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 support garment comprising:
a left cup configured to receive a left breast when said support garment is worn by a user, said left cup having a left cup length projection;
a right cup configured to receive a right breast when said support garment is worn by a user, said right cup having a right cup length projection;
a rear panel;
a left wing connecting said left cup to said rear panel, said left wing having a first compressor configured to impart force in at least a medial direction and having a pocket configured to receive a pad through a pocket opening thereof; and
a right wing connecting said right cup to said rear panel, said right wing having a second compressor configured to impart force in at least the medial direction and having a pocket configured to receive a pad through a pocket opening thereof.
2 . The support garment of claim 1 wherein, said pocket of said left wing is located between a midline axis of said support garment and a point that is anteriorly spaced from said midline axis a distance equal to approximately 60 percent of the left cup length projection.
3 . The support garment of claim 2 wherein, said pad in said pocket of said left wing is substantially planar with a relatively constant thickness and having an overall shape selected from the group consisting of polygonal, circular, oval, cup-shaped, anatomically curved.
4 . The support garment of claim 3 wherein said overall shape further comprises a cutout on an end of said pad.
5 . The support garment of claim 4 wherein said pad is configured to impart targeted, localized compression force having a medial component thereof to the left breast of a user when said support garment is worn by the user.
6 . The support garment of claim 5 wherein, wherein said first compressor further comprises a first strap having a first end and a second end.
7 . The support garment of claim 6 , wherein said first compressor further comprises a second strap having a first end and a second end.
8 . The support garment of claim 6 , wherein said first end of said first strap is coupled to said support garment at said left wing in a sagittal plane at or spaced anteriorly from said midline axis of said support garment.
9 . The support garment of claim 7 wherein, said first end of said second strap is coupled to said support garment at said left wing in a sagittal plane at or spaced anteriorly from said midline axis of said support garment.
10 . The support garment of claim 8 , wherein said second end of said first strap further comprises a first fastener portion that is configured to be removably coupled to a second fastener portion located on a portion of said support garment.
11 . The support garment of claim 8 , wherein said first strap is configured to be adjustable in length as a result of elasticity of said first strap.
12 . The support garment of claim 10 , wherein said first fastener portion is configured to removably couple to said second fastener portion at various locations along a length of said second fastener portion.
13 . A support garment comprising:
a left cup configured to receive a left breast when said support garment is worn by a user;
a right cup configured to receive a right breast when said support garment is worn by a user;
a center panel further comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion includes a first closure mechanism portion thereon and wherein said second portion includes a second closure mechanism portion thereon configured to mate with said first closure mechanism portion and to thereby selectively couple and decouple said second portion to said first portion;
a rear panel;
a left wing connecting said left cup to said rear panel;
a left strap connecting said left cup to said rear panel and spaced away from said left wing in a cephalad direction to create a first arm hole therebetween;
a right wing connecting said right cup to said rear panel;
a right strap connecting said right cup to said rear panel and spaced away from said right wing in a cephalad direction to create a second arm hole therebetween;
wherein said left wing further comprises a pocket therein located between a midline axis of said support garment and a point that is anteriorly spaced from said midline axis a distance equal to approximately 60 percent of a left cup length projection, and wherein said left wing further comprises a first medial compressor having a first strap, said first strap having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end of said first strap is coupled to said left wing at approximately a midpoint of a height of said left wing and wherein said second end of said first strap is selectively coupled to a portion of said support garment below said left cup; and
wherein said right wing further comprises a pocket therein located between a midline axis of said support garment and a point that is anteriorly spaced from said midline axis a distance equal to approximately 60 percent of a right cup length projection, and wherein said right wing further comprises a second medial compressor having a first strap, said first strap having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end of said first strap is coupled to said right wing at approximately a midpoint of a height of said right wing and wherein said second end of said first strap is configured to be selectively coupled below said right cup.
14 . The support garment of claim 13 , wherein said first strap of said first medial compressor is configured to be adjustable in length or in tension.
15 . The support garment of claim 14 , wherein first strap of said second medial compressor is configured to be adjustable in length or in tension.
16 . The support garment of claim 14 , wherein said pocket of said left wing is configured to receive a pad therein.
17 . The support garment of claim 16 , wherein said pad is substantially planar with a relatively constant thickness and having an overall shape selected from the group consisting of polygonal, circular, oval, cup-shaped, anatomically curved.
18 . The support garment of claim 17 wherein said overall shape further comprises a cutout on an end of said pad.
19 . The support garment of claim 18 wherein said pad is configured to impart targeted, localized compression force having a medial component thereof to the left breast of a user when said support garment is worn by the user.
20 . A method of supporting a breast within a garment, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a garment having a left cup configured to receive a left breast of a user; a right cup configured to receive a right breast of a user; a rear panel; a left wing connecting said left cup to said rear panel; and a right wing connecting said right cup to said rear panel; wherein said left wing further comprises first medial compressor having a first strap, wherein said first strap of said first medial compressor further comprises a first end and a second end, and wherein said right wing further comprises a second medial compressor having a first strap, wherein said first strap of said second medial compressor further comprises a first end and a second end; and wherein said left wing further comprises a left wing pocket having a pad therein;
placing said support garment on a user's body in a manner such that the user's left breast is received in said left cup and the user's right breast is received in said right cup and said pad is located on a lateral side of the user's left breast between a midline axis of said support garment and a point that is anteriorly spaced from said midline axis a distance equal to approximately 60 percent of a left cup length projection;
adjusting said first medial compressor by altering a length or a tension force of said first strap of said first medial compressor to provide a desired amount of medial and/or medial-cephalad and/or medial-caudal compression against a lateral side of the user's left breast; and
adjusting said second medial compressor by altering a length or a tension force of said first strap of said second medial compressor to provide a desired amount of medial and/or medial-cephalad and/or medial-caudal compression against a lateral side of the user's right breast.