UNDERGARMENT

Abstract

The present invention relates to an undergarment having a brassier region, a middle section having a corset and reclosable opening, and a bottom section with crotch and buttocks regions. The undergarment has a reclosable opening down the portion of the midline of the undergarment, beginning at the brassier portion and extending to a portion of the middle section.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application relates to design application No. 29/275,398, filed on Dec. 22, 2006, entitled “Body Suit and Integrated Corset” by Giugliano, Gilfroia.

The entire teachings of the above application are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Girdles exist to shape the wearer's body, but many of them do not also support the bosom of the user. Several girdles do not provide continuous support of the wearer's buttocks, midriff and bust areas. In the cases of body suits that may support the bosom of the user, they are often difficult to put on. A user of a body suit many times has to struggle to put on bodysuits because they are made from elastic material making body suits tight as they go on.

Hence, a need exists for an undergarment that provides support to the bosom, midriff and buttocks areas that is easy to put on and take off.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an undergarment that has a brassiere section which includes brassiere cups; a middle section underneath the brassiere section, said middle section including a corset support; a bottom section including a crotch region; and an opening extending from a front region of the brassiere section through at least a portion of a front region of the middle section, wherein the opening has a reclosable fastener. The undergarment is made from body-shaping material. The reclosable opening allows the user to easily put on and take off the undergarment. The corset support includes at least two rigid strips (e.g., about 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 strips). The reclosable fastener includes, e.g., buttons, fastening tape, zipper, hooks, loops, snaps, straps, ties, clips, and any combination thereof. The bottom section, crotch region or both is optionally reinforced. The undergarment can be made from same material, same piece of material, or from different pieces of different material. The undergarment can optionally include straps, sleeves, leggings extending from the bottom section, and any combination thereof. The undergarment shapes the midriff of the user by decreasing the waist of the user. In an embodiment, the circumference of the waist (e.g. waistline) of the user decreases by at least an amount ranging from about ½ inch to about 3 inches (e.g., about 1, 1½, 2, and 2½ inches). The undergarment, in one aspect, lifts the bosom by an amount ranging from about ¼ inch to about 2½ inches (e.g., about ½, 1, 1½, or 2 inches).

The undergarment of the present invention further includes a buttocks region. The buttocks region includes a variety of cuts including a thong cut, a classic underwear cut, a low underwear/shorts cut, and variations thereof. The buttocks region can be padded or shaped to create a lift. The buttocks region of the undergarment lifts the buttocks of the user by an amount ranging from about ½ inch to about 2 inches (e.g., about 1, 1½. inches) The undergarment in an embodiment has a second reclosable opening at the crotch region, wherein the second reclosable opening has a reclosable fastener.

The present invention further includes methods of shaping a person's body by putting on the undergarment of the present invention, as described herein, and fastening the opening with the reclosable fasteners. As such, the waistline decreases by at least about a ½ inch, the bosom is lifted by at least about ¼ of an inch, the buttocks is shaped or lifted by about ½ inch, or any combination thereof.

The present invention provides a number of advantages. The undergarment of the present invention provides support for the three main problem areas: the bosom, the midriff and the buttocks. The undergarment of the present invention further allows the user to easily put on and take off the undergarment using the reclosable opening down at least a portion of the front of the undergarment. The full support coupled with the ease of use provides a great advantage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the front of the undergarment of the present invention, as shown as worn by a person.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the front of the undergarment of the present invention, independent of the user.

FIG. 2A is a perspective, more detailed, view of the undergarment of the present invention, showing the reclosable opening and corset supports/strips.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the back of the undergarment of the present invention having a low underwear cut.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the back of the undergarment of the present invention having a high underwear cut.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the back of the undergarment of the present invention having a shorts (e.g., boy shorts) underwear cut.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the back of the undergarment of the present invention having a thong cut.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A description of preferred embodiments of the invention follows.

