WO1989005103A1

WO1989005103A1 - Improved shoulder pad

Info

Publication number: WO1989005103A1
Application number: PCT/US1988/004361
Authority: WO
Inventors: David M. Mindel
Original assignee: Damin Industries, Inc.
Priority date: 1987-12-08
Filing date: 1988-12-07
Publication date: 1989-06-15

Abstract

A device and method for shaping a shoulder. The device being a unitary piece of a porous foamed resinous material. The piece of material has a lower surface (12) which defines an arcuate opening (14). The arcuate opening (14) is defined such that when the piece of material is placed on a shoulder, it remains in position on said shoulder. This is generally accomplished where the lower surface (12) has a lenght (ABC) within the range of from about 6 to about 8 inches and a width (BD) within the range of from about 2 to about 5 inches. The method of shaping the shoulder involves placing the described device on a shoulder directly in contact with the shoulder and beneath a garment.

Description

IMPROVED SHOULDER PAD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device and method for shaping a human shoulder.

2. Description of Related Λrt

Over the years, fashion trends have demanded men, women and children to possess the appearance of having certain fashion desirable physical characteristics. In many instances, these fashion desirable physical characteristics are highly stylized and, in fact, possessed by few people. In these instances, it has been common to employ various devices to create the appearance of possessing these physical characteristics.

One example of a fashion desirable physical characteristic often arises in connection with the shape of shoulders. Certain fashion trends have, in the past, and probably will in the future, require men, women and children to possess the appearance of having shoulders shaped in a manner quite unlike the actual shape of most shoulders. Fashion often demands that people possess the appearance of having shoulders larger and more clearly defined than they actually possess. The simplest way to modify the shape of a shoulder is to employ a shoulder pad.

In the past, a particular shoulder shape has been associated with a particular garment. Therefore, when fashion demanded a particular shoulder shape, it was the general practice to attach a shoulder pad directly to the garment requiring the particular shoulder shape. The necessary shoulder pad was either sewn directly to the garment or otherwise attached to the garment by adhesive means or by a hook and loop type fastener. In some instances, it has not been desirable to attach the shoulder pad directly to a particular garment. Instead, shoulder pads have been developed which are intended to be attached to an undergarment. One example is a shoulder pad designed to attach to the shoulder strap of a women's brassiere. Another alternative is set forth in U.S. Patent No. 4,675,917 to Valli. The device described by Valli is a brassiere having an integrated over-the-shoulder panel adapted to contain a pad having a predetermined shape.

When a shoulder pad is attached directly to a garment such as a shirt or blouse or to an undergarment such as a brassiere, it is common for the shoulder pad to slip out of place relative to the wearer's shoulder. For example, if the shoulder pad is attached directly to an oversize blouse, it is common for the shoulder pads to shift out of their desired location on top of the shoulder and become located on the front or rear of the shoulder. Shoulder pads attached to undergarments often suffer from the same problem. Moreover, the undergarment described in U.S. Patent No. 4,675,917 is bulky and would be inappropriate to wear under certain types of clothing.

Known shoulder pads typically comprise a bulky inner material such as a fibrous batting material or foamed resinous material which is covered with a smooth fabric. The smooth fabric covering is intended to maintain the shape of the bulky material and to enable the shoulder pad to be attached to a garment. Generally, the bulky inner material is not suitable to be sewn or otherwise attached directly to a garment without the benefit of the fabric covering. Shoulder pads comprising a bulky material covered with a fabric often have the disadvantage that the shape of such pads cannot be readily altered by the wearer in those instances in which it is desired to adapt the shoulder pad to a specialized use. Often, shoulder pads which are attached directly to a garment must be removed prior to laundering. Removal can be both time consuming and bothersome. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is to the goal of overcoming the problems associated with known devices and methods for shaping a shoulder that the present invention is directed. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a device for shaping a shoulder which device is suitably placed directly on the shoulder of a wearer. The device is advantageously capable of remaining in place on the wearer's shoulder without attachment to a garment or undergarment. Consequently, the device may be used with a number of different garments since it is not physically attached to a specific garment. Furthermore, it is not necessary to remove the device from a garment prior to laundering. Moreover, the device can be easily shaped by the wearer if this shaping is desirable.

These goals are achieved in a device which, in the illustrated embodiment, comprises a unitary piece of a porous foamed resinous material having a lower surface which defines an arcuate opening adapted to receive a shoulder. The arcuate opening defined by the lower surface of the porous foamed resinous material has a length and a width which enable it to remain in place on a shoulder. The piece of porous foamed resinous material is adapted to directly contact the skin of a wearer. The porous nature of material allows the material to "grip" the shoulder of the wearer as well as a garment. In use, the device is placed on the wearer's shoulder beneath a garment. DRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a shoulder pad device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional plan view of the device of Figure 1 taken along line 2-2.

Fig. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 illustrates a cross-seci onal plan view of the device of Figure 3 taken along line 4-4.

Fig. 5 illustrates the device illustrated in Figure 1 in place on the shoulder of a wearer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to Fig. 1, a shoulder pad in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is indicated generally at 10. The pad 10 comprises a unitary piece of a porous foamed resinous material which has a lower surface 12 which defines an arcuate opening 14 adapted to receive a shoulder. The arcuate opening 14 is shaped so that when the pad is in place on a shoulder, it tends to remain in place on the shoulder.

In one aspect of this invention the length and width of the lower surface 12 defining the arcuate opening 14 are specifically adapted to facilitate the device maintaining its position on a shoulder without undue slippage. Λs used herein, the width of the lower surface is the distance in the direction along the top of the shoulder covered by the device when the device is in position on a shoulder. The width of the lower surface as defined herein is represented by line BD in Fig. 2. The length of the lower surface is the greatest linear distance defined by the device in a direction perpendicular to the width of the device. The arcuate line ΛBC of Fig. 1 represents the "length" of the lower surface 12 of the pad 10. As used herein, both the terms "width" and "length" are intended to refer to the greatest distance corresponding to the respective term for a given device.

In order to maximize the stability of the device of the present invention in position on a shoulder, it is preferable for the length of the lower surface of the device to be greater than the width of lower surface of the the device. Beneficially, the length of the device is at least 25% greater than the width of the device. More beneficially, the length is at least 50% greater than the width and preferably, the length is at least 75% greater than the width. In one embodiment, the length of the device is approximately twice the width.

The length of the device of the illustrated embodiment is generally from about 6 to about 8 inches. The width of the device of the illustrated embodiment is generally from about 2 to about 5 inches preferably,- from about 3 to about 5 inches.

It will be appreciated that the overall dimensions of the device including the length and width will depend on whether the device is intended to be used on children, having relatively small shoulders, or on adult males, having relatively large shoulders. In any event, the particular length and width are selected so that the device remains generally in pla e on a shoulder.

In addition to defining a lower surface, the unitary piece of porous foamed resinous material defines an upper surface 16. The upper surface defines the shape it is desired the wearer's shoulder appears to have. The length of the upper surface is measured along an arc passing through points E, F and G of Fig. 1. The length of the arc passing through points E, F and G will generally be within the range of from about 8 to about 10 inches. As a general rule, the upper surface will be defined relative to the lower surface so that the thickness of the device (distance between the upper and lower surfaces) increases along the width of the device. Generally, the device will be relatively thin along the edge of the device closest to the wearer's neck and thickest near the edge of the device closest to the wearer's arm. Thus, the thickest portion of the device will generally correspond to the end of the shoulder of the wearer. In the illustrated embodiment, the thickest portion of the device occurs in the area of point F with the thickness being measured along the line BF. The maximum thickness of the device along line BF will generally vary from about 0.5 inch to about 2.0 inches, beneficially, from about 0.75 inch to about 1.5 inch. Due to the thickness of the device, the arc passing through point, E, F and G will have a length greater than the arc passing through points A, B and C (Fig.

1).

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the thickness measured by line EΛ and line CG is less than the thickness measured by line BF. Moreover, the thickness of the device decreases from a maximum at the front of the device (point F) to a minimum at the rear of the device (point II) . This is best seen in Figure 2 by refernce to the hatched area. When in place on a shoulder, the device illustrated in Fig. 1 is thinnest at a point closest the wearer's neck and thickest at a point most remote therefrom. This particular shape serves to enlarge and more clearly define the shoulder line of the wearer. As indicated above, the device of the present invention is suitable for use by men, women and children. Since the size of a man's shoulder can be significantly greater than the size of a child's shoulder, it is desirable to produce devices having different overall dimensions. Table 1 reflects the dimensions of devices according to the present invention having different overall dimensions for use on various specified groups of people. The various dimensions recited are in inches and are referenced to the devices illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus, ABC refers to the length of the arc passing through points A, B and C of Fig. 1; BF refers to the length of a line from point B to point F of Figs 1 and 2, and so on.

