GARMENT HAVING PERFORATED SYNTHETIC SUPPORTS

Abstract

Vented support structures for garments and garments with vented support structures are described. The support structures are made of silicone or soft plastic. The support structures include one or more openings that allow the body heat of the wearer to pass through the support structure. The support structures are placed in the garment in a region that is required to provide support to the wearer and is prone to perspiration. A method of making such support structures, which includes forming holes in a cured silicone support structure either before the silicone is cured or thereafter is also described.

Claims

1. A garment comprising: a body portion including a body fabric, a silicone or soft plastic support structure, attached to the body fabric, wherein the support structure has at least one vent formed therein, wherein the vent is configured to allow body heat from a wearer of the garment to pass through the vent, thereby causing the wearer to perspire less.

2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is a bra or comprises a bra portion further comprising two arcuate support structures, each positioned on the garment proximate a contour of a respective cup in cup portion of the garment, wherein each arcuate support structure includes a first portion encompassing an apex of the arcuate support structure, and first and second termini, each extending from the apex portion.

3. The garment of claim 2, wherein the body fabric is a multi-ply fabric.

4. The garment of claim 3, wherein the arcuate support structures are disposed on the multi-ply fabric or between a first ply and a second ply.

5. The garment of claim 1, wherein the support structure is configured to respond to tensions to which the garment is subjected when worn without impeding the ability of the body fabric adjacent to the support structure to stretch.

6. The garment of claim 1, wherein the at least one vent is through a thickness of the support structure.

7. The garment of claim 1, wherein the at least one vent is through a side of the support structure.

8. A garment comprising: a body portion including a body fabric; a cup portion including two cups, the cup portion shaped from the body portion or attached to the body portion; and two curved support structures each positioned on the garment proximate a contour of a respective cup in the cup portion, the curved support structures each constructed from silicone or soft plastic, the support structures comprising at least one vent, wherein the vent is configured to allow body heat from a wearer of the garment to pass through the vent, thereby causing the wearer to perspire less.

9. The garment of claim 8, wherein the body fabric is a multi-ply fabric.

10. The garment of claim 9, wherein the curved support structures are disposed on the multi-ply fabric or between a first ply and a second ply.

11. The garment of claim 8 wherein the garment is selected from the group consisting of a bra, a shapewear garment, a sundress and a swimsuit.

12. The garment of claim 8 wherein the at least one vent is through a thickness of the support structure.

13. The garment of claim 8 wherein the at least one vent is through a side of the support structure.

14. The garment of claim 13 wherein the curved support structures are made of silicone or a soft plastic.

15. A method for making a garment with a support structure comprising: determining a size, shape, and flexibility of a support structure to be included with the garment; based on the garment and the position in garment in which the support structure is to be placed; selecting a size and placement of vents in the support structure; obtaining s support structure of the determined size, shape and flexibility having vents with the selected size and placement therein; and attaching the support structure to the garment.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the support structure is at least one of pliable, flexible or resilient.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the support structure is made of silicone or soft plastic.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the garment is made of a multi-ply body fabric and the support structure is attached to the multi-ply body fabric.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the support structure is place between two layer of the multi-ply body fabric.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the vents are evenly distributed on the support structures.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the vents have an uneven size distribution or uneven placement or both.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 illustrates a bra or bra portion of a larger garment with vented, solid supports according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 2 illustrates a shapewear garment having a bra or bra portion with vented solid supports shown in phantom according to a second embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 3 illustrates a sundress with a bra or bra portion with vented support structures shown in phantom according to a third embodiment.

[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates a swimsuit with a bra or bra portion with vented support structures shown in phantom according to a fourth embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a support contemplated herein.

[0028] FIG. 6 is a back view of an alternative garment with support structures as described herein placed in the back thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] An embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. Illustrated as a bra or brassiere, the illustrated embodiment can be incorporated into a larger garment. The garment 100 has two cups 110. The cups 110 are assembled with and supported by the body fabric 120. The garment is illustrated in a front view with the cups projecting from the page. The garment is illustrated as having portions 130 illustrated as straps, but straps are optional. The openings 140 fit around the arms and shoulders of the wearer. The mechanism by which the garment 100 is secured on the wearer is not illustrated. Typically, the body of the garment extends around the wearer's torso and the ends of the body of the garment terminate adjacent each other in the mid shoulder region of the wearer's back where the ends of the garment are fastened together to secure the garment onto the wearer. However, the securement mechanism is not absolutely required to be in any one location although garment design and function may drive a particular placement. The portions of the garment that extend beneath the arms and around to the back of the wearer where they are fastened (referred to as bra wings in the context of those garments), are portions 150. In FIG. 1 portions 150 and 130 are also formed from the body fabric. In some embodiments, cups 110 are molded body fabric, whereby the body fabric is shaped to form the cups. In other embodiments, the cups 110 are foam cups or other cups incorporated into the garment by attaching the cups to the body fabric 120 of the garment by sewing, gluing, etc. The garment supports the cups and secures them on the wearer. In this manner, the cups can be integrated into the garment either by molding the body fabric to include cups or by attaching the cups to the body fabric. The cups can be single ply or multi-ply. In another embodiment, the garment is formed with the cups through molding of the cups into the body fabric. In some embodiments, the cups can have a foam middle layer with body fabric disposed on either side of the foam.

[0030] The body fabric of the garment illustrated in FIG. 1 can also be single ply or multi-ply. In one example, the garment may have a lace outer layer disposed on a layer of body fabric. An additional layer might be placed on the inner portion of the garment. In the context of garments, the inner portion is the portion closest to the wearer and the outer portion is furthest away from the wearer. The skilled person is aware of the many ways in which a garment such as a bra can be constructed, the fabric used and the number of fabric layers in the garment. These conventional aspects of garment design are not described in detail herein.

[0031] Bras or brassieres and garments that incorporate them are made using a variety of manufacturing techniques including sewing, gluing, etc. The bras or brassieres and the garments that incorporate the bras and brassieres described herein are not limited to any one manufacturing technique nor any one way of securing the garment components together.

[0032] The bra of FIG. 1 has a band 160 disposed on the garment body in a location beneath the cups 110. As noted above, the band 160 is made of a material that stretches to some degree. Put another way, pulling or applying tension on the band 160 causes the band to stretch. In FIG. 1, the band 160 is illustrated as the finished lower edge of the garment 100. However, in other embodiment the garment 100 may extend lower on the torso of the wearer such that the band 160 is placed in the illustrated location relative to the cups 110 but is not the finished lower edge of the garment. In some embodiments, the band 160 is a narrow elastic. However, the band 160 may be silicone or simply folded over fabric or some other fabric with sufficient stretch to perform the function of the band as described herein. In this manner, the band may be made using the same fabric that forms the body portion, but modified in some way to provide a different stretch than that of the body fabric. Modifications in the stretch of the portion of the body fabric that forms the band are achieved by, for example, folding the fabric on itself, depositing silicone or other adhesive on the portion of the body fabric, or other techniques for causing a change in the way a fabric stretches. Such techniques are well known to one skilled in the art. When the band is formed from the same piece of fabric used for the garment body fabric, the band is described herein as monolithic with the body portion. Indeed, the band material can be any conventional material used in garments provided that the band material stretches to some degree. Additional examples of stretchable material include spandex, elastane (Lycra), Lastex and Nylon. Certain synthetic fabrics and other materials may also be considered stretchable provided elastomeric fibers are disposed therein, such as denim with elastic fibers interwoven with cotton fibers. In contrast, some materials do not provide the described stretching function. For example, cotton, linen, silk, wool and leather are typically not considered to be stretchable. Nor are synthetic fabrics such as acetate, chiffon, organza and velvet typically viewed as stretchable materials. Typically, the ability of a material to stretch depends on whether the material has some elasticity. For example, when a fabric includes a plurality of fibers, at least some of those fibers are elastomeric if the fabric is to be stretchable. The degree to which the band will stretch is largely a matter of design choice.

[0033] The band portion as illustrated extends laterally below the cup portion of the garment. As noted above, when the garment incorporates a bra or brassiere portion as part of a larger garment (e.g. a swimsuit, a camisole, a sundress), the band, if present, may still be disposed beneath the cups but not at the edge of the garment, since in these constructions the garment extends lower on the torso of the wearer and therefore the edge of the garment is removed from where the band is placed. Such garments are illustrated in FIGS. 2-4. The distance between the cups 110 and the band is largely a matter of design choice. However, in one aspect, the location of the band 160 is somewhat defined by the placement and trajectory of the support structures 170 on or in the garment since the support structures are affixed to the band at the anchor regions. As described elsewhere herein, the support structures described herein are not required to anchor the garment.

[0034] The support structures 170 are strips of a synthetic material such as silicone or soft plastic that provide support to the wearer. The placement of the support structures 170 is such that they are disposed on the body fabric 120. That placement is largely a matter of design choice. However, the vented support structures will typically be placed in garments in areas that require support and are susceptible to perspiration. One such region is the region under the breast. The support structures described herein that are placed under the breast provide what is referred to herein as a “natural lift” to the wearer. The natural lift provides the wearer with comfortable support that enhances the appearance of the wearer consistently when the garment is worn. Such consistent enhancement provides the wearer with both comfort and confidence. The support structures 170 are affixed to the garment 100 by any conventional technique for garment fabrication including, but not limited to, sewing or gluing.

[0035] The support structures 170 are illustrated with holes or vents 175. As described herein the holes or vents in the support structures allow the body heat of the wearer to escape through the support structures. The number of vents in the support structure is largely a matter of design choice, as is the size of the vents. The number of vents and the size of the vents are selected, keeping in mind the physical characteristics of the support itself. The size and number of holes is limited to ensure that the mechanical and structural properties of the support are not adversely affected, thereby rendering the support unsuitable for providing support.

[0036] Support materials each have a hardness and flexibility. Flexibility is influenced by the thickness and length of the support in addition to the inherent support material properties (hardness, resilience, etc.). Placing holes or vents in a support structure can also influence the flexibility of a support structure. The diameter of the holes and their distribution will also have an effect on the flexibility of a support structure, where for a given support made of a particular material and having a particular length and thickness, a support with holes will have more flexibility than a support without holes. Consequently, contemplated herein is a method wherein a support is selected that is made of a specific material and has a predetermined length and thickness. According to the method, a predetermined flexibility for the support structure is identified. Hole size, shape and distribution are then selected so that the support structure has the target predetermined flexibility. Holes of the selected size, shape and distribution are then placed in the support to provide a support with the desired flexibility. The holes or perforations can be introduced in any conventional manner such as by molding a support with holes or introducing holes into a preformed, solid support. The vents in the support structure can be of the same size or different sizes. For example, where the support structure spans different regions of the body of the wearer, the region of the body that perspires more can have more vents or vents of a larger size or some combination thereof. If follows that, if the support structure has a portion placed on a region of the body of a wearer that perspires less, fewer and/or smaller vents will suffice. As noted, before, placing more vents closer together or providing larger vents may make the support structure more flexible but can also reduce resilience.

[0037] In one example the support is made of silicone. In one aspect, the silicone is shaped into a support using a mold wherein a liquid silicone precursor is introduced into the mold and cured, thereby forming the support. The manufacture of the support structures described herein, made of the materials described herein, are well known to one skilled in the art and is not described in detail herein. Examples of suitable silicone elastomer materials are Smooth-Sil™ 945, Smooth-Sil™ 950, and Smooth-Sil™ 960, which have Shore A hardness of 45 A, 50 A and 60 A, respectively and cure at room temperature. Such materials can be obtained from Smooth-On, Macungie Pa. The vents can be formed either in the mold used to shape the support or can be formed in the support post-cure. The vent size is largely a matter of design choice, but a vent that does not provide a sufficiently sized passage my not permit the escape of sufficient body heat. In one embodiment that span of the vent is about ⅛ of an inch (0.125 inches; 3.175 mm) to about 5/32 of an inch (0.15625 inches; 3.969 mm). If the vents are circular, the vent radius is in the range of about 0.125 inches to about 0.15625 inches. The number of vents in a support structure and their spacing is largely a matter of design choice. However, too few vents, or vents spaced too far apart, may fail to significantly mitigate perspiration. In one aspect, the center to center spacing of two vents is at least twice the diameter of a vent. Center to center spacings that are at least three times the diameter of vent, at least four times the diameter of a vent, or at least five times the diameter of a vent are contemplated.

[0038] As noted herein, vents can be of almost any configuration. The vents are not required to be round and can be of virtually any geometric shape. The vents can be slits through the thickness of the supports. The vents can be channels that vent through the side of the support. A support 570 illustrated in FIG. 5 has a mix of vents 575 through the support thickness and recessed channels 580 that vent through the side of the support 570. The recessed channels are placed on the inward (toward the wearer) side of the support. Although FIG. 5 illustrates a support with both through vents (perforations) and side vents (channels) this is not required. Supports with only one of the two types of vents are contemplated herein.

[0039] The support structures 170 are also fastened to the body fabric 120 by any conventional mechanism, examples of which are sewing and gluing. However, such fastening of the support structures 170 to the body fabric does not create an anchor. As noted herein, the support structure is typically elongate, flexible and/or resilient and has a relatively thin cross section. As such these supports typically flex more at their terminus than they do in their center. Such supports are lighter than conventional rigid supports made of metal or hard plastic. Although the support structures can be attached to the garment fabric using any suitable technique for attachment, gluing provides for a smoother looking garment when worn. The support structures 170 are typically enclosed in fabric or other materials, which are often referred to as casings. As noted herein, if a vented support structure is placed in a casing, the casing is selected so that the venting is not significantly impeded. In one aspect the casing is a fabric with a weave that does not impede venting. In another aspect, the casing can be a wicking fabric or have a wickable finish. In yet another aspect the casing has holes or openings are provided in the casing that approximately align with the vents in the support structures. This ensures that the body heat is vented through the support structure regardless of whether or not it is placed in a casing.

[0040] Support structures, as used herein, include support structures with and without casings or coatings. In one embodiment, the support structures 170 are silicone or soft plastic. The materials are at least one of pliable, flexible and resilient. The shape of the support structure is largely a matter of design choice but typically the support structures have a planar upper and lower surface (the lower surface being the surface affixed to the fabric). The width of the surface is typically greater than the thickness of the support. The support structure will flex in response to garment stress, strain, and tension and then release to its natural position when such tension, strain or stress is removed. The skilled person is aware of how garments with support structures are constructed. The way the support structures are incorporated into the garment is largely a matter of design choice. In some embodiments, the support structures are encased in fabric casings and disposed on the surface of the garment (i.e. the surface of the garment in contact with the wearer). In other embodiments, the support structures are disposed between garment layers (either in casings or not in casings). In such constructions, the support structures 170 are disposed either on the multi-ply or between plies of fabric such that the supports will not poke or pinch the wearer.

[0041] In the garment 110 of FIG. 1, the two support structures 170 are placed so that there is a space between them at 195 even at the portion on the garment in which they are most proximate to each other. This permits the support structures to move toward each other in response to tensions to which the garment 100 is subjected. This underscores a feature of the garment, i.e. that the portions of the support structures 170 that are not disposed on the less stretchable materials the form the garment (such as the band) do not form an anchor allowing the garment fabric to stretch and the position of the support structures 170 to adjust somewhat independently, which improves the fit, look and comfort of the wearer.

[0042] The support structures 170 follow proximately the contour of the cups 110 and are placed at a distance therefrom. In one embodiment, the support structure has an approximately arcuate shape. In a variant, to the extent a particular curved shape is not considered arcuate, such curved shapes are also contemplated for the support structure. The distance of the support structures 170 from the cups 110 is largely a matter of design choice. If a portion of the support structure 170 is to form an anchor, then a portion of each support structure is disposed on the band 160 with the support structures 170 extending onto the body fabric approximately conforming to the contour of the cup 110. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the support structures extend at least about halfway up on both sides of the cup, but this is not required. The support structures can extend further up the cup than illustrated and can extend less up the cup than illustrated. For example, sides of each support structure can extend less than or further up the cup than illustrated in FIG. 1. The extent to which the support structure extends is largely a matter of design choice. The support structure can extend above the cup and even further up the garment. However, if the portion of the support structures that terminate between the cups terminate in the region 195, this provides the wearer with better support. In a variant, an outer portion of a support structure can extend up the cup more than an inner portion, where the outer and inner portions both extend from the portion attached to the band but in opposite directions. In this way, a portion of the support structure closest to the arm opening extends to a further or lesser extent from the band than a portion of the support structure closest to the gore of the garment.

[0043] In an alternative aspect, the garment in FIG. 1 has a control region 190. Such a control region may still have some give or stretch but not to the extent of other portions of the garment body (e.g. body fabric portions 120, 130, 150) that do not function as a control region. Such a control region (also referred to as a gore) are well known to one skilled in the art. The control region can be almost rigid, but has at least some ability to stretch in response to tensions, stress and strains to which the garment is subjected. A control region can be formed from one or more layers of fabric that are less stretchable than the body fabric. A control region can also be formed by applying adhesive or silicone to the fabric which reduces its ability to stretch. The control region is advantageous in that it keeps the cups aligned with respect to one another. This mitigates the risk of misalignment of the garment when worn. As a result, this control region can function as an anchor. Anchor and control regions, although contemplated herein, are optional and not required to be present in the garments with the breathable supports described herein.

