US3304940A

US3304940A - Brassiere

Info

Publication number: US3304940A
Application number: US412570A
Authority: US
Inventors: Holscher Heinrich
Original assignee: TRIUMPH UNIVERSA GmbH
Current assignee: TRIUMPH UNIVERSA GmbH
Priority date: 1963-11-20
Filing date: 1964-11-19
Publication date: 1967-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 1984-02-21
Also published as: FI41372B; ES112286U; BE655907A; CH428621A; GB1015437A; AT269021B; ES112286Y; NO117970B

Description

H. HC5LSCHER Feb. 21, 1967 BRASSIERE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 19, 1964 INVENTOIP Heinrich H'OZSCf/ER BY iwm Feb. 21, 1967 H. HOLSCHER 3,304,940

BRASSIERE Filed Nov. 19, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Heinrich H ULSCHE R ATI' PA/EY United States Patent 3,304,940 BRASSIERE Heinrich Hiilscher, Heubach, Wurttemberg, Germany, assignor to Triumph-Universa G.m.b.H., Bern, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed Nov. 19, 1964, Ser. N 0. 412,570 Claims priority, application Germany, Nov. 20, 1963, T 25,100 6 Claims. (Cl. 128-483) The present invention relates to brassieres having elastic supporting or shoulder straps which extend downwardly beyond their attachment points on the upper edges of the brassieres.

Brassieres are already known in which the shoulder straps are of an elastic nature and extend along the upper edges of the brassiere, to cross in the center of the brassiere between the cups or breast parts and continue below the bust to the back of the brassiere. This arrangement however does not provide sufficient support for and fails to mould the bust sufficiently, as these known shoulder straps, although suitable as supports, are too yielding when used for modeling the bust. If an elastic gusset is inserted in the brassiere connecting between the straps on the lower side of the brassiere, this merely functions to connect the straps together, and the expansion of the straps is not reduced thereby. Instead, the strap is pulled transversely in'the direction of reduced strength, and its properties are influenced there-by, particularly if stressed continuously.

An object of the present invention is the provision of means which makes it possible to ensure a firm and durable support and good moulding of the bust by bras-sieres having elastic shoulder straps crossing one another between the breast cups of the brassiere.

With the foregoing object in view, the invention involves generally the provision of a brassiere of the referred to type including a pair of breast-receiving cups each having an upper edge, an inwardly slanting inner top edge, an outwardly slanting inner bottom edge, and a lateral outer edge, and a pair of at least partially elastic body-encircling side panels each secured to one of the outer edges of said cups and terminating in a pair of back portions of the brassiere fitted with suitable fastening means. In order to provide for an adequate elastic support of and modeling effect by the cups, there are further provided a pair of elastic straps in conjunction with a triangular insert or gusset connecting the cups in the front of the brassiere, each of said straps having a front end portion secured to and extending along the inner top edge of one of said cups and along the inner bottom edge of the other cup to points adjoining the lateral outer edges of the cups, that is, with the straps crossing one another in the front center of the brassiere, and, furthermore, each of said straps having their rear end portions secured to the edge of and terminating in the back portions of the side panels, to provide free intermediate shoulder portions of the straps.

As a consequence, the cups in supporting and molding the bust are effectively resiliently supported against outside forces and body movement on the part of the wearer, by the action of the straps in conjunction with the elastic insert forming a continuous body-encircling structure together with the cups and side panels of the brassiere.

An especially advantageous arrangement is obtained by the elastic insert extending from the center or crossing point of the straps to points approximately directly below the tips of the cups, as will be further described in the following in reference to the drawings.

Further by the present invention there may be provided a non-elastic insert extending over the entire depth 3,304,940 Patented Feb. 21, 1967 "ice of each side panel of the brassiere located between the cups and an elastic back part or parts of the brassiere.

The special advantages of the invention are particularly apparent when it is appreciated that it is not an advantage to extend the elastic supporting straps below the cups as far as the back of the brassiere. For stiffening and raising the bust in this area, the elasticity of the supporting or shoulder straps is not sufficient. However, more favourable effects are achieved if the shoulder straps according to the present invention terminate at the lateral edges of the brassiere and an insert of non-elastic material is provided between the cup and said panels or the elastic back part of the brassiere on the other hand.

