An example embodiment relates generally to adjustable clothing, and more particularly, example embodiments relate to providing easy to use adjustment means for clothing, such as bras.
Traditional bra garments offer minimal adjusting means and thus make it difficult to generate an ideal fit for a user. As a result, many people are wearing the wrong bra size without any options of getting a better fit. Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, many of these identified problems have been solved by developing solutions that are included in embodiments of the present disclosure, many examples of which are described in detail herein.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements nor delineate the scope of such elements. Its purpose is to present some concepts of the described features in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
In an example embodiment, an adjustable bra is provided. The adjustable bra includes a bra garment with a plurality of garment adjusters. Each garment adjuster is configured to adjust at least one adjustable bra feature relating to the fit and/or the support of the bra garment. The adjustable bra also includes an adjustment mechanism configured with a plurality of adjustment positions. The adjustment mechanism is movable between a plurality of positions corresponding to the garment adjuster position of each garment feature and the adjustment mechanism also includes a singular adjustment point configured to move the garment adjusters between different positions.
In some embodiments, the adjustable bra also includes an adjustment motor configured to move at least two features of the garment into the specific setting based on the adjustment position of the adjustment mechanism. In some embodiments, the adjustment mechanism is activated by at least one of voice, touch, and/or mobile device. In some embodiments, the adjustment mechanism includes a knob configured to adjust at least two of the garment adjusters.
In some embodiments, the plurality of garment adjusters includes a cable mechanism inside the bra garment in communication with the adjustment mechanism. In some embodiments, the at least one adjustable bra feature includes at least one of the waistband, the back straps, or the cup. In some embodiments, the bra garment is adjustable in an instance in which the bra garment is worn. In some embodiments, each adjustment position of the adjustment mechanism corresponds to a different activity for which the adjustable bra is used. In some embodiments, the bra garment also includes a plurality of layers and the cable mechanism is housed between at least two of the plurality of layers. In some embodiments, the cable mechanism is housed within a single layer of the bra garment.
In another example embodiment, a method is provided for adjusting an adjustable bra. The method includes engaging an adjustment mechanism. The adjustment mechanism is movable between a plurality of positions corresponding to the garment adjuster position of each garment feature and the adjustment mechanism includes a singular adjustment point configured to move the garment adjusters between different positions. The method also includes adjusting at least two of a plurality of garment adjusters based on the engagement of the adjustment mechanism.
In some embodiments, the adjusting at least two of a plurality of garment adjusters is achieved by an adjustment motor configured to move at least two features of the garment into the specific setting based on the adjustment position of the adjustment mechanism. In some embodiments, engaging the adjustment mechanism includes using at least one of voice, touch, and/or mobile device. In some embodiments, adjusting one or more of a plurality of garment adjusters is achieved by a knob configured to adjust at least two of the garment adjusters.
In some embodiments, the plurality of garment adjusters includes a cable mechanism inside of the garment in communication with the adjustment mechanism. In some embodiments, the at least one garment feature includes at least one of the waistband, the back straps, or the cup. In some embodiments, the adjustable bra is adjustable in an instance in which the bra garment is worn. In some embodiments, each adjustment position of the adjustment mechanism corresponds to a different activity for which the adjustable bra is used. In some embodiments, the adjustable bra also includes a plurality of layers and the cable mechanism is housed between at least two of the plurality of layers. In some embodiments, the cable mechanism is housed within a single layer of the bra garment.
The above summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing some example embodiments to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above-described embodiments are merely examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the disclosure in any way. It will be appreciated that the scope of the disclosure encompasses many potential embodiments in addition to those here summarized, some of which will be further described below.
Having thus described certain example embodiments of the present disclosure in general terms, reference will hereinafter be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
The present disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which some but not all embodiments are shown. Indeed, these various embodiments of the disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, terms such as “front,” “rear,” “top,” etc. are used for explanatory purposes in the examples provided below to describe the relative position of certain components or portions of components. Furthermore, as would be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the present disclosure, the terms “substantially” and “approximately” indicate that the referenced element or associated description is accurate to within applicable engineering tolerances.
The components illustrated in the figures represent components that may or may not be present in various embodiments of the disclosure described herein such that embodiments may include fewer or more components than those shown in the figures while not departing from the scope of the disclosure. Some components may be omitted from one or more figures or shown in dashed line for visibility of the underlying components.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not prelude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so denied herein.
The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the various embodiments and is not intended to limit the disclosure to the specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or description below. While various embodiments discussed herein are directed at an adjustable bra garment, the present disclosure may also apply to other garments.
Overview
The bra sizing system has been mostly the same since it was popularized around the 1950's and became the ultimate tool to finding the best fitting bra. However, the system has deficiencies as women's body and breasts are not the same from each person to person and even the two breasts of the same women differ in shape, volume, position, weight and other variations. Therefore, restricting sizing or shapes to a standard sizing chart makes finding the best fitting bra for a user almost impossible. Additionally, while traditional bras have various points of adjustment (e.g., a traditional bra may have one to four points of adjustment), these adjustments are typically independent from one another and therefore may be difficult to coordinate the proper adjustments for each point of adjustment. Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide for an adjustable bra garment (or any type of garment could use the same principles discussed herein) that allows the bra to be easily adjusted, even during use to allow for personalized fitting. The present disclosure allows for adjustable bras with a common adjustment point that is easily accessible to allow for simple adjustments to the bra garment using a cable system connected to various garment adjusters.
In some embodiments, the plurality of bra cup bands 2 may be attached at the bottom edge of the bra cup 1 and attached to the bra cup linkage 3 at the other end of each band 2. In some embodiments, the bra cup bands 2 may be flat in shape, such that minimal or no impressions may be visible in an instance in which the bra garment is being worn. In some embodiments, the bands 2 may be less than 5 millimeters wide. In some embodiments, the bands 2 are spaced equally along the bra cup 1. In some embodiments, the bra cup system 300 may include five bra cup bands 2. In various embodiments, the number of bra cup bands may differ from one embodiment to another. For example, the number of bra cup bands 2 may increase in larger sized bra garments 100 and/or different variations of the adjustable bra discussed herein. In some embodiments, the length of each band 2 may be different, such that the tension on all of the bands are equal. In some embodiments, the bands 2 may converge at the cup apex 4. In some embodiments, the bands 2 may be attached (e.g., stitched) to the bra cup 1 at the cup apex 4. In some embodiments, the bra cup linkage 3 may be configured to connect the cup 1 and the string system 5, such that the bra cup linkage 3 provides minimal friction or resistance to the string 5 passing therethrough. In some embodiments, the bra linkage 3 may be sufficiently thin as to ensure smooth and unrestricted sliding within the bra garment 100. As such, the bra linkage 3 may be three millimeters or less.
In various embodiments, the channeling system may be used in adjustable garments (e.g., an adjustable bra garment) such that the string system 5 may travel over the contoured shape of the human body with minimal resistance. Additionally, the channeling system may provide additional garment stability (e.g., additional stability to the center front portion of the bra by preventing unwanted bunching of strings and/or material when tension is applied to the string system). In various embodiments, the channeling system may be disposed within a single layer of a bra garment. For example, a layer of the garment may be made out of an engineered knit technology that allows for the cable mechanism to be incorporated within one single layer of the bra garment.
As discussed herein, the adjustment mechanism may be configured to be adjust various garment adjusters relating to different bra garment features. For example, the string system 5 may connect the adjustment mechanism 110 to the shoulder straps 12, the bra cup system 300, and/or the underarm strap 15, such that one or more of the shoulder straps 12, the bra cup system 300, and the underarm strap 15 are adjusted based on the engagement of the adjustment mechanism 110. In various embodiments, the adjustment mechanism 110 may be a singular adjustment point for multiple garment adjusters. Additionally, the adjustment mechanism 110 may include one or more adjustment motors configured to automatically adjust at least two garment adjusters upon engagement of the adjustment mechanism 110.
As shown in
While the adjustment mechanism 110 including the motor 81 and the battery 83 are shown in an instance in which the adjustment mechanism 110 is in the rear of the bra garment, various other locations for the motor 110 and/or the battery may be contemplated in an instance in which a motor 81 is included as an adjustment mechanism. In some embodiments, an adjustment mechanism 110 may include a manual adjuster, such as the knob shown in
In various embodiments, the channeling system may be used in adjustable garments (e.g., an adjustable bra garment) such that the string system 5 may travel over the contoured shape of the human body with minimal resistance. Additionally, the channeling system may provide additional garment stability (e.g., additional stability to the center front portion of the bra by preventing unwanted bunching of strings and/or material when tension is applied to the string system).
Although the various embodiments have been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, are contemplated thereby, and are intended to be covered by the following claims.
Many modifications and other embodiments set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these disclosures pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the disclosures are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
This application is a National Stage Application, filed under 35 U.S.C. § 371, of International Application No. PCT/IB2020/061607, filed Dec. 7, 2020 which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/943,983, filed Dec. 5, 2019; the contents of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/IB2020/061607 | 12/7/2020 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2021/111428 | 6/10/2021 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5971934 | Murrary | Oct 1999 | A |
8282441 | Mays | Oct 2012 | B2 |
20070264905 | Horta et al. | Nov 2007 | A1 |
20120167290 | Kovacevich | Jul 2012 | A1 |
20120302135 | Solotoff | Nov 2012 | A1 |
20130203319 | Torres | Aug 2013 | A1 |
20140259301 | Berns | Sep 2014 | A1 |
20210030081 | Cummiskey | Feb 2021 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
109007995 | Dec 2018 | CN |
20-0390166 | Jul 2005 | KR |
WO 20120141768 | Oct 2012 | WO |
Entry |
---|
International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/IB2020/061607 (ISA/KR) mailed Mar. 11, 2021 (7 pages). |
International Preliminary Report on Patentability for PCT/IB2020/061607 (IPEA/KR) mailed Apr. 6, 2022 (6 pages). |
Office Action for Canadian Patent Application No. 3,163,671 dated Jan. 5, 2024 (6 pages). |
Extended European Search Report for EP Application No. 20896806.5 dated Nov. 28, 2023 (7 pages). |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20230022543 A1 | Jan 2023 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
62943983 | Dec 2019 | US |