EP1330962B1

EP1330962B1 - Apparatus for forming cups of bras and bathing costumes

Info

Publication number: EP1330962B1
Application number: EP03001802A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giovanni Cartabbia
Original assignee: Macpi SpA
Current assignee: Macpi SpA
Priority date: 2002-01-29
Filing date: 2003-01-28
Publication date: 2008-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 2023-01-28
Also published as: EP1330962A3; ATE416639T1; ITMI20020154A1; ITMI20020154A0; EP1330962A2; DE60325125D1

Abstract

An apparatus for forming cups of bras and bath costumes is characterized in that said apparatus comprises a plurality of heated punch elements, thereon can be applied differently sized caps operating without using conventional counter-molds and cooperating with a supporting lower heated plate, made of a metal material and including a plurality of holes therethrough, for allowing the punch caps to engage therein. <IMAGE>

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus which has been specifically designed for forming the cup portions of bras and bath costumes.
A lot of machines for forming the cup portions of bras and bath costumes are already known (see e.g. FR 2 501 017 and US-A-3 981 670 ).
However, prior machines have the drawback that they are very complex construction wise and require difficult adjusting operations, since they usually include a plurality of molds and counter-molds, which comprise built-in electric resistances and have a fixed size.
Since the size of a person wearing bras and bath costumes is very different, it is absolutely necessary to provide a very high number of said molds and counter-molds.
The problems, on the other hand, are not limited to the need of providing a great number of molds and counter-molds, but are further complicated by the requirements of changing the diameter, adjusting the depth, and also changing the inter-axis of the mentioned molds.
The latter parameter, in particular, cannot be lowered under given limits, since the counter-molds have a set constructional size thereunder it would not be possible to operate.
Document FR 2 501 017 discloses an apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1 and incorporates molds with exchangeable caps. Document US-A-3 981 670 discloses an apparatus for molding a brassiere wherein the molds have slots on opposite sides so that they can be slidably removed from guides or have their spacing varied.
For the above mentioned reasons, prior apparatuses do not allow to easily perform the necessary adjusting operations to provide bras and bath costumes suitable to meet the user requirements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, very simple in construction, but which can be used for making cups of bras and bath costumes, of several sizes and configurations, by performing simple adjusting operations, and replacing the caps applied to the punches and the bottom plates applied to the bearing bed of the apparatus.
Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus including a plurality of operating punches having corresponding inter-exchangeable caps, operating without using conventional counter-molds.
The above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by an apparatus according to claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the apparatus according to the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment thereof, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative example, in the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a side elevation view illustrating the apparatus according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a partial detailed view of the apparatus according to the present invention, as laterally cross-sectioned;
Figure 3 illustrates a further schematic side view of the apparatus including two punch elements having respective caps;
Figure 4 is a further schematic side view illustrating a detail of the punch elements of the top fabric pressing assembly, of the bottom heated plate, of the silicone plate and teflon coating, allowing to form the cups of bras and bath costumes with the fabric material being in a locked condition;
Figure 5 is a further cross-sectioned side view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating a detail of the equipment, already shown in figure 4, and clearly shows the arrangement of the silicone plate and teflon coating, as applied to the bottom heated plate, to allow an operating method to be easily performed, with the fabric material in a locked condition;
Figure 6 illustrates a further cross-sectioned view, on an enlarged scale, of the operating element shown in figure 5, with the silicone plate and teflon coating forming the bottom bearing surface turned through 180°, thereby allowing to perform an operating method in which the fabric is recovered;
Figure 7 illustrates a schematic view of the top punch bearing plates, and clearly shows the configuration of the elongated slots and of the locating devices, of an adjustable type, provided with a plurality of tolerance recovering tooth elements and adapted to allow said punches and caps applied thereon to be mutually moved toward one another and away from one another;
Figure 8 illustrates a schematic detailed cross-sectioned view of the punch element, including a cap and a probe for reading temperature;
Figure 9 illustrates a bra, constituted by a flat fabric portion including two bulged portions, deformed by thermoforming by using the apparatus according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the number references of the figures of the accompanying drawings, the apparatus according to the present invention comprises punch elements 5 and 6, provided with cap elements 30 and 31, which operate in cooperation with fabric pressing elements 17, in turn supported by a vertically movable frame 13, being driven by a main piston 1, with additional pneumatic pistons 2 and 3.
The latter are suitably calibrated, thereby providing an optimum pressing on the fabric material 40 to be processed.
As shown in Figure 7, the punch elements 5 and 6 are supported by a supporting plate 7, having a plurality of elongated slots 8 and 9, the main axis thereof is transversely arranged with respect to the front side of the apparatus.
The punch elements 5 and 6 support the inter-exchangeable caps 30 and 31 which, as they are lowered, cooperate with holes 19 formed in a bottom heated metal plate 18.
The elongated slots 8 and 9, in particular, house therein said punch elements 5 and 6, having said inter-exchangeable caps 30 and 31, to allow said punch elements to be mutually adjusted toward one another or away from one another, thereby allowing to easily form cups 41, differently mutually spaced from one another.
This adjustment is performed by releasing a clamping lever 12, applied to each punch element, and by performing an adjusting operation in a cross direction, with respect to the apparatus, and in a longitudinal direction, with respect to the bra being made.
As shown in Figure 7, a toothed plate 36 having a plurality of telth (37) is applied to each punch element 5 and 6, thereagainst operates an adjusting pin 20 the end portion 11 of which allows each said punch elements 5 and 6 to be perfectly and asymmetrically adjusted and located.
As it is easily apparent, such a manual operation is very simple and quick.
Actually, upon having adjusted the mutual distances of said punch elements 5 and 6, by operating on the clamping lever 12, provided with a quick thread, it is possible to properly lock said punch elements 5 and 6.
Said punch elements 5 and 6, in particular, are made of a brass material or metal alloys, designed for providing, a very good heat conduction and very high anti-seizing characteristics.
These anti-seizing characteristics, would be very important, since said punch elements 5 and 6 are applied with caps 30 and 31 including different diameters, to provide the cups 41 with the desired diameter.
Said caps 30 and 31 are conductively heated by said punch elements 5 and 6 which, are heated by built-in electric resistors.
Moreover as shown in Figure 8, the punch elements 5 and 6 comprise thermo-probes 14, mounted on respective springs, which are urged to contact the inner surface of the caps 30 and 31.
The latter, while they can be easily replaced, are brought and held to an optimum temperature, thereby thermoforming the synthetic fabric material 40 forming the cups 41 of the bra or bath costume 42.
It should be pointed out that the caps 30 and 31 are downward urged, thereby providing a reciprocating vertical movement, under the action of the main piston 1.
The latter downwardly drives the plate 15, in turn supporting the supporting plate 7 and the thereon mounted punch elements 5 and 6 and caps 30 and 31.
The plate 15 supports the pneumatic pistons 2 and 3 operating on the vertically movable frame 13.
The latter supports the fabric pressing elements 17 and cooperates with the bottom heated metal plate 18 including the plurality of holes 19 for engaging therein the caps 30 and 31 of the punch elements 5 and 6.
It should be apparent that the diameters of said holes 19 must be slightly greater than the diameters of the caps 30 and 31.
The bottom heated metal plate 18 can be easily inter-exchanged, depending on the diameter of the caps 30 and 31 and the interaxis thereof.
The bottom plate 18 forms the top of a bottom chamber 22 in which heated air is conveyed , having a temperature which can be suitably changed depending on the fabric material.
The bottom heated metal plate 18 is made of any suitable metal , and is heated by the heated air contacting the plate.
Moreover as shown in Figures 4 to 6, said plate is provided with a thermally insulated coated layer 21 and a further plate 32, preferably made of a silicone material and perforated.
Said two insulating layers 21 and 32 can be properly reversed as shown in Figures 5 and 6, by turning them through 180°, thereby providing different locking characteristics for locking the perimetrical edge portions of the fabric material to be used for forming the cups.
More specifically, as the plate 32 is arranged as shown in Figure 5 above the insulated layer 21, the fabric material will be processed in a locked condition thereof.
On the other hand, by turning over the above two layers, the fabric material will be processed by a recovery type of processing method, since the surface of the insulating layer 21 is coated with a slipping material (i.e. Teflon).
The fabric material 40, during the forming of the cups 41, is pressed between the fabric pressing elements 17 and the bottom plate 18.
As stated, the operating step for forming the cups 41 is carried out by heating of the fabric material 40, which is partially urged by the caps 30 and 31 inside the bottom chamber 22, which is heated by said hot air flow.
The latter is circulated through said chamber 22 by a centrifugal fan 23, driven by a driving motor 33 and sucking the air contained in said chamber 22, while conveying it to the chamber 24.
Then, the air will be conveyed through suitable ducts 26.
The latter are provided in contact with heating elements.
Thus, as air is conveyed through said ducts 26, it will be heated, and then it will exit the slots 28 so oriented as to provide said air with a swirling movement.
Thus, the above mentioned heated air flow will at first contact the bottom plate 18, thereby heating the latter.
Then, the heated air flow will impinge on the fabric material 40, held under tension by the caps 30 and 31, thereby thermoforming said fabric and providing perfectly shaped and sized cups 41.
Thus, the above mentioned result will be obtained owing to the heating operation of the heated air, which is perfectly adjusted.
Said adjustment is performed by the thermo probe 14, included in the punch elements, and by an outer thermoadjusting element.
In this connection it should be pointed out that a further very important feature of the apparatus according to the present invention consists in the provision of an adjusting device designed for adjusting the length of the stroke of the main piston 1 urging the forming caps 30 and 31 into the chamber 22.
Such an adjusting device is of an electromechanical type, with an electronic control unit for controlling the linear stroke of said piston 1.
The pistons 2 and 3, in particular, can be adjusted or calibrated so as to provide the desired pressure on the fabric pressing elements 17.

