Abstrict A bra specifically constructed for athletic activities such as
jogging has top cups which extend down farther than on conventional
bras, putting the seam between the top cups and the under cups below
the apex to avoid irritation. Side panels at the outer ends of each
under cup extend only the height of the under cup, and each top
cup extends farther back accordingly, above the adjacent side panel,
to a seam at the rearward edge of the top cup and side panel. All
raw edges of seams on the bra are either on the outside or, if inside,
are concealed from contact with the skin. The material for the top
cups and under cups may be soft and non-stretchable, such as cotton.
Each aspect of the bra's construction is effective to reduce irritation
to the wearer during athletic activities wherein the breasts have
a tendency to bounce or sway with respect to the body.
Claims I claim:
1. A bra for athletic activities, comprising:
an under cup at each breast, extending from the bottom edge of
the bra up to a line below the nipple position;
a side panel at the outer end of each under cup, extending generally
the same height as the under cup, for supporting the outer sides
of the breasts;
a top cup at each breast, above the under cup and connected to
the under cup in a seam at said line, the top cup extending laterally
above the side panel in continuous manner, to help distribute the
tops of the breasts comfortably and naturally;
a back strap extending from the outside ends of the side panels
and top cups, for retaining the bra to the breasts; and
a pair of shoulder straps, each extending from the top of a top
cup to a connection with the back strip, for supporting the bra
on the shoulders;
the bra having the raw edges of all seams protected from contact
with the wearer's skin, for avoidance of irritation to the wearer;
whereby adequate support and maximum comfort are provided the user
during sporting activities.
2. The bra of claim 1 wherein the top cups are of cotton.
3. The bra of claim 1 wherein the under cups are of stretchable
material.
4. The bra of claim 1 wherein the under cups and top cups are of
cotton.
5. The bra of claim 1 wherein the shoulder straps include stretchable
elastic portions for size versatility, positioned to be located
on the wearer behind and below the tops of the shoulders.
6. The bra of claim 5 including protective cloth flaps adjacent
to the stretchable elastic portions, secured to the shoulder straps
on the under sides and positioned to shield the wearer from the
elastic portions.
7. The bra of claim 1 wherein the back strap is in two sections,
with releasable, adjustable connection means at its rearward ends
for providing size adjustment.
8. The bra of claim 7 wherein the adjustable connection means comprises
a hook and eye connection, with each of said two sections including
a stretchable elastic portion adjacent to the connection means and
a protective cloth flap on the inside of the strap, positioned to
extend between the elastic and the wearer's skin.
9. The bra of claim 8 including a further protective cloth flap
extending from the end of one of the straps, positioned to lie just
inside the hook and eye connection when in use, for further protection
of the wearer against irritation.
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to brassieres, and more particularly to an
improved, non-irritating bra for sporting activities.
During sporting activities, such as jogging, tennis, gymnastics,
etc., most women need the support of a bra to retain the breasts
relatively immobile, avoiding uncomfortable bouncing and swaying.
Conventional bras typically have a large number of seams comprising
raw edges of material, particularly in critical support areas, as
well as hardware for connection together and adjustment of the bra.
The seams and the hardware tend to cause considerable irritation
to the wearer during many sporting activities, and these bras have
generally been impractical and unacceptable.
Recently several new bra constructions have been suggested and
marketed particularly for jogging and other sporting activities.
However, several of the sporting bras have still included a large
number of seams, with raw edges in locations which can cause severe
irritation problems. Some of the sporting bras simply do not provide
the required support for the breasts. No previous bra has been as
comfortable and as irritation-free, yet providing as adequate support,
as the athletic bra of the present invention described below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a bra for athletic activities having
superior comfort capabilities through the elimination of seams (particularly
raw edges) at irritating locations and through a new top cup and
under cup construction. The bra construction assures adequate support
for the breasts, preventing bounce and sway during jogging and other
sporting activities involving similar movements, although the construction
of the bra is quite simple.
According to the present bra construction each of the top cups
extends, toward the body's side, beyond the under cup, to a seam
which also forms the rearward side of a side panel below the top
cup. The side panel extends only to the bottom of the top cup. Also
the top cup extends lower than is typical of conventional bras,
below the nipple or apex of the breasts by a sufficient distance
to avoid irritation to the nipple by the seam between the top cup
and the under cup below. The separate side panels are reinforced
to support and contour the under cups, in lieu of an underwire.
The raw edges of all seams that are contained in the bra of the
invention are either on the outside or, if inside, are not at the
extreme inside but are concealed from contact with the skin, avoiding
any possibility of irritation. Both hardware and irritating elastic
portions are avoided as much as possible, and if used, are positioned
only at locations where they will not cause irritation, and protective
cloth flaps are provided at the location of any hardware or elastic
to further prevent irritation. The only hardware which may optionally
be included is at the back side of the back strap, which may be
formed in two sections connectable together adjustably with hook
and eye type connections.
For maximum comfort and breast support, woven cotton is preferably
used as the material for the entire bra. However, the under cups
may be formed of a typical stretchable material, which may be cotton,
for providing support while also helping facilitate body movement,
but the top cups are preferably of non-stretchable cotton material.
Accordingly, in one embodiment of the invention, a bra for athletic
activities comprises an under cup at each breast, extending from
the bottom edge of the bra up to a line below the nipple position;
a side panel at the outer end of each under cup, extending generally
the same height as the under cup, for supporting the outer sides
of the breasts; a top cup at each breast, above the under cup and
connected to the under cup in a seam at said line, the top cup extending
laterally above the side panel in continuous manner, to help distribute
the tops of the breasts comfortably and naturally; a back strap
extending from the outside ends of the side panels and top cups,
for retaining the bra to the breasts; and a pair of shoulder straps,
each extending from the tops of the top cups to a connection with
the back strap, for supporting the bra on the shoulders; the bra
having raw edges of seams on the outside for avoidance of irritation
to the wearer; whereby adequate support and maximum comfort are
provided the user during sporting activities.
It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide an
improved athletic bra which substantially eliminates all sources
of irritation to the user while at the same time providing adequate
support for the breasts, including avoidance of uncomfortable bounce
and sway. These and other objects, advantages and features of the
invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred
embodiment, taken in conjunction with the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a frontal elevational view showing the bra of the invention
as it is worn on the body.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing the bra as it is worn.
FIG. 3 is a partial view of the bra showing the inside surface
and details of construction.
FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view taken along the line 4--4
of FIG. 3 illustrating seam construction.
FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view taken along the line 5--5
of FIG. 3 also illustrating seam construction.
FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view taken along the line 6--6
of FIG. 3 showing the connection of an elastic band to the bra.
FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view taken along the line 7--7
of FIG. 3 showing details of construction at the ends of the back
strap.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8--8 of FIG. 3
showing edge construction at the top cups.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a bra 10 according to the invention,
particularly constructed for athletic activities, as worn by a wearer
11. Included in the bra 10 are a pair of under cups 12 a pair of
top cups 13 immediately above, a pair of shoulder straps 14 extending
from the tops of the top cups 13 over the shoulders, and a back
strap 16 which preferably comprises two sections as described below.
As illustrated, the top cups 13 extend down to seams 17 below each
apex or nipple 18 so that the seam 17 is always well below the
nipple and irritation to the sensitive nipple area during jogging
or other similar physical activity is avoided. Also in accordance
with the present construction, each top cup 13 extends, on the end
along the wearer's side, beyond the under cup 12 and over a side
panel 19 which essentially comprises a contour extension for the
under cup 12 ending generally at a stitch line 20 which is positioned
generally under the arm. This differs from conventional bra construction,
wherein the side panel, a strengthening and supporting element,
typically extended through the height of both under cup and top
cup, so that the top cup terminated at the side panel, generally
coextensively with the under cup, tending to restrict the top portions
of the breasts to a defined area. The side panel 19 of the present
bra construction is adequate to assist the under cup 12 in supporting
the natural breast curve at the outer sides of the breasts. The
extended top cup allows an even and more natural distribution of
the top portions of the breasts, to avoid unnatural confinement.
Also in prior bra construction, the seam between the top cup and
under cup usually was positioned about half way down, occurring
generally in the nipple areas and tending to cause irritation during
athletic activities.
FIGS. 3 through 8 illustrate a number of details of the present
bra construction, with material layers shown separated and spatial
relationships exaggerated and not to scale, for clarity. The seam
17 between under cup and top cup is of the sandwiched typed, as
illustrated schematically in the sectional view of FIG. 4. Two layers
21 of material preferably form the under cup 12 while a single
layer forms the top cup 13. The ends of the bottom cup layers 21
are folded under as indicated, so that the raw edges 30 of the seam
are not exposed to the skin and also to add strength to the stitched
connection, peferably made by inner and outer stitchings 22 and
23 as shown. Only the outer stitching 23 is exposed to either side.
FIG. 5 shows the construction of the side panels 19 which also
comprise two layers 24 and 26 of material as indicated. The layers
24 and 26 are not at the outside of the bra in the seam on the right
side of the panel 19 shown (see FIG. 3 which shows the inside of
the bra), covered by a binding 25 and all raw edges 30 of seams
which might otherwise cause irritation are concealed. The layer
24 is toward the outside of the bra, stitched with the layer 26
at equal length, and all raw edges 30 are concealed by the binding
25. Stitching is preferably as indicated.
FIG. 6 illustrates the connection of an elastic band 27 to the
upper edge of the back strap 16 and of the top cup 13. It is positioned
on the outside to avoid irritation, and the top edge of the bra
material is folded under as illustrated, for maximum comfort at
the inside surface. As indicated in FIG. 3 the elastic band 27
extends through most of the length of the back strap 16 in both
sections, and along the top of the top cup 13 until it reaches the
shoulder strap 14. A similar elastic band 28 is positioned along
the lower edge of the bra, preferably being of one piece and continuous
around the bra, interrupted only by the break 29 in the back strap
which divides the back strap into two sections. The elastic band
28 is connected to the bra material similarly to the arrangement
shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 shows the manner in which the upper and inner edge 31 of
each top cup is formed. This edge 31 should be non-elastic and of
considerable strength, so an additional piece of material or "tape"
strip 32 may be looped as indicated, on the outside, for reinforcement.
The illustrated stitching construction conceals material edges 30
and provides for maximum comfort.
FIG. 7 illustrates the stitching and connection arrangement at
the break 29 between the two sections of the back strap 16. Short
portions of stretchable elastic material 33 may be included, and
these may be stretchable material of the type sold under the trademark
Spandex. These stretchable patches 33 provide for size adjustability.
They are stitched directly to the strap material as indicated, and
at their outer ends are connected pieces of non-stretchable fabric
34 and 36 which in turn are stitched to eyes 37 and hooks 38 respectively.
Preferably at least two hooks and eyes are provided, as indicated
in FIG. 3. Such hooks and eyes are the only hardware included in
the bra 10 and even these may be eliminated if a one-piece back
strap is provided. In the case of the one-piece back strap, the
bra is slipped over the head when it is put on, and elastic portions
such as the illustrated portions 33 provide for some expansion when
the bra is being fitted onto the wearer.
If desired for size adjustability, additional pairs of eyes 37
may be provided, spaced a short distance along the end of the strap
section from the illustrated eyes 37. In any event, if the hardware
37 and 38 is included, a flap of material 39 extends from the piece
34 at the left side of the back strap 16 for covering the hook and
the eye, i.e. providing a shield between this hardware and the wearer's
back. As illustrated, the flap 39 may take the form of a loop extending
from the section 34 of material.
For additional protection, and particularly to prevent contact
of the stretchable patches 33 with the wearer's skin, further flaps
of material 41 are preferably provided. These are positioned directly
against the wearer's back and afford protection from the elastic
portions 33 and also from the hardware 37 and 38 to some extent,
without reducing the adjustability of the back strap 16.
As seen in FIG. 3 the shoulder straps 14 may also include portions
42 of stretchable material, and these preferably are covered by
slack pieces 43 of the soft strap material in order to prevent abrasion
of the stretchable patch 42 against the skin. The stretchable patches
42 are located in the back portion of the shoulder straps 14 behind
the tops of the shoulders, and avoid the need for shoulder strap
adjustment hardware which many bras have included. The back ends
44 of the shoulder straps 14 are connected to the outside of the
back strap sections 16 as illustrated in FIG. 3.
Soft but durable cotton is preferably used for the entire bra,
including under cup 12 top cup 13 and straps 14 and 16. However,
the under cups 12 may be made of a stretchable material typical
of previous bra constructions.
The above described preferred embodiment provides an improved bra
for athletic activities, one which substantially eliminates all
irritation to the user during jogging and similar sporting movements,
providing maximum comfort and support. Various other embodiments
and variations to this preferred embodiment will be apparent to
those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following
claims.
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