Foundation garments – Breast or chest – e.g. – brassieres – With cup-supplementing means to add volume to breast – e.g.,...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-09
2001-05-15
Hale, Gloria M. (Department: 3741)
Foundation garments
Breast or chest, e.g., brassieres
With cup-supplementing means to add volume to breast, e.g.,...
C450S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231423
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an improved pad for a brassiere and, more particularly to a pad comprising a flexible envelope containing a body of malleable material that can be incorporated into a push-up bra or into a pad for placement in a conventional bra.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Brassieres are worn not only to provide support for women's breasts, but also to enhance the shape of the breasts within the brassieres, to enhance the shape of the portion and amount of the breasts above the brassieres and to modify the cleavage between the breasts.
Push-up bras are designed to shape and elevate the breasts. Push-up bras usually contain a rubber pad received in a pocket in the lower front panels of the bra cups. The pad is formed by molding into a complex arcuate shape. Rubber pads are both stiff and uncomfortable and do not exhibit the natural feel of breast tissue. Rubber pads also cause insecurity due to straying of the pads. Other push-up bras used a more yielding silicone foam and some use Nylon (polyamide) padding to shape and lift.
Push-up bras with liquid filled envelopes have recently appeared on the market. These pads more clearly emulate the consistency of breast tissue. However, the liquids used to fill the envelopes are not satisfactory. Silicone oil liquids are very expensive and are hard to seal. Hydrocarbon oils have also been utilized as the liquid either alone or in a mixture with water. Hydrocarbons can attack the envelope. The liquids in the envelope are heated to body temperature of about 99° F. At this temperature, evaporation is increased and the hydrocarbon vapors can permeate through the wall of the envelope, creating offensive, unpleasant odors. Furthermore, water vapor is also able to permeate through the wall of the envelope decreasing the liquid volume in the envelope. The envelope could rupture on impact or when pierced by a sharp object causing embarrassment, discomfort and destruction of the pad.
List of References
Patentee
U.S. Pat. No.
Block, et al.
3,620,222
Kirby, et al.
3,845,507
Lynch
3,986,123
Miller
5,235,974
STATEMENT OF THE PRIOR ART
Block, et al. discloses a foam, push-up brassiere pad. Kirby, et al. discloses a breast prosthesis to be worn inside a brassiere cup containing an inner bag. A gel-like liquid such as carboxymethyl cellulose is sealed within an outer bag containing air. Miller discloses an electrically heated bra for lactating mothers containing a fluid impermeable chamber filled with water. Lynch discloses a breast prosthesis filled with a low density silicone gel. The gel used by Lynch is not malleable.
The improved push-up pad described in copending application Ser. No. 09/132,572, filed Aug. 11, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference, contains a flexible envelope filled with a mixture of water and an odorless, organic hygroscopic agent in specified proportions providing no unpleasant aroma and little evaporation of water through the film of the envelope. The envelope is formed of a film of a tough synthetic resin resistant to puncture, preferably a thermoplastic resin capable of being heat-sealed. The film has low transmission rate for water vapor. The hygroscopic agent is able to drive water vapor from outside the envelope through the film into the envelope so that liquid volume is maintained.
This push-up bra looks and feels more natural and the bra eliminates discomfort and insecurity caused by stiff, sharp edged or straying inner pads. The inner cup lining adjacent the skin is soft and wicks moisture away from the skin.
However, though the push-up pad does not stray, the liquid in the pad, will distribute throughout the envelope depending on the compression forces applied to the envelope during wearing the bra. Even if a portion of the pad is positioned on the sides of a cup, most of the liquid will tend to position at the bottom of the cup.
In an earlier experiment, a body of malleable material was synthesized from water thickened with a small amount usually about 0.5% by weight of a polyacrylamide thickener and containing about 20% by weight of a filler such as silica microspheres. The material was malleable. However, when placed in a thin film pouch for use in a bra pad, the forces of the filler against the inner wall of the film abraded the film of the bag until it failed.
STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention, a push-up bra pad contains a lubricous body of malleable material. The pad can be placed in any position, under or to the sides of the breast and molded into a desired shape. The malleable material will retain the desired shape during normal usage. The malleability of the material is similar to natural tissue. Unlike a prosthesis which has a volume and shape equal to a breast, the push-up pad of the invention has a volume less than that of a breast, usually from 10% to 40% of the volume of a bra cup.
The malleable material has no elastic memory. It does not flow unless placed under pressure. The desired properties can be provided by forming a partially cross-linked, self-lubricating polymer material. Suitably, cross-linking less then 10% of the material is sufficient to form a 3-dimensional matrix when cross-linked. The amount of cross-linking is controlled by presence of cross-linkable groups such as unsaturated groups, suitably vinyl groups. The curing reaction can be accelerated by the presence of a curing catalyst. The size of the molecules of cross-linked polymer material is too large to permeate through the wall of the pouch containing a body of the material.
The push-up pad adds additional weight to be carried by the wearer of the bra. The weight of the pad can be reduced and strength increased by dispersing a reinforcing filler in the matrix of the material. The reinforcing filler also contributes to the desired malleability. Suitable materials are finely divided minerals such as fumed silica or glass or polymeric microspheres suitably having a diameter from 10 to 500 microns and present in an amount from 3-40%, suitably from 10-30% by weight of the material. As the polymer material cross-links the particles of filler are immobilized within the cross-linked matrix.
The pads of the invention can also be used in outerwear such as bathing suit tops and athletic tops.
These and many other features and attendant advantages of the invention will become apparent as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3845507 (1974-11-01), Kirby et al.
patent: 5098330 (1992-03-01), Greenberg
patent: 5334082 (1994-08-01), Barker
patent: 5370688 (1994-12-01), Schulz et al.
patent: 5411554 (1995-05-01), Scopelianos et al.
patent: 5902335 (1999-05-01), Snyder, Jr.
patent: 6015332 (2000-01-01), Lee et al.
Deal Ann
Jiminez Robert
Nadsady Kathleen
Ce Soir Lingerie Co., Inc.
Hale Gloria M.
Jacobs Marvin E.
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