Stop for zipper arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10575601-B2
Application number	US-201615283615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2016
Priority date	Oct 2, 2015
Publication date	Mar 3, 2020
Grant date	Mar 3, 2020

Abstract

A garment or accessory includes a fabric portion including an opening and a zipper arrangement to selectively close the opening. The zipper arrangement includes a first toothed portion fixedly coupled to the fabric portion along the at least one opening, and a second toothed portion fixedly coupled to the fabric portion along the opening. The zipper arrangement also includes two sliders. Each slider is slidably received on each of the first toothed portion and the second toothed portion so as to selectively engage the first toothed portion with the second toothed portion and disengage the first toothed portion from the second toothed portion. The zipper arrangement also includes at least one stop formed by the first toothed portion and the second toothed portion such that the first toothed portion is non-releasably engaged with the second toothed portion at the at least one stop.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A zipper arrangement comprising:
a first toothed portion including a plurality of teeth provided along a first edge extending from a first end to a second end;
a second toothed portion including a plurality of teeth provided along a second edge extending between a first end and a second end;
and
a stop positioned between the first end and the second end, the stop provided by at least a first tooth of the first toothed portion non-releasably coupled to a second tooth of the second toothed portion.

2. The zipper arrangement of claim 1 further comprising a first slider positioned on a first side of the stop and a second slider positioned on a second side of the stop, wherein movement of the first slider in a first direction releasably couples the first toothed portion to the second toothed portion on the first side of the stop, and movement of the first slider in a second direction opposite the first direction decouples the first toothed portion from the second toothed portion on the first side of the stop.

3. The zipper arrangement of claim 2 wherein the stop blocks the first slider from moving to the second side of the stop.

4. The zipper arrangement of claim 1 wherein the first tooth is fused to the second tooth.

5. The zipper arrangement of claim 1 wherein the first tooth is adhered to the second tooth.

6. The zipper arrangement of claim 1 wherein the first tooth is sewn to the second tooth.

7. The zipper arrangement of claim 1 wherein the plurality of teeth are evenly and continuously spaced along the first toothed portion and the second toothed portion.

8. The zipper arrangement of claim 1 wherein the zipper arrangement is provided on a garment with a first pocket and a second pocket, wherein the stop separates the first pocket from the second pocket.

9. An article of apparel comprising:
at least one fabric portion including at least one opening; and
a zipper arrangement including:
a first toothed portion fixedly coupled to the at least one fabric portion along the at least one opening;
a second toothed portion fixedly coupled to the at least one fabric portion along the at least one opening;
at least two sliders, each slider slidably positioned on each of the first toothed portion and the second toothed portion so as to selectively couple teeth of the first toothed portion to teeth of the second toothed portion and decouple teeth of the first toothed portion from teeth of the second toothed portion; and
at least one stop formed by a non-releasable coupling of a first tooth of the first toothed portion and a second tooth of the second toothed portion such that the first tooth and the second tooth are permanently coupled to one another and the first toothed portion is non-releasably coupled to the second toothed portion at the at least one stop.

10. The article of apparel of claim 9 , wherein:
the at least one opening includes a first opening edge and a second opening edge,
the first toothed portion is fixedly coupled to the at least one fabric portion along the first opening edge, and
the second toothed portion is fixedly coupled to the at least one fabric portion along the second opening edge.

11. The article of apparel of claim 9 , wherein:
the at least one opening forms a first sub-opening on a first side of the at least one stop and a second sub-opening on a second side of the at least one stop.

12. The article of apparel of claim 11 , further comprising:
a first pocket accessible through the first sub-opening, and
a second pocket accessible through the second sub-opening.

13. The article of apparel of claim 11 , wherein the at least two sliders include a first slider slidably retained on the first and second toothed portions at the first sub-opening and a second slider slidably retained on the first and second toothed portions at the second sub-opening.

14. A zipper arrangement, comprising:
a first toothed portion including a plurality of first teeth;
a second toothed portion including a plurality of second teeth;
a stop formed by at least one of the plurality of first teeth non-releasably engaged with at least one of the plurality of second teeth at the stop such that the at least one of the plurality of first teeth are irremovable from the at least one of the plurality of second teeth without destruction thereof;
a first slider slidably received on the first toothed portion and the second toothed portion on a first side of the at least one stop to selectively engage the first toothed portion with the second toothed portion and disengage the first toothed portion from the second toothed portion on the first side of the stop; and
a second slider slidably received on the first toothed portion and the second toothed portion on a second side of the stop to selectively engage the first toothed portion with the second toothed portion and disengage the first toothed portion from the second toothed portion on the second side of the stop.

15. The zipper arrangement of claim 14 wherein at least one of the plurality of first teeth is fused or permanently adhered to at least one of the plurality of second teeth.

16. The zipper arrangement of claim 14 wherein the plurality of first teeth and the plurality of second teeth are evenly and continuously spaced between a first end and a second end of the zipper arrangement.

17. A method of making an article of apparel, the method comprising:
providing a zipper arrangement including a first edge and a second edge extending from a first end to a second end of the article of apparel, providing a first toothed portion along the first edge of the zipper arrangement and a second toothed portion extending along the second edge of the zipper arrangement, the first toothed portion including a plurality of first teeth, the second toothed portion including a plurality of second teeth; and
forming a stop in the zipper arrangement by non-releasably coupling at least one of the plurality of first teeth to at least one of the plurality of second teeth such that the at least one of the plurality of first teeth are irremovable from the at least one of the plurality of second teeth without destruction thereof.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the plurality of first teeth and the plurality of second teeth are evenly and continuously spaced between a first end and a second end of the zipper arrangement, and wherein the stop is formed at a position between the first end and the second end.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the stop is formed by fusing or permanently adhering the at least one of the plurality of first teeth to the at least one of the plurality of second teeth.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising, incorporating the zipper arrangement into the article of apparel with the stop positioned between a first pocket and a second pocket.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the stop is formed by deforming the at least one of the plurality of first teeth and/the at least one of the plurality of second teeth such that the at least one of the plurality of first teeth is non-releasably coupled to the at least one of the plurality of second teeth.

Assignees

• Under Armour Inc

Inventors

• Esposito Alisa
• Miller Merida

Classifications

• A41D27/201

  Pocket closures · CPC title

• A44B19/382 Primary

  "Two-way" or "double-acting" separable slide fasteners · CPC title