Patents Assigned to YKK Corporation
  • Slide fastener attachment method
    Patent number: 9661900
    Abstract: The slide fastener attachment method includes: integrating, by welding or bonding, a fastener chain to which a segmented slider has not been attached and a fastener receiving member, and attaching the slider to the fastener chain after the integration. Thus, welding work operation efficiency is improved, and reduction of production cost can be expected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Haruo Matsushima, Morimasa Yoneoka
  • Waterproof slide fastener
    Patent number: 9661902
    Abstract: A waterproof slide fastener with waterproof property in which covering the whole front and rear faces of a woven or knitted fastener tape with an elastomer, and fastener elements made of a thermoplastic resin are injection molded on the lateral edge of the fastener tape. In particular, a waterproof slide fastener that can maintain the watertightness and airtightness even when the fastener tape is bent in the lengthwise direction because, on the assumption that the minimum width between the outer end edges of the neck part of the fastener element in the lengthwise direction of the fastener tape that is a slide direction in which the slider slides is N and the width between the outer end edges of the body part of the fastener element in the same lengthwise direction is B, the value of B/N is between 2.5 and 3.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo Mikuma, Makoto Takayama, Hisashi Yoneshima
  • Side release buckle
    Patent number: 9655412
    Abstract: A side release buckle includes: a plug; and a socket, the plug including: a base; a pair of legs; and engaging portions, the socket including: a body; an insertion opening; a housing space; engaged portions; and a pair of guide surfaces. The guide surfaces, which are formed on an inner surface of the housing space and extend in an insertion direction of the legs while being opposed to each other, each include: a squeezing portion formed continuously with corresponding one of the engaged portions; and a guiding portion formed between the squeezing portion and the insertion opening. An interval between the guiding portions-near the engaged portions is wider than an interval between the squeezing portions near the engaged portions. An inclination angle of each guiding portion to an insertion direction of the plug is smaller than an inclination angle of each of the squeezing portion to the insertion direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Madoka Nanbu, Ryoichiro Uehara
  • Slide Fastener Chain and Method of Preparing Slide Fastener Chain
    Publication number: 20170135447
    Abstract: A slide fastener chain includes a first tape and a second tape. A row of coupling elements is fixed along an inner edge of the first tape. A row of coupling elements is fixed along an inner edge of the second tape. The coupling elements of the first and second tapes being arranged such that the coupling elements of the first tape interdigitate with coupling elements of the second tape so as to secure the first and second tapes together. The chain includes a bottom stop. At least one of the tapes is provided with an extension portion which extends beyond a bottom stop portion of the tape. A width of the extension portion is less than a width of a portion of the tape which does not form part of the extension portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Applicant: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Tamura, Haruo Matsushima
  • Apparatus for Attaching an Item to One or More Substrates
    Publication number: 20170105492
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for attaching an item to a substrate, using a prong ring with a ring and two or more prongs. When attached, the prongs extends from the ring on a first side of the substrate through such substrate and being bent. A lower die is positioned to approach the first side of the substrate. An upper die is on a second side of the substrate. The substrate is placed in a manner substantially perpendicular to the attaching movement of the upper and lower dies and a first redirecting member for redirecting the prongs which are bent inwardly. The first redirecting member cooperates with an abutting member positioned along the approach of the prong ring towards the first side of the substrate for inhibiting movement of the prong ring towards the substrate while the first redirecting member is used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Applicant: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Markus Wetzel, Rainer Siegemund
  • Method of manufacturing portion of slide fastener
    Patent number: 9622551
    Abstract: A first tape having a first edge is provided. The first tape is provided with a row of coupling elements along the first edge of the first tape. The coupling elements are configured to interdigitate with a further row of coupling elements. A first layer of a fluid resistant material is attached to the first tape. An extending layer of a fluid resistant material is attached to the first layer. The extending layer forms an extension member including a first overhang portion which extends beyond a second edge opposite the first edge. The first layer of the fluid resistant material is attached to the first tape and the extending layer is attached to the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Gonda, Steven Thomas
  • Buckle
    Patent number: 9615633
    Abstract: A buckle which includes a socket and a plug. The socket includes: a cylindrical main body; a hollow part formed within the main body; a pair of left and right openings continuous to the hollow part and penetrating through wall parts of the main body; and a pair of left and right first latch surfaces defined on opening-side wall surfaces of the wall parts of the main body and inclined in a direction intersecting with an insertion direction of the plug. The plug includes: a base; arms; and a pair of left and right second latch surfaces protruding outward from outer sides of the arms and inclined in the direction intersecting with the insertion direction of the plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshinobu Takahashi
  • Upper die for fastening button
    Patent number: 9596900
    Abstract: A button-fastening upper die includes a die body, a button-holding member and a cylindrical elastic member arranged between the die body and the button-holding member. By providing the elastic member with an annular recess recessed radially outward from the inner surface e.g. at the middle of the surface, the elastic member is sectioned into a thin-walled section located radially outward from the recess and two or more thick-walled sections remaining above and below the recess and the thin-walled section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Hasegawa, Hiroyuki Sugiyama
  • Slide fastener
    Patent number: 9596909
    Abstract: In a slide fastener, a fastener tape is woven with a single-woven structure, and in the fastener tape, a double-woven region woven with a double-woven structure is formed along a tape longitudinal direction. An inner single-woven region and an outer single-woven region of the single-woven structure are formed at a tape inner edge side and a tape outer edge side of the double-woven region. Thus, even if the fastener tape makes contact with ridge line portions on a lower blade side of the slider when the slider is slid, weft yarns arranged in the double-woven region are less likely to be cut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichi Miyazaki, Shigeto Takahashi
  • Method of Producing a Fastener Element, Apparatus for Producing the Same, and Product
    Publication number: 20170071295
    Abstract: A monofilament having, in cross section, a first width and a second width being orthogonal to the first width and being greater than the first width is helically wound about the circumference surface of the mandrel. Each helical unit included in the configured helix of the monofilament includes a pair of legs, a first coupling portion coupled between said pair of legs, and a second coupling portion coupled between one leg of said pair of legs and the other leg of a pair of legs in an adjacent helical unit. The second width of said first coupling portion is oriented along the axial direction of the mandrel. The first coupling portion in each helical unit in the helix is pressed such that the second width of the first coupling portion is widened in its width direction, thereby forming an engagement head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi Arai, Yoshihiro Kohsaka, Takahiko Aoki, Takashi Mori
  • Slider for Slide Fastener
    Publication number: 20170071294
    Abstract: There is provided a slider for a slide fastener. The slider includes a slider body, an elastic body and a pull tab. The pull tab includes a shaft, a pull tab main body and a cam. The cam is configured to elastically deform the elastic body when the pull tab is laid down. The slider body includes an upper blade and a pair of pull tab attaching posts. The upper blade includes a recess portion and a crimping portion. The recess portion includes a pair of lateral recess portions and a center recess portion. The crimping portion protrudes from at least one of the lateral recess portions at a protruding location located at a center side relative to both front and rear ends of the center recess portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Takanori Ozawa, Mingsi Wang, Yuki Chayahara, Keiichi Keyaki
  • Slide fastener with angled elements
    Patent number: 9591897
    Abstract: Slide fasteners configured such that opposing elements engage with one another in a non-planar relationship. The elements may engage one another, for example but not limited to, at an angle between approximately 60 degrees and approximately 179 degrees. In some embodiments, each element includes a head and at least one shoulder with angle keeping surfaces and engagement surfaces that abut corresponding surfaces when engaging with a corresponding element to interlock the heads and shoulders of opposing elements. Slide fasteners of the invention may be well suited for use with curved surfaces, corners, ridge lines, edges, or the like of an article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventor: Suguru Ogura
  • Buckle
    Patent number: 9585441
    Abstract: A buckle including a male member; and a female member into which the male member can be inserted for engagement, when an external force in a direction opposite to the insertion direction is exerted on the male member after an engaging face of the male member and an engaged face of the female member being engaged, an engagement width between the engaging face and the engaged face becomes larger than an engagement width before the external force being exerted due to the elastic deformation of legs of the male member exposed through openings in an opposite direction to a side on which the legs faces each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Kaneko
  • Method for manufacturing slide fastener
    Patent number: 9585444
    Abstract: There is provided a slide fastener and a method for manufacturing a slide fastener. A slide fastener is provided with: a pair of fastener tapes; a pair of fastener element rows provided respectively on the opposing tape-side edges of the pair of fastener tapes and having a plurality of fastener elements; and a slider configured to engage and disengage the pair of fastener element rows with and from each other. Each of the fastener element rows is composed of a monofilament which is made of synthetic resin. The monofilament has, on the surface thereof, a surface layer which can be colored with dyes. A roughened surface having a number of concaves is formed on the surfaces of the surface layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Natsuki Kamada, Tadahiro Inomata, Shinji Matsuzawa
  • Waterproof slide fastener
    Patent number: 9572406
    Abstract: A waterproof slide fastener where first and second through-holes are drilled in a tape side edge portion of a waterproof tape at specific intervals from one another, and first and second halves of a fastener element are integrally connected to each other through first through-holes. A stopper includes a body portion and an extension portion extending from the body portion. First and second halves of the stopper straddle a pair of waterproof tapes and are integrally connected to each other through second through-holes. According to the waterproof slide fastener, a manufacturing step thereof can be simplified, and it is possible to effectively prevent water from entering the waterproof slide fastener even if it receives a lateral pulling force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo Tanaka, Makoto Takayama, Masamichi Hasegawa, Ryo Mikuma
  • Buckle
    Patent number: D778779
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventor: Takaaki Fujii
  • End stop for a slide fastener
    Patent number: D779374
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Hamada, Massimiliano Di Girolami
  • Slider cover for a slide fastener
    Patent number: D780623
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventor: Takayuki Inukai
  • End stop for a slide fastener
    Patent number: D780624
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Hamada, Massimiliano Di Girolami
  • Pull tab of a slide for slide fastener
    Patent number: D781177
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Masayoshi Kojima, Shinya Honda