DOUBLE NURSING BRA CLIP

Abstract

The present disclosure presents double nursing bra clip systems and related methods. One such system comprises a garment having a shoulder strap, wherein a first end of the shoulder strap is coupled to a front piece of the garment and a second end is coupled to a back piece. A double clip fastener apparatus is also attached to the shoulder strap, wherein the garment features a front cover piece having a first fastener that is configured to be releasably engaged with a first clip extension of the double clip fastener apparatus to expose a wearer's breast. Accordingly, one end of a holding strap is coupled to the shoulder strap at a location above the double clip fastener apparatus, wherein a second end is coupled to a second fastener that is configured to be releasably engaged with a second clip extension of the double clip fastener apparatus.

Description

BACKGROUND

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies should be exclusively breastfed until 6 months old and should continue to have breastmilk as part of their diet until 2 years old. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that approximately only 46% of babies in the United States (U.S.) are exclusively breastfed for 3 months, and by 6 months that rate drops to 25%. It is reported that 60 percent of mothers do not breastfeed for the duration that they initially intend to due to issues with latching, unsupportive work policies, and cultural norms. Furthermore, breastfeeding is a time-consuming process in which mothers report feeding their infants approximately every 3 hours for 20-30 minutes per feeding session. This equates to about 4 hours per day. Due to this time, and the repetition of body posture and sitting position throughout the day, women reported backaches and tension through their shoulders, as well as neck, arm, and wrist pain while breastfeeding. With all of this in mind, a design solution is needed to help mothers address issues with breastfeeding in hopes to facilitate a better breastfeeding experience and as a result, increasing the duration in which mothers breastfeed their infants.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1A shows an exemplary double nursing bra clip apparatus in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B shows exemplary bra receiving fasteners that are configured to mate and engage with the double nursing bra clip apparatus of FIG. 1A in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1C shows the double nursing bra clip apparatus of FIG. 1A connected with the bra receiving fasteners of FIG. 1B in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1D shows a top-view of a 3D printed prototype of the double nursing bra clip apparatus of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1E shows a perspective-view of 3D printed prototypes of the double nursing bra clip apparatus of FIG. 1A connected with bra receiving fasteners of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 2A shows an exemplary bra garment having the double nursing bra clip apparatus of FIG. 1A and bra receiving fasteners of FIG. 1B in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2B, 2C, and 2D show close-up views of the double nursing bra clip apparatus and bra receiving fasteners attached to the bra garment of FIG. 2A in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2E shows the bra garment of FIG. 2A with a front top cover portion being folded down in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2F shows a back-view of the bra garment of FIG. 2A in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 3A-3D show the exemplary nursing sports bra of FIG. 2A being worn by a wearer at various front views and being used to hold a hem of a top garment of a wearer at one shoulder or at two shoulders in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes various embodiments of a wearable double nursing bra clip apparatus and related methods. While breast feeding has many positive health outcomes for babies and mothers alike, one of the biggest complaints of new mothers is the awkwardness and pain of nursing while holding their shirt up by tucking it under their chin. This method requires a mother to sit for the duration of feeding her baby with her chin tightly tucked to her chest. Over just a few minutes, this results in neck and back pain let alone, up to 4 hours a day. Another challenge of this shirt holding technique is that it is extremely hard for a mother to adequately view her breast to assist her baby with a proper latch. Accordingly, it is advantageous to provide a system for holding a mother's shirt (or other outer garment) up to allow for nursing of her baby without discomfort or awkwardness.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, an exemplary double nursing bra clip apparatus (also referred to as a “bra clip fastener apparatus” or a “double clip fastener apparatus”) features two clip extensions that are arranged or pointed in different directions (e.g., opposite directions) which allows for the bra clip fastener apparatus to be utilized in both directions, such as in an embodiment where the bra clip fastener apparatus is attached to a nursing bra. Correspondingly, the design of the bra clip fastener apparatus can be utilized with a nursing bra clip system when there is no secondary strap involved in the construction of the bra, such as a sports bra or a sleep style bra. Accordingly, for an exemplary bra clip fastener apparatus 100, two clip extensions 112, 114 are fashioned to the same base 120, as part of a single solid piece, but in opposite directions, as shown in FIG. 1A, with one clip extension component 112 clipping up and the other clip extension component clipping down 114. Each clip 112, 114 is configured to mate and connect with an opening of a corresponding bra receiving fastener 132, 134 having a receiving or mating hole 136 for coupling with a respective clip 114, 112 of the bra clip fastener apparatus 100, as shown in FIG. 1B. Accordingly, FIG. 1C shows two receiving bra fasteners 132, 134 connected to or engaged with the bra clip fastener apparatus 100 by insertion of clip extensions 114, 112 through the receiving holes 136 of the bra receiving fasteners 132, 134. Thus, the bra clip fastener apparatus 100 features two clip extensions that work in opposite directions of the bra strap: clipping up and clipping down.

In various embodiments, the double nursing bra clip apparatus of the present disclosure can be made of plastic, metal, rubber, or any other type of suitable material. Accordingly, FIG. 1D shows a top-view of a 3D printed prototype of the double nursing bra clip apparatus formed of resin materials and FIG. 1E shows a perspective view of the same prototype.

Next, FIG. 2A shows an exemplary bra garment having the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100 and bra receiving fasteners 132. In this non-limiting example, the bra garment is a nursing sports bra garment. Correspondingly, FIGS. 2B, 2C, and 2D show close-up views of the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100 and bra receiving fasteners 132, 134 attached to (e.g., stitched to) the bra garment 200. For FIG. 2B, the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100 is attached to a shoulder strap 210 of the nursing sports bra garment. When the garment 200 is being worn, the shoulder strap 210 will extend over a shoulder of a wearer and connect to a back portion 240 of the bra garment 200 that extends down and/or across the back of the wearer to a band 218 that extends from under the cups 212, 214 of the garment 200 and wraps around a back of the wearer.

In various embodiments, the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100 can be attached to (e.g., stitched to) one or both shoulder straps 210 of the bra garment, as shown in FIG. 2A. Additionally, FIG. 2C shows that the top bra receiving fastener 134 can be attached to a holding strap 220 that is connected to (e.g., stitched to) a shoulder strap 210 of the bra garment. Correspondingly, the bottom bra fastener 132 can be attached to a left or right front top cover portion or panel 230 of a cup or similar support structure of the nursing sports bra garment 200 that can flip or fold down to expose a wearer's breast for nursing or other purposes when the bottom bra receiving fastener 132 is not attached to (or is disengaged from) the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100, as shown in FIG. 2E. Otherwise, the bottom bra receiving clip 132 can be connected to (or engaged with) the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100, as shown in FIG. 2A. Additionally, in various embodiments, the bra garment has two fabric sling pieces 235A, 235B that sit along the outside edge of the breast as an underlayer. These slings 235A, 235B anchor the garment 200 to the body when the clips are released to expose the breast.

Correspondingly, FIG. 2F shows a back-view of the bra garment 200 of FIG. 2A. Here, the shoulder strap 210 will extend over a shoulder of a wearer and connect to a back portion 240 of the bra garment that extends down and/or across the back of the wearer to a band 218 that extends from under the cups 212, 214 and wraps around a back of the wearer and can include a releasable closure 250.

