A Strapless, Backless, Seamless One Piece Bra without Waterproofing And Manufacturing Method Thereof

Abstract

Disclosed is a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without waterproofing and a manufacturing method thereof, in which an inner layer, an intermediate layer and an outer layer are sequentially laminated, adhered together using an adhesive agent, heat-pressed in a one-piece form, and then cut in a shape of brassiere cups and an adhesive region using ultrasonic waves, after which adhesiveness is applied only to the adhesive region of the brassiere other than brassiere cups to attach the brassiere to the skin of a wearer, wherein the adhesive layer uniformly infiltrates to a depth of about ½ of the thickness of the intermediate layer through the inner layer and is securely fixed using a solidification process through rapid cooling or high-temperature treatment. A dam is formed at an edge of the adhesive layer so that the adhesive layer is neither shoved nor squashed by external force, or an adhesive surface requiring adhesiveness is provided in a discontinuous form including a net or lattice form so as to ensure air permeability.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without waterproofing and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly to a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without waterproofing and a manufacturing method thereof, in which an inner layer, an intermediate layer and an outer layer are sequentially laminated, adhered together using an adhesive agent between respective layers, heat-pressed in a one-piece form, and then cut in a shape of brassiere cups and an adhesive region using ultrasonic waves, after which adhesiveness is applied only to the adhesive region of the brassiere other than brassiere cups to attach the brassiere to the skin of a wearer, wherein the inner layer and the outer layer are made of woven fabric such as cloth to ensure air permeability, and the adhesive agent uniformly infiltrates to a depth of about ½ of a thickness of the intermediate layer through the inner layer and is securely fixed therein using a solidification process through rapid cooling or high-temperature treatment. Also, a dam may be formed on a portion corresponding to the edge of the adhesive layer so that the adhesive layer is neither shoved nor squashed by external force, or an adhesive surface requiring adhesiveness may be provided in a discontinuous form for example a net form or a lattice form so as not to reduce air permeability due to the adhesive layer. Further, in order to coordinate a typical adhesive layer and an air permeable adhesive layer, the dam may be defined by a decorative figure or letter, and thus the air permeable adhesive layer is formed inside the dam and the typical adhesive layer outside the dam.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, women consider the breasts as the most important body portion. Also, every woman wants to have well-rounded and beautiful breasts, in both the East and the West. The breasts of women symbolize beauty and also are regarded as the sensitive portion used to breastfeed a baby. Recently, almost all of the strapless functional brassieres widely use direct adhesion to attach themselves to the breasts of the woman. Women wear such brassieres several times out of curiosity, but suffer from some problems and thus avoid the use thereof.

To gain beautiful breasts, women may undergo a breast enlargement operation or may continue wearing such adhesive brassieres. Taking into consideration not only commercial reasons but also stability in addition to the function of the brassieres to cover the breasts of the woman which are the most sensitive body portion, the development of brassieres which are convenient and substantially usable is required.

The strapless adhesive brassiere, part or all of which is made of woven fabric and which includes an adhesive layer, are variously functionalized and developed in a manner such that the adhesive layer is formed on the inner surface of the brassiere cups and both cups are connected using hooks or the like. Examples thereof are disclosed in Korean Patent Nos. 10-0504184, 10-0765822 and 10-0567817, Korean Utility Model Nos. 20-0363463, 20-0337986 and 20-338007, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,397,391 and 5,755,651.

In the brassieres according to the above conventional techniques, because the adhesive agent is mainly applied on the inner surface of the brassiere cups and is directly adhered to the breasts of a wearer, women who breastfeed a baby evade the use thereof.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,814,648, 6,257,952, 5,755,611 and 6,231,424 B1 and PCT/US00/02436 disclose techniques in which, in lieu of the aforementioned brassiere in which the adhesive layer is formed on the inner surface of the brassiere cups, the brassiere is provided in a one-piece form through sewing, after which the adhesive layer is formed on one surface of a waterproof film such as TPU and is then attached to the wings of the brassiere through sewing or using double-sided tape.

In particular, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,814,648 and 6,231,424 B1 and PCT/US00/02436, the adhesive layer is not directly applied to the breasts of a wearer but the silicone adhesive agent is applied onto the urethane waterproof film at the wings of the brassiere made of woven fabric and is then completed through sewing. So, the brassiere thus obtained spoils the beauty and negatively impacts the sensation of wearing them due to projection of a seam line and an edge line. Also, when a wearer wears such a brassiere and then a tight outer garment, the edge line and the seam line are visible through the garment and project from the garment, undesirably deteriorating an external appearance. Moreover, the manufacturing process of such a brassiere becomes complicated, thus increasing the manufacturing expenses, resulting in reduced competitiveness.

Almost all brassiere products according to the above conventional techniques adopt the silicone adhesive agent. In some cases, an acrylic adhesive agent or a polyolefin adhesive agent may be applied. In either case, the adhesive agent is present in a liquid phase at either room temperature or hotter, except for special cases, and thus may infiltrate the brassiere when applied to the woven fabric. In order to prevent such infiltration, there have been proposed methods of using a waterproof film such as TPU upon lamination of the brassiere cups and so on, or of subjecting the surface of the woven fabric for brassieres to waterproofing and then applying the adhesive agent thereto.

