United States Patent (19) [11] 3,935,865 Newmar (45) Feb
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United States Patent (19) [11] 3,935,865 Newmar (45) Feb. 3, 1976 54 BRASSIERE Primary Examiner-Andrew V. Kundrat 76 Inventor: Julie Newmar, 12 Beekman Place, Assistant Examiner-Moshe I. Cohen New York, N.Y. 10022 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Charles E. Baxley (22 Filed: Nov. 22, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 526,319 57 ABSTRACT A brassiere has a body engaging band which extends 52 U.S. Cl. ................ 128/488; 128/494; 128/509; across the wearer's chest under her breasts and termi 128/510 nates in two ends each under one arm of the wearer. 51l Int. Cl.’............................................ A41C 3100 Two cups are connected to the body engaging band and each cup is adapted to receive one of the wearer's 58) Field of Search ........... 128/425,463, 488, 494, breasts. Each of the cups terminates in an upper end 128/507,508, 509, 510,511,512; 2/67 which connects with at least two shoulder cords ex 56 References Cited tendable over one shoulder of the wearer to connect to an end of the body engaging band. The ends of the UNITED STATES PATENTS body engaging band are connected to each other by a 1524,475 1/1925 Case ............................... 1281510 X closure cord which preferably extends across the 2,388,757 1 1/1945 Miller................................. 128/508 wearer's back. In an alternate brassiere for backless 2,870,768 11959 Robinson............................ 1281510 3,465,754 9/1969 Lockwood et al.............. 128/488 X dresses, two closure cords are provided and each con 3,574,520 4/1971 Aldrich........................ 128/463 UX nects to one of the ends of the body engaging band 3,847,158 11/1974 Guidoni................................ 2167 X and wraps around the wearer's waist so as to be con FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS nectable to each other at the wearer's front. 1460,078 1/1969 Germany.................................. 2167 9 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent February 3, 1976 Sheet 1 of 3 3,935,865 U.S. Patent February 3, 1976 Sheet 2 of 3 3,935,865 U.S. Patent February 3, 1976 Sheet 3 of 3 3,935,865 3,935,865 1. 2 borne of either of the spaghetti cords depending upon BRASSIERE motion of the wearer. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION STATEMENT OF INVENTION This invention relates to a brassiere for supporting This invention has solved problems of the prior art in breasts of a woman. Breasts of young women tend to be a particularly useful, novel, unobvious and facile way. protuberant whereas breasts of older women tend to be A brassiere is presented which has a body engaging pendulous. Protuberant breasts are supported by fi band extending across a wearer's chest under her brous tissue strands known as ligaments of Astley Coo breasts and which terminates in two ends, one each per. When the ligaments of Astley Cooper become 10 under one arm of the wearer. Two cups are connected overstretched or atrophic, the breasts droop. The to the band and each cup is adapted to receive one of breast tissue itself does not have muscular support, the the wearer's breasts. Each of the cups terminates in an ligaments of Astley Cooper connect deep fascia at the upper end which connects with a pair of shoulder cords base of the breast with overlying skin. It is the function extendable over the respective shoulder of the wearer of a brassiere to provide support for the breast tissue 15 to connect to a respective end of the body engaging (acting in concert with the ligaments of Astley Coo band. The ends of the body engaging band are con per). nected to each other by a closure cord which extends Many women want to appear freer in their move across the wearer's back. In an alternate brassiere for ments and to give a braless impression, yet they need backless dresses, two closure cords are each connected 20 to one of the ends of the body engaging band and each some support. Support is needed particularly when the of the closure cords wraps around the wearer's waist so woman dances or participates in athletic events or the that they are connectable to each other at the wearer's like. One approach to a braless impression by the prior front. art has been merely to make thinner and smaller con Accordingly one object of this invention is to provide ventional brassieres, but this approach does not yield 25 a brassiere which offers support with greater freedom desired freedom of movement for the wearer. Halter of movement in such activities as dancing, athletics and brassiere designs also have been employed, but halters the like, than has heretofore been available. require a sling over the nape of the wearer's neck and Another object of this invention is to provide a bras they generally provide more concealment than support. siere which is light in weight and which gives a braless ANALYSIS 30 effect. Still another object of this invention is to allow a Structurally breasts cantilever outwardly from a wearer's breasts some freedom for flexing. wearer's chest. Conventional brassieres generally pro Still another object of this invention is to provide a vide a panel on the wearer's back whence straps extend brassiere which is relatively undetectable, even through over the wearer's shoulders to hold up her breasts. Of 35 sheer outer garments. course these panels tend to hold in the wearer's sides Still another object of this invention is to provide a but they are situated on muscles on the back of the brassiere which accommodates molded, relatively wearer's trunk and they tend to restrict her motion and transparent polyester (or like) cups whereby seams are her circulation. obviated. Mr. Howard Hughes, among others, developed bras 40 Still another object of this invention is to accommo sieres which support breasts from below. It was discov date brassiere designs wherein impressions of a wear ered that little attention is paid to a wearer's chest er's nipples are visible through sheer outer garments. below her breasts, so here was where Mr. Hughes situ Still another object of this invention is to provide a ated major structural elements of his strapless bras brassiere in which margins at the wearer's cleft blend sieres. Coincidentally movement of a wearer's chest 45 smoothly with the wearer's skin. below her breasts is quite small compared with move Still another object of this invention is to provide a ment of her shoulders and movements of her back. brassiere which is compact and conveniently packaged. Movement of the wearer's chest below her breasts is Still another object of this invention is to accommo merely expansion and contraction of her rib cage re date brassiere designs which include padding. sulting from breathing. Such movement is quite simple, 50 Still another object of this invention is to provide a being directed laterally across her chest. brassiere which requires no sling over the nape of the This invention takes advantage of the wearer's chest wearer's neck. below her breasts as a location for its body engaging Still another object of this invention is to provide a band, because in that location the body engaging band basic brassiere design which is adaptable for swimwear. is subjected merely to unidirectional tensioning stresses 55 Still another object of this invention is to provide a and the tensioning stresses are situated across the wear basic brassiere design which is adaptable to a closure er's chest for minimum disruption of movement of the cord extendable across the wearer's back or alternately wearer. For this reason a brassiere according to the for a brassiere wearable with a backless dress closure present invention tends to stay in place far better than cords which wrap around the wearer's waist so as to be a brassiere with back panels, because structural sup 60 connectable to each other at her front. port in this brassiere eminates from a more stable base Still another object of this invention is to provide a than in conventional brassieres. This invention permits brassiere which is simple to put on and to take off. the wearer to move her shoulders and back as freely as Still another object of this invention is to provide a she wants to. Such movement is accommodated by brassiere which is inexpensive, easy to launder, re employing a plurality of spaghetti cords from each cup 65 quires no ironing and which keeps its shape through of the brassiere over each shoulder. The spaghetti repeated washings and wearings. cords are spaced from each other so that the weight of Still another object of this invention is to provide a the breast in the cup being supported thereby can be brassiere which looks attractive off the wearer as well 3,935,865 3 4. as on the wearer and which is suited well otherwise to load from each of her breasts 15, 16 shifts from one of its intended function. the cords of pairs 27, 28 or 29, 31 to the other of that pair according to her movements. Providing a major BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS portion of the support for her breasts 15, 16 from the The foregoing as well as other objectives, features 5 pairs 27, 28 or 29, 31 of shoulders cords obviates need and advantages will appear more fully from detailed for back panels of conventional brassieres. Vastly supe descriptions of two preferred embodiments of the in rior support is also provided by the present invention vention and from claims which follow, all viewed in compared to halter style brassieres.