WO2015014684A1

WO2015014684A1 - Pad for cycling shorts or cycling tights or for other similar sports clothes, and method for its provision

Info

Publication number: WO2015014684A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/065795
Authority: WO
Inventors: Franco SIMIONATI
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-07-31
Filing date: 2014-07-23
Publication date: 2015-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 2016-01-31
Also published as: ITPD20130213A1

Abstract

A pad (10) for cycling shorts or cycling tights or for other similar sports clothes, of the type comprising a flexible support (11), made of fabric or non-woven fabric, to be fixed by its edges (12) to a pair of cycling shorts or cycling tights or other similar sports clothes, or already part of a pair of cycling shorts or cycling tights or other similar sports clothes and a resting and protection cushion (13), composed of one or more parts (14, 15) said protection cushion (13) being fixed to said flexible support (11) by reversible fixing means (16).

Description

PAD FOR CYCLING SHORTS OR CYCLING TIGHTS OR FOR OTHER SIMILAR SPORTS CLOTHES, AND METHOD FOR ITS PROVISION

The present invention relates to a pad for cycling shorts or cycling tights or for other similar sports clothes.

The invention also relates to a method for its provision.

Nowadays the use is known and widespread, in the sporting practice of cycling at all levels, of shorts or tights provided with a protective pad in order to render prolonged sitting on the saddle of the bicycle more comfortable and less harmful.

Such a generic pad for cycling shorts or cycling tights or for other similar sports clothes usually comprises

- a flexible support, made of fabric or non-woven fabric, to be fixed by its edges to a pair of cycling shorts or cycling tights or other similar sports clothes, or already part of a pair of cycling shorts or cycling tights or other similar sports clothes,

- and a resting and protection cushion, composed of one or more parts.

The current process of producing the pad involves the coupling and heat-sealing of several layers that make up the cushion, by way of adhesive bonding and subsequent thermoformation or high-frequency heat-sealing of the flexible fabric support with the polyurethanes that define the cushion.

In particular, one method for providing a conventional pad involves:

- a first step of coupling a flexible support, for example made of cloth fabric, which is intended to come into contact with the skin of a user, by way of a thermal adhesive (either a film, or adhesive in spots), with a first layer of polyurethane a few millimeters in thickness; such coupling occurs continuously, generally using machines with hot rollers with a temperature that varies between 80° and 120°;

- a second step in which the coupled cloth fabric support is stretched and contoured into a desired shape, by way of cutting machines or die- cutting machines; for a cutting machine, the selected shape is entered in the cutting program, while for a die-cutting machine it is necessary to prepare a contoured steel die punch.

- meanwhile, a polyurethane ribbon, generally wound on a spool, which is used to make the cushion, is coupled, as per the cloth fabric, to a thermo-adhesive film, or to an adhesive distributed in spots, using machines with hot rollers;

- subsequently several sheet-like portions of polyurethane are prepared/shaped, generally with a die-cutting machine with a steel die, such sheet-like portions having the required shapes, thicknesses and densities to subsequently make up the cushion part of the pad;

- a subsequent step positions the various components produced up to now in the various processing steps in adapted forms/templates or in adapted molds,

- a subsequent step presses and shapes the various layers so as to obtain a single body; this procedure is carried out with thermoforming machines or with high-frequency heat-sealing machines.

Generally thermoforming machines are used and temperatures are used of approximately 200° for 60/70 seconds at high pressure levels.

A last operation is the optional final cutting-off of the material in excess.

Such pad thus provided is ready to be sewn into a determined position of the pair of cycling shorts.

The pad is sewn with a sewing machine using a linear zigzag stitch, predominantly with the pair of cycling shorts open, i.e. the pieces of cloth that make up the pair of cycling shorts are assembled and sewn only in the central part affected by the pad; after having positioned the pad, the pair of cycling shorts is closed and the remaining parts are sewn with a sewing machine using an overlock stitch.

Although such pads and such a production method are widespread and appreciated, they are not devoid of limitations and drawbacks.

The most evident limitation of conventional pads for cycling shorts or tights lies in the difficulty, and substantial impossibility, once the pad is sewn to the pair of cycling shorts, of being able to change or move, at will or for technical reasons, the cushion with respect to the flexible fabric support.

In fact if it is necessary or desired to change or move the cushion, which is fixed stably to the flexible support, which in turn is incorporated into the pair of cycling shorts, it would be necessary to open the stitching, and take out the various different pieces that make up the cushion to then reassemble them in a new position or in a new configuration, and sew it all up again.

These operations need to be carried out with special machines, by specialist companies and qualified personnel.

Furthermore the great number of manual steps that the known art involves seems evident.

Other limitations are: the difficulty of obtaining a good breathability of the final pad, since all the various different layers that make up the pad are glued together; the difficulty of making a pad with high technical characteristics of comfort, anatomical shape, and shock absorption; and the impossibility of making a pad that really is anatomical and interchangeable.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a pad for cycling shorts or cycling tights or for other similar sports clothes, which is capable of overcoming the above mentioned limitations of conventional pads.

In particular, an object of the invention is to provide a pad the cushion of which is easily removable, moveable and replaceable according to the necessities and requirements of the user, since the pads known today have cushions that are an integral part of the pair of cycling shorts in that they are sewn onto that pair of cycling shorts, thus the end use is limited and static.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for providing a pad, with reduced costs and timescales with respect to the conventional methods of production.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pad that can be applied in a versatile manner without intervening on the structure of the pair of cycling shorts or tights.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for providing a pad that makes it possible to make a pad "to measure" for the user.

This aim and these and other objects which will become better evident hereinafter are achieved by a pad for cycling shorts or cycling tights or for other similar sports clothes, of the type comprising:

- and a resting and protection cushion, composed of one or more parts,

said pad being characterized in that said cushion is fixed to said flexible support by reversible fixing means.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the pad according to the invention, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

- Figure 1 is an exploded cross-sectional view of a pad according to the invention;

- Figure 2 is a perspective view of an apparatus for a method according to the invention;

- Figure 3 is a perspective view of an operating step of the method according to the invention;

- Figure 4 is an exploded cross-sectional view of a pad according to the invention in a variation of embodiment. With reference to the figures, a pad for cycling shorts or cycling tights or for other similar sports clothes according to the invention is generally designated with the reference numeral 10. Such pad 10 comprises:

- a flexible support 11, made of fabric or non- woven fabric, to be fixed by its edges 12 to a pair of cycling shorts or cycling tights or other similar sports clothes, or which is already part of a pair of cycling shorts or cycling tights or other similar sports clothes,

- and a resting and protection cushion 13, composed of one or more parts, for example two parts 14 and 15 in Figure 1.

The pad 10 is characterized in that the cushion 13 is fixed to the flexible support 11 with reversible fixing means 16.

In the embodiment of the invention described herein by way of non- limiting example of the invention, the reversible fixing means 16 are constituted by two facing Velcro® parts, a first, "loop" part 17 fixed to either the flexible support 11 and the cushion 13 and a second, "hook" part 18 fixed to the other element.

For example, the first, "loop" part 17 is fixed to the flexible support 11, while the second, "hook" part 18 is fixed to the cushion 13.

It should be understood that a variation can obviously be made in which the "loop" parts and the "hook" parts are inverted with respect to the flexible support 11 and to the cushion 13.

Such reversible fixing means, as an alternative to Velcro®, are constituted by special detachable adhesives coupled to an aliphatic or aromatic polyurethane film.

The Velcro® "loop" part 17 is sewn to the flexible support 11.

Alternatively, the first, "loop" part 17 is sewn directly onto a pair of cycling shorts or cycling tights in a preset position, thus avoiding the operation to join the flexible support 11 to the pair of cycling shorts or cycling tights.

The flexible support 11 is constituted for example by a portion of a fabric or a non- woven fabric or other similar and equivalent flexible sheet or flexible film.

The reversible fixing means 16 are thus adapted to allow a fixing that is not only reversible but is also rapid, i.e. it can be carried out with a few, quick manual movements by the user.

The pad 10, once the flexible support 11 has been fixed to the pair of cycling shorts, enables the rapid and repeatable fixing and removal of the cushion 13 by way of the Velcro® parts 17 and 18; in this manner the cushion 13, i.e. the parts 14 and 15 that make it up, can be fixed to the flexible support 11 in the position that is preferred and most comfortable for the user, within the limits of the possible couplings made available by the Velcro® parts 17 and 18.

Furthermore, the cushion 13 can be substituted with another cushion that is provided with similar Velcro® parts but which has a different thickness, density and shape, according to requirements and to the preferences of the user.

The cushion 13 can be made anatomically customized, for example by way of a female mold part made from a cast of the parts of the user affected by the cushion.

The invention also relates to a method for providing a pad 10 for a pair of cycling shorts or cycling tights or other similar clothes, according to the invention.

Such method comprises the following operations:

- shaping one or more Velcro® parts, for example second, "hook" parts 18, to be inserted, in a preset position, in an impression 21 of a first mold part 22 of a mold 24 for providing a cushion 13,

- placing the Velcro® parts on the bottom of the impression 21, in particular the "hook" parts 18 with the hooks directed toward the bottom,

- overmolding the cushion 13 on the Velcro® parts.

The overmolding operation, for the purposes of non-limiting example, is performed by pouring polyurethane foam, from a foaming head 25, onto the first mold part 22, with subsequent closure of a second mold part 23, on which there is a second impression 26 to be superimposed on the first impression 21 , against the first mold part 21.

Pouring and closure of the mold 24 are automated with systems of the conventional type.

The molding operation lasts approximately 3 minutes, i.e. the physical time necessary for the polyurethane to reticulate, after which the mold 24 is automatically opened and the cushion 13 incorporating the Velcro® "hook" parts 18 can be extracted and is ready for use.

In order to prevent the movement of the Velcro® parts inside the mold 24 during the molding operation, the mold part can have holes for the suction of air at the Velcro® parts, in order to lock them in place by way of partial vacuum.

Alternatively a suitable conventional spray adhesive can be employed, which is adapted to perform its function of retaining the Velcro® parts during the molding and, after the molding, being removable simply and completely, i.e. without leaving residues that would invalidate the functionality of the Velcro®.

In a variation thereof, the method according to the invention comprises the following operations:

- shaping a covering sheet 27 for the cushion 13, which is adapted to cover the surface 28 of the cushion 13 that is opposite the Velcro® parts 18,

- shaping a thermo-adhesive sheet 29 that acts as a barrier to the passage of a polymeric material, in order to provide a resting cushion 13, toward the covering sheet 27; the thermo-adhesive barrier sheet 29 is shaped so as to imitate a region 9 of the covering sheet 27 that is preset to cover a corresponding surface portion of the resting cushion 13,

- arranging the thermo-adhesive barrier sheet 29 on the covering sheet 27 in a preset position and coupling the thermo-adhesive barrier sheet 29 and the covering sheet 27,

- arranging the covering sheet 27, with the thermo-adhesive barrier sheet 29 placed at the second impression 26 defined on a second mold part 23 of the mold 24 for the provision of the resting cushion 13, as in Figure 3;

- overmolding the cushion 13 on the Velcro® parts,

- extracting the cushion 13 from the mold 24, which supports the Velcro® parts 18 on one side and the covering sheet 27 on the opposite side.

It should be understood that the covering sheet 27 can be a fabric, or a non-woven fabric, or other flexible sheet-like element that is adaptable to the shape of the cushion 13, and thus of the impression 26, and is made of a material that cannot be spoiled by the molding operation.

The operation of shaping a covering sheet 27 made of fabric involves stretching such fabric and shaping it to the desired shape with a cutting machine with an adapted program.

The operation of shaping the thermo-adhesive barrier sheet 29 is carried out with an adapted die-cutting machine, which is adapted to provide an outline only in the shape affected by the foaming.

