Abstract:
A zipper assembly includes: a slider of a generally C-shaped cross section; a bottom stop fixed to an end of one side tape; and a locking unit fixed to a corresponding end of another side tape, the locking unit being separably coupled with the slider disposed above the locking unit to limit movement of the slider, wherein the locking unit selectively allows for and blocks the movement of the slider by coupling with or separation, in a vertical direction, from the bottom stop.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the priority benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0014943 filed on Feb. 14, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a slider or zipper assembly with a slider coupled to a pair of tapes for engaging and disengaging operations of the zipper. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Generally, a zipper is installed in bags, clothes, etc. to bind the edges of an opening, and is so very simple and convenient that it is widely used. 
     In a brief examination of a conventional zipper structure, teeth are arranged at each of opposing edges of a pair of tapes of fabric, and a slider with a structure that a front side and a rear side communicate with each other is coupled to one of the pair of tapes. 
     When the slider moves in a forward direction and the rows of teeth enter into the slider, the rows of teeth are interlocked with each other inside the slider and then are released through the rear side. On the contrary, when the slider moves in a backward direction, the interlocked teeth are separated and then the separated teeth are released through the front side. 
     However, the conventional zipper has several problems. 
     In detail, in order to fasten a zipper, a bottom stop of an end of a tape where the slider is not coupled should be inserted into the slider through the front side of the slider. However, if a user wears, for example, gloves, the user cannot perform a detail action and thus has a difficulty in inserting the bottom stop. 
     Also, in case some of a seam in the back side of the tape rear is taken to the inside of the slider, the movement of the slider stops. If the slider is forcibly moved, the seam is further taken so that the slider does not operate. 
     Further, since the slider does not stay at a constant site but moves forward or backward, users sometimes have a difficulty in rapidly grasping the slider. 
     Thus, the conventional zipper has a limitation in that the foregoing drawbacks cannot be solved if the structure thereof is not basically changed. 
     Meanwhile, U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,319 discloses a slider fastener which includes a first terminal provided with a locking element, and a second terminal coupled with the first terminal as the first terminal is inserted into the second terminal and rotates. However, since the second terminal is shaped in a container and is coupled with the first terminal as the first terminal rotates, two continuous operations should be performed for the coupling. Also, if a foreign material is introduced into the second terminal, the slider fastener has a fatal drawback in that the coupling is not achieved. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a slider assembly with a completely novel concept and structure. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a slider assembly which can secure reliability for coupling and separation of teeth. 
     A further another object of the present invention is to provide a slider assembly which can perform coupling and separation of teeth. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a slider assembly with a slider always maintaining a constant position in a state that the teeth are separated. 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a slider assembly including: a slider shaped in a cylinder having an opened bottom, the slider of which both edges coupled with teeth are curved inward; a bottom stop fixed to an end of one side tape; and a locking unit fixed to an end of the other side tape to limit movement of the slider, wherein the locking unit allows for the movement of the slider by coupling with or separation from the bottom stop, and the teeth has a space for receiving the edge of the slider. 
     The slider may include a hook piece which is protruded from an inner wall of the slider, the locking unit may have stoppers in one pair which are coupled with facing each other with a spring in-between to be subject to a restoring force of the spring, the bottom stop has a anchor protruded vertically, and as the anchor is coupled with the stoppers, the stoppers in one pair are repelled each other or near each other such that the hook piece is hooked or not hooked to each of the stoppers. 
     The slider may include a pressure hook piece which is further protruded than the hook piece and is formed on the inner wall at a front side spaced apart from the hook piece, and as the pressure hook piece pressurizes each of the stoppers in one pair, the anchor is separated from the stoppers. 
     The locking unit may comprise: a main body formed at a center thereof with an opening; stoppers in one pair which are received on a surface of the main body, coupled to each other with a spring in-between and have a contact formed at a position intersecting each other; and a cover separably coupled to the main body so as to cover the surface of the main body. 
     The locking unit may include: a flange which is protruded in a lengthwise direction from both sides of the main body such that each of the edges of the slider is positioned under the flange; and a stop jaw may be horizontally protruded from both sides of a rear end of the main body to limit reward movement of the slider. 
