Patent Application
20240341375
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to garments, and more specifically, to undergarments and their accessories that can enhance the size and shape of certain body parts.
Undergarments may provide several functions, such as shaping the wearer's body, supporting parts of the body during exercise, and offering protection to outer clothing. Undergarments can include everything from men's vests and women's brassieres or bras to their underwear.
Wearing a garment to support the chests or breasts may date back to ancient Greece. Women wore an apodesmos, later stethodesme, mastodesmos and mastodeton, all meaning “breast-band,” a band of wool or linen that was wrapped across the chests or breasts and tied or pinned at the back. Fragments of linen textiles found in East Tyrol in Austria dated to between 1440 and 1485 are believed to have been bras. Two of them had cups made from two pieces of linen sewn with fabric that extended to the bottom of the torso with a row of six eyelets for fastening with a lace or string. One had two shoulder straps and was decorated with lace in the cleavage. From the 16th century, the undergarments of wealthier women in the Western world were dominated by the corset, which pushed the breasts upwards. In the later 19th century, clothing designers began experimenting with alternatives, splitting the corset into multiple parts: a girdle-like restraining device for the lower torso, and devices that suspended the breasts from the shoulder to the upper torso.
Women have played a large part in the design and manufacture of various kinds of undergarments, such as bras, accounting for half the patents filed. The Dresden-based German Christine Hardt patented the first modern brassiere in 1899. Sigmund Lindauer from Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Germany, developed a brassiere for mass production in 1912 and patented it in 1913. It was mass-produced by Mechanischen Trikotweberei Ludwig Maier und Cie. in Böblingen, Germany. In the United States, Mary Phelps Jacob received a patent in 1914 for the first brassiere design that is recognized as the basis for modern bras. Mass production in the early-20th century made the garment widely available to women in the United States, England, Western Europe, and other countries influenced by western fashion. Metal shortages in World War I encouraged the end of the corset. Bras were initially manufactured by small production companies and supplied to retailers. The term “cup” was not used until 1916, and manufacturers relied on stretchable cups to accommodate different sized breasts. Women with larger breasts had the choice of long-line bras, built-up backs, wedge-shaped breast pads/inserts between the cups, wider straps, firm bands under the cup, and light boning.
People wear different types of undergarments. Undergarments can generally be differentiated as having an upper body piece and/or a lower body piece. Some undergarments cover both the upper body and the lower body as part of one garment. Various undergarments for the upper body include varieties of vests and bras. Vests and bras come in different shapes, sizes, and types, such as tank tops, half sleeve vests, sport bras, lingerie, swimsuits, pasties, strapless bras, push-up bras, compression vests and bras, etc. On the other hand, various undergarments for the lower body include varieties of underwear, shorts, and pants, such as briefs, Spanx®, leggings, shorts, boyshorts, G-strings, thongs, C-strings, bikinis, etc. Typically, the vests and bras are form-fitting undergarments that perform the function of supporting a man's chest or a woman's breasts. The underwear, shorts, and pants are also form-fitting and perform the function of supporting the wearer's hips and genitals. Swimsuits, camisoles, backless dresses, shirts, t-shirts, pants, shorts, etc. and other garments, may be made with built-in support that function as undergarments.
Bras are complex garments made of many parts. Most come in 36 sizes; standards and methods of measurement vary widely. However, breasts come in different shape and sizes too. Generic bra sizes and shapes do not suit every woman. Further, due to the mismatch between the bra and the women's breast or due to the size of the women's breasts, women need undergarment pads, such as breast pads, to make their breasts look fuller and bigger, thereby enhancing the appearance of their breasts. Therefore, there is a need for breast pads that can be designed to make the bra fit better. Even though there are some breast pads in the market these days that either come within the bras or can be inserted as a standalone piece, they are just a simple, thin piece of foam that are uncomfortable to wear, are not tailored to the needs of the wearer, do not conform to the shape of the bra and the women's breasts, make the breasts look unnatural and ugly, and are generally inefficient.
Some of the available breast pads that are less effective, not as natural looking, and not as visually appealing as various embodiments of the present invention include: 1) those manufactured by Double Scoop. They create breast padding, but they don't make cups for each bra size. Their inserts look unnatural and pointy. Sec, e.g., “The Original”: One cup for sizes AA-C http://double-scoop.com/the-original/; “Divine Original”: One cup for sizes D and larger: http://double-scoop.com/divine-original-d-cup-up/; “Original Triangle”: Sizes: A or B/C: http://double-scoop.com/the-original-triangle/; “Divine Triangle”: Sizes D and Up: http://double-scoop.com/divine-triangle-d-cup-up/; 2) those manufactured by Bravo, such as Bravo's Triangle Ultra Shaper. Their cups only come in two size options “A/B” and “C/D.” These two sizes don't fit well and the A/B and C/D run small and they look unnatural. See, e.g., https://www.brapads.com/shop/triangle-ultra-shaper-bra-pads/.
Consequently, there is a need for better undergarment pads, such as breast pads, that can replace the already existing pads within the bra, be used in conjunction with it, or simply as an isolated element while simultaneously addressing the needs of the wearer and making the wearer's breasts look fuller and bigger.
Such pads may also be worn in vests or any other undergarments that men wear to enhance the appearance of their chest size and shape. Similarly, such pads may also be used to enhance the shape and size of the genitals, the buttocks, or any other lower body part of the wearer by using them with undergarments for the lower body.
Provided herein are undergarment pads comprising an outer portion having a convex shape, a corresponding inner portion having a concave shape, wherein the outer portion is coupled to the inner portion through at least one curved edge; and an apex elevated from a base surface of the pad.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description, which illustrate, by way of examples, the principles of the present invention.
The present invention may be better understood by referring to the following figures. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure. In the figures, reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.
Before the present subject matter is described in detail, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments described, as such may vary. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims.
In the following description and in the figures, like elements are identified with like reference numerals. The use of “e.g.,” “etc.,” and “or” indicates non-exclusive alternatives without limitation, unless otherwise noted. The use of “including” or “includes” means “including, but not limited to,” or “includes, but not limited to,” unless otherwise noted.
As used herein, the term “and/or” placed between a first entity and a second entity means one of (1) the first entity, (2) the second entity, and (3) the first entity and the second entity. Multiple entities listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same manner, i.e., “one or more” of the entities so conjoined. Other entities may optionally be present other than the entities specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those entities specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B,” when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including entities other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including entities other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other entities). These entities may refer to elements, actions, structures, steps, operations, values, and the like.
The thicker, enhanced undergarment pads, as illustrated in various embodiments of the present invention, are effective, come in a variety of sizes, look natural, and are more visually appealing than other undergarment pads on the market. These undergarment pads can be used in multiple ways. They can be slipped into a bra, swim top, sports bra, bralette, lace top, cami, t-shirt, etc. They can also be stitched on to or attached by any other fastening means into any dress or top. The undergarment pads can be made of any comfortable material such as foam, cotton, linen, nylon, polyester, latex, Lycra®, etc. and are therefore, very versatile. They can be worn with any garment.
Turning to the drawings,
A sample undergarment pad 300 is illustrated in
Recognizing the problems of the sample undergarment pad 300, various embodiments described here were developed. For example, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the thickness of the design, such as the hearts, was changed from the initial to the following measurements: the 13 mm heart's thickness was increased to 20 mm, the 11 mm heart's thickness was increased to 16 mm, and the 8 mm heart's thickness was increased to 12 mm. The smallest hearts were about 5 mm thick and their thickness was changed to 8 mm. Accordingly, the designs and the dimensions of the embodiments described herein were changed to make the undergarment pads thicker and enhanced so that they make the breasts look fuller and bigger, once worn. Upon receiving the undergarment pad 500A that was supposed to correspond to the dimensions specified in sketch 400A, as illustrated in
When some of these sketches were sent to a manufacturing plant in China, the manufacturing plant told the salesperson that it could not make the aforementioned designs and suggested to “trust their expertise” and let them make revisions the way they saw fit. After some persuasion from the salesperson, the Chinese manufacturing plant was trusted, and they provided a sample that they imagined fit the aforementioned design requirements. Accordingly, they created undergarment pad 500B, as illustrated in
Then undergarment pad 500D, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Undergarment pads 700A and 700B, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads, such as the ones described herein, may include a pointy apex. In some embodiments, the undergarment pads may be less pointy and more curved looking. The salesperson was asked to inform the manufacturing plant to manufacture less pointy undergarment pads. The manufacturing plant was asked to modify the profile of the undergarment pads and make them less pointy by copying the profile of the undergarment pad 600A and 600B and move the overall thickness of the undergarment pad, so it only affects the inner chamber of the undergarment pad while maintaining the outside profile shape. In order to reduce the pointiness of the undergarment pad, the manufacturing company responded that they will decrease the top/apex of the undergarment pads by 1-2 mm and modify the inner chamber of the breast cup so that the overall size and thickness of the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads remains, generally, the same. In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment pad may be similar to undergarment pads 700A and 700B without the pointy apex, as illustrated by undergarment pad 700C. In some embodiments, the apex 720C of the undergarment pad 700C may have a padding that is 1-2 mm thinner than the padding of the apex 720B of the thicker, enhanced undergarment pad 700B. In some embodiments, the padding of the apex 720C of the thicker, enhanced undergarment pad 700C may be moved into the inner chamber so the overall padding of the thicker, enhanced undergarment pad 700C may be generally the same as that of thicker, enhanced undergarment pad 710C, 700A, and/or 700B. In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment pad 710C may be similar to the undergarment pads 700A and 700B. The thicker, enhanced undergarment pad 700C is the most current design.
In some embodiments, the wearer can replace the thin piece of foam that many articles of clothing, such as tops, dresses, t-shirts, shirts, bras, swimsuits, sports bras, lingerie, etc., have in them with the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads. The wearer may choose to add one or more thicker, enhanced undergarment pads according to their need. These articles of clothing have an inner and outer surface in between which the undergarment pad described herein may be inserted. The undergarment pads may be removeable or permanently fixed within the article of clothing. In other embodiments, if the articles of clothing, such as tops, dresses, t-shirts, sports bras, shirts, bras, lingerie, swimsuit, vests, etc. do not come with an undergarment pad, the wearer may look to purchase the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads and insert it under undergarment and over their skin or between the undergarment and the top, or wherever else they see fit. In some embodiments, the undergarment pads may be attached to the inner and/or outer surface of the article of clothing using any attachments means, such as Velcro®, buttons, snaps, magnetic snaps, zippers, adhesives, stitches, etc. In some embodiments, the apex may be elevated from an imaginary base surface of the undergarment pad that is defined by the flat plane on which two corners may lie when the pad is parallel to the ground.
The other companies that make enhancing undergarment pads lump sizes together and have pointy pads without visually appealing designs. Such undergarment pads, lump cup sizes together such as cup size A/B and size C/D. Some of these undergarment pads are also sold as one size fits all or one size fits AA-C cup sizes. Size AA is much different than size C, so these undergarment pads never fit well. Many of the push up undergarment pads have a lot of padding and the padding doesn't tapper off toward the edges, so the padding looks unnatural and you can see where the edge of the undergarment pad sits on the breast. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads have dimensions that fit individual wearer and taper off toward the edges, thus making the wearer's breasts look natural and the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads hidden from view. In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads come in four sizes (A, B, C, & D) so that the wearer can purchase their exact cup size. The thicker, enhanced undergarment pads are manufactured specific to each customer and do not lump cup sizes together. In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads are manufactured with a lot of padding that have a very natural look that seamlessly blends in around the contours of the wearer's breasts by tapering off near the edges such that the wearer or an observer doesn't see where the undergarment pads starts or stops. This creates a very natural look. In some embodiments, the inner chambers, such as 750B illustrated in
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/120,777, filed Mar. 13, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/689,767, filed Mar. 8, 2022, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/860,063, filed Apr. 27, 2020, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/192,943, filed Nov. 16, 2018, now abandoned, which is a continuation of International PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US2018/037399, filed Jun. 13, 2018, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/519,344, filed Jun. 14, 2017, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62519344 | Jun 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 18120777 | Mar 2023 | US |
| Child | 18596539 | US | |
| Parent | 17689797 | Mar 2022 | US |
| Child | 18120777 | US | |
| Parent | 16860063 | Apr 2020 | US |
| Child | 17689797 | US | |
| Parent | 16192943 | Nov 2018 | US |
| Child | 16860063 | US | |
| Parent | PCT/US18/37399 | Jun 2018 | WO |
| Child | 16192943 | US |
