The invention relates to a backless bra for wearing with backless garments such as wedding gowns, evening dresses or prêt-á-porter clothes.
A bra is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,508, which comprises a pair of laterally interconnected cups, with a pair of upper straps and a pair of lower straps extending downwards from the bra. Each lower strap extends from a point immediately under the lower edge of the cup which it is associated with, and ends in fastening means to enable the fastening thereof to a belt of another garment. The upper straps are respectively fastened to the upper edge of the cup at one of their ends, and to an external lateral extension of the cup at the other end.
The bra of the aforementioned patent, however, has several disadvantages.
First, it does not provide a totally satisfactory solution in that it does not guarantee a completely invisible appearance when worn with dresses with backs cut down to the small of the back. As a matter of fact, the proposed bra has to be used with an accessory or the belt of a complementary clothing placed around the waist to enable the fastening of the lower straps. If it is worn with a dress with a back cut down to the small of the back, the accessory remains visible.
Moreover, the supporting quality of the bra depends on the quality and support of the accessory or garment whereon the lower straps are fixed, but also on the support thereof. Now, when it is not close-fitting enough, for example, to the person's size, the accessory can move, or even slightly ride up by the action of the lower straps. The tension exerted by these is thus lessened, such that the bra is no longer kept sufficiently pressed against the breast and a loosening of the bottom of the cups can be observed. Besides, the person wearing the bra can also have a feeling of discomfort.
In addition, the presence of lateral extensions which are attached to the external lateral edges of each cup, which take the form of a piece of fabric, having a width substantially equal to the height of the cup, remains visible under the user's armpits, under some clothing also having large cuts under the armpits.
The invention aims at remedying these problems by providing a backless bra ensuring a superior quality support of the breast and a comfortable feeling for the person wearing the bra while providing maximum invisibility thereof.
For this purpose, and according to a first aspect, the invention provides a bra without a backstrap comprising two cups joined together laterally, with each cup comprising an upper edge and a lower edge which are provided respectively with a supporting shoulder strap and a tightening strap as well as an external lateral edge connecting the upper and lower edges, characterized in that the bra comprises a connecting element connecting the tightening strap to the cup, with said connecting element extending under the cup and having a triangle-shaped arrangement, with two of the vertices of the triangle constituting the points of connection of the element to the lower edge of the cup, with the third vertex constituting a point of junction of the element to the tightening strap, with the connecting element 8, 9 being arranged in relation to the cup 2, 3 so that the tightening strap 6, 7 in the vicinity of the point of junction 6C, 7C, extends in a direction that diverges from the horizontal plane at an angle between 45 degrees and 90 degrees.
The presence of a thus configured connecting element makes it possible to keep the lower part of the cups (low cups) pressed on the person's breast and thus to prevent any loosening of the cups, while offering an optimal degree of inclination making it possible to direct the tightening straps as low as possible in the back.
The total absence of external lateral cup extension on the external lateral edge of each cup replaced, according to the invention, by a cup side edge free of any piece of fabric attached along the length of said edge, and comprising instead a discreet fastener for a supporting shoulder strap, enables the bra according to the invention to remain invisible under clothing having large cuts under the armpits.
The combination of the presence, from the lower edge of each cup, of the connecting element, and of the connection of the supporting shoulder strap on the free side edge of the cup helps supporting the wearer's breast while remaining a discreet model.
The points of connection of the connecting element are advantageously located on the lower edge of the associated cup, between the external lateral edge and the midpoint of the latter.
The points of connection are advantageously located at a minimum distance from each other equal to or greater than 2 cm and/or equal or less than 7 cm, and/or preferably between 3.5 and 5 cm.
The connecting element is advantageously so dimensioned that the point of junction is positioned at a distance from the lower edge of the cup equal to or greater than 20 cm and/or equal to or less than 45 cm and/or preferably between 28 and 38 cm. In the present invention, the distance is defined perpendicularly to the lower edge of the cup. According to an alternative embodiment, this distance ranges from 1 to 20 cm, preferably from 5 to 15 cm and more preferably, from 5 to 8 cm.
The connecting element is advantageously arranged with the cup so that the tightening strap, in the vicinity of the point of junction, extends in a direction that diverges from the horizontal plane at an angle between 45 degrees and 90 degrees and preferably between 70 degrees and 90 degrees.
According to a particular configuration, the connecting element consists of a preferably elastic flange extending under the cup, with the ends of said flange forming the fastening points. The tightening strap is advantageously connected to the flange by means of a fastener capable of sliding along said flange.
