USOO8864,551 B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,864,551 B2 Melarti et al. (45) Date of Patent: Oct. 21, 2014 (54) FULL TORSO MATERNITY GARMENT 5,702.286 A 12/1997 Seering et al. 5,915,531 A 6/1999 Hilpert et al. (76) Inventors: Sabina Melarti, Duluth, GA (US); 3:63 A 9.3% Valerie Caron, Atlanta, GA (US) 6,155,906 A * 12/2000 May ................................ 450,88 - 6,186,861 B1* 2/2001 ... 450/1 (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this 6,517.409 B2* 2/2003 ... 450/1 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 6,817,034 B2 * 1 1/2004 Smilovic ............................. 2/73 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. 7,008,292 B2 3/2006 Cosentino et al. 7,181,775 B2 2/2007 Carney 7,260,961 B1 8/2007 Kennedy (21) Appl. No.: 13/567,830 7,395,557 B1 * 7/2008 Ledyard ............................ 2,113 7,441,418 B2 * 10/2008 Delgado-Mecinas . 66.177 (22) Filed: Aug. 6, 2012 7.546,751 B2 * 6/2009 Lutz ....................... 66.177 8.256,027 B2 * 9/2012 Pedersen et al. .................. 2,109 (65) Prior Publication Data 8,568, 195 B1 10/2013 Schindler 2007/0249265 A1 * 10/2007 Delgado-Mecinas ......... 450,156 US 2012/O3O2133 A1 Nov. 29, 2012 2009/00988O1 A1* 4/2009 Pedersen et al. .................. 450.7 Related U.S. Application Data OTHER PUBLICATIONS (63) Continuation of application No. 12/432,206, filed on Spanx R) by Sara Blakely.R. Three (3) Spanx Maternity Garments Apr. 29, 2009, now Pat. No. 8,235,766. entitled “Power Mama, Mama Full Length; and Mama Footless.” (60) Provisional application No. 61/048.841, filed on Apr. http://www.spanx.com/search/index.jsp?kw=maternity, down 29, 2008. loaded on Jul. 6, 2009. (51) Int. Cl * cited by examiner A4IC I/08 (2006.01) A4D L/20 (2006.01) Primary Examiner — Gloria Hale A4IC I/10 (2006.01) (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Lerner, David, Littenberg, (52) U.S. Cl. Krumholz & Mentlik, LLP CPC. A4 ID 1/20 (2013.01); A4 IC I/10 (2013.01) USPC .................................... 450/76; 45.9/1; 45.9/75 (57) ABSTRACT (58) Field of Classification Search USPC ......... 2/73, 75, 105-107,109, 110, 113-115; A maternity garment, which provides mild Support to shape a 450/1–31, 70, 71–76 woman's body and to act as a Suspender for bottoms such as See application file for complete search history. pants, shorts, or skirts that may be ill fitting due to body changes as a result of pregnancy, wherein the preferred gar (56) References Cited ment has at least one shoulder strap, a belly panel, a hip band, two side panels, and a back panel, and is made of high per U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS formance fabric with varying degrees of compression. 4,789,372 A 12, 1988 Wicks 5,094,648 A 3, 1992 Turner 23 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets U.S. Patent Oct. 21, 2014 Sheet 1 of 4 US 8,864,551 B2 F.G. 1 U.S. Patent Oct. 21, 2014 Sheet 2 of 4 US 8,864,551 B2 FIG, 2 U.S. Patent Oct. 21, 2014 Sheet 3 of 4 US 8,864,551 B2 FIG, 3 U.S. Patent Oct. 21, 2014 Sheet 4 of 4 US 8,864,551 B2 FIG. 4 US 8,864,551 B2 1. 2 FULL TORSO MATERNITY GARMENT Glamourmomr brand tanktops are have a built-in bra and a longer overall length than an average tank top, wherein the CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED tops are meant to be used as a transition nursing bra tank. The APPLICATION tanks are disadvantageously limited in that they do not pro vide any tummy Support and do not shape or Smooth the body. This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. Thus, each traditional maternity Support and under gar No. 12/432.206 filed Apr. 29, 2009, which claims the benefit ment disadvantageously targets only a specific area of the of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. body and solves only a limited few problem areas. Therefore, 61/048.841 filed Apr. 29, 2008, the disclosures of which are a need exists for an all-in-one garment that addresses several hereby incorporated herein by reference. 10 areas, including the Smoothing of a woman’s profile, the improvement of her level of comfort, the provision of her TECHNICAL FIELD needed Support, and the compliment of her desired aesthetics. The present disclosure relates generally to maternity gar BRIEF SUMMARY ments, and more specifically, to maternity garments that pro 15 vide support for the body and that allow for a wearer to utilize Briefly described, the present device overcomes the above non-maternity clothing. mentioned disadvantages and meets the recognized need by providing a device capable of delivering mild Support to BACKGROUND shape a woman's body, and capable of performing as a Sus pender to hold up bottoms, such as pants, shorts, or skirts, that Many maternity garments, especially undergarments, have may be ill fitting due to body changes as a result of pregnancy. been developed over the years to address various problems According to its major aspects and broadly stated, the associated with providing appropriate clothing and Support to present device, in its preferred form, is a maternity garment women during pregnancy. U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,648 discloses a comprising a shoulder strap, a belly panel, a hip band, side maternity support top with a built in bra and with a two-inch 25 panels, and a back panel; is made of seamless, high-perfor bellyband that lifts weight off of the pelvis. This garment mance knit fabric; and has a long-length that Supports and disadvantageously focuses only on the upper torso of a preg shapes a pregnant woman’s body, including, but not limited nant woman, does not address the hip or buttock area, and has to, the back, the sides, the torso, the belly, and/or the hip. The no feature to Suspend any bottom garments such as pants or maternity garment is generally worn underneath other cloth shorts. 30 ing, acting as an undergarment, and is desirably shaped like a SpanxCR brand maternity leg wear provides undergarment scoop-neck tank top. Unlike a traditional tank top, however, support in a full-length pantyhose with a non-binding waist the garment preferably "scoops” underneath the breasts, band with under belly support. However, the SpanxR) mater forming a “U” shape, rather than covering or otherwise plac nity leg wear is, as aptly named, leg wear, and thus cannot act ing pressure on top of the breasts. as a shaper or support for the upper body. Moreover, the 35 The use of high-performance fabric and seamless technol SpanX(R) maternity leg wear cannot be worn over other gar ogy may be incorporated into the device, in order to provide ments, cannot provide any Suspension of other garments, and maximum comfort, Smoothing of imperfections such as is thus disadvantageous when compared to the presently bulges and cellulite, and slight Support in the belly and back described device. regions, as well. The garment is thus desirably made of U.S. Pat. No. 5,702.286 discloses a back and abdominal 40 however not limited to, fabric having elasticity that is knitted Support worn over the brassiere and under the panties, and to various degrees of compression so as to provide the most with a Supportive band under the tummy. Disadvantageously, Suitable Support for the particular region in which it is used. this garment does not Smooth and Support the hip and buttock For example, the belly panel preferably has a top panel sec areas, but only acts as a Supportive piece, not a shaping or tion, which comprises the area beginning underneath the bust Smoothing piece. 45 and extending to about the top two-thirds of the belly panel, is U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,755 discloses a knit fabric band that is preferably made of a low compression fabric, is soft and worn over pants that are too tight or too loose, holding them Smooth so as to not create chafing or dig in to the woman’s in place. The band is worn as a single layer over the tummy as chest or belly, and is flexible to allow for expansion essen it grows. The band, however, is also disadvantageous relative tially without restriction as the belly grows. The use of high to the present disclosure because it does not address the torso 50 tech fabric, such as micro fiber or the like, optionally makes or the back and does not act as a Support function. Addition this top panel section breathable and imparts moisture wick ally, the band does not provide a shaping function and does ing characteristics, making common pregnancy complaints, not improve the woman's silhouette. Such as itching and excessive heat, less of a problem. A U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,034 to Smilovic discloses a full body bottom panel section of the belly panel, which includes the slip that shapes and Supports the torso, Smoothes the thighs, 55 bottom one-third of the belly panel, is preferably shaped like buttocks, and waist, and, although the tummy panel is only a half moon, and is desirably made of medium to high com Supported by a narrow strip, reportedly functions as a Support pression fabric So as to Support the weight of the growing for the belly.