Women's undergarment having cup parts

Abstract

A women's undergarment A includes a left / right pair of brassiere cups 1 that have a bottom edge 2, a side edge 4, and a top edge 3, a covering cloth 20 that covers the brassiere cups 1 from the surface side thereof, a strap 70, and a lifting cloth 40. The brassiere cups 1 have a two-layer structure that includes an inside cup 1i and an outside cup 1o. A hole 6 is provided in a corner portion 1o9 of the outside cup 1o that is a portion at which a top edge 1o3 and a side edge 1o4 intersect. The lifting cloth 40 is sandwiched between the inside cup 1i and the outside cup 1o, and a band-shaped insertion portion 46 of the lifting cloth 40 is inserted into the hole 6 in the corner portion 1o9 of the outside cup 1o from the back side toward the front side.

Description

Women's underwear with cups

[0001] The present invention relates to women's underwear having cup portions such as brassieres and camisoles.

[0002] Women's underwear with cups, such as brassieres, comes in two types: those with arc-shaped wires at the bottom of the cups, and those without wires. Women's underwear with cups that do not use wires is called wireless women's underwear (or wireless bras). Wireless women's underwear (wireless bras) include, for example, left and right cups to cover the bust, a base that is sewn to the bottom of the cups as needed to support them, a back that extends from the base to the back, and straps that are attached from the cups to the back. Women's underwear (bras) with wires have arc-shaped wires inserted at the bottom of the cups. The wires serve to maintain the shape of the cups in the shape of the wires.

[0003] Women's underwear wearers vary widely in bust shape, including those with ample busts and those without, those with thick chests and those with thin chests, those with broad shoulders and those with narrow shoulders, and those with hunched shoulders and those with sloping shoulders. One of the main functions commonly required of the cups of women's underwear is to lift and gather the breasts to create a beautiful décolleté and to improve the shape of the bust. In addition, improved comfort is also important, including a sense of fit—that is, a tight fit that holds the breasts securely and securely, regardless of the body shape of the wearer—and comfort when worn (e.g., the bra cups do not rise from the chest when twisting left and right, the breasts do not spill out from the sides of the bra cups when swinging both arms, the bra does not slip up when raising both hands, the straps do not fall off the shoulders when rotating both shoulders, the breasts do not sway wildly when jumping, and the back strap of the bra does not rise up when bending forward).

[0004] Patent Document 1 is an invention for improving the bust shape of women's underwear, and this invention uses a lift-up fabric to full up the bust. The upper end of this lift-up fabric is sewn to the outer corners of the upper ends of the brassiere cups and the end of the straps on the bust side, and its lower edge is sewn to the cup cutout edge of the base fabric together with the lower edge of the brassiere cup, and it is hung diagonally between the end of the straps on the bust side and the cup cutout edge of the base fabric.

[0005] The area where this lift-up fabric covers the brassiere cup is the area from the lower part to the outer side of the brassiere cup, and it completely covers this area. As a result, when wearing the brassiere, by pulling the straps, the lift-up fabric can pull the bust from the sides to the lower part of the bust contained in the brassiere cup inward and upward in accordance with the fullness of the bust, which has the effect of pulling the bust toward the center front and creating a beautiful décolleté.

[0006] The conventional women's underwear Z of Patent Document 2 (FIG. 7) is composed of a pair of brassiere cups 100 (left and right), cup covering cloth 120, straps 170, a back portion 107, a base cloth 110, and a lift-up cloth 140. As with Patent Document 1, the lift-up cloth 140 is effective in creating a beautiful décolleté. In addition, the lower edge 102 of the brassiere cup 100 is sewn to the lower edge 122 of the lift-up cloth 140. The side edges 104 and upper edge 103 of the brassiere cup 100 are not sewn to the cup covering cloth 120. The lift-up cloth 140 is sandwiched between the brassiere cup 100 and the cup covering cloth 120. A hole 106 is provided in the corner portion 109 where the upper end P103 of the brassiere cup 100 is located, and the insertion portion 146 of the lift-up cloth 140 is positioned so as to pass through the hole 106 from the front surface 100s side of the brassiere cup 100 to the back side (Figure 7(c)).

[0007] In Patent Document 1, the upper end of the lift-up fabric is sewn to the outer corner of the upper end of the brassiere cup and to the end of the strap on the chest side, and the lower edge of the brassiere cup is sewn to the cup-holing edge of the base fabric together with the lower edge of the brassiere cup. Therefore, when twisting the body from side to side, swinging both arms, or lifting up, the brassiere cup is pulled by the strap and moves, causing it to come off the bust, or conversely, the strap may fall off the shoulder, causing problems in terms of comfort.

[0008] Therefore, in Patent Document 2, a hole 106 is provided in the corner portion 109 of the upper end P103 of the brassiere cup 100, and the insertion portion 146 of the lift-up cloth 140 is arranged to pass through the hole 106 from the front surface 100s side to the back surface, so that the brassiere cup 100 is not restricted by the movement of the lift-up cloth 140. As a result, the problem of wearing comfort that was a problem in Patent Document 1 is solved.

