# Patent

## Title
Slider for slide fastener

## Abstract

There is provided a slide fastener slider. A front mounting portion and a rear mounting portion are respectively provided with receiving grooves for receiving a lock member. The receiving grooves have right and left side walls. Protrusions are respectively provided on upper end edges of the side walls of the front mounting portion. When the upper end portions of the side walls of the front mounting portion are inclined in a direction of approaching each other, the protrusions approach each other, and the protrusions cover the lock member more largely relative to portions of the side walls other than the protrusions.

## Background
This application is a national stage application of PCT/JP2014/071851, which is incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a slider for a slide fastener, and more particularly to a slider for a slide fastener having an automatic stop function.
BACKGROUND ART
As conventional sliders for slide fasteners, a slider is comprised of a slider body, a pull tab and a lock member, which is formed by bending a metal wire material. A front mounting portion and a rear mounting portion, on both of which the lock member is mounted, are erected on the slider body. Each of the front mounting portion and the rear mounting portion has a receiving groove formed to receive the lock member. After the lock member is received in the receiving grooves of the front mounting portion and the rear mounting portion, the lock member is mounted on the front mounting portion and the rear mounting portion by crimping upper end portions of both side walls of the receiving grooves toward the inside of the receiving grooves (e.g., see Patent Document 1).
PRIOR ART DOCUMENT
Patent Document
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 4307356 B
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Problems to be Solved by Invention
However, in such a slide fastener slider as described in Patent Document 1, upon assembly of the slider, a member for correcting a position of the lock member is inserted between both side walls of the receiving grooves, and for this purpose a gap is formed between both side walls. Accordingly, if the pull tab is pulled by an excessive force, there is a risk that both side walls are opened and thus the lock member is detached from the front mounting portion and the rear mounting portion of the slider body.
The present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problem, and an object thereof is to provide a slide for a fastener slider, in which a mounting strength of a lock member to a slider body is enhanced so that even if an excessive pulling force is exerted on a pull tab, the lock member can be prevented from being detached from the slider body.
Means for Solving Problems
The above object of the present invention is achieved by the following configurations:
(1) A slide fastener slider comprising a slider body, a pull tab and a lock member, wherein the slider body comprises: a lower blade; a guide post erected on a front end portion of the lower blade; an upper blade extending rearward from the guide post; right and left wall portions erected along both right and left side edges of the lower blade; right and left flanges extending from upper ends of the right and left wall portions in a direction of approaching each other; a front mounting portion erected on the guide post and configured to mount the lock member thereon; and a rear mounting portion erected on the upper blade and configured to mount the lock member thereon, wherein the front mounting portion and the rear mounting portion are respectively provided with receiving grooves for receiving the lock member, wherein the receiving grooves have right and left side walls, wherein protrusions are respectively provided on upper end edges of the right and left side walls of the front mounting portion, wherein upper end portions of the right and left side walls of the front mounting portion and the rear mounting portion are inclined in a direction of approaching each other, so that the lock member is fixed to the front mounting portion and the rear mounting portion, and wherein when the upper end portions of the right and left side walls of the front mounting portion are inclined in the direction of approaching each other, the protrusions of the right and left side walls approach each other, and the protrusions of the right and left side walls cover the lock member more largely relative to portions of the right and left side walls other than the protrusions.
(2) The slide fastener slider according to (1), wherein the protrusions are respectively formed at the most rear location on the upper end edges of the side walls of the front mounting portion.
(3) The slide fastener slider according to (2), wherein rear surfaces of the front mounting portion and rear surfaces of the protrusions are formed as a continuous flat surface.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
According to the slide fastener slider of the present invention, the protrusions are respectively provided on the upper end edge of each of the right and left side walls of the front mounting portion. Therefore, when the upper end portions of the right and left side walls of the front mounting portion are inclined in the direction of approaching each other, the protrusions of the right and left side walls approach each other, and also the protrusions of the right and left side walls cover the lock member more largely relative to portions of the right and left side walls other than the protrusions. Accordingly, an upward movement of the lock member is pressed down by the right and left protrusions, thereby enhancing a mounting strength of the lock member to the slider body. As a result, even if an excessive pulling force is exerted on the pull tab, the lock member can be prevented from being detached from the slider body.



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a slide fastener slider according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the slider shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the slider shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view explaining protrusions on side walls of a front mounting portion.
FIG. 5 is an exploded longitudinal sectional view of the slider shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along a line A-A in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a state where upper end portions of right and left side walls of a receiving groove shown in FIG. 6 are crimped.
FIG. 8 is a top view showing the slider shown in FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a main part explaining a state where a slider body shown in FIG. 2 is being conveyed by a parts feeder.



EMBODIMENTS OF INVENTION
Hereinafter, one embodiment of a slide fastener slider according to the present invention will be described in detail on the basis of the accompanying drawings. In the following description, as for the slider, an upper side refers to an upper side with respect to the paper surface of FIG. 3, a lower side refers to a lower side with respect to the paper surface of FIG. 3, a front side refers to a right side with respect to the paper surface of FIG. 3, a rear side refers to a left side with respect to the paper surface of FIG. 3, a right side refers to a near side with respect to the paper surface of FIG. 3, and a left side refers to a far side with respect to of the paper surface of FIG. 3. More specifically, a side from which disengaged fastener elements emerge is referred to as the front side and a side from which engaged fastener elements emerge is referred to as the rear side, and therefore a sliding direction of the slider is referred to as a front and rear direction (length direction), a direction perpendicular to the front and rear direction in a horizontal plane along the front and rear direction is referred to as a right and left direction (width direction), and a direction perpendicular to the front and rear direction and also the right and left direction is referred to as an upward and downward direction.
The slide fastener slider 10 of the present embodiment is a slider having an automatic stop device and configured to be used in concealed slide fasteners, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is comprised of a slider body 20, a pull tab 11 and a lock member 40. The slide body 20 and the pull tab 11 are formed by die-casting a metal, such as zinc alloy or aluminum alloy.
As shown in FIG. 1, the pull tab 11 is formed by a generally rectangular-shaped gripper 13 having a C-shaped connection ring on a distal end thereof, and is configured so that on such a connection portion, a rectangular ring-shaped damper, i.e., a connection ring 12 is pivotally attached.
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the slider body 20 includes a lower blade 21, a guide post 22 erected on a front end portion of the lower blade 21, an upper blade 23 extending rearward from the guide post 22, right and left wall portions 24 erected along both right and left side edges of the lower blade 21, right and left flanges 25 extending from upper ends of the right and left wall portions 24 in a direction of approaching each other, a front mounting portion 26 erected on the guide post 22 and configured to mount the lock member 40 thereon, and a rear mounting portion 27 erected on the upper blade 23 and configured to mount the lock member 40 thereon. The front mounting portion 26 and the rear mounting portion 27 are arranged to interpose a recess 29 therebetween, and thus the front mounting portion 26 is positioned in front of the recess 29 and the rear mounting portion 27 is positioned in the rear of the recess 29. Also, the lower blade 21, the guide post 22, the upper blade 23, the right and left wall portions 24 and the right and left flanges 25 define an element guide passage 28 having a generally Y shape as viewed in a top view and configured to guide fastener element rows, not shown, therethrough.
The lock member 40 is formed by cutting a rectangular cross-sectional wire material made of stainless steel or the like at a predetermined length and then bending the cut wire material. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the lock member 40 has an upper piece 41 and a lower piece 42 defined by bending the wire material into a generally U shape, a stop claw 43 extending downward from a rear end portion of the lower piece 42, and an insertion piece 44 extending downward from a rear end portion of the upper piece 41.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the front mounting portion 26 and the rear mounting portion 27 have, respectively, receiving grooves 26a, 27a for receiving the lock member 40 and the receiving grooves 26a, 27a have right and left side walls 26b, 27b. Also, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the lock member 40 is received in the receiving grooves 26a, 27a of the front mounting portion 26 and the rear mounting portion 27 and then upper end portions of the right and left side walls 26b, 27b are crimped in a direction of approaching each other. As a result, the upper piece 41 of the lock member 40 is sandwiched between the right and left side walls 26b, 27b and thus fixed by the front and rear mounting portions 26, 27.
Also, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, each of the right and left side walls 26b of the front mounting portion 26 has, on an inner surface thereof, a shelf portion 26c formed to protrude toward the inside of the receiving groove 26a. Also, when the upper end portions of the right and left side walls 26b are crimped, the shelf portions 26c enter between the upper piece 41 and the lower piece 42 of the lock member 40 so that the upper piece 41 of the lock member 40 is placed on the shelf portions 26c. 
Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the rear mounting portion 27 has a claw hole 27c formed to extend in the upward and downward direction therethrough and thus to allow the stop claw 43 of the lock member 40 to be inserted therein. Also, a protrusion limiting portion 27d for limiting an amount of protrusion of the stop claw 43 into the element guide passage 28 is formed by protruding and raising a front wall surface of the claw hole 27c upward. In addition, an insertion recess 27e configured to allow the insertion piece 44 of the lock member 40 to be inserted and retained therein is formed on a rear side of the claw hole 27c. The claw hole 27c, the protrusion limiting portion 27d and the insertion recess 27e all are positioned between the right and left side walls 27b of the rear mounting portion 27, the protrusion limiting portion 27d is positioned in front of the claw hole 27c, and the insertion recess 27e is positioned in the rear of the claw hole 27c. 
Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, protrusions 30 are respectively formed on an upper end edge of each of the right and left side walls 26b of the front mounting portion 26. Therefore, when the upper end portions of the right and left side walls 26b are crimped, the right and left side walls 26b are inclined so that the upper end portions approach each other. As a result, the protrusions 30 of the right and left side walls 26b approach each other, and also the protrusions 30 of the right and left side walls 26b cover the upper piece 41 of the lock member 40 more largely relative to portions of the right and left side walls 26b other than the protrusions 30 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). Further, the protrusions 30 are respectively formed at the most rear location on the upper end edge of each of the side walls 26b of the front mounting portion 26, and rear surfaces 26d of the side walls 26b and rear surfaces 30a of the protrusions 30 are formed as a continuous flat surface.
Next, procedures of assembling the slide fastener slider 10 will be described. First, a pivot 12a of the connection ring 12 of the pull tab 11 is arranged in the recess 29 between the front mounting portion 26 and the rear mounting portion 27 of the slider body 20. Subsequently, the lock member 40 is received in the receiving grooves 26a, 27a of the front mounting portion 26 and the rear mounting portion 27, and at the same time the lock member 40 is placed on the pivot 12a of the connection ring 12. At this time, the stop claw 43 of the lock member 40 is inserted into the claw hole 27c of the rear mounting portion 27, and also the insertion piece 44 of the lock member 40 is inserted into the insertion recess 27e of the rear mounting portion 27. Subsequently, the upper end portions of the right and left side walls 26b, 27b of the front mounting portion 26 and the rear mounting portion 27 are crimped in the direction of approaching each other, so that the lock member 40 is fixed to the front mounting portion 26 and the rear mounting portion 27. Meanwhile, after crimping, a gap S (see FIGS. 7 and 8) is formed between the right and left side walls 26b of the front mounting portion 26. The gap S is a gap through which a member for correcting a position of the lock member 40 is to be inserted upon assembly of the slider.
In the slide fastener slider 10 configured as described above, as the pull tab 11 is pulled, the lower piece 42 of the lock member 40 is lifted (see a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3) and thus an upper surface of the lower piece 42 comes in contact with a lower surface of the upper piece 41 of the lock member 40, thereby limiting an upward movement of the stop claw 43. Therefore, the lower surface of the upper piece 41 defines an upward movement limiting portion 41a for limiting an upward movement position of the stop claw 43. Subsequently, if the pull tab 11 is released, the lower piece 42 is moved downward due to an urging force of the lock member 40 and thus the lower piece 42 comes in contact with the protrusion limiting portion 27d. Accordingly, an amount of protrusion of the stop claw 43 into the element guide passage 28 is limited (adjusted), and as a result, the stop claw 43 does not protrude into the element guide passage 28 more than necessary.
As described above, according to the slide fastener slider 10 of the present embodiment, the protrusions 30 are respectively provided on the upper end edge of each of the right and left side walls 26b of the front mounting portion 26. Therefore, when the upper end portions of the right and left side walls 26b of the front mounting portion 26 are inclined in the direction of approaching each other, the protrusions 30 of the right and left side walls 26b approach each other, and also the protrusions 30 of the right and left side walls 26b are configured to cover the upper piece 41 of the lock member 40 more largely relative to portions of the right and left side walls 26b other than the protrusions 30. Accordingly, an upward movement of the lock member 40 is pressed down by the right and left protrusions 30, thereby enhancing a mounting strength of the lock member 40 to the slider body 20. As a result, even if an excessive pulling force is exerted on the pull tab 11, the lock member 40 can be prevented from being detached from the slider body 20.
Also, according to the slide fastener slider 10 of the present embodiment, the protrusions 30 are respectively formed at the most rear location on the upper end edge of each of the side walls 26b of the front mounting portion 26. Accordingly, an upward movement of the lock member 40 can be more effectively pressed down by the right and left protrusions 30, thereby further enhancing the mounting strength of the lock member 40 to the slider body 20. Meanwhile, the reason that the lock member 40 is more effectively pressed down is that a portion of the lock member 40, which is to be pressed down by the protrusions 30, is a portion, from which the lock member would otherwise first start to fall out of a groove therebetween when the pull tab 11 is pulled by an excessive force.
Also, as shown in FIG. 9, the protrusions 30 formed on the right and left side walls 26b of the front mounting portion 26 are also used when the slider body 20 is conveyed by a vibratory parts feeder 50 upon assembly of the slider. Specifically, a guide plate 51 of the parts feeder 50 for guiding the rear surfaces 26d of the side walls 26b of the front mounting surface 26 is also used for guiding the rear surfaces 30a of the protrusions 30. In a case of a slider body of a type, in which no protrusion 30 is provided, a contact area between the guide plate 51 and rear surfaces 26d of side walls 26b is small. Therefore, the side walls 26b are likely to deviate from the guide plate 51, and thus there is a risk that the slider body is sandwiched between guide plates 51, 52, thereby stopping conveyance thereof. Namely, since the guide plate 51 guides the rear surfaces 30a of the protrusions 30 as well as the rear surfaces 26d of the side walls 26b, the side walls 26b do not deviate from the guide plate 51, thereby stabilizing conveyance of the slider body by the parts feeder 50. Meanwhile, the guide plate 52 is intended to guide a lower surface of the lower blade 21 of the slider body 20.
Meanwhile, the present invention is not limited to configurations as illustrated in each of the foregoing embodiments, and accordingly, appropriate modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS


    
    
        10 Slide Fastener Slider
        11 Pull Tab
        20 Slider Body
        21 Lower Blade
        22 Guide Post
        23 Upper Blade
        24 Wall Portion
        25 Flange
        26 Front Mounting Portion
        26a Receiving Groove
        26b Side Wall
        26d Rear Surface
        27 Rear Mounting Portion
        27a Receiving Groove
        27b Side Wall
        30 Protrusion
        30a Rear Surface
        40 Lock Member

## Claims

1. A slide fastener slider comprising a slider body, a pull tab and a lock member,
wherein the slider body comprises:
a lower blade;
a guide post erected on a front end portion of the lower blade;
an upper blade extending rearward from the guide post;
right and left wall portions erected along both right and left side edges of the lower blade;
right and left flanges extending inwardly from upper ends of the right and left wall portions so as to approach each other;
a front mounting portion erected on the guide post and configured to mount the lock member thereon; and
a rear mounting portion erected on the upper blade and configured to mount the lock member thereon,

wherein the front mounting portion and the rear mounting portion are respectively provided with receiving grooves for receiving the lock member,
wherein the receiving grooves have right and left side walls,
wherein a part of an upper end edge of the right side wall of the front mounting portion is flat and another part of the upper end edge of the right side wall of the front mounting portion has a first protrusion which protrudes beyond the flat part of the upper end edge of the right side wall,
wherein a part of an upper end edge of the left side wall of the front mounting portion is flat and another part of the upper end edge of the left side wall of the front mounting portion has a second protrusion which protrudes beyond the flat part of the upper end edge of the left side wall,
wherein upper end portions of the right and left side walls of the front mounting portion and the rear mounting portion are inclined inwardly so as to approach each other, so that the lock member is fixed to the front mounting portion and the rear mounting portion, and
wherein when the upper end portions of the right and left side walls of the front mounting portion are inclined inwardly so as to approach each other, the first and second protrusions of the right and left side walls approach each other, and the first and second protrusions of the right and left side walls cover the lock member more largely relative to the flat parts of the upper end edge of the right and left side walls.

2. The slide fastener slider according to claim 1, wherein the first protrusion is formed at a most rear location on the upper end edge of the right side wall of the front mounting portion and the second protrusion is formed at a most rear location on the upper end edge of the left side wall of the front mounting portion.

3. The slide fastener slider according to claim 2, wherein rear surfaces of the front mounting portion and rear surfaces of the first and second protrusions are respectively formed as continuous flat surfaces.

4. The slide fastener slider according to claim 1, wherein when the upper end portions of the right and left side walls of the front mounting portion are inclined inwardly so as to approach each other, the first and second protrusions come in contact with each other and the flat parts of the upper end edge of the right and left side walls are separated from each other.