     The bottom stop may have a hemi-spherical anchor protruded vertically, the anchor being supported by a supporter having a width less than a diameter of the anchor, wherein as the anchor passes between the contacts and is hooked on a hook jaw formed at a boundary between the anchor and the supporter, the separation of the anchor is prevented. 
     The teeth may have a meshing part and an attachment part integrally formed, the meshing part may have a groove formed at one side surface thereof for meshing, a protrusion formed at an opposing side surface, and the attachment part may be shaped in “C” and have a space for receiving the edge of the slider in the “C”-shaped attachment part, and the tape is fixed under the attachment part. 
     According to the above structure, even when a user cannot perform a detail action by hand, the coupling and separation of the teeth can be always performed reliably. 
     Also, a rapid coupling between the teeth and the slider can be obtained by a single simple action, i.e., pressure in the vertical direction. 
     Further, in a state that the teeth are separated, the slider can always maintain a constant position. 
     Furthermore, the possibility that some of a seam is taken to the inside of the slider can be minimized. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above objects and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a state that a slider assembly according to the present invention is coupled to tapes. 
         FIG. 2  is a disassembled perspective view of a slider assembly according to the present invention. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  show a slider  100  applied to the present invention, respectively. 
         FIGS. 4A ,  4 B,  4 C, and  4 D show a locking unit  200  according to the present invention, respectively. 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  show a bottom stop  300  applied to the present invention, respectively. 
         FIG. 6  shows a tooth  20  applied to the present invention. 
         FIGS. 7 to 9  show movement of the stopper depending on forward and backward movement of the bottom stop and hooking operation of the hook piece of the slider, in which left drawings of  FIGS. 7A ,  8 A, and  9 A are sectional views taken along lines A-A′ of their right drawings. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Now, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  shows a state that a slider assembly according to the present invention is coupled to tapes, and  FIG. 2  is a disassembled perspective view of the slider assembly shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a slider assembly includes: a slider  100  which is shaped in a container having an opened bottom and has a channel  101  formed by both edges, through which teeth  20  pass; a locking unit  200  fixed to an end of a tape  12  to limit movement of the slider  100 , and a bottom stop  300  which is fixed to an end of the tape  12  and allows the locking unit  200  to control the movement of the slider  100 . Teeth  20  and  30  have a space receiving both edges of the slider  100 . 
     Hereinafter, respective elements constituting the slider assembly will be described in detail. For the convenience of description, the movement of the slider  100  for coupling of teeth  20  and  30  is referred to as “forward movement”, and the opposite movement of the slider  100  for separation of the engaged teeth  20  and  30  is referred to as “reward movement”. 
     Slider  100   
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  show a slider  100  applied to the present invention, respectively. 
     The slider  100  has a single body  101 , and is shaped in a rectangular box of which a front inlet and a rear outlet communicate with the inside of the rectangular body. 
     End portions of both inner sidewalls  103  are curved inward to form edges  104  and  105  facing each other, and thus a channel  101  is resultantly defined in a lengthwise direction by the edges  104  and  105  and the inner sidewalls  103 . 
     Preferably, the edges  104  and  105  in the inlet of the body  102  form a smooth curved portion such that the edges  104  and  105  are smoothly coupled with the teeth  20  and  30 . A position determining protrusion  107  is protruded from a rear surface at a middle position of the inlet. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3B , hook pieces  106  and  108  spaced apart by a predetermined interval from each other are protruded from both inner sidewalls, and interact with a stopper of the locking unit  200  to be described later. The hook piece  106  positioned at the front side is further protruded than the hook piece  108  positioned at the rear side, and a taper is formed at the rear side of each of the hook pieces  106  and  108 . 
     As described later, the hook piece  106  is installed for the purpose of pressurizing the stopper of the locking unit  200 , and the hook piece  108  is installed for the hooking thereof to the stopper of the locking unit  200 . 
     A tap holder  110  is formed to a surface of the body  102 , for example, by a screw, and is fixedly inserted into a full tap  120  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Locking Unit  200   
       FIGS. 4A ,  4 B,  4 C, and  4 D show a locking unit  200  according to the present invention, respectively. 
     The locking unit  200  includes a main body  210  with an insertion hole  217  formed at the center thereof, stoppers  230  and  240  in one pair, which are mounted on a surface of the main body  210  and are coupled to each other with the spring  234  in-between while facing each other, and a cover  220  separably coupled to the main body  210  so as to cover the surface of the main body  210 . 
     Preferably, a support protrusion  215  is horizontally protruded from the front side of the main body  210  and contacts and supports the first teeth  20  and  30  together with a protrusion of the bottom stop  300  to be described later. A groove  216  is formed at an upper surface of the support protrusion  215 . 
     A receiving space  212  for receiving the stoppers  230  and  240  is formed in the main body  210 , a boss  214  into which an insert  233  with a thread groove formed at an outer circumference thereof for coupling with the cover  220  is inserted is integrally, protrudingly formed in the main body  210 , and an insertion opening  217  positioned between the facing stoppers  230  and  240  is formed. Also, flanges  213  are protruded in the lengthwise direction from both sides of the main body  210 , and the edges of the slider  100  are positioned under the flanges  213  such that the slider  100  is prevented from being released upward. 
     Stop jaws  218  are formed at both sides of the main body  210  such that the slider  100  no longer moves backward. 
     The stoppers  230  and  240  are positioned at edges of the insertion opening  217  and are provided with contacts  232  and  242  facing each other. The contacts  232  and  242  are positioned under the stoppers  230  and  240  positioned oppositely. That is, the state that the stoppers  230  and  240  are spaced apart from each other is shown in  FIG. 4D , but in the state that the stoppers  230  and  240  are coupled with the spring  234  in-between, the contacts  232  and  242  are positioned under the stoppers  230  and  240  positioned oppositely. 
     Therefore, when the contacts  232  and  242  are pushed oppositely, on the contrary, the stoppers  230  and  240  become close to each other. When the contacts  232  and  242  are pulled from each other, on the contrary, the stoppers become more distant. 
     Preferably, contact surfaces of the contacts  232  and  242  are inclined so as to be matched with the shape of the anchor contacting the contacts  232  and  242 . 
     Bottom Stop  300   
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  show a bottom stop  300  applied to the present invention, respectively. 
     The bottom stop  300  is fixed to an end portion of one of the tapes  12  and is coupled with or separated from the locking unit  200  to control the operation of the stoppers  230  and  240  of the locking unit  200 . 
     An anchor  310  is protrudingly formed on a surface of the bottom stop  300  and is inserted into the insertion opening  217  formed in the main body  210 . 
     Also, a support protrusion  320  is vertically protruded from the front surface of the bottom stop  300 , and a groove  322  is formed at an upper portion of the support protrusion  320 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5B , the anchor  310  shaped in a hemisphere is supported by a cylindrical support  312 , and the support  312  has a diameter which is less than the diameter of the hemispherical anchor  310  such that a hook jaw  314  is formed at a boundary therebetween. 
     Teeth  20  and  30   
       FIG. 6  shows one of teeth  20  applied to the present invention. 
     Each of the teeth  20  is formed in an integral body, and includes a meshing part  26  and attachment parts  21  and  22 . The meshing part  26  has a groove  25  formed at one side and a protrusion formed at the opposite side for the meshing. Therefore, the teeth  20  in one side are meshed with the teeth  30  in the other side in such a way that the protrusions of the teeth  20  in one side are received in the grooves of the teeth  30  in the other side as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The attachment parts  21  and  22  are shaped in “C” such that a space  24  receiving the edges  104  and  105  of the slider  100  is formed therebetween. The lower attachment part  22  is formed relatively longer than the upper attachment part  21 , and a coupling protrusion  23  is formed on the lower attachment part  22  and is inserted in the tape  10  such that the teeth  20  are fixed to the tape  10 . 
     Hereinafter, the coupling and operation of the slider assembly with above-described structure will be described. 
       FIGS. 7 to 9  show movement of the stoppers  230  and  240  depending on forward and backward movement of the bottom stop  300  and hooking operation of the hook pieces  106  and  108  of the slider  100 , in which left drawings of  FIGS. 7A ,  8 A, and  9 A are sectional views taken along lines A-A′ of their right drawings. 
