US3190292A - Brassiere construction including bust forms - Google Patents

Description

June 22, 1965 M- R. BARNES 3,190,292

BRASSIERE CONSTRUCTION INCLUDING BUST FORMS Filed March 29. 1965 INVENTOR.

M055 R. ,BQQNES apparent from the following description.

United States Patent 3,199,292 BRASSEERE {IGNSHRUCTEQN INCLUDING BUST FGJRMS Mains R. Barnes, 4636 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, Calif. Fiied Mar. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 268,962 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-479) The present invention relates to improvements in brassieres and particularly in the provision of novel bust forms and means for associating said forms with a brassiere.

The constructions and devices of the present invention are capable of being used by normally developed women, Women with undeveloped breasts and by those who have had a mastectomy, for the purpose of enhancing the globulosity of the upper portion of a female breast, and enhancing the general appearance thereof. Although bust forms or pads have been used in brassieres heretofore, prior forms of bust pads have not been satisfactory in a number of different particulars. One of the problems encountered heretofore is that the usual pad does not fit properly in that the upper edge of the pad is spaced from the body of the wearer, and the overlying brassiere has a tendency to crinkle, fold or bend creating an unnatural effect which immediately signals the presence of a bust pad therebeneath. Moreover, when viewed from the side of the upper portion of the breasts of most women present a sloping and concave contour commonly referred to as the ski jump; the present invention converts this sagging concave contour into a rounded, fuller, more globular and more pleasing contour. Again the presence of prior types of bust pads in a brassiere is made evident by the fact that such pads and brassieres do not move, oscillate and bounce during normal walking or other physical activities of the wearer to the same extent and with the same effect as is obtained by a normal unp-added breast. All these problems have been solved by the materials, constructions and arrangements described hereinafter.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to disclose and provide a brassiere and breast forms for use in brassieres as well as means whereby a brassiere and the breast forms of the present invention may be combined so as to attain the solution to the problems stated hereinabove. A further object of the invention is to disclose and provide an improved bust form construction employing one or more pieces of a leaded or weighted sheet material which is bendable and somewhat resilient, and is irremovably carried by the bust form.

A further object of the invention is to disclose and pr0- vide means for connecting a bust form to the non-stretchable shoulder straps normally associated with a brassiere so as to emphasize the elastic, oscillatory movement which characterizes a normal breast during walking and other forms of physical exercise.

These and other objects of the invention will become In order to facilitate understanding, reference will be had to the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a brassiere constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 2a and 2b are side elevations, diagrammatic in form, exemplifying the normal ski jump contour and the enhanced contour obtained by the use of bust forms and brassieres of the present invention.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged front elevation, top elevation and vertical sections of a bust form constructed in accordance with the present invention, the vertical section shown in FIG. 5 being along the plane V-V indicated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged vertical section taken through the upper edge portion of a brassiere embodying ice the bust forms herein disclosed, illustrating a form of connecting means.

It is to be understood that the present invention is applicable to any normal or usually manufactured type of brassiere which includes breast cups. Patents 2,953,133, 2,995,133 and 3,077,198 illustrate exemplary for-ms of brassieres which may be used and therefore details of construction of the brassiere per se need not be given. However, as indicated in FIG. 1 each brassiere normally includes a pair of breast cups 1 and 1 generally connected by some form of sternum piece 2. The sides of such breast cups are connected to rearwardly extending elements such as 3 capable of being adjustably connected and encircle the wearer. Shoulder straps of adjustable length but of inelastic material are generally provided as indicated at 4, one of such shoulder straps extending from the upper edge of each cup, and may include the ties 5 and an adjustable linkage or connector 6. The rear portion of each such shoulder strap is connected to a body encircling portion 3. Any suitable fabric or lace may be employed for such brassieres.

FIG. 2a exemplifies the so-called ski jump profile of the breast of most Nordic, European and American women. A contour of greater fullness in the upper portion of the breast is more desirable and such more desirable contour, as created by the devices of the present invention, is indicated in FIG. 2b. This contour is attained, with many other concomitant advantages, by the use of the preformed bust forms illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5 inclusive. Bust forms are normally supplied in pairs, right and left, and since they are substantially mirror images, the invention will .be described with respect to a single bust form only.

