Patent Grant
12133561
The present invention relates generally to the field of brassieres. More specifically, the present invention relates to a nudity support bra that lifts the breasts of the wearer from the bottom, and supports breasts from the sides without covering the breasts. The bra has a pair of C-shaped cups, each having a bottom edge that pushes the breast upwards and a side edge that pushes the breast inwards. A separate halter neck strap is attached to the side edge of the C-shaped cups and is secured behind the neck of a user, in addition to a back strap having a clasp for securing around the back of the user. The cups further support and shape the sides of the breasts from the undersides without covering the breasts, thereby allowing revealing clothing to function as designed, enabling women to nurse without removing their bra or a portion of their bra and supporting modern medical procedures of the breast. Accordingly, this disclosure makes specific reference thereto the present invention. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture.
By way of background, a brassiere, or hereafter referred to as a bra, is an article of clothing that supports, covers and elevates the breasts or mammary glands of the female wearer. Women wear bras for a variety of purposes such as to support their breasts, to improve the shape of their breasts, to reduce or to enlarge their perceived breast size, to restrain breast movement during an activity such as exercise, to enhance their cleavage or to facilitate nursing. Further, bra designers strive to produce a garment that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
However, bra designs have barely changed since their inception, even with significant changes in fashion, culture and technology occurring elsewhere. Today, fashionable clothing for women often includes low-cut/plunging necklines and revealing or transparent designs. However, traditionally designed bras do not support these new fashion designs. Such failures may cause women to struggle with self-image and confidence, and are also simply undesirable. Further, the social culture has changed such that nursing in public locations has become more acceptable, yet current bra designs are not conducive to this activity. In addition, medical procedures that involve measurements of the breast or reconstruction of the breast can be hindered with current bra designs. As a result, a new bra design is needed for the current fashion, culture and technology of this day and age.
The U.S. has an obesity epidemic. The average weight of Americans has been increasing for decades. As BMI and waist lines have increased, women's breast sizes have also increased. The bra of the present invention takes into account the need for comfortable support for large, mature, multiparous nude breasts that is long overdue.
One attempt to address the long-felt need for a bra that functions with modern fashion designs is the push-up adhesive bra. However, this bra covers the breasts of the wearer but does not look aesthetically appealing when worn nude or under transparent or revealing dresses, tank tops, camisoles, lingerie, etc. Further, it is common for the breast to overflow the bottom or outside edge of the push-up adhesive bra, wherein both situations can lead to discomfort and embarrassment. Also, adhesive bras do not adhere well in general and are virtually worthless for active wearers due to increased perspiration by the wearer. And, they are totally impractical to use with swimwear. The bra of the present invention can be used to support nudity in swimwear, and a utilitarian version can be designed for sportswear.
In addition to the long-felt need for a new bra to support modern fashion designs, there is also a long-felt need for a new bra to support nursing women. As modern cultures reembrace nursing, the number of nursing women has increased. When women need to nurse a child, the traditional bra design requires them to remove the lining of the bra that covers the breasts. This can be problematic and troublesome, as material needs to be removed which may be difficult and may destroy the functional structure of the bra. Additionally, breast nipples are sometimes very sensitive, sore, irritated, crusted, or cracked due to suckling. Current bra designs add to the discomforts experienced by nursing moms.
There is also a long-felt need for a new bra to support modern medical procedures. For example, a bra that exposes the breast is needed to obtain accurate measurements for mastopexy procedures. Reconstructive surgeries that may take place after a mastectomy may also benefit from a bra that does not cover the breast. Any medical treatment that may benefit from exposing the breast would be aided by a new bra design that exposes the breast while still supporting the breast.
Therefore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for an improved bra that that supports, lifts, shapes and fully exposes the breasts for use with transparent or revealing dresses, tank tops, camisoles, lingerie, etc., while being easy and comfortable to use. There also exists a long-felt need in the art for a bra that instills confidence in the user when wearing revealing clothing or while nude. Furthermore, there is a long-felt need in the art for a bra that allows breastfeeding women to feed a nursing child without having to remove the lining of a bra that typically covers their breasts, or destroying the function of the bra by doing so. Further, there is a long-felt need in the art for a bra that exposes the breast while still supporting the breast for a number of medical-related procedures.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a nudity support bra. The bra of is comprised of a new bra design that lifts the breasts of the wearer from the bottom and supports breasts from the sides without covering the breasts. The nudity support bra has a pair of C-shaped cups, each C-shaped cup having a bottom edge and a side edge. The side edge pushes the breast inwards, and the bottom edge pushes the breast upwards. A separate halter neck strap is attached to the side edge of the C-shaped cups, wherein the halter-neck straps are secured behind the neck of a user. There is also a back strap having a clasp for securing around the back of the user. The C-shaped cups further support and shape the sides of the breasts from the undersides without covering the breasts, thereby allowing revealing clothing to function as designed, enabling women to nurse without removing their bra or a portion of their bra and supporting modern medical procedures of the breast.
In this manner, the nudity support bra of the present invention meets all the forgoing long-felt needs and provides support while improving perceived breast shape, breast size and breast cleavage needed for modern revealing clothing designs, while also allowing women to nurse their infants without removing or destroying their bra. The bra meets these long-felt needs by eliminating any lining or covering of the breast while offering support from a firm and padded surfaces underneath and alongside the breast. The nudity support bra also benefits a number of medical procedures which require the breasts to be both supported and exposed. The nudity support bra is also easy to use as it is worn like a conventional bra.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a nudity support bra that is configured to lift the breasts of the wearer without covering the breasts. The nudity support bra is comprised of a pair of C-shaped cups, wherein each C-shaped cup has a bottom edge that pushes the breast upwards and a side edge that pushes the breast inwards. A separate halter neck strap is attached to the side edge of the C-shaped cups and is secured behind the neck of a user. There is also a back strap having a clasp to secure the bra at the back of the user. The C-shaped cups further support the breasts from the underside and provide shape along the side of the breasts without covering the breasts. As is common for fashionable undergarments, the nudity support bra may be made of an edible fabric that becomes pliable and flavorful at normal body temperature.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a bra for wearing under revealing dresses, tank tops, camisoles, lingerie, etc. is disclosed. The bra is designed to expose the breasts of the wearer while simultaneously lifting the breasts. The bra includes two C-shaped cups connected through a connector, each C-shaped cup having a side edge to push the breast inwards and a bottom edge to lift the breast, a detachable piece applied over the connector using an eye and hook closure for providing the desired separation in the cleavage, a pair of straps for holding the brassiere over the shoulders and a back strap for holding the brassiere around the back of a wearer.
The nudity support bra also has medical applications. In medical-related embodiment of the present invention, the nudity support bra has transparent C-shaped cups and can be used in mastopexy for accurately measuring the amount of lift needed for the breasts. In another medial embodiment, the C-shaped cups can be made up of a medical grade or medicated fabric for healing and reducing friction on affected areas of the breast. These medical applications are in addition to the long-felt needs in fashion design and breast-feeding.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are not intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a bra that is suitable for wearing under transparent or revealing dresses, tank tops, camisoles, lingerie, etc., and that lifts the breasts of the wearer without covering the breasts. Further, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a bra that allows full exposure of both breasts while supporting and shaping the breasts such that it instills confidence in a user that is wearing revealing clothing or is nude. Furthermore, there is a long-felt need in the art for a bra that allows breastfeeding women to feed without having to remove their bra or the portion of their bra that covers the breast. There is also a long-felt needs for a bra that supports medical procedures involving the breast.
The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is comprised of a nudity support bra that does not cover the breasts, while lifting the breasts from the bottom and supporting the breasts from the sides. The bra includes two C-shaped cups connected through a connector, each C-shaped cup having a side edge to push the breast inwards and a bottom edge to lift the breast, a detachable piece applied over the connector using an eye and hook closure for providing the desired separation in the cleavage, a pair of straps for holding the bra over the shoulders or around the neck and a back strap for holding the brassiere around the back of a wearer.
Referring initially to the drawings,
The nudity support bra 100 has a first C-shaped cup 102 and a second C-shaped cup 104 made up of a firm and padded textile, such as but not limited to silicone rubber. The material of the improved bra 100 is also preferably a hypoallergenic, pressure sensitive and non-toxic material that reduces irritation of the skin. The nudity support bra 100 can be made in all sizes and colors as are other bras, and can be made of all materials that those skilled in the art of bra design and manufacture would use. As with other undergarments, the nudity support bra 100 can be made of an edible material.
