Abstract:
A zipper assembly that allows for coupling multiple objects together and a single slider that serves to control a common opening for the coupled objects.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/772,358, filed Mar. 4, 2013, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if recited in full herein for all purposes. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The inventive subject matter is generally directed to a zipper assembly that allows for coupling multiple objects together, and a single slider that serves to control, for example, a central opening for the coupled objects. The inventive subject matter is suitable for use on a set of garments that are removably coupled together, such as a jacket and an inner liner for the jacket. The inventive subject matter is also directed to one or more garments associated with the zipper assembly. 
         [0003]    In general, a zipper consists of two opposing rows of teeth, each row of teeth extending off the edge of a flat, flexible substrate referred to as a tape. The teeth on opposing tapes interdigitate with each other by the action of a slider that is operatively, slidably coupled to the rows of teeth, thereby coupling together objects connected to the opposing tapes. As used herein, teeth mean any such complementary, interdigitatable elements on opposing tapes. Typically, a zipper tape carries from tens to hundreds of metal or plastic teeth, but actual numbers will vary depending on zipper length and use. 
         [0004]    The hand-operated slider associated with a pair of tapes in a zipper assembly has Y-shaped channels that slidably receive the inner edges on a tape and their rows of teeth. Such a configuration of channels meshes together or separates the opposing rows of teeth, depending on the direction of the slider&#39;s movement. In jackets and similar garments, the main, front opening is closed entirely when the slider is at one of the ends of the tape, typically the top end. The zipper assemblies allow for partial closure of an opening where only some of the tape pair is fastened together. 
         [0005]    Teeth can be either individual elements on a tape or shaped from a continuous coil. In the traditional zipper type, teeth are discrete elements of metal or plastic extending from the zipper tape at regular intervals. 
         [0006]    In coil zippers, the teeth are formed by the spaced windings of the coils. Two basic types of coils are used: one with coils in spiral form, usually with a cord running inside the coils; the other with coils in ladder form, also called the Ruhrmann type. Coil zippers are typically made of plastics, such as polyester or nylon. 
         [0007]    In any zipper type, the teeth may be connected to a tape in any of various ways, either known or to be discovered ways. Further, using molding or three-dimensional printing techniques, teeth and tapes may be unitary (monolithic) structures formed of the same or different materials. 
         [0008]    There are various known assemblies of inner and outer garments. For example, garments may be coupled together by complementary zipper halves on the inner and outer garment. In such assemblies, the assembled garments have a common central opening. That opening is opened and closed by a zipper system that is separate and independent of the zipper system that may couple one garment to the other. In other cases, the inner garment is not zippered together with the outer garment. For example, the inner garment may be placed unsecured into the outer garment or loosely attached with loops or snaps. 
         [0009]    One of the disadvantages of the foregoing approaches is that the assembled garments do not provide the aesthetic, unified look of a single garment. Another disadvantage is that the garments may not be secured together well, with one moving around relative to the other. This may affect the fit, comfort, and appearance of the assembled garments. Further, garments that are not zippered together, but are only loosely attached, are more drafty and vulnerable to the elements. In such cases, where an inner garment is zipped into an outer garment, there may be multiple, distributed zipper joints. Undesirably, each zipper joint in a garment can create a place where air and moisture can penetrate, absent incorporation of expensive waterproof and wind resistant zippers or complicated and expensive shielding flaps. 
         [0010]    Accordingly, there is a need to eliminate the use of separate, distributed zipper assemblies in an assembly of garments. There is also a need for garment assemblies that more securely and aesthetically couple together. And there is a need for easy to operate means for coupling garments and other objects and to open or close common openings for such objects. Further, there is a need for easy to manufacture coupling and closure systems for coupled objects. Still further, there is a need for coupled garments and other objects to be weather tight. The inventive subject matter disclosed herein, in its various possible embodiments and applications, addresses the foregoing and other needs and overcomes the disadvantages in the prior art. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0011]    The following is a short description of some of the various inventive lines under the inventive subject matter. The appended claims, as originally filed in this document, or as subsequently amended, are hereby incorporated into this Summary section as if written directly in. The following is not intended to be an exhaustive list of embodiments and features of the inventive subject matter. Persons skilled in the art are capable of appreciating other embodiments and features from the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings. 
         [0012]    In certain of various possible embodiments, the inventive subject matter is directed to a zipper assembly, comprising: a pair of zipper tapes, each tape having a set of teeth disposed along inner and outer edges, an inner set of teeth being interdigitatable those on an opposite inner edge, and sets of outer teeth, each set being interdigitatable with a predetermined set of teeth disposed on an object. In the foregoing or other embodiments disclosed herein, the zipper assembly is used with a first garment and wherein the tapes of the zipper assembly are secured along opposite sides of an opening in the first garment and the interdigitation of the inner sets of teeth closes the opening. In the foregoing or other embodiments disclosed herein, the object comprises a second garment, and wherein the predetermined sets of are supported along opposite sides of an opening in the second garment, the predetermined sets of teeth being arranged to interdigitate with the sets of outer teeth in the zipper assembly. In the foregoing or other embodiments disclosed herein, the first garment is an inner garment disposed in the second garment, which is an outer garment. In the foregoing or other embodiments disclosed herein, at least one garment comprises a jacket. In the foregoing or other embodiments disclosed herein, the sets of teeth on inner and outer edges the zipper are interdigitable with each other. In the foregoing or other embodiments disclosed herein, the sets of teeth on the outer edges of the zipper assembly are interdigitatable with each other. 
