US20060230499A1 - Garment support member with foam support layer and method of using same - Google Patents
Garment support member with foam support layer and method of using same Download PDFInfo
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- US20060230499A1 US20060230499A1 US11/108,415 US10841505A US2006230499A1 US 20060230499 A1 US20060230499 A1 US 20060230499A1 US 10841505 A US10841505 A US 10841505A US 2006230499 A1 US2006230499 A1 US 2006230499A1
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- Prior art keywords
- garment
- layer
- support member
- support
- accordance
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A41—WEARING APPAREL
- A41F—GARMENT FASTENINGS; SUSPENDERS
- A41F19/00—Garment suspenders not otherwise provided for
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A41—WEARING APPAREL
- A41C—CORSETS; BRASSIERES
- A41C3/00—Brassieres
- A41C3/06—Strapless brassieres, i.e. without shoulder straps
- A41C3/065—Strapless brassieres, i.e. without shoulder straps attached directly to the body, e.g. by means of adhesive
Definitions
- This invention relates to garment support members and methods and, in particular, to garment support members and methods for adhering a garment to a user's body.
- Clothing manufacturers produce a variety of strapless garments for women, and in particular strapless dresses.
- a strapless garment it is desirable that the garment provide a comfortable fit to the user while remaining in place without exposing more of the user's body than intended.
- a common problem associated with conventional strapless dresses is the slipping down, or the riding down, of the garment as a result of gravity and user's body movement.
- strapless dresses must also provide support to the user's breasts. Providing adequate support for the user's breasts and prevention of riding down of the dress are of a particular importance to the user when wearing a heavy strapless dress, such as a gown with a lot of ornamentation including beads or sequins.
- bra cups have been incorporated into the dress with the intention of providing support for the user's breasts similar to the support provided by a corset or a long-line strapless bra.
- a typical strapless dress does not have the same engineering properties as a corset or a strapless bra, which are typically engineered with up to thirty different elements to ensure proper performance and sufficient support. Therefore, incorporation of bra cups into the garment has not been successful in providing adequate support for the user's breasts.
- boning in their garments to provide additional support for the upper torso of the user.
- boning in conventional strapless garments takes the form of stiff tube-shaped members placed vertically within the garment.
- Another conventional method of preventing riding down of strapless garments is to create a tighter than usual fit of the garments.
- stiff boning is not suitable for use with many materials and strapless garment designs.
- stiff boning materials in the garments or the tight fit of the garments often cause great discomfort to the user, particularly during social occasions, and make it difficult for the user to sit or dance.
- these conventional methods are not always successful in preventing riding down of the garment, thus causing the user to constantly pull the garment upwardly so as to avoid baring more than intended.
- Double-sided adhesive tape comprises a thin clear film coated with adhesive on both surfaces. This tape has been used to adhere selected portions of revealing clothing, such as a blouse, to the user's body to prevent opening or shifting of the clothing.
- the adhesive tapes used to date are not suitable for supporting strapless garments because the thin clear film lacks sufficient mechanical strength and holding power to overcome the force of gravity. For example, the gravitational force applied by a strapless dress to such a tape will cause the tape to disengage from the user's skin, to curl and to adhere onto itself.
- an object of the present invention to provide a garment support member having sufficient mechanical strength and power to support a strapless garment and to prevent riding down of the garment.
- a garment support member for supporting a garment on a user's body comprising a support layer having first and second opposing surfaces, first and second adhesive layers disposed on the first and second opposing surfaces of the support layer, and wherein the support layer is formed of a foam material able to support a garment to a user's body.
- the support member also includes a first backing layer releasably affixed to the first adhesive layer and, preferably, a second backing layer releasably affixed to the second adhesive layer.
- the support layer has undulations in proceeding along its length to give additional strength to the support member.
- a method of using the support member is disclosed in which one of the first and second adhesive layers is adhered to one of the garment and the user's body and the other of the first and second adhesive layers is adhered to the other of the garment and the user's body so as to adhere the garment to the user's body.
- the foam material is a porous or a non-porous polyurethane foam having a thickness in the range of 1 / 32 to 1 / 8 inches
- the first and second adhesive layers comprise non-sensitizing medical grade adhesive.
- the first and second backing layers comprise coated paper having a smooth surface and each may be of the same size as the support layer or, alternatively, one may be of the same size and the other of greater size as the support layer so that it can serve as a backing for the support layers of more than one garment support member.
- the support layer is formed from two integrated chevron-shaped segments so that along its length it has a first undulation directed in a first sense, then a second undulation directed in the opposite sense and then a third undulation also directed in the first sense.
- the first, second and third undulations form first, second and third vertex areas, respectively, each of which may have an increased width and be rounded to provide additional mechanical strength to the support layer.
- one of the adhesive layers is adhered to a surface of the garment abutting the user's skin when the garment is worn by the user in a first adhering step, and the other adhesive layer is adhered to the user's skin in a second adhering step.
- the adhesive layer can be adhered to the garment along a top edge portion of a torso area of the garment or along a side of a torso area of the garment.
- the method further includes removing one of the first and second backing layers to expose the respective one of the adhesive layers prior to the first adhering step and removing the other one of the backing layers to expose the other one of the adhesive layers prior to at least the second adhering step.
- FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a garment support member for use in supporting a strapless garment in accordance with the principles of the present invention
- FIG. 2 shows a front view of the garment support member of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 shows an arrangement of a plurality of garment support members of FIGS. 1 and 2 disposed on a common backing layer
- FIG. 4 shows an illustrative positioning of the garment member of FIG. 1 on a strapless garment
- FIG. 5 shows another illustrative positioning of the garment member of FIG. 1 on a strapless garment.
- FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a garment support member 1 in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
- the garment member 1 comprises a support member 2 having a foam support layer 3 with first and second opposing surfaces 3 a and 3 b .
- a first adhesive layer 5 is disposed on the first surface 3 a of the support layer 3 and a second adhesive layer 7 is disposed on the second surface 3 b of the support layer 3 .
- the foam support layer 3 may be formed from a porous or a non-porous foam material having a predetermined thickness, such as polyurethane foam having a thickness in the range of 1/32 to 1 ⁇ 8 inches.
- Rigid or semi-rigid foam material can be used as the foam support layer 3 of the support member 2 .
- the foam material may be a “closed cell” foam material which is non-porous or has low porosity or an “open cell” foam material which has greater porosity.
- foam material manufactured and sold by Venture Tape under product number 7432M is suitable for use as the foam support layer 3 .
- the thickness of the support layer can be in a range of 1/32 to 1 ⁇ 8 inches. A preferred thickness is about 1 / 32 inches.
- the porosity of the foam support layer 3 allows the layer 3 to anchor additional adhesive when the adhesive layers 5 , 7 are applied to the first and second surfaces 3 a , 3 b of the support layer.
- the nonporous foam material should have sufficient bonding properties so as to anchor the adhesive.
- the support member 2 has much stronger adhesive properties than the conventional double-sided tapes used to adhere clothing to a user's body.
- the first and second adhesive layers 5 , 7 can be formed from an aggressive adhesive which is non-irritating to the skin of the user.
- a non-sensitizing medical grade adhesive may be used for the adhesive layers.
- other conventional adhesive materials may also be suitable for use as the adhesive layer 5 , 7 .
- the garment support member 1 also includes a first backing layer 9 releasably affixed to the first adhesive layer 5 and a second backing layer 11 releasably affixed to the second adhesive layer 7 .
- first backing layer 9 releasably affixed to the first adhesive layer 5
- second backing layer 11 releasably affixed to the second adhesive layer 7 .
- the entire first adhesive layer 5 is covered by the first backing layer 9 and the entire second adhesive layer 7 is covered by the second backing layer 11 .
- Each adhesive layer 5 , 7 holds its respective backing layer 9 , 11 in place until it is separated, or peeled off, from the adhesive layer when the member is used to support a garment on a user's body.
- the first and second backing layers 9 , 11 protect the first and second adhesive layers 5 , 7 , respectively, from dirt and drying out.
- the first adhesive layer 5 remains on the foam support layer 3 so that the support member 2 can be applied and adhered to either the user's skin or the garment.
- the second backing layer 11 from the foam support layer 3 the second adhesive layer 7 remains on the support layer 3 so that the support member 2 can be applied and adhered to the user's skin, if the first layer has been applied to the garment, or to the garment if the first layer has been applied to the user's skin.
- the backing layer 9 , 11 may be removed from the support member 2 by initiating the separation of the backing layer 9 , 11 from member 2 and pulling off the backing layer 9 , 11 .
- the backing layer 9 , 11 may also be removed from the member 2 by initiating the separation of the backing layer from the member 2 , rolling the backing layer 9 , 11 onto itself and then pulling the rolled up backing layer 9 , 11 off the support member 2 .
- the first and second backing layers 9 , 11 are of the same size as the support member 2 .
- one or both of the first and second backing layers 9 , 11 may be of a different size from the foam member 2 , and, in particular, may be larger than the foam member 2 , to make the separation of the backing layer 9 , 11 from the foam member 2 easier.
- one of the backing layers 9 , 11 may be formed as a common backing layer for a plurality of support members 2 .
- the first backing layer 9 is the same size as the support member 2
- the second backing layer 11 is of a larger size so that it can act as a backing layer for a plurality of support members 2 A, 2 B, 2 C.
- the first and second backing layers 9 , 11 may be formed from a flexible material having a smooth surface.
- a suitable material may be a coated paper, such as, for example, 78 pound release Kraft liner.
- the smooth surface of the backing layer 9 , 11 allows the backing layer 9 , 11 to be peeled off to expose the respective adhesive layer 5 , 7 without removing the adhesive from the foam support layer 3 .
- the support member 2 may be formed in a variety of shapes.
- the support member 2 may be formed as a band or a strip having a substantially rectangular or curved shape.
- a particular configuration found desirable is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in which the support member has undulations along its length.
- the support member 2 has two integrated chevron shaped segments. These segments form a “wing-shaped”, “W-shaped” or “zig-zag-shaped” support member with a first undulation 21 directed in a first sense (shown as upward in FIG. 2 ), then a second undulation directed in the opposite sense (downward in FIG. 2 ) and then a third undulation also directed in the first sense (upward in FIG. 2 ).
- the first, second and third undulations have first, second and third vertex areas 21 a , 22 a , and 23 a , respectively.
- the vertex areas 21 a , 22 a and 23 a have been increased in width opposite their respective vertexes by the rounded areas 21 b , 22 b and 23 b , respectively, to provide additional mechanical strength to the support member 2 .
- the “wing-shaped”, “W-shaped” or “zig-zag-shaped” configuration of the support member 2 shown in FIG. 2 results in an improved mechanical strength for the member. This is enhanced by the rounded areas 21 b , 22 b and 22 b of the vertex areas 21 a , 21 b and 21 c .
- the configuration of the member 2 improves the hold of the adhesive layers 5 , 7 by providing changes in directionality to the layers. In particular, the direction of the adhesive layers 5 , 7 is changed at or near each vertex area of the member 2 , thereby adding to the holding power of the layers.
- the first backing layer 9 and the second backing layer 11 affixed to the adhesive layers of the support member 2 have the same “wing-shaped”, “W-shaped” or “zig-zag-shaped” configuration as the support member.
- a portion of the first backing layer 9 and a portion of the second backing layer 11 are peeled off from the member 2 .
- FIG. 3 shows an arrangement of a number of support members 2 A, 2 B, 2 C as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 disposed on a common backing layer 13 .
- the common backing layer 13 is used to serve as the second backing layer 11 of each member 2 .
- the support members 2 A, 2 B and 2 C are arranged in a column and the common backing layer 13 is substantially rectangular. It is understood, however, that the number and arrangement of the members 2 on the common backing layer 13 may be varied.
- the first backing layer 9 of each of the support members 2 A, 2 B and 2 C has two separate portions 9 a , 9 b , each having a chevron-type shape.
- the portions 9 a , 9 b may be formed by “kiss cutting” the first backing layer 9 at an appropriate location so that these portions 9 a , 9 b have “crack 'n peel” properties to assist the user in separating the first backing layer 9 from the support member.
- the user may bend the garment support member 2 to “crack” or separate the portions 9 a , 9 b and to initiate the separation, or “peeling,” of the backing layer 9 from the member 2 .
- the portions 9 a , 9 b of the backing layer 9 may overlap to create flap portions which can be lifted by the user to initiate the separation.
- the garment support member 1 of FIGS. 1-3 can be used in a variety of ways to support a garment on a user's body. In accord with the invention, a method common to all these uses will now be described.
- either the first or second backing layer 9 or 11 of the garment support member 1 is peeled off to expose the respective adhesive layer 5 or 7 .
- the member 2 is peeled off from the common backing layer 13 so as to expose the second adhesive layer 7 .
- the user peels the backing layer 11 from the support member 2 , or peels the support member 2 from the common backing layer 13 , to expose the adhesive layer 7 .
- the exposed adhesive layer 7 is adhered to either the strapless garment or the user's body at a desired position.
- the adhesive layer 7 is adhered to a position on an inner surface of the strapless garment which is to lie adjacent to the portion of the user's body where support of the garment by the user's body is desired.
- the layer may be adhered to the inner surface of the garment at a position along a top edge of the torso area of the garment in a horizontal or vertical position.
- the layer may also be adhered vertically or horizontally along a side 15 a of the torso area of the garment 15 near the top edge as illustratively shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 .
- the first backing layer 9 is removed or peeled off from the support member 2 to expose the first adhesive layer 5 of the member.
- the exposed first adhesive layer 5 is then adhered to the user's body by pressing the garment to the user's skin.
- the garment will remain in the same position with respect to the user's body until it is removed by the user.
- the user can remove the member 2 from the skin and from the garment by slowly pulling the garment away from the skin in the area where the member 2 is adhered to the skin.
- the first adhesive layer 5 will then release from the user's skin due to the force applied by the pulling of the garment.
- the member 2 may then be removed from the garment by pulling the member 2 from the garment.
Abstract
A garment support member for supporting a garment on a user's body in which a support layer has first and second opposing surfaces and first and second adhesive layers disposed on the first and second opposing surfaces, and wherein the support layer is formed of a foam material able to support a garment to a user's body.
Description
- This invention relates to garment support members and methods and, in particular, to garment support members and methods for adhering a garment to a user's body.
- Clothing manufacturers produce a variety of strapless garments for women, and in particular strapless dresses. In the selection of a strapless garment, it is desirable that the garment provide a comfortable fit to the user while remaining in place without exposing more of the user's body than intended. Particularly, a common problem associated with conventional strapless dresses is the slipping down, or the riding down, of the garment as a result of gravity and user's body movement. In addition, since most strapless, and especially strapless and backless, dresses cannot be worn with conventional bras, strapless dresses must also provide support to the user's breasts. Providing adequate support for the user's breasts and prevention of riding down of the dress are of a particular importance to the user when wearing a heavy strapless dress, such as a gown with a lot of ornamentation including beads or sequins.
- In some conventional strapless dresses, bra cups have been incorporated into the dress with the intention of providing support for the user's breasts similar to the support provided by a corset or a long-line strapless bra. However, a typical strapless dress does not have the same engineering properties as a corset or a strapless bra, which are typically engineered with up to thirty different elements to ensure proper performance and sufficient support. Therefore, incorporation of bra cups into the garment has not been successful in providing adequate support for the user's breasts.
- To reduce these problems, garment manufacturers have also employed boning in their garments to provide additional support for the upper torso of the user. In particular, boning in conventional strapless garments takes the form of stiff tube-shaped members placed vertically within the garment. Another conventional method of preventing riding down of strapless garments is to create a tighter than usual fit of the garments.
- These conventional methods, however, suffer from a variety of disadvantages. For example, stiff boning is not suitable for use with many materials and strapless garment designs. In addition, stiff boning materials in the garments or the tight fit of the garments often cause great discomfort to the user, particularly during social occasions, and make it difficult for the user to sit or dance. In addition, these conventional methods are not always successful in preventing riding down of the garment, thus causing the user to constantly pull the garment upwardly so as to avoid baring more than intended.
- Another technique which has been used by women to prevent shifting of certain garment fabrics is to use a double-sided adhesive tape. Conventional double-sided adhesive tape comprises a thin clear film coated with adhesive on both surfaces. This tape has been used to adhere selected portions of revealing clothing, such as a blouse, to the user's body to prevent opening or shifting of the clothing. However, the adhesive tapes used to date are not suitable for supporting strapless garments because the thin clear film lacks sufficient mechanical strength and holding power to overcome the force of gravity. For example, the gravitational force applied by a strapless dress to such a tape will cause the tape to disengage from the user's skin, to curl and to adhere onto itself.
- It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a garment support member having sufficient mechanical strength and power to support a strapless garment and to prevent riding down of the garment.
- It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of using such a support member.
- In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the above and other objectives are realized in a garment support member for supporting a garment on a user's body comprising a support layer having first and second opposing surfaces, first and second adhesive layers disposed on the first and second opposing surfaces of the support layer, and wherein the support layer is formed of a foam material able to support a garment to a user's body. The support member also includes a first backing layer releasably affixed to the first adhesive layer and, preferably, a second backing layer releasably affixed to the second adhesive layer.
- In further aspect of the invention, the support layer has undulations in proceeding along its length to give additional strength to the support member. In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of using the support member is disclosed in which one of the first and second adhesive layers is adhered to one of the garment and the user's body and the other of the first and second adhesive layers is adhered to the other of the garment and the user's body so as to adhere the garment to the user's body.
