Patent Application
20200107588
This invention relates generally to bras providing postoperative support for implant based breast constructions and reconstructions following mastectomies and mammoplasty enhancements.
In her U.S. Pat. No. 8,328,598 entitled “Elastic Reinforced Inframammary Curve Bra”, applicant Veronica C. Smith describes and claims a contouring support bra made from soft stretchable cotton knit and light power-net support fabrics particularly suited for pregnant and nursing women for comfortably providing an alluring, lifted tear drop breast shape. The claimed bra includes semicircular, soft knit fabric breast cups, elastically fastened to a semicircular elastic power-net fabric cut-out having shorter circumferential lengths for creating tear shaped pouches with bases conforming to the wearer's inframammary skinfold.
Related U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,666,059 and 8,262,434, G. Falla et al, respectively describe and claim molded bra garments, and methods for molding such garments that include a support fabric and a “lofted material.”
In her U.S. Pat. No. 8,784,347 “Entitled High-Back Gluteal Shaping Compression Garment” applicant Veronica C. Smith observes that as the hexagonal cells of a molded power-net fabric dome uniformly expands in circumference toward the top the dome during the forming process that, after “heat setting” retain significant elasticity properties. She points out that as the area encompassed by a power-net cell increases, the magnitude of compressive transferred to the underling tissue decreases. In effect, molded power-domes establish a pressure gradient in the underlying tissues that will decrease toward the top of the dome for contouring, while supporting an anatomical surface of the tissue mass that provides desired therapeutic structural, and cosmetic benefits. [Col. 4, II. 4-15]
A post-surgery medical bra garment is described for implant based, breast constructions, and reconstructions involving mastectomies, and mammoplasty procedures constructed on symmetrical (left and right) elastic power-net fabric panels.
The primary features of the described post-surgery medical bra garment include:
The post-surgery medical bra garment is specifically designed for facilitating healing of implant based, breast constructions, and reconstructions following mastectomies, and mammoplasty procedures. The medical bra garment features coupled, symmetrical constructions on separate, underlying left and right elastic power-net fabric panels.
With reference to
A breast cup dome is molded in a front chest section of each symmetrical power-net panel located between the front and back edges of the respective left and right front shoulder closure tabs of each power-net panel for establishing a concave hemispherical inframammary perimeter bridging between the top of the vertical, bottom front closure tab and an underarm pocket section above the bottom of each power-net panel.
The inside and outside soft-knit fabric panels each have a molded breast cup dome corresponding in size, configuration and position as the power-net breast cup dome, encase the front chest section of each symmetrical power-net panel. In particular, the bottom hemispherical edges of the molded soft-knit fabric breast cups are elastically stitched along the concave, hemispheric bottom perimeter of the power-net molded breast cup dome for elastically creating and supporting symmetrical, concave, inframammary skinfold curve.
Symmetrical (left and right), underarm elastic, power-net pocket pieces are stitched to the inside surface of the corresponding pocket sections of the power-net panels for providing an inside, open-top, underarm pocket that allows for insertion and removal of medical and sculpturing dressings including palliative warming/cooling packets.
In particular, each power-net pocket piece has a horizontal bottom edge elastically stitched to the underlying inside bottom edge of the corresponding (left or right) pocket section. The vertical side edges of the inside power-net pocket pieces are stitched between the bottom and top of the corresponding (left or right) pocket sections. The open top edges of the respective inside power-net pieces are positioned slightly below, with an edge that conform to the concave top pocket section of the respective pocket sections of the power-net panels for easing access to the inside pocket.
An elastic fabric band is elastically stitched to the bottom of each of the symmetrical (left and right) elastic power-net fabric panels. The top perimeter edges of the symmetrical (left and right) elastic power-net fabric panels are finished with elastic binding tapes.
This application claims all benefits applicable under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/568,103 filed by the Applicant on Oct. 4, 2017 entitled “POST-SURGERY MEDICAL BRA GARMENT” and incorporates U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/568,103, in its entirety, by reference into this application.