The present invention relates to an undergarment that has an integrated corset and body suit that has a reclosable opening down the front of the garment. The reclosable opening allows the user to put on and take off the undergarment with ease, while support three areas of the user's body: the bosom, the midriff and the buttocks. In particular, the undergarment includes a brassiere section, a middle section and a bottom section. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, brassiere section 10 includes brassiere cups 2A and 2B. Brassiere cups 2 A and 2B are formed to support the bosom of the wearer. The cups can be made from a foam materials, or any material that provides support for the bosom. The cups can be of any size and includes, e.g., A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, and K cup and corresponding double and triple cup sizes. The undergarment also, in an embodiment, includes a portion that goes around the back of the wearer. Like a brassiere, the circumference of the undergarment that goes around the back at the brassiere section (often called the back size of a brassiere) includes various sizes to accommodate the wearer. In an embodiment, sizes of the circumference includes a range from 30 inches to about 48 inches (e.g., 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48 inches). The brassiere cup can be a full cup or ½ cup, so long as a portion of a cup is formed to support the bosom. The undergarment can be adapted with brassiere cups now known or those developed in the future. The undergarment of the present invention provides a lift of and/or shapes the bosom of the user. In an embodiment, the undergarment lifts the bosom by an amount ranging from about ¼ inch to about 2½ inches (e.g., about ½, 1, 1½, or 2 inches).

The undergarment of the present invention further includes middle section 12. Referring to FIG. 2A, middle section 12, underneath brassiere section 10, has a corset support that includes supports 6A-6D and reclosable opening 8. Such supports, like supports 6A-6D, are also referred to herein as “strips.” Supports 6A-6D are preferably stiff and interwoven or attached to in the body shaping material. Such supports are used to assist in shaping the midriff of the user. In an embodiment, any support can be used to shape the midriff of the user and includes plastic, fabric, and wire supports. Reclosable opening 8 includes a series of hook and loop arrangements and is positioned down the front midline of the undergarment. The reclosable opening extends from a front region of the brassiere section to a portion of the front region of the middle or bottom sections. The length of the opening ranges between about 4 inches to about 24 inches, and can vary depending on the length of the torso of the wearer. The opening can partially extend down the midline of the undergarment, or extend down the entire length of the undergarment. The undergarment of the present invention can vary in size (e.g., length and circumference) e.g., ranging from a size 0 to a size 24. The opening can extend down the midline of the undergarment, or elsewhere down the front of the undergarment (e.g., parallel to the midline of the undergarment but a few inches to the right or the left), or can be skewed or angled, so long as the reclosable opening extends from a front portion of the brassiere to a front portion of the middle or bottom sections.

In FIG. 2A, a plurality of eye and hook arrangements is used to fasten opening 8. The fasteners used in the present invention allow the opening to be closed and reopened by the user. Examples of reclosable fasteners include buttons, fastening tape (e.g., Velcro® fastening tape), zipper, hooks and eye arrangement, snaps, loops, snaps, straps, ties, clips, and any combination thereof. Any reclosable fastener now know or developed in the future can be used. The reclosable fasteners can be placed on the edge of the opening, or on top of the fabric such that when fastened the edges of the fabric overlap. More than one set (e.g., 2 or 3 sets) of reclosable fasteners can be used to allow the user of the undergarment of the present invention to choose the desired fastening position. For example, when using a hook and eye arrangement, a series of eyes, parallel to the edge of the opening can be placed to allow the user to choose a tighter fit or a looser fit.

Straps 30A and 30B, shown in FIG. 2A, are attached to the brassier portion of the undergarment. Straps 30A and 30B being from the back of the user and go over her shoulder, and attach to a front region of the brassier cups, respectively. The straps can be connected and disconnected to the front and back of the undergarment using a hook and loop arrangement (arrangement on back side not shown). The straps can be adjustable, or sized to fit the user. Other means known in the art or later developed can be used to attach and disengage the straps to the undergarment. Examples of such means include buttons, fastening tape, snaps, and the like. Straps of the undergarment are optional. The straps can be sewn to the undergarment direction, or attached and disengaged using a device, as described herein. Similarly, the undergarment can have sleeves attached. The sleeves are optional as well, and can be short, mid-length or long sleeves.

Bottom section 14 includes crotch region 16. Crotch region 16 has second reclosable opening 18 that is fastened with a hook and eye arrangement. The crotch region can be reinforced e.g., with a cotton lining. As with reclosable opening 8, any reclosable fastener described herein, now known or developed in the future can be used in the crotch regions so long as the user can open and close the opening. A series of reclosable fasteners can be positioned in parallel to allow the user to choose the desired fit.

Undergarment 60 of FIG. 3 has buttocks region with low cut 20. The buttocks region can have a variety of cuts including high cut 24 (undergarment 70 of FIG. 4), shorts (e.g., boy shorts) cut 26 (undergarment 80 of FIG. 5), or thong cut 28 (undergarment 90 of FIG. 6). Any underwear cut now known or later developed can be used with the undergarment of the present invention. The buttock region can be padded or shaped to create a lift of the buttocks. Undergarment 80 of FIG. 5 is shaped with elastic material to create a lift of the buttocks of the user. In an embodiment, the undergarment of the present invention lifts the buttock of the user in an amount ranging between about ½ inch to about 2 inches. Optionally, the undergarment of the present invention can include leggings. The leggings can extend partially down the leg, or the entire length of the leg. The leggings can be of the same body-shaping material as the undergarment, and act to shape the thigh area (e.g., decrease the circumference of the thigh by an amount ranging between about ¼ inch to about 3 inches). Alternatively, the leggings can consist of material used to make pantyhose or tights.

The back of the undergarment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 goes straight across the back of the wearer. However, embodiments of the present invention include an angled back (e.g., forms a “V” shape), a curved back, or a back having any shape.

The undergarment is made from body-shaping material. Body-shaping material, in an embodiment, is material that shapes the body of the user. In an embodiment, the material is made of stretchable or elastic fibers to hold in or shape the user's body. Alternatively, the body shaping material includes non-elastic material that is sewn to hold in or shape the user's body. Examples of fabric include spandex, cotton, polyester, microfiber, lycra, nylon, and combinations thereof, or blends thereof. Materials used to make the present invention can be natural or synthetic fabric or blends thereof. Materials now known or developed in the future can be used so long as the material holds in or shapes the body of the undergarment's user. In an embodiment, the undergarment decreases the circumference of the user's waist in an amount of at least about ½ inch (e.g., about 1, 1½, 2, 2½, or 3 inches).

Similarly, the undergarment of the present invention can be made from a single piece of material, or several pieces of material that are attached or sewn together. The pieces of material can be the same or different, and can be from a single piece of material or many. For example, the brassiere cups can be made from padded foam, and the middle section can be made from a spandex blend, and the crotch region can be reinforced with cotton. Any combination thereof can be used for various portions of the undergarment.

They present invention further includes methods for shaping a person's body, the methods include putting on the undergarment described herein on the person and closing the reclosable opening with the fastener, wherein the body shaping material of the undergarment shapes the person's body (e.g., midriff region, bosom, and/or buttocks area). The undergarment of the present invention, in an embodiment, decreases the waist by at least about ½ inch (e.g., about 1, 1½, 2, 2½, or 3 inches).

Exemplification

The undergarment shown in FIG. 2A was made using a cotton/spandex blend material. The material contains elastic properties such that it shaped the user's midriff by decreasing it by about 2 inches.

The bottom region was made from three pieces of material, a front potion, a buttocks portion and a crotch portion. The three pieces were cut to shape and sewn together to form the bottom region shown in FIG. 2A. The crotch area contain three hooks, and 2 rows of corresponding metal loops for receiving said hooks. The crotch was reinforced with cotton.

The middle region was made from a single piece of material to form the corset support. The middle region had reclosable opening measuring about 7 inches. The fasteners was a series of metal hook and loop arrangement. The hooks were placed on the edge of one side of the opening, and the loops were placed on the edge of the other side of the opening, opposite the hooks. The loops receive the hook and close the opening, as shown in FIG. 2A. The corset support had 6 plastic supports (four shown 6A-D) each measuring 6¼ inches by ⅓ inch. The supports were encased in cotton material and sewn parallel to the reclosable opening.

