Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
i7Z
DEVI OE FOR CONNECTI~G THE ENDS OF A SEPARABLE ZIPPER
_ _ _ . _
Ihe present invention pertains generally to slide fasteners
and more particularly to the type of slide fastener ccm~only sold
under the trademark "zipper", which has opposed strina,s or rcws of
interlocking elements or "zipper" teeth which are brought into int~r-
locking engagement or fastened by mo~e~nt of a slider in one direction
along the rows and disengaged or unfastened by movem~nt of the slider
in the opposite direction. Ihe trademark "zipper" is herein set forth
in ~quotation marks.
1he present invention addresses the problem of reducina the
difficulty inv~lved with the initial engagement of the ends of a separable
"zipper" on a jacket or similar garment, but it will be appreciated that
the solution provided by the present invention has useful application
to the er.tire field of slide fasteners without limitation to garments,
which will be disc~ssed by ~ay of example herein.
The tasX of initiating the operation of a conventional separable
"zipper" requires a certain desree of care and dexterity so that many
children find the task to ke i~possible to perform and even adults sometimes
find the task to be awkward, inordinately time coilsw~iing and fru trating.
Conventional separable "zippers" for jackets and similar garments are typically
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arrc~nged for ri~lt-handed operation of the slider by the wearer. The
"zip7~Yer"teeth are arranqed in rcws alonq the edges of flexible support-
ing sheets, ccmnonly known as tapes or stringers, which are sewn to the
left and right front vertical edqes of the jacket so that the r~ws of
tecth can be interleaved or brought into interlocking engagement by
operation of the slider. A terminal pin is provided at the end of each
row of teeth at the bottcm of the jacket. In the case of a typical right-
handed separable'~ipper', the slider is installed on the right rc~ of teeth
and a socket or U-shaped member is installed on the terminal pin at the
end of the right rc~ of teeth. The socket serves both as a stop for the
slider and as a means for receiving the terminal pin at the end of the
left row of teeth. Once the left terminal pin is properly inserted in the
socket, the rcws of teeth will be aligned and ready to be brought into
interlocking engagement in the conventional manner by the fo~Jard rnovement
of the slider up the rcws of teeth.
The task of initiating operation of the conventional right-handed
separable"zippe~'proceeds by ir~serting the left terminal pin through the
left port of the slider down into the socket and then pullina, the slider
forward up ~he rcws of teeth while holding the left terr~linal pin firmly
in the socket by grasping the adjacent strinaer or fabric. If the left
term,inal pin is not intially inserted fully into the socket, the slider
will likely refuse to move forward because the teeth adjacent to the
terminal pins will not be properly aligned. On the other hand, if the
left terminal pin is initially inserted fully into the socket but is
not held fir-mly in the socket, the forward movement of the slider will
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likely pull the left terminal pin free from the socket, thus preventing
the fastening of the 'zipper"
The foregoing problems have been addressed in certain respects
by the prior art. For example, in place of the conventionk~l terminal
pins and socket, U.S. Patent No. 2,203,005 employ.s separable end-
connecting members which enable proper alignment of the interlocking
elements or teeth for engagement by the slider and which, once prcperly
fastened, will not pull free frcm each other because of the forward move-
ment of the slider. Hcwever, the approach of U.S. Patent No. 2,203,005
has not been adopted to any significant extent apparently because initial
engagement of the specialized end-connecting members is no less difficult,
if at all, in co~parison with the conventional terminal pins and socket.
In order to interconnect such end-connecting me~bers, substantial care and
dexterity are required to align and enc3age parts that are as small or
smaller than a conventional terminal pin and its associated slider port
and socket terminal. Furthermore, the interengag~ment of such specialized
end-connecting me~bers can not be achieved while the adjoining ends of
the'~ipper"elements are substantially parallel. Ratiler, it is necessary
that the end-connecting memkers first be positioned at a wide angle during
insertion of a relatively small pivot pin of one end-connecting me~ber
into a slot or opening of the other end-connecting member, whereupon only
then can the end-connecting members be rotated to bring the adjoining ends
of the'!zi~per'elements into parallel alignment for passage through the
front ports of the slider.
The fore~oing problems are solved in accordance with the present
il~l57;~
inverltioll cis claim~ by provicling at the ends of the rc,ws of"zipper"
teeth terminals which operate in a mamler similar to that of oonventional
snap fasteners that have cooperating armular snaps which are mated by
merely bringing th~m together in the direction perpendicular to the
plane of the adjoining fabric a~ then pressing them into engagement
between thunlb and forefinger. ~s with such snap terminals, the terminals
of the present invention can be effortlessly fastened or engaged with a
minin~n of attention to aligr~nent of the terminals during fastening since
they naturally tend to self-align by virtue of their juxtaposition at
corresponding positions on the opposed garment edges. Once a portion of
one terminal is inserted into or nested within cooperating portions of
the other terminal, the ends of the rc,ws of teeth will then be or will
readily became aligned for interenag~nent by the slider as it is pulled
forward. ~le cooperating or nesting portions of the tenminals are rela-
tively large, preferably at least several times larger than the size of
one of the front ports of the slider, such that relatively little dexterity
is required to bring the terminals into opera,ive engagement. There is
no need to feed or pass anything through the slider in order to operatively
engage the terminals and align the rearmost ends of the"zipper"rcws in
front of their corresponding slider ports. In addition, there is no
tendency for the tenninals of the present invention to separate in re-
sponse to the mere forhard movement of the slider during intial engagement
of the rearmost ends of the rows of"zippe~'teeth as is the case with the
conventional pin-and-socket type"zippe~'end connectors.
