The invention relates to a brassiere which is made of circular knit-fabric and which includes a plurality of portions having variable elasticity.
It is known to make a knit-fabric brassiere, in particular circular or tubular knit-fabric brassiere, such as the brassiere described and shown in the document U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,525.
This brassiere type, which is made by means of a circular knitting machine provided for this end, has the advantage of being comfortable to wear and of offering some flexibility and elastic extensibility.
A brassiere described and shown in the document U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,432, which aims in particular to propose a brassiere adjustable to different sizes, is also known.
According to this document, the brassiere includes a first knitted cup and a second knitted cup which are transversely aligned and each have a generally hemispherical shape.
Conventionally, the brassiere includes a strip for attaching the back and a pair of straps.
Each cup includes a first lower peripheral portion which is made of knit-fabric, for supporting the chest.
Complementarily, each cup is supported by a lower tubular added underwire forming a stiffener, which is sewn or glued under each cup.
Although this type of brassiere offers some elasticity, allowing to adapt to different sizes, the added underwire risks to cause discomfort to the person wearing the brassiere.
In addition, the underwire attachment on the brassiere requires an additional manufacturing operation.
To overcome these drawbacks in particular, the invention proposes a brassiere made of knit-fabric, of the type including at least:
a first knitted cup and a second knitted cup which are transversely aligned and which have each a generally hemispherical shape, each cup including a first elastically extensible peripheral portion which is made of knit-fabric, for supporting the chest,
a part forming a stiffener which extends at least partially under each cup, and
a strip for attaching the back of the brassiere,
characterized in that the stiffener forms an underwire strip which surrounds at least partially the first peripheral supporting portion of each cup, and in that the stiffener is made of knit-fabric according to a first type of stitch designed to replace an added underwire.
Thus, the invention allows to provide a brassiere allowing an optimal chest holding without the need to resort to added underwires nor to thermoformed cups.
According to another characteristic, the stiffener has a low or null elastic extensibility according to a vertical direction, perpendicular to a transverse direction, so as to support the chest.
In addition, the first peripheral supporting portion of each cup has a vertical elastic extensibility superior to that of the stiffener, and in that said first portion is vertically responsive, so as to lift the chest without crushing it.
Also, each cup includes a second inner annular portion which is adjacent to the first portion, which is transversely and vertically elastically extensible, and which has a vertical and transverse elastic extensibility superior or equal to that of the first portion.
The second portion allows in particular to give depth to the cups when the brassiere is worn.
According to another aspect, the stiffener and the first portion of each cup includes a number of stitches per unit area which is inferior to the number of stitches per unit area of the second portion of each cup, to make the stiffener and said first portion less transversely extensible than the second portion.
In addition, each cup includes a third central portion which is adjacent to the second portion, which has a generally circular shape arranged generally at the center of the associated cup, and which has a vertical and transverse elastic extensibility inferior to that of the nearby second portion.
Similarly, the third portion includes a number of stitches per unit area which is inferior to the number of stitches per unit area of the second portion of each cup, to make the third portion less transversely extensible than the second portion.
Also, each portion of each cup is made of knit-fabric according to a different stitch type.
In addition, the stiffener forms a central strip which connects the first cup and the second cup together so as to limit their transverse spacing.
Finally, the different portions of each cup, the stiffener and the strip for attaching the back are made in one piece by circular knitting.
This characteristic allows to make a large part of the brassiere according to the invention on a circular knitting machine in one single knitting step.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the detailed description which follows for the understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings in which:
To clarify the description and the claims, the longitudinal, vertical and transverse terminology will be adopted without limitation, with reference to trihedral L, V, T indicated in the figures.
Is shown in
The brassiere 10 includes a first knitted cup 12a and a second knitted cup 12b which are transversely aligned and which have each a generally hemispherical shape, of a convexity oriented forward according to a longitudinal direction.
In addition, the brassiere 10 includes a strip 14 for attaching the back which is here composed of a first section 16a and of a second section 16b which are joinable together in the back of the user by a removable fastening means 17, shown in
The fastening means 17 is of the clip and of the complementary notches type, for example.
However, without limitation, the brassiere 10 can also be designed to be fastened from the front, between the two cups 12a, 12b, according to a not shown design example.
Similarly, the brassiere 10 can be made of tube without fastening means, to be slipped through the head.
The strip 14 for attaching the back is made of knit-fabric extensible according to a transverse direction corresponding to its large length.
Moreover, the brassiere 10 is equipped with a pair of straps 18a, 18b which are designed to support the brassiere 10 on the shoulders of the user.
As it can be seen in
The stiffener 20 forms in particular an underwire strip 22 which extends under each cup 12a, 12b to promote the support and the holding of each cup 12a, 12b.
To this end, the underwire strip 22 of the stiffener 20 surrounds the lower periphery of each cup 12a, 12b, generally the lower half of each cup 12a, 12b.
In addition, the stiffener 20 forms a central strip 24 which connects the first cup 12a and the second cup 12b together so as to limit their transverse spacing relative to each other.
Also, the stiffener 20 forms a first side strip 26a which connects the first cup 12a on the first section 16a, and a second side strip 26b which connects the second cup 12b on the second section 16b of the attaching strip 14.
The stiffener 20 is made of knit-fabric according to a first stitch type 28 illustrated in
For this purpose, the first stitch type 28 of the stiffener 20 has a low or even null elastic extensibility, according to a vertical direction.
Here, “low elastic extensibility” means an extensibility which is inferior or equal to twenty percent, and preferably inferior or equal to ten percent relative to a rest state of the knit-fabric.
According to another aspect, each cup 12a, 12b includes, from the periphery toward the center of the cup, a first portion 30a, 30b, a second portion 32a, 32b, and a third portion 34a, 34b respectively.
The first portion 30a, 30b forms the lower periphery of each cup 12a, 12b, so as to support the chest.
As it can be seen in
In addition, the first portion 30a, 30b of each cup 12a, 12b is elastically extensible and it is made of knit-fabric according to a second stitch type 36 which will be described afterward.
Moreover, the first portion 30a, 30b of each cup 12a, 12b has a vertical elastic extensibility superior to that of the stiffener 20.
Similarly, the first portion 30a, 30b of each cup 12a, 12b is sufficiently vertically responsive to lift the chest without crushing it.
The term “responsive” translates here a capacity to exert a vertically important restoring force when the knit-fabric is taut.
Complementarily, the second portion 32a, 32b of each cup 12a, 12b forms a ring which is arranged inside the first portion 30a, 30b.
In addition, the second portion 32a, 32b is elastically extensible according to a transverse direction and it has an elastic extensibility superior to that of the first portion 30a, 30b, so as to obtain a satisfactory depth of the cups 12a, 12b.
To this end the second portion 32a, 32b is made of knit-fabric according a third stitch type 38 which is described afterward.
Finally, the third portion 34a, 34b of each cup 12a, 12b forms a circle which is arranged at the center of the associated cup and which is surrounded by the second adjacent portion 32a, 32b.
In addition, the third portion 34a, 34b is elastically extensible and it has an elastic extensibility inferior to that of the second portion 32a, 32b.
To this end, the third portion 34a, 34b is made of knit-fabric according to a fourth stitch type 40 described afterward.
The different portions 30a, 30b, 32a, 32b, 34a, 34b of each cup 12a, 12b, the stiffener 20 and the strip 14 for attaching the back are made in one piece by circular knitting.
In addition, the different portions 30a, 30b, 32a, 32b, 34a, 34b of each cup 12a, 12b are arranged in a generally concentric way, as it can be seen in
In
The eight yarn rows of each knit-fabric stitch type are successively constituted of a covered yarn F1, a first polypropylene yarn F2, a first textured yarn F3, a second polypropylene yarn F4, flat yarn F5, a third polypropylene yarn F6, a second textured yarn F7 and a fourth polypropylene yarn F8.
It is meant by “covered yarn” a yarn constituted of a central part called core, and of a peripheral part called coverage.
The central part is an elastane or natural rubber yarn, for example, which gives the covered yarn elastic characteristics.
The peripheral part is made of natural fibers, such as cotton or wool, or is made of synthetic fibers, such as polyamide or polyester, for example.
However, according to the example described here, the covered yarn F1 includes an elastane central part and a polyamide peripheral part.
It is meant by “textured yarn” a flexible and voluminous yarn having elastic extensibility properties, unlike a flat yarn.
The textured yarn is for example obtained by twisting smooth fibers, usually synthetic, to increase the volume thereof, making it soft to touch and a bit extensible.
It is meant by “flat yarn” a yarn that does not stretch out, which is here made of polyester or of polyamide.
The flat yarn is a mono-filament yarn, as opposed to a textured yarn which is a multi-filaments. The flat yarn is obtained by spinning the material to a sufficient speed, usually comprised between 1000 meters per minute and 5000 meters per minute, and if necessary by means of a complementary stretching to obtain an amorphous yarn or having a low degree of crystallinity, usually less than 5 percent.
The extensibility of each stitch type 28, 36, 38, 40, in a transverse direction in the sense of the yarn, and in a vertical direction in the sense of the stitch, is determined by the nature of the used yarn and the made knit-fabric type.
Indeed, the stitches skipping technique, which comprises “keeping” a stitch on several rows, allows to vary the vertical extensibility of the knit-fabric.
The stitch skipping is illustrated in
As it can be seen in
The yarn of the kept stitch of the first stitch type 28 is the flat yarn F5, which does not stretch out, so that the first stitch type 28 has low or even null vertical elastic extensibility.
According to
For indication, according to an exemplary embodiment, the second stitch type 36 has a vertical extensibility of one hundred and forty percent relative to a rest state.
As it can be seen in
Similarly, according to
Complementarily, the extensibility of each stitch type 28, 36, 38, 40, in a transverse direction, in the sense of the yarn, is determined by the number of stitches per unit area 42. The greater the number of stitches is, the higher the transverse elastic extensibility of the stitch tends to be.
Referring to
The high number of stitches of the fourth stitch type 40 allows to make the third central portion 34a, 34b of each cup 12a, 12b opaque, thus hiding the chest.
The vertical elastic extensibility characteristics relating to different stitch types 28, 36, 38, 40 are described afterward.
The first stitch type 28 has the lowest vertical extensibility, which is for example comprised between zero and twenty percent, and which is preferably equal to ten percent, or even zero percent, relative to a rest state.
The second stitch type 36 has a vertical extensibility which is superior to that of the first stitch type 28, and which is for example equal to one hundred and forty percent of stretching relative to a rest state.
The third stitch type 38 has a vertical extensibility which is superior to that of the second stitch type 36, and which is for example equal to one hundred seventy five percent of stretching relative to a rest state.
The fourth stitch type 40 has a vertical extensibility which is inferior to that of the third stitch type 38, and which is for example equal to one hundred and fifty percent of stretching relative to a rest state.
Concerning the transverse elastic extensibility characteristics relating to different stitch types 28, 36, 38, 40, the first stitch type 28 and the second stitch type 36 have a transverse extensibility lower than that of the third stitch type 38 and of the fourth stitch type 40, which is for example of seventy five percent of stretching relative to a rest state.
Finally, the transverse elastic extensibility of the third stitch type 38 and of the fourth stitch type 40 is, for example, of one hundred and seventy five percent of stretching relative to a rest state.
Thus, the brassiere 10 according to the invention allows to get free from an added underwire.
However, without limitation, the brassiere 10 according to the invention can be equipped with an added underwire to improve the chest holding.
In addition, the disposition of the different portions 30a, 30b, 32a, 32b, 34a, 34b of each cup 12a, 12b and of the stiffener 20, as well as the mechanical characteristics of each stitch type 28, 36, 38, 40 allow to offer an optimal chest holding.
According to a variant, not shown, the stiffener 20 surrounds the lower periphery of each cup 12a, 12b, as well as a part of the upper periphery of each cup 12a, 12b, to highlight the volume of the cups 12a, 12b.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
12/60761 | Nov 2012 | FR | national |
12/60949 | Nov 2012 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/FR2013/052722 | 11/13/2013 | WO | 00 |