Patent Application
20190246720
Clothing, safety attire and other articles that are worn, such as shirts, pants, uniforms, personal protective equipment, and the like, are susceptible to wear and tear from regular use. Further, different clothing materials wear faster or more easily than others, and certain areas of clothing are more prone to wear. For example, clothing worn about a wearer's knees, elbows, buttocks, crotch, wrists (cuffs), and shoulders often wear out, fail, rip, or otherwise deteriorate faster than other areas along the article of clothing. Moreover, clothing worn during the course of performing physical labor, participating in a sporting or outdoor activity, repeated work repeated work related activities, and/or the like, oftentimes wear faster in the above referenced or other areas where clothing is in regular contact with a surface.
Traditional solutions to prevent or decrease the wear and tear or destruction of clothing include sewing or otherwise fastening patches or durable materials to heavy wear areas of the clothing. However, such solutions often detract from the aesthetic appearance of the clothing, or are not suitable to be worn in many environments or conditions which result in high amounts of clothing wear or fatigue. Additionally, these solutions are subject to wearing out on their own, becoming dislodged, and/or otherwise not functioning properly. Further, the placement of such solutions is often limited to the exterior portions of the clothing article so as not to interfere with the comfort of the individual wearing the same or to comply with certain manufacturing requirements.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a solution that provides enhanced durability and/or support to articles that are prone to wear, such as clothing, and that does not otherwise detract from the aesthetic appearance of the article. The present invention discloses a protective or supportive device for a clothing article, such as a coating or heat transfer label, that reduces the degradation of the clothing article in those areas that are typically prone to excessive wear. The present invention also discloses a method of applying the protective or supportive device to an article of clothing, as well as to other articles that would benefit from anti-abrasion or excessive wear reduction characteristics.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one aspect thereof, comprises a protective or supportive device, substance, or coating, such as a heat transfer label or other polymeric material, for providing support to enhance the durability of those portions of an article of clothing that are prone to wear or premature degradation, without detracting from the aesthetical appearance of the article. The present invention also discloses a method of applying the protective or supportive device to the article of clothing, or any other article that may benefit from increased support, anti-abrasion, or excessive wear reduction characteristics.
In one exemplary embodiment, a method and system for creating one or more articles of clothing with enhanced durability and/or support is provided. For example, the protective or supportive device can be applied to portions of an article of clothing to provide increased support, anti-abrasion, or enhanced wear capabilities along those specific portions of the article that are the most prone to wear and tear. For example, the protective or supportive device could be provided in areas such as the knee areas of pants or elbow areas of shirts. The protective or supportive device applied to these areas can provide properties to the article of clothing that reduce or prevent wear and tear, for example, by forming a protective or supportive barrier outside of the fabric of the clothing or infusing the same into the clothing fabric. As a result, the clothing with the protective or supportive device may have enhanced durability and a longer useful life, both of which are desirable.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the protective or supportive device comprises a bonding or barrier component. The barrier component may be bondable to a substrate or fabric, such as an article of clothing, to enhance the durability of the substrate where bonded to the barrier component. More specifically, the barrier component may either bond to the surface of the substrate, or it may integrate or infuse into the substrate to form a supportive or protective barrier.
According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the protective or supportive device may comprise both a bonding or barrier component and a transfer component. The bonding component is bondable to a substrate, such as clothing fabric, to enhance the durability of the substrate and reduce or slow its degradation when subjected to repeated wear and tear and/or abrasive materials. Further, the transfer component may be removably attached to the barrier component to protect the same until the barrier component is ready to be attached or infused into the substrate or fabric.
According to yet another exemplary embodiment, a method of applying the protective or supportive device of the present invention to a substrate is disclosed. More specifically, and by way of example, the backing of the transfer component may be removed from the protective or supportive device to expose the bonding or barrier component. The barrier component may then be positioned adjacent to the area of the substrate, such as the fabric of an article of clothing, where reinforcement, support, and/or enhanced durability is desired. Finally, heat and/or pressure may then be applied to the barrier component to attach or integrate the barrier component with the substrate, such as the fabric or an article of clothing. More specifically, the barrier component may attach itself to the exterior of the fabric, or infuse itself into said fabric to create a bond therewith. The barrier component may further comprise an adhesive ink layer or coating to further aid in attaching the barrier component to the article.
According to an additional embodiment of the present invention, a protective or supportive device provides an article of clothing with one or more contour areas to accentuate aspects of a figure or to add additional shape and support for a wearer. For example, when the protective or supportive device is applied to the rear or buttocks portion of pants, the protective or supportive device may provide support, such as increased lift or shaping, to the wearer's buttocks.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, the protective or supportive device can provide increased support to certain portions of an article of clothing to help alleviate physical or other handicaps from which a wearer may suffer.
Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments thereof, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like elements, in which:
Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description discussion of several terms used herein follows.
As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” The embodiments described herein are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood that the described embodiments are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms “embodiments of the invention”, “embodiments” or “invention” do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.
The present invention discloses a protective device for enhancing or improving the durability of, or providing additional support to, a substrate, such as an article of clothing with areas thereof that are prone to premature degradation from excessive wear. According to an exemplary embodiment, and referring generally to the Figures, protective or supportive devices for use with articles of clothing and methods for forming articles of clothing with protective or supportive devices may be shown and described. While the present specification relates to articles or clothing, the present specification is not limited to such. Stated differently, the protective or supportive devices of the present invention and their related methods may be used with any substrate where material fatigue or increased wear is likely. Further, the articles of clothing may include one or more protective or supportive devices, such as a heat transfer, that are applied to desired areas of the clothing, and which can provide enhanced durability and life to the article of clothing.
The protective or supportive devices of the present invention may act as a reinforcing element, a barrier, or an anti-abrasion agent that covers the applied areas, or may be infused into the fabric of the clothing to decrease wear and otherwise extend the useful life of high wear portions of the fabric without detracting from the aesthetic appeal of the article. The protective or supportive devices can be utilized on a variety of substrates or materials, including fabrics, for a variety of articles, such as clothing, as well as other fabric items which incur excessive wear. For example, the protective or supportive devices described herein could be utilized on canvas bags, backpacks, computer cases, garment bags, suitcases, shoes, gloves, personal protective equipment, apparel accessories, and the like.
Referring now to the Figures,
One or more protective or supportive devices 102, 104, which are more fully described below, may be applied to an exterior or interior portion of article 100 depending on user preference or need. For example,
When one or more protective or supportive devices 102, 104 are applied to an article, including an article of clothing or other fabric article, the protective or supportive devices 102, 104 may form a barrier on the surface of the fabric on which it is placed (e.g., exterior or interior surface). This barrier may act similarly to a traditional sewn-on patch, but may also be more integrally formed with the fabric and provide enhanced durability, improved appearance, and generally reduce wear. For example, knee areas of pants 100 are commonly known to wear out due to the general walking motion of wearers, kneeling on the ground or other various surfaces when performing activities, or otherwise rubbing or bumping against exterior objects. Traditionally, such activity results in the knee areas of pants 100 fatiguing, tearing, or otherwise wearing out faster than, for example, lesser used portions of the pants 100, such as the shin areas. Therefore, incorporating the plurality of protective or supportive devices 102, 104 with the pants 100 will reduce the wear and fatigue on the applied areas, thereby resulting in pants 100 with a longer useful life and greater functionality.
Referring now generally to exemplary
In one embodiment, one or more protective or supportive devices may be used to stiffen the article. By providing increased stiffness to an article, a protective or supportive device can prevent the article from being extended or deformed into a particular shape. Thus, in some embodiments, one or more protective or supportive devices may ensure that the article, such as an article of clothing, has a particular shape, aesthetic, or visual effect when worn.
In other embodiments, one or more protective or supportive devices may also, or alternatively, be used in a prosthetic manner. For example, a protective or supportive device may assist the user or wearer of an article with any physical disability or handicap by providing increased stiffness to an article, such as an article of clothing which may aid in the user in utilizing or putting on the article.
For example, according to one embodiment, one or more protective or supportive devices may be applied in one or more areas of an article, such as an article of clothing. A pair of pants, such as blue jeans or any other such pair of pants, may have one or more protective or supportive devices applied thereto in certain areas in order to ensure that the pants are provided and/or worn in a particular shape (for example, so that the pants provide support, contouring, or lift when worn). In some embodiments presently contemplated one or more protective or supportive devices may be applied to the inside of the pair of pants on an inward-facing side of the fabric. Advantageously, this may provide shape or support to the pair of pants when worn without making the protective or supportive devices clearly visible from the outside of the pants while providing a shape having the desired aesthetic effect.
According to another exemplary embodiment, one or more protective or supportive devices may be applied to the outside of an article, such as an article of clothing. For example, one or more protective or supportive devices may be applied to a pair of pants on an outward-facing side of the fabric to provide the pair of pants a different aesthetic effect. For example, one or more protective or supportive devices having a certain color may be provided on the outside of the pair of pants in order to highlight a particular area of the pair of pants where the one or more protective or supportive devices are applied in order to draw attention to those particular areas.
In yet another example, one or more protective or supportive devices may be applied to the outside of an article, such as an article of clothing, to provide protection to the fabric as well as support. For example, one or more protective or supportive devices may be applied to the outside of a pair of jeans in order to achieve a creased, heavily-starched “cowboy” look, and in order to simultaneously protect the fabric from dirt, wear, and the like.
According to an exemplary embodiment, one or more protective or supportive devices may be applied to any other articles of clothing other than pants, such as shirts, fabric jackets, or any other articles of clothing or any other fabric such as may be desired. For example, it may even be contemplated to provide one or more protective or supportive devices on socks in order to provide ankle support or in order to provide some other benefit, such as increased durability in high areas of wear, such as the heel or toe portions.
In some embodiments, protective or supportive devices may have any degree of breathability or any degree of flexibility. For example, a protective or supportive device may be highly breathable and flexible. In some exemplary embodiments, a protective or supportive device may be stretchable up to a percent elongation of up to 15%. In alternative embodiments, a protective or supportive device may be stiffer and less breathable and flexible. In these embodiments, for example, if it is desired to provide a very pronounced shape or set of contouring on an article of fabric, it may be necessary to provide a very stiff protective or supportive device in order to maintain a particular shape. In other embodiments, a protective or supportive device may be breathable but stuff. For example, it may be desirable to provide an article, e.g., an article of clothing such as a sock, that is highly breathable but less flexible.
In some exemplary embodiments, protective or supportive devices may be thinned or thickened as necessary before or during application, or applied over layers that had already been applied. For example, additional protective or supportive devices may be added into an area that has already been provided with a contour or a particular shape in order to improve aspects of the formed shape, such as the resolution of the shape or other aspects such as may be desired.
In some embodiments, different types of protective or supportive devices may be used in building up a particular area. Fr example, a first protective or supportive device could be more abrasion resistant and a protective or supportive device that may appear next to the skin could be a softer, more comfortable layer. In some embodiments, a protective or supportive device may be provided with one or more additional features, such as additional padding for comfort or otherwise and/or wicking to wick moisture away from the body.
In one exemplary embodiment, a plurality of the protective or supportive devices may be in a staggered layout upon its application or integration into an article. This staggered layout may be utilized when increased abrasion resistance is desired in a specific area(s) while also providing properties associated with a single protective or supportive device on another area(s) of the article. Furthermore, the protective or supportive devices in the staggered layout may be comprised of protective or supportive devices having varying properties. Looking now at exemplary
In another exemplary embodiment, it may be desired to eliminate the yoke piece 324. In such embodiments, contouring may be accomplished by the use of darts, if desired, as well as, or alternatively, by a shaping heat transfer. In still other embodiments, the yoke piece 324 may be provided in a substantially different shape in order to provide a different shape of yoke. For example, according to some exemplary embodiments, a pair of pants may be created with an inverted arc yoke in order to create the illusion of a fuller rear portion of the pants when worn. Alternatively, a pair of pants may be created with a straight or horizontal yoke in order to make the waist appear wider when worn. In still other embodiments, a pair of pants may be created with a “v-shaped,” “sweet heart,” or “wide” yoke having a generally angled shape in order to provide a particular visual effect, or may otherwise be customized as may be desired.
Turning now to exemplary
According to an exemplary embodiment, the front leg 304 and back leg 302 portions of the pants may be treated with a heat applied transfer 306, 308 over a portion of back leg 302 and front leg 304, respectively, spanning from a waistline 326 of the pants to a crotch line 328 of the pants, substantially encompassing the hipline of the pants. In other exemplary embodiments, the pants may be treated with a heat transfer that is applied over a different portion, such as, for example, between the waistline 326 and the hipline, between the hipline and the crotch line 328, between any of the aforementioned lines and the knee line, or between any position or set of positions and any other position or set of positions, such as may be desired.
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In one embodiment presently contemplated, the support device 1100 is comprised of multiple layers such that at least one of the layers may comprise at least one RFID (radio frequency identification) device. The support device 1100 is not limited to any particular shape or size, and may be laser or die cut into any particular shape known in the art.
As previously stated, in one embodiment, the protective or supportive device 1100 may comprise a transfer device, such as heat transfer device or a cold transfer device. For example, heat transfers utilized in exemplary embodiments described herein may be hot paper transfers that are applied to a textile or fabric with heat and/or pressure. In alternative embodiments, a transfer device can be cold transfers. The present invention contemplates transfer devices are marketed under the AGILITY® and PRECISION™ brands from Avery Dennison Retail Information Service, LLC. In some embodiments, the protective device 1100 may be such that it does not utilize any form of special coated paper, adhesive glue, or powders in the application process. Instead, the barrier component 1102 may comprise an ink 1105 throughout the barrier component 1102 or otherwise in desired areas.
Upon application of heat and/or pressure to the protective or supportive device 1100, the ink 1105 melts. The melting of the ink 1105 causes it to bond with the underlying fabric and, in some exemplary embodiments, to form a patch-like area of high durability and/or increased support, such as shown in
The barrier component 1102 may be transparent or translucent when applied to the substrate of articles 100, 200. Alternatively, the barrier component 1102 may be visible as desired, such as imbedded with a decorative design or other useful indicia, such as branding, garment care instructions, or artwork.
Protective or supportive device 1100 can be any suitable size, shape, and configuration as is known in the art for providing ample coverage for articles 100, 200 needing protection from wear or additional support without affecting the overall concept of the invention. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the shape and size of protective or supportive device 1100 as shown in
As described above, the barrier component 1202 is typically comprised of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or polyvinylchloride, though other materials are also contemplated. Further, barrier component 1202 is typically activated using heat, pressure, or both, but may further comprise an adhesive 1203 positioned thereon that enables barrier component 1202 to bond to the surface of the substrate or that integrates with the substrate to form a barrier that can resist wear and potentially other items, such as liquids.
Adhesive 1203 may include a polyamide, phenoxy or polyester adhesive, or any other suitable adhesive known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the present invention. The adhesive 1203 may be positioned on barrier component 1202 to enable barrier component 1202 to bond to the surface of the substrate, or integrate with the substrate to form a barrier that can resist or reduce wear to the article 100, 200, and potentially other items, such as liquids. Adhesive 1203 is also typically activated using heat, pressure, or both.
Protective or supportive device 1200 further comprises a transfer component 1204 that is removably detachable from barrier component 1202. The transfer component 1204 may comprise a removable backing, such as a transfer paper, a pealable film, or the like, and protects barrier component 1202 and adhesive 1203, if present, prior to its application to article 100, 200. For example, transfer component 1204 may protect barrier component 1202 from becoming dirty or from premature activation, both of which could damage protective or supportive device 1200 and render the same unusable.
As described above, in one embodiment, the protective or supportive device 1200 may comprise a heat transfer device, such as a hot paper transfer that is applied to a textile or fabric with heat and/or pressure. The protective or supportive device 1200 may be such that it does not utilize any form of special coated paper, adhesive glue, or powders in the application process. Instead, the barrier component 1202 may comprise an ink 1205 throughout the barrier component 1202 or otherwise in desired areas. Ink 1205 may be comprised of one or more conventional heat transfer label inks, such as polyester inks, polyester/vinyl inks, polyamide inks and/or acrylic inks.