[0009] JP 2015-212437 A Japanese Patent No. 6446605 A

[0010] However, in both Patent Documents 1 and 2, the lift-up cloth 140 is disposed on the surface 100s of the brassiere cup 100. The lift-up cloth 140 requires a certain degree of tensile strength and elasticity to lift the bust B, and is therefore thick, for example, by using a double layer of power net. As a result, even if a cup covering cloth 120 is used to cover the lift-up cloth 140, when an outer layer 100T is worn over it, the upper edge 143 of the lift-up cloth 140 appears as a streaky step 100D on the outer layer 100T, detracting from the appearance. This problem is particularly noticeable with outer layers 100T such as summer wear (FIG. 7(b)).

[0011] Furthermore, as described above, in Patent Document 2, the insertion portion 146 of the lift-up cloth 140 is passed through the hole 106 in the corner portion 109 of the brassiere cup 100 so as to pass from the front surface 100s side to the back surface, so that at the corner portion 109, the insertion portion 146 penetrates into the back surface of the corner portion 109 and pushes the corner portion 109 to the front surface. As a result, as described above, the pushed-out portion becomes a step 100D that is clearly visible on the outerwear 100T (FIG. 7(c)).

[0012] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems of the conventional examples as described above, and its object is to provide women's underwear that not only has improved shapeability and fit, but also has a cup portion that has an excellent appearance as the lift-up fabric does not show through the outerwear.

[0013] The invention of claim 1 relates to a women's underwear A having cup portions (Fig. 1). The women's underwear A comprises a pair of brassiere cups 1 each having a lower edge 2 curved downward, a side edge 4 rising from a side edge P1 of the lower edge 2 toward a top edge 3, and a top edge 3 extending from a bust edge P2 of the lower edge 2 to an upper edge P3 of the side edge 4, and configured to accommodate the bust B; a cup covering cloth 20 separated from the surface of the brassiere cup 1 and arranged to cover the brassiere cup 1 from its surface side, the lower edge 2 extending from the side edge P1 to the bust edge P2 of the brassiere cup 1 being sewn to its lower edge 22, and the side edges 4 and upper edge 3 of the brassiere cup 1 being left unsewn; a strap 70 sewn to the cup covering cloth 20; and a lift-up cloth 40 having a lower edge 42 sewn to the lower edge 2 of the brassiere cup 1 and an upper edge 45 connected to the strap 70. The brassiere cup 1 is formed to have a double structure with an inner cup 1i and an outer cup 1o provided on the front side of the inner cup 1i, and a hole 6 is provided in a corner portion 1o9 where an upper edge 1o3 and a side edge 1o4 of the outer cup 1o intersect, and the lift-up cloth 40 is provided so as to be sandwiched between the inner cup 1i and the outer cup 1o, and a strip-shaped insertion portion 46 leading to an upper end edge 45 of the lift-up cloth 40 is inserted through the hole 6 of the corner portion 1o9 from the back side to the front side, and is provided so as to press the corner portion 1o9 from above.

[0014] The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that in the women's underwear A having a cup portion described in claim 1, the inner cup 1i and the outer cup 1o have the same outer shape and are sewn or glued together all around.

[0015] The invention of claim 3 is the women's underwear A having the cup portion of claim 1, characterized in that the inner cup 1i and the outer cup 1o are made of any one of a sheet-like foam laminated fabric having a three-layer structure in which the middle layer 1b is made of a foam material and thin woven fabrics are attached as the front and back layers 1a and 1c, a sheet-like foam laminated fabric having a two-layer structure in which thin woven fabrics are provided on the back layer 1c of the inner cup 1i and the surface layer 1a of the outer cup 1o, a nonwoven fabric, or a woven fabric.

[0016] The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in the women's underwear A described in claim 1, the holes 6 drilled in the corner portions 1o9 are formed in the shape of slits in a direction intersecting (perpendicular or at an angle close to perpendicular) the longitudinal direction of the insertion portion 46.

[0017] The invention described in claim 5 is the women's underwear A described in claim 4, characterized in that the longitudinal width (slit width) 6w of the hole 6 is formed larger than the width 46w of the insertion portion 46.

[0018] With the above-mentioned configuration, the present invention not only improves the shape and fit, but also provides women's underwear with cup portions that have an excellent appearance because the lift-up fabric does not show through the outerwear.

[0019] 1A is a perspective view showing the state in which the women's underwear of the present invention (first embodiment) is worn, and (b) is a perspective view showing the state in which the same (second embodiment) is worn. In the state in which the women's underwear shown in FIG. 1A is worn, (a) is a longitudinal cross-section through the center, (b) is an enlarged view of a portion of the central longitudinal cross-section, and (c) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a corner portion of a brassiere cup. In the women's underwear of FIG. 1A with the cup covering cloth removed, (a) is a perspective view showing the movement of the straps, lift-up cloth, and brassiere cup, with (a) being one embodiment of the lift-up cloth and (b) being a perspective view of another embodiment of the lift-up cloth. An exploded view of the women's underwear of the present invention. A cross-sectional view of the women's underwear when worn for a large bust size. A cross-sectional view of the women's underwear when worn for a small bust size. (a) is a perspective view showing the state in which a conventional women's underwear is worn, (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part X, and (c) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part Y.

