Stretchable zipper

The smart wearable system composed of stretchable electronics and bodysuits is a focus in healthcare and human-machine interaction. Despite advances in stretchable electronics, a stretchability mismatch persists between zippers and stretchable fabrics, which are key components of bodysuits, affecting the system’s function, comfort, and aesthetics. The key challenge lies in the contradiction between the requirement for closely arranged teeth in traditional zippers and the demand for stretchability in stretchable zippers. Here, we report a bio-inspired stretchable zipper, which achieves interlocking through interlaced spatulate teeth, suppresses separation perpendicular to interlocking surfaces via a suture joint, and prevents excessive inter-tooth distance by a hook-furrow structure. The novel slider provides teeth rotation space during interlocking through the reciprocation of movable blocks. The stretchable zipper can maintain interlocking and effortless zipping/unzipping over a wide range of strain and strain differences (0%-25%, respectively). In applications for hemiplegia rehabilitation wearable systems and wound closure, stretchable zippers show advantages in enhancing conformability, paving the way for smart wearable systems.