阅读说明：本技术 用于改进的拉链拉头存放构件的系统和方法 (System and method for improved zipper pull storage member ) 是由 D·J·马丁森 K·H·布赖特曼 于 2015-12-02 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种拉头存放构件包括包覆模制体,所述包覆模制体在拉链上定向,所述包覆模制体包括包覆模制凸部和包覆模制凹部,所述包覆模制凸部和包覆模制凹部定位在拉链的一端上使得每个位于拉链的一侧,所述包覆模制凸部成型为使得其以水密的方式适配于所述包覆模制凹部。可选地,拉链包括凸出侧和凹入侧,且包覆模制凸部定位在拉链的凸出侧上,而包覆模制凹部定位在拉链的凹入侧上。(A slider garage includes an overmolded body oriented on a zipper, the overmolded body including overmolded male and female portions positioned on one end of the zipper such that each is on one side of the zipper, the overmolded male portion being shaped such that it fits in the overmolded female portion in a watertight manner. Optionally, the zipper includes a male side and a female side, and the overmolded male portion is positioned on the male side of the zipper and the overmolded female portion is positioned on the female side of the zipper.)

1. A zipper, comprising:

a convex side;

a concave side;

a slider garage including an overmolded male portion and an overmolded female portion, the overmolded male portion being molded on the male side, such that a portion of the male side extends into the overmolded male portion of the slider garage, the overmolded recess being molded on the recessed side such that a portion of the recessed side extends into the overmolded recess of the slider garage, wherein a portion of the male side extends further into the overmolded male portion than a portion of the female side extends into the overmolded female portion, wherein a first portion of the overmolded male portion extends toward the overmolded female portion and when a slider is fully engaged with the slider garage, the first portion is surrounded by the overmolded recess except where attached to the slider storage member.

2. The zipper of claim 1 wherein the male side comprises a protruding bulb.

3. The zipper of claim 2 wherein the concave side comprises a socket portion.

4. A zipper as recited in claim 3, wherein the protruding bulb is continuous with the slider of the storage member on the convex side.

5. The zipper of claim 4 wherein a portion of the protruding bulb is enclosed within the overmolded male portion.

6. The zipper of claim 2 wherein the overmolded male portion is formed on a portion of the protruding bulbous portion.

7. The zipper of claim 2 wherein the overmolded male portion covers the male side.

8. A zipper, comprising:

a convex side;

a concave side;

a slider garage including an overmolded male portion that covers the male side and an overmolded female portion that is separable from the overmolded female portion when a slider is not engaged with the slider garage, wherein a first portion of the overmolded male portion extends toward the overmolded female portion and is surrounded by the overmolded female portion when a slider is fully engaged with the slider garage except where connected to the slider garage.

9. The zipper of claim 8 wherein the male side includes a protruding bulb.

10. The zipper of claim 9 wherein the overmolded male portion is molded on the male side such that a portion of the male side extends into the overmolded male portion of the slider garage.

11. The zipper of claim 10 wherein the concave side comprises a socket portion.

12. The zipper of claim 11 wherein the protruding bulb is continuous with the slider of the storage member on the convex side.

13. The zipper of claim 9 wherein a portion of the protruding bulb is enclosed within the overmolded male portion.

14. The zipper of claim 9 wherein the overmolded male portion is formed on a portion of the protruding bulbous portion.

15. A zipper, comprising:

a convex side;

a concave side;

a slider garage including an overmolded male portion and an overmolded female portion, wherein the overmolded male portion has been molded on the male side such that a portion of the male side extends into the overmolded male portion of the slider garage and the overmolded male portion extends farther toward the overmolded female portion than the male side, wherein a first portion of the overmolded male portion extends toward the overmolded female portion and is surrounded by the overmolded female portion except where connected to the slider garage when a slider is fully engaged with the slider garage.

16. The zipper of claim 15 wherein the male side comprises a protruding bulb.

17. The zipper of claim 16 wherein the protruding bulb is continuous with the slider of the storage member on the convex side.

18. The zipper of claim 17 wherein a portion of the protruding bulb is enclosed within the overmolded male portion.

Background

Many of the weak points of zippers intended to achieve water resistance are at the last closure point of the zipper. In many zipper constructions, there is a small but significant hole at the closure point of the zipper. Even such small holes are unacceptable depending on the performance required for the water-proof properties of the zipper.

Most, if not all, of the polymeric zipper systems are made from olefin-based polymers, such as polypropylene or polyethylene. The profile of the polymer zipper is manufactured using an extrusion process. Olefin-based systems are common in many polymeric zipper systems due to the inherently low cost of the polymeric resin and its low coefficient of friction characteristics. The low coefficient of friction is important so that the ball (ball) and socket (socket) of the zipper can be pushed together with minimal effort. However, olefin-based zipper systems have their own limitations. Most olefin-based zipper systems made from polypropylene and polyethylene are not durable when used in external environments where extreme temperatures affect material properties. Polypropylene and polyethylene zipper profiles lack tensile and tear strength, as well as good elongation characteristics. They also have excessive compression set when they are subjected to loading stress at high temperatures. Thus, they are not used in extreme application situations, such as "dry bags" (dry) and "wetsuits", which are typically used in high temperature environments. Rather, they can be used in sandwich bags and other low performance applications.

Disclosure of Invention

In one embodiment, the slider garage includes an overmolded body oriented on the zipper, the overmolded body including overmolded male and female portions positioned on one end of the zipper such that each is on one side of the zipper, the overmolded male portion being shaped such that it fits into the overmolded female portion in a water-tight manner. Optionally, the zipper comprises a male side and a female side, and the overmolded male portion is positioned on the male side of the zipper and the overmolded female portion is positioned on the female side of the zipper. Alternatively, the slider garage further comprises an inner wall in the overmolded body, wherein the inner wall is sized to have a height such that the inner wall seals against the zipper when the slider is pulled to an end of the slider garage distal from the zipper. Optionally, the inner wall comprises an inclined portion such that the inclined portion forms an inclined surface for the slider to progressively seal the inner wall. In one configuration, the inner wall of the slider garage includes a portion distal from the zipper, the portion distal from the zipper having a generally U-shape, and the inner wall of the slider garage includes a serrated portion having a first portion located on a male side of the zipper and a second portion located on a female side of the zipper, wherein the male side is the side including the overmolded male portion and the female side is the side including the overmolded female portion, one end of the serrated portion proximal to the zipper having a first position and a second position, the first position characterized in that when the slider is engaged in the slider garage, the first portion on the male side of the zipper is immediately adjacent to the second portion on the female side of the zipper, the second position characterized in that when the slider is not engaged in the slider garage, the first portion at the male side of the zipper is distal from the second portion at the female side of the zipper, and the first and second portions include an inclined portion. Optionally, the overmolded female portion and the overmolded male portion have a first position characterized by the overmolded female portion and the overmolded male portion not being engaged and a second position characterized by the overmolded female portion and the overmolded male portion being engaged. Alternatively, the shape and positioning of the overmolded female portion and the overmolded male portion are such that when the overmolded female portion and the overmolded male portion have a first position and a second position and are in the second position, the overmolded female portion is pushed vertically upward and the overmolded male portion is pushed vertically downward. Optionally, the inner wall is surrounded by a side wall, and the side wall is interconnected with the inner wall by a plurality of supports. Alternatively, the overmolded body includes a transition line, wherein the transition line defines a line through which the slider must pass to complete the sealing of the zipper and slider storage member. In one alternative, the transition line is substantially aligned with the overmolded protrusions and recesses. In another alternative, a first portion of the zipper on a first side where the overmolded male portion is located extends further into the overmolded body than a second portion of the zipper on a second side where the overmolded female portion is located. Optionally, the overmolded body is made of thermoplastic polyurethane. In another alternative, the overmolded body has a hardness of 60 to 90shore a. Alternatively, the overmolded body portion is textured to reduce adhesion. Optionally, the thermoplastic polyurethane includes a slip agent.

In another embodiment, the slider garage includes an overmolded body located at one end of the zipper, which provides a waterproof seal when engaged with the slider. Optionally, the overmolded body comprises an overmolded male portion and an overmolded female portion, wherein the overmolded male portion fits into the overmolded female portion to create a watertight seal when engaged with a slider. Alternatively, the height of the overmold body is such that when the slider is engaged with the overmold body, the overmold body seals against the slider. Optionally, the overmolded body comprises a chamfer to facilitate the transition from the sealed state to the unsealed state. Alternatively, the overmold is made from a thermoplastic polyurethane. In the alternative, the overmolded body has a hardness between 60 and 90shore a.

In another embodiment, the slider garage includes an overmolded body oriented on the zipper, the overmolded body including overmolded male and female portions positioned on one end of the zipper such that each is on one side of the zipper, the overmolded male portion being shaped such that it fits into the overmolded female portion in a water-tight manner. The overmolded female portion and the overmolded male portion have a first position characterized by the overmolded female portion and the overmolded male portion not being engaged and a second position characterized by the overmolded female portion and the overmolded male portion being engaged. Optionally, the shape and positioning of the overmolded female portion and the overmolded male portion are such that when the overmolded female portion and the overmolded male portion have a first position and a second position and are in the second position, the overmolded female portion is pushed vertically upward and the overmolded male portion is pushed vertically downward. Alternatively, the slider garage further comprises an inner wall in the overmolded body, wherein the inner wall is sized to have a height such that the inner wall seals against the slider when the slider is pulled to an end of the slider garage distal from the zipper. Alternatively, the inner wall comprises an inclined portion such that the inclined portion forms an inclined surface for the slider to gradually seal the inner wall.

Drawings

FIG. 1 shows a top view of one embodiment of a slider storage member and a zipper;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the slider garage of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the slider garage of FIG. 1 in a fully engaged position;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the slider garage of FIG. 1 with the slider engaged;

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the slider garage of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 illustrates various pressures applied during engagement of a slider with the slider storage member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 shows an engaged view of the slider garage of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of a slider garage member; and

figures 9a and 9b show side views of the slider storage member of figure 1 with the slider prior to engagement.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of an improved zipper slider storage member (sometimes referred to as a "slider storage member") and methods of using and making the same are described herein. In terms of many of the advantages of the improved zipper slider storage member, the slider storage member has a shape that provides an interference fit between the slider and the slider storage member of the zipper. The interference fit provides a seal at the end of the zipper, thereby rendering the zipper waterproof. While this is a feature that makes the slider garage waterproof, there are many additional features for the slider garage to function in a user-friendly and optimal manner. These features include the male side of the zipper that extends further into the slider storage member than the female side, the slide locking mechanism of the zipper, the material of the zipper and slider storage member, and the flexible design of the slider storage member.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a slider garage 100. In some configurations, the slider storage member 100 is an overmolded extrusion. The slider garage 100 is overmolded onto a waterproof zipper 101 that includes a male side 120 and a female side 115. The male side 120 and the female side 115 of the zipper 101 each include flanges 110, 105 for attaching the zipper 101 to a bag or other object. In operation, the sides of the zipper 101 come together and the bag or other object is closed. In practice, the top end of the slide fastener 101 abutting against the slider may not be completely waterproof and is easily opened when the slider storage member 100 is not used.

Many aspects of the slider garage 100 can be seen in FIG. 1. The slider garage 100 includes an overmolded male portion 130 and an overmolded female portion 135. The overmolded male portion 130 and the overmolded female portion 135 cooperate to ensure that a watertight seal is formed between the slider storage member 100 and the male and female sides 120, 115 of the slide fastener 101 (in the transition) when fully engaged by the slider (the slider is not shown here). When the slider is engaged with the slider garage 100, it exerts a laterally inward pressure that pushes the overmolded male portion 130 and the overmolded female portion 135 together horizontally. At the same time, this inward pressure pushes the overmolded depression 135 vertically upward, and due to the shape of the overmolded protrusion 130 and the reverse overmolded shape of the overmolded depression 135, this inward pressure pushes the overmolded protrusion 130 vertically downward where the two parts contact and engage in the locked, sealed position. Fig. 6 shows this sealing position. The locked sealing position compresses the overmolded projection 130 to form a tight seal.

Fig. 1 also shows the side walls 140, supports 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, voids 160-165 and inner wall 170 of the slider garage 100. The inner wall 170 further includes inclined portions 171, 172. Finally, the slider garage 100 also includes a flange 180 that provides flexibility and sealing to a bag or other object. Various embodiments of the slider garage 100 may not include some of these features and may still function; although in many embodiments the ramps 171, 172 are used for sealing. For optimal function, it is important to maintain a balance between stiffness and flexibility of the slider storage member. This balance enables smooth operation of the slider on the slide fastener 101 and the slider storing member 100.

When broken down into simple components of containment zipper 101, it is important to recognize transition point 185. As the slider moves the slide fastener 101 down and begins to engage the slider storage member 100, the interior of the slider begins to engage the inclined portions 171, 172. After the downward facing interior of the slider passes the transition point 185, a waterproof seal is formed. The seal may be formed for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, the engagement of the overmolded male portion with the female portion, and the engagement of the slider with the slider storage member. This can be achieved without the inclined portions 171, 172; in some alternatives, the slider garage 100 may have a stiff transition at point 185 from not contacting and/or interfering with the downwardly facing interior of the slider to provide a substantial amount of interference that seals the zipper 101 and the slider garage 100. It can be seen that operating the slider in this manner is difficult because the slider and the slider storage member 100 have to flex significantly over a short distance. This would require a great effort from the user. Thus, a first aspect of the slider storage member 100 innovation is that the slider seals against the inner wall 170 so that the closure is waterproof. Another innovation is that the ramps 171, 172 gradually transition the slider to the sealing position by virtue of the wedge shape provided by the ramps 171, 172. Pulling the slider toward the wedge creates an upward force that is generally perpendicular to the movement of the slider. Aspects of the inclined portions 171, 172 make it easier to operate the slide fastener 101.

In some configurations, even if the inclined portions 171, 172 are included, it may be difficult to operate the slide fastener. To have a secure seal, the inner wall 170 must be sufficiently stiff to avoid flexing in a manner that disrupts the seal between the slider and the inner wall 170. To do so, the inner wall 170 may be thickened or made of a harder material. While this ensures sealing, it is more difficult to achieve engagement and disengagement of the slider with the slider storage member 100 due to lack of stretch (give) and deformation. To enable a thinner and more flexible inner wall 170, many embodiments include the side wall 140, supports 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, and the void 160 and 165. These side walls 140, supports 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, and voids 160 and 165 provide both flexibility of the slider storage member 100 and rigidity against undesired release of the seal between the slider and the slider storage member 100.

It is noted that the supports 150, 154 substantially coincide with the transition point 185. This is an important location on the slider garage 100. Since the transition point 185 is the primary point for achieving a seal, this point is optimized in many configurations by including the supports 150, 154 at the same point. Thus, the slider garage 100 largely avoids flexing at this point, while greater flexing before and after the transition point 185 is possible through the gaps 160, 161, 164, 165. Other supports and voids function in a similar manner to enable flexing and support. Similarly, the flange 180 helps to provide stretchability and flexibility to the overall device.

In addition to the structure of the slider storage member 100, the material used is also optimized. Generally, the slide fastener 101, the slider, and the slider storage member 100 are constituted of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane). Unlike olefin-based plastics, TPUs are crosslinked polymeric elastomers that exhibit rubber-like properties at high and low hardness. The TPU polymer exhibits very high tensile and tear strength and high elongation properties under extremely high and very low temperature conditions. The TPU polymer also exhibits excellent resistance to compression set. TPU polymers are designed for use in extreme outdoor applications. In sealing applications, such as components of a slider storage member, relatively low durometer materials are used due to their superior sealing capabilities, including being soft/malleable, and being tacky/capable of being adhered to itself. A side effect of these excellent sealing capabilities is that they also tend to be tacky and stick to other materials when in contact. In the application of the slider garage, this side effect is magnified due to the interference fit between the slider and the slider garage 100, making the slider somewhat problematic when fully engaged and disengaged from the slider garage 100. As a solution in some alternative embodiments, the slider garage 100 is made of a composite material. The compound includes a 75A durometer TPU material and a slip agent. This particular combination of materials creates a portion that maintains superior sealing capabilities while allowing the slider to be easily engaged and disengaged from the slider storage member 100. Additionally, in the alternative, the TPU material may be formed with a texture. Gentle regular and irregular textures can be applied to the TPU material. The depth, size and spacing of these textures is typically between 0.01 mm and 1 mm, and may be arranged in combinations of different depths, sizes and spacings. Typically, the depth of these textures is less than 0.1 mm. The textured nature of the TPU prevents the TPU from sticking or adhering to itself and improves the ease of sliding the sliding parts past each other.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the slider garage. In this view, aspects of the zipper 101 and slider storage member 100 can be seen. The sloping features of the sloping portions 171, 172 are visible in this view, as are the raised features of the inner wall 170. Also, the overmolded male part 130 and the overmolded female part 135 can be seen more clearly. Here it can be seen how the overmolded male portion 130 fits into the overmolded female portion 135 and effectively covers the zipper 101 on the protruding bulb 210 of the male side 120, which protruding bulb 210 will fit into the socket 115 of the female side 220. This will help to create a more effective seal. In many embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the slider storage member 100 is designed for use with a ball and socket type zipper. In this type of zipper, the ball 210 of the male side 120 is pressed into the socket 220 of the female side 115. The male side 120 and the female side 115 flex and slide relative to each other to create this engagement, and certain components of the zipper 101 can be made flexible to some extent to provide rigidity when desired and flexibility for engagement. Non-slip coatings or materials embedded with non-slip coatings may also be used. Also in this view, a portion 240 of the flange 180 has been divided so that it is more easily flexed between the flexible lines 245, 250. These flex lines 245, 250 provide for the flexing of the flanges 180 at more supplementary locations for the function of the zipper and tend to provide for flexing of the sides 260, 261 away from the slider storage member 100 and instead provide for flexing at the ends 262. This helps maintain continued integrity of the slider storage member 100 and the inner wall 170 of the slider storage member 100, which is important for a waterproof seal.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the slider garage 100 in the fully engaged position. In this position, the inclined portions 171, 172 have been pressed tightly together and the tackiness of the slider garage 100 material will further provide a tight fit and provide resistance against water penetration. Here, it is clear how the ball 210 engages the socket 220 to close the main portion of the zipper 101.

Figure 4 shows a side view of the slider storage member 100 with the slider 410 engaged. The inner wall 170 engages a bottom interior surface 420 that is partially visible in the view provided. The slider side wall 430 and the open area 440 of the slider 410 act to gradually apply pressure to the side wall of the slider storage member 100 and help maintain a secure seal. It is also noted herein that the opposite side of the slider garage 100, not shown in many figures, may be a convex inner wall that engages the upwardly facing inner surface of the slider 410. This may be omitted in some embodiments, as the bottom of the slider storage member 100 is typically inside a bag or other object to be waterproofed.

FIG. 5 shows how the male side 120 of the zipper 101 extends further to the line 510 within the slider storage member 100 relative to the female side 115 extending to the line 520. This is optimal because in order for overmolded female portion 135 to accommodate overmolded male portion 130, female side 115 must terminate earlier than male side 120, since the clearance required for overmolded female portion 135 is deeper than the clearance required for female side 115 of zipper 101. Also, as can be seen from this figure, the slider storage member 100 can extend further below the concave side 115 without interfering with the operation of the slide fastener 101.

Fig. 6 illustrates various pressures applied during engagement of the slider with the slider garage 100. As the slider travels toward the end of the slider garage 100, the slider applies inward horizontal pressure 610 against the sides of the slider garage 100. As the overmolded male portion 130 interacts with the overmolded female portion 135, the slider's horizontal pressure 620 pushes the overmolded male portion 130 in a vertically downward direction 630. At line 640, the overmolded male part 130 meets the overmolded female part 135 in such a way that the overmolded male part 130 extends to line 650 and engages to form a locked sealed position that prevents water from passing through the seal.

Fig. 7 shows an engagement view of the side wall 140, the supports 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, the voids 160 to 165, and the inner wall 170 of the slider garage 100.

FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment showing how the male side 120 of the zipper 101 extends into a line 510A within the slider storage member 100A similar or the same distance as the female side 115 extends into the line 520A. In addition, the concave side includes diagonal cuts 511 for insertion of the overmolded male portion 130. Without the diagonal cut, the protruding sides 120 would interfere with the insertion of the overmolded protrusions 130.

FIG. 9A shows a side view of the pull head 410. In this figure, the sloping features of the interior of the pull head 410 can be seen. The bottom interior surface 420 slopes from point 421 to point 422 and similarly slopes from point 423 to point 424 on the interior surface 425. This results in the opening of the slider 410 being wider than the rear end near the points 421, 423. Fig. 9B additionally shows the inclination of the slider garage 100. The slider garage 100 includes a ramp portion from point 901 to point 902 where the slider 410 is initially engaged with the slider garage 100. Additionally, from point 902 to point 903, the slider garage 100 gradually increases in thickness, providing a water-tight seal between the inner wall 170 and the inner surface 425 when engaged with the bottom inner surface 420. In principle, the combination of the slider storage member and the slider provides an interference type seal when the slider is pressed against the slider storage member. When the slider storage member and the slider are fully engaged, the resulting height of the slider storage member is slightly less than the height of the slider. The material of the slider and slider garage member is flexible and deformable so that they can fully engage and form a seal when moved relative to each other along the respective inclined portions.

The above detailed description is a few examples of implementing a system and method for producing a slider garage and a system for implementing a slider garage and a zipper, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection. The following claims describe in more detail embodiments of systems and methods for producing a slider garage and systems for slider garnering.