It will therefore be aF)preciated that the princi~al advantage of
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the invention over prior-art separable"zip~ers'is the substantial simpli-
fication in the act of engacJing the encls or terminal portions of the
"zi.pper' The terminals of the present invention are sufficiently large
and easy to operate suc~ that even chi~dren who are incapcible of fasten-
ing a conventional pin-and-socket separable"zippei'can bring the terminals
of the present invention into engacJement properly with little attention
to allgnment and can pull the sl.ider forward up the rc~s of'~zippe~'teeth
without the risk that the terminals will pull free of each other.
The presently preferred way of carrying out the invention is
described in detail below with reference to drawings which illustrate
five specific embodiments .in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the
present invention shc~wing first and second"zipper"terminals aligned just
prior to engagement, the first terminal or slider base terminal carrying
a slider adapted to interenga~e conventional rcxws of'~ippe~'teeth, the
second terminal or receiving te~inal being adapted to mate with the first
termunal in the indicated marner;
F'IGURE LA is a front elevational vi~w of a cor.ventional slider
used in the present invention;
FIGU~E 2 is a perspective view shc~ing the terminals in operative
engag~ment and the slider moved slightly forward up the rows of "zippe~'
teeth;
FIGURF 3 is a plan vi~ of the terminals with the rearmost"zippe~'
teeth in interlocking engagement;
FIGURE 4 is a view in cross-section taken along lines IV-rV of
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FIGURE 3 in the direction indicated;
FIGURE 5 is a view in cross-section taken along line V-V of
FIGURE 3 in the direction indicated;
FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the
presellt invention showing a slider base te.rminal and a receiving terminal
aligned just prior to engagement, the view being similar to FIGURE 1 but
with the slider removed in order to illustrate vari.ous details of the
slider base terminal;
FIGURE 7 is a view in cross-section as the terminals of FIGURE
6 would appear when operatively engaged with the slider in its rearmost
position on the slider base terminal, the view looking i~ the direction
indicated from the line VII-~I of FIGURE 6;
FIGURE 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIGURE 7;
FIGURE 9 is a front elevational vi~w of another slider base
terminal and associated slider carried thereon;
FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of the ma-te to the terminal of
FIGURE 9, the terminals of FIGURES 9 and 10 representing a third embodi-
ment of the present invention;
FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of a fourth embodimert of the
present invention illustrating the top front surfaces of a slider base
terminal and associated receiving terminal aligned just prior to engage-
ment;
FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of the bottom surface of the
slider base terminal of FIGURE 11 separate from its receiving terminal
with the addition of a slider shc~n in phantom lines as it would appear
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when carried in its rearmost position thereon;
FIGI ~ 13 is a plan view of the bottom surface of the slider
base terminal of FIGURE 12i
FIGURE 14 is a top plan vi~w of a fifth ~mbodiment of the
present invention illustratinc3 a slidcr base terminal and a receiving
terminal in operative engagementi
FIGURE 15 is a view in cross-section taken along line XV-XV
of FIGURE 14 in the direction indicated; and
FIGURE 16 is a view in cross-section taken along line XVI-XVI
of FIGURE 14 in the direction indicated.
. Referring to FIGURES 1-5, a device for connect,ing the ends of
a separable"zipper"is illustrated and designated generally by reference
numeral 10. The'kipper"includes interlocking elements or teeth arranged
in adjacent rcws 12 and 14 in the convelltional manner along the respective
edges of flexible supporting sheets or stringers 16a and 16b. Installation
of the'zipper"in a suitable garment is achieved in a conventional manner,
such as by sewing the strincJers 16a and 16b to the respective right edge
18a and left edge 18b of a garment shc~n in ~hantom in FIGURES 1-3. The
terms "left" and "right" are used herein with reference to the point of
view of a wearer of the garment. The device 10 c~nprises a first terminal
or slider base terminal 20 and a second terminal or receiving terminal 22,
which terminals can be operatively engacJed or brought together into working
relationship in a manner similar to the operation of a conventional snap
fastener such that the slider base terminal 20 is aligned over and then
pressed into the receivin~ terminal 22 in the manner indicated.
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As se~n in EIGURE 1, the slid~r base terminal 20 is adapted to
carry a conventional slider 24 which is manually operable by means of
a handle 26 pivotally mounted in a longitudinal slot 27 atop the slider
24. When the terminals 20 and 22 are disengaged, the slider 24 is
norrmally carried on a base or generally disc-shaped platform 28 which,
in the present example, forms an upper surface portion of the terminal 20.
The slider 24 includes top and bottom plates 30 and 32 held in spaced-
apart parallel planes by a center post 34 which forms the leading edge
of the slider 24 as it ves forwardly.
As seen in FIGURE 2, when the slider 24 is moved forwardly, it
progressively forces the teeth in the opposed rc,ws 12 and 14 into inter-
locking engagement. As seen in FIGURE lA, the slider plate 30 has dcwn-
wardly extendir~ right and left side rims 36a and 36b and the bottom slider
plate 32 has upwardly extending right and left side rims 38a and 38b. The
rims 36a and 38a form a right side slot through which the stringer 16a
passes and the rim~s 36b and 38b form a left side slot through which the
stringer 16b passes, as is conventional in the"zippe~'art. As the slider
24 moves forward, the teeth in the opposed rows 12 and 14 enter respective
right and left slider ports 39a and 39b formed between the front edges of
the respective side rims and the center post 34. The manner in which the
slider 24 engages and disengages the teeth in the opposed rcws 12 and 14
is generally knawn and thus will not be elaborated on further. From the
foregoing, however, it will be appreciated that the slider 24 can be
readily moved from the position seen in FIGURE 2 to its rearmost position
~5 on the slider base terminal 20 because the platform 28 is made to lie
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in the same plane as the adjacent portiors of the stringers 16a and 16b
whenever the terminals 20 and 22 are operatively engaged. Since the
stringers 16a and 16b are ordinarily flexible, the full length of each
stringer 16a and 16b will not necessarily lie in a single p]ane. However,
portions of the stringers 16a and 16b will lie in what will be referred
to herein as the "slider working plane" when they pass through the slider
24. The term "slider working plane" is intended to mean that plane de-
fined by the intersection of longitudinal and transverse axes of the
slider 24, the longitudinal axis lying in the direction of slider move-
ment as indicated by the dashed line L in FIG~RE 2 and the transverse
axis bisecting the slider ports 39a and 39b as indicated by ',he dashed
line T in FIGVRE lA.
