Reinforced seamless brassiere

Abstract

A brassiere which comprises an assembly of plies of material defining a first breast cup, a second breast cup, and a bridge between said first and second breast cups, said assembly comprising at least a first and a second plies of material molded to define the shape of the breast cups, said first breast cup including a lower periphery which extends from said bridge and away from said second breast cup and a side periphery which extends between said lower periphery and a point of said first breast cup where a shoulder strap is or can be engaged to said first breast cup, wherein adjacent at least one of said lower and side peripheries of said first breast cup, there is embedded by the plies of material of said assembly a reinforcement zone.

1 . A brassiere which comprises an assembly of plies of material defining a first breast cup, a second breast cup, and a bridge between said first and second breast cups, said assembly comprising at least a first and a second plies of material molded to define the shape of the breast cups, said first breast cup including a lower periphery which extends from said bridge and away from said second breast cup and a side periphery which extends between said lower periphery and a point of said first breast cup where a shoulder strap is or can be engaged to said first breast cup,
 wherein adjacent at least one of said lower and side peripheries of said first breast cup, there is embedded by the plies of material of said assembly a reinforcement zone.   
     
     
         2 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said reinforcement zone is defined by a transparent material. 
     
     
         3 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said reinforcement zone is defined by hot melt adhesive. 
     
     
         4 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said reinforcement zone is defined by at least one ply of a substantially non-stretchable fabric provided between two plies of said assembly. 
     
     
         5 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said reinforcement zone extends from the location of said first breast cup where a shoulder strap can be engaged and is adjacent at least part of said side periphery. 
     
     
         6 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 3  wherein in addition to said hot melt adhesive at said reinforcement zone, there is a second hot melt adhesive embedded in and coextensive with said two plies of said assembly, said second hot melt adhesive being provided for the purpose of laminating said two plies of material. 
     
     
         7 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said reinforcement zone extends at least adjacent both said side periphery and said lower periphery. 
     
     
         8 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said reinforcement zone is defined from a precursor film of a hot melt adhesive. 
     
     
         9 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said reinforcement zone is defined by a higher density of a hot melt adhesive than at other parts of said first breast cup. 
     
     
         10 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there is a ply of a substantially non-stretchable material at said bridge between said two plies of said assembly, said substantially non-stretchable material resisting the separation of the breast cups. 
     
     
         11 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said substantially non-stretchable material is a fabric. 
     
     
         12 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there is a ply of a substantially non-stretchable material between said two plies of said assembly, said substantially non-stretchable material being adjacent at least part of said side periphery and outside of said first breast cup. 
     
     
         13 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said substantially non-stretchable material is a fabric. 
     
     
         14 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there is an under breast support element adjacent said lower periphery and outside of said first breast cup. 
     
     
         15 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 14  wherein said under breast support element is an underwire. 
     
     
         16 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said first and second plies of material are laminated together. 
     
     
         17 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said first and second plies of material are laminated to each other. 
     
     
         18 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said first and second plies of material are fabric. 
     
     
         19 . A brassiere are claimed in  claim 18  wherein said assembly consists of no more than said first and second plies of material and said reinforcement zone is embedded by said first and second plies of material. 
     
     
         20 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 19  wherein said reinforcement zone is defined by hot melt adhesive. 
     
     
         21 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 20  wherein said hot melt adhesive extends from the location of said first breast cup where a shoulder strap can be engaged and is adjacent at least part of said side periphery. 
     
     
         22 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there is a panel of foam interposed between said first and second plies of material. 
     
     
         23 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 22  wherein said panel of foam is laminated to at least one of said first and second plies of material. 
     
     
         24 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 22  wherein said first and second plies of material are of fabric. 
     
     
         25 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 22  wherein at least the inner more of said first and second plies of material is laminated to said panel of foam. 
     
     
         26 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 22  wherein said reinforcement zone is embedded by the inner more of said first and second plies of material and said panel of foam. 
     
     
         27 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 22  wherein said reinforcement zone is defined by a ply of a substantially non-stretchable fabric. 
     
     
         28 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 22  wherein said reinforcement zone extends adjacent both said lower periphery and said side periphery and across a lower portion of said first breast cup. 
     
     
         29 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said reinforcement zone extends adjacent at least one of said lower and side peripheries and over part of said first breast cup. 
     
     
         30 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said reinforcement zone extends adjacent and over at least one of said lower and side peripheries. 
     
     
         31 . A brassiere comprising an assembly of a first and a second overlying and molded plies of fabric, said assembly defining a first and a second breast cups and a bridge between said breast cups, said first breast cup including a lower periphery extending from said bridge and away from said second breast cup and a side periphery extending between said lower periphery and a point of said first breast cup where a shoulder strap is or can be engaged to said first breast cup,
 wherein at at least one of said lower and side peripheries there is embedded by said first and second plies of fabric a reinforcement zone defined by a hot melt adhesive defining a higher density of hot melt adhesive than at other parts of said first breast cup, and   wherein there is interposed between said two plies of fabric at said bridge a ply of a substantially non-stretchable material which resists the separation of said breast cups and at the lower periphery of each of said breast cups an underwire structure.   
     
     
         32 . A brassiere comprising an assembly of a first, a second, and an intermediate overlying and molded plies of material, said assembly defining two breast cups and a bridge between said breast cups, said first breast cup including a lower periphery extending from said bridge and away from said second breast cup and a side periphery extending between said lower periphery and a point of said first breast cup where a shoulder strap is or can be engaged to said first breast cup,
 wherein at at least one of said lower and side peripheries there is provided between one of said first and second plies of material and said intermediate ply of material a reinforcement zone defined by a ply of a substantially non-stretchable fabric, and   wherein between one of said first and second plies of material and said intermediate ply of material at said bridge there is a ply of a substantially non-stretchable material which resists the separation of said breast cups, and   wherein between one of said first and second plies of material and said intermediate ply of foam at the lower periphery of each of said breast cups there is an underwire structure.   
     
     
         33 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 32  wherein said intermediate ply of material is foam material. 
     
     
         34 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said brassiere is a seamless brassiere. 
     
     
         35 . A brassiere comprising a breast cup region defining two breast cups and a bridge joining the two breast cups, the breast cup region comprising an outer and an inner layer of fabric which are substantially laminated with each other and molded to form the shapes of the two breast cups, wherein each of the two breast cups has engaged to it a chest band and a shoulder strap and includes a side periphery which extends between the chest band and the shoulder strap, and wherein at the side periphery of at least one of the two breast cups, a hot melt adhesive interposed between the outer and inner layers of fabric defines a reinforcement zone. 
     
     
         36 . A brassiere comprising a breast cup region defining two breast cups and a bridge joining the two breast cups, the breast cup region comprising an outer and an inner layer of fabric and a foam layer interposed between the outer and inner layers of fabric, the foam layer being laminated with one or both of the outer and inner layers of fabric, the outer and inner layers of fabric and the foam layer being molded to form the shapes of the two breast cups, wherein each of the two breast cups has engaged to it a chest band and a shoulder strap and includes a lower periphery which extends between the bridge and the chest band and a side periphery which extends between the chest band and the shoulder strap, and at one or both of the side and lower peripheries of at least one of the two breast cups, there is interposed between the foam layer and the inner layer a substantially non-stretchable fabric. 
     
     
         37 . A method of forming a breast cup assembly defining two breast cups and a bridge between the two breast cups, each of the two breast cups including (i) a lower periphery extending from a mid-section between the two breast cups and away from the mid-section and (ii) a side periphery extending between the lower periphery and a point of the breast cup where a shoulder strap is to or can engage to the breast cup, the method comprising:
 interposing between two plies of fabric material that will define the two breast cups a hot melt adhesive film at or adjacent at least part of one or both of the lower and side peripheries of the two breast cups; and   hot molding the two plies of fabric material to introduce three-dimensional breast cup form into them and to simultaneously laminate them together, wherein the hot melt adhesive film is simultaneously melded between the two plies of fabric material to define a reinforcement zone of each of the two breast cups.   
     
     
         38 . A method of forming a brassiere including the steps in  claim 37 .