Foundation garments – Breast or chest – e.g. – brassieres – Combined with subjacent body supporters – e.g. – foundation...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-01
2001-05-29
Cameron, Erma (Department: 1762)
Foundation garments
Breast or chest, e.g., brassieres
Combined with subjacent body supporters, e.g., foundation...
C450S020000, C450S021000, C450S074000, C450S075000, C450S076000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238266
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to support garments which provide a support finction through the utilization of a dried polyurethane coating placed on certain areas of the target fabric surface. Such a coating produces a reduction in the elongation characteristics of the target fabric thereby exhibiting a manner of providing support to the target fabric which is comfortable to the wearer and inexpensive to produce. The inventive garments may be utilized as sports brassieres, swimwear, “control-top” underwear, girdles, athletic supporters, medical braces, and the like.
DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
Support garments have been utilized for centuries to provide methods of keeping body parts stationary (such as with knee braces), alleviating discomfort and/or making fashion statements (such as with brassieres), constraining certain areas of a person's body in order ultimately to provide an aesthetically pleasing figure (such as with girdles and the like), protecting particularly susceptible body parts from harm (such as with athletic supporters), and the like. Myriad ways of providing such methods have been developed in the past. For instance, braces have been produced which utilize high tensile strength/low elongation fibers, metal components, and cast materials. Brassieres and girdles have been fashioned from certain fabric configurations, metal wires, and, again, high tensile strength/low elongation fibers. Added padding and/or high tensile strength/low elongation fibers have been utilized to improve upon existing athletic supporter garments as well. In each of these examples, the improvements have focused on adding cumbersome and potentially uncomfortable metal wires or extra material within the body of the garment, utilizing relatively expensive high tensile strength fibers, or utilizing strips of the garment fabric placed at specific angles, all in order to provide the requisite and desired support. As such, there is a need to provide the necessary level of support for such garments without the need for increased costs and/or extra fabric material while simultaneously increasing the discomfort for the wearer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It is thus an object of the invention to provide such improved support for a wearer's body parts (such as an injured knee joint, a woman's breasts, and the like) within a garment through the utilization of a relatively inexpensive polyurethane coating applied in certain strategic areas of the target fabric and subsequently dried on the fabric surface. A further object of the invention is to provide a long-lasting, inexpensive support garment. Another object of the invention is to provide a support garment which possesses suitable flexibility for placement on and around the target body part and provides excellent support upon placement at the target location. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a support garment which comprises a polyurethane latex which, upon drying, is washfast and will not appreciably displace from the fabric surface during standard wear and/or laundering processes. Still a further object of the invention is to provide a method for producing such a polyurethane latex-coated support garment.
Accordingly, this invention encompasses a method of producing a support garment comprising the steps of
(a) providing a target fabric;
(b) coating at least a portion of said target fabric with a polyurethane latex; and
(c) drying said polyurethane latex. Nowhere within the prior art has such a specific support garment or method of producing the same been disclosed or fairly suggested. The closest art found encompasses the mere suggestion of utilizing individual fibers of polyurethane or polyurethane latex-coated fibers in apparel, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,925, to Hosokawa et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,062, to Kim et al. There is no specific teaching or even implication, however, within these two references that a dried polyurethane latex coating of a fabric provides the benefits herein described for fabric and, in particular, for support garments. The term support garment is intended to encompass any textile utilized on a person's body for the purpose of providing support to, keeping stationary, and/or protecting a particular body part or parts. Included in this description are brassieres, most notably, but not limited to, sports bras; medical braces, such as for knees or elbows, as merely examples; support underwear, such as “control-top” panties and hosiery; and athletic supporters (i.e., jock straps). Again, this list merely describes preferred embodiments of the inventive support garment and by no means is intended to limit the scope of the invention.
Any fabric can be utilized in this invention as the important requirement is that the polyurethane latex be applied at strategic locations on the target fabric surface in order to provide proper points of support within the finished garment. Polyester is most preferred; however, any natural fibers, such as cotton, ramie, and the like; any synthetic fibers, such as polyamides, lycra, and the like; and any blends thereof of any natural and/or synthetic fibers may be utilized within the inventive fabric, such as lycra/polyester and lycra
ylon blends. Of particular interest are fabrics which possess suitable weights for incorporation within flexible support garments. As merely examples, weights of fabric in the range of between 2.0 and 12.5 ounces per square yard are preferred with more preferred possessing weights of 3.5 to about 10.5 ounces per square yard. Furthermore, knitted fabrics are preferred; however, woven and non-woven forms may also be utilized as well as combinations of any types of these forms.
The important limitation of this invention is the presence of the dried polyurethane latex coated over at least a portion of the target fabric to provide an area of decreased elongation, and thus improved support, within the target fabric. Such a coating will not appreciably be removed from the fabric surface during standard laundering procedures and proper adornment by the wearer. Also, the high tensile strength properties of the polyurethane latex will not appreciably decrease over time through the same standard laundering techniques and usual wear by the user. As such, the inventive support garment should not require replacement over short intervals of time. The resultant product thus provides a long-lasting support garment which is inexpensive to make and exhibits excellent support and comfortability for the wearer.
The preferred polyurethane component is a waterborne aliphatic or aromatic polymer which exhibits proper degrees of stress and strain on the target fabric upon application and drying. In this manner, the proper latex must provide a decrease in the elongation of the target fabric, thereby increasing the stress on the target fabric on the portions of application of the latex while simultaneously lowering the strain on the fabric in the opposite direction. The preferred polyurethane is a water-borne dispersion, particular examples of which include those within the Witcobond® polyurethane series, from Witco, such as W-232, W-234, W-160, W-213, W-236, W-252, W-290H, W-293, W-320, and W-506; most preferred is W-293; and polycarbonate polyurethanes produced by Stahl™, most notably RU-40-350. Acrylic polyurethane dispersions may also be utilized.
Any water-borne and/or water-dispersible cross-linking agent compatible with polyurethanes may be utilized within this invention, particularly those which have low amounts of free formaldehyde. Preferred as cross-linking agents are modified ethylene ureas; and more particularly those cross-linking agents sold under the tradenames Cytec™ M3 and Freerez™ PFK by Freedom Chemical. Any catalyst, which is generally necessary to initiate and effectuate cross-linking of a polyurethane dispersion, which is compatible with both a polyurethane and a polyurethane cross-linking agent maybe utilized within this invention. Preferred as a cross-linking catalyst is Cytec™ MX, available from BFGoo
Cameron Erma
Milliken & Company
Moyer Terry T.
Parks William S.
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