U.S. patent application number 11/012956 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-01 for breast supporting garment utilizing slip resistant materials to control position of garment.
Invention is credited to Henricksen, Victoria Elizabeth.
Application Number | 20050266770 11/012956 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35425987 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050266770 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Henricksen, Victoria
Elizabeth |
December 1, 2005 |
Breast supporting garment utilizing slip resistant materials to
control position of garment
Abstract
A torso encircling garment that has a front portion 11 attached
to a back portion 12. The front portion has a breast supporting
area 16 with non-slip, that is, frictionally adhesive material 15
on the inner surface, or breast supporting area 22 of conventional
construction, or supporting area of molded cups that may be padded.
The garment may have a front hook and eye closure 24 or back hook
and eye closure 33, or be continuous around the torso. The garment
may have straps continuous with the front and back 17, conventional
straps, or be strapless 30. Non-slip material 15 may be in the
straps 10, the cup area 16 or 31, in the front torso area 18, or in
the back torso area 12.
Inventors: |
Henricksen, Victoria Elizabeth;
(Duluth, MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
VICTORIA E. HENRICKSEN
2002 EAST 4th St.
Duluth
MN
55812
US
|
Family ID: |
35425987 |
Appl. No.: |
11/012956 |
Filed: |
March 30, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11012956 |
Mar 30, 2005 |
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10648645 |
Aug 27, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
450/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41C 3/0007 20130101;
A41D 1/04 20130101; A41F 1/006 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
450/001 |
International
Class: |
A41C 003/00 |
Claims
1. A breast supporting garment including a torso portion, with a
breast supporting front portion and a back portion: said garment
comprising stretch or non-stretch fabric and having areas of
non-slipping material on surface of said fabric; said areas being
of sufficient size and location to counter the tendency of said
garment to slide out of place on the wearer's body; (a) said areas
of non-slipping material comprising soft plastics or a mixture of
said soft plastics and silicone or latex rubber or both; (b) said
areas of non-slipping material having a thickness in the range of
0.001 mm to 0.5 mm; (c) said areas of non-slipping material being
permanently affixed to said garment; (d) said garment being of
construction including said stretch or non-stretch materials so as
to be under sufficient tension on the said wearer's body to
maintain contact between said areas of non-slipping material with
said wearer's skin; (e) said areas of non-slipping material being
on an inner surface of said garment and being the surface of said
garment in contact with said wearer's skin; (f) said areas of
non-slipping material being located on said garment inner surface
in at least any one of the following garment locations or any
combination thereof including on straps, cup areas or the torso
encircling portion.
2. A breast supporting garment including a torso portion, a breast
supporting front portion and a back portion: said garment
comprising stretch or non-stretch fabric and having areas of
non-slipping material on a surface of said fabric; said areas being
of sufficient size and location to counter the tendency of said
garment to slide out of place on the wearer's body; (a) said areas
of non-slipping material comprising silicone, latex rubber or soft
plastics, or a mixture thereof; (b) said areas of non-slipping
material having a thickness in the range of greater than 0.5 mm to
2 mm; (c) said areas of non-slipping material being permanently
affixed to said garment; (d) said garment being of construction
including said stretch or non-stretch materials so as to be under
sufficient tension on the said wearer's body to maintain contact
between said areas of non-slipping material with said wearer's
skin; (e) said areas of non-slipping material being on the inner
surface of said garment and being the surface of said garment in
contact with said wearer's skin; (f) said areas of non-slipping
material being located on said garment inner surface in at least
any one of the following garment locations or any combination
thereof including on straps, cup areas or the torso encircling
portion.
Description
BACKGROUND--FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to brassieres and other garments
which serve the function of controlling the movement and position
of the breasts of the wearer.
BACKGROUND--DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] Brassieres and other garments of similar function must stay
in their proper position in order to function. In the prior art
these garments employ a tight band that encircles the chest or
waist, either combined with straps of strapless. These bands may
have elastic areas or may be constructed with elastic in the entire
band, and this elastic relieves some of the constricting effect of
the bands. In a brassiere with straps, the purpose of band is to
keep the brassiere from "riding up", and in the strapless brassiere
the purpose of the band is to keep the brassiere from sliding down.
If the band is not tight enough in a garment with straps, the
breasts can slide down and out of their proper place and be below
the cup area entirely. The problem of breasts not staying in place
was addressed by Larry L. Krieger in U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,653
(1966), in which he patented raised areas in the cup to grip the
breasts. In Krieger these raised areas could cause irritation to
the delicate skin of the breasts. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,988,087, also
Larry L. Krieger, there are "body-gripping knopslike protuberances
projecting above the general plane of the fabric" to hold the
brassiere in place, that have the same problem, that is, the
potential to cause irritation to the wearer. C. A. Porter in U.S.
