Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A41—WEARING APPAREL
  • A41F—GARMENT FASTENINGS; SUSPENDERS
  • A41F9/00—Belts, girdles, or waistbands for trousers or skirts
  • A41F9/02—Expansible or adjustable belts or girdles ; Adjustable fasteners comprising a track and a slide member
  • A41F9/025—Adjustable belts or girdles

Definitions

• the present application is a regular application based on co-pending
• the present invention is directed to a tunnel for pull strings, such as those used in garments, and methods for forming and mounting such tunnels j BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• a garment or other product 10 comprising a fabric, textile woven or non ⁇ woven material has a drawstring tunnel 14 formed along a peripheral edge by folding an outer edge 12 of the product material 10 over and stitching or sewing the edge 12 to the product material 10, thereby forming the tunnel 14
• a drawstring 16 is then placed into the tunnel 14 to allow the garment to be adjusted, as previously described
• the drawstring 16 is not located along a peripheral edge of the jacket, but around the wearer's waist near the middle or center of the jacket
• Fig 1B is a drawstring 16, it would be located towards the center of a jacket In this configuration, the drawstring is normally mounted on an inner surface of the jacket
• a separate piece of material 18, which often matches the product material 10 is wrapped over upon itself
• the tunnel 14 can be formed by sewing opposing lateral edges of a separate piece of material (not shown) to the inner surface of the product material 10, with the tunnel 14 being formed between the separate piece of material and the inner surface of the product material 10
• the tunnel 14 is formed on the inner surface of the product mate ⁇ al 10 such that the tunnel 14 is not visible on the outer surface of the garment
• the stitching or sewing performed to form the tunnel 14 may compromise the integrity of the product material 10 by forming a plurality of needle holes 20 in the garment Not only can these needle holes be unsightly, but in weather resistant garments (i e , garments that protect against wind, water and cold temperatures), the needle holes can allow water and wind to penetrate the garment In order to prevent the latter problem, it is known to seal the seam on the inner surface of the garment with a length of waterproof tape 22 Such seam sealing tapes are available from W L Gore & Associates, Ine , of Newark, Delaware, under the trademark GORE-SEAM® Once the tunnel has been formed, tape is then installed over the stitch hole and the tape is welded ⁇ the inside of sewn seams with a hot air machine The hot air machine irects air at very high temperatures onto the tape, activating an adhesive and forcing the molten adhesive into the fabric 10 This process seals stitch holes, seams and other sources of leakage at the seam
• Tunnels made on the inner surface of the garment require sewing either one or two areas and sealing one or two areas, respectively, in order to waterproof the material This often causes the material to become stiff in the area proximate the tunnel such that the garment may become somewhat uncomfortable or less aesthetically pleasing
• the first and second pieces of mate ⁇ al 26a, 26b are sewn to the material 24 along opposing edges of the material 24
• the sewn member is then applied to the fabric 10 such that the two adhesive loaded pieces of material 26a, 26b are bonded to the product material 10 and the piece of material 24 is not attached to the product material 10
• the tunnel 14 is thus formed between product material 10 and material 24
• a drawstring 16 may then be installed in the tunnel 14 in a known manner
• the present invention is directed to a method of forming a tunnel in a garment or textile article that does not compromise the integrity of the garment or textile, yet is simple and inexpensive to perform
• the present invention is also directed to a tape for forming a tunnel in a garment or textile
• the present invention reduces the labor required in forming a tunnel and also reduces the amount of materials required in forming and sealing a tunnel in a garment
• the present invention comprises an improved apparatus and method for forming a drawstring tunnel in a garment or similar structure
• the tunnel of the present invention comprises a relatively wide tape having at least two parallel adhesive strips and a center non-adhesive portion
• the tape is applied to a substrate (e g , garment) with each of the adhesive strips attaching to the substrates but with the center portion left un-adhered Attached in this manner the tape forms a drawstring tunnel upon attachment without limitations found in previous tunnel constructions Since the tape is attached with adhesive alone, there are no needle holes formed through the garment that could present leakage problems. As a result, leakage risk through such holes is eliminated.
• the final tunnel can be made far more flexible (i.e., less stiff) and more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing than previous tape-sealed garment tunnels.
• the simplicity of the present invention allows drawstring tunnels to be made and installed far faster and easier than any previous method.
• Fig. 1 A is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an existing method for forming a drawstring tunnel along a peripheral edge of a garment;
• Fig. 1 B is a cross-section view of a second embodiment of an existing method for forming drawstring tunnel for a garment
• Fig. 2A is a top plan view of a third embodiment of an existing method of forming a drawstring tunnel for a garment
• Fig. 2B is an exploded, cross-section view of the drawstring tunnel shown in Fig. 2A
• Fig. 3 is an exploded, cross-section view of a tape for forming a tunnel in a textile in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention
• Fig. 4 is an exploded, cross-section view of a tape for forming a tunnel in a textile in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention
• Fig. 5A is a perspective view of a tunnel formed in a textile material using a tape in accordance with the present invention
• Fig. 5B is a cross-section view of the tunnel shown in Fig. 5A;
• Fig. 6 is an exploded, cross-section view of a tape for forming a tunnel in a textile in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention
• Fig 7 is a cross-section view of a tape for forming a tunnel in a textile in accordance with a fourth embodiment of he present invention
• Fig 8 is a perspective view of a textile having a drawstring tunnel formed thereon in accordance with a method of the present invention
• the present invention comprises apparatus and method for providing improved tunnel structures on a substrate, such as a drawstring tunnel on garments and similar structures
• the tunnel of the present invention is particularly suitable for use with protective and "weather resistant" garments and like products where needle holes must be avoided or sealed to prevent leakage through the product
• weather resistant is used to refer to materials which resist water and wind, such as products sold by W L Gore & Associates, Ine , under the trademarks GORE-TEX®, which are waterproof, windproof and breathable, and ACTIVENT®, which are water resistant, windproof, and breathable
• weather resistant as used herein is not intended to be limited to advanced weatherproof or weather resistant materials and should be construed to include any of a variety of products that resists or prevents water or other liquid penetration, such as cotton duct, coated fabrics, such as urethane treated fabrics, sheet plastics, microfiber products, etc
• the terminology includes the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import
• the present invention is directed to a tape for use with a textile for forming a tunnel
• the tunnel may be used to hold a drawstring
• the present invention is also directed to a method of forming a tunnel in a textile using a tape or piece of fabric
• the present invention is generally described herein in conjunction with a jacket, such as a jacket constructed of a waterproof fabric
• the present inventton is not limited to use with jackets, but can be used with a large variety of garments and other articles, such as overalls, pants, gaiters, mitts, bags, etc
• the present invention is effectively used with weather resistant garments and textile articles, the present invention can be used with garments and textile articles constructed of other types of fabrics and materials
• like numerals indicate like elements throughout Referring now to Figs 3 and 4, there is shown an exploded, cross-section view of a tape 30 for forming a tunnel in a garment or textile article in accordance with first and second embodiments of the present invention
• the tape 30 comprises a first,
• a first substrate layer 34 is bonded to one side or surface of the outer layer 32, preferably with a first adhesive layer 36
• the first substrate layer 34 is preferably constructed of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) film, which acts as a physical barrier to prevent adhesive permeation through to the outer layer 32
• Expanded PTFE is waterproof, preventing water from seeping through or penetrating the garment, and is moisture vapor permeable, allowing moisture vapor to escape from the garment
• the first substrate layer 34 is coated with a second adhesive layer 38, such as a hot-melt adhesive, for bonding the tape 30 to a garment or textile article
• the adhesive layer 38 is preferably a layer of thermoplastic adhesive in a thickness range from 0 005 cm to 0 025 cm, with a preferred thickness of approximately 0 006 inches (0 015 cm) thick
• a wide range of tape 30 widths can be used, with widths of 2 to 10 cm being typical Widths of the various regions would be a function of the overall width, with the adhesive layers having a minimum limitation of the area required for sufficeint strength for durability
• a 3 75 cm side tape would have adhesive layers of 0 3 cm to 1 25 cm for example
• a large number of adhesives may be suitable for bonding the substrate layer 34 to the textile 10, such as polyurethane, polyolefin, nylon, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), perfluoroalkoxy polymer (PFA), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polyester, etc
• a non-bonding material layer 40 is bonded or attached to the adhesive layer 38
• the non-bonding material layer 40 creates a non-bonding region, denoted 42, on the inner side of the tape 30
• the non-bonding region 42 is located between two bonding regions, denoted 44a, 44b, also on the inner side of the tape 30
• the bonding regions 44a, 44b and the non-bonding region 42 are parallel with each other and extend over the length of the tape 30
• the non-bonding material layer 40 is preferably constructed of a material to prevent the non-bonding region 42 from bonding to the garment during the sealing process in which the tape 30 is bonded to the garment or textile article
• the non-bonding material layer 40 comprises an ePTFE film or laminate layer
• the non-bonding material layer 40 may be constructed of a release paper, a silicone based coating, or other suitable materials
• the width of the non-bonding material layer 40 may be approximately one-third of the width of the tape 30 It is preferred to maximize the non-
• the non-bonding material layer 40 can be bonded or attached to the adhesive layer 38 with an adhesive 46, such as the thermoplastic adhesive layer 38
• an adhesive 46 such as the thermoplastic adhesive layer 38
• the non- bonding material layer 40 is bonded to the first substrate layer with a thermoplastic adhesive approximately 0 006 inches (0 015 cm) thick (before a hot-melt bonding process is performed)
• the adhesive layer could be from from 0 005 cm to 0 025 cm in thickness
• the non-bonding mate ⁇ al layer 40 can be bonded to the first substrate layer 34 using the adhesive layer 38
• the tape 30 is shown bonded to a material of a garment or other product 10, thereby forming a tunnel 14
• the tunnel may be used to secure a drawstring 16 to the garment or textile article
• the tape 30 is attached to product 10 preferably using either a hot press machine or hot air machine, that apply heat and pressure to melt the thermoplastic adhesive and bond it to a substrate
• Such apparatus is commercially available from a number of sources, including from W L Gore & Associates, Ine , Elkton, MD
• the tape 30 is bonded to textile 10 with the adhesive layer 38 being placed against and bonded to a surface of the textile 10 (e g , for a jacket, the tape 30 is preferably bonded to the inside of the jacket)
• Each of the bonding regions 44a, 44b is securely attached to the textile 10
• the non- bonding region 42 is prevented from bonding to the textile 10 by the lack of adhesive on the non-bonding material layer 40
• a tunnel 14 is formed between the textile 10 and the tape 30 along the non-
• FIG 6 an exploded, cross-section view of a third embodiment of a tape 50 for forming a tunnel of the present invention
• the tape 50 similar to the tape 30, includes a first, outer fabric layer 32 bonded to a substrate layer 34 with an adhesive 36 However, instead of a continuous adhesive layer 38 on the substrate layer 34, a discontinuous adhesive layer
• the adhesive of the discontinuous adhesive layer 38a, 38b is preferably a thermoplastic adhesive similar to the thermoplastic adhesive of the continuous adhesive layer 38
• the adhesive layer 38a has the width of sufficeint area for strength such as 0 5 to 1 25 cm and the non-bonded area is a minimum width that allows sufficeint flexibility to insert and manipulate the drawstring, such as 2 to 4 cm
• the adhesive layers 38a, 38b form respective bonding regions 44a, 44b and a non-bonding region 42 therebetween
• the bonding regions 44a, 44b and the non-bonding region 42 are parallel to each other and extend over the length of the tape 50
• the adhesive layers 38a, 38b each have a width that is approximately one-third of the width of the tape 50, and the non-bonding region 42 is also approximately one-third of the width of the tape 50 Again, the exact relative proportions between these layers may vary, so long as sufficient adhesive is provided to securely bond the tape to the substrate
• the tape 50 is attached, i.e , permanently bonded, to a garment or textile article preferably using either a hot air machine or a hot press machine
• Fig 7 shows yet another embodiment of a tape 60 in accordance with the present invention for forming a tunnel 14
• the tape 60 comprises a substrate layer 34 bonded to an abrasion resistant liner 32 with an adhesive 36 on one side and to a layer of hot-melt adhesive 38 on the other side
• the tape 60 is placed such that the adhesive layer 38 is facing the desired side of the textile 10
• the tape 60 is then bonded to the textile 10 by selectively activating the adhesive 38 only at particular places of the tape That is, as shown in Fig 7, the tape 60 is bonded to the textile 10 only at the opposing lateral sides of the tape 60
• the device used to activate the adhesive 38 limits or prevents activation of the adhesive 38 at the center section of the tape 60 If a hot air machine or hot press machine are used, no hot air, heat, and/or pressure is applied proximate to the center of the tape 60, such that the center of the tape 60 is not attached to the textile 10, thereby allowing the formation of the tunnel 1 Alternatively, as will be apparent to those of ordinary
• a perspective view of a textile 10 having a tunnel 14 formed thereon is shown A drawstring 16 is located within the tunnel 14
• the tape 60 is bonded to the textile 10 using a spot welding technique That is, a plurality of spot welds 62 are made along opposite edges of the tape 60, thereby securing the tape 60 to the textile 10 at the spot welds
• a non-bonding region 42 is thus located along the center axis of the tape 60
• this method of forming the tunnel 14 is suitable when many methods are used to activate the adhesive on the inner side of the tape 60
• the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a tape having a fabric outer layer, a middle substrate layer, and an inner adhesive layer
• the tape further includes at least one inner bonding region and at least one inner non-bonding region
• a drawstring may be pre-installed within the tunnel during the tunnel formation process, or may be installed after tunnel formation through conventional means
• the present invention also provides a method for forming a tunnel in a garment or textile article by selectively bonding only specific regions of a tape to the garment or textile article
• the tunnel is formed between the non-bonded region of the tape and a surface of the garment or textile material Due to the simplicity of the tape and process for bonding the tape to the garment or textile article, the tunnel is dramatically easier to form than through conventional methods Moreover, the tunnel formed by the present invention does not compromise the integrity or aesthetics of the garment or textile article Maintenance of product integrity is a crucial factor when forming weather resistant products whereby formation of seam holes and the like is preferably avoided Accordingly, the construction of the tape does not require waterproofing properties to seal needle holes, since the tape is not sewn to the textile It should be further appreciated that the tunnel of the present invention may be readily installed either inside or outside of a garment or other product
• thermoplastic adhesive layer 38 A tape having an ePTFE substrate layer with a tricot knit outer layer 32 bonded to one side and a 0 006 inch (0 015 cm) thick thermoplastic adhesive layer 38 on the other side was bonded to a textile 10 using a hot air seam sealing machine set at a temperature of 650°C, 60 psi nip pressure and 6 1 meters (20 feet) of tape per minute A tunnel was adequately formed such that a drawstring was installed and slidably secured therein
• Example 2 A tape having an ePTFE substrate layer 34 with a tricot knit outer layer
• thermoplastic adhesive 38 32 bonded to one side and a 0 006 inch (0 015 cm) thick layer of thermoplastic adhesive 38 on the other side was bonded to a textile 10 using a hot press machine set to 350°F (177 °C) The tape was pressed therein for approximately 15 seconds, and a tunnel was adequately formed such that a drawstring was installed and slidably secured therein

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Details Of Garments (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Publications (1)

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• 1996
  • 1996-12-06 EP EP96942924A patent/EP0809450A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1996-12-06 JP JP52146197A patent/JP2001509216A/ja active Pending
  • 1996-12-06 CA CA 2205110 patent/CA2205110A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1996-12-06 AU AU11492/97A patent/AU1149297A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1996-12-06 WO PCT/US1996/019463 patent/WO1997020479A1/en not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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