The modelling and strengthening action due to the described arran-gement can be further increased by the formation of the cups themselves. Thus the cups may be padded and/ or reinforced on the inside in known manner, this padding or reinforcement extending preferably in the form of a strip along a part of the edge of the cups and being preferably limited to an area bounded by the outer side and lower limiting edges of a cup and a transverse seam of said cup. The strip of padding may extend however from the inner part of the transverse seam of a cup along the lower edge of the cup, gradually widening towards the outside edge of the cup where the upper edge of the strip terminates at a point in said transverse seam.

Further features and advantageous properties of the brassiere of thepresent invention will be apparent from the two embodiments illustrated in the accompany drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view of the front of a brassiere, constructed according to the invention FIGURE 2 is a view on a larger scale of the inside of the front of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1 FIGURES 3 and 4 are views corresponding respectively to those of FIGURES 1 and 2 but ofanother embodiment of a brassiere, having features of the present invention.

In the embodiments of the present invention as illustrated shoulder straps 1, which consist of elastic material, extend from the region of their attachment on the upper edges of the cups of the brassiere along the inwardly slanting top edges 3 to a centre position 4 of the front where they cross and then extend along the outwardly slanting bottom edges of the cups 9 to the outer lateral edge or region 5 of the brassiere forming connecting seams of the cups with the side panels 15. The back of the brassiere, although not shown, preferably presents a similar arrangement, that is to say, the shoulder straps 1, extend as far as the centre line of the back of the brassiere, where they are combined in a connection with the extensions of side panels 15 of the brassiere.

The advantages which can be obtained by such an arrangernent of the supporting straps, lie particularly in the fluid lines and the simple and clear formation of the brassiere, the extended supporting straps snugly adapting themselves to the rounding of the bust at their lowest attachment. However the very strongly stressed insert or gusset between the two cups and the lower area thereof require a particular solution.

Thus for the formation of the centre front area of the brassiere between the two cups, the present invention proposes a solution which is shown in detail in FIGURE 2. Between the lower inner edges 8 of the cups 9 there is an approximately triangular connecting piece 10 which is transversely elastic either partially or wholly. This connecting piece 10 extends from the centre region or crossing point 4 of the straps along the edges 8 to the regions 11 which are approximately vertically below the tip of the cups. The connecting piece 10 is connected along these edges 8 with the material of the cups 9 and the shoulder straps I extend beyond the centre line of the brassiere front and round the bottom of the cups along their edges over a length which is greater than half the distance from the centre 4 to the other limiting side seam 6 of the cups. On the lower edge of the insert 10 an additional reinforcing strip 12 may be provided which, similarly to reinforcing strips 13 on the side parts of the brassiere is roughened on the inner face.

The moulding and strengthening action of the arrangement of such an insert in the triangular area between the cups can be further improved by providing an additional padding or reinforcing insert 14 in each of the lower regions of the cups 9. Each insert 14, in the embodiment shown in FIGURE 2, extends as a strip around the lower edge 8 of the cup, with each strip preferably between 1 and 5 cm. in length.

The side parts 15 of the brassiere may be formed in any desired manner. In the embodiments shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2 they are of elastic material and extend rearwardly from the limiting side seam 6, but in the embodiment shown in FIGURE 3 and 4 which is substantially of the same shape, the side parts are of elastic material only in the back region 16 thereof, i.e. in the regions adjacent to the limiting side seam 6 they are of non-elastic material as shown at 17. The shaping effect on the bust is further improved thereby.

The embodiment of FIGURES 3 and 4 incorporates another formation of the reinforcing inlay in the lower region of the cups. In this modification the inlay 18 extends from a transverse seam 20 of the cup near the centre region 4 of the brassiere in a direction first parallel to the lower edge 8 of the cups 9 and then along an are 19 bringing the upper edge of the inlay back to the transverse seam 20. This arrangement achieves particularly good stiffening or reinforcement of the cups in their outer lower region.

In the foregoing, the invention has been described with reference to a diagrammatically illustrated, yet specific embodiment. It will be evident, however, that variations and modifications, as well as the substitution of equivalent parts and materials for those described herein may be made in accordance with the broader scope and spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense.

I claim:

1. A brassiere comprising in combination:

(1) a pair of breast-receiving cups each having an upper edge, an inwardly slanting inner top edge, an outwardly slanting inner bottom edge, and a lateral outer edge,

(2) a pair of at least partially elastic body-encircling side panels each secured at one end to one of said lateral edges and terminating in a pair of back portions fitted with cooperating fastening means,

(3) a pair of elastic straps each having a front end ortion secured to and extending along the inner top edge of one of said cups to the inner bottom edge of the other cup to points adjoining the lateral edges of the cups, whereby said straps cross one another in the front of the brassiere, and each of said straps having its back end portion secured to the edge of and terminating in the back portions of said side panels, to provide free intermediate shoulder portions by the straps, and

(4) a triangular at least partially transversely elastic insert disposed with its apex coinciding with the crossing point of said straps and having its side edges secured to the adjoining inner bottom edges of said cups the side edges of said insert extending from said crossing point to a position directly below the tips of said cups.

2. In a brassiere as claimed in claim 1, including a reinforcing strip extending over the entire base of said insert.

3. In a brassiere as claimed in claim 1, each of said side panels consisting of a non-elastic portion adjoining said cups and an elastic back portion of the brassiere.

4. In a brassiere as claimed in claim 1, including padding strips underlying and extending along part of the inner bottom edge of said cups.

5. In a brassiere as claimed in claim 4, said padding strips extending from points spaced from the crossing points of said straps to the lateral edges of said cups.

6. In a brassiere as claimed in claim 4, said cups fitted with central substantially horizontal cross-seams, and said padding strips extending from point spaced from the crossing point of said straps with a first substantially straight and a second curved contour terminating at said seam.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,149,819 3/1939 Rubinstein 128-487 2,202,058 5/1940 Malnick 128483 3,186,412 6/1965 Kurland l'28--483 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A BRASSIERE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (1) A PAIR OF BREAST-RECEIVING CUPS EACH HAVING AN UPPER EDGE, AN INWARDLY SLANTING INNER TOP EDGE, AN OUTWARDLY SLANTING INNER BOTTOM EDGE, AND A LATERAL OUTER EDGE, (2) A PAIR OF AT LEAST PARTIALLY ELASTIC BODY-ENCIRCLING SIDE PANELS EACH SECURED AT ONE END TO ONE OF SAID LATERAL EDGES AND TERMINATING IN A PAIR OF BACK PORTIONS FITTED WITH COOPERATING FASTENING MEANS, (3) A PAIR OF ELASTIC STRAPS EACH HAVING A FRONT END PORTION SECURED TO AND EXTENDING ALONG THE INNER TOP EDGE OF ONE OF SAID CUPS TO THE INNER BOTTOM EDGE OF THE OTHER CUP TO POINTS ADJOINING THE LATERAL EDGES OF THE CUPS, WHEREBY SAID STRAPS CROSS ONE ANOTHER IN THE FRONT OF THE BRASSIERE, AND EACH OF SAID STRAPS HAVING ITS BACK END PORTION SECURED TO THE EDGE OF AND TERMININATING IN THE BACK PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE PANELS, TO PROVIDE FREE INTERMEDIATE SHOULDER PORTIONS BY THE STRAPS, AND (4) A TRIANGULAR AT LEAST PARTIALLY TRANSSVERSELY ELASTIC INSERT DISPOSED WITH ITS APEX COINCIDING WITH THE CROSSING POINT OF SAID STRAPS AND HAVING ITS SAID EDGES SECURED TO THE ADJOINING INNER BOTTOM EDGES OF SAID CUPS THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID INSERT EXTENDING FROM SAID CROSSING POINT TO A POSITION DIRECTLY BELOW THE TIPS OF SAID CUPS.