Fastener stringer

Abstract

A body (71, 81) of one element (70, 80) has a first protrusion (72, 82) extending from the first front / back surface (71B, 81A) side of a first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C) toward an adjacent element (70, 80). The body (71, 81) of the adjacent element (70, 80) has a second protrusion (76, 86) extending from the second front / back surface (71A, 81B) side of a second upper / lower surface (71D, 81D) toward the one element (70, 80). The first protrusions (72, 82) and the second protrusions (76, 86) overlap when viewed from the front / back direction.

Description

Fastener stringer

[0001] The present invention relates to a fastener stringer.

[0002] Conventionally, for example, in order to open and close the left and right front parts of clothing, slide fasteners provided with separating and inserting tools such as box bars and butterfly bars are widely used. Also, as a slide fastener mainly used for, for example, long coats and ski wear, in order to enhance the functionality and design of clothing, a slide fastener capable of separating the left and right element rows in the engaged state not only from the upper end but also from the lower end of the fastener chain is known. A slide fastener capable of separating the engaged element rows from both the upper and lower ends like this is called a reverse-opening slide fastener. An example of such a reverse-opening slide fastener is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-99975 (Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the slide fastener of Patent Document 1, for example, the case where the left and right pair of fastener stringers are closed by engaging the left and right pair of element rows when the left and right pair of fastener stringers are open (separated) will be described.

[0004] First, a pair of upper and lower sliders attached to the element row of one fastener stringer are slid and moved to the lower end part on the box bar side. Subsequently, a butterfly bar is inserted into the pair of upper and lower sliders that have moved to the lower end part. In this insertion operation, the butterfly bar is inserted from the shoulder of the upper slider, into the element guide path of the upper slider, and into the element guide path of the lower slider. Then, the locking piece part of the box bar is accommodated in the accommodating part of the butterfly bar, and when the butterfly bar is sufficiently inserted to the depth in the element guide path of the lower slider, the insertion operation of the butterfly bar is completed. After that, by sliding the upper slider upward along the element row, the left and right element rows can be engaged to close the slide fastener.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-99975

[0006] In slide fasteners like the one described in Patent Document 1, when the left and right pair of fastener stringers are separated, in a state known as a single stringer state, the rigidity in the front-back direction is not very high, making them prone to bending, and sometimes making it difficult to insert the butterfly pin.

[0007] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the gap between the left and right fastener stringers can be closed by moving the slider upward when the butterfly pin is fully inserted. However, if the slider is moved upward when the butterfly pin is not fully inserted, an incorrect combination may occur. To prevent such incorrect combinations, the inventors conceived that it would be preferable from the standpoint of improving the slider's starting performance if, when the butterfly pin is fully inserted, the slider automatically pulls up and the engagement between the first element on the box side and the butterfly pin begins.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a fastener stringer with excellent operability.

[0009] To solve the above problems, the present invention is achieved by the following configuration: [1] A fastener stringer (3A, 3B) comprising: fastener tapes (5a, 5b) and a plurality of elements (70, 80) attached in a vertical direction to the inner edges (6a, 6b) in the width direction of the fastener tapes (5a, 5b), wherein the elements (70, 80) comprise a body portion (71, 81) attached to the inner edges (6a, 6b) in the width direction of the fastener tapes (5a, 5b) and an interlocking head portion (73, 83) extending inward in the width direction from the body portion (71, 81), The body portion (71, 81) of the element (70, 80) has a first front / back surface (71B, 81A) facing either the front or back direction, a second front / back surface (71A, 81B) facing in the opposite direction to the first front / back surface (71B, 81A), a first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C) facing either upward or downward, and a second upper / lower surface (71D, 81D) facing in the opposite direction to the first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C), and the body portion (71, 81) of one of the elements (70, 80) has a first protrusion (72, 82) extending from the first front / back surface (71B, 81A) side of the first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C) toward the adjacent element (70, 80). The body portions (71, 81) of adjacent elements (70, 80) have second protrusions (76, 86) extending toward one of the elements (70, 80) from the second front and back surfaces (71A, 81B) of the second upper and lower surfaces (71D, 81D), and the first protrusions (72, 82) and the second protrusions (76, 86) overlap when viewed from the front and back directions, characterized in the fastener stringer (3A, 3B).

[0010] According to the present invention, a fastener stringer with excellent operability can be provided.

[0011] Figure 1 is a front view of a reverse-opening slide fastener according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a view from the front of the state before the butterfly bar projection crosses over the box bar projection, after the butterfly bar projection has been inserted into the upper and lower sliders. Figure 3 is a view from the front of the state after the butterfly bar projection has crossed over the box bar projection. Figure 4 is a view from the front of the first fastener stringer having the butterfly bar. Figure 5 is a view from the back of the first fastener stringer having the butterfly bar. Figure 6 is a view from the inside (right side) of the first fastener stringer having the butterfly bar. Figure 7 is a view from the front of the second fastener stringer having the box bar. Figure 8 is a view from the back of the second fastener stringer having the box bar. Figure 9 is a view from the inside (left side) of the second fastener stringer having the box bar. Figure 10 is a view from the front of the first fastener stringer having the butterfly bar in the second embodiment. Figure 11 is a view from the back of the first fastener stringer having the butterfly bar in the second embodiment. Figure 12 shows the first fastener stringer having a butterfly bar as viewed from the inside (right side) in the left-right direction, according to the second embodiment. Figure 13 shows the second fastener stringer having a box bar as viewed from the front side, according to the second embodiment. Figure 14 shows the second fastener stringer having a box bar as viewed from the back side, according to the second embodiment. Figure 15 shows the second fastener stringer having a box bar as viewed from the inside (left side) in the left-right direction, according to the second embodiment.

[0012] The fastener stringers according to each embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] In this specification, "vertical direction" refers to the sliding direction of the slider, the longitudinal direction of the slide fastener or fastener stringer, and the insertion and removal direction of the hinge bar from the slider or box bar. "Vertical direction" refers to the vertical direction in Figure 1. Of the "vertical direction," the direction in which the upper slider slides so as to engage the left and right rows of elements is defined as "upward," and the direction in which the upper slider slides so as to separate the left and right rows of elements is defined as "downward." Similarly, the direction in which the lower slider slides so as to engage the left and right rows of elements is "downward," and the direction in which the lower slider slides so as to separate the left and right rows of elements is "upward."

[0014] Furthermore, "left-right direction" refers to the direction in which a pair of element rows are arranged, which is perpendicular to the sliding direction of the slider, and can also be described as the width direction of the slide fastener, fastener stringer, element, butterfly bar, and box bar. The "left-right direction" is the left-right direction in Figure 1.

[0015] Furthermore, the "front-to-back direction" is the direction perpendicular to the vertical and horizontal directions, and can also be described as the thickness direction of the slide fastener, fastener stringer, elements, hinge pin, and box pin. The "front-to-back direction" is the depth direction of the paper in Figure 1.

[0016] [First Embodiment] The fastener stringer according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The pair of left and right fastener stringers of this embodiment are applied to reverse-opening slide fasteners. However, as will be described in the second embodiment, the fastener stringer of the present invention can be used not only for reverse-opening slide fasteners but also for open-opening slide fasteners.

[0017] Figure 1 is a front view of a reverse-opening slide fastener according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The reverse-opening slide fastener 1 shown in Figure 1 is an opening and closing device that enables opening and closing of the left front panel and the right front panel of, for example, a jacket or a long coat. As shown in Figure 1, the reverse-opening slide fastener 1 comprises a pair of left and right first and second fastener stringers (hereinafter, fastener stringers are also simply referred to as "stringers") 3A, 3B, a plurality of elements 70, 80 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "elements") arranged to face each other on the left and right inner edges of the first and second fastener stringers 3A, 3B, a butterfly bar 40 and a box bar 60 arranged to face each other on the lower ends of the left and right inner edges of the first and second stringers 3A, 3B, and an upper slider 10A and a lower slider 10B arranged so that the rear openings 18a, 18b face each other in the vertical direction in order to open and close the first and second stringers 3A, 3B.

