US2951621A - Garment reshaping and drying device - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 6, 1960 s. o. CHENEY 2,951,621

GARMENT RESHAPING AND DRYING DEVICE Filed Oct. 19, 1956 IN VEN TOR. STANLEY 0, CHENEY,

United States Patent 2,951,621 GARIVIENT RESHAPIN G AND DRYING DEVICE Stanley 0. Cheney, Main St., Newton Junction, N.H. Filed Oct. 19, 1956, Ser, No. 617,045 6 Claims. (Cl. 223-66) This invention relates to garment drying and reshaping devices and more particularly to a device for drying and reforming brassiere cups subsequent to washing.

It is an object of my invention to provide a brassiere cup reshaping and drying device of a simple nature and one which may be readily and economically manufactured, preferably by a plastic molding process.

It is another object of my invention to provide a drying device which will be simple to operate and which in use effectively restores the desirable form to a shaped garment.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a drying and reshaping device which is compact for storage and which may be made with suflicient ruggedness for use over a considerable length of time.

In brief, I achieve the objects hereinabove stated by making a drying device as a conically shaped form generally conforming to the inner configuration of a brassiere cup. The form contemplated by the invention is preferably molded of plastic and thin enough to be semiflexible, although having characteristics of stiffness sufficient to hold a wet brassiere cup in proper shape during drying. The form is provided with a large number of apertures to permit filtration of air around and through the drying brassiere cu 'In addition, tongues or gripping points are provided on the form which protrude slightly from the surface thereof so as to grip a brassiere cup near or adjacent to the base. Thus, a brassiere cup may be pulled over the form and gripped by a plurality of tongues, to be held in unwrinkled stretched condition during drying.

I also disclose herein a mode of securing the brassiere cup to the form in addition to or instead of the tongues hereinabove described. Such means comprises a flexible ring of plastic or other suitable material which can be forced over the cup after it is placed over the form and thrust downwardly to encircle the cup and hold it to the 'form near the base thereof. Thus, a stretching process is effected and the garment cup is maintained in the stretched and shaped condition while drying.

A detail disclosure of my invention now follows in conjunction with the appended drawing inwhich:

Fig. l is aperspective view of a form in accordance with my teaching;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the form;

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a modification; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan of the same modification.

Referring now to the drawing, my invention comprises a generally conically shaped form preferably of thinwalled plastic. However, other materials, such as metal and molded fiberboard, etc.', may be used. I prefer plastic because it is light, easily cleanable, and flexible so that it may be bent without being permanently deformed. Further, a plastic material is sanitary, easily cleaned, and unaffected by acids, soap and detergents, natural or artificial light and heat.

The general shape of the form affords an apex 14 Patented Sept. 6, 1960 lar configuration may be varied to suit various types and types of brassiere cups.

A flexible clip 26 is suitably fastened at the rim of the form 10 and it will be understood that the clip 26 may be utilized to hang the cup on a clothes line during drying, although other hanging means is provided as will hereinafter appear.

as just described, one for each cup of the brassiere. It will be appreciated that by thus devising two separate cups, storage thereof is simplified inasmuch as the cups readily nest ineach other when not in use. However, if desired, the cups maybe secured to each other by means of a tape or ribbon of a length depending upon the spacing between cups of any particular brassiere.

The surface of the form 10 is provided with a large plurality of elongated apertures 30, the apertures being more crowded toward the apex. Around the base portion 20 are two rings of tongues 32. Each ring of tongues is in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the base of the conical form. It will be noted that the tongues are surrounded by substantially open spaces such as 36. The tongues extend outwardly very slightly from the surface of the form so as to engage the material of a brassiere cup forced down over the form. The tongues are, as shown, provided with points which dig into the material slightly, but notto an extent to cause damage. I have found that making the form of plastic such as high impact polystyrene, hard Vinylite, acetate or polyethylene provides tongues that will grip the material without tearing it.

