US20080052880A1

US20080052880A1 - Locking slide for securely locking a zipper

Info

Publication number: US20080052880A1
Application number: US11/469,681
Authority: US
Inventors: Warren Ware Sullivan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-09-01
Filing date: 2006-09-01
Publication date: 2008-03-06

Abstract

A secure locking slide for sliding along a zipper comprising: a slider housing which includes: a front member; a back member coupled to the front member; and a locking assembly rotatably coupled through the front member, having a locked and unlocked position. Transition between the locked position and the unlocked position is accomplished by rotation of the locking assembly substantially normal to the front member. The locking assembly includes a threaded member, rotatably coupled through the front member; and an elongated tab. The elongated tab is pivotally coupled to an end of the threaded member. The threaded member also includes a flange with a spike portion, to imbed the locking assembly in between zipper teeth. An inset cavity on an internal side of the front member, sized to receive the flange, provides the locking assembly an anchor to the front member. A visible indicator indicates an unlocked and locked position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to zippers and other sliding mechanisms, specifically to lockable zippers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the related art, it has been known to use zippers and other sliding mechanisms in clothing, jackets, luggage and so forth. Previously there have been problems with zippers and sliding mechanisms opening, becoming unzipped or loosened when so not desired. In response to this, auto locking zippers have been developed.
The conventional auto locking zippers typically include a main body, and elastic plate, and a tab. The tab is pivotally arranged on the main body and the slide can be operated to open or close the zipper teeth by dragging the tab. The elastic plate is arrange d on the main body and has a locking unit penetrating in to the main body to lock the zipper teeth. Therefore, the slide is in a locked state when the tab is not dragged. However, an external force may unexpectedly drag or catch the tab and unock the zipper slide.
In some types of auto locking zippers the locking mechanism is composed of complex mechanical parts, some that are inside the slider body. These give no indication of whether the zipper is locking or unlocked. Some improvements have been made in the field. Examples include but are not limited to the references described below, which references are incorporated by reference herein:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,094,756, issued to Scheuerman, discloses a self locking slider having a slider body with passages therein for receiving and guiding a pair of fastener element stringers and for compressing the fastener elements to intermesh and for a single fastener chain. The passages include a wall having a recessed formed on the outside thereof and a pair of openings extending from the recess to the wall of the passage. The openings are disposed to be positioned on opposing sides of the intermeshed portions. A spring member carried in the recess is formed of a flexible material and bent back upon itself to form an upper and lower section. The spring member has end prong member for engagement and securing the zipper.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,883, issued to Ishii et al., discloses a locking slider for sliding clasp fasteners is provided with a locking spring member for locking the slider into position on the fastener. The locking spring member is formed from a strip of stainless steel into a desired shape, the strip having an area higher in the cold rolling modulus than the remaining areas, such that the resiliency inter alia of the formed locking member is increased to an extent sufficient to withstand severe external stresses.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,220, issued to Oda, discloses an automatically locking slider for slide fasteners has a locking member including a piece of resilient strip which is bent into a generally “3” or “E” shape having a U-shaped base extending around a transverse spindle of a pull tab, a locking prong extending from one end of the base, and an anchor extending from the other end of the base and terminating in a recessed end interlocked with a locking-member retaining-nose on a neck of a slider body. The base is normally urged against the spindle of the pull tab by the resilience of the strip. The recessed end of the anchor is normally urged against the nose by the resilience of the strip and is thereby prevented from coming out of interlocking engagement with the nose. Thus the locking member is held in position on the slider body solely by the resilience of the strip, requiring no bending or deformation of any part of the slider body that would make the slider defective from an aesthetic view.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,937, issued to Harrigan, discloses a jumpsuit style support and restraint garment designed to safely and comfortably confine a person to a chair or wheelchair while providing proper body alignment and allowing full range of motion of arms and legs. A human body fitting cloth panel with front and shoulder covering has a rib-knit V-neck in the top. A bottom fold having rib-knit lined leg holes frontwardly horizontally aligned is a seat portion and a continuation of the panel which can be passed under the back rest of a wheelchair. The panel continues as a back member which extends up the outside backrest of the wheelchair and is zipper-fastened to the shoulder covering behind the patient's neck. A special locking ring prevents the patient from easily unzipping the fasteners. Movement of the support materials is restricted by handle apertures which fit the wheelchair handles. Full pants and shorts styles are available in the jumpsuit design.