Patent Application
20070298682
a is a sectional view through section AA of
b is a sectional view through section AA of a variation to
The bra of the present invention is preferably a seamless bra and includes plies of material that have been subjected to a molding and forming process to define their shape. However not all of the components of the bra of the present invention may have been subjected to such mold forming steps.
Where reference in this specification and the claims is made to “inner” or “outer” or similar terms, they are understood to be with reference to the body of the wearer of the bra. For example, the “innermost” or “inward” or “inner side” or “inner region” is the side of the bra that is more proximate to the body of the wearer than the outwardly or outer more portions of the bra or its components or subassemblies.
Also, where reference in this specification and the claims is made to a seamless bra, it is understood to mean that the bra is visibly substantially seamless. In particular, it is meant that the edges of the bra are finished in a seamless way, for example by ultrasonic welding, or by folding the edge of an outer layer over and affixing it to an inner layer by a non-stitching means, or by some other means that is substantially without seams. Seams may however be found inside the bra structure where it is not externally visible, or at locations which are visibly less conspicuous externally, such as the location where a shoulder strap is attached to a bra cup core, or the location where a hook or eye tape is connected to the chest bands. In addition, seams may also be externally visible on the inner side of the bra.
Further, reference in this specification and the claims to “interposed” or “between” is understood to mean that the thing that is interposed between or that is between some other things may or may not be contiguous with those or any of those other things. In other words, there may be intervening objects although such are not necessarily present.
The breast cup assembly 50 may be unitary, i.e., formed from plies extending continuously across the assembly, or may consist of two parts each of which constituting one of the two breast cups 2 and 3 joined at the bridge 6. The joining can be by way of stitching or a seamless means such as welding.
The breast cup assembly 50 and the chest bands 4, 5 may be separate components joined to each other. However, the chest bands 4, 5 and the breast cup assembly 50 can also be unitary or substantially unitary, in which case some or all of the components defining the breast cup assembly 50 also extend to define or constitute the chest bands 4, 5. This is the case when, for example, the bra 1 consists of plies of material some or all of which extend continuously from the free end (to which hooks or eyes are attached) of a chest band 4 or 5 to the free end of the other chest band 5 or 4. In this case, the outermost layer of the bra is preferably a continuous ply of preferably a fabric material extending from the free end of a chest band to the free end of the other chest band. In such case, from the breast cup to the chest band there is no physical boundary, or no externally visible boundary (while there may be an internal boundary), of the breast cup assembly 50. This is for example as shown in
The bra 1 comprises laminated and molded plies of material at least at the breast cups 2 and 3. Some or all of the laminated and molded plies of the breast cups may also extend to define the flange 11 and bridge 6 where or if such are provided. The plies may be coextensive with each other at at least the breast cups 2 and/or 3 but perhaps also at the bridge 6, the flange 11 and/or the or part of the chest bands 4, 5. Some or all of these plies of the bra at the breast cup assembly 50 may only extend at the breast cups 2 and/or 3. Other layers may be sewn or otherwise fastened to the breast cups 2 and/or 3 to define the chest bands 4, 5.
The bra 1 includes a zone or zones of reinforcement such as zone 21, 31, 41 or 42. The reinforcement zone is preferably provided at the breast cup assembly 50 and at least extending in part across part of each breast cup. However the reinforcement zone may also extend across part or all of the flange 11 and/or the bridge 6.
In one example, the reinforcement zone 21 at least runs along the side periphery 13 of each of the breast cups 2 and 3. Here, the sideway force pushing the cup part away from the body is large compared to other forces on the bra at some other regions. The reinforcement zone 21 preferably also extends adjacent and inward of the side periphery 21. It preferably also extends from the point or the area or region adjacent the point where the shoulder strap 8, 9 is attached to each respective breast cup 2, 3. This region also requires reinforcement because the tensile force pulling the bra cup in a direction along the direction of the shoulder strap away from the cup is high.
Where reference in this specification and the claims is made to “periphery”, it is to be understood that it includes not only the exact edge but also a portion of the area or region adjacent thereto.
