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(11) | EP 1 085 115 A3 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Opaque heat-moldable circular knit support fabrics having very high spandex content |
| (57) This invention relates to support garments which comprise opaque heat-moldable circular
knit fabrics having relatively high amounts of spandex material as well as sufficient
amounts of other fibers to simultaneously provide maximum support and maximum comfort
to a wearer and which can be easily molded to the specifications of a wearer's body
dimensions. Such high-spandex content, moldable garment fabrics are novel to the industry
since the permissible added amount of spandex within such fabrics has been limited
due to the power, modulus strength, and elongation of such fibers. Furthermore, the
ability to provide moldable, high-spandex circular knit fabrics has been limited,
if not impossible, due to the above-noted characteristics of the spandex fibers themselves.
Thus, the incorporation of such moldable fabrics within certain support garments (such
as brassieres, girdles, medical braces, athletic supporters, and the like) has been
unsuccessful in the past. The inventive moldable fabrics and garments provide such
desirable spandex properties while also increasing the comfortability to the wearer.
The method of producing such fabrics is also contemplated within this invention. |