Shaped underwire and brassiere including such

Abstract

An underwire for a brassiere disposed at the lower periphery of the breast cup region. The underwire includes a strip having opposite major surfaces extending between its ends. One major surface extends in a longitudinal direction between the ends of the strip, is shaped along the major surface between the ends of the strip so that a first normal at any location on the major surface does not extend parallel to a second normal at a second location on the major surface. The second location is along the longitudinal direction of the strip and spaced along the major surface from the first location. The major surface may be shaped as part of a hypothetical conical surface. The major surface or a central portion thereof is inclined to the vertical. The underwire or the central region thereof is convexly curved on the outside and concavely curved on the inside.

1 . An underwire for a brassiere, the underwire comprising a strip of material having two ends and at least one major surface extending in a longitudinal direction between said ends, wherein said major surface is inclined at an angle from a vertical plane along a length of said major surface over an entire length of said underwire, including at least a central region of said underwire and said central region being generally around a center of said underwire between said ends. 
   
   
       2 . An underwire as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said angle from the vertical plane is in the range of 40° to 80°. 
   
   
       3 . An underwire as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said major surface is concavely curved. 
   
   
       4 . (canceled) 
   
   
       5 . An underwire as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said underwire is a metal strip. 
   
   
       6 . (canceled) 
   
   
       7 . An underwire as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said major surface is oriented to define a part of a generally conical surface. 
   
   
       8 . An underwire for a brassiere, the underwire comprising a strip of material having two ends and at least one major surface extending in a longitudinal direction between said ends of said strip, said major surface being shaped to have a plurality of locations along said major surface between said ends of said strip and such that a first normal at any first said location on said major surface does not extend parallel to a second normal at another second said location on said major surface, wherein said second location is along said longitudinal direction of said strip and spaced along said major surface from said first location. 
   
   
       9 . An underwire for a brassiere as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said brassiere includes at least one breast cup and said major surface is entirely at said at least one breast cup. 
   
   
       10 . An underwire as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said first and second locations are both within a central region of said strip, said central region being generally around a center of said strip between said ends of said strip. 
   
   
       11 . An underwire as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said strip is a metal strip. 
   
   
       12 . An underwire for brassiere as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said major surface is oriented to define a part of a generally conical surface. 
   
   
       13 . An underwire for a brassiere, the underwire being formed by the steps of:
 providing a precursor strip of material, said precursor strip having two ends and a first and a second major surface, wherein each of said first and second major surfaces is on a respective opposite side of said strip and each said major surface is in a respective plane and extends in a longitudinal direction between said ends; and   displacing said major surfaces out of said respective planes thereof, over an entire length of said precursor strip extending between said ends, including least a central region of said precursor strip, said central region being generally around a center of said precursor strip between said ends.   
   
   
       14 . An underwire as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said displacing occurs over a whole length of said precursor strip between said ends. 
   
   
       15 . An underwire as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said precursor strip is a strip of metal. 
   
   
       16 . An underwire for brassiere as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein at least one of said major surfaces is displaced to define a part of a generally conical surface. 
   
   
       17 . An underwire for a brassiere, said underwire comprising a strip of material having two ends, two opposite major surfaces extending between said two ends, wherein one of said major surfaces has a convex curvature and the other of said major surfaces has a concave curvature along an entire length of said strip, including at least a central region of said strip, said central region being generally around a center of said strip between said ends. 
   
   
       18 . An underwire for brassiere as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said other concave curvature major surface is oriented to define a part of a generally conical surface. 
   
   
       19 . An underwire as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said convex curvature and said concave curvature occur along a whole length of said strip between said ends. 
   
   
       20 . An underwire as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said strip of material is of metal. 
   
   
       21 . A brassiere comprising two breast cups and a bridge between said breast cups, said breast cups having a lower periphery; and
 an underwire as claimed in  claim 1  at said lower periphery of at least one of said breast cups.   
   
   
       22 . A brassiere comprising
 a core assembly defining two breast cup regions and a bridge region between said breast cup regions, said breast cup regions having a lower side with a lower periphery, said core assembly comprising at least a first layer of foam material and a second layer of foam material laminated with said first layer of foam material, said core assembly having an interior side and an exterior side,   a first and a second outer layer, each said outer layer being disposed outside of and each being laminated with said core assembly, wherein said first outer layer is on said interior side and said second outer layer is on said exterior side of said core assembly to encase said core assembly,   at least at one of said breast cup regions, an underwire located between said first and second layers of foam material and at said lower periphery of said breast cup region, and   said underwire comprising a strip of material having two ends and having at least one major surface extending in a longitudinal direction between said ends of said strip, wherein said major surface is inclined at an angle from a vertical plane along a length of said major surface over an entire length of said underwire, including at least a central region of said underwire and said central region being generally around a center of said underwire between said ends.   
   
