WO2009008804A1

WO2009008804A1 - Nursing top

Info

Publication number: WO2009008804A1
Application number: PCT/SE2008/000442
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cecilija Simic
Original assignee: Cecilija Simic
Priority date: 2007-07-12
Filing date: 2008-07-09
Publication date: 2009-01-15
Also published as: SE0701700L; SE531350C2

Abstract

A garment for the facilitation of nursing, comprising a back (3), which covers the back side of the user, and a front piece (1, 2) comprising a lower front piece part (1) and an upper front piece part (2) having a free upper edge and lower edge (21), respectively, the front piece parts (1, 2) in a first state overlapping each other and in a second state can vertically be separated to expose an opening through the front piece at the breasts of the user. The upper front piece part (2) is situated inside the upper portion of the lower front piece part (1), while the upper end part of the lower front piece part (1) has a central neck hole 11 and is along the side edges thereof connected to the back (3) along the side of the user up to a lower area of a sleeve opening (28), whereby the upper portion of the lower front piece part (1) forms two laterally spaced-apart upwardly tapering tongues (14), which are detachably connected with a point of attachment lying above, each tongue being downwardly foldable around a folding line (30), which extends generally horizontal between the lower end of the neck opening (11) and the lower area of the sleeve opening, the folding line (30) extending at a distance above the lower edge (21) of the upper front piece part (2).

Description

Nursing top

The invention relates to a garment for the facilitation of nursing of the kind that is seen in the preamble of the appended claim 1.

A previously known garment of this kind, comprises an upper and a lower flexible front piece portion, which have a free lower and upper, respectively, edge, the front piece portions, in a first state, overlapping each other on the front side of the garment, and in a second state being vertically separable to, between the edges, expose an opening through the front piece.

The garment also has a back, which covers the back side of the user and which is connected to the side edges of the front piece up to a sleeve and armhole, respectively, of the garment, and the back is also connected with the front piece along the shoulders of the user.

The upper border of the lower front piece part stays on a level on the upperside of the breasts by the fact that the front piece part is formed of elastic fabric. The upper front piece part is also formed of elastic fabric to lie tightly facing the lower front piece part in the overlap area for the avoidance of openings, i.e., gaps, in the heat insulation for the breasts that is formed by the front piece.

Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a garment of the kind mentioned by way of introduction, which enables efficient suspension of the upper border part of the lower front piece part to a fastener on the garment lying above.

An additional object is to provide a garment with which the upper portion of the lower front piece part easily can be detached from the fastener and simply be folded down around a folding line, which is situated at a distance above the lower border of the upper front piece part, so that an overlapping remains between the upper and lower front piece part, wherein the overlapping simply can be eliminated by vertical separation of the overlapping portions for exposure of the breast.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a garment, which affords a stable connection and supporting of the front piece, and which in a first step enables preparation of the garment to, in a next step, enable the front piece parts to be separated to expose an opening between them.

The objects are attained entirely or partly by the invention.

The invention is defined in the appended independent claim 1.

Embodiments of the invention are defined in the appended dependent claims .

Additional objects and technical advantages are attained by the invention, such as is realized by a person skilled in the art upon study of the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows an oblique front view of a garment according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows the garment according to figure 1 having folded-down tongue.

Figure 3 shows a schematic vertical section through the garment .

Figures 4 and 5 show another embodiment of the garment in oblique front view having folded-up and folded-down, respectively, tongue. The garment according to figures 1-3 is in the form of a nursing top, but may naturally also be extended for the formation of a dress such as is shown in figures 4, 5.

In figure 2, a back piece 3 is shown, which along side edges 7 is connected by means of seams with side edges of a lower part 1 of the front piece of the nursing top. The front piece also comprises an upper part 2, which centrally at the top has a neck hole 25 and shoulder portions 26 which by means of a shoulder seam 8 are connected with the corresponding adjacent upper border portions 31 of the back piece 3. The upper part 2 forms together with the back piece 3 upper lateral portions of sleeve openings 28 in which sleeves 80 are let in. The upper part 2 extends downward on the front to a level where the upper part has a lower free edge 21, which extends generally horizontally between the side edge seams 7. A rubber elastic 22 may be fastened to the lower edge 21 and extend along the same. The lower part 1 extends up past the edge 21 and is delimited upward by tapering tongues 14, which extend up over the respective breasts of the user and which with the upper end thereof is detachably coupled to an anchoring point lying above of the garment, for instance the seam 8, situated at the shoulder, which connects the upper end portion 31 of the back piece with the upper border part 26 of the upper front piece part 2 situated at the shoulder.

