Ykk Corporation

Sadaji Okeya

Yoshio Matsuda

Hideyuki Matsushima

Tatsumi Wakai

Syuji Wakata

A reflecting warp-knit slide fastener tape is knitted with several kinds of knitting patterns. A marginal portion onto which fastener elements are attached extends along one longitudinal edge of the tape. The marginal portion is formed by tricot-stitch yarns, weft-inlaid yarns, and chain-stitch yarns which prevent the marginal portion from stretching. In the web portion, in addition to the tricot-stitch yarns and the weft-inlaid yarns one or more reflective members, which is in the form of a strip of retroreflective or light-reserve reflective film, are knitted in between wales contiguous to the marginal portion. The reflective members are sandwiched between the weft-inlaid and tricot-stitch yarns. The tricot-stitch yarns are transparent synthetic fiber yarns in order not to obstruct the reflecting feature of the reflective members. The resulting reflecting portion is exposed to the front surface of the tape continuously along its entire length, giving a neat appearance particularly suitable for the dress and the traffic-safety clothing as well.

Reflecting warp-knit tape for slide fastener

The present invention provides a warp-knit tape for a slide fastener which can well follow stretch and contraction of highly elastic cloth and is suitable for use in a state where the tape is sewn onto the highly elastic cloth, as a chain split and a puckering phenomenon are not generated. The warp-knit tape includes a coupling element mounting portion which is inelastic in a warp direction and a tape main body portion which is highly elastic in the warp direction. A buffer area including only weft in-laid yarns, for example, for intercepting influence of acts of the coupling element mounting portion and the main body portion on each other is defined between the mounting portion and the main body portion.

Warp-knit tape for slide fastener

Slide fastener chain

In a reflective warp-knit tape, a narrow-width warp-knit tape is knitted of chain-stitch yarns, which form loops along longitudinal wales of the warp-knit tape, and weft inlaid yarns. And a reflective film is knitted in the warp-knit tape at a selected interwale space by the weft inlaid yarns and additional weft inlaid yarns. A heat-melting film also is knitted in the warp-knit tape at another selected interwale space by the weft inlaid yarns. Alternatively, the heat-melting film may be substituted by heat-melting yarns inlaid in the wales. In another alternative form, all the knitting yarns of the warp-knit tape may be thermoplastic resin monofilament yarns so that the light-reflecting function of the tape can be improved.

Growing community of inventors

Toyama-ken, Japan

Sadaji Okeya