Measuring and testing – Volumetric content measuring
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-18
2004-11-23
Williams, Hezron (Department: 2856)
Measuring and testing
Volumetric content measuring
C073S379010, C033S00200A, C033S01700R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06820478
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device and method of measurement for the fitting of bras. More generally the invention encompasses improvements relating to the sale, fitting and purchase of bras and measurement of bras, as well as related quality assurance techniques relating to bras.
The present invention relates to a device and method of measurement for the fitting of bras. More generally the invention encompasses improvements relating to the sale, fitting and purchase of bras and measurement of bras, as well as related quality assurance techniques relating to bras.
In this specification, the term ‘bra’ will be used conveniently to encompass all clothing designed closely to fit a wearer's breasts, thus including other forms of lingerie such as body suits, as well as swimwear and other sportswear such as leotards.
Bra fitting is bedevilled by variations in size, shape and disposition of the breasts, by the amorphous nature of the breasts themselves, and by the fact that many women are never measured for bra size, either professionally or otherwise. Nevertheless, when buying a bra, most women know from previous experience roughly the size that is required. This is always an approximation as changes occur to the size and shape of breasts at different times during the menstrual cycle and as the years progress. Also, substantial and often irreversible changes in breast size and shape can occur during and after pregnancy.
A typical way to chose a bra is either by choosing a favourite style or make, regardless of the accuracy of the fit, or to try on a selection of styles in a range of sizes and makes. In this way, best fit is ascertained by trial and error. Both processes take time, are dependent on available stock and do not always result in the purchase of a properly fitting bra. Often, when looking for a particular style, the style will have been discontinued or the appropriate size is out of stock. In this case, the consumer must resort to trial and error of other styles and/or makes or return to the retail outlet at a later date.
When choosing bras from mail order catalogues or via the Internet, the option of trying a bra for fit is much more restricted since, if the bra does not fit, it must be returned to the provider, usually by mail, and another choice made. If the consumer is unsure of the size she requires, it could take several attempts and much time and frustration before an appropriate bra is found. Alternatively, the consumer may order more than one bra with a view to returning the ones that are incorrect. This process wastes resources, especially for the retailer, who may have to repackage and redistribute the returned items.
The quest to find a correct fitting bra is further compounded by the problem that a lot of women fall in between available standard sizes and that the so-called standard sizes are not uniform between different makes and styles of bras. For example, a 34B bra supplied by one maker may provide an adequate fit in a particular style. However, a 34B in a similar style made by a different maker may provide a different, perhaps less good, fit.
The composition of a bra, such as its elastane or Lycra® content, together with additional features such as underwires, padding etc., also affect the fit of a bra and must be taken into account when choosing the correct size.
For women who are unsure of their size, some retail outlets provide a bra measuring service whereby measurements are taken either with or without a bra being worn. Apart from the advantage of obtaining expert advice or at least a second opinion as to fit, professional measuring services have many drawbacks. For example, if the measurement is taken with a bra on, there is the advantage that the breasts are supported but the resulting measurement may be inaccurate if the bra is not an accurate fit to start with. If the measurement is taken without a bra being worn, the measurement will also be inaccurate since the breasts are unsupported and therefore are of a different shape and volume compared to when they are supported.
The significance of support is that a breast is largely constituted of fatty tissue having a resiliently compressible, gelatinous consistency whose shape and volume will adapt to some extent to suit a receptacle such as a bra cup in which the breast is contained. When there is no such support, gravity will change both the shape and volume of the breast, obviously with increasing effect the greater the size and weight of the breast.
Even a professional measuring service is not immune from the drawback that the accuracy of breast and torso measurement for fitting a bra will usually depend on the level of training and experience of the person doing the measuring. It is also true that bra-fitting experts apply an element of subjectivity to their work. The aim of such experts is not to arrive at a universal bra size measurement that the user can apply with confidence to bras in general, but instead to fit the consumer to one of the bras available in stock, the purpose of measurement therefore being to select a limited range of bras that the user can try on and select from. As noted above, such trial and error is all well and good in a store environment if the consumer has the time and inclination to visit the store, but it does not suit the mail order and Internet shopping methods that many consumers increasingly prefer.
A further problem with professional measuring services is that many women feel uncomfortable about being measured in a semi-naked state by a stranger. As a result, the measurement/fitting may be hurried and incorrect advice given.
Self-measuring guides are therefore available. These generally involve measuring the circumference of the torso under the breasts to obtain a torso measurement, followed by taking a measurement across the breasts at the largest point, i.e. across the nipples in an ‘over-bust’ measurement. Then, these measurements are put into a formula to work out a nominal torso and bra cup size. The bra cup size is related to torso size and also to the difference between torso size and over-bust measurement. In other words, the difference between torso size and over-bust measurement imputes a cup size for a given torso size. However, the product of the formula is only as good as the measurements that are put into the formula, and unfortunately those measurements are often inaccurate.
For example, as noted above, a certain level of expertise is required to achieve any degree of accuracy; one could hardly expect an inexpert woman, usually working on her own, to match the accuracy of measurement of an experienced bra-fitter. In particular, it is difficult to be sure that a measuring tape is held at an appropriate tension and in the correct position, which is especially difficult to ascertain across the back, either with or without the aid of a mirror. Also, the cross-nipple or over-bust measurement introduces an inherent inaccuracy because it does not take proper account of the effect of the varying depth and width of the cleavage between the breasts. The measuring tape bridges the cleavage rather than following the contour, and so cannot accurately tell if a particular apparent breast size is due to the degree of separation and protrusion of the breasts rather than the overall breast size.
Furthermore, the final measurement will be dependent on the type of bra being worn, it being noted that measurement often takes place while wearing a bra and that different bras impose different shapes upon the breasts that they support. A particular source of inaccuracy arises where the bra is designed to flatten the breast or maximise cleavage because such distortion of the breasts gives a misleading over-bust measurement. In general, there is a tendency to overestimate torso size and to underestimate over-bust measurement: as cup size is imputed from the difference between those measurements and with regard to the torso size, the combination or sum of errors in these critical measurements magnifies errors in apparent cup size.
Manson Timothy Roland
Nabarro Daniel Joseph Nunes
Swan Julian Francis Ralph
Wilcox Alun
Rogers David A.
Stevens & Showalter LLP
T-Bra Limited
Williams Hezron
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