Each bust form, such as that indicated at 10, has a generally convex outer surface and a generally concave inner surface, and is adapted to cover upper, lower and side portions of a breast including the nipple area. Ordinarily the bust forms are somewhat wider to the side than towards the middle portion of the body. The bust forms are preformed or molded from any light weight cellular and resilient organic foam composition such as, for example, urethane foam, latex compositions, poly-esters, polyvinyls, copolymers or any other sponge-like resilient cellular and light weight material capable of attaining a smooth surface upon being formed and a natural flesh feel to the touch.

The inner and outer surfaces of these preformed bust forms meet at a marginal edge, the upper edge such as the edge 11 generally conforming to the contour of the upper edge of a breast receiving cup of a brassiere. In accord .ance with the present invention, the thickness of the breast form in the upper half is thicker than in the lower half as illustrated in FIG. 5; moreover, the increased thickness is preferably accentuated in an area radiating upwardly from the nipple towards the upper edge 11 through an arc of say about In this manner a compound-curved outer and upper surface is obtained which closely resembles the contour of a fully developed breast of appreciable globulosity.

Since the bust form described hereinabove is light weight (and would not closely contact the skin of the wearer along the upper edge Ill) means are provided for maintaining the bust form in substantial contact with the body of the wearer. The preferred means for accomplishing this objective constitute pieces or precut plates of sheet material which is bendable and made of weighted resinous composition. Sheets from which these pieces may be prepared may be composed of plasticized vinyl or other resinous composition containing colloidal or very finely divided weighing material such as lead particles, baritcs or other metallic or mineral substance in dispersed form, the weighing material being suspended pad during forming. As' indicated in the preferred form of invention illustrated in. FIGS. 3-5 the sheet or piece 15'is embedded in. the upper half of the bust form with one edge of such'piece'in close proximity to and substantially parallel to the upper edge 11 of such form 10. The

The matrix itself may also be Instead of employing one sheet, a pin-- body of the wearer; the entire natural breast and imparts a realistic and natural effect.

brassiere rests on the It will be evidentthat a similar construction is employed for the other pocket of the brassiere. In the event opposing'edge of the insert is preferably spaced from the nipple-covering area of the breast form. Desirably the insert 15 has an area and weight sufficient to maintain the upper edge of the form in contact with the body of the wearerysince such piece 15 is'deformable but of greater resistance tobending than the cellular mass of the a person has beensubjected to a mastectomy, then the internal contours of the bust form may be changedso as to more readily and'accurately conform to the remaining tissues therein. Moreover, although the drawings illustnatethe presence of the resilient' bendable weighted elenent 15 in the'upper portion or'upper half of the bust form a similar effect (although not quite as pronounced) is obtained by'placing a weighted member similar to. 15 within the' lower portion ofthe breast form, one edge of such member being then adjacent the lower edge 12 of the bust form. Ineach instancethe weighted members, irrern'ovably embedded in the cellular material of the body of the form itself cause the edges of the form to contact the body of'the wearer even though the wearer is exerbust form, such-piece 15 imparts a firmer and more positive and permanent curvature to the upper part of the breast form even though the wearer has a highly undeveloped breast.

In practice it is highly desirableto envelop the, preformed bust form described hereinabove in a softpliable cising or walking. I

All modifications and changes coming withinthe scope of the appended-claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. In a brassiere having brea-stcups, each provided with'an upper edge and a nipple covering portion, and

envelope generally made of nylon, rayon, silk or some other light weight fabric. Such envelope is indicated in FIG. 6 at 16. In order to facilitate attachment of a bust forms (whereby the bust forms may be readily removed for cleaning) or the enclosing envelope 15 of each breast form may be provided with'a snap, button, loop or safety pin so as to facilitate the positioning of a .bust form within the cup ,of a bras'si'ere.

In order to impart a desired bounce and the bust forms and brassiere, the preferred construction contemplates the utilization of a strip, of elastic tape or the like, one end thereof being connected to the upper edge portion of the bust form (or to the envelope in which-it is contained) and the other being connected to the normally non-stretchable but adjustable shoulder strap 4. In the drawings the'relatively short piece of elastic ribbon tape or the like is indicated at 17 land it will be seen that one end of this strip is permanently connected in any suitable manner (as by stitching) at 18 to the envelope 16 in which the bust form is contained. The end of the elastic element (tape or spring) may be embedded in or connected to the bustform itself. 'The other end of the elastic tape 17 is connected in any suitable manner as at 19 to the shoulder strap 4 Preferably the point of connection 19 is above the adjustable linkage 6 thereby permitting a ready adjustment in the relative lengths of the elastic tape 17 and the overlying portion of the shoulder strap. It is desirable to make the shoulder strap which overlies the elastic tape slightly longer than the length of the elastic tape 17 when the latter is in its contracted or relaxed position.

