Sealed Zipper Top Stop With Elastic Clamping Tongues
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing zipper top stops on beddings and bed packs leave gaps, allowing mites, dust, and fillers to enter or escape, causing discomfort over time.
Innovation Solution
A sealed zipper top stop design featuring a groove for the slider with elastic clamping tongues arranged in an inverted splay shape, providing clamping grooves and guide projections to ensure a tight fit and prevent loosening, combined with a stiffener for enhanced structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a traditional zipper top stop is used, then the structure is simple, but gaps are left that allow mites, dust, and fillers to enter or escape
Solution Approach 1:
The zipper top stop is divided into multiple functional segments: a body portion, a groove for the slider, and two elastic clamping tongues. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the groove provides a tight fit for the slider while the elastic tongues provide clamping force - thereby achieving effective sealing without excessive overall complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic clamping tongues are designed to be flexible rather than rigid, allowing them to dynamically adapt to the slider's position and maintain continuous clamping pressure. This dynamic property ensures the gap remains sealed throughout the zipper's operation while the elastic material naturally returns to its original shape, maintaining sealing effectiveness over time
2Reliability
If elastic clamping tongues are added to seal the gap, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic clamping tongues are integrated directly into the zipper top stop body as a single molded piece rather than separate components. This merging of parts simplifies manufacturing by eliminating assembly steps while maintaining the sealing function, as the tongues are formed as an integral part of the top stop structure
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic tongues are designed with specific dimensional parameters - their width, thickness, and curvature - that allow them to be molded as integral parts of the top stop. By optimizing these parameters, the tongues achieve the necessary elasticity and clamping force while being manufacturable as a single piece, balancing sealing effectiveness with manufacturing ease
3Ease of operation
If the slider is allowed to move freely, then ease of operation is improved, but the slider may loosen or come off
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic clamping tongues provide a dynamic clamping mechanism that allows the slider to move freely along the zipper teeth while maintaining continuous retention. The elasticity of the tongues enables them to flex during slider movement and then return to their original position, ensuring the slider remains secured without restricting its operational movement
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping force is applied locally at specific points where the elastic tongues contact the slider, rather than restricting movement along the entire zipper length. This localized clamping allows the slider to move freely in the operational direction while being retained at the top stop, achieving both ease of operation and reliability
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 effectively seals the zipper top stop, preventing mites, dust, and fillers from entering or escaping, ensuring a comfortable and secure closure.
Implementation Method 1
two elastic clamping tongues, wherein one end of each of the two elastic clamping tongues is arranged at the bottom of the groove, and the other end extends towards a direction away from the body
Data Source
AI summary
A sealed zipper top stop and a zipper. The sealed zipper top stop includes a body, wherein a groove matched with one end of a slider close to the body is arranged at one side of the body close to the slider; and two elastic clamping tongues, wherein one end of each of the two elastic clamping tongues is arranged at the bottom of the groove, and another end of each of the two elastic clamping tongues extends towards a direction away from the body. The groove matched with the slider is arranged on one side of the body close to the slider, so that the slider can fit closely with the body when moving to the body without creating a gap and the sealing effect is good.