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,419, issued to Ling, discloses an interlockable lock includes: a lock body pivotally secured to a first slider of a zipper fastener having a lock casing formed with a slot in its bottom cover, a latch resiliently held in the lock body normally protruding toward the slot operatively engageable with a loop or hook formed on a second slider of the zipper fastener when rotating the lock body to allow the poking of the loop or hook into the bottom slot, and a longitudinal actuator depressible for retracting the latch to disengage from the second slider to open the lock. The longitudinal actuator may be locked by a locking mechanism formed in the lock body to retard a depression of the actuator to prevent a disengagement of the latch from the slider loop or hook.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,793, issued to Wilk, discloses a closure device comprises a zipper, a first elongate coupling element, and a second elongate coupling element lockable along its length to the first elongate coupling element. The zipper is slidably connected to the first elongate coupling element for locking the elongate coupling elements to one another by a closure stroke of the zipper and for alternately unlocking the elongate coupling elements from one another by an opening stroke of the zipper. A first snap lock fastener is connected to the first elongate coupling element at one end thereof, while a second snap lock fastener is connected to the second elongate coupling element at a corresponding end thereof. The snap lock fasteners are releasably connected to one another in snap-lock fashion to align the one end of the first elongate coupling element with the corresponding end of the second elongate coupling element, thereby facilitating the closure stroke of the zipper.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,962, issued to Maverhofer, discloses a zip-fastener slide with pull tab can be manufactured in one single injection step. For this purpose the opening beneath the bow on the slide body, serving to secure the pull tab, is fashioned by four movable mould cores. The four mould cores are shifted into the mould before injection, and withdrawn in order to eject the finished slide again from the mould. Similarly it is also possible to provide a locking cam which, when in the inoperative position, projects into the intermediate space between two zipper links and blocks the movement of the slide. By means of pulling on the pull tab, the locking cam can be withdrawn from this intermediate space, and the slide can be released.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,628, issued to Oda, discloses an auto-lock slide fastener slider, an upper wing of a slider body has front and rear lugs on its upper surface, a through-hole under the front lug, a pair of locking-spring-supporting seats at opposite sides of the through-hole, a locking-pawl-insertion hole under the rear lug, and a cam-receiving recess between the lugs. A pull tab has a cam on an eccentric axle. A locking leaf spring has a streamlined central base, a front end portion at a front end of the base, a locking pawl at a rear end of the base, front and rear openings near the opposite ends of the base, and an oblique engaging strip projecting from the front end of the base and engageable with the front lug. The spring is placed over the pull tab's cam, which is received in the cam-receiving recess of the upper wing, with the openings being threaded by the lugs and with the front end portion fixed to a guide post of the slider body.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,110, issued to Yu, discloses a zipper lock with a slidable button and non-disturbance code of combination locking device is provide. The lock includes a casing having an opening in forward end for slidably securing a rearward slidable button, a pair of first and second latch members rotatably secured to a fore portion each having a tongue toward each other for locking up a pair of tabs from a double zipper, a slide operated in cooperation with a combination locking device and a check member which checks the latch member from rotation. This disclosure is characterized in the simplized locking mechanism, the rearward slidable button and the check member which gives possibility to control the combination locking device for preventing the code from disturbed by inadvertent rotation of the dials and facilitating the users to change their desired code for the combination locking device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,213, issued to Ye, discloses a first extension member has a head coupled to a first zipper head and a tail having a male connector and an elongated generally flat intermediate portion between the head and the male connector. A second extension member has a head coupled to a second zipper head and a body with a female connector that receives and locks the male connector and receives and permits free sliding movement of the elongated flat intermediate portion. The female connector prevents removal of the male connector therefrom to prevent opening the zipper beyond a predetermined position based on the length of the elongated intermediate portion. Because the male connector is positioned generally at the end of the tail and the elongated intermediate portion is generally flat, the tail may slide freely within the female connector between the head and the male connector so that the zipper is therefore not locked in any fixed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,455, issued to Su, discloses a zipper lock assembly is provided for an article with a zipper having two pull tabs. The zipper lock assembly includes a casing having two compartments and two slots for intercommunicating the compartments with outside to allow respective passing