Foundation garments – Breast or chest – e.g. – brassieres – With stiffened supporting means contacting only lower half...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-13
2002-06-11
Hale, Gloria M. (Department: 3765)
Foundation garments
Breast or chest, e.g., brassieres
With stiffened supporting means contacting only lower half...
C450S057000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06402585
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a breast support system for a large breasted woman that is used in conjunction with a brassiere to uplift and laterally displace the breasts. Women with large breasts have a great deal of weight to bear and such weight contributes to back and neck fatigue. To alleviate this problem, and others which will become apparent from the disclosure which follows, the present invention conveniently redistributes the weight of the breasts laterally, whereby the back and neck fatigue normally experienced by women with large breasts is relieved.
Alternative technology is available in the form of a push-up bra which uses a flexible pouch insert disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,332 issued on Jan. 18, 2000 to Lee et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,330 issued in 1992 to Greenberg discloses a bra including enhancement means comprising a brassiere with an inner pocket for receiving a pad to support and uplift breast. U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,074 issued to Diaz in 1991 for a reusable self-supporting brassiere discloses a support which includes two foam elements which may be inserted underneath a conventional bra to provide additional support.
See further U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,004 issued in 1989 to Emanuel for a means for providing uplift support comprising a pad having a flat upper surface which is distinguishable from the instant invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,877, issued to Howard in 1999 for a bra with reinforced contour line, discloses a support, which includes pads designed to uplift and augment breasts, for insertion in cups of a brassiere. Note however, that the shape is cup shaped with the rib along the lower edge of the periphery. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,082 issued to Barker in 1994 for a brassiere with augmenting bust support comprises a pillow for augmenting and uplifting a user's breast with a crescent shape and a generally flat topped portion that may fit into a pocket into the brassiere.
The principal advantage of such devices is breast enhancement. None of the foregoing teaches means for uplifting and laterally displacing a breast to relieve fatigue. Another disadvantage to all of the foregoing devices is that they do not provide for a means of flexibly conforming to a plurality of bra cups inherent in uniquely designed brassieres.
The citation of the foregoing publications is not an admission that any particular publication constitutes prior art, or that any publication alone or in conjunction with others, renders unpatentable any pending claim of the present application. None of the cited publications is believed to detract from the patentability of the claimed invention.
ADVANTAGES OF THIS INVENTION
The breast support system of this important invention uplifts, laterally displaces and redistributes the weight of the breast so that the back and neck fatigue normally experienced by women with large breasts is relieved. This is achieved with the unique design which allows the laterally extended portions of the breast to rest on the top surface portion with downward sloping sides of a central bulge of the apparatus. Moreover, the means for uplifting and laterally displacing is substantially incompressible. Its constancy acts uniformly on the breast use after use. While the preferred embodiments addressed herein relate generally to an externally applied means for uplifting and laterally displacing, the unique functional shape of the elongated body could be permanently implanted under the skin to uplift and laterally displace the breast when used in conjunction with a brassiere.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
Still other advantages will be apparent from the disclosure that follows.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a breast support system for a large breasted woman that is used in conjunction with a brassiere comprising means for uplifting and laterally displacing at least one breast. The means has a maximum transverse dimension “A” that is less by a predetermined amount than the maximum lateral dimension “B” of the at least one breast. The means is disposed proximate the under-base of the breast adjacent to the chest. The breast support system uplifts, laterally displaces and redistributes the weight of at least one breast. The means for uplifting and laterally displacing is substantially incompressible. The means has an elongated body with a prominent central bulge that slopes downwardly on its sides to allow a lateral portion of the breast to rest on the sides of the central bulge.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
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Gatto Josephine
Hayes Maureen A.
Hale Gloria M.
McKenna Michael R.
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