JP2007529644A - BRASS PAD MANUFACTURING METHOD, BRASS PAD PRODUCED BY USING THE MANUFACTURING METHOD, MOLDED CHEST CUP, ITS MANUFACTURING METHOD, AND BRASS USING THE CHEST CUP - Google Patents

Abstract

【Task】
To provide a method of manufacturing a brass pad having a thick top and the pad itself.
[Solution]
As a manufacturing method, it is possible to hold a sheet material made of a moldable material having a uniform elasticity, such as a thermoplastic resin foam, and correspond to each top of a bra-like garment including a bra or pad. The sheet material is formed so as to have a thick top region and a thin region around it. Each pad has a thick top that covers the top of the chest.
[Selection] FIG.

Description

The present invention is generally in the field of brassieres and related garments, and is particularly used in garments such as brassieres, camisoles, slips, swimming suits, etc. where it is desirable to use padding to cover the chest. , relates to a pad product having a thicker center top than conventional products and a novel and useful method of making the same.

The present invention has U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/804,403, filed Mar. 19, 2004, entitled Brassiere and Related Breast Pad Structure, and Central Top for Brassiere and Brassiere-likes. This is a continuation-in-part of US patent application Ser. No. 10/911,269, filed Aug. 4, 2004, entitled Pad. The contents of both inventions are repeated in the present invention by referring to both.

It is known to use elastic pads in brassieres to emphasize body lines. However, padded brassieres are not always desired. Unpadded brassieres are also known, but in such brassieres the ability to emphasize the contours of the body is limited.

More recently, materials for making brassieres have been developed that allow for easier manufacture of brassieres. Traditionally, the cup shape of a brassiere has been constructed from a plurality of panels sewn or otherwise joined together to give it a three-dimensional shape. With the advent of moldable synthetic materials such as artificial foam and synthetic fiber materials, today's cup shapes are formed by molding a single panel or a combination of multiple panels made of various materials. It is now possible to determine the dimensional shape. The ability to mold materials into desired shapes has simplified and accelerated the manufacturing process. In order to provide support to the wearer's chest, cup shapes are often sought to provide additional comfort to the wearer.

Many women want their bras to cover some, if not all, of their breasts. For modest attire, it is desirable that the wearer's nipples remain hidden from view at all times outside the brassiere and any clothing worn thereover. The molded cup shape of brassieres currently in widespread use does not lead to any improvement in the cup shape for the above purpose. Molded cup shapes typically do not have approximately the same wall thickness throughout the cup body, and although it may be possible to increase the wall thickness of the cup to try to reduce the degree of visibility of the wearer's nipples, this is not the case. Increasing the thickness of the brassiere will increase the manufacturing cost of the brassiere. Furthermore, if it is desired that the presence of the brassiere itself be as inconspicuous as possible, it is undesirable for the brassiere to have thicker portions at its edges. It is desirable that the edges of the brassiere be relatively thin so that this area presents only a feathered appearance against the wearer's skin.

Various examples can be found in the patent prior art in this regard.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,750 discloses a method of manufacturing a graduated brassiere pad that permits the production of a brassiere pad that is thicker in the center than at the outer edges. there is A forming apparatus is used to produce a generally conical pad made of polyester fibers with a top portion thicker than the peripheral portion. See also US Pat. No. 3,947,207.

Other patented inventions related to the present invention are as follows.
U.S. Patent No. Inventor
No. 2,507,543 Mr. Prager
No. 2,565,400 Mr. Skeoch
No. 2,616,093 Mr. Talalay
No. 2,627,368 Mr. Jantzen
No. 2,702,769 Alderfer
No. 2,845,974 Ashton et al.
No. 3,164,655 Howard et al.
No. 3,186,271 Mr. Kaiser
No. 3,311,007 Mr. McGee
No. 3,417,755 Howard et al.
No. 3,464,418 Mr. Silverman
No. 3,502,083 Howard et al.
No. 3,800,650 Mr. Schroeder
No. 4,351,211 Mr. Azzolini
No. 5,017,174 Mr. Gowrylow
No. 5,299,483 Mr. Ber-Fong

Jantzen, U.S. Pat. No. 2,627,368, discloses a method of manufacturing a pre-curved pad filler, in which recesses are formed to accommodate a portion of the material blank. A provided mold is used. Means are provided for pressing or compressing the blank into the mold cavity. A sharp movable knife passes between the mold and the material being compressed, thereby creating a curved shoulder pad fill section and a tapered section where the thickness gradually decreases from thick to thin. It is formed.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,271 to Kaiser suggests and teaches an apparatus and method for making molded articles composed of foamed materials such as sponges and cushions.

Both Jantzen and Kaiser provided a single sheet of material with a pair of thickened sections that, when the brassiere pad was completed, would be positioned so as to meet the top of the center. Nothing is disclosed or suggested.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,164,655, 3,417,755, and 3,502,083 to Howard et al. disclose molding the contour of the blank and Although a method is disclosed for imparting the desired shape and contour to a sheet of material, a pair of thickened portions are provided in a single sheet of material such that when the brassiere pad is completed through thermoforming, the thickness is It is not disclosed that the banded portion is positioned against the central apex.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,616,093 to Talalay discloses a garment pad, such as a shoulder pad or a chest pad, which has a relatively thick portion to a relatively thin portion. The thickness is changed step by step to form a composite concave shape, and various members are used as materials for forming the pad.

McGee, U.S. Pat. No. 3,311,007, which discloses an apparatus for creating at least one contoured surface on a foam pad, is the subject of the present invention. It teaches the effect of cutting out the member by compressing the flat plate-shaped molding part facing the male mold part, and the outer shape of the material with the excess part cut off is made based on the shape of the male mold part. Therefore, it is significantly different from the present invention. McGee fails to teach that the part is contoured from foam that covers the recess and covers the entirety before the excess foam is cut away.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,727,278 to Thompson et al. discloses a method of manufacturing a molded brassiere in which the thickness of the padding in each brassiere is such that the thickness at the top is less than the thickness of the surrounding area. designed to be larger. The manufacturing process of the molded brassiere described in this invention differs significantly from that of the present invention in that it does not teach trimming off excess material pressed into recesses.

Other patents disclose pad-related technology different from that described above, but this technology differs from the present invention. These patents are also attached for general reference.

