Lockable slider for a slider fastener

Abstract: A lockable slider (10A - 10F) for a slide fastener comprises a slider body (13) having a guide channel (17), a cover member (18) having an elongate aperture (21, 37, 52a, 52b), a locking member (24), and a switching means (27) movable in the aperture (21, 37, 52a, 52b) betwen a first position in which to advance the locking member (24) into the guide channel (17) and a second position in which to retract the locking member (24) away from the guide channel (17).

Description: This invention relates to slide fasteners and more particularly to a slider therefor which is switchable between locked and unlocked positions. There are known various types of the so-called lockable sliders, a typical example of which is a slider having a key lock mechanism as disclosed in JP-U-6232415 forming the basis of the preamble of present claim 1. This conventional key-lock slider is designed with the use of a key to keep the slider in locked position in which a locking prong extends into a guide channel for the passage of coupling element rows on slide fastener stringers and release the slider into unlocked position in which the locking prong is freely movable into and out of the guide channel, or alternatively switch the key to hold the locking prong retracted away from the guide channel. The key locking type of slider literally requires the user to carry with him a key in which instance such key is liable to get lost. Furthermore, keys are by nature tedious to handle and hence would often be left unused. With the foregoing problems of the prior art in view, the present invention seeks to provide an improved slider for a slide fastener which incorporates means of switching the slider from locked position to unlocked position, or vice versa, with utmost ease and without the use of a key. According to the invention, there is provided a lockable slider for a slide fastener including a pair of interengaging element rows to be coupled and uncoupled by the lockable slider, said lockable slider comprising: a slider body including an upper wing member and a lower wing member joined at one end of the slider body by a connecting neck so as to define therebetween a generally Y-shaped guide channel; a cover member mounted on and jointly defining with said upper wing member an elongate aperture; a pull tab pivotably connected to said cover member; and a switching means movable in said elongate aperture between a first position in which to cause said locking prong to advance into said guide channel and a second position in which to cause a locking prong to retract from said guide channel, characterized in that said cover member is provided at one of its ends with a pair of upper and lower recessed wall portions, and said switching means is embodied in the form of a lever having said locking prong at one of its ends and pivotable between said upper and lower recessed wall portions. The above features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Figure 1, is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a lockable slider according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the slider of Figure 1. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a lockable slider 10B according to the invention. The slider 10B comprises a slider body 13 including an upper wing member 14 and a lower wing member 15 joined at one end of the slider body 13 by a connecting neck or diamond 16 so as to define therebetween a generally Y-shaped guide channel 17. A cover member or trunnion 18 and the upper wing member 14 jointly define therebetween an elongate aperture 37 in which a pull tab 22 is pivotably mounted. The upper wing member 14 has a guide through opening 23 communicating with the guide channel 17 and the elongate aperture 21. A locking member 24 having at one of its ends a downwardly directed locking prong 25 is movably supported on the upper wing member 14. A switching means 27 is in the form of a lever 35 integral with the locking member 24. The lever 35 has one of its ends connected to the opposite end 24a of the locking member 24 and is pivotable about a pin 36 extending transversely of the slider body 13. The elongate aperture 37 extends longitudinally of the cover member 18 in communication with a pair of upper and lower arcuately recessed inner wall portions 38a and 38b at the front end of the cover member 18 which are demarcated by a pair of opposed bulged inner wall portions 39a and 39b of the cover member 18. The lever 35 is received in the aperture 37 to be pivotable in a plane perpendicular to the general plane of the slider body 13 switchably between the upper and lower recessed inner wall portions 38a and 38b. The lever 35 has a pair of lateral arcuate projections 35a dimensioned to fit snugly in the corresponding recessed wall portions 38a and 38b of the cover member 18. To provide smooth pivotal movement of the lever 35 between the recessed wall portions 38a and 38b, there are formed a pair of pores 40 on opposite sides of the bulged inner wall portions 39a and 39b of the cover member 18, which pores 40 serve to allow the lever 35 to resiliently pass through the bulged wall portions 39a and 39b. Switching the lever 35 into the upper recessed wall portion 38a will cause the locking prong 25 to move into the guide channel 17 as indicated by the solid line in Figure 7, and switching the lever 35 conversely into the lower recessed wall portion 38b will cause the locking prong 25 to retract from the guide channel 17 as indicated by the phantom line in Figure 7.

Claims: A lockable slider (10) for a slide fastener including a pair of interengaging element rows (12) to be coupled and uncoupled by the lockable slider (10), said lockable slider (10) comprising: a slider body (13) including an upper wing member (14) and a lower wing member (15) joined at one end of the slider body (13) by a connecting neck (16) so as to define therebetween a generally Y-shaped guide channel (17); a cover member (18) mounted on and jointly defining with said upper wing member (14) an elongate aperture (37); a pull tab (22) pivotably connected to said cover member (18); and a switching means (27) movable in said elongate aperture between a first position in which to cause said locking prong (25) to advance into said guide channel (17) and a second position in which to cause a locking prong (25) to retract from said guide channel (17), characterized in that said cover member (18) is provided at one of its ends with a pair of upper and lower recessed wall portions (38a, 38b), and said switching means (27) is embodied in the form of a lever (35) having said locking prong (25) at one of its ends and pivotable between said upper and lower recessed wall portions (38a, 38b).

Inventors: AKASHI SHUNJI, AOKI TSUNETAKA, AKASHI, SHUNJI, AOKI, TSUNETAKA
Applicants: YKK CORP, YKK CORPORATION
Application year: 1991
Main classification: A44B19
IPC codes: A44B19