Breast Support Garment with Segmented Reinforcing Frame
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional sports bras fail to effectively manage breast tissue movement and pressure distribution during high-impact activities, leading to discomfort and inadequate movement management.
Innovation Solution
A breast support garment with a reinforcing frame featuring a central element with crisscrossing legs that separate breast areas and modular structures with varying properties to provide zoned support, allowing independent breast movement and reducing acceleration, while distributing pressure more comfortably.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If uniform compression is used to restrict breast tissue movement, then movement management is adequate, but wearer comfort deteriorates due to poor pressure distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The garment divides the breast support area into multiple zones with different compression levels. The front panel includes a first breast area and a second breast area with different fabric stiffness characteristics, allowing each zone to manage movement independently while distributing pressure more evenly across the torso.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the garment have different mechanical properties. The fabric in the first breast area has different stiffness than the fabric in the second breast area, enabling localized pressure distribution that adapts to the specific movement patterns and anatomical needs of each breast region.
2Reliability
If stiffer fabrics and large number of components are used, then breast tissue movement is restricted, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The garment uses a segmented design where the front panel is divided into distinct breast areas with different fabric properties. This segmentation allows movement restriction in specific zones without requiring a uniform increase in component count throughout the entire garment.
Solution Approach 2:
Stiffer fabrics are applied locally only where needed for movement restriction, rather than uniformly across the entire garment. This localized application of mechanical properties reduces the overall complexity while maintaining effective movement management where required.
3Reliability
If compression is applied to apex of breast tissue, then movement management is provided, but pressure distribution around torso deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The compression force is segmented and applied to different regions of the breast and torso. The front panel structure distributes compression across multiple zones including the breast areas and the torso, preventing concentration of pressure at a single apex point.
Solution Approach 2:
The garment provides localized compression zones with different pressure characteristics. The fabric stiffness varies across different breast areas to distribute pressure more evenly across the torso while maintaining effective movement management in each local region.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a breast support garment for use in active environments, where the wearer of such garment is engaged in an activity that results in accelerating movements. In some preferred embodiments, these garments may be athletic or sports bras that redirect momentum related to a wearer's accelerating movements, for example, during exercise.