As a result when the wearer is walking-and the entire movement of the breast is in a downward direction, the elastic tape 17 is elongated and on the very next step of the wearer such tape has the property of raising the bust form and breast so as to accentuate, facilitate and expedite the upward movement. Similar stretching and contracting of the elastic tape takes place when body movement of I brassiere are factors which infiuence the amount of bounce imparted to the bust form and brassiere. However, attention is called to the fact that at no time is there; a gap or space formed between the bust form and the,

retaining means for removable bust forms carried by said breast cups, the provision of:

a pair of preformed bust forms, each having a generally convex outer surface anda generally concave inner surface, 1

the upper edge portion of each bust form being thinner than other portions and curvedto approximate the contour of the upper edge of a breast cupin which said form is to be received, I each such bust for-m being composed of a light weight, cellular and resilient organic foam composition, the upper portion of each bust form containing embedded therein a sheet of bendable, weighted resinous composition, an edge of said sheet paralleling :acentral portion of the upper edge of said bust form, .the sheet having'an area and Weight sufficient to maintain the upper edge of said form in contact with thebodyof the wearer and to impart a gener-.

- 2. A bust form forum in abrassiere and adapted'to selectively enhance the glob-ulosity of the upper portion of a female breast comprising:

a preformed bust form composed essentially of a cellular, resilient, foamed organic plastic, said bust form having a generally convex outer surface, a generally concave inner surface'and; a thin, curved, upper edge, the thickness of said bust form in the upper portion thereof being greater than in the lower portion thereof, and a sheet of bendable weighted resinous composition precurved to, the contours of the outer surface of said form and irremovably embeddedin'the upper portion of said bust form with an edge of said precurved sheet in virtual parallelism to and inproxi-mity to the curved upper edge of the form, the lower edge of said precurved sheet-being spaced from the nipple area of the form, the embedded sheet underlying an. area embraced byan arc of about with the nipple area as the center.

.3. A bust form for use in a brassiere' and adapted to selectively enhance the globulosity 'of the upper portion of a female breast comprising: V

a preformed bust form composed essentially of a cellular, resilient, foamed organic plastic, said bust formhaving a generally convex outer surface, a

generally concave inner surface and a thin, curved,

, upper edge, the thickness of said bust form in the upper portion thereof being greater than in the lower portion thereof, and a sheet of bendable weighted resinous composition p'recurved tothe'contour of the outer surface of said form and irre-movably embedded in the upper portion of said bust form, said bust form including an elastic elongated element having one end connected to the upper edge of said form.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,180,390 1'1/39 Blair 128-460 Gluckin 128-479 Wilhelm 336 Creamer 336 Braeht 128-533 Garfinkel 3-36 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. DELB-E-RT B. LOWE, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A BRASSIERE HAVING BREAST CUPS, EACH PROVIDED WITH AN UPPER EDE AND A NIPPLE COVERING PORTION, AND RETAINING MEANS FOR REMOVABLY BUST FORMS CARRIED BY SAID BREAST CUPS, THE PROVISION OF: A PAIR OF PREFORMED BUST FORMS, EACH HAVING A GENERALLY CONVEX OUTER SURFACE AND A GENERALLY CONCAVE INNER SURFACE THE UPPER EDGE PORTION OF EACH BUST FORM BEING THINNER THAN OTHER PORTIONS AND CURVED TO APPROXIMATELY THE CONTOUR OF THE UPPER EDGE OF A BREAST CUP IN WHICH AND FORM IS TO BE RECEIVED, EACH SUCH BUST FROM BEING COMPOSED OF A LIGHT WEIGHT, CELLULAR AND RESILIENT ORGANIC FOAM COMPOSITION, THE UPPER PORTION OF EACH BUST FROM CONTAINING EMBEDDED THEREIN A SHEET OF BENDABLE, WEIGHTED RESINOUS COMPOSITION, AN EDGEOF SAID SHEET PARALLELING A CENTRAL PORTION OF THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID BUST FORM, THE SHEET HAVING AN AREA AND WEIGHT SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID FORM IN CONTACT WITH THE BODY OF THE WEARER AND TO IMPACT A GENERALLY CONVEX AND FULLER APPEARANCE TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE CUP ABOVE THE NIPPLE AREA.

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