International Playtex, Inc.

Playtex Apparel, Inc.

Dolores O'Boyle

Anthony J Tedeschi

Phyllis Shonk

William D Bell

William C Hittel

James Prunesti

Jane P Gannaway

Method and apparatus are provided for applying a thermoplastic adhesive to a portion of a garment in a predetermined pattern. The portion of the garment is initially loaded onto a conveyor device through a loading fixture and a powdered adhesive is screen printed onto said portion in a predetermined pattern. The adhesive is cured in a drying oven and permitted to cool. A cover panel is then placed over the adhesive and the cover panel is fused to that portion of the garment at elevated temperature and pressure. The resultant garment, preferably a woman's undergarment, possesses the combination of unique control, support, shape and aesthetic characteristics.

Method and apparatus for providing additional support to selected

Garment having additional support to selected portions

A plastic support which has a substantially U-shape configuration and has a base portion and a pair of end portions with the base portion and the end portions having a different cross-sectional configuration. The plastic support also has a pair of regions positioned between the base portion and a different one of the pair of end portions, and in a preferred embodiment the pair of regions is a pair of intermediate portions each having a cross-sectional configuration different than that of the base portion and the pair of end portions. The plastic support is, preferably, made of a mixture of reinforced acetal rein and nonreinforced acetal resin, and exhibits unexpected 'creep' properties such that the end portions thereof are closer together after machine laundering at a normal cycle than their initial condition.

Brassiere support element

A plastic support which has a substantially U-shape configuration and has a base portion and a pair of end portions with the base portion and the end portions having a different cross-sectional configuration. The plastic support also has a pair of regions positioned between the base portion and a different one of the pair of end portions, and in a preferred embodiment the pair of regions is a pair of intermediate portions each having a cross-sectional configuration different than that of the base portion and the pair of end portions. The plastic support is, preferably, made of a mixture of reinforced acetal resin and nonreinforced acetal resin, and exhibits unexpected 'creep' properties such that the end portions thereof are closer together after machine laundering at a normal cycle than their initial condition.

A method of grading a series of brassieres of like styling for women having the same body dimension except for breast sizes is provided. Each brassiere includes a pair of breast receiving cups for supporting the breasts of a woman, and body encircling components associated with the pair of breast receiving cups and sized to fit around the body of each woman. The method includes the steps of measuring the diaphragm dimension and body chest dimension of a woman having average sized breasts for the series of brassieres, determining by formula the breast size of the woman having average sized breasts based upon the measurements of the diaphragm and body chest dimensions, and reducing the size of the breast receiving cups while maintaining substantially the same the length of the body encircling components to accommodate a desired breast size of a second woman having less than the determined average breast size. The reducing step also includes reducing the depth dimension of the breast receiving cups in accordance with the reduction from the determined average breast size to the breast size to the desired breast size for the second woman, and reducing the overall perimeter of the cups in accordance with desired breast size for the second woman by (1) maintaining substantially the same lower arcuate extent of the cups so that the length of the body encircling component remains substantially the same and, (2) reducing the remainder of the parameter of the cups to the desired breast size.

Brassiere

There are disclosed brassieres designed to provide better fit for smaller (e.g. less than average) busted women and a method of grading such brassieres. The cups of the brassieres for smaller busted woman include longer upper and lower perimeter sections than heretofore employed and shorter body encircling members. There is also disclosed a method of grading these brassieres from a fitted prototype brassiere of average bust capacity. It includes the steps of reducing the depth of the breast receiving components without decreasing the length of the arc along the lower sections thereof; and maintaining substantially the same length of the body encircling means.

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Woodridge, NJ, United States of America

Dolores O'Boyle