| (19) |
 |
|
(11) |
EP 0 774 215 A3 |
| (12) |
EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| (88) |
Date of publication A3: |
|
14.01.1998 Bulletin 1998/03 |
| (43) |
Date of publication A2: |
|
21.05.1997 Bulletin 1997/21 |
| (22) |
Date of filing: 13.11.1996 |
|
| (51) |
International Patent Classification (IPC)6: A41F 9/02 |
|
| (84) |
Designated Contracting States: |
|
BE DE ES FR GB IE IT NL PT |
| (30) |
Priority: |
14.11.1995 GB 9523255
|
| (71) |
Applicants: |
|
- MARKS and SPENCER p.l.c.
London W1A 1DN (GB)
- Dagg, Robert William Arthur
Shankill,
County of Dublin (IE)
|
|
| (72) |
Inventor: |
|
- Dagg, Robert William Arthur
Shankill,
County Dublin (IE)
|
| (74) |
Representative: Ablewhite, Alan James |
|
MARKS & CLERK,
57/60 Lincoln's Inn Fields
London WC2A 3LS
London WC2A 3LS (GB) |
|
| |
|
| (54) |
Improvements in fabric of garment technology |
(57) A method of providing a linear zone of limited and concealed elasticity to a garment
or a part therefor comprises the steps of:
(1) raising the temperature of a strip of elastic fabric comprising an elastic component
and a heat-shrinkable component to such a temperature for such a duration that the
inherent heat-shrinkage is reduced to a predetermined value;
(2) causing a heat-fusible adhesive layer to adhere to a surface of the strip at a
temperature below the treatment temperature of step (1) and below the full melt temperature
of the adhesive;
(3) superimposing the strip on the garment or part so orientated that one set of threads
thereof are oblique to the strip;
(4) heating and pressing the superimposed strip and garment or part together at a
temperature greater than that in step (1) to cause the strip to be firmly bonded to
the garment or part, the bonding temperature being selected to give a predetermined
shrinkage on cooling and relaxing;
(5) allowing the assembly to cool and relax and the strip to shrink thus compressing
the fabric of the garment or part to a predetermined amount leaving the fabric flat
and unruched in the bonded area.
