Abstract:
Systems and methods for adjustable straps are disclosed. In various exemplary embodiments, adjustable slider-like mechanisms are configured with one or more protrusions for inserting through corresponding slits in a garment strap, for example a brassiere strap. In this manner, adjustable straps may be fixed in place and resist slippage, leading to improved wearer comfort and reducing or eliminating the need for regular adjustment.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/324,112 filed on Apr. 18, 2016 and entitled “BRA STRAP SLIDER WITH KNOB”, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The disclosure generally relates to brassieres, and more particularly, to adjustable straps for brassieres. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Brassieres (or “bras”) with adjustable straps are a staple in everyday fashion. Because no person&#39;s body is the same, most brassieres currently include adjustable straps. These straps typically allow the wearer to adjust the straps to a desired length which prevents the strap from slipping down the wearer&#39;s shoulder throughout the day, provides added support to give breasts the lift desired and alleviate the stress on the back that can be caused by unsupported breasts. Prior approaches to adjustable straps often utilize a mechanism that allows the strap to double back on itself and relies on the friction created by the strap to keep the strap set at the desired length. Because of this, when worn throughout the day, the combination of gravity and the movement of the wearer usually provides enough force to overcome the friction and cause the strap to lengthen over time, resulting in poor fit and discomfort (and/or the need to regularly re-adjust the strap). Accordingly, improved systems and methods for adjustable bra straps are desirable. 
         [0004]    In current prior approaches, a bra wearer may attempt to use safety pins, clips, or tape to prevent the lengthening of the bra strap over the day. In these approaches, the lengthening of the strap may still occur and may leave undesirable, visible lumps underneath the wearer&#39;s clothing. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In an exemplary embodiment, an adjustable bra strap comprises at least one piece of fabric having a length, and an adjustment mechanism having at least one protrusion. The protrusion inserts through the at least one piece of fabric to fix the at least one piece of fabric in place with respect to the adjustment mechanism. 
         [0006]    In another exemplary embodiment, a method for securing an adjustable bra strap in a desired position comprises adjusting the adjustable bra strap to a desired position, the adjustable bra strap comprising at least one piece of fabric having a length and an adjustment mechanism having a protrusion. The method further comprises inserting the protrusion through the at least one piece of fabric to fix the at least one piece of fabric in place with respect to the adjustment mechanism. 
         [0007]    In another exemplary embodiment, a bra with adjustable straps comprise a pair of breast cups, a back closure connecting the pair of breast cups, and a pair of adjustable shoulder straps, one adjustable shoulder strap extending from a corresponding breast cup to the back closure. Each adjustable bra strap comprises at least one piece of fabric having a length, and an adjustment mechanism having a protrusion. The protrusion inserts through the at least one piece of fabric to fix the at least one piece of fabric in place with respect to the adjustment mechanism. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    A more complete understanding of principles of the present disclosure may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the Figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to similar elements throughout the Figures, and where: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates an adjustment mechanism having a protrusion, in accordance with various embodiments; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates a piece of fabric with a plurality of openings, in accordance with various embodiments; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates a piece of fabric having a plurality of openings used with an adjustment mechanism having a protrusion, in accordance with various embodiments; 
           [0012]      FIGS. 4A through 4F  illustrate exemplary configurations of adjustment mechanisms having protrusions in the form of knobs, in accordance with various embodiments; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 5A through 5E  illustrate exemplary configurations of adjustment mechanisms having protrusions in the form of toggles, in accordance with various embodiments; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of an attachment mechanism having a protrusion, in accordance with various embodiments; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate exemplary configurations of adjustment mechanisms having multiple protrusions, in accordance with various embodiments; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  illustrates a piece of fabric having a plurality of openings and a protrusion on the end of the piece of fabric where the piece of fabric is fed through a ring, in accordance with various embodiments; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  illustrates a conventional bra strap adjuster as is known in the art. 
       
    
    
       [0018]    It should be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that, while principles of the present disclosure are described with reference to the figures described above, such principles may also include a variety of embodiments consistent with the description herein. It should also be understood that, where consistent with the description, there may be additional components not shown in the system diagrams, and that such components may be arranged or ordered in different ways. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    The detailed description shows embodiments by way of illustration, including the best mode. While these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the principles of the present disclosure, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that logical and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of principles of the present disclosure. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation. For example, the steps recited in any of the method descriptions may be executed in any order and are not limited to the order presented. 
         [0020]    Moreover, for the sake of brevity, certain sub-components of individual components and other aspects of the system may not be described in detail herein. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical couplings may be present in a practical system. Such functional blocks may be realized by any number of components configured to perform specified functions. 
         [0021]    In various embodiments, an adjustable strap may comprise a piece of fabric, an adjustment mechanism, and a protrusion where the strap is adjusted to a desired length via the adjustment mechanism and the protrusion is inserted through the piece of fabric to secure the strap in place, obviating the ability for straps to lengthen throughout the day. 
