Patent Application
20090325464
The invention generally relates to shoulder straps for upper torso garments.
A properly designed shoulder strap for an upper-torso garment achieves several goals to obtain widespread consumer acceptance. Load-bearing capability, strap stability, and end-user comfort are some considerations taken into account in developing a shoulder strap. These attributes are balanced against the appearance of the shoulder strap, manufacturability, cost, and varying consumer preferences. While load-bearing is an important consideration in the design of a shoulder strap for upper torso garments, such as brassieres, stabilizing a strap is a well known problem. “Stabilizing” with respect to shoulder straps means that the shoulder straps should distribute load efficiently, while minimizing twisting and curling, and thus improving comfort. Comfort may also be improved by reducing strap slippage. Thus, twisting, curling, slippage, and load-bearing are aspects of the stability of a shoulder strap. Finding a balance between the stability-comfort dichotomy can be difficult in light of varying and changing consumer preferences in upper torso garments.
Attempts have been made to improve and stabilize shoulder straps for upper torso garments. Some have attempted to fold the shoulder strap longitudinally to create a stiffening rib, thereby improving stability. Others have incorporated foam materials into the confined areas of a shoulder strap to improve the comfort of the wearer. Others extend the foam insertion concept by using silicon gels as cushioning devices. The addition of plastic stays also has been attempted. Each mechanism employed to date, however, has disadvantages.
Various features and aspects of the invention will become apparent upon review of the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures, which are briefly described as follows.
Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below and illustrated in the accompanying figures. The embodiments described are only for purposes of illustrating the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention, which, of course, is limited only by the claims below. Other embodiments of the invention, and certain modifications and improvements of the described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art, and all such alternate embodiments, modifications and improvements are within the scope of the present invention.
The present invention is directed to a stabilizing shoulder strap for an upper torso garment. An “upper torso garment” refers to a garment such as a brassiere, sports brassiere, one-piece swimsuit, two-piece swimsuit, tank-top, etc.
Referring to
As shown in
Panel 28 provides the additional stability to improve the load-bearing capacity, to minimize twisting and/or curling, and to improve the comfort of stabilizing shoulder strap 10. In one embodiment, panel 28 is a knitted fabric. The knitted fabric forming panel 28 is a densely or tightly knitted construction. The dense construction provides a level of rigidity that is greater than the rigidity of the intermediate shoulder portion 14, and which improves the load-bearing capacity of the stabilizing shoulder strap 10, and more evenly distributes the load over the entire intermediate portion 14. The rigidity also minimizes curling or twisting of stabilizing shoulder strap 10 when worn. The knitted fabric forming panel 28, however, remains sufficiently flexible enough to provide an adequate range of motion to a wearer, thus minimizing discomfort. In alternate embodiments, the panel 28 can be formed from woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, laminates, or other suitable materials constructed in a manner to meet the objectives described herein.
Panel hems 30 may define the ends of panel 28 attached to the shoulder strap material 18 and may be stitched, sewn, serged or ultrasonically sealed. The panel hems 30 help eliminate unraveling of yarns or fibers and provide smooth end edges to panel 28. The panels hems 30 may also add additional rigidity to panel 28, thus further stabilizing the shoulder strap 10. In the embodiment shown in
Referring to
To provide enhanced stability, the width of the intermediate shoulder portion 14 may be greater than the width of the first end portion 12 and/or the second end portion 16 of the stabilizing shoulder strap 10. A smooth curvilinear shape for the intermediate shoulder portion 14 may be used. A “curvilinear shape” refers to a shape formed, bounded, or characterized by curved lines.
Different material constructions for intermediate shoulder portion 14 and panel 28 also may be used to improve the stability of the shoulder strap 10, or to minimize curling or twisting when worn. This further improves comfort to the wearer of the upper torso garment. Panel 28, for example, may be thicker, more dense, or more rigid than shoulder strap material 18, as described above. In one embodiment, the panel 28 may further comprise a slip-resistant surface 36. Referring to
Referring now to
The invention has been described herein in terms of several embodiments and constructions that are considered by the inventor to represent the best mode of carrying out the invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, variations, changes and additions can be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. These and other modifications are possible and within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.