Referring back to FIG. 2A, the top bra receiving fastener 134 can be attached to a holding strap 220 that is stitched to the shoulder strap 210 of the bra garment 200, such that when the top bra receiving fastener 134 is not engaged with (or is unlocked from) the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100, the holding strap 220 can be used to position a wearer's shirt or other outer garment under the holding strap 220 and then hold the shirt or other outer garment in place, when the top bra receiving fastener 134 is engaged or locked with the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100, such that the shirt/garment is comfortably held in place to allow for the wearer to unlock a front cover portion or panel 230 and expose the wearer's breast for nursing or other purposes. As such, FIG. 2A and FIG. 2D each show the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100 engaged or connected with each of the top and bottom bra receiving fasteners 134, 132, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Thus, an exemplary double nursing bra clip apparatus 100 of the present disclosure works to hold a mother's shirt up while she is breastfeeding her baby. In accordance with various embodiments, the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100 can be seamlessly integrated into the front shoulder strap of a wearable garment, such as but not limited to a bra (e.g., a nursing sports bra), as shown in FIG. 2A. Accordingly, the double nursing bra clip apparatus can be integrated within a variety of garment types having shoulder straps and foldable or removable panels, such as different types of bras that may or may not feature cups, bridges, bands, etc. and/or may have different style shoulder straps than those provided in the illustrative examples disclosed herein. As such, the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the following figures and/or accompanying descriptions.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A-3D, an exemplary nursing sports bra 200 is shown being worn by a wearer 50 at front views with respect to the wearer 50, where the bra 200 is designed to support the breasts of the wearer 50. As shown in FIG. 3A, the bra 200 includes first and second cups 212, 214, a bridge 216 between the cups, and a band 218 that extends from under the cups and wraps around a back of the wearer 50 and can include a releasable closure 250 (FIG. 2F) (e.g., hook and eye closure). With respect to the cups 212, 214, in various embodiments, one or more front cover portions/panels 230 that are part the cups (or similar support structure) can flip or fold down to expose a wearer's breast, as shown in FIG. 3B. In this way, a nursing mother can temporarily fold down the front cover portion/panel 230 and open a cup 212 to allow for easy access to a nipple of the breast in order to allow for breastfeeding of an infant baby, as shown in FIG. 3C. The bra 200 further includes first & second shoulder straps 210A, 210B of stretchy elastic material connected to a cup opening portion 225 of the bra garment 200 that is covered up by the corresponding front cover portion/panel 230 of the cup 212, 214 of the bra garment. Accordingly, the front cover portion/panel 230 covers the cup opening (defined by the two fabric sling pieces 235A, 235B) when the cup is engaged with the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 3C, when the front cover portion/panel 230 of cup 212 is disconnected from the shoulder strap 210 via the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100 and the bra receiving fastener 132, the cup opening portion 225 (defined by the two fabric sling pieces 235A, 235B) of the bra garment is exposed that allows for access to a wearer's breast.

One or more of the shoulder straps 210 can feature the holding strap 220 that extends from an upper section of the shoulder strap 210 (above a respective cup) and hangs down a front of the wearer towards the respective cup. Accordingly, the holding strap 220 has two ends, where one end is attached to the upper end of a back portion of the shoulder strap 210, as shown in FIG. 2F, such as but not limited to stitching or other type of securing mechanism, and the other end is attached to the top bra receiving fastener 134 which is configured to mate or engage with the clip extension 114 of the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100 in a closed position and form a loop for holding a wearer's outer shirt or other garment up to expose the wearer's bra garment. For example, the holding strap 220 can loop through a hem and neckline of a mother's shirt or blouse 75 and then clip back into place on the shoulder strap 210 of the bra via the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100, as shown in FIG. 3C, while a wearer can easily expose a breast in order to feed an infant without hampering the wearer and interfering with the feeding process. This double nursing bra clip apparatus integrated within a bra allows a mother to clearly see her infant to ensure a proper latch. Additionally, the function of holding a mother's shirt (or other outer garment) up while nursing frees the mother from tucking the shirt under her chin which results in an uncomfortable and painful nursing position. Mother's often complain about neck and back pain from nursing in this hunched over and chin tucked, uncomfortable position. This integrated system also allows the mother to keep her shirt on while nursing (or pumping) and avoids having to purchasing nursing specific apparel many of which only provide discrete nursing coverage yet lack functionality.