The thermo-adhesive barrier sheet 29 is constituted by a coupling between an aromatic or aliphatic polyurethane and a thermo-adhesive film of overall thickness that can vary between 50 and 100 microns.

Such thermo-adhesive barrier sheet 29 is continuously produced and coupled to a paper or polyester support to be removed.

The thermo-adhesive barrier sheet 29 serves to prevent the polyurethane in liquid form from penetrating the fabric of the covering sheet 27 and at the same time acts as a bonding agent during the polyurethane chemical process.

The operation of coupling the thermo-adhesive barrier sheet 29 and the covering sheet 27 is carried out as follows.

The thermo-adhesive barrier sheet 29 is positioned in register by way of a template on the covering sheet 27 only in the part affected by the foaming during the molding operation.

The coupling between the thermo-adhesive barrier sheet 29 and the covering sheet 27 is performed by means of a hot-pressing machine.

The adhesion between the two materials occurs at a temperature that varies, depending on the type of adhesive, between 100° and 160° for 10-20 seconds at a pressure of 4-5 bar.

In order to obtain the shock-absorbing cushion 13 complete with the covering sheet 27, the covering sheet 27, contoured and spread with adhesive, is mated to the second mold part 23, such as for example in Figure 3.

The flexible support 11, which is made for example of fabric and is adapted to be sewn onto the pair of cycling shorts, is stretched and contoured into the desired shape with a cutting machine with an adapted software program and subsequently, with adapted machines, the "loop" part 17 of the Velcro® is sewn thereon, in a preset position.

As an alternative to stitching the "loop" part 17, such "loop" part 17 can be fixed to the flexible support by way of adhesive bonding of the "loop" part 17, or by way of gluing thereof to the flexible support 11, using adapted adhesives and hot-pressing machine at a temperature that varies depending on the type of adhesive between 100° and 160° for 10-20 seconds at a pressure of 4-5 bar.

In a variation of embodiment of the pad according to the invention, which is shown schematically in Figure 4 and is designated therein with the reference numeral 110, interposed between the thermo-adhesive sheet 129 and the polyurethane cushion 113 is a second covering sheet 131 , which is thus coupled in a sandwich-like fashion to the first covering sheet 127 by means of the thermo-adhesive sheet 129; the porosity of the second covering sheet 131 enables the passage of the foamed polyurethane, which thus adheres in any case to the underlying first thermo-adhesive barrier sheet 129; the pad 110 that results constitutes a technical solution that is practicable in cases where particular mechanical strengths of the covering sheet 129 are necessary.

The Velcro® parts are designated with the reference numerals 118.

It is possible, in order to increase the breathability or in order to have different breathability of the pad according to the invention, to make small holes in the finished shock-absorbing cushion.

As an alternative to the thermo-adhesive barrier sheet it is possible to provide the barrier part with a silk-screen print with special polyurethane resins.

In practice it has been found that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects. In fact with the invention a pad has been devised that is capable of increasing protection, deadening/absorbing/eliminating the vibrations between the body and the saddle as far as possible, with the further very important possibility of having a cushion that is removable and interchangeable with another cushion that has compatible reversible fixing means.

A cushion of a pad according to the invention can thus be rapidly and intuitively substituted with another cushion having different shape, thickness and compressibility.

Furthermore, with the invention a method has been devised which, in order to provide a pad, requires less material, less processing of materials, and less manual work than the conventional production processes, and these simplifications translate to lower costs and greater speeds of execution with increased productivity and product quality.

Furthermore with the invention a pad has been devised with better technical characteristics than the known art, thanks to the peculiar material used and to the process of molding by way of poured polyurethane foam, such material and processing making it possible to obtain properties and technical characteristics that are not reproducible by the materials with which conventional pads are currently made; in fact by way of molding expanded polyurethane a vast range of materials can be used that are more or less rigid, more or less breathable, and/or with shape memory.

This makes it possible to obtain, for the pad according to the invention, a better shock-absorbing function, a better anatomical shape, and also the possibility of making a pad to measure from a cast of the athlete or in any case of the user.

Especially, with the invention a pad has been devised of which only the shock-absorbing cushion can be removed and substituted without having to change the pair of cycling shorts/tights and without having to proceed with inconvenient, lengthy and expensive operations to remove the stitching affixing the flexible support from the cycling shorts or tights, and with subsequent re-sewing operations in order to mount the substitute cushion in place.

The invention, thus conceived, is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

In practice the materials employed, provided they are compatible with the specific use, and the contingent dimensions and shapes, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. PD2013A000213 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, such reference signs have been inserted for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A pad (10; 110) for cycling shorts or cycling tights or for other similar sports clothes, of the type comprising

- a flexible support (11), made of fabric or non-woven fabric, to be fixed by its edges (12) to a pair of cycling shorts or cycling tights or other similar sports clothes, or already part of a pair of cycling shorts or cycling tights or other similar sports clothes,

- and a resting and protection cushion (13; 113), composed of one or more parts (14, 15),

said pad (10) being characterized in that said cushion (13) is fixed to said flexible support (11) by reversible fixing means (16).

2. The pad according to claim 1 , characterized in that said reversible fixing means (16) are constituted by two facing Velcro® parts, a first, "loop" part (17) fixed to either the flexible support (11) or the cushion (13) and a second, "hook" part (18) fixed to the other element.

3. The pad according to claim 1 , characterized in that said reversible fixing means are constituted by detachable adhesives coupled to an aliphatic or aromatic polyurethane film.

4. The pad according to claim 1, characterized in that said "loop" Velcro® part (17) is sewn to the flexible support (11).

5. The pad according to claim 1, characterized in that said "loop" Velcro® part (17) is sewn directly onto a pair of cycling shorts or cycling tights in a preset position.

6. The pad according to claim 1, characterized in that said flexible support (11) is constituted by a portion of a fabric or of a non- woven fabric or other similar and equivalent flexible sheet or flexible film.

7. A method for providing a pad (10) for a pair of cycling shorts or cycling tights or other similar clothes, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

- shaping one or more Velcro® parts (18), to be inserted, in a preset position, in an impression (21) of a first mold part (22) of a mold (24) for providing a cushion (13),

- placing said Velcro® parts on the bottom of the impression (21),

- overmolding said cushion (13) on said Velcro® parts.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that said overmolding operation is performed by pouring polyurethane foam, from a foaming head (25), onto said first mold part (22), with subsequent closure of a second mold part (23), on which there is a second impression (26) to be superimposed on the first impression (21), against said first mold part (21).

9. A method for providing a pad (10) for a pair of cycling shorts or cycling tights or other similar clothes, according to one or more of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises the following operations:

- placing said Velcro® parts on the bottom of the impression (21),

- shaping a covering sheet (27) for the cushion (13), which is adapted to cover the surface (28) of said cushion (13) that is opposite the Velcro® parts (18),

- shaping a thermo-adhesive sheet (29) that acts as a barrier to the passage of a polymeric material, for the provision of the resting cushion (13), toward said covering sheet (27);

- arranging the thermo-adhesive barrier sheet (29) on the covering sheet (27) in a preset position and coupling the thermo-adhesive barrier sheet (29) and the covering sheet (27);

- arranging the covering sheet (27), with said thermo-adhesive barrier sheet (29) placed at a second impression (26) defined on a second mold part (23) of a mold (24) for the provision of said resting cushion (13), as in Figure 3;

- overmolding said cushion (13) on said Velcro® parts; - extracting the cushion (13) from said mold (24), which supports the Velcro® parts (18) on one side and the covering sheet (27) on the opposite side.

10. The method according to claims 7 to 9, characterized in that said covering sheet (27) is constituted by a fabric, or by a non-woven fabric or by another flexible sheet-like element that can be adapted to the shape of the cushion (13) and is made of a material that cannot be spoiled by the molding operation.