Patent Publication Number: US-6220924-B1

Title: Brassiere

Description:
FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY 
     The present invention relates to a brassiere, which is under wear for a woman. 
     BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY 
     Brassieres have been used as under wear for women, and they are variously designed with functions and made of many kinds of materials. some purposes of brassieres are shaping a figure for a body and supporting breasts to easily move, Further they are used by women, whose breasts have been surgically removed due to breast cancer or mastitis, to shape their body figures. 
     In the case of using the brassiere to shape a body figure of the woman who lost a breast, a supplementary pad for supplementing the lost breast is attached into a cup portion corresponding to the lost breast so as to remake swelling of the breast. In most cases operation for breast cancer or mastitis, one of the breasts is surgically removed; removing both breasts is rare. Thus, in an ordinary brassiere, one of the cup portions is filled with the supplementary pad. The brassiere with the supplementary pad is capable of shaping the body figure and being used as well as the brassiere for a healthy woman. 
     Besides the cup portion filled with the supplementary pad, the brassiere also has a pair of cup portions, a band portion for supporting the cup portions, shoulder straps and hook members. As described above, the brassiere is capable of remaking the swelling of the lost breast, but it has the following disadvantages. 
     By wearing the conventional brassiere with the supplementary pad, the body figure can be shaped and the operated chest can be protected, but the functions are lost when a women takes off the brassiere. While wearing the brassiere, the chest of the user is compressed and she feels tight and hotter, so it is hard for the user to wear the brassiere for a long time. These disadvantages are not only for the woman operated but also for a healthy woman; especially, for the woman operated, when she takes off the brassiere, the operated chest is not protected she feels uneasy, and the shape of the chest is unbalance with home wear. 
     The conventional brassieres with the supplementary pads have been designed so as to shape body figures of users without considering said disadvantages, which will occur when the users take off the brassieres. Even a woman who has been operated on feels better when she takes off the brassiere from the normal breast. The woman operated upon does not want to show her operated chest to others, but she wants to take off the brassiere for the normal breast to relax. However, the conventional brassieres cannot meet the requirements and cannot be used easily. 
     The present invention has been invented to solve the disadvantages of the conventional brassieres, which includes the supplementary pads, so an object of the present invention is to provide a brassiere, which is capable of shaping a figure of a lost breast when a women wears home wear, and being easily used without discomfort. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a right-left separation type brassiere for protecting and shaping right and left breasts separately, comprises: a cup portion for protecting and shaping one of the breasts; a band portion being connected to a lower portion of the cup portion and adapted to attach the cup portion by being passed around a chest; and a shoulder strap being attached at one end thereof to an upper portion of the cup portion and at the other end thereof to the band portion at a back being passed over a shoulder. 
     The brassiere is the right-left separation type, so the right and left brassieres can be selectively taken off. For the woman who has had a breast removed, only one brassiere corresponding to the normal breast can be taken off, and the other brassiere can be used, so that the normal breast can be released and the user can relax. 
     The brassiere may further comprise a pocket portion being provided to the cup portion, and the pocket portion may be capable of accommodating a supplementary pad; with this structure, the proper supplementary pad can be easily attached into the pocket portion. 
     In the brassiere, the supplementary pad may be attached in the pocket portion, which is provided to the cup portion. 
     In the brassiere, the cup portion, the band portion and the shoulder strap may be integrally formed as one piece; with this structure, the brassiere can be fitted to a proper position without shift. 
     The brassiere may further comprise connecting means being respectively provided to both ends of the band portion and being located on a chest side; with this structure the ends of the band portion can be easily connected and disconnected on the chest side. 
     In the brassiere, the band portion may be disconnected at a portion shifted to the other breast; with this structure, the brassiere can be fitted at a proper position without shift. 
     In the brassiere, the other end of the shoulder strap may be attached at a part of the band portion, which is shifted to the other breast; with this structure, the shoulder straps cross on the back side and the brassieres can be securely fitted when the user wear the right and left brassieres. 
     The present invention is also a set of brassieres comprising a right brassiere and a left brassier, each of which has been described above, wherein the band portions of the brassieres are piled on the chest side; with this structure, the right and left brassieres can be properly fitted at proper positions without shift. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a state of wearing a brassiere; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a right brassiere; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a left brassiere; 
     FIG. 4 is an explanation view of a state wearing the right and left brassieres seen from a back; 
     FIG. 5 is an explanation view of a state taking off the left brassiere; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another right brassiere; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another left brassiere; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a state wearing the right and left brassieres; and 
     FIG. 9 is an explanation view of a state wearing the right and left brassieres seen from a back. 
    
    
     EMBODIMENTS 
     Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the brassiere of the present invention. The brassiere is a right-left separation type including a pair of brassieres  10  and  20 . The brassiere  10  supplements swelling of a right breast, which has been surgically removed; the brassiere  20  supports a left breast. In the present embodiment, the brassiere for a woman, whose right breast was surgically removed, will be explained, but the brassiere for a woman, whose left breast was surgically removed, is basically same. 
     The brassiere of the present invention is the right-left separation type including the brassieres  10  and  20 , so the brassieres  10  and  20  are put on separately, and a combination of the brassieres  10  and  20  can be used as well as the ordinary brassieres. 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 show the structures of the brassieres  10  and  20 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the right brassiere  10 ; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the left brassiere  20 . 
     The right brassiere  10  comprises: a cup portion  11  for protecting and shaping the right breast which has been removed, a band portion  12  being connected to a lower portion of the cup portion  11  and adapted to attach the cup portion by being passed around a chest; and a shoulder strap  13  being attached at one end thereof to an upper portion of the cup portion  11  and at the other end thereof to the band portion  12  at a back portion after being passed over a shoulder. The left brassiere  20  also comprises: a cup portion  21 ; a band portion  22 ; and a shoulder strap  23 . The band portions  12  and  22  are wholly or partially made of an elastic material, and they are capable of respectively supporting the cup portions  11  and  21  at the chest. 
     The right brassiere  10  has a supplementary pad  14 , which is accommodated in the cup portion  11 , so as to supplement the swelling of the right breast. The supplementary pad of the present specification is used for supplementing the swelling of the breast which has been surgically removed, so it is different from an ordinary pad for shaping the figure of a normal breast. The supplementary pad  14  is made of a soft and fittable material, e.g., silicone rubber, so as to be easily and stably used. Further, the supplementary pad should feel soft and have proper air-permeability. A shape and size of the supplementary pad  14  are designed on the basis of the user&#39;s options. 
     As described in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cup portions  11  and  21  of the brassieres  10  and  20  are located to correspond with the breasts; the shoulder straps  13  and  23  of the brassieres  10  and  20  are designed to cross on the back when the brassieres are put on. Namely, in the brassiere  10 , the cup portion  11  is located on the right side, and the other end of the shoulder strap  13  is attached to a part of the band portion  12 , which is located on the opposite side with respect to the cup portion  11 . 
     On the other hand, in the brassiere  20 , the cup portion  21  is located on the left side, and the other end of the shoulder strap  23  is attached to a part of the band portion  22 , which is located on the opposite side with respect to the cup portion  22 . 
     By attaching the other ends of the shoulder straps  13  and  23  are respectively attached to the parts of the band portions  12  and  22 , which are respectively located on the opposite sides with respect to the cup portions  11  and  21 , each of the brassieres  10  and  20  can be securely fitted. The elasticity of the band portions  12  and  22  respectively hold the cup portions  11  and  21  at the chest, further the cup portions  11  and  12  can be securely fitted to the breasts by the band portion  12  and  22  and the shoulder straps  13  and  23 . Note that, length of the shoulder straps  13  and  23  can be adjusted by adjusters  15  and  25 . 
