US3525342A - Torso constricting and molding garments - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent UNITED STATES PATENTS [72] Inventor Joseph M. Kamin m mmmr. In "L U e so o enfln M Hnaia -l.n vl e h m k BHMPM m Ae 34665 55556 t 9 9 9 9 9 H B 11111 r 96372 r me ml 2 oo 2 7 9 E Z4 9 y ,335 W 30948 m 58356 m nn 227.23 PA 0 n k r i 0 m 0 m w 0 a 0 dY nw w m m e N .m 19 t. n l m m I 5 r. 0 0 w m w oo fl a v. UIQC B7MAGNa Q e N mm d h wmme A F P A 11 253 22 7 [[[l [54] TORSO CONSTRICTING AND MOLDING ABSTRACT: A foundation garment such as a girdle, corselet. brassiere, etc., which has a non-elastic front panel and elastic side and back sections. An elastic control band extends around the entire circumference of the garment with exceps .W F g .m w a m m W 5 MM Rh AC G9 tion of the front panel, the full length of the upper and lower edges of the control band being detached from the garment. The control band consists of side band members which are superposed on the outer surface of the side sections, and back band member means underlying the inner surface of the back section.

References Cited Patented Aug. 25, 1970 Sheet INVENTOR:

JOSEPH M. KAMIN Patented Aug. 25, 1979 3,525,342

INVENTOR:

JOSEPH M. KAMIN yw 4M1 Patented Aug. 25, 1976 Sheet all-b Zia 43 2| INVENTORI JOSEPH M. KAMIN TORSO CONSTRICTING AND MOLDING GARMENTS This invention relates to new and useful improvements in foundation garments worn for constricting and molding the torso, as for example, girdles, panty girdles, corselets and brassieres. Such garments usually embody sections of elastic material for producing the desired constrictive force upon the body, but it frequently happens that because of different body contours and also because of a particular garment structure itself, the constrictive force is unevenly distributed and proper shaping of the body is not attained. Moreover, the garment often has a tendency to ride upwardly or downwardly, inasmuch as the elastic material inherently lacks good qualities for properly anchoring the garment, as for example at the waistline or below the breasts.

Many of these disadvantages of conventional garment construction have been surmounted by providing girdles, panty girdles and corselets with a so-called.Waist Cincher" elastic band, in accordance with the teaching of US. Pat. No.

3,168,099 of Patrick J. Morano, issued Feb. 2, 1965. There an elastic band of substantial width, which may be on the order of 3 inches or so, extends completely around the sides and back of the garment at the waist, being freely superposed thereon and capable to effectively control the action of whatever elastic sections the garment may embody, so that proper shaping of the torso is attained and good anchorage at the waist is possible to prevent upward or downward riding.

The principal object of the present invention is to further improve upon the arrangement of the elastic control band of the type disclosed in the aforementioned Morano patent, such improvement being primarily directed to a band structure which includes side band members superposed exteriorly on the garment side sections, and back band member means underlying the interior of the back section of the garment.

This construction not only facilitates proper shaping and anchorage, but also provides effective support for the wearers back and reinforces the back section of the garment against breakdown.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an elastic control band arrangement which is applicable not only to the waist region of girdles, panty girdles and corselets, but also to the lower region of brassieres, both of the longline and bandeau type.

With the foregoing more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIG. I is a front elevational view of a girdle type garment with the control band of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view thereof, partially broken 7 away;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing in elevation the inside of the back of the garment;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 4-4 in FIG. I, with components of the band shown spaced away from the garment for sake of illustration;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a longline brassiere with the control band of the invention, the garment being shown in an open, flat position;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the inside of the garment of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 7-7 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a bandeau type brassiere with the control band of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary elevational view showingthe inside of the garment of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary front elevational view of another girdle type garment with the control band of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the garment ofFIG. l0; and

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the inside of the garment of FIGS. 10 and 11 in a flat form.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail. more particularly to FIGS. l-4 thereof, the same illustrate a girdle type garment 10 which may be a short girdle as shown, or a panty girdle or a corselet, it being understood that since the invention in this instance concerns itself primarily with the waist region of the garment, it makes no difference how far below or above the waist the garment extends.

The garment 10 comprises a front panel 11 of non-elastic material, and if desired the front panel may be provided with a slide fastener I2 to facilitate donning and removal of the garment. Also, the garment includes a pair of side sections 13 and a back section 14, the front edges of the side sections being secured to side edges of the front panel 11 by front seams I5.

