Abstract: The manufacturing and wearing benefits of a brassiere having an underwire embodied in each brassiere cup which has a small radius curvature so that it seats within a cooperating infra mammary fold, and provides uplifting support during wearing of the brassiere.

Abstract: A breast support frame for brassieres is disclosed which includes an elongated flexible tip at each of its ends. The elongated flexible tip is configured to provide increased flexibility and softness and thereby enhance the comfort to the wearer. The tip includes an enlongated distal portion which freely extends beyond the insertion of the end of the U-shaped resultant stiffening member within the tip. The distal portion is preferably tapered and narrowed to further enhance its flexibility.

Abstract: A flexible bra-cup support for brassieres of the underwire type is formed by a length of generally helical coil spring for flexible support and improved control of flexibility in comparison with rigid or semi-rigid supports. The helix is preferably formed from a plastic material such as nylon or polyethylene. The support is held in a conventional sleeve disposed along the undercup portions of the bra. The support may have a circular cross-section or may be made in an elliptical or other shape to control its flexibility as a function of bending direction. The helical support may have a core extending along its axis. The core may be a resilient rubber or plastic material, or an axial core wire surrounded by a resilient sheath. The pitch of the helix may be uniform, but optionally varies along the length of the support to vary the spring's rigidity with position along the undercup line.

Abstract: A brassiere of the underwire type has a "U" shaped stitched sheath beneath each cup of an open "U" configuration and into which a "C" shaped underwire with inwardly bent ends is inserted so that, in spite of the fact that the respective underwire assumes a "U" configuration of the sheath, the springy ends of the underwire tend to produce a roundness illusion of the cup. The wire has a circular cross section with a diameter of 1.5 to 2.5 mm and is composed of polyamide so as to be flexible in all directions and has flanges at its ends through one of which the wire is stitched to retain it in the respective sheath.

Abstract: A framework is disclosed for the rigidification of a part of a garment, which may typically be the curved underwire support of a brassiere. The framework is formed of a molded plastic, which may be thermoplastic or thermosetting and includes short rigidified fibers embedded therein. The fibers are oriented along curvatures which are parallel to the curvature of the framework. The fibers which can be glass, carbon or aromatic polyamides, are preferably a polyamide in which one aromatic group is substituted for an aliphatic group in an aliphatic chain, or a combination of these materials.

Abstract: A brassiere of the underwire type has a "U" shaped stitched sheath beneath each cup of an open "U" configuration and into which a "C" shaped underwire with inwardly bent ends is inserted so that, in spite of the fact that the respective underwire assumes a "U" configuration of the sheath, the springy ends of the underwire tend to produce a roundness illusion of the cup. The wire has a circular cross section with a diameter of 1.5 to 2.5 mm and is composed of polyamide so as to be flexible in all directions and has flanges at its ends through one of which the wire is stitched to retain it in the respective sheath.

Abstract: Protective tips for brassiere wires including a brasserie with a pair of cups. An elongated wire extends along a bottom periphery of each cup. A pair of T-shaped tips are each integrally positioned on an associated wire. Preferably, the wires and T-shaped member is lined with a material in a group which includes TEFLON.

Abstract: A first brassiere underwire stay (110) is integrally incorporated into a brassiere (16) which comprises a brassiere left cup (16L) and a brassiere right cup (16R). The first brassiere underwire stay (110) is composed of a first left U-shaped wire (112L) integrally incorporated into an underside of the brassiere left cup (16L). The first left U-shaped wire (112L) comprises a first left distal kidney shaped end piece (114LA) which is securely attached at a left distal end of the first left U-shaped wire (112L). A first left center kidney shaped end piece (114LC) is securely attached at a right distal end of the first left U-shaped wire (112L). A first right U-shaped wire (112R) is integrally incorporated into an underside of the brassiere right cup (16R). The first right U-shaped wire (112R) is composed of a first right distal kidney shaped end piece (114RA) securely attached at a right distal end of the first right U-shaped wire (112R).

Abstract: A wire reinforcement for women's garments designed to support the breasts exhibits an axial cross section with a long axis and a short axis perpendicular to the long axis. The long axis has a length, and the short axis has a center thickness which is smaller than half of the length. Along the long axis, the cross section has a left end with a left thickness and a right end with a right thickness. Both the left thickness and the right thickness are substantially greater than the center thickness. Such a wire reinforcement is very rigid in the direction of the long axis and is flexible in the other directions and in relation to torsional stresses.

Abstract: Disposable bra liners comprising three cup-shaped coextensive layers attached together, with each layer presenting a circular periphery. The first layer is formed of wicking material for wicking away moisture into the second absorbent layer which is attached to the outer surface of the first layer. The third moisture resistant layer is attached to the outer surface of the absorbent layer. The bra liners further include a structural member attached to the layers for maintaining the shape of the pad. The structural member includes an elastic band attached to the layers at their peripheries and preferably has a plurality of spaced apart fold portions which taper inwardly from the band to present substantially V-shaped fold portions. Each layer preferably further includes a plurality of similar spaced apart fold portions formed therein.

Abstract: In an underwire brassiere, a generally inelastic and dimensionally stable two-bar warp knitted fabric is provided as a covering for the underwire. One set of warp yarns is knitted in a pattern of coursewise spaced stitches with extended underlaps and another set of warp yarns is knitted in a chain stitch pattern, collectively providing warpwise and coursewise stability and elongation resistance to the fabric. The run-in ratio of the two sets of warp yarns imparts a controlled coursewise inclination to the chain stitches enabling a predetermined degree of walewise elongation for better conformation of the fabric to the underwire in fabrication of the brassiere.

Abstract: A ratchet spool mechanism including a rear or bottom housing having a central column, and positioned around the central column a belleville-type spring, positioned thereover a rotary spool having affixed therebetween two lengths of twine and positioned over the top portion of the spool a rotary cap having beveled projections which cooperate with correspondingly positioned orifices in the top surface of the rotary spool whereby operation of the belleville spring, the beveled surfaces and the orifices provide for a locking mechanism and one-way rotation to tighten or draw in the twine, and upon pressing the rotary cap downward against the belleville spring, the beveled projections become disengaged from the orifices, and the spool may be rotated in either direction.

Abstract: A method of making a brassiere wire for a particular underwire brassiere cup utilizing a set of brassiere wires having rectilinear markings where excess of the wire can be cut away with rounding of the resulting end portions to form the brassiere wire.

Abstract: An improvement in underwire bra construction wherein the ends of the U-shaped underwire are secured to complementary fastening members affixed to the material of the bra cup and wherein such U-shaped underwire is free to swing up or down relative to said complementary fastening members.

Abstract: A brassiere wire has a body adapted to fit into a channel in a brassiere to extend beneath a breast cup of a brassiere, the brassiere wire having a semicircular body lying in a plane and of flattened cross section, and a rectilinear flexible portion on at least one end of the body, the rectilinear portion being deflectable resiliently out of the plane, the rectilinear portion having two spaced-apart grooves corresponding across the rectilinear portion substantially perpendicular thereto and in each face of such rectilinear portion, thereby reducing the thickness of the wire at the grooves of the rectilinear portion to increase flexibility thereof, the wire being composed of a plastic and having rounded tips.

Abstract: A garment having the combined appearance of a brassiere and a camisole is provided with a camisole top, the brassiere function of the garment being provided by non-stretchable shoulder straps that extend across the interior of the breast cups, and, which are securely connected with the brassiere frames, the shoulder straps extending on a diagonal of the breast cups, portions of the breast cups being reinforced to provide for the support of the weight of the breast.

Abstract: A brassiere construction has breast cups provided with a central diagonally extending panel that is stretchable in vertical directions, and which is non-stretchable in horizontal directions, thus to accommodate different volumes of breast tissue falling within a determined range of volumes.

Abstract: A monocoque breast supporting frame including a reduced mass arcuate shaped resilient wire and a specifically formulated reinforcing sleeve-like, low friction member totally encasing the wire; said sleeve-like number having a plurality of circumferential radii, thickness, and structural integrity specifically disposed along the arcuate shaped, reduced mass, resilient wire to afford maximum strength and resilience to the frame and maximum comfort to the wearer.

Abstract: A breast enhancement brassiere is disclosed wherein each of the breast cups is constructed having an inner pocket which receives a padding material and an outer pocket which receives a removable elastomeric member. A support wire extends along the lower curved edge of each cup. The upper edge of each cup defines a relatively unconstrained open zone. The configuration is such that the brassiere, when worn, exerts forces on the wearer's breats lifting the breasts both upwardly and inwardly toward each other in the direction of the open zone for breast enhancement.

Abstract: A camisole underwire bra garment (10) including a camisole unit (11) and an underwire bra unit (12) whose upper portions (11') and (12') share the same general contour and configuration, wherein the underwire bra unit (12) is only connected to the camisole unit (11) along their respective upper portions to produce a camisole garment (10) that provides lift and support for a woman's breasts.

Abstract: A protective tip for a garment frame has lateral extensions at the recesses in the tip provided for the reception of barbs of the frame, the lateral extensions providing continuations of the peripheral contour of the tip at the locations of the recesses in order to minimize snagging of the tip as it is inserted into a channel formed in a garment.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved brassiere wire and a method for forming the same wherein the wire, which if formed of a spring steel, is subjected to an annealing treatment along the leg portions of the wire to thereby render the point or a section of the wire softer and more bendable.

Abstract: A brassiere comprises two bra cups, each including an inner cup and an outer cup peripherally joined together to form upper, lower, inner side and outer side margins. Each of the outer cups is formed of elastic material and each of the inner cups comprises a segment formed of non-elastic material extending upwards from the lower margin and a yoke formed of elastic material connecting the top and sides of the non-elastic segment to the upper, inner side and outer side margins. Thus, the elastic yoke of the inner cup permits the outer cup to accommodate to the breast of the wearer, while the non-elastic segment of the inner cup provides support in the medial region thereof.