Patent Publication Number: US-2017354188-A1

Title: Brassiere with reinforced support

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application is a U.S. National Phase Application under 35 U.S.C. §371 and claims the benefit of priority to International Application Serial No. PCT/IB2015/059849, filed Dec. 21, 2015, which claims priority to French International Application Serial No. 14/63245, filed Dec. 23, 2014, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosure concerns a brassiere aiming to improve comfort and support of the breasts. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A brassiere essentially aims to support the breasts of the user and to protect the breast centered in the cup. 
     A brassiere includes for this purpose two cups which generally exhibit a hollow shape matching the shape of the breast. 
     Moreover, each cup can be fitted with underwiring, which is arranged along a lower edge of the cup and which is designed to be accommodated under the breast of the user. 
     The underwiring, which generally exhibits a C-shaped curve, is executed in a metal or plastic material exhibiting a rigidity sufficient to limit deformation of the cup. 
     Although the underwires allow support of the breasts to be improved, underwiring is often the source of discomfort and can bother, or injure, the user. 
     SUMMARY 
     The aim of the present disclosure in particular is to propose a brassiere which provides satisfactory support of the breasts without necessarily having recourse to underwires. 
     With this goal, the disclosure relates to a brassiere of the type which includes at least:
         a first cup and a second cup, each of which is defined by a lower edge designed to be arranged below the breast, by an inner edge defining the neckline, and by a lateral exterior edge,   a dorsal fastening band which is connected to the exterior edge of the first cup and to the exterior edge of the second cup,       

     characterized in that each cup includes a first exterior support and a second interior support, each of which is generally crescent-shaped, defined by a generally convex edge and by an opposing concave edge, the concave edge of the first support being generally arranged facing the concave edge of the second support, the first support and the second support exhibiting a first lower end and a second lower end, respectively, which are crossed in a zone of support for the breasts. 
     Advantageously, the supports fitted together on the cups allow the breasts to be supported such that the addition of uncomfortable underwires is no longer necessary. 
     According to another characteristic, the support zone is designed to be arranged below the breast, in order to support the breast. 
     Also, the first exterior support extends at least in part into a lateral exterior zone of the connected cup, said zone corresponding to a lateral external part of the breast, to force the breast toward the center of the connected cup. 
     Likewise, the second interior support extends at least in part into a lateral interior zone of the connected cup, said zone corresponding to a lateral interior part of the neckline, to keep the breast in the connected cup. 
     According to another aspect, the first exterior support exhibits an upper end which extends up to a strap of the brassiere. 
     This characteristic promotes the transmission of forces between the strap and the lower part of the cup, via the first support. 
     Likewise, the second interior support exhibits an upper end which extends to a strap of the brassiere. 
     This characteristic promotes the transmission of forces between the strap and the lower part of the cup, via the second support. 
     According to one embodiment, the lower edge of each cup is fitted with an underwire. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, each support is executed in an elastically deformable material which exhibits an elongation between 110 percent and 190 percent. 
     Likewise, each support is executed in a material exhibiting high springiness, the back and forth force of elastic deformation of the said material being roughly equal. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other characteristics and advantages of the disclosure will become evident upon reading the detailed description which follows with regard to understanding what is referred to on the drawings attached, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a frontal view which illustrates a brassiere without underwiring, including a first and a second cup, each fitted with an exterior and interior crescent-shaped support, according to the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a detail view of the first cup of the brassiere of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a frontal view which illustrates the exterior support of the first cup of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a frontal view which illustrates the interior support of the first cup of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic frontal view which illustrates a brassiere with underwiring, including two cups, each fitted with two crescent-shaped supports, according to the disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  is a detail view which illustrates the first cup of the brassiere of  FIG. 5 , according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the present application, the terms “top”, “bottom”, “upper”, “lower” and their derivatives refer to the position or to the orientation of an element, said position or said orientation being kept in mind when the brassiere is worn by a standing user. 
     Furthermore, to clarify the description and the claims, the terminology longitudinal, vertical, and transverse will be adopted in a non-limiting manner in reference to the trihedron L, V, T indicated on the figures. 
     In this set of figures, identical or analogous references represent identical or analogous parts or assemblies. 
     A brassiere  10  is represented on  FIG. 1  which includes a first cup  12   a  and a second cup  12   b  which belong to a frontal part in the front of brassiere  10 . 
     The two cups  12   a,    12   b  are aligned transversely and are arranged on either side of a plane P of vertical symmetry in the general design of brassiere  10 , as seen in  FIG. 1 . 
     In order to facilitate understanding the description, since the first cup  12   a  and the second cup  12   b  are symmetrical and similar, only the first cup  12   a  will be described in detail in the following. 
     The first cup  12   a  is defined by a lower edge  14  designed to be arranged below the breast, by an interior edge  16  defining the neckline, and by a lateral exterior edge  18 . 
     Moreover, the first cup  12   a  exhibits a convex shape, with a generally hemispherical relief and convex toward the front in a longitudinal direction. 
     The brassiere  10  includes a dorsal fastening band  20 , which consists of a first section  22   a  connected to the exterior edge  18  of the first cup  12   a  and a second section  22   b  connected to the exterior edge of the second cup  12   b.    
     The first section  22   a  and the second section  22   b  are interconnected at the back of the user by a removable means of attachment  24  of the complementary hook and eye type, for example. 
     In an non-limiting manner, the brassiere  10  can also be conceived as being attached at the front, between the two cups  12   a,    12   b,  according to a design example not depicted. 
     The dorsal fastening band  20  is executed in a knit, extensible in a transverse direction corresponding to its major length, for example. 
     In addition, the brassiere  10  is fitted with a pair of straps  26   a,    26   b,  which are designed to support brassiere  10  on the shoulders of the user. 
     In accordance with the disclosure, the first cup  12   a  includes a first exterior support  28  and a second interior support  30 , each of which is generally in the shape of a crescent defined by a generally convex edge  32 ,  34 , respectively, and by a concave edge  36 ,  38 , respectively. 
     As may be seen in more detail on  FIG. 2 , the concave edge  36  of the first support  28  and the concave edge  38  of the second support  30  are arranged generally opposite one another, outlining a V open toward the top on the first cup  12   a.    
     Also, the first support  28  and the second support  30  each exhibit a lower end  40 ,  42 , respectively, which are crossed and overlapped in a zone Z 1  of support for the breasts. 
     Support zone Z 1 , represented by dashes on  FIG. 2 , is understood to be a zone arranged below the breast, in order to support and bear the weight of the breast. 
     The crossing of the lower ends  40 ,  42  of first support  28  and second support  30  offer double support for the breasts and avoid recourse to a rigid, uncomfortable underwire. 
     Advantageously, each lower end  40 ,  42  of supports  28 ,  30  is connected to the lower edge  14  of the first cup  12   a.    
     Furthermore, the first exterior support  28  extends at least in part into a lateral exterior zone Z 2  of the first cup  12   a,  a zone which corresponds to a lateral external part of the breast, in order to force the breast toward the center of the first cup  12   a.    
     More particularly, the convex edge  32  of the first exterior support  28  is connected to the exterior edge  18  and the lower edge  14  of the first cup  12   a.    
     Likewise, the second interior support  30  extends at least in part into a lateral interior zone Z 3  of the first cup  12   a,  a zone which corresponds to a lateral interior part of the neckline, to keep the breast in the connected cup. 
     More particularly, the convex edge  32  of the second exterior support  30  is connected to interior edge  16  and lower edge  14  of the first cup  12   a.    
     According to the embodiment of the disclosure represented in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the first exterior support  28  exhibits an upper end  44  which extends up to exterior edge  18  of the first cup  12   a,  in front of the strap  26   a  connected to brassiere  10 . 
     Likewise, the second exterior support  18  exhibits an upper end  46  which extends up to interior edge  18  of the first cup  12   a,  in front of strap  26   a  connected to brassiere  10 . 
     According to another aspect of the disclosure, each support  28 ,  30  is executed in an elastically deformable material. 
     Preferably, the material used to fabricate supports  28 ,  30  is a mesh, particularly a mesh of the type known as “power net”, the binding whereof is made of elastic tulle. 
     Supports  28 ,  30  can also be executed in other materials, for example other textile mesh knits can be used, preferably linear mesh, for better managed stability and, likewise, films or meshes made of thermoplastic elastomers. Supports  28 ,  30  can be fabricated from silicone, in particular, or any other elastomer configured in mesh or in film. 
     Preferably, the material used to fabricate supports  28 ,  30  exhibits a longitudinal elongation, that is, in a vertical direction on the figures, between 145 percent and 190 percent, and a transverse elongation, that is, in a transverse direction on the figures, between 110 percent and 125 percent. 
     In addition, the material used to fabricate supports  28 ,  30  exhibits a high springiness, that is, the back-and-forth forces of elastic deformation of the material are roughly equal. 
     Preferably, the springiness of the material used to fabricate supports  28 ,  30  is between 150 grams and 600 grams for a force of 40 newtons. 
     These different values for springiness and elongation also depend on the cup size of the brassiere. 
     As for the fabrication of brassiere  10  according to the disclosure, the first support is first fastened onto the first cup  12   a  and the second support  30  is subsequently fastened onto the first cup  12   a.    
     Preferably, each support  28 ,  30  is fastened by sewing its exterior edge onto the first cup  12   a,  in order to allow each support  28 ,  30  to be elastically deformed and thus to retain its characteristics of elongation and springiness. 
     According to an embodiment of the disclosure represented on  FIGS. 5 and 6 , each cup  12   a,    12   b  of brassiere  10  is fitted with an underwire (not depicted), metal underwiring, for example, which reinforces the lower edge  14  of each cup. 
     The underwiring used can exhibit more flexibility and can be finer, and can thus be more comfortable, than an underwire used for a brassiere of prior art, due to the support provided by the two supports  28 ,  30 . 
     Brassiere  10  according to the disclosure is not limited to supports  28 ,  30  in the shape previously described. 
     Also, a brassiere  10  is represented in  FIGS. 5 and 6  which is similar to that in  FIG. 1  but which is distinguished by the shape of the supports  28 ,  30 . 
     In fact, according to the embodiment represented in  FIG. 5 , the upper end of the first exterior support  28  extends up to strap  26   a  of the brassiere  10 . 
     Moreover, the upper end of the second interior support  30  extends roughly up to the upper end of the first exterior support  28 . 
     Finally, according to the embodiment represented in  FIG. 6 , the upper end of the first exterior support  28  and the upper end of the second interior support  30  each extend up to strap  26   a  of brassiere  10 . 
     Furthermore, the upper ends are crossed at strap  26   a.    
     Extension of the first support  28  and/or the second support  30  to strap  26   a  allows supports  28 ,  30  to transmit forces between strap  26   a  and the first connected cup  12   a.    
     This description of the disclosure is given as a non-limiting example. 
     It is particularly understood that the different embodiments described above can be combined with one another.