FR2487734A1 - Multilayer fabric for brassiere cup or support brief - includes support layer, film and decorative layer - Google Patents

Abstract

A multi-layer textile laminate, intended for the pre-formed cup of a brassiere, or a man's shaped support brief, is contoured by thermoforming or heat-shaping. The fabric includes a support layer, and a layer added for decorative effect, joined by the insertion of heat-adhesive film. The heat-shaping of the two fabrics together provides a perfectly complementary shaping process with the decorative pieces firmly coated on the cups.

Description

 The present invention relates to a method for producing a multilayer textile product having at least one shaped part.

 Mention may for example be made of bras, the cups of which are shaped during manufacture, or even men's briefs, the shell of which can also be shaped during manufacture.

 The parts in the form of such textile products are usually produced by stitched assembly of several originally flat pieces, cut according to a determined contour so that the assembly presents the desired relief.

 We understand that such a manufacturing process is long and delicate to implement and, to facilitate the manufacture of such products and reduce its duration, we developed a thermoforming process taking advantage of the ability of certain synthetic fibers to undergo , when they are brought to a determined temperature, an elongation which they keep permanently after cooling to room temperature.

 An industrial process for manufacturing a bra is thus implemented, which consists in using a layer of a textile material made from synthetic fibers of this type, intended to constitute both the cups of the bra and their support, to immobilize firmly by pinching the periphery of the part of this initially flat layer corresponding to a cap, and to apply to this part, by means of a punch having the shape to be communicated to the cap, heated to a temperature just sufficient to cause softening the fibers of the textile material conducive to their extension without making them sticky, a thrust oriented perpendicular to the general plane of the layer of material, to communicate to this part the desired relief, which it retains after cooling to room temperature.

 This process makes it possible to make a brassiere in a single piece of textile material, in a particularly simple and rapid manner, and thus responds to the desired goal.

 However, as it is currently implemented, it knows certain limits of application insofar as, when it is desired to decorate the hat with an attached pattern, for example-lace, or add a layer of a reinforcing or opacifying textile material, sometimes made necessary because the extension of the textile material constituting the cups during thermoforming increases its transparency, in comparison with the support of the cups which retains the initial appearance of the textile material, one can only proceed after thermoforming the cap, by sewing under particularly difficult conditions since it involves bringing an initially flat material onto the product in shape.

 We have certainly thought of making the patterns or other layers of textile material to be added in a material offering the same thermoforming possibilities as the material constituting the cups and their support, and of sewing these elements to be attached flat, on the layer of material textile intended to constitute the cups and their support, before thermoforming of the cups, then to simultaneously practice this thermoforming and a thermoforming of the added elements.

 However, it appeared during tests that the simultaneous thermoforming of the layer of textile material intended to constitute the cups and their support and of the added elements, sewn for example at their periphery on this layer of textile material, did not make it possible to obtain good results because the layer of textile material and the added elements tended to deform differently outside the seam areas, resulting in a crumpled appearance, completely unsightly, of the product obtained.

 Performing a simultaneous thermoforming of the caps and of the elements attached thereto nevertheless appearing likely to give rise to a much faster and more convenient implementation than the methods using a sewing of the elements added to the formed caps, the aim of the present The invention was to propose such a simultaneous thermoforming process giving the finished product a regular appearance, by ensuring an integral deformation of the part of the textile support intended to form the cups and attached textile elements.

 To this end, the present invention proposes to join in a distributed manner over their entire contact surface the part of the textile support intended to form the cups and the textile elements to be attached, this before deformation, then to practice the deformation by maintaining this solidarity; experience has shown that a perfectly complementary shaping of the cups and of the added elements is thus obtained, that is to say a product of clean presentation, with added elements perfectly pressed against the cups.

