Zipper Slider With Flexible Strip Raceway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional zipper fasteners lack a mechanism for coordinated motion between primary and secondary slider members, leading to inefficient engagement and disengagement, and do not effectively utilize flexible strips for enhanced functionality.
Innovation Solution
A zipper assembly with a primary slider member and a secondary motion mechanism, where a flexible strip is articulated to both, enabling coordinated axial or rotary motion, and a raceway through alternating teeth accommodates the strip, allowing for enhanced pulling and pushing capabilities and generating electric signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional zipper fastener is used, then the structure is simple, but the engagement and disengagement efficiency is low and force requirement is high
Solution Approach 1:
The zipper slider is divided into multiple independent components: a primary slider member for basic fastening function and a secondary motion mechanism for enhanced control. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally, improving overall engagement efficiency without requiring complete redesign of the entire zipper system.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary motion mechanism is nested within the primary slider member structure. The flexible strip connects these nested components, allowing the secondary mechanism to operate within the spatial constraints of the primary slider while providing additional motion control capabilities.
2Ease of operation
If a flexible strip is added to connect primary and secondary mechanisms, then coordinated motion capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible strip is introduced as a thin, adaptable connecting element between the primary slider member and secondary motion mechanism. This flexible strip provides the necessary motion transmission while accommodating spatial variations and maintaining ease of operation without requiring rigid, complex structural connections.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a raceway through alternating teeth is created, then flexible strip functionality is enhanced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The raceway structure is designed with alternating teeth configuration, where each tooth's local geometry is optimized to guide the flexible strip. This local quality approach allows the raceway to accommodate various flexible strip functionalities while maintaining manufacturability through standardized tooth formation processes.
4Power
If secondary motion mechanism is added, then pulling and pushing capabilities are enhanced, but force requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary motion mechanism introduces dynamic motion control to the zipper system, allowing for optimized pulling and pushing capabilities through coordinated movement. This dynamic approach enables the system to distribute operational forces more effectively, enhancing power capability while managing force requirements through motion coordination rather than purely mechanical force multiplication.
Data Source
AI summary
A zipper assembly including a left side tape configured with a plurality of left fastener teeth, and a right side tape configured with a plurality of right fastener teeth, defining together a zipper path, and at least one primary slider member slidingly displaceable along the zipper path for interlocking engagement or disengagement of left fastener teeth with corresponding right fastener teeth, wherein at least a portion of the zipper path is configured with a raceway extending through alternating neighboring left fastener teeth and right fastener teeth, said raceway configured for slidingly accommodating a flexible strip articulated at a first end thereof to the at least one slider member.