- In the embodiment of the invention to be disclosed hereinafter, the foam material is a porous or a non-porous polyurethane foam having a thickness in the range of 1/32 to 1/8 inches, and the first and second adhesive layers comprise non-sensitizing medical grade adhesive. The first and second backing layers comprise coated paper having a smooth surface and each may be of the same size as the support layer or, alternatively, one may be of the same size and the other of greater size as the support layer so that it can serve as a backing for the support layers of more than one garment support member.
- Also, in the embodiment disclosed the support layer is formed from two integrated chevron-shaped segments so that along its length it has a first undulation directed in a first sense, then a second undulation directed in the opposite sense and then a third undulation also directed in the first sense. The first, second and third undulations form first, second and third vertex areas, respectively, each of which may have an increased width and be rounded to provide additional mechanical strength to the support layer.
- In addition, in the disclosed method, one of the adhesive layers is adhered to a surface of the garment abutting the user's skin when the garment is worn by the user in a first adhering step, and the other adhesive layer is adhered to the user's skin in a second adhering step. The adhesive layer can be adhered to the garment along a top edge portion of a torso area of the garment or along a side of a torso area of the garment. The method further includes removing one of the first and second backing layers to expose the respective one of the adhesive layers prior to the first adhering step and removing the other one of the backing layers to expose the other one of the adhesive layers prior to at least the second adhering step.
- The above and other features and aspects of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
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FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a garment support member for use in supporting a strapless garment in accordance with the principles of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 shows a front view of the garment support member ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 shows an arrangement of a plurality of garment support members ofFIGS. 1 and 2 disposed on a common backing layer; and -
FIG. 4 shows an illustrative positioning of the garment member ofFIG. 1 on a strapless garment; -
FIG. 5 shows another illustrative positioning of the garment member ofFIG. 1 on a strapless garment. -
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of agarment support member 1 in accordance with the principles of the present invention. As shown, thegarment member 1 comprises asupport member 2 having afoam support layer 3 with first and secondopposing surfaces adhesive layer 5 is disposed on thefirst surface 3 a of thesupport layer 3 and a secondadhesive layer 7 is disposed on thesecond surface 3 b of thesupport layer 3. - The
foam support layer 3 may be formed from a porous or a non-porous foam material having a predetermined thickness, such as polyurethane foam having a thickness in the range of 1/32 to ⅛ inches. Rigid or semi-rigid foam material can be used as thefoam support layer 3 of thesupport member 2. Furthermore, the foam material may be a “closed cell” foam material which is non-porous or has low porosity or an “open cell” foam material which has greater porosity. For example, foam material manufactured and sold by Venture Tape under product number 7432M is suitable for use as thefoam support layer 3. The thickness of the support layer can be in a range of 1/32 to ⅛ inches. A preferred thickness is about 1/32 inches. These thicknesses provide thefoam support layer 3 with a sufficient mechanical strength to support a strapless garment on a user's body and to avoid curling of the support layer material. - When the
support layer 3 is formed from a porous foam material, the porosity of thefoam support layer 3 allows thelayer 3 to anchor additional adhesive when theadhesive layers second surfaces support layer 3, the nonporous foam material should have sufficient bonding properties so as to anchor the adhesive. As a result, thesupport member 2 has much stronger adhesive properties than the conventional double-sided tapes used to adhere clothing to a user's body. - The first and second
adhesive layers adhesive layer - As shown in
FIG. 1 , thegarment support member 1 also includes afirst backing layer 9 releasably affixed to the firstadhesive layer 5 and asecond backing layer 11 releasably affixed to the secondadhesive layer 7. As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 , the entire firstadhesive layer 5 is covered by thefirst backing layer 9 and the entire secondadhesive layer 7 is covered by thesecond backing layer 11. Eachadhesive layer respective backing layer - As can be appreciated, the first and
second backing layers adhesive layers first backing layer 9 from themember 2, the firstadhesive layer 5 remains on thefoam support layer 3 so that thesupport member 2 can be applied and adhered to either the user's skin or the garment. Similarly, when the user separates, or peels off, thesecond backing layer 11 from thefoam support layer 3, the secondadhesive layer 7 remains on thesupport layer 3 so that thesupport member 2 can be applied and adhered to the user's skin, if the first layer has been applied to the garment, or to the garment if the first layer has been applied to the user's skin. As can be appreciated, thebacking layer support member 2 by initiating the separation of thebacking layer member 2 and pulling off thebacking layer backing layer member 2 by initiating the separation of the backing layer from themember 2, rolling thebacking layer layer support member 2. - As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 , the first and second backing layers 9, 11 are of the same size as thesupport member 2. Also, one or both of the first and second backing layers 9, 11 may be of a different size from thefoam member 2, and, in particular, may be larger than thefoam member 2, to make the separation of thebacking layer foam member 2 easier. Moreover, one of the backing layers 9, 11 may be formed as a common backing layer for a plurality ofsupport members 2. For example, as shown inFIG. 3 and discussed in more detail below, thefirst backing layer 9 is the same size as thesupport member 2, while thesecond backing layer 11 is of a larger size so that it can act as a backing layer for a plurality ofsupport members - The first and second backing layers 9, 11 may be formed from a flexible material having a smooth surface. A suitable material may be a coated paper, such as, for example, 78 pound release Kraft liner. The smooth surface of the