     The locking unit  200  is fixed at the end portion of the tape  10  where the teeth  20  are disposed, and the bottom stop  300  is fixed at the end portion where the teeth  30  are disposed. 
     When the slider  100  is horizontally pushed with respect to the locking unit  200 , the edges  104  and  105  of the slider  100  move along the bottoms of the flanges  213  formed at both sides of the main body  210  of the locking unit  200 , as described above. 
     At this time, as shown in  FIG. 7 , since the stoppers  230  and  240  of the locking unit  200  are in a state protruded to the most external positions, the hook piece  108  is hooked to the stoppers  230  and  240  while the slider  100  moves. 
     When the slider  100  is forcibly pushed backward, the restoring force of the spring  234  allows the stoppers  230  and  240  spaced far to forcibly narrow, and simultaneously when the hook piece  108  passes through the stoppers  230  and  240  and moves backward, the stoppers  230  and  240  are again protruded between the hook pieces  106  and  108  due to the restoring force of the spring  234 . 
     In this state, when the force applied to the slider  100  is removed, the slider  100  is locked in the state as shown in  FIG. 7 , and thus the coupling of the slider  100  and the locking unit  200  are completed. 
       FIG. 7  shows a state of the stoppers  230  and  240  before the bottom stop  300  is coupled to the locking unit  200 . In the first coupled state, when the stoppers  230  and  240  are pushed in a direction distant from each other, the contacts  232  and  242  approach each other on the contrary. Since the restoring force of the spring  234  fully acts on the stoppers  230  and  240 , the stoppers  230  and  240  are in the most distant state. 
     In this state, the hook piece  108  is hooked by the stoppers  230  and  240  such that the hook piece  108  does not move forward and also does not move backward due to the stop jaw  218  of the main body  210  of the locking unit  200 . As a result, since the slider  100  is fixed to a constant position before the bottom stop  300  is coupled, a user can find the slider  100  rapidly and conveniently when fastening the zipper. 
       FIG. 8  shows a state that the bottom stop  300  is coupled with the locking unit  200 . 
     Upon coupling, when the hemispherical anchor  310  rises to pressurize the contacts  232  and  242  of the stoppers  230  and  240 , the contacts  232  and  242  slide along the outer surface of the anchor  310  so that the distance between the contacts  232  and  242  goes far and is then sharply narrowed while passing through the hook jaw  314  formed at a boundary with the support  312 . As a result, both edges of the stoppers  230  and  240  are pushed inward further than the end portion of the hook jaw  108 . This is because the diameter of the support  312  is less than the diameter of the anchor  310 , as described above. 
     Also, the support protrusion  215  of the main body  210  of the locking unit  200  and the support protrusion  320  of the bottom stop  300  come close to each other and are coupled to thereby support the first teeth  20  and  30 , and the groove  216  of the support protrusion  215  and the groove  322  of the support protrusion  320  are joined to form a groove, which receives the position determining protrusion  107 . 
     In this state, as shown in  FIG. 8 , both edges of the stoppers  230  and  240  are pushed inward further than the end portion of the hook piece  108  such that the hook piece  108  can move freely. 
     Therefore, when a user pulls the full tap  120  upward and moves the same forward, the slider  100  moves in a state that the edges  104  and  105  of the slider  100  are received in the receiving space  24  of the teeth  20  and  30 , and in this state, the protrusions of the adjacent teeth  20  and  30  are inserted into the groove  25  and thus the teeth  20  and  30  are meshed, i.e., the zipper is fastened. 
       FIG. 9  shows a state that the bottom stop  300  is separated from the locking unit  200 . 
     When a user tries to unfasten the zipper by separating the teeth  20  and  30 , the user pulls the slider  100  downward to move the slider backward, whereby the hook piece  106  positioned at the front side contacts the stoppers  230  and  240 . 
     At this time, when the slider  100  is strongly pulled, the hook piece  106  pushes the stoppers  230  and  240  and thus the stoppers  230  and  240  are brought to the nearest position, but the interval between the contacts  232  and  242  goes to the farthest position. Since the interval is wider than the diameter of the anchor  310  of the bottom stop  300 , the bottom stop  300  can be smoothly separated. 
     While this invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the scope of the present invention is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description.