[0020] The women's underwear A of the present invention will be described below. The women's underwear A of the present invention includes, for example, brassiere-type underwear, camisole-type underwear (not shown), and all other underwear having brassiere cups 1. In this specification, a brassiere is taken as a representative example, and will be designated by the same reference symbol A hereinafter.

[0021] An embodiment of the brassiere A of the present invention is shown in Figures 1(a) to 4. The brassiere A is composed of symmetrical brassiere cups 1, cup covering fabric 20, lift-up fabric 40, a base fabric 10 that is used as needed, a back section 7 (side belts 11 and 12 in the illustrated embodiment), and straps 70. In this embodiment, the brassiere A using the base fabric 10 will be mainly described. Figure 1(b) shows a brassiere A that does not use the base fabric 10. In this case, the back section 7 is provided on both the left and right sides of the cup covering fabric 20. Other than that, it is the same as the brassiere A using the base fabric 10.

[0022] The brassiere cup 1 has a double structure consisting of an inner cup 1i and an outer cup 1o, which are formed by sewing the peripheries of the inner cup 1i and outer cup 1o, which have the same outer shape. As will be described later, a lift-up cloth 40 is sandwiched between the two, and its bottom edge 42 is sewn to the bottom edge 2 of the brassiere cup 1. The shape of the brassiere cup 1 varies depending on the bust B and design, for example, a shell shape (not shown) or a heart shape as shown in Figure 1. Here, the heart shape is used as a representative example.

[0023] The brassiere cup 1 of the present invention has a double structure as described above, and the reason for this is to provide different functions to the inner cup 1i and the outer cup 1o, which not only improves bust shaping and fit but also ensures that the lift-up fabric 40 does not show through the outerwear T, resulting in a cup portion with an excellent appearance. Therefore, the thickness of the brassiere cup 1 of the present invention when the inner cup 1i and the outer cup 1o are combined is formed to be the same as that of a regular brassiere cup. However, the thicknesses of the inner cup 1i and the outer cup 1o are selected appropriately depending on their functions.

[0024] The brassiere cup 1 also comes in a variety of thicknesses to suit the wearer's needs. Pads (not shown) may also be used. When pads are used, a pocket for storing the pads (not shown) is provided on the inner surface (the surface facing the wearer) of the inner cup 1i. Figures 5 and 6 show a case in which no pads are used. If the wearer desires more volume in the bust, a thicker inner cup 1i is used (Figure 6). Because the brassiere cup 1 of the present invention has a double structure consisting of an inner cup 1i and an outer cup 1o, the inner cup 1i can be varied in thickness to suit the wearer's needs. As will be described later, the outer cup 1o is used to cover the step D that occurs between the inner cup 1i and the upper edge 43 of the lift-up fabric 40, preventing this step D from appearing as a line on the outerwear T (Figure 2).

[0025] Various materials are used for the outer cup 1o and the inner cup 1i. For example, a three-layer foam laminated fabric (a sheet-like foam laminated fabric) with a foam middle layer and thin woven fabrics attached to the front and back surfaces, or a two-layer foam laminated fabric (a sheet-like foam backed fabric) with a thin woven fabric on the surface, is used. In this embodiment, urethane resin is used as the foam material. To form the outer cup 1o and the inner cup 1i using such foam laminated fabric, a roll of foam laminated fabric is cut to an appropriate size, pressurized and heated in a mold, and then molded into the desired shape by cutting off unnecessary portions.

[0026] When the outer cup 1o and the inner cup 1i are made of a three-layer sheet-like foam laminate fabric, thin woven fabrics are attached as the front and back layers 1a and 1c. When the outer cup 1o is made of a two-layer sheet-like foam laminate fabric, the outer cup 1o has a thin woven fabric as the front layer 1a, and the inner cup 1i has a thin woven fabric as the back layer 1c. The outer cup 1o and the inner cup 1i made of such foam laminate fabric are flexible and elastic, but have less stretch than the lift-up cloth 40. Of course, the material of the outer cup 1o and the inner cup 1i is not limited to this, and nonwoven fabrics, woven fabrics such as double raschel, and other known materials can also be used. This example will mainly describe the case where a foam laminate fabric is used.

