Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A44—HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY
  • A44B—BUTTONS, PINS, BUCKLES, SLIDE FASTENERS, OR THE LIKE
  • A44B19/00—Slide fasteners
  • A44B19/24—Details
  • A44B19/34—Stringer tapes; Flaps secured to stringers for covering the interlocking members
  • A44B19/343—Knitted stringer tapes

Definitions

• the present invention generally relates to fastener devices, such as so-called zippers and the like.
• Fasteners of that kind are widely used for fastening articles, such as for instance bags, rucksacks and articles of clothing.
• the present invention is directed in particular to a fastener of the kind comprising two tapes made of a flexible fabric and adapted to be attached to respective mating portions of an article; around a respective longitudinal edge of each of said tapes there being fixed a respective plurality of separate coupling members, adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from those of the other tape; in their engaged condition said coupling members being capable of retaining said tapes in a juxtaposed relationship.
• the fastener F shown in figure 1 is a quite conventional slide fastener or zipper, including two tapes or stringers 1, 2 made of a woven fabric, adapted to be secured, typically by sewing, to the edges of mating portions of an article.
• respective coupling members 3 which are conventional zipper locking teeth, adapted to be selectively engaged and disengaged by means of a per se known slider (not shown) .
• Said locking teeth 3 can be made of metal and clamped around the edges la, 2a of the tapes or stringers 1, 2, or can be made of a plastics material, in- jection- oulded around said edges of the fastenert. tapes .
• the fastener of figure 2 comprises two flexible stringers or tapes 1, 2 made of a woven fabric. Said tapes 1, 2 are provided with respective coupling members 3a, 3b made of a plastics material, overmoulded around the longitudinal edges la and 2a of the stringers or tapes 1, 2.
• the coupling members 3a are female members, and are provided with a front aperture 4 and two facing side apertures 5.
• the coupling members 3b are male members, and are provided with an enlarged distal end or head portion 6 adapted to be manually fitted, with a snap engagement, into a corresponding female member 3a, through the front aperture 4 thereof, in a per se known manner.
• the coupling members 3a and 3b form sort of snap buttons or snap buckles.
• tapes or stringers made of a plain knitted fabric have been so far used only in slide fasteners of the special kind in which the coupling members are formed of continuous spiral coils, made of a plastics material and sewn i.e. stitched on one side of the tapes or interwoven in said tapes .
• Stringers or tapes made of a knitted fabric are generally not suited for use in fasteners of the conventional kinds shown in figures 1 and 2, i.e. in fasteners in which respective pluralities of distinct and separate coupling members are fixedly secured at regular distances around one edge of each tape.
• figures 1 and 2 are partial views of prior art fasteners;
• figure 3 is a partial view showing a portion of a first fastener according to the present invention;
• figure 4 is a diagram showing the construction of a stringer or tape made of a knitted fabric, for a fastener according to the present invention;
• figure 5 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view, essentially along line V-V of figure 3 ;
• figure 6 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view similar to that of figure 5, showing in phantom a coupling member secured around one edge of a fastener stringer or tape ac- cording to the present invention;
• figure 7 is perspective view similar to that of figure 2 , and shows one portion of a second embodiment of a fastener according to the present invention;
• figure 8 is a diagram showing the construction of a stringer or tape made of a knitted fabric for the fastener of figure 7;
• Figure 3-6 of the annexed drawings relate to a first exemplary embodiment of a fastener according to the present invention.
• items which have already been described in connection with figures 1 and 2 have been attributed again the same alphabetical/numerical references.
• each tape as shown in figures 4 to 6, includes a set of n longitudinal chain threads Cl, C2 ... Cn, interlaced by tricot or weft thread pairs Al-Bl, A2-B2, ... An-1, Bn-1.
• the chain threads C form each a plurality of interlaced loops, and the tricot or weft threads A and B extend along respective sinuous paths with alternate loops which are interlaced with adjacent loops of the chain threads C.
• Each chain thread A(B) extends along a sinuous path which is essentially "in counterphase" with respect to the sinuous path followed by the other thread B (A) of the same pair.
• the successive loops of a same weft thread A or B alternately engage loops formed in two adjacent chain threads.
• the construction of the knitted fabric is such as to form, between each pair of adjacent chain threads, a corresponding longitudinal stitch wale .
• Each longitudinal stitch wale W comprises a plurality of stitches.
• the four stitches shown in stitch wale 12 (which is the first stitch wale adjacent the tape edge la or 2a) are indicated S121-S124.
• Each of said stitches is formed by corresponding portions of the weft threads Al and Bl of a same weft thread pair.
• An essentially inextensible anchoring cord AC extends through the stitches S121, S122, ... of the first stitch wale 12 of each tape 1, 2 adjacent the edge la, 2a thereof.
• the cord AC of each stringer or tape 1, 2 serves as the anchoring member onto which the coupling members 3 of the slide fastener F are secured. This applies to locking teeth 3 made of metal, clamped around the edges of said stringers or tapes, as well as to locking teeth 3 or the coupling members 3a, 3b of figure 7 made of a plastics material, injection-moulded around the edges la, 2a of said stringers or tapes. In both cases, the coupling members or locking teeth 3 firmly grip the anchoring cord AC.
• the anchoring cord AC of each stringer or tape must be firmly retained within the first stitch wale W12 of the respective stringer or tape 1, 2. This can be achieved by subjecting the first tricot or weft thread pair Al-Bl to proper tensions during the knitting process, so that the stitches S121, S122, etc. be firmly fastened onto said anchoring cord.
• the coupling members of a fastener according to the present invention are made of a plastics material over- moulded onto the edges of the tapes, it might happen that in the course of the moulding process some of the injected material leaks outside of the moulding equipment, forming so- called flashes onto the tapes, which may adversely affect the aesthetic appearance of the latter.
• the stringers or tapes 1, 2 of figures 7-10 have a construction quite similar to that of the tapes previously disclosed with reference to figure 4.
• each tape 1 or 2 of figures 7-10 also includes at least one additional cord means, generally indicated BC, extending through the first longitudinal stitch wale left uncovered by the overmoulded material forming the coupling members 3a, 3b (or 3) .
• the said first stitch wale left uncovered by the overmoulded material is stitch wale W23.
• the said additional cord means BC includes a plurality of single parallel cords, not interlaced with one another.
• the additional cord means BC comprise four such cords.
• the said additional cord means BC advantageously form a sort of barrier which hinders possible leaks of injected material between the half-moulds clamped onto the opposite sides of a fastener tape .
• the coupling members overmoulded onto the fastener tapes extend transversely over more than one longitudinal stitch wale, then it may be useful to include further barrier cord means in each longitudinal stitch wale covered by the overmoulded material, of course except the first one which retains the anchoring cord AC.
• the chain threads C are preferably textured polyester or polyam- ide yarns.
• the anchoring cord AC is conveniently formed of a plurality of twisted strands made of a polyester or a polyamide.
• the barrier cord(s) is (are) conveniently made of a polyester or a polyamide.
• the weft threads Al and Bl, forming the said first stitch wale W12 adjacent the edge (la or 2a) of each tape 1 or 2, are conveniently polyester or polyamide parallel filament yarns and the weft threads A2 , B2 , A3 , B3 , ... which form the other stitch wales W23, W34, ... are conveniently textured polyester or polyamide yarns .
• the chain threats, the weft threats, the anchoring cord and the barrier cord or cords may be made of cotton or other natural fiber .
• the weft threads or yarns Al and Bl forming the first stitch wale W12 of each tape 1 or 2 have a mass per unit length which is smaller than that of the weft yarns A2, B2, A3, B3, ... forming the other stitch wales W23, W34,
• the anchoring cord AC has a mass per unit length which is greater than that of the chain threads and the weft threads.
• said anchoring cord AC has a mass value per unit length which is at least 10 times greater than the maximum value of the mass per unit length of the chain threads and the weft threads.
• the barrier cord or cords BC extending in the first stitch wale left uncovered by the overmoulded plastics material forming the coupling members has a total mass per unit length which is greater than the maximum value of the mass per unit length of the chain threads and the weft threads, but is smaller than that of the anchoring cord AC.
• the total mass per unit length of the barrier cord or cords BC extending in said first uncovered stitch wale is at least 2 times greater than the maximum mass per unit length of the chain threads and the weft threads .

Landscapes

• Slide Fasteners, Snap Fasteners, And Hook Fasteners (AREA)
• Slide Fasteners (AREA)
• Adornments (AREA)
• Absorbent Articles And Supports Therefor (AREA)
• Extrusion Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
• Closing Of Containers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (3)

Family

ID=31986052

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2002
  • 2002-09-13 IT IT000797A patent/ITTO20020797A1/it unknown
• 2003
  • 2003-09-12 AT AT03782175T patent/ATE406122T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-09-12 AU AU2003289848A patent/AU2003289848A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-12 DE DE60323247T patent/DE60323247D1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-09-12 WO PCT/EP2003/010177 patent/WO2004023918A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2003-09-12 EP EP03782175A patent/EP1545257B8/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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