Pull tab for slide fastener

Abstract: A slider pull tab (10) is disclosed for use on a slide fastener (F) applied to and covered by a garment strip (T). The pull tab (10) has a gripping section (19) including oppositely disposed longitudinal edge portions (20) and (21) defining therebetween a web portion (22) which is thinner than the edge portions (20) and (21). One of the edge portions (20) and (21) is thicker than the other, presenting such a cross-sectional profile of the gripping section (19) as is conforming with the contour of palmar fingers of the user.

Description: This invention relates to a slider for a slide fastener and more particularly a pull tab for manipulating the slider to open and close the fastener. There are known numerous slider pull tabs. These are basically similar in construction and design regardless of whether they are applied to slide fasteners used on ordinary coverless garment articles such as jackets, bags or the like where the slide fastener is exposed to view, or they are applied to slide fasteners used on trouser flies, skirt side flies, covered pockets or the like where the slide fastener is concealed from view. In the latter case where the fly strip is sewn along one edge to the garment, the slider is gripped by fingers inserted through the other edge which is open and pulled in either direction by its pull tab, in which instance the gripping force or pressure tends to vary across the width of the pull tab, fails to act in a direction parallel to a pair of coupling element rows on the fastener and is liable to deflect obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fastener. This would in turn make the movement of the slider sluggish, resulting in malfunctioned or damaged slide fastener upon repeated forcible opening and closing. Conventional slider pull tabs have a further drawback in that they are prone to become bent or otherwise impaired when the slide fastener is ironed not knowing it is covered by such fly strips as those on trousers, skirts or the like. US-A-3 641 634 discloses a pull tab suitable for a slider of a slide fastener applied to and covered by a garment strip. It has a connecting end portion for pivotal connection to the slider and a free terminal end portion, further a gripping section formed by oppositely disposed first and second longitudinal edge portions defining therebetween a web portion which is thinner than the first and second longitudinal edge portions. With these prior art pull tab structures in view, the present invention seeks to provide a slider pull tab suitable for use with slide fasteners concealed from external view which can be manipulated with a finger pressure applied substantially uniformly across its width so as to maintain smooth slider movement with respect to the slide fastener. The invention further seeks to provide a slider pull tab which is fool-proof against ironing. As claimed, there is provided a pull tab for a slider of a slide fastener applied to and covered by a garment strip, said pull tab having a connecting end portion for pivotal connection to said slider and a free terminal end portion. Said pull tab further comprises a gripping section formed by oppositely disposed first and second longitudinal edge portions defining therebetween a web portion which is thinner than said first and second longitudinal edge portions. According to the invention the first edge portion is thicker than said second edge portion, presenting a cross-sectional profile conforming with the contour of palmar fingers of the user. The above and other objects and features of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with a preferred embodiment. Figure 1 is a plan view of a pull tab embodying the invention, shown mounted on a slider; Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same; Figure 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the pull tab schematically shown gripped between fingers of the user; Figure 4 is a plan view of the pull tab of the slider mounted on a slide fastener attached to a fly strip such as for trousers; Figure 5 is an end elevation of the slider shown covered by the fly strip; and Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of a pair of trousers having a slide fastener sewn to their flies. Referring now to the drawings and Figures 1 and 2 in particular, there is shown a slider pull tab 10 embodying the invention. The pull tab 10 is an integral component part of a slider S which is mounted on and adapted to open and close a slide fastener F (Figure 4). The slider S comprises a pair of flanged upper and lower wing members 11 and 12 which are connected at one of their ends by a connecting head or diamond 13. A guide channel 14 is defined between the upper and lower wing members 11 and 12 for the passage therethough of a pair of fastener stringers (Figures 4 and 5). Designated at 15 is a trunnion having an opening 16 in which to receive the pull tab 10 pivotably in a manner well known in the art. The pull tab 10 provided in accordance with the invention may be made from a metallic or plastics material. It is generally rectangular in shape, having at one end a connecting end portion 17 for pivotal connection to the trunnion 15 of the slider S and at the other end a free terminal end portion 18 which is bent down inwardly for purposes hereinafter described. The pull tab 10 includes a gripping section 19 intermediate between the two end portions 17 and 18 to be gripped or pinched between fingers, usually an index finger 100 and a thumb 101 as illustrated in Figure 3. The gripping section 19 is formed by oppositely disposed longitudinal edge portions 20 and 21 defining therebetween a central web portion 22 which is slightly warped inwardly. According to an important aspect of the invention, one of the opposed edge portions 20 and 21 of the gripping section 19 is formed thicker than the other, with the central web portion 22 thinner than the respective edge portions 20 and 21 so as to present a cross-sectional profile conforming with the contour of a palmar finger as shown in Figure 3. For purposes of illustration, the slider pull tab 10 is shown applied to a slide fastener F which is sewn by stitchings Ts to trouser flies T and normally concealed from view by a flap cover Tc as depicted in Figures 4, 5 and 6 inclusive. When attempting to move the slider S relative to the slide fastener F, the fingers 100 and 101 of the user are inserted from under the flap cover Tc to reach and pull the pull tab 10. In this instance, the thicker edge portion 20 of the pull tab 10 is located adjacent to the inner stitched side of the flap cover Tc so as to ensure uniform distribution of finger pressure over the entire gripping section 19 required to pull the pull tab 10 in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slide fastener F. The first thicker edge portion 20 and the second opposite edge portion 21 which is thinner than the first edge portion 20 but thicker than the central web portion 22, respectively project beyond the web portion 22 symmetrically on opposite sides of the gripping section 19, creating symmetrically arcuate surfaces 19a, 19b conforming with the contour of the palmar side of each of the fingers 100, 101 which will serve to grip the pull tab 10 with uniform finger pressure thereby ensuring proper and smooth operation of the slider S. Alternatively, the first edge portion 20 may be coextensive with the second edge portion 21 on the front side of the gripping section 19 but projects asymmetrically longer than the second edge portion 21 on the reverse side of the gripping section 19. As better shown in Figure 2, the pull tab 10 has its free terminal end portion 18 bent inwardly toward the plane of the slider S and engageable with the coupling elements of the slide fastener F so as to prevent the pull tab 10 from getting flexed or damaged at its connecting end portion 17 which would otherwise occur during ironing of the slide fasteners F. Designated at 23 is a beaded strip attached to the pull tab 10 adjacent to the free terminal end portion 18 for preventing the fingers of the user from slipping off when gripping the pull tab 10.

Claims: A pull tab (10) for a slider (S) of a slide fastener (F) applied to and covered by a garment strip (T), said pull tab (10) having a connecting end portion (17) for pivotal connection to said slider (S) and a free terminal end portion (18), said pull tab (10) further comprising a gripping section (19) formed by oppositely disposed first and second longitudinal edge portions (20) and (21) defining therebetween a web portion (22) which is thinner than said first and second longitudinal edge portions (20) and (21), characterised in that said first edge portion (20) is thicker than said second edge portion (21), presenting a cross-sectional profile conforming with the contour of palmar fingers of the user. A pull tab (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said free terminal end portion (18) is bent down inwardly. A pull tab (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said first and second longitudinal edge portions (20) and (21) project beyond said web portion (22) symmetrically on opposite sides of said gripping section (19).

Inventors: HORITA YOSHIYUKI, TAKEMURA CHIHARU, HORITA, YOSHIYUKI, TAKEMURA, CHIHARU
Applicants: YKK CORP, YKK CORPORATION
Application year: 1992
Main classification: A44B19
IPC codes: A44B19