Laminate Upper-Body Garment with Localized Foam for Modesty
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional upper-body support garments struggle to balance support, comfort, modesty, and aesthetic appeal, often being bulky, heavy, and causing skin irritation due to thick seams and visible pad outlines.
Innovation Solution
A laminate construction with thinner peripheral regions and thicker central regions, incorporating a foam layer between stretch liners, provides improved modesty and comfort by minimizing visible seams and reducing skin irritation, while maintaining a clean aesthetic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional material layers are used to provide modesty, then nipple protrusion is concealed, but the garment becomes bulky and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The foam layer is configured with varying thickness across different regions: a first thickness in the first region (providing modesty coverage) and a second thickness in the second region (providing support). This local variation in thickness allows the garment to achieve modesty and support functions without uniformly increasing weight throughout the entire garment.
Solution Approach 2:
The garment incorporates a composite structure combining an outer layer, an inner layer, and a foam layer with specific density characteristics. The foam layer has a density greater than air but less than water, creating a lightweight yet effective modesty and support system that avoids the bulk and weight of conventional single-material constructions.
2Reliability
If thicker material layers are used to ensure modesty, then nipple protrusion is concealed, but skin irritation increases due to thicker seams
Solution Approach 1:
The foam layer thickness is optimized locally: sufficient thickness in the first region to conceal nipple protrusion, and reduced thickness in the second region to minimize seam bulk and skin irritation. This localized thickness variation resolves the contradiction between modesty coverage and skin comfort.
3Reliability
If discrete pads are integrated into the front panel, then modesty is provided, but pad lines become visible on the outside
Solution Approach 1:
The foam layer is integrated as a continuous element between the outer and inner layers, merging the modesty function with the garment structure itself. This integration eliminates discrete pad outlines and creates a smooth, seamless aesthetic appearance while maintaining modesty coverage.
4Strength
If conventional constructions are used to provide support, then structural integrity is maintained, but the garment becomes bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The foam layer is configured with different thicknesses in different regions: a first thickness in the first region (providing modesty) and a second thickness in the second region (providing support). This localized thickness variation allows structural support to be achieved without uniformly increasing garment bulk.
Solution Approach 2:
The combination of outer layer, inner layer, and foam layer creates a composite structure that provides structural support through material properties and layer configuration rather than through bulk, achieving support with reduced overall volume.
Data Source
AI summary
An upper-body support garment that provides improved modesty and that can also be lighter weight, more sustainable, more comfortable, and/or include a desired aesthetic. The upper-body support garment can include a front portion having a laminate with one or more foam layers. The laminate layers are shaped and tailored to impart modesty to desired locations of the support garment without adding unnecessary bulk. The laminate can be integrated into a construction with flatter seams that can provide a desired aesthetic, be less likely to create skin irritations, and mitigate or eliminate visible pad lines.