Improvements in or relating to supporting textiles

Abstract

The invention provides a method of constructing a supporting textile, the method comprising the steps of providing at least one structural support component in the form of a textile element, the textile element comprising a textile strip folded around a plastic core, the textile element further includes an adhesive tape bonded to the outer surface of the textile element so as to present an adhesive layer facing outward from the outer surface of the textile element. The or each structural support member is positioned in a correspondingly shaped aperture formed in a clamp such that the adhesive layer is exposed. A textile carrier element is positioned relative to the or each structural support member so as to cover the adhesive layer on the or each structural support member in a predetermined configuration. Heat and pressure are applied to the aligned textile carrier element and the one or more structural support members to bond the textile carrier element to the or each structural support member. The bonded textile carrier element and structural support component are formed as a supporting textile.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of constructing a supportive textile, a method of forming a textile element for use as a structural support component in a garment, and a textile element for use as a structural support component in a garment. The present invention also relates to a method of forming a supportive textile element having a desired shape. The present invention also relates to a supportive textile element having a desired shape and a supportive garment comprising such a supportive textile element.

[0002] It is often necessary or desirable for textiles to have a support or reinforcement function. For example, a textile garment may be required to provide support for a portion of the wearer's body (such as a bra providing support for the wearer's breasts).

[0003] Such support or reinforcement functions are also often needed to define specific shapes within a textile, especially non-linear shapes. For example, it is desirable to have support portions within a textile garment that are shaped according to the part of the body for which they provide support (e.g., the breasts or under the buttocks in an undergarment). There are also some non-clothing related fabrics that may require support or reinforcement functions to define specific shapes (such as the "walls" or doors of a tent).

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of constructing a supportive textile, the method comprising the following steps:

[0005] providing at least one structural support component in the form of a textile element comprising a fabric strip folded about a plastic core, the textile element further comprising an adhesive strip bonded to an outer surface of the textile element so as to present an adhesive layer facing outwardly from the outer surface of the textile element;

[0006] positioning the or each structural support member in a correspondingly shaped aperture formed in a jig such that the adhesive layer is exposed;

[0007] positioning a textile carrier element relative to the or each structural support component so as to overlie the adhesive layer on the or each structural support component in a predetermined configuration;

[0008] applying heat and pressure to the aligned textile carrier element and the one or more structural support members to bond the textile carrier element to the or each structural support member; and

[0009] The bonded textile carrier element and structural support component are formed into a support textile.

[0010] Such methods allow structural support components to be correctly positioned and bonded to a textile, which can then be formed into a textile that provides a support function. In embodiments where the support textile is used in clothing, the support function is provided without compromising the comfort of the wearer.

[0011] Supportive textiles are applied to any textile that needs support or reinforcement. For example, the textile may need to maintain a desired shape and therefore require some form of support to form the shape, or the textile may need to be reinforced in a specific area or section. The supportive textile can be a garment such as a bra, corset, bustier, top, dress, briefs or boxers, hood, swimsuit or it can be a face mask. In addition, the one or more structural support members can take any shape to provide the desired support or reinforcement, for example, they can be straight or curved or a combination of both.

[0012] Optionally, the adhesive layer is a heat activated polyurethane adhesive layer.

[0013] The adhesive layer being a heat activated adhesive layer means that the adhesive cannot be inadvertently activated and thereby damaged or bonded to unwanted components or textiles until the correct activation temperature is applied during the manufacturing process.

[0014] Preferably, a removable backing layer is provided on the adhesive layer, the method further comprising the step of removing the backing layer prior to positioning the textile carrier element in alignment with the structural support component.

[0015] Providing such a removable backing layer protects the adhesive layer from contamination which might otherwise damage or reduce the adhesive ability of the adhesive layer before the adhesive layer is needed (i.e., just before the textile carrier element is positioned in alignment with the structural support component, when the backing layer is removed). Preferably, the removable backing layer is a polypropylene layer.

[0016] The clamp may comprise a locating member in which the or each correspondingly shaped aperture is formed.

[0017] The inclusion of a separate locating member means that correspondingly shaped holes can be easily formed and adapted for differently shaped structural support components.

[0018] Preferably, the or each correspondingly shaped aperture is a cut-out formed as a window through the positioning member, which constitutes a simple and cost effective way of forming the receiving aperture.

[0019] However, in other embodiments, the or each correspondingly shaped aperture need not extend through the locating member, but may be provided in the form of a recess formed in the locating member.

[0020] The positioning member may be a heat-resistant sheet.

[0021] Such an arrangement prevents the positioning member from becoming warped or damaged during the manufacturing process due to the step of applying heat to the aligned textile carrier element and one or more structural support components.

[0022] It is contemplated that the positioning member may include a plurality of receiving apertures, wherein the receiving apertures may all have the same shape or may have shapes that are different from one another or a mixture of the same and different shapes.

[0023] Such an arrangement means that the desired shape of the structural support component can be used for the desired support or reinforcement requirements of the textile.

[0024] In particularly preferred embodiments, the locating member may further comprise one or more position indicators located relative to the one or more receiving apertures to assist in positioning the textile carrier element into alignment with the or each structural support component.

[0025] The inclusion of such a position indicator provides guidance, such as visual and / or tactile, for properly positioning the textile carrier element relative to the structural support component.

[0026] The step of forming the bonded textile carrier element and structural support component into a supportive textile may include forming the textile carrier element itself into a textile. In such embodiments, the textile carrier element itself is the resulting supportive textile. In other words, one or more structural support components are directly bonded to the support textile without any intermediate textile elements.

[0027] In other embodiments, the step of forming the bonded textile carrier element and the structural support component into a supportive textile comprises securing the bonded textile carrier and the structural support component to a textile. In such embodiments, the textile carrier element acts as an intermediate textile element, which is then secured to the textile to form the resulting supportive textile.

[0028] Preferably, the fabric strip folded around the plastic core comprises a fabric strip having a plush surface and a plastic coating, the plastic coating being applied to the plush surface so that at least surface yarns of the plush surface are embedded in the plastic coating and a composite structure is formed at the junction between the plastic coating and the plush surface, wherein the fabric strip is folded around the plastic coating so as to sandwich the plastic coating between the plush surface and an opposing surface of the fabric strip.

[0029] In such embodiments, the fabric strip is preferably a woven structure comprising a pair of ribs protruding from the fabric strip on opposite sides of the plush surface, the plastic coating being applied to the plush surface between the ribs so that the warp yarns of the plush surface are embedded in the plastic coating in the composite structure, and wherein the fabric strip further comprises a pair of ribs protruding from the opposite surfaces of the fabric strip, the fabric strip being folded so that the ribs protruding from the opposite surfaces are aligned in face-to-face contact with the ribs protruding from the fabric strip on the opposite sides of the plush surface.

[0030] Optionally, the plastic material (i.e. the plastic coating used to form the plastic core) is a thermoplastic material. Thermoplastic materials have the advantage of being able to be recycled, which is particularly important for improving the environmental aspects of the support textile formed by the method of the present invention and therefore the recyclability of the overall textile / garment into which the support textile can be incorporated. In many cases, for example where the support textile is used as an underwire for a bra, the support portion may be the only part of the garment that is traditionally non-recyclable. Therefore, the use of a thermoplastic coating means that the thermoplastic core can be heated and reshaped so as to become a new, usable product after the textile has reached the end of its life, thereby providing a recyclable textile product.

[0031] It will be appreciated that the thermoplastic coating should be selected to have properties suitable for the intended use of the support textile. For example, if the support textile is intended for use in a garment (e.g., a bra), a thermoplastic coating with a suitably high melting / molding temperature will be selected so that the garment can withstand machine washing without deforming or melting the thermoplastic core.

[0032] The thermoplastic coating may be a polyamide, or more preferably a polyester.The thermoplastic coating may be a biodegradable thermoplastic, such as thermoplastic starch (TPS), to further enhance the sustainability of the support textile.

[0033] In other embodiments, materials other than thermoplastics may be used. Other materials, such as thermosetting plastic materials or adhesives or epoxies, for example, may be used to form a coating on the pile surface of the fabric strip, and thus form the plastic core. Bio-based and biodegradable plastic materials may be used to enhance the sustainability of the supportive textile.

[0034] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art which materials may be selected to achieve the desired penetration of the pile surfaces when the coating is applied and to form the desired bond at the joints between the pile surfaces. Materials exhibiting an appropriate Shore hardness d (e.g., about 50 to 80) once allowed to cool or allowed to solidify so as to harden will be particularly suitable. Thus, any reference herein to a thermoplastic coating should be considered interchangeable with, for example, a reference to a thermosetting plastic coating.

[0035] In embodiments where a thermosetting plastic material is used, once the material is applied, curing of the material may be achieved by application of heat or by chemical reaction (eg, two-part epoxy) or by irradiation (UV radiation or electron beam treatment).

[0036] In addition, it should be understood that some thermoset plastic materials can be heated after they are hardened so as to exhibit limited remodeling capabilities, which can be used during the manufacturing process, for example, to help shape or bend the thermoset plastic core into a desired textile or garment. Thus, a thermoset plastic material can be selected so that it has some (albeit limited) thermoplastic properties.

[0037] Furthermore, mixtures or blends of plastic materials may be used in the coating, for example blends of thermoplastic materials and thermosetting materials.

[0038] The above comments concerning plastics materials apply mutatis mutandis to the second to sixth aspects of the invention.

[0039] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming a textile element for use as a structural support component in a garment, the method comprising the steps of:

[0040] (i) providing a fabric strip having a plush surface;

[0041] (ii) applying a plastic coating to the pile surface of the fabric strip such that the plastic coating penetrates the pile surface;

[0042] (iii) allowing the plastic coating to harden so as to embed at least the surface yarns of the pile surface into the plastic coating and thereby form a composite structure at the junction between the plastic coating and the pile surface,

[0043] (iv) folding the fabric strip around the plastic coating so as to sandwich the plastic coating between the pile surface and an opposing surface of the fabric strip before allowing the plastic coating to harden,

[0044] The multi-layer adhesive tape is applied to the outer surface of the fabric strip simultaneously with one or more of the above steps of the method, the tape having first and second adhesive layers on opposite sides of the barrier layer, wherein the first adhesive layer is in face-to-face contact with the outer surface of the fabric strip so that once the fabric strip is folded around the plastic coating having the second adhesive layer facing outward from the outer surface of the fabric strip, the adhesive tape is secured to the outer surface of the fabric strip and extends longitudinally along the outer surface.

