Undergarment receiving a thin intermediate bonding layer between two textiles prior to thermoforming

Abstract

A process for manufacturing an undergarment having two superimposed textiles, comprising depositing on certain parts of reinforcements (8) comprising a thick layer of a shaped memory foam elastic material, the polymerization of this material and also the shaping of the textiles of the undergarment by thermoforming, characterized in that it comprises a step of depositing, on the entire surface of at least the textiles, a thin layer of an elastic adhesive-bonding material, and then a step of polymerizing this thin layer of adhesive bonding during the thermoforming for shaping, and in that it comprises a step of prior depositing, on the textile receiving the layer of reinforcement (8), of a barrier layer of an elastic material, which is polymerized before the depositing of this reinforcement.

Claims

1. An undergarment, comprising: two layered textiles comprising between them at least one reinforcement layer, the at least one reinforcement layer comprising a polymerized elastic shaped memory foam material, a layer of a polymerized elastic bonding material over a full surface of at least one of the two layered textiles, and a barrier layer of a polymerized elastic material deposited on a first layered textile of the two layered textiles between the at least one reinforcement layer and the first layered textile.

2. Undergarment according to claim 1, wherein the elastic shaped memory foam material and the elastic bonding material comprise a silicone.

3. Undergarment according to claim 2, wherein the silicone has a hardness of about 30 Shore.

4. Undergarment according to claim 1, wherein the textiles have a stretching capacity of at least 125% in one direction.

5. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the undergarment is a brassiere, wherein the at least one reinforcement layer is positioned in a bottom part of cups of the brassiere, the cups of the brassiere configured to hold breasts of a wearer of the brassiere.

6. The undergarment according to claim 5, wherein a cutout of an edge of the brassiere that is located on a top of the cups does not include the reinforcement layer.

7. The undergarment according to claim 2, wherein the silicone forming the reinforcement layer is deposited according to a thickness between 0.1 mm and 3 mm, and the layer of elastic bonding material is deposited according to a thickness between 0.005 and 0.1 mm.

8. The undergarment according to claim 3, wherein the textiles have a stretching capacity of at least 125% in one direction.

9. The undergarment according to claim 4, wherein the textiles have a stretching capacity of more than 125% in both a lateral direction and a longitudinal direction.

10. The undergarment according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reinforcement layer comprises a thickness between 0.1 mm and 3 mm.

11. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the layer of polymerized elastic bonding material comprises a thickness between 0.005 and 0.1 mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The disclosure will be better understood and other features and benefits will become clearer upon reading the following description given as an example, in reference to the attached drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a drawing of a brassiere comprising reinforcement areas, produced with a process according to the prior state of the art mentioned above; and

(3) FIG. 2 is a drawing of a brassiere produced with the process according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows a sketch 2 which once finished shall be cut out according to the final outside contour 4, then, will receive devices in order to make a brassiere.

(5) The brassiere comprises a piece of textile produced from an elastic and light material made of a synthetic or natural fiber fabric.

(6) The brassiere comprises cups 6 shaped by thermoforming, to hold the woman's breasts and to support them while giving them an aesthetic shape.

(7) Reinforcements 8 forming a thick silicone layer are deposited on the full outer periphery 10 of the brassiere, on the central link 12 between the two symmetrical parts, as well as on the bottom part of the cup 6 by substantially covering an area of about 90° whose center coincides with the center of the cup.

(8) Preferably, a medical grade silicone is used to prevent reactions with the skin, and which is deposited according to a thickness comprised between 0.5 and 1 mm, on the inside or outside of the fabric.

(9) The silicone is polymerized at a temperature between 150 and 200° C., for instance in an oven, with a heat press, or by infrared radiation. Cups 6 are then thermoformed in a mold to give a configuration to the fabrics and to obtain the final shape.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a brassiere according to the disclosure that is fully finished, comprising also the straps 20 and hooking means on the back 22.

