Playtex Apparel, Inc.

Sara Lee Corporation

Textiles Well

Pierre-Jean Querquant

Philippe Mathieu

The invention concerns lingerie articles comprising at least a moulded region to create a retaining and supporting volume of at least a curved part of the human body, made from a tubular knitted fabric ( ) formed with a first extensible and thermoformable material, provided with a ribbing ( ) which forms one of the edges of said article elastically enclosing the body, the final shape of the article being produced by cuts performed in the tubular knitted fabric from the free end opposite the ribbing. The invention is characterized in that each moulded volume region is lined by internal bonding of a least a lining ( ) consisting of a second extensible heat-activated material whereof one surface is coated with an adhesive material capable of being heat-activated, the materials of the knitted fabric and of the lining having either thermoformed or elastic percent elongation, and the adhesive having an activating temperature such that they enable deformation induced by hot moulding of the moulded regions to provide them with volume without affecting the heat-bonded linkage, said first ( ) and second ( ) materials preserving their supporting and retaining capacity after moulding.

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Bourgoin Jallieu, France

Pierre-Jean Querquant