         [0022]    With reference now to  FIG. 1 , in various embodiments, an adjustment mechanism  100  may comprise an adjuster  120  and at least one protrusion  140 . The adjuster  120  may be configured to accept a piece of fabric, for example a strap. The protrusion  140  may be configured to insert through a piece of fabric in order to keep the piece of fabric at a desired length. In various embodiments, the adjuster  120  may be made of plastic. The adjuster  120  may be made of metal. It should be appreciated that an adjuster  120  may be made of any suitable material known in the art. The protrusion  140  may comprise a securing element, for example a knob, a button, a toggle, an alligator clip, a hook, a rotatable metal extender, a rotatable plastic extender, and/or a pin. Any other method of securing the piece of fabric in place can also be used. Moreover, in various embodiments, adjustment mechanism  100  may be configured absent adjuster  120 . 
         [0023]    In various embodiments, protrusion  140  may be aesthetically pleasing. Protrusion  140  may be shiny. Protrusion  140  may be decorated with glitter or other embellishments. Protrusion  140  may be selected to match the color of an associated brassiere. Moreover, protrusion  140  may be selected in a color to complement the brassiere. It should be appreciated that the protrusion  140  may be of any size, shape, or color desired, in order to at least partially retain a piece of fabric with respect to adjuster  120 . 
         [0024]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , and in accordance with various embodiments, a strap  200  may comprise a piece of fabric  240 . The piece of fabric  240  may further comprise a plurality of openings  220 . The piece of fabric  240  may further comprise a plurality of openings  220  along the entire length of the piece of fabric  240 . The piece of fabric  240  may further comprise a plurality of openings  220  along a fraction of the length of the piece of fabric  240 . In various embodiments, the piece of fabric  240  may further comprise a plurality of openings  220  along ¾ of the length of the piece of fabric  240 . The piece of fabric  240  may further comprise a plurality of openings  220  along ⅝ of the length of the piece of fabric  240 . The piece of fabric  240  may further comprise a plurality of openings  220  along about ½ of the length of the piece of fabric  240 . In various embodiments, the piece of fabric  240  may further comprise a plurality of openings  220  along about ⅜ of the length of the piece of fabric  240 . Moreover, the plurality of openings  220  may exist along any fraction of the length of the piece of fabric  240  desired. In various embodiments, there may be no openings in fabric  240 . 
         [0025]    With reference now to  FIG. 3 , an adjustment mechanism comprising an adjuster  120  and a protrusion  140  may be configured to allow a piece of fabric  240  to enter the adjuster  120 . The adjuster  120  may be configured to allow the piece of fabric  240  to be adjusted to a desired length. A protrusion  140  may be inserted through the piece of fabric  240  to secure the piece of fabric  240  at the desired length. Accordingly, the piece of fabric  240  may be configured with a plurality of openings  220  through which the protrusion  140  may be inserted. 
         [0026]    In various embodiments, the plurality of openings  220  may be slits. The plurality of openings  220  may be ovular. The plurality of openings  220  may be rectangular. The plurality of openings  220  may be circular. The plurality of openings  220  may be horizontal. The plurality of openings  220  may be vertical. The plurality of openings  220  may be at an angle between 0 degrees and 180 degrees. The plurality of openings  220  may be at an angle between 0 degrees and 90 degrees. It should be appreciated that the plurality of openings  220  may be of any shape suitable and at any orientation to fit, accept, and/or at least partially receive the selected protrusion  140 . In various embodiments, the plurality of openings  220  may be reinforced to prevent wear and tear from overuse of specific openings. For example, the plurality of openings  220  may be reinforced with extra stitching around the edge of each opening. In various embodiments, the plurality of openings  220  may be reinforced with extra material around the edge of the opening. Moreover, the plurality of openings  220  may be reinforced by utilizing a piece of fabric  240  having a sturdier fabric used than is typically used in bra straps. 
         [0027]    With reference now to  FIGS. 4A through 4F , exemplary embodiments of adjustment mechanisms comprising an adjuster  120  and a protrusion  140  in the form of a knob are depicted, in accordance with various embodiments. An adjuster  120  may be a variety of shapes. An adjuster  120  may be heart shaped, as in  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B . An adjuster  120  may be rectangular as in  FIG. 4C . An adjuster  120  may be oval-shaped as in  FIG. 4E  and  FIG. 4F . Moreover, an adjuster  120  may be any desired shape through which a piece of fabric may fit. In various embodiments the adjuster  120  may be split by a bar. However, in various exemplary embodiments adjuster  120  may be configured without a central bar or divider. Additionally, with momentary reference to  FIG. 9 , the adjuster  120  may be in the shape of a typical bra strap adjuster  900 . 
         [0028]      FIGS. 5A through 5E  illustrate exemplary embodiments of adjustment mechanisms that may comprise an adjuster  120  and a protrusion  140  in the form of a disc, toggle, bar, or extension, in accordance with various embodiments. In these exemplary embodiments, protrusion  140  may be configured with one or more edges, flanges, extensions, protrusions, rotatable mechanisms, and/or the like in order to resist protrusion  140  from inadvertently separating from an associated opening  220  through which it has been passed. 
