Patent Application
20130303051
The present invention relates to a female breast pad, or pair of pads, which are worn to cover breasts for modesty and to provide shape and contour when exercising or playing sports with tight-fitting clothes.
When exercising, playing sports, or otherwise appearing in public wearing sports clothing, women often wear tight fitting but comfortable lightweight shirts, tank tops or leotards. A brassiere can be worn beneath this clothing but, because the clothing is itself somewhat supportive, it is not always necessary to do so. Furthermore, a brassiere is sometimes uncomfortable when engaging in strenuous exercise and, especially when a tank top is worn, the shoulder straps of the brassiere are often visible and unsightly.
In cases where the lightweight sports clothing provides the necessary breast support and a brassiere is not worn, the clothing is usually relatively thin and thus reveals the breast shape which includes the nipples. For reasons of modesty, extra material is sometimes sewn inside the clothing to cover the breasts, but such measures inhibit the wicking of perspiration and result in increased discomfort.
Finally, a sports bra or even tight-fitting clothing tends to press tightly against the chest, creating an unnatural “flattened” look when exercising.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a female breast pad which serves to provide support and concealment when wearing sports clothing.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a female breast pad that obviates the need to wear a sports bra when exercising.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a pair of pads which provide support to the female breasts and maintain a natural-looking shape and contour.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a pair of female breast pads that can be worn beneath sports clothing without straps or adhesives and yet remain in position during exercise.
These objects, as well as other objects which will become apparent from the discussion that follows, are achieved, according to the present invention, by providing a breast pad having inner and outer surfaces with a surrounding outer edge and which comprises a rounded, concave cup portion configured to cover a female breast and a side portion, contiguous therewith, that is configured to extend laterally to one side away from the cup portion. The pad includes an elevated protrusion on its inner surface, located in an area between the cup portion and the outer edge of the side portion which is farthest from the cup portion. This protrusion as well as the lateral extension of the side portion inhibit the pad from sliding toward the center of the wearer during use.
The side portion of the pad is preferably configured to extend toward the armpit of the wearer, and most preferably all the way to the armpit of the wearer.
Whereas the use of tight-filling clothing when exercising tends to press the breasts together, use of a pair of breast pads according to the invention retains the breasts in their proper position and protects against this flattening. It has been found that the provision of breast pads with the aforementioned side portion with a shaped inner surface causes the pads to remain in place on either side without a tendency to press toward the center. For maximum comfort while maintaining effectiveness, the pad protrusion on the inner surface is preferably in the range of ⅛ inch to ½ inch in height and most preferably approximately ¼ inch in height.
The protrusion is configured in plan view to substantially match the contour of the outer edge of said side portion which is farthest from said cup portion. The protrusion is thus preferably moon-shaped or V-shaped in plan view.
For comfort, the protrusion is rounded, for example semi-circular, in cross-sectional view.
To further inhibit movement of the breast pad when it is in place, either the outer or inner surface thereof, or both, may be made rough to the touch. This measure inhibits slippage between the pad and either the garment or the skin of the wearer, respectively, with which it is in contact.
Preferably, the pad is made porous to air and moisture, permit evaporation and wicking of moisture. This can be Implemented, for example, by using a naturally porous material, such as a plastic sponge material, or by creating a large number of small holes that extend through the pad, from inner surface to outer surface. The sponge material may be a polyamide foam, for example, and may be covered with a polyester mesh fabric lining.
To aid in the removal of moisture, the pad may be impregnated with a moisture-absorbing agent. Alternatively or in addition, the pad may be impregnated with an anti-bacterial agent.
For a full understanding of the present invention, reference should now be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to
Whereas
As shown in
The side portion 8 of each pad extends laterally toward the armpit of the wearer and can be configured to extend all the way to the armpit of the wearer.
As shown in a cross-section of the left pad 4 in
For comfort, the protrusion is rounded—for example, semi-circular—as shown in cross-sectional view in
As is further illustrated in cross-section in
To inhibit movement of the breast pad when it is in place, either one or both of the inner and outer surfaces are preferably made rough to the touch. This measure inhibits slippage between the pad and either the garment or the skin of the wearer, respectively, with which it is in contact.
Preferably, both the sponge material 10 and the lining 11 are made porous to air and moisture to permit wicking and evaporation of moisture. To increase the porosity of the plastic sponge material and the mesh fabric lining, the pad may be provided with a large number of small holes that extend therethrough. To aid in the removal of moisture, the sponge material may be impregnated with a moisture-absorbing agent. Alternatively, or in addition, the sponge material may be impregnated with an anti-bacterial agent.
As shown in
As in the case of the first embodiment, the pad is formed of a plastic sponge material 30 which is provided with a mesh fabric lining 31 forming the inner surface 23.
The breast pads according to the invention require no means of attachment when placed beneath tight-fitting sports clothing. The pads are designed to maintain their position, due to the presence of the side portions 8 and 28 and the “bumps” or protrusions on their inner surface.
The pads are extremely comfortable to wear and maintain the shape and contour of the female breast notwithstanding the tendency of the tight fitting clothing to flatten the breast area.
Finally, the pads are machine or hand washable and can be reused multiple times to enhance one's appearance whenever tight-fitting clothes are worn.
There has thus been shown and described a novel female breast pad which fulfills all the objects and advantages sought therefore. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the subject invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification and the accompanying drawings which disclose the preferred embodiments thereof. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention, which is to be limited only by the claims which follow.
This application is related to, and claims priority from, the U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/417,005 filed Mar. 29, 2012, and entitled “Female Breast Pads”.
