Abstract:
A tank top nursing bra for a nursing mother which provides breast support and which also allows the nursing mother to easily and discretely breast feed her baby wherein the tank top can be worn in public without the need to be covered. The tank top nursing bra includes an inner frame for securing the tank top on the nursing mother and for properly positioning the tank top relative to the breasts of the nursing mother. The inner frame includes an elastic waist or chest band which extends about the torso of the mother and below the breasts of the mother. The elastic band having a front portion and a rear portion. The inner frame further including a front sling having a pair of openings for allowing access to the woman&#39;s breasts for nursing. The sling extending from the elastic band to a set of shoulder straps which support the inner frame on the shoulders of the woman. The shoulder straps having back edges which are joined either directly or indirectly to the elastic band. The tank top nursing bra further including at least one breast supporting inner nursing flap having a bottom edge joined to the elastic waistband and a top edge which is selectively interengageable with the inner support structure. The tank top nursing bra further including an outer tank top having a front and back portion. The front portion of the tank top being attached to the at least one nursing flap and the back portion being attached to the inner frame.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/506,682, entitled “Tank Top Nursing Bra”, filed Sep. 26, 2003. 
     
    
       [0002]     The invention of this application relates to the art of nursing bras and, more particularly, to a combination nursing bra and tank top which can be worn as an outer garment even though it provides the necessary breast support and allows for access to the breast for nursing a baby.  
       INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE  
       [0003]     The present invention relates to an outer garment which has a built-in nursing bra that provides support for the breasts while allowing easy access for nursing. In this respect, Alberts 2,679,048; Williams 4,390,024; Kunstadter 4,878,879; Weber-Unger 5,624,296; and, Pearson 6,083,079 all show nursing bra designs which provide breast support for the nursing mother while allowing easy access to the breast for nursing which are hereby incorporated by reference as background material showing the same. Fildan D412,462 shows a clip design which can be used in connection with a nursing bra or other clothing article to selectively attach a flap to the article and is also incorporated by reference as background material for showing clips. Marino 3,176,692; Meyers 3,611,439; Friedman 4,564,015; Clark 4,648,404; Witchzak 5,461,725; Vera 6,282,719; and, Loussier D462,156 show different types of clothing articles which allow access to the breast for nursing and which are also incorporated by reference as background material.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention is for an outer garment which can be worn by a nursing mother to provide breast support and which allows easy access to the breasts for nursing. It is, of course, well known that a bra can be modified to allow access to the breasts for nursing a baby. In this respect, this type of bra, namely, a nursing bra utilizes traditional materials and designs to support the breast, however, the bra further includes some form of selectively securing device to allow a portion of the bra to be moved away from the breast to provide access to the breast for nursing a baby. Some prior art nursing bras utilize an inner support layer which includes an inner cup frame that supports the breast wherein the cup frame further includes a small access hole for nursing a baby. An outer flap is utilized to selectively cover the access hole and to provide a place to position a nursing pad, however, the outer flap is not intended to provide support. This is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,679,048. Other nursing bras utilize an inner sling configuration which maintains the bra relative to the woman&#39;s chest while only providing minimal or no support for the breast of the nursing mother. In this particular design, the nursing bra further includes a selectively engageable flap which covers the openings in the sling and which provides the majority of the support for the breast. This is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,879. Even yet another design includes only an inner strap layer to hold the nursing bra relative to the women&#39;s shoulder wherein the flap provides all support for the breast and even helps position the bra. This is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,296. Furthermore, some nursing bra designs include a combination of these three support designs.  
