The present invention relates to a nursing bra with a back part and a breast part which in the connected state form a circumferential envelopment for the upper body of a woman.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
The circumferential envelopment is preferably releasable at one location and has a catch for this purpose. This catch in the nursing bra of the invention can be disposed between different regions of the back part or the breast part or between the back part and the breast part. This configuration makes it possible to first wrap the nursing bra around the breast and to then close it in order to don the nursing bra around the body, possibly with a certain amount of pre-tension. If the circumferential envelopment is formed from elastic material, the catch can also be omitted. Such a design, which is donned in the stretched state, can also be according to the invention. The nursing bra according to the invention further comprises shoulder straps extending between the front part and the back part. These shoulder straps are preferably adjustable in a manner known per se also in the nursing bra according to the invention. Accordingly, the shoulder straps are variable in length. The nursing bra according to the invention also comprises two bra cups which are each formed adapted to accommodate a female breast. The nursing bra according to the invention also serves to support the female breast. The latter is accommodated in the bra cups and supported by the circumferential envelopment and the shoulder straps. The nursing bra according to the invention is not restricted to a particular size and can be adapted to the respective individual circumstances of the female breast by appropriate tailoring.
The features discussed above are typical for bras. The bra according to the invention additionally has the option to release each of the bra cups from the shoulder straps to which the bra cups are typically connected. The bra cups of the nursing bra according to the invention can be formed from typical bra materials. They are preferably made of material that surrounds the breast in a soft and comfortable manner. In particular when breastfeeding, the female breast is sometimes sensitive, so that a support as smooth as possible and pleasant to the skin and the nipples is desired. However, the nursing bra according to the invention also comprises an opening leading to the nipple of the female breast. This opening is formed in each of the two bra cups. This provides the option that a breast shield, which surrounds the nipple and is suitable for expressing breast milk with a respective pump, is passed through the bra cup.
Such a nursing bra is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,936 B1. In this prior art, the bra cups are provided with a punched-out opening through each of which a breast shield can be passed, so that the bra supports and holds the breast and the breast shield during the expression action.
A similar nursing bra is known from US 2007/0161330 A1 and from US 2011/0314587 A1, respectively. In the prior art last mentioned, which is considered to be generic, the bra cups are formed by two cuttings which are not completely connected to each other at their joining point, thereby forming the opening leading to the nipple. The prior art nursing bra, however, is cut such that the nipple is disposed within the opening, for which reason a second outer layer is required to cover and protect the nipple.
The solution previously known from US 2011/0314587 is designed such that breast milk can be expressed through the opening even when the bra cup is donned. Moreover, the respective bra cup is releasably connected to the associated shoulder strap to release at least one bra cup from the support device to expose a breast for breastfeeding.
The present invention seeks to provide a nursing bra that provides high functionality while having an attractive appearance.
For satisfying this object, a nursing bra having the features of claim 1 is provided with the present invention. It differs from the known nursing bra previously described in that a flap is provided on the inner side of the bra cup and covers the opening. The flap covers at least the opening on the inner side. The flap is typically configured such that the nipple, when accommodated in the bra cup, is surrounded by soft and seamless material which is typically provided between the nipple and the opening, but can be moved from this initial position to a use position in which the nipple is accessible through the opening. The flap can be fixedly or releasably connected to the cup element. For example, the flap can be connected to the cup element by way of a hook-and-loop fastener. The cup element can be formed integrally or from several parts. In an integrally formed configuration, the cup element is preferably molded for shaping. The cup element is typically made of padded soft material. The flap as well is preferably made of such padded material. The flap can, in particular, be sewn to the material of the bra cup. In the case of a multi-part bra cup, the flap can then be cut out in one piece from a cutting forming a partial region of the bra cup, so that it reaches over another cutting co-forming the bra cup in order to cover the opening.
The nursing bra according to the invention can also be designed as a body suit, a nightgown, a bikini, a swimsuit.
According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer ply is formed by a decorative ply. The decorative ply can itself be cut in the manner of a bra. In any case, the decorative ply can also be realized as an integrally molded cutting associated with the respective bra cup. However, the decorative ply usually has only a decorative function and no support function. However, the decorative ply can also be designed such that only parts of the bra cup and/or the circumferential envelopment and/or the shoulder straps are covered by the decorative ply. The decorative ply can also be inventive in itself, i.e. further develop a nursing bra with a back part and a breast part, which form a circumferential enclosure for the upper body in the connected state, with shoulder straps extending between the breast part and the back part and with two bra cups, each formed adapted to accommodate a female breast and each releasably connected to the shoulder straps and each having an opening that leads to the nipple of said female breast and that is on the outer side covered by an outer ply which is removable from the opening.
