Patent Publication Number: US-9894941-B2

Title: Brassiere configured to smoothly transition between at least two support/lift positions

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/860,355, filed on Sep. 22, 2015, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,585,424, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/475,730, filed on Sep. 3, 2014, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,504,281, which, is a continuation, of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/456,398, filed on Apr. 26, 2012, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,821,210, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/068,100, filed May 2, 2011, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,668,549, which claims priority on U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/463,352, filed on Feb. 15, 2011, and on U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/518,168, filed Apr. 29, 2011, with the disclosures of each being incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to improvements in brassieres, and more particularly to brassieres that provide adjustable support. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Over the course of history, undergarments dedicated to providing support for, and/or for accentuating a woman&#39;s physique, particularly her breasts, have changed, in part, according to societal norms. It is well known that the Minoan women living on the Greek isle of Crete, around 2500 B.C., wore bra-like garments that served to lift their bare breasts out from their clothes. During the 1500 s and later, corsets were worn, which tended to provide upward support for the wearer&#39;s breasts. In the latter part of the 1800 s, the corset was split by some into a girdle for torso support and an upper device suspended from the shoulders for breast support. Such devices are found in various historic sources and reported in modern published accounts such as “Bra: A Thousand Years of Style, Support &amp; Seduction,” by Stephanie Pedersen. 
     During the late Victorian period in the United Kingdom, a “bust bodice,” commonly referred to then as a “BB”, was dedicated to providing basic shape and support for a woman&#39;s breasts by creating a mono-bosom effect, with examples being found today in English museums (see http://museums.leics.gov.uk/collections-on-line/GetObjectAction.do?objectKey=103636). The bust bodice was essentially just a frilled, white cotton cloth that surrounded both breasts and was supported by a pair of straps, and fastened at the back by laces and/or a button. 
     Earliest use of the term “brassiere” in the United States is considered to be by the Syracuse Evening Herald in March 1893, in referring to a six-inch straight boned band being necessary for fashionable gowns at the time, while Vogue magazine used the term in 1907, and it was first adopted into the Oxford English Dictionary in 1911. However, first use of the term “Brassiere” in a patent was by Mary Jacob in the 1914 U.S. Pat. No. 1,115,674. But ironically, although she is often credited as inventing the first “modern bra,” the device did not comprise cups for individual support of the wearer&#39;s breasts, and more closely resembled its progeny in the form of the bust bodice. Some tend to credit H. S. Lesher for his “Combined Breast Pads and Arm-Pit Shield” shown in the 1859 U.S. Pat. No. 24,033, as perhaps being the inventor of the bra, since part of its function is described as providing “a symmetrical rotundity to their breasts.” Certain historians attribute Luman L. Chapman&#39;s 1863 U.S. Pat. No. 40,907 for an improved “Corset,” as being the “proto-brassiere.” Olivia P. Flynt also received multiple U.S. patents for articles of clothing, and in 1876 received U.S. Pat. No. 173,611 for a “Bust Supporter”, which states, among other things, that it “adapted to ladies having large breasts,” that it “was specially designed as a bust support and improver” being designed for “producing a more comely outline and comfortable feeling than the corset,” and that it “will be used instead of and take the place of the corset.” Many others may justifiably attribute invention of the first modern bra to be the device that was patented and unveiled at the Exhibition of 1889 in France, by corset-maker Herminie Cadolle. She displayed her bra-like device—part of a two-piece corset, that was called Bien-être, ” meaning “Well-Being” (although it was initially called the “corselet gorge”), which was sold as a health aid. The first patenting within the U.S. of something closely resembling the modern bra was by Marie Tucek for her “Breast Supporter.” The Tucek breast supporter received protection under the 1893 U.S. Pat. No. 494,397, and comprised a pair of cups that provided support through a pair of shoulder straps, and outwardly resembled the contemporary brassiere. 
     Today, a woman&#39;s bra functions not only to provide basic support, but also must fulfill ever increasing demands in terms of it being fashionable and shape-enhancing. One current demand is that the woman be able to use the bra to appear professional by daytime, which in some social circles or offices may entail appearing more conservatively, but once leaving the professional environment to enjoy late afternoon and early evening social events, the woman may desire to use the same bra to enhance her figure and appear more voluptuous, even seductively enhanced and suggestive, without having to change garments. 
     Although there are some prior art bras that function to enhance a women&#39;s bust line, such as the series of patents to Redenius (U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,452,260, 7,497,760, 7,645,179, and 7,677,951), each of these methods of enhancement undesirably causes inward rotation of the women&#39;s bust, which is detrimental to the health of the breast tissue. The brassiere invention disclosed herein permits a woman to achieve positive results, in which she may either tone down or accentuate her figure, but without the unhealthy consequences associated with the prior art. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a bra that allows a woman to easily and conveniently adjust the support provided by the bra&#39;s cups. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide an adjustable bra that enhances the appearance of a woman&#39;s physique by permitting vertical adjustments to the lift being provided to her breasts. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a bra that provides a lift enhancing feature that may be adjusted while the woman is wearing the bra. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a bra with an adjustable lift feature that provides vertical support, but without corresponding inward convergence for healthier support of the woman&#39;s breast tissue. 
     Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The bra of the present invention has the ability to be adjusted to provide various degrees of lift in the vertical direction, to enhance the woman&#39;s figure in a healthier manner than is provided by prior art inward breast-displacing bra types, and uses a novel construction for the components therein. 
     The adjustable support brassiere may comprise a bra band; at least one breast cup being secured to a portion of the bra band; and a shoulder strap for each of the at least one breast cup, with the shoulder strap having a first end being secured to the bra band. An inner support cup for each of the at least one breast cup may have a first end and a second end being attached at a selective location on the respective breast cup. A portion proximate to the first end of the support strap may be secured to the inner support cup, with a second end of the support strap being secured to a support cup adjustment clip. A portion of the shoulder strap proximate to its second end may be releasably secured to the support cup adjustment clip, to permit substantially vertical adjustments of a selective portion of the inner support cup. These adjustments may serve to configure or reconfigure the inner support cup to be at a desired position. 
     Two different types of embodiments may be utilized for the support cup adjustment clip. In one embodiment, the clip may be the same as the typical shoulder strap-length adjustment clip utilized on many bras, which would permit generally continuous advancements of the strap to achieve lift. A second type of embodiment for the support cup adjustment clip may preferably permit incremental advancements, and may take several different forms, each of which may comprises a prong of some sort, while a portion of the shoulder strap may comprises two or more openings of some sort, so that the shoulder strap may be releasably secured to the support cup adjustment clip by having the prong being releasably received within one of the two or more openings. The openings may comprise fabric loops or eyelets, while the incremental support cup adjustment clip may comprises a hook member, a buckle, or a swan hook. 
     A first desired position may comprises a normal position at which a bottom of the inner support cup is coterminous with a bottom portion of the at least one breast cup. Adjustments may be made by releasing of the opening of the shoulder strap from the prong of the support cup adjustment clip, and causing movement of the shoulder strap relative to the support cup adjustment clip to secure another one of the openings using the prong, which may serve to cause reconfiguring of a portion of the inner support cup to be at a second desired position, which may comprise a vertically elevated position. With the inner support cup being stitched to the breast cup at its two ends, the reconfiguring instigated by the support strap may cause the inner support cup to be elevated vertically by having a portion between its first and second ends being elevated, possibly through elastic deformation of a stiffening member in the inner support cup. 
     An elastic breast-cup support strap for each of the at least one breast cup may have a first end being secured to the support cup adjustment clip, and a second end being secured to a portion of the at least one breast cup to coordinate movement of a portion of the breast cup with the elevated movement of the inner support cup. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  generally shows a front view of a vertically adjustable support bra of the current invention. 
         FIG. 1A  shows an alternative embodiment of the bra of  FIG. 1 , having a continuous bra band. 
         FIG. 1B  is a front view of a prior art bra, illustrating prior art attachment of the shoulder strap to the bra band. 
         FIG. 2A  is the front view detailing a first embodiment of the vertically adjustable support bra of  FIG. 1 , showing inner details of the bra&#39;s support capability, with the inner cup being in the unadjusted position. 
         FIG. 2B  is the front view illustrating a first alternate embodiment of the vertically adjustable support bra of  FIG. 1 , showing inner details of the bra&#39;s support capability, with the inner cup being in the unadjusted position. 
         FIG. 3A  illustrates a hook member attached to the support strap and a series of looped opening in the bra shoulder strap, to permit vertical adjustment to the inner support cup. 
         FIG. 3B  is a side view of the series of looped opening in the bra shoulder strap shown of  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 3C  illustrates a buckle member that may have the support strap attached thereto, to be connectable with a series of eyelets or openings in the bra shoulder strap, to permit vertical adjustment to the inner support cup. 
         FIG. 3D  illustrates a swan hook member that may have the support strap attached thereto, with the hook portion of the swan hook member being receivable within one of a series of eyelets or openings in the bra shoulder strap, to permit vertical adjustment to the inner support cup. 
         FIG. 3E  illustrates the swan hook member of  FIG. 3D  being shown by itself, and with the hook portion disengaged from the frame. 
         FIG. 3F  illustrates a hook member that may be attached to the support strap, with the hook being releasably connectable to one of a series of catches attached to the bra shoulder strap (or vice versa), to permit vertical adjustment to the inner support cup. 
         FIG. 3G  illustrates the hook and catch of  FIG. 3E  being shown by themselves and engaged with each other. 
         FIG. 3H  illustrates Velcro being attached to the support strap and shoulder strap to thereby perm it adjustments to the inner support cup. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the inner support cup. 
         FIG. 5  is the front view of the vertically adjustable support bra of  FIG. 2A , with the inner cup occupying one of several possible vertically-adjusted positions. 
         FIG. 6  is a second alternate embodiment showing the right breast cup and inner support cup of the bra of  FIG. 2A , but having an inner support point  21 R′ positioned to provide both vertical lift and some inwardly directed lift. 
         FIG. 7A  is a third alternate embodiment of the bra of the current invention, which utilizes an inner support cup adapted for sliding relative to the bra underwire, with the inner support cup being in the unadjusted position. 
         FIG. 7B  is the alternate embodiment of  FIG. 7A , shown with the inner cup occupying one of several possible vertically-adjusted positions. 
         FIG. 7C  is an enlarged cross-sectional view through the pin and underwire of the bra of  FIG. 7A . 
         FIG. 7D  is the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 7C , but with the pin also having a bucked head for securing the pin to the curved stiffening member of the inner support cup. 
         FIG. 7E  is the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 7C , but where the pin has a manufactured head that comprises a block shape instead of a spherical shape. 
         FIG. 8  is a fourth alternate embodiment of the bra of the current invention, which utilizes an inner support cup adapted at a first end for sliding relative to the bra underwire and adapted at a second end for translation that overcomes elastic biasing, with the inner support cup being shown in the unadjusted position for the left-side cup and in the outward/vertical adjusted position for the right-side cup. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates another embodiment of an adjustable bra. 
         FIG. 10  shows the adjustable bra of  FIG. 9 , but which also includes an elastic cord disposed within the hollow breast cup underwire that is connected to both the underwire and the inner support cup, being thereby usable to bias the inner support cup into its normal position proximate to the breast cup underwire. 
         FIG. 10A  shows a cross-sectional view through the breast cup underwire of the bra of  FIG. 10 , taken at the transverse opening therein. 
         FIG. 10B  shows a cross-sectional view through an alternate embodiment of breast cup underwire that may alternatively be used for the bra of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 11  shows the bra of  FIG. 10 , but with the inner support cup secured in an elevated position, and the elastic cord elastically deformed/lengthened. 
         FIG. 12  shows another embodiment of an adjustable bra that is constructed the same as the bra of  FIG. 10 , except that it includes two elastic cords for biasing of the inner support cup. 
         FIG. 13  shows another embodiment of an adjustable bra that is constructed the same as the bra of  FIG. 10 , except that the elastic cord has a length that is configured to span between both ends of the breast cup underwire, and it has a portion therebetween being connected to the inner support cup to provide biasing thereto. 
         FIG. 14  shows a bra of the present invention, with the right inner support cup and corresponding support strap, and the right shoulder strap all adjusted to provide enhanced lifting of the wearer&#39;s right breast, while the wearers left breast is supported normally. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a bra, as well as teddies, corsets, breast feeding bras, minimizers, lingerie, bikinis, and the like, that may be adjustable to enable a wearer to easily and conveniently adjust the amount of lift provided, to be able it to transition quickly from a bra that provides a conservative appearance with a requisite support amount/type, to a bra that enhances a woman&#39;s bust line.  FIG. 1  shows a front view of the adjustable bra  5 . The adjustable bra  5  may have certain portions constructed and assembled in the same way that a conventional bra is assembled. Adjustable bra  5  may have one or two breast cups, and may be comprised of a left breast cup  20 L and a right breast cup  20 R. The breast cups may be formed of a sturdy inelastic material, or may alternatively be constructed of an elastic material which still provides some support, but is nonetheless stretchable or elastically deformable to a certain degree. The bottom of each breast cup  20 L and  20 R may contain underwire  25  and  26 , respectfully. Although the underwire  25  and  26  appears to be substantial in size within  FIG. 1 , its appearance therein may be overstated only to make the reader aware of its presence. The underwire may be small in size, and rather than being a “wire,” it may instead be a thin, semi-circular strip of rigid material having a circular or rectangular cross-section, so as to be flexible in conforming to, and resting against, the chest of the wearer, while still providing adequate stiffness in the vertical direction. This cross-sectional shape may serve to reduce the appearance of the “underwire” when the lifting components of the bra of the present invention are utilized. However, the invention may be successfully practiced without the use of an underwire being secured within the bottom of the breast cups. 
     The breast cups  20 L and  20 R may be properly spaced apart and situated to enclose a woman&#39;s breasts, by attachment, which may comprise stitching to a portion of an encircling band—the bra band that is used to attach the bra about a women&#39;s torso. Adjustable bra  5  may comprise three distinct bra band segments,  30 L,  30 R and  30 C where the bra band  30 L is attached to and extends away from the left breast cup  20 L, the bra band  30 R is attached to and extends away from the right breast cup  20 R, and the bra band  30 C is centrally attached to and extends in between both breasts cups,  20 L and  20 R. As seen for bra  5 A in  FIG. 1A , a single bra band  30  may alternatively be used in place of the multiple bra band segments. 
     The single bra band  30  may be continuous at the back of the wearer, so that the garment may resemble a pull-on type of bra, similar to many sports bras today. Where there is either the single bra band  30  or a segmented bra band, and where they are not integrally connected necessitating the pull-on method, a split in the band may be fastened together to secure the bra about the women&#39;s torso using a typical means of closure, such as a hook  31  and eye  32  joining system, or a button and button hole, etc. it is also common today for a bra to be constructed with a bra band  30 C that may be continuous except for a split between the two cups where the split bra bands may be connected with a front closure means, such as the arrangement shown by U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,269 to Weintraub for “Front Opening Bra With Adjustable Back,” the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     The bra  5  of the present invention may have respective shoulder straps  40 L and  40 R, for each of the breast cups  20 L and  20 R. The shoulder straps  40 L and  40 R may have a first end,  40 Li and  40 Ri respectively, which may be secured to a portion of the bra band in accordance with a conventional bra structural arrangement per the prior art bra illustrated in  FIG. 1B  herein, and as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,861 to Flaherty, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In  FIG. 1B , a small strap portion  117  may loop about a ring  115  and have stitches  116  being used for stitching ends of strap portion  117  to the bra band  130 . A main strap  114  may loop about ring  115  and utilize a conventional strap length adjustment clip  118  for adjusting the nominal length of the bra shoulder straps while the bra is being worn to provide the ordinary support that is required for regular, conservative use having an unenhanced appearance. Alternatively, as seen in  FIG. 1  herein, a ring  115  may be stitched directly to a portion of bra bands  30 R and  30 L of bra  5 , eliminating the need for strap  117  of the prior art. 
     A second end,  40 Lii and  40 Rii, of straps  40 L and  40 R may provide unique connectivity with breast cups  20 L and  20 R and unique connectivity with specially constructed support structure located therein, to thereby be particularly operable to provide only substantially vertical lifting of the wearers breast(s). The arrangement of those elements will be particularly directed to also permit spontaneous adjustments to the amount that the woman&#39;s breasts are lifted for enhancement of her figure. 
       FIG. 2A  illustrates the bra components that may permit substantially vertical lifting. As seen in  FIG. 2A , a support strap  60  may have a first end  61  that may be attached to an inner support cup  50 , which may vary in size according to the size of the breasts cups,  20 L and  20 R. Inner support cup  50  also shown separately in  FIG. 4 , may have a first end  51  and a second end  52 , and may be made of a flexible, though generally inelastic material. The inner support cup  50  may be shaped so as to normally have a curved bottom surface  53  nest close to the bottom portion of the breast cup, so as be normally conterminous therewith. The lower curved bottom  53  may normally retain such a complementary shape by incorporating a flexible stiffening member  54  with corresponding curvature, which may be secured to the material of the inner support cup. Where an underwire  21 / 22  is utilized for the breast cups, the curvature of the flexible stiffening member  54  may correspond to the curvature of the underwire. The flexible stiffening member  52  may be bonded to the material of the inner support cup  50 , or the material of the inner support cup may be sewn to form a pocket with the stiffening member  52  being received therein, or the flexible stiffening member may be attached using any other means known within the art for securing bra underwire. An upper curved edge boundary  55  of the inner support cup  50  may be generally curved so that in a front view of the cup, the inner support cup may appear to be elliptically shaped. 
     The inner support cup  50  may be secured to the respective breast cup  20 R/ 20 L by attaching a portion proximate to the first and second ends,  51  and  52 , of the inner support cup to the respective breast cups. Note that curvature may be slightly different—probably opposite—for the two breast cups, necessitating use of left-hand and right-hand inner support cups,  50 R/ 50 L. The first and second ends,  51 ,  52 , for each of the inner support cups,  50 R/ 50 L, may be secured at points  21 R/ 22 R and  21 L/ 22 L using one of several different methods. One method is to stitch the inner support cup to the respective breast cup at those locations. The stitching may be concentrated at one particular point location,  21 R/ 22 R, and  21 L/ 22 L, marked by the “X” in  FIG. 2A , to secure the inner support cup thereat, and may thus generally serve as a pivot location. Alternatively, a snap fastener may be used to pivotally secure the inner support cup to the breast cup, which may include, but is not limited to, the male and female snap members of expired U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,803 to Katayama, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Any other suitable snap known in the art may also be used. Positioning of the points  21 R/ 22 R and  21 L/ 22 L for securing of the inner support cups  50 R/ 50 L relative to the respective breast cups  20 R/ 20 L affects the type of lifting that will result. To achieve substantially vertical lift, which is advantageous both for figure enhancement and for the women&#39;s breast tissue health, the points  21 R and  22 R will be positioned generally very close to same height above the lowest point of the cup. Where some amount of inward lift may also be desired, the outer support point  22 R may be at a greater height than the inner support point  21 R from the lowest point (see point  21 R′ for bra  5 B in  FIG. 6 ), and conversely, where some amount of outward lift is desired, the inner support point  21 R may be at a greater height than the outer support point  22 R. These characteristics will become evident from the ensuing paragraphs and the detailed descriptions relating to  FIG. 5 . 
     The support strap  60  may have a first end  61  that may be attached to inner support cup  50  through the use of stitching ( 63 R and  63 L for the left-hand and right-hand cups), and may be attached to an upper portion of the inner support cap that is proximate to the upper curved edge boundary  55 . In one embodiment, the breast cups  20 R and  20 L may be formed with a secondary inner layer of material that may be in contact with the woman&#39;s breast, and thus the breast cups may constitute, where this embodiment is utilized, the outer/original layers  20 Lo/ 20 Ro and inner layers  20 Li/ 20 Ri that may respectively be stitched together at their periphery. For greater comfort to the wearer and to permit easier movement of the inner support cup, the inner layers  20 Li/ 20 Ri may comprise a smooth tricot liner. Where an embodiment with inner layers  20 Li/ 20 Ri is utilized, the stitching used to secure the inner layers may be interrupted in the region around the support strap  60  to create an opening  23 , so that the strap may move freely relative to the breast cups  20 L/ 20 R. 
     The second end  62  of the support strap  60  may be secured to a support cup adjustment clip  70 , which may releasably receive the second end  40 Rii of the shoulder strap  40 R to permit quick adjustment, at the woman&#39;s forward facing side, to the length of the shoulder strap to shorten the effective strap length. The support cup adjustment clip  70  may obviate the need for the strap length adjustment clip  118 , which is not shown for the right shoulder strap  40 R in  FIG. 2A . 
     The support cup adjustment clip  70  may simply be the strap length adjustment clip  118  being utilized on the front side as shown, which would permit continuous advancement of the shoulder strap. Such advancement would cause the shoulder strap to be secured so as to shorten its effective length, which would be accompanied, because of its attachment to the inner support cup, by the inner cup essentially “reconfiguring” itself to be at a desired position, as seen, for example, in  FIG. 5 . The breast cups  20 R and  20 L may be formed of elastic material, and may be supported by a strap  80 R/ 80 L that has a first end  81  being attached to the top of the breast cup and a second end  82  being attached to the second end  62  of support strap  60  or being attached to the support cup adjustment clip  70 . Strap  80 R/ 80 L may be generally inelastic, or alternatively, to lessen the amount of movement imparted to the top of the elastic breast cup, the strap  80 R/ 80 L may itself be elastic and may thus serve to absorb some of the movement resulting from adjustments to the shoulder strap. By not drawing the top of the breast cup upward in proportion to the adjustments made, a greater amount of the woman&#39;s breast may thus be exposed as part of the enhancement. 
     This “reconfiguring” of the inner support cup can take one or more of several different forms. In one form, the stitching,  21 R/ 22 R and  21 L/ 22 L, marked by the “X,” to secure the inner support cup to the respective breast cup may be stitched using inelastic thread that is repeatedly stitched to rigidly connect the inner support cup at the those locations to the respective breast cups, to essentially form a pivot point. 
     When the vertical force resulting from shortening of the shoulder strap is reacted by the stitched connection  63 R with the inner support cup  50 R, the curvature of the flexible stiffening member  54  of the inner support cup may no longer correspond to the curvature of the underwire, and may be elevated vertically. The vertical elevation may vary from being a zero amount of elevation at the stitched connection  63 R, to being at a maximum amount of elevation at a lower central point of the inner support cup. The flexible stiffening member  54  may be a rubberized member that may independently accommodate such deformation to result in the reconfiguring of the inner support cup, as seen in  FIG. 5 , without affecting the shape and positioning of the breast cup underwire and periphery. Where a flexible stiffening member  54  may be made of a stiffer plastic material, its reaction to the loading from the support strap may not necessarily accommodate such deformation independently to reconfigure the inner support cup, and it may affect the shape of the breast cup underwire and periphery by, for example, causing a slight increase to breast cup underwire&#39;s radius of curvature. 
     Alternatively, where a flexible stiffening member  54  may be made of the stiffer plastic material, its reaction to the loading from the support strap may nonetheless accommodate such deformation independently to reconfigure the inner support cup, through the use of elastic threading being used at the stitching locations,  21 R/ 22 R and  21 L/ 22 L. Such elastic threading may provide a soft attachment point that may permit some upward movement to the ends of the flexible stiffening member  54 , as illustrated by the arrow  52 U in  FIG. 5 , in addition to some pivotal movement. 
     Each of these deformation types for the inner support cup may result in substantially vertical elevation to the wearer&#39;s breast, rather than causing the inward displacement of the breast typical of prior art breast positioning brassieres, which is generally not healthy for a woman&#39;s breast tissue, when the points  21 R and  22 R are positioned generally very close to same height above the lowest point of the cup. Subsequent adjustments may be made to the shoulder strap herein to cause additional elevation of the woman&#39;s breast to further accentuate the curviness of her figure, and similarly, the adjustments may be undone to restore the inner support cup to its normal position, with the curved bottom surface  53  again nesting close to the bottom portion of the breast cup underwire. Restoration may occur by releasing of the shoulder strap to increase its effective length. Return of the inner support cup to its normal, nested position in the breast cup may be achieved solely through the stiffness of the flexible stiffening member  54  elastically returning to an un-deformed condition after removal of the load from the support strap  60 , which may be adequate where the member is made of the stiffer plastic material. It may be understood from viewing  FIG. 5 , that where the support point locations  21 R/ 22 R and  21 L/ 22 L are varied, other than substantially vertical lift may result. For example, where the inner support point  21 R may instead be at a position closer to the lowest point on the cup (nearer the cup&#39;s center, as for point  21 ′ in  FIG. 6 ), the upward directed force on the inner support cup by the support strap  60  would tend to have both a vertical component of lift, but also an inward component of lift. 
     Return of the of the inner support cup to its normal, nested position may also be achieved by using a strap  60 L′ in which the strap extends downward ( FIG. 2A ) to have a first end  61 ′ be stitched using stitches  64 L to a bottom portion of the breast cup being proximate to the underwire  25 / 26 , while stitches  63 L may secure the strap  60 L′ to the top portion of the inner support cup. In this embodiment, the region of the strap  60 L′ from its first end  61 ′ and extending slightly beyond stitching  63 L may preferably be a somewhat loose elastic material, to provide a restoring force for when the inner support cup is elevated vertically, while the remainder of the strap  60 L′ may preferably be generally inelastic, to be better able to transmit the force to cause the vertical elevation of the inner support cup. 
     To better assist the wearer of the bra in making vertical adjustments to the inner support cup to accentuate her figure, the support cup adjustment clip  70  may comprise a member that may accommodate incremental adjustments, rather than the continuous advancement provided by the strap length adjustment clip  118 . This incremental adjustability may also assist the wearer in quickly restoring the bra back to its normal condition. Several alternatives for a support cup adjustment clip  70  permitting such incremental adjustment may comprise incorporating therein a “prong” that may be received in one or more openings in the shoulder strap  40 L/ 40 R. These alternatives are illustrated in  FIGS. 3A through 3G . 
     In  FIG. 3A , the “prong” may comprise a portion of the hook member  210  protruding laterally and then downward to form a hook  211 . Hook member  210  resembles a type of clasp that is often used as a center-front bra closure means. The corresponding shoulder strap  40 Ri may have two or more loops that may be integral thereto or be stitched onto a portion proximate to its second end, forming a series of loops,  45 A,  45 B,  45 C,  45 D, etc. The normal position for the inner support cup  50  of the bra  5  may be with the hook  211  of hook member  210  releasably received through end opening  45 Ai of loop  45 A and exiting out from end opening  45 Aii. Reconfiguring of the inner support cup to a vertically elevated position may occur by releasing/removing the hook  211  from the loop  45 A and inserting it into loop  45 B. Additional reconfiguring may occur by movement of the hook  211  of hook member  210  from loop  45 B to loop  45 C, or loop  45 D, or other loops where they may be provided. 
     A sufficient number of loops may be provided according to a predictable amount of total elevation that may be expected to be desired for a certain cup size, along with adequate loop spacing to provide for a desired incremental amount of loop-to-loop adjustment, which may be in the range of approximately ⅛ th  of an inch to approximately ½ of an inch. The second end  62  of support strap  60  may be attached to a circumferential portion of the hook member  210 , while the breast cup support strap  80  may similarly be attached; or it may be stitched to the support strap  60 , or alternatively, the support strap  60  and breast cup support strap  80  may comprise a single strap which may pass through the circumferential opening in hook member  210 . 
     In  FIG. 3C , the “prong” may comprise a pivotal prong  221  of the buckle member  220 , being pivotal about a center bar  222  that is supported by frame  223 . The second end  62  of support strap  60  may be attached to a portion of the frame  223 , while the breast cup support strap  80  may be attached as previously described, or may be attached to the center bar  222  as illustrated. The corresponding shoulder strap  40 Rii may have two or more openings that form a series of openings,  46 A,  46 B,  46 C, etc. To be more durable the openings may comprise eyelets, according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,362 to Odajima for “Eyelet and Method of Attaching the Same,” the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. One of the eyelet openings may be releasably received by the prong to provide the aforementioned normal position or the amount of vertical elevation. 
     In  FIG. 3D , the “prong” may comprise a hook portion  231  of the swan hook member  230  that may be secured relative to a frame  232 . The second end  62  of support strap  60  may be attached to a portion of the frame  232 , while the breast cup support strap  80  may be attached as previously described. The corresponding shoulder strap  40 Riii may have two or more openings/eyelets,  46 A,  46 B,  46 C, etc., as previously described. One of the eyelet openings of shoulder strap  40 Riii may be releasably received by the hook portion of the swan hook. Releasing the hook portion  231  from the frame  232 , as seen in  FIG. 3E , permits the eyelet opening of the shoulder strap to be removed from the hook portion and allows the shoulder strap to be fed through the frame (see  FIG. 3D ), so that another eyelet may be received by the hook to provide the aforementioned vertical elevation. 
     In  FIG. 3F , another embodiment is shown that does not make use of a “prong” per se, and may utilize a traditional rear bra hook member  240  that may be stitched to the second end  62  of support strap  60 , while multiple copies of the corresponding catch  241  may be secured to the shoulder strap  40 Riv. The breast cup support strap  80  may be attached as previously described. Mating of the hook member  240  and catch  241  is illustrated in  FIG. 3G . Releasing the hook member  240  from one of the catches  241  permits another catch on the shoulder strap to be received by the hook member to provide the aforementioned vertical elevation. 
     In  FIG. 3G , another embodiment is shown that also does not use a prong, and instead may utilize hook and loop fabric pieces  250 / 251 , otherwise known as Velcro. One piece,  250 , may be sewn or bonded to the second end  62  of support strap  60 R, while the other piece,  251 , may be secured to the shoulder strap  40 Riv. There may instead be a series of smaller pieces ( 251   a ,  251   b ,  251   c , . . . ) on the shoulder strap  40 Riv. The use of Velcro permits any custom incremental change to the strap, which may be desirable for smaller breast sizes. 
     To better conceal the support strap  60  and the inner support cups  50 L/ 50 R, the breast cups  20 L and  20 R may also include a thick layer of padding, which may be an elastic or an inelastic material. The separate padding layer may be added between the breast cup inner and outer layers  20 Lo/ 20 Ro and  20 Li/ 20 Ri. 
     A first alternative embodiment of bra  5  of the present invention is bra  6 , which is illustrated in  FIG. 2B , which omits the breast cup support strap  80 . Support for the upper portion of the breast cups may instead be provided by one or more running stitches  24  that may be loosely applied using elastic threading. So, upward movement of the support strap  60  is generally, though not directly, transmitted to the upper portion of the breast cups  20 L/ 20 R. 
     A second alternative embodiment of the current invention is shown by bra  7 , which is illustrated in  FIG. 7A . Bra  7  may have left and right breast cups  720 L/ 720 R each having a respective inner support cup  750 R/ 750 L, which may have one or more particular connections with the bra underwire  725 / 726  of each cup to permit sliding relative to the underwire. The sliding arrangement may be accommodated by a pin  701  that has a shank portion  702  that may be rigid and may furthermore be secured to the stiffening member  754  of the inner support cup, with a manufactured head portion  703  being cantilevered out from the stiffening member to be displaced a short distance therefrom. The shank portion may be secured to the stiffening member using an appropriate adhesive, as seen in  FIG. 7C , or by deforming (or upsetting) the end of the pin opposite the head in a fashion similar to a rivet with have a bucked head  702 B bearing against the upper side of the stiffening member ( FIG. 7D ). 
     This arrangement is shown enlarged in  FIGS. 7C and 7D , with the head portion being spherical, and in  FIG. 7E  with the head portion comprising a rectangular block with rounded edges and corners. The spherical head portion  703  may be slidably received within a hollow portion of the bra underwire, which may, but need not, extend for the entire length of the underwire  725 / 726 . As seen in  FIG. 7A , each inner support cup  750 R/ 750 L may have the shank of two pins  701  secured to its stiffening member, with the shank of the pins being respectively secured proximate to, or generally near to, each end of the cup. When the support strap  760  is adjusted upwardly using one of the previously described support cup adjustment clips  770 , the inner support cup may elevate as seen for the right-side cup  720 R in  FIG. 7B , by having the head portion  703  (spherical or block) of each of the pins  701  track (slide) within the hollow portion of the underwire  725 . Due to the corresponding curvature of both the underwire  725 / 726  and the stiffening member  754  of the inner support cups, elevating the inner support cups to be displaced from the underwire as shown, may require some deformation of the underwire and/or some deformation of the stiffening member, which may be acceptable. Where such deformation is not acceptable, the shank portion  702  of the pin  701 , rather than being a single rigid member, may instead be adapted to telescope outward under such loading, or it may alternatively be made of an elastic material that may elongate to accommodate some separation between the stiffening member  754  and the underwire  725 / 726 . 
     It is important to note that because of the positioning of the pins  701  on the inner support cup  750 R, and with the location of the attachment of the support strap  760  to the inner support cup being closer to the pin at the outside end, there will be a natural tendency toward having more translation achieved by the outer pin  701   out  for a given support strap adjustment than by the inner pin  701   in . This may result in not only vertical lift, but some inwardly directed lift as well. This may be adjusted by moving the outer pin location downward to be more centrally located. It may also be adjusted by utilizing a different coefficient of elasticity for the shank portion of the outer pin than for the shank portion of the inner pin, allowing for differential elongation between the two sides. A stiffer elastic shank portion for one of the outer pins may serve to keep it in closer contact with the underwire causing more friction, which may thereby serve to resist motion by the outer pin, and allow more equal tracking motion by the two pins, resulting in substantially vertical lifting. 
     It should also be noted that in this embodiment, either the outer pin  701   out  or the inner pin  701   in  may also be positioned close to the end of the hollow track in the underwire so that after a short amount of tracking (or even no tracking at all) adjustment of the support strap  760  upwardly may cause pivoting about that end. Depending upon which pin was located close to, or at, the end of the underwire track (the inside pin  701   in  or the outside pin  701   out ), pivoting may respectively produce upward and inward lifting or upward and outward lifting. For example, if the outer pin  701   out  for the left breast cup  720 L in  FIG. 7A  is initially positioned at the end of the track within underwire  726 , it would serve as a pivot point, so that adjustment of the support strap  760  upwardly would cause pivoting about pin  701   out  and tracking/elongation for the pin  701   in . 
     A third alternative embodiment of the current invention is shown by bra  8 , which is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . Bra  8  may also have left and right breast cups  720 L/ 720 R with each having a respective inner support cup  750 R/ 750 L, which may have specific connections with the bra underwire  725 / 726  of each cup that permits sliding relative to the underwire for only one side of the inner support cup. This may be accomplished by having a pin  801 , as previously described for bra  7  (pin  701 ), for one end of the inner support cup, and by having only an elastic connection  805  between the inner support cup and the underwire for the other end of the inner support cup. As seen for the right breast cup  820 R, adjustment of the support strap  760  upwardly would cause tracking by the pin  801  at the outer end of the inner support cup and translation (elongation of  805 ) for the inner end pin of the support cup. This arrangement serves to provide more outwardly directed lifting. Also, in this embodiment the support strap  860  may preferably further enable such outward lifting by attaching to the breast cup at the underwire to be at a more central position. 
     These bra embodiments that provide the above-described customizable lift may be utilized differently from one side to the other (left and right), and may thus be used to correct the differences in size of a woman&#39;s breasts. In addition, they may function very well in lifting and redistributing breast tissue independently from side to side to thereby more advantageously serve as a minimizer bra, which may universally tailor the breast tissue distribution differently for each side, instead of requiring a uniquely created bra for each female customer who has her own unique physique. 
     Another embodiment is shown by bra  9 , which is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . Bra  9  may have left and right breast cups  920 L/ 920 R each having a lower portion secured to a bra band, and with an upper portion of each breast cup supported by shoulder straps  940 L/ 940 R that may be attached to the respective breast cups using a ring member  915 . (Note that although only the right side of the bra may be illustrated and discussed within certain figures and embodiments herein, the left side may be similarly constructed to accommodate the left breast, and its features may be indicated with the same reference numerals but ending with an “L” rather than an “R”). 
     Each of the breast cups  920 L/ 920 R may have a respective inner support cup  950 R/ 950 L each of which may have a distal end  952 R/ 952 L, and a proximal end  951 R/ 951 L (i.e., proximal to the center of the bra), with the proximal ends respectively pivotably secured proximate to the respective underwire  925 / 926  at positions  951 L and  951 R, using any of the methods described hereinabove. A support strap  960 R/ 960 L, which may be formed of a substantially inelastic material, may have its lower end be fixedly secured to a portion of the respective inner support cup  950 R/ 950 L (e.g., at  963 R/ 963 L). The upper end of each support strap  960 R/ 960 L may be fixedly secured to a respective hook member  210 . An inner liner  920 Li/ 920 Ri may be fixedly secured to the interior of the respective breast cups  920 L/ 920 R, with the hook member  210  freely protruding out from an upper opening, as seen in  FIG. 9 . The inner liner  920 Li/ 920 Ri may cover the entirety of the interior of the breast cup, or may instead only cover the portion of the cup at which the support strap  960 R/ 960 L is located, i.e., the distal-most portion, as seen in  FIGS. 9-11 . 
     Each of the inner support cups  950 R/ 950 L may be individually elevated a desired amount by grasping the corresponding hook member  210  and thereby using the support straps for lifting the cup or the respective cups, and by securing the respective hook members to one of the loops (e.g., loop  945 A) that may be positioned on the corresponding shoulder straps  940 L/ 940 R. Instead of forming one or more loops in each of the shoulder straps  940 L/ 940 R, the hook member  210  may alternatively be secured at the shoulder strap length adjustment clip  918 R/ 918 L, either to the clip itself, or to the strap material looped around the clip. The adjustment clip may also be utilized for positioning of the wearer&#39;s breasts, as seen in  FIG. 14 . 
     For the inner support cup  950 R positioned as shown in  FIG. 10  (i.e., normal support, not yet elevated for enhancement), rather than having the hook member  210  merely protruding above the upper opening of the inner liner  920 Li/ 920 Ri where it may freely hang down or may be susceptible to falling behind the tricot liner, the length of the strap  960 R may be increased so that hook member  210  may instead be normally hooked upon the ring member  915  in the non-elevated position, or it may be hooked to the portion of the shoulder strap  940 R that may be looped around the ring. 
     Return of each inner support cup  950 R/ 950 L from its elevated position (i.e., as shown in  FIG. 11 ) to the normal nested position ( FIG. 10 ), being proximate to the underwire  925 / 926  of the respective breast cups  920 L/ 920 R, may be achieved using any of the approaches for biasing described hereinabove. However, the length of the biasing member, which may simply be a short piece of elastic material, may only tend to permit an amount elastic deformation that may be insufficient to accommodate the total pivotal movement of the inner support cups  950 R/ 950 L necessary for it to move from the normal position to the desired elevated position. 
     This may be understood by considering the elastic material in terms of a spring. For a spring, Hooke&#39;s Law states that an applied force (F) will result in an amount of deformation (x) that depends upon the spring&#39;s inherent stiffness—the spring constant “K” (i.e., F=−K(x)). But the spring constant (K) depends upon several factors, and among them is the spring&#39;s length, as the spring constant varies inversely proportional to the length of the spring. Therefore, the shorter the spring (i.e., the shorter the piece of elastic material used for biasing the inner cup back to the normal position), the greater the amount of force needed to deflect the spring the same distance as would be required for a spring having a longer length. This may necessitate the user of the bra having to apply a fairly large force to the hook member  210 , in order to lift the inner cup the desired amount. Moreover, the deflection required may exceed the elastic capability of the spring (i.e., the elastic capability of the elastic material), after which it may become permanently deformed. 
     In that respect, the bra  9  of  FIG. 9  may feature an improved arrangement for biasing, which may permit easier lifting of the inner support cups  950 R/ 950 L, when the wearer desires to move them into an elevated position, but which nonetheless may apply a suitable biasing force to return each of the inner support cups back to the normal position when so desired. 
       FIG. 10  shows a first embodiment of a biasing arrangement that may be used for bra  9 . In this embodiment the bra wire  925  may be hollow, as seen in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 10A , or alternatively it may be formed to have an open cross-sectional shape, such as a shaped cross-section shown in  FIG. 10B . An elastic cord  975  may be disposed within the open/hollow shaped bra wire  925 , and may have a first end  975  may be secured to a portion of the bra wire (e.g., the proximal end or the distal outer end of the bra wire). The elastic cord  975  may exit from the hollow of the bra wire  925  through a transverse opening  925 P, and the elastic cord may have its second end  975   ii  fixedly secured to a lower portion of the inner-support cup  950 R. 
     When the wearer of the bra  9  desires to elevate the inner support cup  950 R by moving the clip  210  upwardly, so that it may be secured to, for example, the loop  945 A, as seen in  FIG. 11 , the entire length of the elastic cord  975  elongates to accommodate displacement of its second end  975   ii  as a result of movement of the inner support cup. Therefore, knowing the amount of deformation that will be required of the elastic cord  975  (i.e., the distance the second end  975   ii  may move upwardly—L 975  in  FIG. 11 ), and estimating the handling force that may be desirably applied by the bra wearer to oppose the biasing to elevate the inner support cup (e.g., roughly a pound or two of force), a suitable modulus of elasticity and a suitable length for the elastic cord  975  may be determined to provide the required characteristics. 
     Although it may be desirable, from a manufacturing standpoint, to secure the first end  975   i  of the elastic cord  975  to the end of the bra wire  925 , as seen in  FIG. 11 , the optimal length of the elastic cord may instead dictate that attachment of its first end  975   i  be at a position between the opening  925 P in the bra wire and the end of the bra wire. This attachment location may be accommodated in a number of ways, such as by passing the cord through another opening in the bra wire and knotting the cord, or by crimping of the bra wire onto the elastic cord, or by using/crimping a separate metallic ring secured thereat to the underwire. 
     In another embodiment shown in  FIG. 12 , bra  10  may be constructed the same as bra  9 , except that the biasing arrangement may include a second elastic cord  1075  that may have a first end  1075   i  that is attached as is end  975   i  for elastic cord  975 . However, while the first elastic cord  975  may exit the underwire  1025  through a first opening  1025 Pi, the second elastic cord  1075  may exit the underwire  1025  through a second opening  1025 Pii that is located closer to the attachment of the inner support cup  950 R at  951 R. The second end  1075   ii  of the elastic cord  1075  may attach to the inner support cup  950 R at a position between the attachment of the second end  975   ii  of cord  975 , and the pivot point  951 R. 
     The second elastic cord  1075  may serve to help retain the inner support cup  950 R in close proximity to the underwire all along its length, particularly where an underwire is not used for the bottom of the inner support cups  950 R/ 950 L. Alternatively, or additionally, magnets (e.g., magnets  991 ,  992 , and  993 ) may be used in the bottom of the inner support cups  950 R/ 950 L, and which may be attracted to a magnet underwire in the breast cups to normally keep the inner support cup in contact therewith, until it is deliberately moved away into an elevated position. Instead of separate magnets, a magnetized underwire may be used in the inner support cups  950 R/ 950  to provide magnetic attraction with a corresponding magnetic underwire in the breast cups. 
     In another embodiment shown in  FIG. 13 , bra  11  may be constructed the same as bra  9 , and its elastic cord  1175  may have a first end  1175   i  that is similarly attached at the proximal end of the breast cup underwire, but the second end  1175   ii  of the elastic cord may instead be attached at the extreme outside (distal) end of the breast cup underwire. A portion of the elastic cord  1175  proximate to the opening  925 P in the breast cup underwire  925  may be stitched or otherwise fixedly secured to the inner support cup  950 R, to thereby provide return biasing to the elevated support cup. 
     The examples and descriptions provided merely illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art and having the benefit of the present disclosure will appreciate that further embodiments may be implemented with various changes within the scope of the present invention. Other modifications, substitutions, omissions and changes may be made in the design, size, materials used or proportions, operating conditions, assembly sequence, or arrangement or positioning of elements and members of the preferred embodiment without departing from the spirit of this invention.