         [0005]     Outer garments or clothing articles have also been designed which provide easy access to the breasts of the nursing mother to allow the nursing mother to nurse her baby without removing the garment. This can be particularly helpful for nursing in public areas to allow the nursing mother to discretely nurse her baby. While these clothing articles allow access to the breasts, they rely on a nursing bra worn beneath the garment to provide breast support. As a result, the nursing mother must still manipulate two different articles, namely, the nursing bra and the outer garment, to nurse her baby.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     In accordance with the present invention, provided is a tank top nursing bra combination for a nursing mother that provides breast support and which allows the nursing mother to easily and discretely breast feed her baby wherein the tank top can be worn in public without needing to be covered. In this respect, a tank top nursing bra in accordance with the present invention includes an inner frame for securing the tank top on the chest of the nursing mother and for properly positioning the tank top relative to the breasts of the nursing mother. The tank top nursing bra further includes a selectively engageable nursing flap secured to the inner frame which covers and supports the breast of the nursing mother and which can be easily moved from a closed support position to an access position for allowing the nursing mother to quickly and discretely nurse her baby. Furthermore, a tank top nursing bra in accordance with the present invention has the appearance of a traditional tank top which can be worn in public even though it provides breast support and breast access.  
         [0007]     The tank top nursing bra in accordance with the present invention further includes an inner frame that utilizes a sling configuration that provides complete access to the mother&#39;s breasts for nursing her baby. Prior art cup frame designs, which merely include an access hole for the mother&#39;s nipple, fail to provide adequate access to the breast for manipulating the baby&#39;s mouth relative to the mother&#39;s nipple. Furthermore, the sling design in accordance with the present invention also prevents the baby&#39;s face from engaging the clothing article during nursing which can cause irritation.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     The foregoing will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out more fully hereinafter in connection with a written description of preferred embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a prior art nursing bra wherein both breast flaps are in the closed position;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the nursing bra shown in  FIG. 1  wherein one of the nursing flaps is in the access position;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the nursing bra shown in  FIG. 1  wherein the securing clip has been detached;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the nursing bra shown in  FIG. 1  wherein both nursing flaps are in the access position;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a prior art nursing bra and tank top design wherein both nursing flaps are in the closed position;  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a front view of the garment shown in  FIG. 5  wherein one nursing flap is shown in the access position;  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a front view of the garment shown in  FIG. 5  wherein the inner support structure, including the cup frames, is shown in hidden lines;  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a side sectional view of the garment shown in  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  is a front view of a tank top nursing bra in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 10  is a front view of the tank top nursing bra shown in  FIG. 9  wherein one flap is in the access position;  
         [0019]      FIG. 11  is a front view of the tank top nursing bra design shown in  FIG. 9  wherein both nursing flaps are shown in the access position;  
         [0020]      FIG. 12  is a front view of the tank top nursing bra design shown in  FIG. 9  wherein the support structure is shown in hidden lines;  
         [0021]      FIG. 13  is a front view of another embodiment of the present invention which shows the support structure in hidden lines;  
         [0022]      FIG. 14  is a front view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 13  wherein one of the nursing flaps is shown in the access position;  
         [0023]      FIG. 15  is a front view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 13  wherein both nursing flaps are shown in the access position;  
         [0024]      FIG. 16  is a side, partially sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 13 ;  
         [0025]      FIG. 17  is a sectional view taken along line  17 - 17  in  FIG. 13 ;  
         [0026]      FIG. 18  is a sectional view taken along line  18 - 18  in  FIG. 16 ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 19  is an enlarged view of the clip structure used for securing the nursing flap shown in  FIG. 13 ; and,  
         [0028]      FIG. 20  is a sectional view taken along line  20 - 20  in  FIG. 19 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0029]     Referring now in greater detail to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention,  FIGS. 1-4  show a prior art nursing bra,  FIGS. 5-8  show a prior art nursing garment,  FIGS. 9-12  show a first embodiment, and  FIGS. 13-20  show another embodiment of the invention of this application.  
         [0030]     Referring to  FIG. 1-4 , shown is a prior art nursing bra  10  which includes an inner frame  12 , straps  14  and  16 , and a unified front flap  20  which has a left and right flap section  30  and  40 , respectively. Section  30  is selectively engageable to strap  14  by clip  35 . Similarly, flap  40  is selectively engageable with strap  16  by clip  45 . Nursing bra  10  is intended to be worn underneath either an outer garment or even a nightwear garment to provide breast support and to provide access to the breasts for nursing. Nursing bra  10  is a separate clothing article from the outer garment or nightwear and, therefore, the outer garment or nightwear must include access for nursing or must be removed for nursing.  