m e slider base te~ inal 20 includes a raised shelf 40 which
serves as a guide track for slidably cooperating with the upper rims
36a and 36b so as to keep the slider 24 in general forward alignment
when situated in its rearmost position thereon. The platform 28 further
includes a notch 42 for receiving the center post 34 of the slider 24 in
the manner shGwn in FIGURE 1. l'he te~-minal 20 includes a guide segment
44 which defines the rearmost end of the right row 12 of'~ipper"teeth.
The guide segment 44 serves in the manner of a cam to guide the leading
edge of the center post 34 into operative pro~imity with the rearmost
.ippe~'tooth 12a of the right rGw 12. Similarly, the terminal 22 in-
cludes a guide se~rent 46 which defines the rearmost end of the left rcw
14 of'~ippe~'teeth. 1'he gui~e segrl~ent 46 serves to guide the leading
edge of the center post 34 into operative proximity with the rearmost
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"zipper"tooth 14a of the lcft rcw 14, provided the tcrminals 20 and 22
are operatively engaged and rotationally oricnted relativc to each
other in the position shcwn. It is presently preferred that the guide
seY~nent 44 and the raised shelf 40 have a comnon colinear right edge 48a
for a smooth transition in the mov~nent of the slider 24 exiting fran
al~ returning to the tenninals 20 and 22. Tne shelf ~0 also preferably
has a straight left edge 48b at its rearmost position ar.d a generally
S-shaped curved edge 49 lecading fran the edge 48b to the left edge of
guide segment 44. The curved edge 49 pennits a slight lateral or
rotational movenent of the slider 24 with respect to tenninal 20 as
the center post 34 of the slider 24 is guided be-bween the guide segments
44 and 46 which tends to cause the tenninals 20 and 22 to rotate slightly
relative to each other.
In accordance with a uni,(~c feature of the invention, the
terminals 20 and 22 are engaged or nested in a manner similar to that of
a snap fastener by pressing the tenninals 20 and 22 together after first
aligning them in the manner indicated in FICURE 1 while the slider 24
is carried in its rearmost position on the platfonn 28. The nesting or
mating portions of the tenninals 20 and 22 are preferably gcnerally annular
in shape so that the tenninals 20 and 22 can be brought together without
havin~ to first align the t~o"zi,oper"rows 12 and 14 at any particular
angle to each other as will be appreciated more fully from the description
tl~t follcws~
Referring again to FIGURE 1, the slider base tenninal 20 includes
curved wall ~0 extending dow~ard fran the peri~hery of the platform 28.
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The wall 50 preferably includes a cuff 52 projecting radially outward
from a cylindrical surface 54 of the wall 50. In this embodiment, the
cuff 52 is provided only throuyh a semicircular arc around the rearward
half of the cylindrical surface 54. rl~e receiving terminal 22 includes a
curved mating wall 56 extencling upward from the periphery of a generally
circular floor 58. The wall 56 preferably includes an upper interior
cylindrical surface 60 of a first diameter and a lower interior cylindrical
surface 62 of a second diameter, the second diameter being greater than
the first diameter. The wall 56 includes an upper peripheral rim 64 which
with the cylindrical surface 60 defines an aperture 65 for receiving the
mating wall 50 of terminal 20. The terminals 20 and 22 are brought into
operative engagement by first seating the cuff 52 on the upper peripheral
rim 64 of the wall 56 and then pressing the terminals 20 and 22 together
until the bottom of the wall 50 abuts the floor 58, which is designed to
occur when the rearmost portions of the stringers 16a and 16b have become
essentially coplanar with the previously defined slider working plane when
the s3ider 24 is in its rearmost position on terminal 20. Accordingly, the
term "operative engagement" and terms of similar import are used herein
to mean that the terminals 20 and 22 (and their counterparts in subsequently
described ~mbodiments) are ma-ted or nested but not necessarily in any
particular relative rotational position to each o-ther nor are they necessarily
interlock~d. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the generally cylin-
drical construction of the terminals 20 and 22 permits them to be engaged
when the adjacent ~nds of the'~ipper~rows 12 and 14 are in a nonparallel
orientation.
