Athletic bra

Abstract

An athletic bra includes a support panel shaped to include first and second cups. Grooves are formed into the panel to provide areas of increase flexure and/or stretch. A textile layer can be secured to the support panel.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An athletic bra comprising:
 a unitary molded support panel defining a first panel side and a second panel side, the panel comprising a foam material and a perimetral edge, the panel further including:
 a first cup comprising a convex section at the first panel side and a concave section at the second panel side, and 
 a second cup comprising a convex section at the first panel side and a concave section at the second panel side; 
   wherein the panel includes a plurality of first sections and a plurality of second sections, each second section has a greater thickness than each first section, each second section is located at one or more portions of the first cup and/or the second cup, and each first section extends along the panel at a location that is between the first cup and the second cup.   
     
     
         3 . The athletic bra of  claim 2 , wherein the first panel side includes a concave section for each of the first and second cups, and the second panel side includes a convex section for each of the first and second cups. 
     
     
         4 . The athletic bra of  claim 3 , wherein each first section extends continuously along the first panel side from the first cup to the second cup. 
     
     
         5 . The athletic bra of  claim 2 , wherein each first section includes a first curved section at the first cup and a second curved section at the second cup. 
     
     
         6 . The athletic bra of  claim 5 , wherein each first section extends between two second sections at locations between the first cup and the second cup. 
     
     
         7 . The athletic bra of  claim 5 , wherein two or more first sections are aligned in a nested configuration with each other. 
     
     
         8 . The athletic bra of  claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of perforations extending through the support panel. 
     
     
         9 . The athletic bra of  claim 8 , wherein at least some of the perforations are located at the first sections. 
     
     
         10 . The athletic bra of claim  1 , further comprising:
 a textile layer secured to the support panel and covering the first panel side and/or the second panel side.   
     
     
         11 . The athletic bra of  claim 10 , wherein the textile layer is secured at a perimetral edge of the support panel such that at least 90% of a surface area of the textile layer is unsecured to the first panel side and/or the second panel side. 
     
     
         12 . The athletic bra of  claim 2 , wherein the support panel is formed of foam. 
     
     
         13 . The athletic bra of  claim 2 , wherein the support panel varies in thickness along a lengthwise dimension and/or a widthwise dimension from about 2 mm to about 4 mm. 
     
     
         14 . The athletic bra of  claim 2 , wherein each first section has a substantially complete lemniscate shape.