Undergarment Padding

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/596,539, filed Mar. 5, 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/120,777, filed Mar. 13, 2023, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/689,767, filed Mar. 8, 2022, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/860,063, filed Apr. 27, 2020, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/192,943, filed Nov. 16, 2018, now abandoned, which is a continuation of International PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US2018/037399, filed Jun. 13, 2018, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/519,344, filed Jun. 14, 2017, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to garments, and more specifically, to undergarments and their accessories that can enhance the size and shape of certain body parts.

Undergarments may provide several functions, such as shaping the wearer's body, supporting parts of the body during exercise, and offering protection to outer clothing. Undergarments can include everything from men's vests and women's brassieres or bras to their underwear.

Wearing a garment to support the chests or breasts may date back to ancient Greece. Women wore an apodesmos, later stēthodesmē, mastodesmos and mastodeton, all meaning “breast-band,” a band of wool or linen that was wrapped across the chests or breasts and tied or pinned at the back. Fragments of linen textiles found in East Tyrol in Austria dated to between 1440 and 1485 are believed to have been bras. Two of them had cups made from two pieces of linen sewn with fabric that extended to the bottom of the torso with a row of six eyelets for fastening with a lace or string. One had two shoulder straps and was decorated with lace in the cleavage. From the 16th century, the undergarments of wealthier women in the Western world were dominated by the corset, which pushed the breasts upwards. In the later 19th century, clothing designers began experimenting with alternatives, splitting the corset into multiple parts: a girdle-like restraining device for the lower torso, and devices that suspended the breasts from the shoulder to the upper torso.

Women have played a large part in the design and manufacture of various kinds of undergarments, such as bras, accounting for half the patents filed. The Dresden-based German Christine Hardt patented the first modern brassiere in 1899. Sigmund Lindauer from Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Germany, developed a brassiere for mass production in 1912 and patented it in 1913. It was mass-produced by Mechanischen Trikotweberei Ludwig Maier und Cie. in Böblingen, Germany. In the United States, Mary Phelps Jacob received a patent in 1914 for the first brassiere design that is recognized as the basis for modern bras. Mass production in the early-20th century made the garment widely available to women in the United States, England, Western Europe, and other countries influenced by western fashion. Metal shortages in World War I encouraged the end of the corset. Bras were initially manufactured by small production companies and supplied to retailers. The term “cup” was not used until 1916, and manufacturers relied on stretchable cups to accommodate different sized breasts. Women with larger breasts had the choice of long-line bras, built-up backs, wedge-shaped breast pads/inserts between the cups, wider straps, firm bands under the cup, and light boning.

People wear different types of undergarments. Undergarments can generally be differentiated as having an upper body piece and/or a lower body piece. Some undergarments cover both the upper body and the lower body as part of one garment. Various undergarments for the upper body include varieties of vests and bras. Vests and bras come in different shapes, sizes, and types, such as tank tops, half sleeve vests, sport bras, lingerie, swimsuits, pasties, strapless bras, push-up bras, compression vests and bras, etc. On the other hand, various undergarments for the lower body include varieties of underwear, shorts, and pants, such as briefs, Spanx®, leggings, shorts, boyshorts, G-strings, thongs, C-strings, bikinis, etc. Typically, the vests and bras are form-fitting undergarments that perform the function of supporting a man's chest or a woman's breasts. The underwear, shorts, and pants are also form-fitting and perform the function of supporting the wearer's hips and genitals. Swimsuits, camisoles, backless dresses, shirts, t-shirts, pants, shorts, etc. and other garments, may be made with built-in support that function as undergarments.

Bras are complex garments made of many parts. Most come in 36 sizes; standards and methods of measurement vary widely. However, breasts come in different shape and sizes too. Generic bra sizes and shapes do not suit every woman. Further, due to the mismatch between the bra and the women's breast or due to the size of the women's breasts, women need undergarment pads, such as breast pads, to make their breasts look fuller and bigger, thereby enhancing the appearance of their breasts. Therefore, there is a need for breast pads that can be designed to make the bra fit better. Even though there are some breast pads in the market these days that either come within the bras or can be inserted as a standalone piece, they are just a simple, thin piece of foam that are uncomfortable to wear, are not tailored to the needs of the wearer, do not conform to the shape of the bra and the women's breasts, make the breasts look unnatural and ugly, and are generally inefficient.

Some of the available breast pads that are less effective, not as natural looking, and not as visually appealing as various embodiments of the present invention include: 1) those manufactured by Double Scoop. They create breast padding, but they don't make cups for each bra size. Their inserts look unnatural and pointy. See, e.g., “The Original”: One cup for sizes AA-C http://double-scoop.com/the-original/; “Divine Original”: One cup for sizes D and larger: http://double-scoop.com/divine-original-d-cup-up/; “Original Triangle”: Sizes: A or B/C: http://double-scoop.com/the-original-triangle/; “Divine Triangle”: Sizes D and Up: http://double-scoop.com/divine-triangle-d-cup-up/; 2) those manufactured by Bravo, such as Bravo's Triangle Ultra Shaper. Their cups only come in two size options “A/B” and “C/D.” These two sizes don't fit well and the A/B and C/D run small and they look unnatural. See, e.g., https://www.brapads.com/shop/triangle-ultra-shaper-bra-pads/.

Consequently, there is a need for better undergarment pads, such as breast pads, that can replace the already existing pads within the bra, be used in conjunction with it, or simply as an isolated element while simultaneously addressing the needs of the wearer and making the wearer's breasts look fuller and bigger.

Such pads may also be worn in vests or any other undergarments that men wear to enhance the appearance of their chest size and shape. Similarly, such pads may also be used to enhance the shape and size of the genitals, the buttocks, or any other lower body part of the wearer by using them with undergarments for the lower body.

Provided herein are undergarment pads comprising an outer portion having a convex shape, a corresponding inner portion having a concave shape, wherein the outer portion is coupled to the inner portion through at least one curved edge; and an apex elevated from a base surface of the pad.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description, which illustrate, by way of examples, the principles of the present invention.

Before the present subject matter is described in detail, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments described, as such may vary. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims.

In the following description and in the figures, like elements are identified with like reference numerals. The use of “e.g.,” “etc.,” and “or” indicates non-exclusive alternatives without limitation, unless otherwise noted. The use of “including” or “includes” means “including, but not limited to,” or “includes, but not limited to,” unless otherwise noted.

As used herein, the term “and/or” placed between a first entity and a second entity means one of (1) the first entity, (2) the second entity, and (3) the first entity and the second entity. Multiple entities listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same manner, i.e., “one or more” of the entities so conjoined. Other entities may optionally be present other than the entities specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those entities specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B,” when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including entities other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including entities other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other entities). These entities may refer to elements, actions, structures, steps, operations, values, and the like.

The thicker, enhanced undergarment pads, as illustrated in various embodiments of the present invention, are effective, come in a variety of sizes, look natural, and are more visually appealing than other undergarment pads on the market. These undergarment pads can be used in multiple ways. They can be slipped into a bra, swim top, sports bra, bralette, lace top, cami, t-shirt, etc. They can also be stitched on to or attached by any other fastening means into any dress or top. The undergarment pads can be made of any comfortable material such as foam, cotton, linen, nylon, polyester, latex, Lycra®, etc. and are therefore, very versatile. They can be worn with any garment.

Turning to the drawings,illustrates undergarment padsand, respectively. Specifically, undergarment padis what is available in the market currently. As illustrated the undergarment paddoes not have corners and has a simple circular base, flat apex, flat upper cup, shallow inner chamber, and no designs in the inner chamber. The undergarment padis very thin, is made in “one size fits all” size, and therefore, does not adequately cover larger breasts. The undergarment padalso does not have any type of visually appealing design. In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment padhas curved corners, fuller, rounder, and higher apex, lifted upper cup, lifted side cup, lifted bottom cup, deep inner chamber, and thin, tapered edges. In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment padare designed to be put into women's undergarments or tops, such as various bras, t-shirts, shirts, lingerie, bralettes, lace tops, camis, sport bras, swimsuits, etc. They make the breasts look larger, fuller, and lifted. Many tops and bras already have a built-in pocket designed for undergarment pads. Most undergarment pads, such as the undergarment pad, are just a simple, thin piece of foam that helps to hide the nipple from showing through the material of the bras. However, in some embodiments, due to the superior design of the thicker, enhanced undergarment pad, the undergarment pad not only prevents the nipple from showing through the material but also provides a comfortable cushion for the breasts and nipples while making the breasts appear bigger, fuller, and lifted.

illustrate two undergarment padsA andB, respectively. The undergarment padsA andB are similar in size, shape, and/or characteristics to the undergarment pad.

