Patent Application
20250000179
The present disclosure relates generally to a pacifier storage compartment for a bra. In at least one example, the bra may have a right cup, a left cup, a storage compartment, and a securement mechanism for securing the bra to the body of a user.
Safely and securely storing pacifiers has long been a major challenge for parents and caretakers of infants. Pacifiers are a common tool for soothing and comforting babies and are often introduced while infants are still in the hospital. Babies have a natural instinct to suck, which can provide relaxation and comfort. Pacifiers can satisfy this sucking reflex when a baby is not feeding, helping to soothe and calm them during times of distress or discomfort. Furthermore, pacifiers can be used as sleeping aids. The rhythmic sucking motion can promote a sense of security and relaxation, making it easier for babies to settle down and drift off to sleep. Research suggests that the use of a pacifier during sleep may help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Parents and caretakers, specifically women, do not typically store pacifiers in any specific place on their bodies. Pacifiers are usually stored in a safe and preferably clean location, such as a diaper bag, purse, or a dedicated container specifically designed for storing baby items. Given the size of a pacifier, they are easy to misplace. Most pacifiers are not currently sold with a lid/protective cover or a storage solution. It is imperative to keep pacifiers clean and readily accessible for when they are needed for a baby or child.
The frequency at which pacifiers are lost can vary. It is not uncommon for parents to have multiple pacifiers on hand, and to establish a routine for trying to keep track of them, such as pacifier clips or a designated storage container. How often a pacifier is lost can depend on the age of the child, the mobility of the child, and a general state of parenting (e.g., how many children the parents have). Pacifiers are often thrown somewhere unsanitary such as the bottom of a purse or a cup holder in a car seat or stroller.
Clean pacifiers are necessary for many reasons. Pacifiers can accumulate dirt, bacteria, and other germs when they come into contact with various surfaces or when they are dropped on the ground. Keeping a pacifier clean helps minimize the risk of exposing a baby to harmful bacteria or viruses that can cause infections or illnesses. If a pacifier is not kept clean, it can introduce bacteria or pathogens into a child's mouth, potentially leading to oral health issues or infections. Further, babies may reject a dirty or soiled pacifier, making it difficult for parents or caretakers to soothe them when needed. By keeping pacifiers clean, parents and caretakers can ensure that their babies have a comfortable and satisfactory experience when using them.
Therefore, there is a need for a safe, clean, and convenient storage apparatus for a pacifier.
One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a storage apparatus for storing a pacifier. The storage apparatus includes a bra comprising a left cup and a right cup, as well as a storage compartment on at least one of the left cup and the right cup. The storage compartment is sized to store the pacifier.
Another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a storage apparatus for storing a pacifier. The storage apparatus includes a bra comprising a left cup and a right cup, as well as one or more storage compartments on at least one of the left cup and the right cup. The one or more storage compartments are sized to store the pacifier.
Still another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a storage apparatus for storing a pacifier. The storage apparatus includes a bra comprising a left cup and a right cup, as well as a storage compartment on at least one of the left cup and the right cup. The storage compartment comprises a plurality of edges, the plurality of edges attached in an orientation to receive the pacifier.
Other aspects and iterations of the invention are described more thoroughly below.
Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures, wherein:
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the examples described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the examples described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure.
Several definitions that apply throughout the above disclosure will now be presented. The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. The term “substantially” is defined to be essentially conforming to the particular dimension, shape or other word that substantially modifies, such that the component need not be exact. For example, “substantially cylindrical” means that the object resembles a cylinder, but can have one or more deviations from a true cylinder.
The terms “comprising,” “including” and “having” are used interchangeably in this disclosure. The terms “comprising,” “including” and “having” mean to include, but not necessarily be limited to the things so described.
For purposes of this description, “connected to” or “attached to” includes two components being directly connected or indirectly connected with intervening components.
The terms “baby,” “infant,” and “child” are used interchangeably in this disclosure. The terms “baby,” “infant,” and “child” mean a person who sucks on a pacifier.
The terms “parent,” “caretaker,” and “user” are used interchangeably in this disclosure. The terms “parent,” “caretaker,” and “user” mean a person taking care of a child, infant, or baby.
The pacifier storage compartment for a bra is a unique and novel apparatus to store a pacifier in a safe, clean, and convenient location on the body of the user. The pacifier storage bra compartment may reduce the amount and frequency of lost pacifiers. The pacifier storage bra compartment may also reduce the need to clean a pacifier. For example, a pacifier may need to be cleaned any time it comes into contact with a dirty surface, such as the ground, a countertop, a table, a car seat, a cup holder, a purse, or the like. If the pacifier is not cleaned, a child may become sick due to dirt, bacteria, and other germs on the pacifier. The pacifier storage bra compartment solves these problems by keeping the pacifier in a clean and secure location.
Another major benefit of the pacifier storage bra compartment is that the pacifier is stored close to the user's skin. Babies are naturally inclined to search for their mother's skin and smell. Since the pacifier storage bra compartment stores the pacifier close to their mother or caretaker's skin, the pacifier will smell like their mother or caretaker which may provide beneficial effects to the child such as bonding, regulation of body temperature, heart rate, and/or breathing, improved breastfeeding outcomes, and/or reduced stress and crying.
The storage compartment 102 may be integral with one or more layers of the left cup 106 and/or the right cup 108 of the bra 104. In an example, the storage compartment 102 may be integrated within layers of the left cup 106 and/or the right cup 108. In further aspects, the bra 104 may have any number of storage compartments 102 attached to or integral with the interior surface 112 and/or the exterior surface 114 of the left cup 106 and/or the right cup 108 in any combination.
In some aspects, the left cup 106 and/or the right cup 108 may have a pad on the interior surface 112. In other examples, the left cup 106 and/or the right cup 108 may not have a pad on the interior surface 112. In the examples in which at least one of the left cup 106 and/or the right cup 108 have a pad, the storage compartment 102 may be attached to the interior surface 112 (e.g., proximal the body) of the pad. In another example, the storage compartment 102 may be attached and/or manufactured between the pad and the interior surface 112 of the left cup 106 and/or the right cup 108.
In some aspects, the storage compartment 102 may be attached to the cup opposite the user's dominant hand. For example, if the user is right handed, the storage compartment 102 may be attached to the left cup 106 of the bra 104. If the user is left handed, the storage compartment 102 may be attached to the right cup 108 of the bra 104. Attaching the storage compartment 102 to the cup of the bra 104 opposite the user's dominant hand may facilitate improved reachability by the user, in that the user is reaching across their body and removing the pacifier from the storage compartment 102.
In an aspect, the storage compartment 102 may be rectangular, square, circular, or any other shape operable to hold a pacifier. In an example, the storage compartment 102 may be a pocket. The storage compartment 102 may have a front panel and a back panel. In some examples, the front panel and the back panel may not be a part of the left cup 106 or the right cup 108, such that the front panel and the back panel are made of a material separate from the left cup 106 and the right cup 108. In other examples, one of the front panel and the back panel may be a portion of a surface (e.g., exterior or interior surface) of the left cup 106 or the right cup 108.
In another aspect, the front panel and the back panel may both be a portion of the surface of the left cup 106 or the right cup 108. In this example, the storage compartment 102 may be integrated within layers of the left cup 106 or the right cup 108. For example, the storage compartment 102 may be located between a first layer (e.g., outer layer distal to the body of the user) and a second layer (e.g., inner layer proximal to the body of the user) of the left cup 106 and/or the right cup 108. When the storage compartment 102 is located between the layers of the left cup 106 or the right cup 108, a portion of an interior surface (e.g., proximal the body of the user) of the first layer may be the front panel of the storage compartment 102 and a portion of an exterior surface (e.g., distal the body of the user) of the second layer may be the back panel of the storage compartment 102. In other examples, the storage compartment 102 may be located between the layers of the cup but also have a front panel and a back panel separate from the layers.
In some aspects, the storage compartment 102 may have a first edge 116, a second edge 118, a third edge 120, and a fourth edge 122, as shown in
In another aspect, the storage compartment 102 may be formed by sewing a portion of the first layer of the left cup 106 and/or the right cup 108 to a portion of the second layer of the corresponding cup to form the first edge 116, second edge 118, and third edge 120 while leaving the fourth edge 122 open (e.g., to serve as an opening of the storage compartment). The first edge 116, second edge 118, and third edge 120 may be operable to contain a pacifier or other baby articles. That is, the first, second, and third edges 116, 118, 120, may be oriented such that the baby article is inserted through the opening of the fourth edge 122 and received by the compartment formed by the first, second, and third edges 116, 118, 120. Non-limiting examples of a baby article include a pacifier, a teether, or a baby toy. The opening at the fourth edge 122 may be operable to allow a pacifier or baby article to slide in or out of the storage compartment 102. In some examples, the storage compartment 102 may lay flat on the left cup 106 and/or the right cup 108.
In some aspects, when the storage compartment 102 is located between two layers of the left cup 106 and/or the right cup 108, the storage compartment 102 may comprise three edges. The three edges may be the combined material of the first layer and the second layer of the left cup 106 or right cup 108 sewn together. The fourth edge 122 of the storage compartment 102 may include an opening for sliding a pacifier into the storage compartment 102.
In some aspects, the storage compartment 102 may be sized to hold a pacifier. The storage compartment 102 may not be operable to hold other items, such as a phone or a credit card, due to the size of the storage compartment 102. In some examples, the length and width of the storage compartment 102 may be such that a size 1, a size 2, and/or a size 3 pacifier may be secured in the storage compartment 102. The pocket may be sized such that it is not large enough to hold anything larger than a pacifier and is not small enough to hold anything smaller than a pacifier. The pocket may be sized to have a width and a height of about 2 inches up to a width and a height of about 5 inches.
In some aspects, the opening (e.g., the fourth edge 122) of the storage compartment 102 may align with an underarm edge of the cup which it is attached to. In another example, the opening of the storage compartment 102 may align with a bottom edge of the cup which it is attached to. In a further example, the opening of the storage compartment 102 may align with a top edge of the cup which it is attached to. In other examples, the first edge 116 of the storage compartment 102 may align with an underarm edge of the cup which it is attached to. In some examples, the first edge 116 may be curved or straight. In an example, the second edge 118 and the third edge 120 may be curved or straight. In another example, the fourth edge 122 (e.g., opening) may be curved or straight. In some examples, one or more of the first, second, third, and/or fourth edges 116, 118, 120, 122, may be curved to match a curvature of an edge of the left cup 106 and/or the right cup 108.
In some aspects, when the opening of the storage compartment 102 aligns with the top edge of the cup, the storage compartment 102 may be located high enough on the cup such that the storage compartment 102 does not create a bulge in the bra 104 when a pacifier is stored in the storage compartment 102. When the opening of the storage compartment 102 aligns with an underarm edge of the left cup 106 and/or the right cup 108, the storage compartment 102 may be located close enough to the underarm edge of the cup such that the storage compartment 102 does not create a bulge in the bra 104 when a pacifier is stored in the storage compartment 102. The storage compartment 102 is configured such that it is not obvious to others that the bra 104 includes the storage compartment 102 containing a pacifier.
In some aspects, the second edge 118 and the third edge 120 of the storage compartment 102 may have a length of about 1 inch, about 2 inches, about 3 inches, about 4 inches, about 5 inches, or about 6 inches. The second edge 118 and the third edge 120 of the storage compartment 102 may have a length of about 0.25 inches to about 1 inch, about 1 inch to about 2 inches, about 2 inches to about 3 inches, about 3 inches to about 4 inches, about 4 inches to about 5 inches, or about 5 inches to about 6 inches. In some examples, the distance between the second edge 118 and the fourth edge 122 (e.g., the length of the first edge 116 or the third edge 120) may be the width of the storage compartment 102. In some examples, the first edge 116 of the storage compartment 102 may have a length of about 1 inch, about 2 inches, about 3 inches, about 4 inches, about 5 inches, or about 6 inches. The first edge 116 of the storage compartment 102 may have a length of about 0.25 inches to about 1 inch, about 1 inch to about 2 inches, about 2 inches to about 3 inches, about 3 inches to about 4 inches, about 4 inches to about 5 inches, or about 5 inches to about 6 inches. In some examples, the opening of the storage compartment 102 (e.g., the fourth edge 122) may have a length of about 1 inch, about 2 inches, about 3 inches, about 4 inches, about 5 inches, or about 6 inches. The opening of the storage compartment 102 (e.g., the fourth edge 122) may have a length of about 0.25 inches, about 1 inch, about 2 inches, about 3 inches, about 4 inches, about 5 inches, or about 6 inches. In some examples, the distance between the first edge 116 and the third edge 120 (e.g. the length of the second edge 118 or the fourth edge 122) may be the length of the storage compartment 102.
In some aspects, the storage compartment 102 may have a thickness. The thickness may be measured as the distance between the front panel and the back panel. In some examples the thickness may vary throughout the storage compartment 102 and may vary depending on whether a pacifier is secured or not. The thickness may be at a maximum at a center point of the front panel and the back panel. The thickness of the storage compartment 102 may be configured such that a pacifier can be secured in the storage compartment 102.
In additional aspects, if the storage compartment 102 is a circle, the edge of the circular storage compartment 102 may have an opening. The edge of the circular storage compartment 102 may be attached to the left cup 106 or the right cup 108 of the bra 104 while leaving the opening unattached.
In some aspects, the storage compartment 102 may be operable to hold at least one pacifier. In an example, the storage compartment 102 may be operable to hold two or more pacifiers. The storage compartment 102 may be made out of fabric, plastic, or any other material that provides comfort to the user. In another example, the storage compartment 102 may be made out of the same material as the lining of the bra 104. The material of the storage compartment 102 may allow the user to easily slide a pacifier in and out of the storage compartment 102. The material of the storage compartment 102 may conform to the body of the user of the bra 104 and/or the garment being worn by the user of the bra 104, such as to accommodate the contours of the pacifier placed within the storage compartment 102.
The storage compartment 102 may be small enough such that the friction force secures the pacifier. When a pacifier is held in the storage compartment 102, the storage compartment 102 may provide a friction force to the pacifier to hold the pacifier in the storage compartment 102, such that the pacifier does not fall out while the user is walking, running, or engaging in any other physical movement. Additionally, the weight of the pacifier may facilitate holding the pacifier in the storage compartment 102.
The storage compartment 102 may not require a hook, snap, zipper, or other securement means to keep the pacifier securely stored in the storage compartment 102, because of the size and friction force provided to the pacifier by the storage compartment 102. In an example, the opening is not operable to be closed (e.g., the opening is perpetually open). In other examples, the opening of the storage compartment 102 may be closed using hooks and loops, a snap fit mechanism, a zipper, or any other securement means.
In an aspect, the storage compartment 102 may not alter the shape or feel of the bra 104. For example, the storage compartment 102 may have no effect on the comfort or exterior appearance of the bra 104.
In some aspects, the bra 104 may further include at least one securement mechanism 110 (shown in
In an aspect, the at least one securement mechanism 110 may be adjustable. In some examples, the left shoulder strap and the right shoulder strap may each have an adjustable length. For example, the left shoulder strap may have a clip operable to move along the left shoulder strap and adjust the length of the left shoulder strap. The right shoulder strap may have a clip operable to move along the right shoulder strap and adjust the length of the right shoulder strap. In other examples, the back strap may have an adjustable length. The length of the back strap may be adjusted using a clip operable to move along the back strap. The back strap may have a third end and a fourth end located in the middle of the back strap. The third end may have hooks and the fourth end may have a series of connectors spaced at different lengths along the fourth end. The user may adjust the length of the back strap by securing the hooks to different connectors depending on the desired length of the back strap.
In other aspects, the bra 104 may be any type of bra known in the art with the storage compartment 102 attached to it. In some examples, the bra may be a traditional bra or a nursing bra. In an example, the bra 104 is not a sports bra.
As disclosed herein, according to one example, the bra 104 may include a left cup (such as the left cup 106), a right cup (such as the right cup 108), the storage compartment 102, and a securement mechanism (such as the securement mechanism 110). The storage compartment 102 may be located on either cup and operable to secure a pacifier. The storage compartment 102 may be located on the interior surface 112 of either cup and may have an opening edge aligned with a top end of either cup. In other examples, the storage compartment 102 may be located on an underarm side of the left cup or right cup and have an opening aligned with the underarm edge of either cup. The storage compartment 102 may be on only one cup and located only at the top edge of the cup. The storage compartment 102 may not be operable to hold a credit card or a phone, because the storage compartment 102 may be sized to specifically secure a pacifier. A credit card may be too thin to be secured by the storage compartment 102 and a phone may be too large to be secured by the storage compartment 102. As described, the storage compartment 102 of the bra 104 facilitates simpler and cleaner storage for a pacifier.
The disclosures shown and described above are only examples. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the attached claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the examples described above may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63524140 | Jun 2023 | US |
