Front-opening and adjustable bra

Abstract

A front-opening, adjustable bra having an elastic base band having free ends, an inside end portion adjacent one of said free ends and an outside end portion adjacent to other of said free ends, a back flap disposed between said free ends, and a pair of front flaps disposed between said free ends and said back flap, each flap having a breast covering flap. The inside end portion having an outwardly extending latch-engaging structure and a set of at least two spaced latching structures, and the outside end portion having an inwardly extending latch-engaging structure and at least two inwardly spaced extending latch structures. The latch-engaging structures engage a selected one of the respective latching structures to set the size of the bra. The latch-engaging structures and the latch structures can be reversed on the bra. A slide having three loops for receiving shoulder straps of a bra is also described.

1 . A front-opening, adjustable bra comprising:
 an elastic base band having opposite free ends, an inside end portion adjacent one of said free ends and an outside end portion adjacent to other of said free ends, said base band having an inwardly facing surface facing the wearer's skin when the bra is worn, and an outwardly facing surface facing away from the wearer's skin when the bra is worn.   a back panel attached to said base band between said free ends and extending in the upward direction.   front panels attached to said base band between said respective back panels and said respective free ends, said front panels each including breast cups and extending in the upward direction;   a first set of at least two spaced latching structures disposed on the outwardly facing surface of said inside end portion and an outwardly facing latch-engaging structure disposed on the free end adjacent said first set of at least two spaced latching structures;   a second set of at least two spaced latching structures disposed on the inwardly facing surface of said outside end portion and an inwardly facing latch-engaging structure disposed on the free end adjacent said outside end portion;   a pair of shoulder strap assemblies, each assembly including a back strap portion attached to said back panel, a front strap portion attached to a respective one of said front panels, for assisting in holding said front-opening, adjustable bra on a wearer's body;   said front-opening, adjustable bra being placeable on a wearer's body with said base band being placeable on the wearer's body and the back panel extending upwardly to cover a part of the wearer's back, the respective shoulder strap assemblies extending over the wearer's respective shoulders, and said inside end portion of said base band being placeable beneath one of the wearer's breasts with the cup portion of the respective front panel covering the respective breast and outside end portion and said front panel attached thereto being movable over said inside end portion with the cup portion being placeable over the other of the wearer's breast, and the outwardly extending latch-engaging structure of said inside end portion engaging a selected one of said inwardly facing latching structures on said outside end portion to assist in setting the size of said front-opening, adjustable bra, and the inwardly extending latch-engaging structure of said outside end portion engaging a selected one of said outwardly extending latching structure of said inside end portion to complete the setting of the size of said front-opening, adjustable bra.   
     
     
         2 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 1  wherein said inside end portion of said base band is at least partly disposed beneath said front panel extending upwardly from said inside end portion, and said outside end portion of said base band is at least partly disposed beneath said front panel extending upwardly from said outside end portion. 
     
     
         3 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 2  wherein said inside end portion extends further from said front panel attached to said inside end portion than the said outside end portion ends from said front said panel attached to said outside end portion. 
     
     
         4 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 1  wherein said latching structures are eyelets, and said latch-engaging structures are hooks configured and dimensioned to releasably engage selected ones of said eyelets. 
     
     
         5 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 4  wherein each set of eyelets comprise three eyelets spaced longitudinally along respective selected portions of said base band. 
     
     
         6 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 1  wherein said back panel has a Y-back configuration having an upstanding back panel with a central portion narrower than the remaining part of said back panel, and said back strap portions are attached to said central portion adjacent to each other. 
     
     
         7 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 6  wherein each of said shoulder strap assemblies include a relatively short strap portion attached to and extending from said central portion of said back panel, and a relatively long strap portion for operative attachment to said short strap portions; and a slide for operatively attaching said short strap portions and said long strap portion together, said slide comprising:
 a set of integral walls defining an elongated loop for holding said short strap portions in a side-by-side relationship, said elongated loop having opposite ends; and 
 a set of integral walls defining a pair of loops extending from each of said opposite ends for defining a general triangle of said loops, each of said pair of loops receiving one of said relatively long straps for operatively connecting said long straps to said back panel. 
 
     
     
         8 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 7  wherein said set of integral walls defining said elongated loop, and said set of integral walls defining said pair of loops, are integral with each other. 
     
     
         9 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 7  wherein strap length-adjusting structures are operatively associated with each of said long straps for adjusting the length of said shoulder straps. 
     
     
         10 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 1  wherein said shoulder strap for said front flap attached to said outside end portion of said base band has a releasable closure assembly for selectively releasing said last-mentioned front flap to enable nursing of the breast covered by said last-mentioned front flap. 
     
     
         11 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 2  wherein said inside end portion extends by a shorter distance from said front panel attached to said inside end portion than the said outside end portion extends from said panel attached to the outside end portion. 
     