backing layer backing layer adhesive layer foam support layer 3. - The
support member 2 may be formed in a variety of shapes. For example, thesupport member 2 may be formed as a band or a strip having a substantially rectangular or curved shape. A particular configuration found desirable is shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 in which the support member has undulations along its length. - More particularly, in
FIGS. 2 and 3 , thesupport member 2 has two integrated chevron shaped segments. These segments form a “wing-shaped”, “W-shaped” or “zig-zag-shaped” support member with afirst undulation 21 directed in a first sense (shown as upward inFIG. 2 ), then a second undulation directed in the opposite sense (downward inFIG. 2 ) and then a third undulation also directed in the first sense (upward inFIG. 2 ). The first, second and third undulations have first, second andthird vertex areas FIG. 2 , thevertex areas rounded areas support member 2. - The “wing-shaped”, “W-shaped” or “zig-zag-shaped” configuration of the
support member 2 shown inFIG. 2 results in an improved mechanical strength for the member. This is enhanced by therounded areas vertex areas member 2 improves the hold of theadhesive layers adhesive layers member 2, thereby adding to the holding power of the layers. - As can be seen in
FIG. 2 , thefirst backing layer 9 and thesecond backing layer 11 affixed to the adhesive layers of thesupport member 2 have the same “wing-shaped”, “W-shaped” or “zig-zag-shaped” configuration as the support member. InFIG. 2 , for illustrative purposes, a portion of thefirst backing layer 9 and a portion of thesecond backing layer 11 are peeled off from themember 2. - As mentioned previously,
FIG. 3 shows an arrangement of a number ofsupport members FIGS. 1 and 2 disposed on acommon backing layer 13. Thecommon backing layer 13 is used to serve as thesecond backing layer 11 of eachmember 2. In the case shown, thesupport members common backing layer 13 is substantially rectangular. It is understood, however, that the number and arrangement of themembers 2 on thecommon backing layer 13 may be varied. - In the arrangement of
FIG. 3 , thefirst backing layer 9 of each of thesupport members separate portions portions first backing layer 9 at an appropriate location so that theseportions first backing layer 9 from the support member. In particular, the user may bend thegarment support member 2 to “crack” or separate theportions backing layer 9 from themember 2. Moreover, as can be appreciated, to provide further assistance to the user in separating thebacking layer 9 from themember 2, theportions backing layer 9 may overlap to create flap portions which can be lifted by the user to initiate the separation. - The
garment support member 1 ofFIGS. 1-3 can be used in a variety of ways to support a garment on a user's body. In accord with the invention, a method common to all these uses will now be described. - In the first step, either the first or
second backing layer garment support member 1 is peeled off to expose the respectiveadhesive layer FIG. 3 is employed, it is preferred that in the first step, themember 2 is peeled off from thecommon backing layer 13 so as to expose the secondadhesive layer 7. For purposes of discussion, it will be assumed that the user peels thebacking layer 11 from thesupport member 2, or peels thesupport member 2 from thecommon backing layer 13, to expose theadhesive layer 7. - In the next step, the exposed
adhesive layer 7 is adhered to either the strapless garment or the user's body at a desired position. In practice, it is a preferable that theadhesive layer 7 is adhered to a position on an inner surface of the strapless garment which is to lie adjacent to the portion of the user's body where support of the garment by the user's body is desired. For example, the layer may be adhered to the inner surface of the garment at a position along a top edge of the torso area of the garment in a horizontal or vertical position. The layer may also be adhered vertically or horizontally along aside 15 a of the torso area of thegarment 15 near the top edge as illustratively shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 . - After the second
adhesive layer 7 is adhered to the strapless garment, thefirst backing layer 9 is removed or peeled off from thesupport member 2 to expose the firstadhesive layer 5 of the member. The exposed firstadhesive layer 5 is then adhered to the user's body by pressing the garment to the user's skin. When the exposed adhesive layer is adhered to the user's skin, the garment will remain in the same position with respect to the user's body until it is removed by the user. - Finally, when the user wishes to remove the garment, the user can remove the
member 2 from the skin and from the garment by slowly pulling the garment away from the skin in the area where themember 2 is adhered to the skin. The firstadhesive layer 5 will then release from the user's skin due to the force applied by the pulling of the garment. Themember 2 may then be removed from the garment by pulling themember 2 from the garment. - In the above-discussion, only a single
garment support member 1 was described as being used to adhere a garment to a user's body. However, it is apparent, that depending on the nature of the garment and the degree to which it requires to be supported on the user's body, more than one support member may be used. Thus, for example, heavier garments may require two ormore support members 1. In such case, for example, a support member may be used on opposite torso areas of the garment in the manner illustrated inFIGS. 4 and 5 . - In all cases it is understood that the above-described arrangements are merely illustrative of the many possible specific embodiments which represent the applications of the present invention. Numerous and varied other arrangements can be readily devised in accordance with the principles of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the accompanying claims. For example, materials other than polyurethane foam may be used to form the support layer of the support member.
Claims (22)
1. A garment support member for supporting a garment on a user's body comprising: a support layer having a first and second opposing surfaces and first and second adhesive layers disposed on said first and second opposing surfaces, respectively, and wherein said support layer is formed as a foam material able to support said garment to said user's body.
2. A garment support member in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the foam material is one of porous foam material and nonporous foam material.
3. A garment support member in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said foam material is polyurethane foam.
4. A garment support member in accordance with claim 3 , wherein said foam material has a thickness in the range of 1/32 to ⅛ inches.
5. A garment support member in accordance with claim 4 , wherein said foam material has a thickness of about 1/32 inches.
6. A garment support member in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said first and second adhesive layers comprise a non-sensitizing medical grade adhesive.
7. A garment support member in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a first backing layer releasably affixed to said first adhesive layer and a second backing layer releasably affixed to said second adhesive layer.
8. A garment support member in accordance with claim 7 , wherein said first and second backing layers comprise coated paper having a smooth surface.
9. A garment support member in accordance with claim 7 , wherein said first and second backing layers are of the same size as said support layer.
10. A garment support member in accordance with claim 7 , wherein at least one of said first and second backing layers includes a first portion and a separate second portion.
11. A garment support member in accordance with claim 7 , wherein said first backing layer is of the same size as said support layer and said second backing layer is of greater size than said support layer.
12. A garment support member in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said support layer has undulations along the length of said support layer.
13. A garment support member in accordance with claim 12 , wherein said support layer has two integrated chevron-shaped segments forming a wing-shaped, W-shaped or zig-zag-shaped configuration.
14. A garment support member in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said chevron shaped segments define a first undulation directed in a first sense, a second undulation directed in a second sense opposite the first sense and a third undulation directed in said first sense.
15. A garment support member in accordance with claim 14 , wherein first, second and third undulations have first, second and third vertex areas, said first, second and third vertex areas having rounded areas opposite their vertexes to provide increased width.
16. A method of supporting a garment on a user's body using a garment support member comprising a support layer having first and second opposing surfaces and first and second adhesive layers disposed on said first and second opposing surfaces, respectively, and wherein said support layer is formed as a foam material able to support said garment to said user's body, said method comprising:
a first step of adhering one of said first and second adhesive layers to one of said garment and the user's body; and
a second step of adhering the other of said first and second adhesive layers to the other of said garment and the user's body so as to adhere said garment to the user's body.
17. A method of supporting a garment on a user's body in accordance with claim 16 , wherein said foam material is a porous polyurethane foam having a thickness in the range of 1/32 to ⅛ inches.
18. A method of supporting a garment on a user's body in accordance with claim 16 , wherein said first adhering step comprises adhering said one of said first and second adhesive layers along a top edge portion of a torso area of said garment.
19. A method of supporting a garment on a user's body in accordance with claim 16 , wherein said first adhering step comprises adhering said one of said first and second adhesive layers along a side of a torso area of said garment.
