SLIDE FASTENER-ATTACHED PRODUCT

Abstract

A slide fastener-attached product includes a fastener stringer and a fastener-receiving member. The fastener stringer is attached to a stringer attachment edge of the fastener-receiving member with a sewn portion. The stringer attachment edge includes a double-layer portion including a first strip portion, a bent portion, and a second strip portion. The sewn portion is disposed away from a plurality of fastener elements, and the bent portion is disposed in contact with or closer to the fastener elements. A waterproof region is formed between the sewn portion and the fastener elements. In the slide fastener-attached product, exposure of the fastener tape in the region between the fastener-receiving member and the fastener elements can be prevented or reduced.

Claims

1. A slide fastener-attached product comprising: a pair of fastener stringers, each including a fastener tape and a plurality of fastener elements arranged on the fastener tape at equal intervals in a tape length direction; and a fastener-receiving member including a pair of stringer attachment edges to which the fastener stringers are attached respectively and that are positioned to face each other, wherein each of the fastener stringers is attached to a corresponding one of the stringer attachment edges with a sewn portion formed of a sewing thread, wherein each of the stringer attachment edges includes a double-layer portion bent in a U-shape in a sectional view taken along a plane orthogonal to the tape length direction, wherein the double-layer portion includes a first strip portion, a bent portion, and a second strip portion in the sectional view, the first strip portion being disposed away from the fastener tape, the bent portion extending from the first strip portion and having a bent shape, and the second strip portion extending from the bent portion and being disposed in the first strip portion overlappingly, wherein a part of the sewn portion is disposed between the first strip portion and the second strip portion of the double-layer portion, wherein the sewn portion is disposed away from the plurality of fastener elements, and the bent portion is disposed in contact with or close to the plurality of fastener elements, and wherein a waterproof region is formed between the sewn portion and the plurality of fastener elements.

2. The slide fastener-attached product according to claim 1, wherein the bent portion is disposed away from the sewn portion and is disposed in contact with the fastener elements.

3. The slide fastener-attached product according to claim 2, wherein the fastener tape and the second strip portion are bonded to each other in at least a part of a region between the bent portion and the sewn portion.

4. The slide fastener-attached product according to claim 2, wherein the bent portion is formed to enable maintenance of the bent shape of the bent portion by being subjected to a heat treatment.

5. The slide fastener-attached product according to claim 2, wherein the sewn portion is disposed away from the fastener elements by a separation distance of 0.5 mm or more and 10.0 mm or less in a tape width direction of the fastener tape.

6. The slide fastener-attached product according to claim 2, wherein a dimension from an outer surface of the first strip portion of the double-layer portion to an outer surface of the second strip portion of the double-layer portion in a tape thickness direction of the fastener tape is 0.25 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less.

7. The slide fastener-attached product according to claim 1, wherein the bent portion is close to a position of forming the sewn portion and to the plurality of fastener elements in a left-and-right direction, and wherein the sewn portion is disposed away from the fastener elements by a separation distance of 0.5 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less in a tape width direction of the fastener tape.

8. The slide fastener-attached product according to claim 1, wherein each of the fastener elements includes an element base and a fin portion, the element base including a portion having a constant dimension in a tape thickness direction of the fastener tape, the fin portion extending from the element base toward an inner region of the fastener tape and having a dimension less than the dimension of the element base in the tape thickness direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a slide fastener-attached product according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of a part of the slide fastener-attached product illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic bottom view of a part of the slide fastener-attached product illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a part of the slide fastener-attached product illustrated in FIG. 1 taken along a plane orthogonal to a front-and-rear direction.

[0021] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a sewing process performed to manufacture the slide fastener-attached product illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0022] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a bonding process performed to manufacture the slide fastener-attached product illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0023] FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of a part of a slide fastener-attached product according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention taken along a plane orthogonal to a front-and-rear direction.

[0024] FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view of a part of a slide fastener-attached product according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention taken along a plane orthogonal to a front-and-rear direction.

[0025] FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of a part of a slide fastener-attached product according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention taken along a plane orthogonal to a front-and-rear direction.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0026] The present applicant has filed PCT Application No. PCT/JP2022/032020 for a slide fastener-attached product manufactured by sewing fastener tapes of fastener stringers onto stringer attachment edges of a fastener-receiving member and characterized by interlaced portions of sewn portions. According to the technology described in PCT Application No. PCT/JP2022/032020, exposure of each fastener tape in a region between the corresponding fastener-receiving member (cloth piece) and fastener elements can be prevented or reduced by bringing the corresponding sewn portion into contact with the fastener elements.

[0027] In contrast, in slide fastener-attached products according to embodiments of the present disclosure described below, exposure of a fastener tape in a region between a fastener-receiving member (cloth piece) and fastener elements can be prevented or reduced without bringing a sewn portion into contact with the fastener elements. The sewn portion according to PCT Application No. PCT/JP2022/032020 is formed of sewing threads including an upper thread and a lower thread of a sewing machine. In the present disclosure and also with respect to the structure disclosed in PCT Application No. PCT/JP2022/032020, the sewing threads used to form the sewn portion may be water-repellent, and the waterproof performance of the slide fastener-attached product can be further increased.

[0028] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail by way of examples with reference to the drawings.

EMBODIMENT 1

[0029] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a slide fastener-attached product according to Embodiment 1. FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are respectively an enlarged schematic perspective view, an enlarged schematic bottom view, and an enlarged schematic sectional view of a part of the slide fastener-attached product.

[0030] In the following description of a slide fastener and the slide fastener-attached product, a front-and-rear direction is a direction along a tape length direction of each fastener tape, and is the same as a direction along which a slider slides (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The direction in which the slider slides to close the slide fastener is referred to as forward, and the direction in which the slider slides to open the slide fastener is referred to as rearward.

[0031] A left-and-right direction is a direction along a tape width direction of each fastener tape, more specifically, a direction orthogonal to the front-and-rear direction and parallel to a front surface and a back surface of the fastener tape. The left-and-right direction can also be regarded as a direction along which element rows of a pair of fastener stringers are engaged with and disengaged from each other. In this case, the direction in which the pair of element rows are brought closer to each other is referred to as inward along the left-and-right direction, and the direction in which the pair of element rows are moved away from each other is referred to as outward along the left-and-right direction (see FIG. 3).

[0032] An upper-and-lower direction is a direction orthogonal to the front and back surfaces of each fastener tape (tape front-back direction), and is a direction orthogonal to the front-and-rear direction and the left-and-right direction (see FIG. 4). The upper-and-lower direction may also be referred to as a tape thickness direction. In this case, the direction in which the slide fastener is exposed to the outside when used (for example, the direction from the fastener tape toward a pull tab of the slider) is referred to as upward, and the direction opposite thereto is referred to as downward.

[0033] A slide fastener-attached product 1 of Embodiment 1 is, for example, a clothing item (apparel product), and a slide fastener 20 is attached to, for example, front opening portions of front bodies of the clothing item and opening-and-closing portions (opening edges) of pockets provided on chest and waist sections of the front bodies. The slide fastener-attached clothing item 1 includes the slide fastener 20 and one or more fastener-receiving members 10. The slide fastener 20 includes a pair of left and right fastener stringers 21. The fastener-receiving members 10 include left and right stringer attachment edges 11 to which the left and right fastener stringers 21 are attached.