   
       23 . (canceled) 
   
   
       24 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the whole of said underwire is located within said breast cup region. 
   
   
       25 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein at least one of said first and second layers also defines a back strap of said brassiere. 
   
   
       26 . A brassiere of  claim 22 , wherein said strip is of metal. 
   
   
       27 . A brassiere comprising
 a core assembly defining two breast cup regions and a bridge region between said breast cup regions, said breast cup regions having a lower side with a lower periphery, said core assembly comprising at least a first layer of foam material and a second layer of foam material laminated with said first layer of foam material, said core assembly having an interior side and an exterior side,   a first and a second outer layer, each said outer layer being disposed outside of and each being laminated with said core assembly, wherein said first outer layer is on said interior side and said second outer layer is on said exterior side of said core assembly to encase said core assembly,   at least at one of said breast cup regions, an underwire located between said first and second layers of foam material and at said lower periphery of said breast cup region, and   said underwire comprising a strip of material having two ends and having two opposite major surfaces extending in a longitudinal direction between said ends of said strip, at least one of said major surfaces being shaped to have a plurality of locations along said at least one major surface between said ends of said strip, said strip being shaped such that for said at least one major surface, a normal at any first said location on said at least one major surface does not extend parallel to a second normal at a second said location on said at least one major surface, wherein said second location is along said longitudinal direction of said strip and spaced along said at least one major surface from said first location.   
   
   
       28 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the whole of said underwire is located within said breast cup region. 
   
   
       29 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein at least one of said first and second layers also defines a back strap of said brassiere. 
   
   
       30 . A brassiere of  claim 27 , wherein said strip is of metal. 
   
   
       31 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein said first and second locations are both within a central region of said strip, said central region being generally around a center of said strip between said ends. 
   
   
       32 . A brassiere comprising
 a core assembly defining two breast cup regions and a bridge region between said breast cup regions, said breast cup regions having a lower side with a lower periphery, said core assembly comprising at least a first layer of foam material and a second layer of foam material laminated with said first layer of foam material, said core assembly having an interior side and an exterior side,   a first and a second outer layer, each said outer layer being disposed outside of and each being laminated with said core assembly, wherein said first outer layer is on said interior side and said second outer layer is on said exterior side of said core assembly to encase said core assembly,   at least at one of said breast cup regions, and   an underwire located between said first and second layers of foam material and at said lower periphery of said breast cup region,   wherein said underwire comprises a strip of material having two ends and opposite major surfaces extending between said two ends, and wherein along an entire length of a length of said strip, including at least a central portion of said strip and said central portion being generally around a center of said strip between said ends, one said major surface has a convex curvature and the other said major surface has a concave curvature.   
   
   
       33 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the whole of said underwire is located within said breast cup region. 
   
   
       34 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein at least one of said first and second layers also defines a back strap of said brassiere. 
   
   
       35 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein said strip is of metal. 
   
   
       36 . A brassiere as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein said convex curvature and said concave curvature occur along the whole length of said strip. 
   
   
       37 . An underwire for brassiere, the underwire comprising a strip of material defining two underwire regions and a bridge region therebetween, wherein each underwire region has two ends and two opposite major surfaces extending in a longitudinal direction between said ends of said strip, one said major surface of each said underwire region being shaped to have a plurality of locations along said major surface between said ends of said strip and such that for at least one said major surface, a first normal at any first said location on said one major surface does not extend parallel to a second normal at another second said location on said one major surface, wherein said second location is along said longitudinal direction of said strip and spaced along said one major surface from said first location, and wherein said underwire is substantially symmetric about a plane of symmetry passing through said bridge region. 
   
   
       38 . An underwire for brassiere as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein each said major surface is entirely at a respective breast cup of said brassiere. 
   
   
       39 . A brassiere comprising two breast cups and a bridge between said breast cups, each of said breast cups having a lower periphery; and
 an underwire as claimed in  claim 37  at said lower periphery of each of said breast cups.   
   
   
       40 . A brassiere comprising two breast cups and a bridge between said breast cups, said breast cups having a lower periphery; and
 an underwire as claimed in  claim 8  at said lower periphery of at least one of said breast cups.   
   
   
       41 . A brassiere comprising two breast cups and a bridge between said breast cups, said breast cups having a lower periphery; and
 an underwire as claimed in  claim 13  at said lower periphery of at least one of said breast cups.   
   
   
       42 . A brassiere comprising two breast cups and a bridge between said breast cups, said breast cups having a lower periphery; and
 an underwire as claimed in  claim 17  at said lower periphery of at least one of said breast cups.