JP4248409B2 - Under cup insertion member - Google Patents

Abstract

An undercup insert member (10) for a breast support arrangement, for example a brassiere is disclosed. The undercup insert member (10) comprises an elongate curved main portion (12) shaped to conform generally to the shape of the breast to be supported. The undercup insert member (10) is formed of a plastics material.

Description

  The present invention relates to undercup insert members. The present invention particularly relates to an under cup insertion member for a brassiere, but is not limited thereto.

  The brassiere is made with an undercup wire insert to retain the cup shape. Furthermore, the breast is supported by this insert. This insert has the disadvantage that the paint or paint coating may be worn away and the insert may rust and unsightly stains.

  In one aspect of the present invention, an undercup insert for a breast support arrangement is provided. The under cup insertion member includes a main part. The main part has an elongated shape and is curved so as to be generally adapted to the breast to be supported. The under cup insertion member is made of a plastic material.

  Preferably, the breast support device is a breast support undergarment such as a brassiere, but may be another breast support apparel such as a part of a swimsuit such as a bikini top.

  Preferably, the plastic material is capable of supporting the breast and maintaining the device open. Preferably, the undercup insertion member can be disposed under the cup of the breast support device, and may be configured to maintain the cup in an open state.

  Said main part preferably comprises a wire, suitably an underwire.

  Preferably, the main portion has sufficient flexibility so that it can be deformed when washed, and thereby the undercup insertion member can be restored to its original shape.

  Preferably, the plastic material is a polymeric material. Preferably, the plastic material is an acetal polymer, advantageously an acetal homopolymer.

  As another option, the plastic material is an acetal copolymer. The plastic material may be a resin. One suitable plastic material is sold under the trademark Delrin, which is a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.

  The plastic material may be a flexible and / or resilient material. The plastic material may be a thermoplastic polyester, a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, and / or a liquid crystal polymer. The plastic material may include a filler or reinforcement, and the filler or reinforcement may be glassy. The filler or reinforcement may comprise about 10% (w / w) (w / w) of the plastic material, up to about 20% (w / w) of the plastic material, or the It may account for up to about 30% (weight / weight) of the plastic material. Suitable plastic materials include those sold by Ticona under the trademarks VECTRA, CELANEX, RITEFLEX.

  The elongated main portion preferably has rounded edges, and in one embodiment may have a generally elliptical profile. In other embodiments, the main portion may have a cross section of any other suitable shape. Both opposite ends of the main part may be rounded.

  In one embodiment, at least one end, preferably both opposite ends, are provided with lug members so that the undercup insert can be sewn into the breast support device. Each of the protruding members may include a generally flat portion that extends outwardly from the main portion. The flat portion may be approximately circular. Preferably, the protruding member extends from both sides opposite to the main portion.

  In another embodiment, the main part may include the following outer region. The outer region includes first and second support portions and a connection portion having a narrower shape and extending between the first and second support portions. Preferably, the outer region has an hour glass shape cross section like an hourglass.

  Preferably, the main part includes an inner region, and the inner region may extend from the outer region. The inner region may be approximately elliptical.

  The main portion may include an outer region as described above and a protruding member as described above.

  As another option, the protruding member may extend substantially over the length of the main portion.

  Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an undercup insertion member 10 for a brassiere is shown. The undercup insertion member 10 is in the form of an underwire for a brassiere cup. The insertion member 10 includes a main portion 12, and the main portion 12 is elongated and curved, and is made of a plastic material. The insertion member 10 is curved to match the size and shape of the breast to be supported. The insertion member 10 is sewn into a hem provided under the brassiere cup, thereby supporting the breast.

  The main part 12 is formed by molding and has an approximately oval cross section. In some embodiments, the cross-section may be a kidney shape. The main portion 12 has opposite ends 14, 16 that are rounded.

  In the preferred embodiment, the condition that the main portion 12 has an approximately oval cross section and has both ends that are rounded has the advantage that the risk of the insertion member 10 being stuck into the brassiere can be reduced.

  The undercup insert 10 is rigid enough to support the breast, such as the following, and is bent and twisted during use and laundering, and then returns to its original form. It is made of a plastic material having sufficient flexibility for the purpose. One such suitable material is an acetal homopolymer resin, such as that sold under the trademark Delrin. The trademark Delrin is a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.

  Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 3, 3A and 3B. This embodiment is substantially similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and has the same features. These features are given the same reference numbers. The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 includes flange members 18 and 20 in addition to the features shown in FIGS. These projecting edge members 18 and 20 are provided at both ends 14 and 16 of the main portion 12. The protruding edge member may be made of the same material as the main portion 12. As another option, the projecting edge member may be formed of a rubberized material (rubberised material), and the rubber covering material may be obtained by applying a rubber coating to the material constituting the main portion 12. . The projecting edge members 18 and 20 allow the insertion member to be sewn into the brassiere. As can be seen from FIGS. 3A and 3B, the cross section of the main portion 12 has a shape similar to a kidney.

  In some embodiments, the edge members 18, 20 extend substantially the entire length of the main portion 12, as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 3 and indicated by reference numeral 22, This allows stitching along the length of the main portion 12. This is considered particularly suitable for use in sports bras, whereby the insertion member can be sewn into the brassiere over substantially the entire length of the main part 12.

  Another embodiment is shown in FIGS. This embodiment is generally similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3B and has many of the same features. These features are given the same reference numbers.

