Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MET~O~ OF FARRICATING TWO LAYER CUPS & BRA
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to
brassiere~ and more ~pecifically to a method ~f making an
S improved bras~iere cup which inc~udes a shape supporting panel
i~ the cup.
These shape supporting panels in the cup whlch form
less than t~e full three dimensional structure o the cup are
well known. Similarly the problems in fabricating such cups
a~e also well known as ~escribed in U.S. Pa~ent 4,172,002 to
&luckin. As a solution to the prior art problems, Gluckln
suggests ~mi nating the support panel to a tharmoplastic
supp~rt material and then adhering both t~ a ply of materlal
from which the complete cup is to be formedO The three layer
composite lamina is then molded to form the complete cup over
a hot molding die. Although Gluckin solves the problem o the
prior art o puckering or wrinkling of the material~ the use
o~ the thermoplastic support material and the heating to
~reate a bo~d creates a stiff breast cup of undesirable handO
Another pxoblem with the Gluckin mekhod is that t~e
support panel acts as a thermal insulator ko the extent that
the outside layer is not evenly heated. This causes uneven
stretching of the outside layer during molding which unevenly
rhanges the characteristics and thickness of the outside
layer. Thu~, the thickness of the cup will vary since the
outside layer in the three-layered portions is not reduced as
much as it i8 in the two-layered portions.
Glucki~ deals specifically with polyasters ~ersus
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stretchable materials and thus does not consider the
problem of molding two layers of stretchable materials
over an open male mold. Even though Gluckin discusses
molding using a male mold on one side, the same problem
would exist for the center layer of three layers using
both a male and female mold simultaneously.
Other prior art techniques of forming a
composite cup having a support patch include molding the
patch and the brassiere cup separately and then joining
them by sewing along the periphery of the patch. Since
the two layers are molded separately, they ~annot always
be matched in the post-molded condition and thus undesire-
able wrinkles and creases are produced.
With the fashion trend to the natural look, the
number of seams and stiff portions of a brassiere must
be reduced to a minimum. Thus, it is desirable to make
as may pieces unitary thereby eliminating seams.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide
a two-layer molded brassiere cup of increased hand.
Another object of the present invention is to
provide a two-layer molded breast cup without the need
of prior lamination of the layers.
A further object of the present invention is to
provide a two-layer molded ~reast cup with varying stretch
characteristics along the longitude of the cup.
Still another object of the present invention
is to provide a brassiere incorporating a two-layer molded
breast cup of increased hand.
An even further ob~ect of the present invention
is to provide a two-layer molded brassiere cup having
ùniform thickness along each layer of the cup.
A still further object of the present invention
is to provide a brassiere having the minimum number of
seams.
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These and other objects of the invention are attained,
in a brassiere having a support frame including a pair of breast
cups and a pair of torso-encompassing portions, and shoulder
straps, by providing a first layer of material forming a substan-
tial portion of each oE said breast cups and Eorming a portion of
said support frame, and a second layer oE material forming said
breast cups, said suppor-t frame and said torso-encompassing por-
tions, said first layer being attached to said second layer at the
periphery of said first layer, and said first and second layers
being non-stretchable at the crown of said cups, substantially non-
stretchable longitudinally at the remainder of said cups, and
stretchable multi-directionally at said support frame.
The invention also resides in a method of making the
brassiere cup comprising in a first molding step, molding a first
area of said first layer and the juxtaposed area of said second
layer with one of said first and second layers contacting a heated
male mold to form the crown of the cup, and, in a second molding
step~ molding a second area of said first and second layers includ-
ing said first area with the other of said first and second layers
contacting a heated male mold to form the remainder of the cup.
The first layer may be cut to have an area less than the
full area of the to-be-formed cup and is attached around its peri-
phery to the second layer. The second layer may be cut to form a
unitary breast cup, support frame and torso-encompassing portion.
It is then joined at a lateral edge with a second unitary breast
cup, support frame and torso-encompassing section to form a complete
brassiere. Elastomeric trim is attached to the upper
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edges of the second layer and a continuous elastom~ric
band is attached along the bottom of the joined second
layers. Fasteners are attached to the other lateral
edges of the second layer, and shoulder straps are
attached to the second layer.
Other objects, advantages and novel features
of the present invention will become evident from the
detailed description of the invention when considered
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the first
and second layers prior to attachment.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the first and
second layers after attachment illustrating the first
and second clamping areas.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating
the first molding step incorporating the principles of
the present invention.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating
the second molding step incorporating the principles of the
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present invention.
Figure 5 is a front elevational view of a brassiere
constructed in accordance with the present invention with the
torso-encompassing portion shown turned into the plane of the
front portion thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The method of fabricating a two-layer molded breast
cup begins as illustrated in Figure 1 with a first layer 10 cut
to form less than the full area of the to-be-formed cup positioned
on a second layer 12 which is larger than the area of the to-be-
formed cup. The first layer 10 is attached to the second layer 12
about its periphery preferably by stitching 14 as shown in Figure
2. The first layer 10 and the second layer 12 are chosen to be of
multi-directional stretch material or fabric which includes Spandex
(trademark) or other heat-treatable stretchable polymers. One such
fabric is Ilycra (trademark). It should be noted that other methods
of attaching the two layers together may be used, for example,
bonding the first layer about its periphery to the second layer.
As noted previousl~, the use of adhesive or other bonding techni-
ques may be undesirable since it decreases the softness and addssome rigidity to the final structure and thus decreases the hand.
Although the present description will be directed to
the first layer being cut to form less than the full cup area,
the method of the present invention is applicable to any two-layer
stretch fabric cup construction. The first layer can be cut to
have an area equal to the total cup area or even the same area as
the second layer.
For purpose of clarity, a first dotted area A is
shown in Figure 2 defining the crown portion of the to-be-
formed cup. A second dotted line illustrates the second area Bwhich is the total area used to form the total cup.
The two layers 10 and 12 are clamped in a frame
having two clamping members 16 and 1~ with an open:ing deEining
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the area A marked in Figure 2. The clamped material is then
placed over a first heated male mold 20 so that the mold strekches
the material as illustrated in Figure 3. The temperature of the
mold and the timing of the molding are selected such that the
elastomeric material or Eabric layers 10 and 12 in the crown area
A have been stretched to their maximum and the heating setting of
this area has just started. The clamping members 16 and 18 confine
the stretching or molding of the material to the crown area A
thereby defining the crown of the breast cup. However, even after
the completion of the first molding step, there is some degree of
stretch remaining in the crown area A and this stretch is easy and
about in balance with the single ply area of the cup. It should be
noted that during the first molding step of Figure 3, the second
fabric material 12 is against the mold 20 with the first fabric layer
10 not in contact with the mold 20. For a Lycra fabric, the first
molding period is in a range of 5 to 10 seconds with the male mold
have a temperature in the range of about 388F. to 395F.
The two layers of material 10 and lZ are then re-
moved from the clamp frame 16 and 18, inverted and placed in
a second clamp frame having members 22 and 24. The second clamp
frame has an opening defining the area B illustrated in Figure 2.
This area B defines the base of the finally formed breast cup.
The frames 22 and 24 are then lowered onto a second heated male
mold 20'with the first layer of fabric 10 against the mold 20'. This stretches
the fabric layers 10 and 12 in the area B with the frames 22 and 24 li~iting the
Sl L~L~h to this area B. The molding period is in the range of 20 and 35 secondswith the tem~erature irlthe range of about 392F. to 4Q0F.
Since the crown area A has been substantially pre-
formed in the previous molding step, there is almost no addi-
tional stretching of the crown. This allows a more evenly divided
stretch force along the area between the crown portion A and the
periphery s. Thus, the cup has a more evenly defined shape. By
molding the crown portion first, the stress along this por-tion is
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more evenly divided and thus the undesirable thinning at the
apex of the crown is avoided.
By inverting the composite material between the
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first and second molding s~ep~ the layer~ lO and 12 in the
crown area both are subjected to substantially the same amount
of heat. Thus, they have uniform structure. If thi~ did
not take place, the layer of material closest to the~7~1d w~uld s~t
fa6ter and harder which is undesirable.
The combined double molding process of the present
invention produces a cup having a crown and remainder of cup
portions of differe~t stretch characteristics than the original
material or fabric. The crown portion A is non-stretchable
and the remainder of the cup portion, between the crown por-
tion A and the periphery B, iS non-stretchable in the longi-
tu~;n~] direction indicated by the arrow L in Figure 4 while
having stretchability in the transverse direction indicated
by the arrow T. The remainder of the first and second layers
external to the area ~ maintain the multi-directional
stretchability. This specific combination of multiple layers
of matarial and their selected degrees of stretchability pro-
duce a very uni~ue cupO The crown portion being non-stretch-
able provides shape to the crown portion of the cup. The
2~ remainder of the cup being non-stretchable in the longitudinal
direction provides support and uplift in the cup and also the
stretchability in the transverse directions allows for
adjus~ability for the size of the cup. This is needed since
most ~7omen are not truly a given cup size. The remainder of
the frame being stretchable in the multi-direction allows
the remainder of the material to be used as a support ~rame
a~d thus alleviates one of the major seams in a brassiere in
construction, namely the seam that attaches the cup to its
support frame.
