BACKLESS SUPPORT BRA

SOUTIEN-GORGE DE SUPPORT SANS DOS

English Abstract

A backless support bra having a front main portion with first and second upper shoulder straps and first and second lower pelvic straps, which are designed to pass through the pelvic region of a wearer, securing the bra in place and providing support to the wearer without exposing bra wings in the back region of the wearer. Various methods of securing the backless support bra are also provided.

French Abstract

Soutien-gorge de support sans dos comprenant une partie principale avant dotée de première et deuxième bretelles supérieures et de première et deuxième lanières pelviennes inférieures, qui sont conçues pour traverser la région pelvienne d'une utilisatrice, fixant le soutien-gorge en place et assurant un support à l'utilisatrice sans révéler des ailes du soutien-gorge dans la région dorsale de l'utilisatrice. L'invention concerne également divers procédés de fixation du soutien-gorge de support sans dos.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A backless support bra comprising:
a front main portion having first and second cups;
first and second upper shoulder straps each having first and second ends
connected to
said front main portion; and
first and second lower pelvic straps each having first and second ends, each
of the first
and second ends of the first lower pelvic strap being connected to said front
main portion and
each of the first and second ends of the second lower pelvic strap being
connected to said front
main portion; and
wherein said first and second lower pelvic straps are designed to be worn
through the
pelvic region of a wearer.
2. The backless support bra of claim 1, wherein said front main portion has
at least three
hook points for removably attaching said first and second upper shoulder
straps and attaching at
least one of end of said first and second lower pelvic straps.
3. The backless support bra of claim 1, wherein said front main portion has
at least one
hook point for removably attaching one end of said first and second lower
pelvic straps.
4. The backless support bra of claim 1, wherein said first and second upper
shoulder straps
are affixed to said front main portion.
5. The backless support bra of claim 1, wherein sliders are provided along
said first and
second lower pelvic straps.
6. A method of securing a backless support bra having a front main portion
on a wearer
comprising the steps of:
sliding upper shoulder straps extending from the front main portion of the
backless
support bra over the wearer's shoulders;
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-10-26

pulling one end of lower pelvic straps extending from the front main portion
of the
backless support bra through the pelvic region of the wearer; and
securing said one end of said lower pelvic straps extending from the front
main portion of
the backless support bra to the front main portion;
wherein said lower pelvic straps are designed to, when the backless support
bra is worn
by a wearer, extend downwardly from the front main portion, through a pelvic
region of a
wearer, to in-between a buttocks of the wearer, and then extend upward back up
to the front main
portion; and
wherein, both ends of said lower pelvic straps are connected to said front
main portion.
7. A method of securing a backless support bra having a front main portion
on a wearer
comprising the steps of:
sliding upper shoulder straps extending from the front main portion of the
backless
support bra over the wearer's shoulders;
crisscrossing lower pelvic straps extending from the front main portion of the
backless
support bra in a torso region of the wearer;
pulling said lower pelvic straps around the hip region of the wearer;
pulling said lower pelvic straps through the pelvic region of the wearer; and
securing a distal end of said lower pelvic straps onto said lower pelvic
straps.
8. The backless support bra of claim 1, wherein the first and second ends
of the first lower
pelvic trap are connected to the first cup and the first and second ends of
the second lower pelvic
trap are connected to the second cup.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2020-10-26

Description

CA 03032250 2019-01-28
WO 2018/030986 PCT/US2016/046050
INTERNATIONAL PATENT APPLICATION
UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY
BACKLESS SUPPORT BRA
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Traditional women's undergarments, namely brassieres, generally have
a front
portion with supportive cups, wings extending from the front portion
surrounding the
wearer's ribcage, a hook and eye closure to connect the two wings, and two
shoulder straps.
While traditional bras are practical for everyday use under daily wear, such
as t-shirt, blouses,
sweaters, etc., these traditional bras are not suitable for all purposes,
e.g., for wear with
backless garments such as formal gowns.
[0002] One solution has been a strapless and backless bra as disclosed in
U.S. Patent No.
6,397,391. While there are no wings of the bra to be exposed under a backless
garment, this
configuration provides little support to the breasts, resulting in an
undesirable appearance.
There have been other attempts to solve this problem but with little success.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Accordingly, a backless support bra comprising: a front main portion
having first
and second cups, first and second upper shoulder straps each having first and
second ends
connected to said front main portion, and first and second lower pelvic straps
each having
first and second ends connected to said front main portion; and wherein said
first and second
lower pelvic straps are designed to be worn through the pelvic region of a
wearer is generally
disclosed.
[0004] Moreover, a method of securing a backless support bra having a front
main
portion on a wearer comprising the steps of: sliding upper shoulder straps
extending from the
front main portion of the backless support bra over the wearer's shoulders;
pulling one end of
lower pelvic straps extending from the front main portion of the backless
support bra through
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the pelvic region of the wearer; and securing said one end of said lower
pelvic straps
extending from the front main portion of the backless support bra to the front
main portion is
also disclosed.
[0005] An alternate method of securing a backless support bra having a
front main
portion on a wearer comprising the steps of: sliding upper shoulder straps
extending from the
front main portion of the backless support bra over the wearer's shoulders;
crisscrossing
lower pelvic straps extending from the front main portion of the backless
support bra in a
torso region of the wearer; pulling said lower pelvic straps around the hip
region of the
wearer; pulling said lower pelvic straps through the pelvic region of the
wearer; and securing
a distal end of said lower pelvic straps onto said lower pelvic straps is also
described.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] A more complete understanding of the present invention may be
obtained by
reference to the Detailed Description when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying
Drawings.
[0007] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a backless support bra in
accordance with
one aspect of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a front view of the backless support bra seen in FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the backless support bra seen in FIG. 1;
[00010] FIG. 4 is a left side view of the backless support bra seen in FIG. 1;
[00011] FIG. 5 is a right side view of the backless support bra seen in
FIG. 1;
[00012] FIG. 6 is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the backless
support bra in
accordance with one aspect of the present invention; and
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[00013] FIG. 7 is the rear view of an alternate embodiment of the backless
support bra in
accordance with one aspect of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[00014] Turning now to the figures, FIGS. 1-5 show front, rear, and side views
of a
backless support bra 101 in accordance with one aspect of the present
invention. Backless
support bra 101 has a front main portion 102 having first and second cups 103.
Backless
support bra 101 has first and second upper shoulder straps 104, which are
designed to go over
the shoulders of a wearer. Backless support bra 101 also has first and second
lower pelvic
straps 105 that extend from the front main portion 102, and pass through the
pelvic area of a
user to reattach at the front main portion 102.
[00015] Cups 103 can be lined, padded, or otherwise enhanced to provide
additional
support and/or enhancement. Cups 103 can be of various sizes ranging from AAA-
N. These
cup variations would be understood to those having ordinary skill in the art
and such
variations would not serve to limit the scope of the invention. In addition to
cups 103, front
main portion 102 can also include channels having underwire 106 underneath the
cups 103 to
provide additional support and lift to the wearer's breasts. A center front
gore 107 generally
connects cups 103.
[00016] Both upper shoulder straps 104 and lower pelvic straps 105 attach to
front main
portion 102 at hook points 108. Hook points 108 generally comprise of a bra
hook (not
visible in every figure but can be seen in FIG. 6 at reference number 110) and
an eye found
on the inside of front main portion 102. A plurality of eyes (not visible in
figures) are
provided on the inside and along the edge of front main portion 102 to allow
the hooks found
on the end of the upper shoulder straps 104 and lower pelvic straps 105 to
attach at various
locations along the edge of the front main portion 102. At least three eyes,
but preferably
four or more, would be provided to allow for the straps 104 and 105 to attach
the front main
portion 102.
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[00017] It should be understood that hook points can be more permanently
affixed, for
example, by sewing the two portion together. This may be used where regular
attachment
and detachment of a hook from an eye for removal of the bra is not necessary.
For example,
hook points 108 on shoulder strap 104 could be more permanently affixed since
the shoulder
straps 104 can be slid over the arms.
[00018] Sliders 109 can also placed along uppers shoulder straps 104 and
lower pelvic
straps 105 to adjust the length of the straps to fit various body sizes and
types.
[00019] The neckline created by the cups 103 of the front main portion 102 can
be a
variety of shapes as would be understood to those having skill in the art. In
these exemplary
figures, the neckline is shown to be contoured or molded, but the front main
portion 102 and
cups 103 could be in plunge, full-cup, demi-cup, push-up, balconette, or shelf
styles, for
example. These cups can be made from a variety of materials, sizes, and colors
known in the
art of bra-making. The upper shoulder straps 104 and lower pelvic straps 105
can be a variety
of widths and made from a variety of materials and in a variety of colors.
[00020] As shown FIG. 3, pelvic straps 105 can be worn between a wearer's
buttocks in a
thong-style, to avoid panty lines. Alternately, the pelvic straps 105 can be
worn along a full-
coverage panty line as can generally be seen in FIG. 7.
[00021] Turning now to FIG. 6, shown in this figure is an alternate way to use
pelvic
straps 105. In this configuration, lower pelvic straps 105 are crisscrossed in
front of the body
of the wearer, pulled around the hip region of the wearer, and then through
the pelvic region
from back-to-front to reattach to the lower pelvic straps 105 in the front
body portion of the
user using hooks 110. Sliders 109 can be used to adjust the length of the
lower pelvic straps
105 to accommodate the wearer.
[00022] While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one
of ordinary
skill in the art to make and use the invention, those of ordinary skill in the
art will understand
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and appreciate the existence of variations, combination, and equivalents of
the embodiments,
methods, and examples provided herein. The invention should, therefore, not be
limited by
the embodiments and examples disclosed here, but by all embodiments and
methods within
the scope and spirit of the invention as claimed.

Representative Drawing