Rail fastener and method of producing the same, and double fastener

Abstract

In a rail fastener, first and second mating portions are configured such that when the first and second mating portions are mated, a first contact surface of a first skin portion (or a first mating portion) and a second contact surface of a second skin portion (or a second mating portion) are brought into a pressure contact with each other at a location between first and second reinforcement sheets. The first contact surface is positioned outwardly of sheet than an inner edge of the first reinforcement sheet, and the second contact surface is positioned outwardly of sheet than an inner edge of the second reinforcement sheet.

1 . A rail fastener comprising:
 a first fastener stringer including a first attachment sheet and a first mating portion; and   a second fastener stringer including a second attachment sheet and a second mating portion, the first and second mating portions being mated to form a rail portion, wherein   the first attachment sheet includes a flexible first reinforcement sheet and a first skin portion, the first skin portion consisting of a same resin as the first mating portion and extending from the first mating portion so as to cover the first reinforcement sheet at least partially,   the second attachment sheet includes a flexible second reinforcement sheet and a second skin portion, the second skin portion consisting of a same resin as the second mating portion and extending from the second mating portion so as to cover the second reinforcement sheet at least partially, and   the first and second mating portions are configured such that when the first and second mating portions are mated, a first contact surface of the first skin portion or the first mating portion and a second contact surface of the second skin portion or the second mating portion are brought into a pressure contact with each other at a location between the first and second reinforcement sheets, the first contact surface positioned outwardly of sheet than an inner edge of the first reinforcement sheet, and the second contact surface positioned outwardly of sheet than an inner edge of the second reinforcement sheet.   
     
     
         2 . The rail fastener of  claim 1  in which the first contact surface of the first skin portion and the second contact surface of the second skin portion are brought into a pressure contact with each other at a location between the first and second reinforcement sheets when the first and second mating portions are mated, wherein the first mating portion is a male mating portion including at least a male protrusion, and the second mating portion is a female mating portion having an accommodation space for accommodating the male protrusion and being shaped to hinder removal of the male protrusion from the accommodation space. 
     
     
         3 . The rail fastener of  claim 2  wherein the female mating portion is arranged such that the accommodation space is located over the second reinforcement sheet. 
     
     
         4 . The rail fastener of  claim 3  wherein the female mating portion has a locking protrusion provided with a locking surface that hinders removal of the male protrusion from the female mating portion, the locking surface positioned over the second reinforcement sheet. 
     
     
         5 . The rail fastener of  claim 3  wherein the female mating portion includes a lower jaw and an upper jaw which are opposed to define the accommodation space,
 the lower jaw includes a lower locking protrusion protruding upward so as to have a lower locking surface, 
 the upper jaw includes an upper locking protrusion protruding downward so as to have an upper locking surface, 
 the male protrusion is an arrow-like protrusion having a neck and a head, the head having a lower locked portion protruding downward so as to have a lower locked surface and an upper locked portion protruding upward so as to have an upper locked surface, 
 the lower locking surface and the upper locking surface are positioned over the second reinforcement sheet. 
 
     
     
         6 . The rail fastener of  claim 5  wherein the lower locking surface is sloped so as to be closer to a connection between the lower jaw and the upper jaw as extending upward,
 the upper locking surface is sloped so as to be closer to the connection as extending downward, 
 the lower locked surface is sloped for contact with the lower locking surface, and 
 the upper locked surface is sloped for contact with the upper locking surface. 
 
     
     
         7 . The rail fastener of  claim 2  further comprising:
 a slider including: 
 a first wing; 
 a second wing; 
 a coupling pillar extending in an up-down direction between the first wing and the second wing so as to interconnect the first wing and the second wing; 
 first and second sidewalls extending along the up-down direction toward the second wing from both side edges of the first wing in a width direction of the slider; and 
 first and second inserts, respectively, protruding from the first and second sidewalls at a remote position from the first wing so as to approach one another in the width direction of the slider, wherein 
 the first insert is inserted into a first guide groove of the first fastener stringer, and the second insert is inserted into a second guide groove of the second fastener stringer. 
 
     
     
         8 . The rail fastener of  claim 7  wherein based on the insertion of the first insert into the first guide groove and the insertion of the second insert into the second guide groove, (i) the position of the male mating portion and the female mating portion inside the slider is restricted in the up-down direction and/or (ii) a fully mated body of the male mating portion and the female mating portion inside the slider are spaced from the first wing via an upper space and from the second wing via a lower space. 
     
     
         9 . The rail fastener of  claim 7  wherein the first attachment sheet and the second attachment sheet are shifted toward the first wing based on the insertion of the first insert into the first guide groove and the insertion of the second insert into the second guide groove. 
     
     
         10 . The rail fastener of  claim 7  wherein the female mating portion includes a pair of jaws opposed to define the accommodation space, and
 the pair of jaws do not touch the first wing and the second wing in a process of mating of the male mating portion and the female mating portion inside the slider. 
 
     
     
         11 .- 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The rail fastener of  claim 2  in which the female mating portion includes a pair of jaws opposed to define the accommodation space, the rail fastener further comprising a slider having a first wing, a second wing and a coupling pillar interconnecting the first wing and the second wing, wherein
 at least one of the first wing and the second wing has an accommodation groove that accommodates one of the pair of jaws being displaced as the male mating portion and the female mating portion are mated or unmated. 
 
     
     
         18 . The rail fastener of  claim 1  wherein the first contact surface includes a protruded surface that protrudes outwardly of sheet relative to the inner edge of the first reinforcement sheet and/or the second contact surface includes a protruded surface that protrudes outwardly of sheet relative to the inner edge of the second reinforcement sheet. 
     
     
         19 . The rail fastener of  claim 2  wherein the male mating portion further includes a closure wall to which the male protrusion is connected, and
 the male mating portion and the female mating portion are configured to have a third contact area when the male mating portion and the female mating portion are mated additionally to one or more first contact areas between the male protrusion and the female mating portion and a second contact area between the first contact surface and the second contact surface, 
 the closure wall and the female mating portion being in pressure contact with each other at the third contact area on an opposite side of the second contact area with respect to the male protrusion. 
 
     
     
         20 . The rail fastener of  claim 19  wherein the female mating portion includes a lower jaw and an upper jaw opposed to define the accommodation space, and the upper jaw and the closure wall are in pressure contact with each other at the third contact area. 
     
     
         21 . The rail fastener of  claim 20  wherein the male protrusion is an arrow-like protrusion having a neck and a head,
 the head including an upper locked portion and a lower locked portion, 
 the lower jaw includes a lower locking protrusion by which the lower locked portion is locked, 
 the upper jaw includes an upper locking protrusion by which the upper locked portion is locked, and 
 said one or more first contact areas include a contact area where the upper locked portion and the upper locking protrusion are in pressure contact with each other and a contact area where the lower locked portion and the lower locking protrusion are in pressure contact with each other. 
 
     
     
         22 . The rail fastener of  claim 21  wherein a length of the neck in an insertion direction of the male protrusion into the accommodation space of the female mating portion is less than a distance between a contact point of the upper locking protrusion with the closure wall and a lowermost point of the upper locking surface in a state where the upper locking protrusion is sandwiched between the closure wall and the upper locked portion, or is less than a minimum value of the distance. 
     
     
         23 . The rail fastener of  claim 1  wherein one of the following conditions (a)-(c) is satisfied:
 (a) the first and second reinforcement sheets each includes at least one material selected from a group consisting of a paper, a non-woven fabric, a woven fabric and a knitted fabric; 
 (b) the first reinforcement sheet is covered by the first skin portion on both sides thereof, and the second reinforcement sheet is covered by the second skin portion on both sides thereof; and 
 (c) a layer thickness of the first skin portion on at least one side of the first reinforcement sheet is equal to or less than a thickness of the first reinforcement sheet, and a layer thickness of the second skin portion on at least one side of the second reinforcement sheet is equal to or less than a thickness of the second reinforcement sheet. 
 
     
     
         24 . A double fastener comprising:
 a rail fastener of  claim 2 ;   a fastener chain stacked onto the rail fastener; and   a slider that has a first wing, a second wing and a coupling pillar extending in an up-down direction between the first wing and the second wing so as to interconnect the first wing and the second wing, wherein   the fastener chain includes a third fastener stringer stacked onto the first fastener stringer and a fourth fastener stringer stacked onto the second fastener stringer,   the third and fourth fastener stringers include first and second coil-like elements respectively which engage one another in synchronization with mating of the male mating portion and the female mating portion when the slider moves forward.   
     
     
         25 . The double fastener of  claim 24  in which the female mating portion includes a lower jaw and an upper jaw opposed to define the accommodation space, and the upper jaw is positioned farther than the lower jaw from the second attachment sheet, wherein
 the first wing has an accommodation groove that accommodates the upper jaw being displaced as the male mating portion and the female mating portion are mated or unmated. 
 
     
     
         26 . The double fastener of  claim 25  wherein the accommodation groove linearly extends from a position adjacent to a rear end of the coupling pillar to a rear end surface of the first wing. 
     
     
         27 .- 34 . (canceled)