[0034] In Embodiment 1, the fastener-receiving members 10 to which the slide fastener 20 is attached are cloth pieces 10 of a clothing item (also referred to as garment cloth pieces). Each of the left and right cloth pieces 10 that form front bodies of the clothing item includes a facing side edge 11 that faces the other cloth piece 10. The facing side edges 11 of the left and right cloth pieces 10 serve as stringer attachment edges 11 to which the fastener stringers 21 of the slide fastener 20 are attached.

[0035] In Embodiment 1, the left and right cloth pieces 10 including the stringer attachment edges 11 are at least waterproof. The cloth pieces 10 that are waterproof have properties to reduce passage or penetration of water. In Embodiment 1, the method or means for making the cloth pieces 10 waterproof is not particularly limited. Also, it is not necessary that the cloth pieces 10 be waterproof.

[0036] Each of the left and right cloth pieces 10 includes a cloth body (not illustrated) and the stringer attachment edge 11 provided at an edge of the cloth body. The stringer attachment edge 11 of each cloth piece 10 has the corresponding fastener stringer 21 attached thereto by a sewn portion 12 formed of sewing threads (threads of a sewing machine).

[0037] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the stringer attachment edge 11 of each cloth piece 10 includes a double-layer portion 14 in which portions of the cloth piece 10 of the clothing item overlap in the upper-and-lower direction. The double-layer portion 14 of the stringer attachment edge 11 is formed by bending the cloth piece 10 of the clothing item at a bent portion 16 extending in the front-and-rear direction, and thereby has a U-shape in a sectional view taken along a plane orthogonal to the front-and-rear direction. In this case, the double-layer portion 14 is in contact with fin portions 23b (second fin portions 25b) of fastener elements 23 described below.

[0038] In the sectional view taken along the plane orthogonal to the front-and-rear direction, the double-layer portion 14 includes a first strip portion 15 extending inward along the width direction from the cloth body (not illustrated), the bent portion 16 that is bent and extends from the first strip portion 15, and a second strip portion 17 extending from the bent portion 16 and being disposed in the first strip portion 15 overlappingly in the upper-and-lower direction.

[0039] In the double-layer portion 14, the first strip portion 15 is disposed above the second strip portion 17 and is disposed away from a fastener tape 22 of the fastener stringer 21 described below. The second strip portion 17 is disposed in contact with the fastener tape 22. The second strip portion 17 is disposed between the fastener tape 22 and the first strip portion 15 in the upper-and-lower direction. The bent portion 16 is disposed away from the sewn portion 12 toward the inner region of the slide fastener 20 in the left-and-right direction, and is closer to the fastener elements 23 described below than the sewn portion 12.

[0040] The double-layer portion 14 has inner surfaces that are surfaces of the cloth piece 10 facing each other and outer surfaces that face away from the inner surfaces. In this case, the inner surfaces of the double-layer portion 14 include a lower surface of the first strip portion 15, an inner peripheral surface of the bent portion 16, and an upper surface of the second strip portion 17. The outer surfaces of the double-layer portion 14 include an upper surface of the first strip portion 15, an outer peripheral surface of the bent portion 16, and a lower surface of the second strip portion 17. The lower surface of the second strip portion 17 may also be regarded as a tape-facing surface that faces the fastener tape 22.

[0041] The stringer attachment edge 11 of the cloth piece 10 and the fastener stringer 21 are sewn together to form the sewn portion 12 in a lockstitch sewing process using a sewing machine (not illustrated). The sewn portion 12 extends straight in the front-and-rear direction of the fastener tape 22 (see FIG. 3). This sewn portion 12 is formed of sewing threads including an upper thread (needle thread) and a lower thread (bobbing thread) of the sewing machine. The sewing threads forming the sewn portion 12 may be water-repellent.

[0042] The sewn portion 12 extending straight joins the second strip portion 17 of the double-layer portion 14 and the fastener tape 22 together, thereby fixing the fastener stringer 21 to the stringer attachment edge 11 of the cloth piece 10. In the present invention, the sewn portion joining the stringer attachment edge and the fastener stringer together may include a section that is slightly bent or curved inward or outward in the left-and-right direction.

[0043] The sewn portion 12 of Embodiment 1 is separated outward in the left-and-right direction (toward an inner region of the fastener tape 22) from the fastener elements 23, and is also separated outward in the left-and-right direction from the bent portion 16 of the stringer attachment edge 11. The bent portion 16 of the stringer attachment edge 11 is disposed in contact with the fastener elements 23, and a part of the double-layer portion 14 between the sewn portion 12 and the bent portion 16 in the left-and-right direction serves as a flap above the fastener tape 22. Thus, a waterproof region is formed between the sewn portion 12 and the fastener elements 23.

[0044] In this case, a separation distance between the sewn portion 12 and the fin portion 23b of each fastener element 23 described below in the left-and-right direction is preferably 1 mm or more and 10.0 mm or less. When the separation distance is 1 mm or more, a first adhesive layer 31 described below can be reliably provided between the fastener tape 22 and the stringer attachment edge 11. When the separation distance is 10.0 mm or less, the fastener tape 22 and the second strip portion 17 can be prevented from having excessively large widths (dimensions in the left-and-right direction). As a result, the manufacturing costs of the slide fastener-attached clothing item 1 can be reduced. When the separation distance is greater than 10.0 mm, it may be difficult to form the bent portion 16 at a position such that the bent portion 16 is in contact with the fastener elements 23.

[0045] A part of the sewn portion 12 of Embodiment 1 is disposed between the first strip portion 15 and the second strip portion 17. In other words, a part of the sewn portion 12 is surrounded by the double-layer portion 14. The part of the sewn portion 12 disposed between the first strip portion 15 and the second strip portion 17 is a part of the sewn portion 12 disposed on the upper surface of the second strip portion 17.

[0046] In the slide fastener-attached product 1 of Embodiment 1, the first adhesive layer 31 is provided between the front surface (upper surface) of the fastener tape 22 and the lower surface of the second strip portion 17 to bond the fastener tape 22 and the double-layer portion 14 together. The first adhesive layer 31 is preferably provided between the fastener tape 22 and the second strip portion 17 at least at a position close to the fastener elements 23 in the left-and-right direction. For example, in Embodiment 1, the first adhesive layer 31 continuously extends in the left-and-right direction over a region from a position at (or close to) the boundary between the bent portion 16 and the second strip portion 17 of the double-layer portion 14 to the position of the sewn portion 12.

[0047] Since the first adhesive layer 31 is provided, the double-layer portion 14 (in particular, the second strip portion 17) of the stringer attachment edge 11 can be reliably fixed to the fastener tape 22, so that the double-layer portion 14 can be prevented from being raised and disposed away from the fastener tape 22. As a result, the fastener tape 22 hidden under the double-layer portion 14 can be prevented from being exposed on the outer surface of the slide fastener-attached product 1 (clothing item) when the double-layer portion 14 is raised. In the present invention, the first adhesive layer may be provided in at least a part of the region extending in the left-and-right direction between the fastener tape and the second strip portion.

[0048] In Embodiment 1, a second adhesive layer 32 is provided between the lower surface of the first strip portion 15 and the upper surface of the second strip portion 17 in the double-layer portion 14 to bond the first strip portion 15 and the second strip portion 17 together. Since the second adhesive layer 32 is provided, the U-shape of the double-layer portion 14 can be reliably maintained.

[0049] In the present invention, the materials and thicknesses of the first adhesive layer 31 and the second adhesive layer 32 are not particularly limited. In addition, in the present invention, the slide fastener-attached product may be formed without providing the second adhesive layer between the first strip portion and the second strip portion.

[0050] The slide fastener 20 of Embodiment 1 includes the pair of left and right fastener stringers 21, each including the fastener tape 22 and an element row 26 formed on a side edge of the fastener tape 22, and a slider 40 slidably attached to the left and right element rows 26. In Embodiment 1, each of the left and right fastener stringers 21 is attached to the stringer attachment edge 11 of the corresponding one of the left and right cloth pieces 10 by the above-described sewn portion 12 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0051] In Embodiment 1, the slider 40 is substantially similar to the slider described in International Publication No. 2011/064893 (PTL 1) mentioned above or in International Publication No. 2017/094145. The slider 40 of Embodiment 1 will be briefly described. The slider 40 includes a slider body 41 and a pull tab 45 attached to the slider body 41. The slider body 41 includes an upper blade 42; a lower blade (not illustrated) disposed parallel to the upper blade 42; a connection post (not illustrated) connecting front ends of the upper blade 42 and the lower blade; left and right upper flanges (not illustrated) extending from left and right side edges of the upper blade 42 toward the lower blade; left and right lower flanges (not illustrated) extending from left and right side edges of the lower blade toward the upper blade 42; and a pull-tab attachment portion 43 to which the pull tab 45 is attached and that is formed integrally with an upper surface of the upper blade 42.

[0052] The slider body 41 has left and right shoulder mouths on both sides of the connection post at the front end thereof. The slider body 41 also has a rear mouth at the rear end thereof. A substantially Y-shaped element guide path that communicates with the left and right shoulder mouths and the rear mouth is provided between the upper blade 42 and the lower blade of the slider body 41. The upper flanges and the lower flanges of the slider body 41 have insertion gaps therebetween for receiving first fin portions 24b and second fin portions 25b of the fastener elements 23 described below. The insertion gaps communicate with the element guide path.

[0053] Each of the left and right fastener stringers 21 includes the long and narrow fastener tape 22 and the fastener elements 23 made of a synthetic resin and provided on a side edge of the fastener tape 22. The fastener elements 23 are provided on the side edge of the fastener tape 22 that faces the fastener stringer 21 to which the fastener elements 23 are to be engaged.

[0054] Each fastener tape 22 includes a tape body 22a having a front surface and a back surface and a core string 22b provided at an inner side edge of the tape body 22a. The core string 22b is formed integrally with the side edge of the tape body 22a and extends in the tape length direction. The core string 22b bulges from the tape body 22a in the upper-and-lower direction.

[0055] The fastener tape 22 of Embodiment 1 does not include a waterproof layer for preventing or reducing penetration of water, and is not waterproof. In the present invention, the structure and properties of the fastener tape and the method for forming the fastener tape 22 are not particularly limited, and at least a part of the fastener tape 22 may be waterproof.

[0056] The fastener elements 23 made of a synthetic resin are arranged along the side edge of the fastener tape 22 at equal intervals in the front-and-rear direction, thereby forming the element row 26. Each fastener element 23 is formed on the fastener tape 22 by injection molding using the synthetic resin. Each fastener element 23 is not connected to the fastener elements 23 adjacent thereto in the front-and-rear direction, and has an independent shape separated from other fastener elements 23.

[0057] Each fastener element 23 includes at least an element base 23a including a portion having a constant thickness and a fin portion 23b extending outward in the left-and-right direction from the element base 23a (in other words, toward the inner region of the fastener tape 22). The fin portion 23b has a thickness less than that of the element base 23a. The thickness is a dimension in the upper-and-lower direction, and the thickness of the element base 23a is the dimension from the upper surface to the lower surface of the element base 23a in the upper-and-lower direction. The fin portion 23b includes the first fin portion 24b in the lower region described below and the second fin portion 25b in the upper region described below.

[0058] Since each fastener element 23 includes the fin portion 23b, the slider 40 can slide along the element row 26 such that the upper and lower flanges of the slider 40 are received by gaps formed outside the steps between the element base 23a and the fin portion 23b in the left-and-right direction. Thus, the slider 40 can slide without being easily caught by the stringer attachment edge 11 of the cloth piece 10, and therefore the sliding movement of the slider 40 can made smooth.

[0059] The shape of each fastener element 23 will now be described in more detail. Each fastener element 23 includes a first element section 24 disposed on the back surface of the fastener tape 22 and a second element section 25 disposed on the front surface of the fastener tape 22 and having a shape different from that of the first element section 24. In this case, the first element section 24 of the fastener element 23 is hidden on the inner side of the slide fastener-attached clothing item 1. The second element section 25 is exposed on the outer side of the clothing item.

[0060] Although not illustrated in detail, the first element section 24 includes a first body portion directly fixed to the fastener tape 22; a first fin portion 24b extending outward in the left-and-right direction from the first body portion; a neck portion extending inward in the left-and-right direction from the first body portion; and an engagement head portion 24a extending further inward in the left-and-right direction from the neck portion and having a substantially elliptical shape in bottom view of the fastener element 23.

[0061] The first body portion is substantially isosceles trapezoid-shaped in bottom view of the fastener element 23 (FIG. 3). The neck portion has a constricted shape to be engageable with the engagement head portions 24a of two fastener elements 23 to be engaged therewith. The first fin portion 24b extends outward in the left-and-right direction from the first body portion, and has a thickness reduced from that of the first body portion at a first step portion 24c. The thicknesses of the first body portion and the first fin portion 24b are dimensions from the back surface of the fastener tape 22 to the lower surfaces of the first body portion and the first fin portion 24b in the upper-and-lower direction.

[0062] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the second element section 25 includes a second body portion 25a directly fixed to the fastener tape 22; a second fin portion 25b extending outward in the left-and-right direction from the second body portion 25a; and an element head portion 25c extending inward in the left-and-right direction from the second body portion 25a. The element head portion 25c is shaped such that the dimension thereof in the tape length direction decreases in two steps toward the tip of the element head portion 25c.

[0063] The second fin portion 25b extends outward in the left-and-right direction from the second body portion 25a, and the height thereof from the fastener tape 22 is reduced from that of the second body portion 25a at a second step portion 25d.

[0064] An end surface of the second fin portion 25b facing outward in the width direction and the stringer attachment edge 11 of the cloth piece 10 are in contact with each other. The state in which the second fin portion 25b of the fastener element 23 and the stringer attachment edge 11 of the cloth piece 10 are in contact with each other is maintained by the first adhesive layer 31 provided between the fastener tape 22 and the second strip portion 17.

[0065] Thus, the first adhesive layer 31 maintains the state in which the stringer attachment edge 11 (double-layer portion 14) of the cloth piece 10 is in contact with the second fin portion 25b of each fastener element 23. Accordingly, the fastener tape 22 can be reliably covered and hidden by the stringer attachment edge 11 of the cloth piece 10 over a region excluding portions thereof (more specifically, portions of the fastener tape 22 disposed between the fastener elements 23 adjacent to each other in the front-and-rear direction). Therefore, the fastener tape 22 can be prevented from being exposed in a region between the fastener-receiving member 10 and the fastener elements 23 in the left-and-right direction.

[0066] In each fastener element 23 of Embodiment 1, the first fin portion 24b and the second fin portion 25b have shapes symmetrical to each other in the upper-and-lower direction about the fastener tape 22. The fin portion 23b including the first fin portion 24b and the second fin portion 25b has a thickness such that the fin portion 23b can be inserted into the corresponding insertion gap in the slider 40. The first step portion 24c and the second step portion 25d of the fastener elements 23 are slidable along the upper and lower flanges of the slider 40.

[0067] Since each fastener element 23 includes the first fin portion 24b and the second fin portion 25b as described above, although the stringer attachment edge 11 of each cloth piece 10 is held in contact with the second fin portions 25b of the fastener elements 23 as described above, the slider 40 can slide along the left and right element rows 26 while the upper and lower flanges of the slider 40 are prevented or suppressed from coming into contact with the left and right cloth pieces 10. Therefore, the sliding movement of the slider 40 can be made smooth irrespective of the thickness of the cloth piece 10.

[0068] In the present invention, each fastener element may be formed such that the first fin portion and the second fin portion are not provided. In such as case, the fastener elements preferably have recessed insertion grooves for receiving the upper flanges and/or the lower flanges of the slider. Also when the fastener elements have such insertion grooves, the sliding movement of the slider can be made smooth.

[0069] In addition, since each fastener element 23 includes the first element section 24 and the second element section 25 as described above, when the left and right element rows 26 are engaged with each other, water does not easily penetrate through the left and right element rows 26 from above to below. In addition, when, for example, each fastener element 23 is water-repellent, the possibility of water penetration can be further reduced. In the present invention, the shape of the fastener elements is not particularly limited as long as the fastener elements are shaped to allow the left and right element rows to be engaged with each other.

[0070] Next, a method for manufacturing the slide fastener-attached clothing item 1 by attaching the fastener stringers 21 of the slide fastener 20 to the stringer attachment edges 11 of the cloth pieces 10 will be described.

[0071] In the following description regarding the sewing machine and the sewing method, a front-and-rear direction is a transporting direction of the sewing machine, that is, a direction along which each fastener stringer 21 and each cloth piece 10, which are sewing objects, are fed. The direction in which the sewing objects are fed is referred to as forward, and the direction opposite thereto is referred to as rearward. An upper-and-lower direction is a direction along which the sewing needle of the sewing machine reciprocates. The direction in which the sewing needle penetrates into the sewing objects is referred to as downward, and the direction in which the sewing needle is pulled out from the sewing objects is referred to as upward. A left-and-right direction is a direction orthogonal to the direction along which the sewing objects are fed and the direction along which the sewing needle reciprocates.

[0072] First, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a sewing step (sewing process) is performed to sew the fastener tape 22 of the fastener stringer 21 and the stringer attachment edge 11 of the cloth piece 10 together by using the sewing machine. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the fastener stringer 21 and the stringer attachment edge 11 are inverted.

[0073] The sewing machine used in the sewing step of Embodiment 1 is a sewing machine capable of sewing the fastener stringer 21 and the stringer attachment edge 11 together with a lockstitch. In the present invention, there is no particular limitation regarding the sewing machine used in the sewing step.

[0074] In the sewing step, first, the fastener stringer 21 and the stringer attachment edge 11 of the cloth piece 10 are placed on a needle plate (not illustrated) of the sewing machine in a predetermined positional relationship, and then a presser foot (not illustrated) is lowered so that the fastener stringer 21 and the stringer attachment edge 11 are held between the presser foot and the needle plate. The stringer attachment edge 11 of the cloth piece 10 is held in a flat position, and the U-shaped double-layer portion 14 of the stringer attachment edge 11 is not yet formed. In the sewing step, the positional relationship between the fastener stringer 21 and the stringer attachment edge 11 in the upper-and-lower direction is not particularly limited.

[0075] After the fastener stringer 21 and the stringer attachment edge 11 are held in the predetermined positional relationship, the fastener stringer 21 and the stringer attachment edge 11 of the cloth piece 10 are intermittently transported by using a transport mechanism of the sewing machine, and the sewing needle is reciprocated in the upper-and-lower direction in time with the intermittent transportation. Thus, the sewing needle sews the fastener tape 22 and the stringer attachment edge 11 together with a lockstitch. The lockstitch forms the straight line-shaped sewn portion 12 composed of threads (upper and lower threads) of the sewing machine and extending in the front-and-rear direction, and the fastener tape 22 and the stringer attachment edge 11 are sewn together with the sewn portion 12.

[0076] The straight line-shaped sewn portion 12 composed of the threads of the sewing machine is formed at a position disposed away from the fastener elements 23 in the left-and-right direction. Therefore, for example, unlike when the sewn portion is formed at a position such that the sewn portion is in contact with the fastener elements, a dedicated transport mechanism for feeding the fastener elements is not necessary, so that the sewing process can be easily performed using the sewing machine. In addition, the costs required for the sewing step can be reduced. The sewn portion 12 formed in the sewing process is at a position disposed away from the bent portion 16 of the double-layer portion 14 in the left-and-right direction when the stringer attachment edge 11 is bent to form the double-layer portion 14 in a later step.

[0077] After the above-described sewing step, a bending step of bending the stringer attachment edge 11 of the cloth piece 10 to form the double-layer portion 14 is performed.

[0078] In the bending step, the stringer attachment edge 11 of the cloth piece 10 is bent such that the first strip portion 15 and the second strip portion 17 of the stringer attachment edge 11 described above overlap in the upper-and-lower direction. At this time, the stringer attachment edge 11 is bent such that the bent portion 16 of the double-layer portion 14 comes into contact with the fastener elements 23 (in particular, the fin portions 23b). Thus, the cloth piece 10 including the stringer attachment edge 11 on which the fastener stringer 21 is sewn and that includes the double-layer portion 14 illustrated in FIG. 6 is produced.

[0079] After the bending step, a part of the sewn portion 12 is disposed between the first strip portion 15 and the second strip portion 17 of the double-layer portion 14, and is therefore surrounded by the double-layer portion 14. In addition, the first strip portion 15 of the double-layer portion 14 is disposed above the sewn portion 12 so as to cover the sewn portion 12. Therefore, the sewn portion 12 is hidden under the first strip portion 15 and is not visible from above (from the outside of) the stringer attachment edge 11.

[0080] Next, a bonding step is performed. In this step, the first adhesive layer 31 and the second adhesive layer 32 are formed by applying adhesives 31a and 32a to the cloth piece 10 that includes the double-layer portion 14 formed in the bending step and to which the fastener stringer 21 is attached.

[0081] In the bonding step, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the adhesive 31a is applied to the upper surface of the fastener tape 22 and/or the lower surface of the second strip portion 17 to form the above-described first adhesive layer 31. The first adhesive layer 31 fixes the fastener tape 22 and the second strip portion 17 to each other. The adhesives 31a and 32a may be, for example, a hot-melt adhesive or a reactive curing adhesive.

[0082] The adhesive 32a is applied to the upper surface of the second strip portion 17 and/or the lower surface of the first strip portion 15 in the double-layer portion 14 to form the above-described second adhesive layer 32. The second adhesive layer 32 fixes the second strip portion 17 and the first strip portion 15 to each other. The order in which the first adhesive layer 31 and the second adhesive layer 32 are formed is not particularly limited. In the present invention, the process of forming the second adhesive layer 32 may be omitted.

[0083] The cloth piece 10 having the fastener stringer 21 sewn on the stringer attachment edge 11 thereof as illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 is produced by performing the sewing step, the bending step, and the bonding step described above. The sewn portion 12 formed by sewing the fastener stringer 21 and the stringer attachment edge 11 together is covered and hidden by the first strip portion 15 of the stringer attachment edge 11. Therefore, the sewn portion 12 is not visible from the outside of the cloth piece 10.

[0084] In Embodiment 1, the sewing step, the bending step, and the bonding step are performed in the above-described order. However, in the present invention, the order in which the sewing step, the bending step, and the bonding step are performed is not particularly limited. For example, the bending step and the bonding step may be performed before the sewing step.

[0085] After that, a pair of cloth pieces 10 to which the respective fastener stringers 21 are attached are brought together, and the slider 40 is attached to the element rows 26 of the pair of fastener stringers 21 to produce the cloth pieces 10 to which the slide fastener is attached. The slide fastener-attached clothing item 1 is manufactured by forming a clothing item using the cloth pieces 10 to which the slide fastener is attached.

[0086] In Embodiment 1, the slide fastener-attached clothing item may also be manufactured by, for example, forming a clothing item using two cloth pieces 10 to which the respective fastener stringers 21 are attached and then attaching the slider 40 to the two element rows 26 provided on the clothing item.

[0087] In the slide fastener-attached clothing item of Embodiment 1 manufactured as described above, the sewn portion 12 formed by sewing each fastener stringer 21 and the corresponding stringer attachment edge 11 together is disposed away from the fastener elements 23 in the left-and-right direction, and the fastener tape 22 and the double-layer portion 14 (in particular, the second strip portion 17) are bonded together by the first adhesive layer 31.

[0088] Therefore, according to the slide fastener-attached clothing item 1 of Embodiment 1, the first adhesive layer 31 prevents the double-layer portion 14 from being raised from the fastener stringer 21, and the state in which the double-layer portion 14 is in contact with (or in the vicinity of) the fastener elements 23 can be reliably maintained. As a result, the fastener tape 22 can be prevented from being exposed to the outside in the region between the fastener-receiving member 10 and the fastener elements 23.

[0089] As described above, in the slide fastener-attached clothing item 1 of Embodiment 1, substantially the entirety of the fastener tape 22 is covered and hidden by the stringer attachment edge 11 of the cloth piece 10 from the outside (above), so that the area in which the fastener tape 22 is exposed can be reduced. Accordingly, adverse effects on, for example, the design and appearance quality of the clothing item due to the exposure of the fastener tape 22 can be eliminated or reduced, so that a clothing item with good design or high appearance quality can be easily manufactured.

[0090] In addition, in Embodiment 1, as described above, the area in which the fastener tape 22 is exposed can be reduced. Also, a part of the double-layer portion 14 (flap) forms a waterproof region between the sewn portion 12 and the fastener elements 23. Therefore, even when, for example, the fastener tape 22 itself is not waterproof, if at least the cloth piece 10 of the clothing item is waterproof, liquid, such as water, does not easily penetrate from the outer side to the inner side of the clothing item through the slide fastener 20 provided on the clothing item. In addition, in this case, since the fastener tape 22 is not waterproof, the manufacturing costs can be reduced and the manufacturing process can be simplified.

Embodiment 2

[0091] FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of a part of a slide fastener-attached product according to Embodiment 2 taken along a plane orthogonal to the front-and-rear direction.

[0092] Similarly to Embodiment 1 described above, a slide fastener-attached product 2 of Embodiment 2 is a clothing item. The slide fastener-attached clothing item 2 of Embodiment 2 includes a slide fastener 20 and one or more fastener-receiving members (cloth pieces) 50. The slide fastener 20 includes a pair of left and right fastener stringers 21. The fastener-receiving members (cloth pieces) 50 include left and right stringer attachment edges 51 to which the left and right fastener stringers 21 are attached.

[0093] The slide fastener-attached clothing item 2 of Embodiment 2 has the following two differences from the above-described slide fastener-attached clothing item 1 of Embodiment 1. The first difference is that the slide fastener-attached clothing item 2 of Embodiment 2 does not include the first adhesive layer 31 and the second adhesive layer 32 described above in Embodiment 1. The second difference is that in the slide fastener-attached clothing item 2 of Embodiment 2, each cloth piece 50 includes a double-layer portion 54 (in particular, a bent portion 56) having properties of enabling to maintain a bent shape by being subjected to a heat treatment (for example, a heat-setting process).

[0094] The slide fastener-attached clothing item 2 of Embodiment 2 is formed substantially similarly to the slide fastener-attached clothing item 1 according to Embodiment 1 except for the above-described two differences. For example, the fastener stringers 21 used in Embodiment 2 are formed substantially similarly to the fastener stringers 21 according to Embodiment 1.

[0095] Therefore, in the description of Embodiment 2 and in the description of Embodiments 3 and 4 provided below, components, members, etc., that are formed substantially similarly to those of the slide fastener-attached clothing item 1 of Embodiment 1 will be denoted by the same reference signs as those in Embodiment 1, and detailed description thereof will thus be omitted.

[0096] The left and right cloth pieces 50 included in the clothing item 2 of Embodiment 2 are at least waterproof. Each of the left and right cloth pieces 50 includes a cloth body (not illustrated) and a stringer attachment edge 51 provided at an edge of the cloth body. The stringer attachment edge 51 of each cloth piece 50 includes the double-layer portion 54 that is U-shaped and in which portions of the cloth piece 50 of the clothing item overlap in the upper-and-lower direction.

[0097] In a sectional view taken along a plane orthogonal to the front-and-rear direction, the double-layer portion 54 of Embodiment 2 includes a first strip portion 55 extending inward along the width direction from the cloth body (not illustrated), a bent portion 56 that is bent and extends from the first strip portion 55, and a second strip portion 57 extending from the bent portion 56 and overlapping with the first strip portion 55. The fastener stringer 21 is attached to the second strip portion 57 of the double-layer portion 54 with the sewn portion 12. The double-layer portion 54 is formed in a state being in contact with the fin portion 23b (second fin portion 25b) of each fastener element 23.

[0098] The double-layer portion 54 of Embodiment 2 is subjected a heat treatment, such as a heat-setting process, while being bent in a U-shape or a shape similar to a U-shape so that the double-layer portion 54 has properties of maintaining the shape bent at the bent portion 56. In other words, the double-layer portion 54 of Embodiment 2 has properties such that when, for example, the U-shaped double-layer portion 54 receives an external force and is deformed to spread in a direction for separating the first strip portion 55 and the second strip portion 57 from each other, the double-layer portion 54 returns to the original shape after the external force is removed. In Embodiment 2, the "original shape" to be restored includes a shape identical to the shape before the deformation and a shape close to (substantially identical to) the shape before the deformation. The heat treatment includes a process involving heating of the treated object.

[0099] Since the double-layer portion 54 of Embodiment 2 has the above-described properties, the double-layer portion 54 easily maintains the U-shape when the double-layer portion 54 does not receive any external force. Therefore, the fastener tape 22 is not easily exposed to the outside in the region between the fastener-receiving member 50 and the fastener elements 23. When the double-layer portion 54 receives an external force, a part of the second strip portion 57 may temporarily become disposed away from the fastener tape 22, or the double-layer portion 54 may be raised and disposed away from the fastener tape 22. Even in such a case, the double-layer portion 54 can return to the original U-shape after the external force is removed, so that the fastener tape 22 can be covered with the double-layer portion 54 again and is not easily exposed to the outside.

[0100] In Embodiment 2, the bent portion 56 of the double-layer portion 54 may have a fold line formed by applying heat end pressure in, for example, an ironing process. When the bent portion 56 has such a fold line, the bent shape of the double-layer portion 54 (in other words, the U-shape of the double-layer portion 54) can be further stabilized. In Embodiment 2, a member, such as a film, for facilitating maintenance of the shape of the double-layer portion 54 may be attached inside the double-layer portion 54. Also in this case, the bent shape of the double-layer portion 54 can be further stabilized.

[0101] In Embodiment 2, the stringer attachment edge 51 and the fastener stringer 21 are sewn together to form the sewn portion 12 in a lockstitch sewing process using the sewing machine. The sewn portion 12 extends straight in the front-and-rear direction of the fastener tape 22. The sewn portion 12 fixes the fastener stringer 21 to the stringer attachment edge 51 of the cloth piece 50. A part of the sewn portion 12 is disposed between the first strip portion 55 and the second strip portion 57 of the double-layer portion 54.

[0102] The sewn portion 12 of Embodiment 2 is separated outward in the left-and-right direction (toward the inner region of the tape) from the fastener elements 23, and is also separated outward in the left-and-right direction from the bent portion 56 of the stringer attachment edge 51. In this case, the separation distance D1 between the sewn portion 12 and the fin portion 23b of each fastener element 23 in the left-and-right direction is preferably 1.0 mm or more and 10.0 mm or less. The bent portion 56 of the stringer attachment edge 51 is disposed in contact with the fastener elements 23, and a part of the double-layer portion 54 between the sewn portion 12 and the bent portion 56 in the left-and-right direction serves as a flap above the fastener tape 22. Thus, a waterproof region is formed between the sewn portion 12 and the fastener elements 23.

[0103] A method for manufacturing the slide fastener-attached product 2 of Embodiment 2 will now be briefly described. First, a sewing step is performed to sew the fastener tape 22 of the fastener stringer 21 and the stringer attachment edge 51 of the cloth piece 50 together by using the sewing machine. After the sewing step, a bending step of bending the stringer attachment edge 51 of the cloth piece 50 to form the double-layer portion 54 is performed. The sewing step and the bending step of Embodiment 2 are performed substantially similarly to the sewing step and the bending step of Embodiment 1 described above.

[0104] Subsequently, a heat treatment step is performed. In this step, the stringer attachment edge 51 including the double-layer portion 54 formed in the bending step and the fastener stringer 21 are subjected to a heat treatment for stabilizing the shape of the stringer attachment edge 51.

[0105] In the heat treatment step of Embodiment 2, a heat treatment (heat-setting process) is performed to heat the double-layer portion 54 of the stringer attachment edge 51 while the double-layer portion 54 is bent in the U-shape. Thus, the bent shape of the double-layer portion 54 can be stabilized. Therefore, when, for example, the double-layer portion 54 is deformed by an external force and then the external force is removed, the double-layer portion 54 can return to the original shape before the deformation.

[0106] In the heat treatment step of Embodiment 2, the heat treatment may be, for example, an ironing process in which the double-layer portion 54 of the stringer attachment edge 51 bent in the U-shape is pressed and heated by using an iron. The above-described fold line can be easily formed on the bent portion 56 of the double-layer portion 54 by performing the ironing process.

[0107] In Embodiment 2, the above-described heat treatment step including the heat-setting process or the ironing process is performed so that the double-layer portion 54 having the properties of maintaining the bent shape of the bent portion 56 can be reliably formed on the stringer attachment edge 51 of the cloth piece 50. In the present invention, the heat treatment step that enables maintenance of the bent shape is not limited to the above-described heat-setting process and ironing process, and the heat treatment step may include other treatments and processes involving heating.

[0108] The cloth piece 50 having the fastener stringer 21 sewn on the stringer attachment edge 51 thereof as illustrated in FIG. 7 is produced by performing the sewing step, the bending step, and the heat treatment step described above. The sewn portion 12 formed by sewing the fastener stringer 21 and the stringer attachment edge 51 together is covered and hidden by the stringer attachment edge 51 (in particular, by the first strip portion 55).

[0109] In Embodiment 2, the sewing step, the bending step, and the heat treatment step are performed in the above-described order. However, in the present invention, the order in which the sewing step, the bending step, and the heat treatment step are performed is not particularly limited. For example, the bending step and the heat treatment step may be performed before the sewing step.

[0110] After that, similarly to Embodiment 1 described above, the slide fastener-attached clothing item 2 can be manufactured by using the cloth pieces 50 of Embodiment 2 having the respective fastener stringers 21 sewn thereon.

[0111] In the slide fastener-attached clothing item 2 according to Embodiment 2 manufactured as described above, the sewn portion 12 is disposed away from the fastener elements 23 in the left-and-right direction. However, since the double-layer portion 54 of the stringer attachment edge 51 is subjected to the heat treatment (heat treatment step) for stabilizing the shape thereof, the bent shape of the bent portion 56 can be maintained.

[0112] Therefore, according to the slide fastener-attached clothing item of Embodiment 2, the double-layer portion 54 of the stringer attachment edge 51 is not easily raised from the fastener stringer 21, and the state in which the double-layer portion 54 is in contact with (or in the vicinity of) the fastener elements 23 can be easily maintained.

[0113] Thus, in Embodiment 2, exposure of the fastener tape 22 to the outside in the region between the fastener-receiving member 50 and the fastener elements 23 can be prevented or reduced, so that substantially the entirety of the fastener tape 22 can be easily covered and hidden by the stringer attachment edge 51. Accordingly, adverse effects on, for example, the design and appearance quality of the clothing item due to the exposure of the fastener tape 22 can be eliminated or reduced.

[0114] In the slide fastener-attached clothing item of Embodiment 2, similarly to Embodiment 1 described above, even when the fastener tape 22 itself is not waterproof, liquid does not easily penetrate through the slide fastener 20 if at least the cloth piece 50 of the clothing item is waterproof.

Embodiment 3

[0115] FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view of a part of a slide fastener-attached product according to Embodiment 3 taken along a plane orthogonal to the front-and-rear direction. Similarly to Embodiment 1 described above, a slide fastener-attached product 3 of Embodiment 3 is a clothing item. The slide fastener-attached clothing item 3 of Embodiment 3 includes a slide fastener 20 and one or more fastener-receiving members (cloth pieces) 70. The slide fastener 20 includes a pair of left and right fastener stringers 21. The fastener-receiving members (cloth pieces) 70 include left and right stringer attachment edges 71 to which the left and right fastener stringers 21 are attached.

[0116] The slide fastener-attached clothing item 3 of Embodiment 3 has the following three differences from the above-described slide fastener-attached clothing item 1 of Embodiment 1. The first difference is that the slide fastener-attached clothing item 3 of Embodiment 3 does not include the first adhesive layer 31 and the second adhesive layer 32 described above in Embodiment 1. The second difference is that in the slide fastener-attached clothing item 3 of Embodiment 3, the range of the separation distance between the sewn portion 12 and the fin portion 23b of each fastener element 23 in the left-and-right direction differs from that in Embodiment 1. The third difference is that the slide fastener-attached clothing item 3 of Embodiment 3 includes a double-layer portion 74 having a thickness T in a predetermined range. The slide fastener-attached clothing item 3 of Embodiment 3 is formed substantially similarly to the slide fastener-attached clothing item 1 according to Embodiment 1 except for the above-described three differences.

[0117] The left and right cloth pieces 70 of the clothing item used in Embodiment 3 are at least waterproof. Each of the left and right cloth pieces 70 includes a cloth body (not illustrated) and a stringer attachment edge 71 provided at an edge of the cloth body. The stringer attachment edge 71 of each cloth piece 70 includes the double-layer portion 74 that is U-shaped and in which portions of the cloth piece 70 of the clothing item overlap in the upper-and-lower direction.

[0118] In a sectional view taken along a plane orthogonal to the front-and-rear direction, the double-layer portion 74 of Embodiment 3 includes a first strip portion 75 extending inward along the width direction from the cloth body (not illustrated), a bent portion 76 that is bent and extends from the first strip portion 75, and a second strip portion 77 extending from the bent portion 76 and overlapping with the first strip portion 75. The fastener stringer 21 is attached to the second strip portion 77 of the double-layer portion 74 with the sewn portion 12. The double-layer portion 74 is formed in a state being in contact with the fin portion 23b (second fin portion 25b) of each fastener element 23.

