Abstrict A relatively simple frame for use in bikini bottoms or briefs includes
two lengths of wire which are bent to define mirror images of each
other, the lengths defining a major portion of an oval of sufficient
length to extend around the crotch of a wearer between a V-shaped
line across the rectus abdominous muscle in the front and the sacrum
in the rear of the wearer. Each of the lengths of wire includes
a straight, vertical rear portion extending downwardly from an inverted
L-shaped top rear end to approximately the bottom center of the
crotch area, and a front portion flaring outwardly and upwardly
from the vertical plane of the straight rear portion to a top end
and then downwardly to the vertical plane of the rear portion. The
two lengths of wire are interconnected using conventional cable
connectors to define a T-shaped rear and a generally triangular
front with a V-shaped depression in the top thereof. A front connector
loosely retains the wires so that the frame can readily be deformed
during manufacture of the product. The frame is covered with a fabric
or other flexible cover.
Claims We claim:
1. A frame for a bikini bottom or briefs comprising a pair of resilient
wire members, one said wire member being the mirror image of the
other said wire member, each said wire member defining a major portion
of an oval of sufficient length to extend around the crotch of a
wearer between an approximately V-shaped line on the rectus abdominous
muscle in the front and the sacrum in the rear of the wearer, each
said member including a rectilinear rear portion for extending downwardly
from the top rear of the frame to approximately the bottom center
of the crotch area, an outwardly extending rear arm at the top of
the rear portion, and a front portion including a side flaring outwardly
from the vertical plane of said rectilinear rear portion to a top
end and a front arm extending downwardly and inwardly from said
top end to said vertical plane; and connector means for interconnecting
said frame members to define a T-shaped rear and a generally triangular
front, said front having a generally V-shaped depression in the
top thereof, said connector means including a first connector pivotally
interconnecting the front portions of said frame members, whereby
said front of the frame is readily deformed to facilitate mounting
of a cover on the frame and to permit the front to conform to the
area and shape of the rectus abdominous muscle of the wearer.
2. A frame according to claim 1 wherein said front portion of
each said member includes vertical stem means on the inner end of
said front arm for receiving said first connector, and said first
connector comprises a cable connector having cylindrical loops retaining
said vertical stem means to prevent separation thereof while permitting
rotation of the stem means in the loops.
3. A frame according to claim 2 wherein said front portion extends
upwardly a greater distance than said rear portion of said frame
member in the use position.
4. A frame according to claim 3 wherein said front arm is inclined
outwardly from the plane of the remainder of said front portion.
5. A frame according to claim 4 including second connector means
for firmly interconnecting said frame means at the top rear immediately
beneath the rear arms, and a third connector means for firmly interconnecting
said frame means at the bottom center in the crotch area.
6. A bikini bottom or briefs comprising the frame of claim 1 in
combination with a flexible cover, the bottom or briefs including
a triangular rear panel with a straight top edge; a narrow rectangular
strip in the crotch area; and a triangular front panel of greater
length than the rear panel, said front panel having a V-shaped top
edge.
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bikini bottom or briefs.
More specifically, the invention relates to a frame for a bikini
bottom or briefs, and the bikini bottom or briefs produced by covering
the frame.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In general, bikini bottoms or briefs are formed of a fabric, which
is cut and sewn to produce an article of clothing having the desired
shape and size. The articles are substantially tubular, including
a top opening for the hips or waist of the wearer and a pair of
bottom openings for the legs. In the past, such bottoms or briefs
have been produced using a resilient frame covered with fabric,
the use of a frame beneath the fabric enabling the manufacturer
to omit the portions of the article extending around the waist of
the wearer. Articles of this type are disclosed for example in U.S.
Pat. No. 2534934 which issued to F. Viniegra on Dec. 19 1950;
U.S. Pat. No. 3339208 which issued to R. L. Marbach on Sep. 5
1967 and U.S. Pat. No. 4934781 which issued to O. Axmann on Jul.