of the pull tabs into the compartment. A number lock assembly includes several number wheels rotatably mounted in the casing and a slide plate mounted in the casing and movable in a lateral direction in response to rotational movement of the number wheels. A follower member is releasably engaged with the slide plate. Two push members are pivotally mounted in the casing and each includes a first end for manual operation and a second end with a locking piece and a lug. When the number wheels of the number lock assembly are not in correct code number for unlocking, engagement of the follower member with the slide plate as well as pivotal movement of the push members are prevented to retain the locking piece in the compartment for retaining the pull tabs in place. When the number wheels of the number lock assembly are in the correct code number for unlocking, the follower member is allowed to engage with the slide plate upon pivotal movement of the push members by manually pressing the first ends of the push members, thereby disengaging the locking piece from the pull tabs and thus allowing removal of the pull tabs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,624, issued to Lin, discloses a slide of auto-lock zipper comprises a slide, a tab and an elastic plate. The slide main body has two sliding grooves therein and a through hole on top thereof. The tab has a pivotal end at one end thereof such that the tab is pivotally connected to top of the main body. The elastic plate has a fastener; a first bent portion connected to the fastener; a second bent portion connected to the first bent portion; a clamping unit connected to the second bent portion. The second bent portion has a lengthwise slit. The elastic plate is fixed on the top of the main body by the fastener. The second bent portion is located atop the pivotal end. The clamping unit penetrates through the through hole and is inbetween the grooves. The lengthwise slit can enhance the strength of the second bent portion while the thickness of the tab is not increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,086, issued to Ye, discloses a first extension member has a head coupled to a first zipper head and a tail having a male connector and an elongated generally flat intermediate portion between the head and the male connector. A second extension member has a head coupled to a second zipper head and a body with a female connector that receives and locks the male connector and receives and permits free sliding movement of the elongated flat intermediate portion. The female connector prevents removal of the male connector therefrom to prevent opening the zipper beyond a predetermined position based on the length of the elongated intermediate portion. Because the male connector is positioned generally at the end of the tail and the elongated intermediate portion is generally flat, the tail may slide freely within the female connector between the head and the male connector so that the zipper is therefore not locked in any fixed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,334, issued to Lin, discloses zipper closures, luggage locks attached to zipper closures and retractable handles on travel bags are protected by covers which conceal such luggage hardware when in the closed or retracted position. The protective covers are in the form of rectangular flaps or the like which have one edge secured to the bag and aligned so that the flap is extendable over and attached or attachable to the bag on the opposite side of the zipper or handle so that the luggage hardware is covered and protected during transit.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2003/0061691, by Lee, discloses a separable zipper head comprising a first zipper head, and a second zipper head; the first zipper head including a first zipper plate; the first zipper plate being installed with a post projecting downwards; the post having a through hole; the second zipper head including a second zipper plate; the second zipper head having a post at a position with respect to the post of the first zipper plate; the post having a threaded hole; and a locking device for locking through hole and threaded hole of the posts of the first zipper head, and second zipper head.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2003/0066170, by Huang, discloses 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.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2003/0145636, by Nykoluk, discloses a zipper locking device comprises a zipper, a zipper slider, and a locking member. The zipper slider and the locking member each have loops formed thereon. The locking member is attached to an article adjacent an end of the zipper and is configured such that one of the loops can be passed at least partially through the other of the loops in a manner such that a lock can then be used to secure the loops together. With the loops secured together, the zipper slider becomes locked to the locking member and the zipper cannot be opened.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2004/0064923, by Gzybowski, discloses a one-way, zip-locking closure for bag-type containers that include slider zipper arrangements. The locking mechanism includes a series of registration structures that is provided along one side of the mouth of the containers and a catch mechanism that is provided within the slider. The catch mechanism engages the series of registration structures as the slider is moved to close the mouth of the container, and thereby prevents movement of the slider in the opposite direction.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2005/0251974, by Baker, discloses a zipper pull for an invisible zipper includes a housing having a recess on an inner surface thereof. The recess is configured to receive at least a portion of a slider of a zipper. The pull remains stationary with respect to the slider when not in use. Leading and trailing ends of the housing have sloped surfaces that are configured to be grasped by fingers of a user.
The inventions heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages which include: the zipper or sliding mechanism being undesirably unlocked and/or locked when bumped or pulled, having complicated locking systems, and not having any visible indicator on the zipper or sliding mechanism of a locked or unlocked status.
What is needed is a zipper and/or sliding mechanism that solves one or more of the problems described herein and/or one or more problems that may come to the attention of one skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with this specification.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available zippers and sliding mechanisms. Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide a zipper and/or securing locking slide that is simple to manufacture, requires an affirmative action by the user to unlock or lock, and provides a visible indication of the zipper's and/or slide's locked or unlocked status.
In one embodiment, there is a locking slide for zippers and other sliding devices. The locking slide comprises a slider housing which may include a slider housing, configured to slide along a zipper. The slider housing may include a front member, a back member coupled to the front member, and/or a locking assembly rotatably coupled through the front member. The locking assembly may have a locked position and/or an unlocked position. The transition between the locked position and/or the unlocked position may be accomplished by rotation of the locking assembly substantially normal to the front member.
In another embodiment, the locking assembly of the slider housing may includea threaded member rotatably coupled through the front member, and/or an elongated tab which is pivotally coupled to an end of the threaded member. The threaded member may also be a screw. The threaded member may also include a flange. On the flange there may be a spike portion, configured to imbed the locking assembly in between zipper teeth. The flange may also include a rough surface, configured to provide frictional resistance between the locking assembly and zipper teeth. The flange may be received in an inset cavity on the internal side of the front member. The inset cavity may be sized to receive the flange. This may provide the locking assembly an anchor to the front member.
In yet another embodiment, the secure locking slide may include a visible indicator that may indicate the locked status and/or unlocked status of the locking assembly. The visible indicator may include a color, pattern, and/or other known indicator.
Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.
These features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order for the advantages of the invention to be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of the locking slide, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the locking assembly, according to one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective top view of the locking slide, according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment, different embodiments, or component parts of the same or different illustrated invention. Additionally, reference to the wording “an embodiment,” or the like, for two or more features, elements, etc. does not mean that the features are related, dissimilar, the same, etc. The use of the term “an embodiment,” or similar wording, is merely a convenient phrase to indicate optional features, which may or may not be part of the invention as claimed.
Each statement of an embodiment is to be considered independent of any other statement of an embodiment despite any use of similar or identical language characterizing each embodiment. Therefore, where one embodiment is identified as “another embodiment,” the identified embodiment is independent of any other embodiments characterized by the language “another embodiment.” The independent embodiments are considered to be able to be combined in whole or in part one with another as the claims and/or art may direct, either directly or indirectly, implicitly or explicitly.
Finally, the fact that the wording “an embodiment,” or the like, does not appear at the beginning of every sentence in the specification, such as is the practice of some practitioners, is merely a convenience for the reader's clarity. However, it is the intention of this application to incorporate by reference the phrasing “an embodiment,” and the like, at the beginning of every sentence herein where logically possible and appropriate.
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective side view of the locking slide 110 in operation with a zipper 120. The locking slide 110 may be comprised of a slider housing 130 configured to slide along a zipper 120. The slider housing 130 may include a front member 140, a back member 150 coupled to the front member 140, and a locking assembly 160. The back member 150 and front member 140 may be position in spaced, opposite relation to each other and coupled together at one end by a medial member such that two sliding grooves are formed.
FIGS. 2 and 3 show a view of a locking assembly 160. The illustrated locking assembly 160 is rotatably coupled through the front member 140 and includes a locked position and an unlocked position. The transition between the locked position 260 and the unlocked position 270 is accomplished by rotation 210 of the locking assembly 160 substantially normal to the front member 140. The locking assembly 160 extends through front member 140 into the zipper cavity 165 at an angle normal to, or perpendicular to the front member 140. The locking assembly 160 is able to either rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. The rotation 210 of the locking assembly 160 will either cause the locking assembly 160 to extend further into the zipper cavity 165 in a locked position 260, or retract the locking assembly 160 from the zipper cavity 165 into an unlocked position 270. The locking assembly 160 rotating substantially normal to the front member 140 describes alternative embodiments wherein the locking assembly extends through the front member 140 into the zipper cavity 165 at an angle greater than or less than ninety degrees. In these alternative embodiments the rotation 210 of the locking assembly 160 would, in a similar fashion as described above, transition the locking assembly 160 between the locked 260 and unlocked 270 positions. The rotation of which would be greater than or less than ninety degrees.
