GB2262035A

GB2262035A - Tension tapes

Info

Publication number: GB2262035A
Application number: GB9221038A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter James Richardson; Keith Symond
Original assignee: Rotunda Ltd
Current assignee: Rotunda Ltd
Priority date: 1991-10-10
Filing date: 1992-10-07
Publication date: 1993-06-09
Also published as: WO1993006754A1; MX9205813A; GB9121533D0; AU2675292A; IL103400A0; GB9221038D0

Abstract

A tension tape, particularly of application in the apparel industry, is proposed which comprises a plurality of resiliently extensible primary elements (11) connected together in spaced apart parallel disposition by supplementary elements (12) disposed transversely thereof. The tape may be of integral moulded or extruded form, and the primary elements may be of different elasticity characteristics across the tape.

Description

TENSION TAPES TECHNICAL FIELD The invention concerns tension tapes and has more particular reference to elastic tapes of the kind used in elasticated waistbands of wearing apparel.

BACKGROUND ART In providing an elasticated waistband in a garment it is commonplace to utilise a tension tape which is sewn into the waistband in stretched condition, the tape serving, upon removal of the tension thereof, to bring the waistband of the garment to its nominal size.

Whilst originally the tension tape took the form of a narrow fabric of woven or knitted construction in which only the warpwise yarns were elastic in character, it is now commonplace to provide the tape in the form of a thin membrane of rubber or like material of appropriate elongation characteristics, the membrane itself being provided within-a textile sleeve or within overlying layers of a thin textile material and the tape generally being sewn to the material of the garment in such manner as to be fully encased thereby It is desirable that the tension tape retain its width on elongation and-- ' also resist bending, or other deformation, about the longitudinal axis thereof, in order to maintain the form of the waistband region of the garment and to avoid prejudice to the appearance thereof.

In the case of the now widely used rubber membrane tape it is inevitable that the width thereof will reduce on elongation, whilst the high flexibility of the membrane in a plane transverse thereto often necessitates the use of textile support layers to impart an element of rigidity in that plane.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to provide an alternative form of elasticated tape material for use in the apparel industry which avoids, at least in part, the problems inherent in tension tapes as conventionally used in this context.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is proposed a tension tape comprising a plurality of primary elements arranged in side-by-side parallel spaced disposition and a multiplicity of supplementary elements extending transversely of the primary elements and secured thereto, the supplementary elements being provided at spaced locations in the longitudinal direction of the primary elements and the primary elements being of a resiliently extensible synthetic plastics material of appropriate elongation characteristics.

According to a preferred feature the tape is of moulded construction and the primary and supplementary elements are of a like material and the tape is of uniform thickness.

According to another aspect of the invention there is proposed a method of reducing the resistance to elongation of a synthetic plastics material in tape form which includes the step of providing at least one row of apertures in the material, the said at least one row of-apertures extending in the longitudinal direction of the tape and the apertures being of a size and at centres appropriate to the reduction required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings which illustrate one embodiment thereof and in which : Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a tension tape produced in accordance with the invention; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a part of Fig. 1 drawn to an enlarged scale.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, a tension tape comprises a plurality of primary elements 11 arranged in spaced apart, parallel disposition formed integrally with supplementary elements 12 extending transversely thereof and provided at regular intervals therealong.

In a particular example the tape is moulded from PELETHANE L.71778 (Dow Chemical) and has eight co-planar primary elements 11 arranged at 3mm centres. The supplementary elements 12 are provided at 6.6 mm centres, the elements being lmm thick and of a similar width.

The elongation of the tape under low load is as follows : Load in gms % Extensions 100 4 200 9 300 15 400 23 500 34 600 49 700 71 800 100 The structure of the aforesaid tape is such that, on elongation, the width remains substantially constant, whilst the supplementary elements define support bars sufficient to prevent any substantial-curl or necking of the tape in a plane transverse thereto.

Whilst in the particular embodiment described, the primary and supplementary elements are of the same material and of like -transverse cross-section, the invention is not limited to structures wherein that relationship obtains, since the facility with which ' such- dimensions might be changed, thereby to vary the elastic character-of the tape, does permit of the provision of a tape specific to particular circumstances. Thus, in an alternative arrangement, the supplementary elements may be of an increased cross-section dimension relative to the primary elements.

In a further arrangement, a graduated tape is provided by utilising primary elements of different transverse cross-section, as to dimension and/or form, across the width of the tape. For example, the individual elements may be of increased or reduced cross-section moving outwardly from the longitudinal centre line of the tape, or elements of different cross-sectional dimensions may alternate across the width of the tape.

The tape is usually, though not essentially, of moulded form and the preferred material of choice is a thermoplastic elastomer. However, other elastomeric materials may be used.

A natural or synthetic rubber may be used as an aqueous latex or in a non-aqueous solvent, and this may be moulded in a continuous coating process in which, for example, the latex or solution is fed to a mould defined by grooves in the periphery of a rotating heated drum wherein the material sets, the set material being drawn from the grooves and being vulcanised on the drum or- subsequently.

In a still further.arrangement, an elastomeric tape of extruded or other form may be provided having rows of apertures therein so positioned as to identify longitudinally and transversely extending imperforate regions respectively corresponding to the primary and supplementary elements of the structure shown in the drawings.

Whilst the apertures existing between the primary and supplementary elements will ordinarily be rectangular in form, other shapes may be preferred in some instances.

We have found that the tension tape herein proposed is eminently suitable in providing. elastication - in wearing apparel, and has been found to give rise to a lesser degree of shadowing in the garment. It is believed that the reduced incidence of shadowing follows, at least in part, from the open nature of the structure.

Claims

1. A tension tape comprising a plurality of primary elements arranged in side-by-side parallel spaced disposition and a multiplicity of supplementary elements extending transversely of the primary elements and secured thereto, the supplementary elements being provided at spaced locations in the longitudinal direction of the primary elements and the primary elements being of a resiliently extensible synthetic plastics material of appropriate elongation characteristics.

2. A tension tape as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tape is of moulded construction.

3. A tension tape as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tape is an extruded tape.

4. A tension tape as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the primary and secondary elements are of a like material.

5. A tension tape as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tape is of uniform thickness.

6. A tension tape as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein some of the individual primary elements are of a different elasticity characteristic from others of the primary elements.

7. A tension tape as claimed in claim 6, wherein the individual primary elements are of different elasticity characteristics according to the different transverse cross-section thereof.

8. A tension tape as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein primary elements of a first elasticity characteristic alternate with primary elements of a different elasticity characteristic across the width of the tape.

9. A tension tape as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the primary elements are of successively increasing transverse cross section outwardly of the longitudinal centre line of the tape.

10. A tension tape as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the primary and supplementary elements comprise a thermoplastic elastomer.

11. A tension tape as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the primary and suplementary elements are cast from a natural or synthetic rubber.

12. In the production of a tension tape, the method of reducing the resistance to elongation of a synthetic plastics material in tape form which includes the step of providing at least one row of apertures in the material, the said at least one row of apertures extending in the longitudinal direction of the tape and the apertures being of a size and at centres appropriate to the reduction required.

13. An elasticated tape for the apparel industry, comprising a tension tape as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 to 10, or as produced by the method claimed in claim 11.

14. A tension tape substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

15. In the production of a tension tape, the method of reducing the resistance to elongation of a synthetic plastics material in tape form substantially as hereinbefore described.