Polymer Concealer for Brassiere Cups
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional brassieres fail to provide adequate comfort, support, and coverage for the areola region, with thick foam inserts being uncomfortable and costly, while thin fabrics offer insufficient discretion, leading to the need for additional padding that can cause chafing and increased expense.
Innovation Solution
The use of polymers such as urethane, silicone, or plastisol applied to the breast cups in a varying thickness pattern, decreasing from the center to the periphery, which can be screen printed, digitally printed, laser sintered, or extruded, providing concealment and comfort without the bulk of traditional foam inserts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thick layers of foam are used in breast cups, then coverage and modesty are improved, but weight and bulk increase causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer concealer is applied with varying thickness - thicker at the center (apex region) where coverage is most needed and thinner toward the periphery. This localized variation provides adequate coverage only where required, eliminating the need for uniformly thick foam layers throughout the entire breast cup, thus reducing overall weight and bulk while maintaining modesty.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter from traditional foam to polymer materials (urethane, silicone, or plastisol). These polymers can be applied in controlled thickness variations and cured to provide coverage with significantly reduced weight compared to conventional foam inserts.
2Weight of moving object
If thin or sheer fabrics are used in breast cups, then weight and bulk are reduced, but coverage and discretion are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer concealer is applied preliminarily to the apex region of the breast cup before final assembly. This pre-applied polymer layer provides the necessary coverage enhancement only where needed, allowing the rest of the fabric to remain thin and sheer for comfort, thus achieving both weight reduction and adequate coverage.
3Reliability
If additional padding materials are inserted into breast cups, then coverage is improved, but cost and convenience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The concealer polymer is merged directly with the breast cup fabric through application and curing processes (screen printing, digital printing, laser sintering, injection molding, or extrusion). This integration eliminates the need for separate removable padding inserts, reducing manufacturing steps, lowering costs, and improving convenience while maintaining coverage functionality.
4Reliability
If traditional polymer application methods are used, then coverage is provided, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces traditional adhesive bonding methods with laser sintering technology. The laser sintering process selectively fuses polymer particles directly to the fabric without requiring separate adhesives or complex bonding equipment, significantly simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining effective polymer attachment for coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser sintering process utilizes phase transitions of the polymer material - heating the polymer particles to melt and fuse them to the fabric, then allowing cooling to solidify the bond. This phase change mechanism enables direct attachment without additional adhesives or complex mechanical systems.
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
This solution offers a comfortable, discreet, and cost-effective means of providing coverage by applying polymers in a thin, tapered pattern that conceals the areola region without the discomfort or expense of traditional methods, reducing visibility and enhancing wearability.
Implementation Method 1
a sintering laser that is configured to apply or couple the concealer to a fabric comprising the breast cups
Implementation Method 2
laser sintering, injection molding, or extrusion
Data Source
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AI summary
A brassiere including a concealer is provided. The brassiere comprises a body portion configured to at least partially encircle a torso of a wearer of the brassiere. Breast cups comprising a first breast cup and a second breast cup are coupled to the body portion and configured to support breasts of the wearer. Each of the first breast cup and the second breast cup comprise a first layer of fabric and a concealer coupled to the first layer of fabric. The concealer comprises a polymer including a body having a first thickness value at or proximate to a center of the body and a second thickness value at or proximate to a periphery of the body. The first thickness value is greater than the second thickness value. The polymer is screen printed, digitally printed, laser sintered, or extruded onto the first layer of fabric.