[0119] In Embodiment 3, the thickness T of the double-layer portion 74 of the stringer attachment edge 71 is 0.25 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less. The thickness T of the double-layer portion 74 is the dimension from the upper surface (outer surface) of the first strip portion 75 to the lower surface (outer surface) of the second strip portion 77 in the upper-and-lower direction.

[0120] When the thickness T of the double-layer portion 74 is 0.25 mm or more, preferably 0.55 mm or more, the double-layer portion 74 can be easily formed at a position close to the fastener elements 23. Therefore, the state in which the double-layer portion 74 is in contact with each fastener element 23 (in particular, the fin portion 23b) can be easily maintained. Accordingly, exposure of the fastener tape 22 in the region between the double-layer portion 74 and the fastener elements 23 can be prevented or reduced. In addition, even when the double-layer portion 74 receives an external force, for example, and is slightly disposed away from the fastener elements 23, since the double-layer portion 74 is thick in the upper-and-lower direction as described above, the region between the double-layer portion 74 and the fastener elements 23 is easily hidden behind the double-layer portion 74. Therefore, the fastener tape 22 is not easily visible through the gap between the double-layer portion 74 and the fastener elements 23.

[0121] When the thickness T of the double-layer portion 74 is 5.0 mm or less, preferably 3.0 mm or less, the height of the step between the stringer attachment edge 71 and each fastener element 23 can be reduced, and reduction in watertightness due to water droplets that adhere to and remain on this step can be prevented.

[0122] The thickness T of the double-layer portion 74 may correspond to the thickness of the fin portion 23b of each fastener element 23. In FIG. 8, the fin portion 23b is tapered such that the thickness thereof gradually decreases outward along the left-and-right direction (toward the inner region of the tape) from the fastener element 23. However, to eliminate or reduce the step between the fin portion 23b and the double-layer portion 74, the fin portion 23b may be non-tapered or be tapered in a smaller region.

[0123] In Embodiment 3, the stringer attachment edge 71 and the fastener stringer 21 are sewn together to form the sewn portion 12 in a lockstitch sewing process using the sewing machine. The sewn portion 12 extends straight in the front-and-rear direction of the fastener tape 22. The sewn portion 12 fixes the fastener stringer 21 to the stringer attachment edge 71 (second strip portion 77) of the cloth piece 70. A part of the sewn portion 12 is disposed between the first strip portion 75 and the second strip portion 77 of the double-layer portion 74.

[0124] The sewn portion 12 of Embodiment 3 is separated outward in the left-and-right direction (toward the inner region of the tape) from the fastener elements 23, and is also separated outward in the left-and-right direction from the bent portion 76 of the stringer attachment edge 71. In this case, the separation distance D2 between the sewn portion 12 and the fin portion 23b of each fastener element 23 in the left-and-right direction is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 10.0 mm or less. The bent portion 76 of the stringer attachment edge 71 is disposed in contact with the fastener elements 23, and a part of the double-layer portion 74 between the sewn portion 12 and the bent portion 76 in the left-and-right direction serves as a flap above the fastener tape 22. Thus, a waterproof region is formed between the sewn portion 12 and the fastener elements 23.

[0125] When the above-described separation distance D2 is 0.5 mm or more, preferably 0.8 mm or more, the sewing needle does not easily come into contact with the fastener elements 23 during formation of the sewn portion 12 using the sewing machine. Thus, the fastener tape 22 can be smoothly and reliably sewn onto the stringer attachment edge 71 of the cloth piece 70 in the sewing process.

[0126] When the above-described separation distance D2 is 10.0 mm or less, preferably 5.0 mm or less, the double-layer portion 74 is not easily raised. Therefore, the fastener tape 22 is not easily visible through the gap between the double-layer portion 74 and the fastener elements 23. When the above-described separation distance D2 is 10.0 mm or less, the fastener tape 22 and the second strip portion 77 can be prevented from having excessively large widths, so that the manufacturing costs can be easily reduced. When the separation distance is greater than 10.0 mm, it may be difficult to form the bent portion 76 at a position such that the bent portion 76 is in contact with the fastener elements 23.

[0127] In the above-described slide fastener-attached clothing item 3 of Embodiment 3, the sewn portion 12 is disposed away from the fastener elements 23 in the left-and-right direction. However, since the thickness T of the double-layer portion 74 is 0.25 mm or more and the separation distance D2 between the sewn portion 12 and the fastener elements 23 is as small as 10.0 mm or less, the double-layer portion 74 of the stringer attachment edge 71 is not easily raised from the fastener stringer 21, and the fastener tape 22 is not easily visible through the gap between the double-layer portion 74 and the fastener elements 23. Accordingly, adverse effects on, for example, the design and appearance quality of the clothing item due to the exposure of the fastener tape 22 can be eliminated or reduced.

[0128] In the slide fastener-attached clothing item 3 of Embodiment 3, similarly to Embodiment 1 described above, even when the fastener tape 22 itself is not waterproof, liquid does not easily penetrate through the slide fastener 20 if at least the cloth piece 70 of the clothing item is waterproof.

[0129] The slide fastener-attached clothing item according to Embodiment 3 may be formed to satisfy either one of the condition that the thickness T of the double-layer portion 74 is 0.25 mm or more and the condition that the separation distance D2 between the sewn portion 12 and the fin portion 23b of each fastener element 23 in the left-and-right direction is 10.0 mm or less. Also when the slide fastener-attached clothing item satisfies one of the conditions as described above, the fastener tape is not easily visible from the outside of the slide fastener-attached clothing item.

Embodiment 4

[0130] FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of a part of a slide fastener-attached product according to Embodiment 4 taken along a plane orthogonal to the front-and-rear direction. Similarly to Embodiment 1 described above, a slide fastener-attached product 4 of Embodiment 4 is a clothing item. The slide fastener-attached clothing item 4 of Embodiment 4 includes a slide fastener 20 and one or more fastener-receiving members (cloth pieces) 90. The slide fastener 20 includes a pair of left and right fastener stringers 21. The fastener-receiving members (cloth pieces) 90 include left and right stringer attachment edges 91 to which the left and right fastener stringers 21 are attached.

[0131] The slide fastener-attached clothing item 4 of Embodiment 4 has the following three differences from the above-described slide fastener-attached clothing item 1 of Embodiment 1. The first difference is that the slide fastener-attached clothing item 4 of Embodiment 4 does not include the first adhesive layer 31 and the second adhesive layer 32 described above in Embodiment 1. The second difference is that a bent portion 96 is close to the position at which the sewn portion 12 is formed and is also close to the fastener elements 23 in the left-and-right direction. The third difference is that in the slide fastener-attached clothing item 4 of Embodiment 4, the range of the separation distance between the sewn portion 12 and the fin portion 23b of each fastener element 23 in the left-and-right direction differs from that in Embodiment 1. The slide fastener-attached clothing item 4 of Embodiment 4 is formed substantially similarly to the slide fastener-attached clothing item 1 according to Embodiment 1 except for the above-described three differences.

[0132] The left and right cloth pieces 90 of the clothing item used in Embodiment 4 are at least waterproof. Each of the left and right cloth pieces 90 includes a cloth body (not illustrated) and a stringer attachment edge 91 provided at an edge of the cloth body. The stringer attachment edge 91 of each cloth piece 90 includes the double-layer portion 94 that is U-shaped and in which portions of the cloth piece 90 of the clothing item overlap in the upper-and-lower direction.