     The brassieres  10  and  20  can be worn separately, but in the case of wearing the both brassieres, firstly the right brassiere  10  for the operated breast is worn, then the left brassiere  20  is worn. With this manner, the user can wear the right brassiere  10  even if the left brassiere  20  is taken off. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, connecting means, e.g., a hook section  16 , is provided to both ends of the band portion  12  of the brassiere  10 , and the hook section  16  is located on the back side, so that the ends of the band portion  12  can be connected and disconnected. When the user wears the brassiere  10 , firstly the shoulder strap  13  is passed over the shoulder, then the cup portion  11  is adjusted to locate at a proper position, and the ends of the band portion  12  are connected by the hook section  16 . A symbol  17   a  stands for a wire for maintaining the shape of the cup portion  11 ; a symbol  17   b  stands for a wire for maintaining the shape of the side of the band portion  12 . A symbol  18  stands for a front portion of the band portion  12 , the front portion  18  is made wider and diagonally connected to a mid portion of the band portion because the brassieres  10  and  20  are piled on the chest when the brassieres  10  and  20  are worn. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, in the left brassiere  20 , connecting means, e.g., a hook section  26 , is provided to both ends of the band portion  22 , and the hook section  26  is located on the front side, so that the ends of the band portion can be connected and disconnected. When the brassiere  20  is worn, the hook section  26  is located under the cup portion of the brassiere  10  and slightly shifted rightward. By slightly shifting the hook section  26 , the right brassiere  10  is pressed by the left brassiere  20  so as to securely fit the brassieres when the left brassiere  20  is worn. 
     When the user wears the brassiere  20 , firstly the shoulder strap  23  is passed over the shoulder, then the cup portion  21  is adjusted to locate at a proper position, and the ends of the band portion  22  are connected by the hook section  26 . FIG. 1 shows the state of wearing the brassieres  10  and  20 , in which a front portion  28  is crossed and piled on the lower brassiere  10 , and the shoulder straps  12  and  13  are crossed on the back. 
     When the left brassiere  20  is worn, the band portion  22  is piled on the band portion  12  of the right brassiere  10 , so the band portions  12  and  22  are mutually connected, by plane fasteners, on the backside. In FIG. 3, the plane fasteners  29  are provided on an inner face of the band portion  22 . Two plane fasteners  29 , which are respectively correspond to the shoulder straps  13  and  23 , are provided to each of the band portions  12  and  22 . In the right brassiere  10 , a fastener capable of being connected with the plane fastener  29  is provided on an outer face of the band portion  12 . By the fasteners, the band portions  12  and  22  of the combined brassieres  10  and  20  will never shift on the back. 
     FIG. 4 is a state of wearing the brassieres seen from the backside. The shoulder straps of the right and left brassieres  10  and  20  are crossed on the back and respectively attached to the band portions  12  and  22 ; the band portion  22  is provided on the outer side of the band portion  12 ; the band portion  22  is connected with the band portion  12  by the plane fastener  29 . By the arrangement of the band portions  12  and  22  and the shoulder straps  13  and  23 , the brassieres  10  and  20  can be securely fitted. 
     By wearing the right and left brassieres  10  and  20 , the combined shape of them is similar to a shape of an ordinary brassiere. The supplementary pad  14  is attached in the cup portion  11  of the right brassiere  10 , so the operated breast can be shaped and the figure of the user can be made better. By crossing the left brassiere  20  over the right brassiere  10 , the right cup portion  11 , in which the supplementary pad is provided, can be held at the proper position without shift. The right cup portion  11 , in which the supplementary pad is provided, is apt to shift, but it can be held at the proper position by crossing the brassieres. 
     FIG. 5 shows a state in which the right brassiere  10  is worn but the left brassiere  20  is not worn. The brassieres  10  and  20  can be used separately, so the user can take off the left brassiere  20  and wear the right brassiere  10  when she relaxes with home wear. By wearing the right brassiere  10  only, the left breast is released from the brassiere, so that she can relax. Especially, the left breast can be cooled in summer. 
     By wearing the right brassiere  10 , the figure of the body can be well balanced, so she can wear any clothes without minding her figure. And, by wearing the right brassiere  10 , the operated breast is covered and protected, so she can take off clothes with a sense of relief. 
     Another embodiment of the brassiere of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 6-9. Unlike the former embodiment, the right brassiere  10  is used for the normal breast; the left brassiere  20  is used for the operated breast. The brassieres  10  and  20  are separately worn and overlapped, and the supplementary pad  14  is attached to the left brassiere  20  as well as the former embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a feature of the present embodiment is that the cup portion  11  or  21 , the band portion  12  or  22  which is passed around the chest, and the shoulder strap  13  or  23  are integrally formed as one piece. 
     In the left brassiere  20 , the cup portion  21 , the band portion  22  and the shoulder strap  23  are integrally connected, so a head and an arm are passed through the brassiere to wear. On the other hand, in the right brassiere  10 , there is provided connecting means, e.g., a hook section  30 , at a mid portion of the band portion  12 , so ends of the band portion can be disconnected. A hook mechanism and a plane fastener may be employed as the hook section  30 . 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state of the brassieres  10  and  20  of the present embodiment. The right brassiere  10  for the normal breast is piled over the other one as well as the former embodiment. Further, the front portions of the brassieres  10  and  20  are overlapped, and the hook section  30  is shifted leftward to securely hold the left brassiere  20  as well as the former embodiment. 
     In the present embodiment, the cup portion  11  or  21 , the band portion  12  or  22  and the shoulder strap  13  or  23  are integrally formed as one piece, so the brassieres are made of the elastic cloth to easily wear and to securely hold at the proper positions without shift. Especially, the brassiere having the supplementary and the brassiere having the supplementary pad  14  is not taken off frequently. Note that, in some cases, the band portion  22  of the left brassiere  20  may have the hook section  30  to disconnect. If the both band portions  12  and  22  have the hook sections  30 , the user, whose both breasts are surgically removed, can use the brassieres because the supplementary pads  14  can be attached to the both cup portions. Further, the right brassiere  10  too may be integrally formed as one piece. 
     In the case of attaching the supplementary pad  14  to the cup portion  11  or  21 , the supplementary pad  14  may be previously fixed to the cup portion, or the user may attach the supplementary pad  14  to the cup portion  11  or  21  when she uses the brassiere. Each user has their own size cup portion, so a pocket portion or portions may be formed in the cup portion  11  and/or  21 , into which the supplementary pad or pads  14  are inserted. If size of the pocket portion is relatively large, the supplementary pads having various sizes can be employed. 
     In the above-described embodiments, the right-left separation type brassiere has been explained, further the user may wear the brassiere with the supplementary pad  14  and the ordinary brassiere. In this case, the ordinary brassiere covers the lower brassiere, which includes the supplementary pad  14 , and the normal breast, and the lower brassiere makes a good breast figure. With the ordinary brassiere, the user can choose favorite brassieres. 
     In the above-described embodiments, the brassiere for the user, whose one of breasts was surgically removed, has been explained, but the brassiere of the present invention can be used by a user whose both breasts were surgically removed. In this case, the supplementary pads  14  are respectively attached to the cup portions of the right and left brassieres  10  and  20 . Each of the brassieres may be integrally formed as one piece and may have the hook section  30  in the band portion. 
     Further, the brassiere of the present invention can be effectively used by a healthy user having both breasts. A woman takes off the ordinary brassiere when she nurses; if she wears the brassieres of the present invention, she may take off one of the brassieres only, so the brassiere of the present invention can be effective for nursing women. In the case that the healthy user uses the brassieres, no supplementary pad  14  is attached to the cup portions  11  and  21  of the brassieres  10  and  20 . Jastead only the ordinary pads and the wires, which maintain the figure of the breasts, are required. And, the connecting means may be provided in the front portions of the band portions of the right and left brassieres  10  and  20  so as to easily wear. The brassiere can be used for many purposes other than for nursing. 
     The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described. As described above, the wires  17   a  and  27   a , which maintain the shape of the brassiere, may be employed, and an elastic material, e.g., rubber, may be partially used in the hook sections  16  and  26 . A material of the brassiere may be selected on the basis of the air-permeability, softness, moisture absorbility, etc., and lace cloth may be used. Shapes and sizes of the cup portions  11  and  21 , connecting positions of the shoulder straps  13  and  23 , designs, etc. may be optionally changed.