Support garment

Abstract

A support garment (e.g., upper-torso support garment, such as a bra) includes a mesh textile that is integrally formed and that is lightweight and breathable with zonal properties. For example, the mesh can include elongated members, which intersect with one another at nodes to form a grid of cells, and the mesh can continuously extend throughout one or more multiple portions of the support garment. In at least some instances, the mesh construction and/or the elongated members can vary from one portion of the support garment to another portion of the support garment, and the variation of the mesh and/or the elongated members can contribute to zonal properties.

1 . An upper-torso support garment comprising:
 a right shoulder strap and a left shoulder strap;   a right breast-covering portion and a left breast-covering portion;   a right side portion and a left side portion;   a right back portion and a left back portion;   a material panel comprising unitary elongated extrudates that intersect with one another at nodes to form a grid of cells, wherein the material panel comprises a first side and an opposing second side, and wherein, in at least a portion of the upper-torso support garment, the first side comprises an innermost facing surface of the upper-torso support garment and the second side comprises an outermost facing surface of the upper-torso support garment.   
     
     
         2 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 1 , wherein one or more unitary elongated extrudates extend from a first node to a second node. 
     
     
         3 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more unitary elongated extrudates comprises a first unitary elongated extrudate and a second unitary elongated extrudate; wherein the second unitary elongated extrudate is stacked atop, and is axially aligned with, the first unitary elongated extrudate; and wherein both the first unitary elongated extrudate and the second unitary elongated extrudate extend from the first node to the second node. 
     
     
         4 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 3 , wherein, at the first node, the first unitary elongated extrudate and the second unitary elongated extrudate intersect with at least a third unitary elongated extrudate; and wherein, at the second node, the first unitary elongated extrudate and the second unitary elongated extrudate intersect with at least a fourth elongated extrudate. 
     
     
         5 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 4 , wherein, at the first node, the first unitary elongated extrudate and the second unitary elongated extrudate intersect with a fifth unitary elongated extrudate; and wherein, at the first node, the first unitary elongated extrudate and the second unitary elongated extrudate are interleaved with the third unitary elongated extrudate and the fifth unitary elongated extrudate. 
     
     
         6 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 5 , wherein, at the first node, the third unitary elongated extrudate is thermally bonded to the first unitary elongated extrudate and the second unitary elongated extrudate, which is thermally bonded to the fifth unitary elongated extrudate. 
     
     
         7 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 3 , wherein the first unitary elongated extrudate and the second unitary elongated extrudate are thermally bonded to one another at one or more positions between the first node and the second node. 
     
     
         8 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 3 , wherein the first unitary elongated extrudate comprises a flat side that comprises at least portion of the first side of the material panel. 
     
     
         9 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 2 , wherein one or more of the unitary elongated extrudates extend at least from the first node through the second node and at least to a third node, and wherein the second node is positionally between the first node and the second node. 
     
     
         10 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 1 , wherein the at least the portion of the upper-torso support garment comprises one or more of the right shoulder strap, the left shoulder strap, the right side portion, the left side portion, the right back portion, the left back portion, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 1 , wherein the material panel comprises a substantially homogenous material. 
     
     
         12 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 11 , wherein the substantially homogenous material comprises an elastomer. 
     
     
         13 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 11 , wherein the substantially homogenous material comprises a polyurethane. 
     
     
         14 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 11 , wherein the substantially homogenous material comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane. 
     
     
         15 . An upper-torso support garment comprising:
 a shoulder strap;   a breast-covering portion;   a side portion;   a material panel comprising at least a portion of the shoulder strap, the breast-covering portion, and the side portion and comprising unitary elongated extrudates that intersect with one another at nodes to form a grid of cells, wherein the unitary elongated members comprise first axially aligned unitary elongated members and second axially aligned unitary elongated members; wherein the first axially aligned unitary elongated members and the second axially aligned unitary elongated members interleave with one another at a node.   
     
     
         16 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 15 , wherein in at least a portion of the upper-torso support garment, one of the first axially aligned unitary elongated members comprises an innermost face of the upper-torso support garment and one of the second axially aligned unitary elongated members comprises an outermost face of the upper-torso support garment. 
     
     
         17 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 16 , wherein a thickness of the material panel between the innermost face and the outermost face is in a range of about 0.40 mm to about 0.55 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 15 , wherein the node comprises at least some of the first axially aligned unitary elongated members thermally welded with at least some of the second axially aligned unitary elongated members. 
     
     
         19 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 15 , wherein the first axially aligned unitary elongated members comprise a first unitary elongated member and a second unitary elongated member that are axially aligned; wherein the second unitary elongated member is stacked atop the first unitary elongated member; and wherein a first axial centerline of the first unitary elongated member is spaced apart from a second axial centerline of the second unitary elongated member by a distance in a range of about 0.75 mm to about 1.25 mm. 
     
     
         20 . An upper-torso support garment comprising:
 a shoulder strap;   a breast-covering portion;   a side portion;   a material panel comprising at least a portion of the shoulder strap, the breast-covering portion, and the side portion and comprising unitary elongated extrudates that intersect with one another at nodes to form a grid of cells, wherein the unitary elongated members comprise a first unitary elongated members that intersects with a second unitary elongated member at a node; and wherein the first unitary elongated member comprises a different cross-sectional shape than the second unitary elongated member.   
     
     
         21 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 20 , wherein the first unitary elongated member is positioned, as compared to the second unitary elongated member, more inward within the material panel and closer to an innermost face of the upper-torso support garment; and wherein the different cross-sectional shape of the first unitary elongated member comprises a flatter side that is oriented toward the innermost face of the upper-torso support garment. 
     
     
         22 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 21 , wherein the flatter side comprises a rougher texture as compared to other surfaces of the first unitary elongated member and compared to other surfaces of the second unitary elongated member. 
     
     
         23 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 20 , wherein the second unitary elongate member comprises a side that, as compared to the first unitary elongated member, is more rounded and that is oriented towards an outermost face of the upper-torso support garment. 
     
     
         24 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 20 , wherein the first elongated member comprises a portion of a perimeter of the material panel. 
     
     
         25 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 20 , wherein the material panel comprises a substantially homogenous material. 
     
     
         26 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 25 , wherein the substantially homogenous material comprises an elastomer. 
     
     
         27 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 25 , wherein the substantially homogenous material comprises a polyurethane. 
     
     
         28 . The upper-torso support garment of  claim 25 , wherein the substantially homogenous material comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane.