Abstrict A nursing bra provides both flex and support to a nursing mother
and provides ready access to the breasts for infant feeding. In
one embodiment, the support is provided by a relatively non-elastic
cup member supported by a pair of straps. The top strap is fabricated
from a material that stretches more readily than the lower strap.
Another embodiment comprises a multifunctional cup comprising a
top and bottom section. The top section is made of a flexible and
absorptive material which can be conveniently lowered to expose
the breast whereas the bottom portion is comprised of a relatively
non-flexible support material.
Claims What is claimed as new and which it is desired to secure by Letters
Patent of the United States is:
1. A nursing bra comprising:
A pair of support cups;
An upper strap and a lower strap attached to said cups for providing
support to said cups;
A support band connecting said cups and adapted to be disposed
along the back of the person wearing said bra, said upper strap
being composed of a flexible material and said bottom strap being
composed of a non-flexible material.
2. The nursing bra of claim 1 wherein said cups are composed of
a flexible material for providing access to the nipple of a person
by allowing said person to stretch a top portion of said cups down
over the breast of the wearer to expose said nipple for nursing
convenience.
3. The nursing bra of claim 1 further including a connective member
between said two cups.
4. The nursing bra of claim 1 wherein said support band is made
of a non-flexible material.
5. The nursing bra of claim 1 wherein said upper strap and said
lower strap are connected to an upper portion of one of said cups
and a lower portion of said one cup at one end and to a support
strap at an opposite end thereof, said support strap being of a
non-flexible material.
6. The nursing bra of claim 1 wherein each of said cups comprises
a top and bottom component structure and wherein said top component
is flexible and said bottom component is non-flexible for allowing
said top portion to be pulled over the breast of the wearer to expose
the wearer's nipple and wherein the bottom portion supports the
wearer's breast.
7. The nursing bra of claim 6 wherein said top strap is composed
of a similar flexible material as the top portion of each of said
cups.
8. The nursing bra of claim 6 wherein said bottom strap is composed
of a similar material to said bottom portion of each of said cups.
9. The nursing bra of claim 6 wherein said connecting member is
made of a material similar to said top portion of each of said cups.
10. The nursing bra of claim 1 wherein said cups and said upper
straps are composed of a material selected from the group consisting
of spandex fibre or elastic fibre and wherein said lower strap and
support band are composed of a material selected from the group
consisting of cotton or nylon.
11. The nursing bra of claim 6 wherein said top portion of each
of said cups is composed of a spandex or elastic fibre and said
bottom portion of each of said cups is composed of a material selected
from the group consisting of cotton or nylon.
12. A nursng bra comprising:
A pair of support cups connected together;
A support band connecting said cups and adapted to be disposed
along the back of the person wearing said bra;
A support strap connecting between an upper support strap, a lower
support strap and said support band, said upper strap composed of
a flexible material connecting between an upper portion of each
of said cups and said support strap, and adapted to be stretched
beneath the breast of a nursing mother;
A lower strap composed of a support material having less flex than
said upper strap and connecting between a side portion of each of
said cups and said support straps, and adapted to support the breast
of a nursing mother.
13. The nursing bra of claim 12 wherein said upper portion of said
support cups is composed of a material having greater flex than
a lower portion, said upper support strap is composed of the same
material as said upper cup portion, said lower strap being composed
of the same material as said lower cup portion for providing movement
of said upper strap and said upper cup portion while retaining said
lower strap and said lower cup portion.
14. A nursing bra comprising:
A pair of support cups connected together;
A support band connecting said cups and adapted to be disposed
along the back of the wearer;
A support strap extending between said support band and a top portion
of each of said cups, said support strap having an upper part and
a lower part, said upper part and a lower part, said upper part
being attached to said support band and said lower part being attached
to said top portion.
15. The nursing bra of claim 14 wherein said support cups are composed
of a material having both flex and support and are adapted to be
slipped down under the breast of the wearer.
16. The nursing bra of claim 15 wherein said upper part is composed
of a material having more support than said lower part.
17. The nursing bra of claim 15 wherein said lower part is composed
of a material having more support than said upper part.
18. The nursing bra of claim 14 wherein said cups are composed
of an upper part and a lower part, said upper part of said cups
having more flex than said lower part of said cups.
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Nursing bras, as currently available, are rather unstylish and
cumbersome in view of today's modern feminine apparel styles. Most
of the usual forms of nursing bras contain some means for unhooking
and folding down the cups to expose the nipple for access.
Over the past ten years or so, there has been a return to nursing
on the part of health-conscious mothers. Women today are nursing
their infants over longer periods of time, sometimes up to four
years after birth. Because of the cumbersome and unstylish designs
of the nursing bras now in existence, women are reluctant to use
nursing bras and opt for more stylish bras for appearance and support.
In order to provide access to the breasts, the bras have to be removed
while the woman is nursing. This involves going into a private room
or to a public rest room when the mother is away from home and the
child has to be fed.