         [0031]     Nursing bra  10  utilizes flap  20  to support the breast wherein inner frame  12  includes a sling  54  having sling openings  50  and  52  which provide full access to the mother&#39;s breast for nursing her baby. The primary function of the sling is to position the nursing bra relative to the woman&#39;s breasts and to maintain this positioning. Inner frame  12  further includes an elastic waistband  56  which extends below the woman&#39;s breast and which provides a lower structural feature for the breast support of the nursing bra. In this respect, the bottom ends of the sling are attached to waistband  56 . In addition, the bottom edge of flap  20  is also secured to waistband  56 . Flap  20  is made from elastic material and can extend from the elastic waistband up to the shoulder straps of the nursing bra when in the closed position. Clips  35  and  45  retain the nursing flap sections  30  and  40  in the closed position, respectively, and are adjustable to provide adjustment for differently sized women. The elastic material in the nursing flap provides the support for the woman&#39;s breast and the flap also covers the openings in the inner sling.  
         [0032]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the nursing flap design of nursing bra  10  allows both breasts to be exposed wherein the nursing flap can be easily positioned out of the way. As can be further appreciated from  FIG. 4 , the sling design for the nursing bra provides complete access to the woman&#39;s breasts.  
         [0033]      FIGS. 5-8  show a prior art version of a nursing bra design which has been incorporated into an outer garment. This is the design disclosed in International Application No. WO 02/030221 A3. Clothing article  100  includes an outer garment  100 A and a built-in nursing bra wherein the invisible nursing bra is mostly internal. In this respect, the external portion of the nursing bra includes shoulder straps  105 , nursing flaps  103 , and the outer garment  100 A and  100 B. Article  100  further includes an inner support structure which includes cup frames  102  that provide support for the woman&#39;s breasts. In this respect, it is well known in the art that there are generally two types of support structures for bras. The first type is a cup frame design which is designed to lift and shape the woman&#39;s breasts based on the configuration of the cup frame. The second is a sling design which is not intended to lift, shape and support. The inner support structure of article  100  includes a cup frame and is intended to support the woman&#39;s breasts while the article is being worn and further is intended to support the woman&#39;s breasts even during nursing. Cup frame  102  is permanently joined between a waistband  115  and straps  105  and, therefore, cannot be removed for nursing. The cup frame design only allows for limited access for nursing the baby via a nursing hole. Nursing flaps  103  merely cover the access hole in cup frames  102  and can be utilized for holding a nursing pad. Cup frames  102  are attached to elastic band  115  and work in connection with straps  105  to lift and support the woman&#39;s breasts and also to maintain the positioning of the nursing bra portion of this clothing article. As a result, the cup frame must be made from an elastic material which is likely to come in contact with the nursing baby&#39;s face and which can, therefore, cause facial irritation.  
         [0034]      FIGS. 9-12  show a first embodiment of the invention of this application. In this respect, shown is a nursing tank top  210  having an outer garment  220  and an inner frame structure  230 . Outer garment  220  is made from a stretchy, elastic material so it can work in connection with the inner support structure and so it can conform to the changing shape of the nursing mother.  
         [0035]     Inner frame structure  230  includes straps  232  and  234  which are both adjustable. The adjustability of the straps can be any conventional adjustment mechanism known in the art and can be either positioned on the front or the back of the shoulder straps. Inner frame structure  230  further includes sling  240  which is essentially M-shaped having a center leg  242  and outer legs  244  and  246  thereby forming openings  250  and  252 . Outer leg  244  is connected to center leg  242  by sling top  260  which is connected to strap  232 . Similarly, outer leg  246  is connected to center leg  242  at sling top  270  which is in turn attached to strap  234 . Inner frame  230  further includes a chest band  280  which extends about the chest of the woman below the woman&#39;s breasts. Sling legs  242 ,  244  and  246  are attached to elastic band  280 . Furthermore, straps  232  and  234  can also extend downwardly and connect with elastic band  280  to complete the inner frame structure. Essentially, the inner frame structure secures the clothing article on the woman in the proper position. Furthermore, it maintains the position of the clothing article relative to the woman&#39;s breasts and provides only minimal support.  
