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1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to undergarment protection devices for protection from bodily harm from underwire and non-underwire bras, specifically to a cushioned structure attached to a wire clip that prevents exposure of underwires to the skin of the user where the encasing for an underwire is torn or continuously rubs or presses against the skin of the user causing punctures or bruises to the wearer's skin. The invention also relates to the protection of the skin from any bra in the front, sides or back where friction or movement of the bra causes bruises to the wearer from constant rubbing against the body.
2. Prior Art
The undergarment industry provides consumers with an enormous selection of bras to be worn under clothing to support the breasts. The underwire bra is one of the most popular bras on the market because of its unique designs and its ability to lift up the breast in low-cut and covered blouses and other outer wear clothing.
Originally, these underwire bras were designed to provide the user with the appearance of an uplifted set of breast. However, underwire bras can be very uncomfortable after continued use and washing because the underwires protrude out from the bras over time and bruise or puncture the wearer. Even new underwire bras that have not been worn excessively tend to do the same. In some cases where the underwire does not surface, the casing for the underwire presses against the skin and rubs and bruises the skin during normal wear and movement by the user.
To address this underwire problem and the friction caused by movement in bras, inventors have created many types of underwire protection devices that cover the tips of the underwire so that if the underwire becomes exposed, it will not puncture or cause harm to the skin of the wearer. Inventors have also created devices that help restrict the movement of the bras. Lazarian's U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,268 addressed the sliding of a bra by inventing a garment support device which has a slip-resistant material impregnated into a support material, wherein selective placement of the device onto a garment decreases the friction between garment and the wearer's skin without deforming the contact surface, thus helping to prevent the garment from sliding relative to the wearer's skin. Although this device helps to keep the bra from sliding or moving excessively, it does not address the problem of protecting the wearer from the underwire exposure caused by the tearing of fabric. Other prior art inventors of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,780,080; 4,770,650; 3,777,763; 5,830,040 and 3,605,753, invented devices that attach to the tips of the underwires to prevent damage to the user in the event of unexpected exposure; yet, these inventors did not necessarily address the bulkiness of the casing of these underwire bras that rub against the skin and cause bruises to the wearer. Other inventors of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,730,641 and 5,749,767 changed the shapes of the ends of the underwire tips to prevent the end of the tip from becoming exposed from tearing or damage to the casing of the underwire bra. Furthermore, inventors of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,435,939; 6,682,395 and 6,896,580 invented underwires that completely covered and protected the underwires with silicon rubber or latex (Lin), gelatinous material (Falla et al.) and gelatinous strips (Falla et al.), respectively. These inventions by Lin and Falla et al. still provide additional layers of fabric casings to cover the underwires that are bulky and that have still resulted in bruising many users due to friction. Lastly, each of these inventors did address a specific problem for the wearer but the underwire bra continues to be uncomfortable for many users even when the underwire is not exposed. Other inventors have also patented many other solutions to underwire exposure as cited in the patent applications of the aforementioned inventors and patents.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the invention are comfort, safety, appearance and use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide the user with added protection from exposure to the underwire. An exposed underwire can puncture or bruise the skin of the user. The present invention will allow the user to reposition the underwire and place the present invention over the exposed underwire area to prevent the underwire from harming the wearer.
It is another object of the present invention to prevent an underwire from moving and eventually becoming exposed. Because the wearers of bras usually move constantly, this causes underwires to slide and twist in their casing. Eventually, the casing to the underwire tares and wears over time. By securing the present invention over the underwire casing, the encased underwire can be stabilized and prevented from movement to prolong the life of the bra.
It is still another object of the present invention to preserve and continue to wear the underwire bra in case of the unlikely event of underwire exposure. Many users of underwire bras do not experience the opportunity of repeated use of their underwire bra purchases. Many underwire bras are decorative, come as part of a set, and are expensive. In many cases, the exposure of the underwire causes the bra to not be worn or to be discarded by the wearer. The present invention allows the user to save the bra, secure the under wire, and have a longer use of the product. Having to discard a bra that is otherwise in good condition is disappointing and wasteful for the purchasers of such bras.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide comfort to the user from the continued pressure or friction near the underwire casing where underwires are inserted and encased in a bra. The cushioning structure of the present invention for underwire bras provides the wearer with enough space between the bra and the skin of the user, which prevents direct contact of the skin with exposed underwires or irritating, underwire casing. The user will only feel cushion when wearing the present invention over the underwire casing instead of the rubbing or pressing against the skin that usually occurs during use. The present invention, when used properly, is stable until removed and can minimize the sliding and movement of the bra during use. The present invention will also provide protection from non-underwire bras that cause bruising from rubbing or friction.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a stable clip that attaches to the underwire bra over the underwire casing or other bra structures that rub and cause friction between the bra and the wearer.
It is still a further object of the present invention to attach to a bra securely and to be easy to use. The clip of present invention opens and closes with ease.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by the front portion of the clip which is covered with fabric made of lace or ribbon and smooth lingerie fabric that is soft to the skin and not irritating or scratchy on the outer surface. This fabric and lace or ribbon is commonly used to make undergarments for lingerie garments. The front portion of the clip of the invention looks sleek, dainty and is very small in appearance. This makes it almost unnoticeable once in place. The wire clip, once secured in place, lies in a curved position and becomes seemingly one with the bra and it does not protrude or show through clothing. The fabric/lace or ribbon covering of the wire clip of the present invention also prevents the clip from damaging the outer clothing. The fabric covering of the clip of the present invention can be manufactured using numerous colors and will be widely available in the basic bra colors such as white, black or beige.
