CN111432673A - Sports bra for postural recovery and chest mobility - Google Patents

Abstract

A brassiere invention for therapeutic posture correction and chest expansion for improved posture and chest mobility in posture recovery, chest expansion, shoulder and spine muscle rehabilitation, occupational risk prevention, anti-aging posture training, and motion enhancement spaces, and methods of making the same. A uniquely designed, manufactured and fabric knitted brassiere designed to improve scapular kinematics and spinal biomechanics, as well as rebalancing, correction and comfort of overall proprioceptive posture, resulting in breathability, functionality, range of motion, and fashion. The sport bra is uniquely designed and reduces the distance between the shoulder blades by proprioceptive shoulder muscle relaxation and spinal muscle activation and, secondly, allows chest expansion to provide better breathing and overall improvement in female health.

Description

Sports bra for postural recovery and chest mobility

Cross Reference of Related Applications

This PCT international application claims priority to U.S. patent application No. 16/147,639 entitled "POSTURE RECOVERY THERAPEUTIC BRA (breast RECOVERY thermal BRA)" filed on 7.9.2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application No. 16/125,453 entitled "POSTURE, PERFORMANCE, RECOVERY (PPR) BRA (posure, PERFORMANCE, RECOVERY (PPR) BRA)" filed on 4.9.2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application No. 16/057,558 entitled "POSTURE, PERFORMANCE, RECOVERY (PPR) BRA (posure, PERFORMANCE, RECOVERY (PPR)", filed on 7.8.7.2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application No. 16/029,567 entitled "POSTURE, PERFORMANCE, RECOVERY (PPR) BRA" filed on 7.7.2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application No. 16/029,567 entitled "POSTURE, PERFORMANCE, RECOVERY BRA" filed on 7.8, which is incorporated by reference to the entire contents of provisional patent application No. L entitled "POSTURE RECOVERY BRA". 3628 filed on 7.8.

Technical Field

It is an object of the present invention to provide a comfortable and proprioceptive knitted multi-layer hybrid fabric, therapeutic posture correction and chest expansion sport bra that uses anatomically correct motion to correct the posture of the wearer that allows spinal, shoulder and chest activity, improves chest expansion, is breathable and aesthetically pleasing, promotes patient compliance (compliance), and is not so tight as to be hot and uncomfortable to wear.

The present invention relates to a brassiere for performing posture recovery, chest expansion and chest activities using spinal muscles, scapular motion and proprioception the brassiere is used for daily wear to improve and prevent gradual sagging, to improve chest mobility after breast surgery, to provide support for large, tight breasts and to aid in daily activities (AD L), post-operative shoulder recovery, occupational risk prevention, and many other industrial and healthcare applications.

Background

Posture correction garments and brassieres are known and have been used for many years; the primary objective is to stimulate the body muscles to achieve better alignment and posture, resulting in a slight spine S-the golden standard of orthopedics for perfect spine alignment. The importance of maintaining good posture is a well-known and long-accepted priority of healthcare professionals and even non-experts in the field. Good posture is critical for overall health (prevention of back, shoulder, neck pain, etc.) and for athletic performance; as poor posture or form during dynamic athletic activities can lead to inefficient biomechanics and physical motion. Poor posture is often classified, according to observation, as "forward shoulder tilt", "forward thoracic curve", and/or "leftward or rightward thoracic tilt". In addition, inefficient physical movement resulting from poor posture prevents the full exploitation of skeletal muscle movements and forces that often result in repetitive injuries. Typical treatments for back, neck and other pain patients include chiropractic treatment, physical therapy or orthopedic physician assessment and possibly treatment. Such medical procedures for correcting poor posture include injection, medication, rehabilitation, and often as a last resort-surgical correction. Since many people cannot afford the cost or time of long and expensive chiropractic or physical therapy, there is a need for alternative and affordable garment treatment methods and systems in which a therapeutic posture correction and chest expansion bra is the first and appropriate choice in order to:

a) improve the proprioception of the spine and the shoulders,

b) the motion of the spine and the shoulder is improved,

c) provide comfort, functionality, and pain relief,

d) the adaptability of daily wearing is increased,

e) improve chest mobility, and

f) chest expansion is improved to obtain better breathing.

