AU2007201361B1 - Garments with Flip Twist - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE STANDARD PATENT SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: GARMENTS WITH FLIP TWIST This invention is described in the following statement: ~Garments with Flip Twist 0 Field of the Invention The invention relates to garments, and more particularly to novel garments and methods of construction for a garment featuring a bra portion that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

IBack Ground of the Invention The invention was made for the purpose of providing an aesthetically N 10 pleasing garment that was adapted to accommodate and support a wide Ovariety of female bust sizes. The techniques disclosed with reference to the 6 present invention are suitable for the fabrication of swimwear, singlets, one pieces, bra's and other women's garments.

Objects and Summary of the Invention It is an object of the invention to provide women's garments with an aesthetically pleasing bra area construction, and methods for making same.

It is another object of the invention to provide garments featuring an aesthetically pleasing twist in the bra area and also an underwire as well as methods for making these garments.

It is another object of the invention to provide an aesthetically pleasing garment where the aesthetically pleasing construction techniques result in the formation of a gather in the bust area that is adapted to accommodate a wide variety of bust sizes.

Accordingly, there is provided a garment having a twist construction, comprising a fabric pattern having two lateral halves, the first fabric pattern further comprising a neck edge and one underbust edge extending from each side of a central notch located below the neck edge. The twist construction comprises at least one full twist between the two lateral halves in an area of the centre contour, wherein the garment has formed in it a visible opening between the full twist and a substrate located below the underbust edges.

There is further provided a method of constructing a garment having a twist construction, comprising the steps of twisting two lateral halves of a fabric pattern by one full twist in an area between the halves, wherein the fabric pattern further comprises a neck edge, one lateral arm hole edge on each side of the neck edge, and one underbust edge that extends from a central notch located below the neck edge to a lower extremity of the adjacent Sarm hole edge. The method further comprises attaching a substrate to the 00 5 garment, wherein an upper edge of the substrate is attached along the C' underbust edges.

Brief Description of the Drawing Figures 10 In order that the invention be better understood, reference is now made Sto the following drawing figures in which: SFigure 1 is a plan view of two overlapping fabric pieces cut to a pattern associated with the teachings of the present invention; Figure 2 is a top plan view of a further step in the construction and methods of the present invention; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the article depicted in figure 2, the two fabric pieces being splayed apart to illustrate the seam; Figure 4 is a top plan view of the article depicted in figure 2, but turned inside out; is a detailed view of the article depicted in figure 4, with a two full twists introduced between the two sides of the bra; Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the article depicted in figure Figure 7 is as schematic cross sectional view of the binding of the lower edges of the underbust using a tape; Figure 8 is a schematic cross section through the edge of the under bust showing the binding as well as the application of the underwire and underwire casing; Figure 9 is a plan view of a bikini top illustrating the underwire casing and application of straps; SFigure lo is a plan view of a garment illustrating the attachment of a singlet base or a one piece bathing suit base to the twisted bra portion; Figure 11 is a plan view of the singlet or one piece base and bra o 5 portion depicted in figure lo, now having attached to it, an underwire and its casing.

IDBest Mode and Other Embodiments of the Invention As shown in figure 1, a fabric pattern 10 for the bra area of a piece of 10 swimwear such as a bikini top, or an article of clothing such as a singlet, comprises a slightly curved neck edge 11, a pair of lateral arm hole edges, a centrally located notch also referred to as the "centre hole" 13. The notch or hole 13 is preferably inverted shaped, but may take the shape of an inverted or another shape. The pattern lo further comprises two underbust edges 14, 15, one located to either side of the centre hole 13 and extending between the centre hole and the lowest extremity of the arm hole edge 12. A corner 17 is formed where the underbust edge meets the centre hole. The arm hole edge 12 is generally shaped, being straighter toward the neck edge 11 and more curved toward the under bust area 14, 15. With reference to figure 1 it can be appreciated that the manufacturing process begins by over lapping two such patterns lO, 16 oriented so that the outer surfaces of at least one of the patterns lo, 16 face inward.

As illustrated in figure 2, the fabric pattern can have two or more layers of the same construct that are partially joined together. First, a resilient band 21 such as a 6mm wide rubber strap is cut to the length of the neck edge 11.

The resilient band 21 is then conventionally stitched 22 (then trimmed as required) across the area of the neck edge so that the upper edge of the band 21 is coincident with the upper edges of the two patterns O10, 16. If the garment were to be splayed or parted at this point, it would assume the appearance depicted in figure 3. Note that neither of the exterior surfaces 31, 32 of the fabric patterns lO, 16 show any evidence of the stitching 22 that holds the resilient band 21 in place Again, with reference to figure 2, the partial joining of the two patterns lO, 16 is then progressed by the making of a shaped seam 23 that follows the contour of the centre hole 13.

SThe assembly of the two patterns lO, 16 and resilient band 21, is then 00 5 turned inside out as illustrated in figure 4. The assembly is now right side out, C that is, with the upper surface 41 being representative of the outer surface of the finished garment. In this orientation, neither the bagged seam 22 nor the Scentre hole's shaped seam 23 are visible on the exterior surface 41.