To manufacture an improved pad, as well as a pad for a brassiere with such improved brassiere pad that enhances the effectiveness of the brassiere in a manner more similar to that of a pad while not being easily recognized as being worn. There is still a need for methods.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a brassiere pad having a central portion with a thicker top than other portions, the pad itself, and an apparatus for manufacturing the pad.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a brassiere pad manufactured according to the method of the present invention.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a brassiere including a molded cup shape that addresses the aforementioned limitations of the prior art, or at least provides the public with a beneficial choice.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a molded cup shape constructed from a laminated structure of a first panel and a second panel constructed from a flexible foam material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a sheet material having a uniform thickness made of a resilient and moldable material such as a thermoplastic resin foam, and holding the sheet material. 1 or 2 thicker than the other parts that form the material and correspond to the top of brassieres and brassiere-like garments (in this invention, referring to the brassiere of any garment in which the pads are ultimately used) characterized in that it consists of creating a part having

The present invention also provides that the first and second panels are coextensive with each other and determine the shape of the rim of the breast cup, the first panel being constructed of a flexible foam material. It has different thicknesses in different sections, having thicker sections away from the edge compared to relatively thinner sections closer to the edge.

The thicker portion is preferably located where the nipples of the wearer of the brassiere, including the breast cup, are positioned when in use.
The first panel has a uniform wall thickness except for a portion having a relatively thick wall, the portion having a relatively thick wall having a maximum wall thickness at the center of the portion and at the edge of the portion. It is desirable that the wall thickness decreases towards the end.

the second panel being provided on the first main body side of the first panel and forming a coextensive planar structure, the second panel being shaped in a cup to match that of the planar structure; Excess portions other than the cup-shaped portion are removed from the construct.

The present invention also consists, in large part, of the parts, members and features described or presented in this specification, whether individually or collectively, and furthermore, each of said parts, members and features. It can also be said that it is composed of any one or all of a combination of a plurality of things. Also, where specific numerical values are set forth herein that are known to be equivalent in the context of the present invention, they are set forth as if they were set forth individually. In order to illustrate the invention, the drawings describe what is presently preferred, but this should not be construed as limiting the invention to the precise arrangement shown.

The features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its convenience in operation, as well as the specific objects attained by its use, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and description, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. It is assumed that

Referring now to the drawings, like designators are used herein to indicate identical or similarly acting members. FIG. 1 shows a cutting mold, generally indicated by the reference symbol 10, which consists of a lower cutting mold 12 and an upper cutting mold 14, for example a polyurethane foam 16 having a thickness of 7 mm. sandwiched between them. Although polyurethane foam is shown, any thermoplastic foam may be used in accordance with the present invention, and in fact any moldable foam that is resilient and capable of being molded into a three-dimensional shape. materials can be used. The cut-out molds or mold sections 12 and 14 can be made of wood, plastic, metal, as well as any suitable rigid material. The cut-out bottom 12 includes a pair of recesses 18 in its upper surface which are configured to be located near the top of the central portion of each brassiere pad to be constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows the cut-out mold closed, with a resilient, moldable sheet of material 16 pushed down toward the cut-out bottom 12 so that a portion of the sheet of material 16 is It is pressed towards each recess 18 but the thickness of the material remains, for example at indicator 20 .

Also shown in FIG. The cutting device 22 provides a movable carriage 24 by means of which a blade, knife or cutting member 26 extending across the width thereof can be moved across the sheet material 16 (perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 2). . Blades 26 are further positioned intermediate each of top die 14 and bottom die 20 and are configured to cleanly separate a portion of layer 20 from sheet material 16 . For this purpose, the cutting member 26 may have heat (e.g. a cutting wire), may be attached to a band-like movement, may vibrate back and forth like an electric saw, or may be a plate. It may also be vibrated in a manner suitable for cutting the sheet material 16 in shape.

As the cutting device 22 is actuated to vibrate, heat or otherwise actuate the cutting member 26, the movable carriage 24 moves in the direction of arrow A until it reaches the end position shown in FIG. , move along the sheet material 16 .

At this position, a cut 30 is made in the sheet material 16, thus obtaining the cut result. FIG. 4 shows the cut out part or stepwise thickened sheet material 16a removed from the cut out die. The sheet-shaped material 16a is composed of a thick material portion 17 with a thickness of 5.5 mm at the top and a thin material portion 19 with a thickness of 1 mm surrounding it. In FIG. 8, a sheet-like material 16a whose thickness is increased stepwise in the perpendicular direction is indicated by a dotted line. The sheet material 16a is, for example, 2 mm thick and is attached to a second outer cup sheet 32 which is also made of a polyurethane foam material. A sheet-like material 16a that is cut out and gradually increased in thickness constitutes the sheet for the inner cup.

As shown in FIG. 5, the inner cup sheet 16a and the outer cup sheet 32 each include laminate or fiber coverings 33 and 34, each of which is constructed of nylon or a blend of nylon and spandex. ing. This is the traditional covering used for brassiere foam. Importantly, according to the present invention, the coating 33 faces the inner outer surface of the inner cup-sheet 16a and is therefore not cut away by the cut-out device 22; is that it has a coating 34 on its outer surface. This leaves the inner surfaces of sheets 16a and 32 free to receive the spray glue. After the spray glue is applied to these two surfaces, they are pressed together to form a single composite stepped thickness.

In FIG. 6, a thermoforming mold 40 is indicated generally by the designation 40 and includes a lower female molding section or lower female molding die 42 and an upper female molding section or mold 42 as shown. It is composed of an upper female mold 44 . The stepped thicknesses 16a, 32 are placed between the two dies 42 and 44 so that the thickened top 17 is centered with a pair of recesses 46 in the lower female molding die 42 and this Each recess 46 also corresponds to a pair of male protrusions 48 provided on the male molding die 44 . Each male projection 48 may include a small recess or flat 49 or portion configured to prevent the thick top 17 of the inner cup seat 16a from being completely crushed.

The molding dies 42, 44 are heated to a suitable level for molding the workpiece into the final molding shown in FIGS. The final molding is provided with thick tops 17, 17 having a thickness of 5 mm to 6 mm surrounded by thin rims 19, 19 having a thickness of 1 mm, which thin rims 19, 19 are respectively It surrounds the thick tops 17, 17 respectively. This thin peripheral edge 19 further has an inner region, for example of a thickness of 2 mm, which, with the configuration as indicated above, can be used in a brassiere manufactured using or incorporating a brassiere pad according to the present invention. A thick top portion 17 having a thickness of, for example, 5 mm is provided above the apex of the bust top, and a thin peripheral portion 19 having a thickness of 1 mm is provided, for example, by tapering.

As shown in Figure 9, a pair of pads 52, 54 cut from the molding of Figures 7 and 8 can be used in a brassiere in a conventional manner. The pads 52, 54 are also used in bra-like garments such as swimming suits, camisoles, and other brassieres that are garments other than brassieres that are used to conceal a woman's figure.