Both the C-shaped cups 102, 104 have an interior concave and an exterior convex shape. Both the first C-shaped cup 102 and the second C-shaped cup 104 are also defined by a curved side edge 106 and a curved bottom edge 108. The first C-shaped cup 102 is designed to extend along the side and underneath the first breast/mammary gland 110 of a user, such that the first mammary gland 110 rests atop of the first C-shaped cup 102. Similarly, the second C-shaped cup 104 is designed to extend along the side and underneath the second breast/mammary gland 112 of the user such that the second mammary gland 112 rests atop of the second C-shaped cup 104. The C-shaped cups 102, 104 are designed such that the textile material does not cover the breasts but supports, shapes and lifts the breasts from underneath and the along the sides. The side edges 106 push the breasts 110, 112 inwards and the bottom edges 108 push the breasts 110, 112 upwards, thereby allowing full exposure of both breasts 110, 112 while maintaining support and providing the required shape and cleavage.
The first C-shaped cup 102 and the second C-shaped cup 104 are connected to each other through a connector bridge 114. The connector bridge 114 extends along the curved bottom edge 108 of the first C-shaped cup 102 and the second C-shaped cup 104 along the bottom line of the breasts 110, 112. The connector 114 is a permanent connector and allows the cups 102, 104 to conform to the breasts 110, 112.
The present embodiment of the nudity support bra 100 has a first halter neck strap 116 extending from the side edge 106 of the first C-shaped cup 102 and a second halter neck strap 118 extending from the side edge 106 of the second C-shaped cup 104. Both the halter neck straps 116, 118 are secured behind the neck of the user for a secure fit of the bra 100. Further, the padded C-shaped cups 102, 104 of the bra 100 supporting the mammary glands 110, 112 cover a portion (preferably 50%-60%, but not limited to any specific amount) of the underside of the mammary glands 110, 112, while exposing the upper portion of the mammary glands 110, 112. The side edges 106 are also no thicker than 4 mm in the preferred embodiment and the bottom edges 108 may not be thicker than 5 mm in the preferred embodiment. However, differing embodiments of the bra 100 may have various components of various thicknesses.
The padding of the C-shaped cups 102, 104 is thickest along the bottom edge 108 just below the breasts 102, 104. Further, the bottom edges 108 and the side edges 106 work together to provide support for the breasts 102, 104 and to create a superior bust line and cleavage appearance. The bra 100 may also include optical fibers 120 of a variety of colors embedded just below the surface of the bottom edges 108 and the side edges 106 to accent the breasts. A light 122 can be incorporated into the upper portion of each of the side edges 106 to illuminate the exposed breasts. The optical fibers 120 and the lights 122 can be powered by a built-in battery 124 located within the thickest portions of the bottom edges 108 and activated with a built-in switch 126.
The nudity support bra 100 can also be used for medical procedures. It should be appreciated that the improved bra 100 can be used by a surgeon for performing mastopexy and more specifically for obtaining exact measurements of the breasts for the mastopexy process. For a mastopexy, the improved bra 100 can be made up of a transparent material, such as a transparent plastic, so that the entire breast is visible without obstruction, thereby allowing accurate measurements of the lift needed for the mastopexy. This measurement can be used by the surgeon during the mastopexy process. The nudity support bra 100 can also be used during recovery from breast cancer treatment. Often, women experience extreme skin sloughing underneath the breasts as a consequence of radiation treatments. To alleviate sloughing, the mammary glands 110, 112 can be lifted and secured in a manner that minimizes contact of the breasts with thoracic tissue. For such cases, the nudity support bra 100 can be made up of a medical grade and/or medicated type of fabric to support healing and reduce friction on the affected areas.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “nudity support bra”, “support bra”, “bra”, and “brassiere” are interchangeable and refer to the nudity support bra 100 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the nudity support bra 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration, and material of the nudity support bra 100 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the nudity support bra 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the nudity support bra 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the nudity support bra 100 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/163,098, which was filed on Mar. 19, 2021, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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