Patent Application
20210186125
The present invention is generally directed toward an undergarment configured to restrain upward movement of the wearer's breast while the wearer engages in various physical activities, such as athletics or horseback riding, that might otherwise subject the wearer to discomfort to due excessive bodily movement. The supportive undergarment is configured to be worn in conjunction with, but remain independent from, a conventional bra, such as a sports bra.
Conventional bras are constructed to provide support to the wearer's breasts and help achieve a desired aesthetic appearance. As the woman's breast size increases, more support is required to achieve these objectives. Some bras, particularly those configured for women with larger bust sizes, comprise an underwire to provide cantilevered support for the wearer's breasts. Underwire bras can provide adequate support to the underside of the breast and restrain downward movement of the breast tissue during physical activities. Conventional bras may also comprise fabrics configured to restrain lateral movement of breast tissue. However, conventional bras generally do not provide much in the way of support that will restrain upward movement of the wearer's breast tissue. This further leads to the problem of downward movement of the breast tissue, from an elevated position due to unrestrained upward movement, thereby causing the breasts to “slam” down into the cantilevered bra support.
Sports bras were developed to provide compressive support for the wearer's breast and to inhibit breast movement during physical activities that might otherwise be uncomfortable for the wearer. Sports bras may also be constructed with an underwire to provide enhanced support restraining downward movement of the breast. However, for those with larger bust sizes, the compressive support provided for the upper margins of the breasts is generally inadequate as the wearer can still be subject to considerable discomfort when engaging in physical activities. The end result is that the motion of the breast tissue does not match up with the motion of the rest of the body, which can result in discomfort for the wearer.
To compensate, some women resort to wearing more than one sports bra at a time. However, while such can provide improved support, often such added support is merely redundant of the cantilevered and compressive support and fails to address upward movement of the breast tissue. Thus, this work around is still insufficient to prevent wearer discomfort and can actually cause the wearer some discomfort by providing double support in areas that do not require it and causing over-compression of the ribcage making breathing uncomfortable during exercise.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0098940 is directed toward a pressure-distributing undergarment that redirects momentum related to a wearer's accelerating movements. However, this undergarment is constructed as a single piece through a three-dimensional knitting process. While such a process allows for an undergarment with minimal seams and finishing, there is no adjustability to the amount of compression provided to specific portions of the wearer's breasts. Thus, what may be sufficient support for one type of activity could be insufficient for another type of activity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,191 is directed toward jogging support garments for the upper female anatomy. While embodiments described in the '191 patent may permit some degree of compression adjustability, when worn by a woman with a large bust, to achieve the necessary compressive force to minimize breast tissue movement, the wearer's entire rib case is compressed which can affect the wearer's ability to breathe comfortably.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a supportive undergarment that overcomes these shortcoming of convention bras and is capable of providing adequate support for the upper portions of the wearer's breasts and restrains the upward movement of the breast tissue during physical activities.
Embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an undergarment that is configured to support to the upper margins of the wearer's breasts and restrain upward movement of breast tissue during physical activities.
According to one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a supportive undergarment comprising a front portion, a back portion, a lower band, at least one anchor member, and a pair of support strap sections.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a supportive undergarment comprising a front portion having a pair of breast-receiving sections configured to overlie at least a portion of a wearer's breasts, and a back portion configured to overlie the wearer's back. A lower band is attached to the front and back portions at a lower margin thereof. The lower band is positioned beneath the pair of breast-receiving sections and configured to circumscribe at least a portion of the wearer's rib cage. At least one anchor member is attached to the lower band at a location that is in between the pair of breast-receiving sections. The undergarment further comprises a pair of support strap sections, each of which have a fixed end that is secured to the front portion. The pair of the support strap sections are connectable to the at least one anchor member under tension.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a system for restraining movement of breast tissue. The system comprises a bra having a pair of cups that are configured to provide support to the lateral sides and undersides of a wearer's breasts and restrain lateral and downward movement thereof, and a supportive undergarment that is substantially independent of and configured to overlie or underlie the bra. The supportive undergarment is configured to restrain upward movement of the wearer's breasts and comprises a front portion having a pair of breast-receiving sections configured to overlie at least a portion of the wearer's breasts, a lower band attached to the front portion at a lower margin thereof and positioned beneath the pair of breast-receiving sections, and at least one anchor member attached to the lower band at a location that is in between the pair of breast-receiving sections. The supportive undergarment further comprises a pair of support strap sections, each of which has a fixed end that is secured to the front portion. The pair of support strap sections are connectable to the at least one anchor member under tension.
In still another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of restraining movement of breast tissue. The method comprises donning a supportive undergarment over or underneath a bra. The supportive undergarment comprises a front portion having two breast-receiving sections, and a lower band attached to the front portion and positioned below the two breast-receiving sections. The supportive undergarment further comprises at least one anchor member attached to the lower band at a location that is in between the two breast-receiving sections, and a pair of supportive strap sections. Each of the supportive strap sections has a fixed end secured to the front portion. The fixed ends are attached to the front portion at opposed outboard margins thereof and above the breast-receiving sections. The supportive strap sections are extended over the upper portions of the wearer's breasts. The supportive strap sections are anchored to the at least one anchor member while the supportive strap sections are under tension thereby providing compression to the upper portions of the wearer's breasts.
While the drawings do not necessarily provide exact dimensions or tolerances for the illustrated components or structures, the drawings are to scale with respect to the relationships between the components of the structures illustrated in the drawings.
Turning now to the Figures, and in particular to
In the illustrated embodiment, the front portion 12 comprises breast-receiving sections 18, 20 that are configured to overlie at least a portion of the wearer's breasts. In certain embodiments, sections 18, 20 may comprise cutouts that are defined by respective margins 22, 24. Margins 22, 24 may comprise fabric bands 25 that have been sewn to front panel 12 to prevent fraying of the fabric from which front panel 12 is comprised and/or to provide for the wearer's comfort. However, it is within the scope of the present invention for the breast-receiving sections 18, 20 to comprise fabric panels configured to cover the portions of wearer's breasts received in sections 18, 20. A lower band 26 is attached to the front and back portions at a lower margin 28 thereof. In certain embodiments, the lower band 26 may be sewn into or underneath the front and back portions 12, 14 so that the band material does not directly contact the wearer's body. Lower band 26 is positioned beneath breast-receiving sections 18, 20 and is configured to circumscribe at least a portion of the wearer's rib cage. Preferably, lower band 26 is constructed from a material having a relatively high tensile strength when compared to the material from which most front and back portions 12, 14 is comprised. As described in greater detail below, lower band 26 is configured to receive and distribute to the wearer's body various tensile forces acting within undergarment 10. In preferred embodiments, lower band comprises a mildly stretchable, elastic material.
As shown in
Undergarment 10 also comprises a pair of elongate supportive strap sections 34, 36 that comprise fixed ends 38, 40 and free ends 42, 44, respectively. Fixed ends 38, 40 are secured to front portion 12, preferably in the upper region thereof, and most preferably at shoulder straps 16. In preferred embodiments, fixed ends 38 and 40 are attached to front portion outboard edges 46, 48 and lengthwise across shoulder strap lateral margins 50, 52, respectively. In certain embodiments, supportive strap sections, 34, 36 are tapered so that their widths narrow as free ends 42, 44 are approached, although this need not always be the case. In certain embodiments, the elongate support strap sections 34, 36 comprise a material that has a higher tensile strength than that of the material from which front and back portions 12, 14 are formed. Supportive strap sections 34, 36 may be formed from a single strip of fabric, or they may comprise several straps, braided straps, cords, or other similar structures.
Undergarment 10 further comprises at least one, and preferably two, anchor members 54, 56. Anchor members 54, 56 preferably are attached to the lower band 26 at locations between the breast-receiving sections 18, 20. As such, anchor members 54, 56 are configured to overlie the wearer's xiphoid process when the undergarment is being worn. As illustrated, each anchor member 54, 56 comprises a pair of D-rings 58; however, other types of fasteners could be used and still achieve the same objective. Each of the support strap sections 34, 36 are connectable to a respective anchor member, as explained below. Anchor members 54, 56 permit the support strap sections 34, 36 to be placed in tension thereby providing compressive support to the portion of the wearer's breasts that underlie upper front portion sections 60, 62.
Turning to
Because the tension applied to strap sections 34, 36 is distributed to lower band 26 via anchor members 54, 56, lower band 26 may comprise a segment of reinforcing material in that portion of the band underlying the anchor members. Preferably, the reinforcing material is configured to add extra strength to the lower band 26 and prevent excessive and undesirable deformation of the band in this region.
In the embodiment, as illustrated in
In certain embodiments, the front portion 12 and the back portion 14 may be made from a nylon and spandex blend of material. In certain embodiments, the material may comprise at least 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, or 80%, but less than 95%, 90%, 85%, or 80% nylon. In certain embodiments, the material may comprise at least 5%, 10%, 15%, or 20%, but less than 40%, 35%, 30%, or 25% spandex. In one embodiment, the fabric comprises a 72%/28% blend of nylon/spandex. It is noted that it is within the scope of the present invention for other types of fabric to be used in the construction of front portion 12 and back portion 14. Exemplary materials include those comprising neoprene, aramid fibers, and other natural and synthetic fibers. Support strap sections 34, 36 can be made of similar materials as can be used to construct the front and back portions 12, 14. However, as mentioned previously, it is preferred that the materials from which support strap sections 34, 36 are constructed have higher tensile strengths than the front and back portions 12, 14.
The supportive undergarment 10 preferably comprises one component of a system for restraining movement of breast tissue. As mentioned previously, undergarment 10 is configured to be worn over, or in certain embodiments underneath, a conventional bra, especially an underwire-containing sports bra. An exemplary system 72 is depicted in
As can be seen in
Certain bras, like underwire-containing bra 74, are configured to impart desired aesthetic qualities to the wearer's breasts, giving the breast a certain shape. Because undergarment 10 only restrains the upward movement of the wearer's breast tissue, undergarment 10 preferably does not interfere with the bra's functionality in this regard and does not alter the shape given to the wearer's breasts by the bra.
In use, the wearer dons supportive undergarment 10 over bra 74. However, as described above, it is within the scope of the present invention for undergarment 10 to be worn underneath bra 74. Preferably, lower band 26 is positioned below the cups of bra 74, and if underwires are present, lower band 26 ought to be worn below and not on top (or directly under) of the underwires. The wearer then extends one of the supportive strap sections 34 over the upper portion of one of the wearer's breasts toward anchor member 56, and the other supportive strap section 36 toward anchor member 54. Each of the supportive strap sections 34, 36 is attached to its respective anchor member 56, 54. In particular, free end 42 is passed through D-rings 58 of anchor member 56, and free end 44 is passed through D-rings 58 of anchor member 54. The wearer then pulls on each strap section 34, 36 to apply a tensile force that compresses the upper portions of the wearer's breasts (i.e., the upper breast root). The anchor members 54, 56 function to maintain the tensile force within the strap sections 34, 36 even though the wearer is no longer actively pulling on the straps and to transfer those forces into the lower band 26. The free ends 42, 44 of each strap section are fastened onto a section of the respective strap section, preferably at a location above the breast-receiving sections 18, 20. The fasteners 64-70 help maintain the tension within strap sections 34, 36 by keeping the strap section and anchor member connection from loosening. The compression applied to the upper breast root by strap section 34, 36 arrests upward movement of the wearer's breast tissue while the wearer is engaged in physical activity. Bra 74 provides cantilevered support to the underside of the wearer's breasts thereby restraining downward breast movement. In addition, bra 74 may be configured to restrain lateral breast motion by providing support to the lateral and medial sides of the wearer's breasts.
As illustrated, supportive undergarment 110 is worn over a conventional bra 72. However, it is within the scope of the present invention for undergarment 110 to be worn underneath bra 72 up against the wearer's skin. In addition, breast-receiving sections 18, 20 may comprise fabric panels or cutouts (as illustrated).
In certain embodiments, supportive undergarment 210 may be configured to be worn underneath a conventional bra 74. In such embodiments, it is preferable for breast-receiving sections 18, 20 to comprise a fabric panel, although this need not always be the case and breast-receiving sections 18, 20 may also comprise cutouts. Supportive undergarment 210 may also be configured to be worn over a conventional bra 74 like the above-described embodiments.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/950,332, filed Dec. 19, 2019, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62950332 | Dec 2019 | US |
