Breast Damage Mitigation

Abstract

A breast damage mitigation system including a bra, a strap, and at least one element that holds the strap in place over a top of a person's breasts when the bra and the strap are worn. The element(s) preferably include one or more loop(s), slit(s), or other elements through which the strap passes. The strap preferably includes elastic material, although inelastic material may be used. A fastener may also be included on ends of the strap, and a pocket that is closed by the fastener may also be included. Also, associated methods.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

• This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/398,426 titled “BREAST DAMAGE MITIGATION” and filed 22-Sep.-2016 in the name of the same inventor as this non-provisional application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to articles and methods intended to mitigate breast discomfort and/or damage that may be experienced by people, especially females, during exercise and/or other activities.

Description of the Related Art

Women often experience discomfort and/or embarrassment while exercising due to excessive breast movement, for example while running. This discomfort and/or embarrassment is particularly pronounced for women with larger breasts and/or implants. In addition, excessive breast movement can actually break down breast tissue over periods of regular exercise and/or other physical activity. These matters are of serious concern to many amateur and professional female athletes. Many men also suffer this problem.

Some manufacturers have attempted to address the problem by making sports bras out of an elastic material such as LYCRA®. However, the elasticity of those materials can actually add to unwanted breast movement and therefore damage and/or embarrassment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

What is needed is an article that that reduces breast movement while a person exercises and/or performs other activities. Aspects of the invention addresses this need through one or more elements that are intended to reduce upward movement of a person's breasts. In some aspects, the system includes a bra, a strap, and at least one element that holds the strap in place over a top of a person's breasts when the bra and the strap are worn. The element(s) preferably include one or more loop(s), slit(s), or other elements through which the strap passes. The strap preferably includes elastic material, although inelastic material may be used. A fastener may be included on ends of the strap, and a pocket that is closed by the fastener may also be included. Aspects of the invention also include associated methods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the subject technology.

FIGS. 2 and 3 further illustrate variations for a part of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates inclusion of a pocket that can be incorporated into some embodiments of the subject technology.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating one possible way of using embodiments of the subject technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/398,426 titled “BREAST DAMAGE MITIGATION” and filed 22-Sep.-2016 in the name of the same inventor as this non-provisional application including its appendix is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

Briefly, the invention is intended to reduce excessive upward breast movement or “bounce” that may occur when a person exercises and/or performs other activities. This reduction in movement is intended to be achieved by a system and/or method that should reduce upward movement by providing support to tops of the person's breasts. When this upward movement is reduced, the “bounce” that inevitably follows also should be reduced. The invention is not limited to this brief summary.

The genesis of the subject technology is a realization that the “bounce” occurs on the top of a person's breasts. While existing sports bras and the like support a bottom and sides of the breasts, they fail to support the top of the breasts.

FIG. 1 shows person 1 (depicted as a female, but the subject technology is not limited to females) wearing sports bra 2 and strap 3. The strap preferably includes elastic material 4. The strap should fit across the tops of breasts 5, under arms 6, and around the person's back 7.

In preferred embodiments, at least part of strap 3 is sufficiently elastic so as to ensure a close fit, but is also sufficiently inelastic so that the strap avoids contributing to movement of breasts during exercising and/or other activities.

It has been found that having a sufficiently close fitting strap across the top of a person's breasts provides great relief from excessive breast movement. In addition, a properly elastic strap placed as shown does not exacerbate the problem of excessive breast movement. This is in contrast to conventional overly-elastic sports bras.

Strap 3 also may include adjustable fastener 8, here shown fastened at the person's back 7. Fastener 8 may be a hook-and-loop fastener (e.g., VELCRO®), bra-type fastener, buckle-like fastener, any other form of fastener, or some combination thereof.

Preferred aspects of the subject technology also include elements 9 on bra 2 that may secure and position strap 3 in a proper alignment. In some aspects, elements 9 may be loops, slits, any other elements through which the strap preferably passes. If loops are included, the loops preferably are akin to loops used to secure a belt in place on pants. If slits are used, the slits may be reinforced. To the inventor's knowledge, no other sports or other type of bra includes such elements.

While only one element 9 is shown, the implication of the figure is that another element exists on the other side of bra 2. However, in alternative embodiments, a single such element (for example between the person's breasts) or some other mechanism for securing strap 3 in place may be used.

FIG. 1 also illustrates that element(s) 10 may be included for supporting a bottom of the person's breasts. Examples of such elements include but are not limited to fabric and underwire support.

FIG. 2 shows strap 11, which may be used as strap 3 in FIG. 1. Strap 11 includes preferably elastic material 12 and fastener 13. In some aspects, strap 11 is at least one inch wide at a portion that fits across tops of a wearer's breasts. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, strap 11 has a uniform width. In other aspects, the width does not have to be uniform. FIG. 2 also is intended to illustrate that fastener 13 preferably is a hook-and-loop fastener. However, other types of fasteners may be used.

For example, FIG. 3 shows strap 14, which also may be used as strap 3 in FIG. 1. This strap is an alternative embodiment of the strap shown in FIG. 2. The strap shown in FIG. 3 also preferably includes elastic material 15. Fastener 16 for the strap comprises traditional fasteners such as those used for most bras.

In other embodiments, strap 3 may not be elastic. For example, the strap may be made of an inelastic material sized or fitted for a particular person.

FIG. 4 illustrates inclusion of a pocket into the strap shown in FIG. 2. Pocket 19 preferably is closed when fastener 13 is secured. A similar pocket may be incorporated into other versions of the subject technology.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating one possible way of using embodiments of the subject technology. In step 20, a person puts on a bra. The person may put the bra on normally or somewhere else such as around their waist. Doing the latter may make use of the subject technology easier.

In step 21, a strap such as described above is inserted through attachments in the bra. Alternatively, the strap may be pre-inserted through such attachments.

The bra and strap are arranged in step 22 such that the bra holds the strap in place over a top of the wearer's breasts. Thus, “bounce” and tissue damage will likely be reduced when the person exercises or performs other activities.

The invention is in no way limited to the specifics of any particular embodiments and examples disclosed herein. For example, the terms “aspect,” “example,” “preferably,” “alternatively,” and the like denote features that may be preferable but not essential to include in some embodiments of the invention. In addition, details illustrated or disclosed with respect to any one aspect of the invention may be used with other aspects of the invention. Additional elements and/or steps may be added to various aspects of the invention and/or some disclosed elements and/or steps may be subtracted from various aspects of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention. Singular elements/steps imply plural elements/steps and vice versa. Some steps may be performed serially, in parallel, or in different orders than disclosed herein. Many other variations are possible which remain within the content, scope, and spirit of the invention, and these variations would become clear to those skilled in the art after perusal of this application.

Claims

1. A breast damage mitigation system, comprising:

a bra;

a strap; and

at least one element that holds the strap in place over a top of a person's breasts when the bra with the strap is worn.

2. A breast damage mitigation system as in claim 1, wherein the at least one element comprises one or more loops.

3. A breast damage mitigation system as in claim 2, wherein the loops comprise loops akin to those used to hold a belt on pants.

4. A breast damage mitigation system as in claim 1, wherein the at least one element comprises one or more slits.

5. A breast damage mitigation system as in claim 4, wherein the strap passes through the slits.

6. A breast damage mitigation system as in claim 4, wherein the slits further comprise reinforcement.

7. A breast damage mitigation system as in claim 1, wherein the strap comprises elastic material.

8. A breast damage mitigation system as in claim 1, wherein the strap includes a fastener.

9. A breast damage mitigation system as in claim 8, wherein the fastener comprises a hook-and-loop fastener.

10. A breast damage mitigation system as in claim 1, wherein the strap further comprises a pocket.

11. A breast damage mitigation system as in claim 10, wherein the strap includes a fastener and the pocket is closed by the fastener.

12. A breast damage mitigation method, comprising:

putting on a bra;

putting on a strap; and

arranging the strap in position with at least one element of the bra that holds the strap in place over a top of a person's breasts when the bra with the strap is worn.

13. A breast damage mitigation method as in claim 12, wherein the at least one element comprises one or more loops.

14. A breast damage mitigation method as in claim 13, wherein the loops comprise loops akin to those used to hold a belt on pants.

15. A breast damage mitigation method as in claim 12, wherein the at least one element comprises one or more slits.

16. A breast damage mitigation method as in claim 15, wherein the strap passes through the slits.

17. A breast damage mitigation method as in claim 15, wherein the slits further comprise reinforcement.

18. A breast damage mitigation method as in claim 12, wherein the strap comprises elastic material.

19. A breast damage mitigation method as in claim 12, wherein the strap includes a fastener.

20. A breast damage mitigation method as in claim 19, wherein the fastener comprises a hook-and-loop fastener.

21. A breast damage mitigation method as in claim 12, wherein the strap further comprises a pocket.

22. A breast damage mitigation method as in claim 21, wherein the strap includes a fastener and the pocket is closed by the fastener.