Slider for slide fastener

Abstract

A slider includes lower flanges placed on left and right side edges of a lower wing plate. Each of the lower flanges includes a downwardly inclined surface portion which is placed on the shoulder-opening-side tip portion on a side of its upper surface and on an outer side in a width direction of the slider, and which downwardly inclines toward a shoulder and downwardly inclines toward the outer side in the width direction of the slider. According to this, in a slide fastener having the slider, even if a sliding operation of the slider is repeated in the slide fastener, it is possible to avoid defects that the lower flange of the slider comes into sliding contact with the fastener tape and the fastener tape is broken, and it is possible to extend the life of the fastener tape.

Claims

1. A slider for a slide fastener comprising a slider body and a tab coupled with the slider body, wherein the slider body at least comprises an upper wing plate from which a tab-attaching post extends, a lower wing plate opposed to the upper wing plate, a neck connecting a shoulder-opening-side tip portion of the upper wing plate and a shoulder-opening-side tip portion of the lower wing plate to each other, and left and right lower flanges extending from left and right side edges of the lower wing plate toward the upper wing plate, wherein: each of the left and right lower flanges includes a flange upper surface that opposes the upper wing plate, a flange outer surface, a flange front end surface that faces the shoulder-opening-side-tip portion of the lower wing plate, and a downwardly inclined surface portion which downwardly inclines toward a shoulder of the slider and downwardly inclines toward an outer side of the slider in a width direction of the slider such that each downwardly inclined surface portion slopes downward in two different directions and a height in a vertical direction of each of the lower flanges is reduced along each downwardly inclined surface portion in (1) a length direction from the flange upper surface toward the shoulder of the slider and (2) the width direction from an inner portion of the slider toward the outer side of the slider, each of the downwardly inclined surface portions is bounded by three ridge lines and is triangular in shape, and a first of the three ridge lines of each triangularly shaped downwardly inclined surface portion is on one of the flange upper surfaces, a second of the three ridge lines of each triangularly shaped downwardly inclined surface portion is on one of the flange outer surfaces, and a third of the three ridge lines of each triangularly shaped downwardly inclined surface portion is on one of the flange front end surfaces and extends obliquely with respect to the one of the flange upper surfaces and the one of the flange outer surfaces to connect end portions of the first and the second of the three ridge lines.

2. The slider according to claim 1 wherein each of the downwardly inclined surface portions has a notched shape formed by an angle on one of the flange upper surfaces and on one of the flange outer surfaces in the width direction of the shoulder.

3. The slider according to claim 1 wherein: each of the left and right side edges of the lower wing plate includes a gradually increasing portion having a width size of the lower wing plate which is gradually increased from the shoulder-opening-side tip portion of the lower wing plate toward a rear opening of the slider, a parallel portion where the left and right side edges of the lower wing plate are parallel to each other, and a gradually reducing portion in which the width size of the lower wing plate is gradually reduced toward the rear opening, the left and right lower flanges of the lower wing plate are placed from an end edge of the lower wing plate on a side of the rear opening to a region of the parallel portion, and each of the downwardly inclined surface portions is placed in a region of the parallel portion.

4. The slider according to claim 1 wherein each of the left and right lower flanges of the lower wing plate has a width-increased portion in which a length of a straight line connecting an outer edge to an inner edge of each of the left and right lower flanges is gradually increased toward the shoulder of the slider.

5. The slider according to claim 1 wherein the slider body has left and right upper flanges extending from left and right side edges of the upper wing plate toward the lower wing plate, and each of the left and right upper flanges of the upper wing plate includes an upwardly inclining surface portion that faces the lower wing plate and which upwardly inclines toward the shoulder of the slider and upwardly inclines toward the outer side of the slider in the width direction of the slider.

6. The slider according to claim 5 wherein each of the upwardly inclining surface portions is plane-symmetric with respect to a respective one of the downwardly inclined surface portions.

7. The slider for slide fastener of claim 1 wherein a first direction of the two different directions faces outward toward the outer side of the slider and a second direction of the two different directions faces frontward toward the shoulder-opening-side tip portion of the slider.

8. The slider for slide fastener of claim 1 wherein a first direction of the two different directions is the length direction and a second direction of the two different directions is the width direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a using example of a slide fastener having a slider according to Example 1 of the invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a slider body in the slider.

(3) FIG. 3 is a side view of the slider body.

(4) FIG. 4 is a front view of the slider body.

(5) FIGS. 5(a) to 5(d) are sectional views taken along line V(a)-V(a) to line V(d)-V(d) in FIG. 4.

(6) FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a relation between the slider and left and right fastener stringers.

(7) FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6.

(8) FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a slider body of a slider according to Example 2 of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

Example 1

(9) A slider 10 according to Example 1 is used for a slide fastener 1 in which a plurality of metal fastener elements 2 as shown in FIG. 6 are attached to left and right fastener tapes 4. By sliding the slider 10 in a separating direction or a coupling direction along element rows 3 of the fastener elements 2, the slide fastener 1 is opened and closed. The slide fastener 1 having the slider 10 with a tab 11 of Example 1 is attached to an opening or an opening/closing portion of a fastener-attached body such as a bag 5 shown in FIG. 1 for example, to be used.

(10) A configuration of the slider 10 according to Example 1 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, FIGS. 2 to 4 are respectively a perspective view, a side view and a front view showing a slider body 20 of the slider 10 in Example 1. FIG. 2 shows the slider body 20 before a later-described tab attaching post 26 is swaged for holding a tab 11, and FIGS. 3 and 4 show the slider body 20 after the tab attaching post 26 is swaged.

(11) In the following description, a longitudinal direction of the slider 10 means a direction (length direction of slider 10) which is parallel to a sliding direction of the slider 10 when the slide fastener 1 is configured, a sliding direction when the slider 10 is made to slide to couple the left and right element rows 3 to each other is defined as a front direction (direction toward shoulder), and a sliding direction when the slider 10 is made to slide such that the left and right element rows 3 are separated from each other is defined as a rear direction (direction toward rear opening).

(12) A vertical direction of the slider 10 means a height direction of the slider 10, a direction where the tab 11 is attached to the slider body 20 is defined as an upward direction, and a direction opposite from the height direction is defined as a downward direction. A lateral direction of the slider 10 is a direction intersecting with the sliding direction of the slider 10 at right angles, and this direction is a width direction of the slider 10.

(13) The slider 10 of Example 1 includes the slider body 20 and the tab 11. The slider body 20 and the tab 11 are formed by die casting from metal material such as aluminum alloy and zinc alloy, or by press working from metal plate such as copper alloy. In the invention, materials and producing methods of the slider body 20 and the tab 11 are not especially limited, and they can freely be selected.

(14) The tab 11 in Example 1 includes a knob portion, a pair of left and right arm portions extending from one end of the knob portion, and an attaching shaft portion connecting tips of the arm portions to each other, and a conventionally generally used tab can be used as the tab 11.

(15) The slider body 20 in Example 1 has a laterally symmetric shape with respect to a center line of the width direction of the slider. The slider body 20 includes an upper wing plate 21, a lower wing plate 22 separated from the upper wing plate 21 and opposed to the upper wing plate 21, a diamond 23 connecting front ends (shoulder-opening-side tip portions) of the upper and lower wing plates 21 and 22 to each other, left and right lower flanges 24 standing from left and right side edges of the lower wing plate 22, left and right upper flanges 25 suspended from left and right side edges of the upper wing plate 21, and the tab attaching post 26 standing from an upper surface of the upper wing plate 21.

(16) Left and right shoulders are formed on a front end of the slider body 20 such that the diamond 23 is sandwiched between the left and right shoulders. A rear opening is formed in a rear end of the slider body 20. In this case, the left and right shoulders are placed between a front end of the diamond 23 in the slider body 20 and front ends of the left and right upper and lower flanges 25 and 24. The rear opening is placed between rear ends of the left upper and lower flanges 25 and 24 and rear ends of the right upper and lower flanges 25 and 24.

(17) The upper wing plate 21 and the lower wing plate 22 in Example 1 are parallel to each other, and are symmetric with respect to a plane. A Y-shaped element guide path 27 is formed between the upper and lower wing plates 21 and 22 for bringing the left and right shoulders and the rear opening into communication with each other.

(18) Inclined surfaces or curved surfaces 29 are formed on a shoulder-opening-side tip portion in an inner surface of the upper wing plate 21 (surface of upper wing plate 21 opposed to lower wing plate 22) and in an inner surface of the lower wing plate 22 (surface of the lower wing plate 22 opposed to upper wing plate 21). The inclined surfaces or the curved surfaces 29 are formed such that thicknesses of the upper wing plate 21 and the lower wing plate 22 are gradually reduced outward so that the fastener elements 2 can easily be inserted into the element guide paths 27.

(19) Further, tape insertion gaps 28 are formed between the left and right lower flanges 24 and the left and right upper flanges 25. The fastener tapes 4 are inserted into the tape insertion gaps 28 when the slide fastener 1 is configured. In this case, an upper surface 24a of the lower flange 24 and a lower surface of the upper flange 25 are placed in parallel to each other, and a gap of the tape insertion gap 28, i.e., a gap between the upper surface 24a of the lower flange 24 and the lower surface of the upper flange 25 has a constant size.

(20) Each of left and right side edges of the lower wing plate 22 includes a gradually increasing portion (first side edge) 22a in which a size (width size) in the width direction of the slider of the lower wing plate 22 is gradually increased from its front end toward its rear end when the lower wing plate 22 is viewed from the upper surface or the lower side (see FIG. 6), a parallel portion (second side edge) 22b placed closer to the rear opening than the gradually increasing portion 22a and having a constant width of the lower wing plate 22, a gradually reducing portion (third side edge) 22c placed closer to the rear opening than the parallel portion 22b and having a gradually reducing width of the lower wing plate 22, and a rear opening side end (fourth side edge) 22d placed further closer to the rear opening than the gradually reducing portion 22c and having a constant width of the lower wing plate 22.

(21) In this case, the left and right side edges of the lower wing plate 22 in the parallel portion 22b and the rear opening side end 22d are parallel to each other. Like the lower wing plate 22, each of the left and right side edges of the upper wing plate 21 includes a gradually increasing portion (first side edge), a parallel portion (second side edge), a gradually reducing portion (third side edge), and a rear opening side end (fourth side edge), and these members are located in this order from a front end side of the upper wing plate 21.

(22) The left and right lower flanges 24 in Example 1 are formed in a range from the rear end of the lower wing plate 22 to a region of the rear end of the parallel portion 22b along the left and right outer edges of the lower wing plate 22, and the lower flange 24 does not extend to a front end region of the parallel portion 22b.

(23) The lower flange 24 includes the upper surface 24a opposed to the upper wing plate 21 (especially upper flange 25), an inner surface 24b placed on the side of the element guide path 27 of the lower flange 24 such that the inner surface 24b intersects with the upper surface 24a at right angles through a ridge line, an outer surface 24c placed on the side of an outer edge of the lower flange 24 such that the outer surface 24c intersects with the upper surface 24a at right angles through a ridge line, a front end surface 24d placed on a front end of the lower flange 24, and a rear end surface 24e placed on a rear end of the lower flange 24.

(24) The inner surface 24b of the lower flange 24 stands from the lower wing plate 22 such that the inner surface 24b is opposed to the element rows 3 inserted into the element guide paths 27, and the outer surface 24c stands along the outer edge of the lower wing plate 22. The front end surface 24d of the lower flange 24 is an end surface including a surface directed to a front portion of the slider (surface which is parallel to width direction of slider), and the front end surface 24d is adjacent to the inner surface 24b and the outer surface 24c through a ridge line.

(25) In this invention, the front end surface 24d of the lower flange 24 may be formed continuously from the inner surface 24b and/or the outer surface 24c without through a ridge line. In this case, when a cross section of the lower flange 24 is viewed from a direction intersecting with the vertical direction at right angles is seen as shown in FIG. 5 for example, the front end surface 24d means an end surface including a surface which is parallel to the width direction of the slider and a surface from an outer side end of the parallel surface to the outer edge of the lower wing plate 22, or the front end surface 24d means an end surface formed from a front end of the lower flange 24 to the outer edge of the lower wing plate 22 when the cross section is seen. In the lower flange of the invention, the inner surface 24b and the outer surface 24c of the lower flange 24 may be adjacent to each other through a ridge line and the lower flange may not be provided with a front end surface.

(26) The ridge line between the upper surface 24a and the inner surface 24b and the ridge line between the upper surface 24a and the outer surface 24c in the lower flange 24 of Example 1 are formed into curved surfaces having relatively large curvatures. The ridge lines between the rear end surface 24e, the upper surface 24a, the inner surface 24b and the outer surface 24c in the lower flange 24 are formed into chamfered curved surfaces which are curved with a curvature smaller than that of the ridge line between the upper surface 24a, the inner surface 24b and the outer surface 24c.

(27) As shown in FIG. 6, the lower flange 24 of Example 1 has a width-increased portion 30 in which a size (lateral size of lower flange 24, hereinafter) of a straight line connecting the inner surface 24b (inner edge) and the outer surface 24c (outer edge) of the lower flange 24 to each other at the shortest is gradually increased toward the shoulder. Although it is only necessary that the width-increased portion 30 is placed on at least a portion of the lower flange 24, it is preferable that an entire portion of the lower flange 24 placed in a region of the gradually reducing portion 22c of the lower wing plate 22 is configured as the width-increased portion 30 as in Example 1.

(28) Since the lower flange 24 has such a width-increased portion 30, it is possible to easily increase the lateral size of the front end (shoulder-opening-side tip portion) of the lower flange 24. Therefore, it is possible to stably provide a later-described downwardly inclined portion of a predetermined size on this front end at a predetermined inclination angle.

(29) In this case, since a position of the outer surface 24c of the lower flange 24 is set closer to the outer side in the width direction of the slider toward the shoulder as compared with a conventional slider, it is possible to easily form the width-increased portion 30 on the lower flange 24 without largely changing a position of the inner surface 24b of the lower flange 24 as compared with the conventional slider, i.e., without largely changing a shape and a side of the element guide path 27 in the slider body 20 as compared with the conventional slider. Hence, when the slide fastener 1 is configured using the slider 10 of Example 1, it is possible to stably couple and separate the left and right element rows 3 to and from each other by sliding the slider 10.

(30) Downwardly inclined surface portions 31 are formed on front ends of the left and right lower flanges 24. Each of the downwardly inclined surface portions 31 has a flat surface which downwardly inclines toward a front portion of the slider and downwardly inclines outward in the width direction of the slider. In other words, a height size (size in vertical direction) of the lower flange 24 is gradually reduced toward the front portion of the slider and is gradually reduced outward in the width direction of the slider at a portion of the lower flange 24 where the downwardly inclined surface portion 31 is formed.

(31) In the invention, the downwardly inclined surface portion formed on the lower flange may include, instead of the above-described downwardly inclined flat surface, a curved surface close to a flat surface which is slightly curved into a convex form such that it downwardly inclines in the same direction (for example, curved surface having curvature smaller than those of ridge lines 31b, 31c, 31a which respectively define the inclined surface of the later-described downwardly inclined surface portions 31 and upper surface 24a, outer surface 24c and front end surface 24d of lower flange 24).

(32) The left and right downwardly inclined surface portions 31 are placed on the side of the upper surface 24a and the outer surface 24c in the front ends of the left and right lower flanges 24. Each of the downwardly inclined surface portions 31 is placed in a region where the parallel portion (second side edge) 22b of the lower wing plate 22 is formed concerning a position in a length direction (longitudinal direction) of the slider, i.e., the downwardly inclined surface portion 31 is placed in front of a boundary between the parallel portion 22b and the gradually reducing portion 22c in the lower wing plate 22.

(33) The downwardly inclined surface portion 31 has a notched shape which is formed by notching an outer angle portion formed on a front end of the lower flange 24 by three surfaces, i.e., the upper surface 24a, the outer surface 24c and the front end surface 24d of the lower flange 24. The inclined surface (flat surface) of the downwardly inclined surface portion 31 is adjacent to the upper surface 24a, the outer surface 24c and the front end surface 24d of the lower flange 24 through the ridge lines 31b, 31c, 31a, and is placed at a position separated from the inner surface 24b of the lower flange 24.

(34) In this case, the ridge lines 31b, 31c, 31a which define the inclined surface of the downwardly inclined surface portion 31, the upper surface 24a, the outer surface 24c and the front end surface 24d of the lower flange 24 are formed into chamfered curved surfaces having large curvatures. A shape of the inclined surface (flat surface) surrounded by the ridge lines 31b, 31c, 31a in the downwardly inclined surface portion 31 has a substantially triangular shape which becomes thinner as its height position (position in vertical direction) becomes lower.

(35) Concerning a height direction (vertical direction) of the slider 10, a lower end of each of the downwardly inclined surface portions 31 is set at a height position which is the same as that of a flat inner surface of the lower wing plate 22 excluding the inclined surface or the curved surface 29 formed on the shoulder-opening-side tip portion of the lower wing plate 22, or is set at a height position of a side higher than the height position of this inner surface. In the case of Example 1, the inclined surface or the curved surface 29 in which a thickness of the lower wing plate 22 is gradually reduced toward the outside is formed on the shoulder-opening-side tip portion in the inclined surface of the lower wing plate 22. Therefore, even if the lower end of the downwardly inclined surface portion 31 is set at the height position which is the same as the inner surface of the lower wing plate 22, it is separated from the lower wing plate 22.

(36) The downwardly inclined surface portion 31 is placed at a position which can visually be seen when the slider 10 is seen from left and right sides (i.e., a side view of slider 10 is orthographically delineated as shown in FIG. 3) for example, and the downwardly inclined surface portion 31 is placed at a position which cannot visually be seen when the slider 10 and the lower flange 24 are seen from a center line in the width direction (i.e., when sectional view of slider 10 in center line of width direction thereof is delineated), for example.

(37) On the other hand, an inner angle portion 32 formed by three surfaces, i.e., the upper surface 24a, the inner surface 24b and the front end surface 24d of the lower flange 24 is formed on the front end of the lower flange 24 on the side of the upper surface 24a and the inner surface 24b as shown in FIG. 4. However, the inner angle portion 32 does not have an angular shape, and is formed into a curved surface shape having a large curvature which is continuous with the upper surface 24a, the inner surface 24b and the front end surface 24d of the lower flange 24.

(38) The left and right upper flanges 25 in Example 1 are formed in a range from the rear end of the upper wing plate 21 to the rear end of the parallel portion 22b along the left and right outer edges of the upper wing plate 21. Upwardly inclining surface portions 33 are formed on the front ends of the upper flanges 25 on the side of their lower surfaces and their outer surfaces. Each of the upwardly inclining surface portions 33 has a flat surface which upwardly inclines toward the front portion of the slider and which upwardly inclines outward in the width direction of the slider.

(39) In the case of Example 1, the upper flange 25 and the upwardly inclining surface portion 33 formed on the upper flange 25 are plane-symmetric with respect to the lower flange 24 placed on the lower wing plate 22 and the downwardly inclined surface portion 31 formed on the lower flange 24. Therefore, specific description of the upper flange 25 and the upwardly inclining surface portion 33 will be omitted to avoid redundancy.

(40) The tab attaching post 26 in Example 1 is integrally formed on the upper wing plate 21 on the side of its upper surface in a cantilever manner. A space is provided between a tip (free end) of the tab attaching post 26 and the upper wing plate 21, and the attaching shaft portion of the tab 11 can be inserted into the space. The tab 11 is attached to the slider body 20 by inserting a shaft of the tab 11 in between the tab attaching post 26 and the upper wing plate 21 through this space and then, by plastically deforming the tab attaching post 26 toward the upper wing plate 21 to narrow the space between the tip of the tab attaching post 26 and the upper wing plate 21.

(41) According to the slider 10 of Example 1 having the above-described configuration, the slide fastener 1 is configured as shown in FIG. 6 by inserting the element rows 3 of the one set of left and right fastener stringers into the element guide paths 27 of the slider 10, and by slidably attaching the element guide paths 27 to the element rows 3.

(42) Assuming that the slide fastener 1 having the slider 10 of Example 1 is attached to an opening of the bag 5 shown in FIG. 1 for example and is used. When the slider 10 is made to slide in the coupling direction of the element rows 3, the fastener element 2 and the fastener tape 4 are made to sequentially enter in between the element guide path 27 and the tape insertion gap 28 from the shoulder of the slider body 20, the left and right fastener elements 2 are made to slide on the upper and lower flanges 25 and 24 of the slider body 20 to couple the fastener elements 2 to each other while pulling the left and right fastener stringers toward each other. According to this, the slide fastener 1 is closed.

(43) In this case, to closer the opening of the bag 5, if a user slides the slider 10 while pulling the tab 11 of the slider 10 in the coupling direction diagonally upward with respect to the slider body 20 for example, since the entire slider 10 is upwardly pulled relative to the fastener tape 4, the slider 10 enters the tape insertion gap 28 of the slider body 20 while bending the fastener tape 4. Hence, the shoulder-opening-side tip portion (front end) of the lower flange 24 in the slider body 20, especially a portion of the shoulder-opening-side tip portion on the side of the upper surface 24a and on the outer side in the width direction comes into strong sliding contact with a tape back surface of the fastener tape 4.

(44) At this time, since the shoulder-opening-side tip portions of the left and right lower flanges 24 in the slider 10 of Example 1 are provided with the downwardly inclined surface portions 31, even if the fastener tapes 4 come into sliding contact with the downwardly inclined surface portions 31, it is possible to prevent a load (stress) received by the fastener tapes 4 by contact with the shoulder-opening-side tip portions of the lower flanges 24 from locally concentrating. Hence, each of the fastener tapes 4 is less prone to be damaged by the shoulder-opening-side tip portion of the lower flange 24, and it is possible to prevent the fastener tape 4 from being broken.

(45) When a user pulls the tab 11 of the slider 10 in the coupling direction while pushing the tab 11 toward the slider body 20 and slides the slider 10 for example, the shoulder-opening-side tip portion (front end) of the upper flange 25 in the slider body 20, especially a portion of the shoulder-opening-side tip portion on the side of its lower surface and on the outer side in the width direction comes into strong sliding contact with the tape surface of the fastener tape 4 in some cases.

(46) Even in such a case, the shoulder-opening-side tip portion of the upper flange 25 in the slider 10 of Example 1 is provided with the upwardly inclining surface portion 33 as described above, it is possible to prevent a load (stress) received by the fastener tapes 4 by contact with the shoulder-opening-side tip portions of the upper flanges 25 from locally concentrating, and the fastener tape 4 can become less prone to be damaged like the case of the downwardly inclined surface portion 31 of the lower flange 24.

(47) Therefore, according to the slide fastener 1 having the slider 10 of Example 1, even if the slide fastener 1 is used for a long term and the sliding operation of the slider 10 is repeated many times, it is possible to avoid defects that the lower flange 24 and the upper flange 25 of the slider 10 cut the constituent threads of the fastener tape 4 to break the fastener tape 4, and it is possible to further extend the life of the fastener tape 4.

Example 2

(48) FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a slider body 40 of a slider according to Example 2.

(49) In Example 2, the same signs are allocated to parts and members having the same configurations as those of above-described Example 1, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

(50) Like the slider body 20 of above-described Example 1, in the slider body 40 in Example 2, shoulder-opening-side tip portions (front ends) of the lower flanges 24 suspended from left and right side edges of the lower wing plate 22 are provided with the downwardly inclined surface portions 31. On the other hand, shoulder-opening-side tip portions (front ends) of upper flanges 45 suspended from left and right side edges of the upper wing plate 21 are not provided with the upwardly inclining surface portions 33 which were formed on the slider body 20 of above-described Example 1.

(51) That is, an outer angle portion formed by three surfaces, i.e., a lower surface, and outer surface and a front end surface of each of the upper flanges 45 is formed on the front end of the upper flange 45 of Example 2 on the side of its lower surface and on the side of the outer surface. The outer angle portion in the front end of the upper flange 45 does not have an angular shape but is formed into a chamfered curved surface shape which is continuous with the lower surface, the outer surface and the front end surface of the upper flange 45 and which has a large curvature.

(52) A slide fastener is configured using the slider of Example 2. When the slide fastener is attached to the bag 5 shown in FIG. 1, even if a user slides a slider while pulling a tab 11 of the slider in the coupling direction diagonally upward with respect to the slider body 40 for example, the fastener tape 4 is less prone to be damaged even if it comes into contact with the shoulder-opening-side tip portion of the lower flange 24, and it is possible to prevent the fastener tape 4 from being broken like above-described Example 1.

(53) The invention is not limited to specific embodiments of above-described Examples 1 and 2, and the invention can variously be modified only if substantially the same configurations as those of the invention are possessed and the same working effects as those of the invention can be exerted.

(54) In above-described Examples 1 and 2, the slider 10 used for the slide fastener 1 in which the metal fastener element 2 is attached to the fastener tape 4 is described for example, kinds of the fastener element configuring the slide fastener are not especially limited.

(55) For example, the slider of the invention can be used for a slide fastener having fastener elements which are independently formed one by one by means of injection molding of synthetic resin, and for a slide fastener having a continuous fastener element in which a monofilament has a coil shape or a zigzag shape.

(56) Although the slider 10 of each of above-described Examples 1 and 2 is configured as a free slider having no locking mechanism, the slider of the invention can also be applied to a slider having a locking mechanism by a locking pawl.

(57) Further, although the slider 10 of each of above-described Examples 1 and 2 is configured as a slider used for the so-called normal type slide fastener, the slider of the invention can also be applied to a slider for the hiding type slide fastener described in above-described Patent Document 3 and to a slider for the back-side using type slide fastener described in above-described Patent Document 4.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(58) 1 Slide fastener 2 Fastener element 3 Element row 4 Fastener tape 5 Bag 10 Slider 11 Tab 20 Slider body 21 Upper wing plate 22 Lower wing plate 22a Gradually increasing portion (first side edge) 22b Parallel portion (second side edge) 22c Gradually reducing portion (third side edge) 22d Rear opening side end (fourth side edge) 23 Diamond 24 Lower flange 24a Upper surface 24b Inner surface 24c Outer surface 24d Front end surface 24e Rear end surface 25 Upper flange 26 Tab attaching post 27 Element guide path 28 Tape insertion gap 29 Curved surface 30 Width-increased portion 31 Downwardly inclined surface portion 32 Inner angle portion 33 Upwardly inclining surface portion 40 Slider body 45 Upper flange