Method and system for buying and selling bras

• US 20040049435A1
• Filed: 05/27/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Bra Limited (Signature Aviation US Topco LLC)
• Original Assignee: T-Bra Limited (Signature Aviation US Topco LLC)
• Inventors: Nabarro, Daniel Joseph Nunes
• Granted Patent: US 7,162,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: A41C 5/00 Machines, appliances, or methods for manufacturing corsets or brassieres
• CPC Class Codes: A41H 1/02 Devices for taking measurements on the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A41H 5/01 with means for adjustment, e.g. of height
• CPC Class Codes: A41H 5/02 Inflatable forms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/107 Measuring physical dimensions, e.g. size of the entire body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2003/1066 Index sliding on tape
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2003/1079 associated with the tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 3/008 Arrangements for controlling the measuring force
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 3/1004 Measuring tapes without casings
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/025 Measuring of circumference; Measuring length of ring-shaped articles G01B5/0035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy

Abstract

A method of and system for buying or selling bras involves establishing a database of bras containing bra characteristic data including bra size and bra cup size measured from a sample of actual bras; measuring a wearer'"'"'s breast and torso size to obtain wearer characteristic data; searching the database to find bra characteristic data within the database matching the wearer characteristic data; and listing for selection by the wearer any bras in the database whose characteristics match the wearer characteristic data.

Claims

1. A bra measuring apparatus for measuring a bra as herein defined, the apparatus comprising support means for supporting a bra, at least one bladder expandable under internal fluid pressure within a cup of a bra thus supported, and measurement means for measuring the volume and/or pressure of the fluid within the bladder when the cup of the bra has been filled.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support means is shaped to emulate a torso.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the support means is divided into segments.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further including adjustment means for adjusting separation between the segments.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 or claim 4, wherein first and second bladders are situated on respective segments.

6. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the support means includes a shoulder support for supporting a shoulder strap of the bra.

7. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the or each bladder is shaped to emulate a breast.

8. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the or each bladder is interchangeable with bladders of different sizes and/or shapes.

9. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the measurement means includes a volumetric scale adapted to measure the volume of fluid delivered to the or each bladder.

10. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein a pump acting through a nonreturn valve introduces fluid into the or each bladder in use.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the measurement means is associated with the pump to infer the volume of fluid introduced into the bladder from the operation of the pump.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the pump is a rotary pump and the measurement means senses the number of rotations of the pump.

13. The apparatus of any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the pump is a peristaltic pump.

14. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the measurement means includes a pressure sensor in communication with the or each bladder.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, including a detector associated with the pressure sensor for detecting a discontinuity in pressure rise.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 or claim 15 when appendant to claim 10, further including means associated with the pressure sensor for controlling the pump.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 when appendant to claim 15, wherein means are associated with the detector to stop the pump upon detecting said discontinuity.

18. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein surface pressure sensor means are associated with the support means.

19. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein a supporting surface of the support means emulates the softness of body tissue.

20. The apparatus of any preceding claim, comprising stress sensors associated with the bra.

21. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the support means is tiltably mounted to enable the or each bladder to hang down while applying the bra to the support means.

22. A bra measuring method for measuring a bra as herein defined, the method comprising supporting a bra, expanding a bladder under internal fluid pressure until a cup of the bra thus supported has been filled, and measuring the volume and/or pressure of the fluid within the bladder that fills the cup.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising supporting the bra on an artificial torso.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the artificial torso is expandable and the method further comprises expanding or contracting the artificial torso.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the artificial torso is segmented and the method comprises adjusting separation between the segments.

26. The method of any of claims 22 to 25, comprising supporting a shoulder strap of the bra.

27. The method of any of claims 22 to 26, comprising interchanging the bladder with another bladder of a different size and/or shape.

28. The method of any of claims 22 to 27, comprising measuring the volume of fluid delivered to the bladder.

29. The method of any of claims 22 to 28, comprising pumping fluid into the bladder through a non-return valve.

30. The method of claim 29 when appendant to claim 28, comprising inferring the volume of fluid introduced into the bladder from the operation of the pump.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the pump is a rotary pump and the volume of fluid introduced into the bladder is inferred from the number of rotations of the pump.

