Patent Application
20230354939
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Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention relates to a method of determining brassiere (or “bra”) size which includes measurement of breast volume and chest circumference using a measuring device, which measurement is matched with the corresponding cup volume and band length of manufactured bra designs.
In the art of bra size measurement, many variations have been developed for determining cup size and band size. It is estimated that as many as 80% of individuals who wear a bra wear the incorrect size.
Common practice for measuring bra band size is to measure the circumference of the chest directly beneath the inframammary fold. The circumference in inches, rounded to the next even number, is said to be the band size. Band sizes are not standardized and vary between manufacturers. Furthermore, band size does not directly correlate with chest circumference in inches. Additionally, band size by a single manufacturer often varies by bra design. This results in difficulty finding the correct bra band size due to the inconsistency caused by lack of accurate and/or standardized measurements.
Common practice for determining bra cup size is to measure the circumference of the natural, unclothed bust at the fullest point of the breasts in inches (“Measurement 1”), measure the circumference of the chest directly beneath the inframammary fold in inches (“Measurement 2”), and subtract Measurement 2 from Measurement 1. The resulting number, in inches, is associated with a cup size, with each inch equalling one numerical cup size. This process is complicated and prone to user error. Also, cup sizes are not standardized and vary between manufacturers. Furthermore, cup size by a single manufacturer often varies by bra design. Additionally, this practice does not account for variations in breast shape which can result in inaccurate measurements. The resulting inconsistencies makes finding the correct bra cup size difficult and prone to error. Also, the traditional modes of bra cup size measurement do not account for those with two different sized breasts.
Size charts by bra manufacturers rely on traditional measurement methods whether or not their cup sizes match exactly. Furthermore, they utilize a single size chart without making a distinction between variations in size between their bra designs.
Prior art such as Tape Measure for Bra Sizing (U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,761B1) and Method of Bra Size Determination by Direct Measurement of the Breast (U.S. Pat. No. 5,965,809) rely on traditional methods of bra cup and bra band measurement in inches and do not account for variation in manufacturer cup and band sizes, which leads to the same common issue of difficulty finding the correct bra band and bra cup size and lack of accommodation for diverse breast shapes.
Hence, there is a clear need for a Method of Brassiere Size Determination by Direct Measurement of Breast Volume and Chest Circumference Cross-Referenced to Manufactured Bra Cup Volume and Band Length which not only provides a standardized method of volumetric bra cup and linear bra band measurement, but also provides a system by which an individual can identify the size that most closely matches their anatomy by manufactured bra design.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of bra cup and band size measurements and inconsistencies now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new Method of Brassiere Size Determination by Direct Measurement of Breast Volume and Chest Circumference Cross-Referenced to Manufactured Bra Cup Volume and Band Length whereby the same can be utilized for providing accurate bra cup and band sizes by matching the individual's circumferential chest and volumetric breast measurements as determined using a measuring tool to the volumetric cup and band length measurements of manufactured bras by cross-referencing using a database and interface to match the measurements of an individual with the measurements of bra designs.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be subsequently described in greater detail, is to provide a reliable and accurate means by which to determine bra size.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a measuring device with numerical intervals for determining breast volume and chest circumference, a database of measurements of cup volume capacity, band length, manufacturer designated cup size and manufacturer designated band size of manufactured bras, and an interface into which a user may enter the measuring device values for their breast volume and chest circumference and be matched with the manufacturer and bra design whose cup volume and band length most closely match the user's breast volume and chest circumference, respectively.
The measuring device for breast volume may be physical or digital and is used to measure the unclothed breast with the individual seated or standing in an upright position from the medial inframammary fold to the lateral inframammary fold along the fullest part of the breast to determine the arc length of the breast. The arc length is then categorized into an alphanumeric interval. The measuring device intervals begin at 4 inches and increase in increments of 0.75 inches where the alphanumeric interval value corresponds to an arc length equal to the average of the inch values within the interval and its corresponding average hemispheric volume calculated as V=(⅔)π(L/π)3 where “V” equals volume and “L” equals the average arc length of the interval.