[0027] One example of an inner cup 1i made of foam-laminated fabric is one that is thickest in the center and gradually tapers toward the periphery (FIG. 5). Another example of an inner cup 1i made of foam-laminated fabric is one in which the lower half 1d along the bottom edge 2 of the brassiere cup 1 is thicker than the upper half 1e and bulges toward the inside (bust side), while the upper half 1e gradually tapers in thickness from the lower half 1d toward the top edge 3 (FIG. 6). The outer cup 1o made of foam-laminated fabric, both in the case of FIG. 5 and in FIG. 6, is thickest in the center and gradually tapers toward the periphery. Since the outer cup 1o only needs to prevent the step D from affecting the outerwear T, as described above, it is sufficient for the thickness of the outer cup 1o not to create the step D when worn. This also applies to other known materials such as nonwoven fabric and double raschel.

[0028] The inner cup 1i and the outer cup 1o are sewn or glued together all around to form one brassiere cup 1, and when the two cups are joined together front to back, the top position K (the highest point on the surface of the brassiere cup 1) is the thickest, and the thickness gradually decreases towards the periphery as a whole.

[0029] In either case, the surface of the outer cup 1o of the brassiere cup 1 is generally gentle and bulges forward in a bowl shape. In the brassiere cup 1 of Fig. 5, the thickness corresponding to the lower half 1d of the inner cup 1i is not shown, but this may be compensated for with a pad, or conversely, the thick portion of the lower half 1d of the inner cup 1i of Fig. 6 may be made up with a pad.

[0030] The brassiere cup 1 is designed to directly accommodate the bust B and bulges outward in a bowl shape. The bottom edge 2 of the brassiere cup 1 curves downward and is positioned to fit the wearer's vestibule V. The lowest point of the bottom edge 2 is indicated by P, and its ends are the armpit edge P1 and the bust edge P2. The side edges 4 of the brassiere cup 1 are curved outward in an arc with a large radius, rising from the armpit edge P1 of the bottom edge 2 toward the top edge 3. The top edge 3 is the edge between the top end P3 of the side edge 4 and the bust edge P2 of the bottom edge 2, and in this embodiment, forms an S-shaped snake line.

[0031] When the top edge 3 is divided into 3 or 4 equal parts, it bends and changes direction at point P4, which is 1 / 3 to 1 / 4 of the way from the top end P3 (2 / 3 to 3 / 4 of the way from the chest-side end P2). At this point (inflection point), the short side from the top end P3 to point P4 forms a gentle upward curve, while the long side from the chest-side end P2 to point P4 forms a sharp upward curve. Both upward curves smoothly connect to a downward curve at point P4. The bottom edge 2, top edge 3, and side edge 4 are smoothly connected by a circular arc (see Figure 1). While this brassiere cup 1 has been described as being divided into the bottom edge 2, top edge 3, and side edge 4 for ease of explanation, the top edge 3 and side edge 4 may be connected to form a single top edge.

[0032] The area near the intersection of the top edge 3 and side edge 4 of the brassiere cup 1 is the corner, and this point is designated as the upper end P3. A hole 6 is provided in the corner 1o9 of the outer cup 1o that constitutes the brassiere cup 1. This hole 6 is formed in a slit shape, and is formed approximately parallel to the side edge 4 of the brassiere cup 1 (i.e., the outer cup 1o) and close to the side edge 4, and is formed in a direction that intersects (perpendicular or at an angle close to perpendicular) with the longitudinal direction of the insertion portion 46 that will be inserted through this slit-shaped hole 6, as will be described later. The longitudinal width (slit width) 6w of this slit-shaped hole 6 is formed to be equal to or larger than the width 46w of the insertion portion 46 that passes through it.

[0033] The cup covering cloth 20 is a thin cloth arranged to cover the entire brassiere cup 1, and the top edge 3 and side edge 4 of the brassiere cup 1 are not sewn to the cup covering cloth 20, with only the bottom edge 2 of the brassiere cup 1 sewn to the lower edge 22 of the cup covering cloth 20, separating it from the surface of the brassiere cup 1. The sewing range of the bottom edge 2 of the brassiere cup 1 is the entire area from the side edge P1 to the bust edge P2. The side edge P1 is located between the lowest point P of the bottom edge 2 and the armhole side edge 22a that leads to the armhole 25. The side edge 24 of the cup covering cloth 20, which extends from the armhole side edge 22a to the strap connection part 23a, forms part of the armhole 25.

[0034] The cup covering fabric 20 may be made of one part as shown in Figure 4, or may be made of two parts (not shown). When made of two parts, sewing the joints together will give it the same shape as when made of one part.

[0035] The cup covering fabric 20, which is composed of one part, is pressurized and heat-molded in a mold to form a gently spheric shape that conforms to the outer shape of the brassiere cup 1. Materials that can be pressurized and heat-molded in a mold are used, such as power nets made of polyurethane fibers or other highly stretchable materials, or knitted lace. Furthermore, thin lace fabrics made of highly stretchable materials (particularly in Figure 1, more stretchable in the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the upper edge 23) than in the vertical direction (direction parallel to the upper edge 23)) are used. When composed of two parts, the upper and lower parts are made of a material with little stretch that cannot be heat-molded in a mold. The joints between the upper and lower parts are sewn together to form a bulging shape on the surface that conforms to the outer shape of the brassiere cup 1.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4, the lower edge 22 of the cup covering cloth 20 is a downward U-shape along the burglary line V, with its ends defined as an armhole-side end 22a and a connecting end 22b. A side edge 24 constituting part of the armhole 25 rises upward from the armhole-side end 22a and reaches a strap connecting portion 23a. The edge between the strap connecting portion 23a and the connecting end 22b is the upper edge 23.