According to another configuration, the connecting element consists of a piece of stretch fabric bounded, between the point of junction and each one of the points of connection by an elasticized border.
Each tightening strap advantageously comprises, at its free end, means for mutual fastening. “Free end” means the end of the strap opposite the end fastened to the connecting element.
In a particular embodiment, the tightening strap connects the upper edge of the cup to the external lateral edge of the same cup. The advantage of this configuration is that, when the bra is worn, the supporting shoulder strap goes around the arm, leaving the shoulders bare. In an alternative embodiment, the supporting shoulder strap connects the upper edge of each one of the cups. It should be understood that, in the first embodiment, the bra has two supporting shoulder straps, with each one connecting the upper edge to the external lateral edge of the cup which it is associated to, so as to go around the arm, while in the second embodiment, the bra has a single supporting shoulder strap, the latter passing behind the neck of the person wearing the bra.
The tightening strap and/or the supporting shoulder strap advantageously is (are) removable. As regards the tightening strap, it may be provided to be removable either at its junction with the connecting element, or at the fastening points (in this case, the connecting member is removable) or both.
The upper edge 20, 30, and the external lateral edge 22, 32 of each cup 2, 3 and/or the upper side 40 of the connecting element 8, 9 advantageously are (is) respectively provided with a row of at least two fasteners (or hooks) capable of receiving a matching fastener provided at each end of the supporting shoulder strap. The presence of these rows of fasteners on the external lateral edge and/or the upper edge of the cup makes it possible to adjust the position of the supporting shoulder strap (s) and to adapt same to the neckline of the clothing worn.
According to other advantageous characteristics of the invention:
The invention also relates to a lingerie set, consisting of the bra above, and a panty comprising loops for the passage of the tightening straps. The panty may be briefs, a thong, a boxer, a skirt, a garter-belt, a girdle, tights or any other type of underwear worn on the lower part of the body.
Ideally, the panty is of the hipster type.
The panty preferably comprises loops all along its upper periphery.
The panty particularly has a shaping or sculpting effect, specifically on the wearer's buttocks.
The invention also relates to a bra sales kit gorge above, comprising said bra provided with an initial set of removable supporting shoulder straps and tightening straps, and at least one extra set of two removable supporting shoulder straps and two removable supporting shoulder straps to be substituted to the initial set, having a texture and/or a color and/or an opacity and/or a length and/or a width different from those of the initial set of supporting shoulder straps and tightening straps for the bra.
Ideally, the sales kit will comprise at least two bras of different sizes, and one identifier of the RFID chip or QR code type capable of providing access to a remote data medium through a mobile terminal connected to a communication network, providing access to instructions for use of the brassiere according to the invention (optionally combined with the panty), to commercial information (price, point of sale, availability of products, opportunities of online shopping . . . ).
Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear upon reading the following description while referring to:
a to d show the fastening of the ends of the supporting shoulder straps to internal rings of the cup using a safety hook,
More particularly, each cup 2, 3 is delimited by an upper edge 20, 30, a lower edge 21, 31 and an external lateral edge 22, 32 connecting the upper and lower edges. The upper edge 20, 30 of each cup 2, 3 is provided with a supporting shoulder strap 4, 5, whereas the lower edge 21, 31 is provided with a tightening strap 6, 7. The lower edge is sized so as to match the breast fold of one breast. Advantageously, for cups intended for larger breasts, according to
The supporting shoulder straps 4, 5, advantageously transparent and adjustable in length, are so arranged as to connect the upper edge 20, 30 of the cup 2, 3 associated with the external lateral edge 22, 32 of the same cup. As they are directly fastened to the external lateral edge of the associated cup, they go round the arm of the person wearing the bra 1, thereby clearing the shoulders and particularly the shoulder blades to the full.
As for the tightening straps 6, 7, advantageously transparent and adjustable in length, they are intended to cross at the lower back, preferably at the small of the back, and fastened to each other at the front, by means of mutual fastening means 16, 17 provided at their free ends.
Each tightening strap 6, 7 is connected to a cup 2, 3 by a connecting element 8, 9, which extends under the corresponding cup and has a triangle-shaped arrangement, with two of the vertices of the triangle constituting the points of connection 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B of the element to the lower edge of the cup, with the third vertex constituting a point of junction 6C, 7C of the element with the tightening strap 6, 7.