Looking specifically at FIG. 2, the locking assembly 160 may further include a threaded member 220 which is rotatably 210 coupled through the front member 140. The locking assembly 160 may also include an elongated tab 230 which may be pivotally coupled to an end of the threaded member 220. The threaded member 220 may include a screw, bolt, or any other threaded members understood in the art.
In another embodiment, a shown in FIG. 2, the locking assembly 160 may include a threaded member 220 with a flange 240. The flange 240 may include a spike portion 250 configured to imbed the locking assembly 160 in between the zipper in a locked position 260. In one embodiment, the flange 240 includes a rough surface, configured to provide frictional resistance between the locking assembly 160 and zipper teeth 120. The flange 240 may also include other portions contemplated in the art that serve to further secure the locking assembly 160 in the zipper teeth 120.
Specifically looking at FIG. 2 illustrates yet another embodiment wherein the front member 140 includes an inset cavity 280 on an internal side of the front member 140. The inset cavity 280 may be sized to receive the flange 240. The inset cavity 280 may function to anchor the locking assembly 160 to the front member 140.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the locking assembly 140, may include a visible indicator 310 that indicates the status of the locking assembly 160. The visible indicator 310 may include an elongated tab 230 pivotally coupled to a threaded member 220. The elongated tab 230 may include two opposing sides 320 and 330. One side 320 may indicate the locking slide 110 is locked, while the opposing side 330 may indicate the locking slide 110 is unlocked. The visible indicator 310 may include visible markings of different colors on opposing sides 320, 330. For example, red would indicate a locked status and green would indicate an unlocked status. The visible indicator 310 may include other markings that indicate status of the locking slide 110. Some non-limiting examples of markings include: different visible patterns and/or arrangements; structural differences on opposing sides of the elongated tab 230, such as a protruding member on one side; and other foreseeable visible indicators understood in the art.
In another embodiment the visible indicator 310 may include a threaded member 220 that includes only two or three threads; or a proportional amount of threads, such that the user may only rotate the threaded member 220 half a turn, or 180 degrees. In operation, a 180 degree, or half a turn, counterclockwise rotation of the threaded member 220 would unlock the locking slide 110. This unlocking will result in the unlocked side of the elongated tab 230 being most visible. In contrast, from this unlocked position, a simple 180 degree, or half a turn, clockwise rotation of the threaded member 220 would lock the securing locking slide 110. This locking will result in the locked side of elongated tab 230 being most visible.
Advantageously, in one embodiment, a locking slide 110 is simple and easy to use and can be used on all zipper and other sliding mechanisms. In one embodiment, for example on a coat or jacket zipper, an elongated tab 230 will typically rest loosely on the zipper teeth 120 pointed downward with only one side of the elongated tab 230 visible. As described above, the elongated tab 230 will visibly indicate the locked 260 or unlocked 270 status of the secure locking slide 110. Depending on the user's desire, he or she may unlock or lock the locking slide 110 by simply grabbing the elongated tab 230 and rotating and/or twisting the threaded member 220 180 degrees or half a turn. Rotating the threaded member 220 in this manner either locks 260 the flange 240 into the zipper teeth 120 or retracts the flange 240 from the zipper teeth 120, thus allowing the locking slide 110 to move freely along the zipper 120.
It is understood that the above-described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
For example, although the elongated tab 230 is shown as a rectangular design, the elongated tab 230 may be formed into a variety of shapes and/or designs. For example, the elongated tab 230 may be oval in shape, triangular, or other shapes and/or designs known in the art.
Additionally, although the figures illustrate the locking slide 110 on a zipper 120, the locking slide 110 may be used on a variety of sliding mechanisms. For example the locking slide 110 may be used on plastic sliders and the like.
It is expected that there could be numerous variations of the design of this invention. For example, the locking slide 110 and/or slider housing 130 may include various loops or other ornate designs and/or structures.
Finally, it is envisioned that the components of the secure locking slide 110 may be constructed of a variety of materials. Some non-limiting examples include: metal, steel, ceramic, fiberglass, plastic, and any other material understood in the art.
Thus, while the present invention has been fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made, without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A locking slide for securely locking a zipper, comprising:

a slider housing, configured to slide along a zipper, including:

a front member;

a back member coupled to the front member; and

a locking assembly rotatably coupled through the front member, having a locked position and an unlocked position;

wherein transition between the locked position and the unlocked position is accomplished by rotation of the locking assembly substantially normal to the front member.

2. The locking slide of claim 1, wherein the locking assembly further comprises:

a threaded member, wherein the threaded member is rotatably coupled through the front member;

an elongated tab, wherein the elongated tab is pivotally coupled to an end of the threaded member.

3. The locking slide of claim 2, wherein the threaded member comprises a screw.

4. The locking slide of claim 2, wherein the threaded member includes a flange.

5. The locking slide of claim 4, wherein the flange includes a spike portion, configured to imbed the locking assembly in between zipper teeth.

6. The locking slide of claim 4, wherein the flange includes a rough surface, configured to provide frictional resistance between the locking assembly and zipper teeth.

7. The locking slide of claim 1, further comprising an inset cavity on an internal side of the front member sized to receive the flange, configured to further secure the locking assembly to the front member.

8. The locking slide of claim 2, wherein the unlocked position and the locked position include a visible indicator, configured to indicate status of the locking assembly.

9. The locking slide of claim 8, wherein the visible indicator includes a color.

10. A locking slide for securely locking a zipper, consisting essentially of:

a slider housing, configured to slide along a zipper, including:

a front member;

a back member coupled to the front member; and

11. The locking slide of claim 10, wherein the locking assembly further comprises:

a threaded member having a first end, wherein the threaded member is rotatably coupled through the front member; and

an elongated tab, wherein the elongated tab is pivotally coupled to the first end of the threaded member.

12. The locking slide of claim 11, wherein the threaded member includes a screw.

13. The locking slide of claim 11, wherein the threaded member further comprises a flange, configured to anchor the locking assembly to the front member.

14. The locking slide of claim 13, further comprising a spike, configured to imbed the locking assembly in between zipper teeth.

15. The locking slide of claim 13, wherein the flange includes a rough surface, configured to provide frictional resistance between the flange and zipper teeth.

16. The locking slide of claim 10, further comprising an inset cavity, disposed on an internal side of the front member sized to receive the flange, and configured to further secure the locking assembly to the front member.

17. The locking slide of claim 11, wherein the unlocked position and the locked position include a visible indicator, configured to indicate status of the locking assembly.

18. The locking slide of claim 17, wherein the visible indicator includes a color.

19. A locking slide for securely locking a zipper, comprising:

a slider housing, configured to slide along a zipper, including:

a front member;

a back member coupled to the front member; and

a locking assembly rotatably coupled through the front member, having a locked position and an unlocked position, comprising:

a threaded member having a first end, wherein the threaded member is rotatably coupled through the front member;

an elongated tab, wherein the elongated tab is pivotally coupled to the first end of the threaded member;

a flange member, coupled to the threaded member, and configured to anchor the locking assembly to the front member, including:

a spike portion, configured to imbed the threaded member between zipper teeth;

an inset cavity in the internal side of the front member, sized to receive the flange, configured to further secure the locking assembly to the front member; and

an indicator configured to indicate status of the locking assembly

20. The locking slide of claim 19, wherein the flange member further includes a rough surface, configured to provide frictional resistance between the flange member and zipper teeth.