For greater support (for example where the wearer requires a bigger cup size), the reinforcement zone 21 can optionally occupy a greater area such as that shown as reinforcement zone 41 in
Additionally or alternatively, where the nature of support is to be different from that provided by reinforcement zone 21, reinforcement zone 31 may be defined as shown in
For greater support against both sideway and downward forces, reinforcement zone 42 may be defined as shown in
The drawings have used both the left and right breast cups to illustrate the positioning of the various zones. Obviously, the positioning of the zone or zones generally does not depend on whether it is the right or the left breast cup that is being under consideration. For convenience, both breast cups of the same figure (for example
Additional reinforcement may also exist at the bridge region 6 and the peripheral flange 11 below the breast cups and optionally at the lower periphery of the breast cups 2 and/or 3.
The reinforcing panels 36, 37 and 38 may be made of one or more plies of material. They are preferably of a non-stretchable material such as non-woven fabric. Reference herein to non-stretchable is understood to mean substantially non-stretchable rather than absolutely or perfectly non-stretchable. The function of the reinforcing panels 36, 37, 38 is to help resist the stretchable nature of certain plies of material forming the bra which need to be stretchable in appropriate regions to allow their bulging to occur. At the bridge 6, the panel 37 aids in resisting separation of the breast cups 2, 3 away from each other. At the side regions adjacent to the intersection of the chest band 4, 5 and the breast cup 2, 3, the reinforcing panels 36 and 38 resist the sideways pull from the chest bands, which may otherwise lead to this region pulling too far under the arms or the breast cups pulling flatter against the chest.
Stretching also needs to be resisted at the lower and lower side regions of each cup in order to prevent the bra from riding up over the breast or to prevent the breast from “falling out” of the bra. The non-stretchable material can be positioned to offer additional tensile strength in the desired directions to the bra.
The reinforcement zone or zones such as zone 21, zone 31, zone 41 and zone 42 may be established by one or more of a combination of modes depending on the nature of the bra in which they are incorporated. In this regard there are at least two preferred embodiments which will be described hereinafter.
A first preferred embodiment is where a seamless bra which is without foam panels or plies in the breast cup assembly 50 is provided. This is for example shown with reference to
For the first embodiment, there are only two plies of fabric material laminated or substantially laminated to each other. They constitute the outer and inner layers of the bra. The reinforcing member 29 is interposed between the two fabric plies 19 and 20 as shown in
In a preferred form the reinforcing member 29 is a hot-melt adhesive film such as Bemis 3410. This is a thermoplastic adhesive film sometimes also known as a hot-melt film or thermo sensitive film. The reinforcing member 29 is preferably transparent and not conspicuous through the relatively thin fabric plies 19, 20.
In the first embodiment, where the breast cups 2 and 3 and preferably the rest of the bra 1 are made up of an outer fabric ply 19 laminated or substantially laminated with an inner fabric ply 20, the fabric plies are preferably a polyester or spandex or similar synthetic woven material. A film of for example 0.001 inch of a hot-melt adhesive film (e.g. Bemis 3410) is preferably applied between the outer and inner plies 19 and 20 prior to and for the purpose of laminating the two layers. Lamination can be achieved under appropriate hot pressing conditions, for example a temperature of 170° C. to 190° C. for a dwell time of 120 seconds. Alternatively, spray adhesive or hot-melt adhesive chips can be used instead of hot-melt adhesive film to laminate the outer ply 19 with the inner ply 20.
In the first preferred embodiment, the reinforcement zone such as zone 21, 31, 41 or 42 has a hot-melt adhesive film of for example 0.001 inch Bemis 3410 applied between the inner and outer plies 19, 20 to act as the reinforcing member 29. This hot-melt adhesive film is applied in addition to another hot-melt adhesive film or spray adhesive or hot-melt adhesive chips used for laminating the outer and inner fabric plies 19, 20 together.