As shown in figure 5, the construction method of the present invention C 10 is progressed by providing at least one full twist 53 in the area between the Stwo lateral halves 51, 52. A second or further full twist may be provided.

Distortion of the fabric in the area of the centre hole 13 is minimized by aligning the corners 54, 55 that are formed where the underbust edge joins the sides of the inverted shaped seam of the centre hole 13. The resulting assembly is depicted in figures 6.

As shown in figure 7, the pairs of underbust edges are bound together.

The binding material can be, for example, a 5mm tricot tape 71. The stitch work 72 of the seam passes through both sides of the tricot tape 71 and both of the fabric and both of the underbust edges of the fabric patterns.

The assembly is now ready for the attachment of a substrate. The substrate can be an underwire and its casing, a base for a singlet or another top, or both. As shown in figure 8, the underwire 81 is affixed below the tricot tape 71 and within an underwire casing 82 that surrounds the under wire 81.

The casing 82 is attached by a seam 83 above or inward of the underbust seam 72 through both layers of the assembly lo, 16.

The location of the under wire and its casing 91 are better illustrated with reference to figure 9. It can be seen that the under wire 91 extends laterally along the entire length of the under bust edge. A portion 92 of the encased under wire adjacent to the arm hole edges 12 is covered by and beneath the wide proximal ends of the fabric backstraps 95, 96. The stitching of the underwire is not visible from the front of the garment when the garment is a singlet or a one piece type garment. Shoulder straps 97, as required, can then be joined from the top edge of the backstrap 95, for example, to the corner 98 area where the arm hole edge 12 meets the neck edge 11.

Characteristic of the construction depicted in figure 9, the centre hole 013 now forms a visible opening 99 located between the central part of the substrate and the full twist formed between the two lateral halves 51, 52.

SWhen the construction methods and teachings of the present invention 00 5 are used to construct a singlet and or one piece rather than a bikini top, as C' better illustrated in figure 1o, the upper edge lo of the singlet base loo is joined to the underbust edges 14, 15 before the under wire casing is joined to Sthe garment. As shown in figure 11, a singlet and or one piece garment 11o is completed by joining the under wire casing 111 to the seam that extends S 10 between the under bust seams and the singlet body loo in the manner described above.

SWhile the present invention has been described with reference to particular details of construction, these should be understood as having been provided by way of example and not as limitations to the scope or spirit of the invention.

Claims (12)

1. 2. The garment of claim i, wherein, the fabric pattern further comprises two layers, wherein the layers are joined along the neck edge and the notch, and bagged out.
2. 3. The garment of claim 1 or 2, wherein, the central notch is inverted shaped.
3. 4. The garment of claim 3, wherein, each underbust edge forms a corner with the central notch. The garment of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, the fabric pattern further comprises two arm hole edges, wherein one of the underbust edges extends from the central notch to a lower extremity of an adjacent arm hole edge, and other underbust edge extends from the other corner to a lower extremity of the other arm hole edge.
4. 6. The garment of claim 5, wherein, each arm hole edge is generally J-shaped, being straighter toward the neck edge and more curved toward the underbust edge. 00
5. 7. The garment of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, IND the substrate is a singlet base, wherein an upper edge of the singlet base is to the underbust edges. S8. The garment of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, the substrate comprises an underwire encased in an underwire casing, wherein the casing is attached to the fabric pattern by a seam located above the underbust edges.
6. 9. The garment of claim 8, further comprising, backstraps, wherein a wide proximal end of each backstrap covers an adjacent portion of the underwire casing. lO. A method of constructing a garment having a twist construction, comprising the steps of: twisting two lateral halves of a fabric pattern by one full twist in an area between the halves; wherein, the fabric pattern further comprises a neck edge, one lateral arm hole edge on each side of the neck edge, and one underbust edge that extends from a central notch located below the neck edge to a lower extremity of the adjacent arm hole edge; attaching a substrate to the garment, wherein an upper edge of the substrate is attached along the underbust edges.
7. 11. The method of claim lo, wherein, the fabric pattern further comprises two layers that are overlapped, and joined Sacross an area of the neck edge and along the central notch, wherein an outer 00 surface of one of the layers faces the other layer.
8. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, the pattern inside out. S13. The method of claim 11 or 12, further comprising, binding and stitching the underbust edges together, wherein an underbust seam passes through a binding material and both underbust edges.
9. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein, the binding material is tricot tape. The method of any one of claims O10 to 14, wherein, the central notch is inverted shaped.
10. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, aligning a corner between one of the underbust edges and the notch with another corner between the other underbust edge and the notch.
11. 17. The method of any one of claims O10 to 16, wherein, the substrate is a singlet base.
12. 18. The method of any one of claims 10 to 17, wherein, O the substrate comprises an underwire casing that encases an underwire. oo 19. The method of claim 18, wherein, (N a portion of the underwire adjacent to each adjoining arm hole edge is covered Sby and beneath a wide proximal end of a backstrap. (N 20. The method of claim 19, wherein, N c a should strap is joined from a top edge of the backstrap to a corner area where the adjacent arm hole edge meets the neck edge. Molins Co. for the Applicant Jets Swimwear Pty Ltd