26 1983 and French Patent No. 2481893 which issued to V. O.
Denis on Nov. 13 1981.
In articles of the type in questions, aside from the question of
cost, there are two considerations which need be addressed, namely
the appearance of the finished product and comfort. In general,
devices of the type described in the above listed patents are expensive
to produce, uncomfortable or somewhat uninteresting in terms of
shape or pattern.
The simplest and virtually only convenient method of covering a
wire frame involves the production of a tubular cover which is pulled
onto the frame like a sock. When the cover is pulled onto the frame,
the latter must be deformed, and if the frame is not sufficiently
resilient it will not assume its original shape. Other problems
are the fact that the patented articles are not properly supported
on the body of the wearer, do not conform to the shape of the tummy
of the wearer and/or are unlikely to retain their shape during use.
Because existing frames are relatively rigid, they tend to dig into
any but the flatest of stomachs.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to offer a solution to the
above-identified problems in the form of a relatively simple yet
aesthetically pleasing bikini bottom or briefs, and a frame for
producing such an article of manufacture.
Another object of the invention is to provide a frame for a bikini
bottom or briefs which is easy to produce and which, while retaining
its shape on the wearer, is relatively comfortable, conforming to
the shape of the tummy of the wearer.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a frame for a bikini
bottom or briefs comprising a pair of resilient wire members, one
said wire member being the mirror image of the other said wire member,
each said wire member defining a major portion of an oval of sufficient
length to extend around the crotch of a wearer between an approximately
V-shaped line on the rectus abdominous muscle in the front and the
sacrum in the rear of the wearer, each said member including a rectilinear
rear portion for extending downwardly from the top rear of the frame
to approximately the bottom center of the crotch area, an outwardly
extending rear arm at the top of the rear portion, and a front portion
including a side flaring outwardly from the vertical plane of said
rectilinear rear portion to a top end and a front arm extending
downwardly and inwardly from said top end to said vertical plane;
and connector means for interconnecting said frame members to define
a T-shaped rear and a generally triangular front, said front having
a generally V-shaped depression in the top thereof, said connector
means including a first connector pivotally interconnecting the
front portions of said frame members, whereby said front of the
frame is readily deformed to facilitate mounting of a cover on the
frame and to permit the front to conform to the area of the rectus
abdominous muscle of the wearer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be described in greater detail with reference
to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment
of the invention, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view from the front and one side of a frame
for use in a bikini bottom or briefs in accordance with the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the frame of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a front view of the frame of FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view from the front and one side of a bikini
bottom or briefs produced using the frame of FIGS. 1 to 3;
FIG. 5 is a top view of the bottom or briefs of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the bottom or briefs of FIGS. 4 and
5;
FIG. 7 is a side view of the bottom or briefs of FIGS. 4 to 6;
FIG. 8 is a front view of the bottom or briefs of FIGS. 4 to 7;
and
FIG. 9 is a rear view of the bottom or briefs of FIGS. 4 to 8.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 a frame used as a base for the
bikini bottoms or briefs of the present invention which is generally
indicated at 1 includes a pair of wire members 2 and 3 which are
mirror images of each other. Each of the members 2 and 3 includes
a single length of wire, which is bent to define a major portion
of an oval (FIG. 2) such that if the free ends of the wire were
extended to meet, the resulting figure would be more or less drop-shaped.
The wire members 2 and 3 are resilient and are intended to extend
around the crotch of a wearer 4 (FIG. 8) from above the rectus abdominous
muscle in the front to the sacral area in the rear. More specifically,
the wire members 2 and 3 extend between a line (FIG. 8) extending
approximately between the top of the ilia in the front and the sacrum
in the rear of a wearer.
When viewed from the front or the rear, each of the wire members
2 and 3 includes a rectilinear rear portion 6 extending downwardly
from an outwardly extending arm 7 to approximately the bottom center
of the crotch area. Plastic caps 8 are provided on the outer ends
9 of the arms 6. The rear portions 6 are interconnected immediately
beneath the arms 7 and at the bottom in the crotch area by conventional
cable connectors 10 and 11 respectively.
