Breast support garment
A support garment for providing targeted, localized compression in a medial, medial-caudal, or medial-cephalad direction to the breasts of a wearer. The garment includes cups for receiving breasts of a user, a rear panel, and left and right wings connecting the left and right cups to a rear panel. The wings can contain a pocket therein for receiving a pad through a pocket opening in the wings. The pads, when present within the pockets, provide localized, targeted compression in a medial and/or medial-caudal and/or medial cephalad direction to the breasts. Medial compressors including one or more straps also, or alternatively, provide targeted compression in a medial and/or medial-caudal and/or medial-cephalad direction to the breasts. Alternatively, a removable sleeve having an inner pouch with a pad therein can be provided to attach to any garment to provide desired targeted, localized compression to the breasts.
1 . A compression pad assembly for a support garment comprising:
a sleeve having a first surface having a perimeter therearound and an opposite second surface having a perimeter therearound, said first surface perimeter joined to said second surface perimeter forming an inner pouch between said first surface and said second surface;
a pad disposed within said inner pouch, said pad being substantially planar with a relatively constant thickness and having an overall shape selected from the group consisting of polygonal, circular, oval, cupped, and anatomically curved; and
the support garment,
wherein said sleeve further comprises a first coupling device configured to be removably coupled to a mating coupling device adhered to said support garment; and
wherein said sleeve is configured to be coupled to a left wing or a right wing of said support garment, said left wing connecting a left cup of the support garment to a rear panel of the support garment and said right wing connecting a right cup of the support garment to said rear panel of the support garment, so as to provide targeted compression having a medial component thereof to a breast of a user when the user is wearing said support garment.
2 . The compression pad assembly for a support garment of claim 1 , wherein said first coupling device further comprises one portion of a hook and loop mechanism.
3 . The compression pad assembly for a support garment of claim 2 , wherein said mating coupling device further comprises a mating portion of said hook and loop mechanism.
4 . The compression pad assembly for a support garment of claim 3 , wherein said first coupling device is positioned at only one location on said sleeve.
5 . The compression pad assembly for a support garment of claim 1 , wherein said first coupling device further comprises a sewn seam.
6 . The compression pad assembly for a support garment of claim 3 , wherein said mating coupling device is adhered to said support garment via adhesive.
7 . The compression pad assembly for a support garment of claim 6 , wherein said pad further includes a cutout.
8 . The compression pad assembly for a support garment of claim 3 , wherein said sleeve is coupled to said support garment between a midline axis of said support garment and a location that is disposed anteriorly of said midline axis a distance of approximately 60% of an overall breast projection when a user is wearing said support garment.
9 . The compression pad assembly for a support garment of claim 3 , wherein said mating coupling device is adhered to said support garment via any one of a zipper, snaps, buttons, hook-and-eye, clasps, magnets, and post-and-receiver.
10 . The compression pad assembly for a support garment of claim 1 , wherein the joint between said first surface perimeter and said second surface perimeter has a discontinuity therein.
11 . The compression pad assembly for a support garment of claim 10 , wherein said pad is removable from said inner pouch through said discontinuity.
12 . A compression pad assembly for a support garment comprising:
a sleeve having a first surface having a perimeter therearound and an opposite second surface having a perimeter therearound, said first surface perimeter joined to said second surface perimeter forming an inner pouch between said first surface and said second surface;
a pad disposed within said inner pouch, said pad being substantially planar with a relatively constant thickness and having an overall shape selected from the group consisting of polygonal, circular, oval, cupped, and anatomically curved; and
the support garment,
wherein said second surface of said sleeve further comprises a first coupling device fastened thereto along said second surface perimeter and configured to be removably coupled to a mating coupling device adhered to said support garment via adhesive; and
wherein said sleeve is configured to be coupled to a left wing or a right wing of said support garment, said left wing connecting a left cup of the support garment to a rear panel of the support garment and said right wing connecting a right cup of the support garment to said rear panel of the support garment, between a midline axis of said support garment and a location that is disposed anteriorly of said midline axis a distance of approximately 60% of an overall breast projection when a user is wearing said support garment.
13 . The compression pad assembly for a support garment of claim 12 , wherein said pad has a length of from approximately 2 cm to approximately 21 cm.
14 . The compression pad assembly for a support garment of claim 13 , wherein said pad has a length of from approximately 5 cm to approximately 10 cm.
15 . The compression pad assembly for a support garment of claim 14 , wherein said pad has a thickness of from approximately 1 mm to approximately 1 cm.
16 . The compression pad assembly for a support garment of claim 15 , wherein said pad is rectangular and includes a cutout at one end thereof.
17 . A method for providing targeted, localized compression to a breast using a garment, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a garment further comprising a left cup and a right cup, said left cup having a left cup length projection and said right cup having a right cup length projection, said garment configured to be worn about the breasts of a user;
providing a sleeve having a pocket therewithin;
providing a pad within said pocket of said sleeve;
coupling a first coupling mechanism to said sleeve;
coupling a second coupling mechanism to an inside surface of a left wing or a right wing of said garment, said left wing connecting said left cup to a rear panel of the garment and said right wing connecting said right cup to said rear panel of the garment, and said second coupling mechanism configured to mate with said first coupling mechanism; and
placing said garment on a user such that the user's left breast is within said left cup and the user's right breast is within said right cup.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said pad is removable from said sleeve.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said first coupling mechanism and said second coupling mechanism are mating hook-and-loop fasteners.
20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said second coupling mechanism is located on said inside surface of said garment such that when said sleeve is coupled to said garment, said sleeve is located on said garment between a first position at a midline axis of said garment and a second position that is disposed anteriorly of said midline axis a distance of approximately 60% of said left cup length projection.