[0133] In a sectional view taken along a plane orthogonal to the front-and-rear direction, the double-layer portion 94 of Embodiment 4 includes a first strip portion 95 extending inward along the width direction from the cloth body (not illustrated), a bent portion 96 that is bent and extends from the first strip portion 95, and a second strip portion 97 extending from the bent portion 96 and overlapping with the first strip portion 95. The fastener stringer 21 is attached to the second strip portion 97 of the double-layer portion 94 with the sewn portion 12. The double-layer portion 94 is close to the fin portion 23b (second fin portion 25b) of each fastener element 23.

[0134] In Embodiment 4, the stringer attachment edge 91 and the fastener stringer 21 are sewn together to form the sewn portion 12 in a lockstitch sewing process using the sewing machine. The sewn portion 12 extends straight in the front-and-rear direction of the fastener tape 22. The sewn portion 12 fixes the fastener stringer 21 to the stringer attachment edge 91 (second strip portion 97) of the cloth piece 90. A part of the sewn portion 12 is disposed between the first strip portion 95 and the second strip portion 97 of the double-layer portion 94. The sewn portion 12 of Embodiment 4 is separated outward in the left-and-right direction (toward the inner region of the tape) from the fastener elements 23. The stringer attachment edge 91 is bent at the sewn portion 12 such that the first strip portion 95 and the second strip portion 97 overlap in the upper-and-lower direction to form the double-layer portion 94. Therefore, the bent portion 96 is formed at a position close to the sewn portion 12.

[0135] In this case, a separation distance D3 between the sewn portion 12 and the fin portion 23b of each fastener element 23 in the left-and-right direction is preferably 3.0 mm or less. More preferably, the separation distance D3 is 2.0 mm or less, or 1.0 mm or less. The separation distance D3 is preferably 0.5 mm or more. In other words, the separation distance D3 is preferably 60% or less of the width of each fastener element 23 (here, the width excluding the width of the first and second fin portions) in the left-and-right direction. More preferably, the separation distance D3 is 40% or less, or 20% or less, of the width of each fastener element 23 excluding the fin portions in the left-and-right direction. The separation distance D3 is preferably 10% or more of the width of each fastener element 23 excluding the fin portions in the left-and-right direction. In Embodiment 4, unlike Embodiments 1 to 3, no flap is formed in the region between the position of the sewn portion 12 and the position of the bent portion 96. However, since the separation distance D3 is small, a waterproof region is provided between the sewn portion 12 and the fastener elements 23.

[0136] When the above-described separation distance D3 is 0.5 mm or more, or 10% or more of the width of each fastener element 23 excluding the fin portions in the left-and-right direction, the sewing needle does not easily come into contact with the fastener elements 23 during formation of the sewn portion 12 using the sewing machine. Thus, the fastener tape 22 can be smoothly and reliably sewn onto the stringer attachment edge 91 of the cloth piece 90 in the sewing process.

[0137] When the above-described separation distance D3 is 3.0 mm or less, or 60% or less of the width of each fastener element 23 excluding the fin portions in the left-and-right direction, the fastener tape 22 is not easily visible through the gap between the double-layer portion 94 and the fastener elements 23.

[0138] In the above-described slide fastener-attached clothing item 4 of Embodiment 4, the sewn portion 12 is disposed away from the fastener elements 23 in the left-and-right direction. However, since the separation distance D3 between the sewn portion 12 and the fastener elements 23 is as small as 3.0 mm or less, the fastener tape 22 is not easily visible through the gap between the double-layer portion 94 and the fastener elements 23. Accordingly, adverse effects on, for example, the design and appearance quality of the clothing item due to the exposure of the fastener tape 22 can be eliminated or reduced.

[0139] In the slide fastener-attached clothing item 4 of Embodiment 4, similarly to Embodiment 1 described above, even when the fastener tape 22 itself is not waterproof, liquid does not easily penetrate through the slide fastener 20 due to the above-described waterproof region if at least the cloth piece 90 of the clothing item is waterproof.

[0140] For each of Embodiments 1 to 4, a rain test described below was performed to confirm that a waterproof region was formed between the sewn portion 12 and the fastener elements 23. The rain test was conducted under rain conditions in accordance with AATCC35 (24 in, 2 min). To eliminate the influence of water leakage through gaps between the fastener elements 23, a leakage prevention tape was applied to the front surfaces of the fastener elements 23 in the test. As a result of the rain test, the water permeability of the waterproof region was confirmed to be less than 0.1 g in each of Embodiments 1 to 4.

[0141] The present invention is not limited to Embodiments 1 to 4 described above, and various changes are possible as long as a configuration substantially the same as that of the present invention is provided and similar operational effects are obtained.

[0142] For example, in Embodiments 1 to 4, the slide fastener 20 and the fastener stringers 21 are formed by forming the independently shaped fastener elements 23 on the fastener tapes 22 by injection molding using a synthetic resin. However, in the present invention, the slide fastener and the fastener stringers may be formed by forming independently shaped fastener elements made of metal on the fastener tapes instead of the fastener elements 23 made of a synthetic resin.

[0143] In addition, although the slide fastener-attached clothing item is at least waterproof in Embodiments 1 to 4, it is not necessary that the slide fastener-attached clothing item be waterproof in the present invention. In addition, although the clothing item is described as a typical example of a product to which the slide fastener is attached in the embodiments, the slide fastener-attached product is not limited to a clothing item in the present invention. The slide fastener-attached product according to the present invention may be various products including apparel products other than clothing items, daily products, such as shoes and bags, industrial materials, and various seat products for automobiles, trains, and aircraft.

Reference Signs List

[0144] 1, 2 slide fastener-attached product (slide fastener-attached clothing item)

[0145] 3, 4 slide fastener-attached product (slide fastener-attached clothing item)

[0146] 10 fastener-receiving member (cloth piece)

[0147] 11 stringer attachment edge

[0148] 12 sewn portion

[0149] 14 double-layer portion

[0150] 15 first strip portion

[0151] 16 bent portion

[0152] 17 second strip portion

[0153] 20 slide fastener

[0154] 21 fastener stringer

[0155] 22 fastener tape

[0156] 22a tape body

[0157] 22b core string

[0158] 23 fastener element

[0159] 23a element base

[0160] 23b fin portion

[0161] 24 first element section

[0162] 24a engagement head portion

[0163] 24b first fin portion

[0164] 24c first step portion

[0165] 25 second element section

[0166] 25a second body portion

[0167] 25b second fin portion

[0168] 25c element head portion

[0169] 25d second step portion

[0170] 26 element row

[0171] 31 first adhesive layer

[0172] 31a adhesive

[0173] 32 second adhesive layer

[0174] 32a adhesive

[0175] 40 slider

[0176] 41 slider body

[0177] 42 upper blade

[0178] 43 pull-tab attachment portion

[0179] 45 pull tab

[0180] 50 fastener-receiving member (cloth piece)

[0181] 51 stringer attachment edge

[0182] 54 double-layer portion

[0183] 55 first strip portion

[0184] 56 bent portion

[0185] 57 second strip portion

[0186] 70 fastener-receiving member (cloth piece)

[0187] 71 stringer attachment edge

[0188] 74 double-layer portion

[0189] 75 first strip portion

[0190] 76 bent portion

[0191] 77 second strip portion

[0192] 90 fastener-receiving member (cloth piece)

[0193] 91 stringer attachment edge

[0194] 94 double-layer portion

[0195] 95 first strip portion

[0196] 96 bent portion

[0197] 97 second strip portion

[0198] D1, D2, D3 separation distance

[0199] T thickness