Patent Publication Number: US-2004058618-A1

Title: Brassiere with replaceable cups

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention relates to a brassiere with replaceable cups mainly comprises cups placed on the breast and a girdle band holding the brassiere in place over the user&#39;s back and chest.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]FIG. 1 show a common brassiere in which the cups and the girdle straps are seamed together and not separated, so female customers have to choose brassieres that match their breast measurement for better comfort. This design of the brassiere never takes into account the dramatic change of the shapes of woman&#39;s body and breast as the age goes up. They have to purchase the new brassieres as the bodies develop and the old brassieres are therefore discarded. It is really a waste in deed.  
       [0003] The inventor has therefore designed a brassiere with replaceable cups which is remarkably economical for women to purchase and to use.  
       [0004] The features and straits of the brassiere provided in this invention will be explained in great details with an aid of the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the attached drawings. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0005]FIG. 1 illustrates an the outlook of a common brassiere usually worn by women.  
     [0006]FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the brassiere of the invention.  
     [0007]FIG. 3 illustrates a special design of the embodiment of the brassiere of the invention.  
     [0008]FIG. 4 illustrates the brassiere with replaced cups of the invention.  
     [0009]FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the brassiere of the invention.  
     [0010]FIG. 6 illustrates the brassiere with replaced cups of the invention.  
     [0011]FIG. 7 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the strapless brassiere of the invention.  
     [0012]FIG. 8 illustrates another preferred embodiment of the strapless brassiere of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0013] The cup frame  1  with replaceable cups as shown in FIG. 2 mainly comprises a cup frame  1  held on the user&#39;s breast by means of a girdle band  2  binding over the back and both sides of the chest.  
     [0014] The cup frame  1  comprises two pieces of symmetrical cups  11  and three pieces of joint elements  4 . These joint elements  4  constitute a zipper element, which is composed of a central zipper  41  and two side zippers  42  for lining and holding the cups  11  in a proper place, and forming a buckle in the center of the cup frame  1 .  
     [0015] On both sides of the girdle band, there can be fixed an adjustable shoulder strap one on each side. The cups  11  of the cup frame  1  have a buckle  5  on the upper extension band  111 . Through the buckle  5 , the cups are linked with the shoulder strap  3 . The buckle  5  is composed of a bucket projected rod  51  stitched on the end of the extension band  111  of the cups  11  and a buckle socket  52  stitched on the end of the shoulder strap  3 .  
     [0016] The brassiere with replaceable cups of this invention is described in great details as follows:  
     [0017]FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a preferred embodiment showing how the change in brassiere size takes place to fit the breast growth. The cup frame  1  is composed of two symmetric cups  11  and three pieces of joint elements. These three pieces of joint elements  4  constitute a zipper element, including the central zipper  41  located on the central vertical line of the cup frame  1 , and two side zippers  42  located along the outer borders of the cup frame  1 . The central zipper  41  is butted to two cups  11  with the chain teeth  411  and the slide  412  stitched to the adjoining area between the cups to form a central buckling element on the cup frame  1 , while the side zippers  42 , comprising the chain teeth  421  and the slide  422 , are stitched to the outer borders of the cup frame  1  to fasten the cups  2  with the girdle band  2  to hold the cup frame  1  over the back and the chest of the user. When the central zippers  41  and the side zippers  42  are pulled down to open by pulling the slide  412  down the chain teeth  411  and by pulling the slides  422  down the chain teeth  421  respectively, the cup frame  1  is separated from the girdle band  2  and split into three pieces which are independently replaceable.  
     [0018] As shown in FIG. 4, the cup  11  indicated in dotted lines is replaceable by splitting the cup  11  from the central zipper  41 , the side zipper  42  and the buckle protected rod  51 . In other word, when the breast grows with the age, the female user can replace the cup  11  in an adequate size to suit the growth of the breast and keep the girdle band  2  and shoulder straps  3  in continued applications. The length of the shoulder straps  3  can be properly adjusted for the buckle protected rod  51  to be fastened to the buckle socket  52  for better comfort.  
     [0019]FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate another preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein the cups  11  can be replaced to suit the size of the breasts. The cup frame  1  comprise two pieces of symmetrical cups  11  and three pieces of joint elements  4 . These three pieces of joint elements  4  constitute a zipper element, including the central zipper  43  located on the central vertical line of the cup frame  1 , and two closing zippers  44  which link the cups  11  along the curved seams. The central zipper  43  is butted to the central line of the cup frame  1  with the chain teeth  431  and the slide  432  to form a central buckling element on the cup frame  1 , while the closing zippers  44 , comprising the chain teeth  441  and the slide  422 , are stitched to the bottom borders of the cups  1  for holding the cups  11 . When the central zipper  43  is pulled apart by pulling the slide  432  along the chain teeth  431 , the cup frame  1  is split into two pieces along the central line.  
     [0020] As shown in FIG. 5, the cup  11  indicated in dotted lines is replaceable by splitting the cup  11  from the central zipper  41 , the side zipper  42  and the buckle protected rod  51 . In other word, when the size of the breast changes, the female user can replace the cup  11  in an adequate size to suit the size of the breast and keep the girdle band  2  and shoulder straps  3  in continued applications. The length of the shoulder straps  3  can be properly adjusted for the buckle protected rod  51  to be fastened to the buckle socket  52  for better comfort.  
     [0021]FIGS. 7 and 8 show another preferred embodiment where the shoulder straps  3  are eliminated, wherein the cups  11  of the cup frame  1  can also be replaced by joining and splitting the three pieces of joint elements  4 , thus to achieve a strapless brassiere with replaceable cups.  
     [0022] Viewing from the above statement, it is important to note that the cups  11  of the cup frame  1  of the brassiere provided by this invention can be replaced by splitting and joining the three pieces of joint elements  4 , or a buckle  5  can be fixed between the cups  11  and the shoulder straps  3 , so the cups  11  of the brassiere can be replaced for better comfort. In the mean time, the girdle band  2  can be used even after the cups are replaced to reduce the cost for purchasing the brassieres.