'while the rear edges of the side sections are secured to side edges of the back section 14 by rear seams 16. The side sections I3 may be formed from elastic material which is stretchable primarily in the horizontal or circumferential direction, as indicated by the arrows 17.

The back section I4 is composite in construction and includes a lower elastic panel 140 and an upper elastic panel 14b, the lower edge of the upper panel being secured to the upper edge of the lower panel by a seam I8. The lower elastic panel 140 is stretchable in the vertical direction as indicated by the arrows 19, but is virtually non-stretchable in the horizontal direction. The upper elastic panel 14b is stretchable primarily in the horizontal direction as indicated by the arrows 20.

The control band 21 is disposed at the waist and extends around the entire circumference of the garment with exception of the front panel 11. The band 21 is a circumferentially yieldable elastic strip of substantial width, on the order of approximately 3 inches or so, and consists of a pair of side band members 21a and a back band member 21b. The side band members 21a are freely superposed on the outer surface of the garment side sections 13, the front ends of the band members 21a being secured at the front seams 15 while the rear ends thereof are secured at the rear seams 16. The back band member 21b freely underlies the inner surface of the garment back section 14 and has its ends secured at the rear seams l6,

at the seams 15, 16, the band members 21a and 21b are entirely detached from the garment structure and are thus capable of independent extension and contraction.

- for the seams 16, the close proximity of the lower edge of the member 21b to the upper edge of the horizontally nonstretchable panel 14a will effectively prevent stretching of the lower edge portion of the band member 21b, thus enabling the band to anchor itself at the waistline to safeguard against upward or downward riding of the garment. However, the upper edge portion of the band member 21b, being more remote from the horizontally non-stretchable panel 14a, will be free to stretch horizontally with the panel 14b, thus effectively controlling the amount of flair needed at the waistline in sitting, bending or standing positions of the wearer.

Positioning of the back band member 21b at the inside rather than at the outside of the garment provides for a more effective support at the center of the wearer's back, with which the member 21b is thus in direct contact. Moreover, the underlying member 21b reinforces the overlying panel 14b of the back section and protects the entire back section against premature breakdown. With the control band 21 at the waistline, the front panel 11 and the side sections 13 as well as the back section 14 of the garment project upwardly beyond the upper edge of the control band, as shown.

Attention is now directed to FIGS. 9 which show the control band of the invention embodied in a brassiere. FIGS. 57 illustrate a longline brassiere 30 including a non-elastic front panel 31, a pair of elastic side sections 32 secured to the front panel by the front seams 33, and a back section 34a, 34b of elastic material, secured to the side sections by the rear seams 35. In this instance the back section, rather than being in one piece, is split along its vertical median line to the facilitate donning and removal of the garment, the split back sections 34a, 34b being separably connected together by hook and eye fasteners 36, 37, as will be understood.

The usual breast cups are indicated at 38 and, if desired, conventional spiral bones may be provided at the seams 33, 35 and also intermediate the side sections 32 as indicated at 39, as is customary in the art.

The elastic control band of the invention is disposed at the lower edge of the brassiere, extending around the entire circumference with exception of the front panel 31. The control band comprises a pair of side band members 40a which are superposed on the outer surface of the side sections 32, and a pair of back band members 40b which underlie the inner surface of the back sections 34a, 34b. The front ends of the members 4011 are secured at the front seams 33, while the rear ends of the members 40a as well as the front ends of the members 40!; are secured at the rear seams 35. The rear ends of the members 4012 are stitched as at 41 at the split of the back section. The entire length of the upper and lower edges of the band members 40a, 40b is detached from the garment, so that the band members are capable of independent extension and contraction. If bone stitching is provided intermediate the side sections 32 as at 39, such stitching may continue down to the lower edge of the band members 40a in a manner similar to the seams 33, 35, but in the horizontal direction the upper and lower edges of the members 40a are still free of attachment to the garment, as already noted.

The side sections 32 preferably have inverted, shallow V- shaped lower edges 42 which are spaced upwardly from the lower edge of the band members 40a, thus leaving lower portions of the members 40a exposed for contact with the body notwithstanding the fact that these members are superposed on the outside of the side sections. The back band members 40b, of course, are also in contact with the body since they are disposed at the inside of the back section 34a, 34b. Thus, the band members 40a, 40b provide effective support for the sides and back of the torso and also serve to anchor the garment against upward or downward riding.