The first attempt to use wearable garments to improve the biomechanical factors affecting posture and motion was in the soviet space program in the 70 s of the 20 th century with the aim of counteracting the effects of long-term weight loss. Such devices are known as Adeli kits and are used to treat pediatric patients with postural disorders due to brain or spinal cord injury caused by neurological disease. Its design is relatively simple, involving a flexible connection between the major joints, especially the target locations of the antagonistic pairs. However, there are many other ways and degrees in which the body can become unbalanced due to the interruption of the muscle-activated power chain.

Muscles that are basically dedicated to the concept of balance and posture are sometimes referred to as the gravitational and antigravity muscles; they are tools that provide the ability for upright organisms to maintain a center of gravity (COG) within a stable support base. Vertical balance is achieved when a vertical line runs directly down through the support base, starting from the center of gravity. Any imbalance may result in compensatory abnormalities that affect the alignment of the entire musculoskeletal system of the body. Optimal pose alignment is critical to counteract the constantly downward gravitational force against the body. When the vertical forces of the musculoskeletal structures and the downward forces of gravity are balanced, the muscles can function with minimal effort, i.e., maximum efficiency.

When the upright body maintains a better posture, the muscles, ligaments and bones are subjected to less pressure and tension, thereby improving their efficiency and increasing bone density and muscle mass over time. So-called antigravity muscles, as opposed to gravity, help maintain an upright, balanced posture. For the upper body and back muscles, these muscles include the trapezius, rhomboid, and several smaller muscle groups around the shoulder, such as the minor and subscapularis. In addition, the neck occipital muscle group holds the head in an upright position, preventing it from leaning forward. These muscle groups simultaneously play an important role in the proprioceptive process, where proprioceptors in the skin surface send critical information about foot pressure to the antigravity muscles via the nervous system. Any weakening of these muscles, combined with the force of gravity that continues to work, results in poor postural stability, which can affect muscle function. Postural alignment is critical to maintaining the normal length-tension relationship of the muscles, especially during dynamic postural, which determines the ease with which parts of the body align throughout movement. Any interruption in this alignment will cause the body's power chain to lose balance, thereby making the person vulnerable to injury. Understanding our limitations in controlling the effects of gravity on muscles and structures should be the basis of treatment planning.

As a treatment option, compression shirts and tight corsets were created to meet the rapidly growing need for posture correction. In addition, several postural and athletic brassieres have been created to assist the breasts and provide a comfortable way for the wearer to support and enhance posture. These brassieres take a variety of posture correction approaches, such as some focusing on the use of cups, elastic materials, and shoulder straps to simultaneously support and visually reinforce the breasts. One particular brassiere discussed in (Mazourik) US20160015090a1 claims to have functional support, but in practice it is only a "push-up" brassiere with little orthotic function. Other brassieres currently on the market are very much like a stance shirt and a waistband, which usually contain vertical shoulder straps that do not mimic natural anatomical movements. In particular, a brassiere of the type mentioned in (Fenske) US20090126084 uses shoulder straps to grip the skin in the chest area. While this may provide some form of posture correction, it does not do so in an anatomically correct way, although claimed to be comfortable, it is not as comfortable because the plurality of shoulder straps that are not naturally pulled over the shoulders are not convenient to wear on a daily basis. More specifically, vertical shoulder straps employ the wrong method to correct the wearer's posture-that is, the shoulder straps do not focus on proprioceptive correction to achieve biomechanically correct posture alignment, but rather on force. This force creates an unnatural alignment that may push the wearer's shoulders back in a better posed appearance, but in practice this approach may not be successful in the short or long term. When the same force is applied to both the posterior muscle groups (i.e., trapezius, rhomboid, latissimus dorsi, and erector spinae) and the anterior muscle groups (serratus anterior, etc.), the natural posture alignment of the thoracolumbar vertebrae is achieved, thereby balancing the body. Therefore, the garment created in this space should target natural (proprioceptive) muscle rebalancing; however, current and past garments or devices do not fully achieve this goal due to several limitations, including those listed above.

In addition to these concepts, most postural garments utilize vertical shoulder straps that end at the bottom of the buttocks, thereby causing unnatural tension forces that force the shoulders back to an inappropriate unnatural position that does not mimic natural anatomical movement. The corresponding picture is that someone grasps the bottom of the shirt from the back, pulls it down, and then gathers it under the hip; this of course forces the person's shoulders back, in a straight position, but also aligns the body in a restrained or stressed position and proves uncomfortable, poorly compliant, and challenging to wear in the work or profession. For example, a shirt of this type is made of cotton cloth with an elastic band attached to the front of each shoulder, running parallel to the spine across the back, and joined at the bottom seam. The same shirt is not only anatomically incorrect, but is also very tight (made of lycra spandex material) and therefore not breathable nor comfortable.

Other brassieres, such as Dicker (US5823851), use both over-shoulder straps interconnected by cross-braces and support straps that include straps that encircle the torso of the wearer. You can imagine how complicated you would be wearing it, let alone how burdensome you would be wearing on your body all day. Compliance has been thrown after the brain. Back and chest support position brassieres cannot be achieved by compromise, ease of wearing, appropriate anatomical methods, and fashion, otherwise one would not wear them.

Known methods and systems include US20090062704 and US20110213283 for shirt-type garments made of cotton cloth, where an elastic band is attached in front of each shoulder and runs parallel to the spine on the back and is connected at a seam towards the bottom of the shirt. These shirts are made of lycra spandex

The material is made of net-shaped knitted elastic fabric. Similar systems utilize lycra spandex

The composite material provides structural stability, compressibility, and an athletic garment appearance. However, this material is impermeable to air. In order to effectively obtain proprioceptive stability from and within the body and correct posture imbalance; lycra spandex

The garment must be worn very tightly, which can cause physical discomfort.

Other known methods and systems include US20160015090 (Mazourik mentioned above), US20090126084(Fenske) and US5823851 (Dicker). The description and limitations of each method have been discussed in detail above.

The present invention differs from previous and current posture garments or devices in that it utilizes natural dynamic (muscular) and static (scapular kinematics) combined proprioception to alter spinal biomechanics and scapular kinematics for posture recovery, upright posture recovery, and improved thoracic mobility. An organism naturally uses proprioception to maintain an internal model of its body in a spatial orientation, which is an avatar representing the brain's best guess as to how its limbs move. When the primary moving cortex sends an ignition signal to the muscle, it also sends an output signal, also known as a necessary discharge. The secondary signal is assumed to suppress the subsequent discharge of the sensory cortex network when it is inevitably subjected to the aforementioned motor stimulus. The therapeutically applied proprioception can be interpreted by enhancing and then normalizing the afferent proprioceptive activity control inputs.

One form of proprioception induction technique utilizes not a vertical shoulder strap, but rather a posterior shoulder strap/elastic tension strap configuration that realigns the scapulae from an extended (forward) position to a retracted (horizontal) position. Horizontal motion moving the scapula toward the spine causes the spine to stretch and realign the head at the top of the spine. This natural movement causes movement of the erector spinal muscles (arching of the spine), relaxation of the trapezius muscles and posterior movement of the head to better align with the spine. This method of posture correction is natural and sustainable because it changes the biomechanics of both the spine and the scapula to restore the wearer's posture and then passively affects posture after correction. This is achieved due to the natural tension exerted by the shoulder straps on the wearer's scapula which retrains the spine and scapular muscles to ensure that the wearer is in an upright position and in the correct postural form without the force of the upright shoulder straps constantly pulling over the shoulders and down to the hip region.

Other systems include US4202327, US4957103, US5158531, US5451200, US5599286, US5718670, US6102879, US6213922, US6440094, US6676617, US6936021, US7134969, US7153246, US7395557, US7662121, US7871388, US8047893, US8083693, US8308670, US8516614, US8556840, US8795213, US8795215, US8887315, US8905956, US 8910311031103110311031103110317, US8932236, US9009863, US9167854, US9168167, US9226534, US9439459, US9445932, US9456919, US9504280, US 9898703, US 9931231236, US 200401479, US20050197607, US 36971, US 365391, US 2012012012012012012015639, US 674779, US 36454779, US 20144579,971, US 20144779,9779, US2014, US 364779,9779,977, US2014, US 364779,9779,521, US2014, US 364779,971, US 2012012012012012012012012012012012012012012014779,971, US 2014.

However, none of the prior art references provide a proprioceptive brassiere capable of effectively and efficiently correcting the posture of a wearer. None of the prior art references provide data on the diminished distance between the scapulae in a resting position or between the scapulae to the spinous processes of the spine when the bra is in use. There is a need for a proprioceptive woven fabric posture bra that reduces the distance between the right and left scapulae by using proprioceptive muscle retraction, corrects the wearer's posture and improves chest expansion and chest mobility using anatomically correct motions that allow shoulder mobility, is breathable and aesthetically pleasing, promotes patient compliance, and is not so tight as to be hot and uncomfortable to wear.

The present invention is therefore directed to solving all of these problems.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a therapeutic bra that effectively corrects and improves the posture, spine alignment, chest expansion, and head position of the wearer. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved spinal biomechanical bra that brings the two scapulae (shoulder blades) closer to the spinal column or closer together and corrects the wearer's posture while improving chest expansion for better breathing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a comfortable proprioceptive knitted fabric postural rebalancing bra that corrects the posture of the wearer using anatomically correct motions that allow mobility of the spine, shoulders and chest, are breathable and aesthetically pleasing, promoting patient compliance, and are not so tight as to be hot and uncomfortable to wear.

The aim of the present invention is to achieve the adoption of mainstream consumers in order to promote compliance, to be commercially successful, and to be both practical and fashionable (or at least not unsightly); and successfully reach a wide range of users who may need such treatment to prevent or help correct current and/or future back and shoulder symptoms. Users range from victims of occupational risk prevention in many industries to professionals, young women, the elderly population, and women with large or tight breasts and complaints of neck and back discomfort.

The objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a fashionable, comfortable therapeutic posture correction brassiere that includes front and rear panels joined along left and right seams; a chest band circumferentially connected to the front and back panels; left and right shoulder straps connecting the front panel to the rear panel, wherein the left and right shoulder straps are each comprised of a front portion and a rear scapular portion; and an elastic band connecting the left posterior scapular portion to the right posterior scapular portion.

In certain embodiments, the front and back panels comprise two or more polyester fabric layers.

In some embodiments, the elastic band includes three fabric layers, a combination of polyester fabric, tension fabric (e.g., elastic fabric), and polyester fabric, where tension fabric is a key component of postural correction, and polyester fabric is itself only providing greater comfort and aesthetics. The mesh assembly highlights the unique horizontal "see-saw" tension provided by the therapeutic bra, which is a vertical, relatively inelastic bra that is pre-stretched and horizontally stretched for comfort and posture correction functions.

In some embodiments, the chest strap and the left and right straps are single, double or triple layered, mesh/fabric or any combination of mesh/netting.

In some embodiments, the left and right rear shoulder straps may be full length and directly connected to the chest straps without the rear panels in between, while still being configured to accomplish the same objectives of posture recovery, spinal extension, and chest mobility (such as chest expansion and chest extension).

In some embodiments, the left and right front shoulder straps may be full length and directly connected to the chest strap, forming an inverted triangular double-net covering sheet that is also connected to the chest strap, while still being configured to accomplish the same purposes of posture recovery, spinal extension, and chest mobility (such as chest expansion and chest extension).

In certain embodiments, the front panel may be low cut for aesthetic purposes.

In some embodiments, the elastic bands are pre-stretched, which may be achieved by tensioning the elastic bands prior to attaching them to the rest of the bra, and have various widths depending on the size of the wearer (typically 1 to 4 inches).

In some embodiments, at least one horizontally spaced pre-stretched elastic band is provided. The shoulder straps are either sewn on the outside or inside of the bra.

In some embodiments, the back shoulder straps and elastic straps may be integrally sewn into any existing suitable front panel bra.

In some embodiments, the rear shoulder straps are configured to primarily bring the shoulder blades closer to the spine and secondarily expand the chest cavity for smooth breathing and comfortable fit for the user. These shoulder straps are placed along the edges of the scapula and contain the entire scapular fossa for better proprioception and movement of the scapula.

In some embodiments, the elastic band is configured to pull the wearer's chest toward the front of the wearer, thereby opening the wearer's chest for smooth breathing and a comfortable fit.

In certain embodiments, the elastic band is configured to provide a sawing motion, first resulting in an improvement in the proprioceptive retraction of the scapula, and second resulting in an expansion of the thorax for better breathing.

In some embodiments, expanding chest straps on the sides of the chest are combined with elastic straps to allow both expansion of the chest cavity during inspiration and the pulling back of the scapula into proper alignment, which allows for easier fit while maintaining proper posture correction.

In some embodiments, the elastic band may be positioned from the upper corner of the scapula to the lower corner of the scapula.

In some embodiments, in use, the elastic band extends between near or below the neck and the centre of the wearer's back. In some embodiments, in use, the elastic belt is positioned along and/or alongside the shoulder blades of the wearer from top to bottom.

