Garment stiffener packaging arrangement, assembly, and methods

Abstract

A garment stiffener packaging arrangement, assembly, and associated methods provide a user with ready access to adhesively attachable garment stiffener structure for rendering an otherwise flexible or flaccid target garment portion substantially stiff or planar. The garment stiffener assembly central to the invention comprises a garment stiffener structure, adhesive material permanently applied thereto, and an optional backing material. The stiffener structure is formed from a substantially planar, semi-rigid material. The stiffener structure may be rolled so as to enable the users to unroll stiffener segments as may be required, and detach portions of the stiffener structure from the stiffener roll for affixation to targeted garment portions.

1 . A garment stiffener packaging arrangement, said packaging arrangement for providing ready access to a series of interconnected, adhesively attachable garment stiffener structures, said packaging arrangement comprising:
 a first garment stiffener structure, the first garment stiffener structure being formed from a substantially planar, semi-rigid material, and comprising a first adhesive-receiving stiffener face and a first exposed stiffener face; and   a first adhesive material permanently applied to the first adhesive-receiving stiffener face, the first adhesive material being removable from the first exposed stiffener face, the garment stiffener structure being rolled into a stiffener roll so as to enable the user to selectively unroll stiffener segments from the stiffener roll, the stiffener roll thus comprising repeating layers of first garment stiffener structure and first adhesive material.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging arrangement of  claim 1  comprising a backing material, the backing material being formed from a substantially planar, flexible material, the garment stiffener structure being removably and adhesively attached to the backing material via the first adhesive material, the stiffener roll thus comprising repeating layers of first garment stiffener structure, first adhesive material and backing material. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging arrangement of  claim 2  comprising a second garment stiffener structure and a second adhesive material, the second garment stiffener structure being substantially identical to the first garment stiffener structure, and the second adhesive material being substantially identical to the first adhesive material, the backing material being sandwiched intermediate the first and second adhesive materials such that the stiffener roll thus comprises repeating layers of first garment stiffener structure, first adhesive material, backing material, second adhesive material and second garment stiffener structure. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging arrangement of  claim 2  wherein the garment stiffener structure and the adhesive material are translucent and the backing material is opaque, the respective translucent and opaque characteristics of the garment stiffener structure, the adhesive material, and the backing material for enabling the user to visually distinguish the backing material from the garment stiffener structure and adhesive material. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging arrangement of  claim 1  wherein the garment stiffener structure comprises a perforation, the perforation for enabling the user to selectively shape the garment stiffener structure. 
     
     
         6 . A garment stiffener packaging method, said packaging method for providing ready access to a garment stiffener structure, said packaging method comprising the steps of:
 providing a first garment stiffener structure, the first garment stiffener structure being formed from a substantially planar, semi-rigid material, the garment stiffener structure having a first adhesive-receiving stiffener face and a first exposed stiffener face;   applying a permanent first adhesive material to the first adhesive-receiving stiffener face, the first adhesive material being removable from the first exposed stiffener face when rolled into contact therewith; and   rolling the first garment stiffener structure with applied first adhesive material into a stiffener roll, the stiffener roll thus comprising repeating layers of first garment stiffener structure and first adhesive material.   
     
     
         7 . The garment stiffener packaging method of  claim 6  comprising the steps of
 providing a backing material, the backing material being formed from a substantially planar, flexible material; and 
 removably and adhesively applying the backing material to the first garment stiffener structure via the permanent adhesive material, the stiffener roll thus comprising repeating layers of first garment stiffener structure, first adhesive material, and backing material. 
 
     
     
         8 . The garment stiffener packaging method of  claim 7  comprising the steps of
 providing a second garment stiffener structure, the second garment stiffener structure being substantially identical to the first garment stiffener structure; 
 applying a permanent second adhesive material to the second garment stiffener structure; and 
 removably and adhesively applying the backing material to the second garment stiffener structure via the permanent second adhesive material, the stiffener roll thus comprising repeating layers of first garment stiffener structure, first adhesive material, backing material, second adhesive material, and second garment stiffener structure. 
 
     
     
         9 . A garment stiffener assembly, said garment stiffener assembly for providing a user with means for rendering a flexible portion of a garment substantially planar, said garment stiffener assembly comprising:
 a first garment stiffener structure, the first garment stiffener structure being formed from a substantially planar, semi-rigid material, the garment stiffener structure having a first adhesive-receiving stiffener face and a first exposed stiffener face;   a first adhesive material permanently applied to the first adhesive-receiving stiffener face, the first adhesive material being removable from the first exposed stiffener face when rolled into contact therewith, the garment stiffener structure being rolled into a stiffener roll so as to enable the user to selectively unroll stiffener segments from the stiffener roll, the stiffener roll thus comprising repeating layers of first garment stiffener structure and first adhesive material.   
     
     
         10 . The garment stiffener assembly of  claim 9  comprising a backing material, the backing material being formed from a substantially planar, flexible material, the garment stiffener structure being removably and adhesively attached to the backing material, the stiffener roll thus comprising repeating layers of first garment stiffener structure, first adhesive material and backing material. 
     
     
         11 . The garment stiffener assembly of  claim 10  comprising a second garment stiffener structure and a second adhesive material, the second garment stiffener structure being substantially identical to the first garment stiffener structure, and the second adhesive material being substantially identical to the first adhesive material, the backing material being sandwiched intermediate the first and second adhesive materials such that the stiffener roll thus comprises repeating layers of first garment stiffener structure, first adhesive material, backing material, second adhesive material and second garment stiffener structure. 
     
     
         12 . The garment stiffener assembly of  claim 9  wherein the garment stiffener structure and the adhesive material are translucent and the backing material is opaque, the respective translucent and opaque characteristics of the garment stiffener structure, the adhesive material, and the backing material for enabling the user to visually distinguish the backing material from the garment stiffener structure and adhesive material. 
     
     
         13 . The garment stiffener assembly of  claim 9  wherein the garment stiffener structure comprises a perforation, the perforation for enabling the user to selectively shape the garment stiffener structure. 
     
     
         14 . A garment stiffening method, the garment stiffening method for rendering a flexible portion of a garment substantially planar, the garment stiffening method comprising the steps of:
 providing a primary garment stiffener assembly, the primary garment stiffener assembly comprising:
 a primary garment stiffener structure and a primary adhesive material, the primary garment stiffener structure being formed from a substantially planar, semi-rigid material, the primary garment stiffener structure having a primary adhesive-receiving stiffener face and a primary exposed stiffener face, the primary adhesive material being permanently applied to the primary adhesive-receiving stiffener face; 
   rolling the primary garment stiffener assembly into a stiffener roll, the stiffener roll comprising repeating layers of primary garment stiffener structure and primary adhesive material;   identifying a flexible target garment portion;   unrolling a stiffener segment from the stiffener roll;   detaching a portion of the primary garment stiffener structure from the stiffener segment; and   adhesively attaching the portion of the primary garment stiffener structure to the identified target garment portion via selectively exposed primary adhesive material thereby rendering the target garment portion substantially planar via the substantially planar, semi-rigid portion of the primary garment stiffener structure.   
     
     
         15 . The garment stiffening method of  claim 14  wherein the primary garment stiffener structure comprises a primary backing material, the stiffener roll comprising comprising repeating layers of primary garment stiffener structure, primary adhesive material, and primary backing material, the method comprising the step of removing the primary backing material from the primary adhesive material after unrolling the stiffener segment from the stiffener roll. 
     
     
         16 . The garment stiffening method of  claim 15  wherein the primary garment stiffener structure comprises a first and second primary garment stiffener structures, first and second primary adhesive materials, and a primary backing material, the stiffener roll comprising repeating layers of first primary garment stiffener structure, first primary adhesive material, primary backing material, second primary adhesive material, and second primary garment stiffener structure. 
     
     
         17 . The garment stiffening method of  claim 14  comprising the steps of:
 providing a secondary garment stiffener assembly, the secondary garment stiffener assembly being substantially identical to the primary garment stiffener assembly; and 
 adhesively attaching the secondary garment stiffener structure to the primary exposed stiffener face of the primary garment stiffener structure via selectively exposed secondary adhesive material thereby rendering the target garment portion substantially planar via the substantially planar, semi-rigid primary and secondary garment stiffener structures. 
 
     
     
         18 . The garment stiffening method of  claim 14  comprising the steps of:
 forming a perforation in the primary garment stiffener structure; 
 selectively shaping the primary garment stiffener structure via the perforation for enhancing alignment of the primary garment stiffener structure adjacent the identified target garment portion.