Brassiere Back Closure with Rigid Bar to Prevent Curling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard brassiere back closures are bulky, visible under tight clothing, prone to curling, and require stitching, which can be unattractive and costly to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A flat, ultrasonically welded plastic closure system with transversely extending rows of U-shaped female and complementary male plastic elements, integrated with a rigid bar to prevent curling and eliminate stitching, made from non-metallic materials for comfort and ease of production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard metallic hooks and eyes are used for the closure, then the closure is effective for fastening, but the metallic hooks are hard and can dig into the wearer's back and get caught on other garments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces durable metallic hooks with plastic closure elements that are softer and less likely to cause skin irritation or snag garments. The plastic elements achieve the necessary fastening function without the harmful properties of metal, effectively substituting a material with different properties that eliminates the harmful effects while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter from metallic to plastic, which fundamentally alters the physical properties including hardness, flexibility, and interaction with skin and garments. This parameter change transforms the closure elements from potentially harmful metallic hooks to benign plastic elements that maintain fastening effectiveness without causing irritation or snagging.
2Reliability
If the closure is made with standard hooks and eyes, then the fastening function is achieved, but the closure is bulky and can be seen underneath tight clothing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent redesigns the closure system to lie substantially flat against the body by arranging the plastic hooks and eyes in a planar configuration. The closure elements are positioned and structured to minimize protrusion in the thickness dimension, allowing the closure to be invisible under tight clothing while maintaining full fastening functionality through the plastic elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses flexible plastic closure elements that can be made extremely thin and flat, unlike rigid metallic hooks. The plastic material allows the closure to be constructed as a thin film or flat structure that conforms to the body surface without creating visible bumps, achieving both aesthetic invisibility and functional effectiveness.
3Force
If longitudinal stress is applied to the standard closure, then the wings are tensioned, but the entire closure curls and projects out at its edges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal to plastic, which fundamentally alters the mechanical response to tension. Plastic has different elasticity and flexibility characteristics that prevent the curling deformation seen in metallic closures. The plastic elements maintain their shape and position under tension, keeping the closure flat and stable without projecting edges.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention may use composite construction combining plastic elements with textile components to create a closure system that resists curling under tension. The composite structure integrates the plastic hooks and eyes with the fabric in a way that distributes tension forces evenly, preventing deformation and maintaining flatness during wear.
4Ease of manufacture
If the closure is manufactured from various elements with stitching, then assembly is achieved, but the stitching is difficult to match with textile elements and increases cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the plastic closure elements directly into the textile components through methods like adhesive bonding or thermal welding, merging previously separate elements into a unified structure. This eliminates the need for separate stitching operations and the associated problems of matching stitch color and pattern with the textile, simplifying both manufacturing and appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical stitching system with alternative joining methods such as adhesive bonding or thermal welding. This substitution eliminates the need for needles, threads, and complex stitching patterns, reducing manufacturing complexity and eliminating the aesthetic mismatch problem between stitching and textile elements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution results in a thin, flat closure that does not curl or snag, is comfortable, and can be produced without stitching, addressing the visibility, comfort, and manufacturing issues of traditional closures.
Implementation Method 1
The parts can be ultrasonically welded together
Implementation Method 2
ultrasonically welded together the layers 11a and 11b
Data Source
AI summary
A brassiere back closure has an inelastic textile patch attached to the end of one of the brassiere wings and carries a plurality of transversely extending and longitudinally spaced rows each having at least two transversely spaced eyes on the back face. A flat body has an inner end attached to the end of the other of the wings, an opposite outer end, a front face at least partially overlapping at the outer end the back face of the patch, and a back face opposite the body front face. Respective plastic hooks generally complementary to and matable with the eyes are fixed to the body front face at the outer end so as to align with and interfit with the eyes. A transversely rigid bar on or forming part of the body prevents transverse relative movement of the hooks and bending of the body at the hooks.