The double nursing bra clip apparatus is bilateral but can be used unilaterally depending on if a mother is breastfeeding or pumping. For example, in FIG. 3C, the wearer has secured a hem of the shirt 75 above the left cup (from the perspective of a viewer) using the left holding strap 220 and top clip extension 214 of the double nursing bra clip apparatus 100A thereby unilaterally exposing the wearer's left cup opening 225. Alternatively, in FIG. 3D, the wearer has rolled up the shirt 75 and secured a hem of the rolled up shirt above the left and right cups 212, 214 using the left and right holding straps 220A, 220B and double nursing bra clip apparatuses 100A, 100B of the shoulder straps of the garment thereby bilaterally exposing the wearer's left and right cups 212, 214 of the bra garment 200.

According to preliminary research, there is not a product on the market or a current patent that functions to solve the same problem as the disclosed invention. Current nursing bras are a one clip system which only allow for the exposure of the breast for feeding, but do not provide any type of aid in holding a woman's shirt up and away from her breast and baby. Since many women struggle with breastfeeding, this type of product will aid in making the process easier for women by allowing them to clearly view their breast and baby. A proper latch is essential for successful breast feeding and a clear view of the baby at the breast is needed. Additionally, this product is designed to allow mothers to sit a in a more comfortable position while breastfeeding. An exemplary double nursing bra clip system of the present disclosure solves this issue by comfortably and easily holding up the shirt for the mother above and away from her baby and breast. It will allow mothers to have proper posture during breastfeeding. Further, an exemplary double nursing bra clip apparatus is integrated with a bra (or other undergarment) that a woman will be wearing and does not require the purchase or use of an additional product in addition to a wearable bra. However, in some embodiments, the exemplary double nursing bra clip apparatus can be integrated into a variety of wearable and/or nursing undergarments, such as tank tops, kangaroo care garments, nursing nightgowns, etc. that have foldable panels (e.g., a cup, a chest-covering portion of the garment, etc.) for allowing access to the wearer's chest/breast Moreover, an exemplary double nursing bra clip system can have a variety of uses, in addition to nursing, that can take advantage of securing a garment to allow easy to a wearer's chest, such as medical or health treatments, application/removal of medical devices to/from a user's chest, etc.

In various embodiments, the garment integrated with the double nursing bra clip apparatus is constructed (but not limited to only being constructed) of a performance fabric containing 82% nylon, and 18% spandex. Such fabric provides performance features including moisture-wicking, shaping, and compression, along with its cooling properties. Additional features used for construction can include ⅝ inch fold-over elastic, bra strapping, and black nursing bra clips, in various embodiments. Draping techniques and then flat patterning may be used to pattern the bra in various embodiments. Additionally, embodiments of the garment design can takes into consideration the size of nursing bra pads which most breastfeeding mothers use to contain leaks. Accordingly, in various embodiments, cups of the garment may be sized and shaped to accommodate both disposable and reusable nursing pads. In various embodiments, for nursing bra garments, the elastic band around the bottom of the bra is designed to keep the bra fitted to the body and in place while also providing support and comfort. In various embodiments, extra clips that make up the double nursing bra clip apparatus are also strategically placed below the collar bone area to reduce stress on the body. Further, in various embodiments, the back of the nursing bra has no clasp closure, in order to increase comfort and reduce bulk as mothers rest with their backs against a chair or other type of support while breastfeeding. Additionally, in various embodiments, the nursing bra has two fabric sling pieces that sit along the outside edge of the breast as an underlayer. These slings anchor the bra to the body when the clips are released to expose the breast for breastfeeding.

In various embodiments, the nursing bra garment has classic lines and shapes of both a traditional bra and a sports bra. The traditional strap placement and size allow for mothers to wear this underneath a variety of outer garments such that the double nursing bra clip apparatus itself nicely blends in with the strap configuration and is hardly noticeable as an added feature, which makes the addition of the double nursing bra clip apparatus appealing to users as it does not affect the overall aesthetic appeal of the bra. In various embodiments, a sports bra with joint cup style accommodates variation in breast size throughout the course of the day as lactating mothers can experience engorgement of breasts. Accordingly, the double nursing bra clip apparatus of the present disclosure can integrate into the strap of a nursing bra and allows a mother to quickly and easily, clip their shirt up to allow for access to their breast.

