surface 72, preventing the displacement and suppressing the generation of rotational torque RT (see FIG. 4 ) on the first rod portion 11b. Thus, deformation and / or (full or partial) damage to the male member 11 is effectively avoided or suppressed. When the first rod portion 11b has been completely inserted into the receiving groove 61g, the protrusion 71 may abut partially or fully against the stop surface 72. In some cases, a gap is intentionally provided between the two, as described below.

[0031] Preferably, both the protrusion 71 and the stop surface 72 extend longitudinally in the front-to-rear direction (in this case, the protrusion 71 becomes a ridge) to ensure sufficient contact between them. As shown in the illustrated example, the length of the protrusion 71 in the front-to-rear direction is preferably equal to the length of the first rod portion 11b in the front-to-rear direction, but this is not necessarily limited to this. Also, while the first rod portion 11b and the protrusion 71 are located on opposite sides in the front-to-rear direction, this is not necessarily limited to this. In the illustrated example, the stop surface 72 is provided by one wall surface of the side wall 92 connected to the top plate 91 facing the fastener tape 5, but other configurations are also possible. The protrusion 71 may have any cross-sectional shape, such as a rectangular, triangular, semicircular, or semi-elliptical shape. The stop surface 72 is not limited to a flat surface in a plane perpendicular to the width direction, but may be an inclined surface inclined at any (typically shallow) angle relative to that plane. The stop surface 72 may also be a rough surface with a predetermined surface roughness.

[0032] In some cases, the front cover 62 has a space S1 extending in the front-rear direction and into which the protrusion 71 is inserted, and the stop surface 72 is one wall surface defining the space S1. In the case shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 , the front cover 62 is recessed in the front-rear direction to define the space S1, and a groove 73 extending in the front-rear direction is formed, with one wall surface of the groove 73 (located more distally from the fastener tape 5) providing the stop surface 72 (in other words, functioning as the stop surface 72). To reiterate, as described above, the front cover 62 has a top plate 91 and a side wall 92, and one wall surface of the side wall 92 can provide the stop surface 72. The groove 73 can be defined between the side wall 92 and the wall surface 61f. Needless to say, the stop surface 72 is not limited to a groove having a bottom surface, but can also be formed by forming a hole or opening without a bottom surface.

[0033] The manner in which the male member 11 is coupled to the female member 12 is as shown in Figures 5 to 8. Typically, the rear end or rear half of the male member 11 is housed in the box portion 63 of the female member 12. The front end or front half of the male member 11 is located in front of the box portion 63 without being housed therein. In the coupled state of the male member 11 and female member 12 shown in Figures 6 and 8, the slider 8 moves backward until it is adjacent to the box portion 63, and the first rod portion 11b and the second rod portion 12b are inserted into the slider 8. The first connecting portion 11c and the second connecting portion 12c are inserted between the guide plates 83 and 84. On the other hand, the first base portion 11a and the second base portion 12a are both located on the front side of the guide plates 83 and 84 of the slider 8. This means that if the male member 11 (especially the first base portion 11a) has the above-mentioned convex portion 71, the flatness of the surface of the concealed slide fastener 1 will be reduced. Therefore, the protrusion 71 is preferably formed to have a low height. For example, the maximum height of the protrusion 71 from the surface 11p of the first base portion 11a may be 1 / 2 or 1 / 3 or less of the maximum height of the first rod portion 11b from the back surface 11q of the first base portion 11a. Incidentally, forming the protrusion 71 on the first base portion 11a has the advantage of increasing the mechanical strength of the male member 11, which cannot be overlooked.

[0034] 9 to 11 show horizontal cross-sectional views of the separable fastener 10. As shown in FIG. 9, the width W1 of the space S1 preferably gradually decreases toward the rear. This allows for both easy insertion of the protrusion 71 into the space S1 and the ability of the stop surface 72 to stop the protrusion 71. In relation to this, the female member 12 (e.g., the top plate 91 or the box portion 63) preferably has a recess 75 recessed toward the rear, into which the rear end 71c of the protrusion 71 can come into close contact. Additionally or alternatively, the female member 12 (e.g., the top plate 91 or the box portion 63) preferably has at least one guide surface 76 for guiding the rear end 71c of the protrusion 71. This guide surface 76 may be inclined away from the fastener tape 5 (or the center line CL) as it extends rearward. The acute angle θ formed by the plane PL9 including the guide surface 76 and the center line CL of the concealed slide fastener 1 is preferably less than 45°. Furthermore, in relation to the above-mentioned viewpoint, it is preferable that the width W71 of the protrusion 71 gradually decreases toward the rear end 71c.

