Abstract:
An exemplary embodiment includes a brassiere formed out of a transparent material that can provide a desired level of support and comfort while being worn with a bathing suit or any other desired article of clothing.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/608,687, filed Mar. 9, 2012, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Brassieres are known and utilized by women to provide for support and comfort when worn. Typical brassieres are formed using one of a variety of fabrics and can include wiring or other strengthening materials for additional support. However, women with larger breasts are often unable to find a brassiere that provides a desired level of support and comfort. 
         [0003]    Women&#39;s swimsuits, for example bikinis and one-piece bathing suits, are also formed out of any of a variety of materials. However, women&#39;s swimsuits typically do not offer a desired level of comfort or support as a brassiere. Additionally, traditional brassieres cannot be worn with a bathing suit because of a variety of negative effects on the materials of the brassiere when they come in contact with water. Further, the wearing of a brassiere with a swimsuit may be undesirable from a fashion perspective. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    An exemplary embodiment includes a brassiere formed out of a transparent material that can provide a desired level of support and comfort while being worn with a bathing suit or any other desired article of clothing. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments thereof, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like elements, in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a transparent brassiere having a front closure. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  shows an exemplary embodiment of a transparent brassiere having a back closure. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3   a  shows an exemplary embodiment transparent brassiere with a first removable pad coupled to a first cup and a second removable pad coupled to a second cup. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3   b  shows an exemplary embodiment of a removable pad having an outer shell covering a transparent cushioning material. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  shows an embodiment of a transparent brassiere having at least one removable shoulder strap. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description, discussion of several terms used herein follows. 
         [0012]    The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Likewise, the term “embodiments of the invention” does not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation. 
         [0013]    Referring generally to  FIGS. 1-4 , exemplary embodiments of a brassiere formed from a transparent material may be described. Brassiere  100  may have a first cup  102  and a second cup  104 . First cup  102  and second cup  104  may be coupled to a central coupling  106 . At least one back strap  108  may be coupled to first cup  102  and second cup  104 . Brassiere  100  may be fastened together using clasp  110 . 
         [0014]    In some exemplary embodiments, brassiere  100  may be made from a transparent polyurethane material. In alternative embodiments, brassiere  100  may be made from a polyethylene terephthalate or any other transparent material as known in the art. In some embodiments, brassiere  100  may be made from a flexible transparent material; in other embodiments, at least first cup  102  and second cup  104  may be made from a rigid transparent material. Additionally, brassiere  100  can be formed out of any materials that are, or have any combination of features, such as being breathable, sturdy and waterproof. A brassiere  100  formed from a transparent material may be worn under any desired type of garment (e.g. a swimsuit, low-cut top, etc.). Further, a brassiere  100  formed from a transparent material may be configured to not be negatively affected by water, may be cleaned with an application of soap and water, and may be efficiently dried using a towel or similar material. 
         [0015]    Brassiere  100  may be formed in any desired size or shape. First cup  102  and second cup  104  may be made in a variety of sizes to allow women having any size breasts to wear brassiere  100 . Further, first cup  102  and second cup  104  may be formed to provide any desired amount of coverage and/or support. For example, first cup  102  and second cup  104  may be shaped as a demi cup, a balconette cup, a full coverage cup, or any other appropriate shape as known in the art. In some embodiments, the central coupling  106  may include an adjustment mechanism to increase or decrease the distance between first cup  102  and second cup  104  to provide for a greater or lesser amount of lift, as desired by a wearer. In some embodiments, clasp  110  may be at least one hook-and-eye fastener; however, any appropriate fastener known in the art may also be used. 
         [0016]    Referring specifically to  FIG. 1 , a transparent brassiere having a front closure may be described. Central coupling  106  may have a first part  106 A and a second part  106 B, the first part  106 A being coupled to the first cup  102  and the second part  106 B being coupled to the second cup  104 . First part  106 A may be coupled to a first clasp  110 A, and second part  106 B may be coupled to a second, corresponding, clasp  110 B. First clasp  110 A and second clasp  110 B may be coupled together to allow brassiere  100  to be worn. 
         [0017]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a transparent brassiere having a back closure may be described. A first back strap  108 A and a second back strap  108 B may have a first end and a second end. The first end of first back strap  108 A may be coupled to first cup  102 , and the first end of second back strap  108 B may be coupled to second cup  104 . A first clasp  110 A may be coupled to the second end of first back strap  108 A, and a second, corresponding, clasp  110 B may be coupled to the second end of second back strap  108 B. Brassiere  100  having a back closure may be worn by attaching the first clasp  110 A to the second clasp  110 B behind the wearer&#39;s back. 
         [0018]    Referring generally now to  FIG. 3 , a transparent brassiere having a plurality of removable pads may be described. Specifically,  FIG. 3   a  may show a transparent brassiere  100  having removable pads coupled to the first cup  102  and second cup  104 . A first removable pad  112  may be coupled to the inside portion of first cup  102 , and a second removable pad  114  may be coupled to the inside portion of second cup  104 . In some embodiments, first cup  102  and second cup  104  may have a pocket  116  configured to hold a removable pad  112  or  114 ; in other embodiments, removable pads  112  and  114  may couple to the first cup  102  or second cup  104  using an adhesive or other coupling mechanisms as known in the art. In some exemplary embodiments, removable pads  112  and  114  may generally be positioned to provide cushioning to the underside of a wearer&#39;s breasts. In further exemplary embodiments, removable pads  112  and  114  may further be positioned to provide lift for a wearer&#39;s breasts, in the fashion of a push-up brassiere or similar. 
         [0019]    Now referring specifically to  FIG. 3   b , a variety of removable pads may be described. In some embodiments, removable pads  112  and  114  may also be made of a transparent material. For example, removable pads  112  and  114  may have an outer flexible shell  118  and transparent cushioning  120 . In some embodiments, transparent cushioning  120  may be a clear gel; in other embodiments, transparent cushioning  120  may be contained air, contained water, or any other appropriate transparent cushioning material and housing, as desired. In other exemplary embodiments, removable pads  112  and  114  may be made from an opaque material; for example, removable pads  112  may have an outer flexible shell in a variety of skin tones to blend in with the wearer&#39;s skin or any other color as desired. 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a transparent brassiere having a plurality of removable shoulder straps may be described. Brassiere  100  may further have at least one removable shoulder strap  122  having a first end and a second end. A hook  124  may be coupled to the first end and second end of shoulder strap  122 . A plurality of eyelets  126  may be coupled to the first cup  102 , second cup  104 , central coupling  106 , and at least one back strap  108 . A wearer can attach a hook  124  at the first end of removable shoulder strap  122  to any desired eyelet and a hook  124  at the second end of removable shoulder strap  122  to any desired eyelet such that brassiere  100  can be worn in any desired fashion. Brassiere  100  having a plurality of removable shoulder straps can be worn with no straps, a single strap, or both straps coupled to the cups, central coupling, and/or one or more back straps. Both removable shoulder strap  122  and hook  124  may be made from a transparent material, such as polyurethane, polyethylene terephthalate, or any other appropriate material as known in the art. Further, the length of removable shoulder straps  122  may be adjustable to allow women of varying heights to wear brassiere  100  and/or to allow for a variety of strap configurations as described above. In still further embodiments, removable shoulder straps  122  may also contain cushioning or padding for additional comfort; such cushioning may be a clear gel, air, water, or any other appropriate cushioning as known in the art. Removable shoulder straps  122  may be washed separately or together with the first and second cups, central coupling, and at least one back strap. 
         [0021]    The foregoing description and accompanying drawings illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. 
         [0022]    Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.