US2735101A - Brassiere construction - Google Patents

Description

H. BARG BRASSIERE CONSTRUCTION 'Filed May 20, 1954 Feb. 21, 1956 United States Patent BRASSIERE CONSTRUCTION Herbert Barg, Merion, Pa., assignor to True Form Corset Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 20, 1954, Serial No. 431,242

3 Claims. (Cl. 2-42) The present invention relates to a novel construction for brassieres and has particular application to brassieres of the strapless type.

The prior brassieres of this character are characterized by upstanding stays positioned at opposite sides of the breast cups of the brassiere. The conventional stays or stilening elements must be exed or bent to conform to the body of the wearer and frequently have a tendency to press into the flesh of the person wearing the brassiere and cause discomfort. Another disadvantage of the conventional strapless brassiere construction is that the stiffening elements of the brassiere which serve to retain it in proper position on the body render it difiicult to provide proper breast cup separation in the brassiere construction. This makes the brassiere un comfortable for the women having a ligure which requires wide breast cup separation. In addition, with the increasing use of low-cut strapless gowns and off-theshoulder gowns, it is desirable to have the breast cups sufficiently spaced apart to enable the wearer to use a low-cut V-neck.

With the foregoing in mind, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel brassiere construction which affords proper breast cup separation and yet is suciently reinforced to support the brassiere independently of straps and the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide supporting stays or stiffening elements for strapless brassieres which lie in proper position to conform to the body contour of the person wearing the brassiere.

These and other objects of the present invention and the various features and details of the construction and operation thereof are more fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a brassiere made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary rear view showing the particular arrangement of the innermost supporting stays;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, the brassiere comprises a front body portion having side panel portions 11, 11 attached to the opposite sides thereof. Secured to the free edges of the side portions 11, 11 are elastic back panel portions 12, 12 which are provided with fastening elements 13 and 14 respectively for releasably securing together the free edges of the back portion 12, 12 about the upper midrii of the wearer. In accordance with the usual practice, securing the fastening elements 13 and 14 tensions the front body portion laterally across the upper midrii of the wearer and further exerts a lateral tension along the upper marginal portion of the front body portion 10 and the side panels 11, 11.

In accordance with the invention, stiffening elements are provided along the junctions of the back panel por tions and the side panels, and the side panels and the front l 2,735,101 Patented Feb. 21, 1956.

body portion. Further stiffening elements are provided in I the front body portioncrossing over the median line of the front body portion and extending along the inner edge of the breast cups of the front body portion.

As shown in Fig. 1, the front body portion is symmetrical about a median line 20, and comprises lower panels 21, 21 terminating at their upper edges in breast` cups 22, 22. The breast cups 22, 22 are spaced apart atY opposite sides of the median line 20 and are connected by a central web 23. Stiffening elements 25, 25 are positioned centrally in the front body portion, and are arranged to cross over one another at a point 26 along the median line 20 of the body portion 10. The lower terminal end of each stiifening element is secured adjacent the lower marginal edge of the front body portion as indicated at 27, extends obliquely upwardlyl through the point 26 along the inner edge of the breast cup 22, and terminates at the upper marginal edge ofA the front body portion as indicated at 28. When the brassiere is positioned on the body of the wearer, the stiiening element 25 is held ush against the upper midrit of the wearer due to the securement thereof at the lower marginal edge 27 and at the cross-over point 26.

The upper portion of the stilening element is capable of twisting about its axis and it also may be flexed 'in brassiere isA laterally tensioned about the body of theA wearer.

Other stiifening elements 29, 29 are provided at the outer edge portions of the front body portion at the junction thereof with the side panels 11, 11. The elements 29, 29 are secured in the seam between the front body portion on the side panel and are adapted to liev flush against the body of the wearer and when tensioned by the fastening means 13 and 14, to bow inwardly around the outer edge of the upper breast cup to provide lateral support for the breast cups. Thus, the elements 25 and 29 rmly embrace the breasts of the wearer and retain the brassiere in proper position thereon. Further stilfening elements 30, 30 are provided at the junction of the side panels 11, 11 with the back panels 12,v 12 to prevent folding of these panels when the brassierer is positioned on the body.

Thus, the present invention provides a brassiere having stiffening elements which afford proper breast cup separation and which effectively conform to the body contour of the wearer of the brassiere. The brassiere thus gives proper support to the wearer and prevents discomfort normally caused in conventional brassieres by the stiiening elements pressing into the esh of the wearer.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosure and changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. In a brassiere, a front body portion comprising lower panels terminating at their upper edges in breast cups arranged in laterally spaced relation with respect to each other at opposite sides of the median line of the front body portion, and a pair of stitfening elements secured to the front body portion along the length of the elements, said stiiening elements crossing one over the other at a point along the median line of said front body portion intermediate the upper and lower edges of 3 the lower panels and each extending from the lower marginal edge of the lower panels at one side of said median line obliquely upward along the inner edge of the breest ebp at the opposite side of seid medien line to the opperrnargiriel edge of seid iront body portieriJ and .Comprising resilient elongated members desti with the Plane of said body portion and flexible in one '.leterel direetiori substantially normal to seid pierre, substantially inflexible in e lateral direetion witliiri the pierre of seid sections, and .Capable of being twisted along the longitudinal to oonform to the curvature of the body of the wearer of. the bressiere.

2 ln e 'brassiere e front body portion eornprising lower panels terminating et their opper edges breast eens ,arranged irr laterally speeed reletionwitlt .respect to each other at opposite sides of the medien line ofthe front body portion? side panels eeell secured along one side edge thereof to one side edge of seid body portieri, beek partiel seetioos eeeh seeored to the otlrerside edge of side Darrel and hevirig fastening means .for releasably seedling together the free edges of .seid beek panel seetiorisl e Pair of stiieoirig elements seedred to the front body portions along the' length of the elements, seid stilleriigg Velements eressiirg one over the other et e point along tl'e median line of seid front body portion intermediate the upper and lower edges of the lower panels and eeeli extending from the lower marginal edge et the lower panels at one side of said .median line obliquely upward `along the irmer edge of the breast eup et the opposite eideoi .seid medien line to the upper marginal edg of said -front body panel section, and other stiftenlernnts secured to and extending respectively from the lower marginal edge of the front body portion upwerdly sloeg tbe iuoeture of said front body Portion and seid side panels, seid stiflening elements having their upper portions extending along the outer edges of the breast, ellos to the upper mergiriel edge ot the Yfront body portion, each said 'stiiening' element comprising a resilient elongated member llosb with the plane of said regels antibody portion end llexible. in orie lateral direetiod substantially riorrriel to seid plane, substantially intlexible e lateral direetiori witliin the plane of seid seetionsl, arid eepeble of being twisted .eloog its longitudirlel to .eontorrri to the curvature of the body of the wearer of the brassiere.

3. In a brassiere, a front body portion comprising lower panels terminating at their upper edges in breast cups arranged in laterally `spaced relation with respect to each other at opposite sides of the median line of the front body portion, side panels each secured along one side edge thereof to one side .edge of said body portion, baelt panel seetions eaeli secured to the other side edge of one side panel and having'fastening means for releasably securing .together the tree edges of said beek perret sections, .a pair of stiiening elements secured to `the front body portion along the length of the elements, said stiiieoing elements crossing one over the othery et e point along the median line of said front body portion intermediate the upper and lower edges .of the lower panels and each extending from the lower marginal edge of the lower panels at one side of said median line obliquely upward along the inner edge of the breast cup at the opposite side of said median line to the upper marginal edge of said front body portion, other stiffening elements secured to and extending respectively from the lower marginal edge of the Ifront body portion upwardly along the juncture of said front bodyy portion 4and said side panels, said stilening elements having their upper portions extending along the outer edges of the breast cups to the upper marginal edge of the front body panel portion, and still other stiffening elements secured to and extending respectively from the lower marginal edge of one side'panel upwardly valong the juncture of said side panel and the adjacent back panel section to the upper marginal edge of said side panel, each said stiffening element comprising a resilient elongated member ush with the plane of said body portion, panels and panel sections and flexible in one lateral direction substantially normal to said plane, substantially inexible in a lateral direction within the plane of said sections, and capable of being twisted along its longitudinal axis to conform to the curvature of the body of the wearer of the brassiere.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Williams l--e-,l--e-f-V---g Apr. ,28, 1.9.5.3.

Images