Tool-Free Slide Fastener Stop With Twisting Locking Prongs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional slide fastener stops require special tools or time-consuming procedures for installation and removal, making them inconvenient for securing or re-securing the slider during or after the installation of a slide fastener in garments.
Innovation Solution
A hand-attachable stop member with parallel prongs and ledges that can be easily inserted and locked onto the slide fastener, allowing for secure attachment and removal without tools, featuring a clip locking projection with gripping ledges to prevent slider removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional stops are used for slide fasteners, then the slider is secured, but special tools or time-consuming procedures are required for installation and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The stop is divided into distinct functional segments: a body portion for engagement, parallel prongs for penetrating the slide fastener, and ledges for locking. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while enabling tool-free installation through simple manual manipulation of the segmented parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The stop incorporates dynamic elements including flexible parallel prongs that can bend during installation to pass through the slide fastener and then spring back to lock in place. The ledges are positioned to engage with the slide fastener teeth, creating a dynamic locking mechanism that secures the slider yet allows easy removal when needed.
2Reliability
If the stop is securely locked to prevent slider removal, then slider retention is improved, but removal of the stop for slider replacement becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The stop is designed with preliminary action features where the parallelprongs are pre-configured to penetrate the slide fastener and the ledges are pre-positioned to engage with the teeth. This preliminary configuration allows the stop to lock securely during normal use while maintaining the capability for easy removal by simply reversing the penetration action, enabling slider replacement without difficulty.
3Reliability
If a specialized installation procedure is used, then secure attachment is achieved, but installation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stop is designed as a self-service component that can be installed and removed by the end user without requiring specialized tools or procedures. The parallelprongs self-penetrate the slide fastener when manual pressure is applied, and the ledges automatically engage with the teeth to secure the attachment. This self-service design eliminates the need for specialized installation equipment and reduces installation time to a simple manual operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A reusable slider stop member has a solid body shaped to fit over a tooth element in a slide fastener assembly. The solid body has a central through channel defined by a pair of parallel prongs which fit over a tooth element. Each prong has an internal shoulder that engages a portion of the tooth element to retain the stop in place. The stop may be removed without damaging the stop or the tooth element, thus permitting easy repair of slide fastener assembly components. The stop is installed by aligning the channel at a right angle to the axis of the array of tooth elements, pressing the stop partially onto the tooth element, twisting the stop into alignment with the array and pressing the stop fully onto the tooth element to engage the internal shoulder of the stop with the tooth element.