EP1095583A1

EP1095583A1 - Orientable pull-tab

Info

Publication number: EP1095583A1
Application number: EP00114116A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Maria Rosa Moreschi
Original assignee: Accessorio Piu' Srl
Current assignee: Accessorio Piu' Srl
Priority date: 1999-10-26
Filing date: 2000-07-10
Publication date: 2001-05-02
Also published as: ITMI990649U1; ITMI990649V0

Abstract

An orientable pull-tab (1) comprising a body (2) which has, at one end, a seat (4) for the engagement of engagement means (5) formed at a lower end of a coupling element (3) adapted to be coupled to the body, the engagement means being adapted to allow an oscillating movement of the body with respect to the coupling element.

Description

The present invention relates to an orientable pull-tab, particularly for items of clothing, leather goods and the like.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a pull-tab adapted for zippers of items of clothing and the like.
As known, conventional zippers are provided with a pull-tab which allows the movement of the slide of the zipper which engages the toothed edges of the zipper in order to allow to close and open it.
Such pull-tabs are generally constituted by a body having, at one end, an annular element which is closed around a hole provided in the slide of the zipper, so that the body of the pull-tab can be gripped by the user in order to move the slide of the zipper.
However, conventional pull-tabs suffer the drawback that the pull-tab can jam in the hole of the slide, and therefore the user is unable to perform immediate opening, since he is forced to correctly arrange the pull-tab in order to open or close the zipper.
This drawback can be particularly awkward for example for sports clothing, with which the user sometimes wears gloves, therefore making this operation extremely difficult for him.
The aim of the present invention is to provide an orientable pull-tab, particularly for items of clothing, leather goods and the like, which allows the pull-tab to be always in a useful position for opening or closing the zipper with which it is associated.
Within the scope of this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a pull-tab which can be manufactured easily and at low cost.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pull-tab whose function is achieved regardless of the orientation of the pull-tab with respect to the slide of the zipper with which it is associated.
These and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by an orientable pull-tab, characterized in that it comprises a body which has, at one end, a seat for the engagement of engagement means formed at a lower end of a coupling element which is designed to be coupled to said body, said engagement means being adapted to allow an oscillating movement of said body with respect to said coupling element.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a pull-tab according to the invention, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is an exemplifying partial front view of the pull-tab according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a view, similar to Figure 1, of the pull-tab with its coupling element in a first movement position; and
Figure 3 is a view of the pull-tab according to the invention, shown in Figures 1 and 2, with the coupling element of the pull-tab arranged in a second operating position.
With reference to the above-cited figures, the pull-tab according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a pull-tab body 2 which can have any shape, for example the shape of a parallelepiped, a cylinder, a cylinder with a rounded end portion, and the like.
The body 2 of the pull-tab has, at one of its ends which is adapted to be coupled to a coupling element 3, an appropriately provided seat 4 which is adapted to accommodate engagement means 5 provided at the lower end of the coupling element 3. The coupling element instead has, in an upward region, for example, an annular portion 6 which allows the locking of the coupling element 3 to the slide of a zipper (not shown).
The particularity of the invention further resides in the fact that the body 2 of the pull-tab is provided with the seat 4 and in that the engagement means 5, provided below the body of the coupling element 3, are adapted to allow both a rotary motion of the body 2 of the pull-tab with respect to the coupling element 3 and a movement of the body on a plane which passes through the diametrical axis of the body 2 of the pull-tab and of the body of the coupling element 3.
In particular, the engagement means 5 are conveniently constituted, for example, by a spherical head adapted to engage the seat 4 which is shaped accordingly, with upper edges which are adapted to prevent the escape of the spherical head 5 of the coupling element 3 once the head has been accommodated in the seat 4 of the body 2 of the pull-tab.
In practice, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the body 2 of the pull-tab can rotate through 360° with respect to the coupling element 3 and the body 2 of the pull-tab can further perform a movement on a plane which passes through the diametrical axis of the body 2 of the pull-tab and of the coupling element 3.
This allows a 360° rotation of the body 2 of the pull-tab with respect to the coupling element 3, and the seat 4 which is larger than the spherical head 5 allows to tilt and oscillate the coupling element 3 in any intended direction with respect to a diametrical axis of the body 2 of the pull-tab.
The complete freedom of movement of the pull-tab body and of the coupling element therefore allow the user to always grip the pull-tab in the correct position so as to move the slide of the zipper with which the pull-tab is associated.
Advantageously, the seat 4 is concave so that the tangents of its upper edges intersect in a point of space which lies outside the seat.
In practice it has been found that the pull-tab according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects, since it allows the user to have an orientable oscillating pull-tab which never runs the risk of jamming in contact with the slide of the zipper with which it is associated, thus providing faster opening and closure of said zipper.
In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.
The disclosures in Italian Utility Model Application No. MI99U000649 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

An orientable pull-tab, particularly for items of clothing, leather goods and the like, characterized in that it comprises a body which has, at one end, a seat for the engagement of engagement means formed at a lower end of a coupling element designed to be coupled to said body, said engagement means being adapted to allow an oscillating movement of said body with respect to said coupling element.
The pull-tab according to claim 1, characterized in that said engagement means comprise a spherical head adapted to be engaged in said seat formed in the upper end of said body, in order to allow a rotating movement through 360° of said body with respect to said coupling element.
The pull-tab according to claim 2, characterized in that said seat of said body is larger than said spherical head and is adapted to retain said spherical head so that it is free to move therein, preventing its disengagement.
The pull-tab according to claim 1, characterized in that said seat of said body is concave so that the tangents of its upper edges intersect in a point of space which lies outside said seat.
The pull-tab according to claim 1, characterized in that said coupling element comprises, at the opposite end of said spherical head, an annular portion for engagement with the slide of a zipper.