Conventionally, the slide fastener has been used in various products such as clothes, bags or the like and various functions are demanded in accordance with the product using the slide fastener. For example, with regard to a slider which is one of constructing parts of the slide fastener, there has been a case that it is demanded a function (a stop mechanism) of retaining the slider at a stop position of the element row at a time of stopping a sliding motion with respect to the element row of the slide fastener.
One example of the slider provided with the stop mechanism mentioned above is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-1854 (Patent Document 1), WO 2010/070744 (Patent Document 2) and the like. The sliders of the Patent Document 1 and the Patent Document 2 are provided with a stop mechanism by an installation of a leaf spring member having a locking pawl to a slider body.
Specifically describing, the sliders described in the Patent Document 1 and the Patent Document 2 have a slider body, a tab which is rotatably retained in the slider body, and a leaf spring member which is installed to the slider body.
The slider body has upper and lower blades, a connecting post which connects between one end portions of the upper and lower blades, and flanges which are arranged in right and left side portions of the upper and lower blades. Further, the slider body has shoulder ports which are arranged in right and left both sides of the connecting post, and a rear port which is arranged in another end, and a Y-shaped element guide path connecting the right and left shoulder ports and the rear port is formed between the upper and lower blades.
Further, the upper blade of the slider body has right and left tab attachment posts which rotatably retain one end of the tab, and an insertion groove which is arranged in a center portion in a horizontal direction of the upper blade, and inserts the leaf spring member.
The tab retaining portion of the upper blade has a pair of front and rear post portions which are provided in a protruding manner in right and left both sides of the insertion groove, and an attachment shaft portion mentioned below of the tab is rotatably retained to the tab attachment post by caulking the front and rear posts in such a direction as to move close to each other, after the attachment shaft portion of the tab is inserted between the front and rear post portions.
The insertion groove of the upper blade has a groove width which is equal to or more than a width of the leaf spring member, and is formed in such a manner that the leaf spring member can be stably inserted. Further, in a rear end portion of the insertion groove is pierced a pawl hole which can insert a locking pawl mentioned below of the leaf spring member at a time when the leaf spring member is arranged within the insertion groove.
The tab has a tab main body portion, right and left arm portions which are extended in parallel from one end of the tab main body portion, an attachment shaft portion which connects apical portions of the right and left arm portions, and the attachment shaft portion of the tab is provided with a cam portion which has a cam shaped cross section. For example, in the case of the Patent Document 1, the cam portion is provided by forming a cross section of the attachment shaft portion in a shape obtained by cutting a partial circular arc from a circular form, and in the case of the Patent Document 2, the cam portion is provided by protruding a projection portion to the tab main body portion side from the center portion of the attachment shaft portion.
The leaf spring member is provided with elasticity, and is installed to the slider body in such a manner as to cover the attachment shaft portion of the tab and the cam portion from the above. Further, a locking pawl which can move into and out of the element guide path via a pawl hole of the slider body is arranged in one end portion of the leaf spring member.
In the case of assembling the slider which is constructed by the slider body, the tab and the leaf spring member as mentioned above, first of all, the attachment shaft portion of the tab is assembled in the right and left tab attachment posts which are arranged in the slider body. Specifically, the front and rear post portions are inflected in such a direction of moving close to each other so as to be caulked, in a state in which the attachment shaft portion of the tab is inserted between the front and rear post portions in the tab attachment post. In accordance with this, the tab is retained so as to be rotatable around the attachment shaft portion with respect to the slider body.
At this time, the tab prevents a position of the tab from being deviated in a slider width direction from the slider body by making a difference of a distance between the right and left arm portions arranged in the tab, and a distance between outer side surfaces of the right and left tab attachment posts arranged in the slider body small, and the cam portion of the tab is aligned with an appropriate position.
Subsequently, the leaf spring member is assembled in the slider body which retains the tab. In this case, the leaf spring member is installed to the slider body in such a manner as to cover the attachment shaft portion of the tab and the cam portion from the above in the leaf spring member, and insert the locking pawl of the leaf spring member to the pawl hole of the slider body. In accordance with this, the slider is assembled.
The slider assembled as mentioned above is structured such that the locking pawl of the leaf spring member protrudes into the element guide path via the pawl hole of the slider body, for example, in the case that the tab is tilted to the rear port side. In accordance with this, since the locking pawl is engaged with the element row of the slide fastener, the slider is prevented from sliding along the element row, and the stop state of the slider is retained.
On the other hand, since the leaf spring member is lifted up by the cam portion which is provided in the attachment shaft portion of the tab at a time when the tab is raised up with respect to the slider body, or is brought down to the front end side of the slider, the locking pawl of the leaf spring member gets out of (evacuates from) the element guide path. In accordance with this, the state in which the locking pawl is engaged with the element row is cancelled, and it is possible to smoothly slide the slider along the element row.
Further, in the sliders described in the Patent Document 1 and the Patent Document 2, as mentioned above, the attachment shaft portion of the tab is retained to the tab attachment posts by caulking the right and left tab attachment posts arranged in the slider body. In accordance with this, it is possible to firmly fix the attachment shaft portion of the tab to a predetermined position of the slider body.
Accordingly, the tab is hard to be detached from the slider body, and it is possible to securely construct the stop mechanism of the slider so as to smoothly function. Further, since the stop mechanism in the sliders described in the Patent Document 1 and the Patent Document 2 can be structured such as to be lower than a rising height of the tab attaching post after the caulking process, there can be obtained such an effect that can make a thickness of a whole of the slider thin.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds