US2854006A - Maternity garment - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 30, 1958 c. J. GElMl-:R 2,854,006

MATERNITY GRMENT Filed NOV. 28, 1955 I N VEN TOR.

A TTORNE/S 2,854,006 MATERNITY GARNIENT Cornelius I. Geimer, Burr Oak, Mich.,

man Manufacturing Company, Sturgis, poration of Michigan assignor to Free- Mich., a cor- Application November 28, 1955, Serial No. 549,333 7 Claims. (Cl. 12S- 541) The present invention relates to an improved maternity garment or girdle devised to provide the best possible abdominal uplift control and thigh and hip control for a pregnant woman during the progressive development of the pregnancy.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved maternity girdle which will, without imposing any harmful pressure over the abdomen, afford a desired control of the sort referred to above, and which attains this abdomen, thigh and hip control adjustments or pull straps. On the cgntrary, the results are attained by'novel and ingenious arrangement of different types or qualities of fabrics, all generally elastic in character.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a maternity garment furnishing proper abdomen uplift combined with thigh and hip control, as well as to afford needed expansion during the pregnancy without undue pressure over any area of the abdomen, in which the girdle has an upper front panel fabricated of a shirred elastic net fabric, capable of expanding vertically and horizontally without exerting appreciable pressure. With this panel or section there is associated a separate sling member of elastic material, this member extending across the lower margin of the shirred net panel, and exerting additional uplift control in this zone.

ln accordance with another object of the invention, the sling member is preferably secured at its ends to the seam joining an upper shirred panel as described to a side and back encircling panel of the girdle.

The sling member is constituted of a 'considerably stronger elastic fabric or material than the shirred net panel, needless to say, and the front area or section of the garment is completed by a still further panel of elastic fabric, contoured in accordance with the contour of the lower margin of the shirred net panel and the elastic sling which extends around its lower margin. The sling is preferably attached to the front section at the meeting zone of the upper shirred panel and the lower panel with the result that a substantially stronger support is afforded around the lower contour of the abdomen than across the shirred area.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved maternity garment in which different embodiments of the principles of the invention may takeA the form of a girdle or a panty garment, the advantageous results mentioned above being secured in any embodiment without the use in any degree of lace or pull strap adjustments, but solely by means of .a novel arrangement and relationship of dierent types of elastic fabric panels or members.

The foregoing as well as other objects of the invention will become apparent as this description proceeds, especially in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view illustrating an improvement in the form of a girdle as worn by the user;

without the use of laced- `fic Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the Vgarment* in a typical contouring of the same as worn in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical cross section along a line corresponding to line 3-3 of Fig. l.

The improved garment, generally designated 10, whether in the form of a maternity girdle as illustrated herein or other garment having the same intended object, consists generally of a side and rear encircling panel 11 of substantial area, constituted by a well known type of a conventional, rather close mesh elastic fabric such as nylon, a lower front abdomen supporting panel 12 of a similar kind and quality of material, being of like character as to lateral and longitudinal elasticity, an upper front abdomen panel 13 of a shirred elastic net material capable of stretching both horizontally and vertically under very little tension, and an inner, horizontally extending abdomen support band or sling 1,4 of a suitable elastic webbing such as is commonly employed in constrictive components of garments of various types. Needless tosay, the materials of all of the parts referred to above will be launderable.

The upper margin of the rear and front sections, which are seamed to one another by stitching along the downwardly divergent lines 15, has an elastic web waist band 16 stitched theretoyand this waist band may be of the same material as the abdomen support sling 14. The sling 14 is positioned across the inner surface of the panel 13 (which is seamed to the lower panel 12 along the arcuate, downwardly concave line of stitching 17), and the sling is stitched to the same stitching 17 at its midpoint, as indicated by the numeral 13; and the ends of the band are similarly secured to the stitched seams 15 joining the front and rear panels of the garment.

The lower margin of the front and rear panels is encircled by a length of elastic webbing 19 which is intermediate in its elasticity in relation to the upper frontpanel 13 and the lower front panel 12. Appropriate garter elements 20 will be applied to this member in the conventional manner.

It is seen from the foregoing description of the garment, as illustrated in the drawings, that the inner sling 14 provides a very effective uplift control across the lower contour of the abdomen, while the two-way stretch shirred netting 13 comfortably accommodates the increasing abdominal contour without imposing harmful pressure. The local securement of the sling 14 to the joined front panel sections, i. e., intermediate its ends at 1S, prevents the possibility of the sling riding up or chafing when the garment is worn, and insurance is had that the uplift support is a uniform one across the zone of its application under all circumstances and in all postures of the wearer. lts uplift action is supplemented by the elastic panel 12 therebeneath, which coacts with the side and rear panel 11 (of comparable elasticity) in affording a desired thigh and hip control.

The garment is devoid of pull straps or lacing. The inequalities of adjustment characteristic of these conventional provisions are avoided, as well as inconvenience of manipulating the same; and the cost of the garment is correspondingly lessened.

The invention affords a pantie-girdle way stretch fabric, in the main, but constructed with insert material of soft, easy-stretch shirred elastic to provide for expansion with almost no pressure. Healthful uplift support, however, is assured by the solid elastic bottom front panel 12, i. e. a uniform and constant abdomen uplift of rmer character.

The garment gives desired hip and thigh control, as well as uplift and is especially advantageous because of the economy of cost which its construction provides.

The absence of pull straps or laces eliminates bulk and novel and improved girdle or 3. In a maternity girdle or like garment, a body enctrcling structure free in its supporting and control action vertical lines, said lower front panel being of a material substantially less yieldable than said upper front panel,

and an inner abdomen supporting sling secured at its ends acter as to lateral and longitudinal elasticity.

4. In a maternity girdle or like garment, a body enjoining said front upper and lower panels,

d unit and said lower front panel being of seeming at a point spaced substantially from and between the ends of the sling, said first named unit and said lower front panel being of like character as to lateral and longitudinal elasticity.

at least one upper panel of material readily stretchable horizontally and vertically, and a lower elastic front panel seamed to said upper panel, said front unit.

References Cited in the tile of this patent- UNITED STATES PATENTS Vrociu Apr. 27, 1954 Schubert June 13, 1944 Jacobson Feb. 22, 1949 Blatt Oct. 11, 1955 Blatt Sept. 18, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Australia Nov. 26, 1,934

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