US2671218A - Bathing suit with fundation garment - Google Patents

Description

March 9, 1954 D. c. LUHR BATHING SUIT WITH FOUNDATION GARMENT 2 Sheets' -Sheet l DOROTHY c. LUHR BY Filed Aug. 24, 1951 March 9, 1954 D. c. LUHR BATHING SUIT WITH FOUNDATION GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1951 INVENTOR. OROTHY C, LUHR Y iatenteci Mar. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATHING SUIT WITH FOUNDATION GARMENT Dorothy C. Luhr, Ithaca, N. Y.

Application August 24, 1951, Serial No. 243,509

3 Claims. (01. 2-67) The present invention relates to ladies bathing suits having for an object the provision of a foundation garment, which will embrace the torso from a point above the breasts to a point just below the hips, and is adapted for use with a plurality of detachable garments including panties and skirt.

I have found that with the use of a substantial foundation garment, various bathing suits and bathing suit combinations are made available at a cost not in excess of the cost of present day ladies bathing suits and the foundation garment will last for an indefinite period of time. The foundation garment being originally fitted to the body of the purchaser will require no change except for periodical change of breast cups in the brassiere portion of the garment, which change can be made expeditiously and with little cost to the wearer. An almost limitless variety of skirts and panties are available for detachable engagement with the foundation garment and each change constitutes in effect a new suit since no part of the foundation garment can be seen when in use.

It is an especial object of this invention to produce a foundation garment for ladies bathing suits which will be comfortable and give ample support to the person of the user yet has a modish appearance and may be quickly engaged to and disengaged from the body by the manipulation of a single zipper fastener.

It is further an object of this invention to provide a foundation garment, in at least one embodiment of which, provision is made for removable breast supporting frames to eliminate variety of sizes in that the foundation garment can be made in small, medium and large sizes and the proper size brassiere fitted thereto.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a multiple part ladies bathing suit which includes an adequately inherently supported foundation garment for the torso with ample elasticity and flexibility to avoid discomfort especially during swimming or diving, the other parts of the suit being so engaged with the foundation garment that there is no possibility of displacement or separation of the garment parts while in normal use.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred form of the invention wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a bathing suit constructed in accordance with the present invention illustrating its application;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the 2 line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of a modified form of foundation garment used in the present invention in which the brassiere portion of the garment is removable;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of another form of foundation garment wherein the breast cups of the brassiere are removable;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the skirt portion of the bathing suit;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line B-B of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. '7 is an elevational view of the inside of the foundation garment shown in completely open position;

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of the panty portion of the bathing suit, and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line -9 of Fig. '7 showing the reinforcing stays of the foundation garment.

In the drawings, in order to illustrate the applieation of the invention, I have illustrated a portion of the human female body indicated at to, including a torso H and breast l2;

The bathing suit of this invention consists primarily of a foundation garment generally designated l3 the back of which is elastic and the front inelastic and which, as shown in Fig. 7

of the drawing, is, when completely open, substantially flat and, except for the breast cups of the brassiere portion is of generally rectangularcludes a brassiere portion generally designated [6 including breast cup frames H in which cups l8 are mounted. As shown to advantage in the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4, the cups [8 may be detachably mounted. In this form of the invention stud and socket fasteners [9 are mounted around the lower edges of the cups for engagement through openings 20 which are formed below semicircular recesses 2| formed in the upper margin of the garment at the front of the latter. In addition the cups are anchored to the garment by tab carried hooks 22, the tabs being carried by the frames [1. Each breast cup 18 is provided with a slot 23, as shown in Fig. 4 through which the hook is passed preparatory to being engaged with a complemental eye 24 carried by the top of each side of the garment as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The frames [1 constitute the upper ends of a unitary stay frame 25 which latter, as shown in Fig. 4, constitutes a V-shape central portion which extends upwardly and in a semicircle above the semicircular recesses 2| to form circular openings for the breast cups, the stay frame extending downwardly in the garment on each side as indicated at 26, the lower ends of the stays terminating at the waistline 2'! of the garment. The portion of the garment below the waistline is provided with stays 28 completely around the garment. The back of the garment is also provided with stays 29 which extend from the top of the garment to the waistline 21. It will be noted that the lower stays 28 are immediately below the stay frame 25 and the stays 29.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modified form of foundation garment wherein the front is formed to provide a pair of parallel V-shaped pockets 30, each of which is adapted to receive the V- shape portion 31 of a brassiere frame generally designated 32. The top of each frame is circular and adapted for the reception of a breast cup [8. Each of the frames is provided with a stay 33, the upper terminal of which extends into the bottom of the breast cup. This type of garment is preferred where additional support is necessary and also provides a garment which is adaptable for use with different sized breast cups which are anchored to the sides of the garment in the same manner as th breast cups of the form of invention shown in Fig. 4.

The lower terminal of the foundation garment is provided with a plurality of buttons 34, or other suitable fastening means, for a purpose hereinafter set forth. The fastening means are normally covered by a strip 35 which is secured to the garment just above the buttons as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The buttons are adapted to be engaged by buttonholes 35 formed in the tops of panties 31. The sides of the panties are open so as to facilitate engagement and removal with and from the person of the user and for size variation. The portions of the upper margins of the panties are extended to provide tie strings 38 which may be secured as shown in the right side of Fig. 8 of the drawings. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawinss, the point of securement of the panties to the garment is at a. point just below the hips.

The outer skirt portion of the bathing suit is fully shown in Fig. 5 and designated 39. The skirt may be of any desired style or design and includes a bodice port-ion 40 which is adapted to extend completely over and above the breast cups of the brassire portion of the foundation garment. The top of the skirt is provided with a pair of hooks 4|, one being adapted for engagement within each of the breast cups, as shown in Fig. 6, to engage a loop 42 carried by the cup. The side of the skirt is open from the top to a point below the waist, as shown in Fig. 5, and equipped with zipper fastening means 43. With the combination of the zipper fastener and the hooks 4|, the skirt 39 is positively anchored to the foundation garment yet may be quickly engaged with and disengaged from said garment. When in use the skirt, as shown in Fig. 1, will extend completely over the foundation garment and over and below the panties 31.

Where additional breast support is required, a supporting strap 44 may be mounted in the bottom of each cup, the ends of th strap being secured to the cup leaving the intermediate portion of the strap free, as shown advantageously in Fig. 2.

While I have herein shown and described preferred forms of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is:

1. A ladys bathing suit including a foundation garment having a torso encircling portion and including breast covering and hip covering portions, panties, having a crotch and leg openings, detachably secured to the lower part of the foundation garment below the waistline, and a skirted outer garment detachably secured to the top of the foundation garment and extending downwardly outside of the latter and outside of and below said panties.

2. The garment in accordance with claim 1 in which the foundation garment includes a frame having a pair of breast cups, the frame being detachably engaged with the torso covering portion of the foundation garment.

3. A foundation garment for ladies bathing suits having a body encircling portion, breast covering and hip covering portions, the top of the body encircling portion of the garment being provided with a pair of vertical pockets in the front which open through the top of the body encircling portion of the garment, and a breast cup frame carrying the breast covering portions, said frame being formed with spaced downwardly extending projections, detachably mounted in said pockets.

DOROTHY C. LUHR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 999,388 McCullough Aug. 1, 1911 1,020,213 Martell et a1. Mar. 12, 1912 1,907,159 Stuart May 2, 1933 2,268,781 Slotoroff Jan. 6, 1942 2,483,366 Glick Sept. 27, 1949 2,532,375 Sider Dec. 5, 1950 2,583,865 McIlhinney Jan. 29, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 218,699 Great Britain July 8, 1924 972,935 France Sept. 6, 1950

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