Thus, as noted on the drawing, the two rings of tongues are parallel to each other and the spacing is such as to permit the tongues to be in staggered array so as to provide a large plurality of individually gripping points around the inside periphery of a brassiere cup.

An additional means of securing a brassiere cup to the fonn, which means may be used by itself without the need for the tongues 32, is disclosed by way of a flexible ring 40. The ring 40 may be die cut from any suitable sheet material or molded from flexible Vinylite or polyethylene and is formed with a plurality of tabs such as 44 which are slotted at 46. A further tab 48 is provided with a slot 5t) that encompasses a portion of the clip 26 so as to secure the ring to the form.

The purposes of the tabs 44 and perforations 46 is to afford gripping suitable to secure gripping by the fingers of an operator in forcing the ring down over a brassiere cup which has been placed on the form 10. In final position the ring 40 is as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it being noted that it is adjacent the base of the form and will be understood to thus securely hold the base of the brassiere cup on the form.

From the disclosure hereinabove given it will be apparent that a brassiere cup may be stretched taut over a form and that it will be held securely in place either by virtue of the tongues 32 or the ring 40, or both.

In view of the fact that a large plurality of apertures are provided through the form, a substantial aeration of the brassiere cup from the interior thereof is afiorded.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the distinction resides in the base formation of the forms 50. Thus, the base is formed with a series of elongated slats 54 terminating in an integrally molded ring 56. The extension thus formed gives the cup greater depth, thus providing a more universal design. A perforated 1,5 integral tab 62 furnishes a convenient means for hanging the forms and garment while drying,

I am aware that variations in my invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof and accordingly I do not seek to be limited to the precise disclosure herein given except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for drying and shaping a brassiere cup comprising a generally conical hollow form having an apex and a base, said conical form being formed with a plurality of openings therein, said conical form being adapted to be inserted in a brassiere cup of corresponding configuration, and securing means at the base of said form for securing said cup to said form, said securing means comprising a plurality of tongues bent slightly outward of said form and extending toward the base of said form.

' 2. A device for drying a brassiere cup comprising a generally conical hollow form of thin-walled semiflexible plastic material, said form having an apex and a base and having a plurality of perforations, said form being adapted to be inserted in a brassiere cup of corresponding configuration, and securing means for securing said cup on said form, said securing means including a plurality of tongues bent slightly outward of said form and extending toward the base of said form, each tongue protruding into an open area provided in the material of said form.

3. A device for drying a brassiere cup comprising a generally conical hollow form of thin-walled semiflexible plastic material, said form having an apex and a base and having a plurality of perforations, said form being adapted to be inserted in a brassiere cup of corresponding configuration, and securing means for securing said cup on said form, said securing means including a plurality of tongues bent slightly outward of said form and extending toward the base of said form, said tongues being angularly spaced about the periphery of said form in a plane parallel to said base.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3, and said form being provided with additional openings in which said tongues are promontor-ies.

5. A device as set forth in claim 3, and including a flexible ring engageable with said base of said form and adapted to encompass said form and to grippingly engage said cup adjacent said base.

6. A device for drying and reforming a brassiere cup comprising a generally conical hollow form having an apex and a base and having a plurality of perforations, said form being adapted to be inserted in a brassiere cup of corresponding configuration, and securing means for securing said cup to said form, said securing means comprising a flexible ring adapted to encompass said form and to grippingly engage said cup adjacent said base, a clip extending from said base, said ring having a tab provided with a perforation, a portion of said clip passing through said perforation to secure said ring to said form, said ring being slidable outwardly of said conical form within said clip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,888,375 Diener Nov. 22, 1932 2,200,102 Sepe May 7, 1940 2,521,100 Sublette Sept. 5, 1950 2,730,275 Flores Ian. 10, 1956 2,812,837 Palinkas Nov. 12, 1957 2,815,157 Badgley Dec. 3, 1957

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