An exemplary embodiment of the double nursing bra clip apparatus is made up of two clips, the first that unlatches the cup of the bra that folds down to expose the breast for feeding, and the second, which unclips to serve as a strap that loops through the hem and neckline of a mother's shirt and then clips to hold the shirt up and in place. The double nursing bra clip apparatus can work bilaterally for a mother who wants to double pump or who is feeding twins or unilaterally for single breastfeeding or pumping. As a result, embodiments of the double nursing bra clip system can increase breastfeeding satisfaction thereby increasing the duration in which mothers breastfeed supporting the goals of the CDC's Healthy Humans of 2030 (CDC, 2021). Further, a double clip apparatus of the present disclosure can be applied to different applications, such as supporting medical tubes for infants in the NICU during kangaroo care, among others.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) without departing substantially from the principles of the present disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A double nursing bra clip system comprising: a garment of clothing having at least one shoulder strap, wherein a first end of the at least one shoulder strap is coupled to a front piece of the garment and a second end of the at least one shoulder strap is coupled to a back piece of the garment; anda double clip fastener apparatus attached to the at least one shoulder strap, wherein the garment features a front cover piece having a first fastener that is configured to be releasably engaged with a first clip extension of the double clip fastener apparatus to expose a wearer's breast;wherein one end of a holding strap is coupled to the shoulder strap at a location above the double clip fastener apparatus, wherein a second end of the holding strap is coupled to a second fastener that is configured to be releasably engaged with a second clip extension of the double clip fastener apparatus.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the garment comprises a bra.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the garment comprises a sports bra.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the front cover piece of the garment comprises a cup of the sports bra.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the front cover piece of the garment comprises a foldable panel of the sports bra.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the garment comprises a tank top.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the front cover piece of the garment comprises a foldable top panel of the tank top.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the garment comprises a nightgown.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the garment includes a kangaroo pouch for holding an infant.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one shoulder strap comprises two shoulder straps, wherein each of the two shoulder straps includes the holding strap integrated in each of the two shoulder straps.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first clip extension points in an opposite direction than the second clip extension.

12. A method of integrating a wearable clip system in a shoulder strap of a garment comprising: providing a garment having a shoulder strap, wherein a first end of the shoulder strap is coupled to a front piece of the garment; a second end of the shoulder strap is coupled to a back piece of the garment;attaching a double clip fastener apparatus to the shoulder strap;attaching holding strap to the garment, wherein a first end of the holding strap is attached to the shoulder strap at a location above the double clip fastener apparatus;attaching a first fastener to a front cover piece of the garment, wherein the first fastener is configured to be releasably engaged with a first clip extension of the double clip fastener apparatus, wherein the front cover piece covers a wearer's breast when engaged with the first clip extension of the double clip fastener apparatus and exposes the wearer's breast when released from the first clip extension of the double clip fastener apparatus; andcoupling a second end of the holding strap to a second fastener, where the second fastener is configured to be releasably engaged with a second clip extension of the double clip fastener apparatus.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the garment comprises a bra.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the front piece of the garment comprises a cup of the bra.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the front cover piece of the garment comprises a foldable panel of the bra.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the garment comprises a sports bra.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the garment comprises a tank top.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the front cover piece of the garment comprises a foldable top panel of the tank top.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the garment includes a kangaroo pouch for holding an infant.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising: wrapping a bottom of a wearer's shirt underneath the holding strap and engaging the second end of the holding strap with the second clip extension of the double clip fastener apparatus.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising: exposing the wearer's breast by releasing the front cover piece of the garment worn by the wearer from the first clip extension of the double clip fastener apparatus.

22. A double clip fastener apparatus comprising: a first clip extension that points in a first direction and is configured to mate with a first receiving fastener attached to a holding strap on a garment;a second clip extension that points in a second direction that is opposite the first direction and is configured to mate with a second receiving fastener attached to a front cover piece of the garment; anda base positioned between the first clip extension and the second clip extension, wherein the double clip fastener is a single solid piece comprising the first clip extension, the second clip extension, and the base.