In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting element 8, 9 consists of a flat flange 80, 90, advantageously elasticized, so arranged as to extend under the associated cup 2, 3, with its two ends being fastened to the lower edge 21, 31 of said cup. The tightening strap 6, 7 is held on the associated flange 80, 90 by means of a fastener 26, 27 which is provided at the end of said strap. The ends of each flange 80, 90 thus constitute the fastening points 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B to the associated cup 2, 3 whereas the point of junction 6C, 7C corresponds to the fastening point 26, 27 of the associated tightening strap 6, 7.
In the example shown, the fastener 26, 27 is a safety hook. The advantage of such a fastener (a hook which can slide along the flange) is that, when the bra 1 is worn, and the tightening straps 6, 7 are attached together by their free ends 16, 17, the end with the fastener 26, 27 self-adjusts, adopting an optimal position relative to the person's morphology. Obviously, of course, the invention is not limited to this type of fastening and any other suitable means enabling a releasable fastening may be provided without departing from the scope of the invention.
Advantageously, each flange 80, 90 is attached to the associated cup 2, 3 so as to have two separate fastening points (ends) located in the outer half of the lower edge 21, 31. More particularly, the points of connection 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B of the flange 80, 90 are on the lower edge 21, 31 of the associated cup 2, 3, between the external lateral edge 22, 32 and the midpoint M1, M2 of the latter. In the illustrated embodiment, one of the fastening points 6B, 7B is located near the midpoint M1, M2, whereas the other one 6A, 7 A is in the vicinity of the junction between the lower edge 21, 31 and the external lateral edge 22, 32 of the cup. Advantageously, the fastening points 6A, 6B are arranged at a distance from one another of the order of 3.5 to 5 cm. The point of junction 6C, 7C is in turn positioned at a distance from the lower edge of the cup between 28 and 38. As the fastening point of the cup tightening strap is offset, the back is cleared further down.
Advantageously, each flange 80, 90 is arranged with the cup 2, 3 being so associated that the associated tightening strap 6, 7 extends, in the vicinity of the point of connection, in a direction that diverges from the horizontal plane at a maximum angle of 90 degrees. 90 degree spacing with the upper horizontal plane would bring about a loosening of the cup 2, 3 from the breast of the person wearing the bra 1. Furthermore, in order to prevent the tightening straps 6, 7 from being visible with a backless garment, it is advantageous to provide an arrangement of the flange 80, 90 with the cup 2, 3 being so associated that each flange 80, 90 extends in a direction that diverges from the horizontal plane at an angle of at least 45 degrees. However, and although not shown, a preferred arrangement of the flange 80, 90 will be the one ensuring a spacing of the flange 80, 90 relative to the horizontal plane between 70 and 90 degrees.
In the illustrated embodiment, each flange 80, 90 consists of a single strip, with the latter being folded at the junction 6C, 7C with the associated tightening strap 6, 7. According to a non-illustrated alternative embodiment, a flange consisting in separate strips connected to one another at their free ends may be provided. “Free end” means the ends opposite the ends of the strips attached to the cup 2, 3.
In the embodiment described above, the supporting shoulder straps 4, 5 and the tightening straps 6, 7 are removable. Obviously, the invention is not limited to this configuration and the tightening straps 6, 7 and/or the supporting shoulder straps 4, 5 may be provided not to be releasable from the cups which they are associated with. Furthermore, the tightening straps 6, 7 consist of two separate strips. According to one alternative embodiment, the tightening straps 6, 7 may be provided as a single strip. It should be understood in this case that the strip must first be placed around the person's torso to be then fastened to the connecting elements 8, 9 at its ends and adjusted to the person wearing the bra.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the connecting element 8, 9 can be provided to be the very end of the tightening strap 6, 7, with the connecting element and the associated cup respectively comprising mutual fastening means enabling a removable fastening of the connecting element to the cup concerned.
According to the alternative solution shown in
In the embodiment illustrated in
Advantageously, the fastening loops 14, 15 located on the upper edge 20, 30 of the cup 2, 3 are so placed as to be as close as possible to the junction between the upper edge and the side edge of the cup 2, to ensure the invisibility of straps. According to the embodiment of
As indicated above, the supporting shoulder straps 4 and 5 are fastened on the one hand by one of their ends on the upper edge 20, 30 of the corresponding cup and on the other hand, either:
According to
The fastening of the secured hook 41 of a strap on a ring 13 is provided by passing the front side of the ring 13 through the intermediate opening 47 of the secured hook 41 (
The alternative embodiment of
The alternative solutions of
The invention is described above as an example. It should be understood that the person skilled in the art can provide for various embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope thereof.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1552858 | Apr 2015 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/FR2016/050759 | 4/4/2016 | WO | 00 |