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US 2011/0300774 A1Published application
Elastic reinforced inframammary curve bra
OwnerVeronica C Smithinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A contouring support bra made from soft stretchable cotton knit and light, and power-net support fabrics particularly suited for pregnant and nursing women for comfortably providing an alluring, lifted tear drop breast shape analogous to that provided by properly-fitted traditional underwire bra structures.
Claims4
A seam structure joining soft knit fabric breast cups of a bra having semicircular, cut, bottom edges with particular circumferential lengths for accommodating a woman's breast and semicircular, upper cut edges of an elastic power-net bra front panel having circumferential lengths shorter than that of the breast cups for providing wireless, elastic support along, conforming to the inframammary skinfold curve of each breast of a woman comprising, in combination,
- a) an exterior, over-locking stitch seam joining the bottom semicircular edge of a breast cup with each semicircular upper cut edge of the elastic power-net bra front panel stretched to match that of the bottom semicircular edge of a breast cup,
- b) reinforcing, elastic fabric strips folded over the exterior over-locking stitch seam and secured by zigzag/stretch stitching,
- whereby, the seam structure projects outward and elastically extends along conforming to the inframammary skinfold curve for supporting and shaping the woman's breasts in combination with the breast cups.
A method for joining soft knit fabric breast cups of a bra having semicircular, cut, bottom edges with particular circumferential lengths for accommodating a woman's breast and semicircular, upper cut edges of an elastic power-net bra front panel having circumferential lengths shorter than that of the breast cups for providing wireless, elastic support along, conforming to the inframammary skinfold curve of each breast of a woman, the steps comprising,
- a) joining the bottom semicircular edge of a breast cup with each semicircular upper cut edge of the elastic power-net bra front panel stretched to match that of the bottom semicircular bottom edge of a breast cup with an over-locking stitch, outside seam,
- b) folding a reinforcing, elastic fabric strip over the outside seam,
- c) securing the reinforcing, elastic fabric strip folded over the outside seam with a zigzag/stretch stitch,
- whereby, the outside seam with the secured reinforcing elastic strip projects outward and extends conforming to the inframammary skinfold curve for supporting and shaping the woman's breasts in combination with the breast cups.
1 more element
A contouring support bra for providing elastic support along, conforming to inframammary skinfold curves of a woman's breasts comprising in combination:
- a) a pair of power-net elastic fabric panels joined together by a central flat faggot seam with each panel being folded back from the central flat faggot seam to provide symmetrical left and right, elastic, double-layer, front support panels each having a relaxed, semicircular top edge between a top central sternum seam edge and a slanting, straight top edge, a slanting side edge and a straight bottom edge;
- b) a pair of soft stretchable fabric breast cups each having a front concave side edge and a side concave side edge tapering to a top strap anchor tab, and a semicircular bottom edge having a circumferential length greater than that of the relaxed semicircular top edges of the elastic, double-layer front support panels;
- c) exterior, over-locking stitch seams joining, respectively, the top semicircular edges of the left and the right elastic, double-layer front support panels to the lower semicircular edge of a fabric breast cup, the relaxed semicircular top edge of each front support panel being stretched to conform to the circumferential length of the lower semicircular edge of the breast cup;
- d) reinforcing, elastic strips folded over the outside, over-locking stitch seams joining the breast cups and the double layer front support panels, secured by zigzag and stretch stitching for providing elastic support along, and conforming to the inframammary skinfold curve of each breast of a woman;
- e) a pair of elastic power-net elastic fabric back support panels with straight bottom edges, each having a slanted side edge secured to a slanted a side edge of a double-layer, front support panel, each also having a concave top edge, and a concave back side edge tapering to a back shoulder strap anchor edge and;
- f) reinforcing, elastic strips stretched, and secured by zigzag stitching to:
- (i) the front concave side edges and the top central sternum seam edges of each fabric breast cup crossing the central sternum seam joining the double layer front support panels;
- and
- (ii) the respective left and right side concave edges of the breast cups, the respective left and right slanting top edges of the front support panels, the respective left and right concave top and side edges of each back support panel,
- wherein, the reinforcing, elastic strips overlap approaching, and at the top anchor edge of the respective left and right breast cups to provide a pair of front shoulder strap anchors, and also overlap approaching, and at the back shoulder strap anchor edge of the respective left and right back support panels to provide a pair of back shoulder strap anchors;
- g) an elastic torso band with adjustable means for securing its distal ends together, having a stretched length at least equal to the circumferential girth of a woman's thoracic torso below her inframammary skinfold, and a upper edge secured respectively to the straight bottom edges of the double layer, front support panels, and the back support panels;
- and
- h) a pair of adjustable shoulder support straps each having means fastening its distal ends between a front shoulder strap anchor and a back shoulder strap anchor.
10 more elements
A method for fabricating contouring support bra for providing elastic support along, conforming to inframammary skinfold curves of a woman's breasts comprising:
- a) cutting out an identical pair of power-net elastic fabric panels each having a symmetrical left and right a relaxed, semicircular top edge, a slanting, straight central top sternum edge, a slanting top side edge, a slanting side edge and a straight bottom edge;
- b) joining an identical pair of power-net elastic fabric panels together with a central sternum seam;
- c) folding each panel back on itself from the central sternum seam to provide symmetrical, left and right, double-layer, front support panels;
- d) cutting out a pair of soft stretchable fabric breast cups each having a front concave side edge and a side concave side edge tapering to a top front shoulder strap anchor edge, and a lower semicircular bottom edge having a circumferential length greater than that of the relaxed top edges of the elastic, double-layer front support panels;
- e) stretching and joining respectively, the top semicircular edges of the left and the right elastic, double-layer front support panels to a lower semicircular edge of a fabric breast cup with exterior over-locking stitch seams;
- f) folding a reinforcing elastic strip over the exterior over-locking stitch seams joining the breast cups and the double layer front support panels;
- g) securing the folded-over, reinforcing elastic strips to the exterior over-locking stitch seams with zigzag and stretch stitching for providing elastic support along, and conforming to the inframammary skinfold curve of each breast of a woman;
- h) cutting out respective left and right power-net elastic fabric back support panels with straight bottom edges, each having each having a slanting side edge, a concave top edge, and a concave back side edge tapering to a back shoulder strap anchor edge;
- i) joining the respective left and right slanting side edges of the back support panels to the left and right slanted side edges of the double layer front support panels with a flat-locking seam;
- j) joining the straight bottom edges of the respective left and right joined front and back support panels to an elastic torso band using with zigzag and stretch stitching, the torso band having a stretched length at least equal to the circumferential girth of a woman's thoracic torso below her inframammary skinfold and having distal ends with adjustable means for securing the distal ends of the torso band together;
- k) joining a top edge of finishing reinforcing, stretched elastic strips using stretch stitching to:
- (i) exterior surfaces of the fabric breast cups joined with the front support panels along the front concave side edges of the breast cups and along the top sternum edges of the front support panels crossing the central sternum seam;
- and
- (ii) the exterior surfaces of the breast cups, along the respective left and right side concave edges, the exterior surfaces of the respective left and right slanting top edges of the front support panels, and along the exterior surfaces of the respective left and right concave top and side edges of each back support panel;
- l) folding the finishing reinforcing, stretched elastic strips over to respective left and right insides surfaces of the breast cups, front support panels, and back support panels;
- m) securing the folded-over, finishing, reinforcing, stretched elastic strips to the inside surfaces of the breast cups, front support panels, and back support panels with zigzag stitching,
- wherein the secured, finishing reinforcing, stretched elastic strips overlap approaching, and at the respective top front shoulder strap anchor edges of the left and right the breast cups providing a pair of front shoulder strap anchors, and overlap, approaching and at the respective left and right anchor edges of the back support panels providing a pair of back shoulder strap anchors;
- n) securing an adjustable shoulder support strap shoulder strap anchors between each front and back shoulder strap anchor.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.