In that connection, the detachable joint may be established by a strap 9, which is fastened at the seam 26 and carries an adjustable fitting, a tape 6, which is connected with the tongue's 14 upper end detachably and adjustably extending through the fitting 5, whereby the distance between the upper point of attachment 26 of the joint and the tongue's 14 top easily can be adjusted and be opened, respectively. From figure 1 it is seen that the upper portion of the lower part 1 has a neck cutout 11, which delimits one of the side edges of the respective tongue 14, while each tongue's 14 other edge facing the sleeve opening 28 is formed of an edge line, which extends from the tongue's top downward, for instance, toward the upper end of the seam 7, i.e., the bottom part of the sleeve opening 28. From figure 1 it can be understood that the central hole 11 extends down approximately to the level of the lower portions of the sleeve openings 28. When the fitting 5 is opened, the tongue 14 can be folded outward and then downward around a folding line 30, which extends between the lowermost parts of the hole 11 and of the sleeve opening 28, or a point on the seam 7 under the lowermost part of the opening 28. From figure 1, it can be understood that the folding line 30 lies on a level above the lower border 21 of the upper part 2 so that a wraparound seal in all essentials remains between the parts 1, 2 also when the tongue 14 is folded down. The distance between the folding line 30 and the edge 21 may be relatively small since the overlapping normally is guaranteed by the tongue 14 being coupled to the point of attachment 26. By the fact that the distance between the folding line 30 and the edge 21 accordingly can be relatively small, the requirements of the elasticity for the lower part 1 and/or the upper part 2 become small, and possibly one can do substantially without elasticity for them by relying on the flexibility of the fabric parts 1, 2.

By the construction according to the invention, the edge 21 can be placed under the breasts, so that the lower border por^¬ tion of the upper part 2 naturally is blocked from crawling up over the breasts, in particular if the upper part 2 consists of an elastic and resilient material and/or thanks to a rubber elastic 22, which is fastened along the edge 21 between the side seams 7. Upon nursing, the edge 21 is lifted upward over the breast so that an opening is established through the front piece of the garment at the breast between the edges 21, 30. In preferred embodiments, the adjustable fitting 5 may consist of a pair of metal rings through which the tape end 6 extends in a loop path, in a well-known way per se. But it should be clear that many other coupling devices of well-known type may be utilized to support the top portions of the tongues 14 from points of attachment of the garment situated above in a distance-wise variable way. From the description, it is seen that it is important that the upper portion of the lower front piece part lies outside the lower portion of the upper front piece part 2, and that the upper, outer portion of the lower part has, in the upper area thereof, the shape of a pair of upwardly tapering tongues 14, which are foldable around folding lines, which normally lie above the lower border 21 of the upper part 2, wherein the border part 21 easily can be lifted up and be placed above the breast upon nursing.

The garment according to the invention enables of course the use of a brassiere (bra) , in particular nursing bra under the garment .

Instead of the strap 9, having the fitting 5, anchored at the seam 26, the user may lay the tapes 6 around the neck and detachably connect the tapes 6 to each other, for instance by tying, such as is illustrated in figures 4, 5.

In figures 4 and 5, a neck opening 25 is shown, which is established between the upper portions of the parts 2, 3, and furthermore sleeve openings 28 are shown, which are formed by cutouts and/or lack of local joint between the side portions of the back 3 and of the part 2. Furthermore, the part 1 and the back piece 3 are prolonged downward so that the garment forms a dress.

Claims

1. A garment for the facilitation of nursing, comprising a back (3), which covers the back side of the user, and a front piece (1, 2) comprising a lower front piece part (1) and an upper front piece part (2) having a free upper edge and lower edge (21), respectively, the front piece parts (1, 2) in a first state overlapping each other and in a second state can vertically be separated to expose an opening through the front piece at the breasts of the user, characterized in that the upper front piece part (2) is situated inside the upper portion of the lower front piece part (1), that the upper end part of the lower front piece part (1) has a central neck hole

(11) and is along the side edges thereof connected to the back piece (3) along the side of the user up to an area under a sleeve 80 or sleeve opening (28), whereby the upper portion of the lower front piece part (1) forms two laterally spaced- apart upwardly tapering tongues (14), the upper ends of which are detachably connected with a point of attachment (8) lying above, each tongue being downwardly foldable around a folding line (30), which extends between the lower end of the neck hole (11) and said area under the sleeve (80) or the sleeve opening (28), the folding line (30) extending at a distance above the lower edge (21) of the upper front piece part (2) .

2. Garment according to claim 1 characterized in that a detachable coupling (5, 9) supports the tongue's (14) upper end part from an upper point of attachment.

3. Garment according to claim 1 characterized in that a piece of tape (6) is connected to the upper end of the respective tongue (14) and can be laid around the neck of the user and be detachably and length-wise adjustably interconnected, preferably by a knot.

4. Garment according to claim 2 characterized in that the upper point of attachment is arranged in a connection seam (26) between the upper part (2) and the back (3) .

5. Garment according to any one of claims 1-4 characterized in that the folding-over lines (30) of the tongues (14) extend in all essentials horizontally from an area at or under the lowermost part of the sleeve opening (28) or of the sleeve to the lowermost portion of the neck hole (11) .

6. Garment according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that an elastic tape is arranged along the lower border (21) of the upper front piece part (2) and is connected to and along the same.

7. Garment according to any one of claims 2-6 characterized in that the coupling comprises a piece of tape (6), which is fastened to the tongue and which displaceably extends through a detachable buckle (5) , which is carried by a strap (9), which is connected with the upper point of attachment

8. Garment according to any one of claims 2-6 characterized in that the coupling comprises a frame (9) , which is con^¬ nected with the upper point of attachment and which can detachably be tied to the piece of tape (6) .

9. Garment according to any one of claims 2-6 characterized in that the coupling comprises a detachable buckle (5) , which is connected to the upper point of attachment (8) and receives the piece of tape (6).