The bandeau type brassiere 30 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is constructed in much the same manner as the longline brassiere 30 of FIGS. 57, and inasmuch as the difference between the two is largely in vertical dimension and pattern, rather than in actual structure, corresponding reference numerals have been used in FIGS. 8 and 9. It may be noted, however, that while the control band (40a, 40b) in the longline is of substantial width, on the order of 3 inches or so, in the bandeau it is somewhat narrower, on the order of 1% or 2 inches, which still enables it to perform its intended function in the bandeau where, because of the smaller vertical dimension of the garment, a wider band is not necessary.

In both the longline garment of FIGS. 5-7 and in the bandeau of FIGS. 8 and 9 the back section 34a, 341: has been shown as being split into two parts to facilitate donning and removal of the garment, and accordingly, the back members 40b of the control band are also in two parts, associated respectively with the two parts of the back section. However, it will be understood that if the brassiere is constructed so as to open at the front rather than at the back, then the back sections 34a, 34b will be in one piece and the back band member 401) will also be in one piece, extending continuously across the back section as in the girdle embodiment of FIGS. 1-4.

FIGS. 10-12 illustrate another modified arrangement of the invention wherein a control band structure similar to that in the brassieres of FIGS. 5-9 is associated with a girdle type garment such as that of FIGS. l-4. Here again, the garment 10 has a non-elastic front panel 11, a pair of side sections 13 and a back section 14, as already described in connection with the girdle 10.

The control band 21 in this instance is disposed directly at the upper edge of the garment rather than being spaced downwardly therefrom as in the girdle 10, the band 21 extending circumferentially around the entire waist with exception of the front panel 11. The band includes side band members 210 which are superposed on the outer surface of the side sections 13, and a back band member 21b which underlies the inner surface of the back section 14.

Although the front panel 11 and the back section 14 extend to the upper edge ofthe garment, that is, to the same height as the upper edge of the control band 21. the side sections 13 have inverted, shallow V-shaped upper edges 43 which are spaced downwardly from the upper edge of the garment as is best shown in FIG. 12, thus leaving upper portions of the band side members 21a exposed for contact with the body notwithstanding the fact that these members are superposed on the outside of the side sections. The band back member 21b, of course, is also in contact with the body since it is disposed at the inside of the back section, it being apparent that this arrangement in a girdle type garment is closely analogous to that in the brassiere type garment of FIGS. 5-9, except for being inverted. That is to say, in the girdle the V-shaped edges 43 are at the top of the side sections 13 and leave the upper portions of the band side members 21a exposed, while in the brassiere the V-shaped edges 42 are at the bottom of the side sections 32 and leave the lower portions of the band side members 400 exposed for contact with the skin.

While in the foregoing there have been described and shown the preferred embodiments of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure, and various modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a torso constricting and molding garment, the combination of a back section, a pair of elastic side sections extending forwardly therefrom, rear seams connecting rear edges of said side sections to said side edges of said back section, a non-elastic front panel, front seams connecting front edges of said side sections to side edges of said front panel, and a circumferentially tensioned elastic band extending around the entire circumference of said garment with exception of said front panel, said band comprising a back band member and a pair of side band members superposed on the outer surface of and circumferentially coextensive with the respective side sections, said side band members having front and rear ends secured at the respective front and rear seams, and said back band member means underlying the inner surface of and circumferentially coextensive with said back section, said back band member means having ends secured at said rear seams.

2. The garment as defined in claim 1 wherein said band has upper and lower edges detached along their entire length from said side and back sections.

3. The garment as defined in claim 1 wherein said back section includes a lower elastic panel stretchable primarily in the vertical direction but substantially non-stretchable horizontally, and an upper elastic panel secured at its lower edge to the upper edge of said lower panel and stretchable primarily in the horizontal direction, said band being disposed at a level where the lower edge of said back band member means is closely adjacent to the juncture of the upper and lower panels of said back section, whereby the lower edge portion of the back band member means is held against horizontal stretching by the horizontally non-stretchable lower panel while the upper edge portion of the back band member means is free to stretch with the horizontally stretchable upper panel.

4. The garment as defined in claim 3 wherein said side and back sections project upwardly beyond the upper edge of said band.

of said band.

8. The garment as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper edge of said band defines the upper edge of the garment at said side and back sections.

9. The garment as defined in claim 8 wherein said side sections have upper edges spaced downwardly from the upper edge of said band.

Images