Waterproof closure

Jan. 15, 1957 H. G. MORNER 2,777,181

WATERPROOF CLOSURE

Filed Sept. 15, 1951

<img file="US2777181A_D0001.tif" />

United States Patent Office

2,777,181

Patented Jan. 15, 1957

2,777,181

WATERPROOF CLOSURE

Hans George Morner, Scarsdale, N. Y.

Application September 15, 1951, Serial No. 246,730

Claims. (Cl. 24—201)

The present invention relates to a novel and improved waterproof, separable closure member, particularly adapted for use in sealing a garment opening against the entrance of water.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set |μ. forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the ap) pended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation showing the present preferred and illustrative embodiment of my invention as applied to the closure of an opening in a garment or container formed of flexible material;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2—2 of Figure 1 and showing the parts in separated position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3—3 of Figure 1 and showing the parts in closed position and including a view of the slidable closing member;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the closing slide;

Figure 4a is a similar view of a modification; and

Figure 5 is a rear end view of the closing slide shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel and improved flexible, waterproof and substantially airtight separable closure member which is especially adapted for use with garments, containers and the like, formed of flexible material, and which can be easily opened and closed and forms the opening for the article to which the closure member is attached. A further object of the invention is the provision of a watertight, flexible closure member which can be made smaller than those of the prior art and which forms an unusually secure closure, resisting relatively great strains and a high .....-y degree of flexing without coming apart, and yet which can be easily opened and closed when it is desired to do so. Still another object of the invention is the provi: sion of a novel and improved slide member to coact with \ a flexible separable closure member so as to easily and readily open and close the mating members of a flexible separable fastener.

In certain respects the present invention is an improvement on the closure members described and shown in my prior Patents Nos. 2,306,488 granted December 29, 1942, and 2,355,816 granted August 15, 1944, but in other respects the present invention , is of more general application and is suited to many uses which were not completely satisfied by the closures of my prior inventions.

In general the closure members of the present invention comprise a pair of members which are preferably substantially identical and which extend longitudinally and are each provided with laterally extending lip portions between which extend a plurality of generally rounded 5 projecting ribs or male members and a similar plurality of generally rounded grooves or female members, the male members being slightly larger in cross section than the grooves of the female members whereby a tight seal is achieved as the male members are fully seated in the 10 female members. Thereby all of the male members are tightly compressed to form a plurality of sealing surfaces which are waterproof, flexible, and substantially airtight, at the same time resisting to a high degree any tendency of the male portions to become unseated as the two clo15 sure members are strained, flexed or otherwise subjected to relative strain or movement in use. Each of the members on its side opposite the male and female members are provided with a relatively wide surface and one edge or laterally extending lip portion of each of the members 20 forms an attaching edge by which the closure member may be stitched, cemented or otherwise attached to the edge of the garment or container opening to be closed. The flexible closure members are preferably formed of a highly flexible, stable, waterproof and resistant, elasto25 meric material of good strength such as vulcanized soft rubber, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate polymer, or the like. Usually the flexible material will be suitably plasticized and colored, as desired, and will be of such flexibility as is needed to allow the material to be bent readily. I 30 prefer to use the vinyl plastic compounds which are thermoplastic and are especially adapted to be molded by extrusion, and which hold their shape over a wide temperature range, and retain their flexibility at extremely low temperatures while retaining good strength properties 35 at relatively high temperatures, such as 150° F.

For opening and closing the mating closure members, a slide member is provided which is adapted to run along the length of the closure members, one portion of the slide lying between the two closure members, while 40 other portions of the slide overlie and substantially enclose the closure members, being guided thereby. As the slide is moved in one direction, these overlying portions press the closure members into full engagement with each other just as the slide passes over each portion of 45 the pair of closure members, while movement of the slide in the opposite direction causes the closure members to be peeled away from each other, thereby opening the closure. The slide member is preferably provided, in accordance with the present invention with a central por50 tion at its trailing end as it moves in closing direction, this central portion exerting an additional force on the closure members opposite one of the male portions so that an extra force is exerted on one of the male members to force it into the corresponding female groove. This 55 unequal force exerted on one of the two or more male members facilitates the closing action and reduces greatly the force required to close the closure compared with the force which would be required to push the two or more male members simultaneously into the correspond60 ing female grooves.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred and illustrative embodiment of the invention as shown in detail in the accompanying drawings, the closure is shown as applied to the waterproof closure of an opening in a garment, such as a shirt, life-preserving suit, raincoat, 70 overshoe or the like, although the same general structure would also be employed for the closure of an opening in a protective covering or other container. As em2,777,181 bodied, the article provided with the closure comprises two portions 10 of flexible, and preferably waterproof fabric such as waterproof textile material or plastic film which are to be closed and held together along the adjacent edges 12 of an opening in the garment or container. Firmly attached to each of the edges 12 is one of the mating closure members 14 of the present invention, the two closure members being attached in reversed position with respect, to each other so that the wide edge lips of the two closure members are spaced away from each other.

As shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3, the two closure members are preferably identical duplicates of each other, and each comprises an extruded flexible plastic member formed with a relatively wide edge or lip or sealing member 16, a raised flat back portion 17 having rounded edges 18, a narrow lip edge or sealing member 20, a plurality of rounded projecting male ribs 22 and a similar plurality of rounded female grooves 24, the male ribs and female grooves, alternating with each ether, being similarly shaped and of closely similar dimensions except that the male members are very slightly larger in width and height than the width and depth of the female grooves into which they are to be seated. The dimensions of the male parts preferably exceed the dimensions of the female parts by from about 1% to about 5%, thereby insuring that the male and female parts are mutually compressed even when: the closure members are subjected to strain or flexure.

The lip edges 16 are preferably cemented or heatsealed to the fabric edges 12 so as to leave a substantial amount of the flexible lip portion of lip 16 between the fabric edge 12 and the relatively less flexible thicker portion of the closure including the back portion 17 and the male projectors 22. In sealing position, the flat portion of lip 20 engages a portion of the flat surface of lip 16 to form an additional seal.

On the back portion 17 and preferably opposite one of the male ribs 22, a shallow groove 26 is provided which not only serves to render the closure strip more flexible so as to permit greater angular movement of the male ribs 22 with respect to each other and to the attaching lip 16, but also serves as a guide for the slide member as will be later described.

Figure 3 of the drawing shows the two mating closure members fully seated in closed position, just as the slide member has completed its closing operation and with the male members 22 and female grooves 24 in mutually compressed relation to each other, therebj' completing the effective, strong, waterproof seal which is adapted to resist opening as the closure is subjected to strain, bending or twisting.

In the relation shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, as strain is applied to the closure by pulling the fabric edges 12 away from each other, the strain is applied to the closure in a line passing through the closure member and yet the closure member can be separated only as its parts are moved away from each other in a direction normal to the strain. The first male and female members engaging each other tend to prevent transmission of such a force to the other male and female members which are compressively held together and the closure remains securely fast against any normal force which would be applied. As the closure is bent lengthwise into an arc or other curve, the male members enlarge as the bending progresses, thereby increasing their hold on corresponding female grooves, and this in spite of the relative lengthening of the closure member on the exterior of the curve. In fact, the closure members resist almost any reasonable attempt to separate them except when one closure member is progressively peeled from the other, as by the running of the slide member between them.

The slide member cooperating with the closure members for opening and sealing the closure is shown in

Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5 and is formed from a single piece of relatively stiff metal to which pull tab member 30 is pivotally attached. The slide comprises a sheet of relatively thin, stiff metal which is bent in the general 5 shape of an S and is elongated, the parts being dimensioned to fit snugly over the thickened portions of the cooperating closure members. Considering the slide as it moves in closing the closure. Figure 5 shows an end elevation of the front end of the slide, which becomes 10 the rear end as the slide is moved to open the closure by separation of its cooperating members. The central web portion 32 of the slide is adapted to fit between the two mating closure members as they are peeled from each other, and serves as the separating member. 15 The spaced apart, oppositely extending parallel portions 34 are adapted to engage and be guided by the outer edges of the lip portions 20 of the closure members, while the outermost wide portions 36, parallel to the central web portion 32 engage with and press against 20 the flat, relatively wide back portions 17 of the main portion of each of the closure members. The portions 36 finally terminate in short turned over portions 38 which engage with the rounded edge 18 of the closure members adjacent the wide lip portion 16 and serves 25 additionally to guide the slide on the closure members.

The web portion 32 extends only part way of the length of the slide and usually for only about one half the length of the slide, being at that end of the slide which is next to the open position of the closure, while the web is 30 omitted at that end of the slide which is adjacent the mated portions of the closure. Thus the two ends of the slide may be identified, for convenience as the opening end and the closing end, the closing end appearing at the front of Figure 4, while the opening end is shown 35 in Figure 5. The opening end of the slide member is somewhat thicker than the closing end of the slide member. The closing end preferably provides an unobstructed space between the portions 36 substantially the same as the thickness of the mated closure members as 40 measured between the outer surfaces of the wide flat surfaces 17, while the opening end of the slide provides a space between the portions 36 which is slightly more than the sum of the thicknesses of the two unmated closure members and the thickness of the web portion 45 32 which is positioned between the closure members.

At the closing end the outer portions 36 are each provided with a pressure exerting portion 40 which is adapted to engage in the corresponding groove 26 as the slide moves along the closure members and presses the op50 posite male projecting rib 22 into its mating groove prior to the pressing of the other male rib 22 into the other groove, thereby avoiding the extreme pressure which would be required for simultaneously seating both ribs 22 of both closure members in the grooves 24.

Projections 40 have opposed portions spaced slightly forward of the closing edge of the slide and which are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the distance between innermost points of respective grooves when the strips are engaged.

In Fig. 4a the projections 40' are slightly forward of the closing edge and are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the distance between innermost points of respective grooves when the strips are engaged.

It is to be understood that if the grooves 26 were 65 omitted the forwardly spaced portion of projection 40 in Fig. 4 or the projection 40' in Fig. 4a would be spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the engaged thickness of said strips.

On its outer face, one of the portions 36 is preferably 70 cut and turned to form a loop 42 into which is pivotally mounted the pull tab 30 which forms a convenient hand grip for pulling the slide member in either direction along the closure member as it is opened or closed.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to 75 the specific mechanisms shown and described but de2,777,181 δ

partures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.