         [0013]    In certain other of various possible embodiments, the inventive subject matter is directed to an object with a zipper assembly, comprising: a pair of tapes, each tape having an inner edge and an outer edge and a plurality of teeth spaced along the edges; each tape being fixed to the same or a different object; a slider operatively coupled to an inner edge of one tape and operatively coupled or couplable to the inner edge of the other tape; and the teeth on the outer edges being configured to interdigitate with a set of teeth on at least one selected object that is different from the one to which the tapes are fixed, thereby the zipper assembly allowing for the coupling of multiple objects together. In the foregoing or other embodiments disclosed herein, the slider serves to control a common opening for the coupled objects. In the foregoing or other embodiments disclosed herein, the object comprises a first garment, and that object is assembled to the selected object, the selected object being a second garment, and the zipper assembly is disposed along the edges of a front opening of the inner garment, and the outer edges of the zipper assembly couple to the second garment along the edges of a front opening in the second garment. In the foregoing or other embodiments disclosed herein, the first garment is intended as an inner garment for the second garment, which is an outer garment. In the foregoing or other embodiments disclosed herein, the slider controls a front opening common to the assembled inner and outer garments. 
         [0014]    In certain other of various possible embodiments, the inventive subject matter is directed to an assembly of garments, comprising: an inner garment and outer garment; the inner garment having an inner garment zipper assembly supported along opposing edges of a front opening of the garment, the inner garment zipper assembly comprising a pair of opposing tapes arranged generally parallel to each other and fixed to the body of the garment, each tape having an outer edge and an inner edge, the inner edges facing the front opening of the inner garment and the outer edges being disposed as flaps over a body portion of the garment, and a set of teeth are disposed along each edge, the teeth along one inner edge being interdigitatable with a set of teeth on an opposing inner edge; a slider operatively coupled to one of the inner edges of the tapes and configured to receive an opposing inner edge and interdigitatably couple the teeth on the opposing inner edges of each tape; and the outer garment having an outer garment zipper assembly supported along opposing edges of a front opening of the garment, the outer garment zipper assembly comprising a pair of opposing tapes arranged generally parallel to each other and fixed to the body of the garment, each tape having at least an inner edge facing the front opening of the outer garment and a set of teeth being disposed along the length of each inner edge, the sets of teeth disposed along the inner edges being interdigitatable with the sets of teeth disposed on the outer edges of the tapes of the inner garment. In the foregoing or other embodiments disclosed herein, the assembly of a pair of tapes and associated teeth has a width in a range of from 0.5 to 2.0 inches. 
         [0015]    These and other embodiments are described in more detail in the following detailed descriptions and the figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The following figures show embodiments according to the inventive subject matter, unless noted as showing prior art. 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  shows a plan view of a first representative embodiment of a zipper assembly. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  shows a plan view of a second representative embodiment of a zipper assembly. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 3-4  show a zipper assembly according to the embodiment of  FIG. 2  used on an inner garment that is coupled to an outer garment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    Representative embodiments according to the inventive subject matter are shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , wherein the same or generally similar features share common reference numerals. 
         [0021]      FIGS. 1-2  show representative examples of zipper assemblies  10 ,  110  according to the inventive subject matter. 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  shows a zipper assembly  10  having a pair of tapes  12   a,    12   b  with discrete teeth  14   a,    14   b,    14   c,  and  14   d  as the interdigitatable elements. A plurality of teeth  14   a  is arranged on the outer edge of tape  12   a.  A plurality of teeth  14   b  is arranged on the inner edge of tape  12   a.  A plurality of teeth  14   c  is arranged on the outer edge of tape  12   b.  A plurality of teeth  14   d  is arranged on the inner edge of tape  12   b.  A standard slider  18 , which may include a pull tab  20 , is operatively coupled to the inner edges of tapes  12   a  and  12   b  and operates in a standard fashion to couple or decouple the tape by interdigitation of teeth  14   b  and  14   d.    
         [0023]      FIG. 2  shows a zipper assembly  110  having a pair of tapes  112   a,    112   b,  with coil teeth  114   a,    14   b,    14   c,    14   d  as the interdigitatable elements. A plurality of teeth  114   a  is arranged on the outer edge of tape  112   a.  A plurality of teeth  114   b  is arranged on the inner edge of tape  112   a.  A plurality of teeth  114   c  is arranged on the outer edge of tape  112   b.  A plurality of teeth  114   d  are arranged on the inner edge of tape  112   b.  A standard slider  118 , which may include a pull tab  120 , is operatively coupled to the inner edges of tapes  112   a  and  112   b  and operates in a standard fashion to couple or decouple the tape by interdigitation of teeth  114   b  and  114   d.    
