How does a zipper hold together?
Zipper's Tiny Hooks
How does a zipper hold together?
You've probably zipped a thousand zippers — jackets, backpacks, pencil cases, tents. You tug a little slider up a track, and two separate edges lock together like magic. But there's no magic here. Just a brilliantly simple machine hiding in plain sight.
Look closely at the zipper track. Those aren't smooth edges. Each side has a row of tiny metal or plastic teeth, each one shaped like a little hook with a bump on top and a scoop underneath. They look identical, but they're designed to nest together like puzzle pieces.