The nursing bra according to the invention can be formed by the decorative ply like a conventional bra with an attractive appearance. The decorative ply can have, for example, an at least partially decorative and/or open-worked layer consisting of yarn or yarn and textile material or be entirely formed thereon. In particular, the decorative ply can be formed from lace.
With this appealing appearance, however, the nursing bra according to the invention does not lose its functionality. The decorative ply can merely hang loosely over the bra cups, so that, for expressing breast milk, the opening formed in the bra cup can be exposed to pass a breast shield with its tubular opening through the opening of the bra cup and express milk.
With regard to an appearance of the nursing bra according to the invention corresponding to a conventional bra enclosing the breast in a manner following the contour, it is proposed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention to connect the outer ply, preferably the decorative ply, to the shoulder straps in a releasable manner. The decorative ply then looks like the typical, possibly only layer of a normal bra. The decorative ply is usually cut in a shaping manner, so that it encloses and supports the contour of the female breast in a manner following the contour. The same applies to the bra cups, so that the decorative ply attached to the shoulder straps creates the impression of a bra enclosing the breast in a manner following the contour. The decorative ply there forms an outer decorative layer which typically covers the bra cups over their entire surface and follows their shape. Accordingly, the decorative ply is preferably tailored like the bra cups. It is understood that the material forming the decorative ply can be provided as an outer layer of the circumferential envelopment or as the sole textile material for forming the back part and the breast part, in order to create the most uniform possible appearance. The external appearance of the nursing bra according to the invention can then be of a uniform material design and/or color and/or have a textural uniform design. A textural uniform design is understood, in particular, to be a texture provided uniformly on the outer side of the nursing bra. This texture can be, for example, lace. It can also be decoratively woven fabric and/or fabric provided with a pattern. The base material of the nursing bra according to the invention can be cotton or synthetic fiber or even a combination of both. The bra cup is typically formed in several plies and has, for example, a reinforcement ply, especially made of foam or other textile material with greater stiffness and thickness, which also has a certain cushioning effect. Also conceivable for the production of nursing bras according to the invention are elastic or non-elastic woven, knitted, decorated or printed materials, where decorated and printed materials are used in particular for the formation of the decorative ply.
According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer ply is releasably connected to the shoulder straps. It is then possible to remove the decorative ply for expressing milk by way of a breast shield and accordingly expose the opening of the associated bra cup. The following description discusses respective further developments of the outer ply or the decorative ply, respectively, and relates to the further development of the outer ply or the decorative ply, respectively, to form a single bra cup. It is understood that this development regularly applies to both bra cups, since the required functionalities and developments should be provided for both cups in an identical manner.
Due to the releasable outer ply, the outer ply can accordingly be made to assume a defined position for expressing breast milk in which the opening is exposed. The outer ply is typically connected to the circumferential envelopment, so that the outer ply hangs down from the shoulder straps after the outer ply has been released when breast milk is expressed.
However, any other configuration is also conceivable. For example, the outer ply can have a more vertically extending connection to the bra cup or the circumferential envelopment or the shoulder straps, respectively, in order to be folded away laterally. In this case, two portions of the outer ply are connected to each other, for example, in the middle, i.e. in the region of the sternum, when the bra is worn as such, without breast milk being expressed. The outer ply can then be attached directly to the shoulder straps, i.e. reach up to the shoulder straps and be connected to the shoulder straps by way of a releasable attachment device. However, a connection to the shoulder straps can also be effected indirectly, regularly by attaching the outer ply to the circumferential envelopment and/or the bra cup. In this case, the outer ply can be connected to the bra cup and/or the circumferential envelopment by way of a flap, a push button, a clip connection, a hook-and-loop fastener or any other type of connection that is common in textile technology. It is only important that the impression of a uniform, aesthetically pleasing bra can be created by the direct or indirect attachment of the outer ply to the associated shoulder strap.
The same applies to the bra cups which are indirectly or directly attached to the shoulder straps by way of the aforementioned attachment device. According to a preferred embodiment, the respective bra cup and the associated outer ply are independently releasable directly or indirectly from the shoulder straps as well as jointly releasable therefrom. The option therefore exists to release the bra cup and the outer ply jointly from the shoulder straps, i.e. with a single hand motion, to expose the female breast for breastfeeding.
According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, each bra cup is made of a cutting comprising at least two cup elements, where the opening providing access to the nipple is formed in the region of the joining point between the two cup elements. The joining point is preferably designed such that the material forming the bra cup covers and protects the nipple. Accordingly, the nursing bra according to the invention is preferably designed such that the nipple is covered by the inner layer, i.e. the bra cup, despite the existence of an opening, at least when the bra is worn.
