To begin with,
what's the structure of
a zipper?
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Zippers are made of three components!
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Zippers are broadly divided into three components.
(1) Elements = The component with teeth that mesh with each other
(2) Slider = The component moved by the user's hand
(3) Tape = The fabric component
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There is a Y-shaped
tunnel inside the slider! -
The key to opening and closing is the slider! By pulling it down, the interior of the slider pushes through the Y-shaped tunnel. This motion widens the gap between the meshing elements, opening the zipper. Conversely, pulling the slider up causes the elements to mesh, closing the zipper.
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The elements mesh to open and close!
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The uneven sections on the left and right elements mesh together, like gears, which enables the zipper to engage and disengage.
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The dimensions and shape
are absolutely crucial! -
A zipper being able to smoothly open and close is highly dependent on the shape and dimensions of each component. Notably, if there's a measurement error with the elements, the zipper won't open properly.
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If the dimensions are off by a tiny bit,
the zipper ends up coming open!? -
If there's a measurement error with the elements, a zipper that should be closed will come open from the center. To manufacture the elements, high precision to within one hundredth of a millimeter is required.