 More generally, not being limited in its application to the manufacture of bra cups by thermoforming, the present invention provides a method for producing a multilayer textile product having at least one shaped part, characterized in that one superimposed flat several layers of hot-deformable textile material in the same temperature range, mutual layers are brought about in a distributed manner over their entire mutual contact surface at least at said part, joint deformation is caused integral layers by bringing them to a temperature situated in said range and by applying to one face of the superposition of integral layers an appropriate force, at the level of said part, and the deformed integral layers are cooled; by mutual joining of the layers in a manner distributed over their entire mutual contact surface at least at the level of said part, is meant a joining at any point, or a joining by points, or by lines, or in a network, preferably distributed densely.

 It will be noted that the only thing that matters is that the deformation of a zone of the superposition only occurs after the superimposed layers are joined in this zone, and a variant of this process is characterized in that it causes said joint deformation of the solid layers gradually, first in a limited zone of said part then by zones of this part successively more and more extended from said zone, and in that it causes mutual securing of the layers in said zones gradually, immediately before causing their respective deformation.

 Advantageously, the mutual joining of the layers in a manner distributed over their entire mutual contact surface and their joint deformation are preceded by mutual peripheral joining by sewing.

 Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description below, relating to nonlimiting modes of implementation, and from the appended drawings which form an integral part of this description.

 Figures 1 to 5 show perspective views schematically illustrating five successive stages of the implementation of the method according to the invention.

 Figures 6 and 7 show sectional views respectively illustrating the initial step and the final step of thermoforming.

Figures 8 and 9 show sectional views
Illustrating the initial step and an intermediate step of thermoforming in the case of a variant implementation of the method.

 Figure 10 shows a sectional view similar to that of Figures 6 to 9, illustrating the product obtained.

 In the case of FIGS. 1 to 10, two superposed layers of textile material are thermoformed in accordance with the invention.

 FIG. 11 shows a perspective view illustrating a product obtained by thermoforming, in accordance with the invention, of three superposed layers of textile material.

 The product produced in the case of these examples is a brassiere, but the implementation of the method according to the invention is not limited to such a product.

 In FIGS. 1 to 10, 1 denotes a sheet of synthetic textile material, or comprising synthetic fibers, such as for example a fabric or a knitted fabric of polyamide 6 or 6/6 fibers, or of polyester fibers, or of a blend of polyamide 6 or 6/6 fibers, polyester and cotton, these materials being indicated by way of non-limiting example since other materials whose bonding point is much higher than room temperature and which have a slightly below this bonding point a ductility without destruction could be chosen without departing from the scope of the invention; materials will preferably be chosen which, like the materials mentioned above, have a bonding point of the order of 190 to 2400C as regards their synthetic part.

 The layer of textile material 1 is intended to constitute both the cups 2 of the bra and the support 3 of the latter, which support groups the separator part, the Basque part and the back part of the bra.

 ûJ. has also designated by the common reference 4 two layers of a textile material which can be the same as that of layer 1 or a different material, but however deformable by elongation of its fibers in the same range of temperatures as the material constituting layer 1; in fact, the method according to the invention makes it possible to ensure an identity of deformation of two identical or different materials, provided that they can undergo this deformation in the same range of temperatures.

Initially, and during the process phases
de Illustrated respectively in Figures 1 to 3, layers 1 and 4 are flat; the layer 1 has a clean contour to allow not only the production of the cups, but also of the support 3 as defined above; the two layers 4 have an approximately semi-circular outline, as is apparent in particular from FIGS. 1 and 2, each of these layers 4 being intended to reinforce and opacify the respective part of each cup 2 turned downwards, at the outside of this part, as is apparent in particular from FIG. 10.

 In FIG. 1, a first phase of the process has been illustrated, which consists in depositing flat, respectively on each of the zones 2a of the layer 1 then also flat intended to form the respective lower part of a cup 2, the layer reinforcement and clouding 4.

 In order to authorize mutual securing of each layer 4 and of the corresponding zone 2a in a manner distributed over their entire surface, there is interposed between them in the illustrated example, over their entire surface, a film 5 of a material of bonding chosen so as to ensure the mutual joining of layers 1 and 4 before their thermoforming and to preserve this joining during thermoforming, that is to say at a temperature situated at least in the range of bonding points of the constituent materials layers 1 and 4.

The film 5 can be initially independent of the layers 1 and 4 and interposed between them during the deposition of the layers 4 on the zones 2a of the layer 1; it may for example be a fusible gauze of a type known per se; it can also be added to the zones 2a or, preferably, on the face of the layers 4 intended to be placed in contact with the zones 2a, before this contact, and consist, for example, then in a coating of a fusible material; it can also be an integral part of layer 1 or, preferably, of layer 4, which is then produced by weaving yarns of synthetic and fleecy material in the range of temperatures defined above, such as polyester, with a thread of natural fibers. such as cotton or more generally fibers which are insensitive to these temperatures, according to a process known per se which gives predominance to one of these fibers on one of the faces of the fabric; in such a case, the face of one of the layers respectively 1 and
4 facing the other layer, or the faces of the two layers placed facing each other, are the faces of the fabric having a predominance of thermo-adhesive fibers, that is to say of polyester in the non-limiting example chosen.

 Advantageously, the positioning illustrated in FIG. 1 is followed by peripheral stitching 6 of the layers 4 on the layer 1, intended to avoid their separation during the next heat sealing phase and to give, while the layers 1 and 4 still have a flat configuration, that is to say under the most favorable working conditions, the appearance that the periphery of the zones 4 must present on the finished product.

In the illustrated example where the joining of layers 4 and 1 in a distributed manner over their entire contact surface must be ensured by heat sealing, the next step illustrated in FIG. 3 consists in placing between the two plates 7 and 8 d 'a heating press the superposition of the layers 4 and of the layer 1, and to apply the layers 4 against the latter firmly, by bringing together the plates 7 and 8, under conditions of temperature and pressure suitable for causing their joining by the intermediate of the material constituting the film 5
By way of nonlimiting example, when the layers 1 and 4 are a fabric of polyamide fibers known under the name of "Perlon 6", the bonding point of which is around 11,500 and the melting point of the gold - Dre of 23000, or of the type known under the name of "Nylon 6/6", whose bonding point is of the order of 23500 to 24000 and the melting temperature of the order of 26000, it is advantageously possible to use as a film 5 a gauze, cu a tulle, or a powder of a material having a melting temperature of the order of 490 to 20005, the pressing illustrated in FIG. 3 being carried out at a temperature of this order for ten of seconds, and the joint thermoforming illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 7, which will now be described, at a temperature of 11 of the order of 200 to 2050C in the case of "Perlon 6" and of the order of 210 to 2150C in the case of "Nylon 6/6.

 This thermoforming is carried out by placing flat, on the flat upper face 9 of a plate 10, the layers 1 and 4 now secured in their final relative position and applying firmly against the face 9, for example by means of a flat frame 11, the zones of the layer 1, of larger dimension, situated around the zones 2a of this one to which the layers 4 are superimposed, or more precisely around the zones to be deformed to produce the cups, preferably the closest possible of the periphery of these zones; pressing the frame 11 on a possible zone of the layers 4 which is not intended to be thermoformed makes it possible to dispense with sewing 6.

 Opposite each of the zones 2a, the plate 10 includes an orifice 12 whose periphery has substantially the shape and dimensions which must be those of a cup 2 at its junction with the support 3, each of the orifices 12 being two in number being thus placed opposite a layer 4 with respect to layer 1, opposite a zone 2a and, in the example illustrated where each of these zones corresponds approximately to the lower half of a finished cap and has therefore an approximately semicircular shape, of a zone 2b having approximately a semicircular shape complementary to that of zone 2a in an approximate circle, and encompassed like it by the frame 17.

 Opposite each of the orifices 12, initially set back with respect to its face 9, the plate 10 comprises two punches 13 each of which has an average direction 14 parallel to the face 9, with a maximum cross section corresponding substantially in shape and in dimensions to that of the orifice 12 and a convex end portion 15, rounded in the direction of approximation with respect to the face 9, if one refers to the initial position illustrated in FIG. 8 where the punch 13 is set back relative to this face 9; the shape of the part 15 corresponds to the shape to be given inside the cup 2.

 The thermoforming operation of the cap consists in causing the punch 13 or, more generally, to heat the zone of the superposed layers 1 and 4 which is located opposite each orifice 12, at a temperature lower than or at most equal to the bonding point of the fibers constituting these layers, that is to say for example at a temperature of 11 of the order of 200 to 2050C in the case of "Perlon 6" and from 210 to 2150C in the case of "Nylon 6/6 ", and to cause a movement of each punch 13 parallel to its mean direction 14, in a direction shown diagrammatically by the arrow 16 in FIG. 8, that is to say in the direction of an increasing projection relative to the face 9 through each of the orifices 12, this growing projection joined to the softening of the layers 1 and 4 and to their maintenance at the periphery of each of the pairs of zones 2a-2b associated causing the shaping of the cups 2 by joint irreversible stretching of the layers 1 and 4.

 The final phase of penetration is illustrated in Figure 7; it then causes the cooling of the deformed layers 1 and 4 and the withdrawal of the two punches 13 relative to the face 9 of the plate 10, the cups 2 permanently retaining the shape which has been thus communicated to them, without however losing their textile character the fact that the fibers are never at their melting point during forming.

 Figure 10 illustrates the product obtained.

 Figures 8 and 9 illustrate an alternative implementation of this method.

 The same references have been used in FIGS. 8 and 9 as in FIGS. 1 to 7 to designate the same elements.

 In the case of this variant, the step of mutual joining of the layers 1 and 4 prior to their joint thermoforming illustrated in FIG. 3 is eliminated, and the mutual joining of the layers 1 and 4 is carried out during the thermoforming.

 In the case of this variant, therefore, the layers 1 and 4 are immobilized between the face 9 of the plate 1Q and the frame 11 as described with reference to FIG. 4, with the interleaving of a film 5 of a material joining which can also be part of one of the layers; layers 1 and 4 can other sewn as illustrated in 6 in Figure 2 or, if the frame 11 is supported on a part of the periphery of the zones 4 which is not intended to be deformed, such as the part 4a along the ctrulaire part of the periphery of the zones 4, be simply immobilized peripherally one relative to the other due to this support.

 Under these conditions, when the movement of the punch 13 is caused in the direction of the arrow 16, this punch being brought to a temperature slightly lower than the melting temperature of the fibers constituting the layers 1 and 4, and for example at a temperature of the order of 200 to 2150C in the case of the examples of materials above, the melting and joining temperature of the material constituting the film 5 being in the order of 190 to 2000C, the area superimposed layers 1 and 4 and of the film 5 in which the temperature is higher than the melting and joining temperature of the latter is at each instant more extensive than the contact zone between the ar part; round 15 of the punch 13 and the face of the layer 1 opposite its face carrying the layers 4.

 In other words, at the initial moment of contact between the part 15 of the punch 13 and the layer 1, the contact is punctual, at 17, along the axis 14, but the film 5 melts and, under the action of the pressure emerging between the layers 1 and 4 by reaction to the pushing of the punch 13, ensures the mutual joining of the layers 1 and 4 in a zone Sa centered on the axis 14 and which presents a surface certainly small, but sufficient so that , the movement of the punch 13 in the direction of the arrow 16 continuing, the zone of the layers 1 and 4 corresponding to this zone Sa of the film 5 is deformed while the joining between the layers 1 and 4 is already ensured at this level ; the continued movement of the punch 13 in the direction of the arrow 16 causes an increase in the contact surface between the layer 1 and the rounded part 15 of the punch, but at each instant, this contact affects an area fb of the layer 1 and 4b of zone 4 less extensive than zone 5b in which the film 5 has already reached its melting and joining temperature; in other words, the contact of an area of layer 1 with the punch 13 signifying the deformation of this area by thermoforming, in the case of this variant, the joint deformation of layers 1 and 4 is gradually brought about firstly in a limited zone, then by zones successively more and more extended from this zone as, moreover, in the case of the first variant illustrated in FIGS. that progressive lead but however before causing their respective deformation, immediately before this deformation; consequently, the deformation occurs in determined zones only after mutual joining of the layers n and 4 in these zones.

 When the penetration of the punch 13 is maximum, we find the situation of Figure 7; layers 1 and 4 are then joined in a distributed manner over their entire contact surface, including in the peripheral zone 4a of each layer 4 and in the corresponding zone la of layer 1, due to the melting of the film 5 and the securing provided by this over an area at any time larger than the deformed area.

 As in the case of the first embodiment illustrated and described, the layers 1 and 4 are then cooled in order to fix their shape to the shape which was communicated to them during this thermoforming, and the punch is retracted. 13 set back from the face 9 of the plate 10.

 It will be noted that the number of superimposed layers, joined together in a manner distributed over their entire contact surface and jointed in accordance with the invention may be different from 2, and the case of an illustration has been illustrated in FIG. bra, each cup of which comprises, on a part of its surface, three superimposed layers of textile material, thermoformed together after mutual joining in a manner distributed over their entire contact surface in one or other of the ways described below -above.

 We find in this case, at the bottom of each of the cups 2, the superposition of the layer 1 further defining the support 3 of the cups and the reinforcement and opacification layer 4, placed outside the cup relative to layer 1, but there is also, superimposed on part of layer 4 towards the outside of the cup, a layer 18 formed from a plurality of decorative elements, for example made of lace or of textile material lace-like, the materials constituting the layers 1, 4, 18 may be identical or different but being chosen such that they can be thermoformed as described above in the same range of temperatures; for the manufacture of such a product, the three layers 1, 4, 18 are superimposed in the manner described with reference to FIG. 1, with intercalation between two adjacent layers of a film of a fastening material chosen to ensure this joining and keeping it in said temperature range and, preferably after having sewn the different layers on part of their periphery, the joining and the thermoforming are brought about according to one or other of the variants of implementation of the process illustrated .

 Naturally, the method according to the invention is susceptible of numerous other variants which are not beyond the scope of the latter; in particular, the person skilled in the art will choose without departing from the scope of the invention the most suitable textile materials and joining materials, taking into account that the thermoforming process on the one hand and the fusing process on the other hand are known in themselves as well as the products best suited to their implementation.

 Preferably, as the joining material 5, a flexible and transparent material will be chosen from room temperature to the range of thermoforming temperatures.

Claims (9)

 Method for producing a multilayer textile product having at least one shaped part, characterized in that several layers of hot-deformable textile material are superimposed flat in the same temperature range, the layers are mutually joined together distributed over their entire mutual contact surface at least at the level of said part, a joint deformation is caused by the integral layers by bringing them to a temperature situated in said range and by applying to one face of the superposition of the integral layers an effort appropriate, at the level of said part, and the deformed integral layers are cooled. 2) Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the deformation is caused gradually first in a limited area of said part, then successively more and more extended areas from this area, and in that l 'the mutual securing of the layers in said zones is brought about gradually, immediately before causing their respective deformation.  3) Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one realizes the mutual joining of the layers in a distributed manner over their entire mutual contact surface by interposing between them a joining material ensuring a joining in said range of temperatures, and by placing this material and the layers under pressure and / or temperature conditions suitable for joining. 4) Method according to any one of reven dictions 1 and 2, characterized in that the mutual solidization of the layers is carried out in a distributed manner over their entire mutual contact surface by incorporating into one of them a fastening material ensuring the fastening in said temperature range, and by placing this material and the layers under pressure and / or temperature conditions suitable for the fastening. 5) Method according to claim 2 and any one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the joining material is chosen such that the pressure and / or temperature conditions suitable for joining coincide with the conditions prevailing during said joint deformation of the integral layers. 6) Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, after the layers of textile material are superimposed flat and before causing their mutual joining and their joint deformation, they are joined by sewing on at least part of their periphery.  7) Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the layers are of the same material.  8) Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the layers are in different materials. 9) Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the layers has a surface smaller than that of another layer at the level of said part.  io) Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one causes the joint deformation of the integral layers by means of a heating punch applied to said face of the superposition, by immobilizing said layers of the periphery of their area corresponding to the shaped part.