U.S. patent application number 12/116206 was filed with the patent office on 2008-11-13 for brassiere with information carrier.
Invention is credited to Elisabeth Simpson.
Application Number | 20080280530 12/116206 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39768270 |
Filed Date | 2008-11-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080280530 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Simpson; Elisabeth |
November 13, 2008 |
BRASSIERE WITH INFORMATION CARRIER
Abstract
A brassiere is provided having a front piece incorporating two
breast cups and with two side pieces extending around the upper
body of an individual wearing the brassieres, the first ends of
which are fastened to the front piece and the second ends of which
can be connected in the back area of the wearer. Each of the side
pieces has an upper elastic band and a lower elastic band, which
are arranged between an outer textile layer and an inner textile
layer. According to an embodiment of the invention, a strip-shaped
information carrier is arranged in the area of the outer or inner
textile layer. In this way an information carrier is integrated
into a brassiere in a manner that is lastingly readily visible, and
at the same time a high wearing comfort is guaranteed.
Inventors: |
Simpson; Elisabeth; (Sai
Kung, CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Muncy, Geissler, Olds & Lowe, PLLC
P.O. BOX 1364
FAIRFAX
VA
22038-1364
US
|
Family ID: |
39768270 |
Appl. No.: |
12/116206 |
Filed: |
May 7, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
450/39 ;
450/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41C 3/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
450/39 ;
450/1 |
International
Class: |
A41C 3/00 20060101
A41C003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 7, 2007 |
DE |
20 2007 006 706.2 |
Claims
1. A brassiere comprising: a front section, which includes two bra
cups; and two side panels configured to encircle an upper body of a
person wearing the brassiere, first ends of the two side panels are
attached to the front section, and second ends of the two side
panels are configured to be joined together at a back of the
person, wherein each side panel includes an upper elastic tape and
a lower elastic tape, which are arranged between an outer textile
layer and an inner textile layer, and wherein a tape-shaped
information carrier is attached in an area of the outer or inner
textile layer.
2. The brassiere according to claim 1, wherein, in the area of the
tape-shaped information carrier, the outer or inner textile layer
has a slit-shaped opening into which the tape-shaped information
carrier is inserted.
3. The brassiere according to claim 2, wherein the tape-shaped
information carrier is attached to the outer or inner textile layer
by hidden seams, whereby the longitudinal edges of the outer or
inner textile layer, which form the slit-shaped opening, are folded
over and are sewn to the tape-shaped information carrier only in
the area of the foldover.
4. The brassiere according to claim 1, wherein the tape-shaped
information carrier has elastic properties.
5. The brassiere according to claim 1, wherein the tape-shaped
information carrier is formed by the upper or the lower elastic
tape of the side panels.
6. The brassiere according to claim 1, wherein the tape-shaped
information carrier is arranged on the inner side of the side
panels, which is a side facing the person wearing the
brassiere.
7. The brassiere according to claim 1, wherein the tape-shaped
information carrier is arranged in the lower part of the side
panels.
8. The brassiere according to claim 7, wherein the tape-shaped
information carrier extends along the lower edge of the front
section.
9. The brassiere according to claim 1, wherein the outer and the
inner textile layers are of one piece, and are folded over the
longitudinal edges of the upper tape and/or the lower tape.
10. The brassiere according to claim 1, wherein the outer textile
layer and/or the inner textile layer is fastened at the upper
elastic tape and/or the lower elastic tape.
11. The brassiere according to claim 1, wherein the tape-shaped
information carrier is provided with applications, the applications
including printed text or embroidery.
Description
[0001] This nonprovisional application claims priority under 35
U.S.C. .sctn. 119(a) to German Patent Application No. 20 2007 006
706.2, which was filed in Germany on May 7, 2007, and which is
herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to a brassiere.
[0004] 2. Description of the Background Art
[0005] Brassieres of this class are commonly known, and are
available in a multitude of variations all over the world. They are
constructed of a front section, which essentially comprises two bra
cups, which come in a wide variety of different shapes, and which
may be connected by a center part. Connected to the respective
outer lateral edges of the front section is a side panel, the free
ends of which can be joined at the back of the person wearing the
brassiere by a back closure. The side panels can be sewn to the
front section, or they can be of one piece altogether. For
additional support, shoulder straps can be provided, which connect
the bra cups with the side panels in the rear. The essential
function of such brassieres is bearing the weight, supporting, and
shaping the bust. At the same time, such brassieres are expected to
provide high wearing comfort and have an appealing look.
[0006] In view of the individual anatomy of the women wearing
brassieres, their individual taste and preference for certain
materials and a certain look as well as the varying occasions a
brassiere is worn at, there is a sheer endless variety of brassiere
models available on the market these days. Further diversification
is due to a large number of manufacturers of women's lingerie.
[0007] In order to be able to prevail in this wide range of
products, and for orientation purposes, there is a need to inform
and to be informed, both from the manufacturers' and the consumers'
side. In this context, important information is the brand name as
well as specifications regarding model, size, and materials used.
Furthermore, washing and care instructions are of interest to the
consumer.
[0008] In order to supply this product-specific information, it is
known to sew, in the course of the application, necessary seams,
one end of a band-shaped label of textile material, which is
provided with pertinent information, to the inside of the
brassiere, whereas the opposite end remains loose. The disadvantage
of this type of procedure is that the thickened part of the
brassiere, where the labels are attached, or the edges of the
labels, can cause skin irritation to sensitive skin, thus reducing
the wearing comfort. Therefore, consumers often remove the
irritating labels from the brassiere, thus also disposing of the
information. Another result of using such labels is that they
protrude with their unattached end over the edge of the brassiere,
thus diminishing its aesthetic overall look.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In view of this background, it is an object of the invention
to provide an improved method for passing on information about the
brassiere to the consumer.
[0010] The invention is based on the idea of completely integrating
the information carrier in the brassiere in the area of the side
panels. A first advantage thereof is that the information is
permanently visible and available, while at the same time assuring
high wearing comfort. A further advantage is the option to place
the information carrier anywhere in the area of the side panels. In
this way, by arranging the information carrier in an exposed
manner, the information itself can be accentuated, which typically
is desirable for displaying the manufacturer's name. Information
about size, materials, and care and washing instructions, on the
other hand, can be placed in less conspicuous areas.
[0011] To integrate the information carrier within a brassiere, it
is provided in a beneficial embodiment of the invention to remove
the textile layer in the area of the information carrier, and to
insert the information carrier in its place. This prevents a
negative impact on the wearing comfort or the overall look as a
result of the accumulation of a plurality of layers in the area of
the information carrier. In a further development of this idea, it
is provided for the information carrier to be attached by sewing,
whereby the seams are hidden, that is, the longitudinal edges of
the outer or inner textile layer of the side panel corresponding to
the information carrier are folded over, and the two parts are only
sewn together in the area of the foldover.
[0012] Furthermore, the information carrier is preferably of a
material having elastic properties. One objective thereby is for
the information carrier to adapt to the contours of the side panels
without forming undesirable wrinkles. Secondly, the information
carrier having defined elastic properties can contribute to the
wear and support function of the brassiere. This can be
accomplished in a further embodiment of the invention such that the
information carrier is formed by the upper or lower elastic tape of
the side panels, for example, and/or is forming one of these tapes.
In this way, the information carrier is an active component within
the brassiere for shaping, supporting, and bearing the weight of
the bust.
[0013] In an embodiment of the invention, the information carrier
is arranged on the inside of the brassiere with the advantage that
when worn under tight-fitting outergarments, the contours of the
brassiere are barely visible.
[0014] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the
information carrier extends not only in the area of the side
panels, but at the same time forms the lower edge of the front
panel. The information carrier can thereby extend continuously from
one side panel to the other.
[0015] In order to further improve both the wearing comfort and the
overall look of a brassiere of the present invention, it is
preferred, according to an additional embodiment of the invention,
to construct the outer and inner textile layer of the side panels
as one piece, that is, to fold the textile blank forming the outer
and inner textile layer only over the upper and/or lower
longitudinal edge of the side panels, and with its longitudinal
edges, attach it to the information carrier. If necessary, seams,
preferably zigzag seams, for fixing the textile blank into place in
the area of the upper and lower elastic tape can be provided.
[0016] To make the product information permanently visible, the
information on the information carrier can be printed, embroidered,
etc. It is also possible to make the information carrier of a
certain material that is different from the material the rest of
the brassiere is made of, or to give an indication of the
manufacturer by using certain shapes or colors.
[0017] Further scope of applicability of the present invention will
become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter.
However, it should be understood that the detailed description and
specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the
invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various
changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from
this detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The present invention will become more fully understood from
the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying
drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are
not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a front view of a brassiere according to the
present invention;
[0020] FIG. 2 is an interior view of the brassiere illustrated in
FIG. 1 in the area of a side panel;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a cross section of the side panel illustrated in
FIG. 2 along the lines III-III of FIG. 2, at a larger scale;
[0022] FIG. 4 is an interior view of a further embodiment of a side
panel of a brassiere of the present invention; and
[0023] FIG. 5 is a cross section of the side panel illustrated in
FIG. 4 along the lines V-V of FIG. 4, at a larger scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] FIGS. 1 and 3 show a first embodiment of the invention. In
FIG. 1, a brassiere 1 of the present invention is illustrated in a
front view. The brassiere 1 is comprised of a front section 2
having two bra cups 3 for accommodating the bust. The bra cups 3
can be formed of a rubber foam core, which is covered with a
textile material, both on the outside and the inside. In their
lower area, the two bra cups 3 are connected to one another by a
center part 4, which in the instant embodiment has a roughly
trapezoidal shape.
[0025] Extending along the lower edge of the bra cups 3 is a narrow
channel 5 for the accommodation of respective underwires. The
opposite upper edge of bra cups 3 is unencumbered, and with its
attachment pieces (not illustrated), provides connection points for
attaching the front ends of the two shoulder straps 10.
[0026] Adjacent to each of the lateral edges 6 of bra cups 3 is a
side panel 7, whereby at its free end, the left side panel 7, as
seen in the illustration, is provided with a hook band 8, and the
other side panel 7 is provided with a an eyelet 9. In combination,
hook band 8 and eyelet 9 form a back closure.
[0027] The more detailed design of the side panels 7 is illustrated
both in FIG. 2, where an interior view of the side panel 7 without
the front section 2 is shown, and in FIG. 3, which shows a cross
section of side panel 7. Side panel 7 is of roughly trapezoidal
shape, the base of which is formed by the lower edge 11, opposite
which the upper edge 12 is located. The lower edge 11 and the upper
edge 12 determine thereby the direction of the longitudinal
extension of side panel 7. In addition thereto, there is an
attachment piece 13 in the area of the upper edge 12, which serves
as the rear attachment point for strap 10. To the narrower end of
side panel 7, hook tape 8 is sewn. The opposite end serves as
connecting area to the bra cups 3 of front section 2.
[0028] As can be seen in FIG. 3 together with FIG. 2, an elastic
tape 14 extends along the entire upper edge 12, one end of which is
sewn to hook tape 8 and/or eyelet tape 9, and the other end of
which is attached to front section 2. Folded over tape 14 is a
textile blank 15, which in this way forms the outer textile layer
16 and the inner textile layer 17 of side panel 7. The textile
layer 15 is fixed into place on the elastic tape 14 by zigzag
seams. Because it is covered by the outer textile layer 16 and the
inner textile layer 17, the elastic tape 14 is thereby not
visible.
[0029] An elastic tape 19 also extends along the lower edge 11,
which is likewise enveloped by the outer textile layer 16 and the
inner textile layer 17, and is attached thereto by zigzag seams
20.
[0030] The longitudinal edges of textile blank 15 coming together
on the inner side are respectively folded to the inside in the
direction of the elastic tapes 14 and 19, and together with the
tape-like foldovers 23 and 24 created this way, form attachment
areas for a tape-like textile information carrier 25. Only the
foldovers 23 and 24 are thereby sewn to the information carrier 25
with zigzag seams 26. In this way, the zigzag seams 26 are covered
by the inner textile layer 17 when worn so that they are not
irritating to the skin or the eye.
[0031] In this way, in the area of the inner textile layer 17 in a
longitudinal extension direction of the side panels 7, a respective
slit-shaped opening of a width equaling the distance of the zigzag
seams 26 is created to be closed by the information carrier 25.
Thus, a pattern 27 applied to this part of the information carrier
25 is easily visible. The pattern 27 can thereby display the name
of the manufacturer, supply information about the brassiere 1, or
can be purely ornamental. Pattern 27 can be applied by printing,
embroidering, adhesion, welding, or the like.
[0032] A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention is
illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, which only difference to the
previously described embodiment is that the information carrier 25
is formed by the lower elastic tape 19 of side panel 7. Thus, the
same reference numerals are used for the same features. In the
embodiment according to FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper foldover 23 and
the lower foldover 24 are sewn directly to the lower elastic band
19 with zigzag seams 26, in the same manner as described above,
whereby, again, a slit-shaped opening is formed, which makes the
lower elastic tape 19 visible. By using an elastic tape 19 with
corresponding patterns 27, the essence of the invention is realized
in this embodiment in a particularly clever way by effectuating the
integration of the information carrier 25 into the side panel 7
with the arrangement of the lower elastic tape 19. Thus, the
elastic tape 19 itself forms the information carrier 25.
[0033] The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments
illustrated in the drawings but also includes embodiments, which
correspond with the object and purpose of the patent claims. For
example, the term "brassiere" comprises all women's intimate
apparel with built-in bust support, including bikini tops,
swimsuits, and bodysuits.
[0034] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that
the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be
regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention,
and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in
the art are to be included within the scope of the following
claims.
* * * * *