In some embodiments, the elastic strands are provided when stretched to their maximum extent, i.e., in a pre-stretched state.

In some embodiments, the elastic band provides a rearward pulling force to the bra wearer and places the chest cavity of the bra wearer in proper alignment by providing a horizontal stretch and pulling toward the center of the spine of the wearer.

In certain embodiments, the elastic band (ES) is configured to provide a sawing motion due to vertical inelasticity and horizontal elasticity, which results in behavior such as expansion and contraction in a horizontal manner, which results in improved proprioceptive scapula contraction for better posture and chest expansion for better breathing.

In some embodiments, the front panel of the bra may include two cup portions that are capable of providing support to the breasts of the wearer.

In some embodiments, the width of the front shoulder straps is in the range of about 1-4 inches, while the width of the rear shoulder straps varies between 1-10 inches. In some embodiments, all of the shoulder straps may have different widths depending on the size of the wearer.

In some embodiments, the bra includes elastic bands that act as a proprioceptive mechanism to correct the wearer's posture. In some embodiments, the restoration of the wearer's posture is corrected biomechanically. In some embodiments, the bra corrects the wearer's posture by stretching the lumbar spine (erector spinae activation), reducing the scapular distance by at least 5 millimeters (changing motion), then pulling the wearer's shoulder back and placing the head over the spine, thereby reducing the tension of the shoulder muscles.

In some embodiments, the back portion of the bra or the combination of the front and back portions may be separate, sewn or attached into any existing shirt or jacket as an open bra, or sewn into the garment during garment manufacture as an inner layer of the finished outer garment.

In some embodiments, the bra is used for medical and non-medical purposes to improve the posture of the wearer, provide spinal support, and help prevent posture degradation due to aging.

In certain embodiments, the bra improves shoulder surgery or injury, physical therapy, athletic training, athletic recovery, athletic performance, and recovery of breathing.

In certain embodiments, the brassiere improves the health problems of women, namely chronic round shoulder and back pain during pregnancy due to large or tight breasts.

In certain embodiments, the bra corrects the wearer's posture by 1) reducing the distance between the left and right scapulae, 2) pushing the clavicle backward due to the design of the anterior shoulder strap shape, and 3) inducing spinal extension through activation of the spinal muscles.

In some embodiments, the brassiere incorporates antimicrobial moisture wicking and ultraviolet light protection.

In some embodiments, the bra further comprises a single mesh layer or a double mesh layer disposed below the polyester elastic band portion and configured to provide improved shoulder movement and comfort to the wearer.

In some embodiments, the bra improves the posture of the wearer by reducing the distance between the left and right shoulder blades by at least 5 millimeters.

In some embodiments, the front portion of the bra is detachable and interchangeable from the left and right rear shoulder straps. In some embodiments, the front portion of the bra includes multiple styles, mesh layers, and includes customizable options.

In some embodiments, the chest band allows for smooth breathing and a more comfortable fit, and it may have one to three fabric layers, with or without a strong mesh.

In some embodiments, the chest bands have various widths and lengths, depending on the size of the wearer, and allow for improved chest expansion movement.

In certain embodiments, the bra provides postural support to a wearer suffering from: round shoulder, scapular dyskinesia, kyphosis, anteversion of the head, lordosis, scoliosis, cervical spine injury, shoulder lesions, pregnancy, women with a large compacted breast with a chronic round shoulder, aging posture, neck lesions, chronic headache, Acromioclavicular (AC) joint separation, weakness of spine and shoulder muscles, shoulder rehabilitation, shoulder recovery, shoulder training, cervical/occipital neuralgia, frozen shoulder, and winged scapula.

In some embodiments, the bra corrects the wearer's posture through a direct physical therapy and indirect proprioceptive feedback.

In some embodiments, the bra provides comfort and allows the wearer to move in all directions, minimizing motion limitations.

In some embodiments, the garment corrects the wearer's posture by reducing the scapula, moving the head substantially to a posterior position, having less muscle tension in the neck, and placing the scapula in a more retracted position.

In certain embodiments, the bra is used for both medical and non-medical uses.

In certain embodiments, the bra is used for athletic training and recovery, posture correction and training, spinal therapy, breast surgery therapy, pregnancy garments, large compact breasts, industrial and healthcare personnel garments, athletic wear, and combinations thereof.

Other objects of the present invention and its particular features and advantages will become more apparent upon consideration of the following drawings and accompanying detailed description. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a therapeutic bra.

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of a therapeutic bra.

Fig. 3 is a front view of a therapeutic bra.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of a therapeutic bra.

Figure 5a is a view of a triple layer fabric including the elastic band of figures 2 and 4.

Figure 5b is a view of the double layer fabric of figures 1-4.

Fig. 6a and 6b are side views illustrating the posture correction and chest expansion characteristics of a therapeutic bra relative to a normal bra.

Fig. 7 is a rear view of a therapeutic bra on a human body.

Detailed Description

This application incorporates by reference U.S. patent application No. 16/024,881 entitled "position, PERFORMANCE, rehabilitation garment apparatus system (perfect, PERFORMANCE, RECOVERY GARMENT DEVICE SYSTEM)". The entire contents of this application are incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention is a wearable device manufactured garment that takes into account the limitations of currently manufactured bra garments and utilizes a unique fabric design and construction method that includes multiple layers of hybrid fabric and pieces, pre-stretched bands and chest bands to improve spinal biomechanics and scapular kinematics for better back support, better posture, increased chest expansion and improved chest mobility. This unique inventive design includes elastic pre-stretched bands that facilitate horizontal stretching to achieve proprioceptive posture correction and rebalancing of the spine and shoulder muscles. Other components include one or more shoulder straps, chest straps, and front and rear panels. The garment is designed to be worn by a user in the form of a brassiere, thus alleviating the problem of unsightly garments which the user does not want to wear as their sole layer. The brassiere is also customizable, fashionable, breathable.

The garment also improves over previous position garments by virtue of its flexible nature, i.e. ability to act as a garment attachment device, i.e. the rear portion of the bra can be sewn into any existing suitable bra. It achieves this flexibility while also addressing the shoulder restraint and air impermeability by allowing full range of motion. The construction of existing garments does not allow full forward movement due to the "figure-8" or "horse-neck" nature of the loops, which are closed and have inelastic seams, or are anatomically incorrect using compression or shoulder strap construction methods. The garment of the present invention also reduces the distance between the scapulae for posture correction purposes. The garment of the present invention also lacks methods of using straps, back straps, hatbands, or any other previously improperly used posture correction bra that pull the wearer's shoulders back in the wrong anatomical manner.

One posture correction feature of the garment is the use of a blended fabric to achieve a pre-stretch effect and to induce stretch due to various levels of elasticity by moving the scapulae closer to the spine, thereby improving scapular kinematics. Therefore, the nature and design of the fabric must be altered from the previously invented brassiere to achieve the proper postural tension, the details of which will be highlighted below.

The woven nature of the shoulder strap fabric provides a stylistic advantage that eliminates the typical, unsightly seam structure of prior flat lock configuration posture correction garments. As mentioned above, the shape of the shoulder straps is limited in length because the bra is smaller than the shirt. The garment also allows for customization, as in some embodiments the front portion of the bra may be completely detachable from the back portion, which provides additional options in the form of variable support of both the front and back. The front panel of the brassiere has a full coverage, flat front or triangular cutout, taking into account both the purpose of the design and the variation in support required (larger versus smaller). The interchangeable nature of the bra does not alter the pressure provided by the back of the bra to the shoulders and chest for proprioceptive correction, thus adding a unique advantage without the disadvantages of smaller products. The attachment points are on the upper shoulder straps and the side seams.

The front and rear of the bra do not have lower shoulder straps but rather have seams to provide support to the curvature of the back (i.e. to allow forward and backward movement, such as bending). The side seams are connected to the lower chest band, all of which in combination further contribute to proprioceptive posture correction by pulling the bra forward of the wearer's body. Furthermore, the brassiere of the present invention is easier to put on than conventional brassieres because the chest band is open on the chest cavity, thereby making it easier for the wearer to breathe. In contrast, conventional brassieres are one piece, providing uncomfortable 360 degree compression.

The primary posture correcting feature of the bra is the rear scapular band, which pulls the wearer's scapulae closer to the spine, in combination with an elastic band located between the two scapular bands and providing horizontal stretch, where the custom-made elastic band pulls all the tension toward the center of the spine and helps pull the scapulae into proper alignment. In particular, the posterior shoulder strap/elastic strap combination achieves posture correction in a proprioceptive manner that includes creating parallel tension in the anatomical musculature of the human body, thereby facilitating active and passive scapular retraction and extension movements for better anatomical alignment and improved thoracic mobility and ease of expansion. Once the patient is in the correct postural alignment, the bra automatically releases all of the tension in the garment. Thus, once the wearer has acquired the correct posture of the muscle memory, the wearer hardly notices the device. As measured empirically, using the scapula lenb test, the brassiere exhibits a foreshortened distance between the left and right scapulae of about 11 millimeters on average (ranging between about 5 millimeters and about 25 millimeters). Accordingly, in certain embodiments, the brassieres disclosed herein affect a reduction distance between the left and right scapulae of at least about 5 millimeters.

Fig. 1 depicts the front portion of a therapeutic and chest expansion bra (101) having a front panel (115) and left shoulder strap (107) and right shoulder strap (108) connected to a chest strap (106). As shown in FIG. 5b, the front panel is described herein as a double layer fabric (110a) and the chest band is a triple layer fabric, with the mesh fabric sandwiched between polyester fabrics, as shown in FIG. 5A. The chest band may also be double layered (110a) for functional purposes.

In fig. 3, the left shoulder strap (107) and the right shoulder strap (108) are further shown as being divided into a left front portion (107a) and a right front portion (108a), wherein the left front portion is connected to the left rear scapular portion (107b) shown in fig. 2 and 4 via a seam, and the right front portion is connected to the right rear scapular portion (108b) shown in fig. 2 and 4 via a seam. The left front belt (107a) and the right front belt (108a) are double layer fabrics with the top layer being polyester and the bottom layer being a dynamic mesh fabric that provides additional support and tension for posture correction. In another aspect, the left shoulder strap (107b) and the right shoulder strap (108b) are double layer mesh fabric to provide additional tension and horizontal pulling force to bring the scapulae closer to the spine of the wearer to bring the wearer into proper postural alignment.

Fig. 2 depicts a rear perspective view of a therapeutic bra (101) having rear shoulder straps (107b and 108b) connected to a rear panel (103), wherein the rear panel (103) is connected to the same chest strap (106) to which the front panel is connected. Fig. 2 also shows left seam (104) and right seam (105) connecting front panel (102) to back panel (103). In this embodiment, the rear sheet (103) is also a double-layer fabric (110 a).

Fig. 4 further depicts the rear of the therapeutic bra, also showing the elastic band (109) located between the two rear shoulder straps (107b and 108b) and providing maximum tension and pulling force to correct posture. The elastic band (109) has a three-layer fabric structure of polyester (110a), elastic band (110b), and polyester (110a), with the polyester portion as such for comfort and aesthetic purposes.

Fig. 6a and 6b illustrate the effect of a conventional bra relative to a therapeutic-type bra of the present invention. In fig. 6a, the depicted wearer has a humpback (111) and the distance between the middle of the arm (measured down the middle of the shoulder) and the sternum (112a) is relatively small due to the nature of the humpback of the wearer. In fig. 6b, the wearer is now in an upright, anatomically correct position by wearing the therapeutic invention bra. The kyphosis disappears, the waist is supported and straightened (113), and the chest expands, thereby highlighting the increased distance between the middle of the arm (measured down the middle of the shoulder) and the sternum (112 b).

Fig. 7 shows the horizontal tension effect that the brassiere has-in other words, tension is not applied down on the shoulder, but horizontally on the scapula, causing it to retract and bring it back with it. This horizontal tension effect squeezes the scapulae together to place the wearer in the proper postural position.

The components of the therapeutic posture correction and chest expansion bra (101) may be further described in terms of relative elasticity values. Elasticity as used herein is meant to relate to the amount of tension the object is subjected to. The less elastic or inelastic the object is, the greater the tension and pulling force applied. Moreover, since it is posture and biomechanical dependent, the more inelastic the object is applied to the bra, the more it helps to apply pressure in the appropriate biomechanical zone to put the wearer in the correct posture. In other words, less elastic (less elastic) means more tension is applied. The elasticity value 1(E1) used here is more elastic than the elasticity value 2 (E1).

