BRA WITH MOISTURE WICKING

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation-in-Part of, and claims priority to, Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 18/742,170 filed on Jun. 13, 2024, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to an apparatus for preventing moisture build up beneath the breasts, and more particularly to an undergarment having integrated moisture wicking barrier elements to absorb perspiration and provide lift to increase airflow and reduce skin on skin contact.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Undergarments worn by men and women necessarily contact bare skin and thus are sometimes susceptible to excessive moisture from sweating. Of particular concern are areas of the body where skin contacts or folds onto another part of the skin, creating skin on skin contact. These areas include, but are not limited to, under the breasts, underarms, and between the legs. Often these areas become breeding grounds for bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens.

Persistent moisture in such locations may lead to afflictions such as intertrigo, bacterial or fungal infections.

The under bust or area below the breasts is especially problematic, particularly for women who have large breasts, but also for women having average sized breasts. Typically, women attempt to overcome this by placing toilet paper, tissues or napkins under the breasts to absorb moisture, with limited success and risk of embarrassment if the material shifts.

When bras are worn daily and sweating is exacerbated by heat, motion, or lack of air circulation, skin irritation may occur at the delicate skin under the breast where there is skin on skin contact. This may lead to soreness, redness, rashes, itching and possibly infection.

Thus there is a need for an improved undergarment, particularly a bra, that reduces moisture accumulation under the breasts, eliminates friction, improves airflow, and mitigates skin irritation and potential infection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a moisture barrier for undergarments, particularly bras. The moisture barrier provides moisture absorption and lift, the lift creating spacing to reduce skin on skin contact. A pair of moisture reducing elements are positioned to collect and absorb perspiration while providing spacing to allow airflow. The elements are formed as moisture wicking rolls or tubes attached to the cups of the bra. The positioning of the rolls on the bra cups allows for capturing and wicking moisture while simultaneously lifting the breast.

In one embodiment, the bra includes a pair of moisture wicking elements attached to the underside of each bra cup. Each element is constructed of moisture absorbing fabric layers (for example blends of polyester and spandex) rolled to form a voluminous tubular or cylindrical structure resisting compression. When the wearer puts on the bra, the elements provide lift of the breasts and simultaneously absorb perspiration in the underside region, promoting airflow between the breast and chest wall to reduce moisture build up and skin irritation.

In further embodiments, the moisture wicking elements may be removable, color coded or white to allow visual indication of saturation or cleanliness, and may be incorporated into various bra styles (e.g., sports bras) or other undergarments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of this disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a bra configured in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the bra with moisture barriers attached.

FIG. 3 illustrates a detail of the attachment of the moisture barriers.

FIG. 4 illustrates a lengthwise detail of the barrier elements.

FIG. 5A and B show a perspective views illustrating the configuration of first and second embodiments of the moisture barrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a bra that is configured to absorb excess moisture from undergarments and skin of the user, and provide more airflow to reduce sweating. The invention is a modified bra but the inventive aspects of it may be adapted to other undergarments.

Referring now to FIG. 1-5B, an embodiment of the invention is shown. The invention (10) is applied to a standard bra (20). A pair of moisture wicking elements (30, 32) perform the dual functions of moisture absorption and airflow enhancement. The elements 30, 32 are formed of a moisture wicking material. A number of suitable moisture wicking, absorbing and treating materials may be used for this purpose including polyester, merino wool, nylon, spandex, bamboo, polypropylene and acrylic fabrics, including blends thereof. For example, spandex may be mixed with polyester to create a stretchable moisture wicking material. In a preferred embodiment, a blend of 92 percent bamboo and 8 percent spandex is used to create the elements 30, 32, and is preferably used to create the bra 20 itself.

Elements 30, 32 are preferably formed of rolled overlapping sheets of material as shown in FIG. 5A, which sheets may differ from one another as described above. Also, each sheet can be formed with a layer of fabric enveloping gel infused memory foam such as that made for FoamOnline®, with the fabric 33 serving as the outer layer and the foam 35 the inner layer.

This type of foam provides both cooling and shape retention. By forming the elements as a roll or tube, they are voluminous and able to absorb and hold a fairly large amount of moisture.

Also, the rolled/tubular form is less susceptible to compression when compared to flat sheets, since compression would otherwise reduce water storage volume.

The elements 30, 32 are positioned to absorb moisture and to lift and at least partially separate the underside of the breasts from the chest wall thereby increasing ambient airflow and reducing skin on skin contact. Thus, elements 30, 32 create space and airflow thereby reducing moisture accumulation. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the elements 30, 32 are attached by stitching (34) to the lower underside (36) of each cup (38, 40) of the bra (20).

Referring now to FIG. 5B an alternate embodiment of the elements 30, 32 is shown. In this embodiment, the elements 30, 32 are formed of gel infused memory foam 50 wrapped and enclosed by a fabric 52 made of bamboo and spandex as described above. The memory foam helps to ensure that the elements 30, 32 will return to their (non flattened) state even after repeated wearing of the bra 20.

In operation, the user puts on bra 20 in the usual manner. The attached elements 30, 32 are tucked under the breast when the bra 20 is fastened, providing lift which produces a cooling effect to the underside of the breasts and the chest wall skin. The elements may be color coded to match the garment or may be white so that an assessment of soil and moisture saturation can be easily made.

Although detailed in connection with a specific embodiment, it should be understood that modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example: the moisture wicking elements might be detachable from the bra to permit washing or replacement; the bra might be a sports bra or other undergarment; the moisture wicking element cross section might vary (e.g., oval, rectangular tube, etc); the fabric composition may be varied; antimicrobial treatments may be included; and the elements may be integrated into the bra cup fabric rather than separately stitched or may be adhered or otherwise affixed rather than sewn.