Referring to FIG. 16, a brassiere 101 is shown which includes two breast cups 102 tied to other components such as body straps 103 and shoulder straps 104 .

The breast cups 102 are joined together at an intermediate joint 105 . The breast cup 102 has a rim 106 and a body portion 107 inside the rim 106 . The breast cup 102 is a molded shape, mostly of unitary construction, but it is an overlying shape, preferably with multiple coextensive portions that determine the configuration of the cup mold. It may consist of only one panel, or it may incorporate parts other than multiple panels. However, the breast cup 102 according to the present invention can also be configured to externally or engage additional panels by stitching or otherwise joining them together. It is assumed that there is Further, at this time, a separately joined panel could extend from the cup-shaped edge 106 or be connected to the breast cup 102 between the edges 106, thereby allowing the cup to A portion of the main body 107 of the mold is determined.

The two breast cups 102 of the brassiere are substantially mirror-like images around the mid-joint 105 . So far, we have made, and will continue to make, a single breast cup constructed from or constructed from material that was in the previous process, and we will make such a reference. This is also because the other breast cup is also given the same shape as the breast cup.

Referring to FIG. 13, breast cup 102 is shown. The breast cup 102 is molded to give it a three-dimensional shape, such as a cup shape that serves the purpose of supporting and covering at least a portion of the user's breast. The breast cup 102, according to FIG. 10, comprises a flexible foam first panel 108, more preferably a flexible foam second panel 109, a flexible textile cover panel 110, a flexible textile cover. A second panel 111 is also included. For example, in another embodiment shown in FIG. 14, it is the flexible foam first panel 108, the flexible textile cover panel 110, or the flexible material cover panel that determines the shape of the breast cup. , where the flexible foam second panel 109 shown in FIG. 10 is not provided.

Panels or panels comprising stacks of sheet-like materials, although in the context of the present invention such panels are preferably joined directly to one another by thermal lamination and/or adhesive lamination. A structure in which the structure is provided between these panels can also be evaluated.

Referring to FIG. 10, there is shown a cross-sectional view of a panel of a breast cup according to the present invention, consisting of a first flexible foam panel 108 and a second flexible foam panel 109 . A flexible fabric panel is provided, preferably substantially coextensive with the first flexible foam panel 108 in the deployed state. The laminate construction of panels 108 and 110 is supplied from roll stock material utilized in the method described herein. The flexible fibrous material can be, for example, nylon and the foam material can be, for example, polyurethane. The second foam panel 109 comprises an exposed first major surface 113 and a second major surface 114 to which the fibrous panel 110 is laminated. In the pre-fabricated configuration of the structures of panels 108 and 110, such structures are in an unshaped state and in their natural state are planar or planar.

A second panel 109 of foam material is provided, for example combined with the second panel 111 of textile material. The foam second panel 109 comprises an exposed major surface 115 and a covered major surface 116 to which the fibrous second panel 111 is laminated. Similar to the structure of panels 108 and 110, the first foam panel 109 and the second fibrous panel 111 are supplied from stock rolls of material and are flat or planar in nature. in a state.
The size of the square cut panel pre-fabricated structure produced therefrom is the overall size of the desired cup shape when it is formed by a former to determine its three-dimensional cup shape. is large enough to determine The first foam panel 108 preferably has a thickness X that is greater than the thickness Y of the second foam panel 109 .

With reference to FIG. 11, a first foam panel 108 is formed to define the shape of the increased thickness region 116 . A region of increased thickness 116 is provided between the structural edges 117 of panels 108 and 110 . This increased thickness region 116 is also provided inwardly (towards the edge) of this portion of the structure of panels 108 and 110 so that the molded cup shape is described in the present invention. has finally determined the shape of the chest cup.

Therefore, if another panel is used to form the shape of a cup and the shape of the breast cup according to the invention is determined as shown in FIG. 106 inside. In a preferred form, the flexible foam first panel is formed to have a substantially constant wall thickness Z, except for areas of increased thickness 116, as shown in FIG. 10, prior to being molded. there is In the most preferred form, such contouring is accomplished by cutting excess portion of the panel to determine the shape of the contour on the first body side of the first foam panel 108 . This has been discussed in detail above.

As shown in FIG. 10, the first major surface 113A of the contoured first foam panel 108 is molded and shaped, and the first major surface 113A includes the panel 108 and the first major surface 113A. The structure includes an increased thickness region 116 extending from the edge of the structure of panel 110 or a thinned portion extending toward this edge. The increased thickness region 116 is, for example, dome-shaped and has a constant diameter D, as shown in FIG.

In another embodiment, the shape is gently undulating, for example as shown in FIG. In order for the presence of the increased thickness region to be mostly hidden in the final step of the brassiere, the increased thickness region 116 or the apex approximately in the middle of this increased thickness region has the greatest thickness, and this thickness Preferably, the thickness decreases towards the edge 119 of the increase area. Such a reduction in thickness can be achieved, for example, by linear tapering, as shown in FIG. In the most preferred form, the second foam panel 109 does not contour at all. The first foam panel 108 is contoured, but is the non-fiber side of the first panel, opposite the panel 110 .

The panel 108 and panel 110 structures are now laminated to the panel 109 and panel 111 structures using a former as shown in FIG. The formers each consist of two forming upper portions 120 and forming lower portions 121 which form contours or contours therein to give the panel prefabricated structure a three dimensional or breast cup cup shape. Molded upper portion 120 may, for example, include a concave recessed portion, and molded lower portion 121 may provide a convex raised portion that substantially compensates for the concave recessed portion of molded upper portion 120 .

The structure of panels 108 and 110 and the structure of panels 109 and 111 are positioned between the two molded tops and the molded bottoms in such a way that the two structures are properly (preferably coextensive). are arranged so that they overlap each other. After this, the two molded upper and molded lower parts are brought together. These two moldings are preferably heated. Additional adhesive is applied between the structures and both pressure bonding and heat are used to establish a good laminate bond between the two structures. After forming the cup shape into the prefabricated panel or panel structure, the cup shape is cut from the formed prefabricated panel, thereby determining the peripheral shape as shown in FIG. A portion of the cup rim 106 comprises a compressive pressure area 123 where the overlapping panels of material are subjected to greater pressure than the body portion 107 . Such compression pressure areas can give the cup the shape of a flange, which can serve the purpose of fixing the cup to the rest of the brassiere.

Referring to FIG. 13, after forming a three-dimensional shape or cup shape in the raw material and laminating the raw material, the increased thickness region 116 is formed on the inside edge 106 of the breast cup 102 . placed. An increased thickness region 116 is then provided within the body portion 107 of the breastcup 102 . The increased thickness region 116 is located where the nipples of the brassiere user's breasts normally rest.