Referring now to the drawings, in order of elasticity value-the elastic band (109) has an elasticity value E4, the shoulder strap has an elasticity value E3, the chest band has an elasticity value E2, the front and back panels have an elasticity value E1, where E4< E3< E2< E1. Thus, the elastic band exerts the greatest amount of tension and the front and back panels exert the least amount of tension. This means that the structural and elastic values of the tension are important for the biomechanically correct way of how the brassiere achieves posture correction, chest expansion and overall posture support. For example, certain advantages may include postural recovery, spinal extension, chest mobility, allowing easier breathing, reducing strain on neck and shoulder muscles, improving back pain, and providing spinal support. In addition, embodiments of the present invention may improve shoulder surgery, shoulder injury, physical therapy, athletic training, athletic recovery, and recovery of athletic performance, as well as improve female health problems such as chronic round shoulders due to large or tight breasts and back pain during pregnancy. These and other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

Although several methods are disclosed herein, these methods are limited only as required by the claims. Accordingly, various portions of the described methods may be reordered, omitted, augmented, replaced, and/or otherwise modified in any suitable manner. Variations to the above description may be made and are within the purview of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Finally, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are illustrative of the principles of the invention. Other modifications that may be employed are also within the scope of the invention. Thus, by way of example, and not limitation, alternative configurations of the present invention may be utilized in accordance with the teachings herein. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to what has been shown and described.

Claims (20)

1. A brassiere for posture correction, comprising:

a front panel and a back panel, wherein said front and back panels have an elasticity value of E1;

a chest strap disposed along the bottom of the front and back panels, wherein the chest strap has an elasticity value of E2;

a left shoulder strap connecting the front panel to the rear panel, the left shoulder strap including a left rear portion having an elasticity value of E3;

a right shoulder strap connecting the front panel to the rear panel, the right shoulder strap including a right rear portion having an elasticity value of E3; and

an elastic band connecting the left rear portion of the left shoulder strap and the right rear portion of the right shoulder strap, wherein the elastic band has an elasticity value of E4,

wherein E4< E3< E2< E1.

2. The bra of claim 1, wherein the front panel comprises at least two polyester fabric layers.

3. The bra of claim 1, wherein the back panel comprises at least two polyester fabric layers.

4. The bra of claim 1, wherein the elastic band comprises at least three fabric layers.

5. The bra of claim 4, wherein the first and second layers of fabric layers are polyester fabrics and the third layer of fabric layers is a tension fabric.

6. The bra of claim 5, wherein the third layer of fabric layers is between the first and second layers of fabric layers.

7. The bra of claim 1, wherein the left and right back portions comprise at least two fabric layers.

8. The bra of claim 14, wherein at least two of the fabric layers are mesh fabrics.

9. The bra of claim 1, wherein the elastic band is elastic in a horizontal direction and inelastic in a vertical direction.

10. The bra of claim 17, wherein the elastic band is configured to reduce tension on the neck and shoulder muscles of the wearer.

11. The bra of claim 1, wherein the elastic band is pre-stretched.

12. The bra of claim 1, wherein the left rear portion of the left shoulder strap at least partially covers an area corresponding to a left scapula of a wearer and the right rear portion of the right shoulder strap at least partially covers an area corresponding to a right scapula of a wearer.

13. A garment system comprising the bra of claim 1 and a garment, wherein the bra is attached to an interior of the garment.

14. A therapeutic posture correction and chest expansion brassiere, said brassiere comprising:

a front panel and a back panel connected along a left seam and a right seam, wherein the front panel and the back panel have an elasticity value of E1;

a chest strap disposed along the bottom of the front and back panels, wherein the chest strap has an elasticity value of E2;

a left shoulder strap connecting the front panel to the rear panel;

a right shoulder strap connecting the front panel to the rear panel;

the left shoulder strap further consists of a left anterior portion and a left posterior scapular portion;

the right shoulder strap further consists of a right anterior portion and a right posterior scapular portion;

wherein the left and right posterior scapular portions have an elasticity value of E3; and

an elastic band connecting the left posterior scapular portion of the left shoulder strap and the right posterior scapular portion of the right shoulder strap, wherein the elastic band has an elasticity value of E4;

wherein E4< E3< E2< E1.

15. The bra of claim 1, wherein the front panel comprises two polyester fabric layers.

16. The bra of claim 1, wherein the back panel comprises two layers of polyester fabric.

17. The bra of claim 1, wherein the elastic band comprises three fabric layers.

18. The bra of claim 17, wherein the three fabric layers are polyester fabric, elastic fabric, and polyester fabric.

19. The bra of claim 1, wherein the left and right scapular portions comprise two fabric layers.

20. The bra of claim 1, wherein the elastic band is elastic in a horizontal direction and inelastic in a vertical direction.

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