Abstract:
A brassiere  1  comprises a main part  2  having a first cup portion  22  which contacts either one of right or left breast and a first band portion  21  extending from the first cup portion  22  to the side directions; a subordinate portion  3  having a second cup portion  32  configured to hold a control pad and a second band portion  31  extending from the second cup portion  32  to the side directions. The main portion  2  and the subordinate portion  3  are combined to be a matched pair of right and left so that the second band portion  31  laps over the first band portion  21;  and the subordinate portion  3  is supported by the main portion  2  so as to form a space between the main portion  2  and the subordinate portion  3.  With a brassiere as such, it is possible to reduce an oppressing feeling and pain on the chest or axilla on which a breast or lymph nodes had been removed as a breast cancer treatment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a brassiere and particularly relates to a brassiere for breast cancer patients and is suitable for those who had a surgery for removing their unilateral breast. 
         [0002]    Breast cancer is a malignant tumor originated from breast tissues like a mammary gland. A risk of breast cancer increases with the age and, for Japanese women, the probability of being affected with breast cancer in lifetime is said to be 1 out of every 25 to 30 people or so. The well-known symptoms are a lump or protrusion in breast, depression in breast, secretion of milk and secretion of bloody milk, etc. 
         [0003]    In general, a treatment for breast cancer is a surgical resection often combined with chemotherapy using anticancer drugs and anti-estrogen drugs, etc., and radiotherapy. The surgery can be divided to two types: a breast-conserving surgery for removing only a tumor mass and a mastectomy surgery for removing a part of or the entire breast. As a range of the resection depends on a size of the tumor mass, in the case of a large tumor mass or when the progression has reached to a level of directly invading a chest wall or skin, a resection in a large range becomes necessary. 
         [0004]    Removing the tumor mass to a maximum extent is desirable for recurrence prevention, and resection of axilla lymph nodes is further done in mastectomy surgery to prevent lymphatic metastasis of the malignant tumor. At least the primary lymph nodes are to be removed even if the cancer has not metastasized to the lymph nodes, and up to the tertiary lymph nodes are to be removed if the cancer has been developed to metastasize to the primary lymph nodes. Namely, the more the metastasis progresses, the deeper the resection has to go. 
         [0005]    By the way, a brassiere, which is underwear generally women wear around their breasts, is mainly for supporting breasts and widely used for shaping breasts and preventing loosing the shape. A variety of brassieres with various colors, designs, materials and functions have been produced on a commercial basis, and those for breast cancer patients, who had a mastectomy surgery as a treatment for breast cancer as explained above, have been also provided. 
         [0006]    One of the big objects of those brassieres for breast cancer patients is to restore a volume of the removed breast. To restore the volume of the breast, there are a number of proposals as disclosed, for example, in the patent article 1 and patent article 2 of inserting pads using silicon, urethane, cloth, cotton, beads, beans and other materials into a pocket provided to a cup on the removed breast side. 
         [0007]    Brassieres of the related art using a pad to artificially create an artificial breast had several disadvantageous points when used. For example, in the case of realizing similar size and weight as those of a real breast by using a silicon pad, it feels larger and heavier than real one and it is very liable to cause stiff shoulders when actually wearing the brassiere. Alternatively, when using a pad with a certain firmness to keep the shape, it sometimes hurts ribs or scar when the pad touches the postmastectomy chest or axilla. 
         [0008]    On the other hand, when using a light cloth pad or a pad stuffed with cotton to prevent stiff shoulders and pain from contacting with a pad, it causes a problem that the cup on the removed breast side crawls up due to the lightness of the pad and top positions of the right and left breasts become uneven while moving with the brassiere on. Also, crawling up of the cup on the removed breast side means that a band portion (elastic) at a lower position of the brassiere cup also crawls up. That results in a problem of causing a strong pain because the crawled-up band portion touches the postmastectomy chest or scar on axilla. 
         [0009]    To prevent the crawling-up of a cup as such, for example, a brassiere having a loop-shaped band going under a crotch as disclosed in the patent article 3, and providing of a tape on the lower side of a brassiere to connect with a gurdle, underpants or a belt of slacks, etc., have been proposed. However, if movement of a brassiere is restricted both from above and from below, there arises a disadvantage, such that shoulder straps of the brassiere dig into shoulders when a patient raises her hand and free move would be hindered. 
         [0010]    The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances and has as an object thereof to provide a suitable brassiere for breast cancer patients, which can reduce a feeling of oppression and pain on the chest and axilla after removing a breast or lymph nodes as a breast cancer treatment. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    To attain the above object, the present invention provides a brassiere, comprising: a main part having a first cup portion which contacts either one of right or left breast and a first band portion extending from the first cup portion to the side directions; and a subordinate portion having a second cup portion configured to hold a control pad and a second band portion extending from the second cup portion to the side directions; wherein the main portion and the subordinate portion are combined to be a matched pair of right and left so that the second band portion laps over the first band portion; and the subordinate portion is supported by the main portion so as to form a space between the main portion and the subordinate portion. 
         [0012]    According to the invention, the main portion having the first cup portion and the first band portion is used as a brassiere for holding a healthy breast while the subordinate portion having the second cup portion and the second band portion serves to create an artificial breast on the chest side with a resection surgery done, and the main portion and the subordinate portion are combined so that the second band portion laps over the first band portion, and a space is formed between the main portion and the subordinate portion. Thereby, a pressing force from the subordinate portion given to the chest on the resection surgery side becomes small. As a result, a feeling of oppression or pain on the chest on the resection surgery side is reduced. 
         [0013]    In some embodiments, one end on the first cup portion side of the second band portion is connected to the first band portion at a predetermined position of the first band portion; and the other end of the second band portion is connected to one end on the second cup portion side of the first band portion. 
         [0014]    As a result of connecting the first band portion and the second band portion, the main portion and the subordinate portion are combined so that the second band portion laps over the first band portion. When wearing the brassiere, a force works to lift the first cup portion upward to hold the healthy breast in the main portion, however, if the first band portion and the second band portion are connected in this way, the main portion and the subordinate portion are structurally almost independent and forces working on them respectively are hardly transferred to each other. Consequently, the main portion serves to hold the healthy side breast firmly while the second cup portion is not affected by any lifting-up force. Therefore, even if a light pad is used in the second cup portion, the second cup portion does not crawl up while moving with the brassiere on. 
         [0015]    In some embodiments, a length from the one end to the other end on the first cup portion side of the second band portion is longer than a length from the predetermined position of the first band portion to the one end on the second cup portion side. 
         [0016]    In some embodiments, when combining the main portion with the subordinate portion so that the second band portion laps over the first band portion, it is possible to form a space easily between the main portion and the subordinate portion. 
         [0017]    In some embodiments, the second band portion comprises a band length adjusting mechanism at the other end side. 
         [0018]    In such embodiments, a space of a suitable size can be formed between the main portion and the subordinate portion to fit a body type and physical size of a person wearing the brassiere. 
         [0019]    In some cases, the predetermined position of the first band portion is arranged closer to the other end of the first band portion than the first cup portion. 
         [0020]    In such embodiments, since the second band portion is connected with the first band portion at a farther position than the first cup portion, even when a force works to lift the first cup portion up while wearing the brassiere, the force does not transfer to the subordinate portion through the second band portion, consequently, it is possible to prevent the second cup portion from crawling up. Also, since a position of the second band portion can be arranged lower than the first band portion when wearing the brassiere, it is easy to balance height positions of the right and left bust tops. 
         [0021]    In certain embodiments, the main portion may further comprise a first shoulder strap portion extending upward from the first cup portion and being attached to the first band portion on the back; and the subordinate portion may further comprise a second shoulder strap portion extending upward from the second cup portion and being attached to the second band portion on the back. 
         [0022]    In such embodiments, the first shoulder strap extending from the first cup portion is attached to the first band portion and the second shoulder strap extending from the second cup portion attaches to the second band portion, so that the main portion and the subordinate portion can be almost independent structurally. Also, in the main portion, since there is the first shoulder strap portion on the side with a healthy breast remaining, a force arises properly to lift the first cup portion upward for holding the healthy side breast, while since there is no shoulder strap on the resection surgery side, the first band portion positioned below the chest portion with a resection surgery done does not crawl up to touch ribs or scar. On the other hand, in the subordinate portion, as a result that the second shoulder strap portion suspends the second cup portion from above, a height of the second cup portion can be kept at a proper position in accordance with the position of the first cup portion, so that it is easy to balance height positions of the right and left bust tops when wearing the brassiere. 
         [0023]    In such embodiments, preferably, each of the first shoulder strap portion and the second shoulder strap portion is provided with a shoulder strap length adjustment mechanism. 
         [0024]    In such embodiments, optionally, a height of the second cup portion can be kept at a proper position in accordance with a position of the first cup portion to fit a body type or physical size of a person wearing the brassiere, and it is also easy to balance height positions of the right and left bust tops when wearing the brassiere. 
         [0025]    In such embodiments, a joining member for partially attaching the first band portion to the second band portion is provided at near the first cup portion and the second cup portion. 
         [0026]    In such embodiments when wearing the brassiere, the first band portion and the second band portion can be put together so that the second cup portion is arranged at a proper position while confirming height positions and balance of the right and left bust tops in accordance with a position of the first cup portion for holding the healthy side breast. Note that the joining member may be any as far as it can combine the first band portion with the second band portion in a freely attachable/detachable way. For example, a hook and loop surface fastener, hook, button and snap, etc. may be mentioned. 
         [0027]    According to the brassiere of the present invention, it is possible to reduce a feeling of oppression and pain on the chest or axilla after removing a breast or lymph nodes as a breast cancer treatment. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0028]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing the configuration of a brassiere according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0029]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view showing the configuration of a right-breast part (main part) of the brassiere according to the same embodiment. 
           [0030]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view showing the configuration of a left-breast part (subordinate part) according to the same embodiment. 
           [0031]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a state of wearing only the right-breast part of the brassiere according to the same embodiment. 
           [0032]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a state of wearing the brassiere according to the same embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0033]    Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail based on the drawings.  FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing the configuration of a brassiere according to an embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 2  is a schematic view showing the configuration of a right-breast part (main part) of the brassiere according to the same embodiment,  FIG. 3  is a schematic view showing the configuration of a left-breast part (subordinate part) according to the same embodiment,  FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a state of wearing only the right-breast part of the brassiere according to the same embodiment, and  FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a state of wearing the brassiere according to the same embodiment. 
         [0034]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a brassiere  1  according to the present embodiment has the configuration wherein a right-breast part  2  having a function of holding a healthy breast and a left-breast part  3  serving to artificially make a breast on the left side chest with a resection surgery done are combined to make up one brassiere. In the brassiere  1 , the left-breast part  3  is put over the right-breast part  2  to combine. 
         [0035]    Note that the brassiere according to the present embodiment is for a breast cancer patient who had removed her left breast, however, one with the right and the left switched, namely, a brassiere for a breast cancer patient who had removed her right breast is naturally included in the scope of the invention of the present application. In the brassiere for a breast cancer patient with her right breast removed, reversely from the brassiere  1  according to the present embodiment, the right-breast part would serve to artificially make a breast on the left chest part with the resection surgery done and the left-breast part would function to hold a healthy breast, and the right-breast part is put over the left-breast part to be a combined matched pair of right and left. 
         [0036]    The configuration of the right-breast part  2  and that of the left-breast part  3  will be respectively explained in detail below. Note that the right-breast part  2  and the left-breast part  3  are actually seamed at two positions to join, although  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  illustrate them in a separated state for the sake of convenience in explanation. 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the right-breast part  2  comprises a right-breast cup  22 , right-breast band  21  extending to the right and to the left from the right-breast cup  22  and a right-breast shoulder strap  23  extending upward from the right-breast cup  22  and attached to the right-breast band  21  on the back of the wearer. The right-breast cup  22  covers and holds the healthy breast and does not have any different point from a normally used brassiere cup. 
         [0038]    At the lower side of the right-breast cup  22 , a wire  221  for supporting a breast from below is sewn in. The right-breast band  21  extends to the right and to the left from a lower portion (a position contacting with the wire  221 ) of the right-breast cup  22 , and the right-breast shoulder strap  23  is connected to the upper end portion of the right-breast cup  22  via a connector  231 . 
         [0039]    The right-breast band  21  extends in an elongated shape toward the band end  212  on the right side when seen from the front, and immediately next to the right-breast cup  22  on the right-breast band  21  extending to the right side is a hook surface fastener  211  sewn for attaching the left-breast cup  32  of the left-breast part  3  at a suitable position. The left side of the right-breast band  21  when seen from the front is made to have a certain width so as to firmly hold the right breast and has a taper shape of narrowing gradually toward the band end  213 . At a little left side of the right-breast cup  22  on the right-breast band  21  extending to the left side, an interlining  216  for pushing and holding flesh around the side of the body of the wearer to the chest side is sewn inside. Also, the band end  213  has a hook closure  214  sewn thereon for fastening the brassiere  1  on the back of the wearer. 
         [0040]    The right-breast shoulder strap  23  is sewn on the right-breast band  21  near the band end  213  of the right-breast band  21  positioned on the back of the wearer when wearing the brassiere  1 . Also, an adjuster  232  for adjusting the length of the right-breast shoulder strap  23  is provided in the middle of the right-breast shoulder strap  23 . 
         [0041]    The left-breast part  3  comprises, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a left-breast cup  32 , a left-breast band  31  extending to the right and to the left from the left-breast cup  32  and a left-breast shoulder strap  33  extending upward from the left-breast cup  32  and being attached to the left-breast band  31  on the back of the wearer. The left-breast cup  32  has the configuration of holding a control pad (not shown) for artificially making a breast on a chest where a breast had been removed partially or completely as a breast cancer treatment. A light pad made of cotton is used as the control pad to be held in the left-breast cup  32  according to the present embodiment, however, it is not limited to this and a suitable control pad may be selected in accordance with an object and favor of the wearer. 
         [0042]    Being different from the right-breast cup  22 , there is no wire sewn inside at the lower side of the left-breast cup  32 . This is because there is no breast to support on the left chest and is not to cause any pain due to the wire contacting with scar. The left-breast band  31  extends to the right and to the left from the lower part of the left-breast cup  32 , and the left-breast shoulder strap  33  is connected to the upper end portion of the left-breast cup  32  via a connector  331 . 
         [0043]    The left-breast band  31  extends in an elongated shape toward the band end  313  on the left side when seen from the front, and immediately next to the left-breast cup  32  on the left-breast band  31  extending to the left side is a attachable/detachable loop surface fastener  311  sewn for being fastened to the hook surface fastener  211  provided to the right-breast part  2 , so that the left-breast cup  32  and the right-breast cup  22  are put together at a balanced position. The right side of the left-breast band  31  when seen from the front has a taper shape of narrowing gradually toward the band end  312 , and an eye (or eyelet)  314  corresponding to the hook  214  provided to the right-breast part  2  is sewn at the band end  312 . The eye  314  has a structure that four of them are arranged in a row (quadruple structure) so that the length can be adjusted to a body type of the wearer. 
         [0044]    The left-breast shoulder strap  33  is sewn to be attached to the left-breast band  31  at near the band end  312  of the left-breast band  31  positioned on the back of the wearer when wearing the brassiere  1 . Also, an adjuster  332  for adjusting the length of the left-breast shoulder strap  33  is provided in the middle of the left-breast shoulder strap  33 . 
         [0045]    The right-breast part  2  and the left-breast part  3  are, as shown in  FIG. 1 , combined to be a matched pair of right and left so that the left-breast band  31  of the left-breast part  3  laps over the right-breast band  21  of the right-breast part  2 . The band end  313  of the left-breast band  31  of the left-breast part  3  is sewn to the right-breast band  21  at the connection position  216  at immediately right side of the interlining  215  of the right-breast band  21  of the right-breast part  2 . Also, the sewing end position  316  on the left end of the eye  314  sewn on the left-breast band  31  of the left-breast part  3  and the band end  212  of the right-breast band  21  of the right-breast part  2  are sewn together to be combined. 
         [0046]    In the brassiere  1  according to the present embodiment, a length from the band end  313  to the sewing end position  316  on the left-breast band  31  is longer than the length from the connection position  216  to the band end  212  on the right-breast band  21 . As a result, when wearing the brassiere  1 , the right-breast part  2  holds the breast on the right chest firmly (refer to  FIG. 4 ), while a space arises between the left-breast part  3  and the right-breast part  2  and the left-breast part  3  is worn in a little lax state (refer to  FIG. 5 ), therefore, a pressing force put around the scar on the left chest with the resection surgery done becomes smaller. Consequently, an oppressing feeling and pain on around the scar on the left chest with a resection surgery done are reduced. 
         [0047]    When wearing the brassiere  1 , a force works to lift the right-breast cup  22  upward for holding the healthy right-side breast at the right-breast part  2 . However, since the band end  313  of the left-breast band  31  is sewn to the right-breast band  21  at the connection position  216  on the right-breast band  21  and the sewing end position  316  of the left-breast band  31  is sewn to the band end  212  of the right-breast band  21  to be combined, the right-breast part  2  and the left-breast part  3  are structurally almost independent and forces working respectively on them hardly transfer to each other. As a result, the right-breast part  2  serves to hold the healthy right-side breast firmly while preventing the uplifting force from working on the left-breast cup  32  in the left-breast part  3 . Therefore, even when a light control pad is used in the left-breast cup  32 , the left-breast cup  32  does not crawl up while moving with the brassiere  1  on. 
         [0048]    Here, instead of sewing the left-breast band  31  and the right-breast band  21  on one point at the sewing end position  316  and the band end  212 , the left-breast band  31  and the right-breast band  21  may be joined by sewing at the entire region from the sewing start position  315  where the left-breast shoulder strap  33  of the left-breast band  31  is sewn to the sewing end position  316 . By putting the left-breast band  31  and  21  together in this way, when raising the left shoulder with the brassiere  1  on, the right-breast band  21  receives the force that the left-breast shoulder strap  33  lifts up the left-breast cup  32 , so that it prevents the left-breast band  31  from crawling up. 
         [0049]    Furthermore, since the position of sewing the band end  313  of the left-breast band  31  to the right-breast band  21  is at the connection position  216 , the following effects can be obtained. Namely, since the band end  313  close to the right breast of the left-breast band  31  is connected to the right-breast band  21  at a farther position than the right-breast cup  22 , even when a force of lifting up the right-breast cup  22  works during wearing the brassiere  1 , the force does not transfer to the left-breast part  3  via the left-breast band  31 , consequently, it is possible to prevent the left-breast cup  32  from crawling up. Also, when wearing the brassiere  1 , the left-breast band  31  can be positioned lower than the right-breast band  21 , so that height positions of the right and left bust tops can be balanced easily. 
         [0050]    Note that, in the present embodiment, a cloth is cut to sew the left-breast band  31  so that the length from the band end  313  to the sewing end position  316  of the left-breast band  31  becomes longer than the length from the connection position  216  to the band end  212  of the right-breast band  21  from the beginning. However, for example, a member for adjusting a length of the left-breast band  31  may be provided between a base position  317  next to the left-breast cup  32  and the sewing start position  315  of the left-breast band  31 . As a member for adjusting the length of the left-breast band  31 , a hook and loop surface fastener, etc. may be mentioned. When the length of the left-breast band  31  becomes adjustable, a space of a suitable size can be formed between the right-breast part  2  and the left-breast part  3  in accordance with a body type and physical size of the wearer. 
         [0051]    On the other hand, the point that the right-breast shoulder strap  23  extending from the right-breast cup  22  is attached straight to the right-breast part  2  and the left-breast shoulder strap  33  extending from the left-breast cup  32  is attached straight to the left-breast part  3  contributes to make the right-breast part  2  and the left-breast part  3  structurally almost independent. Also, in the right-breast part  2 , because the right-breast shoulder strap  23  is provided on the right chest side with a healthy breast, a force to lift up the right-breast cup  22  for holding the breast can be given suitably, but since there is no shoulder strap on the left chest side with the resection surgery done, it prevents the right-breast band  21  positioned below the left chest side from crawling up and touching ribs or scar. On the other hand, in the left-breast part  3 , as a result of lifting the left-breast cup  32  from above with the left-breast shoulder strap  33 , a height of the left-breast cup  32  can be kept at a suitable position in accordance with a position of the right-breast cup  22 , so that height positions of the right and left bust tops can be balanced easily. 
         [0052]    Note that, in the present embodiment, the length of the left-breast shoulder strap  33  is formed to be longer than the length of the right-breast shoulder strap  23 , thereby, an adjusting range of the left-breast cup  32  becomes larger when balancing the height positions of the right and left bust tops between the left-breast cup  32  and right-breast cup  22 . Therefore, the left-breast cup  32  can be placed at a more suitable position. 
         [0053]    Furthermore, the hook surface fastener  211  and the loop surface fastener  311  contribute to keep the height of the left-breast cup  32  at a suitable position. Namely, when putting on the brassiere  1 , the left-breast band  31  can be combined with the right-breast band  21  so that the left-breast cup  32  is placed at a suitable position while making sure of the height positions and balance of the right and left bust tops in accordance with the position of the right-breast cup  22  for holding the breast on the right breast side. Note that, in the present embodiment, a hook and loop surface fastener was used to combine the right-breast band  21  with the left-breast band  31 , however, it is not limited to that and those capable of combining the right-breast band  21  with the left-breast band  31  in a freely attachable/detachable way, such as a hook, button and snap, may be used. 
         [0054]    The present invention is useful for reducing an oppressing feeling and pain when wearing a brassiere for breast cancer patients, who had a surgery for removing their unilateral breast as a breast cancer treatment. 
         [0055]    The embodiment explained above is described to facilitate understanding of the present invention and is not to limit the present invention. Accordingly, respective elements disclosed in the above embodiments include all design modifications and equivalents belonging to the technical scope of the present invention.