Ykk Corporation

Matthew Rawstron

Shigeyoshi Takazawa

Steven Thomas

Shigeki Annaka

Alicia Treacy

A top stop for a slide fastener includes a first body portion, which includes a channel having an inlet at a first side of the top stop and an outlet at a second side of the top stop. The channel is defined by a channel first side wall and a channel second side wall, and a channel bottom surface therebetween. The channel second side wall includes a protruding portion, which defines an abutment protrusion in the channel. A distance parallel to the longitudinal axis of the top stop between the channel first side wall and channel second side wall defines a channel width. The channel width extending from the abutment protrusion to the channel first side wall is less than the channel width at the inlet and the channel width at the outlet.

Top stop for slide fastener chain and method of disengaging slider from slide fastener

A slide fastener chain includes first and second rows of coupling elements mounted on first and second longitudinal edges of the first and second fastener tapes. When the first and second rows of coupling elements are interdigitated, the first and second longitudinal edges remain spaced apart, and a first coupling element of the first row is received between two adjacent coupling elements of the second row such that: the groove of the first coupling element receives, in a first contact region, a portion of the second longitudinal edge, one of the grooves of the adjacent coupling elements receives, in a fourth contact region, a first portion of the first longitudinal edge, and another of the grooves of the adjacent coupling elements receives, in a fifth contact region, a second portion of the first longitudinal edge.

Slide fastener chain and slide fastener

A slide fastener includes first and second stringers, an intermediate body, a first slider, and a second slider. The first and second stringers are separated by a first lateral distance in a first longitudinal portion, the first and second stringers are separated by a second lateral distance in a second longitudinal portion. A transition portion extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal extent of the intermediate body interposes the first and second longitudinal portions, and the second lateral distance is greater than the first lateral distance.

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Runcorn, United Kingdom

Matthew Rawstron