US3131696A

US3131696A - Brassiere

Info

Publication number: US3131696A
Application number: US212796A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alvin H Krakower; Schoenfeld Harvey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-07-27
Filing date: 1962-07-27
Publication date: 1964-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 1981-05-05

Description

BRASSIERE Filed July 27 rl'l INVENTORS. ALVIN H. KRAKOWEIZ HARVEY SCHOENFELD ATTORNEY.

3,131,696 BRASSIERE Alvin H. Krakower, 767 Glenside Court E., Oradell, N.J., and Harvey Schoenfeld, 34 13th Ave., Paterson, NJ. Filed July 27, 1962, Ser. No. 212,796 6 Claims. (Cl. 128-465) This invention relates to brassieres or bras which support the breasts, and more particularly, concerns a brassiere construction for controlling the movement of the breast masses adjacent the cups thereof.

While known brassiere constructions provide adequate support for the breasts, it has been found that the outer or lateral portions of the breasts are not properly directed in their movement as an incident to the confining action of the bra cups. This frequently produces great discomfort for the wearer.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved brassiere construction which will cope with the breast masses which usually overflow the confining cups of the brassiere and which is effective to direct the same toward the median central line of the brassiere.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved brassiere construction which includes control panels for directing the movements of the outer lateral breast masses in conjunction with the confining action of the bra cups.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved brassiere construction which is effective to relieve the pressure on the outer lateral portions of the breasts normally caused by the peripheral edge portions of the brassiere cups as the same cut into the chest area, and thus insure maximum comfort for the wearer.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing, the figure is an elevational view of a brassiere construction embodying the invention, with parts broken away.

In accordance with the instant invention, a brassiere is provided with a pair of control panels of selected configuration and disposition; such panels being operative in conjunction with the cups of the brassiere to effect a control of the movement of the confined breast masses so as to attain the desired results.

Thus, as shown in the figure, 10 designates a brassiere construction embodying the invention. The same comprises a pair of horizontally disposed bottom panels 11, 12 of relatively heavy elastic fabric; the adjacent inner edges thereof being seamed together as at 13. The panels 11, 12 have adjacent, convexly curved edge portions 14, 15 which are interconnected by a triangular insert 16 of fabric having an elasticity greater than that of panels 11, 12. Panels 11, 12 and insert 16 have a continuous, common bottom edge 17.

Brassiere 10 is provided with the usual brassiere cups 18, 19 of any desired construction, and which may include the usual laminations of inner and outer layers, lace and the like, not shown. The cups 18, 19 are secured along their bottom inner edge portions to complementary

curved edge portions

20, 21 of panels 11, 12 respectively, by the usual stitch seams.

A firm wire guide 22 is located along

panel edge portions

20, 21; said wire guide extending from the point 23 corresponding to the vertical median line of cup 18 to the point 24 corresponding to the vertical median line of cup 19. Wire guide 22 also includes a centrally disposed, short linear portion 25 which integrally connects the curved portions 26, 27 thereof and provides for a separation of the confined breast masses. The wire guide 22 thus provides a contour guide for said breast masses as they are confined in cups 18, 19.

Brassiere 10 further comprises a pair of lateral bulge United States Patent Patented May 5., 1964 control panels 28, 29 of nonelastic fabric. Panels 28, 29 are of generally triangular shape and are arcuately stitched along substantially parallel curved lines as at 30, with a spacing between such lines of about /8". The panel 28 comprises an inner side edge 31 which is stitched to the outer side edge portion 32 of cup 18; a convexly curved bottom edge 33 which is stitched to a top edge portion 34 of panel 11; and an outer side edge 35 which continues from the outer end of top edge 36 of cup 18 to the top edge portion 37 of panel 11. Panel 29 has correspondingly similar edge portions which are similarly related to cup 19 and bottom panel 12.

The usual shoulder straps 38 are connected at their front ends to the midpoint of the top edge 36 of cups 18, 19 and at their rear ends to a point somewhat inwardly of the juncture of edge portions 36, 37. Brassiere 10 also includes the usual outer end portions 39, 40 extending from the outer ends of panels 11, 12 for detachable interconnection at the back of the wearer in a conventional fashion.

The bulge control panels 28, 29 have an extent such that the outer end of edges 35 thereof will be located at a point in line with a vertical line extending to center of the armpits of the wearer. It will be apparent that the said control panels 28, 29 follow the edge contours of cups 18, 19 and the bottom edges 33 thereof follow the general curvature of said cups 18, 19.

It has been found that the bulge control panels 28, 29 are highly effective in diverting the lateral breast masses in a direction toward the upper portions of cups 18, 19 and toward the midline of the garment, thus overcoming the unsightly bulge of the breast masses arising from the usual confining action of the cups of a conventional brassiere construction.

Whereas the conventional cupping of the breasts forces a displaceemnt of the normally located lower portions of the breasts laterally well beyond the anterior axillary line of the body of the wearer; the bulge control panels 28, 29 of the instant invention prevent such lateral displacement by forcing that portion of the cupped breast anteriorly and thus giving effective support to the breast portions concerned. In turn, this causes a direction of the breast masses toward the midline or cleavage of the garment to provide a more feminine contour while giving essential support to the breast masses.

It has been found, that with the support afforded by the instant brassiere construction, relief is provided for the discomfort caused by induced tensions during premenstrual periods when the breasts are more sensitive, particularly in the lateral portions thereof. Similar relief is provided during pregnancy of the wearer, when the breasts are engorged and require additional support to relieve pain and/ or discomfort.

The arrangement of the shoulder straps 38 with the rear ends thereof anchored to the lower ends of the bulge control panels 28, 29; provides for a shoulder holster effect which allows the wearer to slip into the garment in a manner akin to that used when putting on a shoulder holster. Also, the rearwardly extending portions of the bottom panels 11, 12 may now be narrowed substantially and thus reduce the fabric area which is in contact with the back of the wearer.

As various changes might be made in the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter herein shown or described shall be deemed illustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A brassiere construction comprising a pair of laterally related bottom panels of elastic fabric, each of said bottom panels including inner and outer side edges and an upper edge, the inner side edges of said bottom panels being secured together, a pair body encircling end portions extending from the outer side edges of said bottom panels, a pair of cup members having lower edge portions thereof respectively secured to an inner portion of the upper edge of said bottom panels, and a pair of triangular shaped inelastic control panels respectively disposed between the bottom panels and associated cup member, each control panel having a base portion secured to its associated bottom panel along an outer upper edge portion thereof and a concavely curved inner side edge portion secured to the outer side edge portion of the associated cup member and an outer side edge portion thereof forming the top edge of said brassiere construction and extending from an outer top edge portion of the associated cup member to an outer top edge portion of the associated bottom panel, the side edge portions of each control panel forming an apex secured to outer top edge portions of the associated cup member, whereby the cupped mass of the breasts of the wearer are directed anteriorly toward the midline of said brassiere construction.

2. A brassiere construction as in claim 1 and further including shoulder straps having the front ends thereof secured to the midpoint of the top edges of said cups, the rear ends of said straps being secured to the said outer side edge of said control panels respectively at a point slightly inward of the outer end of said control panel.

3. A brassiere construction as in claim 1 and further including wire guide means comprising a pair of arcuate portions located at the juncture of the inner bottom edge portions of said cups and the opposed top edge portions of said bottom panel portion and a short linear portion interconnecting said arcuate portions at the juncture of said cups.

4. A brassiere construction as in claim 3 wherein the outer ends of said arcuate wire portions extend to the vertical medial point of said cups at the bottom edge portions thereof.

5. A brassiere construction as in claim 4 and further including shoulder straps extending rearwardly from the midpoint of the top edge portions of said cups to the outer side edge portions of said control panels at a point located slightly inward of the outer end of said control panel.

6. A brassiere construction as in claim 4 wherein said control panels include closely spaced arcuate lines of stitching extending between the inner and outer edges thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 401,015 Denzel Apr. 9, 1889 2,622,245 Lances Dec. 23, 1952 2,632,167 Robbins Mar. 24, 1953

Claims

1. A BRASSIERE CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A PAIR OF LATERALLY RELATED BOTTOM PANELS OF ELASTIC FABRIC, EACH OF SAID BOTTOM PANELS INCLUDING INNER AND OUTER SIDE EDGES AND AN UPPER EDGE, THE INNER SIDE EDGES OF SAID BOTTOM PANELS BEING SECURED TOGETHER, A PAIR BODY ENCIRCULING END PORTIONS EXTENDING FROM THE OUTER SIDE EDGES OF SAID BOTTOM PANELS, A PAIR OF CUP MEMBERS HAVING LOWER EDGES PORTIONS THEREOF RESPECTIVELY SECURED TO AN INNER PORTION OF THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID BOTTOM PANELS, AND A PAIR OF TRIANGULAR SHAPED INELASTIC CONTROL PANELS RESPECTIVELY DISPOSED BETWEEN THE BOTTOM PANELS AND ASSOCIATED CUP MEMBER, EACH CONTROL PANEL HAVING THE BASE PORTION SECURED TO ITS ASSOCIATED BOTTOM PANEL ALONG AN OUTER UPPER EDGE PORTION THEREOF AND A CONCAVELY CURVED INNER SIDE EDGE PORTION SECURED TO THE OUTER SIDE EDGE PORTION OF THE ASSOCIATED CUP MEMBER AND AN OUTER SIDE EDGE PORTION THEREOF FORMING THE TOP EDGE OF SAID BRASSIERE CONSTRUCTION AND EXTENDING FROM AN OUTER TOP EDGE PORTION OF THE ASSOCIATED CUP MEMBER TO AN OUTER TOP EDGE PORTION OF THE ASSOCAITED BOTTOM PANEL, THE SIDE EDGE PORTIONS OF EACH CONTROL PANEL FORMING AN APEX SECURED TO OUTER TOP EDGE PORTIONS OF THE ASSOCIATED CUP MEMBER, WHEREBY THE CUPPED MASS OF THE BREASTS OF THE WEARER ARE DIRECTED ANTERIORLY TOWARD THE MIDLINE OF SAID BRASSIERE CONSTRUCTION.