A sample undergarment padis illustrated in. As can be seen, the undergarment padis very different in shape, size, and appearance to the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads described herein. The sample undergarment padhas been used in many swimsuits and sports bras always as an undergarment pad that cannot be removed from the top; i.e., this design was built-in as part of the top. Additionally, the sample undergarment paddid not increase the breast size as it was too thin.

Recognizing the problems of the sample undergarment pad, various embodiments described here were developed. For example, as illustrated in, various new designs were developed as part of bettering the existing undergarment pads. In some embodiments, the dimensions of each part of the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads, such asand the ones described herein, may be as depicted in the designsB and/orC. In other embodiments, the dimensions of each part of the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads, such asand the ones described herein, may be different while maintaining the functionality and aesthetical appeal of the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads such asand the ones described herein. As illustrated, by the designsB andC, the shape of the undergarment pads may be triangular. In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads, such asand the ones described herein, may be of any other shape that fits the breasts of the wearer while ensuring that the breasts look natural while wearing the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads. In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads, such asand the ones described herein, may have a company name, other trademark, or other marking engraved on both the left and right undergarment pads. In other embodiments, the engraving may only be on one thicker, enhanced undergarment pad. The engraving may be on the inside or the outside or both of the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads, such asand the ones described herein.

In some embodiments, the thickness of the design, such as the hearts, was changed from the initial to the following measurements: the 13 mm heart's thickness was increased to 20 mm, the 11 mm heart's thickness was increased to 16 mm, and the 8 mm heart's thickness was increased to 12 mm. The smallest hearts were about 5 mm thick and their thickness was changed to 8 mm. Accordingly, the designs and the dimensions of the embodiments described herein were changed to make the undergarment pads thicker and enhanced so that they make the breasts look fuller and bigger, once worn. Upon receiving the undergarment padA that was supposed to correspond to the dimensions specified in sketchA, as illustrated in, from the manufacturing company, further modifications were made because the dimensions of undergarmentA did not correspond to the sketches. Specifically, sketchB as illustrated inwas designed. The undergarment padC, as illustrated in, also depicts the features of sketchB. The sketchB was then sent to the salesperson to manufacture the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads, such asand other described herein, according to the dimensions specified in the sketchB illustrated in. Among other things, the sketchesB andC increased the thickness of the conventionally available undergarment pads and changed the overall design. While these embodiments provide exact measurements, the measurements may be higher than stated. For example, the inner surface may be 2 mm thicker. Any other dimensions configured to fit and enhance the body part of the user is envisioned.

When some of these sketches were sent to a manufacturing plant in China, the manufacturing plant told the salesperson that it could not make the aforementioned designs and suggested to “trust their expertise” and let them make revisions the way they saw fit. After some persuasion from the salesperson, the Chinese manufacturing plant was trusted, and they provided a sample that they imagined fit the aforementioned design requirements. Accordingly, they created undergarment padB, as illustrated in. The undergarment padB did not confirm to the design specifications or expectations and was very disappointing. Accordingly, sketchC was created. The manufacturing company was asked whether it could manufacture undergarment pads conforming to sketchC specifications. The manufacturing company stated that it had made a mistake and that it would be able to make an undergarment pad that conformed to the specifications of sketchB. And although it noted that it could not make the hearts as thick as requested onB, it assured that it would do its best to increase the hearts' thickness by increasing the padding. It also stated that they could increase the overall padding of the undergarment pad in addition to the changes noted in sketchesB andC. The manufacturing company was given permission to manufacture the undergarment pads as per the sketchesB and to also increase the overall padding of the undergarment pad while keeping the edges of the undergarment pad thin. After six weeks, the undergarment padD sample was received and an order forundergarment pads in each of the fours sizes (A, B, C, and D) was placed.

