WO2013180644A1

WO2013180644A1 - Nursing garment with built-in bra

Info

Publication number: WO2013180644A1
Application number: PCT/SG2012/000188
Authority: WO
Inventors: Elizabeth Lizhi Lin
Original assignee: Elizabeth Lizhi Lin
Priority date: 2012-05-29
Filing date: 2012-05-29
Publication date: 2013-12-05

Abstract

A functional nursing garment with buiit-in brasserie is supportive, absorbs leaked milk and Is leak-proof. Our invention concerns an inner bra cup layer (5.2) that consists of a micro-porous membrane that dissipates moisture from the inner of the bra to the outer. This membrane is also hydrophobic so it is leak-proof. The inner bra cup layer has absorbent layers (5,10) that are also antibacterical to inhibit bacterial growth. Our nursing garment is applicable with many different garment tops that are fashionable and convenient and functional for all nursing mothers.

Description

Nursing garment with Built-in Bra

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to garments for nursing mothers

Background of invention

A variety of garments have been developed especially to meet the needs of women who are breastfeeding. The most common of these garments is a nursing or breastfeeding bra, which typically comes with a detachable flap or opening to provide access during breastfeeding. The nursing bra is worn under a garment with nursing pads to absorb leaked milk while nursing.

Because the nursing bra is underneath a garment, the mother normally has to lift up her garment, unbutton her shirt, or use other ways to access the breast when preparing to breastfeed. This makes it inconvenient or time consuming especially with an anxious infant in hand.

A nursing garment should be comfortable and easy to wear, attractive and provides quick and easy access for nursing. Our invention calls for a nursing garment that comes with a fully functional built-in nursing bra that absorbs leaked milk and is leak-proof that keeps mother's garment dry.

Description

There are many nursing camisoles in the market as well as other patent application. Our invention is a fully functional nursing garment that does not require wearers to wear any additional nursing bra or nursing pads.

Our nursing garment comes with a built-in nursing bra that is absorbent, and leak-proof. It is supportive for the woman's breast as it comes with a chest band to support the weight of the breast. Our built-in bra can be antibacterial to inhibit bacterial or microbe growth. It may be padded for extra support and shape. Our invention uses high MVTR membranes which can reduce the need for the lactating woman to use nursing pads as the dissipating property is sufficient to allow the wearer to feel substantially dry at the skin area of the breast touching the inner bra^{^}cup layer:

Our invention comes with an inner opening layer to provide access for nursing as well as to reduce exposure of the mother's breast and chest area for discreet nursing.

Claims

1) A nursing garment comprising :

3 main front sectional layers at the top portion covering the breasts. a) Outer garment fabric layer - outer section

b) Inner bra cup layer - Consists of a micro-porous membrane that is permeable to air yet hydrophobic to create a water-proof barrier. This membrane will have high moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) to act as a moisture dissipating layer help evaporate moistures away through the membrane to the outer less humid side. This film is laminated to a fabric to increase its durability and the fabric faces the outer side of the inner bra cup layer. -Inner bra section

There is an inner absorbent fabric layer at the inner bra cup layer to absorb leaked milk which is facing the wearer and touches the breast. This absorbent layer may be naturally antibacterial or is treated with antibacterial or antimicrobial treatment to inhibit bacterial or microbial growth in the bra cup.

Between the layers there could be a molded structural bra cup layer for shape or support.

c) Inner bra opening support layer - inner bra support opening section

2) Outer fabric layer of garment with the inner bra cup layer is attached to a shoulder strap and attached to a fastener and at the bottom of the front end of the elastic band, the inner bra layer having the opening to permit nursing access.

The inner opening area is sewn to the front flap coupled to the front section of the elastic band, the fastener of the front flap being detachably connectable to the front end of the shoulder strap, the front flap being movable to a position in which of the opening inner bra layer is exposed; and An outer fabric layer coupled to the back end of the shoulder strap, the outer fabric portion coupled to=the fastenero the front flaprthe tank top portion floating"fr¾ly^ with respect to the elastic chest band.

An elastic chest band having front and back sections

The nursing garment has the two inner layers attached to the left and right sides of the garment.

The nursing garment has the back section of the chest band attached to the left and right sides of the garment

3) The nursing garment of claim 1 wherein the inner bra layer has two ends fixed to the left and right side of the outer fabric portion

4) The nursing garment may in some design have hooks and eye fasteners attached or sewn to the back elastic chest band instead of the chest band all around to allow easy wearing of the garment.

5) The nursing garment of claim 1 wherein the chest band is attached to the center bra cup layer and the inner bra opening layer.

6) The back section of the chest band is not connected directly to the shoulder strap. It is attached to an inner fabric section which in turn is attached at the top area of the outer fabric.

7) The nursing garment of claim 1 wherein the outer fabric layer and the center bra cup layer is attached at the top where it is attached to a shoulder strap and attached to a fastener.

8) The nursing garment of claim 1 wherein the inner bra cup layer and inner bra opening support layer may be sewn directly to the shoulder area of the garment and access to the breast may be by pushing aside the inner bra cup layer to access to the breasts.

9) The nursing garment of claim 1 has an outer fabric layer that provides for the design of the garment. The inner bra opening support layer has a slit or gap opening that serves as a nursing access to the breast to allow the mothers to breastfeed the infant

10) The nursing garment allows for flexible detachment of the fastener from the shoulder area to pull down the front two layers exposing the inner bra opening area for access. The layers may then be re-attached back after feeding.

11) The nursing garment may have any fabric that is absorbent with additional absorbent layers to increase volume of absorption at the fabric of the inner bra cup layer to absorb leaked milk from the breast.

12) Any other membrane or films may be used in replacement to the micro-porous

membrane depending on the end results required, such as low VTR films or membranes will just create a water-proof barrier and not allow for effective evaporation of moisture.

13) The membrane also serves as a protective layer where excess moisture present in the inner layer does not leak out to the outer layer of clothing. Our invention uses high MVTR membranes which can reduce the need for the lactating woman to use nursing pads as the dissipating property is sufficient to allow the wearer to feel substantially dry at the skin area of the breast touching the inner bra cup layer.

14) Our invention's Inner bra cup layer fabric has antimicrobial properties that inhibits the growth of microbes, and has antibacterial properties to inhibit the growth of microbes in the fabric touching the skin. The antibacterial properties may be natural or treated and may reduce with time or with multiple washing.

15) A molded bra cup may be sewn on or slot in between the fabrics of the inner bra cup layer, depending on the sewing method and requirements of the garment. A pocket may be created for a slot in. All layers may be laminated together with any suitable method without changing the properties and usage of the layers.

16) An inner bra cup layer may be laminated layers of fabrics, with or without antibacterial properties , membrane or film and/or sponge and sewn onto the garment

Summary of drawings:

Figure 1. Is the front view of the nursing garment with layers shown Figure 2. Is the side view of the Nursing garment

Figure 3. Is the view of the inner bra cup layer with the inner bra opening layer. This view is with the outer fabric layer lifted upwards

Figure 4. Is the photo of another version of the nursing garment that uses the same method except this garment comes with sleeves and collar. This example shows the possibilities of other garment designs that can be made using the same principal ideas of the invention.

Figure 5 is the cross section of the garment.

5.1 is the outer fabric layer of the garment

5.2 is the inner bra cup outer layer with fabric that is laminated with the micro-porous film

5.3 is the inner bra cup layer that may be used as a pocket for a molded sponge cup or laminated on with sponge -that is 'motdied'fDrshiffpe -support

5.4 is the fastener that is used to detach the front two sections with the inner bra opening layer

5.5 is the inner bra opening layer of the nursing garment

5.6 is the shoulder strap of the garment

5.7 is the outer fabric of the garment

5.8 is the inner back fabric that the back chest band is attached or sewn to

5.9 is the chest band that circles the torso or body of the mother to give support to the breast. The back of the band may be sewn to hook and eye fasteners to facilitate easy wearing of the garment

5.10 shows the inner bra cup layer with absorbent fabrics. These fabrics may be laminated or sewn on.

5.11 shows the optional slider option to increase or reduce the length of the shoulder strap

5.12 shows the joining part of the back fabric to the inner back fabric that attaches the chest elastic band. The joins may be removed if the pattern of the garment requires so.