The brassiere section made using the same material as the middle and buttock region, but also included two foam shaped full C-cups to receive and shape the bosom. Lastly, the undergarment was made with two straps that could be attached and reattached with a metal hook, as shown in the figure. The undergarment had 4 loops, 2 in the front and 2 in the back, to receive the metal hooks of the straps.

The relevant teachings of all the references, patents and/or patent applications cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An undergarment that comprises:

a. a brassiere section which includes brassiere cups;

b. a middle section underneath the brassiere section, said middle section including a corset support;

c. a bottom section including a crotch region; and

d. an opening extending from a front region of the brassiere section through at least a portion of a front region of the middle section, wherein the opening has a reclosable fastener;

wherein the undergarment is made from body-shaping material.

2. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the corset support includes at least two rigid strips.

3. The undergarment of claim 2, wherein the reclosable fastener is selected from the group consisting of buttons, fastening tape, zipper, hooks, loops, snaps, straps, ties, clips, and a combination thereof.

4. The undergarment of claim 3, wherein bottom section, crotch region or both is reinforced.

5. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the undergarment is made from the same material or same piece of material.

6. The undergarment of claim 5, further including shoulder straps.

7. The undergarment of claim 5, further including sleeves.

8. The undergarment of claim 5, further including leggings extending from the bottom section.

9. An undergarment that comprises:

a. a brassiere section which includes brassiere cups;

b. a middle section underneath the brassiere section, said middle section including a corset support;

c. a bottom section including a crotch region and a buttock region; and

d. an opening extending from a front region of the brassiere section through at least a portion of a front region of the middle section, wherein the opening has a reclosable fastener;

wherein the undergarment is made from body-shaping material that, when in use, decreases the a waistline of a user by at least about a ½ inch.

10. The undergarment of claim 9, wherein the buttocks region includes a cut from the group consisting of a thong cut, a low underwear cut, a high underwear cut, and a shorts cut.

11. The undergarment of claim 10, wherein the reclosable fastener is selected from the group consisting of buttons, fastening tape, zipper, hooks, loops, snaps, straps, ties, clips, and a combination thereof.

12. The undergarment of claim 11, further comprising a second reclosable opening at the crotch region, wherein the second reclosable opening has a reclosable fastener.

13. An undergarment that comprises:

a. a brassiere section which includes brassiere cups;

b. a middle section underneath the brassiere section, said middle section including a corset support;

c. a bottom section including a crotch region and a buttock region that includes a thong; and

d. an opening extending from a front region of the brassiere section through at least a portion of a front region of the middle section, wherein the opening has a reclosable fastener;

wherein the undergarment is made from body-shaping material.

14. The undergarment of claim 13, wherein the crotch region has a second reclosable opening.

15. An undergarment that comprises:

a. a brassiere section which includes brassiere cups;

b. a middle section underneath the brassiere section, said middle section including a corset support;

c. a bottom section including a crotch region and a buttock region that includes a classic underwear cut; and

d. an opening extending from a front region of the brassiere section through at least a portion of a front region of the middle section, wherein the opening has a reclosable fastener;

wherein the undergarment is made from body-shaping material.

16. An undergarment that comprises:

a. a brassiere section which includes brassiere cups;

b. a middle section underneath the brassiere section, said middle section including a corset support;

c. a bottom section including a crotch region and a buttock region that includes a boy-shorts cut; and

d. an opening extending from a front region of the brassiere section through at least a portion of a front region of the middle section, wherein the opening has a reclosable fastener;

wherein the undergarment is made from body-shaping material.

17. The undergarment of claim 15, wherein the buttocks region is padded or shaped to create a lift.

18. A method of shaping a person's body, wherein the person has a waistline, a bosom and buttocks, the method comprises:

a. putting on the undergarment of claim 1; and

b. fastening the opening with the reclosable fastener;

wherein the waistline of the person is decreased by at least about a ½ inch, the bosom is lifted by at least about ¼ of an inch, the buttocks is shaped or lifted by about ½ inch, or any combination thereof.