Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02922759 2016-02-29
Bra with Morphologically Adaptive Cups
The invention relates to the area of textile articles and more particularly
that of
bras.
A bra classically comprises two cups for accommodating the breasts of a user,
connected to one another by an intermediate part. A back is fixed to a lateral
edge of
its cup and comprises means for fixing it to the other back so that the bra is
held in
place on the user. Moreover, a bra strap connects the upper edge of its cup to
the back
and extends from the lateral edge of this cup.
Bras are knovvn of the type provided with cups that each have a flexible shell
conformed in such a manner as to have a concave, substantially hemispherical
shape
intended to surround the breasts of the user. However, the breasts of the user
can have a
substantially different morphology, which means that no bra is in reality
perfectly
adapted to the morphology of the two breasts. Furthermore, the morphology or
the
volume of the user' s chest can vary substantially over time. The bra can then
prove to
be temporarily uncomfortable for its user.
Therefore, the invention has the goal of proposing a bra without the
previously
cited disadvantages. In particular, the goal of the present invention is to
propose a bra
that can adapt perfectly to the morphology of the chest and that can also
ensure a good
hold of the chest without exerting excessive pressure on il.
The invention also relates to a bra comprising two cups connected to one
another, intended to accommodate the breasts of a user and connected by their
respective lateral edge to a part of the back and by their respective upper
edge to a strap
joining the corresponding part of the back, characterized in that each cup is
constituted
by an extensible piece of textile material in the form of a substantially
planar sheet
when the bra is not being worn, and that a major part of the sheet surface is
eut along a
plurality of notches of a lirnited length arranged ah l around an inner part
of the sheet so
as to form a reversibly deformable structure suitable for being deployed
towards the
front in a direction essentially transverse to the plane of the sheet under
the effect of the
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weight of the breasts when the bra is being worn, causing this sheet to assume
a volume
conforming to the shape of the breasts and capable of supporting the breasts.
The present invention is therefore based on making a cup which is flat when
the
bra is flot being wom assume a volume which is capable of deforming under the
effect
of the weight of the breasts substantially in one direction toward the front
of the chest
due to the presence of appropriate cuts made in the sheet of textile material
constituting
the cup. Once this has been done, the invention appropriates a technique of
cutting and
changing the volume of paper known under the name of "kirigami" in order to
adapt it
in a surprising and especially advantageous manner to the textile area and in
particular
to that of bras. In fact, due to an appropriate arrangement of the notches
made flatly in
the sheet of textile material constituting the cups, the latter, which are
present in a
substantially planar shape when the bra is flot wom, "open up" under the
effect of the
weight of the breasts when the bra is wom in a favored one direction aimed to
the front
of the chest while surrounding the breasts in such a manner that the bra is
applied more
harmoniously and more comfortably to the user's bust, perfectly adjusted to
the
morphology of the user's breasts, which offers a holding without excessive
stress on
the chest.
Furthermore, the holding structure of the breasts openworked in this manner
allows the skin to breathe freely, which increases even more the comfort of
the wearer.
In addition, by virtue of this construction which allows the cups to be flat
in the non-
worn state of the bra in accordance with the invention, the latter is made not
very
voluminous, for example, as compared to cups that are hot-molded and
elassically
present a substantially and partially hemispheric concave shape. Finally, in
addition to
its technical function of holding the breasts, the openwork structure of the
cups once
they are deployed in the wom state of the bra creates a remarkable aesthetic
effect
which can vary as a function of the shape and the orientation selected for the
notches.
The notches are advantageously arranged periodically in the sheet plane.
According to an embodiment at least a part of the notches can be arranged in
accordance with a network of curved unes constituted by tvvo symmetrical sets
of unes
extending respectively on each side of a longitudinal axis of a respective
cup.
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The sheet can advantageously comprise a succession of notches arranged
according to a plurality of concentric, circular unes extending at least into
the lower
part of a respective cup.
The sheet advantageously comprises notches extending substantially vertically
at least in the proximity of the upper edge of a respective cup.
The notches preferably have a rectilinear or substantially curved shape.
The notches advantageously have a maximum length comprised between 10 and
20 millimeters.
The notches are advantageously spaced at least 1 millimeter from each other,
preferably from 1 to 5 millimeters.
According to an embodiment the sheet can have supplementary cuts made along
an ornamental pattern and are advantageously arranged in the upper part of a
respective
cup and/or in its lower part.
The piece of textile material is preferably made of mono-layer or multi-layer
lcnit fabric based on polyamide and elastane, advantageously with an
elongation at 15
newtons comprised between 10% and 80 % at least in one direction and with high
responsiveness (e.g., springback).