     
         12 . A front-opening, adjustable bra comprising:
 an elastic base band having opposite free ends, an inside end portion adjacent one of said free ends and an outside end portion adjacent to other of said free ends, said base band having an inwardly facing surface facing the wearer's skin when the bra is worn, and an outwardly facing surface facing away from the wearer's skin when the bra is worn.   a back panel attached to said base band between said free ends and extending in the upward direction.   front panels attached to said base band between said respective back panels and said respective free ends, said front panels each including breast cups and extending in the upward direction;   a selected one of at least two spaced latching structures and at least two spaced latch-engaging structures disposed on the outwardly facing surface of said inside end portion, a selected one of a respective and outwardly facing latch-engaging structure and an outwardly facing latching structure disposed on the free end adjacent the selected one of said at least two spaced latching structures and said at least two spaced latch-engaging structures;   a second set of a selected one of at least two spaced latching structures and at least two spaced latch-engaging structures disposed on the inwardly facing surface of said outside end portion, a selected one of a respective and inwardly facing latch-engaging structure and an inwardly facing latching structure disposed on the free end adjacent said selected one of at least two spaced latching structures and at least two latch-engaging structures;   a pair of shoulder strap assemblies, each assembly including a back strap portion attached to said back panel, a front strap portion attached to a respective one of said front panels, for assisting in holding said front-opening, adjustable bra on a wearer's body;   said front-opening, adjustable bra being placeable on a wearer's body with said base band being placeable on the wearer's body and the back panel extending upwardly to cover a part of the wearer's back, the respective shoulder strap assemblies extending over the wearer's respective shoulders, and said inside end portion of said base band being placeable beneath one of the wearer's breasts with the cup portion of the respective front panel covering the respective breast and outside end portion and said front panel attached thereto being movable over said inside end portion with the cup portion being placeable over the other of the wearer's breast, and the selected one of the outwardly extending latch-engaging structure and the outwardly facing latching structure of said inside end portion engaging a selected one of said inwardly facing selected one of the respective latching structures and latch-engaging structure on said outside end portion to assist in setting the size of said front-opening, adjustable bra, and the inwardly extending respective selected one of the latch-engaging structure and latching structure and latching structure of said outside end portion engaging a selected one of the selected one of said outwardly extending latching structure and said latch-engaging structure of said inside end portion to complete the setting of the size of said front-opening, adjustable bra, the respective latching structures and latch-engaging structures only being selectable to cooperate with the respective other of the latch-engaging structures and the latching structures.   
     
     
         13 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 12  wherein said inside end portion of said base band is at least partly disposed beneath said front panel extending upwardly from said inside end portion, and said outside end portion of said base band is at least partly disposed beneath said front panel extending upwardly from said outside end portion. 
     
     
         14 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 13  wherein said inside end portion extends further from said front panel attached to said inside end portion than the said outside end portion ends from said front panel attached to said outside end portion. 
     
     
         15 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 12  wherein said respective latching structures are eyelets, and said respective latch-engaging structures are hooks configured and dimensioned to releasably engage selected ones of said eyelets. 
     
     
         16 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 15  wherein each set of eyelets comprises three eyelets spaced longitudinally along respective selected portions of said base band. 
     
     
         17 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 12  wherein said back panel has a Y-back configuration having an upstanding back panel with a central portion narrower than the remaining part of said back panel, and said back strap portions are attached to said central portion adjacent to each other. 
     
     
         18 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 17  wherein each of said shoulder strap assemblies include a relatively short strap portion attached to and extending from said central portion of said back panel, and a relatively long strap portion for operative attachment to said short strap portions; and a slide for operatively attaching said short strap portions and said long strap portions together, said slide comprising:
 set of integral walls defining an elongated loop for holding said short strap portions in a side-by-side relationship, said elongated loop having opposite ends; and 
 a set of integral walls defining a pair of loops extending from each of said opposite ends for defining a general triangle of said loops, each of said pair of loops receiving one of said relatively long straps for operatively connecting said long straps to said back panel. 
 
     
     
         19 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 18  wherein said set of integral walls defining said elongated loop, and said set of integral walls defining said pair of loops, are integral with each other. 
     
     
         20 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 18  wherein strap length-adjusting structures are operatively associated with each of said long straps for adjusting the length of said shoulder straps. 
     
     
         21 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 12  wherein said shoulder strap for said front flap attached to said outside end portion of said base band has a releasable closure assembly for selectively releasing said last-mentioned front flap to enable nursing of the breast covered by said last-mentioned front flap. 
     
     
         22 . A front-opening, adjustable bra according to  claim 13  wherein said inside end portion extends by a shorter distance from said front panel attached to said inside end portion than the said outside end portion extends from said panel attached to the outside end portion. 
     
     
         23 . A slide for a bra having a back panel having a central portion, and shoulder strap assemblies, the shoulder strap assemblies each including a relatively short strap portion attached to and extending from the central portion of the back panel of the bra, and a relatively long strap portion for operative attachment to the respective short strap portions, said slide comprising:
 a first set of integral walls defining an elongated loop for holding the respective short strap portions in a side-by-side relationship, said elongated loop having opposite ends; and   a second set of integral walls defining a pair of loops extending from each of said opposite ends for defining a general triangle of said loops, each of said pair of loops receiving one of the relatively long straps for operatively connecting the long straps to the back panel.   
     
     
         24 . A slide according to  claim 23  wherein said set of integral walls defining said elongated loop, and said set of integral walls defining said pair of loops, are integral with each other. 
     
     
         25 . A slide according to  claim 23  wherein said first set of integral walls defining said elongated loop are configured to define said elongated loop to have flat opposing sides on opposite sides of an opening for receiving the relatively short strap portion. 
     
     
         26 . A slide according to  claim 23  wherein said second set of integral walls defining said pair of loops are configured to define each loop of said pair of loops to have opposing flat sides of respective openings for receiving the respective long straps.