Adhesive bra with improved breathability

• US 7,229,335 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brazabra Corporation
• Original Assignee: Brazabra Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Theodore L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hale; Gloria M.
• Application Number:
  US11/110,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20060252342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 450/37.39, 450 54- 57, 450/81, 226/7, 226/8, 623/7, 623/8, 604/385.07, 128/890, 128/889, 602 41- 45, 602/47, 602/54, 602/55, 602/57, 602/58, 602/59, 602/60, 602/61
• US Class Current: 450/81
• CPC Class Codes: A41C 3/065 attached directly to the body, e.g. by means of adhesive

Abstract

An adhesive bra element comprising a breathable member to be used as a bra cup and having a plurality of though openings over a predetermined area of the breathable member to provide breathability, wherein the through openings are slit openings.

Claims

1. An adhesive bra element comprising:

a breathable member to be used as a bra cup and having a plurality of through openings over a predetermined area of the breathable member to provide breathability, wherein said breathable member comprises a base layer and an adhesive layer disposed on a first surface of said base layer and said through openings are slit openings; and

a backing layer affixed to said adhesive layer, said backing layer including a plurality of slit openings aligned with said through openings in the breathable member.

2. An adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said slit openings comprises one of a plurality of crossing slits and a single slit.

3. An adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 2, wherein said base layer comprises a thin and flexible material and said adhesive layer comprises a medical grade adhesive.

4. An adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 3, wherein:

said base layer comprises one of a plastic film, a woven fabric and a non-woven fabric,

said adhesive layer comprises a non-sensitizing adhesive, and

said backing layer comprises coated paper.

5. An adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 4, wherein said slit openings in said backing layer are through openings.

6. An adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 4, wherein said slit openings extend through a portion of a thickness of said backing layer.

7. An adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 4, wherein a size of said slit openings in said breathable member and said backing layer is between 0.125 to 0.1875 inches.

8. An adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 7, wherein said slit openings are cross-shaped slits and the distance between said cross-shaped slits is between 0.25 and 1.0 inches.

9. An adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 4, wherein said backing layer comprises a first portion and a second portion.

10. An adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 2, wherein said predetermined area of the breathable member is the whole area of said breathable member.

11. An adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 2, wherein said predetermined area of said breathable member comprises a central area of said breathable member and an upper area of said breathable member.

12. An adhesive bra comprising:

a first adhesive bra element comprising a first breathable member to be used as a first bra cup;

a second adhesive bra element comprising a second breathable member to be used as a second bra cup;

each of said first and second breathable members comprising a base layer and an adhesive layer disposed on a first surface of said base layer;

said first adhesive bra element further comprising a first backing layer affixed to said adhesive layer of said first breathable member and said second adhesive bra element further comprising a second backing layer affixed to said adhesive layer of said second breathable member;

wherein each of said first and second breathable members has a plurality of through openings over a predetermined area of that breathable member to provide breathability; and

wherein said through openings are slit openings; and

said first backing layer including a plurality of slit openings aligned with the through openings in the first breathable member and said second backing layer including a plurality of slit openings aligned with the through openings in the second breathable member.

13. An adhesive bra in accordance with claim 12, wherein each of said slit openings comprises one of a plurality of crossing slits and a single slit.

14. An adhesive bra in accordance with claim 13, wherein each said base layer comprises a thin flexible material and each said adhesive layer comprises a medical grade adhesive.

15. An adhesive bra in accordance with claim 14, wherein:

each said base layer comprises one of a plastic film, a woven fabric or a non-woven fabric,

each said adhesive layer comprises a non-sensitizing adhesive, and

each said backing layer comprises coated paper.

16. An adhesive bra in accordance with claim 13, wherein said slit openings in said first backing layer and said second backing layer are through openings.

17. An adhesive bra in accordance with claim 13, wherein said slit openings in each of said first backing layer and said second backing layer extend through a portion of a thickness of said backing layer.

18. An adhesive bra in accordance with claim 13, wherein a size of said slit openings in each of said breathable members and said backing layer is between 0.125 to 0.1875 inches.

19. An adhesive bra in accordance with claim 18, wherein said slit openings are cross-shaped slits and a distance between said slit openings is between 0.25 and 1.0 inches.

20. An adhesive bra in accordance with claim 13, wherein said first backing layer comprises a first portion and a second portion, and said second backing layer comprises a third portion and a fourth portion.

21. An adhesive bra in accordance with claim 13, wherein said predetermined area of each of said first and second breathable members is the whole area of each of said first and second breathable members.

22. An adhesive bra in accordance with claim 13, wherein said predetermined area of each of said first and second breathable members comprises a central area and an upper area of each of said first and second breathable members.

23. A method of forming a breathable adhesive bra element to be used as a bra cup comprising the steps of:

providing a breathable member comprising a base layer and an adhesive layer, wherein said providing the breathable member comprises providing said adhesive layer on a surface of one of a backing layer and the base layer and joining the other of said backing layer and said base layer to said adhesive layer;

forming a plurality of through openings as slit openings over a predetermined area of said breathable member to provide breathability, and forming a plurality of slit openings in the backing layer aligned with the through openings in the breathable member.

24. A method of forming an adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 23, wherein said forming the slit openings comprises die cutting said openings over the predetermined area of the breathable member.

25. A method of forming an adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 24, wherein each of said slit openings is formed as one of a plurality of crossing slits and a single slit.

26. A method of forming an adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 25, wherein said slit openings extend through a thickness of said base layer and said adhesive layer, and through at least a portion of a thickness of said backing layer.

27. A method of forming an adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 26, wherein said slit openings have a size between 0.125 to 10.1875 inches and wherein a distance between said slit openings is between 0.25 and 1.0 inches.

28. A method of forming an adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 27, wherein:

said base layer comprises one of a plastic film, a woven fabric and a non-woven fabric;

said adhesive layer comprises a non-sensitizing medical grade adhesive; and

said backing layer comprises coated paper.

29. A method of forming an adhesive bra element in accordance with claim 25, further comprising cuffing said substrate in a shape of said bra cup.