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In order to facilitate ~lidin~l ter~unal 20 into the ter~inal 22,
the cuff 52 is generally frustoconical 50 that it tapers with increasing
diameter in moving axially u~ward along the wall 50 to a maximum diameter
at a generally radially oriented shelf 66 which interconnects the conical
surface of the cuff 52 with the cylindrical surface 54 of the wall 50. 'Ihe
diameter of t~le cylindrical surface 54 is sligh-tly smaller than the diameter
of the upper interior cylindrical surface 60 of the terminal 22, and the
maximum diameter of the cuff 52 is slightly greater than the diameter of
the surface 60 such that forcing the terminals 20 and 22 together causes
the cuff 52 to compress slightly radially and/or causes the wall 56 to ex-
pana radially as the cuff 52 slidably passes within the surface 60. The
degree of cc~pression of the cuff 52 relative to the expansion of the wall
56 depends on the properties of the materials employed in fabricating the
termir.als 2Q and 22, a relatively rigid and resilient Plastic being a pre-
ferred material. When the shelf 66 passes beyond the surface 60, the cuff
52 and wall 56 resiliently retum to their normal dimensions with the shelf
56 abutting an anrular shoulder 68 which interconnects the two cylindrical
surfaces 60 and 62. Once tne slider 24 is moved forward uP the rows 12 and
14 of'~ippe~'teeth, inadvertent disengagement of the terminals 20 and 22
is then prevented by virt.ue of the shelf 66 abutting the annular shoulder
68 at the rearward portions of the terminals 20 and 22 combined with the
locking action of the rearmost'~ippe~'teeth 12a and 14a tending to keep
the forward portions of the terminal.s 20 and 22 locked in the enyaged
position shc~n in FIGU~E 2. In addition, the guide segments 44 and 46
can optionally be adapted to interlock with each other to further insure
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572
against inadvertent disengag~mellt of the tenninals 20 and 22, as will be
described belcw with reference to FIGURES 3 and 4. However, disengagement
of the terrninals 20 and 22 can readily be achieved when the slider 24 is
situated in its rearmost position by pulling upward (in the view of FIGUK~
1) on the portion of the gannent hern or edge 18a adjacent to the slider
base tenninal 20 and siTnultaneously downward on the porti~n of the gannent
hem or edge 18b adjacent to the receiving terminal 22, which causes the
forward portions of the terminals 20 and 22 to begin to separate since no
locking action is then being provided by the unfastened"zippe~'teeth. Such
pulling action on the garm~nt edges 18a and 18b causes the tenninals 20
and 22 to continue to tilt out of axial alignTnent until the cuff 52 can
slip past the shoulder 68 permitting the terminals 20 and 22 to pull free
fraTn each other.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the tenninals 20
and 22, once engaged, are kept essentially in coaxial alignment by the
relatively snug fit of the slidably abutting walls 50 and 56. In accor-
dance with an important feature of the device 10, the rnating walls 50
and 56 define circular arcs subtending angles in excess of 180 degrees
so that, once engaged, the only relative moveTnent of the terminals 20
and 22 that can occur will be rotational and not translational. Thus,
pulling the slider 24 forward away from the tenminals 20 and 22 to fasten
the'kipper"rows 12 and 14 will not cause terminal 20 to mlove forward
relative to terminal 22 because the forward portions of surface 54 will
abut the cooperating portions of surface 60. Ilcwever, it is also a
desirable feature of the device 10 that, while being carried in its
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11;~157Z
rearmost position on the tern~nal 20 with the terminals 20 and 22
operatively engaged, the slider 24 is carried within the nesting
portions of the terminals 20 and 22. Accordingly, the preferred
mating walls 50 and 56 are not continuous through a full 360 degrees,
but are provided with gaps 69a and 69b at their forward portions to
permit the slider 24 to exit fram the nesting portions of the
terminals 20 and 22 as it m~ves forward to engage the'~ipper"rcws
12 and 14. One advantage of this preferred arranqement is that,
while the slider 24 is carried in its rearmost position on the
terminal 20, the axis of relative rotational movement of the terminals
20 and 22 passes approx~-nately through the center of the slider 24
which is snugly encampassed within the cylinders defined by walls 50
and 56. Thus, if the"zippe~'rows 12 and 14 are not aligned in parallel
when it is desired to fasten them together, pulling forwardly on the
handle 26 and rearwardly on the receiving terminal 22 will automatically
cause the terminals 20 and 22 to rotate ~mtil the rcws 12 cmd 14 are
substantially parallel, whereupon the slider 24 is permitted to exit
forwardly through the aligned gaps 69a and 69b in the walls 50 and 56.
Most preferably, the gaps 69a and 69b in the forward ~ortions of the
walls 50 and 56 are just slightly wider than the n~xi~lm w:idth of the
slider 24 so that it will not exit through the gaps 69a and 69b until
they are perfectly aligned, thus assuring that the guide sements 44 and
46 will pass through the two front ports 39a and 39b of the slider 24 on
opposite sides of the center post 34. If the terminals 20 and 22 are -
initially brought together with the rearmost ends of the'~ippe~'rows 12
~ 5 77Z
and 14 well out of parallel, at right angles for example, then the
leading edge of the center post 34, as the user pulls forwardly on
the slider handle 26, will slidably bear against the cylindrical
surface 60 as the terminals 20 and 22 begin to rotate into aligrment.
It will be appreciated that the for~going preferred features of the
device 10 permit the terminals 20 and 22 to be snapped into engagement
even when the wearer is in a sitting position during which the"zippe~'
rows 12 ar.d 14 are ordinal^ly misaligned.
In order to facilitate pulling rearwardly on the terminal 22,
a tab 70 is provided at the rear thereof for grasping, for example,
bet~een the thu~b and index finger of the left hand of the wearer. The
provision of the slot 27 atop the slider 24 is believed to facilitate the
rotational action of tne terminals 20 and 22 by permitting the point of
pivotal attachment of the handle 26 to the slider 24 to move forward of
the axis of rotation. As the slider 24 begins to move forwardly, the center
post 34 slidably engages the facing surfaces of the guide segments 44 and
46 which in turn pass through the slider 24 and are brought into engagement
as seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 because the interior passageway of the slider
24 narrows progressively. As the slider 24 continues forwardly, the"zipper"
teeth in the rows 12 and 14 are progressively brought into interlocking
engagement in the conventional manner.
Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4 in conjunction with FIGURE 2,
additional features of the preferred"zipper"terminal device 10 will be
described. After the slider 24 has been pulled forward up the~zipper"
rows 12 and 14, the terminals 20 and 22 will remain locked in engagement
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by virtue of the insertion of a tonguc 72 on guide segment 46 into a
cooperating groove 74 in guide segment 44. The mating of the tongue 72
and groove 74 occurs autcmatically with a final slight rotation of the
terminals 20 and 22 as the rearmost interior surface of the left upper
rim 36b of the slider 24 pushes countercloc~wise Oll the guide segment
46 while the rearmost interior surface of the right upper rim 36a pushes
clockwise on the guide segment 44. As previously mentioned, even without
the tongue-and-groove locking feature of the guide segments 44 and 46,
the interlocked rearmost"zipper"teeth 12a and 14a will tend to keep the
forward portions of the terminals 20 and 22 in engagement while the cuff
52 ~FIGURE 1) of terminal 20 abuts the annular shoulder 68 of terminal 22
to keep the rearward portions of the terminals 20 and 22 locked in engage-
ment.
To further assist in securing the terminals 20 and 22, the guide
segment 44 preferably interlocks with the'~ipper"tooth 14a in like manner
as the various other"zipper"teeth of the oppo~sed rcws 12 and 14 interlock
with each other. In particular, the guide se~ment 44 includes a forwardly
extending projection 76 evident in FIGURE 1, which is adapted to engage
a mating indentation in ~he rearward portion of the`'zipperl'tooth 14a in
the manner depicted in FIGURE 3.
With particular reference to FIGURES 3-5, a preferred technique
will nc~ be described for securing the terminals 20 and 22 to th~- stringers
16a and 16b and the adjacent garment edges 18a and 18b. EXtending radially
outward frcm the upper forward portions of the terminals 20 and 22 are
win~s 80 and 82, respectively. me wings 80 and 82 each include top
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(80a, 8~a) and bottom (80b, 82b) layers of a folded flange. As
exemplified in FIGURE 5, the wing 82 has a top layer 82a and a bottom
layer 82b joined at a bend or rold 82c. Disposed between the layers
82a and 32b is the rearmost corner of the stringer 16b. Although other
means of attacilment are also feasible, it is presently preferred for
sake of simplicity that the respective wings 80 and 82 be glued to
their respective stringers 16a and 16b and that the wing-stringer
assemblies thell be s~cured to their respective adjacent garment edges
18a and 18b (shcwn in l?hantom in FIG~ 3) by sewing. Accordingly,
slotted openings 84 are provided in the wings 80 and 82, which openings
reYjister in the respective top and botLo~ layers of the wings 80 and 82
to permit a needle and thread (nc~ sh~r.) to p~ss therethrough. As
exemplified in FIGURE 5, the exterior faces of the wings 80 and 82 may
be curved between openings 84 to facilitate ~iding the point of the
needle into any of the oFer.ings 84, since they are most likely obscured
from view by the garment edge 18a or 18b to be attached thereat.
Referring briefly again to FI~URE 4, it will be seen tilat the
stringers 16a and 16b are provided with beaded edges 86a and 8fib,
respectively, in accordance with one of several well-kncwn prior art
techniques for securing the individual"zippe~'teeth to the stringers 16a
and 16b. (It will, of co~-se, ~e appreciated that the invention ~an ~e
pracLiced u_iny~ other suit~ble slide-fastening interlocking elements
and associated means for attachment to the edges of a garment.) The
guide segments 44 and 46 include hollow interiors for accepting the rear-
most portions of the beaded edges 86a and 86b so that attachment o' the
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B
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wings 80 and 82 to the resl~ctive strmyers 16a and 16b will automatically
self-align the guide seg~ts 44 and 46 with the respective rows 12 and
14 of "zipper" teeth.
An additional feature of the inventive device 10 which is
apparent from FIGURES 1 and 4 involves the provi~sion of an L-shaped
member 88 extending forwardly from the wall 56 and the floor 58 of the
terminal 22. me Lrshaped member 88 gives added support to the guide
segment 46 and adjoining wina, 82 to resist flexing at the point of attach-
ment of the wing 82 to the rim 64 of the terminal 22. Ihe placement of
the Lrshaped member 88 also co.~veniently permits it to serve as a guide
ch~te for t`ne slider 24, as will be appreciated from the view of FIGURE 2.
A second embodiment of the invention will now be described with
reference to FIGURES 6-8, wherein a "zipper" terminal device is illustrated
and desianated ~;enerally by reference nu~eral 110. In order to simplify
the description of the d~,vice 110, parts that function in a similar manner
to corresponding parts in the above-described device 10 are designated
using similar reference numerals. The followin,a, description will focus
only on the st important differences of the device 110 with respect to
the above-described device 10. It will be appreciated t'aat, while they
are not shown in the similar view of FIGURE 6, the rows 12 and 14 of
"zipper" teeth of E`IGURE 1 would be provided in essentially the same
manner along tne beaced ed~es 186a and 186b of the respective stringers
116a and 116b.
The most significant difference bctween the d~vice 110 and the
above-described device 10 is the inclusion of a slider retaining mechanism
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comprising a spring mem~er 190 suspended from the slider b.~se terminal
12n so t-hat it l.!ill lie within t-he interior pa~ssageway 191 of the slider
124 and retain the slider 124 in its rearmost position on the terminal
120 unless the terminals 120 and 122 are operatively engaged in the
position shcwn in FIGURE 7. The spring member 190 includes a catch
192, which extends into an opening 194 in the bottom plate 132 of the
slider 124 when the spring member 190 is unflexed as shch7n in phantom
in FIC,U~E 8, whereby the forward rnovemer.t of the slider 124 is prevented
by virtue of the catch 192 contacting a wall 196 of the bottom plate 132.
The spring r~3mber 190 includes an arm 198 extending through an op~ening
200-in a rearward portion of the wall 150 of terminal 120. When the
terminals 120 and 122 are operatively engaged, the slider 124 is released
for forward movement by a projection 202 extending upward from a rearward
portion of the wall 156 of terminal 122 to fle~ the spring mem~er 190.