[0018] Each of the first and second stringers 3A and 3B includes vertically elongated strip-shaped fastener tapes (hereinafter also simply referred to as "tapes") 5a and 5b, a plurality of fastener elements 70 and 80 attached along the widthwise inner edges 6a and 6b, which are the opening and closing edges in the widthwise direction of each tape 5a and 5b, and an upper stopper 33 attached to the upper part of the widthwise inner edges 6a and 6b of each tape 5a and 5b, which restricts the upward movement of the upper slider 10A.

[0019] Hereafter, the tape 5a constituting the first stringer 3A having the butterfly bar 40 may be referred to as the first tape, and the tape 5b constituting the second stringer 3B having the box bar 60 may be referred to as the second tape. In this embodiment, the first and second tapes 5a and 5b are woven or knitted from polyamide fibers, polyester fibers, acrylic fibers, etc., but are not limited to these.

[0020] Figures 2 and 3 show, in chronological order, the state in which the butterfly rod 40 is inserted into the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B with the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B slid to their lower ends. Figure 2 is a view from the front of the butterfly rod inserted into the upper and lower sliders, before the butterfly rod projection crosses over the box rod projection. Figure 3 is a view from the front of the butterfly rod projection after it has crossed over the box rod projection.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B each include a slider body 11a and 11b, and pull handles 12a and 12b connected to the slider bodies 11a and 11b. Referring also to Figures 2 and 3, the slider bodies 11a and 11b include front wing plates 13a and 13b positioned on the front side of the first and second stringers 3A and 3B, and back wing plates 14a and 14b positioned on the back side of the first and second stringers 3A and 3B. The front wing plates 13a and 13b and the back wing plates 14a and 14b are connected by guide posts 15a and 15b that extend in the front-back direction at their shoulders 19a and 19b and in the center in the left-right direction. The provision of guide posts 15a and 15b defines Y-shaped element guide paths 17a and 17b that branch toward the shoulders 19a and 19b between the front wing plates 13a and 13b and the back wing plates 14a and 14b inside the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B. The shoulders 19a and 19b of the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B are located on the side where the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B move to engage the element rows of the slide fastener 1 (the side that closes the slide fastener 1). That is, shoulder 19a is located at the top of the upper slider 10A, and shoulder 19b is located at the bottom of the lower slider 10B. The rear openings 18a and 18b of the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B are located on the side where the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B move to separate the element rows of the slide fastener 1 (the side that opens the slide fastener 1). In other words, the rear opening 18a is located at the bottom of the upper slider 10A, and the rear opening 18b is located at the top of the lower slider 10B.

[0022] Reference numerals 16a and 16b in Figure 1 indicate handle holders to which handles 12a and 12b are connected. The handle holders 16a and 16b are projected from the front wing plates 13a and 13b.

[0023] With the lower ends of the first and second stringers 3A and 3B, as shown in Figure 1, connected by the butterfly rod 40 and box rod 60 (which will be described in detail later), when the user moves the upper slider 10A upward using the pull handle 12a, the left and right elements 70 and 80 are passed through the element guide path 17a between the front and back wing plates 13a and 14a and engage, closing the space between the first and second stringers 3A and 3B. When the upper slider 10A is moved downward, the engagement of the left and right elements 70 and 80 is released, opening the space between the first and second stringers 3A and 3B. Also, when the user moves the lower slider 10B upward using the pull handle 12b, the engagement of the left and right elements 70 and 80 is released, opening the space between the first and second stringers 3A and 3B. When the lower slider 10B is moved downward, the left and right elements 70 and 80 are passed through the element guide path 17b between the upper and lower wing plates 13b and 14b and engage, closing the space between the first and second stringers 3A and 3B.

[0024] Flange portions extending in the front-to-back direction are provided on both the left-to-right edges of the front wing plates 13a, 13b or the back wing plates 14a, 14b. The flange portion in this embodiment includes a front wing plate flange portion (not shown) that protrudes from both the left-to-right edges of the front wing plates 13a, 13b toward the back wing plates 14a, 14b (back side), and back wing plate flange portions 21a, 21b that protrude from both the left-to-right edges of the back wing plates 14a, 14b toward the front wing plates 13a, 13b (front side).

[0025] The rear wing plate flange portions 21a and 21b are located on the rear opening 18a and 18b side and include straight flange portions 21c and 21d that extend linearly in the vertical direction, and inclined flange portions 21e and 21f that connect to the straight flange portions 21c and 21d and inclined outward in the left-right direction as they approach the shoulders 19a and 19b side. The front wing plate flange portion is not shown but has a shape that is substantially symmetrical to the rear wing plate flange portions 21a and 21b in the front-back direction. Therefore, similar to the rear wing plate flange portions 21a and 21b, the front wing plate flange portion includes a straight flange portion (not shown) located on the rear opening 18a and 18b side and extending linearly in the vertical direction, and an inclined flange portion (not shown) that connects to the straight flange portion and inclined outward in the left-right direction as they approach the shoulders 19a and 19b side.

[0026] In this embodiment, the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B have substantially the same shape, and when the upper slider 10A is rotated 180° in a plane perpendicular to the front and back directions, it takes on the shape of the lower slider 10B. Therefore, when the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B are brought into contact with each other as shown in Figure 2, the element guide paths (rear openings 18a and 18b) of the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B communicate with each other.

[0027] Furthermore, the straight flange portion of the front wing plate flange portion faces the straight flange portions 21c and 21d of the rear wing plate flange portions 21a and 21b with a gap in the front-to-back direction, and the inclined flange portion of the front wing plate flange portion faces the inclined flange portions 21e and 21f of the rear wing plate flange portions 21a and 21b with a gap in the front-to-back direction. The gap in the front-to-back direction between these front wing plate flange portions and rear wing plate flange portions 21a and 21b is the minimum distance between the front and rear wing plates 13a, 13b, 14a, and 14b. This minimum distance is smaller than the maximum thickness in the front-to-back direction of the elements 70 and 80, the hinge rods 40, and the box rods 60, and larger than the thickness of the first and second tapes 5a and 5b. This prevents the left and right elements 70 and 80, the butterfly rod 40, and the box rod 60 from falling out of the element guide paths 17a and 17b of the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B, and also allows the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B to slide on the front and back surfaces of the first and second tapes 5a and 5b.

[0028] Next, the butterfly rod 40 and the box rod 60 will be described. The butterfly rod 40 and the box rod 60 are formed, for example, by injection molding or extrusion molding of a thermoplastic resin such as polyacetal, polyamide, polypropylene, or polybutylene terephthalate onto the lower ends of the left and right inner edges of the left and right tapes 5a and 5b. The lower ends of the left and right tapes 5a and 5b on which the butterfly rod 40 and the box rod 60 are formed may be reinforced with a thermoplastic resin. The reinforced tape portion is formed by welding a thermoplastic resin film such as polyamide or polyethylene to the lower ends of the left and right tapes 5a and 5b using ultrasonic processing or by impregnation solidification of a thermoplastic resin liquid.

[0029] The butterfly rod 40 and the box rod 60 can be connected to and disconnected from each other. Figure 1 shows the disconnected state of the butterfly rod 40 and the box rod 60, while Figure 3 shows a magnified view of the state in which the butterfly rod 40 and the box rod 60 are connected within the element guide paths 17a and 17b of the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the butterfly rod 40 is positioned below the elements 70 and 80 at the lower end of the inner edge in the left-right direction of the first fastener stringer 30A, and is formed in an elongated rod shape along the first tape 5a. To facilitate the insertion of the butterfly rod 40 into the element guide paths 17a and 17b of the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B from diagonally above, the upper and lower ends of the butterfly rod 40 are curved to the left (opposite side from the box rod 60), and the butterfly rod 40 as a whole has a bow shape when viewed from the front and back directions.

[0031] Figure 4 shows the first fastener stringer with a butterfly bar viewed from the front. Figure 5 shows the first fastener stringer with a butterfly bar viewed from the back. Figure 6 shows the first fastener stringer with a butterfly bar viewed from the inside (right side) in the left-right direction.

[0032] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the butterfly bar 40 has a substantially flat surface surface 40A and a back surface surface 40B, left and right inner side surfaces 40C (the left and right central side surfaces of the slide fastener 1) and left and right outer side surfaces 40D, an upper side surface 40E and a lower side surface 40F. In other words, the butterfly bar 40 of this embodiment has a back surface surface 40B which is the first front and back surface facing the back, a front surface surface 40A which is the second front and back surface facing the opposite direction from the back surface surface 40B, an upper side surface 40E which is the first upper and lower surface facing upward, and a lower side surface 40F which is the second upper and lower surface facing the opposite direction from the upper side surface 40E.