Thus, if 0.001 inch of hot-melt adhesive film 47 is used for laminating the outer and inner plies 19, 20 together, at the reinforcement zone such as zone 21, 31, 41 or 42, before hot pressing, the total thickness of the hot-melt adhesive film will be 0.002 inch because of the additional hot-melt adhesive film acting as the reinforcing member 29. Upon hot pressing and subsequent cooling, the outer and inner plies 19 and 20 are laminated to each other, and at the zone 21, 31, 41 and/42 there will be the additional support provided by the reinforcing member 29 being the hot-melt adhesive film. In effect there is a higher density of hot-melt adhesive at the reinforcement zone 21, 31, 41 and/or 42. The additional support provided in this way is not externally visible through the thin fabric plies 19, 20. The hot-melt adhesive film would not necessarily still be “intact” as a film after hot pressing because it will have melded with the adjacent plies of material, but its effect of providing additional support will be there after the hot pressing and molding steps, which can occur together or separately. The 3-dimensional cup shape may be formed by molding at the same time as or as a separate and subsequent step to the hot pressing step.
Additional reinforcing panels 36, 37 and 38 are optionally located between the plies 19, 20 of material that define at least the breast cup assembly 50 and preferably also the bra 1. By the use of hot-melt adhesive film, for example, lamination of the panels 36, 37 and 38 to the plies 19, 20 can be achieved by hot pressing. For example, the reinforcing panels 36, 37 and 38 may, during the manufacture of the bra, be adhered to one of the plies 19 and 20 before it is engaged to the other of the plies 19 and 20. Once the other of the plies 19 or 20 is applied, the assembly can be pressed together by for example hot molding for the purpose of forming and lamination and then be trimmed.
An underwire structure of structures 58 may also be incorporated and interposed between the plies 19, 20.
A second preferred embodiment is where a seamless bra is provided which does include a foam layer in the breast cup assembly 50. Our earlier patent application US2004/0224604 describes the structure of and the method of forming a seamless bra including foam in the breast cup assembly and is hereby incorporated by way of reference. The present invention also applies to a bra manufactured in accordance with the methods described in our said earlier patent application.
In this second embodiment, reinforcement zones 21, 31, 41 and/or 42 are preferably provided by a reinforcing member 69 which is a non-stretchable fabric. Again, non-stretchable is understood to mean substantially non-stretchable rather than absolutely or perfectly non-stretchable.
For the second embodiment, at each cup 2, 3 there are at least two laminated plies—for example the outer ply 19 and the inner ply 20—which capture at least a foam ply 43. The inner and outer plies 19 and 20 are preferably fabric plies which may for example be spandex. This is shown in
In the second preferred embodiment, where there is at least one foam ply 43 laminated with the outer fabric ply 19, the reinforcing member 69 is preferably a non-stretchable fabric such as non-woven fabric. However it could alternatively be a hot-melt adhesive film of a kind as mentioned when the first preferred embodiment is described.
In the second embodiment, the reinforcing member 69 is preferably interposed between the foam ply 43 and the inner fabric ply 20 (or any other layer which is adjacent to the reinforcing member 69 and on the “inner” side). Because of the presence of the foam ply 43 between the non-stretchable fabric reinforcing member 69 and the outer fabric ply 19, the non-stretchable fabric is not conspicuous. Hence, the reasons for using a hot-melt adhesive as the reinforcing member for the first embodiment do not apply for the second embodiment.
A non-stretchable fabric may be more effective in providing support than an adhesive film, but where there are only the outer and inner fabric plies 19, 20 and no foam ply making up the bra (as in the first embodiment), a non-stretchable fabric is not preferred as the reinforcing member for the reinforcement zones 21, 31, 41 or 42 since it may show through the outer fabric ply 19 and become conspicuous, which has an undesired visual effect.
In
For both the reinforcing member 69 (of which non-stretchable fabric is an example) and the reinforcing member 29 (of which hot-melt adhesive is an example), these may be said to be embedded by the plies of the assembly 50. For the former, the nature of embedding is by being placed or captured between two plies. For the latter, the nature of embedding is of the melded form.
While the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood that such embodiments are susceptible of modifications and variations without departing from the scope of the present invention and that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