The termiulal 120 preferably includes a lip 204 which extends dcwnward
rro~ the rear of the shelf 140 in order to cover the arm 198 to prevent
accidental release of the sli.der 124. Ihe lip 204 and the adjacent portion
of terminal wall 150 form a narrc~7 gap into w~ich the projection 202 ex-
tends when the terminals 120 and 122 are operatively engaged, thereby
pushing the arm 198 upward to flex the spring mer~er 190 thus lifting
the catcn 192 out of the o7~ening 194.
As seen best in FIGURE 6, the upper peri~heral rim of the wall
156 includes two beveled surfaces 164a and 164b which serve to guide the
slider base terminal 120 down into operative engagement with the receiving
terminal 122. The sprin~ flexing projection 202 extends upward from the
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upper ~veled sur~ace 164a to provide a curved c~m surface 206 which is
sliclably engag~d by the sprinq arm 198 to gradually fl.ex the spring
member 190 as the terminals 120 and 122 are rotated to bring the guide
segments 144 and 146 into operative proximity. ~IUS, the slider 124
will not be released for forward movement until the guide segements 144
and 146 are aligned for passage throuc,~h the front ports of the slider 124
on opposite sides of the center post 134. As the slider base terminal
120 is rotated clockwise with respect to the receiving terminal 122,
the arm 198 rides up along cam surface 206 to the top of the projection
202 thereby lifting the catch 192 out of the opening 194, as depicted
in ~IGURE 7.
It is clearly evident from the foregoing description of the
device 110 that one important advantage of such a slider retaining
mechanism is that the slider 124 will not be re]eased to exit forwardly
through the gaps 169a and 169b in the walls 150 and 156 until the relative
rotational position of the terminals 120 and 122 is appropriate for
fastening the'~ipper" ~nother important advantage of such a slider re-
taining mechanism is that the slider 124 and slider base terminal 120 can
be controlled togeth~r as a unit using the slider's handle 126, which is
conveniently pivotable and longitudinally movable within the slot 127.
Thus, for example, when the terminals 120 and 122 are separated and the
slider 124 is captured on the terminal 120 by virtue of the spring catch
192 extending dcwn into the opening 1.94, engagement of the terminals 120
and 122 is easily achieved by grasping the handle 126 with one hand and
the wing 182 of terminal 122 with the other hand and then merely forcing
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the terminals 120 and 122 together.
When compared to the device 10 of FIGURES 1-5, the operation
of the device 110 of FIGURES 6-8 more nearly approximates the workings
of a conventional snap fastener as will be appreciated frcm the follcw-
ing description of additional features of the device 110. It will be
seen frcm FIGURE 6 that the cuff 152 is coextensive with the entire
periphery of the wall 150, which is disposed through an arc substantially
in excess of 180 degrees. ~uring engagement of the terminals 120 and
122, the cuff 152 is guided by the beveled edges 164a and 164b through
the receiving aperture 165 and down past the innermost surface 160 of
terminal 122 thereby compressing the cuff 152 and/or expanding the wall
156 until the outermost edge of the cuff 152 passes beyond the surface
160, whereupon the cuff 152 and the wall 156 resiliently return to their
normal dimensions. At this point, terminals 120 and 122 are locked
against axial movement but are free to rotate relative to each other.
It will of course be appreciated that the distance from the floor 158 to
the shoulder 168 will preferably be only slightly greater than the
distance frc~ the bottcm of the wall 150 to the outermost edge of the
cuff 152 so that, as the bottom of the wall 150 snaps into abutment with
the floor 158, the terminals 120 and 122 contemporaneously become operatively
engaged and interlocked against axial movement without having to rotate
the terminals 120 and 122 relative to each other.
The terminals 120 and 122 are readily disengaged by pulling
upward on the handle 126 of the slider 124, when situated on the terminal
120, while holding dcwn on terminal 122 with opposing forces sufficiently
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stronq to recompress the cuff 152 and,'or reexpand the wall 156 until
the cuff 152 can again pass within the surface 160. In order to
facilitate this mode of release, the cuff 152 is provided with a
curved upper edge 166 for reducinq the force required to pull the
tenninals 120 and 122 apart. In addition, it n~y be desirable to
provide axial slits 208 radially spaced apart around the wall 156 for
increased flexibility. ~uch slits 208 are particularly advantageous
~here the tenninals 120 and 122 are fabricated fran a relatively rigid
material, such as steel.
In ccmparing the two en~odiments 10 and 110, it will be
appreciated that in both cases the slider base terminal (20 or 120)
is snapped into engagement with its receiving terminal (22 or 122),
whereas the mode of release employed by device 10 differs sanewhat fran
that employed by device 110~ In the case of the device 10, the tenninals
20 and 22 are disengaged by tilting them out of coaxial alignTnent by
forcing their forward portions apart until the cuff 52 of tenminal 20
can be withdrawn from beneath the shoulder 68 at the rearwal-d portion of
terminal 22. In the case of device 110, the tenninals 120 and 122 are
snapped out of engagement while generally main-taining the terminals 120
and 122 in coaxial alignment. Such snap-release is achieved by grasping
the slider handle 126 or the wing 180 with one hand and the wing 182
with the other hand and pulling in opposite directions. In either case,
the disengag~ment of the respective terminals of devices 10 and 110 re-
quires no special concentration or dexterity. In both cases, the
respective terminals readily and automatically release from each other
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in respollse to l~xlerate forces tendinq lo pull th~m apart. ~Icwever,
the snap-release action of the terminals 120 and 122 -tends to apply
slightly more stress to the ~ing 182 of device ]10 than is applied to
the wing 82 of device 10. Accordingly, as seen in FIGURE 6, the L-shaped
S member 188 is preferably permanently secured to the lower wing plate 182b
for added support.
In the following description of several additional embodiments
of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 9-15, it will be appreciated
that the "zip~er" teeth and associated stringers, which are not shown,
can be attached to the terminals in the same manner as with the first
embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 1-5. It will also be
appreciated that the wings (380, 382, 480, 482, 580, 582) and guide
segments (344, 346, 444, 4~.6, 544, 546), which are merely shown sche-
matically as solid memk~rs in FIGURES 9-15, preferably have provisions
for receiving the stringers in a manner similar to that depicted in
FIGURE 4.
A third embodiment of the invention will ncw be described with
reference to FIGURES 9 and 10 wherein parts that function in a similar
manner to previously described parts are designated using similar
reference numerals. As se~l in EIGU~E 9, the slider 324 is carried
above the platform 328 of the slider base terminal 320. This arrange-
ment eliminates the need for a gap in the wall 350 as is required in
the first two embcdiments of the invention in which the slider is carried
partially within the nesting portion of its slider base tenminal. Further-
more, the mating wa]l 356 of the receiving terminal 322 of FIGURE 10 is
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provided through a complete 360 d~gree arc or ring. It will therefore
be appreciated that when the terminals 320 and 322 of this embodiment
are operatively engaged, the s~ider 324 is carried in its rearmost
position above and entirely outside of the nesting portions defined
by the annular walls 350 and 356 of the terminals 320 and 322. The
structural simplicity of this third embodiment of the invention, though
not as compact as the previously described embodiments, makes it
ccmparatively less expensive to fabricate. The slider 324 is held in
proper alignment when in its rearmost position on the slider base
terminal 320 by means of a guide track 340, which is affixed atop
the platform 328, and cooperating L-shaped flanges 341a and 341b,
which extend dcwnward from the bottan of the slider 324. The c3uide
track 340 appears generally T'shaped in the view of FIGURE 9 and pref-
erably tapers to a pointed forward end in the manner of guide track 440
to be described below in conjunction with FIGURE 11.
The terminals 320 and 322 are adapted to be snapped into en-
gag~ment by merely pressing the slider base terminal 320 down t~rough
the receiving aperture 365 and into the terminal 322. The wall 350 of
ternuLnal 320 has an outwardly curved peripheral surface 366 which abuts
~0 a cooperating recess or indented surface 368 along the interior of the
wall 356 of terminal 322. The interior dimension of the upper beveled
rim 364 of terminal 322 and the cooperating portions of the wall 350 of
terminal 320 are adapted so that the wall 350 will contract slightly and/or
the wall 356 will expand slightly so as to allcw the engagement of the
terminals 320 and 322. When engaged, however, the terminals 320 and 322
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are ess~ltially ~rec to rotate relative to each other so that the guide
se~3ment 346 can be positioned to pass into the left front slider port
339b just to the left of the center post 334. The guide segment 346
is supported over and just forward from the rim 364 by means of the
Wil~ 382 which in tunl cantilevers frcm its L-shaped supporting wall
388.
A fourth embodiment of the invention will nc,w be described with
reference to FIGURES 11-13 wherein parts that function in a similar
manner to previously described parts are designated using similar
reference numerals. It will be appreciated that the slider 424 (partially
visible in phantom in FIGURES 12 and 13) is held in proper orientation
on the slider base terminal 420 by means of a guide track 440 (seen in
FIGURE 11) which cooperates with flanges (not shc~n) on the bottcm of
the slider 424 in a similar manner to the guide track 340 and flanges
341a and 341b of the previously described embodiment as illustrated in
FIGURE 9. Tb the rear of the guide track 440 is a rim 443 which serves
as a stop for the slider 424. Like the previous embodiment of FIGURES
9 and 10, the slider 424 is supported in its rearmost position on a plat-
form 428 above and entirely out~side of the nesting portions of the
terminals 420 and 422, as will be apparent frcm FIGURES 11 and 12. The
wings 480 and 482 and guide segments 444 and 446 are therefore supported
above the plane of the pla fform 428, the wing 480 cantilevering frcm a
supporting shelf 445 and the wing 482 cantilevering from an L-shaped
supporting wall 488.
m e slider base terminal 420 includes spiral-shaped bottcm walls
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or surfaces 450a and 450b which are adapted to slidably abut comple-
mentary walls or surfaces 456a and 456b of the receiving terminal 422
during engage~ent of the terminals 420 and 422. By bringing the
surfaces 450a and 450b into contact with the respective surfaces 456a
and 456b and rotating the terminals 420 and 422 relative to each other
until the guide segment 446 is aligned for passage through the left
front port 439b of the slider 424, locking or latching members 466a
and 466b on the bottom of termina] 420 become partially engaged with
~Gmplementary members 468a and 468b dcwn within the aperture 465 Or
terminal 422. Thereafter, as the slider 424 is moved forwardly beyond
the guide segments 444 and 446, a final slight rotation of the terminals
420 and 422 causes the latching meN~ers 466a and 466b of terminal 420
to become c~pletely engaged with the respective latching members 468a
and 468b of terminal 422. Preferably, when the slider 424 is in its
rearmost position, it extends forward slightly beyond the front edge
of surface 450a so that the right side of the center post 434 abuts the
adjacent edge of the guide segment 444 as depicted in FIGURE 13. Thus,
when the terminal 420 is rotated fully clockwise with respect to terminal
422, the left side of the center post 434 will abut the guide segment 446,
thereby assuring that the "zipper" rows are perfectly aligned in front of
their respective slider ports prior to moving the slider 424 forward.
It wi]l be appreciated that the generally cone-like arrangement
of the terminals 420 and 422 greatly facilitates guiding them into operative
engagement. The receiving aperture 456 defined by the upper peripheral rim
464 of terminal 422 provides an easy target for the bottom portion of
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terminal 420. ~Irthermore, the dua]-spiral constnlction of the
cooperating surfaces of the terminals 420 and 422 tends to pramote
rotation in the proper direction for interlocking the terminals 420
and 422 merely by the force of pressing the terminals 420 and 422
together.
