US3094125A

US3094125A - Mastectomy brassiere

Info

Publication number: US3094125A
Application number: US106273A
Authority: US
Inventors: Martha M Lewis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-04-28
Filing date: 1961-04-28
Publication date: 1963-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 1980-06-18

Description

June 18, 1963 INVENTOR M1?! 1% LEW/5 ATT N E\ United States Patent Ofice 3,094,125 Patented June 18, 1963 3,094,125 MASTECTOMY BRASSIERE Martha M. Lewis, Oak Ridge, Tenm, assignor of fifty percent to Errette Clements, Nashville, Tenn. Filed Apr. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 106,273 7 Claims. (Cl. 128-483) This invention relates to a brassiere, and more particularly to a brassiere for comfortably supporting the single breast remaining after a mastectomy operation.

The convalescence from a mastectomy operation is slow, requiring about six months to a year before the incision is completely healed. During most of the convalescing period, the patient is able to perform her normal activities, but the surgical incision is still quite tender and sensitive to the chafing and pressure of binding garments.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a brassiere having a single pocket for comfortably supporting the single breast remaining after a mastectomy operation, without any portion of the brassiere touching the incision or any adjacent areas from which the other breast was surgically removed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a brassiere having a single pocket for supporting the breast remaining after a mastectomy operation, and in which means are provided for adjustably supporting the pocket to fit persons of different sizes without any portion of the brassiere touching the area from which the other breast was surgically removed.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the invention being worn by a person convalescing from a mastectomy operation;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the invention being worn by the person disclosed in FIG. 1.

Referrings now to the drawing in more detail, the brassiere is shown as it is worn by a woman whose right breast has been surgically removed in a mastectomy operation. The incisions which had been stitched after the openation are indicated by the reference 1. Although the brasssiere 10 disclosed in the drawings is designed for supporting the single left breast which remains after the 7 operation, it will be understood that this invention contemplates the mirror image of the brassiene 10 for supporting the right breast if the left breast had been surgically removed.

The brassiere '10 comprises a breast pocket or cup 11, which may be made of any convenient material or form, but is disclosed in FIG. 1 as having a top panel 12 and a bottom panel 13 stitched to the top panel 12 in order to provide uplifting support for the remaining breast. Both panels 12 and 13 are preferably made from cotton material. The inner side edge of the pocket 11 comprises a feather-bone strip 14 to prevent that side of the pocket 11 from collapsing. The outer side edge of the pocket 11 comprises a hem, backed with a feathenbone strip 15.

A shoulder strap 18 is provided at its front end with a bifurcated elastic strap portion .19, which is permanently secured to the top edge of the panel 12. The shoulder strap 18 is also provided with means for adjusting its length, such as the clasp 20. The shoulder strap 18 is adapted to pass over the same (viz., the left) shoulder as the corresponding remaining breast and extend diagonally from left to right across the back of the person until it terminates adjacent the right waist of the person. The rear or right end of the shoulder strap 18 is provided with adjustable means, such as the snap fastening elements 21, for securing the shoulder strap 18 to a waist band 22 by engagement with mating snap fastening elements 23'. The waist band 22 is adapted to completely encircle the waist of the person and is long enough that its

end portions

24 and 25 will overlap. The overlapping

end portions

24 and 25 are provided with adjustable securing means, such as the snap fastening elements 26. The waist band 22 is also provided with an elastic insert 27 which is adapted to permit normal breathing and comfortable movement of the wearer.

In order to laterally support the breast pocket 11, a

'breast band is provided to connect the outside of the pocket to the shoulder strap 18. This breast band comprises a breast strap 30 connected to the bottom of the inner side edge 14 and forming the bottom edge of the pocket 11. The strap 30 is adapted to continue around the corresponding (left) side of the person and terminate in a permanent attachment, such as by stitching, to an intermediate portion of the shoulder strap 18, as disclosed in FIG. 2. The breast band also comprises a web 31 permanently attached by its front edge to the outer hem 15 of the pocket 11, and permanently attached, as by stitching, at its opposite or rear edge to the shoulder strap 18. The bottom edge of the web 31 is attached throughout its length to the bottom breast strap 30.

