Stretchable Slide Fastener Element Design for Sportswear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing slide fasteners for stretchable garments, such as sportswear and swimming suits, face limitations in maintaining engagement strength due to the constraints of forming coil-shaped fastener elements, which can lead to insufficient engagement when attached to highly stretchable materials.
Innovation Solution
A slide fastener design featuring fastener tapes with stretchability, where each fastener element includes a body portion, a constricted neck portion, an engaging head portion that swells in the longitudinal direction, and shoulder portions that contact adjacent elements, ensuring engagement strength even on high-stretch garments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If coil-shaped fastener elements are formed by press molding, then manufacturing is simplified, but engagement strength becomes insufficient for highly stretchable garments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the fastener element by introducing a neck portion with a constricted dimension and an engaging head portion with a swollen dimension. This parameter change allows the engaging head to maintain sufficient contact area and engagement strength with opposite fastener elements even when the fastener is stretched, while still enabling simplified press molding manufacturing of the overall coil-shaped structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the fastener is designed for high stretchability, then adaptability to sportswear and swimming suits is improved, but engagement strength becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fastener element into distinct functional portions: a body portion for flexibility, a neck portion for structural definition, and an engaging head portion for connection. This segmentation allows each portion to contribute differently to the overall performance - the body and neck provide flexibility for stretchability, while the engaging head provides sufficient contact area for maintaining engagement strength during stretching.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the dimensional parameters along the tape longitudinal direction - specifically creating a constricted neck portion and a swollen engaging head portion - the patent enables the fastener to accommodate high stretchability while maintaining engagement strength. The swollen head portion ensures adequate contact area even when stretched.
3Strength
If the engaging head dimension is increased, then engagement strength is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the dimensional parameters of the engaging head portion by swelling it in the tape longitudinal direction rather than increasing dimensions in all directions. This targeted parameter change increases engagement strength through greater contact area while maintaining compatibility with standard press molding capabilities, avoiding excessive manufacturing precision requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
The slide fastener includes a pair of fastener tapes, a pair of fastener element rows respectively including a plurality of fastener elements and coupling yarns coupling the plurality of fastener elements, and a slider configured to engage and disengage the pair of fastener element rows. Each of the fastener elements includes a body portion, a neck portion, an engaging head, portion and a pair of shoulder portions provided at both sides of the neck portion in the tape longitudinal direction and configured to come in contact with opposite engaging head portions. The pair of fastener tapes have stretchability in the tape longitudinal direction.