Pat. No. 2,289,679, E. Cadous in U.S. Pat. No. 2,524,620, and A. M.
Rosenfield et al in U.S. Pat. No. 2,628,356 employ suction either
as a plurality of suction cups or "depressions . . . formed as
closed suction cups" (Cadous) to prevent slippage. Because suction
depends on a partial vacuum, that is, a relative difference in air
pressure between the suction cup and the surrounding area, normal
movement can break the seal around the suction cup, resulting in an
equalizing of the air pressure difference and subsequent loss of
suction and a shifting of the garment. These suction cups can also
cause irritation, and are bulky and unattractive. M. Schottenfels
in U.S. Pat. No. 2,079,426 and B. D. Morgan in U.S. Pat. No.
3,276,449 describe brassieres that do not encircle the torso and
stay in place on the body through adhesives that stick to the skin.
In Schottenfels, the adhesive is "in the character of adhesive
material such as surgical or medical tape" which sticks to the
skin, and has the disadvantage that it must be replaced with each
wearing. The invention of B. D. Morgan employs "pressure sensitive
adhesive" and, if the brassiere is to be worn more than once, it
must be folded so as to avoid contact between the adhesive layers,
which is an inconvenience to the owner. In Henricksen, U.S. Pat.
No. 6,332,825, the layer of frictionally adhesive material, having
an upper limit of 0.5 mm would be difficult to manufacture and
would be lacking in durability. Also another problem in Henricksen
is that a thin layer of adhesive material that is less than 0.5 mm
can accentuate the texture of the underlying fabric, so rather than
providing a smooth surface, this surface is rough and irritating
after long use. A different problem in a brassiere with straps is
that the garment can slide up in the back, and down in the front,
so that even if the breasts are in the cup area, the breasts are
lower than the wearer desires, giving the appearance of sagging
breasts. In a strapless brassiere, the garment can slide off the
breasts and come to rest at the waist.
[0003] This tight band causes annoyance or discomfort at best, at
worst it can irritate the intercostal muscles and cause pain. The
introduction of elastic materials to ease some of the tension
around the torso was an improvement, but does not completely solve
of problem of discomfort for the wearer.
SUMMARY
[0004] In accordance with the invention presented here, the present
invention comprises a torso encircling garment with areas of
frictionally adhesive material on the inner surface of the
garment.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
[0005] Accordingly, the objects and advantages of the breast
support system presented in this invention are:
[0006] (a) to keep the garment and breasts in place by employing a
gentle encircling of the torso by the fabric of the garment, and
employing areas of adhesive materials (adhesive in the sense of
adhesive friction, that is, resistant to slipping) such as 100
percent silicone rubber, latex rubber, soft plastics, or a mixture
thereof, materials that do not resemble or employ glues or resins
that can wear away and leave sticky deposits on the skin,
[0007] (b) to keep the garment in place using areas of frictionally
adhesive material rising above the surface of the fabric from 0.001
mm to 0.5 mm in the case of soft plastics or a mixture of soft
plastics and silicone rubber or latex rubber or both, or the
frictionally adhesive material rising above the surface of the
fabric from greater than 0.5 mm to 2 mm in the case of silicone
rubber, latex rubber, soft plastics, or a mixture thereof,
[0008] (c) to avoid discomfort by positioning the areas of
frictionally adhesive material so that the areas do not tightly
encircle the torso, and such that these areas do not employ methods
to create suction or protuberances from the surface of the garment
or methods to create suction, eliminating the problem of loss of
adhesiveness when air pressure equalized through normal movement of
the wearer and its resultant loss of suction,
[0009] (d) to create stability in the positioning of the garment by
having the areas of frictionally adhesive material in contact with
the skin, that is, the adhesive material is on the inner surface of
the fabric of the garment,
[0010] (e) to provide for a variety of adaptations of the present
invention to any garment that functions to control the movement and
position of breasts, such as sports, nursing, general purpose,
strapless and padded brassieres, and sleep wear support, or
garments that have this invention built into them, such as sports
wear, leotards, swim suits, evening gowns, pajamas and night
gowns,
[0011] (f) to provide garments that are easy to take care of,
[0012] (g) to provide garments that will fit into many price
ranges, and
[0013] (h) to provide the wearer with a secure feeling of knowing
that her garment will stay in place and that she looks her
best.
DRAWING FIGURES
[0014] In the drawings, parts that are closely related have the
same number.
[0015] FIG. 1 shows the outside of a sports brassiere and
[0016] FIG. 2 shows the inside of the same garment.