In the second embodiment of the present invention which is the back side of the present invention, there is provided 5 layers and the base of the attaching mechanism (clip). These layers insure that the base will not become exposed and that added cushion will be provided to the user, herein referred to as a cushioning structure. The first layer is strong elastic sandwiching the base of the clip. This elastic is sewn together to secure the base at the bottom, on the sides, and within the middle of the base of the clip. Additional hand stitches are made to further secure the base to the elastic at the top and in the middle of the base of the clip. The elastic is covered with fabric before it is then covered with foam housed between two pieces of fabric (lingerie) and sewn again to the first layer of the elastic casing of the clip. Another layer of lace covers the fabric that covers the foam that covers the elastic that covers the base of the clip. All these layers insure that the base of the clip will not be exposed; the clip will not damage the bra; the cushioning structure will be comfortable to the user and provide padding for the front portion of the clip to protect the user and the bra. These layers are strong but not bulky and cannot be noticed or visible when the present invention is in place. Furthermore, the outer layer encasing the base of the clip will match the color of the front outer portion clip and will be available in basic and many other colors for the wearer to purchase.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it is extremely small, easy to manufacture and lightweight. Its cost to produce will be low and the price to the consumer will be inexpensive, considering the benefits obtained from its usage.
A final advantage and important aspect of the present invention is that it is washable and reusable. It will be easy to clean and maintain by the user.
The present invention is novel in that no previous inventors have addressed the underwire discomfort or safety from this perspective. Other inventors have created cushioning structures to address the safety of underwire bras by covering the underwire with materials, enclosing the underwire in layers of materials or changing the shape of the underwire. Some inventors have added materials or additional cushioning materials to the tips of the underwires to protect the user. The present invention supports the fact that the use, washing, and continual movement in bras will not provide protection from underwire and other bras from sudden or unexpected harm. The present invention acknowledges that underwires will continue to become exposed or the covering or casing of underwires in bras will continue to cause friction between the bra and the wearer's skin. The present invention approaches the underwire exposure from the outside of the bra instead of from the inside by providing the user with additional protection that attaches from the outside exactly where the problem may occur in a discrete and inexpensive way.
In accordance with the present invention, the bra saver device comprises a clip enclosed in cushioned foam material and elastic, covered in fabric and lace or ribbon that attaches to a bra for protection from underwires in bras and/or friction that causes bruises from underwire bra casings or non-underwire bras. It is small, inexpensive to make, available in many colors and shapes and will not harm the user or the bra. The present invention is easy to use and maintain for the consumer.
In accordance with the present invention a bra saver device comprising a cushioning structure sandwiching a wire clip that attaches to a bra made of multiple layers of fabric and foam.
The present invention having been described with particular reference to the preferred forms thereof; it will be obvious that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined herein.
Operation of the Invention
In operation of the present invention, the user must simply open the front clip (72) of the present invention by pushing downward on the front portion of the center of the clip (72). After the clip (70) is open the user may place the opening (74) of the present invention as shown in
There are various possibilities with regard to the cushioning structure of the present invention that can be utilized to mass produce the bra saver device. Some, but not all, alternative embodiments would be to use other alternative strong materials other than elastic to enclose the base of the clip. These other materials could vary from gelatinous materials, soft plastics, leather or other fabrics to secure the base of the clip prior to covering its outer layer. The cushioning embodiment could also be changed from foam to batting, cotton, or multiple layers of soft durable fabric to enclose the base layer that houses or sandwiches the base of the clip. Also, the outer, visible portion of the cushioning structure and/or the outer covering for the front of the clip could be replaced with many other types of fabric covering that may not be limited to nylon, lingerie fabric or lace, including ribbon.
Furthermore, the manner in which the fabric is attached to the clip base or the front clasp of the clip can be altered to include applying adhesives, VELCRO (hook and loop fastener), snaps or other adhesive materials common on the market for attaching products, including but not limited to, zippers, buttons or fabric closures or a combination thereof. Likewise, the front portion of the clip may be covered or uncovered, decorative or plain. Finally, the shape of the entire cushioning structure that sandwiches the base of the clip can vary.
Many different shapes can be achieved by simply changing the layout of the fabric. The present drawings depict the shape of a rectangle. The shape could alternatively be changed to resemble a heart, circle, butterfly, fruit or any other shape or size that may be desirable to the consumer. The clip could alternatively be made of a material other than metal. Other clipping mechanisms could be used such as, but not limited to, hard plastics or bendable wire stays that can be secured and covered to function similar to the present invention or bra saver device.
To conclude, there can be many variations to the materials used to mass produce the same result of the present invention which is to provide a cushioning structure that attaches to a bra to stabilize an exposed underwire and provide added protection to the skin from underwires and/or the underwire casing in underwire bras or non-underwire bras that bruise the skin during normal wear. The use of this type of device is novel in that no other inventors have approached the problem of bra discomfort is this manner. The concept of covering the areas that subject wearer to pain or discomfort when wearing both underwire and non-underwire bras is the result of the present invention. Thus, the present invention offers numerous opportunities to construct and design a device that achieves this result that appeals to the consumer's tastes in color, appearance, feel and degrees of comfort and use.
Accordingly, the reader will see that the bra saver device can also be used to protect the bra to which it is attached from being damaged by securing the underwire casing. The present invention also protects the user from sudden or accidental exposure of the underwire from its bra casing. The bra saver device will also provide added protection to the wearer from friction or bruising caused by excessive movement of the bra. In addition, the present invention is easy to attach or remove and is also washable. The present invention is decorative and can be designed in many colors or shapes to appeal to consumer tastes.
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