[0033] The left and right outer sides 40D of the butterfly rod 40 are the parts that slide against the flange portions (front wing plate flange portion and back wing plate flange portions 21a, 21b) of the upper and lower sliders 10A, 10B when the butterfly rod 40 is inserted into the element guide paths 17a, 17b of the upper and lower sliders 10A, 10B.

[0034] A concave locking recess 41 is formed on the upper back surface 40B side of the left and right inner sides 40C of the butterfly rod 40. This locking recess 41 engages with the locking projection 61 of the box rod 60 (described later) when the butterfly rod 40 is inserted into the element guide paths 17a and 17b of the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B located at the lowest end, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, in order to stop the butterfly rod 40 at the lowest end.

[0035] On the upper part of the left and right inner sides 40C of the butterfly bar 40, a bulge 42 is formed on the surface 40A side of the locking recess 41, which bulges in the left-right direction. The bulge 42 is roughly triangular in shape when viewed from the front or back. The left-right inner surface 42a of the bulge 42 has a tapered shape in which its width gradually increases upward. As a result, the left-right inner surface 42a of the bulge 42 slides against the guide column 15b of the lower slider 10B when the lower slider 10B is slid upward from its lowest end, and functions as a guide surface that opens the butterfly bar 40 to the left.

[0036] On the left-right inner portion of the upper surface 40E of the butterfly bar 40, there is a meshing projection 43 that meshes with the meshing head 83 of the first element 80 located at the lowest end of the second fastener stringer 30B.

[0037] The lower end of the surface 40A of the butterfly rod 40 has a lower end inclined surface 44 which gradually slopes downwards toward the back surface 40B. When inserting the butterfly rod 40 into the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B, the lower end inclined surface 44, which is the leading edge, functions as a guide surface, enabling smooth insertion. The lower part 48 of the butterfly rod 40 decreases in its front-to-back dimension as it moves toward the box bar 60 side (inward in the left-right direction). Here, the lower part 48 of the butterfly rod 40 refers to the part below the butterfly rod projection 45, which will be described later. The inward side (right side) of the front side of the lower part 48 of the butterfly rod 40 is cut out to provide a front side inclined surface 47, so that the front-to-back dimension of the lower part of the butterfly rod 40 decreases toward the box bar 60 side. Therefore, when inserting the butterfly rod 40 from the lower part 48 side, the lower part 48 is less likely to come into contact with the box bar projection 65, which will be described later, resulting in good insertability of the butterfly rod 40.

[0038] As shown in Figure 1, the box bar 60 is positioned below the elements 70 and 80 at the lower end of the inner edge in the left-right direction of the second fastener stringer 30B, and is formed in an elongated rod shape along the second tape 5b. To facilitate the insertion of the element guide paths 17a and 17b of the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B into the box bar 60 from diagonally above, the upper and lower ends of the box bar 60 are curved to the right (opposite side from the butterfly bar 40), and the box bar 60 as a whole has a bow-like shape.

[0039] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the box bar 60 positions the lower slider 10B at the lowest end of the second fastener stringer 30B, and also connects and positions the butterfly bar 40, which is inserted into the element guide paths 17a and 17b of the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B located at the lowest end, at the lowest end. The lower slider 10B is positioned closer to the butterfly bar 40 and box bar 60 than the upper slider 10A. The upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B are positioned so that their rear openings 18a and 18b face each other.

[0040] Figure 7 shows the second fastener stringer with a box bar viewed from the front. Figure 8 shows the second fastener stringer with a box bar viewed from the back. Figure 9 shows the second fastener stringer with a box bar viewed from the inside (left side) in the left-right direction.

[0041] As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the box bar 60 has a surface 60A and a back surface 60B which are substantially flat surfaces, left and right inner side surfaces 60C (the left and right central side surfaces of the slide fastener 1) and left and right outer side surfaces 60D, an upper side surface 60E and a lower side surface 60F. In other words, the box bar 60 of this embodiment has a surface 60A which is the first front and back surface facing the front direction, a back surface 60B which is the second front and back surface facing the opposite direction from surface 60A, an upper side surface 60E which is the first upper and lower surface facing upward, and a lower side surface 60F which is the second upper and lower surface facing the opposite direction from upper side surface 60E.

[0042] The left and right outer side surfaces 60D of the box bar 60 are the portions where the flange portions (front wing plate flange portion and rear wing plate flange portions 21a, 21b) of the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B come into sliding contact when the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B are slid to the lowermost position which is the end position on the box bar 60 side respectively.

[0043] At the lower end portions of the front surface 60A and the rear surface 60B of the box bar 60, stopper portions 62a and 62b protruding in the front and rear directions are provided respectively. These stopper portions 62a and 62b abut against the front wing plate 13b and the rear wing plate 14b of the lower slider 10B to prevent the lower slider 10B from dropping off from below.

[0044] The left and right inner side surfaces 60C of the box bar 60 are arranged on the side opposite to the left and right outer side surfaces 60D and are surfaces facing the butterfly bar 40. On the rear surface 60B side of the upper end portion of the left and right inner side surfaces 60C, a triangular locking convex portion 61 protrudes to the left side (butterfly bar 40 side) when viewed from the front and rear directions. The locking convex portion 61 is a portion for engaging with the locking concave portion 41 of the butterfly bar 40 and stopping the butterfly bar 40 at the lowermost end when the butterfly bar 40 is inserted into the element guide paths 17a and 17b of the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B arranged at the lowermost end. Therefore, the locking convex portion 61 of the box bar 60 and the locking concave portion 41 of the butterfly bar 40 have approximately the same shape as each other.

[0045] The inclined surface 61a facing the butterfly bar 40 has a shape in which the dimension in the width direction of the locking convex portion 61 gradually increases upward. And the inclined surface 61a functions as an inclined guide surface for sliding the lower slider 10B upward from the lowermost end and slidingly contacting the guide post 15b of the lower slider 10B to open the box bar 60 to the right direction.

[0046] Next, the butterfly bar protrusion 45 of the butterfly bar 40 and the box bar protrusion 65 of the box bar 60 will be described.

[0047] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, on the left and right inner side surfaces 40C of the butterfly bar 40, butterfly bar projections 45 protruding toward the box bar 60 side are provided. The butterfly bar projections 45 are provided on the surface 40A side of the left and right inner side surfaces 40C, and are not provided on the back surface 40B side. Thus, when inserting the butterfly bar 40 into the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B, the butterfly bar projections 45 do not interfere with the locking projections 61 provided on the back surface 60B side of the upper end portion of the box bar 60.

[0048] On the butterfly bar 40, a storage portion 49 capable of storing the box bar projection 65 is provided above the butterfly bar projection 45. The storage portion 49 of the present embodiment is provided in a range above the butterfly bar projection 45 and below the bulging portion 42 among the portions on the surface 40A side of the left and right inner side surfaces 40C. As shown in FIG. 3, when the butterfly bar projection 45 overrides the box bar projection 65 and the insertion of the butterfly bar 40 is completed, the box bar projection 65 is stored in the storage portion 49 of the butterfly bar 40. In the illustrated example, the storage portion 49 has a substantially planar shape, but the shape of the storage portion 49 is not particularly limited as long as the box bar projection 65 can be substantially stored, and for example, it may be concave.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, on the left and right inner side surfaces 60C of the box bar 60, box bar projections 65 protruding toward the butterfly bar 40 side are provided. The box bar projections 65 are provided on the surface 60A side of the left and right inner side surfaces 60C.

[0050] As described above, since the butterfly bar projections 45 are provided on the surface 40A side of the butterfly bar 40, similarly, the box bar projections 65 are also provided on the surface 60A side. And when inserting the butterfly bar 40, at least a part of the butterfly bar projections 45 and the box bar projections 65 overlap when viewed from the up and down direction which is the insertion and extraction direction of the butterfly bar 40. Therefore, when inserting the butterfly bar 40, the butterfly bar projections 45 and the box bar projections 65 come into contact with each other. Note that since the butterfly bar projections 45 and the box bar projections 65 push against each other in the up and down direction and the left and right direction, they do not always overlap in the front and back direction (do not overlap when viewed from the front and back direction).

[0051] The process of inserting the butterfly rod 40 into the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B will be described later with reference to Figures 2 and 3, but Figure 3 shows the state after the insertion of the butterfly rod 40 is complete. In this completed insertion state, the top of the box rod projection 65 is positioned in the same position in the vertical direction as a part of the straight flange portions 21c and 21d of the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B. Since the top of the box rod projection 65 is positioned in the narrowest straight portion of the element guide paths 17a and 17b, the butterfly rod projection 45 and the box rod projection 65 can be reliably brought into contact, and a click sensation can be obtained. Furthermore, in order to obtain a click sensation, it is necessary to make the box rod projection 65 large enough to reliably contact the butterfly rod projection 45, but since the top of the box rod projection 65 is positioned in the narrowest straight portion of the element guide paths 17a and 17b, there is also the advantage that the size of the box rod projection 65 does not need to be made unnecessarily large.

[0052] Next, elements 70 and 80 will be described. Elements 70 and 80 are attached to the inner edges 6a and 6b in the width direction of the first and second tapes 5a and 5b by injection molding using synthetic resins such as polyamide, polyacetal, polypropylene, and polybutylene terephthalate. The thickness dimension of the inner edges 6a and 6b in the width direction of the first and second tapes 5a and 5b is formed to be larger than the other parts, making it difficult for the attached elements 70 and 80 to come off the fastener tape 20.

[0053] As shown in Figures 4 to 9, the elements 70 and 80 each include a body portion 71 and 81 attached to the widthwise inner edges 6a and 6b of the first and second tapes 5a and 5b, a meshing head portion 73 and 83 extending inward in the widthwise direction from the body portion 71 and 81 (towards the mating first and second tapes 5a and 5b) and meshing with the mating elements 70 and 80, a neck portion 75 and 85 formed between the body portion 71 and 81 and the meshing head portion 73 and 83, which is narrower in the vertical direction than the meshing head portion 73 and 83, and a pair of shoulder portions 77 and 87 extending vertically from the neck portion 75 and 85.

[0054] The vertical dimensions of the neck portions 75 and 85 are smaller than the vertical dimensions of the meshing heads 73 and 83 and the body portions 71 and 81. When the left and right elements 70 and 80 mesh, the meshing heads 73 and 83 of one of the left and right elements 70 and 80 are positioned between the neck portions 75 and 85 of two vertically adjacent elements 70 and 80 on the other side, and mesh with each other.

[0055] The dimensions of the body sections 71 and 81 in the front-to-back direction are set to be slightly smaller than the dimensions of the element guide paths 17a and 17b of the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B in the front-to-back direction, and the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B move while sliding against the front and back surfaces of the body sections 71 and 81.

[0056] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the body portion 71 of the element 70 constituting the first stringer 3A comprises a front surface 71A, a back surface 71B, an upper surface 71C, and a lower surface 71D. In other words, the element 70 of this embodiment has a back surface 71B which is the first front and back surface facing the back, a front surface 71A which is the second front and back surface facing the opposite direction from the back surface 71B, an upper surface 71C which is the first upper and lower surface facing upward, and a lower surface 71D which is the second upper and lower surface facing the opposite direction from the upper surface 71C.

[0057] Of the multiple elements 70 constituting the first stringer 3A, at least one element 70 has a first protrusion 72 extending from the back surface 71B (first front surface) of the upper surface 71C (first upper and lower surface) toward the adjacent element 70 (i.e., toward upward). Here, if the nth element 70 (where n is a natural number) counting from the bottom of the multiple elements 70 is called the nth element, then only the first and second elements have the first protrusion 72. The third element and subsequent elements 70 do not have the first protrusion 72.

[0058] The first protrusion 72 has a tapered shape, with its dimensions decreasing in the left-right and front-back directions as it extends upward, and its tip is rounded. The first protrusion 72 is in contact with the inner edge 6a of the first tape 5a in the width direction in the front-back direction.

[0059] The body portion 71 of an element 70 adjacent to an element 70 having a first protrusion 72 has a second protrusion 76 that extends from the surface 71A (second front / back surface) of the lower surface 71D (second upper / lower surface) toward the element 70 having the first protrusion 72 (i.e., toward downward). In this embodiment, the elements 70 having the second protrusion 76 are the first to third elements. The fourth element and subsequent elements 70 do not have the second protrusion 76.

[0060] The second protrusion 76 has a tapered shape, with its dimensions decreasing in the left-right and front-back directions as it extends downwards, and its tip is rounded. The second protrusion 76 is in contact with the inner edge 6a of the first tape 5a in the width direction in the front-back direction.

[0061] As shown in Figure 6, the first protrusion 72 and the second protrusion 76 are positioned to overlap when viewed from the front and back directions, and the inner edge 6a in the width direction of the first tape 5a is sandwiched between these first and second protrusions 72 and 76. By positioning the first protrusion 72 and the second protrusion 76 of adjacent elements 70, 70 to overlap when viewed from the front and back directions in this way, the rigidity of the first fastener stringer 30A in the front and back directions is increased, making it less prone to bending. Therefore, insertion of the butterfly pin 40 becomes easier during opening operations, and the operability of the slide fastener can be improved.

[0062] The body portion 71 of the element 70 having the first protrusion 72 has a first recess 74 that extends from the surface 71A (second front and back surface) of the upper surface 71C (first upper and lower surface) toward the adjacent element 70 having the second protrusion 76 in the opposite direction (i.e., toward downward). Here, the elements 70 having the first recess 74 are the first and second elements. The third element and subsequent elements 70 do not have the first recess 74.

[0063] The first recess 74 has a shape corresponding to the second protrusion 76 so that it can accommodate the second protrusion 76. Specifically, the first recess 74 has a tapered shape in which the dimensions in the left-right direction and the front-back direction decrease as it goes downwards, and the bottom is rounded. There is a small gap in the vertical direction between the first recess 74 and the second protrusion 76.

[0064] The body portion 71 of the element 70 having the second protrusion 76 has a second recess 78 that extends from the back surface 71B (first front surface) side of the lower surface 71D (second upper and lower surface) toward the opposite direction from the element 70 having the first protrusion 72 (i.e., toward upward). In this embodiment, the elements 70 having the second recess 78 are the first to third elements. The elements 70 from the fourth element onward do not have the second recess 78.

[0065] The second recess 78 has a shape corresponding to the first protrusion 72 so that it can accommodate the first protrusion 72. Specifically, the second recess 78 has a tapered shape in which the dimensions in the left-right direction and the front-back direction decrease as it goes upward, and the bottom is rounded. There is a small gap in the vertical direction between the second recess 78 and the first protrusion 72.

[0066] As described above, since a second recess 78 for accommodating the first protrusion 72 and a first recess 74 for accommodating the second protrusion 76 are provided, the first protrusion 72 and the second protrusion 76 can be extended to fit into the body portion 71 of the element 70, and the overlapping area of ​​the first protrusion 72 and the second protrusion 76 in the front-back direction can be increased. This further improves the rigidity of the first stringer 3A. Therefore, insertion of the butterfly pin 40 becomes easier during opening operations, and the operability of the slide fastener is improved.

[0067] As mentioned above, there are slight vertical gaps between the first recess 74 and the second protrusion 76, and between the second recess 78 and the first protrusion 72, and adjacent elements 70, 70 are not connected to each other but are separate. If adjacent elements 70, 70 were connected and integrated, the rigidity would become too high, potentially causing the flexibility of the first stringer 3A to be lost.

[0068] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the butterfly rod 40 constituting the first stringer 3A has a first protrusion 51 that extends from the back surface 40B (first front and back surface) of the upper surface 40E (first upper and lower surface) toward the adjacent first element 70 (i.e., toward upward).

[0069] The first protrusion 51 has a tapered shape, with its dimensions decreasing in the left-right and front-back directions as it extends upward, and its tip is rounded. The first protrusion 51 is in contact with the inner edge 6a of the first tape 5a in the width direction in the front-back direction.

