US3506014A - Brassiere - Google Patents

Description

April y14, 1970 1. L. soRENsoN BRASSIERE Filed Aug. 11, 1967 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VENIOR.

I dzfzej/lbfewozz BY y ATTORNEYS,

April 14, 1970 J. L. soRENsoN 3,506,014

BRASSIERE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 11, 1967 INVENTOR.

mlfezazz KWATTOR/VEYS l I l 13u/mf United States Patent O 3,506,014 BRASSIERE James L. Sorenson, Salt Lake City, Utah, assignor to Levoys Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah, a corporation of Utah Filed Aug. 11, 1967, Ser. No. 660,075 Int. Cl. A41c 3/ 00 U.S. Cl. 12S-484 2 Claims ABSTRACT or THE DISCLOSURE A brassiere with iloating cup-supplementing breast supporting strip or panel means of which each breast supporting portion is separately adjustable from the central part of the brassiere.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Description of the prior art Brassieres having supporting or uplift panels or strips therein with breast encircling straps associated with such panels or strips, all enclosed within the overall breast cup portion of the brassiere have been heretofore made as evidenced by the Ramsell U.S. letters Patent No. 3,213,462. However, with brassieres of this type as heretofore constructed, it was necessary in lorder to eifect an adjustment of the brassiere to the individual Wearers satisfaction for the wearer to exercise considerable pains to adjust the cup height, if possible, and adjust the supporting panel or strip and the elimination of any outer garments overlying the brassiere during the adjustment of the brassiere was essential. These prior known brassieres were not capable of quick and accurate adjustments requiring only a few minutes of time and with no removal of outer garments. Insofar as I am aware not any of these brassieres could be adjusted to provide even contouring, support and projection of the breasts with all adjustments made at the cleavage and without the necessity of removing any outer garment. This was particularly true in those cases where one breast is partially or totally false as a result of previous surgery, and in such case movements of an active woman frequently resulted in a noticeable variance in breast projection by virtue of the difference in weight between the false breast material and the natural lbreast tissue.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention or discovery effectively solves the problem, not solved by the prior art as discussed above, of a very rapid and easy adjustment of a brassiere to present uniformity in appearance between the breasts of the wearer and which adjustment may be accomplished withl 3,506,014 Patented Apr. 14, 1970 ICS out the need of any disrobing, a quick visit to a private room and the expenditure of a very few minutes time being all that is necessary. Both the cup and the breast supporting band thereinside are individually adjustable for each breast through the cleavage of the brassiere. A,Such is extremely important where maladjustment may occur at any time due to movements of an active woman having breasts of unequal weight owing to previous surgery and the need of wearing a partial or false breast as a result thereof. Thus, the instant invention is greatly valued by active women and answers many of the problems presented to physicians and surgeons particularly by women having unequal breasts. The brassiere includes ,floating strip or panel breast supporting means with a breast encircling strap associated with such means for each breast, as well as an adjustment in elevation for the cups overlying such supporting means. Both adjustments vforeach breast are easily accessible through the cleavage of the brassiere, making it possible to simply and quickly obtain the proper adjustment of the brassiere selectively for one or both breasts. Furthermore, the instant invention is pleasing in appearance, may readily be made with various depths of cleavage and is comfortable to the Ibody of a user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a brassiere embodying principles of this invention in use on the body of a wearer;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the interior of the brassiere of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary greatly enlarged elevational view, with parts broken away, of the cup adjusting connection carried by each shoulder strap of the brassiere, taken substantially as indicated by the line III-III of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 4 is an inside perspective view of the brassiere, similar to FIGURE 2, but showing the breast supporting strip or panelV means pulled back away from the cups of the brassiere in order to 'better illustrate the structure;

FIGURE 5 is a greatly enlargedfragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line V-V 0f FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary inside elevational view of the attachment means at the apex of each cup of the brassiere.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The illustrated embodiment of the instant invention includes a composite wide bandeau, generally indicated by numeral 1, which encircles the body 2 of a user in the bust region, as seen in FIGURE 1. The bandeau is made up of various pieces or sections of material connected by stitching, and usually each seam is reinforced with a piece of tape as is customary in this art.

The front portion of the bandeau includes four sections of lace, satin, or other desirable material, joined by a transverse tape seam 3 and a vertical tape seam 4, the sections being united by these seams in a manner to deiine left and right breast receiving and supporting cups 5 and 6 respectively, each terminating in an apex, 7 and 8 respectively, at the top thereof. The arrangement is such as to leave a definite cleavage 9 between the cups which terminates at the bottom adjacent the top of the vertical seam 4. Around the entire top of the bandeau is a tape binding 10 stitched to the material of the bandeau, and around the entire bottom is a tape binding 11 stitched to the material of the bandeau for reinforcing purposes. A transversely extending tape seam 12 defines the lower edge of the cups and 6. Below the cups a pair of narrow left and right panels 13 and 14 of spandex or equivalently stretchable material are held in place between the seam 12 and the binding 11 to add comfort to the underbreast porti-on of the wearers body during use.

The side and rear portions of the bandeau include a pair of opposed panels 15-15, preferably of some suitable non-stretchable fabric, and each of which is held by a vertical seam 16 at the outer edge of the respective breast cup and between the bindings and 11, these panels gradually decreasing in width rearwardly. A panel 17 of spandex or equivalently stretchable material is secured to the rear edge of each of the panels -15 by a seam 18, these panels also being held by the bindings 10 and 11. To the rear edge of one or" the panels 17 a securing panel 19 is attached, and this panel carries a plurality of rows of eyes 20 or the equivalent to which a series of hooks carried by the opposite panel 17 may be selectively engaged, as is well known in this art.

Left and right breast supporting panels 21 and 22 respectively are provided, these being of a width to underlie each breast and lift the same to establish a desired breast contour. As seen best in FIGURE 4, these panels are joined at their forward ends by a seam 23 and each panel is secured at its other end to one of the seams 16, the two panels being freely floating between the seams 16-16, and totally unconnected otherwise to the front cup defining portion of the bandeau. Each of these panels 21 and 22 has a triangular formation 24 integral therewith but extending outside of the respective seam 16 and sufficiently below the panel itself to be engaged in the binding 11, as seen clearly in FIGURES 2 and 4. The panels 21 and 22 are preferably made of heavier fabric than the remainder of the bandeau, moleskin with a napped face thereof on lthe inside being highly satisfactory.

Allochiral, but otherwise identical adjustable strap assemblies are associated with each of the breast supporting panels 21 and 22. Each of these assemblies includes a breast encircling strap 25 one end of which is secured by the seam 16 at the outer end of the respective breast cup 5 or 6, and the other end of which is secured to the crossbar of a length adjusting buckle 26, with the body of the strap passed through the buckle to form a variable length loop 27. This loop passes through a link 28 carried on a tab 29 secured at the upper end of the seam 23, and extending on each side of the seam. Thus, it will be seen that a simple movement of the adjusting buckle 26 in the proper direction relatively to the strap 25 will either lengthen or shorten the loop 27 in the strap and thus adjust the panel 21 to support the breast in the desired manner.

Each strap assembly also includes a shoulder strap 30 secured to the rear portion of the bandeau at one end adjacent the seam 18, while the forward end of the strap is intertwined about the center and adjacent bars of a double adjusting buckle 31 as seen in FIGURES 3 and 5. This adjusting buckle 31 carries a loop formation on the end thereof generally indicated by numeral 32. The aforesaid breast encircling strap 2S passes freely through the rear portion of the loop 32 as seen clearly in FIGURE 5.

The loop 32 has a rear ply 33 and an inner ply 34 forming the loop proper through which the lower bar of the buckle 31 extends and through which the strap 25 is freely slidable. On the outer side of the ply 34 is lanother ply 35, all of the plies being secured together by suitable stitching. Outward of the ply 35 is another ply 36 having a series of spaced eyelets 37 therein leading to the space between the plies 35 and 36.

Now with reference to FIGURE 6, it will be seen that each of the breast cups 5 and 6 has a plate 38 disposed thereon adjacent the apex of the breast cup. The plate is held in position by means of a stitched on tab 39 and a line of stitching 40 around the upwardly extending portion of the plate securing the same to the binding 10. Struck from the plate is a hook 41 for selective engagement through any of the eyelets 37 in the repsective loop 32, as seen in FIGURE 5.

With the above arrangement it will be especially noted that three separate adjustments of each breast cup separately from the other may be made directly through the cleavage 9 of the brassiere and Without the necessity of removing any outer garment. The length of the shoulder strap may be adjusted by pulling the end thereof associated with the buckle 31. The length of the loop 27 on the breast encircling strap 25 may be adjusted by moving the buckle 26 in the desired direction to either length or shorten the loop. As well, the respective breast cup 5 or 6 may be increased or decreased in height and breast lifting by the selective insertion of the hook 41 in any of the eyelets 3?. The strap assembly for each Ibreast may be manipulated separately from the other. With this arrangement, an active woman may step into a private room and in a matter of a very few minutes and without removing any outer garment restore her brassiere to the breast supporting arrangement and balance she desires. The instant invention is highly desirable for women who, by reason of previous surgery or otherwise, have breasts diifering in size, density, or rmness since an outward appearance of identical breasts can be easily and quickly maintained, and reestablished in a short interval of time in the event a slight maladjustment as to either breast has occurred. Further, the instant invention can be economically manufactured, given as pleasing an appearance as desired, and is highly durable.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A brassiere including a bandeau to encircle the body of a user and having a front portion shaped to deline a pair of individual breast receiving and supporting cups each terminating in an apex at the top and defining a cleavage therebetween, a rear portion having connecting means at the ends thereof, and a pair of shoulder straps each connected to said rear portion at one end, wherein the improvement comprises adjustable complemental connecting means carried in part by the forward end of each shoulder strap and in part by the apex of each breast cup,

said connecting means being accessible through the cleavage of the brassiere to vary the lift of either cup relatively to the length of the respective shoulder strap,

means at the forward end of each said shoulder strap also accessible through the cleavage of the brassiere for adjusting the length of the respective strap,

a pair of breast supporting panels to underlie the.

breasts and disposed end to end and connected at their adjacent ends with the other end of each panel secured to the bandeau leaving both panels otherwise floating and free of engagement with the bandeau, and

a breast encircling strap for each panel having its end portion connected to the respective panel.

2. The brassiere of claim 1, including adjusting means carried by each breast encircling strap and accessible through the cleavage of the bandeau for adjusting the length of the strap, whereby three separate adjustments 5 for the proper elevation of each breast, independently of the other breast, may be made through the cleavage of the bandeau without necessitating removal of an outer garment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 9/1968 Simonsen 128-484 FOREIGN PATENTS U.S. Cl. X.R.

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