[0045] Reference herein to a plush surface is intended to refer to a fabric surface having a long, soft pile or a raised pile.

[0046] The provision of a plush surface allows the molten plastic material to absorb and penetrate into the fabric strip and wrap around at least the surface yarns of the plush surface. This means that once the plastic coating is allowed to harden, the surface yarns of the plush surface will embed into the plastic coating and form a composite structure at the junction between the plastic coating and the plush surface.

[0047] The plastic coating penetrates into the plush surface and forms a composite structure in which the yarn is embedded in the plastic coating, greatly increasing the strength and flexibility of the resulting textile element, which is superior to a textile element formed by a plastic material applied to the non-plush surface of the textile carrier. This is because the molten plastic material cannot penetrate into the non-plush surface of the textile carrier and only sticks itself to the non-plush surface. Therefore, the strength and flexibility of such textile elements are determined only by the strength and flexibility of the plastic material. Therefore, although the use of plastic material may result in a relatively hard textile element, the textile element will be easily damaged due to the brittleness of the plastic material.

[0048] In contrast, the formation of a composite structure in which the yarns are embedded in a plastic material reduces the brittleness of the resulting textile element and results in a more flexible, less breakable structure.

[0049] It will be appreciated that the flexibility of the resulting textile element is determined by the extent to which the plastic coating penetrates the pile surface.

[0050] The provision of adhesive tape allows the resulting textile garment to be attached to a carrier layer or directly to a garment. The use of multiple layers of adhesive tape reduces the amount of adhesive that might otherwise be required using a single layer of adhesive tape to secure the adhesive tape to a strip of fabric and subsequently to another element such as a textile carrier element or other textile such as a garment.

[0051] In the case where a single layer of adhesive tape is used, the application of heat and / or pressure over a period of time during the performance of the method of forming a textile element may result in the full thickness of the adhesive layer penetrating the textile surface of the fabric strip. As a result, an insufficient amount of adhesive may remain on the outer surface of the fabric strip for subsequent bonding of the resulting textile element to a textile carrier element or other textile.

[0052] The use of a multilayer adhesive tape with an intervening barrier layer between the first and second layers allows the use of the same amount of adhesive as the barrier layer, preventing the second adhesive layer from penetrating the textile surface of the fabric strip. As a result, it can be ensured that a sufficient amount of adhesive remains on the outer surface of the fabric strip for the subsequent bonding of the resulting textile element to a textile carrier element or other textile.

[0053] Preferably, each of the first and second adhesive layers is a heat activated polyurethane adhesive and the barrier layer is a polyurethane layer, wherein the polyurethane barrier layer has a higher melting point than the polyurethane adhesive. More preferably, each of the first and second adhesive layers is a heat activated polyurethane adhesive having a melting temperature in the range of 140°C to 160°C.

[0054] Using a polyurethane barrier layer having a higher melting point than the polyurethane adhesive ensures that the multilayer tape can be heated to a sufficiently high temperature to ensure bonding of the multilayer tape to the fabric strip without affecting the integrity of the barrier layer which prevents the second adhesive layer from penetrating the textile surface of the fabric strip.

[0055] In order to prevent the outer surface of the second adhesive layer from being contaminated, the multi-layer adhesive tape may further include a removable backing layer located on the outer surface of the second adhesive layer. Preferably, the removable backing layer is a polypropylene layer.

[0056] Use of a polypropylene backing layer reduces the risk of the backing layer tearing during subsequent forming of the resulting textile element before hardening of the plastic coating is complete or when the resulting textile element is subsequently heated.More conventional waxed backing papers are more susceptible to tearing during such forming of the fabric strip.

[0057] For example, a continuous length of the resulting textile element strip can be wound into a cylindrical or spiral form to provide a wound length of the resulting textile element and then cut into discrete lengths for use as a structural support component in a garment intended to provide breast support, such as a bra, dress, or corset.

[0058] It is also contemplated that the resulting textile element can be formed to define structural support components of different shapes depending on the intended use of the structural support component.Such structural support components can, for example, be used as bone elements in garments intended to provide structural support, such as corsets or briefs.

[0059] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the fabric strip is of woven construction and the plastic coating is applied to the plush surface such that the plastic coating penetrates the plush surface to embed into the warp yarns of the plush surface once the plastic coating is allowed to harden.

[0060] Such a degree of penetration of the plastic coating into the plush surface of the fabric strip may result in a textile element in which the plastic coating is exposed on the opposite side of the fabric strip. Therefore, in such embodiments, the fabric strip preferably includes a more densely woven backing on the plush surface to prevent the plastic coating from penetrating through the entire depth of the fabric strip.

[0061] The increased flexibility of the resulting textile element means that the textile element will return to its original shape when bent, unlike conventional underwires for bras, for example, which are relatively inflexible and may remain in a bent configuration after bending or flexing. Thus, the use of a plastic coating of at least the surface yarns of the plush surface of the fabric strip results in a structural support component that exhibits strength comparable to that of conventional underwires, but is more flexible and therefore provides greater wearer comfort.

[0062] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, once the plastic coating is allowed to harden, the plastic coating penetrates the pile surface to produce a substantially elastic textile element. That is, when a force tending to cause flexure or bending is applied, the textile element will flex or bend. Once the force causing the flexure or bending is removed, it will automatically return to its original shape.

[0063] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fluidity of the plastic material is increased before the step of applying the plastic coating to the plush surface. This helps to increase the penetration of the plastic coating into the plush surface. However, due to the fluid nature of the plastic material, this also increases the risk of leakage of the plastic material.

[0064] However, using a fabric strip having a plush surface helps prevent leakage of molten plastic material during application of the plastic coating - the plush surface restricts the flow of the molten plastic material. This is because the molten plastic material penetrates into the plush surface and is therefore less likely to leak from the plush surface, as might otherwise occur if the fabric strip omits the plush surface.

[0065] By including a pair of ribs protruding from the fabric strip on opposite sides of the pile surface, molten plastic material can be further prevented from flowing from the pile surface during and after applying the plastic coating. In such embodiments, the plastic coating is of course applied between the ribs.

[0066] To improve the comfort of a wearer wearing a garment comprising the resulting textile element, the fabric strip is folded around the plastic coating so that the plastic coating is sandwiched between the plush surface and the opposing surface of the fabric strip before the plastic coating is allowed to harden. This improves the aesthetics of the resulting textile element because the folding step encapsulates the plastic coating within the fabric strip.

[0067] The step of folding the fabric strip preferably occurs after the plastic coating has been allowed to cool to form a soft and tacky surface but before the plastic coating has been allowed to harden. It will be appreciated that allowing the plastic coating to cool before folding the fabric strip around the plastic coating reduces the risk of plastic material leaking. It also serves to increase the adhesive properties of the plastic coating so that it can bond to the opposing surface of the fabric strip.

[0068] In such embodiments, the fabric strip may further include a pair of ribs protruding from opposing surfaces of the fabric strip and the step of folding the fabric strip around the plastic coating involves aligning the ribs protruding from the opposing surfaces in face-to-face contact with the ribs protruding from the fabric strip on the opposing side of the plush surface.

[0069] Such an arrangement further restricts the flow of the molten plastic material by forming an envelope that receives the plastic coating.

[0070] The use of ribbing to restrict the flow of molten plastic material ensures that a textile-only area is created on the opposite side of the plush surface, which is free of any plastic coating. This is particularly important in situations where the resulting textile element is sewn to a garment or otherwise sewn to another textile item. The absence of any plastic coating facilitates needle penetration of the textile-only area during sewing and reduces the risk of injury that could result from a broken needle if the sewing machine needle strikes the plastic material.

[0071] According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a textile element for use as a structural support component in clothing, the textile element comprising a fabric strip having a plush surface and a plastic coating, the plastic coating being applied to the plush surface so that at least surface yarns of the plush surface are embedded in the plastic coating and a composite structure is formed at the junction between the plastic coating and the plush surface, wherein the fabric strip is folded around the plastic coating so as to sandwich the plastic coating between the plush surface and an opposing surface of the fabric strip, and the fabric element further comprises an adhesive strip bonded to an outer surface of the fabric strip to present an adhesive layer facing outward from the outer surface of the fabric strip.

[0072] Preferably, the adhesive tape is a multi-layer adhesive tape having first and second adhesive layers on opposite sides of the barrier layer, wherein the first adhesive layer is bonded in face-to-face contact with the outer surface of the textile element and the second adhesive layer faces outward from the fabric strip.

[0073] In such embodiments, each of the first and second adhesive layers can be a heat activated polyurethane adhesive and the barrier layer is a polyurethane layer, wherein the polyurethane barrier layer has a higher melting point than the polyurethane adhesive. More preferably, each of the first and second adhesive layers is a heat activated polyurethane adhesive having a melting temperature in the range of 140°C to 160°C.

[0074] Preferably, the multi-layer adhesive tape further comprises a removable backing layer located on an outer surface of the second adhesive layer.

[0075] In such embodiments, the removable backing layer can be a polypropylene layer.

[0076] Preferably, the fabric strip is a woven structure comprising a pair of ribs protruding from the fabric strip on opposite sides of the plush surface, the plastic coating is applied to the plush surface between the ribs so that the warp yarns of the plush surface are embedded in the plastic coating in the composite structure, and wherein the fabric strip further comprises a pair of ribs protruding from the opposite surfaces of the fabric strip, the fabric strip being folded so that the ribs protruding from the opposite surfaces are aligned in face-to-face contact with the ribs protruding from the fabric strip on the opposite sides of the plush surface.

[0077] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming a supportive textile element having a desired shape, the method comprising the steps of:

[0078] providing a fabric strip having a plush surface;

[0079] applying a plastic coating to the pile surface of the fabric strip such that the plastic coating penetrates the pile surface;

[0080] folding the fabric strip around the plastic coating so as to sandwich the plastic coating between the pile surface and an opposing surface of the fabric strip before allowing the plastic coating to harden, wherein a section of the folded fabric strip creates a non-compounded portion;

[0081] allowing the plastic coating to harden so as to embed at least the surface yarns of the plush surface into the plastic coating and thereby form a composite structure at the junction between the plastic coating and the plush surface;

[0082] removing a section of textile from the non-compounded portion of the fabric strip to create first and second textile element portions on either side of the removed section of textile; and

[0083] The first and second textile element portions are directed toward each other to change the configuration of the first and second textile element portions relative to each other thereby creating a desired shape for the supportive textile element.