As best shown in FIG. 3 front portions 12 (in front of the connector
11) extend upwardly and outwardly (when viewed from the front or
rear), i.e. diverge from the vertical planes occupied by the rear
portions 6 to sharply rounded top corners 13. The corners 13 are
located in a horizontal plane 14 above the longitudinal axes of
the rear arms 7. The upper ends of the front portions 12 include
arms 15 extending downwardly and inwardly from the corners 13 to
vertical planes occupied by the rear portions 6 of the wire members.
As best shown in FIG. 2 the arms 15 are inclined outwardly from
the plane of the main body of the front portions 12 to allow for
the curvature of the abdomen of the wearer. Short vertical stems
or ends 16 are provided on the arms 15. The ends 16 are interconnected
by a connector 17 which is similar to the connectors 10 and 11.
A plastic cap 18 is provided on the bottom of the ends 16. The connectors
10 11 and 17 are all defined by a strip of metal which is bent
to form two parallel cylindrical tubes for receiving the wire members
2 and 3. While the connectors 10 and 11 firmly engage the frame
members 2 and 3 the connector 17 only loosely engages the ends
16. Thus, the ends 16 can be rotated in the connector 17 as illustrated
schematically by arrows 19 in FIG. 7 and the arms 15 can flex outwardly
as shown in phantom outline in FIG. 2 whereby the front of the
frame can conform to the shape of the tummy of a wearer. When the
arms 15 flex outwardly, the ends 16 rotate, and the corners 13 move
transversely of the frame towards each other while remaining in
the same vertical plane.
With reference to FIGS. 4 to 9 when the wire frame 1 is covered
with a fabric 20 or another flexible material, a finished bikini
bottom or briefs generally indicated at 21 is the result. Covering
of the frame 1 is effected by forming of a fabric tube or sock (not
shown) which is pulled over the frame, folded over and sewn at the
open end thereof. Obviously, in some areas the sock will be substantially
narrower than the frame 1. Accordingly, it is necessary to deform
the frame during application of the sock. The use of the loose connector
18 permits such deformation without substantially bending of the
wires defining the frame. Following application of the sock, the
frame 1 can be readily twisted to its original shape merely by rotating
the ends 17 in the connector 18.
The briefs 21 include a generally triangular front panel 24 with
a top edge 25 defining a V-shaped depression. The front panel 24
tapers downwardly to a narrow generally rectangular strip 26 which
extends beneath the crotch of the wearer to a rear panel 28. The
rear panel 28 is generally triangular with a straight top edge 29.
The top edge of the front panel 24 i.e. the V-shaped depression
25 is located on the rectus abdominous muscle of the wearer. The
top edge 29 of the rear panel 28 is located in the sacral area of
the wearer, and specifically in the area of the lowest vertebra
or sacrum of the wearer. With this structure, i.e. with the long
top front and top rear edges, the pressure on the body of the wearer
is spread out over a relatively large area of the body. The use
of a wire frame extending around the entire periphery of the finished
product maintains the structural integrity of the bikini bottom
or briefs. Moreover, the use of the loose connector 18 ensures
that the front panel 24 conforms reasonably closely to the shape
of the abdomen of the wearer, i.e. the ends 17 of the frame 1 can
rotate better to accommodate a round tummy. However, in spite of
the utilitarian aspects of the frame, namely integrity of the structure
in use, flexibility to conform to tummy shapes and load distribution,
the finished product is aesthetically pleasing.
It will be appreciated that the two lengths of wire used from the
frame can be replaced by a single length of wire shaped and bent
to form the triangular front and rear panels. Connectors would still
be used to hold the straight sides of the rear portion of the frame
together, and the free ends of the wires would form the outer ends
of the T-shaped top rear of the frame. The use of two separate lengths
of wire is preferred for strength and ease of manufacture, assembly
being a relatively simple operation.
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