[0070] The body portion 71 of the first element 70 adjacent to the butterfly rod 40 has a second protrusion 76 that extends from the surface 71A (second front and back surface) of the lower surface 71D (second upper and lower surface) toward the butterfly rod 40 having the first protrusion 51 (i.e., toward downward).

[0071] As shown in Figure 6, the first protrusion 51 of the butterfly bar 40 and the second protrusion 76 of the first element 70 are positioned to overlap when viewed from the front and back directions, and the inner edge 6a in the width direction of the first tape 5a is sandwiched between these first and second protrusions 51 and 76. By positioning the first and second protrusions 51 and 76 of adjacent butterfly bars 40 and first elements 70 to overlap when viewed from the front and back directions, the rigidity around the butterfly bar 40, which is important when inserting the butterfly bar, is increased, making it less prone to bending. Therefore, insertion of the butterfly bar 40 becomes easier when opening the fastener, and the operability of the slide fastener can be improved.

[0072] The butterfly rod 40 has a first recess 52 that extends from the surface 40A (second front and back) side of the upper surface 40E (first upper and lower surface) toward the opposite direction from the adjacent first element 70 (i.e., toward downward). The first recess 52 has a shape corresponding to the second protrusion 76 of the first element 70 so that it can accommodate the second protrusion 76. Specifically, the first recess 52 has a tapered shape in which the left-right dimension and the front-back dimension become smaller as it extends downward, and the bottom is rounded. There is a small gap in the vertical direction between the first recess 52 and the second protrusion 76.

[0073] The body portion 71 of the first element 70 adjacent to the butterfly rod 40 has a second recess 78 that extends from the back surface 71B (first front surface) side of the lower surface 71D (second upper and lower surface) toward the opposite direction from the butterfly rod 40 having the first protrusion 51 (i.e., toward upward).

[0074] As described above, the first element 70 is provided with a second recess 78 that accommodates the first protrusion 51 of the butterfly rod 40, and the butterfly rod 40 is provided with a first recess 52 that accommodates the second protrusion 76 of the first element 70. This allows the first protrusion 51 and the second protrusion 76 to be extended to fit into the body 71 of the first element 70 and the butterfly rod 40, thereby increasing the area in which the first protrusion 51 and the second protrusion 76 overlap in the front-back direction. This further improves the rigidity of the first stringer 3A around the butterfly rod 40, which is important when inserting the butterfly rod. Consequently, insertion of the butterfly rod 40 becomes easier during opening operations, improving the operability of the slide fastener.

[0075] As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the body portion 81 of the element 80 constituting the second stringer 3B comprises a front surface 81A, a back surface 81B, an upper side surface 81C, and a lower side surface 81D. In other words, the element 80 of this embodiment has a front surface 81A which is the first front and back surface facing the front direction, a back surface 81B which is the second front and back surface facing the opposite direction from the front surface 81A, an upper side surface 81C which is the first upper and lower surface facing upward, and a lower side surface 81D which is the second upper and lower surface facing the opposite direction from the upper side surface 81C.

[0076] Of the multiple elements 80 constituting the second stringer 3B, at least one element 80 has a first protrusion 82 extending from the surface 81A (first front and back surface) of the upper surface 81C (first upper and lower surface) toward the adjacent element 80 (i.e., toward upward). Here, if the nth element 80 (where n is a natural number) counting from the bottom of the multiple elements 80 is called the nth element, then only the first and second elements have the first protrusion 82. The third element and subsequent elements 80 do not have the first protrusion 82.

[0077] The first protrusion 82 has a tapered shape, with its dimensions decreasing in the left-right and front-back directions as it extends upward, and its tip is rounded. The first protrusion 82 is in contact with the inner edge 6b of the second tape 5b in the width direction in the front-back direction.

[0078] The body portion 81 of an element 80 adjacent to an element 80 having a first protrusion 82 has a second protrusion 86 that extends from the back surface 81B (second front surface) of the lower surface 81D (second upper and lower surface) toward the element 80 having the first protrusion 82 (i.e., toward downward). In this embodiment, the elements 80 having the second protrusion 86 are the first to third elements. The fourth element and subsequent elements 80 do not have the second protrusion 86.

[0079] The second protrusion 86 has a tapered shape, with its dimensions decreasing in the left-right and front-back directions as it extends downwards, and its tip is rounded. The second protrusion 86 is in contact with the inner edge 6b of the second tape 5b in the width direction in the front-back direction.

[0080] As shown in Figure 9, the first protrusion 82 and the second protrusion 86 are positioned to overlap when viewed from the front and back directions, and the inner edge 6b in the width direction of the second tape 5b is sandwiched between these first and second protrusions 82 and 86. By positioning the first protrusion 82 and the second protrusion 86 of adjacent elements 80, 80 to overlap when viewed from the front and back directions in this way, the rigidity of the second fastener stringer 30B in the front and back directions is increased, making it less prone to bending. Therefore, insertion of the butterfly pin 40 becomes easier during opening operations, improving the operability of the slide fastener.

[0081] The body portion 81 of the element 80 having the first protrusion 82 has a first recess 84 that extends from the back surface 81B (second front surface) side of the upper surface 81C (first upper and lower surface) in the opposite direction (i.e., downward) from the adjacent element 80 having the second protrusion 86. Here, the elements 80 having the first recess 84 are the first and second elements. The third element and subsequent elements 80 do not have the first recess 84.

[0082] The first recess 84 has a shape corresponding to the second protrusion 86 so that it can accommodate the second protrusion 86. Specifically, the first recess 84 has a tapered shape in which the left-right dimension and the front-back dimension decrease as it goes downwards, and the bottom is rounded. There is a small gap in the vertical direction between the first recess 84 and the second protrusion 86.

[0083] The body portion 81 of the element 80 having the second protrusion 86 has a second recess 88 that extends from the surface 81A (first front and back surface) of the lower surface 81D (second upper and lower surface) toward the opposite direction from the element 80 having the first protrusion 82 (i.e., toward upward). In this embodiment, the elements 80 having the second recess 88 are the first to third elements. The fourth element and subsequent elements 80 do not have the second recess 88.

[0084] The second recess 88 has a shape corresponding to the first protrusion 82 so that it can accommodate the first protrusion 82. Specifically, the second recess 88 has a tapered shape in which the dimensions in the left-right direction and the front-back direction decrease as it goes upward, and the bottom is rounded. There is a small gap in the vertical direction between the second recess 88 and the first protrusion 82.

[0085] As described above, since a second recess 88 for accommodating the first protrusion 82 and a first recess 84 for accommodating the second protrusion 86 are provided, the first protrusion 82 and the second protrusion 86 can be extended to fit into the body portion 81 of the element 80, and the overlapping area of ​​the first protrusion 82 and the second protrusion 86 in the front-back direction can be increased. This further improves the rigidity of the second stringer 3B. Therefore, insertion of the butterfly pin 40 becomes easier during opening operations, and the operability of the slide fastener is improved.

[0086] As mentioned above, there are slight vertical gaps between the first recess 84 and the second protrusion 86, and between the second recess 88 and the first protrusion 82, and adjacent elements 80, 80 are not connected to each other but are separate. If adjacent elements 80, 80 were connected and integrated, the rigidity would become too high, potentially causing the flexibility of the second stringer 3B to be lost.

[0087] As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the box bars 60 constituting the second stringer 3B have a first protrusion 66 that extends from the surface 60A (first front and back) side of the upper surface 60E (first upper and lower surface) toward the adjacent box bar 60 (i.e., toward upward). The first protrusion 66 has a tapered shape in which the left-right dimension and the front-back dimension decrease as it extends upward, and the tip is rounded. The first protrusion 66 is also in contact with the inner edge 6b in the width direction of the second tape 5b in the front-back direction.

[0088] The body portion 81 of the first element 80 adjacent to the box bar 60 has a second protrusion 86 that extends from the back surface 60B (second front surface) side of the lower surface 60F (second upper and lower surface) toward (i.e. toward downward) the box bar 60 having the first protrusion 66.

[0089] As shown in Figure 9, the first protrusion 66 of the box bar 60 and the second protrusion 86 of the first element 80 are positioned to overlap when viewed from the front and back directions, and the inner edge 6b in the width direction of the second tape 5b is sandwiched between these first and second protrusions 66 and 86. By positioning the first and second protrusions 66 and 86 of adjacent box bars 60 and first elements 80 to overlap when viewed from the front and back directions, the rigidity around the box bar 60, which is important when inserting the butterfly pin, is increased, making it less prone to bending. Therefore, insertion of the butterfly pin 40 becomes easier during opening operations, and the operability of the slide fastener can be improved.

