Abstract:
A bra to be worn during vigorous physical activity includes a stretch front panel and a stretch back panel. The back panel forms a back portion of a left and right shoulder strap. Non-stretch fabric connects the front panel and the back panel and forms the front portion of the left and right shoulder straps. The bra also includes a rib band configured to encircle a wearer&#39;s torso.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This present application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 12/717,416, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,257,138, “Athletic Bra,” filed on Mar. 4, 2010, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     An outerwear bra to be worn by women during vigorous physical activity to maximize motion control of the breast tissue while minimizing breathing restriction and maximizing heat and moisture management. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     In order for many women to fully participate in vigorous sports, including endurance sports such as running and triathlon, they must wear a garment that provides them with a high level of breast tissue support. Without sufficient support, many women athletes experience physical pain as well as permanent damage to breast tissue. 
     However, garments providing a high level of support to the breast tissue, especially for those women with breasts of a C-cup or higher, often restrict movement of the shoulders and restrict breathing, which can influence both comfort and performance. Furthermore, these garments are frequently constructed from multiple layers of thick fabric with little or no ventilation, which can result in overheating, excessive sweating and painful chafing. Additionally, many such garments for larger breasted women are not designed to be worn as outerwear, requiring these women to wear additional layers of clothing, resulting in further heat and moisture management problems. Finally, some garments employ underwire to provide support to the breast tissue, which can uncomfortably poke and pinch sensitive tissues during strenuous activities. 
     With the increasing popularity of road races and triathlons, and the increase in the average cup size of the American woman to a 36C, underwire-free outerwear garments that provide female athletes with sufficient breast support, ventilation and moisture management without undue restrictions on movement or breathing are integral to women&#39;s successful participation in sports. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide female athletes with an underwire-free outerwear athletic bra that provides a high level of breast tissue support without undue restriction of breathing or shoulder movement, while providing means for ventilation and moisture management. These objects are achieved through the innovative combination of various non-stretch and stretch fabrics. The non-stretch portions of the garment provide a high level of compression and stability to the breast tissue, while the multiple regions of stretch fabric minimize breathing and shoulder restrictions and provide ventilation. 
     In the present invention, non-stretch wicking fabric is used to form the majority of the body of the bra, and is used to pull the breast tissue in and hold it firmly to the chest. This non-stretch fabric is connected to panels of stretch wicking fabric located in the front and back of the body of the bra. These panels allow the otherwise rigid body of the bra to expand horizontally with the chest as the wearer inhales and exhales. Through the use of stretch mesh fabric for the back and/or front panels of the bra, a high degree of ventilation and moisture management can be achieved without sacrificing motion control. 
     In one aspect, the invention provides a bra comprising two shoulder straps, a body configured to contact a wearer&#39;s torso, and a rib band, wherein said shoulder straps are connected to the body, wherein the rib band is associated with the body, wherein said body is comprised of: a front center panel constructed of stretch material and a back center panel constructed of stretch material, wherein the left edge of the front center panel and the right edge of the back center panel are connected to one another by one or more contiguous fabric pieces constructed of non-stretch material, and wherein the right edge of the front center panel and the left edge of the back center panel are connected to one another by one or more contiguous fabric pieces constructed of non-stretch material. 
     In another aspect, the invention provides a bra comprising two shoulder straps, a body configured to contact a wearer&#39;s torso, and a rib band, wherein said shoulder straps are connected to the body, wherein the rib band is associated with the body, wherein said body is comprised of: a front center panel constructed of stretch material and a back center panel constructed of stretch material, wherein the left edge of the front center panel and the right edge of the back center panel are connected to one another by one or more contiguous fabric pieces constructed of non-stretch material, and wherein the right edge of the front center panel and the left edge of the back center panel are connected to one another by one or more contiguous fabric pieces constructed of non-stretch material, wherein the border between stretch fabric pieces and non-stretch fabric pieces is irregular. 