32. The method of any of claims 22 to 31, comprising detecting a discontinuity in pressure rise within the bladder.

33. The method of claim 32, comprising stopping expansion of the bladder upon detecting the discontinuity.

34. The method of any of claims 22 to 33, comprising sensing surface pressure exerted by the bra upon a support means.

35. The method of any of claims 22 to 34, comprising sensing stress in the bra.

36. The method of any of claims 22 to 35, comprising observing fit on a support means supporting the bra.

37. The method of claim 36, comprising observing deflection of a support surface of the support means.

38. The method of claim 36 or claim 37, comprising observing any gap between the cup and the support means.

39. The method of any of claims 22 to 38, comprising measuring a plurality of nominally identical bras to determine manufacturing tolerance.

40. The method of claim 39, comprising selecting a random sample of bras from a bra production facility, measuring the bras of that sample, and feeding back tolerance information to that facility.

41. The method of any of claims 22 to 40, comprising causing the or each bladder to hang down while applying the bra to a support means for supporting the bra during measurement.

42. The method of claim 41, comprising tilting the support means to cause the or each bladder to hang down.

43. A method of buying or selling bras as herein defined, the method comprising establishing a database of bras containing bra characteristic data including bra size and bra cup size measured from a sample of actual bras;

measuring a wearer'"'"'s breast and torso size to obtain wearer characteristic data;

searching the database to find bra characteristic data within the database matching the wearer characteristic data; and

listing for selection by the wearer any bras in the database whose characteristics match the wearer characteristic data.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the bra characteristic data includes bra cup shape data, and the method further comprises measuring a wearer'"'"'s breast shape and including the wearer'"'"'s breast shape in the wearer characteristic data.

45. The method of claim 43 or claim 44, wherein the bra cup size and wearer breast size are measured volumetrically.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the volumetric measurement of the wearer breast size is performed when the breast is in a supported shape.

47. The method of any of claims 43 to 46, wherein the bra characteristic data includes bra type and/or bra features data, and wherein the method further comprises including wearer preference data as to bra type and/or bra features in the wearer characteristic data.

48. The method of any of claims 43 to 47, further comprising advising the wearer of the availability and/or location of a bra matching the wearer characteristic data.

49. The method of any of claims 43 to 48, wherein measuring the wearer'"'"'s breast and torso size takes place at a location remote from a stock of bras, such as at home.

50. The method of claim 49, comprising delivering measuring means to the wearer at the remote location.

51. The method of claim 49 or claim 50, comprising delivering a selected bra to the wearer at the remote location.

52. The method of any of claims 43 to 51, comprising measuring breast and torso size by reference to a bra that is known to be a comfortable fit;

searching the database to find bra characteristic data for that bra; and

searching the database to find matching bra characteristic data among other bras in the database.

53. A system for buying or selling bras as herein defined, the system comprising a database of bras containing bra characteristic data including bra size and bra cup size measured from a sample of actual bras;

measuring means for measuring a wearer'"'"'s breast and torso size to obtain wearer characteristic data;

search means for searching the database to find bra characteristic data within the database matching the wearer characteristic data, and selection means for listing for selection by the wearer any available bras in the database that match the wearer characteristic data.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the database includes bra cup shape data measured from actual bras.

55. The system of claim 53 or claim 54, wherein the database includes bra type data.

56. The system of any of claims 53 to 55, wherein the database includes bra features data.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the bra features data includes data concerning padding and underwiring.

58. The system of any of claims 53 to 57, wherein the bra cup size is a volumetric measurement and the measuring means is adapted to measure wearer breast size volumetrically.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein the measuring means is adapted to support the breast while measuring wearer breast size.

60. The system of any of claims 53 to 59, comprising delivery means for delivering a bra selected from a stock of bras to the wearer at a location remote from the stock of bras.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the measuring means are at said location remote from the stock of bras.

62. The system of any of claims 53 to 61, wherein the search and selection means are accessible by the wearer on-line.

63. The system of any of claims 53 to 62, wherein the measuring means is a bra that is known to be a comfortable fit.

64. A bra measuring method, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to or as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 or FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings.

65. A bra measuring apparatus, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to or as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 or FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings.

66. A method of buying or selling bras as herein defined, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to or as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

67. A system for buying or selling bras as herein defined, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to or as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings.