BRASSIERE
United States Patent 3779250
A brassiere wherein left and right bust cups are fashioned from a single layer of soft, resilient material. The upper bust edge of each of the bust cups includes a reinforcement band of the same material as the bust cups. The upper edge of the reinforcement band is secured to the upper edge of the bust cups with elasticized thread thereby providing an accomodating, comfortable garment. The lower edge of the band is secured a larger-than-normal distance from the upper edge of each of the bust cups, thereby forming a reinforcement band which distributes upper-bust edge pressure over a greater-than-normal area. Additionally, the reinforcement band is comparatively flat and relatively undetectable when worn under garments which would reveal a normal reinforcement band on a conventional brassiere.
US Patent References:
Brassiere
Gernreich - August 1967 - 3338242
Brassiere
Glick - July 1947 - 2424453
Brassiere having elastic shoulder straps and edging
Hoelscher - April 1968 - 3380454
Brassiere
Gingras - March 1968 - 3372698
Brassiere
Gernreich - August 1967 - 3338242
Brassiere
Glick - July 1947 - 2424453
Brassiere having elastic shoulder straps and edging
Hoelscher - April 1968 - 3380454
Brassiere
Gingras - March 1968 - 3372698
Application Number:
05/236329
Publication Date:
12/18/1973
Filing Date:
03/20/1972
View Patent Images:
Export Citation:
Assignee:
Warnaco Inc. (Bridgeport, CT)
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
450/74, 450/70
International Classes:
A41C3/00; A41C3/00
Field of Search:
128/425,443,465,489,491,494,495,498,517
Primary Examiner:
Schroeder, Werner H.
Claims:
What is claimed is
1. A brassiere comprising right and left bust cups of fabric having a grain, each bust cup having an upper bust edge, a reinforcement band of fabric having a grain, said reinforcement band having upper and lower edges, said reinforcement band being coextensive with said upper bust edge for distributing upper bust edge pressure along said reinforcement band, said grain of said reinforcement band fabric being substantially aligned with respect to said grain of said bust cup fabric, elasticized thread joining said upper edge of said reinforcement band to said upper bust edge and means joining said lower edge of said reinforcement band to said bust cups a distance from said upper bust edge.
2. A brassiere according to claim 1 wherein said right and left bust cups and said reinforcement band are each formed of a single layer of fabric whereby said upper bust edge is relatively flat and includes only two layers of fabric, the respective grains of said two layers being substantially aligned.
3. A brassiere according to claim 2 wherein said bust cup fabric and said reinforcement band fabric are double warp knit tricot or the like.
4. A brassiere comprising right and left bust cups of fabric having a grain, each bust cup having an upper bust edge along the upper edge and at least part of the outer edge thereof, a wider-than-normal reinforcement band of fabric having a grain, said reinforcement band having upper and lower edges, said grain of said reinforcement band being substantially aligned with said grain of said bust cup fabric, said reinforcement band being coextensive with said upper bust edge for distributing upper bust pressure along said reinforcement band and strengthening and supporting said upper bust edge, elastic stitching joining said upper edge of said reinforcement band to said upper bust edge and means joining said lower edge of said reinforcement band to said right and left bust cups at a larger-than-normal distance from said upper bust edge.
5. A brassiere according to claim 4 wherein said right and left bust cups and said reinforcement band are each formed of a single layer of fabric whereby said upper bust edge is flat and includes only two layers of substantially aligned fabric.
6. A brassiere according to claim 5 wherein said bust cut fabric and said reinforcement band fabric are double warp knit tricot or the like. 7A brassiere comprising right and left bust cups being fabricated of fabric having a grain, and including an upper bust edge along the upper edge and at least part of the outer edge thereof, a wider-than-normal reinforcement band fabricated of fabric having a grain, and including upper and lower edges, said reinforcement band being constructed and arranged with the grain thereof substantially aligned with the grain of said bust cups and coextensive with said upper bust edge for distributing upper bust edge pressure along said reinforcement band and strengthening and supporting said upper bust edge, elastic stitching joining said upper edge of said reinforcement band to said upper bust edge and means joining said lower edge of said reinforcement band to said right and left bust cups at a larger-than-normal distance from said upper bust edge.
1. A brassiere comprising right and left bust cups of fabric having a grain, each bust cup having an upper bust edge, a reinforcement band of fabric having a grain, said reinforcement band having upper and lower edges, said reinforcement band being coextensive with said upper bust edge for distributing upper bust edge pressure along said reinforcement band, said grain of said reinforcement band fabric being substantially aligned with respect to said grain of said bust cup fabric, elasticized thread joining said upper edge of said reinforcement band to said upper bust edge and means joining said lower edge of said reinforcement band to said bust cups a distance from said upper bust edge.
2. A brassiere according to claim 1 wherein said right and left bust cups and said reinforcement band are each formed of a single layer of fabric whereby said upper bust edge is relatively flat and includes only two layers of fabric, the respective grains of said two layers being substantially aligned.
3. A brassiere according to claim 2 wherein said bust cup fabric and said reinforcement band fabric are double warp knit tricot or the like.
4. A brassiere comprising right and left bust cups of fabric having a grain, each bust cup having an upper bust edge along the upper edge and at least part of the outer edge thereof, a wider-than-normal reinforcement band of fabric having a grain, said reinforcement band having upper and lower edges, said grain of said reinforcement band being substantially aligned with said grain of said bust cup fabric, said reinforcement band being coextensive with said upper bust edge for distributing upper bust pressure along said reinforcement band and strengthening and supporting said upper bust edge, elastic stitching joining said upper edge of said reinforcement band to said upper bust edge and means joining said lower edge of said reinforcement band to said right and left bust cups at a larger-than-normal distance from said upper bust edge.
5. A brassiere according to claim 4 wherein said right and left bust cups and said reinforcement band are each formed of a single layer of fabric whereby said upper bust edge is flat and includes only two layers of substantially aligned fabric.
6. A brassiere according to claim 5 wherein said bust cut fabric and said reinforcement band fabric are double warp knit tricot or the like. 7A brassiere comprising right and left bust cups being fabricated of fabric having a grain, and including an upper bust edge along the upper edge and at least part of the outer edge thereof, a wider-than-normal reinforcement band fabricated of fabric having a grain, and including upper and lower edges, said reinforcement band being constructed and arranged with the grain thereof substantially aligned with the grain of said bust cups and coextensive with said upper bust edge for distributing upper bust edge pressure along said reinforcement band and strengthening and supporting said upper bust edge, elastic stitching joining said upper edge of said reinforcement band to said upper bust edge and means joining said lower edge of said reinforcement band to said right and left bust cups at a larger-than-normal distance from said upper bust edge.
Description:
The present invention relates generally to brassieres and, in particular, to the construction of the bust cups thereof.
Numerous brassieres have been available which attempt to afford comfort and support for the wearer. Many of these brassieres have attempted to provide comfort by special construction of the side bands or special curvatures in the bottom edge thereof. Other brassieres have attempted to provide a comfortable garment for changing bust configurations by providing brassieres with special lower bust cup constructions. Still other brassieres have attempted to improve conformance to the wearer by the use of specialized elastic fabric inserts within the bust cups to make the bust cups differentially responsive to tension.
Many brassieres form bust cups of two materials in an attempt at providing comfort and support. Other brassieres use a soft fabric to form the bust cups with a rigid facing or braid being required to hold the construction together. Invariably these latter brassieres present an unnatural appearance under a garment.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a brassiere which supplies a proper amount of support while providing a natural look when worn under revealing garments.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a brassiere wherein a single, soft fabric, such as one of the double warp knit tricots, may be used in the bust cups to form an undergarment which may be constructed to provide the proper support for the wearer.
I have found that a brassiere can be created wherein the bust cups are formed of a soft fabric which can be used to reinforce the cups where needed in a manner to provide a moderate degree of rigidity where that is needed, without the brassiere appearing unnatural under clothing.
In accordance with a specific embodiment of the present invention, a brassiere includes right and left bust cups each having an upper bust edge. A reinforcement band, having upper and lower edges, is coextensive with the upper bust edge of the bust cups and distributes upper bust edge pressure along the reinforcement band. Elasticized thread joins the upper edge of the reinforcement band to the upper bust edge and means join the lower edge of the reinforcement band to the bust cups a distance from the upper bust edge.
The above description as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description of the presently preferred but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of an illustrative form of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the inside of the invention shown in FIG. 1 with a reinforcement band shown removed from the upper edge of d left bust cup; and
FIG. 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the left bust cup of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, taken substantially along the line 3--3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.
Referring now specifically to the drawing, in accordance with one illustrative embodiment demonstrating objects and features of the present invention, there is provided a brassiere, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, which includes a right bust cup 12, a left bust cup 14, a bottom panel 16, a side panel 18 and shoulder straps 20 all constructed and connected as described hereinafter.
Both the right bust cup 12 and the left bust cup 14 are constructed substantially alike and though they are not identical, they are symmetrical and only a detailed description of the construction of the left bust cup will be presented.
The left bust cup 14 is formed of an upper left bust cup 22 and a lower left bust cup 24 both of which are produced from single layers of soft fabric, such as double warp knit tricot. as is well known in the art, such tricot inherently possesses a fabric grain direction. The upper and lower left bust cups 22, 24 are stitched together and joined by a mid-seam 28. The ends of the upper and lower bust cups 22, 24 which protrude into the interior of the brassiere 10 after the formation of the mid-seam 28 are sewn down with rows of stitches 30, 32 respectively.
A reinforcement band 34, formed of the same soft fabric as the left bust cup 14, is attached to the upper bust edge 36 thereof by elastomeric stitching 38. The reinforcement band 34 is formed and arranged along the upper bust edge 36 in a manner that the resultant grain of the fabric of which it is composed is aligned with the grain of the fabric of the upper left bust cup 22. The reinforcement band 34 is substantially wider than is normal for reinforcement bands of conventional brassieres.
In consequence of its greater-than-normal width, the lower edge of the reinforcement band 34 is stitched to the upper left bust cup 22 by stitches 40 a substantially-greater-than-normal distance from the upper bust edge 36. The formation of the reinforcement band 34 in this manner, of this material, results in a moderate degree of rigidity being provided to the upper bust edge 36 without the need for the normal facing or braid. The wider-than-normal reinforcement band 34 which results, distributes the upper bust edge pressure over a larger-than-normal area with attendant comfort advantages. The upper bust edge thus formed results in a flat, natural-looking line when the brassiere 10 is worn under thin, revealing garments. Also, the use of the elastomeric stitching 38 aids in pressure distribution along the upper bust edge 36 as it preserves the elasticity of the double warp knit tricot at that edge. At their line of symmetry 42, the inner edges of the cups 12, 14 are sewn together with a tape 44 sewn over the seam thus formed to present a smooth and abrasion-free inner surface to the wearer.
The bottom bust panel 16 is made of elastic material and is fashioned from two symmetrical panels 45, 46 joined at their inner edges to each other (which inner edges are also covered by the tape 44) and their upper edges to the lower edges of the bust cups 12, 14. The side panel 18, is joined to the outer edges of the bottom bust panel 16 as well as to the outer edges of the bust cups 12, 14. The bottom bust panel 18 is provided with conventional end fastening means for adjustably fastening the brassiere 10 about the body of the wearer.
The end fastening means is covered by tape 60 to present a smooth, abrasion-free inner surface to the wearer. The exposed seams which join the bottom bust panel 18 to the lower edge of the cups 12, 14 are covered with tape 62 and the lower edge of the bottom bust panel 18 is covered with tape 64, also for abrasion prevention.
The shoulder straps 20, which may be adjustable, are attached to the crests 66 of the bust cups 12, 14 and are also attached to the side panels 18 at the rear of the brassiere 10 in a conventional manner.
Thus, the objects of the present invention have been fulfilled in that a single layer of a relatively soft fabric has been used to fabricate a supporting garment which provides a moderate degree of rigidity in the upper bust area of the garment where it is required. The use of the elasticized thread 38 to attach the upper edge of the reinforcing band 34 to the upper bust edge 36 of the cups 12, 14 has resulted in the maintenance of the desired degree of elasticity in that upper edge while the relatively large width of the reinforcing band 34 distributes pressure which developes at the upper bust edge of the brassiere over the broad area of the reinforcement band.
The garment which results from an application of the principles of the instant invention provides improved fit for the non-symmetrical figure which a substantial number of women enjoy. Further, a garment which embodies the principles of the present invention provides an improved fit for the wearer whose bust becomes fuller at certain times.
As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention may be used in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalence of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.
Numerous brassieres have been available which attempt to afford comfort and support for the wearer. Many of these brassieres have attempted to provide comfort by special construction of the side bands or special curvatures in the bottom edge thereof. Other brassieres have attempted to provide a comfortable garment for changing bust configurations by providing brassieres with special lower bust cup constructions. Still other brassieres have attempted to improve conformance to the wearer by the use of specialized elastic fabric inserts within the bust cups to make the bust cups differentially responsive to tension.
Many brassieres form bust cups of two materials in an attempt at providing comfort and support. Other brassieres use a soft fabric to form the bust cups with a rigid facing or braid being required to hold the construction together. Invariably these latter brassieres present an unnatural appearance under a garment.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a brassiere which supplies a proper amount of support while providing a natural look when worn under revealing garments.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a brassiere wherein a single, soft fabric, such as one of the double warp knit tricots, may be used in the bust cups to form an undergarment which may be constructed to provide the proper support for the wearer.
I have found that a brassiere can be created wherein the bust cups are formed of a soft fabric which can be used to reinforce the cups where needed in a manner to provide a moderate degree of rigidity where that is needed, without the brassiere appearing unnatural under clothing.
In accordance with a specific embodiment of the present invention, a brassiere includes right and left bust cups each having an upper bust edge. A reinforcement band, having upper and lower edges, is coextensive with the upper bust edge of the bust cups and distributes upper bust edge pressure along the reinforcement band. Elasticized thread joins the upper edge of the reinforcement band to the upper bust edge and means join the lower edge of the reinforcement band to the bust cups a distance from the upper bust edge.
The above description as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description of the presently preferred but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of an illustrative form of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the inside of the invention shown in FIG. 1 with a reinforcement band shown removed from the upper edge of d left bust cup; and
FIG. 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the left bust cup of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, taken substantially along the line 3--3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.
Referring now specifically to the drawing, in accordance with one illustrative embodiment demonstrating objects and features of the present invention, there is provided a brassiere, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, which includes a right bust cup 12, a left bust cup 14, a bottom panel 16, a side panel 18 and shoulder straps 20 all constructed and connected as described hereinafter.
Both the right bust cup 12 and the left bust cup 14 are constructed substantially alike and though they are not identical, they are symmetrical and only a detailed description of the construction of the left bust cup will be presented.
The left bust cup 14 is formed of an upper left bust cup 22 and a lower left bust cup 24 both of which are produced from single layers of soft fabric, such as double warp knit tricot. as is well known in the art, such tricot inherently possesses a fabric grain direction. The upper and lower left bust cups 22, 24 are stitched together and joined by a mid-seam 28. The ends of the upper and lower bust cups 22, 24 which protrude into the interior of the brassiere 10 after the formation of the mid-seam 28 are sewn down with rows of stitches 30, 32 respectively.
A reinforcement band 34, formed of the same soft fabric as the left bust cup 14, is attached to the upper bust edge 36 thereof by elastomeric stitching 38. The reinforcement band 34 is formed and arranged along the upper bust edge 36 in a manner that the resultant grain of the fabric of which it is composed is aligned with the grain of the fabric of the upper left bust cup 22. The reinforcement band 34 is substantially wider than is normal for reinforcement bands of conventional brassieres.
In consequence of its greater-than-normal width, the lower edge of the reinforcement band 34 is stitched to the upper left bust cup 22 by stitches 40 a substantially-greater-than-normal distance from the upper bust edge 36. The formation of the reinforcement band 34 in this manner, of this material, results in a moderate degree of rigidity being provided to the upper bust edge 36 without the need for the normal facing or braid. The wider-than-normal reinforcement band 34 which results, distributes the upper bust edge pressure over a larger-than-normal area with attendant comfort advantages. The upper bust edge thus formed results in a flat, natural-looking line when the brassiere 10 is worn under thin, revealing garments. Also, the use of the elastomeric stitching 38 aids in pressure distribution along the upper bust edge 36 as it preserves the elasticity of the double warp knit tricot at that edge. At their line of symmetry 42, the inner edges of the cups 12, 14 are sewn together with a tape 44 sewn over the seam thus formed to present a smooth and abrasion-free inner surface to the wearer.
The bottom bust panel 16 is made of elastic material and is fashioned from two symmetrical panels 45, 46 joined at their inner edges to each other (which inner edges are also covered by the tape 44) and their upper edges to the lower edges of the bust cups 12, 14. The side panel 18, is joined to the outer edges of the bottom bust panel 16 as well as to the outer edges of the bust cups 12, 14. The bottom bust panel 18 is provided with conventional end fastening means for adjustably fastening the brassiere 10 about the body of the wearer.
The end fastening means is covered by tape 60 to present a smooth, abrasion-free inner surface to the wearer. The exposed seams which join the bottom bust panel 18 to the lower edge of the cups 12, 14 are covered with tape 62 and the lower edge of the bottom bust panel 18 is covered with tape 64, also for abrasion prevention.
The shoulder straps 20, which may be adjustable, are attached to the crests 66 of the bust cups 12, 14 and are also attached to the side panels 18 at the rear of the brassiere 10 in a conventional manner.
Thus, the objects of the present invention have been fulfilled in that a single layer of a relatively soft fabric has been used to fabricate a supporting garment which provides a moderate degree of rigidity in the upper bust area of the garment where it is required. The use of the elasticized thread 38 to attach the upper edge of the reinforcing band 34 to the upper bust edge 36 of the cups 12, 14 has resulted in the maintenance of the desired degree of elasticity in that upper edge while the relatively large width of the reinforcing band 34 distributes pressure which developes at the upper bust edge of the brassiere over the broad area of the reinforcement band.
The garment which results from an application of the principles of the instant invention provides improved fit for the non-symmetrical figure which a substantial number of women enjoy. Further, a garment which embodies the principles of the present invention provides an improved fit for the wearer whose bust becomes fuller at certain times.
As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention may be used in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalence of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.