# US 4,398,981 A · Brassiere pad fabrication

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- Number: US 4,398,981 A
- Document ID: US4398981A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/240,002
- Filed: 1981-03-03
- Granted: 1983-08-16
- Earliest claimed: 1981-03-03
- Assignees: Olga Company
- Inventors: Raymond J. Ellis
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4398981A

## CPC

- B29C 51/14: using multilayered preforms or sheets
- A41C 3/144: {Pads}
- A41C 5/005: {by moulding (shaping of textile material made from plastics fibres by thermoforming B29C51/004)}
- B29B 11/16: comprising fillers or reinforcement {(non-woven fabrics per se D04H1/00, D04H3/00)}
- B29C 51/082: {by shaping between complementary mould parts}
- Y10T 156/1036: Bending of one piece blank and joining edges to form article
- Y10T 156/1066: Cutting to shape joining edge surfaces only
- Y10T 156/1074: Separate cutting of separate sheets or webs
- Y10T 156/1075: of plural laminae from single stock and assembling to each other or to additional lamina
- 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)
- A41C: CORSETS; BRASSIERES
- B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A brassiere pad is formed by providing two cones, each consisting of batting and having a seam extending from the cone apex to its periphery; nesting the cones to orient the seams in selected non-superposed position; and applying heat and pressure to the cones to effect their compression to final pad shape and interconnection through curing of a bonding agent.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In the method of fabricating a brassiere pad, the steps that include:
(a) forming two generally circular sheet like blanks with notches having diverging edges, the blanks consisting essentially of lightweight fibrous batting and thermoplastic resin intermediate the fibers,
(b) connecting together said diverging edges of each blank thereby to form said blank into a cone having a seam extending between the apex and the periphery of the cone,
(c) nesting the two cones into conical contact so that the seam of one cone is effectively rotated about 180.degree. relative to the seam of the other cone, about an axis passing through the apices of the cones,
(d) applying heat and pressure to the nested cones to compress them against one another and substantially reduce their combined thickness thereby effecting their interconnection through at least partial melting of said resin, to form the pad into the shape of a dome, and to increasingly reduce said combined thickness from the crest of the dome toward a looping periphery defined by the dome,
(e) said connecting together of the diverging edges of a blank being accomplished by loosely stitching together portions of the blank adjacent said edges, by employing plastic thread.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said (d) step is carried out to control the density and flexibility of the pad, said pad density being greater than the density of each blank, and said pad flexibility being less than the flexibility of each nested cone.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the blank consists of FIBERFIL, and the stitching is effected using plastic thread.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein resin is applied on outer surface extent of at least one cone to assist in interconnecting the cones.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said (d) step is carried out by molding the cones between male and female mold sections, the female section having a surface corresponding to the desired convex surface shape of the pad.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein said (d) step effects formation of flash joined to the pad periphery, and including the step of severing the flash from the pair periphery.