US2696004A - Brassiere construction - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 7, 1954 ,T. B. SCHAUMER YBRASSIERE CONSTRUCTION Fi led May 2 19 INVEA' TOR.

ATTOENEY.

United States Patent Ofiice 2,696,004 Patented Dec. 7, 1954- 2,696,004 BRASSIERE CONSTRUCTION Theo B. Schaumer, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 28, 1951, Serial No. 228,583

6 Claims. (Cl. 242) This invention relates to brassieres, and particularly to the breast cups of such brassires.

The conventional type of brassiere is well adapted to enhance the appearance of the female figure by appropriate uplift and support of the breasts. Nevertheless, when the breasts are underdeveloped, such brassieres are of little help. Accordingly, various expedients have been used to cover the breasts with a well-rounded, ideally shaped, artificial breast form.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide breast cups that artificially simulate not only the appearance of natural, well-formed breasts, but also their yielding characteristics.

It is another object of this invention to provide such breast cups (capable of being permanently installed in brassieres or removably inserted in the fabric breast cups) that are inexpensive to manufacture; and yet that do not absorb moisture, are light in weight, comfortable to wear, and capable of repeated laundering without deterioration.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of several embodiments of the invention. For this purpose there are shown a few forms in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. These forms will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the sfope of the invention is best defined by the appended c aims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a brassiere incorporating the invention, the brassiere being in extended position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along a plane corresponding to line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a cup incorporating the invention, a part of the outer covering being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a modified form of the cup; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the cup shown in Fig. 4.

The brassiere structure is shown as provided with the body-encircling side members 1 and 2 joined to a central member 3. The central member 3 and the side members 1 and 2 are joined, as by stitching, to the cups 4 and 5.

The brassiere may be provided with the usual adjustable shoulder straps 6 extending from the top of the cups 4 and 5 to the side members 1 and 2. These side mem bers may be provided at their ends with appropriate fastening means, such as the hooks 7, and a short strap 8 which is provided with a plurality of eyes 9.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a cup structure that may be permanently attached to the side member 1 and central member 3, or that may be merely inserted into the fabric forming the cups. Thus, there is a spiral member 10 having a tip 11 from which the turns proceed outwardly toward the base turn 12. This member is made from thin, flexible, plastic material, such as a polyvinyl or polyethylene material, which is flexible, but substantially not stretchable. The Wide surfaces of these turns cooperate to define the contour of the cup. The inner portion of the cup may be covered with a suitable fabric lining 13, and a cover 14 may be provided extending over the top surfaces of the member 10. This cover member 14 may be appropriately sewed to the corresponding side member 1 and the central member 3.

The turns of the spiral are quite widely spaced. In the free position, the turns assume the cup-like contour, and resiliently resist flattening of the cup.

In use, the breast cup forms a simulated well formed breast, which is flexible in response to pressure and yet which has suflicient resiliency to assume the predetermined contour as defined by the member 10.

In the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a pair of spaced bands 15 and 16, of material similar to that described in connection with the member 10, is provided. These bands are joined by angularly spaced members 17, 18, etc., to provide a spider-like construction. The center portion 19 is cupped to correspond to the apex of the breast cups. The wide surfaces of the bands 15 and the members 17-18 correspond to the cup contour.

A fabric lining 20 may be provided if desired, as well as an outer covering layer 21. The cup shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may be attached to the side members and the center member, being seen as before.

In this form of the invention, the cup is pliable, as in the first form, and has sufficient resilience to return to the desired contour when freed from pressure.

The plastic material is not affected by moisture and, accordingly, it may be washed or cleaned in a simple manner. The cup members without any lining may be used as inserts in brassiere cups.

The inventor claims:

1. A breast cup for use in connection with brassieres, formed of resilient plastic material that is flexible and resistant to moisture, and having a flattened cross-section, said material being thin in a direction through the cup and having integrally joined arcuate portions of decreasing diameters ending at an apex region.

2. A breast cup for use in connection with brassieres, formed of a plurality of spaced turns of resilient plastic material that is flexible, and having a flattened crosssection, the material being thin in a direction through the cup, the flat surface of the material corresponding to the cup contour.

3. A breast cup for use in connection with brassieres, formed of a spiral of spaced turns, expanding toward the base of the cup, and made from flexible plastic material, and having a flattened cross-section, the wide surface corresponding to the cup contour.

4. A breast cup for use in connection with brassieres, including a series of annular bands made from thin flat material, the wide surfaces corresponding to the cup contour, and angularly spaced members of thin material, forming said bands, and having the Wide surfaces also corresponding to the cup contour.

5. A breast cup for use in connection with brassieres, including a series of bands made from thin flat flexible plastic material, and angular spaced members of thin flat flexible plastic material, joining said bands, the wide surfaces of the bands and members corresponding to the cup contour.

6. In a device of the character described: means defining a breast receiving cup; and means for determining the shape of said cup, comprising a flexible resilient member formed of a plurality of spaced concentric arcuate elements integrally joined together and secured to the cup, said flexible member having a flattened crosssection, said member resiliently opposing inward deformation of said cup, and having a flat surface conforming to the contour of the cup.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 45,843 Mason Jan. 10, 1865 191,365 Pike May 29, 1877 1,239,520 Reeves Sept. 11, 1917 2,294,589 Waterbury Sept. 1, 1942 2,391,417 Hill Dec. 25, 1945 2,425,673 Ferguson Aug. 12, 1947 2,445,767 Dickerson July 27, 1948 2,489,591 Saifady Nov. 29, 1949 2,524,621 Cadous Oct. 3, 1950 2,579,365 Conde Dec. 18, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 908,429 France Apr. 9, 1946 990,244 France May 2, 1949

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