         [0024]    The zipper assemblies shown in  FIGS. 1-2  can be used in any desired application. For example, they can be used in garment, apparel and footwear applications; luggage, backpacks and other carrier applications; upholstery applications; other applications, including: tents, car covers, and boat covers; and other known or to be discovered applications for zipper assemblies. For the sake of convenience and illustration, an application for garments will be used to illustrate the principles of the inventive subject matter. 
         [0025]    In certain embodiments, the inventive subject matter provides a zipper assembly that allows an inner garment to be removably assembled to and disposed within an outer garment, creating a unitary garment with front openings for both garments being openable or closable using a single zipper slider associated with tapes in the assembly. An example of such an application is shown in  FIGS. 3-4 . The Figures show an assembly of a first garment  1  (an inner garment) disposed in a second garment  2  (an outer garment). In this case, the garments  1 ,  2  are representative of an outer jacket and an inner jacket or vest. As seen, the inner garment has disposed along the edges of its main, front opening a zipper assembly like zipper assembly  110 , described above. The tape portions  112   a  and  112   b  are fixed to and along the edges of garment  1 . They can be fixed by standard techniques, such as stitching or gluing. The tapes  112   a  and  112   b  can be a single piece of material or multiple pieces of material. Multiple pieces could be arranged in laminate and/or side-to-side fashion. Slider  118  is operatively coupled to one edge of the tapes in zipper assembly  110  of garment  1  and can receive the other inner edge in known fashion. 
         [0026]    As can be seen, the outer edges of tapes  112   a  and  112   b  are free of the body of garment  1  so that they can receive and interdigitate with opposing rows of teeth  214   a  and  214   b,  which are disposed along the edges of the main, front opening of garment  2 . A first slider  218   a  is operatively coupled to teeth  214   a  and  114   a.  A second slider  218   b  is operatively coupled to teeth  214   b  and  114   c.  The coupling of teeth  214   a/   114   a  and  214   b/   114   c  consequently results in the coupling of the overall garments along the edges of their front openings. When coupled in such fashion, the garments have a common front opening defined by the inner edges of tapes  112   a  and  112   b  in zipper assembly  110 . Slider  118  can be used to open or close the opening. 
         [0027]    In the second garment  2 , teeth  214   a  and  214   b  may be made complementary so that they interdigitate not only with teeth  114   a  and  114   c  on the inner garment, but also with each other. One of sliders  218   a  or  218   b  may be operatively coupled to one edge of the outer garment&#39;s zipper tapes to couple or decouple teeth  214   a  and  214   b.    
         [0028]    In any embodiment, one of both of the inner garment and outer garment may be configured as a standalone garment that may be worn individually, apart from the other. 
         [0029]    One advantage of the foregoing assembly of garments is the localization of the zippers that couple the garments along a main opening. This allows for the use of a single shielding flap on the outer garment to cover all zipper joints. Another advantage is operational ease: because all zippers are localized, the user may more readily find and operate each in a convenient frontal location. 
         [0030]    It should also be noted that the configuration of opposing rows of teeth, e.g.,  14   b/   14   d  or  114   b/   114   d,  on the inner edges of a zipper assembly, such as zipper assembly  10  or  110 , need not match or be complementary with the teeth on the outer edges, e.g.,  14   a/   14   c  or  114   a/   114   c.  It is only necessary that the opposing rows of teeth that interdigitate be complementary. Accordingly, the row of teeth along one outer edge may or may not match the row of teeth along the other outer edge. 
         [0031]    In addition to the use of a single slider on a pair of opposing rows of teeth, the inventive subject matter also contemplates the use of dual sliders on a given pair of opposing rows to allow for selective opening and closing of an opening, as is known in the art. 
         [0032]    While the zipper assembly can come in various dimensions, a typical width of the pair of tapes and associated teeth used in a zipper assembly comes in a range of from 0.5 to 2.0 inches. 
         [0033]    As used herein, “and/or” means “and” or “or”, as well as “and” and “or.” Moreover, any and all patent and non-patent literature cited herein is hereby incorporated by references in its entirety for all purposes. 
         [0034]    The principles described above in connection with any particular example can be combined with the principles described in connection with any one or more of the other examples. Accordingly, this detailed description shall not be construed in a limiting sense, and following a review of this disclosure, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the wide variety of systems that can be devised using the various concepts described herein. Moreover, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein can be adapted to various configurations without departing from the disclosed principles. 
         [0035]    The previous description of embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosed innovations. Various modifications to those embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Thus, the claimed inventions are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims. In the claims reference to an element in the singular, such as by use of the article “a” or “an” is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more”. 
         [0036]    All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout the disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are intended to be encompassed by the features described and claimed herein. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed as “a means plus function” claim under US patent law, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or “step for”. 
         [0037]    The inventor reserves all rights to the subject matter disclosed herein, including the right to claim all that comes within the scope and spirit of the following claims: