Seamless bra

Abstract

A garment, e.g. a bra, for sport related activities made of a single layer knitted seamless fabric. The garment is a circular knitted tube, with defined front and back sides. The garment has molded cup portions formed in the garment front to fit over a wearer's breast. The cup portions formed by molding application that shapes the cup portion to accommodate a wearers' breast. Reinforcing tapes bond to the inner surface of the garment front to support the breast at one or more portions. The reinforcing tapes bonded to one or more of an upper part of the cup portion, above the cup portion, below the cup portion, lateral to the cup portion or any combination thereof. The reinforcing tapes have lower elasticity than fabric they are bonded to. The reinforcing tapes are typically bonded by an adhesive to the fabric, i.e. the reinforcing tapes being single-sided adhesive films.

1 . A garment comprising:
 a garment front and a garment back, two breast cup portions defined in the garment front, and a bottom support portion positioned below the breast cup portion for tight fitting over a wearer's chest or belly; wherein   the garment being formed of a single layer, knitted seamless first fabric having an outer and an inner surface, and wherein   attached to the inner fabric surface above the cup portion and/or at an upper part thereof is at least one reinforcing tape made of a second fabric, different than the first fabric, that has a lower elasticity than the fabric portion to which it is attached.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1 , comprising shoulder straps extending at a top end of the garment between the garment front and the garment back for fitting over shoulders of a wearer being integral with the first fabric, or being made of a shoulder-strap fabric being the same or of a different than the first fabric and bonded to the first fabric. 
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing tapes reduce the elasticity of the portions of the garment to which they are attached to. 
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 1 , being a high-impact brassiere. 
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 1 , having portions with different elastic properties than those of other garment portions. 
     
     
         6 . The support garment of  claim 1 , having one or more of
 portions having integral knitted ribs,   portions having an integral knitted mesh, and   pique portions.   
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein
 attached to the inner fabric surface below the cup portion and/or at a bottom part thereof is a reinforcing tape made of a third fabric, having a lower elasticity than the fabric portion to which it is attached, and being the same or different than the second fabric.   
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the cup portions are formed by molding. 
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the cup portion is lined with an opaque fabric. 
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the garment is being formed of a seamless circular knitted first fabric. 
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 10 , wherein the garment is being formed of a knitted circular tube of the first fabric.