US2679646A - Brassiere - Google Patents

Description

June 1, 1954 5 cous s 2,679,646

BRASSIERE Filed April 5, 1951 INVENTOR.

SYDNE COUSINS BY ATTORNEY Patented June 1, 1954 UN ITED; STATES F FICE BRASSIERE Sydneflousins, Far Rockaway; N. 'Y.. Application April 5, 1951, Serial"No.-.219',493.

4 Claims 1 This invention relates=to-garmentsfor molding and supportingthe breasts; and, which willfforv ,brassieresf? it convenience be referred to? as being understood that'theymay comprise'undergarments, parts of undergarments," outer gar-- ments or parts'of outer garments: wMore particularly, the-present invention is concerned with a brassiere including a pair of abbreviated bust cups, each of Whichis'characterized' by th'eabsence of what normally'wou'ld beth'e upperhalf thereof; that is to sayya bust cup' in:which the upper edge is at'approximately the level of 'thetip of the breastaccommodated thereby:

It=is an object'of'myinvention to provide'a brassiere of the character described'which' despite" the absence of the-upperhalves of thebustcups maintains'an excellent degreeof control 'over the breasts.

It is another object of my: invention to provide a brassiere of the-characterdescribedwhich although greatly-freeing: the breasts'by exposing their upper portions; yet-retains control. over almost substantially all of the base of each breast,

thereby firmly determining the location of the breasts and preventing untoward movement thereof arising from movement: of "the wearer's torso.

It is a more particular-object'of'my invention to provide a brassiereof th'e character described in which the bust cups are abbreviated .only'in their covering portions, that is'to say, only in the portions which cover the mounds. .of the breasts.

It is an even more specificobject of-my invention to provide a brassiere of'the character described in which the controlling meansTorthe' upper exposed half of eachbreast is a stiff frameso that the control is exerted in a predetermined mannerand-in a predetermined location; not left to the chance dispositionpf a flexibletapeozzrtlre.

like.

to obtain controlled freedom offltheabreastsuisr able to employ a very low back.

It is another'ancillary object of myinvention to provide a brassire 'of the character described which-is so' constructed thatit'is'not necessary,

to' employ a full underarm panel or back order to maintain satisfactory control of the side. line ofeach'breast.

Other objects of my invention will in part be obvious and in part will be pointedout hereinafter;

My 'invention accordingly: consists the" feat?" tures of construction; combinations of elements and arrangements of parts'whichfiwi'll be'exem' plifie'd' inthezbrassirs hereinafter "described and of i-which'jthe'scope" of applicationwill be indi-r cated" in' the appended claims:

In: the accompanying drawings" in which are shown "various"possibleembodiments of my'in venti'ony- Figwl is'a front perspective-view of a bras= sire-constructed inaccordancetwith thepresent invention, the sameib'eing shown as it *appea-rson Fig.2 is an'enlargedfragmentaryview in pare Figs}; 5 and-6 are-views similar toiF'igs: 1 and-2, respectivelyj-of a brassier embodying' a modified" f orm of -my invention;

In general,- I carry out my invention 'by, hav= ing each bust cup include a semi-'dome sha'ped". portion; that is-to' say,-

a dome=shapeportion? which is 'truncated by a substantially horizontal:

plane'atabout theievelof thetip'ofa breast to beaccommodatedin' the bust cupz Astifi 'sk'ele-' ton frame-extends upwardly from'both side'edges' of-th'e semi-dome shaped' portion; this framebe-' ing an integral part -of"the-bust-cup: Thebust cup is abbreviated in that' the-upper half of the domed-portion normally 'serving as a' cover for'a breast has been" eliminated; 'howeven'a substan= tial portion at-least; ofthe-basepf the upper half of the bust cup is retained in the form'of said -irame's The frame exerts a retaining or, controlling force on theupper-half of -the-base of a breast without; however; confiningmovement i of-the surfaceof saicl -upper---half-. Th'e'frame" preferably extends down at lea-st'toapproximatea breast =so= that the semi-d0me=shap'ed-"portion togetherwith the reenforcingirame constitutes; a complete unit capable of-exerting a desirable" molding function whenheld againsttherib cage:

Due to-a provision of such a'unit it is not necessaryyas it is inconventional- ;brass'ires, to; exert a circumferential 'pull overla substantialextent ofthe outer side of a bust cup inorder to hold the outsidewall of. the .cup imposition.

Referring} nowin detail to.. the. drawings, and i more particularlyto Figs. 1-4, thereference; nus meral lflidenotes a br'assierecomprisingtwo bust.

cups I2; 14 whose construction constitutes the principal feature of my invention. Inasmuch as the bust cups are mirror images of one another, only the cup M will be described in detail, and the same reference numerals primed will be applied to the other cup I2.

The bust cup 14 includes a semi-dome-shaped portion Hi. In the preferred form of my invention said portion is fabricated from a sheet material which is capable of maintaining its own shape when doffed. Typical materials are a plastic impregnated cloth sheet or a plastic sheet a few thousandths of an inch thick, desirably a plastic strong enough to hold a semi-domeshaped contour to which it is formed as by molding, but including sufiicient amounts of plasticizer, as is well known in the art, to render the portion H5 somewhat yielding whereby it will not be uncomfortable to wear. The plastic material, nevertheless, will tend to make a breast accommodated thereby conform to its shape rather than having the portion [6 conform to the shape of the breast so that said portion controls the shape imparted to a breast.

Said dome-shaped portion includes a lower edge IS, an inner side edge 20, an outer side edge 22 and a top edge 24. The lower edge i8 is horizontal and substantially straight as viewed from the front (see Fig. 2), and is slightly curved as viewed from the top (see Fig. 3) to approximately conform to the curvature of a rib cage at the level of the lowermost part of the base of a breast. The upper edge 24 is at approximately the level of the top of a breast. Said upper edge may be slightly convex upwardly as indicated in Fig. 2 although the same is not essential to the practice of my invention. Indeed, if desired, this edge may be slightly concave or may be concave only over a central portion, as indicated at 25 in Fig. 5.

The inner side edge 20 slopes downwardly and inwardly at a slight angle to the vertical as shown in Fig. 2 and the outer side edge 22 likewise slopes downwardly and inwardly. These two side edges are substantially tangent to the base 28 of a breast, the inner side edge 20 being a little lower than the outer side edge 22 so that said inner.

side edge is tangent to the base of the breast at a point approximately level with or a little below the tip, whereas the outer side edge 22 is tangent to the base of the breast at a point a little above the tip. This length of the outer side edge affords an excellent support at the outer sides of the bust where there is a tendency for control to be lost and for the breasts either to spill over or creep out from underneath the bust cups.

It should be noted that the foregoing detailed description of the semi-dome-shaped portion has been given by way of example only, and is not to be construed as limitative except to the extent indicated in the claims.

Pursuant to the principal feature of my invention the bust cup l4 includes a frame having an element on each side of the semi-domeshaped portion i6. Any suitable type of frame may be employed, for example, a metal or plastic wire, the particular novelty residing in the fact that the frame extends by itself above the upper edge 24 of the semi-dome-shaped portion and thereby constitutes a skeleton top, that is to say, a top, which with the upper edge 24, defines an open space, i. e. a space uncovered by any restraining sheet material. The frame elements are stiff in the sense that they do not yield readily to stress and in this respect are similar to the reenforcing members of conventional wired brassires.

More specifically, the skeleton frame includes a pair of stiff wires 30, 32. Each of said wires has a lower half runnin alon either an inner or an outer side edge of the semi-dome-shaped portion and extending from the bottom edge l8 to the top edge 24. This lower half serves to reenforce the side edges of said semi-dome-shaped portion and hold the same firmly against the usual distorting forces. Each wire 30, 32 further includes an upper half which projects above the upper edge 24. Although the lower half of each wire, because it extends along the straight inner and outer side edges 20, 22, itself is straight and therefore tangent to the base of the breast at approximately the level of the tip, the upper half of each wire is outwardly convex so that the wires curve towards each other following the contour of the upper half of the base of the breast, as best seen in Fig. 2.

The wires 30, 32 may extend all the way from the upper end of one side edge to one upper end of the other side edge. However, in the illustrated form of my invention said wires terminate short of the uppermost part of the base of the breast and thus afford a degree of freedom to the wearer, there being little or no necessity for p0- sitional control over this zone of the breast.

Suitable means is employed to hold the wires in their aforesaid positions. Such means may comprise a tape 34 folded in half along its longitudinal center line to bring its edges into registry. The tape is sewed together adjacent said edges, as by a row of stitching 36, whereby to form a cloth tube within which the wires 30, 32 are contained. Said tube and the lower halves of the wires are placed adjacent the side edges of the semi-dome-shaped portion, and flaps 38 (Fig. 3) integral with said edges are folded around to form pockets within which the tapes and wires are disposed. Stitching 40 holds the flaps 38 in position and secures the tape and wires to the semi-dome-shaped portion. This ar rangement further provides a flexible lim connection between the tops of the two wires. Due to the comparatively short span of said cloth element, the same tends to follow the general contour of the uppermost part of the base of the breast.

Said cloth element has secured thereto, as by tack stitching, one end of a shoulder strap H whose other end is attached to the back of the brassiere in a conventional manner.

The two bust cups l2, M are connected to one another over the sternum in any suitable fashion as, for instance, by a pair of crossed elastic tapes 42.

Means also is included to hold the brassiere in position on the rib cage. Said means includes a tape 44 extending from the bottom end of an outer side edge 22 of one of the bust cupsaround the back of the wearer to the corresponding point on the outer side edge of the other bust cup. The tape is interrupted in the back of the brassiere by a conventional rapid detachable coupling means as, for instance, hooks and eyes, to permit the brassiere easily to be doffed and donned. Said tape preferably includes an elastic section. Another tape 46, which may be elastic, is connected from adjacent the upper end of the outer side edge of the bust cup to the tape 44 at a point removed from the bust cup, e. g. in the underarm region of the body, whereby the back .ssewtraeic deep -back:v decolletage.

. I havezobservednthatthdawer halvesiofzthe :wires- 30-, .532 function ,to. finmthe. softer. :m'aterial of thesemidome-shaped portions and: thus enable :saidmortions to hold theirndesiredinurvature wand shape.- .MoreVl, I have;=found thatz-thezupper ;halves of. the wires, whereathezframeis. nothing but a skeleton, act to positionallytcontrolatheibase of a breast in a positiv.e mannenand thereby prevent the same from shifting"orfalling out of the semi dome-shaped pontioni lfi. In other words, I

.lhavendiscovered. that fullscontrol of the upper half of a breast can be obtained simply by controlling the location of the base of the breast alone for a substantial distance upward from the level of the tip. This type of control, although firm and positive, nevertheless permits surface freedom of the upper half of the breast inasmuch as the same is not covered by the semi-domeshaped portion and, further, since, as illustrated in the preferred form of my invention, the upper ends of the wires are not firmly interconnected. Thus, I have created a practical brassiere which provides a natural, round and youthful appearance to the bust line with definite assurance that the breasts cannot spill out. In other words, the instant brassiere separates the breasts, rounds each breast and holds each breast firmly in position. Furthermore, by carrying a substantial part of the weight of each breast in a semi-permanent- 1y fashioned bust cup the strain on the shoulder strap is greatly reduced.

It should be noted that, because the skeleton frame extends both above and below the upper edge 24 of the semi-dome-shaped portion the bust cups will function properly if the same are held in place only at the lower ends of the wires 30, 36] on the outer side edges 22, 22 of the two bust cups, the tops of the bust cups being held in position on the rib cage by the shoulder straps. That is to say, despite the fact that the bust cups are semi-dome-shaped there is no tendency for said cups to fall forward under the weight of the breasts, such tendency being restrained by the presence of skeleton frames such as described. On the other hand, in a conventional brassiere having no skeleton frame projecting above the level of the nipple, the tendency for the bust cup to lean forward must be overcome by heightening the underarm and back of the brassiere and thus preventing the extremely low decolletage which is obtained with a brassiere such as herein described.

If desired, a plush ribbon 48 may be employed to line the inner face of the semi-dome-shaped portion adjacent the bottom edge H3.

The brassiere can be variously changed without departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a modified brassiere 5U embodying the present invention includes a semi-dome-shaped portion 52 which is covered on its front face with a layer 5A of cloth or lace for decorative purposes. Said portion instead of being molded or pressed in a curved shape can be formed to the desired contour from a flat plastic sheet with the aid of a dart 56.

The brassiere 50 has no shoulder straps. Accordingly, to exert the requisite degree of control over the uppermost part of the top half of each breast, wires 58, 60 on each bust cup extend further upwardly than the corresponding wires in the brassiere 10. Moreover, the upper ends of the wires 58, 60 are more firmly intercon- :nected'sas,:for:iinstancenwithradielical spring .162

which; is;nestedcin ftheotubular; tape) scovering .the wires- 1 It thus: will rbecseen'cthatt Iehavexprovidedzdevices 'whichwaohfevezeallxthe inbjects :of any .in- I vention; and. are. well: adaptsd:to ;meetithe:condivtions of-rpracticalruse.

I As various possible'embodimentstmightcbe. made of the above invention,. .andasuzariouszchanges might be made in the embodiments above set forth; it isato be understood that all-matte'r' herein describedonshowndnthe-accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a =limiting sense. I

=-HaVing'-'thuS described my invention, I 'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a brassiere, a pair of bust cups, each of which includes a semi-dome-shaped portion whose upper edge is approximately level with a tip of a breast accommodated thereby, a pair of stiff skeleton members extending upwardly from both side edges of the bust cup substantially above and clear of the upper edge thereof, said members following the contour of the upper half of the base of the breast, and defining in conjunction with said upper edge an empty uncovered space, whereby the base of the upper half of the breast is positionally controlled without confining the surface of the same, said members having upper ends which are located above and on opposite sides of the tip of the breast whereby said upper ends are spaced apart, and a limp element interconnecting said upper ends.

2. In a brassiere, a pair of bust cups, each of which includes a semi-dome-shaped portion whose upper edge is approximately level with a tip of a breast accommodated thereby, a pair of stiif skeleton members extending upwardly from both side edges of the bust cup substantially above and clear of the upper edge thereof, said members following the contour of the upper half of the base of the breast, and defining in conjunction with said upper edge an empty uncovered space, whereby the base of the upper half of the breast is positionally controlled without confining the surface of the same, said members having upper ends which are located above and on opposite sides of the tip of the breast whereby said upper ends are spaced apart, and a spring interconnecting said upper ends.

3. In a brassiere, a pair of bust cups, each of which includes a semi-dome-shaped portion whose upper edge is approximately level with a tip of a breast accommodated thereby, a pair of stiff skeleton members extending upwardly from both side edges of the bust cup substantially above and clear of the upper edge thereof, said members following the contour of the upper half of the base of the breast, and defining in conjunction With said upper edge an empty uncovered space, whereby the base of the upper half of the breast is positionally controlled Without confining the surface of the same, said members having upper ends which are located above and on opposite sides of the tip of the breast whereby said upper ends are spaced apart, the tips of said members being spaced apart, and a helical spring interconnecting said upper ends.

4. In a brassiere, a pair of demi-bust cups, the upper edge of each of which is approximately level with the tip of the breast accommodated thereby, a pair of skeleton frame members running along both side edges of each bust cup and extending upwardly from said side edges substantially above and clear of the upper edge References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Martell et a1 Mar. 12, 1912 Number Number Number Name Date Vacek Oct. 14, 1913 Klein Nov. 17, 1936 Ettleson Jan. 4, 1949 Glick Apr. 26, 1949 Cousins Oct. 25, 1949 Gates Mar. 21, 1950 Alberts Oct. 31, 1950 Van Leuven Dec. 18, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Sweden Dec. 18, 1951

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