Fig. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention. The device of Fig. 3 comprises a unitary piece of a porous foamed resinous material generally designated by the number 18. The material has a lower surface 20 which defines an arcuate opening 22 which is adapted to receive a shoulder. The device illustrated in Fig. 3 will be recognized by those skilled in the art as being intended for use with a dolman^* or similar type sleeve. The device illustrated in Fig. 3 has a dome shape appearence. The dome shape creates the appearance of a higher shoulder but does not emphasize the shoulder line. Due to the dome shape of the device of Fig. 3, the device rests on the shoulder along dotted arc UK. The significant length important in enabling the device of Fig» 3 to remain in place on a shoulder is, therefore, the length of the arc defined by points I, J and K.

The material 18 defines an upper surface 24 on which is located apex point L. The thickest portion of the device illustrated in Fig. 3 occurs at point L and is measured by the linear distance between points J and L. As can be appreciated from reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the domed shaped pad defines a lip section which extends generally downward from the arc IJK towards the front of the device. Λs used herein reference to the front of the device is intended to refer to that portion of the device which is closest to the wearer's arm when the device is in position on a wearer's shoulder. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the lip section includes line JL.

The lip section allows the device to cling more firmly to a wearer's shoulder. Λs can be appreciated from reference to the figures, the domed shape pad of

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 defines an arcuate opening which cups the front, back, top and side of a wearer's shoulder. As used herein, reference to the side of a shoulder refers to the upper portion of a wearer's arm immediately adjacent to the top of the shoulder. The lip section provides the device with a greater ability to remain in position on a wearer's shoulder. Specifically, the ability of the domed shaped device to cup the shoulder provides the device with greater stability than the device of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Specifically, those skilled in the art will recognize that when the device is in position on a wearer's shoulder beneath a garment, the cooperation between the interior of the lip section contacting the shoulder and the exterior of the lip section contacting the garment will prevent movement in a lateral direction along the top of the wearer's shoulder either towards the wearer's neck or away from the wearer's neck.

The device of the present invention is preferably formed from any porous foamed resinous material which is soft enough to be comfortable in place on a shoulder and which possesses pores of a size which assist the device in remaining in position on a shoulder. The preferred porous foamed resinous material for use in forming the devices of the present invention is a polyurethane foam materiali Methods of fabricating polyurethane foams are well-known to those skilled in the art.

It is believed that the porous nature of the pad enables the pad to grip the skin covering the shoulder, thus further enabling the device to remain in position. Additionally, the pores are believed to enable the device to grip a garment under which the device is placed also assisting in maintaining the device in position on a shoulder.

The device of the present invention can be formed by cutting and shaving blocks of polyurethane foam into the desired shape or by injection molding a polyurethane material into a desired shape. The device illustrated in Fig. 1 is desirably produced by cutting and shaving blocks of polyurethane foam material. The device illustrated in Fig. 3 is difficult to form by cutting and shaving, but is readily fabricated by molding. Although the pad of the illustrated embodiment is shown having a unitary construction, it is recognized that layered and other multi-piece construction might also be used. Specifically, the domed shaped device illustrated- in FIGS. 3 and 4 can be fabricated by placing a piece of, for example, polyurethane foam in an appropriately shaped mold. The polyurethane foam is then subjected to a molding process in which it is elevated to a temperature of approximately 475° to approximately 500°F for approximately 45 to 70 seconds. The molded device is then removed from the mold and placed in a cooling rack which allows the device to cool without losing its shape. When the device is formed from polyurethane foam, applicant has discovered that the above described molding process produces a device having a porous exterior surface which surface is, in some cases, and with some fabrics, possessed of a better ability to grip said fabrics when in place on a wearer's shoulder beneath a garment than the polyurethane foam from which the domed shaped device is molded.

Those skilled in the art will realize that the porous foamed resinous material can be colored or tinted before or after forming the device of the present invention. Methods of coloring or tinting the material are known. Examples of desirable colors for the device include black, white, natural (beige) and the like.

Fig. 5 illustrates the device of Fig. 1 in place on the shoulders of a wearer. As can be appreciated from Fig. 5, the device is oriented so that the thickest portion of the device is situated generally over the shoulder line of the wearer with the thinnest portion positioned closest to the neck of the wearer. According to the method of the present invention, a device as hereinbefore described is placed on the shoulder of a wearer and covered with an outer garment such as a blouse or shirt.

