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(11) | EP 1 388 299 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | A shaped support for bras |
| (57) A shaped support for bras made of plastic material such as Polyurethane (PU) or Polyvinyl
Chloride (PVC) and/or similar or correspondent materials that can be high frequency
soldered on the fabrics. The supports are shaped and positioned in such a way to underline
the breast curving in order to support them and also form coloured decorations in
one or more colours. |
[0002] It is known that the present and classic bras are usually made with lower supports constituted by the so-called semi-oval "underwires" made of metal or plastic material.
[0003] Said supports are positioned under the cups for breast containment and they are engaged in special curved seats that are created by seams on the bra fabrics.
[0004] The above-mentioned "underwires" and the relevant tubular seats generally have the drawback of not being appreciated by the users, as they are too stiff, irksome and/or irritating for the skin.
[0005] Another drawback of the known bras is that the creation of the curved tubular seats containing the underwires is quite expensive both for working times with industrial sewing machines and for the use of labour.
[0007] More particularly, object of the present invention is to provide bras without "underwires" and their relevant sewn tubular seats.
[0008] According to the present invention these and other purposes resulting from the following description will be obtained by a support for bras having the features described in the characterising portion of claim 1.
[0009] The shaped supports for bras of the present invention allow removing the "underwires" and the relevant sewn tubular seats, thus avoiding the relevant workings. The shaped supports of the present invention are made of specific plastic material and, if necessary, they are associated to flock materials that are directly coupled on the fabrics making the bras by high frequency soldering.
[0010] The advantages obtained by the shaped supports of the present invention essentially consist in the fact that they are made with plastic materials such as Polyurethane (PU) or Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and/or similar or corresponding plastic materials that can be high frequency soldered directly on the bra fabrics. The plastic materials particulars are shaped in different ways according to their position around the bra cups and their specific supporting, reinforcement and aesthetical function. Moreover, the application by high frequency soldering is easy, fast and cheap and can be indifferently made both along the external and the internal perimeter of the cups.
[0011] Another advantage consists in the fact that the shaped supports of the present invention substantially integrate or intrinsically adhere with the fabrics, they do not irritate the skin and therefore they do not cause undesirable inconveniences to the users but, on the contrary, they are appreciated because the traditional supporting function of the breasts can be associated to side and/or upper reinforcement, containment and decorating functions.
[0012] Another advantage consists in the fact that said shaped supports, associated to flock materials are soft and pleasantly velvety so that they can be directly in contact with the skin without causing irritations or inconveniences.
[0013] Another advantage consists in the fact that said shaped supports can be made with coloured plastic materials in one or more colours and/or colour tones thus allowing the combination of their multiple supporting, reinforcement, containment and decorating functions.
[0014] This combination of functions, properties and decoration is interesting for the bras of the traditional corsetry, bath suit and clothing industry in general.
[0015] Another further advantage of the present invention consists in the fact that in the realisation of the outsize bras, the plastic material supports that can be high frequency soldered on fabrics, according to the present invention, replace the traditional "underwires" and also the present "busks" with a great saving in costs and in working times.
[0016] In order to be better understood, the present invention is described in detail here below according to some embodiments that are given only by way of non limitative example with reference to the enclosed drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of an application example of shaped supports for bras of the present invention in their simplest form,
Figure 2 shows the same supports of Figure 1 associated to reinforcement shapes below and at the sides of the cups,
Figure 3 schematically shows another example of application of the shaped supports for bras of the present invention associated to other reinforcement shapes,
Figure 4 schematically shows the application example of Figure 3 provided with side decorating shapes, and
Figures 5 and 6 show examples of fabric patterns that are cut for bras associated to various configurations and/or layouts of shaped supports of the present invention.
[0017] With reference to the figures, the plastic material supports 1, 1' of the present invention with the various desired shapes, according to the specific destination functions, are coupled to the fabrics 10, 10' and joined to them by a traditional high frequency soldering treatment.
[0018] During soldering, the plastic material of the supports 1 intrinsically adheres to the fabrics 10.
