Patent Application
20070021035
1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to a brassiere comprising two fabric cups connected to each other and two side bands which extend from the cups and are suitable for connecting to each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
Brassieres of the type indicated above are known in which wires, stitching or other similar solutions are provided as reinforcing and support elements to be applied to the edges which delimit the cups.
The application of such elements and the use of the brassieres thus obtained, while partly solving the problem of supporting and reinforcing the cups, do have some disadvantages.
Firstly, various successive manufacturing steps are required, following which the wire is applied to the lower portion of the cups. Secondly, the brassiere which is obtained has parts that are very rigid, limits its wearability, and very thick compared with the remaining fabric part.
The problem underlying this invention is that of proposing a brassiere which has structural and functional characteristics such as to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages cited with reference to prior art while still solving the requirement to provide a reinforcing and supporting effect for the cups.
This problem is solved by means of a brassiere of the type specified above, according to claim 1.
Further characteristics and advantages of the brassiere according to the invention will become clear from the following description of preferred examples of embodiment of the invention given with reference to the appended drawings which are provided by way of non-limiting example, and in which:
With reference to the above-mentioned drawings, the number 10 indicates a brassiere as a whole, the basic structure of which is shown schematically in
In what follows, the terms top or upper and bottom or lower refer to the brassiere as worn. Therefore, the top or upper part of the brassiere is for example the part pertaining to the area from which the shoulder straps, if any, run, while the bottom or lower part is the opposite one.
The brassiere 10 comprises two cups made of fabric and connected to each other. In the Figures, the number 12 indicates the cups, that is a portion substantially extending between the upper portion of the brassiere and an edge 12a shown in dotted line in
In the examples shown, the number 14 refers to the side bands which extend sideways from the cups and are suitable for connecting to each other for example by hooking means, not shown, suitable for attaching to a free end 14a of said bands.
The brassiere according to the invention advantageously comprises reinforcing means comprising at least one layer 16 of chemical material suitable for being applied along at least a portion of the edge 12a of the cups 12 and partially extending inward and outward in respect of the cup. In particular, as will be better disclosed subsequently, the layer 16 is suitable for being applied along a lower portion and/or a side portion of the cup. Said layer 16 is advantageously suitable for forming an integral part of the fabric. This layer will also be referred to subsequently as a reinforcing layer.
According to a possible form of embodiment, the material from which the reinforcing layer is obtained comprises at least one thermoplastic component suitable for retaining the properties of melting and resolidifying each time it is heated and cooled without its physical characteristics being impaired. In more detailed terms, the above-mentioned material comprises a polyurethane mix.
According to a different embodiment, the material which forms the reinforcing layer comprises at least one elastic component. In more detailed terms, this above-mentioned material comprises a silicone mix.
According to a further possible embodiment, and in particular in both the above disclosed embodiments, the material which forms the reinforcing layer also comprises pigments and/or further cosmetic elements.
As shown in
In the example shown in
In more detail, the above-mentioned layer is applied along the lower portion 22 of each cup and extends with no break in continuity along the respective side portion 18, wrapping around the respective cup 12 at the bottom and at the side.
In the example in
According to a possible embodiment the side portions 18 have a greater width than the lower portions 22 of the above-mentioned layer. In more detailed terms, the width of the reinforcing layer decreases gradually and continuously from the side portions 18 to the lower portions 22 of the above-mentioned layer.
As shown in
In more detailed terms,
As shown in
According to a possible embodiment, the further layers 26 suitable for being applied along at least an edge portion of the brassiere 10 are produced from the same material as the reinforcing layer 16.
According to a possible embodiment, where the brassiere provides for a further layer 26 applied along at least a lower edge portion 28 of the brassiere, it is particularly advantageous that the latter should be fused with the lower portion 22 of the layer of the reinforcing means, in the area below the cups 12, as shown in
According to a possible embodiment, where the brassiere provides for a further layer 26 applied along at least an upper edge portion 30 of the side bands 14 it is particularly advantageous that the latter, for at least part of its length, should be fused with the side portion 18 of the layer of the reinforcing means.
According to a possible embodiment, where the brassiere provides for a further layer 26.applied along at least an upper edge portion 32 of the brassiere, it is particularly advantageous that the latter, at least for the end areas, should be fused respectively with the side portion 18 and with the lower portion 22 of the layer of the reinforcing means, for example at the joining portion 24 if present.
According to a possible embodiment, the further layers 26 suitable for being applied along at least an edge portion of the brassiere have a smaller width than the layer 16 of the reinforcing means.
According to a further possible embodiment, shown in
According to a possible embodiment, shown in
Where both a side portion 18 and a lower portion 22 are provided, the layer extends with no break in continuity from the lower portion 22 to the side portion 18 continuing along the shoulder straps 20, thus wrapping around the respective cup both at the bottom and at the side, and supporting it at the top by means of the shoulder straps.
Even where the shoulder straps provide for a layer of chemical material suitable for becoming an integral part of the fabric, the shoulder straps may be made separately from the brassiere and applied to it or may be produced in one piece with the brassiere.
According to a possible embodiment, where the shoulder straps are applied to the structure of the brassiere, the joining means may advantageously comprise the same layer of material which is made to melt partially so as to weld it.
The layers as described above, both in the case of the reinforcing layer 16 and in the case of the edge layer 26, are printed onto a base fabric of the brassiere. In more detailed terms, the layers are applied to a fabric by means of a screen printing process or advantageously by means of a cylinder printing process.
According to a possible embodiment, the layers described above, and in particular the reinforcing layer, are applied in a uniform thickness, obtained with a single printing step or with several successive steps to obtain sub-layers.
According to further advantageous embodiments, by applying several printing steps, layers with different thicknesses can be obtained on different portions of the brassiere, depending on the strength to be produced.
From the above, it can be appreciated how the provision of a brassiere according to the invention achieves the desired action of supporting and reinforcing the cups, especially at the sides, simply and effectively while reducing the thickened areas and rigid parts found in conventional brassieres.
In particular, a particularly flat, flexible brassiere is obtained without rigid accessories such as wires, while still maintaining an optimum reinforcing and supporting effect.
A measure found to be particularly effective is to produce a continuous reinforcing layer both on the side portion and on the lower portion, especially if this meets between the two cups in a joining portion. This means that there is complete wrapping around the cup without its being rigidly constricted.
Moreover, the provision of an integrated layer in the shoulder straps further improves the reinforcing effect as well as increasing the strength, particularly resistance to wear, of a highly stressed part. In addition to the above, the material integrated in the shoulder straps may have the effect of increasing the friction of these on the shoulders of the wearer, improving wearability.
The combination of reinforcing layers and edge layers, coupled so as to co-operate, to the extent of meeting in certain portions, increases the strength of the whole article and in particular of the points which absorb the stresses to which the reinforcing layers are subject in their supporting action.
A further advantage of the brassiere according to the invention consists in its unusual structural simplicity, which enables it to be produced at very moderate cost. Moreover, for example in case of layers in polyurethane mix, the reinforcing layers and the edge layers have no unfavourable effects on subsequent preforming of the brassiere where this is employed.
It is clear that variants and/or, additions are possible to what is described and illustrated above.
As an alternative to what is shown in
As an alternative to what is described in the drawings, the reinforcing layer 16 may comprise only the side portions 18 which face towards the respective side band or only the lower portions 22.
According to a possible embodiment of the brassiere according to the present invention, as an alternative to what is shown in the drawings, the brassiere 10 comprises only reinforcing layers and does not comprise edge layers, or only some portions of these layers.
According to a possible form of one embodiment, the brassiere is not provided with shoulder straps. In this case, side portions may be provided which extend with no break in continuity at least as far as an upper portion of the brassiere, wrapping around the respective cup at the side. In addition wires and/or reinforced edges may be provided to support the cups.
By contrast with what is shown in the drawings, the brassiere may comprise a reinforcing layer 16 for each cup, each independent of the other, i.e. without a joining portion between the two cups.
Moreover, according to another possible embodiment, not shown, the brassiere according to the invention comprises a reinforcing layer applied along the whole surface of each cup, between a lower portion and side portions thereof. Where appropriate, provision may be made for different thicknesses of the material, for example greater along the side and lower portions.
According to a further possible embodiment, not shown, the further layers suitable for being applied along at least an edge portion of the brassiere comprise materials different from the one which forms the reinforcing means, to obtain different properties in the various portions of the brassiere.
According to a further embodiment, not shown, the side bands are suitable for connecting to each other in that they are stitched together or made in one piece from the same fabric to obtain a sports style brassiere.
A further embodiment also provides for the reinforcing means to comprise supporting elements, such as wires, suitable for being applied to the edges of the cups. In particular, the support elements are suitable for being applied to the edges of the cups by sheaths welded to the reinforcing layer_ preferably by melting it.
For a person skilled in the art, it will be possible to make numerous modifications and adaptations to the preferred form of the embodiments of the brassiere described above and to replace components with other functionally equivalent ones, in order to meet incidental and specific requirements, without thereby departing from the scope of the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB02/05147 | Dec 2002 | WO | international |
