Patent Publication Number: US-9844246-B2

Title: Slider for slide fastener

Description:
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  26   a ,  27   a  for receiving the lock member  40  and the receiving grooves  26   a ,  27   a  have right and left side walls  26   b ,  27   b . Also, as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the lock member  40  is received in the receiving grooves  26   a ,  27   a  of the front mounting portion  26  and the rear mounting portion  27  and then upper end portions of the right and left side walls  26   b ,  27   b  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  26   b ,  27   b  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  26   b  of the front mounting portion  26  has, on an inner surface thereof, a shelf portion  26   c  formed to protrude toward the inside of the receiving groove  26   a . Also, when the upper end portions of the right and left side walls  26   b  are crimped, the shelf portions  26   c  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  26   c.    
     Further, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the rear mounting portion  27  has a claw hole  27   c  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  27   d  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  27   c  upward. In addition, an insertion recess  27   e  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  27   c . The claw hole  27   c , the protrusion limiting portion  27   d  and the insertion recess  27   e  all are positioned between the right and left side walls  27   b  of the rear mounting portion  27 , the protrusion limiting portion  27   d  is positioned in front of the claw hole  27   c , and the insertion recess  27   e  is positioned in the rear of the claw hole  27   c.    
     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  26   b  of the front mounting portion  26 . Therefore, when the upper end portions of the right and left side walls  26   b  are crimped, the right and left side walls  26   b  are inclined so that the upper end portions approach each other. As a result, the protrusions  30  of the right and left side walls  26   b  approach each other, and also the protrusions  30  of the right and left side walls  26   b  cover the upper piece  41  of the lock member  40  more largely relative to portions of the right and left side walls  26   b  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  26   b  of the front mounting portion  26 , and rear surfaces  26   d  of the side walls  26   b  and rear surfaces  30   a  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  12   a  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  26   a ,  27   a  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  12   a  of the connection ring  12 . At this time, the stop claw  43  of the lock member  40  is inserted into the claw hole  27   c  of the rear mounting portion  27 , and also the insertion piece  44  of the lock member  40  is inserted into the insertion recess  27   e  of the rear mounting portion  27 . Subsequently, the upper end portions of the right and left side walls  26   b ,  27   b  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  26   b  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  41   a  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  27   d . 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  26   b  of the front mounting portion  26 . Therefore, when the upper end portions of the right and left side walls  26   b  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  26   b  approach each other, and also the protrusions  30  of the right and left side walls  26   b  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  26   b  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  26   b  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  26   b  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  26   d  of the side walls  26   b  of the front mounting surface  26  is also used for guiding the rear surfaces  30   a  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  26   d  of side walls  26   b  is small. Therefore, the side walls  26   b  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  30   a  of the protrusions  30  as well as the rear surfaces  26   d  of the side walls  26   b , the side walls  26   b  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 
               26   a  Receiving Groove 
               26   b  Side Wall 
               26   d  Rear Surface 
               27  Rear Mounting Portion 
               27   a  Receiving Groove 
               27   b  Side Wall 
               30  Protrusion 
               30   a  Rear Surface 
               40  Lock Member