Arrangement for a brassiere
The present invention relates to an arrangement for a bra to permit flexible adjustment of pairs of shoulder straps which are detachably connectable to the actual bra component with the help of fasteners on the shoulder straps and attachment devices on the aforementioned bra. A wish on the part of the majority of women is for their bra to sit comfortably and for the shoulder straps to fit. This is the case both for the fit and on the occasions when they are worn. Common problems include: a poor fit and narrow shoulder straps, which cut into the shoulders. Broad shoulder straps, which often do not fit under all garments. Inflexible shoulder straps and poor colour and/or material matching of these. Many different models of bra are expensive for customers to purchase. The fasteners which connect the shoulder strap to the bra component itself impose an oblique loading on the attachment, which can cause wrinkles and gaps to form along the top edge of the bra component. The attachment points for the shoulder straps on all bra components are not always optimally positioned to fit all women, and there is sometimes an additional wish to be able to adjust the position of the shoulder straps to fit the choice of clothing at the time, e.g. in order to fit spaghetti-strap dresses, but above all to enable the bra to be worn in comfort for everyday use and with the option of broad shoulder straps. The principal object of the present invention is thus, in the first instance, to solve the aforementioned problems by simple yet effectively functioning means.
The aforementioned object is achieved by means of an arrangement in accordance with the present invention, which is characterized essentially in that present on the
upper part of each cup component and preferably also on the respective back attachment component are attachment devices for detachable connection to the respective shoulder strap fastener, in that attachment devices are formed by at least two attachments which extend horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the bra, in that the connecting fastener is formed by at least one horizontally extending connecting beam , in that the attachments are formed by tunnel-shaped accommodating pockets for the matching part of the connecting fasteners, in that the aforementioned tunnel-shaped accommodating pockets extend in the longitudinal direction of the aforementioned bra with openings situated on laterally facing parts of the aforementioned pockets, and in that each shoulder strap fastener is arranged for optional connection to any of the aforementioned attachments.
The invention is described below as a preferred illustrative embodiment, in conjunction with which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 shows the inside of an outspread bra provided with an arrangement in accordance with the invention;
Fig. 2 shows an example of an attachment strap; Fig. 3 shows a further example of a bra viewed from its inside and in an outspread position with a shoulder strap connected between pairs of attachments;
Fig. 4 shows a set of shoulder straps in an outspread position;
Fig. 5 shows a fastened bra with a shoulder strap connected; Fig. 6 shows a number of examples of shoulder strap fasteners;
Fig. 7 shows the shoulder strap fasteners in different effective connecting positions; and
Fig. 8 shows a further set of shoulder straps provided with length-adjusting means and in varying forms, colours and textiles.
The invention is so arranged, as indicated in Claim 1, as to permit lateral adjustment of the shoulder straps both at the front and at the rear of the bra and height adjustment at least at the front or at the back. For the sake of simplicity, the following description assumes lateral and vertical adjustment, both at the front and at the back of the bra, which may indeed be the case.
A arrangement 1 in accordance with the present invention, which is so arranged as to be applied to underwear in the form of a bra 2 in order to permit flexible adjustment of pairs of shoulder straps 4, which are capable of detachable connection to the bra component 3 itself with the help of fasteners 5 arranged on the shoulder straps 4 and attachment devices 6 on the aforementioned bra 2, comprises a set of laterally and vertically distributed connecting attachments 7 on the aforementioned bra 2. More specifically, the aforementioned attachments 7 are arranged on the upper part 8 of each cup component 9 and on each back attachment component 10, which are connected to one another in a previously disclosed manner. Each of these attachments 7 is intended for detachable connection to its shoulder strap fastener 5, and the attachment devices β are formed by at least two laterally 11 distributed and two vertically 12 distributed attachments 7, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 7\ 78, 79, 710, 711.
Each shoulder strap fastener 5 is accordingly arranged for optional connection to any of the aforementioned attachments 7-7n.
The aforementioned connecting attachments 7-7n are formed from tunnel-shaped flexible accommodating pockets which are so arranged as to be capable of accommodating the matching parts 13, 14 of the connecting fasteners 5. The
aforementioned tunnel-shaped accommodating pockets 7-7n extend in the longitudinal direction 15 of the aforementioned bra 2 with openings 16, 17 situated art each end of the laterally facing parts 7A, 7B of the aforementioned pockets 7-7\
The aforementioned accommodating pockets 7-7n preferably exhibit elongated form, and their form is flexibly adapted to the horizontal legs 13, 14 of the fasteners. If it is wished to use the fasteners with a shorter connecting leg, an interruption 18 can be arranged in the form of an opening across the longitudinal direction 11 of the aforementioned accommodating pockets 7-7n in order to permit the introduction of a short section of a fastener.
Simple manufacture of the attachment devices 6 is . possible by arranging this in the form of a strap with pleated pockets 7-7" sewn with thread 25 extending in the longitudinal direction 11 of the strap. The aforementioned strap forming an attachment device is capable of attachment to the aforementioned bra 2 on each of the upper edges 8 of the cups and on the upper edge 19 of the respective back strap 10 by being sewn, glued or welded in place, etc.
A number of attachments 7-72, 73-75, 76-78 and 79-7n are arranged divided into groups 20, 21, 22, 23 displaced laterally 11 from one another and with each of their openings 16, 17 facing in its own direction on the aforementioned pockets 7-7n.
In order to adapt the fasteners 5 to enable them to derive the maximum benefit from the invention and, among other things, to prevent the upper strap 8 on the bra from adopting an oblique attitude when the fastener 5 is attached far down in the row of attachments 7-7n, the connecting fastener 5 can be in the form of a component part which is provided with pairs of connecting legs 13, 14 distributed at a mutual distance X in a vertical sense 12 and extending in a common direction. Each of the aforementioned legs 13, 14 is
capable of being accommodated by its own pocket from among a number of pockets situated one above the other, for example as illustrated in Fig. 7, or by simply using the lower connecting leg 13. A stop component 28, for example in the form of a barb or some other thickening of a connecting leg 13, can prevent it from sliding out unintentionally from its associated attachment 7-7n.
A shoulder strap 4, of which the form, colour and/or appearance can vary, and which is part of a set 27, supports connecting fasteners 5 of the desired kind at each of its ends 4A, 4B. Each of the aforementioned fasteners 5 is capable of detachable connection to a desired accommodating pocket 7-7n or some other connecting attachment at an optional attachment point in a lateral and/or a vertical sense, and thanks to a small strap 6 with small pleats of fabric attached to the inside of the bra, the hooks 5 in the shoulder straps 4 can be attached in the perfect position on the bra. The aforementioned fasteners 5 can be made of metal, plastic or some other material with the ability to tolerate washing at high temperature and detergents. Other types of fasteners 5 can also be applied, for example in the form of a ring with an opening 26 such as a spring hook.
The invention is not restricted to the illustrative embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, but may be varied within the scope of the Patent Claims without departing from the idea of invention. As alternative examples of attachments, vertical slots or other openings passing through the strap from which the attachments are formed or through the fabric of the bra can constitute introduction openings and exit openings for the horizontal connecting legs viewed with the bra held in an outstretched horizontal position.