Waterproof stringer and waterproof fastener

Abstract

Fastener stringer includes: a fastener tape; a fastener element arranged on a side edge portion of the fastener tape; and a covering member made of soft material and covering the fastener tape, the covering member comprising a sealing portion positioned on an opposite side of the fastener element with respect to the fastener tape in a thickness direction of the fastener tape. The covering member includes a flexible core sheet extending in a longitudinal direction of the fastener stringer. The core sheet is embedded in the soft material such that one surface of the core sheet is at least partially exposed or both surfaces of the core sheet are not exposed.

1 . A waterproof stringer comprising:
 a fastener tape woven from at least one weft thread and plural warp threads;   a coil-like element sewn to the fastener tape by a machine-sewn thread so as to be placed on a tape bottom surface of the fastener tape; and   a waterproof film laminated onto a tape top surface of the fastener tape on an opposite side of the coil-like element,   the fastener tape including:   an element-attachment portion overlapping the coil-like element in a thickness direction of the fastener tape; and   a tape main portion which is a remainder other than the element-attachment portion,   the machine-sewn thread including plural floating portions each floating over the tape top surface and floating out from a ground structure of the fastener tape, each floating portion having two sinking ends which sink toward the tape bottom surface of the fastener tape as being entrained by a sewing-machine needle which pierces the ground structure of the fastener tape, wherein   the ground structure of the fastener tape includes a twill weave that is formed to cross a boundary between the element-attachment portion and the tape main portion,   the floating portion extends to cross a rib and/or a groove between adjacent ribs of the twill weave in the element-attachment portion,   the waterproof stringer has a plurality of hollows each formed between the floating portions and corresponding to a piercing position of the sewing-machine needle, and   the plurality of hollows includes one hollow positioned between adjacent ones of the ribs or plural hollows each positioned between adjacent ones of the ribs.   
     
     
         2 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 1 , wherein the plural floating portions are arranged linearly,
 the ribs extend along diagonal straight lines relative to an arrangement direction of the floating portions, and   an angle between the arrangement direction of the floating portions and an extending direction of the rib is in a range between 10° and 30°.   
     
     
         3 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 1 , wherein each hollow of the plurality of hollows is observed as a hollow having an area of 0.2 mm 2  or less in an image showing unevenness of the tape top surface of the fastener tape. 
     
     
         4 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 1 , wherein an average area of the plurality of hollows is in a range between 0.1 mm 2  and 0.2 mm 2  in an image showing unevenness of the tape top surface of the fastener tape. 
     
     
         5 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 1 , wherein a median value in area distribution of the plurality of hollows is in a range between 0.3 mm 2  and 0.6 mm 2  in an image showing unevenness of the tape top surface of the fastener tape. 
     
     
         6 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of hollows includes at least one hollow surrounded by the floating portions and the ribs, the at least one hollow being observed in an image showing unevenness of the tape top surface of the fastener tape. 
     
     
         7 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 1 , wherein the twill weave is formed across an entire area of the element-attachment portion. 
     
     
         8 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 1 , wherein the twill weave is formed across an entire area of the tape main portion except for a tape edge region of the tape main portion, the tape edge region being located on an opposite side of the element-attachment portion. 
     
     
         9 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 1 , wherein the twill weave includes plural sub-zones with different extending directions of the ribs. 
     
     
         10 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 1 , wherein the machine-sewn thread is thicker than a width of the warp thread of the twill weave. 
     
     
         11 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 1 , wherein conditions of (a) and/or (b) is satisfied:
 (a) an arrangement direction of the floating portions matches or is parallel to an elongation direction of the waterproof stringer; and   (b) the coil-like element is sewn onto the fastener tape by double chain stitch, and the machine-sewn thread is a needle thread of the double chain stitch.   
     
     
         12 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 1 , wherein each hollow of the plurality of hollows is filled at least partially by an adhesive used for the lamination of the waterproof film onto the fastener tape. 
     
     
         13 . A waterproof fastener comprising:
 a pair of waterproof stringer each being the waterproof stringer of  claim 1 ; and   a slider for engaging and disengaging the pair of waterproof stringers.   
     
     
         14 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 2 , wherein each hollow of the plurality of hollows is observed as a hollow having an area of 0.2 mm 2  or less in an image showing unevenness of the tape top surface of the fastener tape. 
     
     
         15 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 14 , wherein the twill weave is formed across an entire area of the element-attachment portion. 
     
     
         16 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 15 , wherein the twill weave includes plural sub-zones with different extending directions of the ribs. 
     
     
         17 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 16 , wherein the coil-like element is sewn onto the fastener tape by double chain stitch, and the machine-sewn thread is a needle thread of the double chain stitch. 
     
     
         18 . The waterproof stringer of  claim 17 , wherein each hollow of the plurality of hollows is filled at least partially by an adhesive used for the lamination of the waterproof film onto the fastener tape.