Slide fastener with sealing function

Abstract

The present invention relates to a slide fastener including: a pair of fastener stringers, each of the pair of fastener stringers including a fastener tape and a fastener element row; and a slider for engagement and disengagement of fastener elements. Each of the fastener elements includes a base portion and a coupling portion, and a groove. Each of the pair of fastener stringers includes a seal part which is adhered to a surface portion of the fastener tape thereof and which extends beyond an edge portion of the fastener tape into the groove of the fastener element. The edge portion of the fastener tape of each of the pair of fastener stringers is located in the groove of the fastener element of the opposite fastener tape respectively, when the slide fastener is in an engaged state.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A slide fastener comprising:
 a pair of fastener stringers, each of the pair of fastener stringers comprising a fastener tape and a fastener element row attached to each of opposing side portions of the pair of fastener stringers; and   a slider provided slidably at the fastener element row of each of the pair of fastener stringers for engagement and disengagement of fastener elements,   wherein each of the fastener elements comprises a base portion attached to the respective fastener tape and a coupling portion for engagement with another coupling portion of an opposite fastener element, and a groove facing an opposite fastener tape and extending in a tape length direction is formed in the coupling portion of each of the fastener elements,   wherein each of the pair of fastener stringers comprises a seal part which is adhered to a surface portion of the fastener tape thereof and which extends beyond an edge portion of the fastener tape into the groove of the fastener element, the seal part of each of the pair of fastener stringers being in sealing abutment when the slide fastener is in an engaged state, and   wherein the edge portion of the fastener tape of each of the pair of fastener stringers is located in the groove of the fastener element of the opposite fastener tape respectively, when the slide fastener is in the engaged state.   
     
     
         2 . The slide fastener according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the fastener element comprises
 an upper portion provided on an upper side of the fastener stringer and having an upper base portion provided on an upper tape surface of the fastener tape and 
 a lower portion provided on a lower side of the fastener stringer and having a lower base portion provided on a lower tape surface of the fastener tape, and 
   wherein the fastener element further comprises a connecting portion connecting the upper and lower portions in an up-down direction perpendicular to the upper and lower tape surfaces and being provided outside the fastener tape at the edge portion thereof.   
     
     
         3 . The slide fastener according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the coupling portion comprises upper and lower coupling portions respectively extending from the upper and lower base portions towards the opposite fastener tape, and   wherein facing surfaces of the upper and lower coupling portions and a surface portion of the connecting portion form a boundary of the groove.   
     
     
         4 . The slide fastener according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the seal part covers a side surface portion of the base portion which extends in a direction away from the fastener tape in an up-down direction.   
     
     
         5 . The slide fastener according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the edge portion of the fastener tape comprises a core thread.   
     
     
         6 . The slide fastener according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the fastener tape of each of the pair of fastener stringers comprises a base sheet which is coated with and/or impregnated by a plastic material which is impermeable to fluid.   
     
     
         7 . The slide fastener according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein each of the fastener elements is made of a polyamide resin, the plastic material comprises a first polyurethane and the seal part comprises a second polyurethane.   
     
     
         8 . The slide fastener according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the seal part comprises a seal edge portion protruding over the fastener tape in a tape width direction and extending parallel to the edge portion of the fastener tape.   
     
     
         9 . A method for manufacturing the slide fastener according to  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 providing a pair of base sheets for the fastener tape for each of the pair of fastener stringers;   covering at least one of upper and lower surfaces of each of the base sheets with a plastic material to thereby obtain the fastener tape for each of the pair of fastener stringers;   attaching the fastener element row for each of the pair of fastener stringers to each of the opposing side portions for the pair of fastener stringers; and   for the fastener tape for each of the pair of fastener stringers, adhering the seal part to the surface portion of the fastener tape so as to extend beyond the edge portion of the fastener tape into the groove of the fastener element.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the covering at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of each of the base sheets with the plastic material comprises extruding the plastic material onto each of the base sheets,   wherein the attaching the fastener element row for each of the pair of fastener stringers to each of the opposing side portions for the pair of fastener stringers comprises injecting the fastener elements onto the fastener tape for each of the pair of fastener stringers, and   wherein the adhering the seal part to the surface portion comprises injecting the seal part onto the surface portion of the fastener tape and into the groove of the fastener element.