ONE-HANDED ZIPPER

Abstract

Zipper is disclosed that allows one handed operation. Zipper has a split slider and a zipper closure. The split slider has a first slider member releasably coupleable to a second slider member. The first slider member engages a first plurality of zipper elements attached to a first fabric portion, and the second slider member engages a second plurality of zipper elements attached to a second fabric portion. The zipper closure comprises a first closure member releasably coupleable to a second closure member. The first closure member and the second closure member are positioned on the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion, respectively, such that the two closure members may be coupled by applying a force perpendicular to the surface of the fabric portions. In one embodiment, the first and second closure members are configured to couple simultaneously with the coupling of the first and second slider members.

Claims

1. A zipper fastener comprising: a first tape of zipper elements; a second tape of zipper elements; a slider comprising: a first slider member that engages the said first tape and comprises a first coupling element; a second slider member that engages the said second tape and comprises a second coupling element; and the first coupling element and the second coupling element being configured to releasably couple the first slider member and the second slider member; and a closure comprising: a first closure member disposed on the first tape and comprising a third coupling element; a second closure member disposed on the second tape and comprising a fourth coupling element; and the third coupling element and the fourth coupling element being configured to releasably couple the first closure member and and the second closure member.

2. The zipper fastener as claimed in claim 1, configured so that a force that causes the said first slider member to couple with the said second slider member also causes the said first closure member to couple with the second closure member.

3. The zipper fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first coupling member is a quick release pin having a release button configured to release the first slider member and the said second slider member by pressing the button.

4. The zipper fastener as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a puller, configured for pressing the button.

5. The zipper fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first coupling element and the second coupling element are releasably coupled via one of the cantilever snap joint and torsional snap joint.

6. The zipper fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first slider member further comprises a fifth coupling element, and the said second slider member further comprises a sixth coupling element configured so that a force that causes the first and second coupling elements to join, also causes the fifth and sixth coupling elements to join.

7. The zipper fastener as claimed in claim 3, wherein the quick release pin comprises a release knob configured to release the first slider member and the second slider member by turning the knob.

8. The zipper fastener as claimed in claim 7, wherein the knob is configured to pull the slider.

9. A garment comprising: a first section and a second section of the garment; a zipper fastener comprising: a first tape of zipper elements attached to the first section of the garment; a second tape of zipper elements attached to the second section of the garment; a slider comprising: a first slider member that engages the said first tape and comprises a first coupling element; a second slider member that engages the said second tape and comprises a second coupling element; and the first coupling element and the second coupling element being configured to releasably couple the first slider member and the second slider member; and a closure comprising: a first closure member disposed on the first tape and comprising a third coupling element; a second closure member disposed on the second tape and comprising a fourth coupling element; and the third coupling element and the fourth coupling element being configured to releasably couple the first closure member and and the second closure member.

10. The garment as claimed in claim 9, wherein the garment is footwear.

11. The garment as claimed in claim 9, wherein the garment is clothing.

12. The zipper fastener of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional zipper tape made of an elastic material.

13. The zipper fastener of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional zipper tape configured to be connected to another zipper fastener.

14. A slider for a zipper fastener, comprising: a first slider member that engages a first tape of zipper elements and comprises a first coupling element; a second slider member that engages a second tape of zipper elements and comprises a second coupling element; an the first coupling element and the second coupling element being configured to releasably couple the first slider member and the second slider member.

15. The slider as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first coupling member is a quick release pin having a release button configured to release the first slider member and the said second slider member by pressing the button.

16. The slider as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a puller, configured for pressing the button.

17. The slider as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first coupling element and the second coupling element are releasably coupled via one of the cantilever snap joint and torsional snap joint.

18. The slider as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first slider member further comprises a fifth coupling element, and the said second slider member further comprises a sixth coupling element configured so that a force that causes the first and second coupling elements to join, also causes the fifth and sixth coupling elements to join.

19. The slider as claimed in claim 15, wherein the quick release pin comprises a release knob configured to release the first slider member and the said second slider member by turning the knob.