         [0036]     Tank top nursing bra  210  further includes support flaps  290  and  292  that are joined to one another at the center of the garment thereby having a unified bottom edge  293  which is connected to elastic band  280 . Support flaps  290  and  292 , in connection with inner frame structure  230 , provide the support for the woman&#39;s breast when in the closed position. Tank top  210  can further include an inner back panel extending between the straps and the elastic band which is also joined to flaps  290  and  292  thereby providing additional support. Support flaps  290  and  292  further include first clip portions  294  and  296 , respectively, of clips  295  and  297 , which are attached to flap top  298  and  300 . Clips  295  and  297  can be any clips know in the art for selectively attaching a clothing flap. Clips  295  and  297  further include second clip portions  302  and  304 , respectively. First clip portions  294  and  296  work in connection with second clip portions  302  and  304 , respectively, to secure flaps  290  and  292  in the closed position and complete the support structure of the garment. Flaps  290  and  292  are similar to left and right flap sections  30  and  40  of nursing bra  10  shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . However, flaps  290  and  292  are integrally connected to outer garment  220  which will be discussed in greater detail below.  
         [0037]     Outer garment  220  includes a front top edge  320 , a rear top edge  322  and side top edges  324  and  326 . Front edge  320  defines an upper edge of front clothing flaps  330  and  332 . Support flaps  290  and  292  are secured to clothing flaps  330  and  332 , respectively so that the support flaps and the clothing flaps move in unison between the access position and the closed position. In order to minimize the appearance of support flaps  290  and  292 , they can be connected to clothing flaps  330  and  332  by also connecting clothing flaps  330  and  332  to first clip portions  294  and  296 , respectively, of clips  295  and  297 . In another embodiment, clothing flap  330  and  332  can be stitched to support flaps  290  and  292  at or near upper flap portions  260  and  270 , respectively.  FIG. 9  shows the clothing article with both flaps in the closed position while  FIG. 10  shows the clothing article with one flap in the closed position and one in the access position.  FIG. 11  shows both flaps in the access position. By connecting flaps  290  and  292  to flaps  330  and  332 , respectively, one clip for each flap can be utilized to uncover both the clothing flap and the supporting flap thereby making access easier for the nursing mother. Furthermore, by utilizing flaps and  290  and  292  which provide full support, a sling design can be used with the inner frame structure to allow full access to the woman&#39;s breasts and comfortable nursing for the baby.  
         [0038]     Rear edge  322  defines the upper limits of a back panel  340  which is secured to straps  232  and  234  to support the rear portion of the clothing article. Top edge  324  defines the upper limits of side  342  and, similarly, top edge  326  defines the upper limits of side  344 . Sides  342  and  344  do not need to be directly connected to the inner frame structure.  
         [0039]     Referring to  FIGS. 13-20 , shown is a second embodiment that includes an inner frame structure which still provides the necessary support and access while being even more hidden from the outward appearance of the garment. In this respect, shown is a tank top nursing bra  410  having an outer clothing article  420  and an inner frame structure  422  similar to the tank top  210 . However, tank top  410  includes support flaps  430  and  432  which have inner support layers which are shaped and constructed similarly to the outer visible layers. This configuration provides a more attractive outward appearance for the clothing article.  
         [0040]     This more attractive outward appearance is accomplished by utilizing support flap  430  which includes an outer flap layer  434  and a commonly shaped inner flap layer  436 . Support flap  432  also includes an outer flap layer  438  and a commonly shaped inner flap layer  440 . Outer flap layers  434  and  438  are part of article  420  while inner flap layers  436  and  440  are part of inner frame structure  422 . More particularly, outer garment  420  extends between a base edge  450  and top edges  452 ,  454 ,  456 , and  458 . Outer garment  420  can be a unified piece of material or can be made from multiple clothing panels such as a front panel and a rear panel. The clothing article for this application will be described as having a front panel  460  and a rear panel  462  wherein front panel  460  extends between bottom edge  450  and top edge  452  and rear panel extends between bottom edge  450  and top edge  454 . With respect to the flaps, outer and inner flap layers  434  and  436  of support flap  430  have common top edges which are a portion of top edges  452  and  456 . In similar fashion, outer and inner flap layers  438  and  440  of support flap  432  have common top edges which are a portion of top edges  452  and  458 . This configuration essentially makes the support layer hidden when the flaps are in the closed position. This is especially true since outer garment  420  is allowed to freely move relative to inner frame structure  422  except for the connection at the top edges.  
