Patent ID: 12250976

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The following figures are provided to exemplify embodiments and realization of the invention of the present disclosure.

Reference is made toFIGS.1A-1B, which are illustrations of inner and outer sides, respectively, of a non-limiting example of an embodiment of a garment serving as a nursing bra, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. The nursing bra100includes two breast cup portions102that are defined in the front of the nursing bra. The nursing bra100is formed of a single layer, knitted seamless first fabric104that is having an inner surface106and an outer surface108. The cup portions102are defined by respective portions of the inner and outer surfaces of the first fabric104. A second fabric layer110is attached, e.g. knitted, seamed, or bonded to the inner surface106of the first fabric104. The second fabric layer110is attached such that it overlaps with at least a portion of the inner surface of the portions defining the cup portions102, thereby forming pad pockets112between the first fabric layer104and the second fabric layer110. Two openings114are formed at the second fabric layer110at a suitable position to receive the nipples of the wearer, when the bra is worn. The pad pockets112are configured to accommodate nursing pads (not shown), which are insertable and removable through the openings114. The openings114are shaped and dimensioned to facilitate said insertion and removal of the pads, for example the openings can be circular. The pads are reusable and can be washed with or separately from the bra.

The nursing bra100includes a bottom support portion116for tight fitting over a wearer's chest or belly and fasteners couple118A and118B at two opposite ends of the bottom support portion116to allow fastening of the bra around the wearer's chest or belly. The fasteners can be, for example, hook and eye closure.

The nursing bra100further includes adjustable shoulder straps120linking the front side and the back side of the bra for fitting over shoulders of a wearer.

Two sheets of a third fabric122are attached to the inner side of the cup portions102to provide additional support to the breast of the wearer. Each of the third fabrics122is attached to the bottom end portion124of the cup portion102and the second fabric110. For example, the attachment to the second fabric may be seams extending between portions overlapping with the bottom and top end of the cup portion. The third fabric includes a loose portion121that is attachable in an attachable/detachable manner to the to a shoulder strap clip126at the top end portion124of the cup portion102. In some configurations, it can also be attached to the bottom support portion116.

The first, second and third fabrics can be three different fabrics or at least two of them can be the same fabric. The first, second and third fabric may differ from one another by texture of the fabric, i.e. one can have more or less dense fabric than the others or at least portions thereof that have different textures. In some other embodiments, at least two of the first, second and third fabrics are made of the same type of fabric, though each may include different textures of the fabric. The type of textures affects the elasticity and/or density of the fabric. For example, the textures may be selected from rib knit type, pique, jersey, weft knits such as single knits and double knits, etc.

The first fabric layer104of the bra100is formed with different texture portions, i.e. portions with different density of the fabric that yields different properties of the fabric, e.g. different elasticity of different portions. In this example, the portions surrounding the cup portions102are denser than the cup portions to provide support to the breast. Similarly, the bottom support portion116is denser than the cup portions102.

Reference is now made toFIG.2, which is a side view of a schematic illustration of a non-limiting example of a nursing pad according to an aspect of the present disclosure. The nursing pad250is formed of multiple layers and the arrangement thereof is exemplified inFIG.3. The nursing pad250is molded and thereby having a cup shape to be fitted into the pad pockets of the bra shown inFIG.1A-1B.

Referring now toFIG.3, the top layer is the nipple-engaging layer252that comes into contact with the nipple of the wearer when the pad is received in the pad pocked of the bra. The nipple-engaging layer252is made of a fast wicking mesh and breastmilk BM from the nipple is drained into the pad, namely to layers beyond the nipple-engaging layer252. The layer adjacent to the nipple-engaging layer252is an anti-microbial absorbent layer254that has anti-microbial properties. The anti-microbial absorbent layer254is laminated to a leak-proof film256that is configured to block liquids penetration therethrough. The anti-microbial absorbent layer254is sandwiched between the nipple-engaging layer252and the leak-proof film256. A single jersey layer258is adjacent to the leak-proof film from the opposite side of the leak-proof film such that the leak-proof film is sandwiched between the anti-microbial absorbent layer254and the single jersey layer258. The leak-proof film blocks the flow of the liquids from the anti-microbial absorbent layer254side towards the single jersey layer258, thereby the single jersey layer maintains dry and free of breastmilk. This is important since the single jersey layer258engages the cup portion and in case it is being moistened, the moisture passes to the cup portion and stains the bra and/or the garment that covers the bra, e.g. a shirt or a dress.