[0019] The coupling between the plastic material and the fabrics can be made according to the bra models and/or the production programs in different ways.
[0020] In particular, it is possible to overlap plastic material sheets to the fabric pieces and work by means of shaped shears associated to high frequency soldering machines in order to simultaneously carry out the shearing of the plastic material supports and the direct soldering on the underlying fabric pieces. The cut of the fabric that is outlined according to the bra model can be previously carried out, during the coupling with said supporting shapes or after it.
[0021] In another way an for particular production requirements and/or bra models, both the fabric and the plastic material supporting shapes are pre-sheared, the parts are then overlapped with the due layout and then coupled by soldering.
[0022] Apart from the way the support shapes can be combined, support shapes, forms and layouts on fabrics can be of any kind.
[0023] In Figure 1, the shape of supports 1 corresponds to the ones of the semi-oval "underwires"; the supports only have the traditional function of lower separated support under the cups for breast containment.
[0024] In Figure 2, the same separated supports 1 are associated to shaped support couples 3, 3' placed at the sides of the containment cups in order to obtain a medium lower support for breasts.
[0025] In Figure 3, the shaped supports 1' of the lower part of the cups are connected between them at the centre 4 in order to obtain a better containment of breasts and they are associated to a series of shaped supports 3, 3', and 5, 5', 5" in order to create complementary supports both in the lower areas and in the side and upper areas of the cups, in order to create a higher reinforcement and a better peripheral containment of breasts.
[0026] In Figure 4 a different combination among the lower shaped supports 1' connected to the centre 4 having the containment function for breasts, the side support shaped couples 3, 3' and the enveloping and differently outlined upper side shaped supports 6 with support, reinforcement and decoration functions is shown.
[0027] In Figure 5 the position wherein the lower shaped supports 1' connected to the centre 4 are high frequency soldered on a fabric 10 in order to create a bra type is shown.
[0028] In Figure 6 the position wherein other types of lower shaped and composed supports 7 and side upper outlined ones 8 are high frequency soldered, coupled on a fabric 10' in order to create a more enveloping, reinforced bra for the peripheral containment of breasts.
[0029] In all the applications, the soldering of the shaped supports can be associated to flock materials so that their sight surface is velvety both in the application for the external part with a decorating purpose only and in the application for the internal part so that the contact with skin is soft and does not cause irritations.
[0030] From the above-mentioned description it can be understood that the shaped supports are generally of any shape, curving, proportion, orientation and/or layout in order to be applied to any kind of bra and to meet all the practical support, reinforcement and breast containment requirements.
1. A shaped support for bras characterized in that it is made of plastic material that can be high-frequency soldered on fabrics and
it is shaped according to the curving of the bra, supporting, reinforcement, containment
and decoration functions.
2. The shaped support for bras according to claim 1, characterized in that the plastic material that can be high frequency soldered on fabrics is Polyurethane
(PU).
3. The shaped support for bras according to claim 1, characterized in that the plastic material that can be high frequency soldered on fabrics is Polyvinyl
Chloride (PVC).
4. The shaped support for bras according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the plastic material making the same support intrinsically adheres to the bra fabrics
as a result of the high frequency soldering.
5. The shaped support for bras according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that said support is coupled with the bra fabrics by overlapping plastic material sheets
to fabric pieces and their simultaneously shearing and direct association by high
frequency soldering of the same supports on said underlying fabric pieces.
6. The shaped support for bras according to claim 5, characterized in that the cut of fabrics that are outlined according to the bra models, is carried out
before, during or after the coupling with said supporting shapes.
7. The shaped support for bras according to claim 5, characterized in that both the fabric and the plastic material support shapes are pre-sheared, overlapped
with the required layout and coupled by high-frequency soldering.
8. The shaped support for bras according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that said support is coupled with flock materials.
9. The shaped support for bras according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the shapes of the plastic material supports are simple or comprise decorations such
as frets, scallops, floral and/or animal and/or mixed patterns or similar design patterns.
10. The shaped support for bras according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the shapes of the plastic material supports are decorated in one or more colours
and/or colour tones.