Triangle Top Assembly with Adjustable Level of Coverage

Abstract

Disclosed herein are padded triangle assemblies for upper body garments that can be widened or narrowed to adjust coverage level. Each triangle assembly includes a pad underneath a layer of outer fabric. An upper region of the pad is attached to an upper region of the outer fabric. The pad has a thin lower flange that is attached to a lower region of the outer fabric. The lower region of the outer fabric is wider than the lower flange of the pad. In a narrowed configuration, the left and right sides of the lower region of the outer fabric are positioned close to the left and right sides of the lower flange of the pad. In a widened configuration, the left and right sides of the lower region of the outer fabric are positioned farther from the left and right sides of the lower flange of the pad.

Claims

1. An upper body garment comprising a left and right triangle assembly, each triangle assembly comprising: a pad having an upper region, a middle region, and a lower flange that is thinner than the upper region and the middle region in a front to back direction; an outer fabric having an upper region, a middle region, and a lower region; wherein the upper region of the pad is at least partially attached to the upper region of the outer fabric, and the lower flange of the pad is at least partially attached to the lower region of the outer fabric; and wherein the lower region of the outer fabric is wider than the lower flange in a medial to lateral direction.

2. The upper body garment of claim 1, wherein a vertical center portion of the pad is aligned with a vertical center portion of the outer fabric.

3. The upper body garment of claim 1, wherein the lower flange of the pad is fixedly attached to the middle region of the pad.

4. The upper body garment of claim 1, wherein a lower boundary of the middle region of the pad is a curve across the exterior face of the pad, and the lower flange extends inferiorly from the curve.

5. The upper body garment of claim 1, wherein the lower flange extends inferiorly from the middle region of the pad at an angle of greater than zero degrees.

6. The upper body garment of claim 1, wherein the exterior face of the pad is convex and comprises an apex.

7. The upper body garment of claim 4, wherein the pad further comprises a left edge and a right edge, and the pad is thicker in a front to back direction at the apex than at the left edge of the pad or the and right edge of the pad.

8. The upper body garment of claim 1, wherein the width of the lower region of the outer fabric is at least 25% greater than the width of the lower flange.

9. The upper body garment of claim 8, wherein the surface area of an exterior face of the pad is smaller than the surface area of an exterior face of the outer fabric.

10. The upper body garment of claim 1, wherein the lower flange of the pad is attached to the lower region of the outer fabric along a seam.

11. The upper body garment of claim 1, wherein each of the left and right triangle assemblies comprise a lower sleeve at least partially defined by the outer fabric.

12. The upper body garment of claim 11, wherein the upper body garment further comprises a lower band extending through the lower sleeve of the left and right triangle assemblies.

13. The upper body garment of claim 11, wherein the lower flange of the pad is attached to the lower sleeve along a seam.

14. The upper body garment of claim 13, wherein the lower sleeve extends beyond the lower flange in both lateral directions.

15. The upper body garment of claim 11, wherein the lower sleeve is defined by the outer fabric and a liner fabric.

16. The upper body garment of claim 1, further comprising a liner fabric attached to the outer fabric, wherein the pad is positioned between the outer fabric and the liner fabric.

17. The upper body garment of claim 16, wherein the liner fabric is attached to the pad at the upper region of the pad and the lower flange.

18. The upper body garment of claim 1, wherein a left side of the upper region of the pad is partially attached to a left side of the upper region of the outer fabric at a left side attachment, and a right side of the upper region of the pad is partially attached to a right side of the upper region of the outer fabric at a right side attachment.

19. The upper body garment of claim 18, wherein the left side attachment extends downward from an upper end of the pad, and the right side attachment extends downward from the upper end of the pad.

20. The upper body garment of claim 18, wherein the left edge along the middle region of the pad is unattached to the outer fabric, and the right edge along the middle region of the pad is unattached to the outer fabric.

21. A method of making an upper body garment comprising a left and a right triangle assembly, the method of making each triangle assembly comprising: providing a pad having an upper region and a lower flange; providing an outer fabric panel having an upper region and a lower region, wherein the lower region of the outer fabric is wider than the lower flange in a medial to lateral direction; at least partially attaching the upper region of the pad to the upper region of the outer fabric panel; and at least partially attaching the lower flange of the pad to the lower region of the outer fabric panel.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising aligning a vertical center portion of the pad with a vertical center portion of the outer fabric panel.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising fixedly attaching the lower flange of the pad to the middle region of the pad.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising attaching the lower flange of the pad to the lower region of the outer fabric panel along a seam.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising creating a lower sleeve that is at least partially defined by the outer fabric panel.

26. The method of claim 25, extending a lower band through the lower sleeve of the left and right triangle assemblies.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising attaching a liner fabric panel to the outer fabric panel and positioning the pad between the outer fabric panel and the liner fabric panel.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising attaching the liner fabric panel to the pad at the upper region of the pad and the lower flange.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising partially attaching a left side of the upper region of the pad to a left side of the upper region of the outer fabric panel, and partially attaching a right side of the upper region of the pad to a right side of the upper region of the outer fabric panel.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising leaving the left side along the middle region of the pad unattached to the outer fabric panel, and leaving the right side along the middle region of the pad unattached to the outer fabric panel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1A illustrates a front view of a wearer wearing the upper body garment with each triangle assembly in a widened position.

[0013] FIG. 1B illustrates a front view of a wearer wearing the upper body garment with each triangle assembly in a narrowed position.

[0014] FIG. 2A illustrates an exterior view of a left triangle assembly in a widened position.

[0015] FIG. 2B illustrates an exterior view of a left triangle assembly in a narrowed position.

[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates an exterior view of a pad of a triangle assembly.

[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view of the pad of FIG. 3.

[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates an interior view of a left triangle assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] This description refers to certain aspects of the garment relative to other aspects of the garment or to the body of a wearer. As used herein, superior indicates a direction that is closer to the wearer's head. Inferior indicates a direction that is closer to the wearer's feet. Upward, upper, or uppermost indicates a superior direction, or toward a wearer's head. Downward, lower, or lowermost indicates an inferior direction, or toward a wearer's feet. The longitudinal direction refers to an axis extending between the superior and inferior edges of the garment, or between the wearer's head and feet. Lateral indicates a positioning that is closer to the sides of the wearer. Medial indicates a positioning that is farther from the sides of the wearer. The terms right and left are in reference to the wearer's body. Some figures may include the directional indicators L and R to indicate the orientation with respect to the left side of the wearer's body and the right side of the wearer's body, respectively.

[0020] The terms about and approximately are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. In one non-limiting embodiment the terms are defined to be within 10%. In another non-limiting embodiment, the terms are defined to be within 5%. In still another non-limiting embodiment, the terms are defined to be within 1%.

[0021] The upper body garment is described as a swimsuit in the following disclosure. However, this is only one example embodiment, and is meant to provide context to the reader. The disclosure is not meant to be limited to swimsuits. Other types of upper body garments (including, but not limited to: brassieres, shirts, camisoles, and shapewear) may also benefit from the concepts disclosed herein. Furthermore, the disclosure is not limited to a particular type of swimsuit top.

[0022] The triangle assemblies of the upper body garments disclosed herein provide padding without sacrificing adjustability. An example upper body garment is shown in FIG. 1A. The upper body garment 1 includes a left triangle assembly 3 and a right triangle assembly 5. The triangle assemblies 3, 5 can be widened to provide increased coverage, as shown in FIG. 1B. FIG. 2A shows a front view of a left pad 7 underneath the outer fabric 8 of a left triangle assembly 3 with the outer fabric 8 in the widened position. FIG. 3 shows the pad 7 alone, without the outer fabric 8. As shown in FIG. 2A, the outer fabric 8 has an upper region 15, a middle region 17, and a lower region 19. As shown in FIG. 3, the pad 7 has an upper region 9, a middle region 11, and a thin lower flange 13 that extends inferiorly from the middle region 11 of pad 7. The upper region 9 of the pad 7 is at least partially attached to the upper region 15 of the outer fabric 8. The lower flange 13 of the pad 7 is at least partially attached to the lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8. The vertical center portion 21 of the pad is aligned with the vertical center portion 23 of the outer fabric 8. The lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8 is wider than the lower flange 13 of the pad 7 in a medial to lateral direction. The left side 25 and the right side 27 of the lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8 can be moved into a wide configuration as shown in FIG. 2A, or into a narrow configuration where the left and right sides 25, 27 of the lower region 19 are closer to the sides of the lower flange 13 as shown in FIG. 2B. Left pad 7 is shown in the figures described above, but it should be understood that same concepts would apply to the right pad of the right triangle assembly 5. The right pad has a shape that is an approximate mirror image of the left pad 7.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows pad 7 alone, without the outer fabric. A vertical cross section of pad 7 is shown in FIG. 4. The cross section is taken along the vertical line in FIG. 3 labeled FIG. 4. The lower flange 13 is fixedly attached to the middle region 11 of the pad by, for example, stitching, bonding, adhesives, thermal treatments, or chemical treatments. In some embodiments, the lower flange 13 is formed as an integral part of the pad 7, by, for example, a molding process. The lower boundary 29 of the middle region 11 of the pad 7 curves across the exterior face of the pad 7, with the left and right sides of the lower boundary 29 pointing upward. This curved lower boundary 29 is adapted to fit the shape of a breast, thereby eliminating gaps that may cause discomfort or bulging of the material.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, the lower flange 13 of pad 7 is thinner in the front to back direction than the upper region 9 or the middle region 11 of the pad 7. In the final construction, the lower flange 13 will be layered with the lower sleeve 43 of the outer fabric 8 and the lower band 45 that extends through the lower sleeve 43 (described in greater detail below). The thinning of the lower flange 13 with respect to the upper and middle regions 9, 11 of the pad 7 increases wearer comfort by reducing bulk that would otherwise result from layering the lower flange 13 with the additional layers of fabric. As further shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the exterior face 34 of the pad 7 is convex and comprises an apex 35. The pad thins as it approaches left and right edges 37, 39, such that the thickness of pad 7 at apex 35 is greater than the thickness of pad 7 along its left edge 37 or its right edge 39. The right edge 39 of the left pad 7 is the medially positioned edge that extends along the wearer's neckline. In some embodiments, the radius of curvature along medially positioned 39 is smaller than the radius of curvature along the laterally positioned edge 37 of the pad (i.e., the curve along the neckline edge is sharper than the curve along the lateral edge). The difference in the degree of curvature between the medial and lateral sides of the pad promotes a better fit to the breast of the wearer.

[0025] The lower flange 13 extends inferiorly from the middle region 11. In some embodiments, the lower flange 13 creates an angle a with middle region 11, as shown in FIG. 4. The angle a is greater than 0 degrees, and, in some embodiments, the angle a can be anywhere from about 5 to about 75 degrees (including, for example, about 5 degrees, about 15 degrees, about 25 degrees, about 35 degrees, about 45 degrees, about 55 degrees, about 65 degrees, and about 75 degrees). The lower flange 13 extends at an angle a in order to lie flat against the wearer's body, below the breast, and to facilitate its attachment to the lower sleeve 43. It also provides extra support to cradle the breast, keeping it in place and providing some lift.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8 is wider than the lower flange 13 in a medial to lateral direction. The left side 25 of the lower region 19 of outer fabric 8 can be moved toward or away from the left side 26 of the lower flange 13 to adjust the level of coverage on the wearer's lateral side. The right side 27 of the lower region 19 of outer fabric 8 can be moved toward or away from the right side 28 of the lower flange 13 to adjust the level of coverage on the wearer's medial side. The width of the lower flange 13 can be measured along the lower edge 31 of the lower flange 13, whereas the width of the lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8 can be measured along the lower edge 33 of the outer fabric 8. In some embodiments, the width of the lower region 19 of the outer fabric is at least 25% greater than the width of the lower flange 13. In some embodiments, the width of the outer fabric is from 25% greater to 500% greater than the width of the lower flange 13, including about 25% greater, about 50% greater, about 75% greater, about 100% greater, about 125% greater, about 150% greater, about 175% greater, about 200% greater, about 225% greater, about 250% greater, about 275% greater, about 300% greater, about 325% greater, about 350% greater, about 375% greater, about 400% greater, about 425% greater, about 450% greater, about 475% greater, and about 500% greater than the width of the lower flange 13. In some embodiments, the width of the lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8 is from about 50% to about 300% greater than the width of the lower flange 13. In some embodiments, the width of the lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8 is from about 100% to about 200% greater than the width of the lower flange 13.

[0027] In some embodiments, the surface area of the exterior face 34 of the pad 7 is smaller than the surface area of the exterior face 36 of the outer fabric 8 (with the surface area of the exterior face 36 of the outer fabric 8 measured with the left and right sides 25, 27 of the lower region 19 of outer fabric 8 in a fully-extended position as shown in FIG. 2A). For example, the surface area of the exterior face 34 of the pad 7 can be from 10% to 90% of the surface area of the exterior face 36 of the outer fabric, including about 10%, about 15%, about 20%, about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 40%, about 45%, about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, and about 90% of the surface area of the exterior face 36 of the outer fabric. In some embodiments, the surface area of the exterior face 34 of the pad 7 can be from about 25% to about 75% of the surface area of the exterior face 36 of the outer fabric 8. In some embodiments, the surface area of the exterior face 34 of the pad 7 can be from about 40% to about 50% of the surface area of the exterior face 36 of the outer fabric 8.

[0028] FIG. 5 shows an interior view of a triangle assembly 3, showing liner fabric 41. Liner fabric 41 is attached to the outer fabric 8 at or near the lower edge 33 of outer fabric 8, along the right side 27 of lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8, along the left side 25 of lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8, and at or near the edges of the upper region 15 of the outer fabric 8. Pad 7 is positioned between the outer fabric 8 and the inner liner fabric 41, and is not visible in FIG. 5. Liner fabric 41 can include one or more darts 42, as shown in FIG. 5. Lower sleeve 43 is an elongated tubular structure formed of fabric. The lower sleeve 43 can be formed by extending the lower region 19 of outer fabric 8 past lower flange 13, folding the lower region 19 upward, and attaching the lower region 19 of the outer fabric to the inner liner fabric 41 along horizontal seam 44. Alternatively, the lower sleeve 43 can be formed by stitching the lower region 19 of outer fabric 8 to inner liner fabric 41 along two separate rows of stitching, thereby creating a horizontally extending lower sleeve 43. Some embodiments may not include a liner fabric 41. In such an embodiment, the interior surface of the pad 7 is configured to directly contact the wearer, and may have a surface coating or be covered in a fabric to improve comfort. A lower sleeve 43 may still be formed without a liner fabric by folding the lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8 around the lower flange 13 and securing it to the inside of the pad 7. In some embodiments, the outer fabric 8 is shirred in the lower region 19. The lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8 may be shirred above horizontal seam 44, below horizontal seam 44 (along lower sleeve 43), or both above and below horizontal seam 44.

[0029] Lower band 45 extends through sleeve 43 and continues to extend around the wearer's back in order to secure the garment to the wearer. The lower flange 13 of the pad 7 is stitched to the lower region 19 of the outer fabric 8 and to the liner fabric 41 along horizontal seam 44. The lower flange 13 of the pad is hidden from view within the lower sleeve 43. Lower sleeve 43 extends laterally past the left and right edges of the lower flange 13 of the pad 7. The left and right sides 42, 44 of the lower sleeve 43 can be moved medially and laterally along the lower band 45. This enables the wearer to widen or narrow the triangle assembly 3 as desired, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

[0030] The left side 38 of the upper region 9 of the pad 7 is attached to the outer fabric 8 and to the liner fabric 41 via one or more left side attachments. The right side 40 of the upper region 9 of the pad 7 is attached to the outer fabric 8 and the liner fabric 41 via one or more right side attachments. In some embodiments, the left and right side attachments between the pad 7 and the fabrics 8, 41 extend downward from an upper end 47 of the pad 7. The left and right side attachments can, in some embodiments, extend along the left and right edges 37, 39 of the pad 7. The left and right side attachments can be formed by bonding, stitching, or any other method of attachment. In some embodiments, the upper region 9 of the pad 7 can be fully attached to the outer fabric 8 and the liner fabric 41 (in the center of the upper region 9 of the pad as well as at the right side 40 and the left side 38 of the pad) using adhesives or bonding, for example.