The flap is in this context preferably provided integrally formed on one of the cup elements, usually cut out from the material forming the respective cup element. The flap then extends over the joining point between the two cup elements. The flap is typically located forward of the inner surface of the cup element not comprising the flap. Preferably, the flap abuts against the inner surface of this cup element. The flap is preferably formed from material that is identical to the material of the bra cup. The bra cups are preferably formed from the same material.
The flap is in this context configured and sized such that the flap can be folded away from the opening for inserting a tubular end of the breast shield in order to expose the opening when the tubular end of the breast shield is guided from the inner side through the opening to the outer side. The flap is in this context preferably elastically deformed, this preferably entailing no deformation of the bra cup. In other words, the cutting is done in such a manner that only the flap is deformed when the tubular portion of the breast shield is passed through, but the associated bra cup at least substantially maintains its shape following the contours of the breast.
The flap preferably has a mushroom-like configuration, where the region of the flap extending toward the other cup element forms a convex end surface, the apex of which can be approximated by a tangent extending substantially parallel to the phase boundary between the two cup elements. This convex end surface can at the edges of the actual mushroom head transition into a concave surface. In any case, the mushroom head is defined by converging edge sections which branch off from the end surface and converge towards one another. These edge sections typically extend parallel to the phase boundary of the two cup elements and are attached to the bra cup by way of a seam attaching the two cup elements. Since the flap also in this embodiment is preferably cut in one piece from the material forming the one cup element, “attachment” in this context means only a positional fixation of the edge sections of the bra cup above the seam.
Accordingly, the edge sections preferably terminate at a boundary surface of the two cup elements, where they are connected to one another by a seam, where the flap is indeed integrally formed on one of the cup elements and only a defined design of the flap is defined by the seam, without it there being connected to its associated cup element. However, this seam or another seam can connect the cup element comprising the flap to the cup element covered by the flap.
In this mushroom-like embodiment, a flap base connecting the flap to the associated cup element can be located between the two edge sections. The flap base is understood to be any connection between any kind of flap and the associated cup element. The flap base connects the flap that is usually attached to the material of the cup element to the material that follows the shape of the breast as part of the bra cup. With a view to a conceivable support function of the breast shield during the expressing action, it is proposed according to a preferred development of the present invention that the flap base attached to the cup element is located between the opening and the breast part. In this arrangement, the flap base is disposed below the nipple after the nursing bra has been donned and can therefore be abutted against a funnel portion of the breast shield that is circumferentially abutable against the breast shield, especially in a manner following the contour of the breast. This improves the support of the breast shield at least when being applied until sufficient suction pressure has developed when expressing breast milk with which the breast shield is abutted against the female breast under negative pressure.
According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cup elements adjoin each other at an angle. This angle can vary over the length of the boundary surface of the two cup elements. The apex of the boundary surface and, accordingly, the smallest angle during wear on the inner side of the cup elements is determined by the shape of the female breast and can vary. The angle gives the two cup elements a certain shape. The cup elements are held in shape at this angle and by a seam such that the seam can be regarded as a “shaping seam”. In this preferred development of the present invention, the outer ply or the decorative ply, respectively, preferably in the region of the opening comprises a decorative seam following the shaping seam. The decorative seam preferably follows the course of the shaping seam. The cuttings are preferably selected such that a kind of positive-fit connection and/or centering of the outer ply or the decorative ply, respectively, is effected due to the seam, relative to the more dimensionally stable bra cups. This results in a visually appealing appearance.
According to the above description, the present invention accordingly provides a nursing bra which is capable of supporting the breast shield and accordingly allows breast milk to be expressed without there being a need for the milk bottle, the breast shield and/or the pump to be held. Rather, expression can be effected in a “hands-free” manner. The bra cups each have an opening that can be easily closed by the flap, which additionally protects the nipple and, in particular, prevents the nipple from rubbing against edges of the opening. This results in a nursing bra that is associated with no restrictions in terms of wear comfort, even when there is the option of expressing breast milk through the opening. The external design can be chosen arbitrarily, depending on the specific design of the outer ply. It has essentially the function of completely or partially covering the bra cups as the outer layer. The decorative ply at least covers the opening, so that this region of the bra cups is decoratively concealed. A pleasant appearance can be obtained, in particular, when the decorative ply is made of lace. The nursing bra can then also be used as an everyday bra. The outer ply or the decorative ply, respectively, is preferably indirectly or directly releasable from the shoulder straps to expose the opening. However, the outer ply or the decorative ply, respectively, is preferably also releasable together with the bra cup to allow the infant to be breastfed with the breast exposed.
According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shaping seam connecting the cup elements is designed as a reinforcing element. The seam material can exhibit, for example, greater stiffness than the cutting forming the cup element. Alternatively, the seam material itself can have no reinforcing supportive effect, but rather be configured several times over the joining point of the two cup elements in order to increase the rigidity of the bra cup in the region of the joining point and due to the design of the shaping seam. This embodiment offers the possibility of shaping the cutting forming the individual cup elements from a relatively soft material, while giving the bra cup increased rigidity in the region of the seam and by the seam, so that the shaping of the seam is predominantly or even exclusively determined by the seam, its design and/or the strength of the seam material selected.
Further details and advantages of the present invention shall become apparent from the following description of an embodiment in combination with the drawing, in which:
The hook 14 shown in
Due to this configuration, the bra cup 12 with the associated decorative ply 24 can be released together from the shoulder straps 10 by unhooking the eyelet 18 to expose the breast for breastfeeding a child, as is common practice with nursing bras 2. However, the present invention is not restricted to the embodiment shown. It is only important that the bra cup 12 and the associated decorative ply 24 are indirectly or directly releasably connected to the shoulder strap 10 to remove both in the typical state of use over plies disposed above the female breast jointly and together from the breast (see
By releasing the open hook 22 from the band ring 20, the cladding layer 26 can be removed from the associated bra cup 12 so that the outer surface of the bra cup 12 temporarily forms the outer surface of the nursing bra 2. In the region of the bra cups 12, the nursing bra 2 has a respective opening 32 which is formed as an omission of a joining seam 34, where the joining seam 34 joins two cup elements 36 marked with reference number 36 in
The opening 32 is formed by omitting the joining seam 34 over a length L of between 3 cm and 6 cm. The nipple is typically centered relative to the opening 32, but can also be slightly off center upwardly or downwardly relative to the center of the opening 32. These specifications apply to any joining seam 34 regardless of its specific orientation. In the embodiment according to
Approximately two-thirds of the total length of the closed seam from the releasable hook 14 to the lower breast panel is disposed between the hook 14 and the upper edge of the opening 32. Approximately one-third of the total length of the joining seam 34 is disposed below the opening 32, i.e. between the lower edge of the opening 32 and the lower breast panel, i.e. the breast part 8.
The joining seam 34 is a shaping seam. Accordingly, the cup elements 36 abut each other at a certain angle in the joining seam 34. Due to this configuration, the opening 32 is located at the point furthest away from the costal arch, which facilitates the insertion of a breast shield for expressing breast milk. The decorative seam 28 joins cuttings of the decorative ply in shape, extension and contour like the joining seam 34, so that, when this decorative ply 24 has been applied, the bra cups 12 are covered thereby in a manner following the contour and having the same cut.
The flap 38 projects beyond the left cup element 36.1 in a mushroom-like manner. The apex of the generally convex formation of an end surface 45 of the flap 38 is in extension of the flap base 40. Edge sections of the mushroom head can be curved in a convex or concave manner to approximate the upper respectively the lower edge sections 42, 44 with this curvature, respectively, which end at the boundary surface of the two cup elements 36.1 and 36.2, respectively.
The flap 38 is preferably cut such that, after the tubular section of a breast shield has been passed through, the flap 38 projecting on the inner side from the bra cup 12 partially circumferential abuts the funnel-shaped section of the breast shield and imparts a certain support function there. The flap 38 of the solution according to the invention then has two different functions. First of all, it covers the opening 32 so that the nipple does not rub against the edges of the opening. The nipple is instead accommodated in a continuous and steplessly lined interior of the bra cup 12. When breast milk is expressed through the breast shield, the flap 38 provides a certain support function at least until the funnel-shaped portion of the breast shield has been sucked onto the surface of the breast due to the action of the suction pressure and situational positioning has then taken place.
A corresponding picture arises for
In the embodiment shown in
Unlike the embodiment of
2 nursing bra
4 circumferential envelopment
6 back part
8 breast part
10 shoulder strap
12 bra cups
14 hook
16 locking device
18 eyelet
20 band ring
22 open hook
24 decorative ply
26 cladding layer
28 decorative seam
30 lace
32 opening
34 joining seam
36 cup element
38 flap
40 flap base
42 upper edge section
44 lower edge section
45 end surface
46 decorative strip
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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17199749.7 | Nov 2017 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2018/079979 | 11/2/2018 | WO | 00 |