[0090] The box bar 60 has a first recess 67 that extends from the back surface 60B (second front surface) side of the upper surface 60E (first upper and lower surface) in the opposite direction to the adjacent first element 80 (i.e., downward).

[0091] The first recess 67 has a shape corresponding to the second protrusion 86 so that it can accommodate the second protrusion 86. Specifically, the first recess 67 has a tapered shape in which the dimensions in the left-right direction and the front-back direction decrease as it goes downwards, and the bottom is rounded. There is a small gap in the vertical direction between the first recess 67 and the second protrusion 86.

[0092] The body portion 81 of the first element 80 adjacent to the box bar 60 has a second recess 88 that extends from the surface 81A (first front and back) side of the lower surface 81D (second upper and lower surface) toward the opposite direction from the box bar 60 (i.e., toward upward).

[0093] As described above, the first element 80 is provided with a second recess 88 that accommodates the first protrusion 66 of the box bar 60, and the box bar 60 is provided with a first recess 67 that accommodates the second protrusion 86 of the first element 80. This allows the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 86 to be extended so that they fit into the body 81 of the first element 80 and the box bar 60, thereby increasing the area in which the first protrusion 66 and the second protrusion 86 overlap in the front-back direction. This further improves the rigidity of the second stringer 3B. Consequently, insertion of the butterfly bar 40 becomes easier during opening operations, improving the operability of the slide fastener.

[0094] Next, with reference to Figures 2 and 3, we will explain how the butterfly rod 40 is connected to the box rod 60.

[0095] When connecting the butterfly bar 40 to the box bar 60, first, as shown in Figure 2, pull down the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B to their lowest ends. In this state, the box bar 60 is positioned within the element guide paths 17a and 17b of the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B. The top of the box bar projection 65 protrudes towards the butterfly bar 40 side from the left-right center of the slide fastener 1. In this state, starting with the lower side surface 40F, begin inserting the butterfly bar 40 from the shoulder 19a of the upper slider 10A.

[0096] As the butterfly rod 40 is continuously inserted, the butterfly rod projection 45 comes into contact with the box rod projection 65, which protrudes towards the butterfly rod 40 from the left-right center. Here, as described above, since the box rod projection 65 protrudes towards the butterfly rod 40 from the left-right center of the slide fastener 1, insertion and removal of the butterfly rod 40 can be performed more smoothly compared to the case where the butterfly rod projection 45 protrudes towards the box rod 60 from the left-right center of the slide fastener 1. For example, if the butterfly rod projection 45 protrudes towards the box rod 60 from the left-right center of the slide fastener 1, the butterfly rod projection 45 needs to be made relatively large, so there is a possibility that it will get caught on the guide column 15a of the upper slider 10A when inserting or removing the butterfly rod 40. Note that in the completed insertion state shown in Figure 3, the top of the butterfly rod projection 45 is located towards the butterfly rod 40 from the left-right center of the slide fastener 1. This allows for smooth insertion and removal of the butterfly rod 40. Also, the box rod projection 65 has a larger left-right width than the butterfly rod projection 45. With this configuration, the insertion and removal of the butterfly rod 40 can be performed more smoothly compared to the case where the butterfly rod projection 45 protrudes more than the box rod projection 65 in the left-right direction.

[0097] If the butterfly rod 40 is continued to be inserted from the state shown in Figure 2, as shown in Figure 3, the butterfly rod projection 45 will move over the box rod projection 65, the contact state will be released or reduced, and the box rod projection 65 will be stored in the storage section 49. Therefore, the user can get a sense of insertion or a click from the resistance and sound when the butterfly rod projection 45 moves over the box rod projection 65, and can properly recognize that the butterfly rod 40 has been inserted into the box rod 60. In the illustrated example, the state in which the box rod projection 65 is stored in the storage section 49 is almost equivalent to the state in which the butterfly rod 40 has been inserted to its lowest end and insertion is complete. The butterfly rod projection 45 and the box rod projection 65 never overlap in the front-to-back direction from the start of insertion of the butterfly rod 40 to the completed insertion state. In other words, the butterfly rod projection 45 and the box rod projection 65 reliably push against each other in the vertical or horizontal direction, providing a click sensation.

[0098] As described above, in this embodiment, the first and second protrusions 72 and 76 of adjacent elements 70, 70, the first and second protrusions 82 and 86 of adjacent elements 80, 80, the first and second protrusions 51 and 76 of adjacent butterfly rods 40 and first element 70, and the first and second protrusions 66 and 86 of adjacent box rods 60 and first element 80 are positioned so that the first and second protrusions 66 and 86 overlap when viewed from the front and back directions, thereby increasing the rigidity around the butterfly rods 40 and box rods 60. Consequently, the first and second stringers 3A and 3B become less prone to bending within the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B and tend to maintain a straight shape.

[0099] Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, when the butterfly rod 40 is inserted into the upper and lower sliders 10A and 10B, the first and second stringers 3A and 3B attempt to maintain their linear shape, generating stresses Fa and Fb directed towards the left-right central part and upward of the slide fastener 1. These stresses Fa and Fb act on the guide column 15a of the upper slider 10A. The upper slider 10A, subjected to these stresses Fa and Fb, moves upward. Figure 3 shows the upper slider 10A after it has moved upward by a distance a.

[0100] By simply inserting the butterfly rod 40 in this manner, the upper slider 10A automatically rises to a position a distance a from the lower slider 10B. Consequently, the interlocking projection 43 of the butterfly rod 40 and the interlocking head 83 of the first element 80 at the lowest end of the second stringer 3B are almost fully engaged. By inducing the interlocking of the butterfly rod 40 and the first element 80 when the butterfly rod 40 is inserted in this way, it becomes possible to smoothly start raising the upper slider 10A afterward, improving operability.

[0101] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of improving rigidity and ease of insertion, and from the viewpoint of increasing stresses Fa and Fb to improve the starting performance of the upper slider 10A, it is conceivable to provide first protrusions 72 and 82 and second protrusions 76 and 86 on all elements 70 and 80 of the first and second stringers 3A and 3B. However, with such a configuration, the flexibility of the first and second stringers 3A and 3B may be impaired, and the operability may be severely deteriorated.

[0102] Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to achieve both flexibility and operability of the first and second stringers 3A and 3B, the first protrusions 72 and 82 and the second protrusions 76 and 86 are provided only on the elements 70 and 80 near the butterfly rod 40 or box rod 60.

[0103] More specifically, when n is a natural number satisfying 2 ≤ n ≤ 5, and the nth element 70, 80 from the bottom among a plurality of elements 70, 80 is called the nth element 70, 80, then the first element 70, 80 to the (n-1)th element 70, 80 have first protrusions 72, 82 and first recesses 74, 84 on their upper surfaces 71C, 81C, and the first element 70, 80 to the nth element 70, 80 have lower surfaces 71D, 81D It is preferable to have a configuration in which the elements have second protrusions 76, 86 and second recesses 78, 88, and the elements 70, 80 from the nth element onwards, counting from the bottom, do not have first protrusions 72, 82 and first recesses 74, 84 on their upper surfaces 71C, 81C, and the elements 70, 80 from the (n+1)th element onwards, counting from the bottom, do not have second protrusions 76, 86 and second recesses 78, 88 on their lower surfaces 71D, 81D.

[0104] In the above embodiment, n=3, but n may be any natural number within the range satisfying 2≦n≦5. By setting 2≦n≦5, it is possible to achieve both flexibility and operability for the first and second stringers 3A and 3B. In order to improve operability, it is sufficient that the area around which the fingers grasp when inserting the butterfly rod does not bend easily, and even if other areas become less flexible, it does not contribute much to improving operability. From this point of view as well, it is preferable to set 2≦n≦5. Furthermore, it is preferable to satisfy 2≦n≦3. In order to improve operability while minimizing changes in appearance, it is preferable to set n≦3 such that the elements 70 and 80 having the first protrusions 72 and 82 and the second protrusions 76 and 86 are contained within the lower slider 10B when the opening operation is performed.

[0105] [Second Embodiment] The fastener stringer according to the first embodiment described above was used for reverse-opening slide fasteners, but the fastener stringer of the present invention is not limited to reverse-opening slide fasteners and can be used for open-opening slide fasteners as well. Figures 10 to 12 show a first fastener stringer 3A used for open-opening slide fasteners, and Figures 13 to 15 show a second fastener stringer 3B used for open-opening slide fasteners.

[0106] Figure 10 is a view of the first fastener stringer with a butterfly bar from the front. Figure 11 is a view of the first fastener stringer with a butterfly bar from the back. Figure 12 is a view of the first fastener stringer with a butterfly bar from the inside (right side) in the left-right direction. Figure 13 is a view of the second fastener stringer with a box bar from the front. Figure 14 is a view of the second fastener stringer with a box bar from the back. Figure 15 is a view of the second fastener stringer with a box bar from the inside (left side) in the left-right direction.

[0107] As shown in Figures 10 to 12, the main components of the butterfly rod 40 and the multiple elements 70 constituting the first fastener stringer 3A according to the second embodiment are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 6, so the same reference numerals are used to simplify or omit their explanation. Also, as shown in Figures 13 to 15, the main components of the box rod 60 and the multiple elements 80 constituting the second fastener stringer 3B according to the second embodiment are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment shown in Figures 7 to 9, so the same reference numerals are used to simplify or omit their explanation.

[0108] As shown in Figures 13 to 15, the second fastener stringer 3B according to the second embodiment has a box 90 provided at the lower end of its inner edge in the width direction. The box 90 has a box body 91 having a butterfly rod hole 91a in its left half from which a butterfly rod 40 can be inserted and removed in the vertical direction, and a box rod 60 protruding upward from the right half of the upper surface of the box body 91. The lower side surface 60F of the box rod 60 is connected to the box body 91, and the box rod 60 and the box body 91 are integrated. When the butterfly rod 40 is inserted into the butterfly rod hole 91a of the box body 91, a connection is established, and when the butterfly rod 40 is removed from the butterfly rod hole 91a of the box body 91, the connection is released.

[0109] As shown in Figures 10 to 12, the positions of the first protrusion 72, first recess 74, second protrusion 76, and second recess 78 of the element 70 constituting the first fastener stringer 3A on the body portion 71 are the same as those of the first embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 6, so no explanation is given.

[0110] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 13 to 15, the positions of the first protrusion 82, first recess 84, second protrusion 86, and second recess 88 on the body portion 81 of the element 80 constituting the second fastener stringer 3B are reversed in the front-back direction compared to the first embodiment shown in Figures 7 to 9, which will be explained below.

[0111] As shown in Figures 13 to 15, the body portion 81 of the element 80 constituting the second stringer 3B has a back surface 81B which is the first front and back surface facing in the reverse direction, a front surface 81A which is the second front and back surface facing in the opposite direction to the back surface 81B, an upper surface 81C which is the first upper and lower surface facing upward, and a lower surface 81D which is the second upper and lower surface facing in the opposite direction to the upper surface 81C.

[0112] Furthermore, of the multiple elements 80, the first element 80 to the second element 80, counting from the bottom, have a first protrusion 82 on the back surface 81B (first front / back surface) of the upper surface 81C (first upper / lower surface), and a first recess 84 on the front surface 81A (second front / back surface) of the upper surface 81C. In addition, the first element 80 to the third element 80 have a second protrusion 86 on the front surface 81A (second front / back surface) of the lower surface 81D (second upper / lower surface), and a second recess 88 on the back surface 81B (first front / back surface) of the lower surface 81D.

[0113] In the first and second fastener stringers 3A and 3B according to this second embodiment, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be achieved.

[0114] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above embodiments may be combined in any way without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0115] In the above-described embodiment, the first elements 70, 80 to the second elements 70, 80, counting from the bottom, had first protrusions 72, 82 and first recesses 74, 84, and the first elements 70, 80 to the third elements 70, 80 had second protrusions 76, 86 and second recesses 78, 88. However, the elements 70, 80 on which these protrusions and recesses are provided only need to be at least two elements 70, 80 that are adjacent in the vertical direction from among a plurality of elements 70, 80, and do not need to be elements 70, 80 near the lower end close to the butterfly rod 40 or box rod 60.

[0116] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, both the element 70 and the butterfly rod 40 constituting the first stringer 3A and the element 80 and the box rod 60 constituting the second stringer 3B are provided with recesses 52, 67, 74, 78, 84, 88 and protrusions 51, 66, 72, 76, 82, 86. However, the recesses may be provided on only one of the first or second stringers 3A or 3B.

[0117] As described above, the following matters are disclosed in this specification:

[0118] [1] A fastener stringer (3A, 3B) comprising: fastener tapes (5a, 5b); and a plurality of elements (70, 80) attached in a vertical direction to the inner widthwise edges (6a, 6b) of the fastener tapes (5a, 5b), wherein each element (70, 80) comprises a body portion (71, 81) attached to the inner widthwise edges (6a, 6b) of the fastener tapes (5a, 5b); and an interlocking head portion (73, 83) extending inward in the widthwise direction from the body portion (71, 81), The body portion (71, 81) of the element (70, 80) has a first front / back surface (71B, 81A) facing either the front or back direction, a second front / back surface (71A, 81B) facing in the opposite direction to the first front / back surface (71B, 81A), a first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C) facing either upward or downward, and a second upper / lower surface (71D, 81D) facing in the opposite direction to the first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C), and the body portion (71, 81) of one of the elements (70, 80) has a first protrusion (72, 82) extending from the first front / back surface (71B, 81A) side of the first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C) toward the adjacent element (70, 80). The body portions (71, 81) of adjacent elements (70, 80) have second protrusions (76, 86) extending toward one of the elements (70, 80) from the second front and back surfaces (71A, 81B) of the second upper and lower surfaces (71D, 81D), and the first protrusions (72, 82) and the second protrusions (76, 86) overlap when viewed from the front and back directions, characterized in the fastener stringer (3A, 3B).[2] The body portion (71, 81) of one of the elements (70, 80) has a first recess (74, 84) recessed from the second front / back surface (71A, 81B) side of the first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C) toward the opposite direction from the adjacent element (70, 80), and the first recess (74, 84) can accommodate the second protrusion (76, 86), and the body portion (71, 81) of adjacent elements (70, 80) has a second recess (78, 88) recessed from the first front / back surface (71B, 81A) side of the second upper / lower surface (71D, 81D) toward the opposite direction from the one of the elements (70, 80), and the second recess (78, 88) can accommodate the first protrusion (72, 82), as described in [1], the fastener stringer (3A, 3B). [3] The fastener tape (5a, 5b) is further provided with a butterfly bar (40) or box bar (60) attached to the lower end of the inner edge portion (6a, 6b) in the width direction, wherein the butterfly bar (40) or box bar (60) has a first front / back surface (40B, 60A) facing the front or back direction, a second front / back surface (40A, 60B) facing the opposite direction from the first front / back surface (40B, 60A), a first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C) facing upward or downward, and a second upper / lower surface (71D, 81D) facing the opposite direction from the first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C), The butterfly bar (40) or the box bar (60) has a first protrusion (51, 66) extending from the first front / back (40B, 60A) side of the first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C) toward the first element which is the first element (70, 80) counting from the bottom, and the first element adjacent to the butterfly bar (40) or the box bar (60) has a second protrusion (76, 86) extending from the second front / back (71A, 81B) side of the second upper / lower surface (71D, 81D) toward the butterfly bar (40) or the box bar (60), and the first protrusion (51, 66) of the butterfly bar (40) or the box bar (60) and the second protrusion (76, 86) of the first element (70, 80) overlap when viewed from the front / back direction, the fastener stringer (3A, 3B) as described in [1] or [2].[4] The butterfly rod (40) or the box rod (60) has first recesses (52, 67) formed in the direction opposite to the first element (70, 80) from the second front and back surfaces (40A, 60B) of the first upper and lower surfaces (71C, 81C), and the second protrusions (76, 86) of the first element (70, 80) can be accommodated in the first recesses (52, 67) of the butterfly rod (40) or the box rod (60), and the body portion (71, 81) of the first element (70, 80) has second recesses (78, 88) formed in the direction opposite to the butterfly rod (40) or the box rod (60) from the first front and back surfaces (71B, 81A) of the second upper and lower surfaces (71D, 81D), The fastener stringer (3A, 3B) according to [3], wherein the second recess (78, 88) of the first element (70, 80) can accommodate the first protrusion (51, 66) of the butterfly rod (40) or the box rod (60). [5] When n is a natural number satisfying 2 ≤ n ≤ 5, the nth element (70, 80) from the bottom among the plurality of elements (70, 80) is called the nth element, the first to the (n-1)th elements have the first convex portion (72, 82) and the first concave portion (74, 84) on their upper surfaces (71C, 81C), the first to the nth element have the second convex portion (76, 86) and the second concave portion (78, 88) on their lower surfaces (71D, 81D), and the nth and subsequent elements (70, 80) from the bottom among the plurality of elements (70, 80) do not have the first convex portion (72, 82) and the first concave portion (74, 84) on their upper surfaces (71C, 81C). The fastener stringer (3A, 3B) according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the elements (70, 80) from the (n+1)th element onwards, counted from the bottom, do not have the second protrusions (76, 86) and the second recesses (78, 88) on their lower surfaces (71D, 81D).

[0119] 1 Reverse-opening slide fastener 3A, 3B Fastener stringer 5a, 5b Fastener tape 6a, 6b Width direction inner edge 10A Upper slider 10B Lower slider 11a, 11b Slider body 12a, 12b Pull tab 13a, 13b Front wing plate 14a, 14b Back wing plate 15a, 15b Guide post 16a, 16b Pull tab holder 17a, 17b Element guide path 18a, 18b Rear opening 19a, 19b Shoulder opening 21a, 21b Back wing plate flange part 21c, 21d Straight flange part 21e, 21f Inclined flange part 40 Butterfly pin 40A Surface (second front and back) 40B Back (first front and back) 40C Left and right inner sides 40D Left and right outer sides 40E Upper surface (first upper and lower surfaces) 40F Lower surface (second upper and lower surfaces) 41 Locking recess 42 Swelling section 42a Lateral inner surface 43 Engaging projection 44 Lower end inclined surface 45 Insert pin projection 47 Front inclined surface 48 Lower part 49 Storage section 51 First convex section 52 First recessed section 60 Box bar 60A Surface (first front and back surfaces) 60B Back surface (second front and back surface) 60C Left and right inner side surfaces 60D Left and right outer side surfaces 60E Upper surface (first upper and lower surfaces) 60F Lower surface (second upper and lower surfaces) 61 Locking convex portion 61a Slope 62a, 62b Stopper portion 65 Box bar protrusion 66 First convex portion 67 First concave portion 70 Element 71 Body portion 71A Front side (second front and back side) 71B Back side (first front and back side) 71C Upper side (first upper and lower surface) 71D Lower side (second upper and lower surface) 72 First protrusion 73 Engaging head (73, 83) 74 First recess 75 Neck 76 Second protrusion 77 Shoulder 78 Second recess 80 Element 81 Body 81A Surface (first front and back, second front and back) 81B Back (first front and back, second front and back) 81C Upper side (first upper and lower surface) 81D Lower side (second upper and lower surface) 82 First protrusion 83 Engaging head (73, 83) 84 First recess 85 Neck 86 Second protrusion 87 Shoulder 88 Second recess 90 Box 91 Box body 91a Butterfly hole

Claims

1. A fastener stringer (3A, 3B) comprising: fastener tapes (5a, 5b); and a plurality of elements (70, 80) attached in a vertical direction to the inner widthwise edges (6a, 6b) of the fastener tapes (5a, 5b), wherein each element (70, 80) comprises a body portion (71, 81) attached to the inner widthwise edges (6a, 6b) of the fastener tapes (5a, 5b); and a meshing head portion (73, 83) extending inward in the widthwise direction from the body portion (71, 81), The body portion (71, 81) of the element (70, 80) has a first front / back surface (71B, 81A) facing either the front or back direction, a second front / back surface (71A, 81B) facing in the opposite direction to the first front / back surface (71B, 81A), a first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C) facing either upward or downward, and a second upper / lower surface (71D, 81D) facing in the opposite direction to the first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C), and the body portion (71, 81) of one of the elements (70, 80) has a first protrusion (72, 82) extending from the first front / back surface (71B, 81A) side of the first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C) toward the adjacent element (70, 80). The body portions (71, 81) of adjacent elements (70, 80) have second protrusions (76, 86) extending toward one of the elements (70, 80) from the second front and back surfaces (71A, 81B) of the second upper and lower surfaces (71D, 81D), and the first protrusions (72, 82) and the second protrusions (76, 86) overlap when viewed from the front and back directions, characterized in the fastener stringer (3A, 3B).

2. The body portion (71, 81) of one of the elements (70, 80) has a first recess (74, 84) recessed from the second front / back surface (71A, 81B) side of the first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C) toward the opposite direction from the adjacent element (70, 80), and the first recess (74, 84) can accommodate the second protrusion (76, 86), and the body portion (71, 81) of adjacent elements (70, 80) has a second recess (78, 88) recessed from the first front / back surface (71B, 81A) side of the second upper / lower surface (71D, 81D) toward the opposite direction from the one of the elements (70, 80), and the second recess (78, 88) can accommodate the first protrusion (72, 82), as described in claim 1, the fastener stringer (3A, 3B).

3. The fastener tape (5a, 5b) is further provided with a butterfly bar (40) or box bar (60) attached to the lower end of the inner edge portion (6a, 6b) in the width direction, wherein the butterfly bar (40) or box bar (60) has a first front / back surface (40B, 60A) facing the front or back direction, a second front / back surface (40A, 60B) facing the opposite direction from the first front / back surface (40B, 60A), a first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C) facing upward or downward, and a second upper / lower surface (71D, 81D) facing the opposite direction from the first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C), The fastener stringer (3A, 3B) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the butterfly bar (40) or the box bar (60) has a first protrusion (51, 66) extending from the first front / back (40B, 60A) side of the first upper / lower surface (71C, 81C) toward the first element which is the first element (70, 80) counting from below, and the first element adjacent to the butterfly bar (40) or the box bar (60) has a second protrusion (76, 86) extending from the second front / back (71A, 81B) side of the second upper / lower surface (71D, 81D) toward the butterfly bar (40) or the box bar (60), and the first protrusion (51, 66) of the butterfly bar (40) or the box bar (60) and the second protrusion (76, 86) of the first element (70, 80) overlap when viewed from the front / back direction.

4. The butterfly rod (40) or the box rod (60) has first recesses (52, 67) formed in the direction opposite to the first element (70, 80) from the second front and back surfaces (40A, 60B) of the first upper and lower surfaces (71C, 81C), and the second protrusions (76, 86) of the first element (70, 80) can be accommodated in the first recesses (52, 67) of the butterfly rod (40) or the box rod (60), and the body portion (71, 81) of the first element (70, 80) has second recesses (78, 88) formed in the direction opposite to the butterfly rod (40) or the box rod (60) from the first front and back surfaces (71B, 81A) of the second upper and lower surfaces (71D, 81D), The fastener stringer (3A, 3B) according to claim 3, wherein the second recesses (78, 88) of the first elements (70, 80) can accommodate the first protrusions (51, 66) of the butterfly rod (40) or the box rod (60).

5. When n is a natural number satisfying 2 ≤ n ≤ 5, the nth element (70, 80) from the bottom among the plurality of elements (70, 80) is called the nth element, the first to the (n-1)th elements have the first convex portion (72, 82) and the first concave portion (74, 84) on their upper surfaces (71C, 81C), the first to the nth element have the second convex portion (76, 86) and the second concave portion (78, 88) on their lower surfaces (71D, 81D), and the nth and subsequent elements (70, 80) from the bottom among the plurality of elements (70, 80) do not have the first convex portion (72, 82) and the first concave portion (74, 84) on their upper surfaces (71C, 81C). The fastener stringer (3A, 3B) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the elements (70, 80) from the (n+1)th element onward from the bottom do not have the second protrusions (76, 86) and the second recesses (78, 88) on their lower surfaces (71D, 81D).

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