17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 17-17 of FIG. 13; FIG. An increased thickness region 116 is shown provided to increase the overall thickness of the breast cup at such increased region. Thickness B is greater than thickness C. Although the thickness may be greater than C at B only at the edges, increasing the thickness further to reduce the visibility of the user's nipple through the breast cup is due to the density of the material in the increased thickness region 116. is the result of increasing When the breast cup is formed, the increased thickness region 116 results in some compression, increasing the density of the material in this increased region, thereby reducing the likelihood of the nipple being released from the breast cup. In the preferred form, the thickness E is approximately the same as the thickness X, so that the thickness of the increased thickness region 116 is maximized by shaving the foam from the pre-fabricated flexible foam contouring plate 8 . No removal or removal occurred.

Referring to Figure 15, another embodiment of an increased thickness region is illustrated. A second layer of material 124 is bonded to the exposed major surface 113 of the first layer of foam material. This second layer of material may be contoured, for example with a similar foam material, to give the structure of the first and second layers the same desired contour, as shown in FIG. 11 or FIG. there is

In the most preferred form, a second structure consisting of a second foam panel 109 and a textile panel 111 is laminated to the first foam panel by adhesive bonding, according to FIG. Another embodiment is presented in which the first panel 108 receives the fibrous flexible panel 111 and is directly engaged without the presence of the second foam panel 109 . FIG. 18 illustrates how such a configuration is formed into a cup shape.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be practiced without departing from these principles.

1 is a side view of an open cut-out mold used to manufacture a pad according to the present invention, sandwich a sheet of polyurethane foam material, and carry out the method according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a view similar to the cutting die of FIG. 1, showing its closed position, as well as the starting state of the cutting device; FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing a state at the end of operation of the clipping device; 1 is a side view of a sheet for use in a brassiere pad according to the present invention with cutouts and stepped thicknesses; FIG. FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and is a side view of the stepped thickness of the brassiere pad; 1 is an exploded view of a molding die with a stepped thickness of brassiere pad according to the present invention sandwiched between the moulds; FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of shaped material for creating two shaped pads according to the present invention; Figure 8 is a plan view of the shaped material shown in Figure 7; Fig. 2 shows a brassiere pad made in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 10 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention and showing a structure of a panel, showing a state before molding and lamination. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the construction of the panel of Fig. 10, shown prior to molding; 1 shows a two-panel construction according to the invention, shown prior to being laminated and formed into a three-dimensional cup shape by a molding machine. Fig. 10 is a plan view showing the cup shape having been stamped and cut to define a rim shape suitable for incorporation as part of a brassiere; 12 is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of the panel construction for the object of FIG. 11; FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of yet another configuration of FIG. 14; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a brassiere including cup shapes according to the present invention; FIG. Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 17-17 of Figure 13 showing the construction of the panel shown in Figure 12; Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 17-17 of Figure 13 showing the construction of the panel shown in Figure 14;

The present invention is generally in the field of brassieres and related garments, and is particularly used in garments such as brassieres, camisoles, slips, swimming suits, etc. where it is desirable to use padding to cover the chest. , relates to a pad product having a thicker center top than conventional products and a novel and useful method of making the same.

The present invention has U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/804,403, filed Mar. 19, 2004, entitled Brassiere and Related Breast Pad Structure, and Central Top for Brassiere and Brassiere-likes. This is a continuation-in-part of US patent application Ser. No. 10/911,269, filed Aug. 4, 2004, entitled Pad. The contents of both inventions are repeated in the present invention by referring to both.

It is known to use elastic pads in brassieres to emphasize body lines. However, padded brassieres are not always desired. Unpadded brassieres are also known, but in such brassieres the ability to emphasize the contours of the body is limited.

More recently, materials for making brassieres have been developed that allow for easier manufacture of brassieres. Traditionally, the cup shape of a brassiere has been constructed from a plurality of panels sewn or otherwise joined together to give it a three-dimensional shape. With the advent of moldable synthetic materials such as artificial foam and synthetic fiber materials, today's cup shapes are formed by molding a single panel or a combination of multiple panels made of various materials. It is now possible to determine the dimensional shape. The ability to mold materials into desired shapes has simplified and accelerated the manufacturing process. In order to provide support to the wearer's chest, cup shapes are often sought to provide additional comfort to the wearer.

Many women want their bras to cover some, if not all, of their breasts. For modest attire, it is desirable that the wearer's nipples remain hidden from view at all times outside the brassiere and any clothing worn thereover. The molded cup shape of brassieres currently in widespread use does not lead to any improvement in the cup shape for the above purpose. Molded cup shapes typically do not have approximately the same wall thickness throughout the cup body, and although it may be possible to increase the wall thickness of the cup to try to reduce the degree of visibility of the wearer's nipples, this is not the case. Increasing the thickness of the brassiere will increase the manufacturing cost of the brassiere. Furthermore, if it is desired that the presence of the brassiere itself be as inconspicuous as possible, it is undesirable for the brassiere to have thicker portions at its edges. It is desirable that the edges of the brassiere be relatively thin so that this area presents only a feathered appearance against the wearer's skin.

Various examples can be found in the patent prior art in this regard.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,750 discloses a method of making a preliminary form of a brassiere pad to enable the production of a brassiere pad that is thicker at the center than at the outer edges. A forming apparatus is used to produce a generally conical pad made of polyester fibers with a top portion thicker than the peripheral portion. See also US Pat. No. 3,947,207.

Other patented inventions related to the present invention are as follows.
U.S. Patent No. Inventor
No. 2,507,543 Mr. Prager
No. 2,565,400 Mr. Skeoch
No. 2,616,093 Mr. Talalay
No. 2,627,368 Mr. Jantzen
No. 2,702,769 Alderfer
No. 2,845,974 Ashton et al.
No. 3,164,655 Howard et al.
No. 3,186,271 Mr. Kaiser
No. 3,311,007 Mr. McGee
No. 3,417,755 Howard et al.
No. 3,464,418 Mr. Silverman
No. 3,502,083 Howard et al.
No. 3,800,650 Mr. Schroeder
No. 4,351,211 Mr. Azzolini
No. 5,017,174 Mr. Gowrylow
No. 5,299,483 Mr. Ber-Fong

Jantzen, U.S. Pat. No. 2,627,368, discloses a method of manufacturing a pre-curved pad filler, in which recesses are formed to accommodate a portion of the material blank. A provided mold is used. Means are provided for pressing or compressing the blank into the mold cavity. A sharp movable knife passes between the mold and the material being compressed, thereby creating a curved shoulder pad fill section and a tapered section where the thickness gradually decreases from thick to thin. It is formed.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,271 to Kaiser suggests and teaches an apparatus and method for making molded articles composed of foamed materials such as sponges and cushions.

Both Jantzen and Kaiser provided a single sheet of material with a pair of thickened sections that, when the brassiere pad was completed, would be positioned so as to meet the top of the center. Nothing is disclosed or suggested.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,164,655, 3,417,755, and 3,502,083 to Howard et al. disclose molding the contour of the blank and Although a method is disclosed for imparting the desired shape and contour to a sheet of material, a pair of thickened portions are provided in a single sheet of material such that when the brassiere pad is completed through thermoforming, the thickness is It is not disclosed that the banded portion is positioned against the central apex.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,616,093 to Talalay discloses a garment pad, such as a shoulder pad or a chest pad, which has a relatively thick portion to a relatively thin portion. The thickness is changed step by step to form a composite concave shape, and various members are used as materials for forming the pad.

McGee, U.S. Pat. No. 3,311,007, which discloses an apparatus for creating at least one contoured surface on a foam pad, is the subject of the present invention. It teaches the effect of cutting out the member by compressing the flat plate-shaped molding part facing the male mold part, and the outer shape of the material with the excess part cut off is made based on the shape of the male mold part. Therefore, it is significantly different from the present invention. McGee fails to teach that the part is contoured from foam that covers the recess and covers the entirety before the excess foam is cut away.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,727,278 to Thompson et al. discloses a method of manufacturing a molded brassiere in which the thickness of the padding in each brassiere is such that the thickness at the top is less than the thickness of the surrounding area. designed to be larger. The manufacturing process of the molded brassiere described in this invention differs significantly from that of the present invention in that it does not teach trimming off excess material pressed into recesses.

Other patents disclose pad-related technology different from that described above, but this technology differs from the present invention. These patents are also attached for general reference.

To manufacture an improved pad, as well as a pad for a brassiere with such improved brassiere pad that enhances the effectiveness of the brassiere in a manner more similar to that of a pad while not being easily recognized as being worn. There is still a need for methods.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a brassiere pad having a central portion with a thicker top than other portions, the pad itself, and an apparatus for manufacturing the pad.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a brassiere pad manufactured according to the method of the present invention.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a brassiere including a molded cup shape that addresses the aforementioned limitations of the prior art, or at least provides the public with a beneficial choice.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a molded breast cup configuration constructed from a laminated construction of a first panel and a second panel constructed from a flexible foam material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a sheet material having a uniform thickness made of a resilient and moldable material such as a thermoplastic resin foam, and holding the sheet material. 1 or 2 thicker than the other parts that form the material and correspond to the top of brassieres and brassiere-like garments (in this invention, referring to the brassiere of any garment in which the pads are ultimately used) characterized in that it consists of creating a part having

The present invention also provides that the first and second panels are coextensive with each other and determine the shape of the rim of the breast cup, the first panel being constructed of a flexible foam material. It has different thicknesses in different sections, having thicker sections away from the edge compared to relatively thinner sections closer to the edge.

The thicker portion is preferably located where the nipples of the wearer of the brassiere, including the breast cup, are positioned when in use.
The first panel has a uniform wall thickness except for a portion having a relatively thick wall, the portion having a relatively thick wall having a maximum wall thickness at the center of the portion and at the edge of the portion. It is desirable that the wall thickness decreases towards the end.

the second panel being provided on the first main body side of the first panel and forming a coextensive planar structure, the second panel being shaped in a cup to match that of the planar structure; Excess portions other than the cup-shaped portion are removed from the construct.

The present invention also consists, in large part, of the parts, members and features described or presented in this specification, whether individually or collectively, and furthermore, each of said parts, members and features. It can also be said that it is composed of any one or all of a combination of a plurality of things. Also, where specific numerical values are set forth herein that are known to be equivalent in the context of the present invention, they are set forth as if they were set forth individually. In order to illustrate the invention, the drawings describe what is presently preferred, but this should not be construed as limiting the invention to the precise arrangement shown.

The features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its convenience in operation, as well as the specific objects attained by its use, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and description, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. It is assumed that

Referring now to the drawings, like designators are used herein to indicate identical or similarly acting members. FIG. 1 shows a cutting die, indicated as a whole by the reference symbol 10, which consists of a lower cutting die 12 and an upper cutting die 14, for example made of polyurethane foam with a thickness of 7 mm. A sheet material 16 is sandwiched therebetween. Although polyurethane foam is shown, any thermoplastic foam can be used in accordance with the present invention, and in fact any foam that is resilient and capable of being molded into a three-dimensional shape. Moldable materials can be used. The cut-out molds or mold sections 12 and 14 can be made of wood, plastic, metal, as well as any suitable rigid material. The cut-out bottom 12 includes a pair of recesses 18 in its upper surface which are configured to be located near the top of the central portion of each brassiere pad to be constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows the cut-out mold closed, with a resilient, moldable sheet of material 16 pushed down toward the cut-out bottom 12 so that a portion of the sheet of material 16 is It is pressed towards each recess 18 but the thickness of the material remains, for example at indicator 20 .

Also shown in FIG. The cutting device 22 provides a movable carriage 24 by means of which a blade, knife or cutting member 26 extending across the width thereof can be moved across the sheet material 16 (perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 2). . The blade 26 is further positioned intermediate each of the upper die 14 and the lower die 12 and is configured to cleanly separate a portion of the thickness 20 of the material from the sheet material 16 . For this purpose, the cutting member 26 may have heat (e.g. a cutting wire), may be attached and have a movement such as a band, may vibrate back and forth like an electric saw, or may be foamed . It may also vibrate in a manner suitable for cutting the blank sheet material 16 .

As the cutting device 22 is actuated to vibrate, heat or otherwise actuate the cutting member 26, the movable carriage 24 moves in the direction of arrow A until it reaches the end position shown in FIG. , move along the sheet material 16 .

At this position, a cut 30 is made in the sheet material 16, thus obtaining the cut result. FIG. 4 shows the cut out part or stepwise thickened sheet material 16a removed from the cut out die. The sheet-shaped material 16a is composed of a thick portion 17 with a thickness of 5.5 mm at the top and a thin material portion 19 with a thickness of 1 mm surrounding it. In FIG. 8, a sheet-like material 16a whose thickness is increased stepwise in the perpendicular direction is indicated by a dotted line. The sheet material 16a is, for example, 2 mm thick and is attached to a second outer cup sheet 32 which is also made of a polyurethane foam material. A sheet-like material 16a that is cut out and gradually increased in thickness constitutes the sheet for the inner cup.

As shown in FIG. 5, the graded sheet material 16a and the cup sheet 32 each include laminate or fiber coatings 33 and 34, which are respectively nylon or nylon. Constructed from a spandex blend. This is the traditional covering used for brassiere foam. The important point is that, according to the invention, the coating 33 faces the inner outer surface of the stepped thickness sheet material 16a and is therefore not cut off by the cutting device 22; Further, the cup seat 32 has a coating 34 on its outer surface. As a result, the inner surfaces of the sheet-like material 16a and the cup sheet 32 are brought into a state in which they can freely receive the glue spray. After the spray glue is applied to these two surfaces, they are pressed together to form a single composite stepped thickness.

In FIG. 6, a thermoforming mold 40 is indicated generally by the designation 40 and includes a lower female molding section or lower female molding die 42 and an upper female molding section or mold 42 as shown. It is composed of an upper female mold 44 . The sheet material 16a and the cup sheet 32 are placed between two molds 42 and 44 to form a pair of preforms 42 with the thick portion 17 centered in the lower female mold. Together with the recesses 46 , each recess 46 also corresponds to a pair of male protrusions 48 provided on the male molding die 44 . Each male projection 48 may include a small recess or flat portion 49 or portion configured to prevent the thick portion 17 of the sheet material 16a from being completely crushed.

The molding dies 42, 44 are heated to a suitable level for molding the workpiece into the final molding shown in FIGS. The final molding is provided with thicker portions 17, 17 having a thickness of 2 mm to 6 mm surrounded by thin peripheral portions 19, 19 having a thickness of 1 mm, which thin peripheral portions 19, 19 are each It surrounds the thick portions 17, 17 respectively. This thin peripheral edge 19 further has an inner region, for example of a thickness of 2 mm, which, with the configuration as indicated above, can be used in a brassiere manufactured using or incorporating a brassiere pad according to the present invention. For example, a thick portion 17 having a thickness of 5 mm is provided above the apex of the bust top, and a thin portion having a thickness of 1 mm is provided at the thin peripheral portion 19 by, for example, tapering.

As shown in Figure 9, a pair of pads 52, 54 cut from the molding of Figures 7 and 8 can be used in a brassiere in a conventional manner. The pads 52, 54 are also used in bra-like garments such as swimming suits, camisoles, and other brassieres that are garments other than brassieres that are used to conceal a woman's figure.

Referring to FIG. 16, a brassiere 101 is shown which includes two breast cups 102 tied to other components such as body straps 103 and shoulder straps 104 .

The breast cups 102 are joined together at an intermediate joint 105 . The breast cup 102 has a rim 106 and a body portion 107 inside the rim 106 . The breast cup 102 is a molded shape, mostly of unitary construction, but it is an overlying shape, preferably with multiple coextensive portions that determine the configuration of the cup mold. It may consist of only one panel, or it may incorporate parts other than multiple panels. However, the breast cup 102 according to the present invention can also be configured to externally or engage additional panels by stitching or otherwise joining them together. It is assumed that there is Further, at this time, a separately joined panel could extend from the cup-shaped edge 106 or be connected to the breast cup 102 between the edges 106, thereby allowing the cup to A portion of the main body 107 of the mold is determined.

The two breast cups 102 of the brassiere exhibit approximately line symmetry about the intermediate connecting portion 105 . So far, we have made, and will continue to make, a single breast cup constructed from or constructed from material that was in the previous process, and we will make such a reference. This is also because the other breast cup is also given the same shape as the breast cup.

Referring to FIG. 13, breast cup 102 is shown. The breast cup 102 is molded to give it a three-dimensional shape, such as a cup shape that serves the purpose of supporting and covering at least a portion of the user's breast. The breast cup 102, according to FIG. 10, comprises a flexible foam panel 108 , more preferably a second flexible foam panel 109, a first flexible fabric panel 110, a first flexible fabric panel 110 and a first flexible fabric panel 110 . 2 panels 111 are also included. For example, in another embodiment shown in FIG. 14, the shape of the breast cup is determined by a first flexible foam panel 108, a first flexible textile panel 110, or a second flexible textile panel. 10, where the flexible foam second panel 109 shown in FIG. 10 is not provided.

Reference is made in the present invention to panels or structures of panels comprising stacks of sheet materials , although such panels are preferably directly connected to each other by thermal lamination and/or adhesive lamination. is provided between these panels can also be evaluated.

Referring to FIG. 10, there is shown a cross-sectional view of a panel of a breast cup according to the present invention, consisting of a first flexible foam panel 108 and a second flexible foam panel 109 . A first flexible fibrous panel is provided, preferably substantially coextensive with the first flexible foam panel 108 in the deployed state. The laminate structure formed from panels 108 and 110 is supplied from roll stock material utilized in the method described herein. The flexible fibrous material can be, for example, nylon and the foam material can be, for example, polyurethane. The second foam panel 109 comprises an exposed first major surface 113 and a second major surface 114 to which the flexible fibrous first panel 110 is laminated. In the pre-fabricated configuration of the structures of panels 108 and 110, such structures are in an unshaped state and in their natural state are planar or planar.

A second panel 109 of foam material is provided, for example combined with the second panel 111 of textile material. The foam second panel 109 comprises an exposed major surface 115 and a covered major surface 116 to which the fibrous second panel 111 is laminated. Similar to the structure of panels 108 and 110, the first foam panel 109 and the second fibrous panel 111 are supplied from stock rolls of material and are flat or planar in nature. in a state.
The size of the square cut panel pre-fabricated structure produced therefrom is the overall size of the desired cup shape when it is formed by a former to determine its three-dimensional cup shape. is large enough to determine The first flexible foam panel 108 preferably has a thickness X that is greater than the thickness Y of the second foam panel 109 .

With reference to FIG. 11, a first foam panel 108 is formed to define the shape of the increased thickness region 116 . A region of increased thickness 116 is provided between the structural edges 117 of panels 108 and 110 . This increased thickness region 116 is also provided inwardly (towards the edge) of this portion of the structure of panels 108 and 110 so that the molded cup shape is described in the present invention. has finally determined the shape of the chest cup.

Therefore, if another panel is used to form the shape of a cup and the shape of the breast cup according to the invention is determined as shown in FIG. 106 inside. In a preferred form, the flexible foam first panel is formed to have a substantially constant wall thickness Z, except for areas of increased thickness 116, as shown in FIG. 10, prior to being molded. there is In the most preferred form, such contouring is accomplished by cutting excess portion of the panel to determine the shape of the contour on the first body side of the first foam panel 108 . This has been discussed in detail above.

