BALANCED FRONT WRAP CONTINUOUS WING DEEP CRADLE BRA

Abstract

The invention provides a fully balanced bra having a mid-line two-piece frame which is comprised of only the two pieces (meaning that no further pieces are necessary to provide structural support to the cups) and having a double wrap bridge-band/cradle and re-enforced integrated seamless lateral support sections which together provides a deep cleavage bra frame that is attractive, balanced, smooth fitting, and comfortable.

Claims

1. A bra comprising: a left and a right cup and a frame comprising a right front wing and a left front wing each having an integral laminated vertical support section and a first tab and a second tab that cross and overlap below the right cup and the left cup.

2. The bra as set forth in claim 1, wherein the left cups and the right cup are unpadded.

3. The bra as set forth in claim 1, wherein a bra has a plunge neckline.

4. The bra as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first tab and the second tab form the only center section between the right cup and the left cup.

5. The bra as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first tab is a continuous extension of the right front wing and the second tab is a continuous extension of the left tab wing.

6. The bra as set forth in claim 5, further including at least one set of shoulder straps which are comprised of front straps joined to back straps and where one of these straps provides for adjustment in the length of the shoulder strap.

7. The bra as set forth in claim 6, wherein the integral laminated vertical support section extends up the front straps.

8. The bra as set forth in claim 7, wherein the bra has a right arm-hole and a left arm hole and the right front wing forms a portion of the right arm hole and the integral laminated vertical support section extends from the right arm hole and up the right front strap and the left front wing forms a portion of the left arm hole and the integral laminated vertical support section extends from the left arm hole and up the left front strap.

9. The bra as set forth in claim 8, wherein the right front wing has a medial extension that forms a portion of the neckline medial to a right cup that is attached to the right front wing and wherein the left front wing has a medial extension that forms a portion of the neckline medial to a left cup that is attached to the left front wing.

10. The bra as set forth in claim 5, wherein the bra has a frame that is comprised of an un-seamed right wing and an un-seamed left wing.

11. The bra as set forth in claim 8, wherein the back wing does not include the non-stretch reinforcement.

12. The bra as set forth in claim 1, wherein the left cup and the right cup are assembled into a single construct.

13. The bra as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bra is a balconette style bra.

14. A bra, comprising: a left cup and a right cup and a frame having a neckline that is defined at least in part by medial edges of the left cup and the right cup and comprising a right frame piece defining at least a portion of a right arm hole and a right front strap and a left frame piece defining at least a portion of a left arm hole and a left front strap where the right frame piece has an integral laminated vertical support section which extends from the right arm hole into the right front strap and the left frame piece has an integrated laminated vertical support section which extends from the left arm hole into the left front strap.

15. The bra as set forth in claim 14, wherein the integral laminated vertical support sections include tricot linings.

16. The bra as set forth in claim 15, wherein the right frame piece has a bottom frame extension that is seamed at an end to a bottom of the left front cup and along an edge to a bottom of the right cup and the left frame piece has a bottom frame extension that is seamed at an end to a bottom of the right front cup and along an edge to a bottom of the left front cup.

17. The bra as set forth in claim 16, wherein the right cup and the left cup each include a rocker wire as an underwire.

18. The bra as set forth in claim 15, wherein the right frame piece and the left frame piece each include a back wing member that is free from the integrated vertical support sections and include fasteners.

19. The bra as set forth in claim 14, wherein the integral laminated support sections are non-stretch tricot interlining.

20. A bra, comprising: a left cup and a right cup and a frame having a plunge neckline that is defined at least in part by medial edges of the left cup and the right cup and comprising a right frame piece having a right frame front section defining at least a portion of a right arm hole and a right front strap and a left frame piece having a left frame front section defining at least a portion of a left arm hole and a left front strap where the right frame piece has an integral laminated non-stretch support section which extends from a mid-line of the right arm hole to a top end of the right front strap and the left frame piece has an integrated laminated vertical support section which extends from a mid-line of the left arm hole to a top end of the left front strap and the right frame piece has a bottom extension that has an end that is attached to the left cup and a top edge that is attached to the right cup and the left frame piece has a bottom extension that has an end that is attached to the right cup and a top edge that is attached to the left cup.

21. The bra as set forth in claim 20, wherein the right frame member further includes a right back section that is free from the integral laminated non-stretch support section and the left frame member further includes a left back section that is free from the integral laminated non-stretch support section.

22. The bra as set forth in claim 20, wherein the left cup and the right cup are unpadded and the right frame front section and the right frame back section are un-seamed between them and the left frame front section and the left frame back section are un-seamed between them.

23. A balanced front wrap bra, comprising: a left and a right cup and a frame comprising a right front wing and a left front wing each having an integral laminated vertical support section and a first tab and a second tab that cross and overlap below the right cup and the left cup, wherein the first tab and the second tab form a center section between the right cup and the left cup and where the first tab is a continuous extension of the right front wing and the second tab is a continuous extension of the left tab wing.

24. A balanced front wrap bra as set forth in claim 23, wherein the bra is a strapless bra.

25. A balanced front wrap bra as set forth in claim 23, wherein the bra has a deep plunge front neckline.

26. A balanced front wrap bra as set forth in claim 23, wherein the bra is a balconette style.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The invention will be better understood and other features and advantages will become apparent by reading the detailed description of the invention, taken together with the drawings, wherein:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a front view of the bra in accordance with the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a detail of the interior view of the bra of Figure;

[0018] FIG. 3 is an interior view of the left piece of the frame assembly;

[0019] FIG. 4 is an interior view of the right side of the frame assembly;

[0020] FIG. 5 is a front view of a second embodiment of the bra in accordance with the invention;

[0021] FIG. 6 is a view of a left portion of the frame assembly of the present invention, with the right portion having a configuration that is a mirror image; and

[0022] FIG. 7 is a front view of a further embodiment of a strapless version of the bra in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Referring to FIG. 1, an illustrative first embodiment of a brassiere 10 in accordance with the present invention, which has a front side 12 that includes a plunging neckline 13, which lacks a traditional center panel or rigid bridge member. The neckline is defined by the medial extension of the front wings and the top edges of the sling style molded cups that are over sewn onto the front frame 14. The bra has a frame 14 that supports molded full cover right cup 20 and left cup 22 members. The frame 14 is constructed from only two pattern pieces, a right piece and a left piece each including a front medial lower extension that are assembled to form a bridge-band assembly. The frame comprises front right and left wing sections 16, 17 which further provide vertical support sections 32, 33 provided by laminating a non-stretch fabric which has no grain such as a non-woven or a vertical grain and including specifically a rigid tricot which is laminated to the center front right and left sections extending from the bottom edge to the top of the front straps 42, 43. On the superior side, the cups together with the top of the front wings define the neckline 13, which is a clean finished neckline that seamlessly joins the right and left shoulder straps. The shoulder straps 42, 43 each include a front strap that laps over a section of adjustable back strap joined at a ring member to the extension of the back wings, and further include means to adjust the length of the strap such as a ring 37 and slider 35.

[0024] The cups 20, 22 preferably include an underwire, and more specifically in this case a full cover rocker underwire at their bottom and lateral edge (although it should be understood that other underwires, forms of support, or even no underwire or additional support can be used) and are each connected at their lateral side 32, 34 with the front/side members of a support band member 40 which joins the back wing members which together form a leotard style back having a center peak that extends upward to join the back straps. The back wings include a tab 42 so as to extend fully across the back and include a two-piece left half 52 that connects with a right half 54 and which latches using an adjustable eye or loop 64, and preferably a vertical column of at least two, and more preferably at least three eyes to six sets of hooks and eyes 64 on a reinforced eye tab 62. The right half of the inner band further has a reinforced tab with a vertically regularly spaced series of hooks that overlays and engages a reinforced eye tab 62 on the left half of the inner band. The eye tab 62 includes at least one corresponding column having a series containing a like number of vertically spaced eyes. The tab preferably includes at least two horizontally spaced columns of eyes, and more preferably at least three or more horizontally spaced columns of eyes at regular intervals. As described the bra is set up for a right-handed person with the hook portion of the closure mechanism on the right side of the panel.

[0025] The frame further includes a novel bridge-band assembly that is formed by a right member and a left member which each join at a lateral edge to the front support section and along a top edge to the bottom medial edge of the cup and on the short side to the inner most medial bottom edge of the opposite cup member. The bra is a longer style to blend into the torso and use the torso for support. The overlap of the bridge-band members forms a scissor connection which overlaps to form a smooth fit and comfortable balance for the right and left cup, and where the top surface of the top bridge-band member forms the bottom center of the plunging neckline between the two cups.

[0026] The left 28 and right 30 shoulder straps are attached to the respective left 22 and right 20 cups and in the back to the respective left and right side of the back band 40, although it should be understood that the invention can also include other strap arrangements as are known in the art, such as back cross straps, or single strap neck loop style or strapless bras or styles which can be changed between any of these styles.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 7, an illustrative third embodiment of a brassiere 110 in accordance with the present invention, which has a front side 112 that includes a strapless sweetheart neckline 113, which lacks a traditional center panel or rigid bridge member. The neckline is defined by the top edges of molded cups that are over sewn onto the front frame 114. The bra has a frame 114 that supports molded right cup 120 and left cup 122 members. Again, the frame 114 is constructed from only two pattern pieces, a right piece and a left piece each including a front medial lower extension that are assembled to form a bridge-band assembly. The frame comprises front right and left wing sections 116, 117 which further provide vertical support sections 132, 133 provided by as previously mentioned

[0028] The cups 120, 122 preferably include an underwire, and more specifically in this case a full cover rocker underwire at their bottom and lateral edge (although it should be understood that other underwires, forms of support, or even no underwire or additional support can be used) and are each connected at their lateral side with the front/side members of a support band member 40 which joins the back wing members. The back wings include a tab 142 so as to extend fully across the back and include a two-piece left half 152 that connects with a right half 154 and which latches using an adjustable eye or loop 164, and preferably a vertical column of at least two, and more preferably at least three eyes to six sets of hooks and eyes 164 on a reinforced eye tab 162. The right half of the inner band further has a reinforced tab with a vertically regularly spaced series of hooks that overlays and engages a reinforced eye tab 162 on the left half of the inner band. The eye tab 162 includes at least one corresponding column having a series containing a like number of vertically spaced eyes. The tab preferably includes at least two horizontally spaced columns of eyes, and more preferably at least three or more horizontally spaced columns of eyes at regular intervals. As described the bra is set up for a right-handed person with the hook portion of the closure mechanism on the right side of the panel.

[0029] The frame further includes a novel bridge-band assembly as previously described.

[0030] While it is apparent that the illustrative embodiments of the invention herein disclosed fulfill the objectives stated above, it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and other embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art. Therefore, it will be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and embodiments, which come within the spirit and scope of the present invention.