20. The slider as claimed in claim 19, wherein the knob is configured to pull the slider.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0064] FIG. 1A shows a diagrammatic view of a zipper of the prior art;

[0065] FIG. 1B shows a perspective view of a slider of a zipper of the prior art;

[0066] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a split slider with separated male and female members in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0067] FIG. 3A shows a side view of a male member of the split slider of FIG. 2, further comprising a puller in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0068] FIG. 3B shows a perspective view of the male member of the split slider of FIG. 2, further comprising a puller in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0069] FIG. 4A shows a side view of a female member of the split slider of FIG. 2;

[0070] FIG. 4B shows a perspective view of the female member of the split slider of FIG. 2;

[0071] FIG. 5A shows a front view of a split slider assembly comprising the male slider member of FIG. 3B coupled to the female slider member of FIG. 4B;

[0072] FIG. 5B shows a perspective view of a split slider assembly comprising the male slider member of FIG. 3B coupled to the female slider member of FIG. 4B;

[0073] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the male and female members of a zipper closure in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0074] FIG. 7A shows a perspective view of a male zipper assembly comprising the male slider member of FIG. 3B, and the male closure member of FIG. 6 secured to a zipper tape;

[0075] FIG. 7B shows a perspective view of a female zipper assembly comprising the female slider member of FIG. 4B, and the female closure member of FIG. 6 secured to a zipper tape;

[0076] FIG. 8A shows a side view of a separated zipper in accordance with the present invention with the male zipper assembly of FIG. 7A in position over the female zipper assembly of FIG. 7B;

[0077] FIG. 8B shows a side view of a coupled zipper in accordance with the present invention with the male zipper assembly of FIG. 7A coupled to the female zipper assembly of FIG. 7B; and

[0078] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a closed zipper in accordance with the present invention.

[0079] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a separated zipper in accordance with the present invention.

[0080] FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a split slider with separated male and female members in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0081] FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the split slider of FIG. 11 with male and female slider members being coupled in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0082] FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the split slider in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0083] FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of a split slider of FIG. 11 with fully coupled male and female slider members;

[0084] FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of a split slider with separated male and female slider members in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

[0085] FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of the female slider member 212a of FIG. 15;

[0086] FIG. 17 shows a top view of the female slider member 212a of FIG. 15;

[0087] FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of the male slider member 211a of FIG. 15;

[0088] FIG. 19 shows a bottom view of the male slider member 211a of FIG. 15; and

[0089] FIG. 20 shows a back view of the male slider member 211a of FIG. 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0090] With reference to FIG. 1A, a prior art zipper 01 is shown to have a first and second tapes 011, a slider 012, a plurality of teeth 014 on each of the tapes 011, a box 016 on the first tape, and a pin 015 on the second tape. The slider 012, shown in detail in FIG. 1B, comprises a puller 013, a body 017, and a crown 019. The zipper 01 and its method of operation, the way it closes or opens in order to fasten or separate the two tapes are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, as are the difficulty that its structure and method of operation present to many people.

[0091] We found that a novel split slider design, splitting the slider into a male and a female members, and providing a parallelly configured male and female closure members to replace the pin 015 and box 016 of the prior art, eliminates the difficulty of inserting the pin into the box. FIG. 2 shows a male slider member 211 that is releasably coupleable to a female slider member 212 to form a split slider 21, shown later in assembled form in FIG. 5B. The male slider member 211 shown in FIG. 2, also shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B from different perspectives, comprises a body 2171, a crown 219, and a quick release mechanism 220. In this embodiment, the said mechanism is a quick release pin having two spring loaded balls 221, a shaft 223, and a spring loaded button 225. The male slider member 211 slideably couples with the female slider member 212 of FIGS. 2, 4A and 4B. The female member comprises a tapered cavity 222 that matches the shaft 223, such that when the shaft 223 is seated into the cavity 222 of the female member 212, the balls 221 may be seated into the holes 224 and the male and female slider members are coupled. The balls 221 are configured to have an initial deployed position wherein they project out of the shaft. The tapering of the shaft 223 and cavity 222 facilitates the insertion of the shaft 223 into cavity 222 and allows the coupling of the male and female slider members using a simple push-to-close operation of the quick release mechanism 220, wherein the balls 221 are forced inside the shaft 223 gradually, until they are in a position to lock into corresponding holes 224 of the female member 212 when the spring action pushes them back to their deployed position, locking the two members together.

[0092] Advantageously, the male slider member 211 of FIG. 3B and female slider member 212 of FIG. 4B can be coupled by inserting the male member using a force perpendicular to the surface of the tapes 011 of the zipper, the advantage becoming evident when describing the male and female zipper assemblies of FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B. FIGS. 5A and 5B show a front view and a perspective view, respectively, of a split slider assembly 21 comprising the male slider member 211 of FIG. 3B coupled to the female slider member 212 of FIG. 4B.

[0093] In addition, the male slider member 211 comprises a puller 213 that is configured to rotate around the axis of a cylindrical cavity 2191 of the crown 219. The puller 213 further features a finger 2131 that, when the puller is rotated more towards the quick release mechanism 220 from its position shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, it causes its finger 2131 to depress the button 225, in turn causing the spring loaded balls 221 to be retracted to release the male slider member 211. Rotating the puller 213 away from the button 225 causes the spring loaded balls to return to their initial deployed position.

[0094] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a male closure member 511 that is releasably coupleable to a female closure member 512 of a zipper closure 51 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the male closure member 511 comprises a male snap lock feature 513 that couples with a female snap lock feature 514 of the female closure member 512.

[0095] Now referring to FIG. 7A, a male zipper assembly 1215 comprises a zipper tape 011, the male closure member 511 securely attached to the zipper tape 011, and the male slider member 211 that engages the zipper elements of the tape 011. Analogously, referring to FIG. 7B, a female zipper assembly 1216 comprises a zipper tape 011, the female closure member 512 securely attached to the zipper tape 011, and the female slider member 212 that engages the zipper elements of the tape 011. A user may use a force perpendicular to the zipper tapes 011 to couple the male slider member 211 to the female slider member 212 and the male closure member 511 to the female closure member 512, and thus couple the said male and female zipper assemblies.

[0096] FIG. 8A shows a side view of a zipper 02 in accordance with the present invention. The same zipper assemblies of FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are shown, with the male zipper assembly 1215 in position over but separate from the female zipper assembly 1216. The two assemblies are configured such that when the male slider member 211 is above the female slider member 212, the male closure member 511 is above the female closure member 512. The puller 213 is shown in a flat position but it could be held by a user in a different position to handle the male zipper assembly 1215 and align the male slider and male closure members over their male counterparts of the female zipper assembly 1216. The user may then push the said male members into the said female members, coupling the said assemblies together to yield the zipper 02 in a coupled state, as shown in FIG. 8B.

[0097] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a partially closed zipper 02 in accordance with the present invention. In this figure, the puller 213 is rotated to a position that allows a user to slide the split slider 21, causing the teeth of the slider tapes 011 to engage in the same manner known in the prior art. In order to keep the said slider from separating into its male and female members, the puller 213 is not rotated by more than 90 degrees from its flat position shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, and the user can slide it farther in the direction indicated by the dashed arrow to close the zipper 02 over its entire length. To open the closed zipper 02, a user may use the puller 213 to slide the slider 21 in the direction of the zipper closure 51, causing the zipper teeth on the tapes 011 to disengage in the same manner known in the prior art.

[0098] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a separated zipper 02 in accordance with the present invention. The dashed curved arrow in FIG. 10 depicts the user applied force to rotate the puller 213 past a 90 degrees angle from its flat position which causes the finger 2131 to depress the quick release button 225 and the male slider member 211 to separate from the female slider member 212. With the said slider members separated, the last engaged zipper teeth on the tapes 011 disengage easily by pulling the said tapes apart, and the disengagement proceeds progressively over the length of the closed segment of the zipper. The user may then pull apart the snap lock of the male closure member 511 and female closure member 512 to open the zipper completely.

[0099] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 11 shows a split slider 21a comprising a male slider member 211a that is releasably coupleable to a female slider member 212a. The male slider member 211a comprises a body 2171a, a crown 219a, and a snap joint 227 comprising an arm 2273 and a hook component 2271. The snap joint 227 further comprises a cavity with an undercut feature 2272 which mates with the hook component 2271, and is integral to the female slider member 212a. The female slider member 212a comprises a body 2172a wherein the cavity 2272 is made. A user may align and slide the male slider member 211a against the female slider member 212a to cause the hook 2271 to catch in the undercut of the cavity 2272 and couple the male and female slider members. The snap joint 227 may be implemented as a torsion snap joint, known to those with ordinary skill in the art, with a torsion bar (not shown) whose axis is indicated by the dashed line and made integral to the crown 219a of the male slider member 211a. During the joining of the male and female slider members, the hook component 2271 is configured to deflect briefly as it slides into the cavity 2272 and catches in the undercut of the said cavity. To separate the male and female slider members, a user may apply a force P to the top of the hook component 2271 (shown with a straight arrow) to rotate the torsion bar and allow the end of the hook component 2271 to move out of the undercut of the cavity 2272, thus separating the male and female slider members 211a and 212a. FIG. 12 illustrates the position of the snap joint 227 during a joining or separating operation, just before it catches or clears the undercut in the cavity 2272.

[0100] FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of the split slider 21a using a cantilever snap joint instead of a torsion snap joint. In this configuration, a user may slide the male slider member 211a against the female slider member 212a using the puller 213a to join or separate the two members. As the hook component 2271 (not shown) enters the cavity 2272, the arm 2273 deflects to allow the hook to catch or clear the undercut in the said cavity. The hook 2271 and undercut of the cavity 2272 are configured differently in this cantilever snap joint from the torsion snap joint configuration described earlier, and both of these configurations are known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0101] FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of the split slider 21a of FIG. 11 with the female slider member 212a coupled to male slider member 211a.

[0102] FIG. 15 through FIG. 20 show different views of an alternative embodiment of a split slider in accordance with the present invention. In these figures, the different features of the male slider member 211a and the female slider member 212a have the same labels of similar features shown in earlier figures, namely the crown 219a, the body 2171a of the male slider member, the body 2172a of the female slider member, the cavity 2272 of the female slider member, and the hook 2271 and the arm 2273 of the male slider member.

[0103] In this embodiment, The male slider member 211a in FIG. 15 through FIG. 20 comprises an additional arm 2371 that may be inserted into a matching cavity 2372 of the female slider member 212a of the same figures. In mirror fashion, the female slider member 212a in FIG. 15 through FIG. 20 comprises an additional arm 2472 that inserts into a matching cavity 2471 of the male slider member 211a.

[0104] While the foregoing provides a few embodiments of the zipper slider 21 and zipper closure 51 for the zipper fastener 02, it will be recognized that numerous other alternative embodiments for the zipper fastener are possible, including additional alternative embodiments that relate to the zipper slider 21 and 21a and zipper closure 51 and other portions of the zipper fastener. For example, in one alternative embodiment, the zipper closure 51 may be configured using a snap button, a snap joint, or a quick release fastener instead of the snap lock of the male closure member 511 and female closure member 512 used in this description. In another alternative embodiment, the split slider 21 may be configured using a quarter-turn fastener instead of the quick release pin or snap joint mechanisms described above, providing a push-to-close, turn-to-open operation of coupling and decoupling the male and female slider members. In such an alternative embodiment, the male slider member comprises a fastener stud connected to a puller that a user can push to engage and turn to disengage the fastener stud from a corresponding receptacle on the female slider member. In yet other embodiments, the male and female slider members may be configured to have additional jointing features in order to provide rigidity to the split slider assembly.

[0105] Other examples of alternative embodiments of the zipper fastener relate to the orientation of the coupling of the slider members and the closure members. While the puller remains perpendicular to the surface of the tape, the coupling mechanism of the split slider members may be configured to have a transverse orientation across the width of the zipper tape, and correspondingly, the coupling mechanism of the closure members may then have a transverse orientation. In such embodiments, the force that a user applies to couple different members may be parallel to the surface of the fabric portions and perpendicular to the orientation of the zipper chain.

[0106] Other examples of alternative embodiments of the zipper fastener 02 relate to the configuration of the zipper tapes 011. For example, teeth connected to the tapes may be individual teeth, a zipper coil may be provided, as will be recognized by those of skill in the art. Moreover, the teeth may be configured differently to provide different features. For example, the zipper tapes may be configured to add a tactile feel or other sensory feedback such as a unique sound as the split slider moves along the tape. In addition, the teeth may have a unique shape or configuration to provide a unique look and feel to the zipper fastener. Furthermore, while teeth may have a particular shape to provide the quick release feature, different shaped teeth are possible, including different shaped teeth for the quick release feature or teeth that do not provide for the quick release feature, thus forcing the user to un-zip the zipper fastener in order to open the garment.

[0107] In yet other embodiments of the zipper fastener, the split slider may be configured to provide anti-jamming or anti-snag features that prevent fabric from getting caught in the sliders. The split slider members and zipper closure members may include additional features that assist the user in aligning the slider members and the closure members. For example, the slider members and the closure members may be configured with magnets of such polarities that facilitate their alignment as described herein, thus assisting the user in joining the male and female zipper assemblies and starting the zipping process. Additionally, the puller on the male slider member may be a locking or non-locking puller.

[0108] In summary, there has been provided a zipper fastener comprising: [0109] a first tape of zipper elements, a second tape of zipper elements; [0110] a slider comprising: [0111] a first slider member that engages the said first tape and comprises a first coupling element; [0112] a second slider member that engages the said second tape and comprises a second coupling element; and [0113] the first coupling element and the second coupling element being configured to releasably couple [0114] the first slider member and the second slider member; and [0115] a closure comprising: [0116] a first closure member disposed on the first tape and comprising a third coupling element; [0117] a second closure member disposed on the second tape and comprising a fourth coupling element; and [0118] the third coupling element and the fourth coupling element being configured to releasably couple the first closure member and and the second closure member.