As shown in FIG. 10, the first major surface 113A of the contoured first foam panel 108 is molded and shaped, and the first major surface 113A includes the panel 108 and the first major surface 113A. The structure includes an increased thickness region 116 extending from the edge of the structure of panel 110 or a thinned portion extending toward this edge. The increased thickness region 116 is, for example, dome-shaped and has a constant diameter D, as shown in FIG.

In another embodiment, the shape may be stepped , eg, as illustrated in FIG. In order for the presence of the increased thickness region to be mostly hidden in the final step of the brassiere, the increased thickness region 116 or the apex approximately in the middle of this increased thickness region has the greatest thickness, and this thickness It is preferred that the thickness decrease toward the edge 119 of the area of increase without an abrupt drop . Such reduction in thickness can be achieved, for example, by taper processing without unevenness , as shown at the location of indicator 119 in FIG. 14 . In the most preferred form, the second foam panel 109 does not contour at all. The first foam panel 108 is contoured, but is the non-fiber side of the first panel, opposite the panel 110 .

The panel 108 and panel 110 structures are now laminated to the panel 109 and panel 111 structures using a former as shown in FIG. The formers each have a profile or profile formed therein and are composed of two forming sections, a forming upper section 120 and a forming lower section 121, which give the panel prefabricated structure a three-dimensional or breast cup cup shape. ing. Molded upper portion 120 may, for example, include a concave recessed portion, and molded lower portion 121 may provide a convex raised portion that substantially compensates for the concave recessed portion of molded upper portion 120 .

The structure of panels 108 and 110 and the structure of panels 109 and 111 are positioned between the two molded tops and the molded bottoms in such a way that the two structures are properly (preferably coextensive). are arranged so that they overlap each other. After this, the two molded upper and molded lower parts are brought together. These two moldings are preferably heated. Additional adhesive is applied between the structures and both pressure bonding and heat are used to establish a good laminate bond between the two structures. After forming the cup shape into the prefabricated panel or panel structure, the cup shape is cut from the formed prefabricated panel, thereby determining the peripheral shape as shown in FIG. A portion of the cup rim 106 comprises a compressive pressure area 123 where the overlapping panels of material are subjected to greater pressure than the body portion 107 . Such compression pressure areas can give the cup the shape of a flange, which can serve the purpose of fixing the cup to the rest of the brassiere.

Referring to FIG. 13, after forming a three-dimensional shape or cup shape in the raw material and laminating the raw material, the increased thickness region 116 is formed at the edge 106 of the breast cup structure 102. placed inside. An increased thickness region 116 is then provided within the body portion 107 of the breastcup structure 102 . The increased thickness region 116 is located where the nipples of the brassiere user's breasts normally rest.

17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 17-17 of FIG. 13; FIG. An increased thickness region 116 is shown provided to increase the overall thickness of the breast cup at such increased region. Thickness B is greater than thickness C. Although the thickness may be greater than C at B only at the edges, increasing the thickness further to reduce the visibility of the user's nipple through the breast cup is due to the density of the material in the increased thickness region 116. is the result of increasing When the breast cup is formed, the increased thickness region 116 results in some compression, increasing the density of the material in this increased region, thereby reducing the likelihood of the nipple being released from the breast cup. In the preferred form , thickness B is approximately the same as thickness X shown in FIG . No scraping or removal from 108 occurred.

Referring to Figure 15, another embodiment of an increased thickness region is illustrated. A second layer of material 124 is bonded to the exposed major surface 113 of the first layer of foam material. This second layer of material may be contoured, for example with a similar foam material, to give the structure of the first and second layers the same desired contour, as shown in FIG. 11 or FIG. there is

In the most preferred form, a second structure consisting of a second foam panel 109 and a textile panel 111 is laminated to the first foam panel by adhesive bonding, according to FIG. Another embodiment is presented in which the first panel 108 receives the fibrous flexible panel 111 and is directly engaged without the presence of the second foam panel 109 . FIG. 18 illustrates how such a configuration is formed into a cup shape.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be practiced without departing from these principles.

1 is a side cross-sectional view of an open cut-out mold used to manufacture a pad according to the present invention, sandwich a sheet of polyurethane foam material, and carry out the method according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a view similar to the cutting die of FIG. 1, showing its closed position, as well as the starting state of the cutting device; FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing a state at the end of operation of the clipping device; 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a sheet for use in a brassiere pad according to the present invention that has been cut out and further provided with a stepped thickness; FIG. FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and is a cross-sectional side view of a brassiere pad with stepped thickness; 1 is a side cross-sectional exploded view of a molding die with stepped thicknesses of brassiere pad according to the present invention sandwiched between the dies; FIG. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of shaped material for creating two shaped pads according to the present invention; Figure 8 is a plan view of the shaped material shown in Figure 7; 1 is a plan view showing a brassiere pad manufactured according to the present invention; FIG. Fig. 10 is an exploded side view showing another embodiment of the present invention, showing a panel construction, showing a state before being molded and laminated. Fig. 11 is a side view of the construction of the panel of Fig. 10, shown prior to molding; 1 is an exploded side view, partly in section, of a two-panel construction according to the present invention, shown as it is laminated and prior to being formed into a three-dimensional cup shape by a molding machine; FIG. Fig. 10 is a plan view showing the cup shape having been stamped and cut to define a rim shape suitable for incorporation as part of a brassiere; Figure 12 is a side view of another configuration of panel construction for the article of Figure 11; Figure 15 is a side view of yet another configuration of Figure 14; 1 is a front view of a brassiere including cup shapes according to the present invention; FIG. Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 17-17 of Figure 13 showing the construction of the panel shown in Figure 12; Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 17-17 of Figure 13 showing the construction of the panel shown in Figure 14;

Claims (41)