Permanently attached and depending from the intersecting portions of the inner side portion 14 and breast strap 30 is a supporting strap 33 which extends diagonally across the front of the person (from left to right), and is permanently attached, as by stitching, to the waist band 22, preferably to the end portion 25 adjacent the right side of the wearers waist. It is important that this supporting strap 33 extend diagonally as disclosed in FIG. 1, in order to provide both lateral and downward support for the pocket 11 without having any supporting straps or other parts of the brassiere extending across the incision I. The supporting strap 33 may be further supported or stabilized by means of a second or auxiliary strap 34. The upper end of the auxiliary strap 34 is attached to the upper portion of the inside hem 14, and is adjustably secured at its lower end to the supporting strap 33 by detachable adjustable means, such as the fastening elements 35. However, the auxiliary supporting strap 34 is limited in length and direction and its points of attachment to the pocket -11 and the supporting strap 33, so that no portion of the supporting strap 34 will touch the incision I or the sensitive areas of the surgically removed breast.

FIGS. 1 and 2 clearly show that no portion of the brassiere 10 comes in contact with any of the stitched incisions I, nor any portion of the area from which the right breast was removed. Moreover, FIG. 2 shows that no portion of the brassiere 10 extends into the area of the upper right portion of the back.

It will be noted that the depending supporting strap 33 makes substantially the same angle with the front portion of the waist band 22 as the lower rear portion of the shoulder strap 18 makes with the rear portion of the waist band 22.

The shoulder strap 18 may be lengthened or shortened by means of the clasp 20 and the snap fastening elements 21 and 23; the length of the waist band 22 may be suitably adjusted by means of the snap fastening elements 26; and the position of the pocket 11 may be slightly adjusted by means of the snap fastening elements 35. Thus, not only the comfort but also the size of the person may be accommodated by the various adjustments provided for in the brassiere 10.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A brassiere for a single breast remaining after a mastectomy operation comprising, a breast pocket having a top portion, a bottom portion, an inner side portion and an outer side portion, a waist band normally spaced below said bottom portion for encircling the waist of a person, a shoulder strap attached to the top portion of said pocket and being adapted to pass over the shoulder corresponding to the remaining breast and diagonally across the back of the person, means for attaching said shoulder strap to said waist band on the opposite side of the person from said corresponding shoulder, a breast band connecting the outer portion of said pocket and an intermediate portion of said shoulder strap passing across the back of the person, and a supporting strap depending from the inner side portion of said pocket and being adapted to extend diagonally across the front of the person, said supporting strap being connected to said waist band on the opposite side of the person from said corresponding shoulder.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said supporting strap depends from the bottom of the inner side portion of said pocket and in which the inner side portion of said pocket comprises featherboning.

3. The invention according to claim 2 further comprising an auxiliary strap having an upper end and a lower end, means for attaching said upper end to the upper portion of said inner side portion, and means for detachably securing said lower end to an intermediate portion of said supporting strap between said pocket and said waist band.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which said waistband comprises overlapping end portions, said shoulder strap being attached to said waist band adjacent one of said end portions, and said supporting strap being attached to said waist band adjacent said other end portion.

5. The invention according to claim 1 in which said breast band is normally parallel to said waist band when said brassiere is worn by a person.

6. The invention according to claim 5 in which said breast band is connected to the bottom portion of said pocket, said outer side portion comprising fcatherboning.

7. The invention according to claim 5 in which said breast band comprises a Web, said web having an edge integral with the outer portion of said pocket, and said web having an opposite edge attached to the intermediate portion of said shoulder strap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 911,204 Busby Feb. 2, 1909 1,417,930 Mailleue May 30, 1922 2,388,757 Miller Nov. 13, 1945

Claims

1. A BRASSIERE FOR A SINGLE BREAST REMAINING AFTER A MASTECTOMY OPERATION COMPRISING, A BREAST POCKET HAVING A TOP PORTION, A BOTTOM PORTION, AN INNER SIDE PORTION AND AN OUTER SIDE PORTION, A WAIST BAND NORMALLY SPACED BELOW SAID BOTTOM PORTION FOR ENCIRCLING THE WAIST OF A PERSON, A SHOULDER STRAP ATTACHED TO THE TOP PORTION OF SAID POCKET AND BEING ADAPTED TO PASS OVER THE SHOULDER CORRESPONDING TO THE REMAINING BREAST AND DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE BACK OF THE PERSON, MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID SHOULDER STRAP TO SAID WAIST BAND ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PERSON FROM SAID CORRESPONDING SHOULDER, A BREAST BAND CONNECTING THE OUTER PORTION OF SAID POCKET AND AN