Abstract:
The invention relates to a backless and optionally strapless brassiere comprising two textile layers, as well as chest underwiring and cup reinforcements. The torso underwiring comprises a substantially horizontal main bottom portion which is coupled, at the sides of the torso, to two substantially horizontal top side portions. Each reinforcement is a thin plate of rigid material including extensions extending from a side region arranged substantially outside each cup and engaging with the top side portion of the underwiring.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 14/385,415, filed on Sep. 15, 2014, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,345,273, which is a 371 U.S. National Phase Application of International Application No. PCT/FR2013/050519, filed on Mar. 12, 2013, which claims the benefit of priority to French Application No. FR12/52363, filed on Mar. 15, 2012, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a backless brassiere and which may be with or without straps, or with removable straps. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Strapless brassieres are known and must overcome the absence of the support usually provided by the straps by a particular device. Patent FR 2 924 901 on behalf of the Applicant has made known a brassiere including a sandwich of thermoformed layers defining two cups and comprising a reinforcing element incorporated in the sandwich in the form of a plate made of a rigid material in one direction coextensive with the plate and elastically flexible in a transverse direction. The plate comprises flexible fingers disposed under and in the cup. This brassiere is highly satisfactory but has a back. 
     However, at least on some occasions, for example when the users wear dresses with low backs, they require having a brassiere that is not only strapless but also backless. The majority of the numerous brassieres proposed for this purpose are adhesive, over all or part of the surface in contact with the chest of the user, which may be unpleasant to wear and upon removing the brassiere. There have been proposed without success in a distant past brassieres incorporating an elastic rigid underwire forming a spring around the torso, for example in document U.S. Pat. No. 2,428,572 of 1945, but it has not been known since then to manufacture and commercialize a brassiere comfortable enough to be worn several hours straight without discomfort and which had enough hold. 
     Document U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,107, makes known a brassiere having a bottom torso underwire and a high lateral underwire in two portions, however, these two elements are not structurally connected to each other; although both are inserted in a same textile band forming the base of the brassiere, they are disjoined and their mechanical action is independent since the efforts exerting on one of the elements cannot be transmitted to another of the elements. The hold of such a brassiere over the chest has not proven satisfactory. 
     It is the same for the brassiere known by document U.S. Pat. No. 2,440,426; it may comprise one single underwire formed by a wire having a torso underwire and lateral portions connected to the torso underwire, but these lateral portions are bottom portions, at the same level as the front basque, which do not allow a good equilibrium of the chest. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The purpose of the invention is to propose a backless and possibly strapless brassiere, which still ensures a good comfortable and durable hold, of the chest. 
     The purpose of the invention is met thanks to a backless brassiere with a basque and cups, including at least one internal textile layer, one external textile layer, as well as at least one torso underwire and cup reinforcements disposed between the two textile layers, the torso underwire being an arched rigid elastic underwire forming a spring shaped to partially envelop the torso of the user, the reinforcements being shaped to help support the chest in each one of the cups of the brassiere, the torso underwire including a substantially low horizontal main portion corresponding to the front of the torso and to the basque portion of the brassiere, characterized in that the low main portion connects on the sides of the torso to two high lateral portions. It is understood that reference is made to a structural connection between these portions. 
     It has been realized that this constitution and this particular shape of the underwire where the contact of the underwire with the torso is made higher laterally than on the front of the brassiere, allows a very good hold of the chest, with a rise effect of the breasts and prevents the chest from falling forward. 
     The invention is further characterized in that it exhibits, individually or in combination, the following advantageous features.
         The brassiere is strapless or it includes a removable strap system.   The torso underwire is constituted of a rigid elastic wire, for example metallic or in a rigid plastic material.   The rigid elastic wire of the underwire has a substantially round section, possibly with profiled shapes (grooves, ribs) lengthwise. The diameter of the metallic wire for example ranges between 2 and 4 mm. Advantageously still, the wire may have a flattened section, rectangular or elongated oval, for example of 1 mm thick.   The torso underwire comprises on the front middle of its main portion a concave area in the middle of the global convex shape of the main portion. The central portion of the low main portion may also rise upward between the breasts, with a curve connecting the low portions on the side; this shape will still be considered as a substantially horizontal low portion, as it actually is in the spaced apart portions in between the breasts.   The high lateral portions are formed of one single piece in the rigid elastic wire forming the main portion.   The high lateral portions are added to the rigid elastic wire forming the main portion.   The high lateral portions are part of a substantially inverted U-shaped arch. They may comprise a substantially horizontal portion, or a rounded portion, so that the inverted U is a square U or a round U, or even another less regular shape. The high lateral portions are joined to the main low portion by rising portions, which may be substantially vertical, or more or less tilted. Most importantly is that there is sufficient height difference, of a few centimeters, between the bottom portion and the top portions, for creating a cantilever effect. The high lateral portions advantageously comprise a maximum height on the front of the lateral portion, then decrease in height by continuing rearward on the sides. The lateral portions comprise elements for fixing the cup reinforcement.   The underwire comprises tabs for securing textile layers or for securing different portions together.   The underwire is enclosed in a textile sleeve.   The cup reinforcement is in form of a plate made of a rigid material in one direction coextensive with the plate and elastically flexible in a transverse direction. By this, is meant that the plate, due to its constitutive material and its geometry, is rigid and non-deformable in a direction tangential to its surface, but it is elastically deformable, incidentally in modest proportions, in a transverse direction. In other words, it is possible to bend a portion of the plate and the latter tends to spontaneously regain its undeformed position.   Said plate comprises fingers originating from a lateral region disposed substantially on the outside of a respective cup and cooperating with the high lateral portion of the underwire. Given the geometry and the material, these fingers are relatively flexible in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the plate.   Said plate comprises a horizontal finger extending substantially in a horizontal arch under the cup, and several fingers extending in the cup.   The fingers of the plate or at least some of them are shaped conform to the concave shape of the basque and to that of the cup.   The lateral portion of the reinforcing plate may be lightened by one or more recesses.   The reinforcing plate comprises a plurality of holes for securing the textile layers and/or the underwire.   The elastic underwire cooperates with the reinforcing plates to hold the latter by partially pressing them against the torso: in fact only the plate lateral region opposite to the fingers is pressed against the side of the torso, whereas the flexible fingers, are not pressed and hold the chest and the cups.   The shaping of the fingers may be immediately obtained by a molding of the plate, for example by injection, or by thermoforming (under pressure and with heat).   The entire plate is shaped according to an inwardly concave shape.   The material of the reinforcing plate is for example a polycarbonate, preferably in a thickness of 0.5 to 1.2 mm, for example 1 mm thick. This material is satisfactory both from the point of view of its elastic rigidity and its moldability. In addition, this material is light and is easily worked (cut out). The fingers have a width which may vary according to the models but is for example in the range of 1 to 2 cm over most part of their extension, which is of several centimeters, for example between 2 and 12 cm. The PET (polyethylene terephthalate), the ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) may also be used. Other rigid thermoplastic materials, and thermoforming well, may be chosen from the group comprising the high impact polystyrene, the high density polyethylene, some polyamides and some polypropylenes. The basic material of the plate may be covered with textile or nonwoven layers bonded together, possibly with foam interposed, for example polyurethane foam.   The textile layers may be associated over all or part of their surface with comfort layers, in particular foam layers, such as a polyurethane foam.       

     The brassiere may be manufactured in form of a multilayer complex composed of the stratified textile layers, foam layers, and glue layers, the torso underwire and the reinforcing plate being disposed in a thermoforming mold between two layers of the complex, preferably between two foam layers. 
     The brassiere may also be made by tailoring, the textile layers being sewn therebetween and to the underwire and the reinforcing plates. 
     The brassiere according to the invention may be a smart brassiere, a swimsuit brassiere, or be integrated in a garment element. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a particular embodiment example. Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a brassiere in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an alternative shape of the underwire of the brassiere of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the underwire of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a flat view of an alternative of reinforcing plate of a brassiere of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an alternative of  FIG. 1 , showing the manufacturing in two portions of the torso underwire of the brassiere of the invention. 
         FIGS. 6 and 7  are two perspective views of the brassiere of the invention over the torso of a user, in respective view of three-quarters front and three-quarters back. 
         FIGS. 8, 9, and 10  represent three alternatives of the shape of the underwire of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The brassiere  1  of the invention comprises (cf.  FIGS. 6 and 7 ) two cups  2  of a highly concave shape on the internal side (substantially hemispherical), each surrounded towards the bottom of a basque  3  portion and on the side of a lateral portion  4 . The two cups  2  espouse the breasts  11  of the user  10 . The basque  3  follows the periphery of the torso of the user, at the front and the side. As it is seen, the represented brassiere has neither straps nor back, but the invention might apply to a brassiere provided with straps and in particular with a removable strap system. The lateral portions  4  extend on the sides of the torso of the user and return very slightly in the back of the user, as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 1  shows the basic constitution of the brassiere  1 . It comprises an external textile layer  7 , a torso underwire  20 , two reinforcing plates  30  and an internal textile layer  8 . 
     The torso underwire  20  is made in a rigid metallic wire having some elasticity. It comprises a low horizontal main portion  21  at the front, surrounded by two high horizontal lateral portions  22  directed rearward and located at several centimeters from the low portion, for example between 3 and 10 cm. The front portion  21  is globally concave on the internal side, with the exception of a curvature inversion in its central portion  23 , concave on the external side, for better following the epigastric fossa. The front portion  21  is connected to the high lateral portions  22  on the one hand by a short horizontal rearward return  24  and a vertical branch  25  (this branch may possibly join the low portion with curved portions, or be slightly tilted). The high horizontal portion  22  continues rearward by a vertical return  26  directed towards the bottom. The assembly  25 ,  22 ,  26  forms an inverted square U-shaped arch which will be placed in the side  4  of the brassiere below the armpits and will cooperate with the cup reinforcing plates as it will be seen later on. In  FIG. 1  it is represented tabs  27  placed at different locations in order to facilitate the securing the underwire to the other elements of the brassiere  1 , namely the textile layers  7 ,  8  and the reinforcing plates  30 . In this embodiment, all the underwire is made with one single wire. 
       FIGS. 8 to 10  represent alternatives of shape of the high lateral portion  22  of the underwire  20  (the underwire of  FIG. 1  is represented in dashes to allow the comparison). In  FIG. 8 , after the vertical rising portion  25 , the high lateral portion  22  is rather rounded and blends in the rear portion  26  which drops towards the bottom, so as to form a rounded and slightly looped arch. In  FIG. 9 , after the vertical rising portion  25 , the high lateral portion  22  runs in a zigzag and drops toward the rear portion  26  with which it coincides. In  FIG. 10 , the rising portion  25  is tilted because it starts farther from the central portion  23  and curvingly joins the high lateral portion  22 , itself rounded and blending in the rear portion  26  which drops towards the bottom. 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show an alternative of underwire  20  represented in its at rest state, that is to say corresponding to the brassiere when it is not worn. The same elements as those which have just been described are found, but it is realized that the lateral portions  24 ,  25 ,  22 ,  26  strongly converge towards each other, due essentially to the curvature (with the concavity towards the inside) given to the horizontal branches  22  during manufacture and to the angle formed between the front portion  21  and the rear return  24 . In the represented alternative, the overall width L of the brassiere at rest is for example of 230 mm, its depth P of 173 mm and the distance between the ends  26  of the lateral portions only 60 mm. Thanks to the elasticity of the underwire, this distance D may be elastically enlarged when the user passes the brassiere around her torso, and the underwire then takes a position closer to what is represented in  FIG. 1 . 
     Returning to  FIG. 1 , it is seen that each reinforcing plate  30  is on one hand shaped globally concave inside to form the volume of the cups. Each plate  30  comprises a lateral portion  31 , possibly lightened by one or several recesses  32 , which extends substantially horizontally, toward the center of the brassiere, by substantially horizontal, untied and flexible fingers  33 ,  34 ,  35  and  36 , of which the total length increases from the shortest, the upper finger  33 , to the longest, the lower finger  36 . Due to their shape, the fingers are substantially elastically flexible and may be spaced apart in a horizontal direction in front or behind the cup  2 ; however, the fingers practically do not move in a vertical direction and participate well in supporting the chest. The lateral portion  31  is substantially rigid compared to the fingers, due to its more solid and gathered shape.  FIG. 6  shows in dashes the position of the fingers inside the brassiere  1 . The lower finger  36  is advantageously located in the basque  3  just below the cup  2  or at its beginning and its length allows it to go practically up to the portion between the cups  6  of the brassiere. The upper finger  33  hardly penetrates into the cup  2 , while the intermediary fingers  34  and  35  penetrate gradually more, the finger  34  substantially up to the center of the cup and the finger  35  beyond the center, inwards, below the middle of the cup. These fingers ensure a good hold of the chest of which the efforts are thus transmitted on the lateral portions  31  of the plates  30 . The lateral portions  31  of the plates  30  are retained in place between the torso of the user on the one hand and the lateral portions of the torso underwire on the other hand: it has been represented in  FIG. 3  in a double continuous line/dashes the position of the underwire with its front branch  21  and, on the sides of the torso front, the vertical branch  31  and the horizontal branch  22 . The arch shape of the lateral portions  25 ,  22 ,  26  of the underwire allows pressing against the side of the torso the lateral portion  31  of the reinforcing plate of which the flexible fingers  33 - 36  support the chest and give a shape to the cups  2 ; the weight of the chest is thus in part hung at the high point of contact with the torso, located rather high under the arms of the user, and in part pressing on the torso front by the bottom of the underwire. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the plate includes multiple small holes, or even here pairs of holes  38 , in the lateral portion  31  as well as in the fingers  33 - 34 . These holes may be used to attach by sewing the internal and external textile layers  7 ,  8  to the plate at diverse determined locations, during the tailoring of the brassiere. Moreover, these holes also contribute to lighten the brassiere and increase the breathability thereof. In an embodiment, the flat length L 1  of the plate  30  is 280 mm, its overall height H 1  is of 120 mm and its height H 2  at the rear of the lateral portion  31  is of 73 mm. 
     The reinforcing plate  30  is made of polycarbonate in the range of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm, for example 1 mm, thickness. If it must be glued to layers, in particular layers of foam (not represented), its adhesion to the neighboring layers may be reinforced by roughening its surface, even though the small holes  38  also allow the passage of the bridges of glue. 
     The textile layers  7 , 8  are for example a knitted textile of less than one millimeter thickness, in particular a jersey mixed with polyamide and elastane giving a mesh liable to extend in all directions of the plane of the textile surface. They may be associated with layers of foam, for example polyurethane foam layers, of more or less thickness according to the locations where they are provided and according to the possible compression that they may undergo during a possible thermoforming step during the manufacture of the brassiere. 
     The embodiment of  FIG. 5  differs from that of  FIG. 1  in that the underwire is constituted of two added portions: on the one hand, the front portion  21  with its two returns  24  and on the other hand the lateral portions in the inverted U-shaped arch  25 ,  22 ,  26 , which can be assembled to each other thanks to connecting parts  28 ,  29  provided respectively on the returns  24  and the vertical branches  25 . This constitution in two separate portions which may be assembled to each other may be better adapted to some modes of manufacturing and assembling of the brassiere. 
     Advantageously, it may be provided on the inner portion  5  of the lateral portions  4  of the brassiere lines or dots  9  of a slip-resistant product, for example a silicone gel, for promoting the hold in position of the brassiere. 
     Fitting tests have been performed with the brassieres of the invention and have proven quite conclusive: the users were able to wear them for several hours (5 hours) without feeling discomfort and were able during this time to practice diverse light physical exercise such as walking and simple dances without substantial displacement of the brassiere.