Then undergarment padD, as illustrated inwas made. Significant changes were made to the conventionally available undergarment pad designs including but not limited to increasing the size and thickness of the hearts, creating an entirely new cup shape, such as triangular, making the overall cup thicker, making the hearts closer together, and adding the company name “Epiphany LA” to both the right and left cup. The new moldD had the thickness of 20 mm in the biggest heart, 17 mm in the medium sized hearts, and 10 mm in the smallest hearts. The apex ofD may be 10 mm thick, while the edges may have a thickness of about 1 mm.

As illustrated in, after approximately six weeks of sending the revisions, samples were received. First, the sampleA was received. This design was modified further. For some embodiments, the salesperson was informed to round the edgesA, make the designsA thicker and closer together, add company nameC and/orD in any font, such as Cordia New, to both cups, and note the cup sizeC in the bottom corner of the insert. The dimensions of the edges and other parts of the pad may be lesser or greater than shown in order to conveniently fit the wearer. In other embodiments, the cup sizeC may be noted anywhere else on the thicker, enhanced undergarment pad as well. In other embodiments, the designsA may be other shapes, such as circles, hemispheres, diamonds, squares, triangles, other shapes, any combination thereof, etc. SampleA corresponds to the undergarment padsA andB, as illustrated in. Undergarment padB was made by rounding the edges of undergarment padA. SampleA and undergarment padsA andB have rounded apexB, designsB with less padding and more spacing between the designsB compared to undergarment padsA andB, as illustrated in. The breastA andB correspond to size. Undergarment padsA andB are more pliable than undergarment padsA andB and have less overall padding in their cupB. In some embodiments, the font and the case of the company name may differ from undergarment pad to undergarment pad.

Undergarment padsA andB, as illustrated in, correspond to sampleD. In some embodiments, the undergarment padsA andB have a pointy apexB, lifted and firm cupB, designsB with increased padding and less distance between the designsB compared to those of undergarment padsA andB and rounded cornersB. In some embodiments, the designsB may be heart shaped. In other embodiments, the designsB may be any other shapes, such as circles, hemispheres, diamonds, squares, triangles, other shapes, any combination thereof, etc. In some embodiments, the overall padding in the cupB is about 2-4 mm thicker than the cupB of undergarment padsA andB. In some embodiments, the undergarment padA andB may have size “D” noted in bottom corner.

In other embodiments, the size of the undergarment padA andB may be different and/or may be located at some other place on the undergarment padA and/orB. In some embodiments, the company name may be in upper case and in other embodiments, the company name may be in lower case. In some embodiments, the font of the company name may be Cordia New.

In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads, such as the ones described herein, may include a pointy apex. In some embodiments, the undergarment pads may be less pointy and more curved looking. The salesperson was asked to inform the manufacturing plant to manufacture less pointy undergarment pads. The manufacturing plant was asked to modify the profile of the undergarment pads and make them less pointy by copying the profile of the undergarment padA andB and move the overall thickness of the undergarment pad, so it only affects the inner chamber of the undergarment pad while maintaining the outside profile shape. In order to reduce the pointiness of the undergarment pad, the manufacturing company responded that they will decrease the top/apex of the undergarment pads by 1-2 mm and modify the inner chamber of the breast cup so that the overall size and thickness of the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads remains, generally, the same. In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment pad may be similar to undergarment padsA andB without the pointy apex, as illustrated by undergarment padC. In some embodiments, the apexC of the undergarment padC may have a padding that is 1-2 mm thinner than the padding of the apexB of the thicker, enhanced undergarment padB. In some embodiments, the padding of the apexC of the thicker, enhanced undergarment padC may be moved into the inner chamber so the overall padding of the thicker, enhanced undergarment padC may be generally the same as that of thicker, enhanced undergarment padC,A, and/orB. In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment padC may be similar to the undergarment padsA andB. The thicker, enhanced undergarment padC is the most current design.

