SEPARABLE BOTTOM END STOP FOR SLIDE FASTENER

Abstract: A separable bottom end stop (A) includes first and second end stop members (1, 2) mounted on respective stringer tapes (4) of a slide fastener at lowermost ends of the rows of coupling elements (3). The first end stop member (1) has a first finger (12) on an end thereof and a tooth (11) remote from the first finger (12), and the second end stop member (2) has a second finger (17) on an end thereof for interfitting engagement with the first finger (12) and an elastic wall (16) remote from the second finger (17) and positioned for being elastically deformable by pressed engagement with the tooth (11). The first and second end stop members (1, 2) having a combined width normally greater than the smallest distance between flanges (F) of a slider (S) to be mounted on the rows of coupling elements (3). When the elastic wall (16) is elastically deformed by pressed engagement with the tooth (11) at the time the end stop members (1, 2) are forcibly passed through the slider (S) between the flanges (F), the combined width is reduced to an extent smaller than the smallest distance between the slider flanges (F).

Description: The present invention relates to a bottom end stop on a slide fastener including a pair of rows of coupling elements mounted respectively on a pair of stringer tapes said bottom end stop comprising: a first end stop member mounted on one of said stringer tapes and the lower end of one of said rows of coupling elements, said first end stop member having a substantially inverted C shape including a recess and a first finger on the lower end thereof and a second end stop member mounted on the other stringer tape at the end of the other row of coupling elements, said second end stop member having a second finger on the lower end thereof for interfitting engagement with said first finger. A bottom end stop of the type mentioned above is disclosed in GB-A-2 068 452 or in EP-A-0 122 427. The first and second end stop member of such a bottom end stop are combinable into a functionally integral body upon being threaded through a slider which is provided with a Y-shaped channel. Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a conventional separable bottom end stop disclosed in GB-A-2 068 452. This known separable bottom end stop comprises a uniting element A and a uniting end element B which are located at a lowermost end of a row of coupling elements mounted on one of two stringer tapes and a slider stopping element C disposed at a lowermost end of a companion row of coupling elements mounted on the other stringer tape. When the bottom end stop is to be passed through a slider (not shown) to install the slider on the coupling elements, the slider stopping element C is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the row of coupling elements. After the slider stopping element C has passed through the slider between its diamond an on outer flange, the slider stopping element C is moved back to its original position into engagement with the uniting element A and the uniting end element B to complete the bottom end stop. Another known separable bottom end stop which is disclosed in DE-A-23 41 351 is illustrated in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings. The separable bottom end stop comprises a pair of end stop members including respective elastically deformable fins D on their outer sides. When the bottom end stop is moved through a slider (not shown) to mount the slider on a pair of rows of coupling elements, the fins D are elastically deformed inwardly, i.e., toward each other. After the bottom end stop has passed through the slider, the fins C are displaced back to their outer positions, i.e., away from each other therby to stop downward movement of the slider past the bottom end stop. With the former known bottom end stop, however, the elements A, B, C thereof connot easily be positioned relatively to each other. Since the slider stopping element C has to be inclined for the passage through the slider, it is difficult to insert the bottom end stop automatically through the slider. Moreover, the elements of the bottom end stop cannot be extrusion-molded simultaneously with the coupling elements, according to the latter known bottom end stop, the bottom end stop members can be extrusion-molded at the same time that the coupling elements are molded. Since, however, the fins project outwardly, they tend to be damaged by collision with the slider, Therefore, the bottom end stop does not have a required degree of durability. The bottom end stop has a poor appearance because of the presence of the outwardly projecting fins. FR-A-2 288 492 discloses a sliding clasp fastener having an emergency opening zone and a slider escape machanism. The slider opening mechanism comprises a pair of yieldable stops mounted on the respective rows of fastener elements and an extra length of fastener elements carried by the stringer as an upward extension of elements. Normally, the yieldabel stops should function to limit the upward movement of the slider along the rows of elements. When the slider in its fully closed position is further forcibly pulled upwardly, however, the yieldable stops should cooperate to permit the slider to travel therepast and to ride onto the extra lentgh of fastener elements on the stringer. To this end to stop does not have any means for interfitting engagement with the stop having a deformable wall. According to the present invention a bottom end stop satisfying this requirement is characterized in that said first end stop member has a tooth disposed in said recess thereof and that said second end stop member has an elastic wall positioned in said recess of said first end stop member for being elastically deformable by pressed engagement with said tooth and that said first and second end stop members have stops respectively, for engagement with ends of the flanges of the slider after the slider has been mounted on said rows of coupling elements, said first and second end stop members having a combined width defined across said stops normally greater than the smallest distance between flanges of a slider to be mounted on said rows of coupling elements, said combined width being reduceable to an extent smaller than said smallest distance when said elastic wall is elastically deformed by pressed engagement with said tooth. When the end stop members are forced to pass through the slider between the flanges, the elastic wall is elastically deformed by the tooth to reduce the combined width to allow the passage of the end stop members through the slider. After the end stop members have passed through the slider, the end stop members are elastically displaced outwardly back to the greater combined width to stop the slider against movement past the end stop members off the rows of coupling elements. Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a slide fastener including a separable bottom end stop according to the present invention; Figures 2, 3, and 4 are fragmentary plan views showing a successive sequence of assembling the separable bottom end stop as it passs through a slider; and Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary plan views of slide fasteners with conventional separable bottom end stops. The principles of the present invention are particularly useful when embodied in a separable bottom end stop generally designated by the reference numeral A in Figure 1. The bottom end stop A comprises two separable members 1, 2 which are combined with each other in preventing a slider S from running off intermeshing rows of coupling elements 3 mounted respectively on slide fastener tapes 4. The bottom end stop members 1, 2 are extrusion-molded of a thermoplastic resin such as polyacetal on the slide fastener stringer tapes 4 astride of respective longitudinal inner beaded edges 5. The bottom end stop members 1, 2 are molded at the same time that the coupling elements 3 are molded on the stringer tapes 4. The stringer tapes 4 are sewn to suitable fabrics C, respectively, such as of a garment. As shown in Figure 1, the end stop member 1, shown on the righthand side, is generally of an inverted C shape and positioned at a lowermost end of one of the rows of coupling elements 3 on the corresponding stringer tape 4. The end stop member 1 has on its upper portion a coupling head 8 and a neck portion 9 which are positioned off the bead 5 for meshing engagement with the coupling head 7 of a lowermost coupling element 6 on the opposite stringer tape 4, which is disposed adjacent to the other end stop member 2. The end stop member 1 thus meshing with the lowermost coupling element 3 gives the bottom end stop A a required degree of mechanical strength for preventing the bottom end stop A from being split open under a lateral pull applied to the slide fastener. The end stop member 1 has an intermediate portion including a recess 10 opening toward the end stop member 2 for receiving therein a confronting portion of the end stop member 2. The intermediate portion of the end stop member 1 also has a tooth or projection 11 disposed slightly upwardly of the center of the recess 10 and projecting toward the end stop member 2. The end stop member 1 also has on its lower portion a finger 12 spaced from the bead 5 and directed toward the coupling head 8. The finger 12 defines, with the intermediate portion of the end stop member 1, a cavity 13 positioned off the bead 5 and opening toward the coupling head 8, the cavity 13 being shaped to snugly receive a finger 17 (described later) of the end stop member 2. When the bottom end stop A passes through the slider S, the finger 17 is inserted downwardly into the cavity 13 to combine and position the end stop members 1, 2 relatively to each other. The end stop member 1 also has a shoulder 14 on an outer side of the upper portion thereof. The shoulder 14 is positioned for engaging the lower end of a flange F of the slider S, once installed on the rows of coupling elements 3, to serve as a stop for preventing the slider S from running off the rows of coupling elements 3, as described in detail later on. The other end stop member 2, shown on the lefthand side, has a through hole 15 defined slightly above the center of a portion thereof which confronts the end stop member 1, thus providing an elastic wall 16 facing the end stop member 1. The elastic wall 16 is elastically deformable, due to the resiliency of the synthetic resin which the bottom end stop is made of, inwardly into the hole 15 by pressed engagement with the tooth 11. The end stop member 2 has the finger 17 on its lower portion which is directed downwardly and positioned off the bead 5. The finger 17 and the body of the end stop member 2 jointly define therebetween a cavity 17a in which the finger 12 of the end stop member 1 can be fitted. The end stop member 2 has a shoulder or stop 18 on an outer upper end thereof for engagement with the lower end of an opposite flange F of the slider S, after it has been installed on the rows of coupling elements 3, for preventing the slider S from running off the coupling elements 3. The hole 15 of the end stop member 2 may be closed off by a pin (not shown) inserted therein or an ultrasonically fused mass after the slider S has been moved over the bottom end stop A onto the rows of coupling element 3, so that the bottom end stop A can have increased mechanical strength. The end stop member 2 has a longitudinal groove 19 defined in its side surface facing the end stop member 1, and the end stop member 1 has a slanted longitudinal ridge 20 projecting on its side surface facing the end stop member 19, the ridge 20 having a lower portion snugly fittable in the groove 19 when the end stop members 1, 2 are combined with each other. When the lower portion of the ridge 20 is fitted in the groove 19, the end stop members 1, 2 are prevented from being forced apart under a thrusting force applied thereto either on the face or back of the slide fastener. In a modification, the tooth 11 may be disposed on the end stop member 2, and the elastically deformable wall 16 may be disposed on the end stop member 1. The elastic wall 16 may be provided by a recess cut out from the upper end of the end stop member, rather than by the through hole 15. The end stop members 1, 2 are combined or interfitted with each other according to a sequence shown in Figures 2 through 4. As shown in Figure 2, with the slide fastener stringer tapes 4 held closely to each other, the end stop members 1, 2 are inserted into the slider S from its upper separated openings or shoulder slots. As the end stop members 1, 2 enter the slider S, the finger 17 of the end stop member 2 goes into the cavity 13 of the end stop member 1, while at the same time the finger 12 of the end stop member 1 goes into the cavity 17a of the end stop member 2, as shown in Figure 3. Thus, the fingers 12, 17 are interlocked or positioned with respect to each other. Then, the stringer tapes 4 are pulled downwardly to bring the upper portion of the end stop member 2 into the recess 10 of the end stop member 1. At this time, the combined width of the upper portions of the end stop members 1, 2 is larger than the distance between the lower portions of the flanges F of the slider S because of the tooth 11 of the end stop member 1, and the combined width of the lower portions of the end stop members 1, 2 is slightly smaller than the distance between the lower portions of the flanges F of the slider S. A further downward pull on the stringer tapes 4 forces the end stop members 1, 2 progressively into the slider S while at the same time the elastic wall 16 is elastically deformed into the hole 15 by the tooth 11, as shown in Figure 4. Therefore, the combined width of the upper portions of the end stop members 1, 2 is reduced to the extent that the end stop members 1, 2 can pass through the slider S between the flanges F. After the end stop members 1, 2 have passed through the slider S, the elastic wall 16 springs back to its original undeformed shape, whereupon the upper portions of the end stop members 1, 2 are displaced away from each other. Now, as illustrated in Figure 1, the coupling head 8 of the end stop member 1 meshes with the coupling head 7 of the lowermost coupling element 6. The end stop members 1, 2 are fully combined with each other. The shoulders or stops 14, 18 of the end stop members 1, 2 are positioned in the respective paths of movement of the flanges F of the slider S for thereby stopping the slider S against downward movement past the bottom end stop A off the intermeshing rows of coupling elements 3. The end stop members 1, 2 can be extrusion-molded simultaneously with the coupling elements 3. When the end stop members 1, 2 are passed through the slider S, they are neatly positioned relatively to each other by the fingers 12, 17 and automatically elastically deformed and displaced back to permit the slider S to be mounted easily. The end stop members 1, 2 are more durable and sightly than the conventional separable bottom end stop components.

Claims: A bottom end stop (A) on a slide fastener including a pair of rows of coupling elements (3) mounted respectively on a pair of stringer tapes (4), said bottom end stop (A) comprising: a first end stop member (1) mounted on one of said stringer tapes (4) at the lower end of one of said rows of coupling elements (3), said first end stop member (1) having a substantially inverted C shape including a recess (10) and a first finger (12) on the lower end thereof and; a second end stop member (2) mounted on the other stringer tape (4) at the end of the other row of coupling elements (3), said second end stop member (2) having a second finger (17) on the lower end thereof for interfitting engagement with said first finger (12) charactzerized in that said first end stop member (1) has a tooth (11) disposed in said recess (10) thereof and that said second end stop member (2) has an elastic wall (16) positioned in said recess (10) of said first end stop member (1) for being elastically deformable by pressed engagement with said tooth (11) and that said first and second end stop member (1,2) have stops (18,14), respectively, for engagement with ends of the flanges (F) of the slider (S) after the slider (S) has been mounted on said rows of coupling elements (3), said first and second end stop members (1,2) having a combined width defined across said stops (18) normally greater than the smallest distance between flanges (F) of a slider (S) to be mounted on said rows of coupling elements (3), said combined width being reduceable to an extent smaller than said smallest distance when said elastic wall (16) is elastically deformed by pressed engagement with said tooth (11). A separable bottom end stop according to claim 1, said elastic wall (16) being defined by a through hole (15) defined in said second end stop member (2).

Inventors: YOSHIMURA, EIICHI
Applicants: YOSHIDA KOGYO K.K.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A44B19
IPC codes: A44B19