Patent Publication Number: US-6213842-B1

Title: Brassiere for providing breast enhancement

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to brassieres and, in particular, to a brassiere which at least exerts forces on the wearer&#39;s breast moving them inwardly towards each other for improved breast enhancement. The preferred embodiment additionally provides for an upward lifting of the breasts. 
     Heretofore, many attempts have been made to construct a brassiere which provides for both lifting the breasts upwardly and inwardly towards each other for better breast enhancement. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,330 describes the use of elastomeric members which when in use, create compressive forces upon the wearer&#39;s breasts which in combination with additional padding material, may tend to lift or push the breasts both upwardly and inwardly towards each other. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,243 describes an uplift brassiere which includes, within the inside tubular seams of the brassiere, a nonstretchable tension or pull element which passes around the underside of the breast cup such that when the side panels are stretched to tighten the brassiere about the user&#39;s body, the nonstretchable pull elements move along with the stretch of the side panels in effect to shorten the cup region and provide an elevation to the lower part of each breast cup. However, as would be well appreciated by one of skill in the art, the use of a nonstretchable tape or ribbon within the hollow seam of the cup requires a complicated and undesirable brassiere construction. 
     Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,625 attempts to provide lateral and upward pulling action against the breasts by shortening the side panels of the brassiere itself. 
     These prior art constructions are undesirable because of their complicated construction and inability to achieve the desired breast enhancement, while at the same time, not fully appreciating the need to manufacture such a brassiere at a reasonable cost. 
     Accordingly, an improved brassiere construction that overcomes the aforementioned deficiencies and achieves the below mentioned objectives is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Generally speaking, an improved brassiere for providing breast enhancement is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the brassiere includes securing means for securing the brassiere around the chest of a user and includes a pair of spaced apart breast cups, each cup for supporting at least a lower portion of a breast, the spaced apart breast cups being secured together at a connection region located at least essentially between the user&#39;s breasts. Each of the cups comprises a support member that follows the curvature of at least the lower portion of the breast, the support member having at least a first end secured to an edge of the cup, a second end secured to the connection region, and a middle portion intermediate the first and second end, an insert comprised of a front and rear panel forming at least one pocket, the insert being secured to the support member, and a band, disposed within the pocket, and having a first end secured to the edge of the cup and a second end secured to the second end of the support member. The tension applied to the band causes a pulling effect on at least the front panel of the insert and the pulling effect of at least the front panel causes the respective breast to be inwardly drawn towards the connection region when the brassiere is secured to the user&#39;s chest. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the brassiere includes a connector positioned essentially within the connection region, and the tension on the respective bands is adjustable so that the pulling effect of the respective front panels of the right and left inserts towards the connection region can be adjusted thereby at least inwardly adjusting the amount of desired breast enhancement. 
     In still a further embodiment, each insert includes a second pocket formed by the front and rear panels, wherein the tension applied to the band causes the pulling effect on at least the front panel of the insert forming the second pocket such that the pulling effect on at least the front panel of the second pocket causes the respective breast to be further inwardly drawn towards the connection region when the brassiere is secured to the user&#39;s chest. Yet further, a padding material may be placed in the second pockets for still further breast enhancement. 
     Still further, the bands may be tied together instead of providing a connector, such an embodiment being illustrated in the figures. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved brassiere construction that enhances the shape and look of a women&#39;s breast. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved brassiere construction that provides additional cleavage without the need for additional padding. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved brassiere construction that can provide breast enhancement in both a style that includes shoulder straps and a style that is strapless. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved brassiere construction that can be employed in many different garments, such as swimsuits and evening gowns. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved brassiere construction that can be economically manufactured. 
     And still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved brassiere construction that permits a user to variably adjust the brassiere based on the amount of breast enhancement desired. 
     Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification. 
     The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a brassiere constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of a brassiere constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, with the features not shown therein being identical to those of the brassiere illustrated in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an exemplary construction of a connector used with the brassiere illustrated in FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of a portion of a brassiere constructed in accordance with yet a third embodiment of the present invention, the construction being identical to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 with the exception that the bands are tied together instead of utilizing a connector. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference is first made to FIG. 1 which discloses a brassiere, generally indicated at  10 , constructed in accordance with the present invention. Brassiere  10  includes a first cup, generally indicated at  12  and a second cup, generally indicated at  14  each of which, as would be understood in the art, include fabric layer(s)  15 ,  17  which would assume the general shape of a breast when worn by a user. The construction of these cups are well known in the art and fabric layer(s)  15 ,  17  may be made of any suitable fabric, such as silk or cotton, or a combination decorative outer piece of fabric and an inner piece of fabric as also would be well known in the art. 
     At the lower portion of each cup  12 ,  14  is a respective support member, generally indicated at  16 ,  18 . Reference will hereinafter primarily be made to cup  12 , with cup  14  being constructed in identical fashion. Support member  16  follows the curvature of at least the lower portion of a respective breast. Support member  16  includes a first end, generally indicated at  20 , a second end generally indicated at  22  and a middle portion generally indicated at  24  between first end  20  and second  22 . Support member  16  preferably includes an underwire which extends from first end  20  to second end  22  of support member  16 . A fabric material  26 , such as cotton or silk, is disposed over the underwire so as to provide comfort to the wearer. Fabric material  26  at second end  22  of support member  16  is secured, preferably by stitching, to an edge  65  that runs along the outer circumference of cup  12 . 
     Cups  12  and  14  are connected together at a connector region  11 , which is located on brassiere  10  at essentially between a wearer&#39;s breasts when brassiere  10  is being worn. Additional fabric material and/or stitching may be provided at the inner ends  20  of each support member  16 ,  18  so as to facilitate the securing together of cups  12 ,  14  by known stitching techniques. Cups  12  and  14  may be secured together at connection region  11  by a band  9  respectively stitched thereto. 
     Stitched to fabric  26  along at least a portion of support member  16  is an insert, generally indicated at  60 . Insert  60  is preferably two-ply, having both a front panel  66  and a rear panel  67  stitched together along seams  61  and  62 . In this manner, two interior pockets are formed, one pocket  63  and one pocket  64 . The rear panel is preferably stitched to edge  65  of cup  12 . Edge  65  may be a reinforced edge with additional stitching to maintain the integrity of cup  12 . An opening  69  is formed between the front and rear panels along edge  65  for a padding material to be inserted into pocket  63 . This padding material added to pocket  63  adds further lift to the respective breast as will be further discussed below. 
     In accordance with the invention, disposed within pocket  64  of each cup is a band, generally indicated at  30 . Band  30  extends within pocket  64  and has one end  31  preferably stitched to the aforementioned edge  65  near end  22  of support member  16 . 
     For appearance, end  31  of band  30  may be stitched to edge  65  in a manner that conceals end  31 . That is, end  31  may be stitched to, or under, the reinforced edge  65  and therefore along an interior edge of cup  12 . The front panel of insert  60  essentially covers end  31  so that brassiere  10  when constructed, is aesthetically pleasing and comfortable to the wearer. 
     A second end  32  of band  30  will preferably be stitched to fabric  26  at first end  20  of support member  16 . However, end  32  may be stitched to the underside of fabric  26  behind the underwire and therefore to another interior edge of cup  12  so as to remain aesthetically pleasing and comfortable when brassiere  10  is fully constructed. 
     Pocket  64  may fully or at least essentially cover end  32  of band  30  in a similar manner that pocket  64  covers end  31  of band  30 . This covering of end  32  provides both an aesthetic effect since brassiere  10  will look well constructed, and additionally, adds comfort to the wearer. 
     In accordance with the invention, end  32  is stitched near or to end  20  of support member  16  as disclosed above only after a sufficient tension has been placed on band  30  so as to create a “bunching” or pulling effect of the panel material that comprises insert  60 . As should now be understood, if a tension is applied to band  30  by the pulling action at end  32 , the front and back panels  66 ,  67  forming pocket  64  and/or pocket  63  are caused to also be pulled towards connection region  11 . The “bunching” of the front panel  66  and back panel  67  is in part caused by the arcuately formed cups as well as the friction between the front and rear panels  66 ,  67  and the surface of band  30 . 
     The amount of tension to be applied to band  30  in each cup is left up to the skilled brassiere designer, understanding that an increase in tension applied to band  30  causes an increase in the pulling effect of the front and back panels  66 ,  67  of insert  60 . This identical effect is also seen in cup  14 . The pulling effect of the material comprising insert  60  towards connector region  11  will cause the respective breast to be pulled upwardly and inwardly towards the center of the wearer&#39;s chest. Therefore, the more tension applied to band  30  in each cup  12 ,  14 , the more the breasts will move towards each other when brassiere  10  is worn. 
     Accordingly, end  32  of each band  30  in each respective cup  12 ,  14  is stitched (or secured with equivalent means) to each respective end  20  of support member  16 ,  18  after it has been determined how much tension is desired. This determination can be based on, for example, experimental data. That is, different amount of tension applied to each band  30  can provide for different amounts of breast enhancement. Accordingly, different styles of brassieres having differing amounts of breast enhancement are achievable. 
     Band  30  may be formed of a variety of materials, such as a ribbon or a stretchable fabric. Band  30  may be elastic or non-elastic. That is, it is the pulling effect on insert  60  of cup  12  (a similar effect taking place on insert  60  of cup  14 ) that provides the inwardly and upwardly directed force upon the breasts due to the gathering of the panel material, thereby providing the breast enhanced appearance. 
     Brassiere  10  also includes a pair of side panels  40 ,  42  which are respectively secured to cups  12  and  14  along a portion of the respective support members in a well known manner. A shoulder strap  44  is stitched to cup  12  and side panel  40  and a shoulder strap  46  is also provided and stitched to cup  14  and side panel  42  all being done in accordance with known methodologies. It should be understood that the present invention is also applicable when incorporated in a strapless brassiere. Such a modification is well within the scope of the present invention as it should now be understood that the tension on the respective bands  30  and the gathering of the front and rear panels of each respective insert  60  in each cup causes the breasts to be drawn inwardly and upwardly. 
     Also, as would be known in the art, fastening elements  47 ,  48  engage complementary fastening receivers (not shown) on an end  41  of side panel  40 . 
     In use, with brassiere  10  secured to the wearer&#39;s body, the gathering of the inserts  60  towards the center of the brassiere causes the respective breasts, once inserted therein, to be drawn towards each other. The drawing in of each respective breast towards connection region  11  provides for an enhanced breast appearance as the respective breasts are drawn both inwardly and upwardly. 
     Reference is now made to FIG. 2 which depicts a portion of a brassiere  100 , constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Those features and structure not shown in FIG. 2 should be understood to be incorporated into brassiere  100  but have been intentionally omitted in the drawing for simplicity. Reference numerals referenced with respect to brassiere  100  which are not illustrated in FIG. 2 are deemed to identify identical structure as that in brassiere  10 . 
     Generally speaking, brassiere  100  will also include side panels or the like to assist in securing the brassiere around the chest of a user, and may or may not include shoulder straps. Brassiere  100  also includes spaced apart right and left breast cups, generally indicated at  12 ,  14 , each cup for supporting at least a lower portion of a respective breast. Likewise, the right and left breast cups are connected together at a connection region  11  located at least essentially between the user&#39;s breasts. Each cup  12 ,  14  includes an insert constructed in a similar manner as insert  60  discussed above. 
     In the alternative embodiment of FIG. 2, a connector  110 , shown enlarged in FIG. 3, is positioned essentially within connection region  11  and attached thereto so as to be preferably hidden from view when viewing brassiere  100  as it is being worn by a user. However, connector  110  is shown slightly enlarged in FIG. 2 for ease of illustration. Connector  110 , which may be a integrally formed plastic member, may be in the shape of a rectangle with side bars  112 ,  114 , a top bar  115  and a bottom bar  116 . Alternative constructions of connector  110 , keeping in mind the following objective, is well within the scope of the skilled artisan. 
     As implied above, the right and left cups of brassiere  100  are constructed similarly to the cups of brassiere  10 . Moreover a first end of a band, indicated generally as  130  and corresponding to band  30 , has a first end attached to cup  12  in a similar manner as end  31  is attached to edge  65  in brassiere  10 . The modification in brassiere  100  is that an end  132  of band  130  in cup  12  is adjustably secured about side bar  112 . That is, end  132  may be looped around side bar  112  and attached onto itself by known securing means, such as Velcro®, it being understood that Velcro® is but one example of a means to secure end  132  about side bar  112 . Such looping around is indicated by arrow “a” in FIG.  3 . In a similar fashion, the band disposed in cup  14  of brassiere  100 , hereinafter generally indicated by  140 , is similarly secured to the respective edge  65  of cup  14  and similarly looped about side bar  114  of connector  110  as indicated by arrow “b.” It should be understood that the respective ends of bands  130 ,  140  which are adjustably secured to respective side bars  112 ,  114  can be individually adjusted, so that the pulling force by the respective bands  130  and  140  adjustably, and at least inwardly, draws (i.e. “bunches” or gathers) the fabric panels comprising the inserts in each cup towards the center of brassiere  100 , i.e. towards connector region  11 . This in turn will cause the inwardly drawing of each respective breast towards connection region  11  when the brassiere is placed upon the wearer&#39;s chest. The use of the Velcro® or suitable substitute on the surface of the respective ends  132  and  142  of bands  130 ,  140  maintains the tension on bands  130 ,  140 . 
     It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, including the providing of an improved brassiere construction that enhances the appearance of a woman&#39;s breasts as they are drawn inwardly and upwardly are efficiently attained. Moreover, since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
     Moreover, the above constructions provide for an even further breast enhanced appearance. For example, as will be recalled, the stitching together of the front and rear panels  66 ,  67  comprising insert  60  of each cup  12 ,  14  provide respective pockets  63 . As a slit is also provided between the front and rear panels of insert  60  along edge  65 , the insertion and removal of a padding material, such as silicon, foam or the like is hereby possible. Additionally or alternatively, pockets can be incorporated into the cups themselves in a known manner for still additional breast enhancement. That is, fabric  15  and  17  would comprise at least two layers so that additional padding can be inserted therebetween. 
     It should be understood that the inclusion of both pockets  63  and  64  will provide increased breast enhancement over an embodiment having only one pocket  64 , although the present invention, as recited in the claims, is directed to both embodiments, that is, one embodiment having one pocket  64  as well as an embodiment having both pockets  63  and  64 . 
     Additionally, FIG. 4, which is identical in almost all respects to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, is illustrated to show yet a further embodiment of the present invention in which the ends of bands  130  and  140  in each cup may be tied together to achieve the functionality provided by connector  110 . 
     It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention described herein and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might fall therebetween.