  The embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 8 is different from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3B in that the main portion 12 has two regions, that is, the first or outer region 30 and the second or It differs in that it has an inner region 32. The insert 10 shown in FIGS. 4-7 has a brassiere such that the outer region 30 is disposed adjacent to the outer region of the breast and the inner region 30 is disposed adjacent to the inner region of the breast. Sewn into.

  The outer region 30 has a cross section as shown in FIG. 6, which has first and second support portions 34, 36. The first and second support portions 34 and 36 have an elongated shape, are opposite to each other, and are connected to each other via a connection portion 38. The connection portion 38 is narrower than the support portions 34 and 36 so that the cross section of the outer region 30 has a constricted shape like an hourglass as shown in the figure.

  According to the condition that the outer region 30 has a constricted cross section like an hourglass, there is an advantage that when the brassiere is worn, the outer portion can be twisted, which makes the aesthetic This improves the wearer's comfort.

As shown in FIG. 5, the inner region 32 of the main portion 12 has an approximately elliptical cross section.

  As explained above, there are several examples of inserts for brassieres, some examples made of plastic material, and preferred examples with an elliptical cross section and rounded ends. . Thus, the preferred embodiment has the advantage that it does not rust or corrode, and further, the following problems associated with prior art inserts: When a metal substrate appears when worn, it has the advantage that it can solve the problem of piercing the wearer's body. Moreover, the insertion member of the prior art has a drawback that the wearer may be confused by being detected by a metal detector at an airport, for example. According to the condition that the under cup insertion member is made of a plastic material, such a problem can be solved.

  Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the main part may have a substantially circular cross section. Furthermore, the insertion member is used in other breast support device aspects, such as swimwear.

  It will be appreciated that the size and size of the insert may vary depending on the size of the breast to be supported by the brassiere.

  In the foregoing specification, the patentable features referred to herein and / or shown in the drawings, while striving to draw attention to the particularly important features of the invention. It should be recognized that any combination of features and features, whether or not specifically emphasized there, requires the applicant to seek protection.

It is a front view of an undercup insertion member. FIG. 2 is an end view of the undercup insertion member shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the undercup insertion member shown in FIG. 1. It is a front view which shows another Example of an undercup insertion member. FIG. 4 is an end view of the undercup insertion member shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a view taken along line BB in FIG. 3. It is a front view which shows another Example of an undercup insertion member. It is the figure along the VV line of FIG. FIG. 5 is a view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. It is a side view of the undercup insertion member shown by FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view (top view) of the undercup insertion member shown in FIG. 4.

Claims (21)

An undercup insertion member for a breast support device, including a main part, made of a plastic material,
The main portion is elongated and curved, is formed to fit a breast to be supported, and has an inner region with a first cross section and an outer region with a second cross section. And
The inner region and the outer region are provided so as to be adjacent to the inside and outside of the breast, respectively, and the cross-sectional shapes are different from each other,
The outer region has a first support portion, a second support portion, and a connection portion;
Said connecting portion such that said cross-section of the outer region is constricted shape as an hourglass, the first support portion minute, and has a second narrower shape than the support portion minutes, the first 1 of the support part component, and connects the second supporting part component,
The inner region extends from the outer region, and the cross section is elliptical.
Under cup insertion member.   The undercup insertion member according to claim 1, wherein the main portion has sufficient flexibility and elasticity so that the main portion can be deformed. Under cup insertion member that can return to its original shape.   The undercup insertion member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plastic material is an acetal polymer.   The undercup insertion member according to claim 3, wherein the plastic material is an acetal homopolymer.   4. The undercup insert according to claim 3, wherein the plastic material is an acetal copolymer.   The undercup insertion member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plastic material is a thermoplastic polyester, a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, and / or a liquid crystal polymer.   The under-cup insertion member according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plastic material includes a filler or a reinforcing material, and the filler or the reinforcing material has a content of 30 of the plastic material. % (Weight / weight) or less of the undercup insertion member.   The undercup insertion member according to claim 7, wherein the filler or the reinforcing material has a content of 20% (weight / weight) or less of the plastic material.   The undercup insertion member according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the filler or the reinforcing material has a content of 10% (weight / weight) of the plastic material.   The undercup insertion member according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the main part having an elongated shape has a rounded edge, and both ends of the main part are rounded. Under cup insertion member. The under cup insertion member according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the main portion includes protruding members at both ends thereof, whereby the under cup insertion member is sewn to the breast support device. Under cup insertion member that can be inserted. The undercup insertion member according to claim 11, wherein each of the protruding members includes a flat portion, and the flat portion protrudes from the main portion.   It is an undercup insertion member described in Claim 10 or 11, Comprising: The said protrusion member is an undercup insertion member extended from the both ends of the said main part.   It is an undercup insertion member described in Claim 11 or 12, Comprising: The said protrusion member is an undercup insertion member extended from the at least one end of the said main part.   It is an undercup insertion member described in Claim 14, Comprising: The said protrusion member is an undercup insertion member extended from the both ends of the said main part. 13. The undercup insertion member according to claim 12, wherein the flat portion of the protruding member is circular. 14. The undercup insertion member according to claim 11, wherein the projecting member extends over the entire length of the main portion in addition to the tip of the main portion. .   A breast support device comprising an undercup insertion member, wherein the undercup insertion member is as described in any one of claims 1 to 17.   The breast support apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the breast support apparatus is in the form of a clothing item.   The breast support apparatus according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the breast support apparatus is in the form of breast support underwear.   21. The breast support apparatus according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein the breast support apparatus is in the form of a brassiere.

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