Breast supporting garment and methods for manufacturing same

Abstract

A breast supporting garment and a method for producing it, the garment having at least one layer made of a fabric comprises a breast receiving portion bounded by a frame portion disposed at least partially below the breast receiving portion. The frame portion comprises a fabric reinforcing element in the form of a coating made of a material having, when in a liquid state during a coating process, a viscosity which is high enough for the material to stay contained within an area of the fabric, to which the material is applied, and low enough for the material to have the capability to penetrate the fabric to a part of the thickness of the fabric, at least in a portion of the area. The material, when solidified, has a lower elasticity than that of the fabric.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A breast supporting garment, comprising:
 at least one layer made of a fabric; and   a breast receiving portion bounded by a frame portion disposed at least partially below the breast receiving portion;   wherein the frame portion includes a fabric reinforcing element in a form of a coating made of a material having, when in a liquid state during a coating process, a viscosity which is high enough for the material to stay contained within an area of the fabric, to which the material is applied, and low enough for the material to have the capability to penetrate the fabric to a part of a thickness of the fabric, at least in a portion of said area, the material, when solidified, having a lower elasticity than that of the fabric.   
     
     
         13 . The breast supporting garment according to  claim 12 , wherein the reinforcing element has an outer edge, an inner edge, and a varying width defined by a distance between said outer edge and said inner edge. 
     
     
         14 . The breast supporting garment according to  claim 12 , constituting a bra in which the breast receiving portion includes two cup portions terminating at arcuate boundaries each having a lowermost boundary area, a median boundary section and a lateral boundary section, both sections extending from the lowermost boundary area in different directions, the median boundary sections of the two cups defining therebetween a central gore, and wherein said fabric reinforcing element has a reinforcing element body with two arcuate inner edges spaced from each other by a central body area, said element being attached to said layer so that its arcuate inner edges define said arcuate boundaries of the cup portions and said central body area said central gore. 
     
     
         15 . The breast supporting garment according to  claim 12 , wherein the reinforcing element has an outer edge and a varying width defined by a distance between said outer edge and the arcuate inner edges. 
     
     
         16 . The breast supporting garment according to  claim 12 , wherein said material and a connection of the material to the fabric are such as to allow the garment to undergo elastic deformation when twisting forces are applied thereto. 
     
     
         17 . A method of producing a fabric reinforcing element in a breast supporting garment having at least one layer made of a fabric and a breast receiving portion, said fabric reinforcing element constituting at least a part of a frame portion disposed at least partially below the breast receiving portion; the method comprising:
 providing a material having, when in a liquid state, a viscosity, which is high enough for the material to stay contained within an area of the fabric to which the material is applied, and low enough for the material to penetrate the fabric to a part of the thickness of the fabric, and when solidified, having a lower elasticity than that of the fabric; applying said material, when in at least one of a liquid state and a semi-liquid state, as a coating to said area of the fabric under conditions allowing penetration of the material into the fabric to a part of the thickness of the fabric; and   allowing said material to solidify into a solidified coating.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the step of applying said material is performed by transferring the material through a screen onto said fabric in a manner of screen printing. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the step of applying is repeated such that said solidified coating is comprised of multiple layers of the material. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the step of applying said material comprises:
 providing a mold having a cavity having a shape corresponding to a shape of said element;   pouring said material into said cavity of said mold;   placing said layer over said mold so as to cover a top of said cavity;   inverting the mold such that a bottom of said cavity is uppermost, and the layer lies beneath the mold;   creating conditions at said bottom of said cavity so that the material at the bottom of the cavity begins to solidify; and   applying a vacuum force under said layer so as to draw the material into the layer to a part of the thickness of the layer; and   removing the mold.   
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the step of allowing comprises exposing said material to heat. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said breast supporting garment is a breast supporting garment having at least one layer made of a fabric and comprising a breast receiving portion bounded by a frame portion disposed at least partially below the breast receiving portion; the frame portion comprising a fabric reinforcing element in the form of a coating made of a material having, when in a liquid state during a coating process, a viscosity which is high enough for the material to stay contained within an area of the fabric, to which the material is applied, and low enough for the material to have the capability to penetrate the fabric to a part of the thickness of the fabric, at least in a portion of said area, the material, when solidified, having a lower elasticity than that of the fabric. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the reinforcing element has an outer edge, an inner edge, and a varying width defined by a distance between said outer edge and said inner edge. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the breast supporting garment constitutes a bra in which the breast receiving portion includes two cup portions terminating at arcuate boundaries each having a lowermost boundary area, a median boundary section and a lateral boundary section, both sections extending from the lowermost boundary area in different directions, the median boundary sections of the two cups defining therebetween a central gore, and wherein said fabric reinforcing element has a reinforcing element body with two arcuate inner edges spaced from each other by a central body area, said element being attached to said layer so that its arcuate inner edges define said arcuate boundaries of the cup portions and said central body area said central gore. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the reinforcing element has an outer edge and a varying width defined by a distance between said outer edge and the arcuate inner edges. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said material and its connection to the fabric are such as to allow the garment to undergo elastic deformation when twisting forces are applied thereto.