One-Piece Zipper Puller with Crystalline Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard zipper handles are small, difficult to grasp, and often concealed, making them hard to operate, especially in heavily packed items where tension is high, and existing zipper pullers can be costly and prone to stretching or breaking.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece zipper puller made of injection-molded thermoplastic elastomer with a looped tether that is processed to align its crystalline structure for increased flexibility and strength, allowing it to be securely attached to the zipper handle without the need for assembly or separate tethers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a two-piece zipper puller with a tether is used, then the zipper handle size is increased for easier grasping, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the tether and the body end piece into a single integrated zipper puller component. The puller is formed as one piece with an enlarged body portion for grasping and an integrated tether portion that extends from the body, eliminating the need for separate components and assembly steps while maintaining the functional benefits of both the tether and enlarged handle
2Ease of operation
If a two-piece zipper puller with a tether is used, then the zipper handle size is increased for easier grasping, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated one-piece construction allows the zipper puller to be manufactured as a single component using processes such as injection molding, eliminating the need for separate manufacturing of the tether and body end piece followed by assembly. This reduces manufacturing steps, labor costs, and assembly complexity while producing the same functional enlarged grasping surface
3Length of moving object
If a fabric zipper puller is used, then the zipper handle length is increased, but the grasping surface remains smooth and difficult to grasp
Solution Approach 1:
The zipper puller features an asymmetric enlarged body portion with varied surface characteristics. The body is shaped with contours, ridges, or textured surfaces that provide multiple grip points and increase friction, making it significantly easier to grasp compared to a simple elongated smooth fabric puller of the same length
4Adaptability or versatility
If a tether portion is used in a two-piece zipper puller, then the zipper puller can be attached to the handle, but the tether can stretch, change shape, or break
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the tether and body end piece into a single molded component, the patent eliminates the tether as a separate element that can stretch or break. The tether portion is permanently bonded to the body during the molding process, creating a unified structure where the tether cannot detach, stretch independently, or fail separately from the body
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the tether by molding it as part of a rigid or semi-rigid integrated structure rather than using a separate flexible cord. This alters the tether's mechanical properties, providing dimensional stability and resistance to stretching while maintaining the necessary flexibility for attachment to the zipper handle
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 solution provides a robust, easy-to-grasp zipper puller that is cost-effective to manufacture, resistant to deformation, and ensures secure operation of zippers without the issues of stretching or breaking, while being customizable in size and shape.
Implementation Method 1
a body of thermoplastic elastomer can be processed to align the crystalline structure thereof to a permanently deformed thinner shape having increased flexibility while maintaining the strength of a thicker, more robust and less flexible body
Data Source
AI summary
A zipper puller (110) has a one piece structure including a molded plastic body (112) and an integral molded looped tether (114). The looped tether is molded in a first size and shape, and after molding the looped tether is permanently deformed to a second size and second shape by aligning the crystalline structure of the looped tether material.