[0119] The zipper fastener is configured so that a force that causes the said first slider member to couple with the said second slider member also causes the said first closure member to couple with the second closure member.

[0120] In the zipper fastener described above, the first coupling member is a quick release pin having a release button configured to release the first slider member and the said second slider member by pressing the button.

[0121] The zipper fastener further comprises a puller, configured for pressing the button.

[0122] In the zipper fastener described above, the first coupling element and the second coupling element are releasably coupled via one of the cantilever snap joint and torsional snap joint.

[0123] In the zipper fastener described above, the first slider member further comprises a fifth coupling element, and the said second slider member further comprises a sixth coupling element configured so that a force that causes the first and second coupling elements to join, also causes the fifth and sixth coupling elements to join.

[0124] In the zipper fastener described above, the quick release pin comprises a release knob configured to release the first slider member and the second slider member by turning the knob.

[0125] In the zipper fastener described above, the knob is configured to pull the slider.

[0126] The zipper fastener further comprises at least one additional zipper tape made of an elastic material.

[0127] The zipper fastener may also further comprise at least one additional zipper tape configured to be connected to another zipper fastener.

[0128] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a garment comprising: a first section and a second section of the garment detachable from each other; [0129] a zipper fastener comprising: [0130] a first tape of zipper elements attached to the first section of the garment; [0131] a second tape of zipper elements attached to the second section of the garment; [0132] a slider comprising: [0133] a first slider member that engages the said first tape and comprises a first coupling element; [0134] a second slider member that engages the said second tape and comprises a second coupling element; and [0135] the first coupling element and the second coupling element being configured to releasably couple the first slider member and the second slider member; and [0136] a closure comprising: [0137] a first closure member disposed on the first tape and comprising a third coupling element; [0138] a second closure member disposed on the second tape and comprising a fourth coupling element; and [0139] the third coupling element and the fourth coupling element being configured to releasably couple the first closure member and and the second closure member.

[0140] The garment described above is footwear, or clothing, or any two sections of an object that may be connected by zipper fastener, for example, two pieces of furniture, upholstery, containers made of flexible or rigid materials, camping equipment including tents, sleeping bags, just to name a few.

[0141] According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a slider for a zipper fastener, comprising: [0142] a first slider member that engages a first tape of zipper elements and comprises a first coupling element; [0143] a second slider member that engages a second tape of zipper elements and comprises a second coupling element; an [0144] the first coupling element and the second coupling element being configured to releasably couple the first slider member and the second slider member.

[0145] In the slider described above, the first coupling member is a quick release pin having a release button configured to release the first slider member and the said second slider member by pressing the button.

[0146] The slider further comprises a puller, configured for pressing the button.

[0147] In the slider described above, the first coupling element and the second coupling element are releasably coupled via one of the cantilever snap joint and torsional snap joint.

[0148] In the slider described above, the first slider member further comprises a fifth coupling element, and the said second slider member further comprises a sixth coupling element configured so that a force that causes the first and second coupling elements to join, also causes the fifth and sixth coupling elements to join.

[0149] In the slider described above, the quick release pin comprises a release knob configured to release the first slider member and the said second slider member by turning the knob.

[0150] In the slider described above, the knob is configured to pull the slider.

[0151] Thus, a one-handed zipper fastener, a slider for the one-handed zipper fastener, and a garment comprising the one-handed zipper fastener have been provided.

[0152] The zipper fastener of the embodiment of the present invention has numerous applications. Apart from traditional footwear and clothing items, the zipper fastener may be used for connecting two pieces or sections of an object made of flexible, semi-rigid or rigid material, such as flexible containers including various types of bags, camping equipment including tents, sleepbags; upholstery, pieces of furniture, or even two pieces of wood or plastic, just to name a few.

[0153] The foregoing example embodiments are but a few of numerous possible embodiments for the zipper fastener, and it will be recognized that numerous additional embodiments are also possible and the foregoing embodiments should not be considered as limiting in any way. It will also be recognized that there are advantages to certain individual features and functions described herein that may be obtained without incorporating other features and functions described herein. Moreover, it will be recognized that various alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements of the above-disclosed embodiments and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different embodiments, systems or applications. Presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the appended claims. Therefore, the spirit and scope of any appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.