The measuring device for chest circumference may be physical or digital and is used to measure the circumference of the torso using a horizontal measure just below the inframammary fold to determine the chest circumference in inches.
The database is digital and contains three tables: one for bras, one for user metrics, and one for user data.
In the bra table, there are columns for “manufacturer”, “bra design”, “bra cup size”, “bra band size”, “cup arc length”, “cup hemispheric volume”, and “band length”. The “manufacturer”, “bra design”, “bra cup size” and “bra band size” values are aggregated from the product data of the bra manufacturer. The “cup arc length” is determined by measuring the interior of the bra cup horizontally from edge to edge along the deepest part of the cup in inches. The “cup volume” is calculated using the “cup arc length” value in the formula V=(⅔)π(L/π)3 where “V” equals volume and “L” equals the cup arc length. The “band length” value is calculated by measuring the bra horizontally along the band from the end of the right wing to the end of the left wing in inches.
In the user metrics table, there are columns for “interval” and “volume”. Each alphanumeric interval value used in the measuring device has its own entry in the “interval” column. For each alphanumeric interval value, the corresponding hemispheric volume value (calculated as V=(⅔)π(L/π)3 where “V” equals volume and “L” equals the average arc length) of the interval is entered in the “volume” column of that row.
In the user table, there are columns for “breast measurement”, “breast volume” and “chest circumference”. “Breast measurement” is the alphanumeric interval value determined by the user by measuring their breast with the measuring device. “Breast measurement” is entered into the database by the user. “Breast volume” is the hemispheric volume which corresponds with the alphanumeric interval value entered by the user. The “breast volume” value is generated by querying the user metrics table for the “interval” value which matches the user-entered “breast measurement” value and copying the corresponding “volume” value from the user metrics table into the “breast volume” cell of the user table. The “chest circumference” is the numerical value determined by the user measuring their chest circumference with the measuring device and entered into the database by the user.
The database is connected to an interface whereby users may enter their breast and chest measurements. Upon a user entering their breast and chest measurement values into the interface, the “breast volume” value will be calculated in the user table and the digital interface will query the bra table for entries in which “cup hemispheric volume” most closely match “breast volume”, and “band length” most closely match “chest circumference”. A set of results will be displayed in the interface indicating “manufacturer”, “bra design”, “bra cup size” and “bra band size” values from the bra table for which “cup hemispheric volume” most closely match “breast volume”, and “band length” most closely match “chest circumference”.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of assembly and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a Method of Brassiere Size Determination by Direct Measurement of Breast Volume and Chest Circumference Cross-Referenced to Manufactured Bra Cup Volume and Band Length that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
A second object is to establish a method of brassiere size determination that matches the individual with a bra manufacturer, design, and cup size based on the similarity of the measured hemispheric volume of the breast with the measured hemispheric volume of the bra cups.
Another object is to establish a method of brassiere size determination that matches the individual with a bra manufacturer, design, and band size based on the similarity of the measured chest circumference of the individual with the measured band length of the bra.
A further object is to establish a method of brassiere size determination that is consistent and mathematical.
Another object is to establish a method of brassiere size determination which can calculate the hemispheric volume of each individual breast.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.
Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:
The inventor provides a unique Method of Brassiere Size Determination by Direct Measurement of Breast Volume and Chest Circumference Cross-Referenced to Manufactured Bra Cup Volume and Band Length to determine the correct bra size by determining the hemispheric volume of bra cups and breasts and the chest circumference and band size in inches and matching the individual's measurements with measurements of bra designs.
The present invention is described in enabling detail in the following examples, which may represent more than one embodiment of the present invention.
As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner and usage of operation will be provided.
With respect to the above description, then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function, and manner of operation, assembly, and use are deemed to be within the expertise of those skilled in the art, and all equivalent structural variations and relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown, described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.
