Sleeping Garment

Abstract

A ladies sleeping garment having the elements of a support brassiere therein. The garment will support and mold the breast even when the wearer is in an unusual position.

Description

This invention relates in general to ladies garments, and more particularly to a new and improved sleeping gown having a support brassiere therein. In operation, the invention forms and supports the breasts in their proper anatomical shape without untoward results such as lowered blood circulation, distortion of the natural form, and the like. Further, the present invention retains the breast in a naturally comfortable position even when the wearer is disposed to be in a reclining position or on her stomach. As a result, the present invention prevents the weight or bulk of otherwise large breasts from causing same to "hang" or to droop unnecessarily. Sufficient side support is also given to the breasts of the wearer, so that her fully supported breasts are adapted to be shaped in the manner here-inafter described.

Sleeping and support gowns are well known in the art, but such prior art devices are not adapted to hold the breasts in their natural shape in the same manner as the present invention or to mold same so as to give an attractive silhouette thereto. In addition, such devices do not fully support the breasts so that they do not distend unnecessarily, nor do they insure against the breast tissue surrounding the mammary glands from withdrawing under the arms of the wearer.

With the foregoing in mind, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved support gown in which one of the elements thereof is designed to support the breasts of the wearer so as to prevent the weight of same from effecting unsightly and unhealthy distention of said breasts.

A further object of the present invention is to design a sleeping gown having a breast support member integral therewith.

Another object of the present invention is to design a support gown that will provide safe side support under the wearer's arms so that the breast tissue surrounding the mammary glands cannot return to its unnatural position thereunder and thereby obtaining a greater moldable breast size.

An additional object of the present invention is to design a support gown having adjustable body engaging straps as a part thereof cooperating with loops provided at the ends of shoulder straps so that the wearer of said gown may easily and selectively alter the degree of lift or support desired for her breast.

Further and additional objects and advantages of the present invention include having a device which does not constrict the breasts in any manner so as to possibly cause any adverse effects whatsoever on the circulation or glands of or about the breasts; having a sleeping gown which will contour the bust in its natural form without the use of built-in stay devices or similar means; having a gown which can utilize its own unique construction to effect control of contour forming areas of said breast; and such objects, advantages and capabilities will be readily apparent and better understood from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of the garment illustrating many of the parts thereof while the same is being worn;

FIG. 2 is a perspective rear view of the gown constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the invention taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the invention taken along lines 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 illustrates the shape of various elements comprising the gown;

FIG. 6 is a perspective rear view of a second embodiment of a gown of this invention; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partially-sectioned view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 6.

With reference to the drawing of the invention in detail, the invention is a sleeping gown shown generally as 10, and includes a pair of identical but irregularly shaped elongated bust supporting straps 11 and 12, each having a relatively smooth curved longitudinal side, 13 and 14 respectively, and an opposite longitudinal undulating side, 15 and 16 respectively. Each of said bust support straps, 11 and 12, has an apex portion, 17 and 18 respectively, which is usually of somewhat greater distance from said longitudinal sides, 13 and 14, than the adjacent portions thereof. Since the said bust support straps, 11 and 12, are identical in construction, a description of one should suffice as a description of the other. Consequently, and with particular reference to FIG. 5 of the drawing, it may be seen that joining said smoothed curved side 13 and said undulating side 15 are two relatively straight edges, 19 and 20, which diverge upwards and away from said smoothed curved side 13 until contact with said side 15. However, outer edge 20 is usually bowed inwardly for purposes hereinafter described.

The abutting edges, 19 and 21, of said support straps 11 and 12 respectively, are connected together by stitch means or the like. Further, since the said curved longitudinal sides, 13 and 14, provide a continuous line upon being connected together, said abutting edges, 19 and 21, tend to overlap proportionately as the distance increases from their contact with the said smooth curved sides, 13 and 14, due to the fact that said edges, 19 and 21, diverge upwards and away from said sides, 13 and 14 respectively. However, said edges 19 and 21, will not overlap because they are sewn together by ordinary stitch means. As a result, said support straps, 11 and 12, must conform their shape to the roundness of a woman's bust and provide a natural cup for the support of same. An elasticized fabric strip 22 may be incorporated in said invention so as to provide a manner by which said straps, 11 and 12, are joined to the body of the gown 10 at sides, 13 and 14 respectively so that the straps extend upwardly into the bodice area 40 of the gown. Of course, ordinary stich means may be utilized to join said strips, 11 and 12, to the said gown. When said strip 22 is incorporated in the invention it is adapted to embrace the body of the wearer in a circular manner as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

A pair of flexible bust extending strips, 26 and 27, each being adapted to substantially encircle a bust, is shown in FIG. 5 of the drawing. Said strips, 26 and 27, are of identical configuration, and a description of one should be sufficient to describe the other. Bust extending strip 26 has one end 28 thereof imposed over the inner side of bust support strap 11 and is connected to the remotely disposed edge 20 thereof and to a portion of the said smoothed curve side 13 at its juncture with said fabric strip 22 by means of a standard sewing operation. The other end 28a of said strip 26 is attached to a portion of the seam connecting support strap 11 to fabric strip 22 and also to the seam connecting support strap 11 to shoulder engaging fabric 29. The bowed edges of said bust support straps 11 and 12, when sewn to the garment 10, cause a depression so as to prevent the tissue surrounding the mammary glands from withdrawing under the wearer's arms, as is otherwise common in large breasted women. The upper portion 30 of said strip 26 is designed to remain in snug contact with the outer portion of the breast, so that the flesh thereof is given additional side support and is also kept from slipping rearward of the contact area. The lower portion 31 of said strip 26 is loosely fitted about the breast, but provides additional guidance for the apex portion of the breast, so that it will assume the proper silhouette. An alternate method of said invention has said bust extending strips, 26 and 27, interposed between the breast and the respective support straps, 11 and 12. With this design, a greater portion of the breast is adapted to be engaged by said strips, 26 and 27, so that a greater bust area is available for proper molding as hereinafter described. In any event, as may now be appreciated, with the breasts resting upon said support straps, 11 and 12, said bust extending strips 26 and 27 cause the breasts to remain fully extended while being completely supported. As a matter of fact, it will be shown that the greater the weight of the breasts, the greater will be their tendency to remain fully extended.

Rectangularly shaped shoulder strips of fabric, 33 and 34, are attached to the peak of each of said bust extending strips, 26 and 27 respectively, by a standard sewing operation. Loops, 35 and 36 repsectively, terminate the free end of each of said strips 33 and 34. While the drawing shows said loops 35 and 36 to hang free of said garment, it should be understood that they may be sewn to the back portion 32 of said gown. Said shoulder strips 33 and 34 are adapted to lie flat over the shoulder and back portion of the wearer's body and to encompass extension side belts 37 and 38, in the manner hereinafter described. Said side belts, 37 and 38, are provided adjacent to the remote edges, 20 and 23 respectively, of said bust support straps 11 and 12, and are attached to said gown. Each of said belts, 37 and 38, is adapted to engage the back portion of the wearer, pass through said loops 35 and 36, pass out of the interior of said gown at slits, 39 or 40 respectively, which are provided shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing, and then be tied together in front of the wearer's body below the bodice portion 40 of the gown. As may be appreciated, if said belts, 37 and 38 are placed in a low body position, tension increases in an upwards direction on the said bust extending strips 26 and 27 and also on support straps 11 and 12. As a result, the height of the breast is increased. It is obvious that if the wearer places said belts, 37 and 38, in a high body position, the breast will conversely decrease in height and fullness.

With the present invention, there is no inward pressure holding the breast against the chest of the wearer to distort same from their naturally intended form, nor is there any pressure which reduces blood circulation in the area of the breast. Conversely, use of the present invention will assist the wearer in obtaining and keeping a healthy bust tissue and eliminating the "sag" as commonly acquired by heavy breasted women not having support mechanisms when they sleep. By proper utilization of the present invention, it should be possible for a large breasted woman to recline on her stomach and be comfortable in such position.

While only one particular embodiment of the present invention has been described and shown, the said invention is not intended to be restricted to any particular construction or arrangement, or to specific embodiments disclosed herein, or any specific method or operation or use, since the same may be modified in various particulars, without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention herein shown and described of which the embodiment is intended only for illustration and disclosure of an operative embodiment, and not showing all the forms and modifications in which the invention might be embodied.

FIGS. 6 and 7 disclose a second embodiment of the invention wherein a gown 43 is shown having a back portion 44 and a front bodice portion 45. A separate panel 46 depends from a shoulder area 47 of the gown and is disposed within the gown adjacent the rear 44. The panel 46 is preferably secured at the shoulder area 47 by being stitched threat or the like. Thus, the panel 46 is essentially free-hanging from the shoulder area 47 within the back of the gown. A bottom end 48 of the panel 46 is rolled over and stitched to form a continuous channel 49 through which a belt 51 can slidably pass. In order for the wearer to adjust the gown of this embodiment she merely pulls down on the panel portion adjusting the bottom end 48 relative to her body. This action in turn pulls downwardly on the shoulder portion 47 of the gown which then pulls upwardly on the front portion of the gown in the same manner described in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 to change the amount of uplift. The belt means 51 can be tied at any position so as to set in place the place of the bottom end 48 of the panel. Thus, it can be seen that the panel basically serves to replace the individual straps shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 and that the gown described herein effectively operates in the same means as that previously described with regard to FIGS. 1-4.

Claims

We claim:

1. A sleeping gown comprising:

a bodice portion in the front thereof,

bust support strap means attached to said bodice portion,

a pair of arcuate flexible bust extending strips, the ends of each of said strips being attached to said strap means to form encircling supports for the busts of the wearer with said strap means extending immediately below the busts and said bust extending strips encircling the upper portions of the busts,

draw means attached at one end thereof to said bust extending strips and extending over a shoulder area of the gown to the back portion of the gown, and

means engaging the portion of said draw means at the back portion of the gown for drawing said draw means so as to adjust the elevation of said bust extending strips.

2. The gown of claim 1 wherein said draw means comprises a separate shoulder strip attached at one end thereof to each of said bust extending strips, said shoulder strips each extending from its associated bust extending strip over a shoulder area of the gown with the other ends thereof reaching to the back portion of the gown.

3. The gown of claim 2 wherein said shoulder strips have looped means thereon adjacent said other end thereof, said means for adjusting the elevation of said support means passing through said loops and in slidable engagement therewith.

4. The gown of claim 3 wherein said means for drawing said shoulder strips comprises a belt surrounding said gown adjacent the bodice portion thereof.

5. The gown of claim 1 wherein said draw means comprises:

a separate panel disposed in the back of said gown opposite said bodice portion, said panel secured at a first end thereof to said gown, the opposite second end being freely supported therefrom.

6. The gown of claim 5 wherein:

said panel has a channel therein,

and said means for drawing said panel.

7. The gown of claim 6 wherein said means for drawing said panel comprises a belt surrounding said gown adjacent the bodice portion thereof.