Undergarments having finished edges and methods therefor
DCFirst Claim
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1. A method of making a fabric having a finished edge comprising:
- cutting a fabric to provide a cut edge having a plurality of fibers, at least some of said fibers having free ends terminating at an edge of said fabric;
after cutting the fabric, disposing a bead of a curable polymer over at least a portion of the cut edge of said fabric so that said curable polymer engages the free ends of said fibers at the edge of said fabric;
after the disposing step, curing said polymer for finishing the edge of said fabric, wherein the finished edge is an unopposed edge that is stretchable for adjusting to movement of said fabric.
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Abstract
A method of making a fabric having a finished edge includes providing a fabric having a plurality of fibers with free ends of the fibers at an edge of the fabric, disposing a curable polymer such as silicone over the edge of the fabric so that the curable polymer engages the free ends of the fibers at the edge of the fabric, and, after the disposing step, curing the polymer for finishing the edge of the fabric. The polymer binds the free ends of the fibers to prevent fraying of the fabric. The fabric is cut into a pattern piece for a garment before the step of disposing the curable polymer on the edge of the fabric.
65 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method of making a fabric having a finished edge comprising:
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cutting a fabric to provide a cut edge having a plurality of fibers, at least some of said fibers having free ends terminating at an edge of said fabric; after cutting the fabric, disposing a bead of a curable polymer over at least a portion of the cut edge of said fabric so that said curable polymer engages the free ends of said fibers at the edge of said fabric; after the disposing step, curing said polymer for finishing the edge of said fabric, wherein the finished edge is an unopposed edge that is stretchable for adjusting to movement of said fabric. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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4. A method of making a fabric having a finished edge comprising:
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providing a fabric having a plurality of fibers, at least some of said fibers having free ends terminating at an edge of said fabric; disposing a curable polymer over the edge of said fabric so that said curable polymer engages the free ends of said fibers at the edge of said fabric; after the disposing step, curing said polymer for finishing the edge of said fabric, wherein said polymer comprises silicone, and wherein the finished edge is an unopposed edge that is stretchable for adjusting to movement of said fabric.
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20. A method of making a fabric having a finished edge comprising:
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providing a fabric having a plurality of fibers, at least some of said fibers having free ends terminating at an edge of said fabric; disposing a curable polymer over the edge of said fabric so that said curable polymer engages the free ends of said fibers at the edge of said fabric; after the disposing step, curing said polymer for finishing the edge of said fabric, wherein the disposing a curable polymer step comprises disposing a first polymer bead at the edge of said fabric and disposing at least one second polymer bead spaced from said first polymer bead, wherein the finished edge is an unopposed edge that is stretchable for adjusting to movement of said fabric. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of making cut pattern pieces having finished edges comprising:
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laying out a spread of fabric; cutting said spread of fabric to provide a plurality of cut pattern pieces, each said cut pattern piece including a plurality of fibers having free ends terminating at an edge of said cut pattern piece; after the cutting step, disposing a curable polymer over the edges of said cut pattern pieces so that said curable polymer engages the free ends of the fibers at the edges of said cut pattern pieces; after the disposing step, curing said polymer for finishing the edges of said cut pattern pieces, wherein the finished edges are unopposed edges that are stretchable for adjusting to movement of said cut pattern pieces. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A garment comprising:
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a cut pattern piece having a cut edge, said cut pattern piece including a fabric having a plurality of fibers with free ends that terminate at the cut edge of said cut pattern piece; and a bead of cured polymer material provided proximate to the cut edge of said cut pattern piece, wherein said bead of cured polymer material contacts at least some of the free ends of said fibers at the cut edge of said fabric for finishing the edge, wherein the finished edge is an unopposed edge that is stretchable for adjusting to movement of said fabric. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A garment comprising:
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a cut pattern piece including a fabric having edges and an interior region of said fabric being spaced from the edges; at least one bead of silicone deposited in the interior region of said fabric, wherein said silicone is in contact with said fabric and provides gripping for holding said cut pattern piece in place on a wearer'"'"'s body; and a bead of cured polymer material provided over free ends of fibers at least one of the edges of said fabric for finishing the at least one of the edges of said fabric, wherein the finished edge is an unopposed edge that is stretchable for adjusting to movement of said fabric. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A method of increasing material yield when cutting pattern pieces from fabric comprising:
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laying a spread of fabric having an unfinished edge; cutting a plurality of pattern pieces from said spread of fabric, wherein at least some of said cut pattern pieces are spaced from the unfinished edge of said spread; disposing a curable polymer material over one or more edges of said cut pattern pieces including the at least some of said cut pattern pieces spaced from the unfinished edge of said spread, wherein said cut pattern pieces include fibers having free ends that terminate at the one or more edges of said cut pattern pieces; curing said polymer material for finishing the one or more edges of said cut pattern pieces, wherein the finished edge of said spread is devoid of a knitted-in edge and is an unopposed edge. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. A garment comprising:
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a cut pattern piece including stretchable fabric made of fibers having free ends terminating at a cut edge of said cut pattern piece; a bead of a polymer material provided on said stretchable fabric in proximate contact with the free ends of said fibers terminating at the cut edge of said cut pattern piece, wherein said polymer material provides a finished edge for said cut pattern piece, and wherein the finished edge is an unopposed edge that is stretchable for adjusting to movement of said cut pattern piece. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A garment having a sleek finished edge comprising:
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a cut pattern piece made of fibers, at least some of said fibers having free ends that terminate at a cut edge of said cut pattern piece; a cured polymer material provided in contact with the free ends of said fibers at the cut edge of said cut pattern piece, wherein said cured polymer material provides a sleek finished edge to said cut pattern piece that is devoid of narrow elastic, trim, lace and a folded-over edge, wherein the finished edge is an unopposed edge that is stretchable for adjusting to movement of said cut pattern piece. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 52)
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47. A method of controlling a stretchable garment utilizing the stretch characteristics of stretchable fabric comprising:
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providing a spread of stretchable fabric that is more stretchable in a first axial direction and less stretchable in a second axial direction; cutting a pattern piece from said spread, wherein said at least one cut pattern piece has unfinished edges with free ends of fibers at the unfinished edges; disposing a curable polymer over one of the unfinished edges of said cut pattern piece so that said curable polymer engages the free ends of said fibers, wherein the one of the unfinished edges having said curable polymer disposed thereon extends along a third axial direction that crosses the first axial direction; and after the disposing step, curing said polymer for finishing the edge of said cut pattern piece, wherein the finished edge is an unopposed edge. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50)
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51. A method of making a fabric having a finished edge comprising:
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providing a fabric having a plurality of fibers, at least some of said fibers having free ends terminating at an unfinished edge of said fabric; disposing a curable polymer over the edge of said fabric so that said curable polymer engages said fibers proximate to said unfinished edge of said fabric; after the disposing step, curing said polymer for finishing said unfinished edge of said fabric, wherein said polymer comprises silicone, and wherein said finished edge is an unopposed edge that is stretchable for adjusting to movement of said fabric.
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Specification