[0017] FIG. 3 shows the outside of a general purpose brassiere
and
[0018] FIG. 4 shows the inside of the same garment.
[0019] FIG. 5 shows the outside of a strapless brassiere and
[0020] FIG. 6 shows the inside of the same garment.
REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS
[0021] 10 sports brassiere
[0022] 11 front portion, outside view
[0023] 12 back portion, inside view
[0024] 13 outer shell of brassiere
[0025] 14 lining of brassiere
[0026] 15 areas of frictionally adhesive material such as 100
percent silicone or latex rubber or soft plastics or a mixture
thereof
[0027] 16 breast supporting area
[0028] 17 straps continuous with the front and back portions
[0029] 18 front portion, inside view
[0030] 19 back portion, outside view
[0031] 20 general purpose brassiere
[0032] 21 conventional straps
[0033] 22 breast supporting area of general purpose brassiere
[0034] 23 knitted or woven fabric
[0035] 24 back hook and eye closure
[0036] 25 under wire
[0037] 30 strapless brassiere
[0038] 31 molded cups
[0039] 32 stays
[0040] 33 front hook and eye closure
DESCRIPTION--FIGS. 1 and 2--SPORTS BRASSIERE EMBODIMENT
[0041] The sports brassiere embodiment 10 viewed right side out of
this invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2, the garment
is viewed inside out. This brassiere 10 has a front portion 11
attached to a back portion 12. This garment is comprises two layers
of fabric, the outer layer 13 and the inner layer 14, and this
double layer gives extra support to the breasts. The preferred
materials for these layers of fabric are knitted fabrics comprising
absorbing or wicking yarns and may be part elastic yarn. The areas
of frictionally adhesive material 15 are placed on the inner
surface of the garment on the back 12, straps 17 and cup area 16.
These areas together serve the function of keeping the garment in
place, but not all of them are necessary to perform the function
and any can be omitted. This garment has no front or back opening
and can be put on by pulling on over the head or stepping into
it.
FIGS. 3 and 4 Additional Embodiment
[0042] The general purpose brassiere embodiment 20 of this
invention is illustrated in FIG. 3, right side out, and FIG. 4
inside out. This brassiere 20 has a front portion 11 attached to a
back portion 12 and conventional brassiere straps 21. The cup area
22 is a single or multiple thickness of woven or knitted fabric,
with or without elastic yarn as part of the knitted or woven yarn,
with the type of fabric chosen for the desired amount of support.
The fabric encircling the torso is a single or multiple layer of
knitted or woven fabric and may be partially elastic yarn, allowing
for freedom and comfort in breathing. The hatched areas 15 are the
areas comprising a thin layer of frictionally adhesive material,
here to hold the brassiere in place, while the under wire 25 serves
the function of keeping the breasts from sliding down to a position
below the cup area 22. This brassiere has a back hook and eye
closure 24. This embodiment of the invention is useful for the
creation of a shapely appearance.
FIGS. 4 and 5 Additional Embodiment
[0043] The strapless brassiere embodiment 30 is illustrated in FIG.
5 and FIG. 6 and has a front portion 11 attached to a back portion
12. The cups 31 are of the molded type and also have a thin layer
of frictionally adhesive material 15 to help to position the
breasts. The areas of frictionally adhesive material 15 around the
torso 12 and 18 serves the function of keeping the brassiere from
sliding down. This brassiere can be, as with other embodiments,
constructed of single or multiple layers of a variety of fabrics,
and again the preferred fabric for the portion encircling the torso
will contain elastic yarn as part of the yarn to provide for
comfort in breathing and movement of the wearer. This embodiment of
the invention has a front hook and eye closure.
[0044] These illustrations are not intended to exclude other
placement of adhesive material, other combinations of fabrics,
other constructions or other types of garments, but is intended to
illustrate that there is a range of possible features and
garments.
ADVANTAGES, CONCLUSIONS AND SCOPE
[0045] The present invention is a method to provide comfort and
control in a breast supporting garment that encircles the torso and
has areas of frictionally adhesive material on the inner surface of
the garment, that is, the surface of fabric that touches the
wearer's skin. This system performs its control function while
permitting freedom for breathing and movement. By eliminating the
need for a tight band encircling the torso, this invention departs
from the conventional conception and previous art of garments that
encircle the torso and support breasts with the use of the tight
encircling band. The increased thickness of the adhesive material
allows for more durability and comfort of the garment, and the
addition of soft plastics as an adhesive material allow for options
in manufacturing. Because of the increased comfort, wearers will
find that the present invention can be worn in any circumstance,
including, but not exclusive to sports, dancing and sleeping.
* * * * *