A "zipper" terminal device 510 in accordance with a fifth
embodiment of the invention will ncw be described with reference to
FIGURES 14-16 wherein parts that function in a similar manner to pre-
viously described parts are designated using similar reference numerals.
The slider employed in this embodiment is illustrated by the phantom
outline 524 in FIGURE 14. When in its rearmost position as shc~n, the
slider 524 is carried forward and entirely outside of the nesting portions
of the terminal 520 and 522. For this purpose, the slider base terminal
520 is provided with guiding and retainin~ walls 540 which provide a
slider receptacle. on both sicles of a ce,ntral web 528. Ihe web 528 is
inserted between the plates of the slider 524 in a manner similar to
the way in which the platform 28 is inserted between the plates 30 and
32 of the slider 24 of FIGVRE 1. When in its rearmost position, the
slider 524 is held in proper alic3nment by the walls 540 with the center
post 534 of the slider 524 resting in a notch 542 in the web 528. As
seen in FIGURE 15, the slider base terminal 520 includes a raise,d annular
portion 550 adapted to mate with an annllar recess~d portion 556 of the
receiving terminal 522. ~he nesting or mating portions of the terminals
520 and 522 include peri~heral rims 566 and 568, respectively, which
operate in the manner of a snap fastener to hold the terminals 520 ancl
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522 in operative engagement while permitting relative rotational move-
ment thereof.
The operation of the device 510 proceeds as follows. I~ith
the slider 524 in its rearmost position on the terminal 520 as depicted
in FIGURE 14, the terminals 520 and 522 are pressed or snapped into
operative engagement as seen best in the view of FIGURE 15. The exterior
faces of the terminals 520 and 522 are provided with shallow recesses 551
and 557 to facilitate grasping the respective annular nesting portions
550 and 556 between the thumb and index finger of the user while snapping
the terminals 520 and 522 into engagement. Once engaged, the terminal
522 is rotated slightly counterclockwise with respect to the terminal 520
to the approximate position seen in FIGUA~E 14 wherein the guide segment
546 has become aligned for passage through the respective front port of
the slider 524. This relative rotation will tend to occur autcmatically
as the user pulls dcwnward on the terminals 520 and 522 provided they are
not graspecl too tightly. Thereafter, the slider 524 can be pulled up the
rcws of "zipper" teeth (not shown). As the slider 524 passes the guide
segments 544 and 546, they are first forced apart slightly by the center
post 534 and then brought back tightly together as the passageway within
the slider 524 narrows. The guide segment 544 preferably includes a tongue
portion 572 which fits into a cooperating groove 574 in the guide segment
546 as seen best in FIGURE 15, thereby interlocking the front portions of
the terminals 520 and 522 when the "zipper" teeth (not shown) are fastened.
To further assist in interlocking the terminals 520 and 522 as will be
appreciated best from the view of FIGURE 16, an inner edge 583 of the wing
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582 can be nested within a cooperatil~ groove 585 in the adjacent edge
of the terminal 520. In FIGURE 16, the edge 583 is shown in the position
just prior to its entering the groove 585. In addition, the edge 583
can be extended dcwn around the upper periphery of the adjoining annular
nesting portion 556 to interlock with a cooperating portion of the groove
585 as seen best in FIGURE 15.
In accordance with an important feature of the present invention,
the nesting portions 550 and 556 are relatively large compRred to the
conventional terminal pin (not shown) which would be used with the slider
524 in a conventional pin-and-socket separable "zipper". In FIGURE 14,
the~pertinent parts of which are generally accurately scaled, the dia~eter
of the receiving aperture 565 (sh~n in dotted outline) of the nesting
portion 556 is approximately equal to the width of the slider 524. It
will be appreciated, therefore, that the area of the receiving aperture
565 is several times larger than the area of one of the slider ports.
Accordingly, aligning and engagin~ the nesting portions 550 and 556 of
the terminals 520 and 522 is significantly easier than the act of feeding
a terminal pin (not sha~n) into the respective front slider p~rt in a
comparably sized prior-art separable "zipper".
It will be appreciated that the size differences are even more
advantageous when comparing the previously described four embodiments to
the prior art. For example, it will be appreciated that the receiving
aperture 65 of the device 10 of FIGURE 1 has a diameter at least as large
as the overall length of the slider 24. Ihus, it should be readily
apparent that the area of the receiving aperture 65 of the device 10 is
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very much greater than the area of one of the slider ports, such as
the left slider port 39b.
Therefore, each of the above-described embodiments of the
invention greatly reduces the care and dexterity required in connecting
the ends of a separable "zipper". Rather than having to first feed a
relatively small terminal pin through one port of a slider as is done
with conventional pin-and-socket type separable zippers, relatively
large and substantially self-aligning terminals are first fastened
and then, if need be, rotated until the rcws of "zipper" teeth are
properly aligned for interfastening by the slider.
Ihose skilled in the art will appreciate that the presently
illustrated five embodiments are merely exemplary of the great variety
of alternate embodiments contemplated by the present invention. For
eYample, the present invention can be practiced using a terminal arrange-
ment wherein the nesting portions are disposed to one side of the slider
when in its rearmost position so that the axis of rotation of the terminals
does not intersect the line along which the slider moves, as is the case
with each of the presently illustrated embodiments. Furthermore, other
terminal devices are contemplated wherein the slider is carried in its
realTnost position on the terminal having the fernale rather than the male
structure of the nesting portions, so that the term "receiving terminal"
as used herein is not intended to be limi-ted to terminals having the f~male
structure. Other modifications and aiternatives are within the spirit
and scope of the present invention as defined by the a~pended claims.
~hat is claimed is:
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