Slider

Abstract

This slider (1) is provided with a slider body (10), a stop member (50), a cover body (70), and a pull tab (40), the stop member (50) having a rotary shaft part (52), a head part (51) that supports the rotary shaft part (52), a neck part (53) that extends rearward from the head part (51), a base part (54) that is connected to the rear end part of the neck part (53), and at least one claw part that protrudes from the bottom surface (54c) of the base part (54), the stop member (50) having a shaft-facing inner peripheral surface (59) that surrounds an attachment shaft part (43) of the pull tab (40), and the at least one claw part being provided further forward in the slider length direction than a reference position (60) when the position of the part of the stop member (50) that is disposed most rearward of the shaft-facing inner peripheral surface (59) is defined as the reference position (60). Through this configuration, the stop function of the stop member (50) can be stably exhibited.

Description

slider

[0001] The present invention relates to a slider.

[0002] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 9-294612 (Patent Document 1) describes a slider equipped with a stopping mechanism using a stopping member (claw). The slider stopping mechanism is structured to perform a function of holding the slider, which has stopped relative to the element row after a sliding operation of the slider, so that it does not move from that stopping position (hereinafter, such a function will be referred to as a stopping function).

[0003] In the slider stopping mechanism described in Patent Document 1, for example, when a finger is released from the pull tab after sliding the slider using the pull tab, the elastic force applied to the stopping member causes a claw portion provided on the stopping member to advance into the element guide path of the slider body and engage with the fastener element, thereby holding the slider at the stopping position relative to the element row.

[0004] Patent Document 1 also describes that when a slider is formed from four components, for example, a slider body, a pull tab, a stop member, and a cover body, all four components can be formed from synthetic resin.

[0005] In fact, the slider with a stop mechanism described in Patent Document 1 has been applied to a type of slide fastener in which multiple fastener elements are formed by injection molding synthetic resin into a fastener tape, and has been put into practical use.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-294612

[0007] One type of slide fastener is known, which is formed by forming a fastener element by molding a synthetic resin monofilament into a coil shape, and then attaching the coil-shaped fastener element to a fastener tape by sewing.

[0008] A slide fastener in which fastener elements are formed by molding a monofilament into a coil shape is completely different from a slide fastener in which fastener elements are formed by injection molding a synthetic resin in terms of the shape of the fastener elements and the means for fixing the fastener elements to the fastener tape.

[0009] Furthermore, in the past, when a slider equipped with a stop mechanism was used for a slide fastener having a coil-shaped fastener element, the stop member, which is one of the components of the slider, was generally made of metal. Such a metal stop member had a different shape from the synthetic resin stop member described in Patent Document 1, for example, due to differences in material, strength, and moldable shapes.

[0010] In recent years, awareness of recycling has increased. Therefore, from the perspective of improving recyclability, there is a demand for sliders equipped with stopping mechanisms to be manufactured using only synthetic resin parts, without using metal parts.

[0011] However, when a slider having a stop member made of synthetic resin is applied to a slide fastener having a coil-shaped fastener element, simple improvements such as changing the size of the stop member described in Patent Document 1 to match the coil-shaped fastener element cannot properly engage the claw portion of the stop member with the fastener element when the sliding of the slider is stopped.

[0012] Furthermore, even if the claw portion of the stopping member engages with the fastener element, the engaged claw portion may easily come out of the fastener element due to, for example, the dangling of the pull tab, and the engagement may be released. For this reason, the slider stopping function of the synthetic resin stopping member could not be stably exerted for the coil-shaped fastener element.

[0013] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a slider that can stably perform the stopping function of a stopping member even when the stopping member is made of synthetic resin.

[0014] In order to achieve the above object, the slider provided by the present invention comprises a slider body in which an element guide path is formed between an upper blade and a lower blade, a stop member having a rotation shaft portion rotatably held on the slider body, a cover body that covers at least a part of the stop member and is attached to the slider body, and a pull tab having an attachment shaft portion that is held between the slider body and the cover body, and the element guide path is a slider that communicates with left and right shoulder openings provided at the front end of the slider in the length direction and a rear opening provided at the rear end of the slider in the length direction, and the stop member supports the rotation shaft portion. a head portion extending rearward from the head portion, a neck portion extending rearward from the head portion, a base portion connected to the rear end of the neck portion, and at least one claw portion protruding from the bottom surface of the base portion, and the stop member has an axially opposed inner surface formed across the head portion, the neck portion, and the inner periphery of the base so as to surround the mounting shaft portion of the pull tab, and when the position of the rearmost portion of the axially opposed inner surface in a side view of the stop member seen from the slider width direction is defined as a reference position in the front-to-rear direction, at least one of the claw portions is located forward of the reference position in the slider length direction.

[0015] In the slider of the present invention, the claw portion preferably has a first claw portion provided forward of the reference position in the slider length direction in the side view of the stopping member, and a second claw portion provided at a position overlapping with the reference position in the slider length direction. In this case, it is preferable that a lower end of the first claw portion is disposed farther away from the bottom surface of the base portion in the slider height direction than a lower end of the second claw portion.

[0016] In the slider of the present invention, the bottom surface of the base portion preferably has a central flat surface disposed between the first and second claws along the slider length direction, and a rear flat surface disposed rearward of the first and second claws in the slider length direction and along the slider width direction, the upper blade preferably has a claw hole penetrating from the upper surface of the upper blade to the element guide path, and a base mounting portion disposed in the claw hole and on which the base portion is mounted, the base mounting portion preferably having a T-shape supporting the central flat surface and the rear flat surface of the base portion. Also, it is preferable that the dimension of the base portion in the slider width direction is smaller than the dimension of the claw hole in the slider width direction.

[0017] It is preferable that the first claw portion and the second claw portion each have an outer surface facing outward in the slider width direction, and that the outer surface of at least one of the first claw portion and the second claw portion has a rearward inclined surface that gradually reduces the dimension of the first claw portion or the second claw portion in the slider width direction toward the rear.

[0018] It is preferable that the first claw portion and the second claw portion each have an outer surface facing outward in the slider width direction, and that the outer surface of at least one of the first claw portion and the second claw portion has a downwardly inclined surface that gradually reduces the dimension of the first claw portion or the second claw portion in the slider width direction downward.

[0019] The base portion of the stopping member has a rear upper end surface that is located rearward of the connecting portion to which the neck portion is connected, and it is preferable that the rear upper end surface of the base portion has a rotation limiting surface that abuts against a part of the cover body to limit the rotation of the stopping member when the stopping member rotates in the direction of extracting the claw portion from the element guide path.

[0020] It is preferable that, in the side view of the stopping member, the position of the surface or portion of the stopping member that is located most forward of the rotating shaft portion coincides or approximately coincides with the position of the front end surface facing forward of the head portion.

[0021] According to the slider of the present invention, even when the stopping member is made of synthetic resin, the stopping function of the stopping member can be stably exhibited.

[0022] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a disassembled state of a slider according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing a stopping member of the slider shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view schematically showing a part of the stopping member enlarged from another direction. FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing a slider body and a stopping member. FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically showing a slider body and a stopping member. FIG. 7 is a schematic view explaining positions where a first claw portion and a second claw portion of the stopping member engage with an element row. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state where the stopping member is pulled up relative to the slider body and a cover body.

[0023] The present inventors have investigated the reason why the claw portion of the stopping member does not properly engage with the fastener element when the synthetic resin stopping member described in Patent Document 1 is applied to a slide fastener having a coil-shaped fastener element.

[0024] As a result, it was discovered that the sewing thread used to sew the coil-shaped fastener element to the fastener tape affected the engagement of the claw portion of the stop member, and that it was difficult to engage the claw portion with the portion where the left and right fastener elements interlocked within the element guide path of the slider body.

[0025] Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research in light of the above-mentioned causes, and have found a structure for a stopping member that allows two claw portions to properly engage with the left and right fastener elements of a coil-shaped fastener in a slide fastener, thereby completing the present invention. Below, a slider according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0026] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a disassembled state of a slider according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side view showing a stop member. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged perspective views showing a portion of the stop member enlarged from different directions. Figs. 5 and 6 are a side view and a plan view showing a slider body and a stop member, respectively.

[0027] In the following description of the slider 1, the front-to-rear direction is the slider length direction (or the length direction of the cover body 70) and also the direction along the sliding direction of the slider 1. In particular, in a slide fastener, the direction in which the slider 1 moves to engage the left and right element rows 5 is referred to as the front (shoulder-side direction), and the direction in which it moves to separate the element rows 5 is referred to as the rear (rear-side direction).

[0028] The up-down direction is the slider height direction, and refers to, for example, the direction perpendicular to the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 of the slider body 10. In this case, the direction in which the cover body 70 (or the pull tab 40) is attached to the slider body 10 of the slider 1 is the up direction, and the opposite direction is the down direction. The left-right direction is the slider width direction, and refers to the direction perpendicular to the slider length direction and the slider height direction.

[0029] The slider 1 according to this embodiment is used in a slide fastener having a pair of left and right fastener stringers in which coil-shaped fastener elements 6 are sewn to a fastener tape with sewing threads (needle threads and louver threads). In this case, the needle threads and louver threads of the sewing threads are intertwined to form a sewn portion 7, and a plurality of fastener elements 6 are sewn to the fastener tape by the sewn portion 7 (see FIG. 7). In addition, an element row 5 is formed on the tape side edge portion of the fastener tape by the plurality of fastener elements 6 sewn to the fastener tape.

[0030] The slider 1 for a slide fastener of this embodiment is slidably attached to the element rows 5 of the left and right fastener stringers. The slider 1 is equipped with a stop mechanism (automatic stop mechanism) that automatically performs the stopping function of the stop member 50 when, for example, the user releases his or her finger from the pull tab 40 after sliding the slider 1.

[0031] The slider 1 is formed of four components: a slider body 10, a pull tab 40, a stop member 50, and a cover body 70. All four components are formed from a synthetic resin having thermoplastic properties. The slider body 10, the pull tab 40, the stop member 50, and the cover body 70 can each be produced by injection molding of a synthetic resin. Note that the material of the slider 1 is not limited in the present invention; for example, at least one of the slider body 10, the pull tab 40, the stop member 50, and the cover body 70 may be formed from a metal.

[0032] The slider body 10 has an upper wing 11, a lower wing 12 arranged parallel or approximately parallel to the upper wing 11, a connecting column 13 connecting the front end (shoulder end) of the upper wing 11 and the front end (shoulder end) of the lower wing 12, left and right flange portions 14 provided on the left and right side edges of the upper wing 11, and left and right lower rib portions 15 provided on the left and right sides of the lower wing 12.

[0033] Left and right shoulder openings are formed at the front end of the slider body 10, with a connecting pillar 13 sandwiched between them. A rear opening is formed at the rear end of the slider body 10. A substantially Y-shaped element guide path is formed between the upper blade 11 and the lower blade 12 of the slider body 10, connecting the left and right shoulder openings and the rear opening.

[0034] The left and right element rows 5 are inserted into the element guide passages in the slider body 10. In this case, the left and right flange portions 14 of the slider body 10 are formed so that the fastener elements 6 can be slidably contacted with the inner surfaces of the flange portions 14, thereby regulating the left-right position of the fastener elements 6.

[0035] Tape insertion gaps for inserting the fastener tapes of the slide fastener are provided on the left and right side edges of the slider body 10. Each of the left and right tape insertion gaps is formed between the flange portion 14 and the lower rib portion 15 of the slider body 10.

[0036] The slider body 10 has a front mounting post 21 extending upward from the front end of the upper blade 11, a rear mounting post 22 extending upward from the rear end of the upper blade 11, a pair of left and right mounting walls 26 formed to extend rearward from the front mounting post 21, and a pull tab guide 27 provided between the mounting walls 26 and the rear mounting post 22 in a side view of the slider body 10. The front mounting post 21, the rear mounting post 22, the mounting wall 26, and the pull tab guide 27 are provided on the upper blade 11 integrally with the upper blade 11.

[0037] The slider body 10 is provided with an accommodating recess 28 formed by recessing the upper surface of the upper wing plate 11 between the left and right mounting wall portions 26, a claw hole 31 that penetrates the upper wing plate 11 in the vertical direction, and a base mounting portion 32 on which the base portion 54 of the stopping member 50, which will be described later, is mounted within the claw hole 31.

[0038] The front mounting pillar 21 and the rear mounting pillar 22 of the slider body 10 each have a support pillar portion 23 extending upward from the upper blade 11 and an engaging claw portion 24 provided at the upper end of the support pillar portion 23. Step portions 25 are provided along the front-to-rear direction on the left and right side portions of the upper end of the front mounting pillar 21 and the rear mounting pillar 22.

[0039] The step portions 25 of the front mounting pillar 21 and the rear mounting pillar 22 are formed so that the portion of the front mounting pillar 21 or the rear mounting pillar 22 above the step portion 25 is smaller in the width direction than the portion below the step portion 25. When the cover body 70 is attached to the slider body 10, an inner protrusion 73 (described below) provided on the inside of the cover body 70 comes into contact with the step portions 25 of the front mounting pillar 21 and the rear mounting pillar 22 from above, or is positioned close to the above.

[0040] The engaging claw portion 24 of the front mounting pillar 21 protrudes forward from the support pillar portion 23, and is formed in a triangular shape with an inclined surface sloping downward toward the front and a lower end surface parallel to the front-to-rear direction when viewed from the side of the slider body 10. The engaging claw portion 24 of the rear mounting pillar 22 protrudes rearward from the support pillar portion 23, and is formed in a triangular shape with an inclined surface sloping downward toward the rear and a lower end surface parallel to the front-to-rear direction when viewed from the side of the slider body 10.

[0041] Each of the left and right mounting walls 26 extends upward in a thin plate shape from the top surface of the upper blade 11. Each mounting wall 26 is arranged in the front-to-rear direction, extending rearward from the support pillar 23 of the front mounting pillar 21. A gap is provided between the left and right mounting walls 26 so that a head portion 51 (described later) of the stopping member 50 can be inserted.

[0042] The left and right mounting walls 26 each have an upper surface parallel to the upper surface of the upper blade 11, an inclined surface sloping downward toward the rear, and an insertion recess 26a formed so as to recess downward from the upper surface of the mounting wall 26. The insertion recess 26a is provided in the vertical direction up to the position of the upper surface of the upper blade 11 or a position near the upper surface.

[0043] Left and right rotary shaft portions 52 (described later) of the stop member 50 are inserted from above into the insertion recesses 26a of the mounting wall portion 26. The insertion recesses 26a rotatably hold the inserted rotary shaft portions 52 and also hold the rotary shaft portions 52 so that they can move up and down. The spacing between the insertion recesses 26a in the front-to-rear direction is formed to be the same size as the diameter of the rotary shaft portions 52 of the stop member 50, or slightly larger than that diameter. The bottom surface (lower surface) of the insertion recesses 26a is formed in an arc shape when viewed from the side of the slider body 10.

[0044] The upper surface of the mounting wall 26 is provided at the same height as the step surface (upper surface) of the step portion 25 provided on the front mounting column 21, and when the cover body 70 is attached to the slider body 10, the inner protrusion 73 of the cover body 70 contacts the upper surface of the mounting wall 26 from above or is positioned close to the upper side. As a result, the insertion recess 26a of the mounting wall 26 is blocked from above by the inner protrusion 73 of the cover body 70. Therefore, the rotation shaft 52 of the stopping member 50 inserted into the insertion recess 26a of the mounting wall 26 can be prevented from slipping out of the insertion recess 26a to the upper side.

[0045] The pull tab guide portion 27 has left and right vertical guide wall portions 27a extending along the front-rear direction and guide rib portions 27b extending along the left-right direction so as to connect the front ends of the left and right vertical guide wall portions 27a (see FIG. 6). In a plan view of the slider body 10, the left and right vertical guide wall portions 27a and the guide rib portions 27b surround from the outside a part of the rectangular claw hole 31 provided in the upper blade 11. The left and right vertical guide wall portions 27a are positioned outward of the left and right mounting wall portions 26 in the left-right direction.

[0046] The pull tab guide portion 27 is formed in a triangular shape with a guide inclined surface that slopes downward toward the front and a rear end surface that faces rearward when viewed from the side of the slider body 10. Because the pull tab guide portion 27 has such an inclined guide surface and the inclined surface of the mounting wall portion 26 are provided, when the pull tab 40 is tilted at an angle parallel to the upper blade 11, for example, the mounting shaft portion 43 (described later) of the pull tab 40 can be easily moved to a position between the mounting wall portion 26 and the pull tab guide portion 27.

[0047] The accommodation recess 28 of the slider body 10 has a shape that is concave downward when viewed, for example, in a cross section perpendicular to the left-right direction of the slider body 10 (see FIG. 8 ), and is provided rearward from the rear wall surface of the front mounting pillar 21. The accommodation recess 28 is formed to have a constant cross-sectional shape (or a constant space) from the left mounting wall 26 to the right mounting wall 26.

[0048] When the slider 1 is assembled, a part of a head portion 51 (described later) of the stopping member 50 is inserted into the accommodating recess 28. The accommodating recess 28 is formed with a depth and size such that the head portion 51 of the stopping member 50 does not come into contact with the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 28 even when the rotation shaft portion 52 of the stopping member 50 moves up and down within the insertion recess 26a of the mounting wall portion 26. When viewed in the cross section of Figure 8, for example, the bottom surface of the accommodating recess 28 is located above the position of the lower surface of the upper blade 11 (the inner wall surface facing the element guide path) in the vertical direction.

[0049] The claw hole 31 penetrates from the upper surface of the upper blade 11 to the element guide path. In a plan view of the slider body 10 seen from above (see, for example, FIG. 6 ), the claw hole 31 has a shape that allows the insertion of the stop member 50 (particularly, the base portion 54 of the stop member 50, which will be described later). For example, in the present embodiment, the claw hole 31 is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view of the slider body 10 so as to correspond to the shape of the base portion 54 of the stop member 50. As shown in FIG. 6 , the claw hole 31 is provided in the center of the upper blade 11 in the left-right direction. The claw hole 31 is provided between the left and right mounting wall portions 26 and the rear mounting post 22 in the front-rear direction.

[0050] A base mounting portion 32 is provided in the claw hole 31. This base mounting portion 32 is arranged at a position where the base portion 54 of the stopping member 50 can be mounted when a first claw portion 55 and a second claw portion 56 (described later) of the stopping member 50 are inserted into the element guide path of the slider body 10 (i.e., when engaged with the fastener element 6).

[0051] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, the base mounting portion 32 is disposed at the lower end of the claw hole 31, and a step is formed between the upper surface of the base mounting portion 32 and the upper surface of the upper blade 11. The lower surface of the base mounting portion 32 is formed continuously with the lower surface of the upper blade 11 without forming a step.

[0052] 6, the base mounting portion 32 of this embodiment has a vertical mounting portion 32a arranged along the front-rear direction in the center of the left-right direction of the claw hole 31, and a horizontal mounting portion 32b arranged along the left-right direction at the rear end of the claw hole 31. In other words, the base mounting portion 32 has an inverted T-shape in a plan view of the slider body 10.

[0053] In particular, in the slider 1 of this embodiment, the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 of the stopping member 50 are disposed closer to the front end of the base portion 54, as will be described later, and therefore the base portion 54 of the stopping member 50 has a shape that extends further rearward than the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56. As a result, in the base mounting portion 32 of this embodiment, not only can the vertical mounting portion 32a be installed in the center of the claw hole 31 in the left-right direction, but also a horizontal mounting portion 32b can be installed to mount the portion of the base portion 54 that extends further rearward than the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56.

[0054] In particular, in this embodiment, although the vertical mounting portion 32a is formed relatively thin due to the narrow gap between the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 of the stopping member 50, the strength of the base mounting portion 32 can be increased by the inverted T-shape of the base mounting portion 32. This allows the base portion 54 of the stopping member 50 to be supported more stably by the base mounting portion 32.

[0055] Furthermore, since the base mounting portion 32 of this embodiment supports the base portion 54 of the stopping member 50 within the claw hole 31, it is possible to limit the depth to which the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 of the stopping member 50 penetrate into the element guide path. This prevents the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 of the stopping member 50 from penetrating too deeply into the element guide path, allowing the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 to be properly engaged with the fastener element 6. Furthermore, in the case where the slide fastener has a separable end stop that includes, for example, an insert pin, a box pin, and a box body, when the insert pin is inserted into the element guide path of the slider body 10, the insert pin is less likely to get caught on the first claw portion 55 or the second claw portion 56, and can be stably inserted into the box body.

[0056] The pull tab 40 of this embodiment includes a pull tab main body 41 that is gripped by the user's fingers, left and right arm portions 42 extending from one end of the pull tab main body 41, and an attachment shaft 43 connecting the tips of the left and right arm portions 42. A cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the attachment shaft 43 has a circular or nearly circular shape. The pull tab 40 has a rectangular opening window surrounded by the pull tab main body 41, the left and right arm portions 42, and the attachment shaft 43. The attachment shaft 43 of the pull tab 40 is held between the slider body 10 and the cover body 70. The shape, size, and material of the pull tab 40 are not particularly limited in the present invention.

[0057] The stopping member 50 is formed from a molded body obtained by injection molding a synthetic resin, and the entire stopping member 50 is formed as a single unit. The stopping member 50 is formed from an elastic synthetic resin. In the present invention, the material of the stopping member 50 is not particularly limited.

[0058] The stopping member 50 has a head portion 51 inserted between the left and right mounting wall portions 26 of the slider body 10, left and right rotation shaft portions 52 protruding outward in the left-right direction from the head portion 51, a neck portion 53 extending rearward from the head portion 51, a base portion 54 connected to the rear end of the neck portion 53, claw portions 55 and 56 protruding downward from a bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54, and an elastic extension portion 58 extending from the head portion 51 and capable of elastic deformation. The stopping member 50 has a shape symmetrical left and right with respect to the center position in the left-right direction, excluding the claw portions 55 and 56.

[0059] The head portion 51 of the stopping member 50 has a plate-like shape with a constant dimension in the left-right direction. The lower end of the head portion 51 is accommodated in the accommodation recess 28 of the slider body 10. The head portion 51 has a front end surface 51a facing forward, a lower end surface that is continuous with the lower end of the front end surface 51a via a curved surface, and a pair of left and right side surfaces that are perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0060] In a side view of the stopping member 50 (FIG. 2), the front end surface 51a of the head portion 51 is formed as a curved surface that is slightly convex forward. The front end surface 51a of the head portion 51 may also be formed as a linear flat surface. The lower end surface of the head portion 51 faces downward and is formed as a flat surface along the front-to-rear direction. Each side surface of the head portion 51 is formed as a flat surface.

[0061] The width dimension (dimension in the left-right direction) of the head portion 51 is set to be smaller than the distance between the left and right mounting wall portions 26. In this embodiment, the width dimension of the head portion 51 is set to be the same as the width dimension of the portion of the front mounting pillar 21 above the step portion 25.

[0062] The rotating shaft 52 of the stopping member 50 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is installed at the front end of the head 51. When viewed from the side of the stopping member 50, the frontmost surface (outer peripheral surface) or portion of the rotating shaft 52 is aligned with the front end surface 51 a of the head 51.

[0063] As a result, when the stopping member 50 is lifted, for example, by bringing the mounting shaft 43 of the pull tab 40 into contact with the neck portion 53 of the stopping member 50 from below, a wider gap can be secured between the position of the rotating shaft 52 and the position where the mounting shaft 43 contacts the neck portion 53. Therefore, when the slider 1 is slid by holding the pull tab 40, the stopping member 50 can be lifted with a lighter force to a position where the first claw 55 and the second claw 56 are removed from the element guide path. In the stopping member 50 of the present invention, the rotating shaft 52 may be disposed in a position that is approximately aligned with the position of the front end face of the head portion 51, with a slight deviation, for example, within ±0.5 mm, in the front-to-rear direction.

[0064] The neck portion 53 of the stopping member 50 extends rearward from the head portion 51 and is formed to have a larger left-right dimension than the head portion 51. The neck portion 53 has a shape that is convexly curved upward in a side view of the stopping member 50 (FIG. 2).

[0065] The neck portion 53 has a concavely curved inner peripheral surface, a convexly curved outer peripheral surface, and flat left and right side surfaces. The left-right dimension of the neck portion 53 (the distance between the left and right side surfaces) is set to be larger than the distance between the left and right mounting walls 26 and smaller than the left-right dimension of the nail holes 31.

[0066] A protrusion 53a is provided at the rear end of the neck portion 53, protruding outward from the outer circumferential surface of the neck portion 53. The protrusion 53a is located in the center in the left-right direction of the neck portion 53. The provision of this protrusion 53a can increase the strength of the neck portion 53 and the base portion 54 of the stopping member 50.

[0067] The base portion 54 of the stopping member 50 is the portion that is inserted into the claw hole 31 of the slider body 10, and is placed on the base placement portion 32 of the slider body 10 when the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 of the stopping member 50 engage with the fastener element 6. The base portion 54 has a connecting portion 54a that connects to the rear end of the neck portion 53, and the base portion 54 and the neck portion 53 are formed integrally via the connecting portion 54a. The base portion 54 has left and right flat side surfaces that are perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0068] The base portion 54 is formed with a left-right dimension (the distance between the left and right side surfaces) that is set to a constant size that is larger than the left-right dimension of the neck portion 53. Furthermore, the base portion 54 is formed with a left-right dimension that is smaller than the left-right dimension of the claw holes 31. In particular, the base portion 54 of this embodiment is formed with a left-right dimension that is smaller than the maximum left-right dimension of the front mounting post 21 and the rear mounting post 22. Furthermore, the left-right dimension of the base portion 54 is set to be smaller than the left-right dimension between the outer surfaces of the left and right rotation shaft portions 52 of the stopping member 50.

[0069] Since the base portion 54 has a larger left-right dimension than the neck portion 53, the left and right first claw portions 55 and second claw portions 56 can be provided spaced apart from each other on the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54. Since the left-right dimension of the base portion 54 is smaller than the left-right dimension of the claw hole 31, and further smaller than the left-right dimension between the outer surfaces of the left and right rotation shaft portions 52, the position of the stop member 50 attached to the slider body 10 can be easily moved (adjusted) in the left-right direction relative to the slider body 10. This makes it easier to engage the first claw portions 55 and second claw portions 56 provided on the stop member 50 with the left and right fastener elements 6, respectively.

[0070] The base portion 54 has a rear upper end surface 54b disposed rearward of the connecting portion 54a, an inner peripheral surface formed continuously with the inner peripheral surface of the neck portion 53, a rear end surface extending downward from the rear end of the rear upper end surface 54b via a bent portion, and a bottom surface 54c disposed in a direction perpendicular to the rear end surface. The rear upper end surface 54b, the rear end surface, and the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 are each formed as a flat plane.

[0071] The rear upper end surface 54b of the base portion 54 has a rotation limiting surface 54f that abuts against the inner protrusion 73 of the cover body 70 (described later) and limits the rotation of the stopping member 50 when the stopping member 50 rotates relative to the slider body 10 around the rotation shaft portion 52 in the direction in which the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 exit the element guide path (for example, the clockwise direction in Figure 5).

[0072] 6, the rotation limiting surfaces 54f are provided on the left and right side edges of the rear upper end surface 54b of the base portion 54 so as to correspond to the installation positions of the inner protrusions 73 of the cover body 70. By providing such rotation limiting surfaces 54f on the base portion 54, the rotation angle of the stopping member 50 can be limited, and therefore the elastic extensions 58 of the stopping member 50 can be prevented from being excessively elastically deformed in a direction that narrows the gap between the neck portion 53 and the elastic extensions 58 due to rotation of the stopping member 50. This prevents the elastic force of the stopping member 50 from weakening even if the stopping member 50 is repeatedly elastically deformed.

[0073] In this case, since the rotation limiting surface 54f is provided on the rear upper end surface 54b of the base portion 54 where the thickness of the base portion 54 is ensured to be large, the rotation limiting surface 54f of the base portion 54 can stably abut against the inner protrusion 73 of the cover body 70. Furthermore, even if the rotation limiting surface 54f of the stopping member 50 repeatedly abuts against the inner protrusion 73 of the cover body 70, damage to the stopping member 50 can be made less likely.

[0074] In a side view of the stopping member 50 (FIG. 2), the inner peripheral surface of the base portion 54 has a concavely curved surface and an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the front. The lower end of the inner peripheral surface of the base portion 54 is located forward of the boundary between the inner peripheral surfaces of the neck portion 53 and the base portion 54.

[0075] The rear end surface and bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 are oriented perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction and perpendicular to the up-down direction, respectively, when the base portion 54 of the stopping member 50 is placed on the base mounting portion 32 of the slider body 10. The rear end surface and bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 are each formed to be approximately rectangular. In this case, the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 is formed so that the front-to-rear dimension is larger than the sum of the front-to-rear dimension of the first claw portion 55 or the second claw portion 56 and the front-to-rear dimension of a claw reinforcement portion 57 (described later), and is also formed so that the front-to-rear dimension is smaller than the front-to-rear dimension of the claw hole 31.

[0076] 3 and 4, the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 has a central flat surface 54d that is disposed in the front-to-rear direction between the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56, and a rear flat surface 54e that is disposed in the left-to-right direction and is disposed rearward of the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56. When the base portion 54 is placed on the base placement portion 32 of the slider body 10, the central flat surface 54d and the rear flat surface 54e of the base portion 54 are in direct contact with and supported by the vertical placement portion 32a and the horizontal placement portion 32b of the base placement portion 32, respectively.

[0077] The claws 55, 56 of the stopping member 50 include a first claw 55 provided at the front end of the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 in the front-rear direction, and a second claw 56 provided rearward of the first claw 55. The first claw 55 protrudes downward from the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54. The first claw 55 is provided on the right edge of the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 in the left-right direction.

[0078] The height dimension from the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 of the first claw portion 55 to the claw bottom end of the first claw portion 55 is set to be larger than the diameter of the cross section of the monofilament forming the fastener element 6 and smaller than the vertical dimension of the flange portion 14 of the slider body 10. This allows the first claw portion 55 to be stably engaged with the fastener elements 6 forming the element row 5.

[0079] When the first claw portion 55 is viewed from below with the stopping member 50 placed on the base mounting portion 32 of the slider body 10, the dimension of the first claw portion 55 in the front-to-rear direction is set to be 10% to 40% of the dimension of the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 in the front-to-rear direction. The dimension of the first claw portion 55 in the left-to-right direction is set to be 10% to 40% of the dimension of the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 in the left-to-right direction.

[0080] By setting the dimensions of the first claw portion 55 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction as described above, it is possible to appropriately ensure the strength of the first claw portion 55. Furthermore, when the first claw portion 55 is engaged with the fastener elements 6, the first claw portion 55 can be smoothly inserted between the two fastener elements 6.

[0081] The first claw portion 55 is provided with a claw reinforcement portion 57 that extends rearward from the first claw portion 55 and is formed integrally with the base portion 54. The claw reinforcement portion 57 is formed so that the height dimension from the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 to the lower surface of the claw reinforcement portion 57 is 50% or less of the height dimension from the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 to the bottom end of the claw in the first claw portion 55. The claw reinforcement portion 57 can increase the strength of the first claw portion 55.

[0082] The first claw portion 55 has a rearward inclined surface 55a that is inclined so that the left-right dimension of the first claw portion 55 gradually decreases rearward, and a downward inclined surface 55b that is inclined so that the left-right dimension of the first claw portion 55 gradually decreases downward. The rearward inclined surface 55a and the downward inclined surface 55b of the first claw portion 55 are each provided on the outer side surfaces of the first claw portion 55 in the left-right direction. The rearward inclined surface 55a is provided above the downward inclined surface 55b. The rearward inclined surface 55a and the downward inclined surface 55b are adjacent to each other via a ridge portion (boundary portion).

[0083] The rear inclined surface 55a of the first claw portion 55 is formed so as to form an inclination angle of 45° with respect to the front-rear direction of the slider body 10. By providing such a rear inclined surface 55a on the first claw portion 55, it is possible to appropriately ensure the strength of the first claw portion 55, while making it difficult for the first claw portion 55 to interfere with the sewn portion 7 of the sewing thread that sews the fastener element 6 when the first claw portion 55 is engaged with the fastener element 6 of the right element row 5, as will be described later. Therefore, the first claw portion 55 can be smoothly inserted between the fastener elements 6 adjacent in the front and rear in the right element row 5, and can be stably engaged with the fastener element 6.

[0084] The downward inclined surface 55b of the first claw portion 55 is formed so as to form an inclination angle of 45° with respect to the up-down direction of the slider body 10. By providing such a downward inclined surface 55b on the first claw portion 55, for example, when a slide fastener is provided with a right-insertion separable bottom end stop whose insert pin is inserted into the slider body 10 from the right side, it is possible to prevent the insert pin of the separable bottom end stop from interfering with the first claw portion 55 of the stopping member 50 and preventing the slider body 10 from being inserted. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in the operability of the separable bottom end stop due to the installation of the first claw portion 55.

[0085] The second claw portion 56 of the stopping member 50 protrudes downward from the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54. The second claw portion 56 is provided at a position that is spaced apart from the front edge of the base portion 54 and also spaced apart from the rear edge of the base portion 54 in the front-to-rear direction of the base portion 54. In this embodiment, the second claw portion 56 is provided at a position closer to the front of the base portion 54 so that the distance from the front edge of the base portion 54 to the second claw portion 56 in the front-to-rear direction is shorter than the distance from the rear edge of the base portion 54 to the second claw portion 56. The second claw portion 56 is provided on the left edge of the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 in the left-to-right direction.

[0086] The height dimension from the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 of the second claw portion 56 to the bottom end of the claw of the second claw portion 56 is set to be larger than the diameter of the cross section of the monofilament forming the fastener element 6 and smaller than the vertical dimension of the flange portion 14 of the slider body 10.

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the height dimension of the second claw portion 56 is set smaller than the height dimension of the first claw portion 55, and the lower end of the first claw portion 55 is positioned farther from the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 than the lower end of the second claw portion 56.

[0088] Here, in the slider 1 of this embodiment, when comparing the respective positions of the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 of the stopping member 50 when they enter the element guide path of the slider body 10, for example, as shown in Figure 7, the first claw portion 55 enters the element guide path at a position rearward of the connecting pillar 13 and forward of the second claw portion 56 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0089] On the other hand, the left and right element rows 5 inserted into the element guide passage of the slider body 10 bend the coil-shaped fastener elements 6 so as to temporarily widen the gap between the front and rear adjacent fastener elements 6 in the area behind the connecting pillar 13 and in the portion before the left and right fastener elements 6 are interlocked. In this case, at the position where the first claw portion 55 enters the element guide passage of the slider body 10, the gap between the front and rear adjacent fastener elements 6 is wider than at the position where the second claw portion 56 enters the element guide passage of the slider body 10.

[0090] Therefore, in the slider 1 of this embodiment, the first claw portion 55, which has a height dimension larger than that of the second claw portion 56, is closer to the connecting post 13 than the second claw portion 56 and can be inserted deeper between the fastener elements 6 than the second claw portion 56 at a position where the interval between the fastener elements 6 is larger. Also, the second claw portion 56 is farther from the connecting post 13 than the first claw portion 55 and can be inserted shallower between the fastener elements 6 than the first claw portion 55 at a position where the interval between the front and rear adjacent fastener elements 6 is smaller than that of the first claw portion 55.

[0091] In this way, in the present embodiment, by making the height dimension of the first claw portion 55 larger than the height dimension of the second claw portion 56, the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 can be inserted to an appropriate depth according to the spacing between the front and rear adjacent fastener elements 6, and can be stably engaged with the fastener elements 6. Note that in the present invention, the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 may have the same height dimension.

[0092] In the present embodiment, the dimension of the second claw portion 56 in the front-rear direction is set to 10% to 40% of the dimension of the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 in the front-rear direction, similar to the first claw portion 55. The dimension of the second claw portion 56 in the left-right direction is also set to 10% to 40% of the dimension of the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 in the left-right direction, similar to the first claw portion 55.

[0093] The second claw portion 56 is provided with a claw reinforcement portion 57 that extends forward from the second claw portion 56 and is formed integrally with the base portion 54 in order to increase the strength of the second claw portion 56. The claw reinforcement portion 57 is formed so that the height dimension from the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54 to the lower surface of the claw reinforcement portion 57 is 50% or less of the height dimension of the second claw portion 56.

[0094] Similar to the first claw portion 55, the second claw portion 56 has a rearward inclined surface 56a that is inclined so that the left-right dimension of the second claw portion 56 gradually decreases rearward, and a downward inclined surface 56b that is inclined so that the left-right dimension of the second claw portion 56 gradually decreases downward. The rearward inclined surface 56a and the downward inclined surface 56b of the second claw portion 56 are each provided on the outer side surfaces in the left-right direction of the second claw portion 56. The rearward inclined surface 56a is provided above the downward inclined surface 56b.

[0095] The rearward inclined surface 55a provided on the second claw portion 56 makes it possible to appropriately ensure the strength of the second claw portion 56 while making it difficult for the second claw portion 56 to interfere with the sewn portion 7 of the sewing thread that sews the fastener element 6. The downward inclined surface 55b provided on the second claw portion 56 prevents, for example, when a left-side insertion separable bottom end stop is provided on the slide fastener, the insert pin of the separable bottom end stop from interfering with the second claw portion 56 of the stop member 50, preventing the slider body 10 from being unable to be inserted.

[0096] In the stopping member 50 of this embodiment, the left-right distance between the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 (in other words, the left-right dimension of the central flat surface 54d of the base portion 54) is set smaller than the left-right dimension of the head portion 51 of the stopping member 50. As a result, when the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 of the stopping member 50 are inserted into the element guide path of the slider body 10, the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 can be stably engaged with the fastener element 6 at a position inside the sewn portion 7 of the sewing thread that sews the fastener element 6 to the fastener tape.

[0097] The elastic extension 58 of the stopping member 50 biases the stopping member 50 in the rotational direction in which the first claw 55 and the second claw 56 enter the element guide path. This elastic extension 58 has a deformed base end 58a connected to the upper end of the head portion 51, and an elastic piece 58b extending diagonally upward and rearward from the deformed base end 58a. The deformed base end 58a and the elastic piece 58b each have a left-right dimension that is the same as the left-right dimension of the head portion 51.

[0098] The deformed base end 58a of the elastic extension 58 extends upward from the head 51 so that the dimension of the deformed base end 58a in the front-to-rear direction gradually decreases, and is curved rearward. The front surface of the deformed base end 58a faces forward and is curved in an arc-like or convex shape when viewed from the side of the stopping member 50 (FIG. 2). The front surface of the deformed base end 58a is smoothly continuous with the front end surface 51a of the head 51 without any steps or irregularities between them.

[0099] The elastic piece 58b of the elastic extension 58 has a flat first surface (outer surface) and a flat second surface (inner surface) disposed on the opposite side of the first surface. The elastic piece 58b has a long, narrow plate-like shape with a constant or approximately constant thickness between the first and second surfaces of the elastic piece 58b. The tip (upper end) of the elastic piece 58b comes into contact with the inner surface of a top plate 71a (described later) of the cover body 70 when the slider 1 is assembled.

[0100] In a side view of the stopping member 50 (FIG. 2), the elastic piece 58b extends straight upward and diagonally rearward from the deformed base end 58a. The elastic piece 58b is formed to be inclined at an inclination angle θ of 10° to 40° relative to the front-to-rear direction. The elastic piece 58b, the head portion 51, and the neck portion 53 are formed so that the vertical dimension of the space formed therebetween gradually increases rearward.

[0101] When the stop member 50 rotates around the rotating shaft 52 in the direction in which the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 exit the element guide passage, the elastic piece portion 58b elastically deforms into a curved shape so as to narrow the space between the elastic piece portion 58b and the head portion 51 and the neck portion 53, thereby more strongly urging the stop member 50 in the direction in which the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 enter the element guide passage (see, for example, Figure 8).

[0102] The stopping member 50 of this embodiment has an axially opposed inner peripheral surface 59 that is disposed to surround the mounting shaft 43 of the pull tab 40 when the slider 1 is assembled, in a side view of the stopping member 50 ( FIG. 2 ). This axially opposed inner peripheral surface 59 of the stopping member 50 is formed by the inner peripheral surfaces of the head portion 51, the neck portion 53, and the base portion 54, spanning the continuous inner peripheral portions of the head portion 51, the neck portion 53, and the base portion 54. Inside this axially opposed inner peripheral surface 59, an accommodation space 50a for accommodating the mounting shaft 43 of the pull tab 40 is formed, for example, in a shape recessed diagonally upward and rearward.

[0103] Here, in a side view of the stopping member 50 of this embodiment in a state (orientation) in which the stopping member 50 is placed on the base mounting portion 32 of the slider body 10, the position of the rearmost portion of the axially facing inner circumferential surface 59 of the stopping member 50 is virtually defined as a reference position 60, as shown in Figure 2, for example. In this case, the first claw portion 55 of the stopping member 50 is provided forward of the reference position 60, and the second claw portion 56 is provided to overlap the reference position 60.

[0104] Since the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 of the stop member 50 are arranged as described above relative to the reference position 60, the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 can be inserted into the element guide path of the slider body 10 in a range rearward of the connecting pillar 13 in the element guide path of the slider body 10 and at a position closer to the connecting pillar 13, as shown in Figure 7, for example.

[0105] The left and right fastener elements 6 are not interlocked at a position in the element guide path close to the connecting column 13. Furthermore, since the left and right fastener elements 6 are interlocked at a position forward of the portion (straight portion 14a described later) where the left and right flange portions 14 are parallel to each other, the interval between the fastener elements 6 adjacent in the front-rear direction tends to widen. Therefore, the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 of the stopping member 50 inserted into the element guide path can be smoothly engaged with the fastener elements 6.

[0106] Here, the left and right flange portions 14 of the slider 1 have a straight portion 14a where the inner wall surfaces of the left and right flange portions 14 are parallel, and a curved portion 14b where the inner wall surfaces of the flange portions 14 curve outward in the left-right direction so that the distance between the left and right flange portions 14 gradually increases forward from the front end of the straight portion 14a.

[0107] In this case, the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 of the stopping member 50 are located forward of the boundary portion 14c between the straight portion 14a and the curved portion 14b of the flange portion 14 in the front-to-back direction relative to the slider body 10, and are also located rearward of the front end of the flange portion 14 (the front end of the curved portion 14b).

[0108] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 of the stopping member 50 are arranged as described above relative to the reference position 60, the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 can be installed at a position closer to the rotating shaft portion 52 of the stopping member 50.

[0109] For example, in the stopping member 50 of this embodiment, the engagement state between the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 and the fastener element 6 can be released by rotating the stopping member 50 upward around the rotation shaft portion 52 from a state in which the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 are engaged with the fastener element 6.

[0110] In this case, in the stop member 50 of this embodiment, compared to, for example, a case where the first claw portion and the second claw portion of the stop member are installed behind the above-mentioned reference position (comparison example), a larger rotation angle and rotation amount of the stop member 50 can be ensured when rotating the stop member 50 from a first rotation position (for example, the position of the stop member 50 shown in Figure 5) where the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 are engaged with the fastener element 6 to a second rotation position (for example, the position of the stop member 50 shown in Figure 8) where the engagement between the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 and the fastener element 6 is released.

[0111] In other words, in the slider 1 having the stopping member 50 of this embodiment, the engagement state between the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 and the fastener element 6 is maintained while the stopping member 50 rotates from the first rotation position to a larger rotation amount, compared to the case of the comparative example described above, and the stopping function of the stopping member 50 can be exerted.

[0112] 1 and 8, the cover body 70 has a box-shaped cover main body 71 that is open downward, and front and rear engaging protrusions 72 and left and right inner protrusions 73 provided inside the cover main body 71. The cover main body 71 has a top plate 71a that is long in the front-to-rear direction, a front wall 71b that extends and curves downward from the front end of the top plate 71a, a rear wall 71c that extends and curves downward from the rear end of the top plate 71a, and left and right side wall portions that extend downward from the left and right side edges of the top plate 71a.

[0113] The top plate 71a of the cover body 71 has a shape that curves upward in a convex shape in the front-to-rear direction. The front wall 71b and rear wall 71c of the cover body 71 are formed continuously from the top plate 71a. The front wall 71b of the cover body 71 has a smooth front end surface facing forward, and the rear wall 71c has a smooth rear end surface facing rearward.

[0114] The left and right side walls of the cover main body 71 are connected to the top plate 71a, front wall 71b, and rear wall 71c via curved portions, respectively. An insertion opening 74, into which the mounting shaft 43 of the pull tab 40 is inserted, is provided in the center of the side walls of the cover main body 71 in the front-to-rear direction. The insertion opening 74 of the cover main body 71 opens so as to extend upward from the lower end of the side wall.

[0115] The engagement protrusions 72 of the cover body 70 protrude inward in the front-to-rear direction from the inner wall surfaces of the front wall 71b and the rear wall 71c of the cover main body 71. In a cross-sectional view (e.g., FIG. 8) perpendicular to the left-to-right direction of the cover body 70, the front and rear engagement protrusions 72 are formed in a triangular shape having upper end surfaces that engage with the engagement claws 24 of the front mounting pillar 21 and the rear mounting pillar 22 of the slider body 10 and inclined surfaces that are inclined with respect to the up-down direction so as to be able to engage with the engagement claws 24 of the front mounting pillar 21 and the rear mounting pillar 22 of the slider body 10.

[0116] If the cover body 70 is made of synthetic resin and has such front and rear engaging protrusions 72, for example, when attaching the cover body 70 to the slider body 10, the cover body 70 can be placed over the front mounting columns 21 and rear mounting columns 22 of the slider body 10 from above while slightly elastically deforming at least one of the cover body 70, the front mounting columns 21, and the rear mounting columns 22, thereby allowing the front and rear engaging protrusions 72 of the cover body 70 to hook and engage with the engaging claws 24 provided on the front mounting columns 21 and rear mounting columns 22 of the slider body 10. This allows the cover body 70 to be easily attached to the front mounting columns 21 and rear mounting columns 22 of the slider body 10 by snapping them together.

[0117] The left and right inner protrusions 73 of the cover body 70 protrude inward in the left-right direction from the left and right side wall portions of the cover main body 71. The left and right inner protrusions 73 are connected to the top plate portion 71a of the cover main body 71. Each of the left and right inner protrusions 73 has a front protrusion 73a extending rearward from the front wall portion 71b of the cover main body 71, and a rear protrusion 73b extending forward from the rear wall portion 71c of the cover main body 71.

[0118] The left and right front protrusions 73a are arranged in contact with or close to the upper side of the step 25 provided on the front mounting column 21 of the slider body 10 and the upper surface of the mounting wall 26. By having the front protrusions 73a in contact with or close to the upper surface of the mounting wall 26, the insertion recess 26a provided in the mounting wall 26 can be closed from above, like a lid. This prevents the rotation shaft 52 of the stopping member 50 held in the insertion recess 26a of the mounting wall 26 from slipping out of the insertion recess 26a.

[0119] The left and right rear protrusions 73b are arranged in contact with or close to the upper side of the step portions 25 provided on the rear mounting posts 22 of the slider body 10. The rear protrusions 73b are also arranged to come into contact with a part of the rear upper end surface 54b of the base portion 54 (rotation limiting surface 54f) when the stopping member 50 is rotated in the direction in which the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 are pulled out of the element guide path.

[0120] Next, we will explain how to manufacture the slider 1 of this embodiment by assembling the four components described above: the slider body 10, the pull tab 40, the stop member 50, and the cover body 70. First, the pull tab 40 is placed on the upper wing 11 of the slider body 10. At this time, the mounting shaft 43 of the pull tab 40 is inserted between the mounting wall 26 and the pull tab guide 27 of the slider body 10, and the front mounting post 21 or the rear mounting post 22 is inserted into the open window of the pull tab 40.

[0121] Next, the stopping member 50 is placed on the slider body 10 on which the pull tab 40 is placed. At this time, the lower end of the head portion 51 of the stopping member 50 is inserted into the accommodation recess 28 provided in the upper wing 11 of the slider body 10. Also, the base portion 54, first claw portion 55, and second claw portion 56 of the stopping member 50 are inserted into the claw hole 31 of the slider body 10, and the base portion 54 is placed on the base placement portion 32 installed in the claw hole 31.

[0122] Thereafter, the cover body 70 is attached to the slider body 10 on which the pull tab 40 and the stop member 50 are placed. At this time, the cover body 70 is brought close to the slider body 10 in a tilted position so that the cover body 70 covers the mounting shaft portion 43 of the pull tab 40 and the stop member 50 from above, and the front (or rear) side of the cover body 70 is facing downwards. Furthermore, the engagement protrusion 72 on the front (or rear) side of the cover body 70 is hooked onto the engagement claw portion 24 provided on the front mounting post 21 (or rear mounting post 22) of the slider body 10.

[0123] Next, the rear end (or front end) of the cover body 70 is pushed downward so that the tilted cover body 70 is aligned in the front-to-rear direction. This allows the cover body 70 to be easily attached to the front mounting posts 21 and rear mounting posts 22 of the slider body 10 by snap engagement.

[0124] The slider 1 of this embodiment is manufactured by carrying out such an assembly process. The assembly work of the slider 1, in which the cover body 70 is attached to the slider body 10 using the snap engagement as described above, can be carried out easily and stably by hand or by using an automatic assembly machine.

[0125] Furthermore, by attaching the cover body 70 to the slider body 10, the elastic extension 58 of the stopping member 50 is pressed and elastically deformed by the cover body 70. Due to such elastic deformation of the elastic extension 58, an elastic force is applied to the stopping member 50 in a direction that causes the first claw 55 and the second claw 56 to advance into the element guide path of the slider body 10.

[0126] In the slider 1 of this embodiment manufactured as described above, all four components, namely the slider body 10, the pull tab 40, the stop member 50, and the cover body 70, can be made of synthetic resin, which improves the recyclability of the slider 1.

[0127] In addition, in the slider 1 of this embodiment, when the slider 1 is not being operated and the pull tab 40 is in a free state, the elastic force (spring force) of the elastic extension portion 58 of the stop member 50 causes the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 to advance into the element guide path of the slider body 10 and engage with the fastener element 6.

[0128] Therefore, when a slide fastener is formed using the slider 1 of this embodiment, the slider 1 can be provided with a stopping mechanism using a stopping member 50 that can automatically lock the slider 1 at a position where it is stopped relative to the element row 5 so that it does not move.

[0129] 2, in the slider 1 of this embodiment, the first claw portion 55 of the stop member 50 is provided forward of the reference position 60 of the stop member 50, and the second claw portion 56 is provided so as to overlap with the reference position 60. As a result, when the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 of the stop member 50 are inserted into the element guide path of the slider body 10, as described above, the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 can each be inserted into the portion where the spacing between the fastener elements 6 in the left and right element rows 5 widens (see FIG. 7). Therefore, the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 of the stop member 50 can each stably engage with the fastener elements 6.

[0130] In particular, in this embodiment, the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 are provided with rear inclined surfaces 55a, 56a, respectively. Therefore, when the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 are engaged with the fastener element 6, it is possible to make it difficult for the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 to interfere with the sewn portion 7 of the sewing thread formed on the element row 5. Therefore, it is possible to more smoothly engage the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 with the fastener element 6.

[0131] Furthermore, since the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 of the stopping member 50 are arranged as described above relative to the reference position 60, a larger rotation angle (amount of rotation) of the stopping member 50 can be ensured from the first rotation position where the base portion 54 of the stopping member 50 is placed on the base mounting portion 32 and the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 are engaged with the fastener element 6 to the second rotation position where the engagement between the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 and the fastener element 6 is released, compared to, for example, a comparative example in which the first claw portion and the second claw portion are arranged with the same size behind the reference position.

[0132] As a result, in the slider 1 of this embodiment, even if the stop member 50 rotates at a small angle due to the dangling of the pull tab 40, for example, when the slider 1 in a slide fastener is not being operated, the engagement state between the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 and the fastener element 6 is maintained, and the stopping function of the stop member 50 can be stably performed.

[0133] On the other hand, when sliding the slider 1 along the element row 5, for example, a user pinches the pull tab 40 and pulls it in the direction in which the slider 1 is to be slid. By pulling the pull tab 40 in this manner, as shown in Fig. 8, for example, the stop member 50 is rotated by the mounting shaft portion 43 (not shown in Fig. 8) of the pull tab 40 against the elastic force of the elastic extension portion 58 in the direction in which the first claw portion 55 and the second claw portion 56 are pulled out of the element guide path. This releases the stopping function of the stop member 50 on the slider 1, allowing the slider 1 to slide freely along the element row 5.

[0134] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible as long as they have substantially the same configuration as the present invention and provide similar effects.

[0135] For example, the stopping member 50 in the above-described embodiment is provided with two claw portions 55, 56, namely, a first claw portion 55 and a second claw portion 56. However, the stopping member of the present invention may be provided with only one claw portion that protrudes from the left edge portion or the right edge portion of the bottom surface of the base portion and is disposed forward of the above-described reference position.

[0136] Furthermore, in the stopping member 50 of the above-described embodiment, the first claw portion 55 is disposed forward of the second claw portion 56, and the front first claw portion 55 is disposed on the right edge of the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54. The rear second claw portion 56 is disposed on the left edge of the bottom surface 54c of the base portion 54. However, in the present invention, the front first claw portion may be disposed on the left edge of the bottom surface of the base portion, and the rear first claw portion may be disposed on the right edge of the bottom surface of the base portion.

[0137] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 slider 5 element row 6 fastener element 7 sewn portion 10 slider body 11 upper wing 12 lower wing 13 connecting pillar 14 flange portion 14a straight portion 14b curved portion 14c boundary portion 15 lower rib portion 21 front mounting pillar 22 rear mounting pillar 23 support pillar portion 24 engaging claw portion 25 step portion 26 mounting wall portion 26a insertion recess 27 pull tab guide portion 27a guide vertical wall portion 27b guide rib portion 28 accommodation recess 31 claw hole 32 base mounting portion 32a vertical mounting portion 32b horizontal mounting portion 40 pull tab 41 pull tab main body portion 42 arm portion 43 mounting shaft portion 50 stopping member 50a accommodation space 51 head portion 51a Front end surface 52 Rotating shaft portion 53 Neck portion 53a Raised portion 54 Base portion 54a Connecting portion 54b Rear upper end surface 54c Bottom surface 54d Central flat surface 54e Rear flat surface 54f Rotation limiting surface 55 First claw portion 55a Rear inclined surface 55b Lower inclined surface 56 Second claw portion 56a Rear inclined surface 56b Downward inclined surface 57 Claw reinforcement section 58 Elastic extension section 58a Deformed proximal end section 58b Elastic piece section 59 Axis-opposed inner circumferential surface 60 Reference position 70 Cover body 71 Cover body section 71a Top plate section 71b Front wall section 71c Rear wall section 72 Engagement protrusion section 73 Inner protrusion section 73a Front protrusion 73b Rear protrusion 74 Insertion opening θ Inclination angle of the elastic piece relative to the front-to-rear direction

Claims

1. A slider comprising: a slider body (10) in which an element guide path is formed between an upper blade (11) and a lower blade (12); a stop member (50) having a rotation shaft portion (52) rotatably held on the slider body (10); a cover body (70) covering at least a part of the stop member (50) and attached to the slider body (10); and a pull tab (40) having an attachment shaft portion (43) held between the slider body (10) and the cover body (70), wherein the element guide path connects left and right shoulder openings provided at the front end of the slider in the longitudinal direction with a rear opening provided at the rear end of the slider in the longitudinal direction, the stop member (50) has a head portion (51) that supports the rotating shaft portion (52), a neck portion (53) that extends rearward from the head portion (51), a base portion (54) that is connected to the rear end of the neck portion (53), and at least one claw portion that protrudes from a bottom surface (54c) of the base portion (54); the stop member (50) has a shaft-facing inner circumferential surface (59) that is formed across the inner circumferential portions of the head portion (51), the neck portion (53), and the base portion (54) so ​​as to surround the mounting shaft portion (43) of the pull tab (40); and when the position of the rearmost portion of the shaft-facing inner circumferential surface (59) in a side view of the stop member (50) seen from the slider width direction is defined as a reference position (60) in the front-to-rear direction, at least one of the claw portions is provided forward of the reference position (60) in the slider length direction.

2. A slider according to claim 1, wherein the claw portion has a first claw portion (55) that is provided forward of the reference position (60) in the lengthwise direction of the slider when viewed from the side of the stopping member (50), and a second claw portion (56) that is provided at a position that overlaps with the reference position (60) in the lengthwise direction of the slider.

3. A slider according to claim 2, wherein the lower end of the first claw portion (55) is disposed farther away from the bottom surface (54c) of the base portion (54) in the slider height direction than the lower end of the second claw portion (56).

4. A slider according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the bottom surface (54c) of the base portion (54) has a central flat surface (54d) arranged along the slider length direction between the first claw portion (55) and the second claw portion (56), and a rear flat surface (54e) arranged rearward of the first claw portion (55) and the second claw portion (56) in the slider length direction and arranged along the slider width direction; the upper blade (11) has a claw hole (31) penetrating from the upper surface of the upper blade (11) to the element guide path, and a base mounting portion (32) arranged within the claw hole (31) and on which the base portion (54) is mounted; and the base mounting portion (32) has a T-shape that supports the central flat surface (54d) and the rear flat surface (54e) of the base portion (54).

5. The slider according to claim 4, wherein the dimension of the base portion (54) in the slider width direction is smaller than the dimension of the claw hole (31) in the slider width direction.

6. A slider as set forth in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the first claw portion (55) and the second claw portion (56) each have an outer surface facing outward in the slider width direction, and the outer surface of at least one of the first claw portion (55) and the second claw portion (56) has a rearward inclined surface (55a, 56a) that gradually reduces the dimension of the first claw portion (55) or the second claw portion (56) in the slider width direction toward the rear.

7. A slider as set forth in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the first claw portion (55) and the second claw portion (56) each have an outer surface facing outward in the slider width direction, and the outer surface of at least one of the first claw portion (55) and the second claw portion (56) has a downwardly inclined surface (55b, 56b) that gradually reduces the dimension of the first claw portion (55) or the second claw portion (56) in the slider width direction downward.

8. A slider as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the base portion (54) of the stop member (50) has a rear upper end surface (54b) disposed rearward of the connecting portion (54a) to which the neck portion (53) is connected, and the rear upper end surface (54b) of the base portion (54) has a rotation limiting surface (54f) that abuts against a part of the cover body (70) to limit the rotation of the stop member (50) when the stop member (50) rotates in a direction to remove the claw portion from the element guide path.

9. A slider as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, in the side view of the stopping member (50), the surface or portion of the stopping member (50) that is located most forward of the rotating shaft portion (52) coincides or approximately coincides with the position of the front end surface (51a) of the head portion (51) facing forward.

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