However, these methods are problematic because the film such as TPU is formed, thus making it impossible to induce air permeability of the brassiere even through partial application of the adhesive layer. As disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-0765822, even upon the use of the waterproof film such as TPU and then partial application of the adhesive layer, it is technically impossible to induce air permeability of the brassiere unless air holes are formed in the brassiere.

As mentioned above, the adhesive layer should be applied on the woven fabric after the waterproof film such as TPU is applied or the surface of the woven fabric is subjected to waterproofing. In this case, to stably apply the silicone adhesive agent on the TPU, a surfactant (primer) is first applied on the TPU and thus treated so that the silicone adhesive agent is efficiently combined with the surface of the TPU, after which the adhesive agent is applied. The surfactant which is composed of highly volatile materials may irritate the skin of the wearer. Unless the primer is used, the silicone adhesive agent cannot be stably securely fixed on the surface of the TPU. Even if the adhesive agent is securely fixed through primer treatment, the silicone adhesive agent intrinsically has weak adhesive force and thus cannot be reused for a long period of time (about a maximum of 100 reuses) and has no durability and thus cannot be washed using a washing machine together with general brassieres.

Also, in the case where a TPU is laminated with the woven fabric or sponge and then molded at high temperature to thus produce molded cups, the TPU may be anticipated to break down but such guessing may be confirmed only when using the adhesive agent. In short, work efficiency is reduced and defective rates are increased.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without waterproofing and a manufacturing method thereof, in which an adhesive layer is applied on part or all of the adhesive region of the brassiere other than the brassiere cups.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without waterproofing and a manufacturing method thereof, in which a seam line or an edge line is not formed on the adhesive region of the brassiere, and thus the adhesive layer may be brought into close contact with the skin of a wearer, and also a protrusion due to the wearing of the brassiere is not visible from the outside, thus preventing the degradation of an external appearance.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without waterproofing and a manufacturing method thereof, in which surface waterproofing using TPU is not conducted upon application of an adhesive agent to form an adhesive layer.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without waterproofing and a manufacturing method thereof, in which an adhesive layer is neither deformed nor removed upon repetitive use or washing of the brassiere.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without waterproofing and a manufacturing method thereof, in which air permeability may be exhibited without using additional air holes.

Technical Solution

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without waterproofing includes an adhesive layer so that the brassiere is directly attached to a skin of a wearer without shoulder and back straps, wherein the adhesive layer is formed on part or all of an adhesive region of the brassiere, other than brassiere cups shaped to match breasts of the wearer. The adhesive region may include a mid portion for connecting a pair of brassiere cups, a breast portion extending from the mid portion to both sides thereof to support and uplift the brassiere cups, and a wing portion extending from the breast portion to both sides thereof to correspond to an underarm area of the wearer, and the adhesive layer may be formed on at least one selected from among the mid portion, the breast portion and the wing portion.

In the adhesive brassiere, the brassiere cups and the adhesive region may be provided in a one-piece form, and the brassiere including the brassiere cups and the adhesive region may include an inner layer, an outer layer, and an intermediate layer disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer. The inner layer and the outer layer may be made of cloth or woven fabric, and the inner layer may be made of microfiber fabric having a fiber diameter of 0.01 mm or less and a small cell size so that an adhesive agent for the adhesive layer is not easily absorbed into the brassiere. Particularly useful is nylon or polyester woven fabric for the inner layer. The intermediate layer may be made of any one selected from among nonwoven fabric, sponge, and urethane elastic fibers.

The adhesive layer may infiltrate part of the intermediate layer through the inner layer as viewed from a cross-section and may be securely fixed therein. Specifically, the adhesive layer may infiltrate to a depth of ½ or less of a thickness of the intermediate layer as viewed from a cross-section and may be securely fixed therein, and may include an adhesive agent including silicone, acryl, polyolefin or a mixture thereof, each of which is solidified through rapid cooling or high-temperature treatment depending on the properties thereof.

The polyolefin adhesive agent may uniformly infiltrate to a predetermined depth and may be securely fixed using a solidification process through cooling, and the solidification process through cooling may be conducted by performing rapid cooling immediately after the adhesive agent dissolved at high temperature is applied into the inner layer and the intermediate layer, without using TPU or additional waterproofing, thus solidifying the adhesive agent. Alternatively, the silicone adhesive agent may be solidified through high-temperature treatment.

Further, a dam having a width of 1˜5 mm and a height of 0.3˜2 mm may be formed at an edge of the adhesive layer so that the adhesive layer applied to the brassiere is not deformed. The dam may be made of a synthetic resin including silicone, acryl or polyolefin, which is the same component as that of the adhesive layer but has no adhesive component, and may have a density greater than that of the adhesive layer so as to have strength not less than that of the adhesive layer. The dam may be formed using a solidification process through rapid cooling or using a solidification process through high-temperature treatment depending on the properties of the synthetic resin.

The adhesive layer may be provided in the form of an air permeable adhesive layer which is securely fixed in a linear form including a net form or a lattice form onto a surface requiring adhesiveness in order to ensure air permeability, and the air permeable adhesive layer may be formed inside the dam having a decorative figure or letter shape.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without a need for waterproofing includes sequentially laminating an inner layer, an intermediate layer, and an outer layer using an adhesive, thus forming a brassiere fabric sheet, pressing the brassiere fabric sheet at high temperature, thus processing the brassiere fabric sheet into a one-piece form, fusing and cutting the processed brassiere fabric sheet using ultrasonic waves, thus completing the brassiere having brassiere cups shaped to match a breast shape and an adhesive region to be attached to the skin of a wearer, and forming an adhesive layer on part or all of the adhesive region of the brassiere.