[0044] FIG. 2 illustrates a second embodiment in which the garment 200 is a camisole or long line garment. The garment 200 has cups, 210, and support structures 270 with vents 275. Unlike the bra garment illustrated in FIG. 1, in this garment there is no band adjacent cups 210 and therefore the support structures 270 do not form an anchor. The cups 210, support structure 270 and vents 275 are illustrated in phantom because they are visible from the inside of the garment.

[0045] In those embodiments where the support structure includes a fabric casing, the support structure disposed in the casing is secured in the casing to prevent the support structure interior structure from migrating within the casing. This is accomplished by tacking the support structure in the casing. The fabric casings (not shown) can either be co-extensive with the support structures or extend beyond the terminus of the support structures. Extending the fabric casings may stabilize the support structures without restricting the ability of the support structures to adjust position as the garment shifts and stretches when worn. Support structures having an interior structure disposed in a casing are well known. Tacking interior structures in casings to retain the interior structure in the casing is also well known to one skilled in the art and not described in detail herein.

[0046] As illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, support structures 270, 370 and 470, respectively, may extend even further up the garment. FIG. 3 illustrates a sun dress 300. The sun dress 300 has cups, 310, and support structures 370 with vents 375. Unlike the bra garment illustrated in FIG. 1, in this garment there is no band adjacent cups 310 and therefore the support structures 370 do not form an anchor. The cups 310, support structure 370 and vents 375 are illustrated in phantom because they are visible from the inside of the garment.

[0047] FIG. 4 illustrates a swimsuit 400. The swimsuit 400 has cups, 410, and support structures 470 with vents 475. Unlike the bra garment illustrated in FIG. 1, in this garment there is no band adjacent cups 410 and therefore the support structures 470 do not form an anchor. The cups 410, support structure 470 and vents 475 are illustrated in phantom because they are visible from the inside of the garment.

[0048] As noted above, the garment as described above can be a bra or brassiere, or a bra or brassiere portion of an undergarment or shapewear garment (camisoles, long line bra, body briefer; etc.) or active wear (e.g. swimwear). Other embodiments include the garment described above incorporated into a sun dress or other conventional garment. Examples of the garments enumerated above are non-limiting.

[0049] One alternative garment configuration is illustrated in FIG. 6. The garment illustrated is a strapless bra garment 600 incorporating both a cup or bra portion 610 and a torso portion 620. The back view of the garment 600 is illustrated. There is disposed on the torso portion two pairs of support structures 630, 630′ each pair spaced roughly equidistant from the wearer's spine. Pair 630 is nested within pair 630′. The supports 625 contain perforations 626 as described herein. The perforations can be distributed evenly or unevenly and they can be of the same size or different sizes. The number and size of the perforations can affect the flexibility of the support structure, with more perforations and/or larger perforations providing increased flexibility and less perforation and/or smaller perforations providing for less flexibility.

[0050] The torso portion has a gripper feature 640 disposed thereon near the lower portion of the garment that rests at the waist of the wearer. The silicone feature 640 prevents the garment 640 from riding up while the support structures 630, 630′ keep the garment 600 from slipping downward. The garment is configured to provide support to wearer through the midsection, so the garment fabric provides controlled stretch to provide support, smoothing and shape to the wearer.

[0051] A method for fabricating a garment is also described herein. The method includes forming a support structure for a garment. According to the method, one or more holes or vents is/are formed in the support structure. The holes or vents allow at least a portion of the body heat generated by the wearer in the region of the body over which the support structure will be placed to escape through the one or more passages in the support structure. The amount of body heat that will escape through the holes or vents is determined by the size of the vents, the number of the vents and the proximity of the vents to other vents. In one aspect, the support structure is made of silicone. After the support structure is fabricated, it is placed on the location of the garment where support is required and affixed to the garment in that location. In those aspects where the support structure is placed in a casing, holes or vents are provided in the casing that correspond to the holes or vents in the support structure. If the support structure is placed between layers of fabric in the garment, the fabric is selected so that the venting is not significantly impeded. In one aspect the fabric has a weave that does not impede venting. In another aspect, the fabric can be a wicking fabric or have a wickable finish. In yet another aspect the fabric has holes or vents that correspond to the holes or passages in the support structure.

[0052] While this invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The preferred embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Therefore, the scope of the invention is defined not by the detailed description of the invention but by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being comprised in the present invention. Those in the art will understand that a number of variations may be made in the disclosed embodiments, all without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the appended claims.