(11) Since stretching of the silicones used for the reinforcements 8 can be about 600% before breaking, textiles are used that have considerable stretching capability, which is preferably at least 125% in one direction, and if possible more than 125% in both directions, so as to following the deformity of these reinforcements.

(12) In particular, a bi-component silicone can be used.

(13) A manufacturing process of this brassiere is as follows. The silicone forming the reinforcement layer 8 is deposited according to a thickness comprised advantageously between 0.1 and 3 mm, on the side of a first piece of textile called inside, that will be laid on a second piece of textile.

(14) This deposit can advantageously be achieved according to a precise design by a screen printing process, with the deposit of a fine grid comprising partially separated openings according to the reinforcement areas to be achieved, then, by sliding a scraper over this grid so as to force the passage of the substance on top, through the openings.

(15) With this screen printing process, in particular, a silicone impregnation in the textile is obtained, which increases its strength, in other words, the return force to its initial position.

(16) In parallel, a thin silicone layer is deposited onto the full inside face of the second piece of textile, which is advantageously comprised between 0.005 and 0.1 mm.

(17) For these layers in particular, a silicone comprising a hardness of about 30 Shore is very appropriate for the brassiere applications.

(18) The two textiles are assembled by placing the inside faces comprising their silicone layers one onto the other. Then, this assembly is placed in a mold to shape the cups and the assembly is baked so as to produce simultaneously a cross-linking of the two layers and a shaping of the textiles by thermoforming.

(19) The accessories like the straps 20 or the stapling means 22 can be secured at the same time during polymerization, or installed afterwards.

(20) After cutting out the contour 4, a finished product is achieved that is particularly homogeneous, with the two textiles being bonded together over their surfaces as a whole, while maintaining very great flexibility. In particular, one can achieve after the cutout an edge 24 of the brassiere on top of the cups 6, which is very thin and almost transparent since it does not comprise any thick reinforcement layer.

(21) One can also produce a very intricate adornment on the bottom part of the cups 26 which will not show any gathers, which preserves the aesthetic appearance of this adornment.

(22) The synthetic or natural fibers of the fabrics can be polyester, polyamide, colon, modal or viscose. Please note that the thin bonding layer can contribute a better resistance during thermoforming of the fabrics using natural fibers which usually do not do well for this operation.

(23) As a variant of this process, first one can do a polymerization of the silicone of the thick reinforcement layer 8, deposited on the first textile, which is done flat or according to a first shape. Then, the second textile is deposited comprising its thin and complete bonding layer, onto the first textile, and the assembly is deposited onto the mold giving it the final shape. Then, by heating in an oven, simultaneously, the textiles are thermoformed and the thin silicone bonding layer is polymerized.

(24) In addition, several reinforcement layers 8 can be deposited onto one or both textiles, each time with polymerization of the preceding layer. The layers are partially superimposed so as to obtain thickness variations of this reinforcement with variable stretching and strength features according to the locations.

(25) Final polymerization of the thin bonding layer and thermoforming of the textiles can then take place with the last already polymerized reinforcement layer or at the same time as polymerization of this last layer.

(26) Please note that since the crosslinked silicone is not sensitive to temperature, baking to achieve the bonding does not modify the thick silicone reinforcement layer which is already polymerized, and in particular the shape that has already been given to it. Consequently, the undergarment has a very good resistance to warm washing thanks to the silicone inertia; its shape as well as its elasticity remain constant.

(27) In particular, the thin layer of bonding silicone deposited can be transparent which permits, when using very light textiles, to obtain nearly transparent areas. As a variant, a colored silicone may be used to obtain certain aesthetic effects.

(28) In addition, the process may comprise the deposit onto the textile receiving the reinforcement layer 8, a barrier layer before depositing this reinforcement layer. After polymerization, the barrier layer constitutes a protection that permits to maintain on the textile that the reinforcement layer 8 remains wet during the handling operations before its final polymerization. This way, running of the wet silicone over the textile is prevented, in particular for textiles with designs that comprise considerable openings.