Patent Application
20200187577
The present invention relates to garments, and more particularly to items to enhance garment comfort.
Inexpensive articles of clothing are usually poorly crafted. Often, the materials selected or the construction of the garments can present irritants to the wearer. For example, a $40 bra may have a pin sized piece of nylon stitching that digs into the middle of the wearer's back. Likewise, raised stitching to secure a manufacturer's label to a shirt may be irritating the skin or the label itself is irritating to the skin. The process of manufacturing cheap goods, buying them and throwing them out or wearing them and being uncomfortable wastes money, time and materials. There is no product that keeps such clothing irregularities from irritating the skin.
As can be seen, there is a need for an apparatus and method for alleviating skin irritation caused by tags, stitching, or seams in a garment.
In one aspect of the present invention a protective tab for a garment is disclosed. The protective tab includes a first strip having a first soft fabric layer. A releasable adhesive is applied to a garment facing surface of the first soft fabric layer. A backing layer is applied to the releasable adhesive. The first strip is folded onto itself along a first fold line. A second strip having a second soft fabric layer and a non-releasing adhesive applied to an inner surface of the second soft fabric layer. The second strip is folded onto the first strip along a second fold line and secured to an outer surface of the first strip via the non-releasing adhesive to define a pocketed opening dimensioned to receive an edge of the garment.
In some embodiments, the first fold is angled relative to the second fold to define the pocketed opening. The second strip may be dimensioned to substantially overlap the first strip. Preferably, the first fold is substantially perpendicular to the second fold. The first strip and the second strip may be rectangular.
Other aspects of the invention include a method of protecting a wearer's skin from an edge of a garment. The method includes providing a protective tab having first strip and a second strip formed of a soft fabric material. The first strip has a releasable adhesive layer on a garment facing surface and a backing layer removably adhered to the releasable adhesive layer. The first strip is folded onto itself along a first fold. The second strip is adhered to an outer surface of the first strip about a second fold that is angled with respect to the first fold to define a pocket dimensioned to receive an edge of a garment.
The method also includes removing the backing layer. Next an edge of the garment is inserted into the pocket. An outer surface of the protective tab is pressed to adhere the releasable adhesive to the edge of the garment. The garment may include one or more corners of a garment tag. The garment may also include a corner hem of the garment.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Broadly, embodiments of the present invention provide a protective soft fabric tab to increase garment comfort. The tabs may be applied to a skin irritant of a garment item. The skin irritant may be a stiff, scratchy manufacturer's tag, a bulky or inconveniently positioned stitch in the garment, a bunching or seam of a garment that presents an annoyance to the wearer of the garment.
As seen in reference to
A removable protective backing 18 is applied to the releasable adhesive layer 16. The protective baking 18 is removed from the soft fabric tab 10 prior to application to a garment. The inner fabric layer 12, releasable adhesive 16, and protective backing 18 may be formed as a first small rectangular strip that is folded onto itself.
An outer fabric layer 20 may also be formed as a second small rectangular strip with a strong, non-releasable adhesive layer 22. The outer fabric layer 20 is formed along a second fold so that the non-releasable adhesive layer 22 adheres to the first fabric strip, such that the inner fabric layer 12 and the outer fabric layer 20 define a pocketed opening that may receive an edge of the garment. Preferably, the first fold and the second fold are perpendicular to one another so that the soft fabric tab defines a right corner. The outer fabric layer 20 is dimensioned so that it substantially overlaps the inner fabric layer 12.
As seen in reference to
In
The Soft Corners of the present invention introduces a soft fabric that the wearer will want to have near their skin. Soft Corners proactively protect the skin without sticking to the skin. Soft Corners can be produced in an endless variety of colors and shapes and sizes which can provide comfort in any style of clothing. Soft Corners will increase the lifespan of our clothing, reducing the waste of time, money and materials associated with clothing manufacturing and most importantly the consumer.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
