Slide fastener tape with molded zipper teeth and methods of making same

Abstract

A molded-teeth slide fastener tape for use in a slide fastener assembly includes a woven portion and a plurality of resin-based teeth. The woven portion includes a cord arranged along an edge thereof and a plurality of spaced-apart perforations, disposed adjacent to the cord, which pass completely through the woven portion. Each of the plurality of resin-based teeth is integrally molded to the woven portion along the cord. Each molded tooth encompasses at least a portion of at least one of the spaced-apart perforations so that each molded tooth extends through the at least one of the spaced-apart perforations and fully around a cross-sectional shape of the cord.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A molded-teeth slide fastener tape for use in a slide fastener assembly comprising:
 a woven portion including a cord arranged along an edge thereof and a plurality of spaced-apart perforations, disposed adjacent to the cord, which pass completely through the woven portion; and   a plurality of resin-based teeth integrally molded to the woven portion along the cord;   wherein each molded tooth encompasses at least a portion of at least one of the spaced-apart perforations so that each molded tooth extends through the at least one of the spaced-apart perforations and fully around a cross-sectional shape of the cord.   
     
     
         2 . The molded-teeth slide fastener tape of  claim 1 , wherein the spaced-apart perforations are evenly spaced from one another. 
     
     
         3 . The molded-teeth slide fastener tape of  claim 1 , wherein each of the perforations has an elongated shape. 
     
     
         4 . The molded-teeth slide fastener tape of  claim 1 , wherein each of the perforations has a generally circular shape. 
     
     
         5 . The molded-teeth slide fastener tape of  claim 1 , wherein each molded tooth fully encompasses one of the plurality of spaced-apart perforations. 
     
     
         6 . The molded-teeth slide fastener tape of  claim 5 , wherein each molded tooth fully encompasses only a single respective one of the plurality of spaced-apart perforations. 
     
     
         7 . The molded-teeth slide fastener tape of  claim 1 , wherein each molded tooth fully encompasses multiple ones of the plurality of spaced-apart perforations. 
     
     
         8 . A method of making a molded-teeth slide fastener tape comprising:
 weaving a slide fastener tape including a cord arranged along an edge thereof;   forming a plurality of spaced-apart perforations through the woven slide fastener tape adjacent to the cord; and   integrally molding a plurality of resin-based teeth to the woven slide fastener tape so that a resin forming each tooth fills at least a portion of at least one of the spaced-apart perforations and, thereby, extends fully around a cross-sectional shape of the cord.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein forming the plurality of spaced-apart perforations includes puncturing the woven slide fastener tape with a hot needle perforator. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein forming the plurality of spaced-apart perforations includes punching through the woven slide fastener tape with a mechanical punch. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein forming the plurality of spaced-apart perforations includes, during the weaving step:
 stopping one or more first consecutive weft yarns short of the cord to establish a gap in the slide fastener tape;   passing one or more second consecutive weft yarns, immediately adjacent to the one or more first consecutive weft yarns, fully to the cord to close the gap, the one or more first consecutive weft yarns and the one or more second consecutive weft yarns establishing a weft yarn sequence; and   repeating the weft yarn sequence to form a pattern of perforations adjacent to the cord, each perforation corresponding to one of the gaps established by the one or more first consecutive weft yarns of the weft yarn sequence.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the one or more first consecutive weft yarns of the weft yarn sequence includes four consecutive weft yarns; and   the one or more second consecutive weft yarns of the weft yarn sequence includes two consecutive weft yarns.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a length dimension of each of the plurality of spaced-apart perforations is defined by a quantity of the one or more first consecutive weft yarns of the weft yarn sequence. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein spacing between each of the plurality of spaced-apart perforations is defined by a quantity of the one or more second consecutive weft yarns of the weft yarn sequence. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a width of each of the plurality of spaced-apart perforations is defined by a distance by which the one or more first consecutive weft yarns are stopped short of the cord. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising precisely positioning the slide fastener tape relative to a molding machine so that a mold for each individual tooth fully encompasses only a single respective one of the plurality of spaced-apart perforations. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising positioning the slide fastener tape relative to a molding machine so that a mold for each individual tooth fully encompasses multiple ones of the plurality of spaced-apart perforations. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the resin is a thermoplastic resin. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the spaced-apart perforations are evenly spaced from one another. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein each of the spaced-apart perforations has an elongated shape. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein each of the spaced-apart perforations has a generally circular shape.