Backless and possibly strapless brassiere with a reinforcing plate

Abstract

A brassiere, such as a backless and optionally strapless brassiere, includes a basque to accommodate the torso of a user, a pair of concave cups coupled to a portion of the basque, and a pair of reinforcement plates coupled to the concave cups. The reinforcement plates help support a wearer's chest in each one of the cups. Each of the reinforcement plates include fingers extending from an outside of a respective bra cup toward a center of the respective bra cup. The fingers include a first finger extending under the area of the respective cup.

1 .- 10 . (Canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A brassiere, comprising:
 a basque portion;   a pair of concave cups coupled to the basque portion; and   a pair of rigid cup reinforcements coupled to the concave cups and configured to help support a user's breasts, each of the cup reinforcements extending at least in part under an area of a respective cup of the pair of concave cups.   
     
     
         12 . The brassiere of  claim 11 , wherein each of the cup reinforcements comprises a finger extending under an area of the respective bra cup. 
     
     
         13 . The brassiere of  claim 12 , wherein each of the cup reinforcements comprises a pattern of apertures distributed along the finger. 
     
     
         14 . The brassiere of  claim 12 , wherein the finger is positioned to extend along a length of the basque portion. 
     
     
         15 . The brassiere of  claim 12 , wherein the finger extends in a curve under the respective cup between a first side end of the respective cup to a second side end of the respective cup. 
     
     
         16 . The brassiere of  claim 11 , wherein each of the cup reinforcements comprises a plurality of fingers extending toward a center of the respective bra cup. 
     
     
         17 . The brassiere of  claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of fingers has a concave shape to accommodate the concave shape of the respective bra cup. 
     
     
         18 . The brassiere of  claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of fingers is substantially rigid in a direction coextensive with the cup reinforcement, and elastically flexible in a transverse direction. 
     
     
         19 . The brassiere of  claim 18 , wherein the coextensive direction is substantially tangential to a surface of the cup reinforcements, and the transverse direction is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the cup reinforcement. 
     
     
         20 . The brassiere of  claim 16 , wherein at least two fingers in the plurality of fingers are arranged in a parallel configuration. 
     
     
         21 . The brassiere of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of fingers are arranged in a parallel configuration distributed in a vertical direction of the brassiere. 
     
     
         22 . The brassiere of  claim 21 , wherein a length of each of the plurality of fingers is less than a length of an adjacent lower finger, such that a first, lowermost finger of the plurality of fingers comprises the longest finger of the plurality of fingers and an uppermost finger comprises the shortest finger of the plurality of fingers. 
     
     
         23 . The brassiere of  claim 16 , wherein each of the cup reinforcements comprises a pattern of apertures distributed along the plurality of fingers. 
     
     
         24 . The brassiere of  claim 23 , further comprising a textile layer covering the basque portion and the cups, the textile layer directly attached to the cup reinforcements at one or more of the apertures. 
     
     
         25 . The brassiere of  claim 11 , wherein each of the cup reinforcements comprises a molded polycarbonate structure. 
     
     
         26 . The brassiere of  claim 11 , further comprising a torso underwire supporting the cup reinforcements, the torso underwire comprising an arched rigid underwire forming an elastic spring configured to partially envelop the torso of the user. 
     
     
         27 . The brassiere of  claim 26 , wherein the torso underwire comprises:
 a horizontal main portion corresponding to a front of the torso and to the basque portion of the brassiere;   a pair of lateral portions corresponding to sides of the torso; and   a pair of structural connections coupling the horizontal main portion to the lateral portions.   
     
     
         28 . The brassiere of  claim 27 , wherein the lateral portions of the torso underwire are formed contiguously with the structural connections and the horizontal main portion of the torso underwire. 
     
     
         29 . The brassiere of  claim 27 , wherein the structural connection are configured, such that, when the brassiere is worn by the user, contact of the torso underwire with the torso is made higher laterally than on a front of the brassiere. 
     
     
         30 . The brassiere of  claim 11 , wherein an assembly comprising the basque portion, the cups, and the cup reinforcements is both backless and strapless. 
     
     
         31 . The brassiere of  claim 11 , further comprising a comfort layer attached to an inner surface of the cup reinforcement such that the comfort layer is configured to be positioned between a wearer and the cup reinforcement. 
     
     
         32 . The brassiere of  claim 31 , wherein the comfort layer comprises a foam. 
     
     
         33 . The brassiere of  claim 32 , wherein the foam is a polyurethane foam.