20. A method of supporting a garment on a user's body in accordance with claim 16 , wherein said garment support member further comprises a first backing layer releasably adhered to said first adhesive layer and a second backing layer releasably adhered to said second adhesive layer, and said method further comprises:
a first removing step of removing the one of said first and second backing layers adhered to said one of said first and second adhesive layers from said one of said first and second adhesive layers to expose said one of said first and second adhesive layers prior to said first adhering step; and
a second removing step of removing said other of said first and second backing layers adhered to said other of said first and second adhesive layers from said other of said first and second adhesive layers to expose the other one of said first and second adhesive layers prior to at least said second adhering step.
21. A method of supporting a garment on a user's body in accordance with claim 20 , wherein said other of said first and second backing layers is of the same size as said support layer and said one of said first and second backing layers has a greater size than said support layer.
23. A garment support assembly comprising a plurality of garment support members in accordance with claim 1 , and further comprising:
a plurality of first backing layers, each first backing layer being releasably affixed to the first adhesive layer of the support layer of a different support member, and each first backing layer having the same size as the support layer to which that first backing layer is affixed; and
a common backing layer to which said second adhesive layers of the support layers of said plurality of support members are releasably affixed.
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/108,415 US20060230499A1 (en) | 2005-04-18 | 2005-04-18 | Garment support member with foam support layer and method of using same |
CA002604261A CA2604261A1 (en) | 2005-04-18 | 2006-04-12 | Garment support member with foam support layer and method of using same |
GB0719026A GB2439018B (en) | 2005-04-18 | 2006-04-12 | Garment support member with foam support layer and method of using same |
PCT/US2006/013698 WO2006113279A2 (en) | 2005-04-18 | 2006-04-12 | Garment support member with foam support layer and method of using same |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/108,415 US20060230499A1 (en) | 2005-04-18 | 2005-04-18 | Garment support member with foam support layer and method of using same |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20060230499A1 true US20060230499A1 (en) | 2006-10-19 |
Family
ID=37106996
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/108,415 Abandoned US20060230499A1 (en) | 2005-04-18 | 2005-04-18 | Garment support member with foam support layer and method of using same |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20060230499A1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2604261A1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB2439018B (en) |
WO (1) | WO2006113279A2 (en) |
Cited By (10)
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---|---|---|---|---|
US20060230500A1 (en) * | 2005-04-01 | 2006-10-19 | Catherine Chelelat | Anti-creep waist-clothing stay device and method of reinforcing crotch-adjacent inner-seam areas |
US20070054081A1 (en) * | 2005-08-18 | 2007-03-08 | Demarco Jill R | Double-Sided Adhesive Anchoring Device For A Garment |
US20080066212A1 (en) * | 2000-07-24 | 2008-03-20 | Jerry Potts | Apparel Item and Method of Making and Using Same |
US20080127396A1 (en) * | 2005-04-05 | 2008-06-05 | Kathleen Melinda Toyne | Pant leg stabilizer |
US20080235845A1 (en) * | 2007-03-26 | 2008-10-02 | Johnson Katie L | Stiffening device for apparel |
US20100044249A1 (en) * | 2000-07-24 | 2010-02-25 | Jerry R. Potts | Apparel item and method of making and using same |
US20110219514A1 (en) * | 2010-03-12 | 2011-09-15 | Delta Galil Usa, Inc. | Shape Holding Garments that Prevent Rolling and Methods of Making Same |
US8272507B1 (en) | 2011-12-02 | 2012-09-25 | Visionary Products, Inc. | Kit of a plurality of detachable pockets, a detachable pocket, and associated methods |
US20130042392A1 (en) * | 2011-08-19 | 2013-02-21 | Jeffrey E. Ostrow | Instant collar stays |
US20210093022A1 (en) * | 2019-09-26 | 2021-04-01 | Ikar (Israel) Ltd | Seamless bra |
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US20080127396A1 (en) * | 2005-04-05 | 2008-06-05 | Kathleen Melinda Toyne | Pant leg stabilizer |
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US20130042392A1 (en) * | 2011-08-19 | 2013-02-21 | Jeffrey E. Ostrow | Instant collar stays |
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US20210093022A1 (en) * | 2019-09-26 | 2021-04-01 | Ikar (Israel) Ltd | Seamless bra |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2439018B (en) | 2009-11-11 |
WO2006113279A2 (en) | 2006-10-26 |
GB2439018A (en) | 2007-12-12 |
CA2604261A1 (en) | 2006-10-26 |
GB0719026D0 (en) | 2007-11-07 |
WO2006113279A3 (en) | 2009-04-16 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: BRAZABRA CORPORATION, MASSACHUSETTS Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:DAVIS, THEODORE L.;REEL/FRAME:016495/0155 Effective date: 20050415 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |