US20030066170A1

US20030066170A1 - Zipper retainer

Info

Publication number: US20030066170A1
Application number: US09/971,583
Authority: US
Inventors: Shou-Li Huang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-10-09
Filing date: 2001-10-09
Publication date: 2003-04-10
Also published as: GB2381830A; GB0126753D0

Abstract

A zipper retainer can sense an illegal intrusion to a trunk (or bag). The retainers may be a hollow seat of any desired shape. One or two selected lateral walls or a selected surface of the seat is installed with at least one though hole. A front lateral wall and a rear lateral wall are formed with at least one tip post. Thus, when the zipper of the trunk or bag is closed, the retainer will be combined so that the zipper pieces pass through the though hole of the seat to be in a locking condition. The tip posts are inserted into the two lateral material strips of the zipper; and therefore, the structure is inseparable. When the retainer is destroyed by others, the user may know that the trunk (or bag) has been intruded.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a zipper retainer, and particularly to a zipper retainer by which the user may know an illegal intrusion.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

In prior trunk (or bag), generally, the opening of the trunk (or bag) is installed with two zipper pieces 10 (referring to FIG. 1), or only one zipper piece is installed in a trunk (or bag). In former case, two zipper pieces 10 are in contact with and engaged with one another so that the teeth in the opening of the zipper are engaged and closed. The contact ends of the two zipper pieces are formed with buckling rings 30. Thereby, a simple lock may pass through the rings 30 to lock the two. In above lock, in general, no burglar-proof function is installed. As an illegal intrusion occurs, and the lock is locked again, the user can not find. Therefore, it is often the burglar may place illegal object into the trunk (or bag) while the user does not know.

Besides, the front end of

aforesaid zipper piece

10 has a ring 30 or ring hole 101. The ring 30 or ring hole 101 is easily to be destroyed in transferring process. Thereby, the ring 30 or ring hole 101 will break and thus

notch

301 or 102 is formed so that the lock can not be locked. Therefore, the object of locking can not be achieved. Furthermore, if the zipper piece 10 or other small components are directly combined to the teeth 20 or the material strips 40 at two sides, it can not be updated. Therefore, the whole zipper must be updated again. However, it is a complex work.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a zipper retainer, wherein when the zipper of the trunk or bag is closed, the retainer will be combined so that the zipper pieces pass through the though hole of the seat to be in a locking condition. The tip posts are inserted into the two lateral material strips of the zipper; and therefore, the structure is inseparable. When the retainer is destroyed by others, the user may know that the trunk (or bag) has been intruded. When the retainer is destroyed by an unknown reason, the user may find that the trunk (or bag) has been intruded. If the zipper pieces or ring holes are destroyed, the retainer and the zipper piece can be buckled without any lock.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a zipper retainer, wherein the retainers may be a hollow seat of any desired shape. One or two selected lateral walls or a selected surface of the seat is installed with at least one though hole. A front and rear lateral walls are formed with at least one tip post.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a zipper retainer, wherein zipper retainer has any desired shape or outlook, and the number or specific indication of the product can be recorded on the closed surface or the concave surface. Therefore, if a new retainer is updated after the old one is destroyed, the condition can be checked immediately.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a zipper retainer, wherein the tip post at the bottom of the retainer is easily cut by a knife or an auxiliary tool. Therefore, the retainer is taken out and the buckling effect of the zipper is released. The tip post of the seat can be further installed with a breakable portion so that when the tip post impinges into the material strips of the zipper, it may be combined and fixed therein

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing that the prior trunk (or bag) is installed with two zipper pieces. [0010]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention. [0011]
FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the present invention. [0012]
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing that the zipper piece is buckled. [0013]
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of FIG. 4. [0014]
FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing that in the present invention, a knife is used to cut off a tip post. [0015]
FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the application that a knife is used to cut the tip post. [0016]
FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the present invention wherein a selected portion of the tip portion is installed with a breakable portion. [0017]
FIG. 9 is a schematic view of another embodiment showing that a shielding plate is installed at an upper surface of the present invention. [0018]
FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the upper surface of the present invention has an L shape though hole. [0019]
FIG. 11 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the present invention showing different shielding plate being installed in the present invention. [0020]
FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the present invention, wherein only one though hole is installed.[0021]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the zipper retainer of the present invention is illustrated. The zipper retainer is a [0022] hollow seat 1. One or two selective lateral walls or a selective surface of the seat 1 is installed with at least one though hole 11. The front and rear lateral walls are formed with at least one tip post 12. Therefore, the zipper retainer of the present invention is formed. When the zipper of the trunk or bag is closed (the buckles of two zipper pieces 10 are in contact with one another), the retainer will be combined so that the zipper pieces 10 pass through the though hole 11 of the seat 1 to be in a locking condition (referring to FIGS. 4 and 5). Furthermore, since the tip posts 12 have been inserted into the two lateral material strips 40 of the zipper. Therefore, the structure is inseparable. Despite that the two zipper pieces 10 are damaged, it is only necessary to pass the two zipper pieces 10 from the though hole 11 of the seat 1 for locking the zipper.
The [0023] hollow seat 1 of the retainers may have any desired shape. The distal end of the tip post 12 is a slender taper, and thus it can be easily inserted into the transversal and longitudinal lines of the two lateral material strips 40 of the zipper. Furthermore, it is cut off and then taken out, the cloth of the strips can not be damaged.
In the [0024] hollow seat 1 of the retainer, the upper surface or any selective position of the seat can be a closed surface or a concave surface 13. Therefore, the number or specific indication of the product can be recorded on the closed surface or the concave surface. Therefore, if a new retainer is updated after the old one is destroyed, the condition can be checked immediately.
Furthermore, in above [0025] hollow seat 1 of the retainer, the upper surface may have a hollow space while no closed surface or concave surface 13 is formed. The hollow space at the upper surface is formed with one or at least one enhancing rib (identical to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9)
When the [0026] retainer 10 is combined with the zipper pieces 10, only the tip post 12 is cut, otherwise the retainer can not be taken out. Therefore, the two zipper pieces 10 of the trunk (or bag) are always retained in a closed condition. In normal condition, the user must release the confinement by himself (or herself). The tip post 12 (referring to FIG. 7) at the bottom of the retainer is easily cut by a knife or an auxiliary tool (for example, the safety knife 50 with a pen used in the prior art as illustrated in FIG. 6, one end thereof has a safety knife 501, and another end has a filler 502). Therefore, the retainer is taken out and the buckling effect of the zipper is released. On the contrary, when the retainer is destroyed by an unknown reason, the user may find that the trunk (or bag) has been intruded.
With reference to FIG. 8, in one aspect of the present invention, the [0027] tip post 12 of the seat 1 can be further installed with a breakable portion 121 so that when the tip post impinges into the material strips 40 of the zipper, it may be combined and fixed therein. Thus, the retainer can be taken out without any knife or auxiliary tool.
Referring to FIG. 9, in embodying the present invention, one side of the upper surface of the [0028] hollow seat 1 is installed with a shield plate 14 which is connected or pivotally engaged with the side. The shield plate 14 is disposed with a fixing pin 141 for matching the pin hole 142 in the hollow seat 1. Assume the upper surface of the hollow seat 1 is closed, or further, the shield plate 14 is formed with one or at least one though hole 11. Therefore, the zipper pieces 10 may pass through the though hole 11 for locking or combining. Besides, the upper hollow portion at the upper end of the hollow seat 1, one or at least one connected enhancing rib 15 can be installed for enhancing the strength of the structure.
FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the present invention, which is mainly used in a trunk (or bag) with a lock at only one side. However, the upper surface of the [0029] hollow seat 1 of the retainer is installed with one or at least one L shaped though hole 11A. The L shaped though hole 11A serves to provide the at least one zipper piece 10 to bend toward one side. Thereby, by combining of the annular hole 101 and the hook 601 of the lock 60, and since the zipper pieces 10 and the hook 601 of the lock 69 may well lock, in transferring the trunk (or bag), the zipper pieces 10 will not be extruded, compressed, or pulled by other objects so as to destroyed the lock 60. Therefore, the lock 60 can be well protected.
Similarly, referring to FIG. 11, the shielding [0030] plate 14 may have any desired shape or outlook, for example, like a fruit, an animal, a car, a boat, an airplane, or other shapes for identification so as to enhance the interesting of the present invention.
Moreover, the prior art trunk (or bag) only has an [0031] unique zipper piece 10, and therefore, in the present invention, the hollow seat 1 may be reduced properly and only one through hole 11 is selectively formed at single side of the hollow seat 1 (referring to FIG. 2) or the upper closing surface or the shielding plate 14. As the zipper is closed, the zipper piece 10 passes through the though hole 11 of the seat 1 to be buckled.

Claims

1. A zipper retainer being a hollow seat 1; wherein one or two selected lateral walls or a selected surface of the seat 1 is installed with at least one though hole 11; and a front and rear lateral walls are formed with at least one tip post; thus, when the zipper of a trunk or a bag is closed, the retainer will be closed so that the zipper pieces 10 pass through the though hole 11 of the seat 1 to be in a locking condition; the tip posts 12 are inserted into the two lateral material strips 40 of the zipper; and therefore, the structure is inseparable.

2. The zipper retainer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow seat 1 of the retainers have any desired shape, and a distal end of the tip post 12 is a slender taper.

3. The zipper retainer as claimed in claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the retainer have a hollow space while no closed surface or concave surface 13 is formed.

4. The zipper retainer as claimed in claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the retainer is hollowed.

5. The zipper retainer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the hollow space at the upper surface of the retainer is formed with one or at least one enhancing rib.

6. The zipper retainer as claimed in claim 1, wherein a tip post 12 of the seat 1 is further installed with a breakable portion 121.

7. The zipper retainer as claimed in claim 1, wherein one side of the upper surface is installed with a connected or pivotally connected shielding plate 14.

8. The zipper retainer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the shielding plate is buckled with the hollow seat 1.

9. The zipper retainer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the shielding plate is formed with at least one though hole 11.

10. The zipper retainer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the hollow seat 1 of the retainer is installed with at least one enhancing rib 15.

11. The zipper retainer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the hollow seat has any shape or outlooks.

12. The zipper retainer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the hollow seat 1 is formed with at least one L shapes though hole 11A.

13. The zipper retainer as claimed in claim 1, wherein a single side of the hollow seat 1 or upper closed surface thereof is formed with a though hole 11 or an L shape though hole 11A.

14. The zipper retainer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the shielding plate is formed with a though hole 11 or an L shape though hole 11A.