The purpose of this invention is to provide a nursing bra which
is both stylish and supportive and further, provides ready access
to the mother's nipples without the necessity of removing the bra
completely.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention comprises a nursing bra having cups made of a material
that has the combined features of flex and support. In order to
provide further support, a pair of suspending straps are provided
wherein the top strap has a high degree of flexibility relative
to the lower support strap. In another embodiment, the cup itself
is made of a lower material having good support qualities and very
little flex, wherein the top portion provides some support but a
good deal of flex. In both embodiments, the top portion is pulled
down to expose the nipple during the nursing period.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of a nursing bra according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the nursing bra shown in
FIG. 1 with one of the cups lowered to expose the nipple;
FIG. 3 is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the nursing
bra according to the invention;
FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the nursing bra shown in
FIG. 3 with one of the cups lowered to expose the nipple;
FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a two-part strap embodiment
of the nursing bra of the invention; and
FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 5
with one of the cups lowered to expose the nipple.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 contains a nursing bra 10 having a pair of support cups
11 a support band 12 lower strap 13 upper strap 14 both attached
to a support strap 15. A connecting portion 16 extends between both
cups 11 in a manner similar to most non-nursing-type bras. In order
to support the breasts and yet still maintain a sufficient degree
of flex, cup 11 is manufactured from a spandex material which is
a generic name for stretch fibres based on synthetic, elastomeric,
long-chain polymers. Lower strap 13 is manufactured from a material
having less flex than the material used for cups 11 and maintains
its support, particularly when the top portion of cup 11 is folded
down to expose the nipple during nursing. Upper strap 14 is made
from a flexible material, such as spandex, and allows the top portion
of cup 11 to be pulled down while lower strap 13 in combination
with support strap 15 and band 12 is adequate support to the other
breast as well as the bottom portion of the breast that is exposed
for nursing.
FIG. 2 shows bra 10 supporting one breast by means of upper and
lower straps 14 13 support strap 15 band 12 and center portion
16 relatively unstressed, whereas the cup 11 which has its top portion
bent down to expose the mother's nipple retains lower strap 13
band 12 both in a supportive position, with upper strap 14 bent
down under the mother's breast and is extended in combination with
the upper portion of cup 11. Upon completion of her nursing activity,
the nursing mother can bring the top portion of folded cup 11 back
into a supportive position by lifting the top portion of cup 11
over the exposed nipple and sliding upper strap 14 back over her
breast.
FIG. 3 shows another embodiment 10 wherein upper strap 14 lower
strap 13 support strap 15 and band 12 are similar to the embodiment
depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 with cup 11 divided into an upper portion
11A and a lower portion 11B. Upper portion 11A is made from a similar
flex material as upper strap 14 and connective portion 16 whereas
bottom portion 11B is made of a supportive material similar to lower
strap 13. This allows upper portion 11A to be slipped down to expose
the nipple because of flexible properties of upper portion 11A and
upper strap 14. Bottom portion 11B, band 12 lower strap 13 and
support strap 15 help to retain the other breast in its natural
position as well as the support the bottom portion of the breast
that is used during nursing. The material comprising 11A can be
spandex or a similar elastic material, whereas the material comprising
lower portion 11B as well as lower strap 13 can comprise nylon,
cotton, or any similar supportive material with relatively low flex.
FIG. 4 shows the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3 with one top portion
11A dropped down away from the breast to expose the nursing nipple
and with upper strap 14 down under the mother's breast, with lower
strap 13 and bottom portion 11B remaining in place to give adequate
support to the bottom portion of the exposed breast.
An important feature of the nursing bra of the instant invention
is the flexibility and absorptivity of the material used to form
at least the upper portion 11A of cups 11 and the non-flexibility
of lower straps 13 support strap 15 and band 12. Upper and lower
straps 14 13 can comprise a single wide strap wherein the top portion
comprises a strip of flexible material and the bottom portion comprises
a strip of relatively non-flexible material similar to bottom cup
11B shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
FIG. 5 contains a nursing bra 10 of the type similar to that depicted
in FIG. 1 wherein cup 11 comprises a material of flex and support,
such as spandex. Lower part B of strap 9 in this embodiment is made
from a similar material having both flex and support, but more flex
and less support than upper part A. Band 12 is formed from a material
having good supportive properties and connective portion 16 is made
from a material similar to that of cups 11 and lower part B. Lower
part B of strap 9 contacts and is attached to band 12 at 17 in a
direct configuration as shown rather than to a support strap 15
as shown in FIGS. 1-4. This allows lower part B to be moved downward
with cup 11 as shown in FIG. 6. Upper part A remains on the shoulder
while lower part B becomes stretched along with the lower portion
of cup 11 which is pulled down and under the breast. When the "two-part"
strap configuration is used with the nursing bras 10 shown in FIGS.
3 and 4 and having an upper cup portion 11A and lower cup portion
11B, upper part A is attached to lower cup portion 11B and lower
part B is attached to upper cup portion 11A. This allows upper cup
portion 11A to be slipped down under the exposed breast while upper
strap part A remains on the shoulder as shown in FIG. 6.
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