It should be noted that although the process is
illustrated wherein the second layer 12 is first applied
against the mold and then inverted with the first layer 10
finally being against the mold, these may be reversed. Since
the first layer or support patch 10 is to be on the interior
of the finally formed cup, it is preferred that it be against
the mold in the final or second molding step.
Although the processes of Figures 3 and 4 ~7ere
illustrated using two male molds 20 and 20', the first mold
merely has the shape of the crown and the second mold being
the shape of the total cup, it is evident that a single mold
may be used. The process of Figures 3 and 4 would be carried
out on a single male mold by lowering the clamping frames
down a first depth to de~ine first the crown in ~he first mold-
lng step and after inverting and reclamping, lowering the
clamping frame down a second depth greater than the first
depth to form the full cup portion in the ~econd molding step.
The presen~ process can be carried out on a standard male
molding machine.
Although it is preferred that the base layer 12 be
relatively large to facilitate clamping during the moldi~g
process and the subsequent cutting to form the shape of the
~5 unitary breast cup, support frame and torso-encompassing
portion, the layer 12 may be cut prior to molding if so
desired.
The unique two-layer molded cup fabricated according
to Figures 1-4 may bQ used to form a brassiere having unique
characteristics. Referring to Figure 5, a brassiere 30 is
shown having a pair of bust assemblies 32 and 34. Each bust
assembly include~ a unitary layer 36 forming the breast cup,
support frame, and torso-encompassin~ portion. A patch 38 is
attached to the interior of the cup by stitching 40 and ~orms
almost all o the lower cup portion and a substantial portion
of the upper cup portion as well as a lower portion of the
support ~rame, The upper portions of layer 36 forming the
support frame have attached thereto elastomeric trim 42 and 44O
The lowex inner lateral edg~ of the bust assemblies
32 and 34 are joined by a medium pan~l 46 which is illustrated
as an open net pattern. The continuous elastomeric hand ~8
is attached along the bottom edge of the support frame of
the joined bust assemblies 32 and 34. Complementary fasteners,
for example, hook and eyes 50 and 52 are attached to the
exterior lateral edge of the layer 36 which forms the torso-
encompassing portion.
A pair of shoulder strap~ 54 are connected t9 t~ top
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portion of the single layer 36 of the support frame direc~ly
or through a highly elastomeric portion 56. The other ~nd of
the strap 54 is connected through a ring 58 to the torso-
encompassing portion of the layer 36O An adjustabl~ element
60 ~s provided on the strap 54.
It should be noted that although the brassiere
~llustrated in Figure 5 shows the breast cup assemblies 32
and 34 joined in the center by the panel 46 and the comple-
mentary fasteners 50 and 52 ak the opposite lateral edyes,
t~e fastener6 may be provided in the center and the torso-
~ncompassing p~rtions secured together at their end. Also,
the cup assemblies 32 and 34 may be jolned directly to each
other without center panel 46/
As can ~e seen by an examination of the ~rassiere
30 of Figure 5, there are no seams on the bra cup, support
frame or torso-encompassing section except for along the
edges w~erein the elastomeric trim or band are attached other
than tha thin stitching attaching the patch 38 to the layer
36. Thus~ the amount of undesirable seams and stitchings
have been ellmlnated. By using the unique process of Flgureg
1-4, a unltary bra cup, support frame and torso-encompassiny
port~on are provided which have the same structural support
and give of prior art brassieres without the undesirable
appearances of prior art brassieres.
From the preceding description of the pxeferred
embodiments, it is evident that the objects of th~ invention
are attained in that a unique process for fabricating a breast
cup and a resulting brassiere are shown. Although the inven~
tion has been described and illustrated in detail, it is
alearly understood that the same is by way of example and
illustration only and is not to be taken by ~ay o~ lLmitation.
The spirit and scope of the present invention are to be limit~d
only by the terms of the appended claims.
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