     Other configurations, features and advantages of the invention will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional configurations, features and advantages included within this description and this summary, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention can be understood more clearly with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis is instead placed on illustration of the principles of the invention. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of a bra in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention shown on the wearer. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the bra according to  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a rear elevational view of the bra according to  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of a bra in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention shown on the wearer. 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the bra according to  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a rear elevational view of the bra according to  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a rear elevational view of a bra in accordance with the present invention showing a rib band incorporating an adjustable fastening system. 
         FIG. 8  is a rear elevational view of a bra in accordance with the present invention showing a shoulder strap incorporating an adjustable fastening system. 
         FIG. 9  is a detailed view of the adjustable fastening system according to  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 10  is a detailed view of the adjustable fastening system according to  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Bra  1  comprises two shoulder straps  2  and  14 , a body  7  configured to contact a wearer&#39;s torso and a rib band  3 . The shoulder straps  2  and  14  are connected to the body  7 . The rib band  3  is associated with the body  7 . The body  7  is comprised of a front center panel  4 , a back center panel  5  and one or more fabric pieces  6  and  28  connecting the front center panel  4  and the back center panel  5 . Specifically, the left edge  8  of the front center panel  4  and the right edge  9  of the back center panel  5  are connected to one another by one or more fabric pieces  6 , and the right edge  10  of the front center panel  4  and the left edge  11  of the back center panel  5  are connected to one another by one or more fabric pieces  28 . 
     The fabric pieces  6  and  28  connecting the front center panel  4  and the back center panel  5  are constructed of non-stretch material. It is understood by those with ordinary skill in the art that a “non-stretch material” is a material with no elastic components such that any limited stretch exhibited by the fabric is a result of mechanical movement in the weave of the fabric. The front center panel  4  and back center panel  5  are constructed of a stretch material. It is understood by those with ordinary skill in the art that the spandex content of the stretch material affects the level of support of the bra, with a higher spandex content corresponding to a higher recovery power, with a higher recovery power requiring more energy to pull apart, thereby providing a greater amount of support. 
     In other embodiments of the present invention, the borders  24 ,  25 ,  26  and  27  between front center panel  4  and the plurality of fabric pieces  6  and  28  and the back center panel  5  and the plurality of fabric pieces is irregular, meaning that the seams  24 ,  25 ,  26  and  27  between the non-stretch  6  and  28  and stretch  4  and  5  portions of the body  7  of the bra are non-linear. This irregular border  24 ,  25 ,  26  and  27  allows the amount of support to be greater where the non-stretch protrusions  12  of fabric are closer together and the amount of stretch to be greater where the non-stretch protrusions  13  of fabric are farther apart, providing additional breast tissue support without decreasing ventilation. It is within the scope of the present invention that the shape of the irregular border  24 ,  25 ,  26  and  27  can vary to include a variety of shapes and designs. 
     In still other embodiments of the present invention, the stretch fabric used for the back center panel  5  and/or front center panel  4  of the bra is a stretch mesh fabric. It is understood by those with ordinary skill in the art that the use of a stretch mesh fabric will provide a high degree of ventilation and moisture management without sacrificing motion control of the breast tissue. 
     In other embodiments of the present invention, the shoulder straps  2  and  14  include an adjustment fastening system  15  and  29 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 10 , the adjustment fastening system  15  and  29  includes a series of slots  16  and  17  associated with each of the shoulder straps. Adjustment hooks  18  and  19  are associated with the top edge  20  of the back center panel  5 . The adjustment hooks  18  and  19  are horizontally oriented so that they can be received in adjustment slots  16  and  17 . 
     In other embodiments of the present invention, the adjustment fastening system  15  and  29  may include any kind of adjustment fastening system known in the art, such as Velcro or hook-and-eye. 
     In other embodiments of the present invention, the rib band  3  includes an adjustment fastening system  21 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 9 , the adjustment fastening system includes a series of slots  22  associated with the rib band  3 . An adjustment hook  23  is associated with one end of the rib band  3 . The adjustment hook  23  is vertically oriented so that they can be received in adjustment slots  22 . The back center panel  5  has a keyhole cutout  30  to accommodate adjustments made in the rib band  3 . 
     In other embodiments of the present invention, the adjustment fastening system  21  may include any kind of adjustment fastening system known in the art, such as Velcro or hook-and-eye. 
     While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the invention.