Claims

An apparatus for forming cups (41) of bras (42) or bath costumes, said apparatus having a top, a bottom, a front side, a rear side and sidewalls, said apparatus comprising a supporting plate (7) supporting a plurality of heated punch elements (5, 6), each punch element coupled to and covered by a respective inter-exchangeable cap (30, 31), which can have different diameters to provide cups (41) of different size, each said cap being engageable in a respective hole (19) of an inter-exchangeable bottom heated metal plate (18) supporting a fabric material (40), said punch elements (5, 6) and caps (30, 31) being pressed against said fabric material (40) by a movable plate (15) bearing said supporting plate (7) and driven by a main piston (1), characterized in that said fabric material being further pressed against said bottom heated metal plate (18) by fabric pressing elements (17) supported by a vertically movable frame (13) and driven by two calibrated pneumatic pistons (2, 3) supported by said movable plate (15), in that said apparatus further comprises an adjusting device for adjusting the length of the vertical stroke of said main piston (1), and in that said supporting plate (7) comprises a plurality of elongated slots (8, 9), having their major axes transversely with respect to said front side of said apparatus and wherein a respective punch element (5, 6) is slidably mounted in each slot (8, 9) to adjust the distance between said punch elements, each punch element (5, 6) is connected to a toothed plate (36) having a plurality of teeth (37), each pair of teeth defining an interspace in which can be engaged an end portion (11) of an adjusting pin (20) to finely adjust the position of each punch element (5, 6), and each punch element is provided with a clamping lever (12) to clamp each punch element in said finely adjusted position.
An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said punch elements (5, 6) are made of a metal alloy.
An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said caps (30, 31) are heated by said punch elements (5, 6) through heat conduction, said punch elements (5, 6) being in turn heated by built-in electric resistors.
An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each punch element (5, 6) comprises at least a thermoprobe (14) urged by a spring to contact the inner surfaces of said caps (30, 31).
An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said bottom heated metal plate (18) constitutes a top wall of a bottom chamber (22) which is supplied with variable temperature heated air.
An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said fabric material (40) is supported by an insulating perforated silicone plate (32), and a thermally insulated coated layer (21) being arranged between said insulating perforated silicone plate (32) and said bottom heated metal plate (18).
An apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that said insulating perforated silicone plate (32) and said thermally insulated layer (21) can be reversed by turning, them as a combination, through 180° in space in order to provide either a frictional or slippery surface for supporting said fabric material.
An apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that said apparatus further comprises a centrifugal fan (23) for circulating heated air through said bottom chamber (22), said centrifugal fan (23) sucking the air held in said chamber (22) and conveying said sucked air to a further chamber (24).
An apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that said apparatus further comprises a plurality of ducts (26) for conveying said heated air, said ducts contacting heating elements.
An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said adjusting device is an electromechanical adjusting device controlled by an electronic control unit.