Patent Application
20050282468
This invention relates to a transparent bra and, more particularly, to an adhesive transparent bra.
It is desirable in the selection of undergarments to have a bra which provides support for a user's breasts and which would not become obviously visible when the user wears sheer or revealing clothing. Particularly, a common problem associated with conventional bras is the visibility of the bra's outline through the user's clothing. Additionally, a portion of the bra often becomes visible if the user's clothing shifts as a result of the user's body movement. While it is aesthetically desirable that the user's bra remain concealed from view, it is also essential for the safety and comfort of the user to have a bra that is breathable.
To make the appearance or outline of a bra less conspicuous, conventional bras have been made from transparent materials such as transparent rubber or plastics. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,728 discloses a conventional bra having cups manufactured from a transparent waterproof material such as a porous plastic or a porous rubber. The '728 patent also discloses that apertures or surface treatment may be added to the bra cups for ornamental purposes.
Adhesive bras are also known in the art. An example of a typical opaque adhesive bra is disclosed in a commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. D485,965. In addition, conventional adhesive bras have been made from transparent materials. However, these transparent adhesive bras have not thus far been made from sufficiently breathable materials. As a result, the lack of breathability of the bra often causes its user to experience great discomfort, such as itching, blisters and other skin irritation problems.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a transparent adhesive bra for wearing with a variety of sheer and low-cut clothing which gives support and is sufficiently breathable so as to allow for greater comfort to the user's skin.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the above and other objectives are realized in an adhesive bra element comprising a transparent member to be used as a bra cup and having a plurality of through apertures over the area of the transparent member. The transparent member is formed from a transparent layer and a clear adhesive layer disposed on a surface of the transparent layer. The bra element also comprises a backing layer which is affixed to the adhesive layer of the transparent member.
In the illustrative embodiment of the invention to be enclosed herein, two bra elements are provided to form a bra. A method for fabricating the bra elements is also disclosed
The above and other features and aspects of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the illustrative case, the bra cups 3a, 3b have a shape which can be used with revealing and low-cut garments. However, it is understood that the shape of the cups 3a, 3b may vary and need not be as shown in
Additionally, as shown, the cups 3a, 3b are not connected to one another, allowing the user to apply each cup 3a, 3b individually and to adjust the application of each cup 3a, 3b according to the user's needs and breast shape.
As shown in
Referring to
The transparent member 5 also includes a plurality of through apertures 13a disposed over substantially the entire surface area of the member. The apertures 13a allow for a air exchange between the user's skin attached to the respective bra cup and the outside air such that, for example, perspiration is allowed to evaporate from the user's skin when the bra 1 is worn. Accordingly, the bra 1 is made breathable and safe for the user.
As can be seen in
As shown more clearly in
As is also seen more clearly in
As shown, the backing layer 15 is the same size as, and is continuous with, the transparent member 5. However, the backing layer 15 may be of a different size from the transparent member 5, and, in particular, may be larger than the transparent member 5, to make the separation of the backing layer 15 from the transparent member 5 easier.
As can be seen in
The transparent layer 11 of the transparent member 5 may be formed from a thin and flexible porous plastic material, such as polyethylene film. The thickness of the transparent layer 11 may vary, with the preferred thickness of the layer 11 being in the range of 0.5 mils to 3.0 mils. The clear adhesive layer 17 of the transparent member 5 can be a medical grade adhesive for adhering the bra cups 3a, 3b to the user's skin. It is important that the adhesive be non-irritating to the skin of the user. For example, a non-sensitizing adhesive may be used as the adhesive layer 17 of the transparent member 5. As can be appreciated, other conventional adhesive materials may also be suitable for use as the adhesive layer 17.
The backing layer 15 of the bra 1 may be formed from a flexible material having a smooth surface. A suitable material might be a coated paper such as, for example, 78 pound release Kraft liner. The backing layer 15 adheres to the inside surface 7 of the transparent member 5 which is formed by the clear adhesive layer 17. The smooth surface of the backing layer 15 material allows the backing layer 15 to be peeled off to expose the adhesive layer 17 without removing the adhesive from the transparent layer 11.
The bra 1 of
A sheet of backing layer material is first coated with a medical grade adhesive. A transparent layer is then applied to the adhesive layer of the adhesively coated backing layer by passing the transparent layer and the adhesively coated backing layer through the nip of a roller. The resultant substrate thus comprises a backing layer, followed by an adhesive layer followed by a transparent layer. Alternately, this substrate can be formed by applying the adhesive layer to the transparent layer first and then passing this layered structure with the backing material through the nip of a roller.
Once the layered substrate of backing material, adhesive layer and transparent layer is formed, through apertures are then created over the surface area of the substrate. A usable method for forming the apertures 13 is conventional ultrasonic processing. This processing causes small holes, or apertures 13, to be “burned” through all of the layers of the substrate using ultrasonic waves. The through apertures may be formed in a random pattern or any other selected pattern. A particular example of aperture size is 0.005 to 0.010 inches and a particular example of the distance between apertures is 0.050 to 0.075 inches. However, the aperture size and the distance between the apertures can vary depending on the thickness of the transparent member, the desired breathability and the intended style and size of the bra 1.
Once the layered substrate is provided with through apertures, the substrate can be cut into various shapes to form the cups 3a, 3b of the adhesive bra 1. Die cutting is the preferred method of cutting the bra cups 3a, 3b from the layered substrate. However, other well-known methods may also be used to cut the substrate. Moreover, if it is desired that the backing layer for each bra cup be formed as separated portions, the substrate can be subjected to so-called “kiss cutting” from the backing layer side at appropriate locations to form the separated backing portions. As above-described, the shapes and sizes of the bra cups can vary depending upon the intended use of the bra, the user's breast size and other factors.
In all cases it is understood that the above-described arrangements are merely illustrative of the many possible specific embodiments which represent applications of the present invention. Numerous and varied other arrangements can be readily devised in accordance with the principles of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the accompanying claims.
