US3400720A

US3400720A - Brassiere

Info

Publication number: US3400720A
Application number: US575222A
Authority: US
Inventors: John D Wark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-08-23
Filing date: 1966-08-23
Publication date: 1968-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 1985-09-10

Description

J. D. WARK BRASSIERE Sept. 10, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 23, 1966 FIG.

JOHN P. CHANDLER ms ATTORNEY.

Sept. 10', 1968 Filed Aug. 23 19 J. 0. WARK BRASSIERE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JOHN D. WARK JOHN P. CHANDLER HIS ATTORNEY.

United States Patent "ice 3,400,720 BRASSIERE John D. Wark, 326 W. Lena Ave., Freeport, N.Y. 11520 Filed Aug. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 575,222

8 Claims. (Cl. 128485) This invention relates to an improved design of brassieres wherein the principal object is to distribute, as equally as possible, the weight of the breast between the shoulder straps and the rib cage support band. Another object of the invention is to provide support for the breasts in the most natural form so as to cause no distortion through unnatural pressure angles and also provide improved cup support and weight distribution in the cup structure.

The improved brassiere of the present invention includes a body encircling band for the breast section and two breast cups of special configuration and having upper and lower sections of different contour. The upper breast section is considered to be a frustum of a cone and the lower portion as about one quarter of a sphere. The pattern for this novel structure is developed by dividing the surface of this form into angular segments which favor the support angle required to resist distortion. This arrangement avoids the pressures caused 'by conventional cups of conical configuration.

The structure of the breast cups, which is one of the important aspects ofthe invention, comprises essentially a plurality of crescent shaped blanks arranged in superimposed relation with their adjoining curved edges stitched together from end to end and the opposed terminals of each blank or segment continuing upwardly and being joined together with the upper end of the cup. These segments are preferably crescent shaped with convex and concave edges wherein the next upper segment is a section of a circle of smaller diameter but where the adjoining edges of each piece being of substantially the same length so as not to require any progressive pulling of one edge relative to a shorter edge.

In some instances, the segments may be of substantially the same width throughout their length, thus slightly departing from the true crescent shape. When all segments are stitched together, a structural form of unusual configuration is effected. Weight is divided between the shoulder strap support and the fixed attachment to the rib cage band. Additional features to relieve pressure points may be incorporated in the chest band and/or the shoulder straps.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved supporting band for a brassiere which avoids the action of the band in riding upwardly when the wearer leans over or is engaged in actionable pursuits.

In the drawing: I

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of the brassiere; of the present invention in place upon the wearer;

FIG. 2 is a similar elevation but taken more to the side;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the several blanks or segments used in forming the breast cup;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the relation between the segments prior to stitching;

FIG. 5 is a similar view but showing a modification in the shape of the segments;

FIG. 6 shows the improved configuration at the rear of the brassiere.

A rib cage band 10 forming the body section of the garment is adapted to encircle the thoraxic area of the body of the wearer and it may be formed in two sections joined together at the front by zig-zag stitching 11 and the band may extend around the back of the wearer where Cir I 3,400,720 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 its two opposed ends are detachably secured together in the usual manner. By providing this front stitching, a measure of resilience between the opposed sides is assured. This gives a certain vertical freedom including independent action, when raising one arm of the wearer. A similar result would be achieved if an elastic insert were provided at the front center of the band.

Each section has a breast cup 12 which is secured along its curved lower and side edges to an arcuate edge 14 extending about two-thirds of a full circle from a point 16 near the front center of the body section of the garment, to a point 17 at the upper side and adjacent a shoulder strap 18.

The breast cups are of special construction and there is shown in FIG. 2 the several blanks which, when stitched together form a structurally and functionally improved cup. The blanks are indicated as 20, 21, 22 and 23 and are of generally C shape each with opposed edges forming circles of progressively decreasing diameters and the lengths of the curved edges in end blank successively decrease. The first blank has a central section 24, opposed terminal sections 26 and upper and

lower edges

28 and 29. The next blank 21 is of lesser length and the third blank 22 is similarly shorter than blank 21. Blank 21 has upper and

lower edges

30 and 31 and the

adjoining edges

28 and 31 of the two lower blanks form segments of larger and smaller circles, respectively, but are of substantially the same length so that when these edges are joined together to form stitch line 32 there is no need for fulling one edge relative to the other.

Uppermost blank 23 has one curved edge 34 and two substantially straight edges 36 extending divergingly upwardly from a median point 38. The edges of the remaining blank-s are joined together to form

curved stitch lines

39 and 40 and substantially straight stitch line 41, the ends of

stitch lines

32, 39 and 40 join each other in the upper section of the cup and the shoulder strap 18- is secured at this point.

It will be observed in FIG. 2 that the lower section 60 of each breast cup, when the garment is in position on the wearer, is substantially the shape of one quarter of a sphere while the upper section 61 is a portion of a cone which is the most natural of the young feminine forms.

A slight modification in the breast cup structure is shown in FIG. 5 wherein the

segments

64 and 65 are of substantially equal width throughout their lengths and the innermost segment '66 is substantially similar to segment 23 in FIG. 4. This arrangement is preferred for certain breast oonfigunations although the upper section of the cup has less of a conical contour.

FIG. 6 shows the improved shoulder strap arrangement at the rear of the garment. The meeting

rear sections

44 and 45 are joined together at 46 by detachable fastener means and the lower ends 50 of the shoulder straps 18 are secured at 52 at about the center of the rear section of the breast band. Short straps 55 of elastic or other stretchable material are secured at one end at 48 adjacent to the side of the band and the other end at 55 to the shoulder straps to modify the straight-line position. When the wearer leans over, the tension on the shoulder straps overcomes the tension provided by the elastic straps and the shoulder straps then straighten up without pulling the rear section of the band upwardly. It will be appreciatecl that elastic section 55 and lower shoulder strap section 50 may be reversed but the arrangement shown is most effective in preventing ride-up of the breast band due to tension on the shoulder straps.

While there have been described herein what are at present considered preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention. It is therefore to be understood that the exemplary embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims, and that all modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be included therein.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A brassiere comprising a rib cage band extending around the breast section of the body of the wearer and joined together at the rear of the body and having a pair of cut-out sections extending downwardly from the upper edge of the band and providing a pair of convexly curved edges, a breast cup in each cut-out section and joined to one of said convex edges, and a shoulder strap extending upwardly and rearwardly from the top of each breast cup and secured thereto, each cup being formed from a plurality of curved segments, each convexly curved along its lower edge and concavely curved along its upper edge, each adjoining pair of edges being secured together from end to end, the edges of each successive segment from the bottom upwardly forming arcs of progressively smaller circles.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein said band is formed in two sections permanently joined together at the front and detachably joined together at the rear.

3. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein each of said adjoining pairs of edges which are secured together are of substantially the same length.

4. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the convex and concave edges of each segment form arcs of different circles.

5. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the convex and concave edges of each segment form arcs of substantially the same circles.

6. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the upper edge of the uppermost segment is formed in two substantially straight sections which are joined together to form an upper front vertical median line in each cup.

7. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the shoulder straps at the rear of the wearer are deflected from their straight line position by elastic strap extending from the back of the band to points on the shoulder strap midway up the back.

8. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the shoulder straps are secured at the rear adjacent the center of the breast band and said straps are deflected from their straight line position by elastic straps extending from the sides of the band to points midway up the back.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner.