Multi-Section Bra Cup with Variable Density Foam
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bras fail to provide a uniform and comfortable combination of support and augmentation to different areas of the breast, often resulting in an unnatural shape and visible indentations under clothing, especially as women age and breasts sag.
Innovation Solution
A bra cup design featuring multiple sections with varying combinations of multilayer fabric and foam materials, including a stabilizer for cradling and upward push, and an area of increased thickness in the superior lateral quadrant to create a rounder appearance, with different stretch characteristics for a customized fit and smooth silhouette.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If padding is added at the bottom of the bra cup to elevate the breasts, then the breasts can be pushed upward to create a rounder shape, but the breasts may overflow the cup and create visible indentations under clothing
Solution Approach 1:
The bra cup incorporates different density foam regions: a first region with lower density foam at the bottom for gentle support, and a second region with higher density foam at the top for enhanced shaping. This local variation in material properties allows the cup to elevate and round the breasts while preventing overflow and visible indentations through the strategically placed higher density foam that contains the breast tissue properly.
2Shape
If molded foam cups are used to provide uniform shape, then a consistent round shape can be achieved, but the inflexible foam provides a less exact fit and reduces comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The bra cup utilizes foam material with varying density parameters across different regions. The lower density foam at the bottom provides flexibility and comfort that conforms to the wearer's breast shape, while the higher density foam at the top maintains structural integrity for shaping. This gradient in material parameters resolves the contradiction between uniform shape and comfortable fit.
3Force
If padding is added to elevate the breasts, then upward push is achieved, but the shape created at the top depends on individual breast shape and does not consistently create roundness
Solution Approach 1:
The bra cup is constructed as a composite structure combining two foam materials with different densities. The first foam material (lower density) provides gentle upward support, while the second foam material (higher density) provides structural shaping. This composite material approach ensures consistent round shape creation independent of individual breast variations, as the higher density foam maintains the desired shape regardless of the underlying breast morphology.
Data Source
AI summary
A bra cup that supports and augments different areas of the breast. The bra cup includes different sections having different combinations of multilayer fabric and foam materials to create a round, smooth, silhouette underneath the clothing of the wearer without sacrificing the comfort of the wearer or the accuracy of the fit. The bra cup includes two or more discrete sections that are attached together and then covered on an outward facing surface with a continuous foam and fabric layer that provides a smooth outer surface. The first section includes a stabilizer material that creates a sling-like mechanism that causes the first section to cradle the breasts of a wearer, while pushing the breasts simultaneously upwards towards the neckline and inwards towards the other breast. The second section includes an area of increased thickness in a location corresponding to the superior lateral quadrant of the breast. The combination of the stabilizer in the first section and the area of thicker cross section in the second section cooperate to create a rounded overall appearance to the breasts of the wearer. The addition of the continuous foam layer and laminated fabric layer cooperate with the first and second sections in the bra cup to create a round and smooth silhouette underneath the clothing of the wearer.