[0031] The outer fabric 8 and liner fabric 41 continue to widen as they extend downward toward lower sleeve 43. On the contrary, pad 7 reaches its widest point 47 in the middle region 11. The right and left side attachments between the pad 7 and the fabrics 8, 41 do not extend to the middle region 11 of the pad 7. As such, the outer fabric 8 and the inner liner fabric 41 are freely movable along the lower band 45 that extends through the lower sleeve 43. In contrast, the upper region 9 and the lower flange 13 of the pad are securely attached to the outer fabric 8 and liner fabric 41 to prevent the pad 7 from slipping with respect to the outer fabric 8, the liner fabric 41, or the lower band 45.

[0032] Methods of making triangle assemblies 3, 5 with adjustable levels of coverage are disclosed herein. The methods include providing an outer fabric panel 8 having an upper region 15 and a lower region 19. The methods further include providing a pad 7 having an upper region 9 and a lower flange 13. The lower region 19 of the outer fabric panel 8 is wider than the lower flange 13 of the pad 7 in a medial to lateral direction. During construction of a triangle assembly, the upper region 9 of the pad is at least partially attached to the upper region 15 of the outer fabric panel 8, and the lower flange 13 of the pad 7 is at least partially attached to the lower region 19 of the outer fabric panel 8. Some embodiments of the method include aligning a vertical center portion 23 of the pad 7 with a vertical center portion 21 of the outer fabric panel 8.

[0033] The provided outer fabric panel 8 can be formed by, for example, cutting an approximately triangular panel from a larger fabric material. The provided pad 7 can be formed by molding processes, for example. The method can include molding the upper region 9, the middle region 11, and the lower flange 13 the pad 7 as a single structure. In other embodiments, the lower flange 13 is formed separately from the upper and middle regions 9, 11 of the pad, and then fixedly attached to the middle region 11 of the pad using bonding, adhesives, thermal or chemical processes, and/or stitching. Either way, the lower flange 13 of the pad 7 is fixedly attached to the lower region 19 of the outer fabric panel 8.

[0034] Some embodiments include stitching the lower flange 13 of the pad to the lower region 19 of the outer fabric panel 8, for example, at horizontal seam 44. The lower boundary 29 of the middle region 11 of the pad 7 may be stitched to the outer fabric panel 8, or a position above the lower edge 31 of the lower flange 13 may be stitched to the outer fabric. In some embodiments, lower edge 31 of the lower flange 13 is stitched to the outer fabric panel 8.

[0035] The methods also include creating a lower sleeve 43 that is at least partially defined by the outer fabric panel 8. Some embodiments include extending a lower band 45 through the lower sleeve 43 of the left and right triangle assemblies 3, 5.

[0036] Some embodiments can include attaching a liner fabric panel 41 to the outer fabric panel 8. The liner fabric panel 41 can be formed by, for example, cutting an approximately triangular panel from an existing, larger fabric. The methods can further include positioning the pad 7 between the outer fabric panel 8 and the liner fabric panel 41. The liner fabric panel 41 can be attached to the pad 7 at the upper region 9 of the pad 7 as well as at the lower flange 13.

[0037] Some embodiments of the methods can include partially attaching a left side 38 of the upper region 9 of the pad 7 to a left side 49 of the upper region 15 of the outer fabric panel 8 and partially attaching a right side 40 of the upper region 9 of the pad 7 to a right side 51 of the upper region 15 of the outer fabric panel 8. The middle region 11 of the pad 7 can be left unattached to the outer fabric panel 8.

[0038] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The implementation was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various implementations with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.