, illustrate two different thicker, enhanced undergarment pads, respectively, according to some embodiments of the present invention. Specifically,depicts undergarment padA that is similar in profile, appearance, and characteristics to thicker, enhanced undergarment padA andC. Thicker, enhanced undergarment padA is similar in profile, appearance, and characteristics to thicker, enhanced undergarment padA,B, and/orC.depicts the back view of the undergarment padB andB. In some embodiments, the undergarment padsB is similar in profile, appearance, and characteristics to thicker, enhanced undergarment padsA andC. In some embodiments, the undergarment padB is similar in profile, appearance, and characteristics to thicker, enhanced undergarment padsA,B, and/orC.depicts a side by side comparison of undergarment padsC andC. Undergarment padC is similar in profile, appearance, and characteristics to thicker, enhanced undergarment padsB. Undergarment padC is similar in profile, appearance, and characteristics to thicker, enhanced undergarment padsA,B, and/orC. As can be seen, undergarment padsC has low apexC, more pliable upper and side cupsC andC, more pliable bottom cup (not shown), less lifted upper edgesC. In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment padC have higher apexC, less pliable upper and side cupsC andC, more lifted and thinner upper edgesC. PadC was modified to have a less pointy apex resulting in padC.

illustrates a side perspective view of the undergarment padC.illustrate a setE of undergarments pads that correspond to the embodiment described asC. The setE may have two undergarment pads, such asC, shaped and sized to fit the left or the right breast/chest of the wearer. In some embodiments, the setE may be sized and shaped in a way that each undergarment pad may fit the left and right breast/chest of the wearer. In some embodiments, the overall thickness of the undergarment padC may be around 12-14 mm.

In some embodiments, the wearer can replace the thin piece of foam that many articles of clothing, such as tops, dresses, t-shirts, shirts, bras, swimsuits, sports bras, lingerie, etc., have in them with the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads. The wearer may choose to add one or more thicker, enhanced undergarment pads according to their need. These articles of clothing have an inner and outer surface in between which the undergarment pad described herein may be inserted. The undergarment pads may be removeable or permanently fixed within the article of clothing. In other embodiments, if the articles of clothing, such as tops, dresses, t-shirts, sports bras, shirts, bras, lingerie, swimsuit, vests, etc. do not come with an undergarment pad, the wearer may look to purchase the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads and insert it under undergarment and over their skin or between the undergarment and the top, or wherever else they see fit. In some embodiments, the undergarment pads may be attached to the inner and/or outer surface of the article of clothing using any attachments means, such as Velcro®, buttons, snaps, magnetic snaps, zippers, adhesives, stitches, etc. In some embodiments, the apex maybe elevated from an imaginary base surface of the undergarment pad that is defined by the flat plane on which two corners may lie when the pad is parallel to the ground.

The other companies that make enhancing undergarment pads lump sizes together and have pointy pads without visually appealing designs. Such undergarment pads, lump cup sizes together such as cup size A/B and size C/D. Some of these undergarment pads are also sold as one size fits all or one size fits AA-C cup sizes. Size AA is much different than size C, so these undergarment pads never fit well. Many of the push up undergarment pads have a lot of padding and the padding doesn't tapper off toward the edges, so the padding looks unnatural and you can see where the edge of the undergarment pad sits on the breast. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads have dimensions that fit individual wearer and taper off toward the edges, thus making the wearer's breasts look natural and the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads hidden from view. In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads come in four sizes (A, B, C, & D) so that the wearer can purchase their exact cup size. The thicker, enhanced undergarment pads are manufactured specific to each customer and do not lump cup sizes together. In some embodiments, the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads are manufactured with a lot of padding that have a very natural look that seamlessly blends in around the contours of the wearer's breasts by tapering off near the edges such that the wearer or an observer doesn't see where the undergarment pads starts or stops. This creates a very natural look. In some embodiments, the inner chambers, such asB illustrated in, of the undergarment pads may include various designs, such as, e.g., six hearts in each cup, which is both appealing to the eye, but also very functional since the designs are made of thick padding and they are specifically positioned to lift the breast. By increasing the amount of padding in the designs, the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads increase the amount of lift the undergarment pad provides. The other undergarment pads on the market do not have interesting designs in their cups and this makes the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads stand out from the current state of the art. In other embodiments, the designs on the inner chambers of the thicker, enhanced undergarment pads may be some other shape and size such as circles, hemispheres, diamonds, squares, triangles, other shapes, any combination thereof, and may also be less than or more than six in number in each cup. The undergarment pads may have at least one intermediate layer made of any material and/or include any filling, such as foam or gel. While embodiments herein refer to undergarment pads, such as breast pads, similar pads may be used to fit any other body parts. Such pads may be configured to fit the appropriate body part. Further, all pads referred to herein may also not have any designs on them.