[0037] The lower edge 22 of the cup covering cloth 20 is longer than the lower edge 2 of the brassiere cup 1, and the lower edge 2 of the brassiere cup 1 is sewn between the armhole-side end 22a and the connecting end 22b of the lower edge 22 of the cup covering cloth 20. The sewing range of the lower edge 2 of the brassiere cup 1 to the lower edge 22 of the cup covering cloth 20 is from the armpit-side end P1 to the bust-side end P2. As described above, the armpit-side end P1 is located between the lowest point P of the lower edge 2 and the armhole-side end 22a that leads to the armhole 25.

[0038] 4, the cup covering cloth 20 tends to stretch diagonally upward (toward the shoulders) from the lower edge 22 toward the strap connection portion 23a, but stretches less in the perpendicular direction than in the diagonally upward direction. However, the lengthwise and widthwise stretches of the cup covering cloth 20 are smaller than those of the lift-up cloth 40, which will be described next.

[0039] The lift-up cloth 40 is sandwiched between the inner cup 1i and the outer cup 1o of the brassiere cup 1. The bottom edge 42 of the lift-up cloth 40 is formed to match the bottom edge 2 of the brassiere cup 1 and is sewn or glued integrally to the bottom edge 2. The straight edge extending from the chest-side end Q2 of the bottom edge 42 of the lift-up cloth 40 toward the strap 70 is called the top edge 43, and the edge extending from the armpit-side end Q1 of the bottom edge 42 toward the strap 70 is called the side edge 44. The thin, string-like portion extending between the top edge 43 and the side edge 44 is called the insertion portion 46, and the upper end of the insertion portion 46 is called the upper edge 45 that connects to the strap 70. This insertion portion 46 is inserted into a hole 6 in the outer cup 1o of the brassiere cup 1, as will be described later.

[0040] The material of the lift-up cloth 40 is a spandex or power net fabric, and in this case, the lift-up cloth 40 is folded and double-layered, with its top edge 43 extending linearly at the folded edge (Fig. 4). The side edges 44 are formed in a large concave arc shape. The insertion portion 46 sandwiched between the upper part of the top edge 43 and the upper part of the side edges 44 extends in a thin band-like shape as described above, and its upper end edge 45 is connected to the end of the strap 70 on the chest side. The side edges 44, which are the cut edges of the folded lift-up cloth 40, are sewn together on both sides using a stitching method that does not impair its stretchability.

[0041] 4, the lift-up cloth 40 stretches more in a direction parallel to the top edge 43 than in a direction perpendicular to that direction, as indicated by the cross arrows. Therefore, when tension is applied to the lift-up cloth 40 while it is being worn, a large tension is generated between the bottom edge 42 and the top edge 45, causing a large stretch from the bottom edge 42 toward the shoulders, but the stretch in the direction perpendicular to this stretching direction is small, and the bust B in this area is effectively pulled inward (toward the chest).

[0042] If the lower edge 42 of the lift-up cloth 40 is large as shown in Figure 3(a), the bust lifting range of the lower edge 42 will be wide, and the entire bust B will be lifted via the inner cup 1i. If the lower edge 42 is small as shown in Figure 3(b), and the lower edge 42 of the lift-up cloth 40 is sewn beyond the lowest point P of the brassiere cup 1 toward the side edge P1, the bust-pushing effect from the side edge P1 side via the inner cup 1i will be enhanced. Furthermore, the lift-up cloth 40 inside the brassiere cup 1 is covered by the outer cup 1o, so the linear step D that occurs along the upper edge 43 of the lift-up cloth 40 does not appear on the surface of the outer cup 1o.

[0043] A base cloth 10, which forms the front portion 5 of the women's undergarment A, is provided as needed. Here, a case where the base cloth 10 is used is taken as a representative example. The base cloth 10 has, on the left and right sides, arc-shaped cup hollowing edges 13 carved into a W shape, as shown in Fig. 4, for example. Side belts 11 and 12, which form the back portion 7 of the women's undergarment A, extend left and right from the base cloth 10 (Fig. 1(a)). (Alternatively, if the base cloth 10 is not used, the side belts 11 and 12 extend left and right from the cup covering cloth 20 (Fig. 1(b)).)

[0044] The lower edges 22 of the left and right cup covering fabrics 20, the lower edge 42 of the lift-up fabric 40, the lower edge 2 of the brassiere cup 1, and the non-stretchable tape 28 are further overlapped and sewn together on the cup hollowing edge 13, forming a W-shaped thin linear cup support part 14 that fits into the verge line V.

[0045] In this embodiment, no wire is used in this section (cup support section 14). Therefore, the shape of the cup support section 14, which is the bottom edge of the cup, is not uniquely determined as when wire is used, and it is more flexible than when wire is used. However, although the cup support section 14 is thick and flexible, it does not stretch in the longitudinal direction. When worn, it comes into soft contact with the verge line V of the bust B. The tension of the lift-up fabric 40 in the cup support section 14 is generated in the bottom edge 42 of the lift-up fabric 40 as described above.

[0046] In the illustrated embodiment, the base fabric 10 and the side belts 11 and 12 are made of fabric or lace. One side belt 11 has a male fastening member 11a at its end, and the other side belt 12 has a female fastening member 12a at its end. As shown by the crossed arrows in Figure 4, the base fabric 10 and the side belts 11 and 12 are more elastic in the longitudinal direction than in the lateral direction, making them highly stretchable.

[0047] When the base cloth 10 is not provided, the connecting end 22b of the brassiere cup 1 is connected via the cup connecting cloth 50, and a non-elastic tape 28 is overlapped and sewn to the lower edge 2 of the brassiere cup 1 to provide strength. The side belts 11 and 12 that form the back portion 7 of the women's undergarment A extend from the lower edge 22 of the cup covering cloth 20 (particularly, from a position on the lower edge 22 that corresponds to the lowest point P of the brassiere cup 1) to the armhole side end 22a or a position that corresponds to the armpit side end P1 (FIG. 1(b)).

[0048] The cup connecting cloth 50 connects the upper edges 3 of the left and right brassiere cups 1 at the portions 8 (facing portions) near the bust-side ends P2. The cup connecting cloth 50 is made of a double-folded, highly stretchable cloth such as power net. The cup connecting cloth 50 stretches more in the direction of connection between the left and right brassiere cups 1 than in the direction perpendicular thereto, and is highly elastic and stretches well. Both sides of the cup connecting cloth 50 are sewn to the portions 8 near the bust-side ends P2 as described above, and the bottom edge of the cup connecting cloth 50 is sewn to the thin, W-shaped, linear cup support portions 14 on both sides, including the mountain-shaped portions 52 between the left and right cup molding edges 13 of the base cloth 10.

[0049] The cup connecting cloth 50 connects the left and right brassiere cups 1 together, and is therefore exposed to the outside from between the brassiere cups 1. Therefore, in this example, the cup connecting cloth 50 is hidden in consideration of the shape, structure, and attachment position of the cup covering cloth 20. In other words, the connecting ends 22b of the left and right cup covering cloths 20 extend to the bottom edge 2 of the opposite brassiere cup 1 and are overlapped vertically on top of the cup connecting cloth 50 so as to hide it.

[0050] The insertion portion 46 of the lift-up cloth 40, the lower edge 42 of which is sewn to the brassiere cup 1 and the base cloth 10, covers the lower surface of the inner cup 1i of the brassiere cup 1, and is inserted from the back to the front through the slit-shaped hole 6 in the corner portion 1o9 of the outer cup 1o, with its upper edge 45 being connected to one end (the end on the chest side) of the strap 70 together with the strap connection portion 23a of the cup covering cloth 20. The other end (the end on the back side) of the strap 70 is connected to the center of the upper edge of each of the side belts 11 (12).

[0051] As described above, the width 46w of the insertion portion 46 of the lift-up cloth 40 is set equal to or smaller than the slit opening width 6w of the slit-shaped hole 6. In the latter case, contact resistance is lower than when the slit width 6w is equal to the width 46w of the insertion portion 46, making longitudinal movement of the insertion portion 46 relative to the slit-shaped hole 6 easier than when the slit opening width 6w is equal to the width 46w of the insertion portion 46. Furthermore, because the slit opening width 6w is larger than the width 46w of the insertion portion 46, the range of movement of the insertion portion 46 in the slit direction is increased. Even if the position of the straps 70 shifts to fit the wearer's body shape (for example, if the shoulders are wide, the spacing between the left and right straps 70 will widen, and vice versa), this margin of error can be accommodated, allowing the brassiere cup 1 to always be held at the bust B position. As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the top edge 43 of the lift-up cloth 40 passes through the portion coinciding with the top position K of the brassiere cup 1 or the areas above and below it.

[0052] Next, we will explain how the women's underwear A works when worn. When this women's underwear A is worn, the base fabric 10 stretches due to the side belts 11, 12 connected by the fastening member 11a and the fastened member 12a, lightly tightening the wearer's waist, and the straps 70 lift the cup covering fabric 20 and the lift-up fabric 40 toward the shoulders as shown by the arrows (see FIG. 1). The cup support portions 14 fit into the verge lines V of both breasts B, supporting the breasts B from below. Because the cup support portions 14 do not contain wires, they do not stretch, but they flexibly deform to fit the size of the bust B or the shape of the verge line V, softly contacting the verge line V (improving the fit).

[0053] Since the entire lower edge 2 of the brassiere cup 1, the lower edge 22 of the cup covering cloth 20, and the lower edge 42 of the lift-up cloth 40 are sewn together as described above, the bust B is lifted up by the lower edge 42 of the lift-up cloth 40 via the inner cup 1i of the brassiere cup 1.

[0054] Furthermore, the insertion portion 46 of the lift-up cloth 40 of the outer cup 1o of the brassiere cup 1 is inserted from the back side to the front side through a slit-shaped hole 6 provided in a corner portion 1o9 of the outer cup 1o. The slit-shaped hole 6 can easily move longitudinally within a certain range relative to the insertion portion 46 connected to the strap 70 and suspended from the shoulder. In other words, the brassiere cup 1 can move relative to the insertion portion 46 of the lift-up cloth 40. As described above, the portion of the insertion portion 46 passing through the slit-shaped hole 6 is narrower than the slit-shaped hole 6. However, as can be seen in FIG. 1 , the width of the insertion portion 46 increases sharply slightly below the slit-shaped hole 6 (e.g., approximately 10 mm downward from the slit-shaped hole 6 toward the lower edge 42), exceeding the slit width 6w of the slit-shaped hole 6. This prevents the insertion portion 46 of the brassiere cup 1 from moving unrestrictedly longitudinally.

[0055] In this relationship between the brassiere cup 1 and the lift-up cloth 40, when the strap 70 moves horizontally in the width direction of the insertion portion 46 (the slit direction of the hole 6), the insertion portion 46 gets caught on the edge of the slit-shaped hole 6, and the brassiere cup 1 also moves by the amount of movement after engagement. In other words, the top edge 3 and side edge 4 of the brassiere cup 1 are restrained horizontally with a certain range of leeway by the insertion of the insertion portion 46. In other words, the top edge 3 and side edge 4 of the brassiere cup 1 are not completely free, but are restrained by the lift-up cloth 40 with a certain range of leeway, eliminating instability.

[0056] When wearing this brassiere A, if the bust B is large compared to the brassiere cup 1 as shown in Figure 5, the brassiere cup 1 containing the bust B is pushed by the ample bust B and falls forward around the lower edge 2. At this time, the insertion portion 46 of the lift-up cloth 40 smoothly moves downward through the slit-like hole 6 in the outer cup 1o of the brassiere cup 1, enveloping the bust B.

[0057] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6, if the bust B is small relative to the brassiere cup 1, the tension of the cup covering fabric 20 covering the brassiere cup 1 from above causes the brassiere cup 1 to rise around its lower edge 2. At this time, the slit-shaped holes 6 in the outer cup 1o of the brassiere cup 1 smoothly move upward along the insertion portion 46 of the lift-up fabric 40, enveloping the bust B. This raising and lowering of the brassiere cup 1 is achieved by the cup covering fabric 20, which is connected to the strap 70 and envelops the entire brassiere cup 1 from its surface side. Furthermore, if the lower half 1d of the brassiere cup 1 is made thicker (or if padding is inserted to increase the thickness), as shown in Figure 6, the bust-enhancing effect can be enhanced. In either case, the brassiere cup 1 can accommodate various bust sizes with a certain degree of tolerance by raising and lowering the cup 1. Furthermore, since the brassiere cup 1 is wireless and does not have a wire inserted in the cup support portion 14, a certain cup size can cover cup sizes above and below it, thereby enabling a smaller cup size to be achieved compared to conventional wired designs.

[0058] Next, when a person wearing this women's underwear A puts on an outer layer T over it, the outer layer T comes into contact with the cup covering fabric 20 of the brassiere A (FIG. 2). In conventional women's underwear Z, as shown in FIG. 7(b), a lift-up fabric 140 is provided on the front side of the brassiere cup 100, so a step 100D equal to the thickness of the lift-up fabric 140 is created between the surface 100s of the brassiere cup 100 and the upper edge 143 of the lift-up fabric 140. A cup covering fabric 120 is provided on top of the lift-up fabric 140, and although it covers the step 100D, the fabric is thin, such as lace, so it bends along the step 100D and cannot eliminate the step 100D. As a result, the outer layer 100T in contact with the cup covering fabric 20 is also affected, and a line along the step 100D appears on the surface of the outer layer 100T.

[0059] 7(c), in conventional women's underwear Z, at the corner portion 109 of the brassiere cup 100, the insertion portion 146 of the lift-up cloth 140 is passed through the hole 106 in the corner portion 109 from the front side to the back side. As a result, the insertion portion 146 that has slipped under the back pushes up the corner portion 109 to the front side, creating a step 100D in this portion. This step 100D affects the outerwear 100T in the same way as above.

[0060] In contrast, as already mentioned, in the present invention, the portion of the lift-up cloth 40 below the insertion portion 46 is housed within the brassiere cup 1, and the outer cup 1o covers it, so the step D of the upper edge 43 of the lift-up cloth 40 does not appear on the surface of the outer cup 1o. As a result, it does not affect the outerwear T (FIG. 2(b)). Also, in the brassiere cup 1, the insertion portion 46 of the lift-up cloth 40 is passed through the hole 6 in the corner portion 1o9 of the outer cup 1o from the back side to the front side. As a result, the insertion portion 46 located on the front side presses down on the corner portion 1o9 from above, so the corner portion 1o9 does not float toward the front side, and no step D occurs in this portion. As above, this portion does not affect the outerwear T.

[0061] As a result, it has become possible to provide women's underwear that not only has improved shapeability and fit, but also has cup portions with an excellent appearance, as the lift-up fabric does not show through the outerwear.

[0062] A: Women's underwear, B: Bust, D: Step, K: Top position, P: Lowest point, P1: Side edge, P2: Chest edge, P3 and P103: Top edge of the side, P4: 1 / 3 to 1 / 4 point from the top edge of the side, Q1: Side edge of the lift-up fabric, Q2: Chest edge of the lift-up fabric, T: Outerwear, V: Vestibule, Z: Conventional women's underwear 1: brassiere cup, 1a: surface layer, 1b: middle layer, 1c: back layer, 1d: lower half, 1e: upper half, 1i: inner cup, 1o: outer cup, 1o3: upper edge, 1o4: side edge, 1o9: corner portion of outer cup, 2: lower edge, 3: upper edge, 4: side edge, 5: front portion, 6: hole, 6w: longitudinal width of hole (slit width), 7: back portion, 8: portion near the end of brassiere cup on the chest side, 10: base cloth, 11, 12: side belt, 11a: fastening member, 12a: fastened member, 13: cup molding edge, 14: cup support portion, 20: cup covering cloth, 22: lower edge, 22a: sleeve molding side edge, 22b: connecting end, 23: upper edge of cup covering cloth, 23a: strap connection portion, 24: side edge, 25: sleeve opening, 28: tape, 40: lift-up cloth, 42: bottom edge of lift-up cloth, 43: top edge of lift-up cloth, 44: side edge of lift-up cloth, 45: top edge, 46: insertion part, 46w: width of insertion part, 50: cup connecting cloth, 52: mountain part, 70: strap, 100: brassiere cup, 100D: step, 100s: surface of brassiere cup, 100T: outer, 102: bottom edge, 103: top edge, 104: side edge, 106: hole, 107: back part, 109: corner part of brassiere cup, 110: base cloth, 120: cup covering cloth, 122: bottom edge, 140: lift-up cloth, 143: top edge of lift-up cloth, 146: insertion part, 170: strap

Claims

1. A pair of brassiere cups 1, which have a lower side 2 curved downward, a side 4 rising from a side end P1 of the lower side 2 toward an upper side 3, and an upper side 3 extending from a chest-side end P2 of the lower side 2 to an upper end P3 of the side 4, and are configured to accommodate the bust B; a cup covering cloth 20 disposed separately from the surface of the brassiere cup 1 and covering the brassiere cup 1 from its surface side, with the lower side 2 extending from the side end P1 to the chest-side end P2 of the brassiere cup 1 sewn to its lower edge 22, and the side 4 and the upper side 3 of the brassiere cup 1 being provided without sewing; a strap 70 sewn to the cup covering cloth 20; and a lift-up cloth 40 having its lower side 42 sewn to the lower side 2 of the brassiere cup 1 and its upper end side 45 connected to the strap 70. The brassiere cup 1 is formed to have a double structure with an inner cup 1i and an outer cup 1o provided on the front side of the inner cup 1i. A hole 6 is provided at a corner portion 1o9, which is an intersection of the upper side 1o3 and the side 1o4 of the outer cup 1o. The lift-up cloth 40 is provided so as to be sandwiched between the inner cup 1i and the outer cup 1o, and a strip-shaped insertion portion 46 reaching the upper end side 45 of the lift-up cloth 40 is inserted from the back side to the front side through the hole 6 in the corner portion 1o9, and is provided so as to press the corner portion 1o9 from above. A women's undergarment having a cup portion is characterized by the above.

2. The women's undergarment having a cup portion according to claim 1, wherein the inner cup 1i and the outer cup 1o have the same outer shape and are integrally sewn or adhered over their entire circumferences.

3. The inner cup 1i and the outer cup 1o are made of a three-layered sheet-like foamed laminated fabric in which the middle layer 1b is a foamed material and thin woven fabrics are attached as its front and back surface layers 1a and 1c, a two-layered sheet-like foamed laminated fabric in which thin woven fabrics are provided on the back surface layer 1c of the inner cup 1i and the front surface layer 1a of the outer cup 1o, or any one of non-woven fabric or woven fabric as the material. The women's undergarment having a cup portion according to claim 1 is characterized by the above.

4. The women's undergarment according to claim 1, wherein the hole 6 formed in the corner portion 1o9 is formed in a slit shape in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the insertion portion 46.

5. The women's underwear according to claim 5, wherein the width 6w in the longitudinal direction of the hole 6 is formed to be larger than the width 46w of the insertion portion 46.

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