Metal Element Slide Fastener With Variable Thickness Legs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing slide fasteners may lack sufficient strength to resist laterally-pulling forces due to the properties of the metal materials used, which can compromise their fundamental characteristics and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A metal element design featuring cantilever legs with stopping claws and core-thread-pressing surfaces that gradually slant to increase thickness, providing enhanced resistance to laterally-pulling forces while maintaining cost-effectiveness, even with conventional metal materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional metal materials are used for metal elements, then cost-effectiveness is improved, but strength to resist laterally-pulling force deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the thickness of the metal element legs - making them thicker at the base end and thinner at the free end. This creates regions of different mechanical properties within the same component, allowing the base end to resist lateral forces while maintaining overall cost-effectiveness through material optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a uniform two-dimensional cross-section to a three-dimensional variable thickness structure. The legs are designed with gradual thickness variation along their length, adding a dimensional aspect to the design that enhances structural strength without proportionally increasing material cost.
2Ease of manufacture
If metal element structure is simplified for easier molding, then manufacturing ease is improved, but strength to resist laterally-pulling force deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the metal element, specifically the thickness parameter of the legs. By gradually varying the thickness from base to free end, the design achieves enhanced strength characteristics while maintaining a structure that can still be molded using conventional processes.
Data Source
AI summary
Legs of a pair of legs are provided with core-thread-pressing surfaces that slant gradually to approach one another as being away from the stopping surfaces. Each core-thread-pressing surface extends from the stopping surface to the base end of the leg. A thickness of each leg in a thickness direction of the fastener tape gradually increases from the free end toward the base end of the leg in accordance with at least the slanting of the core-thread-pressing surface.