         [0041]     Inner frame structure  422  comprises front sling  470 , elastic chest band  480 , and a portion of straps  490  and  492 . Straps  490  and  492  are adjustable for adjusting the frame structure  422  to fit women of different sizes. While straps  490  and  492  can be any known adjustable strap known in the art, and can even have the adjustable portion on the front or the rear of the straps, straps  490  and  492  are shown to have adjustment portions  494  and  496  respectively. Front edges  500  and  502  of straps  490  and  492 , respectively, can be secured to sling  470  by clips  506  and  508  or stitched directly to sling  470 .  
         [0042]     Sling  470  is M-shaped and includes a center sling leg  510  and outer sling legs  512  and  514 . Sling leg  512  and center leg  510  are joined to one another by a first sling top apex  520 . Center leg  510  is joined to outer leg  514  by second sling top apex  522 . Center sling  510  has a bottom  511  which is joined to elastic chest band  480 . In similar fashion, outer sling leg  512  has a bottom  513  and outer sling  514  has a bottom  515  which are both connected to chest band  480 . Sling leg  512 , sling top  520 , center sling  510  and a portion of chest band  480  define a first sling opening  530 . Similarly, center sling  510  together with sling top  522 , outer sling leg  514  and a portion of chest band  480  form second sling opening  532 .  
         [0043]     Straps  490  and  492  further include a back edge  542  and  544  which can be directly connected to the back portion of chest band  480 . Sling  470 , chest band  480 , and straps  490  and  492  essentially make up the inner frame structure  422  for garment  410 . However, frame structure  422  can further include inner back panel  550  extending between strap back edges  542  and  544  and chest band  480 . This particular structure, which is shown in  FIGS. 13-20 , eliminates strap show-through of straps  490  and  492  when they extend to chest band  480 . Back panel  550  is connected to at least top edge  454  of back panel  462 . Furthermore, back panel  550  can extend about the side of the woman and can engage inner flap layers  436  and  440  to provide additional support which is the preferred configuration.  
         [0044]     With particular reference to  FIGS. 13-15 , inner frame structure  422  secures and positions the tank top nursing bra  410  relative to the woman&#39;s breasts, however, the breasts are fully exposed for nursing in the access position ( FIG. 15 ) In the access position, the tank top nursing bra is providing little or no support of the breasts in order to provide complete breast access and to minimize the contact between the nursing baby&#39;s face and the material of the garment. While both breasts can be exposed, the individual flaps can be operated separately for exposing each breast independently ( FIG. 14 ). Referring to  FIG. 13 , the flaps are shown in a closed position wherein the flaps provide the majority of the support for the breast while the mother is not nursing her baby.  
         [0045]     In another embodiment of the present invention, the fabric of outer garment  420  is a stretchable fabric. In this respect, as can be appreciated, due to the weight changes associated with pregnancy, it is desirable to have nursing garments which are made from elastic material to conform with the changing shape of the nursing mother. As a result, elastic materials, such as, cotton/lycra, nylon, microfiber, or similar stretchable fabrics can be used in connection with clothing worn by the nursing mother to help the clothing article change its shape. It has been found that this elastic material can also be used to provide additional breast support. This helps create a more lightweight and comfortable garment even though it provides adequate support for the breast of the nursing mother. More particularly, both inner flap layers  436  and  440  and outer flaps layers  434  and  438  are made from the same or similar elastic material. By utilizing elastic material for the outer garment, a lightweight comfortable clothing article is created which is capable of providing the necessary breast support while having a good outward appearance. Furthermore, the clothing article will conform to the shape of the nursing mother as her body changes. By incorporating the support feature in the flaps, a more natural look is also achieved by the more lightweight design.  
         [0046]     While considerable emphasis has been placed on the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated that other embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principals of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation.