Modified Adhesive Zipper Device

Abstract

A modified adhesive zipper device. The device has two flexible stringers with rows of teeth and an adhesive substance coated on the flexible stringers. The device has a slider and one or two pull tabs for actuation of the slider. The device has stopping means that inhibit the ability of the pull tabs to rotate away from the longitudinal axis of the device, and thereby prevent contact between the pull tabs and the adhesive substance coated on the flexible stringers.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . An adhesive zipper device comprising:
 two flexible stringers
 where each of the flexible stringers is coated with an adhesive substance on at least one planar side of the device and the adhesive substance runs along the length of the stringers on said planar side, and where each of the flexible stringers is provided with a row of teeth attached to the stringer in staggered fashion along the abutting edges of the stringers; 
   a slider
 having at least one pull tab connection member that rises from the planar surface of the slider on the same planar side of the device as the planar side on which each of the stringers are coated with adhesive substance, wherein the pull tab connection member has a transverse opening in said pull tab connection member, and where said slider also contains a Y-shaped internal channel in the center of the slider through which the rows of teeth may pass in order to be reversibly interlocked with each other as the slider is moved lengthwise along a longitudinal axis of the adhesive zipper device that is defined by the abutting edges of the two flexible stringers at the location where the rows of teeth are interlocked or disconnected inside the slider by actuation of the slider; 
   a pull tab
 that is connected to the slider by a trunnion member that passes through the transverse opening in the pull tab connection member, and also having a pull tab opening that is an aperture through the pull tab that accommodates the body of the pull tab connection member that is disposed within the pull tab opening; 
   pull tab stopping means
 that inhibit rotation of the pull tab away from the longitudinal axis of the adhesive zipper device and thereby inhibit rotation of the pull tab toward the stringers and prevent contact between the pull tab and the adhesive substance coated on the stringers; and 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , where
 said pull tab opening surrounds the cross sectional area of the pull tab connection member and where part of the pull tab that wholly or partially defines the pull tab opening serves as the trunnion member of the pull tab that passes through the transverse opening in the pull tab connection member, and where the pull tab stopping means for inhibiting rotation of the pull tab away from said longitudinal axis of the device is comprised of raised protrusions on the pull tab, where at least one of said raised protrusions is located on each side of the pull tab connection member and where the raised protrusions are of sufficient elevation above the planar surface of the pull tab that one of them will come into contact with the pull tab connection member should the pull tab begin to rotate away from the longitudinal axis of the device during movement of the slider, thereby inhibiting rotation of the pull tab away from the longitudinal axis of the device and inhibiting rotation of the pull tab toward the stringers during movement of the slider.   
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , where
 said raised protrusions are two longitudinal raised protrusions on the pull tab with one of the longitudinal raised protrusions located on one of the sides of the pull tab opening and the other raised longitudinal protrusion located on the opposing side of the pull tab opening and where the said two longitudinal protrusions are of sufficient elevation from the planar surface of the pull tab to form a raised channel around the pull tab connection member where the raised channel serves as the pull tab stopping means such that if the pull tab begins to rotate away from the device's longitudinal axis during movement of the slider, one of the longitudinal raised protrusions will come into contact with the pull tab connection member thereby inhibiting rotation of the pull tab away from the longitudinal axis of the device and inhibiting rotation of the pull tab toward the stringers during movement of the slider.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , where
 said trunnion member is a pivot trunnion member located at a distal end of the pull tab with said pivot trunnion member being pivotably disposed within a transverse opening in a pull tab connection member where the shape and cross sectional area of the pivot trunnion member and the transverse opening are substantially the same and where the disposition of the pivot trunnion member within a transverse opening of the pull tab connection member allows for the pull tab to be pivoted around an axis running through the center of the transverse opening such that the pull tab may be pivoted in a vertical plane with the device's longitudinal axis, and where disposition of the pivot trunnion member within the transverse opening having substantially the same cross sectional area and shape as the pivot trunnion member serves as the pull tab stopping means that prevents the pull tab from rotating away from the longitudinal axis of the device and prevents rotation of the pull tab toward the stringers during movement of the slider.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , where
 the pull tab connection member has a cross sectional area that is not purely circular in shape, where the pull tab opening surrounds the cross sectional area of the pull tab connection member, and where the pull tab opening is of substantially the same shape and cross sectional area as the pull tab connection member such that the body of the pull tab connection member serves as a track along which the pull tab is free to travel toward the front or back of the slider and in the same vertical plane as the longitudinal axis of the fastener, but where the substantially same shape and cross sectional area of the pull tab opening and the pull tab connection member serves as pull tab stopping means and prevents the pull tab from rotating away from the longitudinal axis of the device and prevents rotation of the pull tab toward the stringers during movement of the slider.   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , where
 said pull tab further comprises a pull tab hole that is a second aperture through the pull tab, and where said slider has a slider body protrusion that rises up from the planar surface of the slider, and where said slider body protrusion has a cross sectional area and shape and is also of sufficient elevation from the planar surface of the slider such that the slider body protrusion will fit into the pull tab hole and such that when the slider body protrusion is engaged in male-female orientation with the pull tab hole the slider body protrusion will serve as pull tab stopping means and will come into contact with an edge of the pull tab hole thereby inhibiting rotation of the pull tab away from the longitudinal axis of the device and inhibiting rotation of the pull tab toward the stringers during movement of the slider.   
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second pull tab connection member
 wherein the second pull tab connection member is located on the opposite planar side of the device from the first pull tab connection member and is a mirror-image of the first pull tab connection member and has all of the same features as the first pull tab connection member, but extends outwardly from the opposite planar surface of the slider than the first pull tab connection member; and 
 
 a second pull tab
 wherein the second pull tab is located on the opposite planar side of the device from the first pull tab, and where the second pull tab is connected to the slider by a trunnion member that passes through the transverse opening in the second pull tab connection member, where the second pull tab also has a pull tab opening that is an aperture through the second pull tab that accommodates the body of the second pull tab connection member that is disposed within the pull tab opening of the second pull tab, and where the second pull tab otherwise provides the same features as the first pull tab, but in mirror-image of the first pull tab and is located on the opposite planar side of the device. 
 
 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 2  further comprising:
 a second pull tab connection member
 wherein the second pull tab connection member is located on the opposite planar side of the device from the first pull tab connection member and is a mirror-image of the first pull tab connection member and has all of the same features as the first pull tab connection member, but extends outwardly from the opposite planar surface of the slider than the first pull tab connection member; and 
 
 a second pull tab
 wherein the second pull tab is located on the opposite planar side of the device from the first pull tab, and where the second pull tab is connected to the slider by a trunnion member that passes through the transverse opening in the second pull tab connection member, where the second pull tab also has a pull tab opening that is an aperture through the second pull tab that accommodates the body of the second pull tab connection member that is disposed within the pull tab opening of the second pull tab, and where the second pull tab otherwise provides the same features as the first pull tab, but in mirror-image of the first pull tab and is located on the opposite planar side of the device. 
 
 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 3  further comprising:
 a second pull tab connection member
 wherein the second pull tab connection member is located on the opposite planar side of the device from the first pull tab connection member and is a mirror-image of the first pull tab connection member and has all of the same features as the first pull tab connection member, but extends outwardly from the opposite planar surface of the slider than the first pull tab connection member; and 
 
 a second pull tab
 wherein the second pull tab is located on the opposite planar side of the device from the first pull tab, and where the second pull tab is connected to the slider by a trunnion member that passes through the transverse opening in the second pull tab connection member, where the second pull tab also has a pull tab opening that is an aperture through the second pull tab that accommodates the body of the second pull tab connection member that is disposed within the pull tab opening of the second pull tab, and where the second pull tab otherwise provides the same features as the first pull tab, but in mirror-image of the first pull tab and is located on the opposite planar side of the device. 
 
 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 4  further comprising:
 a second pull tab connection member
 wherein the second pull tab connection member is located on the opposite planar side of the device from the first pull tab connection member and is a mirror-image of the first pull tab connection member and has all of the same features as the first pull tab connection member, but extends outwardly from the opposite planar surface of the slider than the first pull tab connection member; and 
 
 a second pull tab
 wherein the second pull tab is located on the opposite planar side of the device from the first pull tab, and where the second pull tab is connected to the slider by a pivot trunnion member that passes through the transverse opening in the second pull tab connection member, where the second pull tab also has a pull tab opening that is an aperture through the second pull tab that accommodates the body of the second pull tab connection member that is disposed within the pull tab opening of the second pull tab, and where the second pull tab otherwise provides the same features as the first pull tab, but in mirror-image of the first pull tab and is located on the opposite planar side of the device. 
 
 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 5  further comprising:
 a second pull tab connection member
 wherein the second pull tab connection member is located on the opposite planar side of the device from the first pull tab connection member and is a mirror-image of the first pull tab connection member and has all of the same features as the first pull tab connection member, but extends outwardly from the opposite planar surface of the slider than the first pull tab connection member; and 
 
 a second pull tab
 wherein the second pull tab is located on the opposite planar side of the device from the first pull tab, and where the second pull tab is connected to the slider by a trunnion member that passes through the transverse opening in the second pull tab connection member, where the second pull tab also has a pull tab opening that is an aperture through the second pull tab that accommodates the body of the second pull tab connection member that is disposed within the pull tab opening of the second pull tab, and where the second pull tab otherwise provides the same features as the first pull tab, but in mirror-image of the first pull tab and is located on the opposite planar side of the device. 
 
 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 6  further comprising:
 a second pull tab connection member
 wherein the second pull tab connection member is located on the opposite planar side of the device from the first pull tab connection member and is a mirror-image of the first pull tab connection member and has all of the same features as the first pull tab connection member, but rises from the opposite planar surface of the slider than the first pull tab connection member; 
 
 a second pull tab
 wherein the second pull tab is located on the opposite planar side of the device from the first pull tab, and where the second pull tab is connected to the slider by a trunnion member that passes through the transverse opening in the second pull tab connection member, where the second pull tab also has a pull tab opening that is an aperture through the second pull tab that accommodates the body of the second pull tab connection member that is disposed within the pull tab opening of the second pull tab, and where the pull tab has a pull tab hole that is a second aperture through the pull tab, and where the second pull tab otherwise provides the same features as the first pull tab, but in mirror-image of the first pull tab and is located on the opposite planar side of the device; and 
 
 a second slider body protrusion
 wherein said second slider body protrusion is located on the same planar side of the device as the second pull tab connection member and the second pull tab, where the second slider body protrusion will fit into the pull tab hole such that when the slider body protrusion is engaged in male-female orientation with the pull tab hole of the second pull tab, the second slider body protrusion will serve as pull tab stopping means and will come into contact with an edge of the pull tab hole in the second pull tab, thereby inhibiting rotation of the second pull tab away from the longitudinal axis of the device and inhibiting rotation of the second pull tab toward the stringers during movement of the slider. 
 
 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the trunnion member is of substantially the same diameter and shape as the transverse opening through the pull tab connection member, and the diameter and shape of the pull tab connection member is substantially the same as the pull tab opening. 
     
     
         14 . An adhesive zipper device comprising:
 two flexible stringers
 where each of the flexible stringers is coated with an adhesive substance on at least one planar side of the device and the adhesive substance runs along the length of the stringers on said planar side, and where each of the flexible stringers is provided with a row of teeth attached to the stringer in staggered fashion along the abutting edges of the stringers; 
   a slider
 where said slider contains a Y-shaped internal channel in the center of the slider through which the rows of teeth may pass in order to be reversibly interlocked with each other as the slider is moved lengthwise along a longitudinal axis of the adhesive zipper device that is defined by the abutting edges of the two flexible stringers at the location where the rows of teeth are interlocked or disconnected inside the slider by actuation of the slider; and 
   a pull tab
 that is rigidly connected to the slider by weld or by being molded or cut from the same piece of material as the slider such that rotation of the pull tab away from the longitudinal axis of the adhesive zipper device is prevented and thereby rotation of the pull tab toward the stringers is also prevented. 
   
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14  further comprising:
 a second pull tab
 wherein the second pull tab is located on the opposite planar side of the device from the first pull tab, and where the second pull tab is rigidly connected to the slider by weld or by being molded or cut from the same piece of material as the slider such that rotation of the pull tab away from the longitudinal axis of the adhesive zipper device is prevented and thereby rotation of the pull tab toward the stringers is also prevented. 
 
 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 Removable release film that is placed on top of the adhesive substance that is coated on the two flexible stringers, where said release film can be removed prior to use of the device. 
 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 1  wherein there is no locking zipper mechanism located on the same planar side of the device as the adhesive substance such that the device does not contain a locking mechanism on that planar side that could disable the ability of the slider to be moved forward and backward in a lengthwise manner along the longitudinal axis of the device as a result of the orientation of the pull tab in relation to the slider. 
     
     
         18 . The method of using an adhesive zipper device to open and close openings within pieces of flexible material wherein the adhesive zipper device is provided with means for preventing a pull tab of the adhesive zipper device from rotating away from the longitudinal axis of the adhesive zipper device and coming into contact with the adhesive portions of the adhesive zipper device.