The knit fabric preferably has a weight comprised between 250 and 400 g/m2.
According to an embodiment each cup is lined with a fine lcnit, elastic lining
fixed peripherally on the cup.
The lining is advantageously made with a light mesh on the order of 60 g/m2
with an elongation at 15 newtons at least equal to 130% in length and/or in
width and
equal to or greater than 240% at least in one direction.
Other particularities and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a
reading of the description given below of a particular embodiment of the
invention
given by way of a non-limiting example with reference made to the attached
drawings
in which:
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-Figure 1 is a schematic view illustrating an example of a bra in conformity
with the invention in a non-worn state;
-Figures 2 to 4 show examples of sheets of textile material for forming the
cups
of the bra in accordance with the invention with different variants of
embodiments of
the notches;
-Figure 5 shows an example of a bra in conformity with the invention in the
worn state.
Figure 1 illustrates an example of a bra 1 in accordance with the invention.
This
bra comprises two cups 2 for accommodating the breasts of a user and are
connected to
one another on their inner side by a central intermediate part 3. Each cup 2
has the
shape of a sheet 21 of substantially planar textile material when the bra is
flot being
worn. Furthermore, each cup 2 can be advantageously fixed in its lower part to
a rigid
underwiring 24, while it is understood that the invention can also be applied
to bras
without underwiring that are called "soft", or also to the bandeau type. In
the example
illustrated the underwiring 24 extends along a lower edge to a lateral edge 25
of a cup
and comprises fixation means (flot shown) on the other back part. A strap 5
joins the
upper edge 26 of a cup 2 to the corresponding part of back 4.
As schematically illustrated in figure 1, each sheet 21 of textile material,
that
can be a mono-layer or multi-layer (a complex of several materials assembled
by
thermal adhesion, for example) sheet, comprises in the sheet plane over a
major part of
its surface a plurality of notches 22 or slots, substantially linear,
traversing the entire
thickness of the sheet 21 and arranged entirely around an inner part 23 of the
sheet 21
free of notches and preferably with a discoidal (circular surface) shape or
ellipsoidal
(oval surface) shape. The inner part 23 free of notches 22 preferably forms a
substantially central part of the sheet constituting the cup and can be
advantageously
off-center toward the inner side of the cup (toward the central part of the
bra) so as to
achieve an effect of bringing the breasts doser to one another. Furthermore,
the surface
occupied by the inner part 23 free of notches 22 is a function of the selected
dimension
of the notches 22. Therefore, the smaller the notches, the greater the surface
occupied
by the inner part 23.
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The notches 22, by virtue of their shape, dimension and appropriate
orientation
in the sheet plane, are intended to allow an extension of the sheet 21 in a
direction
substantially transverse to the sheet plane, that is, in the direction
pointing to the front
of the chest while preserving a certain rigidity of the sheet in directions
transverse to
the chest under the effect of the weight of the breasts when the bra is worn.
In other
words, the sheet 21 openworked in this manner by the notches 22 constitutes a
reversibly deformable holding structure suitable for being deployed to the
front,
permitting and ensuring a substantially hemispheric change of the volume of a
respective cup of the bra in the direction pointing to the front of the chest
under the
effect of the breasts when the bra is worn, and suitable for being able to be
folded in
order to return to a substantially planar configuration when the bra is flot
being worn.
The shape of the sheet depends on the shape and the size of the bra for which
it
is provided but it is preferably in an elongated, substantially elliptical
shape and more
particularly in the shape of a tear with a major axis extending between the
upper edge
of the cup and the lower edge of a respective cup, for example, comprised
between 100
mm and 160 mm, and a minor axis extending between the lateral edges of a
respective
cup, for example comprised between 50 mm and 130 mm.
The notches 22 preferably have a maximum length comprised between
approxitnately 10 mm and 20 mm, preferably approximately 15 mm and are
arranged
periodically in the plane of the sheet 21, preferably following a network of
unes
extending ail around the inner part 23 of the sheet 21. In a general manner
the notches
22 are spaced among themselves in ah l directions of the sheet plane by at
least 1
millimeter, preferably from 1 mm to 5 mm and advantageously 3 mm.
In addition to the shape and the arrangement of the notches 22 in the plane of
the sheet 21, the textile material of the sheet also greatly influences the
opening and the
change in volume of the latter under the effect of the weight of the breasts
when the bra
is worn. The sheet 21 of textile material is advantageously made of mono-layer
or
multi-layer (several knit fabrics assembled in a complex by thermal adhesion,
for
example) knit fabrics based on polyamide and elastane (preferably
approximately 40%
by weight elastane relative to the total weight of the knit fabric). It
advantageously has
an elongation at 15 newtons comprised between 10% and 80% at least in one
direction.
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The specific weight of the knit fabric is advantageously comprised between 250
and
400 g/m2. Furthermore, it advantageously has a very high responsiveness (e.g.,
springback), indicated by the characteristics in terms of force up to 30% of
elongation
preferably comprised between 700 and 900cN. Due to this fact the material
perfectly
accompanies the morphology of the breasts and favors the return of the sheet
21 into a
substantially planar configuration when the bra is not wom.
Different variants of the arrangement of the notches 22 will now be described
according to different patterns in the plane of the sheet 21 when flat,
allowing the
obtention of an extension of the sheet 21 in a direction aimed at the front of
the chest
for a change in volume of the sheet 21 in a substantially hemispheric shape
suitable for
holding the breast when the bra is being worn.
In the particular embodiment illustrated in figure 2 the majority of the
notches
22 is arranged in the plane of the sheet 21 in accordance with a network of
curved fines,
preferably equidistant and parallel to each other, constituted by two
symmetrical sets of
unes extending respectively on each side of a longitudinal axis X passing
through the
substantially central inner part 23 of the sheet 21.
In the lower median part of the sheet 21 of textile material constituting a
respective cup 2 the plurality of successive notches 22 arranged in une
advantageously
forrn a plurality of concentric circular lines extending from the edges of the
cup 2 and
approaching the substantially central inner part 23 of the sheet 21.
Furthermore, the sheet 21 advantageously comprises vertical notches 22 at the
top part of a respective cup 2 at least in the proximity of the upper edge 26
of the cup
which can be aligned vertically in the form of several vertical fines
extending from the
substantially central inner part 23 toward the upper edge 26 of the cup. This
vertical
arrangement of the notches in the respective top part of a cup 2 is preferable
in order to
allow the cup to rest substantially flat in this upper part after extension
when the bra is
worn.
This particular embodiment of the cups is illustrated in the worn state of the
bra
1 in figure 5. When the bra 1 is worn by a user, the notches 22 open under the
effect of
the weight of the breasts, allowing the sheet 21 to deploy toward the front in
a direction
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substantially transverse to the plane of the sheet 21, conforming to the shape
of the
breasts and the textile material between the notches 22 which are therefore
open
extends, forming a networic of crossed Unes 220 constituted by the material
between the
notches 22 suitable for maintaining the breasts and extending from the edges
of the cup
toward the central zone 23 projected forward under the effect of the weight of
the
breasts.
According to the variant of figure 3, in the upper median part of the sheet 21
the
notches 22 constitute two sets of oblique lines arranged in distinct and
symmetrical
directions in the plane of the sheet 21 relative to the axis X, extending
radially from the
substantially central inner part 23 toward the edges of a respective cup 2. It
turns out
that this arrangement of the notches 22 in the upper median part of the sheet
21 allows
the obtention of a deforming configuration of the cups 2 that is particularly
adapted for
the sides of the bra, that is, on the side of the lateral edge 25 of the cups
whereas the
arrangement of the notches 22 in the upper median part of the sheet 21 such as
described with reference made to figure 2 is particularly adapted for the
center of the
bra, that is, on the inner side of the cups.
Also, the variant the figure 4 illustrates a combination of two previous
embodiments and concerns the arrangement of the notches 22 in the upper median
part
of the sheet 21 which repeats the arrangement of figure 3 on the side of the
lateral edge
25 of the respective cup 2 and that of figure 2 on the inner side of the cup
2.
However, whatever the embodiment is, it is advisable to arrange the vertical
notches in the upper part of a respective cup 2 as explained referring to
figure 2. The
shape of the notches is preferably substantially curved, which notches are
arranged
along curved unes and rectilinear in vertical notches or those arranged along
oblique
unes. Furthermore, supplementary cuts made in accordance with an ornamental
pattern
can be advantageously arranged in the upper part of the cup and/or in the
substantially
central lower part 23 to the extent that when arranged in this manner, such
cups do flot
open very much when the bra is worn.
According to an embodiment each cup 2 can be lined with a fine, knit elastic
lining (flot shown) provided for being applied preferably on the entire outer
face of a
respective cup 2 and which is preferably fixed peripherally to the outer face
of a
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respective cup 2. As a variant the cup can be lined with the fine elastic
lining on the
side of its inner face. According to an exemplary embodiment such a lining can
be
made of simple material, preferably with a light mesh on the order of 60 g/m2
and bas
an elongation at 15 newtons at least equal to 130% (comprised between 180% and
360% and beyond) in length and/or in width and equal to or greater than at
least 240%
in one of the two directions. Furthermore, it has a high responsiveness (e.g.,
springback), advantageously allowing it to flot "go baggy" after extension.
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