[0084] Supportive textiles are applied to any textile that needs to support or strengthen the function. For example, the textile may need to maintain a desired shape, so some form of support is needed to form the shape, or the textile may need to be strengthened in a specific area or section. The supportive textile can be a piece of clothing or can form a part of clothing, such as a bra, a corset, a bustier, a top, a dress, briefs or boxers, a hood, a swimsuit, or it can be a mask. The supportive part of the clothing can be the "wire" of a bra (or other top), the wings of a bra (or other top), the ribbing of a bra (or other top), the support on the waistband of a bottom, the support around the bottom hips, the support around the hood, the support on the nose or side of a mask. Many different desired shapes are possible, as explained in more detail later, including curved shapes (with different degrees of curvature), angled shapes, and right-angled shapes. The shape can include a combination of shapes and can include straight sections.

[0085] Reference herein to a plush surface is intended to refer to a fabric surface having a long, soft pile or a raised pile.

[0086] The provision of a plush surface allows the molten plastic material to absorb and penetrate into the fabric strip and wrap around at least the surface yarns of the plush surface. This means that once the plastic coating is allowed to harden, the surface yarns of the plush surface will embed into the plastic coating and form a composite structure at the junction between the plastic coating and the plush surface.

[0087] The plastic coating penetrates into the plush surface and forms a composite structure in which the yarn is embedded in the plastic coating, greatly increasing the strength and flexibility of the resulting textile element, which is superior to a textile element formed by a plastic material applied to the non-plush surface of the textile carrier. This is because the molten plastic material cannot penetrate into the non-plush surface of the textile carrier and only sticks itself to the non-plush surface. Therefore, the strength and flexibility of such textile elements are determined only by the strength and flexibility of the plastic material. Therefore, although the use of plastic material may result in a relatively hard textile element, the textile element will be easily damaged due to the brittleness of the plastic material.

[0088] In contrast, the formation of a composite structure in which the yarns are embedded in a plastic material reduces the brittleness of the resulting textile element and results in a more flexible, less breakable structure.

[0089] It will be appreciated that the flexibility of the resulting textile element is determined by the extent to which the plastic coating penetrates the pile surface.

[0090] The increased supportive flexibility of the resulting textile element means that the textile element will return to its original shape when bent, unlike conventional underwires used in bras, for example, which are relatively inflexible and may remain in a bent configuration after being bent or flexed. Thus, in embodiments where the supportive textile element is used in clothing, the supportive functionality is provided without compromising the comfort of the wearer.

[0091] At the same time, removing a section of the fabric and bringing the resulting first and second textile element portions toward each other allows changing the configuration, i.e. the shape, of the supporting textile element. In this way, a single continuous supporting textile element can be used to achieve the desired shape of the supporting textile element. This is in contrast to having to use more than one supporting textile element, each of which must form a desired (overall) shape.

[0092] Preferably, the step of removing a section of fabric from the non-compounded portion of the strip of fabric comprises removing a triangular section.

[0093] Triangles of varying sizes and angles may be used depending on the desired shape required.

[0094] Optionally, the method further comprises the step of winding the fabric strip so as to form the fabric strip into a helical coil structure having a predetermined diameter before allowing the plastic coating to harden.

[0095] Such winding sets the desired curvature of the fabric strip, and the curvature can be further manipulated by removing a section of the fabric and bringing the first and second textile element portions together. For example, a "W" shape can be formed by the bent fabric strip to form a continuous underwire shape for a bra.

[0096] The step of bringing the first and second textile element portions toward each other may include bringing the first and second textile element portions into contact with each other at a section of the removed fabric strip.

[0097] Bringing the first and second textile element parts into contact with each other at the removed section provides a flush connection between the two textile element parts. It also makes it easier to connect the two parts together in a desired shape.

[0098] Optionally, the method further comprises the step of securing the first and second textile element portions to each other after orienting the first and second textile element portions towards each other.

[0099] Securing the first and second textile element portions to each other means that the supportive textile element is secured in its desired shape ready for use within a textile.

[0100] The method may further include the steps of forming complementary apertures in the first and second textile element portions and using a securing device passing through the apertures to secure the textile element portions to each other.

[0101] The use of complementary holes and securing means in the first and second textile element portions provides a strong means of securing the portions together so as to retain them in a desired shape.

[0102] Preferably, the method further comprises the step of securing the formed supportive textile element to another textile after orienting the first and second textile element portions towards each other.

[0103] The supportive textile element may be directly fixed to another textile so that such fixing also holds the textile element in a desired shape. Alternatively, the supportive textile element may be held in its desired shape by its own fixing means (as described above) and then fixed to another textile.

[0104] The step of securing the supportive textile element to another textile may include sewing the fabric strip at the non-compounded portion.

[0105] Sewing the fabric strips at the non-composite portion to secure the supportive textile element to another textile simplifies the attachment process and protects the needle from breaking, which might otherwise occur if sewing was performed through the composite portion.

[0106] Optionally, the method further comprises the step of forming first and second non-composite portions located on either side of the plastic coating.

[0107] Forming the first and second non-composite portions on either side of the plastic coating provides two platforms from which segments can be removed, so that the configuration of the first and second textile element portions can be changed relative to each other in effectively opposite ways. For example, the textile element can be bent in one direction and / or bent in another direction. Thus, the options for desired shapes that can be achieved are increased.

[0108] For example, the method may further include the steps of: removing a section of fabric from each of the first and second non-compound portions to create a first pair of first and second textile element portions on the first non-compound portion and a second pair of first and second textile element portions on the second non-compound portion; and

[0109] Each corresponding pair of first and second textile element portions are directed toward one another to change the configuration of each corresponding pair of first and second textile element portions relative to one another.

[0110] Furthermore, the method may further comprise the step of removing more than one section of fabric from the or each non-composite portion.

[0111] Thus, more complex shapes of supporting textile elements can be created.

[0112] The fabric strip may be a woven structure including a pair of ribs protruding from the fabric strip on opposite sides of the plush surface, the plastic coating being applied to the plush surface between the ribs so that the warp yarns of the plush surface are embedded in the plastic coating in the composite structure, and wherein the fabric strip further includes a pair of ribs protruding from the opposite surfaces of the fabric strip, and the step of folding the fabric strip around the plastic coating involves aligning the ribs protruding from the opposite surfaces in face-to-face contact with the ribs protruding from the fabric strip on the opposite sides of the plush surface.

[0113] Such an arrangement helps to further restrict the flow of molten plastic material by forming an envelope that receives the plastic coating.Using ribbing to restrict the flow of molten plastic material ensures that a composite material-free (ie, textile-only) portion is created on one or both sides of the pile surface.

[0114] Optionally, the method further comprises the following steps:

[0115] applying an adhesive tape to an outer surface of the folded fabric strip so as to present an adhesive layer facing outwardly from the outer surface;

[0116] positioning the shaped fabric strip in a correspondingly shaped hole formed in a fixture such that the adhesive layer is exposed;

[0117] positioning a textile carrier element relative to the formed fabric strip so as to cover the adhesive layer on the formed fabric strip in a predetermined configuration;

[0118] applying heat and pressure to the aligned textile carrier element and the formed fabric strip to bond the textile carrier element to the formed fabric strip; and

[0119] The bonded textile carrier element and the shaped fabric strip are formed into a supporting textile.

[0120] Such method steps allow the supporting textile element to be correctly positioned and bonded directly to a textile such as a garment or to be correctly positioned and bonded directly to a textile carrier layer, which can then be secured to a textile such as a garment.

[0121] In some embodiments, the step of applying an adhesive tape to the outer surface of the folded fabric strip includes applying a multi-layer adhesive tape having a first and a second adhesive layer located on opposite sides of the barrier layer simultaneously with one or more of the aforementioned method steps, wherein the first adhesive layer is in face-to-face contact with the outer surface of the fabric strip so that once the fabric strip is folded around the plastic coating having the second adhesive layer facing outward from the outer surface of the fabric strip, the adhesive tape is secured to the outer surface of the fabric strip and extends longitudinally along the outer surface.

[0122] The use of multiple layers of adhesive tape reduces the amount of adhesive that might otherwise be required using a single layer of adhesive tape to secure the adhesive tape to a strip of fabric and subsequently to another element such as a textile carrier element or other textile such as a garment.

[0123] In the case where a single layer of adhesive tape is used, the application of heat and / or pressure over a period of time during the performance of the method of forming a textile element may result in the full thickness of the adhesive layer penetrating the textile surface of the fabric strip. As a result, an insufficient amount of adhesive may remain on the outer surface of the fabric strip for subsequent bonding of the resulting textile element to a textile carrier element or other textile.

[0124] The use of a multilayer adhesive tape with an intervening barrier layer between the first and second layers allows the use of the same amount of adhesive as the barrier layer, preventing the second adhesive layer from penetrating the textile surface of the fabric strip. As a result, it can be ensured that a sufficient amount of adhesive remains on the outer surface of the fabric strip for the subsequent bonding of the resulting textile element to a textile carrier element or other textile.

[0125] Preferably, each of the first and second adhesive layers is a heat activated polyurethane adhesive and the barrier layer is a polyurethane layer, wherein the polyurethane barrier layer has a higher melting point than the polyurethane adhesive. More preferably, each of the first and second adhesive layers is a heat activated polyurethane adhesive having a melting temperature in the range of 140°C to 160°C.

[0126] Using a polyurethane barrier layer having a higher melting point than the polyurethane adhesive ensures that the multilayer tape can be heated to a sufficiently high temperature to ensure bonding of the multilayer tape to the fabric strip without affecting the integrity of the barrier layer which prevents the second adhesive layer from penetrating the textile surface of the fabric strip.

[0127] In order to prevent the outer surface of the second adhesive layer from being contaminated, the multi-layer adhesive tape may further include a removable backing layer located on the outer surface of the second adhesive layer. Preferably, the removable backing layer is a polypropylene layer.

[0128] Use of a polypropylene backing layer reduces the risk of the backing layer tearing during subsequent forming of the resulting textile element before hardening of the plastic coating is complete or when the resulting textile element is subsequently heated.More conventional waxed backing papers are more susceptible to tearing during such forming of the fabric strip.

[0129] The clamp may comprise a locating member, wherein the correspondingly shaped aperture is formed in the locating member.

[0130] The inclusion of a separate locating member means that correspondingly shaped holes can be easily formed and adapted for differently shaped structural support elements.

[0131] The correspondingly shaped hole may be a cutout formed as a window through the positioning member or wherein the correspondingly shaped hole is a recess formed in the positioning member.

[0132] However, in other embodiments, the correspondingly shaped aperture need not extend through the positioning member, but may be provided in the form of a recess formed in the positioning member.

[0133] The positioning member may be a heat-resistant sheet.

[0134] Such an arrangement prevents the positioning member from becoming warped or damaged during the manufacturing process due to the step of applying heat to the aligned textile carrier element and structural support element.

[0135] In particularly preferred embodiments, the positioning member may further include one or more position indicators positioned relative to the receiving aperture to assist in positioning the textile carrier element into alignment with the shaped supporting textile element.

[0136] The inclusion of such a position indicator provides guidance, eg, visual and / or tactile, for properly positioning the textile carrier element relative to the supporting textile element.

[0137] The step of forming the bonded textile carrier element and the shaped fabric strip into a supportive textile may include forming the textile carrier element itself into a textile. In such embodiments, the textile carrier element itself is the resulting supportive textile. In other words, the shaped supportive textile element is directly bonded to the supportive textile without any intermediate textile elements being required.

[0138] In other embodiments, the step of forming the bonded textile carrier element and the shaped fabric strip into a supportive textile includes securing the bonded textile carrier and the shaped fabric strip to the textile. In such embodiments, the textile carrier element acts as an intermediate textile element, which is then secured to the textile to form the resulting supportive textile.

[0139] According to a fifth aspect of the invention, a supportive textile element having a desired shape is provided, the supportive textile element comprising a fabric strip having a plush surface and a plastic coating, the plastic coating being applied to the plush surface so that at least surface yarns of the plush surface are embedded in the plastic coating and a composite structure is formed at the junction between the plastic coating and the plush surface, wherein the fabric strip is folded around the plastic coating so as to sandwich the plastic coating between the plush surface and an opposing surface of the fabric strip, the folded fabric strip having a non-composite portion, wherein a section of fabric is removed from the non-composite portion to create a first and a second textile element portion, wherein the fabric strip has a desired shape formed by putting the first and second fabric element portions together to change the configuration of the first and second fabric element portions relative to each other.

[0140] Optionally, the textile element further comprises an adhesive tape bonded to the outer surface of the fabric strip to present the adhesive layer facing outwardly from the outer surface of the fabric strip.

[0141] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a support garment comprising a garment fabric and a support textile element as described above secured to the garment fabric so as to create a support portion of the garment.

[0142] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0143] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0144] Figure 1 A structural support member, a textile carrier element and a fixture are shown for use in the method of a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0145] Figure 2 The first embodiment of the present invention is shown in which a structural support member is positioned in a Figure 1 Steps in the jig shown in ;

[0146] Figure 3 shows the steps of positioning a textile carrier element relative to a structural support member according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0147] Figure 4 The steps of applying heat and pressure to a textile carrier element and a structural support component according to a first embodiment of the present invention are shown;

[0148] Figure 5 shows a supporting textile obtained from the method according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0149] Figure 6a and Figure 6b shows a textile element according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0150] Figure 7a and Figure 7b Shows Figure 6a and Figure 6b The structure of the multi-layer adhesive tape used in the textile element shown in;

[0151] Figures 8a to 8c shows the steps of creating a desired shape of a supportive textile element according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0152] Figures 9a to 9e shows examples of differently shaped supportive textile elements according to embodiments of the invention; and

[0153] Fig.10 A rolled supporting textile element is shown.

[0154] Figures 1 to 5 The steps of a method of constructing a supportive textile according to a first embodiment of the invention are shown.

[0155] from Figure 1 Initially, a structural support member 10, a clamp 12 and a textile carrier element 14 are shown for use in a method according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0156] The structural support member 10 is in the form of a textile element 16 that includes a fabric strip folded around a plastic core. The textile element 16 further includes an adhesive strip bonded to an outer surface of the textile element so as to present an adhesive layer facing outward from the outer surface of the textile element 16. Figure 6a and Figure 6bExamples of such textile elements 16 are described in more detail.

[0157] In the illustrated embodiment, the structural support member 10 is U-shaped and is intended for use in a bra to support the breasts of a wearer. As previously mentioned, the structural support member 10 may be any suitable shape, depending on the intended application of the structural support member 10 in the resulting support textile.

[0158] In the illustrated embodiment, the adhesive layer is a heat activated polyurethane adhesive layer. In other embodiments, the adhesive layer may take any other suitable form, for example it may not be heat activated.

[0159] Although not shown in the figures, a removable backing layer is provided on the adhesive layer. In this embodiment, the removable backing layer is a polypropylene layer.

[0160] The clamp 12 comprises a positioning member 20 in the form of a heat resistant sheet 22. In the embodiment shown, the sheet 22 is made of a silicone rubber sheet having a thickness of 2 mm. The heat resistant sheet 22 may take any other suitable form, such as a metal sheet, for example aluminium.

[0161] In addition, the heat-resistant sheet 22 includes two holes 24 formed as window-like openings (i.e., cutouts) through the heat-resistant sheet 22, which are shaped to correspond to the shape of the structural support member 10 (i.e., U-shaped in this embodiment). It should be understood that there may be any number of holes 24 in any shape and configuration relative to each other, depending on the support requirements of the resulting support textile.

[0162] In other embodiments of the present invention, the hole 24 may be a recessed portion formed in the heat-resistant sheet 22 (ie, not formed completely through). In further embodiments, the protective cover 24 may be integrally formed in the fixture 12 .

[0163] The fixture 12 further includes a heating plate 26 that is movable to contact the positioning member 20 to apply heat and pressure to the positioning member 20 .

[0164] The clamp 12 further includes three position indicators 28 located at three different points relative to the hole 24. The position indicators 28 are The position indicator 28 is made of a heat-resistant sheet 22, but may be made of any suitable material (i.e., a material that will not be damaged or deformed by the heat applied by the heating plate 26). The position indicator 28 is visually different from the heat-resistant sheet 22. The position indicator 28 may alternatively or additionally be tactilely different from the heat-resistant sheet 22.

[0165] The method according to the first embodiment of the invention comprises positioning two structural support members 10 in correspondingly shaped holes 24 of a clamp 12 such that the adhesive layer is exposed, as Figure 2 shown.

[0166] The method further includes removing the backing layer from the adhesive layer and this step may be performed before or after positioning the structural support member 10 in the correspondingly shaped hole 24 .

[0167] Next, the method comprises positioning the textile carrier element 14 relative to each structural support component 10 so as to cover the adhesive layer on the or each structural support component 10 in a predetermined configuration, such as Figure 3 This step additionally includes using the positioning indicator 28 as a guide as to where to position the textile carrier element 14 relative to the structural support component 10 .

[0168] The method then includes pressing a heated plate 26 onto the aligned textile carrier element 14 and structural support member 10 (eg, Figure 4 The heating plate 26 may be used to apply heat and pressure to activate the adhesive and thereby bond the textile carrier element 10 to the structural support component 10. The pressure and heat applied in this step depend on factors such as the materials of the textile carrier element 14 and the structural support component 10 and the type of adhesive used. As an example, the heating plate 26 may produce a glue line temperature of 150° C. to 160° C. at a pressure between 6 and 8 bars for a period of 15 to 20 seconds.

[0169] The results of the above bonding steps are as follows Figure 5 , which shows the bonded textile carrier element and structural support component 28.

[0170] Next, the method includes forming the bonded textile carrier element and structural support component 28 into a supportive textile. In this embodiment, this step includes securing the bonded textile carrier element and structural support component 28 to a brassiere. This can be accomplished by any suitable means, such as sewing or by using an adhesive. In other embodiments, the textile carrier element 14 itself can be formed into a desired textile or garment (i.e., without an intermediate textile element).

[0171] Figure 6a and Figure 6b 2 shows a textile element 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0172] Textile element 110 includes a fabric strip 112 having a plush surface 114 and a plastic coating applied to plush surface 116 of fabric strip 112 such that yarns of plush surface 116 are embedded in plastic coating 114 and a composite structure is formed at the junction between plastic coating 114 and plush surface 116 .

[0173] Textile element 110 also includes a pair of ribs 115 that protrude from fabric strip 112 on opposite sides of plastic coating 114 and extend along opposite sides of plush surface 116 .

[0174] Fabric strip 112 is folded so as to sandwich plastic coating 114 between plush surface 116 and opposing surface 117 of fabric strip 112. Textile element 110 further includes a pair of ribs 119 that protrude from opposing surface 117 and are aligned in face-to-face contact with ribs 115 that protrude from the fabric strip on opposite sides of plush surface 116.

[0175] like Figure 6a As shown, the adhesive tape 120 is bonded to the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112 so as to present an adhesive layer 126 facing outwardly from the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112 .

[0176] Now it will be described as follows Figure 6a and Figure 6b The formation of textile element 110 is shown.

[0177] The fabric strip 112 having the plush surface 116 is selected and arranged so that the outer surface 122 is exposed on a side of the fabric strip 112 opposite the plush surface 116 .

[0178] To provide an outwardly facing adhesive layer 126 on the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112 , multiple layers of adhesive tape 120 are applied to the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112 to one side of a centerline A extending longitudinally along the outer surface 122 .

[0179] Multi-layer adhesive tape 120 ( Figure 7a and Figure 7b ) includes a first heat activated polyurethane adhesive layer 124 and a second heat activated polyurethane adhesive layer 126 located on opposite sides of a barrier layer 128. Figure 7a and Figure 7b As shown, a polypropylene backing layer 130 is disposed on an outer surface of the second adhesive layer 126. The first polyurethane adhesive layer 124 and the second polyurethane adhesive layer 126 are preferably activated at a temperature between 140°C and 160°C.

[0180] Prior to heating, the first heat-activated polyurethane adhesive layer 124 presents a tacky surface that allows it to be pushed into adhesive bonding with the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112 so that the multi-layer adhesive layer 120 is fixed to the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112 and extends longitudinally along the outer surface to one side of the centerline A of the outer surface 122.

[0181] Thereafter, the fabric strips 112 are arranged to present a plush surface 116 .

[0182] In order to create a plush surface 116 having a long, soft pile or nap, the fabric strip 112 is a woven structure in which the plush surface 116 is created by using a textured yarn (not shown) in the woven structure at the plush surface 116 .

[0183] In other embodiments, fabric strip 112 may have a woven structure in which plush surface 116 is created by reducing the number and / or thickness of weft yarns when compared to the number and / or thickness of warp yarns in the woven structure at plush surface 116. This arrangement increases exposure of the warp yarns in the woven structure at plush surface 116 and thus creates a desired pile or tuft.

[0184] In yet another embodiment, the fabric strip 112 may have a woven structure in which the plush surface 116 is created by arranging the warp yarns to form floating warp yarns that pass through two or more weft yarns at a time so as to increase exposure of the warp yarns in the woven structure at the plush surface 116 .

[0185] In yet other embodiments, fabric strip 112 may have a knitted structure.

[0186] The plastic coating 114 is applied to the plush surface 116 of the fabric strip 112 by extruding molten plastic material along the plush surface 116 of the fabric strip 112 between the ribs 115 that protrude from the fabric strip 112 on opposite sides of the plush surface 116 .

[0187] Providing a pile surface 116 on the fabric strip 112 means that during application of the plastic coating 114, the molten plastic material absorbs and penetrates into the pile surface 116 and coats the yarns of the pile surface 16. The viscosity of the molten plastic material is selected for maximum absorption and penetration of the molten plastic material into the pile surface 116.

[0188] To ensure that first adhesive layer 124 is heated so as to firmly bond adhesive tape 120 to the outer surface of fabric strip 112, fabric strip 112 is preferably heated prior to applying plastic coating 114. This, together with the heating caused by applying the plastic coating, activates first adhesive layer 124, softens first adhesive layer 124 and thereby increases the viscosity of first adhesive layer 124.

[0189] The use of a fabric strip 112 having a plush surface 116 also helps prevent leakage of molten plastic material during application of the plastic coating 114, because it allows the molten plastic material to penetrate therein and thereby inhibits the flow of the molten plastic material. The flow of the molten plastic material is further restricted by providing ribs 115 protruding from the fabric strip 112 on the opposite side of the plush surface 116.

[0190] The fabric strip 112 is then folded around the molten plastic material so as to sandwich the molten plastic material between the pile surface and the opposing surface 117 of the fabric strip 112. The ribs 119 protruding from the opposing surface 117 of the fabric strip 112 are aligned in face-to-face contact with the ribs 115 protruding from the fabric strip 112 on the opposite side of the pile surface 116 to form an envelope in which the molten plastic material is retained.

[0191] Preferably, the fabric strip 112 is not folded until the plastic coating 114 cools to present a soft and tacky surface to be bonded to the opposing surface 117 of the fabric strip 112 .

[0192] Applying pressure to fold the fabric strip 112 pushes the first adhesive layer 124 against the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112. This causes the first adhesive layer 124 to penetrate into the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112.

[0193] It should be appreciated that continued application of pressure to adhesive tape 120 and fabric strip 112 will cause first adhesive layer 124 to penetrate outer layer 122 of fabric strip 112. However, the inclusion of centrally located barrier layer 128 limits penetration of adhesive tape 120 and prevents second adhesive layer 126 from similarly penetrating into outer surface 122 of fabric strip 112. This is accomplished by utilizing polyurethane barrier layer 128 having a relatively higher melting point than polyurethane adhesive layers 124, 126. This ensures that the barrier layer remains intact and provides a barrier to prevent second adhesive layer 126 from penetrating into outer surface 122 of fabric strip 112. As a result, second adhesive layer 126 remains intact on outer surface 122 of fabric strip 112 for subsequent use to bond the resulting textile element 110 to a textile carrier element or other textile.

[0194] This in turn effectively reduces the amount of adhesive required to bond the tape 120 to the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112 and provide sufficient adhesive for subsequent use. Thus, the use of the multi-layer adhesive tape 120 with the polyurethane barrier layer reduces the total amount of adhesive required by approximately 50% when compared to a single adhesive layer without a barrier layer and provided to bond to the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112 and provide sufficient adhesive for subsequent use.

[0195] The use of multiple layers of tape also reduces the extent to which temperature must be controlled during the process of forming textile element 110, since the extent to which first adhesive layer 124 may penetrate outer surface 122 of fabric strip 112 is limited by barrier layer 128. Thus, the operating temperature during the formation of textile element 110 may be any temperature between 110° C. and 180° C. If a single layer of adhesive tape were used, the temperature would need to be more carefully controlled, which would need to be controlled to ensure that only the required amount of adhesive penetrates outer surface 122 of fabric strip 112 to bond adhesive tape 120 to fabric strip 112.

[0196] The plastic coating 114 is then allowed to harden (which may involve cooling and / or curing, depending on the plastic material used), thereby embedding the yarns of the plush surface 116 into the plastic coating 114 and forming a composite structure at the junction J between the plastic coating and the plush surface 116.

[0197] During hardening, folded fabric strip 112 may be formed according to a shape desired to achieve an intended use of textile element 110. Folded fabric strip 112 may be coiled around a cylindrical or spiral form to create a rolled length of textile element 110, for example.

[0198] The use of polypropylene backing layer 130 reduces the risk of tearing of the backing layer during such subsequent forming of the resulting textile element 110 before hardening of plastic coating 114 is complete.

[0199] The formation of a composite structure in which plastic coating 114 penetrates into pile surface 116 and in which yarns are embedded in plastic coating 114 increases the strength and flexibility of textile element 110 over and above textile elements formed from plastic material applied to the non-pile surface of a textile carrier, as described above.

[0200] When subjected to a force tending to cause flexure or bending, textile element 110 produces a substantially elastic response. That is, textile element 110 will flex or bend when a force tending to cause flexure or bending is applied, and once the force causing flexure or bending is removed, the textile element will automatically return to its original shape.

[0201] In other similar embodiments, it is contemplated that the ribs 119 protruding from the opposing surface 117 of the fabric strip 112 may be omitted.

[0202] In other similar embodiments, it is contemplated that the fabric strip 112 may include a plush surface disposed on a relative surface 117 of the fabric strip 112 and located between ribs 119 protruding from the relative surface 117, and that the plastic material may be applied to the plush surface on the relative surface 117 while the plastic material is applied to the plush surface located between the ribs 115.

[0203] In such embodiments, once the plastic material is allowed to cool so as to form a soft and sticky surface, the fabric strip 112 can be folded so as to align the ribs 115 protruding from either side of the plush surface 116 with the ribs 119 protruding from the opposing surface 117 so as to wrap the plastic coating on the two plush surfaces disposed between the ribs 115, 119.

[0204] This allows a thicker plastic coating to be formed than if the plastic material were applied to a single pile surface 116, and may also increase the depth of the resulting composite structure by ensuring that the plastic material penetrates into both pile surfaces - thereby ensuring that the strength of the resulting textile element is commensurate with the depth of the plastic coating.

[0205] Figures 8a to 10 The invention relates to a supportive textile formed into a desired shape. The supportive textile is based on Figure 6a and Figure 6b The textile element 110 is shown. For the sake of completeness, the following discussion Figure 6a and Figure 6b Textile element 110 shown in .

[0206] Textile element 110 includes a fabric strip 112 having a plush surface 114 and a plastic coating applied to plush surface 116 of fabric strip 112 such that yarns of plush surface 116 are embedded in plastic coating 114 and a composite structure is formed at the junction between plastic coating 114 and plush surface 116 .

[0207] Textile element 110 also includes a pair of ribs 115 that protrude from fabric strip 112 on opposite sides of plastic coating 114 and extend along opposite sides of plush surface 116 .

[0208] The fabric strip 112 is folded so as to sandwich the plastic coating 114 between the plush surface 116 and the opposing surface 117 of the fabric strip 112. The plastic coating 114 is then allowed to harden (which may involve cooling and / or curing, depending on the plastic material used), thereby embedding the yarns of the plush surface 116 into the plastic coating 114 and forming a composite structure at the junction J between the plastic coating 114 and the plush surface 116.

[0209] Textile element 110 further includes a pair of ribs 119 that project from opposing surface 117 and are aligned in face-to-face contact with ribs 115 that project from the fabric strip on opposing sides of plush surface 116 .

[0210] The fabric strip 112 includes a non-compounded portion 121 (i.e., a portion of the fabric strip that is a textile-only portion) on either side of the plastic coating 114, such that there are two non-compounded portions 121 extending along both edges of the fabric strip 112. In other embodiments, there may be only a single non-compounded portion 121 on one side of the plastic coating 114.

[0211] In this embodiment, the non-compounded portion 121 is defined by the barrier formed by the ribs 119, 115. In other embodiments, the ribs 119, 115 can be omitted from the fabric strip 112, and the non-compounded portion 121 can be effectively formed by the edge of the pile surface 116.

[0212] In the illustrated embodiment, two non-compounded portions 121 are created when fabric strip 112 is folded. In other embodiments, one or both of non-compounded portions 121 may be formed by sewing a fabric portion to one / both sides of plastic coating 114. This method may also be used as a way to extend the length of the or each non-compounded portion 121. In either case, the non-compounded portions may be used to sew the resulting textile element 110 directly to a textile, thus eliminating the need for additional securing means (e.g., an adhesive layer).

[0213] In embodiments where an alternative fastening means is desired, an outwardly facing adhesive layer 126 is provided. To provide an outwardly facing adhesive layer 126 on the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112, an adhesive tape 120 is applied to the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112 to one side of a centerline A extending longitudinally along the outer surface 122. It should be understood that the adhesive tape 120 may additionally be applied to the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112 on the other side of the centerline A so that there are two outwardly facing adhesive layers 126 (i.e., on both sides of the fabric strip 112). Figure 7a and Figure 7b Adhesive tape 120 is described in more detail.

[0214] Figure 7a and Figure 7b The adhesive tape is shown as a multi-layer adhesive tape 120 (in other embodiments, it can be a single-layer adhesive tape). The multi-layer adhesive tape 120 includes a first heat-activated polyurethane adhesive layer 124 and a second heat-activated polyurethane adhesive layer 126 located on opposite sides of a barrier layer 128. A polypropylene backing layer 130 is disposed on an outer surface of the second adhesive layer 126. The first polyurethane adhesive layer 124 and the second polyurethane adhesive layer 126 are preferably activated at a temperature between 140° C. and 160° C.

[0215] Prior to heating, the first heat-activated polyurethane adhesive layer 124 presents a tacky surface that allows it to be pushed into adhesive bonding with the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112 so that the multi-layer adhesive layer 120 is fixed to the outer surface 122 of the fabric strip 112 and extends longitudinally along the outer surface to one side of the centerline A of the outer surface 122.

[0216] Thereafter, the fabric strips 112 are arranged to present a plush surface 116 .

[0217] In order to create a plush surface 116 having a long, soft pile or nap, the fabric strip 112 is a woven structure in which the plush surface 116 is created by using a textured yarn (not shown) in the woven structure at the plush surface 116 .

[0218] In other embodiments, fabric strip 112 may have a woven structure in which plush surface 116 is created by reducing the number and / or thickness of weft yarns when compared to the number and / or thickness of warp yarns in the woven structure at plush surface 116. This arrangement increases exposure of the warp yarns in the woven structure at plush surface 116 and thus creates a desired pile or tuft.

[0219] In yet another embodiment, the fabric strip 112 may have a woven structure in which the plush surface 116 is created by arranging the warp yarns to form floating warp yarns that pass through two or more weft yarns at a time so as to increase exposure of the warp yarns in the woven structure at the plush surface 116 .

[0220] In yet other embodiments, fabric strip 112 may have a knitted structure.

[0221] The plastic coating 114 is applied to the plush surface 116 of the fabric strip 112 by extruding molten plastic material along the plush surface 116 of the fabric strip 112 between the ribs 115 that protrude from the fabric strip 112 on opposite sides of the plush surface 116 .

[0222] Providing a pile surface 116 on the fabric strip 112 means that during application of the plastic coating 114, the molten plastic material absorbs and penetrates into the pile surface 116 and coats the yarns of the pile surface 16. The viscosity of the molten plastic material is selected for maximum absorption and penetration of the molten plastic material into the pile surface 116.

[0223] To ensure that first adhesive layer 124 is heated so as to firmly bond adhesive tape 120 to the outer surface of fabric strip 112, fabric strip 112 is preferably heated prior to applying plastic coating 114. This, together with the heating caused by applying the plastic coating, activates first adhesive layer 124, softens first adhesive layer 124 and thereby increases the viscosity of first adhesive layer 124.

[0224] The use of a fabric strip 112 having a plush surface 116 also helps prevent leakage of molten plastic material during application of the plastic coating 114, because it allows the molten plastic material to penetrate therein and thereby inhibits the flow of the molten plastic material. The flow of the molten plastic material is further restricted by providing ribs 115 protruding from the fabric strip 112 on the opposite side of the plush surface 116.

[0225] The fabric strip 112 is then folded around the molten plastic material so as to sandwich the molten plastic material between the pile surface and the opposing surface 117 of the fabric strip 112. The ribs 119 protruding from the opposing surface 117 of the fabric strip 112 are aligned in face-to-face contact with the ribs 115 protruding from the fabric strip 112 on the opposite side of the pile surface 116 to form an envelope in which the molten plastic material is retained.

[0226] Preferably, the fabric strip 112 is not folded until the plastic coating 114 cools to present a soft and tacky surface to be bonded to the opposing surface 117 of the fabric strip 112 .

[0227] Now combine Figures 8a to 8c Description Figure 1 a and Figure 1 b shows a textile element 110 formed into a desired shape. For clarity, Figures 8a to 8c Only the non-composite portion 121 of the textile element 110 is shown. The textile element 110 has been described above with respect to Figure 1 a and Figure 1 b) is formed so that the fabric strip has been folded and stiffened.

[0228] from Figure 8a Initially, a section of fabric 200 is removed from non-compounded portion 121 of fabric strip 112 , which creates first textile element portion 202 and second textile element portion 204 on either side of the removed section of fabric 200 .

[0229] like Figure 8b As shown, first textile element portion 202 and second textile element portion 204 are then brought closer to each other so as to change the configuration of first textile element portion 202 and second textile element portion 204 relative to each other. In this way, the remaining fabric at the removed segment of fabric 200 acts as a hinge. The cutting of the removed segment of fabric 200 can be considered a process similar to mitering (e.g., "miter cutting").

[0230] This causes the shape of the fabric strip 112 to change, which in this example begins as a linear strip ( Figure 8a) and then creating a strip with a sharp corner by changing the construction of first textile element portion 202 and second textile element portion 204 ( Figure 8b ).

[0231] In this embodiment, the removed section of fabric 200 has a triangular profile. In addition, the cut portion of the textile has equal sides, which allows first textile element portion 202 and second textile element portion 204 to be aligned with each other at the removed section of the textile ( Figure 8b ).

[0232] It should be understood that different angles can be selected to affect the resulting shape of the fabric strip. For example, a steeper angle or curve in the fabric strip can be achieved by removing wider fabric triangles, while a less steep angle or curve in the fabric strip can be achieved by removing narrower fabric triangles. In addition, the removed section of fabric 200 can take any other suitable shape.

[0233] First textile element portion 202 and second textile element portion 204 may not be in full contact with each other. Instead, they may be close to each other, but not in contact with each other. It is understood that the distance between first textile element portion 202 and second textile element portion 204 may be selected to affect the resulting shape of fabric strip 112.

[0234] like Figure 8c As shown, in this example, the first textile element portion 202 and the second textile element portion 204 form complementary holes 206 therein, and the element portions 202, 204 are fixed to each other by a fixing device 208 inserted into the hole 206. The fixing device 208 can be a button stitch, a staple, a dog bone type device or any other suitable device. In other embodiments, the first and second textile element portions 202, 204 can be fixed to each other without complementary holes, for example, they can be stitched along the connecting edge or by using an adhesive. For example, a combination of a lock stitch row followed by a cross stitch zigzag at either side of the cut edge can be used.

[0235] In this way, the resulting shaped textile element itself is fixed into a desired shape, ready for use in another textile (e.g., a textile carrier or directly in a garment) to provide support and / or reinforcement functions. Alternatively, first textile element portion 202 and second textile element portion 204 may not be fixed to each other, but may be directly fixed to another textile (e.g., a textile carrier or directly to a garment) and such fixing keeps the textile element in a desired shape.

[0236] In either case, the formed textile element 110 can be secured to another textile by sewing the non-compounded portion 121 of the fabric strip 112. The other textile can be a support textile or a carrier textile that is then secured to the support textile. Adhesive can be used instead of stitching or in combination with stitching.

[0237] Although not shown, more than one portion of fabric 200 may be removed from the or each non-compounded portion 121 to allow for more than one change in the configuration of fabric strip 112 (i.e., via the paired first and second textile element portions created by each section of removed textile). Different shapes and / or angles of removed fabric 200 and / or different distances between the textile element portions brought together may be used to create bends of varying steepness in fabric strip 112. Additionally, removed fabric 200 may be taken from both sides of fabric strip 112 via each non-compounded portion of non-compounded portion 121 so that opposite curvatures may be created.

[0238] Figures 9a to 9e 10. In each of these examples, the fabric strip 112 has been wound before allowing the plastic coating to harden so as to form the fabric strip 112 into a spiral coil structure having a predetermined diameter. In other embodiments, the fabric strip can be hardened into an elliptical shape. Such formation of a spiral coil can be performed by winding the fabric strip 112 around a cylindrical or spiral form, for example, to create a wound length of the textile element 110. Fig.10 An example of winding a fabric strip 112 using a cylinder 144 is shown. The fabric strip 112 can be fed into a thread 142 disposed around the periphery of the cylinder 144 or rod. The step of feeding the fabric strip 112 into the thread 142 can be achieved by rotating the cylinder 144 (indicated by arrow "a") to rotate the thread 142, and thereby forcing the fabric strip 112 around and along the thread (indicated by arrow "b"), defining a helical coil structure. Alternatively, the step of feeding the fabric strip into the thread can be achieved by using a belt disposed around a mold and driven around the mold so as to drive the fabric strip into the thread.

[0239] Advantageously, the plastic coating hardens while the fabric strip is held in the helical coil shape, so as to set the fabric strip in that shape and allow the fabric strip to retain the helical coil shape when removed from the thread. Such a method is advantageous because it allows for continuous production of wound fabric strips. To aid in forming the helical coil structure, the mold may be heated to heat the fabric strip and the plastic coating before allowing the fabric strip and the plastic coating to harden, thereby securing the fabric strip in the helical coil structure.

[0240] In the case of realizing the winding of fabric strip by using a thread, the diameter of the thread will limit the diameter of the circle or the coil in the gained spiral coil structure.Therefore, if the desired diameter of each circle or coil is 10cm or 15cm or 20cm or 25cm or 30cm or 35cm or 40cm or 45cm or 50cm in the spiral coil structure, then the thread with the diameter of 10cm or 15cm or 20cm or 25cm or 30cm or 35cm or 40cm or 45cm or 50cm must be used.The production of spiral coil structure is particularly advantageous because it allows to manufacture a large amount of textile elements in a continuous process.The spiral coil structure of gained also has the size and shape that is convenient to storage, packing and transportation.

[0241] Figures 9a to 9c A textile element 110 is shown that is particularly useful as an underwire in a bra. Textile element 110 forms the "W" shape required for a bra, but the shape is not formed by two discrete curved elements, but rather by a single element. The W shape is formed by following the steps described above with respect to removing a section of fabric 200 and changing the configuration of first textile element portion 202 and second textile element portion 204.

[0242] exist Figure 9a In the embodiment, a section of fabric 200 has been removed from one side of the plastic coating ( Figure 9a 200 ) is removed, and the first textile element portion 202 and the second textile element portion 204 have been put together on the opposite side of the plastic coating (i.e., the opposite side from which the textile portion was removed). The first textile element portion 202 and the second textile element portion 204 can be fixed (e.g., sewn) at the non-compounded portion on the opposite side (the opposite side from which the textile segment was removed). This results in the removed segment of fabric 200 being "opened" and exposing the cut edge 208 of the fabric. In this regard, since the textile element has a plastic coating, the edge is less likely to wear and therefore there is no need to finish the exposed edge 208.

[0243] exist Figure 9b In the embodiment, the textile section 200 has been removed from the non-composite portion 121 on the side of the plastic coating, and the first second textile element portion 202 and the second textile element portion 204 have been put together on the same side of the plastic coating. The first textile element portion 202 and the second textile element portion 204 have been in contact with each other and have been fixed by stitching 210 along the contacting edges.

[0244] exist Fig.9c, two textile segments 200a, 200b have been removed from the non-composite portion 121 from the same side of the plastic coating. The two removed textile segments 200a, 200b are spaced a short distance from each other (compared to the remaining length of the textile element). The first textile segment 202a of the first removed textile segment 200a (which is the outer textile segment 202a created from the first removed textile segment 200a) is close to the second textile segment 204a of the first removed textile segment 200a so that the exposed edges meet. The second textile portion 204b of the second removed textile segment 200b (which is the outer textile portion 204b created from the second removed textile segment 200b) is close to the first textile portion 202b of the second removed textile segment 200b so that the exposed edges meet. Such placement of the two outer textile portions 202a, 204b together forms a desired W-shaped cup. It should be understood that bringing one textile portion into proximity with another textile portion is considered "bringing together" of the textile portions in accordance with the claimed invention.

[0245] The second textile portion 204a of the first removed textile segment 200a and the first textile portion 202b of the second removed textile segment 200b are part of the same textile portion, which in this embodiment forms a substantially straight middle textile portion 203 located between the W-shaped cups. The length of the middle textile portion 203 (i.e., the space between the two removed textile segments 200a, 200b) can be selected to accommodate larger cup sizes.

[0246] Fig.9c The textile portions 202a, 204a, 202b, 204b in are not shown as being secured to each other along contacting (ie exposed) edges, but they may be secured by any suitable means as previously described.

[0247] from Figures 9a to 9c It can be seen that, depending on the size, shape and position of the fabric segments removed from the textile element, different depths of the W-shape can be created, and therefore different cup sizes for a bra can be achieved.

[0248] Figure 9d and Fig.9e Textile element 110 is shown with one or more sections of fabric 200 removed in preparation for bringing first and second textile element portions together to change the curvature and / or shape of textile element 110. Figure 9d , two sections of textile 200a, 200b have been removed from the same side of textile element 110 from the non-compounded portion, ready to place corresponding first textile element portions 202a, 204a and second textile element portions 202b, 204b together to change the shape of the textile element (e.g., closely resemble Fig.9c The W shape shown in Fig.9e , a section of fabric 200 has been removed from the non-compounded portion in preparation for bringing first textile element portion 202 and second textile element portion 204 together in order to change (ie, widen) the curvature of the textile element.

[0249] As discussed earlier in this application, Figure 1 A fixture is shown which is arranged to bond a textile carrier element to a shaped textile element in order to incorporate the shaped textile element into a supporting textile or to directly create a supporting textile.

[0250] The fixture 12 and the textile carrier element 14 are Figure 1 and is shaped to work with a W-shaped textile element, similar to Figure 9a or Figure 9b As shown in .

[0251] As already explained, the clamp 12 comprises a positioning member 20 in the form of a heat-resistant sheet 22. In the embodiment shown, the sheet 22 is made of a silicone rubber sheet having a thickness of 2 mm. The heat-resistant sheet 22 may take any other suitable form, such as a metal sheet, for example aluminium.

[0252] In addition, the heat-resistant sheet 22 includes holes 24 formed as window-like openings (i.e., cut out) through the heat-resistant sheet 22, which are shaped to correspond to the shape of the W-shaped textile element 110. It should be understood that there can be any number of holes 24 in any shape and in any configuration relative to each other, depending on the support requirements of the resulting support textile.

[0253] In other embodiments of the present invention, the hole 24 may be a recessed portion formed in the heat-resistant sheet 22 (ie, not formed completely through). In further embodiments, the hole 24 may be integrally formed in the clamp 12 .

[0254] The fixture 12 further includes a heating plate 26 that is movable to contact the positioning member 20 to apply heat and pressure to the positioning member 20 .

[0255] The clamp 12 further includes three position indicators 28 located at three different points relative to the hole 24. The position indicators 28 are The position indicator 28 is made of a heat-resistant sheet 22, but may be made of any suitable material (i.e., a material that will not be damaged or deformed by the heat applied by the heating plate 26). The position indicator 28 is visually different from the heat-resistant sheet 22. The position indicator 28 may alternatively or additionally be tactilely different from the heat-resistant sheet 22.

[0256] The method of using the jig includes positioning the W-shaped textile element in the correspondingly shaped aperture 24 of the jig 12 such that the outer layer of adhesive is exposed.

[0257] The method also includes removing the backing layer from the adhesive layer and this step may be performed before or after positioning the textile elements in the correspondingly shaped holes 24 .

[0258] Next, the method includes positioning the textile carrier element 14 relative to the formed textile element so as to cover the adhesive layer in a predetermined configuration. This step additionally includes using the positioning indicator 28 as a guide as to where to position the textile carrier element 14 relative to the formed textile element.

[0259] The method then includes pressing a heating plate 26 onto the aligned textile carrier element 14 and the textile element to apply heat and pressure to activate the adhesive and thereby bond the textile carrier element 14 to the formed textile element. The pressure and heat applied in this step depends on factors such as the materials of the textile carrier element 14 and the formed textile element and the type of adhesive used. As an example, the heating plate 26 can produce a glue line temperature of 150° C. to 160° C. for a period of 15 to 20 seconds at a pressure between 6 and 8 bars.

[0260] Next, the method includes forming the bonded textile carrier element 14 and the shaped textile element into a support textile. In this embodiment, this step includes securing the bonded textile carrier element and the textile element to a brassiere. This can be accomplished by any suitable means, such as sewing or by using an adhesive. In other embodiments, the textile carrier element 14 itself can be formed into a desired textile or garment (i.e., without an intermediate textile element).

Claims

1. A method of constructing a supportive textile, the method comprising the steps of: providing at least one structural support component in the form of a textile element comprising a fabric strip folded around a plastic core, the textile element further comprising an adhesive strip bonded to an outer surface of the textile element so as to present an adhesive layer facing outwardly from the outer surface of the textile element; positioning the or each structural support member in a correspondingly shaped aperture formed in a jig such that the adhesive layer is exposed; positioning a textile carrier element relative to the or each structural support member so as to overlie the adhesive layer on the or each structural support member in a predetermined configuration; applying heat and pressure to the aligned textile carrier element and the one or more structural support members so as to bond the textile carrier element to the or each structural support member; and The bonded textile carrier element and structural support component are formed into a support textile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer is a heat activated polyurethane adhesive layer.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a removable backing layer is provided on the adhesive layer, the method further comprising the step of removing the backing layer before positioning the textile carrier element in alignment with the structural support component.

4. The method of claim 4, wherein the removable backing layer is a polypropylene layer.

5. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the clamp comprises a locating member, wherein the or each correspondingly shaped aperture is formed in the locating member.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the or each correspondingly shaped aperture is a cut-out formed as a window through the locating member.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the or each correspondingly shaped aperture is a recess formed in the locating member.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the positioning member is a heat-resistant sheet.

9. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the positioning member comprises a plurality of receiving holes, wherein the receiving holes all have the same shape or have shapes that are different from each other or a mixture of the same and different shapes.

10. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the positioning member further comprises one or more position indicators positioned relative to the one or more receiving apertures to assist in positioning the textile carrier element into alignment with the or each structural support component.

11. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the step of forming the bonded textile carrier element and structural support component into a supporting textile comprises forming the textile carrier element itself into a textile.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the step of forming the bonded textile carrier element and structural support component into a supportive textile comprises securing the bonded textile carrier and structural support component to a textile.

13. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fabric strip folded around the plastic core comprises a fabric strip having a plush surface and a plastic coating, the plastic coating being applied to the plush surface so that at least surface yarns of the plush surface are embedded in the plastic coating and a composite structure is formed at the junction between the plastic coating and the plush surface, wherein the fabric strip is folded around the plastic coating so as to sandwich the plastic coating between the plush surface and an opposing surface of the fabric strip.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the fabric strip is a woven structure including a pair of ribs protruding from the fabric strip on opposite sides of the plush surface, the plastic coating is applied to the plush surface between the ribs so that warp yarns of the plush surface are embedded in the plastic coating in the composite structure, and wherein the fabric strip further includes a pair of ribs protruding from the opposite surfaces of the fabric strip, the fabric strip is folded so that the ribs protruding from the opposite surfaces are aligned in face-to-face contact with the ribs protruding from the fabric strip on the opposite sides of the plush surface.

15. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plastic material is a thermoplastic plastic material.

16. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the plastic material is a thermosetting plastic material.

17. A method of forming a textile element for use as a structural support component in a garment, the method comprising the steps of: (i) providing a fabric strip having a plush surface; (ii) applying a plastic coating to the pile surface of the fabric strip such that the plastic coating penetrates the pile surface; (iii) allowing the plastic coating to harden so as to embed at least the surface yarns of the pile surface into the plastic coating and thereby form a composite structure at the junction between the plastic coating and the pile surface, (iv) folding the fabric strip around the plastic coating so as to sandwich the plastic coating between the pile surface and an opposing surface of the fabric strip before allowing the plastic coating to harden, wherein the multi-layer adhesive tape is applied to the outer surface of the fabric strip simultaneously with one or more of the above steps of the method, the tape having first and second adhesive layers on opposite sides of the barrier layer, wherein the first adhesive layer is in face-to-face contact with the outer surface of the fabric strip such that once the fabric strip is folded around the plastic coating having the second adhesive layer facing outward from the outer surface of the fabric strip, the adhesive tape is secured to the outer surface of the fabric strip and extends longitudinally along the outer surface.

18. The method of forming a textile element according to claim 17, wherein each of the first and second adhesive layers is a heat activated polyurethane adhesive and the barrier layer is a polyurethane layer, wherein the polyurethane barrier layer has a higher melting point than the polyurethane adhesive.

19. The method of forming a textile element of claim 17 or claim 18, wherein the multi-layer adhesive tape further comprises a removable backing layer located on an outer surface of the second adhesive layer.

20. The method of forming a textile element of claim 19, wherein the removable backing layer is a polypropylene layer.

21. A method for forming a textile element according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein the fabric strip is a woven structure, the woven structure includes a pair of ribs protruding from the fabric strip on opposite sides of the plush surface, the plastic coating is applied to the plush surface between the ribs so that the plastic coating penetrates the plush surface in the composite structure after the plastic coating hardens, and wherein the fabric strip further includes a pair of ribs protruding from the opposite surfaces of the fabric strip and the step of folding the fabric strip around the plastic coating involves aligning the ribs protruding from the fabric strip on opposite sides of the plush surface.

22. A method of forming a textile element according to any one of claims 17 to 21, wherein the plastic coating is a thermoplastic.

23. A method of forming a textile element according to any one of claims 17 to 21, wherein the plastic coating is a thermosetting plastic.

24. A textile element for use as a structural support component in a garment, the textile element comprising a fabric strip having a plush surface and a plastic coating, the plastic coating being applied to the plush surface so that at least surface yarns of the plush surface are embedded in the plastic coating and a composite structure is formed at the junction between the plastic coating and the plush surface, wherein the fabric strip is folded around the plastic coating so as to sandwich the plastic coating between the plush surface and an opposing surface of the fabric strip, and the fabric element further comprising an adhesive strip bonded to an outer surface of the fabric strip to present an adhesive layer facing outward from the outer surface of the fabric strip.

25. A textile element according to claim 23, wherein the adhesive tape is a multi-layer adhesive tape having a first and a second adhesive layer located on opposite sides of a barrier layer, wherein the first adhesive layer is bonded in face-to-face contact with the outer surface of the textile element and the second adhesive layer faces outward from the fabric strip.

26. The textile element of claim 25, wherein each of the first and second adhesive layers is a heat activated polyurethane adhesive and the barrier layer is a polyurethane layer, wherein the polyurethane barrier layer has a higher melting point than the polyurethane adhesive.

27. The textile element of any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the multi-layer adhesive tape further comprises a removable backing layer on an outer surface of the second adhesive layer.

28. The textile element of claim 27, wherein the removable backing layer is a polypropylene layer.

29. A textile element according to any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein the fabric strip is a woven structure, the woven structure including a pair of ribs protruding from the fabric strip on opposite sides of the plush surface, the plastic coating is applied to the plush surface located between the ribs so that the warp yarns of the plush surface are embedded in the plastic coating in the composite structure, and wherein the fabric strip further includes a pair of ribs protruding from the opposite surfaces of the fabric strip, the fabric strip is folded so that the ribs protruding from the opposite surfaces are aligned in face-to-face contact with the ribs protruding from the fabric strip on the opposite sides of the plush surface.

30. The textile element of any one of claims 24 to 29, wherein the plastic coating is a thermoplastic.

31. The textile element of any one of claims 24 to 29, wherein the plastic coating is a thermosetting plastic.

32. A method of forming a supportive textile element having a desired shape, the method comprising the steps of: providing a fabric strip having a plush surface; applying a plastic coating to the pile surface of the fabric strip such that the plastic coating penetrates the pile surface; folding the fabric strip around the plastic coating so as to sandwich the plastic coating between the pile surface and an opposing surface of the fabric strip before allowing the plastic coating to harden, wherein a section of the folded fabric strip creates a non-compounded portion; allowing the plastic coating to harden so as to embed at least the surface yarns of the pile surface into the plastic coating and thereby form a composite structure at the junction between the plastic coating and the pile surface; removing a section of textile from the noncompounded portion of the fabric strip to create first and second textile element portions on either side of the removed section of textile; and The first and second textile element portions are directed toward each other to change the configuration of the first and second textile element portions relative to each other thereby creating a desired shape for the supportive textile element.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of removing a section of fabric from the non-compounded portion of the fabric strip comprises removing a triangular section.

34. A method according to claim 32 or claim 33, further comprising the step of winding the fabric strip so as to form the fabric strip into a helical coil structure having a predetermined diameter before allowing the plastic coating to harden.

35. A method according to any one of claims 32 to 34, wherein the step of bringing the first and second textile element portions towards each other comprises bringing the first and second textile element portions into contact with each other at a section of the removed fabric strip.

36. The method of any one of claims 32 to 35, further comprising the step of securing the first and second textile element portions to each other after orienting the first and second textile element portions toward each other.

37. A method according to claim 36 including the steps of forming complementary apertures in the first and second textile element portions and using securing means passing through the apertures to secure the textile element portions to each other.

38. The method of any one of claims 32 to 37, further comprising the step of securing the formed supportive textile element to another textile after orienting the first and second textile element portions toward each other.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the step of securing the supportive textile element to another textile comprises sewing the fabric strip at the non-compounded portion.

40. A method according to any one of claims 32 to 39, further comprising the step of forming first and second non-composite portions on either side of the plastic coating.

41. The method according to claim 40, further comprising the steps of: removing a section of fabric from each of the first and second noncomposite portions to create a first pair of first and second textile element portions on the first noncomposite portion and a second pair of first and second textile element portions on the second noncomposite portion; and Each corresponding pair of first and second textile element portions are directed toward one another to change the configuration of each corresponding pair of first and second textile element portions relative to one another.

42. A method according to any one of claims 32 to 41 further comprising the step of removing more than one section of fabric from the or each non-composite portion.

43. A method according to any one of claims 32 to 42, wherein the fabric strip is a woven structure, the woven structure includes a pair of ribs protruding from the fabric strip on opposite sides of the plush surface, the plastic coating is applied to the plush surface located between the ribs so that the warp yarns of the plush surface are embedded in the plastic coating in the composite structure, and wherein the fabric strip further includes a pair of ribs protruding from the opposite surfaces of the fabric strip, and the step of folding the fabric strip around the plastic coating involves aligning the ribs protruding from the opposite surfaces in face-to-face contact with the ribs protruding from the fabric strip on opposite sides of the plush surface.

44. The method according to any one of claims 32 to 43, further comprising the steps of: applying an adhesive tape to an outer surface of the folded fabric strip so as to present an adhesive layer facing outwardly from the outer surface; positioning the shaped fabric strip in a correspondingly shaped hole formed in a fixture such that the adhesive layer is exposed; positioning a textile carrier element relative to the formed fabric strip so as to cover the adhesive layer on the formed fabric strip in a predetermined configuration; applying heat and pressure to the aligned textile carrier element and the formed fabric strip to bond the textile carrier element to the formed fabric strip; and The bonded textile carrier element and the shaped fabric strip are formed into a supporting textile.

45. A method according to claim 44, wherein the step of applying an adhesive tape to the outer surface of the folded fabric strip includes applying a multi-layer adhesive tape simultaneously with one or more of the aforementioned method steps, the tape having a first and a second adhesive layer located on opposite sides of the barrier layer, wherein the first adhesive layer is in face-to-face contact with the outer surface of the fabric strip so that once the fabric strip is folded around the plastic coating having the second adhesive layer facing outward from the outer surface of the fabric strip, the adhesive tape is secured to the outer surface of the fabric strip and extends longitudinally along the outer surface.

46. ​​A method according to claim 44 or claim 45, wherein the adhesive tape comprises a layer of heat activated polyurethane adhesive.

47. A method according to claim 46, when dependent on claim 45, wherein each of the first and second adhesive layers is a heat activated polyurethane adhesive and the barrier layer is a polyurethane layer, wherein the polyurethane barrier layer has a higher melting point than the polyurethane adhesive.

48. A method according to any one of claims 44 to 47, wherein a removable backing layer is provided on the outwardly facing adhesive layer, the method further comprising the step of removing the backing layer prior to positioning the textile carrier element in alignment with the formed fabric strip.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the removable backing layer is a polypropylene layer.

50. A method according to any one of claims 44 to 49, wherein the fixture comprises a locating member, wherein the correspondingly shaped holes are formed in the locating member.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the correspondingly shaped aperture is a cutout formed as a window through the locating member or wherein the correspondingly shaped aperture is a recess formed in the locating member.

52. The method according to any one of claims 44 to 51, wherein the positioning member is a heat-resistant sheet.

53. The method of any one of claims 44 to 52, wherein the positioning member further comprises one or more position indicators positioned relative to the receiving aperture to assist in positioning the textile carrier element into alignment with the formed textile element.

54. A method according to any one of claims 44 to 52, wherein the step of forming the bonded textile carrier element and the formed fabric strip into a supporting textile comprises forming the textile carrier element itself into a textile or wherein forming the bonded textile carrier element and the formed fabric strip into a supporting textile comprises fixing the bonded textile carrier and the formed fabric strip to the textile.

55. A method according to any one of claims 32 to 54, wherein the plastic coating is a thermoplastic.

56. A method according to any one of claims 32 to 55, wherein the plastic coating is a thermosetting plastic.

57. A supportive textile element having a desired shape, the supportive textile element comprising a fabric strip having a plush surface and a plastic coating, the plastic coating being applied to the plush surface so that at least surface yarns of the plush surface are embedded in the plastic coating and a composite structure is formed at the junction between the plastic coating and the plush surface, wherein the fabric strip is folded around the plastic coating so as to sandwich the plastic coating between the plush surface and an opposing surface of the fabric strip, the folded fabric strip having a non-composite portion, wherein a section of fabric is removed from the non-composite portion to create a first and a second textile element portion, wherein the fabric strip has a desired shape formed by bringing the first and second fabric element portions together to change the configuration of the first and second fabric element portions relative to each other.

58. The supportive textile element of claim 57, further comprising an adhesive tape bonded to an outer surface of the fabric strip so as to present an adhesive layer facing outward from the outer surface of the fabric strip.

59. A support garment comprising a garment fabric and a support textile element according to claim 57 or claim 58 secured to the garment fabric to create a support portion of the garment.

Images