US2891548A - Brassiere - Google Patents

Description

June 23,' 1959 E.. A. FORTI BRASSIERE 3 Sheets-Shee-t 1 Filedl Marbn 19, 1958 INVENTOR. Eau ANCONA FORTI E. A. FORTI lJune 23, 1959 BRASSIERE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed vMuh 19 1958 lNvENT'OR. ESR ANCONA FORTI June 23, 1959 E. A. FORTI 2,891,548

BRAssIERE v Filed March 19, 1958 :s sheets-sheet s INVENTOR.

ESI@ ANCONA FORTI BY AH'ys United States Patent BRASSIERE.

Egle Ancona- Forti, Rome, Italy Application. March 19, 1958,.,Serial No. 722,569..

ZClaims. (CL` 12S-485) The present invention;l relatesv to an improvementA in brassieres. and the main objectl of this. invention is to provide a, form of; suspension-.tohold thebreast in its physiological position, avoiding any deformation or relaxation The objectof this; inventionlis attained'y by adopting a; suspensory means. 'vvhilir aiords an; ample, non-rigid and non-binding supporty tothe breast independent of the ornamental task of a conventional brassiere.

Of course., there is. provided one suspensory. means, or suspensory pocket, for each breast, andsaidpockets, may be incorporated in a strip type brassiere, or to a strapless-brassiere, provided that inthe latter case, the involved structure. is capable -of supporting the downwardly directed stress acting on the structure,-

The structure may-V be used in different types of brassiers, aswell as ina girdle, a.- dress,.a -bathingvfsuit and generally in garments of various kinds, provided that they comprise elements which constitute means for the application of the two free edges of said suspensory means for such garments.

The suspensory means per se, which is made of any material, of natural or synthetic fiber, woven, or knitted, or elastic provided it offers adequate strength, is formed as an elongated strip element having a concavity decreasing from that part of the strip fitting the center of the chest to the opposite end of the strip. This concavity is generated by cutting away a wedge-shaped slip in the zone of the strip near to the chest and then sewing to each other the rims of the cut-out. The apex of the wedge-shaped cut-out is directed toward the middle zone of the suspensory member.

Furthermore, the supporting capacity of each of said suspensory pockets is improved by a reinforcing quilting provided in the lower zone of the strip element and on which bears the weight of the breast.

It is to be noted that if the wearer of the brassiere according to the invention requires prothesis elements, the latter maybe easily applied to the suspensory means.

This invention will be further described with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

Fig. l shows a complete brassiere according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows in an enlarged scale a detail of the brassiere of Fig. l seen from inside;

Fig. 3 shows a view of the brassiere of Fig. 1, in open condition;

Fig. 4 shows an embodiment of a brassiere similar to that of Fig. 1, with no ornamental part;

Fig. 5 shows a detail seen from the center towards the outside of the composition of one of the suspensory members;

Fig. 6 shows a largely diagrammatical detail to demonstrate how one of the suspensory members performs its function, and

Fig. 7 shows a diagrammatical top view of one of the suspensory members when used.

rcice With reference to,thedrawings,,the-brassierecomprises a body encircling member formed, of two sidey portions 1 and 1 connected ntherOntpart byvmeansgoatband 3 having a height less than the side portions. Side portions 1 and 1 maybe securedto each. otherI at the-'back of the wearer by means of a plurality ofhooks 2.

The points 8 and8.- of the side portions- 1i and-,1' are connected to eachother by. means of. an'inex-tensible band 18 comprising the lengths- 6, 7 and 6', 7,v angularly. disposed with respect to eachV other soasftoform two upf wardly extending vertexes, 5..- and 5 which. registerr with the middle of the womans,` breast, and a downwardly extendingv vertex 9.v registering with. the.. middle of the chest of the wearer. Vertex 9, iscOnnectedby. means-:of an inextensible strip 14 (Fig, 4) tothe middlepart-` 10sof band 3.

To the vertexes 5 and 5' the- Suspenders-'mand 4. are connected which in turn are fastened to the middlelrear zone of the side portions 1y and 1,-.

In the zone of the sideportions.. 1; andi. adjacentto the band 3 there are located e.g. two,cor,setf stay s-4 15and 1S made of plastic, metal or similar. materiahiolfE keep-l ing the side portions 1 andl." in` an upright#position.`

According to the invention,rtwo suspensoryfmembers 1l areprovided which give a physiologically correct-support tothe breast. The suspensory members 11, which are made of fabricA or anyother-material.havir1gan ade.- quate strength, are eachV in the.Y form. of, an elongated strip` element having av concavity-,- decreasing from that part` of the strip fitting the-.center of thefchestl to thefop;l posite endof the strip.; This coneayity,dwhich. is. the greatest in the Zone 12, is generated by cutting away a wedge-shaped slip in the zone 16 near to the chest and then sewing together the rims of the cutting. The apex of the wedge-shaped cut-out is directed toward the middle zone of the suspensory member. The suspensory members are provided in the lower zone thereof with a reinforcing quilting 17 which stilens the strip element 11 and abuts against the breast. The suspensory members 11 are connected at one end to the lengths 7 and 7 of the inextensible band 18, while the other end is in part connected to the length 6 of band 18 and in part passes under the upright edge of the side portions 1 and 1 and is fastened to the upper edge of said side portions in the Zone wherein the corset stays 15 and 15 are positioned, which zone registers with the middle of the arm pit. Thus the weight of the breast is supported by the corset stays 15 and 15 independently of the supporting action of the Suspenders 4 and 4 which only have the task of keeping the brassiere in a proper position. From the drawings it may be clearly seen that the suspensory members 11 afford to the 'breast an ample, non-rigid and non-binding support. Moreover, during the movements of the woman the -breast supported by the members 11 may freely protrude through the apertures 19, as well as when these latter are covered by an ornamental element.

In the embodiment shown by way of example in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, an ornamental tulle element which is applied between the lower band 3 and the inextensible upper elements as 6 and 7', or said tulle element by itself forms said inextensible elements by means of a marginal fold or reinforcing element.

lt is to be noted that, as shown in Fig. 6, said ornamental element must be more slack than the suspensory members, so as to perform no holding function, but to cover only the underlying shape without totally adhering thereto. Possibly, and incidentally, without departing from the aforesaid feature, the ornamental element 13 could have the function, by providing a suitable reinforced portion 14, of connecting the upper portion of the suspension line to the lower band 3, to hold taut the broken line of the supporting upper edge comprising the parts as 6 and 7.

However, it is important to note that this arrangement does not aiect the inventive concept in that this invention resides in the presence of the two suspensory members lll which in virtue of their particular form and location afford an ample, non-rigid and non-binding support to the breast which is kept in its physiologically correct position. This function is further shown from the Fig. 7 which, in top View, shows how breast, marked in dot and dash line, is supported physiologically in the most correct way to prevent its relaxation and deformation.

Fig. 4, in which only the essential structural elements, without the ornamental parts, are illustrated, clearly shows that this invention is particularly useful for women who are nursing a baby. In fact, while the nipple is left uncovered, the Ibreast remains at its natural location and this brassiere thus has a supporting function for the 'breast during nursing, so as to avoid any pathological alteration of the breast tissue and preserving the tissue and physiological integrity.

I claim:

1. An improved brassiere which comprises in combination a body encircling member having two side portions, a central portion in the front part of the bassiere connecting the said side portions, said central portion being of a height less than the side portions and said side portions having means thereon to secure them to each other at the back of the wearer, corset stays in the said side portions of the arm-pit of the wearer for keeping said side portions in upright position, an inextensible band connected between the upper inner edges of the said side portions, said inextensible `band being formed of several lengths angularly disposed with respect to each other so as to form two upwardly extending vertexes one registering with the middle line of each breast of the wearer and one downwardly extending vertex registering with the middle line of the chest of the wearer, an inextensible strip connecting the middle zone of said inextensible band and the middle zone of the said central portion, two suspenders fastened between the upwardly extending vertexes of said inextensible band and the back of the said side portions, two suspensory members one for each breast each being in the form of an elongated strip element, said strip element being connected at one end to the length of the said inextensible band between the downwardly extending vertex and one of the upwardly extending vertexes, and at the other end to the said side portion of the brassiere body in the zone wherein said corset stays are positioned, whereby said suspensory members aiord to the breast an ample, non-rigid support while keeping the breast in its physiologically correct position.

2. A brassiere as claimed in claim l, wherein the suspensory members in the form of an elongated strip are decreasingly concave from that part of the elongated strip fitting the center of the chest to the opposite end of the elongated strip, said elongated strip having a wedgeshaped cut at the inner end of the suspensory member, said cut having the vertex directed toward the middle zone of the suspensory members, and the edges of the cut being sewed to each other.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,033,847 Moore Mar. 10, 1936 2,044,623 Moran June 16, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 479,995 Great Britain Feb. 15, 1938

Images