[0035] The length of the stopping surface 72 in the front-to-rear direction is preferably at least one-third of the length of the convex portion 71 in the front-to-rear direction (see FIG. 9 ), which promotes sufficient stopping of the convex portion 71 by the stopping surface 72. As shown in FIG. 9 , the stopping surface 72 may include a main stopping surface 72a, an intermediate surface 72b, and a secondary stopping surface 72c that matches one side wall surface of the recess 75. The main stopping surface 72a extends from near the rear end of the convex portion 71 to near its middle so as to have a length sufficient to stop the convex portion 71. The main stopping surface 72a is formed on a plane perpendicular to the width direction, but may be inclined relative to this plane. The intermediate surface 72b is formed midway between the main stopping surface 72a and the recess 75 (secondary stopping surface 72c), which ensures the continuity of the stopping surface 72. The intermediate surface 72b slopes toward the center line CL as it extends rearward from the rear end of the primary stopping surface 72a. The secondary stopping surface 72c is a contact surface that the rear end 71c of the protrusion 71 comes into contact with when the first rod portion 11b is completely inserted into the accommodation groove 61g. It does not matter whether the protrusion 71 comes into contact with the stopping surface 72b when the first rod portion 11b is completely inserted into the accommodation groove 61g.

[0036] When the male member 11 is completely inserted into the box portion 63, there is a slight gap (in the width direction) between the protrusion 71 and the main stopping surface 72a. The stopping surface 72 is provided for the purpose of suppressing deformation of the male member 11 during lateral pulling, and it is acceptable for a gap to be formed between the protrusion 71 and the stopping surface 72. In fact, the gap between the protrusion 71 and the stopping surface 72 can facilitate the ease of coupling of the female member 12 and the male member 11.

[0037] 10 and 11 are shown for reference purposes only. As shown in FIG. 10, the first base portion 11a is not entirely contained within the box portion 63. As shown in FIG. 11, the first rod portion 11b can abut against the wall surface of the container portion 61 at two locations indicated by dotted circles. Other configurations are also possible. As can be seen from FIG. 11, the container groove 61g can be formed to penetrate the container portion 63 in the front-to-rear direction. This facilitates the discharge of liquid or dust that has entered the container portion 63.

[0038] The procedure for closing the concealed slide fastener 1 will be described with reference to Figure 12. The slider 8 (not shown) is located adjacent to the front of the female member 12. The first stem 11b of the male member 11 is inserted into the slider 8 through the left front opening. At this time, the guide plate 83 is inserted into the guide groove G1 between the first stem 11b and the first base 11a. When the first stem 11b of the male member 11 is further inserted into the slider 8, the first stem 11b is inserted into the receiving groove 61g. Simultaneously, the convex portion 71 of the male member 11 is inserted into the space S1 (groove 73 in the illustrated example). If the guide surface 76 is provided as described above, the rear end 71c of the convex portion 71 slides rearward on the guide surface 76, and the convex portion 71 moves backward while rotating clockwise. Finally, the rear end 71c of the convex portion 71 fits into the recess 75 described above, positioning the convex portion 71. A gap is provided between the stopping surface 72 (particularly the main stopping surface 72a) and the protrusion 71, which provides the above-mentioned advantages.

[0039] The manufacturing method of the concealed slide fastener 1 will be clear to those skilled in the art from the above description. For example, a first fastener element is attached to a first fastener tape, and then a male member is injection molded onto the first fastener tape. A second fastener element is attached to a second fastener tape, and then a female member is injection molded onto the second fastener tape. As an alternative to injection molding, crimping of the metal members that are the male or female members can also be employed.

[0040] For reference, Figure 13 shows that the protrusion 71 is formed by forming a recess 101 on the male member 11, and the stop surface 72 is formed by forming a protrusion 102 on the front cover 62. Typically, the protrusion 102 can be loosely fitted into the recess 101. For reference, Figure 14 shows a modified example in which the stop surface 72 is provided by the wall surface of a hole or opening, rather than the wall surface of a groove. In any modified example, the same effect as described above can be obtained as long as the same features as described above are provided.

[0041] In light of the above teachings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to each embodiment and each feature. The reference numerals in the claims are for reference purposes only and should not be used to limit the scope of the claims. The protrusion 71 may have various other shapes, such as a cylindrical button, a triangular pyramid, a square pyramid, or a cone. In all illustrated examples, the protrusion 71 protrudes from the front side, but it may also be provided so as to protrude from the back side. That is, it is also possible to provide a separate cover on the male member 11 that further covers the front cover 62 of the female member 12 from the front side, and provide a protrusion protruding from the back side of this separate cover.

[0042] 1: Slide fastener 2m, 2n: Fastener stringer 3, 5: Fastener tape 4, 6: Fastener element 8: Slider 9: Boundary line or boundary slit 10: Stopper 11: Male member 11a: First base portion 11b: First rod portion 12: Female member 31: Folded portion 35: Tape main portion 51: Folded portion 55: Tape main portion 61: Storage portion 61f: Wall surface 61g: Storage groove 62: Front cover 63: Box portion 71: Convex portion 72: Restricting surface 73: Groove

Claims

1. A separable fastener (10) for a concealed slide fastener (1), in which a boundary line or boundary slit (9) extending in the front-to-rear direction is formed between the first and second folded portions (31, 51) of the first and second fastener tapes (3, 5), and the first and second tape main portions (35, 55) of the first and second fastener tapes (3, 5) are arranged on both sides of the boundary line or boundary slit (9), comprising: a male member (11) fixed to the first fastener tape (3) at a position adjacent to and rearward of a first fastener element (4) attached to the first folded portion (31) of the first fastener tape (3); and a female member (12) to which the male member (11) can be separably coupled, the female member (12) being fixed to the second fastener tape (5) at a position adjacent to and rearward of a second fastener element (6) attached to the second folded portion (51) of the second fastener tape (5). The male member (11) includes at least a first base portion (11a) fixed to the front and back surfaces of the first tape main portion (35), and a first rod portion (11b) fixed to the first folded portion (31) and extending in the front-rear direction at a position behind the first base portion (11a); the female member (12) includes a housing portion (61) formed with a housing groove (61g) into which the first rod portion (11b) can be inserted and removed in the front-rear direction, and a front cover (62) that at least partially covers the male member (11) from the front side when the first rod portion (11b) is inserted into the housing groove (61g); A separable fastener, wherein the male member (11) has a protrusion (71) protruding in the front-to-back direction, and the front cover (62) has a stop surface (72) that prevents the protrusion (71) from displacing in a direction away from the second fastener tape (5) at least when the insertion of the first rod portion (11b) into the accommodating groove (61g) is complete.

2. A separable fastener according to claim 1, wherein both the protrusion (71) and the stop surface (72) extend longitudinally in the front-to-rear direction.

3. A detachable fastener as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the front cover (62) extends in the front-to-rear direction and has a space (S1) into which the protrusion (71) is inserted, and the stop surface (72) is one of the wall surfaces that defines the space (S1).

4. A separable fastener according to claim 3, wherein the width (W1) of the space (S1) gradually decreases toward the rear.

5. A separable fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the female member (12) has a recess (75) recessed rearward into which the rear end (71c) of the protrusion (71) can come into close contact.

6. A separable fastener as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the female member (12) has at least one guide surface (76) for guiding the rear end (71c) of the convex portion (71), and the at least one guide surface (76) is inclined so as to move away from the second fastener tape (5) as it extends rearward.

7. A separable fastener as described in claim 6, wherein the angle between the plane (PL9) containing the at least one guide surface (76) and the center line (CL) of the hidden slide fastener (1) is less than 45°.

8. A separable fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the width (W71) of the protrusion (71) gradually decreases towards its rear end (71c).

9. A separable fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the stop surface (72) is one wall surface of a groove (73) that is recessed in the front-to-back direction and extends in the front-to-rear direction.

10. A detachable fastener as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the length of the convex portion (71) in the fore-and-aft direction is equal to the length of the first rod portion (11b) in the fore-and-aft direction.

11. A separable fastener as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the maximum height of the convex portion (71) from the surface (11p) of the first base portion (11a) is less than 1 / 2 or 1 / 3 of the maximum height of the first rod portion (11b) from the back surface (11q) of the first base portion (11a).

12. A separable fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first rod portion (11b) and the protrusion (71) are provided on opposite sides in the front-to-back direction.

13. A separable fastener as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the stop surface (72) is at least partially spaced apart from the protrusion (71) at least when the insertion of the first rod portion (11b) into the accommodating groove (61g) is complete.

14. A first fastener stringer (2m) including a first fastener tape (3) and a first fastener element (4), wherein the first fastener element (4) is attached to a first folded portion (31) of the first fastener tape (3); a second fastener stringer (2n) including a second fastener tape (5) and a second fastener element (6), wherein the second fastener stringer (2n) includes a second fastener tape (5) and a second fastener element (6), wherein the second fastener element (6) is attached to a second folded portion (51) of the second fastener tape (5); a separable fastener (10) including a male member (11) fixed to the first fastener tape (3) at a position adjacent to the first fastener element (4), and a female member (12) to which the male member (11) can be separably connected, wherein the separable fastener (10) includes a female member (12) fixed to the second fastener tape (5) at a position adjacent to the second fastener element (6); A hidden slide fastener (1) in which a boundary line or boundary slit (9) extending in the front-to-rear direction is formed between the first and second folded portions (31, 51), and first and second tape main portions (35, 55) of the first and second fastener tapes (3, 5) are arranged on both sides of the boundary line or boundary slit (9), wherein the male member (11) includes at least a first base portion (11a) fixed to the front and back surfaces of the first tape main portion (35), and a first rod portion (11b) fixed to the first folded portion (31) and extending in the front-to-rear direction at a position behind the first base portion (11a), The female member (12) includes a storage section (61) formed with a storage groove (61g) into which the first rod portion (11b) can be inserted and removed in the front-rear direction, and a front cover (62) that at least partially covers the male member (11) from the front side when the first rod portion (11b) is inserted into the storage groove (61g), wherein the male member (11) has a protrusion (71) that protrudes in the front-rear direction, and the front cover (62) has a stop surface (72) that prevents the protrusion (71) from displacing in a direction away from the second fastener tape (5) at least when insertion of the first rod portion (11b) into the storage groove (61g) is complete.

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