In the above method, forming the adhesive layer may be conducted using a solidification process through rapid cooling or using a solidification process through high-temperature treatment so that the adhesive layer infiltrates to a predetermined depth of the intermediate layer through the inner layer and is securely fixed therein. As such, the solidification process through rapid cooling may be conducted by performing rapid cooling immediately after an adhesive agent dissolved at high temperature is applied into the inner layer and the intermediate layer, without a need for additional waterproofing, and the solidification process through high-temperature treatment may be conducted by heating an adhesive agent in a liquid phase from room temperature to a high temperature and solidifying the adhesive agent.

The inner layer may be made of nylon or polyester microfiber fabric having a small cell size such that the adhesive agent for the adhesive layer is not easily absorbed into the brassiere, the intermediate layer is made of nonwoven fabric or sponge, and the adhesive layer may be made of an adhesive agent including silicone, acryl or polyolefin.

The above method may further include forming a dam at a portion corresponding to an edge of the adhesive layer so that the adhesive layer is not shoved by external force, before forming the adhesive layer. The dam may be made of a synthetic resin including silicone, acryl or polyolefin, may have strength not less than that of the adhesive layer, and may be securely fixed through rapid cooling or high-temperature treatment.

In the above method, forming the adhesive layer may be conducted by forming an air permeable adhesive layer in a linear form on a surface requiring adhesiveness so as to ensure air permeability and then subjecting the adhesive layer in a linear form to solidification through rapid cooling or high-temperature treatment so that the adhesive layer infiltrates to a predetermined depth and a predetermined width of the intermediate layer through the inner layer and is securely fixed therein. The air permeable adhesive layer may be securely fixed in a linear intersection form, including a net form or a lattice form. In particular, the air permeable adhesive layer maybe formed inside the dam having a decorative figure or letter shape.

In the above method, forming the adhesive layer or forming the dam may be conducted through a liquid crystal dispensing process for dispensing an adhesive agent in a liquid crystal state using a nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals, and then a liquid crystal cooling process for rapidly cooling liquid crystals of the adhesive agent immediately after being dispensed using a nozzle for cooling liquid crystals which is disposed adjacent to the nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals so that a direction of movement of the nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals coincides with a direction of movement of the nozzle for cooling liquid crystals.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without waterproofing includes an adhesive layer so that the brassiere is directly attached to a skin of a wearer without shoulder and back straps, wherein the adhesive layer is formed on an adhesive region of the brassiere other than brassiere cups so that the adhesive layer is not directly attached to breasts of the wearer which are a most sensitive body portion of a woman, the brassiere including the brassiere cups and the adhesive region is made of woven fabric in order to ensure air permeability throughout the brassiere, and the brassiere cups and the adhesive region are provided in a one-piece form.

The adhesive layer may be directly formed on the woven fabric without waterproofing, and, in order to control flowability of a resin including silicone, acryl or polyolefin in a liquid crystal state applied on the woven fabric, the liquid crystals may be solidified and securely fixed through rapid cooling within 1˜2 sec immediately after being dispensed. In order to control a speed for passing the resin through the woven fabric, the woven fabric may be made of nylon or polyester microfibers having a diameter of 0.01 mm or less, and a particle size of the resin is not smaller than the fiber diameter of the woven fabric. The adhesive layer may be provided in a linear form; including a net form or a lattice form, so as not to reduce air permeability due to the adhesive layer. Also, a dam having a width of 1˜5 mm and a height of 0.3˜2 mm may be formed at an edge of the adhesive layer using a resin including silicone, acryl or polyolefin having a density greater than that of the adhesive layer, in order to prevent the adhesive layer from being shoved or squashed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without a need for waterproofing, which is made of a woven fabric to ensure air permeability and has an adhesive layer without shoulder and back straps, includes forming the adhesive layer through a liquid crystal dispensing process, the liquid crystal dispensing process including dispensing liquid crystals of an adhesive agent for the adhesive layer using a nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals so that the liquid crystals are applied on the woven fabric, and, then performing a liquid crystal cooling process for rapidly cooling the liquid crystals immediately after being dispensed using a nozzle for cooling liquid crystals which is disposed adjacent to the nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals so that a direction of movement of the nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals coincides with a direction of movement of the nozzle for cooling liquid crystals, in order to securely fix and solidify the dispensed liquid crystals without waterproofing the woven fabric.

The liquid crystal dispensing process may include dissolving a polyolefin resin at high temperature, thus forming liquid crystals, supplying the liquid crystals through pumping into the nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals, dispensing the liquid crystals from the nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals while a position thereof is set using an infrared point sensor, and then forming a predetermined line using a computer program. The speed for cooling the liquid crystals may be determined by a distance between the nozzle for cooling liquid crystals and the nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals and by a speed of movement of the nozzle, and a temporal interval between dispensing of liquid crystals and cooling of liquid crystals may not exceed 2 sec.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without a need for waterproofing, which is made of a woven fabric to ensure air permeability and has an adhesive layer without shoulder and back straps, includes forming the:adhesive layer through a transfer process, the transfer process including attaching an adhesive agent composed of a silicone resin on release paper, bringing the release paper into close contact with the woven fabric so that the adhesive agent of the release paper and the woven fabric face each other, performing pressing while applying heat to a surface of the release paper opposite a surface on which the adhesive agent is applied, and absorbing the adhesive agent into the woven fabric to thus solidify and securely fix the adhesive agent.

Advantageous Effects

According to the present invention, the brassiere can exhibit the following effects.

First, an adhesive layer is formed only on the adhesive region of the brassiere other than the brassiere cups, thus obviating a need for shoulder or back straps to attach the brassiere to the skin of a wearer, thereby improving convenience for a wearer.

Second, because the adhesive region of the brassiere has neither the seam line nor the edge line, the adhesive layer formed on the inner layer of the brassiere can be brought into close contact with the skin of the wearer without interference, and also the outer layer of the brassiere has neither a protrusion nor a seam and thus such a protrusion is not visible from the outside, thereby satisfying the expectations of the wearer.

Third, additional TPU or waterproofing is not conducted to, form the adhesive layer, thus reducing the manufacturing costs and simplifying the manufacturing process.

Fourth, because the contour of the adhesive layer is protected by a dam, the shape of the adhesive layer can be maintained without change even when shoved or squashed through repetitive use of the adhesive layer. Even upon washing of the brassiere, there is no worry about the removal of the adhesive layer, thus generating economic benefits.

Fifth, the adhesive layer can be provided in a net form or a lattice form, and thus there is no need for additional air holes for air permeability, thereby improving competitiveness.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view showing the configuration of an adhesive brassiere according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the configuration of the adhesive brassiere according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a brassiere having a typical adhesive layer according to a second embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the configuration of the brassiere having a typical adhesive layer according to the second embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 5 is a rear view showing the configuration of a brassiere having an air permeable adhesive layer according to a third embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the brassiere having an air permeable adhesive layer according to the third embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 7 is a rear view showing the configuration of a brassiere in which a typical adhesive layer coordinates with an air permeable adhesive layer according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a process of laminating the layers of the brassiere fabric sheet according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a process of pressing the brassiere fabric sheet according to the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a process of cutting the brassiere fabric sheet according to the present invention

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a process of forming a dam of the brassiere according to the present invention;

*51 FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a process of forming the adhesive layer of the brassiere according to the present invention; and

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a process of manufacturing the adhesive brassiere according to the present invention.

* Description of the Reference Numerals in the
Drawings *
100: brassiere          110: brassiere cup
120: adhesive region    122: mid portion
124: breast portion     126: wing portion
132: inner layer        134: outer layer
136: intermediate layer 150: adhesive layer
160: dam                170: air permeable adhesive layer
180: nozzle for cooling liquid crystals
190: nozzle for dispensing liquid
crystals

MODE FOR INVENTION

Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given of a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without waterproofing and a method of manufacturing the same according to embodiments of the present invention with reference to the appended drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the brassiere 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a strapless backless adhesive brassiere which may be directly attached to the skin of a wearer using only an adhesive layer without using shoulder and back straps. To this end, the brassiere 100 includes an adhesive layer 150 formed on an adhesive region 120 other than the brassiere cups 110 shaped to match the breast shape. The adhesive region 120 of the brassiere includes a mid portion 122 for connecting a pair of brassiere cups 110, a breast portion 124 extending from the mid portion to both sides thereof to support and uplift the brassiere cups 110, or a wing portion 126 extending from the breast portion to both sides thereof to correspond to the underarm area of a wearer. The adhesive layer 150 may be formed on at least one selected from among the mid portion 122, the breast portion 124 and the wing portion 126.

In this way, because the adhesive agent is not applied on the inner surface of the brassiere cups 110 in a concave shape but is applied only onto the adhesive region 120 which is planar, the adhesive agent is not directly applied to the breasts of a woman which are the most sensitive body portion, thus preventing the inconvenience of a woman who breastfeeds a baby and realizing a simplified manufacturing process, reduced manufacturing costs and mass production.

The brassiere including the brassiere cups 110 and the adhesive region 120 is composed of an inner layer 132 and an outer layer 134 which are made of woven fabric, and an intermediate layer 136 disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer. The intermediate layer 136 is made of nonwoven fabric sponge, silk, urethane elastic fibers and other types of cloth. In particular, any material may be applied thereto as long as air permeability is ensured. The woven fabric includes various types of cloth, and the inner layer 132 and the outer layer 134 need not be made of the same type of cloth. In the case of the inner layer 132, it may be formed of microfiber fabric having a relatively small cell size so that an adhesive agent used for the adhesive layer 150 is not easily absorbed into the brassiere, specifically the intermediate layer 136. Particularly useful is nylon or polyester woven fabric. As such, the microfiber indicates very fine fiber having a diameter of about 1/100th of the thickness of a strand of hair. When the diameter of microfibers is set to about 0.008˜0.025 mm (the diameter should be set to at least 0.01 mm), water molecules may cause the gaps between microfibers to be smaller than the particles of the adhesive solution, and thus flowability of the solution passing through the microfiber fabric may be easily controlled and also high-temperature durability is high, advantageously preventing the deformation of the brassiere upon application of the adhesive agent at high temperature.

In this way, when the inner layer 132 is made of nylon or polyester woven fabric, a phenomenon in which the adhesive agent passes through the inner layer 132 and, infiltrates the intermediate layer 136 may be appropriately controlled, and further, the pollution of the outer layer 134 due to the excessive infiltration of the adhesive agent may be prevented.

In order to provide the brassiere 100 composed of the inner layer 132, the outer layer 134 and the intermediate layer 136 in a one-piece form, the inner layer 132, the intermediate layer 136, and the outer layer 134 are laminated in that order, adhered to each other using an adhesive agent therebetween, and then pressed at high temperature, thus obtaining a brassiere fabric sheet. The brassiere fabric sheet thus obtained is fused and cut using ultrasonic waves, thereby completing a desired brassiere 100.

In this way, when the brassiere including the brassiere cups 110 and the adhesive region 120 is processed in a one-piece form through pressing and then cut using ultrasonic waves, an edge line or a seam line is not formed. Thereby, problems in which the adhesive layer 150 is lifted from the skin of a wearer due to the edge line or seam line formed on the inner layer 132 and thus the adhesive layer 136 does not adhere well to the skin of a wearer may be solved. Also, problems in which a protrusion or seam due to the edge line or seam line formed on the outer layer 134 of the brassiere may be visible through or projected from a tight outer garment which is worn by a wearer may be solved.

Additionally, wires (not shown) may be further provided at a boundary line between the brassiere cups 110 and the adhesive region 120 so that the breasts are lifted and placed closer together. The wire may be inserted between the inner layer and the intermediate layer or between the intermediate layer and the outer layer, and is made of a shape memory alloy, plastic or a mixture thereof.

*70 The adhesive layer 136 of the present invention is formed so that the adhesive agent infiltrates only to a depth of about ⅓˜½ of the thickness of the intermediate layer 136 provided between the inner layer 132 and the outer layer 134 as viewed from the cross-section and is securely fixed therein, as shown in FIG. 3. The adhesive layer 150 is formed using an,adhesive agent such as silicone, acryl or polyolefin. If the adhesive agent infiltrates to a depth exceeding ½ of the thickness of the intermediate layer, it passes through the intermediate layer made of sponge or the like to thus pollute the outer layer 134. Conversely, if the adhesive agent infiltrates to a depth less than the range of ⅓˜½ of the thickness of the intermediate layer, the adhesive layer 150 is not efficiently attached to the brassiere, thus losing adhesiveness.

Silicone is a thermoplastic synthetic resin having a siloxane bond (Si—O bond) in which silicon and oxygen are alternately disposed and has applicability adequate for use as a release agent and is physiologically harmless and is therefore useful as the adhesive agent of the brassiere. The polyolefin resin which is a polymer compound resulting from polymerization of olefin is the lightest plastic, having a density of about 0.83, and has high heat resistance even at high temperature and superior transparency, and is thus suitable for use as the adhesive agent of the present invention.

In order to control the infiltration of the adhesive agent only to a desired depth of the intermediate layer 136, although the inner layer 132 may be made of microfibers having small cells as mentioned above, a process of adjusting the viscosity of the adhesive agent in a liquid phase to thus control the degree of absorption thereof is regarded as more important.

To this end, a solidification process through rapid cooling or high-temperature treatment is particularly useful. The solidification process through rapid cooling includes performing rapid cooling immediately after the adhesive agent dissolved at high temperature is applied into the brassiere, thus solidifying the adhesive agent. Specifically, the adhesive agent in a solution state is allowed to pass through the inner layer 132 at a predetermined rate, but is controlled to prevent the leakage out of the outer layer 134 through the sponge. It is important that the adhesive agent be controlled to be uniformly applied at a predetermined rate. The solidification process through high-temperature treatment includes solidifying the adhesive agent present in a liquid state at room temperature while being heated to high temperature.

In the case of the polyolefin resin, solidification is conducted in such a manner that heat is applied to polyolefin resin which is present in a solid state at room temperature, thus dissolving the resin in a hot melt state, and then the dissipating heat to the surroundings. Accordingly, the solidification of the polyolefin resin needs a procedure for cooling the polyolefin applied onto the woven fabric. Also, in the case of the silicone adhesive agent, a hydrogen-based silicone polymer A containing a platinum catalyst and vinylic silicone polymer B are mixed together, cross-linked at room temperature and then solidified. In this case, a cooling procedure is required. In contrast, there is illustrated a silicone resin which is present in a liquid state and is then solidified upon heating to high temperature. In this case, high temperature treatment is essentially required. Under certain circumstances, a solidification accelerator may be used. Below, the solidification process through rapid cooling using polyolefin resin is described, and the case of the high-temperature treatment is also described but is the same in terms of securely fixing the adhesive agent through solidification as the above solidification process through rapid cooling.

Conventionally, a waterproofing process using TPU has been mainly used to prevent the leakage of the adhesive agent through the outer layer 134. However, the present invention does not additionally require such waterproofing and is thus preferable in terms of products and work processes. As mentioned above, because the adhesive agent is typically present in a liquid phase, the adhesive agent completely infiltrates the cloth upon application onto the cloth, thus making it impossible to form the adhesive layer on the surface of the cloth. For this reason, there is an essential need for waterproofing the cloth using a primer before the adhesive agent is applied on the cloth. For example, a process of adhering TPU or thermoplastic resin on the inner surface of cloth or of subjecting cloth itself to waterproofing has been employed.

Alternatively, in order to solidify and securely fix the adhesive agent, a transfer process may be used. This process includes applying an adhesive agent on release paper to be separated, attaching the release paper to the woven fabric so that the adhesive agent applied on the release paper and the woven fabric face each other, pressing the release paper while applying heat to the surface of the release paper opposite the surface on which the adhesive agent is applied, thus absorbing the adhesive agent into the woven fabric, and then separating the releasing paper from the woven fabric, thereby obtaining the woven fabric on which the adhesive agent is applied as in a printing process.

The adhesive layer 150, which is applied on part or all of the mid portion, the breast portion and the wing portion, may be shoved or squashed by physical force due to repetitive use of the brassiere or washing thereof. Also, the adhesive layer 150 attached to the inner layer of the brassiere may come apart therefrom and thus may be exposed to the outside. For example, a phenomenon in which the adhesive layer 150 is squashed or shoved due to the use of the brassiere may occur. In particular, when the adhesive layer 150 is shoved from the wing portion of the brassiere, the adhesive agent may adhere to another piece of underwear or clothing. Further, while the adhesive agent is shoved out of the brassiere, adhesiveness is lost, and the adhesive agent appears as a mess.

Thus, according to another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a dam 160 may be formed at the edge of the adhesive layer 150. The dam 160 is applied on the brassiere before formation of the adhesive layer on the brassiere, and may be formed in the same manner as in the process of forming the adhesive layer. Specifically, the dam is made along the edge of a portion corresponding to the adhesive layer before formation of the adhesive layer, provided that the dam has the same strength as that of the adhesive layer or is increased in density to thus be stronger compared to the adhesive layer. Also, the dam is made of the same component as in the adhesive layer, provided that silicone, acrylic or polyolefin synthetic resin having no adhesive component is used.

Thus, when the dam is first formed and then the adhesive layer is formed, the adhesive agent is applied inside the dam and thus it is easy to form the adhesive layer 150. Hence, even though the adhesive layer thus formed is subjected to external force, the adhesive layer 150 is neither shoved nor damaged. The dam 160 is formed in the width range of 1˜5 mm and in the height range of 0.3˜2 mm. The height of the adhesive layer 150 which is the same as or similar to that of the dam 160 may be desirably set to about 3 mm, and may have a density to such an extent as to not hurt the skin of the wearer.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, there is provided a brassiere which is air permeable even without forming additional air holes for preventing air permeability from being reduced attributable to the adhesive layer 150. The adhesive layer 150 may be adjusted in terms of an area as viewed from above, as well as in terms of the cross-sectional depth. Specifically, an air permeable adhesive layer 170 which is not applied on the entire surface requiring adhesiveness when viewed from above may be provided in a discontinuous form, for example, a net form or a lattice form. In this way, when the air permeable adhesive layer 170 is applied in a net form or a lattice form, air may freely pass through the portion on which the adhesive layer was not applied, thus improving air permeability.

Also, the adhesive layer may be used in a combination of the adhesive layer 150 and the air permeable adhesive layer 170. As shown in FIG. 7, decorative figures or letters may be formed in the adhesive layer 150, 170. The dam 160 may be defined by the letter or figure, and the air permeable adhesive layer 170 is formed inside the dam 160, thereby appropriately coordinating the typical adhesive layer with the lattice type adhesive layer, making an external appearance beautiful and improving air permeability. Even in this case, to form the air permeable adhesive layer 170 into a desired shape, the solidification process through rapid cooling may be utilized.

Below, the process of manufacturing the strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without a need for waterproofing is described in detail with reference to the appended drawings. As mentioned above, the solidification process includes rapid cooling, high-temperature treatment, or transfer. For convenience, the rapid cooling process is illustratively described.

As shown in FIG. 8, the inner layer 132, the intermediate layer 136, and the outer layer 134 are laminated in that order, after which these layers are adhered together using the adhesive agent therebetween and then pressed at high temperature using a pressing system, such as a press, as shown in FIG. 9. As such, the brassiere cups 110 are formed in a concave shape, and the other portion is formed flat. As shown in FIG. 10, the pressed fabric sheet is cut into a desired shape using ultrasonic waves, thus obtaining the brassiere having the brassiere cups 110 and the adhesive region 120.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the dam 160 and the adhesive layer 150 are formed in the adhesive region 120 of the inner layer 132 of the brassiere. The process of forming the dam and the adhesive layer is as follows. Specifically, the dam 160 may be formed through a liquid crystal dispensing process or a silk screening process. Herein, the liquid crystal dispensing process is described below. According to the liquid crystal dispensing process, the dam 160 is formed in a desired shape as if a picture is drawn with a line using a nozzle 190 dispensing liquid crystals. This process includes dissolving silicone, acryl or polyolefin resin at high temperature, thus obtaining liquid crystals, supplying the liquid crystals into the nozzle 190 through pumping, dispensing the liquid crystals from the nozzle 190 while the position thereof is set using an infrared point sensor, and then forming a desired shape using a computer program, thus forming the dam 160. Also, in the case where the adhesive layer 150 is provided in a linear form such as a net form or a lattice form, it may be formed in a desired shape using the above process through movement of the nozzle 190.

By the solidification process through rapid cooling, the liquid crystals may be cooled using a nozzle 180 for cooling liquid crystals immediately after being dispensed from the nozzle 190 for dispensing liquid crystals. For example, the nozzle 180 for cooling liquid crystals is spaced apart from the nozzle 190 for dispensing liquid crystals by a predetermined distance so that the direction of movement of the nozzle 180 for cooling liquid crystals coincides with the direction of movement of the nozzle 190 for dispensing liquid crystals. Thereby, immediately after the liquid crystals are dispensed, they can be rapidly cooled. As such, rapid cooling indicates cooling within about 1˜2 sec without delay (in the case of natural cooling at room temperature, 30˜60 sec is requited), and may be determined by the distance between the nozzle 180 for cooling liquid crystals and the nozzle 190 for dispensing liquid crystals and the speed of movement of the nozzle. In this way, when the dispensed liquid crystals are rapidly cooled, the depth where the adhesive agent infiltrates downward can be uniformly controlled, and as well, the lateral infiltration of the adhesive agent is prevented, whereby the adhesive layer can be formed at a desired width and a desired interval.

As mentioned above, in the present invention, in order to solve problems of the conventional brassiere made of only the woven fabric in which the dissolved adhesive agent may pollute the outer surface of the brassiere upon formation of the adhesive layer on the inner surface of the brassiere and also in which various defects may occur due to waterproofing using TPU or primer treatment, the solidification process through rapid cooling is used so that the adhesive agent uniformly infiltrates only to a depth of about ½ of the thickness of the sponge layer and is thus securely fixed therein. Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without waterproofing, comprising an adhesive layer so that the brassiere is directly attached to a skin of a wearer without shoulder and back straps, wherein the adhesive layer is formed on part or all of an adhesive region of the brassiere, other than brassiere cups shaped to match breasts of the wearer.

2. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive region comprises a mid portion for connecting a pair of brassiere cups, a breast portion extending from the mid portion to both sides thereof to support and uplift the brassiere cups, and a wing portion extending from the breast portion to both sides thereof to correspond to an underarm area of the wearer, and the adhesive layer is formed on at least one selected from among the mid portion, the breast portion and the wing portion.

3. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the brassiere cups and the adhesive region are provided in a one-piece form, and the brassiere including the brassiere cups and the adhesive region comprises an inner layer, an outer layer, and an intermediate layer disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer.

4. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 3, wherein the inner layer and the outer layer are made of cloth or woven fabric.

5. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 4, wherein the inner layer is made of microfiber fabric having a fiber diameter of 0.01 mm or less and a small cell size so that an adhesive agent for the adhesive layer is not easily absorbed into the brassiere.

6. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 5, wherein the inner layer is made of nylon or polyester woven fabric.

7. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 6, wherein the intermediate layer is made of any one selected from among nonwoven fabric, sponge, and urethane elastic fibers.

8. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 3, wherein the adhesive layer infiltrates part of the intermediate layer through the inner layer as viewed from a cross-section and is securely fixed therein.

9. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 8, wherein the adhesive layer infiltrates to a depth of ½ or less of a thickness of the intermediate layer as viewed from a cross-section and is securely fixed therein.

10. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 8, wherein the adhesive layer comprises an adhesive agent including silicone, acryl, polyolefin or a mixture thereof, each of which is solidified through rapid cooling or high-temperature treatment depending on properties thereof.

11. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 10, wherein a polyolefin adhesive agent uniformly infiltrates to a predetermined depth and is securely fixed using a solidification process through cooling, and the solidification process through cooling is conducted by performing rapid cooling immediately after the adhesive agent dissolved at a high temperature is applied into the inner layer and the intermediate layer, without using TPU or additional waterproofing, thus solidifying the adhesive agent.

12. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 8, wherein the adhesive layer is made of a silicone adhesive agent, and the adhesive agent is solidified through high-temperature treatment.

13. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 11, wherein a dam having a width of 1˜5 mm and a height of 0.3˜2 mm is formed at an edge of the adhesive layer so that the adhesive layer applied to the brassiere is not deformed.

14. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 13, wherein the dam is made of a synthetic resin including silicone, acryl or polyolefin, which is a same component as that of the adhesive layer but has no adhesive component, and has a density greater than that of the adhesive layer so as to have strength not less than that of the adhesive layer.

15. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 13, wherein the dam is formed using a solidification process through rapid cooling or using a solidification process through high-temperature treatment depending on properties of the synthetic resin.

16. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 11, wherein the adhesive layer is provided in a form of an air permeable adhesive layer which is securely fixed in a linear form including a net form or a lattice form onto a surface requiring adhesiveness in order to ensure air permeability.

17. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 16, wherein the air permeable adhesive layer is formed inside the dam having a decorative figure or letter shape.

18. A method of manufacturing a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without a need for waterproofing, the method comprising:

sequentially laminating an inner layer, an intermediate layer, and an outer layer using an adhesive agent, thus forming a brassiere fabric sheet

pressing the brassiere fabric sheet at a high temperature, thus processing the brassiere fabric sheet into a one-piece form and

fusing and cutting the processed brassiere fabric sheet using ultrasonic waves, thus completing the brassiere having brassiere cups shaped to match a breast shape and an adhesive region to be attached to a skin of a wearer.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising forming an adhesive layer on part or all of the adhesive region of the brassiere.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the forming the adhesive layer is conducted using a solidification process through rapid cooling or using a solidification process through high-temperature treatment so that the adhesive layer infiltrates to a predetermined depth of the intermediate layer through the inner layer and is securely fixed therein.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the solidification process through rapid cooling is conducted by performing rapid cooling immediately after an adhesive agent dissolved at a high temperature is applied into the inner layer and the intermediate layer, without a need for additional waterproofing, and the solidification process through high-temperature treatment is conducted by heating an adhesive agent in a liquid phase from room temperature to a high temperature and solidifying the adhesive agent.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the inner layer is made of nylon or polyester microfiber fabric having a small cell size such that the adhesive agent for the adhesive layer is not easily absorbed into the brassiere.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the intermediate layer is made of nonwoven fabric or sponge.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the adhesive layer is made of an adhesive agent including silicone, acryl or polyolefin.

25. The method according to claim 19, further comprising forming a dam at a portion corresponding to an edge of the adhesive layer so that the adhesive layer is not shoved by external force, before forming the adhesive layer.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the dam is made of a synthetic resin including silicone, acryl or polyolefin, has strength not less than that of the adhesive layer, and is securely fixed through rapid cooling or high-temperature treatment.

27. The method according to claim 19, wherein the forming the adhesive layer is conducted by forming an air permeable adhesive layer in a linear form on a surface requiring adhesiveness so as to ensure air permeability and then subjecting the adhesive layer in a linear form to solidification through rapid cooling or high-temperature treatment so that the adhesive layer infiltrates to a predetermined depth and a predetermined width of the intermediate layer through the inner layer and is securely fixed therein.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the air permeable adhesive layer is securely fixed in a linear intersection form, including a net form or a lattice form.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the air permeable adhesive layer is formed inside the dam having a decorative figure or letter shape.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein the forming the adhesive layer or the forming the dam is conducted through a liquid crystal dispensing process for dispensing an adhesive agent in a liquid crystal state using a nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals, and then a liquid crystal cooling process for rapidly cooling liquid crystals of the adhesive agent immediately after being dispensed using a nozzle for cooling liquid crystals which is disposed adjacent to the nozzle for dispensing liquid, crystals so that a direction of movement of the nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals coincides with a direction of movement of the nozzle for cooling liquid crystals.

31. A strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without waterproofing, comprising an adhesive layer so that the brassiere is directly attached to a skin of a wearer without shoulder and back straps, wherein the adhesive layer is formed on an adhesive region of the brassiere other than brassiere cups so that the adhesive layer is not directly attached to breasts of the wearer which are a most sensitive body portion of a woman, the brassiere including the brassiere cups and the adhesive region is made of woven fabric in order to ensure air permeability throughout the brassiere, and the brassiere cups and the adhesive region are provided in a one-piece form.

32. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 31, wherein the adhesive layer is directly formed on the woven fabric without waterproofing, and, in order to control flowability of a resin including silicone, acryl or polyolefin in a liquid crystal state applied on the woven fabric, the liquid crystals are solidified and securely fixed through rapid cooling within 1˜2 sec immediately after being dispensed.

33. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 32, wherein the woven fabric is made of nylon or polyester microfibers having a diameter of 0.01 mm or less, and a particle size of the resin is not smaller than the fiber diameter of the woven fabric, in order to control a speed for passing the resin through the woven fabric.

34. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 33, wherein the adhesive layer is provided in a linear form, including a net form or a lattice form, so as not to reduce air permeability due to the adhesive layer.

35. The adhesive brassiere according to claim 34, wherein a dam having a width of 1˜5 mm and a height of 0.3˜2 mm is formed at an edge of the adhesive layer using a resin including silicone, acryl or polyolefin having a density greater than that of the adhesive layer, in order to prevent the adhesive layer from being shoved or squashed.

36. A method of manufacturing a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without a need for waterproofing, which is made of a woven fabric to ensure air permeability and comprises an adhesive layer without shoulder and back straps, the method comprising forming the adhesive layer through a liquid crystal dispensing process, the liquid crystal dispensing process including dispensing liquid crystals of an adhesive agent for the adhesive layer using a nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals so that the liquid crystals are applied on the woven fabric.

37. The method according to claim 36, further comprising performing a liquid crystal cooling process for rapidly cooling the liquid crystals immediately after being dispensed using a nozzle for cooling liquid crystals which is disposed adjacent to the nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals so that a direction of movement of the nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals coincides with a direction of movement of the nozzle for cooling liquid crystals, in order to securely fix and solidify the dispensed liquid crystals without waterproofing the woven fabric.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the liquid crystal dispensing process comprises dissolving a polyolefin resin at a high temperature, thus forming liquid crystals, supplying the liquid crystals through pumping into the nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals, dispensing the liquid crystals from the nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals while a position thereof is set using an infrared point sensor, and then forming a predetermined line using, a computer program.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein a speed for cooling the liquid crystals is determined by a distance between the nozzle for cooling liquid crystals and the nozzle for dispensing liquid crystals and by a speed of movement of the nozzle, and a temporal interval between dispensing of liquid crystals and cooling of liquid crystals does not exceed 2 sec.

40. A method of manufacturing a strapless backless seamless adhesive brassiere without a need for waterproofing, which is made of a woven fabric to ensure air permeability and comprises an adhesive layer without shoulder and back straps, the method comprising forming the adhesive layer through a transfer process, the transfer process including attaching an adhesive agent composed of a silicone resin on a release paper, bringing the release paper into close contact with the woven fabric so that the adhesive agent of the release paper and the woven fabric face each other, performing pressing while applying heat to a surface of the release paper opposite a surface on which the adhesive agent is applied, and absorbing the adhesive agent into the woven fabric to thus solidify and securely fix the adhesive agent.