As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the present invention is susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modifications which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the preceding specification. For this reason, it is to be understood that all of the foregoing is intended to be merely illustrative and is not intended to limit, in any manner, the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A device for shaping a shoulder of a wearer, said device comprising: a unitary piece of a porous foamed resinous material having a lower surface having a length and a width said length being at least 50% greater than said width which lower surface defines a dome-shaped, arcuate opening adapted to receive a shoulder, the dome-shaped arcuate opening being defined such that when placed on a shoulder, the device contacts the front, back, top and side of the shoulder wherein the device remains in position on said shoulder and further wherein the porous foamed resinous material is substantially uncovered so that, in use, the porous foamed resinous material is in direct contact with both the shoulder and a garment.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the length of the lower surface is at least 75% greater than the width of the lower surface.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the length of the lower surface of the piece of a porous foamed resinous material is within the range of from about 6 to about 8 inches.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the width of the lower surface of the piece of a porous foamed resinous material is within the range of from about 2 to about 5 inches.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the piece of a porous foamed resinous material has an upper surface which has a length of from about 8 to about 10 inches.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the device has a maximum thickness of from about 0.15 to about 2.0 inches.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the device has a maximum thickness of .from about 0.75 to about 1.5 inches.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein the device is tapered along its width.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the device is tapered along its length.

10. A method for shaping a shoulder of a wearer, the method consisting essentially of the steps of: providing a unitary piece of a porous foamed resinous material having a lower surface having a length and a width said length being at least 50% greater than said width which lower surface defines a dome shaped, arcuate opening adapted to receive a shoulder; and placing the unitary piece of a porous foamed resinous material directly on the shoulder beneath a garment such that the device contacts the front, back, top and side of the shoulder wherein the unitary piece of a porous foamed resinous matrial is substantially uncovered so that, in use, the porous foamed resinous material is in direct contact with both the shoulder and the garment and thereby remains in position on the shoulder.

_*

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the length of the lower surface 13 at least 75% greater than the width of the lower surface.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the arcuate opening defined by the piece of a porous foamed resinous material is adapted to allow the foamed resinous material to remain in place on a shoulder.

13. A device for shaping a shoulder of a wearer, said device consisting essentially of: a unitary piece of a porous foamed resinous material having a lower surface having a length and a width said length being 50% greater than said width which lower surface defines a dome-shaped, arcuate opening adapted to receive a shoulder, the dome-shaped, arcuate opening being defined such that when placed on a shoulder, the device contacts the front, back and side of the shoulder wherein the device remains in position on said shoulder and further wherein the porous foamed resinous matrial is substantially uncovered so that, in use, the porous foamed resinous material is in direct contact with both the shoulder and a garment.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the length of the lower surface is at least 75% greater than the width of the lower surface.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein the length of the lower surface of the piece of a porous foamed resinous material is within the range of from about 6 to about 8 inches.

16. The device of claim 13 wherein the width of the lower surface of the piece of a porous foamed resinous material is within the range of of from about 2 to about 5 inches.

17. The device of claim 13 wherein the piece of a porous foamed resinous material has an upper surface which has a length of from about 8 to about 10 inches.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the width of the lower surface of the piece of porous foamed resinous material is within the range of from about 2 to about 5 inches, the length is within the range of from about 6 to about 8 inches, and the device has a maximum thickness within the range of from about 0.25 to about 2.0 inches.

19. A device for shaping a shoulder of a wearer, said device having a dome-shaped, arcuate lower surface having a length and width, said width being the distance in the direction along the top of the shoulder covered by the device when in position on a shoulder, said length being the greatest linear distance defined by the device in a direction perpendicular to the width of the device, said length being at least about 50% greater than said width said device defining a first substantially vertical section adapted to engage the front side of a shoulder, a second substantially vertical section adapted to engage the back side of a shoulder, and a lip section adapted to engage the side of a shoulder and being formed from a porous foamed resinous material which is substantially uncovered so that, in use, the porous foamed resinous material is in direct contact with both the shoulder and a garment.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein said length is at least about 75% greater than said width.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein said length is within the range of from about 6 to about 8 inches.

22. The device of claim 19 wherein said length is approximately twice said width.