Fastener stringer and slide fastener
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for coloring fastener stringers, such as beam dyeing and inkjet schemes, face challenges with dye distribution, pattern clarity, and durability of color due to surface smoothness and friction, leading to irregularities and defects in mass production.
Innovation Solution
A fastener stringer design featuring projected rims and concave grooves with specific dimensions and orientations, allowing for uniform dye distribution and ink fixation, enhancing pattern clarity and durability by creating a larger cross-sectional area for dye retention and ink adhesion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If beam dyeing is used to color the fastener stringer, then the dyeing process is simple and low cost, but the dye distribution becomes uneven and dyeing defects occur due to close contact between layers
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener element surface is designed with micro-protrusions and micro-depressions, creating a porous-like structure that allows dye to penetrate and distribute uniformly throughout the surface, preventing dye blocking in close-contact areas during beam dyeing
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces surface topography (micro-protrusions and micro-depressions) as an additional dimensional feature on the fastener element surface, transforming a flat surface into a three-dimensional structure that enhances dye distribution while maintaining structural integrity
2Ease of manufacture
If the fastener element surface is made smooth, then the production is easier, but the ink droplets cannot be fixed and patterns become blurred
Solution Approach 1:
The micro-protrusions and micro-depressions create a porous surface structure that physically traps ink droplets, providing anchoring points for ink fixation and preventing pattern blurring while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The surface structure with micro-protrusions and micro-depressions is pre-formed on the fastener element before the inkjet printing process, creating ready-made anchoring sites that facilitate ink droplet fixation and pattern clarity
3Ease of manufacture
If the fastener element surface is smooth, then the manufacturing is easier, but the color peels off due to friction and impact
Solution Approach 1:
The porous surface structure formed by micro-protrusions and micro-depressions mechanically interlocks with the colored layer, creating physical anchors that resist friction and impact forces, thereby preventing color peeling and enhancing durability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design ensures stable coloration without irregularities, maintains pattern clarity, and prevents color peeling, improving the operability and longevity of the slide fastener by ensuring even dye distribution and ink retention.
Implementation Method 1
ink droplets are first ejected from inkjet nozzles onto one surface of the slide fastener
Implementation Method 2
the patterned slide fastener is subjected to the thermal treatment to fix the dye placed on the slide fastener to the fastener tape and the fastener element
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
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AI summary
A fastener stringer (10, 50) according to the invention is configured such that a fastener element (20) of a continuous shape includes a plurality of fine projected rims (31) which are continuously disposed on a peripheral surface of the monofilament (30) along a length direction of the monofilament (30) and a plurality of fine concave grooves (32) which are disposed between the projected rims (31), and in a cross section of the monofilament (30), a cross-sectional area of a space region of the concave groove (32) is set to be larger than that of the projected rim (31). With this configuration, in a case of performing dyeing process employing a beam dyeing or a continuous dyeing method while appropriately securing the strength of the monofilament (30), it is possible to prevent dyeing irregularities and dyeing defects from being arisen. Further, in a case of performing a coloring according to an inkjet scheme, it is possible to finely form a desired pattern with clear outlines on the fastener element (20).