Upon application of heat and/or pressure to the protective or supportive device 1200, the ink 1205 melts. The melting of the ink 1205 causes it to bond with the underlying fabric, in some exemplary embodiments, to form a patch-like area of high durability, such as shown in
Additional transfer techniques are also contemplated by the present invention. For example, in a hot-split transfer, heat is applied to the barrier component 1202 and the transfer component 1204 is removed before the heat dissipates. Additionally, as previously mentioned, the barrier component 1202 may form a liquid resistant barrier where applied. In another embodiment, the protective or supportive device 1200 may be bonded to article 100, 200 using a cold method transfer process. For example, in a cold-peal transfer, heat may be initially applied, but the transfer component 1204 is not removed until the protective or supportive device 1200 has cooled.
Further, the barrier component 1202 may be transparent or translucent when applied to the substrate of article 100, 200. Alternatively, the barrier component 1202 may be visible as desired, such as imbedded with a decorative design or other useful indicia, such as branding, garment care instructions, or artwork.
Protective or supportive device 1200 can be any suitable size, shape, and configuration as is known in the art for providing ample coverage for articles 100, 200 needing protection from wear without affecting the overall concept of the invention. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the shape and size of protective or supportive device 1200 as shown in
Alternatively, as illustrated in
As the paper sheet 1302 is subjected to heat, the wax release layer 1304 begins to melt. This enables the paper sheet 1302 to be released from the barrier component 1306, with a portion of the wax release layer 1304 being transferred with the barrier component 1306 onto the article 100, 200 and with a portion of the wax release layer 1304 remaining with the paper sheet 1302. After transfer of the barrier component 1306 to the article 100, 200, the paper sheet 1302 is immediately removed, leaving the barrier component 1306 with the design firmly affixed to the article 100, 200 and the wax transferred therewith exposed to the environment. The wax release layer 1304 is thus intended to serve two purposes: (1) to provide release of the barrier component 1306 from the paper web 1302 upon application of heat to the paper web 1302 and (2) to form a further protective layer over the transferred barrier component 1306.
Additionally, in some such embodiments of the present invention, the ink for the protective or supportive device may be color matched to the underlying fabric that receives the protective or supportive device, for example blue ink on the protective or supportive device that matches the blue denim of a pair of jeans. In such embodiments, the protective or supportive device may be coupled to or infused into the fabric in such a manner as to be substantially transparent or otherwise unseen on regular visual inspection. In other exemplary embodiments, the protective or supportive devices may use ink or inks of a certain color that contrast with the color of the underlying fabrics so as to create visual distinctions between the heat transfer and fabric, designate spots of enhanced durability, provide designs, or for any other desired reason.
In addition to the various inks referenced above, the ink may also be a plastisol, such as a suspension of PVC or other non-water soluble polymer particles in a liquid plasticizer that is capable of flowing like a liquid when heated. These types of ink material are ideal for screen printing application, and cure with heat to form a coating bonded to the surface of the fabric. Stabilizer additives may also be added to resist degradation from light, chemical, or mechanical stress. Alternatively, acrysol water-based inks may be employed when the application benefits from the ink integrating directly into the substrate to form an integrated barrier.
The protective or supportive devices disclosed herein, whether infused into the fabric or coupled to the surface of the applied-to fabric, will then create an anti-abrasion area where the protective or supportive devices are employed that are high strength and decrease wear and tear, such as ripping or the formation of holes, for clothing with superior longevity than that of the fabric alone. Further, depending on the particular application, the protective or supportive devices can provide varying levels of liquid resistance. Additionally, the formation of the protective or supportive devices described herein may not negatively impact the flexibility, comfort, wash-ability, appearance, and general utility of the clothing articles (or any other articles) to which they are applied. Further, the protective or supportive devices may be applied in a cost-effective manner that does not significantly increase the cost of the articles, such as clothing articles, onto which the protective or supportive devices are applied. Additionally, in other exemplary embodiments, the protective or supportive devices may be applied to articles, such as articles of clothing, after their manufacture, for example on an individual basis.
The foregoing description and accompanying figures illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art (for example, features associated with certain configurations of the invention may instead be associated with any other configurations of the invention, as desired).
Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
The present application claims priority to and the benefit of United States provisional utility patent application No. 62/629,393 filed Feb. 12, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62629393 | Feb 2018 | US |