  Holding a formable, elastic sheet material having a uniform thickness together with a portion of the sheet material in at least one recess, and at least one stepped thickness of meat adapted to the recess Manufacturing a brass pad, comprising: removing a portion of the material to leave a graded sheet material of the material having a thick top region and a thin region around it. Method.   The said sheet | seat material is a material which can be thermoformed, and the said method is comprised from thermoforming the sheet | seat material thickened in steps to the shape of the pad for brassieres. Of manufacturing brassiere pads.   The brassiere pad manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that the brassiere pad composed of a sheet material having a gradually increased thickness is cut by cutting a thin part surrounding the top part. Method.   2. The method for manufacturing a brassiere pad according to claim 1, wherein the stepwise thickened sheet material is composed of a pair of top portions having a space therebetween.   A sheet material made of a moldable material having another elasticity is first bonded to the gradually thickened sheet material, and then another sheet material bonded to the gradually thickened sheet material. The method for producing a brassiere pad according to claim 1, wherein the brassiere pad is formed by combining the two.   The method of manufacturing a brass pad according to claim 1, wherein the removing step is performed by scraping an elastic sheet material made of a moldable material.   In a state in which the scraping step is a state in which at least a part of the sheet material made of a moldable material having elasticity is in at least one recess, a tool for scraping is placed in the elastic sheet material made of the moldable material. The method for producing a brassiere pad according to claim 6, wherein:   Holding a formable, elastic sheet material having a uniform thickness together with a portion of the sheet material in at least one recess, and at least one stepped thickness of meat adapted to the recess Manufactured by a method comprising removing a portion of the material to leave a stepped thickness of the material having a thick top region and a thin region around it, Bra pad.   9. The brassiere pad of claim 8, further comprising another sheet material attached to a stepped thickness sheet material formed from a resilient and moldable material. Bra pad.   Each of the stepped thickness sheet material and the other sheet material is made of thermoplastic resin foam and has a laminated surface and an opposite surface bonded to the other sheet material. 10. The brassiere pad according to claim 9,   11. The brassiere pad according to claim 10, wherein each of the sheet materials made of a material having elasticity and moldable is made of a thermoplastic material.   12. The brassiere pad according to claim 11, wherein the thermoplastic material is polyurethane foam.   Elasticity provided with a fiber laminate attached to a stepwise thickened sheet material formed from the elastic and moldable material on the surface opposite to the surface to which the sheet material is adhered to each other 9. The brassiere pad according to claim 8, further comprising another sheet material made of a moldable material.   9. The brass pad according to claim 8, wherein the operation of removing a part of the sheet material in order to remove the part and leave a gradually thickened sheet material is performed by scraping off.   In the elastic sheet material made of the moldable material, the removing step is a tool for scraping in a state where a part of the sheet material made of a moldable material having elasticity is in at least one recess. The method for producing a brassiere pad according to claim 6, wherein:   The first panel is made of a flexible foam material that is molded into a cup shape and laminated, and the second panel is made of a flexible material, and the first panel and the second panel are substantially coextensive with each other. And determining the shape of the edge of the chest cup, wherein the first panel made of flexible foam material varies in thickness and is separated by one or more parts away from the edge by the edge. Molded breast cup for brassiere with a portion that is thicker than the close portion.   The molded breast cup according to claim 16, wherein the first panel is a flexible foam material.   The molded breast cup according to claim 16, wherein the second panel is made of a flexible fiber material.   The molded breast cup according to claim 16, wherein the thickened portion is located at a place where a nipple of a user of the brassiere incorporating the breast cup is located in use.   The molded chest cup according to claim 16, wherein the first panel has a uniform thickness except for a portion where the thickness is increased.   21. The change in thickness between the increased thickness portion and the uniform thickness portion of the first panel made of flexible material does not have an abrupt thickness change. Molded chest cup.   The change in thickness between the increased thickness portion of the flexible first panel and the uniform thickness portion is a gentle change, according to claim 20. Molded chest cup.   The first panel has a uniform thickness except for the portion where the thickness is increased, and the portion where the thickness is increased has a maximum thickness at the center of the portion where the thickness is increased, and the thickness is increased. The shaped breast cup according to claim 16, wherein the thickness is gradually reduced toward the edge of the portion.   The first panel has the thickness change introduced by adjusting the outer shape of the first main side, and the second main side on the opposite side is formed in the cup shape, 17. A molded breast cup according to claim 16, wherein the outer shape is not trimmed.   25. The molded breast cup according to claim 24, wherein the first main side of the first panel is disposed at the position of the second panel.   25. A molded chest cup according to claim 24, wherein a first major side of the first panel is engaged with the second panel.   25. The molded chest cup of claim 24, wherein the first panel is coupled to the second panel.   25. A molded chest cup according to claim 24, wherein the first panel is a single panel.   The first panel includes a first layer made of a foam material having a uniform thickness, and a second layer made of a material that forms a portion bonded to the first layer to increase the thickness. The molded breast cup according to claim 16, characterized by:   30. A molded breast cup according to claim 29, wherein the second layer is made of a foam material.   The molded breast cup according to claim 16, wherein the first panel made of a fiber material covers the structure against the cup-shaped recess.   32. The molded breast cup according to claim 31, wherein the first panel made of fiber material is laminated on one of the first panel made of flexible material and the second panel.   The molded breast cup according to claim 16, wherein the second panel made of the fiber material is covered with the structure provided on the convex side of the cup shape.   33. The molded breast according to claim 32, wherein the second panel made of fiber material is laminated on the other of the first panel (?) Made of the flexible material and the second panel. cup.   The molded breast cup according to claim 16, wherein the first panel is disposed on the concave side of the cup type, and the second panel is disposed on the convex side of the cup type.   The molded breast cup according to claim 16, wherein the first panel is arranged on the convex side of the cup type, and the second panel is arranged on the concave side of the cup type.   The molded chest cup according to claim 16, wherein the first panel and the second panel have no seam or boundary line that forms a seam toward a center of a portion adjacent to the edge. .   17. The molded chest cup according to claim 16, wherein there is no seam or boundary line that forms a seam toward the center of the portion adjacent to the edge.   The brassiere according to claim 16, characterized in that it contains a chest cup.   (A) a portion of the region away from the edge by varying the thickness by determining the shape by removing the material to form a contour of the material from the first major surface of the first flat panel A first flat panel made of a flexible foam material that is closer to the edge and produces a thicker portion than a thin portion, and (b) the first major surface of the first flat panel A second panel made of a flexible foam material positioned on the side is bonded by laminating to form a flat plate-like structure having the same spread, and the flat plate-like structure is molded into a cup-like shape. A method of constructing a chest cup, comprising: determining a sizing for the planar structure and removing from the structure any excess portion defined as not being cup-shaped.   (A) A first layer made of a flexible foam material and a second layer made of a flexible foam material bonded to the first main surface of the first layer, and the second layer is changed to the first layer with a thickness changed. The first plate-like panel that has a shape determined by providing the first flat panel panel, which is closer to the edge portion than the edge portion and forms a thicker portion than the thinner portion, ( b) adhering a second panel made of a flexible foam material located on the first main surface side of the first panel by laminating to form a flat plate-like structure having the same extent; and Forming a cup-shaped structure and determining a cup-shaped shape to match the plate-shaped structure, and removing any excess portion defined as not cup-shaped from the structure. Configure the characteristic chest cup How to.

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