         [0029]      FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an adjustment mechanism  100  with a protrusion  140 . In various embodiments, as depicted, a protrusion  140  may be raised from the plane of the adjuster  120 . In various embodiments, a protrusion  140  may be perpendicular to the plane of the adjuster  120 . In various embodiments, a protrusion  140  may lay flat relative to the plane of the adjuster  120 . Moreover, the protrusion  140  may lay at any angle relative to the plane of the adjuster  120  in order to interface with, pass through, be retained within, and/or separate from an associated opening  220 . In various embodiments, a protrusion  140  may be located near a top side of the adjuster  120 . In various embodiments, a protrusion  140  may be located near a bottom side of the adjuster  120 . In various embodiments, a protrusion  140  may be located near a left side of the adjuster  120 . In various embodiments, a protrusion  140  may be located near a right side of the adjuster  120 . Moreover, the protrusion  140  may be located at any place along the adjuster in order to interface with, pass through, be retained within, and/or separate from an associated opening. 
         [0030]    Turning now to  FIGS. 7A and 7B , in various embodiments, an adjustment mechanism  100  may comprise an adjuster  120  and at least one protrusion  140 . In accordance with various embodiments, there may be multiple protrusions  140  attached to the adjuster  120 . There may be two protrusions  140 . There may be three protrusions  140 . In various embodiments, there may be between four and six protrusions  140 . Moreover, there may be any suitable number of protrusions  140  on adjustment mechanism  100 , as desired. 
         [0031]    With reference now to  FIG. 8 , a piece of fabric  240  may enter a holder  820  and have a protrusion  140  on an end of the piece of fabric  240 , in accordance with various embodiments. The piece of fabric  240  may be doubled back on itself over the holder  820  and be secured at a desired length by inserting the protrusion  140  through a slit or other opening  220  in the piece of fabric  240 . In accordance with various embodiments, the piece of fabric  240  may further comprise a plurality of openings  220  through which the protrusion  140  may be inserted. In various embodiments, the holder  820  may be affixed to a second piece of fabric  240 , or the holder  820  may be affixed to the rest of a brassiere. The holder  820  may be configured as a ring. Holder  820  may be a square. Holder  820  may be a rectangle. Moreover, holder  820  may be configured with any shape that allows the piece of fabric  240  to pass through it. 
         [0032]    In various embodiments, an adjustable strap and/or adjustment mechanism as disclosed herein may be utilized in connection with a brassiere. In this manner, lengthening of the strap from a desired adjusted length due to wearing of the garment throughout the day may be reduced and/or eliminated. 
         [0033]    In various embodiments of use, the protrusion may fit through fabric on a portion of the brassiere other than the strap, allowing an adjustment to be made to the length of the strap without requiring the added bulk of an adjuster. In such an embodiment, the excess length of the strap may be trimmed after it has been secured in the desired length. In various embodiments, the protrusion may fit through fabric on a portion of the clothing meant to be worn over the brassiere. Moreover, clothing worn over the brassiere may have a plurality of openings through which the protrusion may be inserted. Additionally, clothing worn over the brassiere may have a plurality of holders affixed on the inside of the clothing through which the protrusion may be inserted. It should be appreciated that the protrusion may be inserted through any garment (under a brassiere, as part of a brassiere, and/or over a brassiere) configured to receive such a protrusion in order to retain a strap in place, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         [0034]    In various embodiments, the adjustment mechanism of one strap may be used to couple the strap to another strap (for example, drawing two shoulder straps together to join them in an area roughly between the shoulder blades), forming a different type of multiple strap pattern that may be desirable based on the chosen clothing. 
         [0035]    Principles and features of the present disclosure may suitably be combined with the subject matter of adjustable breast support garments, for example as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,332,789 issued May 10, 2016 entitled “Adjustable Breast Support Garment” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
         [0036]    Principles and features of the present disclosure also may suitably be combined with the subject matter of adjustable breast support garments, for example as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,545,287 issued Oct. 1, 2013 entitled “Adjustable Breast Support Garment” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
         [0037]    Principles and features of the present disclosure also may suitably be combined with the subject matter of adjustable breast support garments, for example as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,500,513 issued Aug. 6, 2013 entitled “Adjustable Breast Support Garment” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
         [0038]    While the components and steps outlined herein represent embodiments of principles of the present disclosure, practitioners will appreciate that there are a variety of physical structures and interrelated roller shade components that may be applied to create similar results. The steps are presented for the sake of explanation only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all of the claims. 
         [0039]    Exemplary systems and methods are disclosed. In the detailed description herein, references to “various embodiments”, “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an example embodiment”, etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement principles of the disclosure in alternative embodiments. 
         [0040]    It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, indicating embodiments, are given for purposes of illustration only and not as limitations. Many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and principles of the present disclosure include all such modifications. Corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all elements are intended to include any structure, material, or acts for performing the functions in combination with other elements. Reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, when a phrase similar to “at least one of A. B, or C” or “at least one of A, B, and C” is used in the claims or the specification, the phrase is intended to mean any of the following: (1) at least one of A; (2) at least one of B; (3) at least one of C; (4) at least one of A and at least one of B; (5) at least one of B and at least one of C; (6) at least one of A and at least one of C; or (7) at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.