Meanwhile over at YKK Japan...
The zipper is getting its first major upgrade in 100 years (2025)
An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
11–20 of 50 posts
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#12Earlier quoted context omitted.
Interesting, which material?
For example, if you used PLA you'd get a stiffer, more mechanically-rigid structure in the zipped-up state. If you used TPU, you'd get a more flexible and elastic structure. I'd want PLA for tent seams and TPU for the door zipper.
Is PLA stiffer somehow in this state than it would be as a conventional beam?
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#13Just sell me the tent already!
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#14Earlier quoted context omitted.
Interesting, which material?
For example, if you used PLA you'd get a stiffer, more mechanically-rigid structure in the zipped-up state. If you used TPU, you'd get a more flexible and elastic structure. I'd want PLA for tent seams and TPU for the door zipper.
I don't want door zippers, I want a door!
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#15Just sell me the tent already!
no kidding. it was the last demo in the video, but my first reaction seeing the zippers-instead-tent-poles demo was, "oh, that's going to be huge." weight and "how well does it handle wind?" are concerns, but i could totally see "100% zipper" tents on the market by the end of the year.
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#16[deleted]
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#17This makes me think of microtubules.
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#18This reads like it’s been machine generated.
i thought so as well; my eyes were beginning to glaze over. the MIT article talking about it is a much better read.
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#19Just sell me the tent already!
They never show the fully packaged version of the tent, though. It looks like even in their non-rigid state they're too rigid to be folded up easily and carelessly into a compact shape.
Re: An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
Depends on the material that is being used and application. I could see this being highly useful for tents and similar fabric structures. I probably would not build a satellite solar panel structure/frame with them (atomic oxygen is a nasty critter) but for some lightweight terrestrial applications I can see much potential.
Interesting, which material?
It looks like this could be made from any metal, where the small segments are connected together like links of a chain.