# US 10,870,778 B2 · Elastomeric tape with enhanced stretch characteristics

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- Number: US 10,870,778 B2
- Document ID: US10870778B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/106,735
- Filed: 2018-08-21
- Published: 2018-12-13
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2015-06-30
- Assignees: NIKE, Inc.
- Applicants: NIKE, Inc.
- Inventors: Lindsey V. J. Martin; Andrew Gosse
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870778B2

## CPC

- C09J 7/203: {characterised by the structure of the release feature on the carrier layer}
- A41D 27/24: Hems; Seams
- B26D 3/10: Making cuts of other than simple rectilinear form (cutting-out B26F)
- B29C 65/74: by welding and severing {, or by joining and severing, the severing being performed in the area to be joined, next to the area to be joined, in the joint area or next to the joint area}
- B32B 7/12: using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
- C09J 7/20: characterised by their carriers
- A41D 2300/50: Seams
- B32B 3/28: characterised by a layer comprising a deformed thin sheet {, i.e. the layer having its entire thickness deformed out of the plane}, e.g. corrugated, crumpled (B32B29/08 takes precedence)
- B32B 5/26: another layer {next to it} also being fibrous or filamentary {(relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12)}
- B32B 2437/00: Clothing
- C09J 2301/16: by the structure of the carrier layer
- C09J: ADHESIVES; NON-MECHANICAL ASPECTS OF ADHESIVE PROCESSES IN GENERAL; ADHESIVE PROCESSES NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; USE OF MATERIALS AS ADHESIVES (preparation of glue or gelatine C09H)
- A41D: OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
- B26D: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING (for growing crops or plants A01D, A01G; for fodder or straw A01F; for bulk butter A01J; for dough A21C; slaughtering A22B; for tobacco, cigars or cigarettes A24; marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; manufacturing footwear A43D; brushmaking A46D; surgery A61B; disintegrating, mincing or shredding in general B02C; cutting wire, making pins or nails B21F, B21G; of the kind used formetal B23; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; hand-held cutting tools B26B; perforating, cutting-out, stamping-out or punching, or severing by means other than cutting B26F; for wood B27; for stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00; for leather or upholstery B68, C14B; for glass C03B; making matches C06F; for peat C10F; for sugar C13B45/00; for textile materials D06H; civil engineering, building, mining, see Section E; for light guides G02B6/25; cutting processed photographic material G03D15/04)
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM

## Abstract

An elastomeric tape having a shape configuration that provides an enhanced longitudinal stretch characteristic is provided herein. The exemplary tape comprises a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, a first side and a second side opposite the first side where the first side comprises a series of alternating peaks and troughs and the second side comprises a series of alternating peaks and troughs.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A lower-torso article of apparel comprising:
a front panel of material forming a front of at least a first leg portion of the lower-torso article of apparel, the front panel of material having at least a first side edge;
a separate back panel of material forming a back of the first leg portion of the lower-torso article of apparel, the back panel of material having at least a second side edge, wherein the first side edge of the front panel of material abuts the second side edge of the back panel of material to form a side seam located at a lateral aspect of the first leg portion, wherein the first side edge and the second side edge are in a planar relationship with the front panel of material and the back panel of material at the side seam, and wherein the front panel of material and the back panel of material are in a planar relationship with each other at the side seam; and
an elastomeric tape adhered to an external-facing surface of the front panel of material and the back panel of material at the side seam so as to secure the side seam, wherein the side seam is secured without the use of stitching, and wherein the elastomeric tape includes a first end located at a lower edge of a waistband of the lower-torso article of apparel and a second end located at a leg opening of the first leg portion of the lower-torso article of apparel, the elastomeric tape extending vertically between the first end and the second end, the elastomeric tape having a shape configuration comprising:
a first surface;
a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the second surface is affixed to the front panel of material and the back panel of material at the side seam;
a first side having a shape configuration comprising a first series of alternating peaks and troughs; and
a second side having a shape configuration comprising a second series of alternating peaks and troughs, wherein a first angle between 30 degrees and 60 degrees is formed at an apex region of each trough of the first series of troughs and each trough of the second series of troughs when the elastomeric tape is in a non-stretched state, and a second angle is formed at the apex region of the each trough of the first series of troughs and the each trough of the second series of troughs when the elastomeric tape is in a longitudinally stretched state, the second angle greater than the first angle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The lower-torso article of apparel of claim 1, wherein the side seam is curved, and wherein an entirety of the second surface of the elastomeric tape is adherent to the side seam throughout a length of the side seam.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The article of claim 1, wherein the seam is linear, and wherein an entirety of the second surface of the elastomeric tape is adherent to the seam throughout a length of the seam.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The lower-torso article of apparel of claim 1, wherein a peak of the second series of peaks on the second side is aligned across a width of the elastomeric tape with a trough of the first series of troughs on the first side, and a trough of the second series of troughs on the second side is aligned across the width of the elastomeric tape with a peak of the first series of peaks on the first side.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The lower-torso article of apparel of claim 1, wherein a distance between a first peak of the first series of peaks on the first side and a second, adjacent peak of the first series of peaks on the first side of the elastomeric tape is the same as a distance between a first peak of the second series of peaks on the second side and a second, adjacent peak of the second series of peaks on the second side of the elastomeric tape.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The lower-torso article of apparel of claim 1, the elastomeric tape further comprising an adhesive located on the second surface of the elastomeric tape.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The lower-torso article of apparel of claim 1, wherein the first series of troughs are spaced apart from a longitudinal axis of the elastomeric tape, and wherein the second series of troughs are spaced apart from the longitudinal axis of the elastomeric tape such that the elastomeric tape comprises a tolerance.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The lower-torso article of apparel of claim 1, wherein the apex region of each peak of the first series of peaks and each peak of the second series of peaks consists of a single apex point.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The lower-torso article of apparel of claim 8, wherein the apex region of each trough of the first series of troughs and each trough of the second series of troughs consists of a single apex point.