Garment support member with foam support layer and method of using same

Abstract

A garment support member for supporting a garment on a user's body in which a support layer has first and second opposing surfaces and first and second adhesive layers disposed on the first and second opposing surfaces, and wherein the support layer is formed of a foam material able to support a garment to a user's body.

1 . A garment support member for supporting a garment on a user's body comprising: a support layer having a first and second opposing surfaces and first and second adhesive layers disposed on said first and second opposing surfaces, respectively, and wherein said support layer is formed as a foam material able to support said garment to said user's body.  
   
   
       2 . A garment support member in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the foam material is one of porous foam material and nonporous foam material.  
   
   
       3 . A garment support member in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said foam material is polyurethane foam.  
   
   
       4 . A garment support member in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein said foam material has a thickness in the range of 1/32 to ⅛ inches.  
   
   
       5 . A garment support member in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein said foam material has a thickness of about 1/32 inches.  
   
   
       6 . A garment support member in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said first and second adhesive layers comprise a non-sensitizing medical grade adhesive.  
   
   
       7 . A garment support member in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a first backing layer releasably affixed to said first adhesive layer and a second backing layer releasably affixed to said second adhesive layer.  
   
   
       8 . A garment support member in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein said first and second backing layers comprise coated paper having a smooth surface.  
   
   
       9 . A garment support member in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein said first and second backing layers are of the same size as said support layer.  
   
   
       10 . A garment support member in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein at least one of said first and second backing layers includes a first portion and a separate second portion.  
   
   
       11 . A garment support member in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein said first backing layer is of the same size as said support layer and said second backing layer is of greater size than said support layer.  
   
   
       12 . A garment support member in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said support layer has undulations along the length of said support layer.  
   
   
       13 . A garment support member in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein said support layer has two integrated chevron-shaped segments forming a wing-shaped, W-shaped or zig-zag-shaped configuration.  
   
   
       14 . A garment support member in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein said chevron shaped segments define a first undulation directed in a first sense, a second undulation directed in a second sense opposite the first sense and a third undulation directed in said first sense.  
   
   
       15 . A garment support member in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein first, second and third undulations have first, second and third vertex areas, said first, second and third vertex areas having rounded areas opposite their vertexes to provide increased width.  
   
   
       16 . A method of supporting a garment on a user's body using a garment support member comprising a support layer having first and second opposing surfaces and first and second adhesive layers disposed on said first and second opposing surfaces, respectively, and wherein said support layer is formed as a foam material able to support said garment to said user's body, said method comprising: 
 a first step of adhering one of said first and second adhesive layers to one of said garment and the user's body; and    a second step of adhering the other of said first and second adhesive layers to the other of said garment and the user's body so as to adhere said garment to the user's body.    
   
   
       17 . A method of supporting a garment on a user's body in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein said foam material is a porous polyurethane foam having a thickness in the range of 1/32 to ⅛ inches.  
   
   
       18 . A method of supporting a garment on a user's body in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein said first adhering step comprises adhering said one of said first and second adhesive layers along a top edge portion of a torso area of said garment.  
   
   
       19 . A method of supporting a garment on a user's body in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein said first adhering step comprises adhering said one of said first and second adhesive layers along a side of a torso area of said garment.  
   
   
       20 . A method of supporting a garment on a user's body in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein said garment support member further comprises a first backing layer releasably adhered to said first adhesive layer and a second backing layer releasably adhered to said second adhesive layer, and said method further comprises: 
 a first removing step of removing the one of said first and second backing layers adhered to said one of said first and second adhesive layers from said one of said first and second adhesive layers to expose said one of said first and second adhesive layers prior to said first adhering step; and    a second removing step of removing said other of said first and second backing layers adhered to said other of said first and second adhesive layers from said other of said first and second adhesive layers to expose the other one of said first and second adhesive layers prior to at least said second adhering step.    
   
   
       21 . A method of supporting a garment on a user's body in accordance with  claim 20 , wherein said other of said first and second backing layers is of the same size as said support layer and said one of said first and second backing layers has a greater size than said support layer.  
   
   
       23 . A garment support assembly comprising a plurality of garment support members in accordance with  claim 1 , and further comprising: 
 a plurality of first backing layers, each first backing layer being releasably affixed to the first adhesive layer of the support layer of a different support member, and each first backing layer having the same size as the support layer to which that first backing layer is affixed; and    a common backing layer to which said second adhesive layers of the support layers of said plurality of support members are releasably affixed.