Adjustable Garment Zipper with Slider-Based Size Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clothing adjustment methods lack the ability to easily and flexibly modify the size of garments to accommodate changes in the wearer's dimensions or to fit different individuals, particularly in situations where rapid adjustment is necessary.
Innovation Solution
A clothing adjusting zipper arrangement that incorporates a slider with integrated fasteners, allowing for the adjustment of garment dimensions by moving the fastener along the zipper teeth, which can be exposed or concealed, and can be pre-adjusted for varying sizes, using different types of fastening devices such as buttons, VELCRO, or snap fasteners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional zippers are used for closure, then the garment can be opened or closed, but the garment size cannot be adjusted to fit different individuals or accommodate changes in wearer dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a traditional zipper mechanism with an additional fastening system (buttons, snaps, or hook-and-loop fasteners) attached to the zipper slider. This merging allows the single zipper arrangement to perform both closure function and size adjustment function, enabling the garment to fit different individuals while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The zipper slider is designed with multi-functionality by integrating additional fastening elements that can be positioned at various locations along the zipper teeth. This universal design allows the same zipper arrangement to accommodate different garment sizes and provide both closure and adjustment capabilities in a single integrated system.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the zipper is made adjustable to fit different sizes, then adaptability improves, but the operation becomes more complex requiring additional fastening mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the size adjustment function directly into the zipper slider through integrated fastening elements, the patent eliminates the need for separate adjustment mechanisms. The user operates a single slider to achieve both closure and size adjustment, maintaining ease of operation while expanding adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The zipper slider with integrated fastening elements serves itself by providing both closure and adjustment functions in one component. The additional fastening mechanisms are self-contained within the slider assembly, allowing the user to adjust garment size without requiring separate tools or complex操作步骤.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fastening points are added to the zipper slider for size adjustment, then adaptability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs universal fastening elements (buttons, snaps, or hook-and-loop fasteners) that can be attached at multiple positions along the zipper teeth. These universal components provide adaptability for different garment dimensions while maintaining relatively simple device structure, as the same fastening type can be used throughout the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The zipper arrangement is segmented into modular components: the zipper slider, multiple fastening elements, and corresponding attachment points along the zipper teeth. This segmentation allows for flexible configuration where fastening elements can be positioned at different intervals to provide size adjustment while keeping each individual component simple and manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable article has an area of overlapping fabric with facing surfaces and a zipper on one of the surfaces. A zipper slider with fastener moves along two rows of teeth of the zipper to cause them to be separated in one direction and interdigitate in an opposite direction. A connector at the other surface and at one end of a distance of a dimension to be adjusted is engaged to the fastener so that a degree of overlap of the overlapping fabric surfaces changes as the slider moves along the rows of teeth to change the dimension.