Tank top nursing bra

Abstract

A tank top nursing bra for a nursing mother which provides breast support and which also allows the nursing mother to easily and discretely breast feed her baby wherein the tank top can be worn in public without the need to be covered. The tank top nursing bra includes an inner frame for securing the tank top on the nursing mother and for properly positioning the tank top relative to the breasts of the nursing mother. The inner frame includes an elastic waist or chest band which extends about the torso of the mother and below the breasts of the mother. The elastic band having a front portion and a rear portion. The inner frame further including a front sling having a pair of openings for allowing access to the woman's breasts for nursing. The sling extending from the elastic band to a set of shoulder straps which support the inner frame on the shoulders of the woman. The shoulder straps having back edges which are joined either directly or indirectly to the elastic band. The tank top nursing bra further including at least one breast supporting inner nursing flap having a bottom edge joined to the elastic waistband and a top edge which is selectively interengageable with the inner support structure. The tank top nursing bra further including an outer tank top having a front and back portion. The front portion of the tank top being attached to the at least one nursing flap and the back portion being attached to the inner frame.

1 . An article of clothing for a nursing mother which provides breast support while allowing easy and discrete access to the breasts for nursing wherein the article of clothing can be worn in public without needing to be covered, the article of clothing comprising: 
 an inner frame structure for securing the article of clothing on the woman and for properly positioning the article of clothing relative to the woman's breasts, the frame structure comprising a first and second adjustable straps having front and back portions, a sling connected to the adjustable straps at sling tops and a chest band having a front and back portion;    selectively engagable support flaps which are individually movable between a closed position and an access position, wherein the support flaps are connected to one another at center of the garment having a unified bottom edge and wherein the unified bottom edge is connect to the chest band; and    an outer garment having clothing flaps which are integrally connected to the support flaps and work in connection with the support flaps to provide easy and discrete access to the breasts of the nursing mother wherein the outer garment includes a front top edge, a rear top edge and side top edges, the front top edge defining the top edges of the clothing flaps.    
   
   
       2 . The article of clothing according to  claim 1  wherein the sling provides little or no breast support and is essentially M-shaped and comprises a center leg and two outer legs forming openings which extend substantially about the breasts and allow full access to the breasts.  
   
   
       3 . The article of clothing according to  claim 2  wherein the center leg extends between the woman's breasts and two outer legs extending about the outer edges of the woman's breasts and connect to the center leg at sling tops positioned above the breasts so that the sling legs form openings about the breasts and allow full access to the breasts.  
   
   
       4 . The article of clothing according to  claim 1  wherein the chest band extends about the woman's chest and below the woman's breasts and wherein center sling leg and outer sling legs are attached to the front portion of chest band.  
   
   
       5 . The article of clothing according to  claim 4  wherein back portions of shoulder straps extend down and attach to the back portion of the chest band.  
   
   
       6 . The article of clothing according to  claim 5  wherein the inner frame structure includes an inner back panel extending between the adjustable straps and the chest band and joined to the support flaps providing additional breast support.  
   
   
       7 . The article of clothing according to  claim 1  wherein the unified bottom of support flaps is connected to front portion of chest band and the support flaps can be individually moved between a closed position and an access position.  
   
   
       8 . The article of clothing according to  claim 7  wherein the support flaps include first clip portions and the sling tops include second clip portions wherein first clip portions work in connection with second clip portions to secure flaps in a closed position providing full breast support.  
   
   
       9 . The article of clothing according to  claim 8  wherein the outer garment includes front clothing flaps and wherein the front top edge of the outer garment defines an upper edge of the clothing flaps.  
   
   
       10 . The article of clothing according to  claim 9  wherein each front clothing flap is integrally connected to the corresponding support flap such that the support flap and clothing flap move in unison between an access position and a closed position.  
   
   
       11 . The article of clothing according to  claim 9  wherein front clothing flaps are connected to first clip portions such that clothing flaps and support flaps can be selectively moved in unison between a closed position and an access position.  
   
   
       12 . The article of clothing according to  claim 10  wherein the support flaps are entirely connected to the front clothing flaps and provide full breast support while the flap is in the closed position and provide full breast access for nursing a baby while the flap is in the access position.  
   
   
       13 . The article of clothing according to  claim 1  wherein the outer garment is made from a stretchy elastic material such that it may conform to the changing shape of the nursing mother.  
   
   
       14 . A tank top nursing bra for a nursing mother wherein easy and discrete access to the woman's breasts is provided and the tank top can be worn in public without needing to be covered, the tank top comprising: 
 an inner frame structure for securing the tank top on the woman relative to the woman's breasts;    support flaps connected to the inner frame structure wherein the support flaps can be individually moved between a closed position and an access position; and    an outer garment having outer flaps wherein the outer flaps are integrally attached to the support flaps such that the outer garment flaps and support flaps are moved in unison between the closed position and the access position.    
   
   
       15 . The tank top nursing bra according to  claim 14  wherein the inner frame structure comprises: 
 adjustable shoulder straps having a front portion and a back portion wherein the adjustable shoulder straps are positioned over each of the woman's shoulders;    an M-shaped sling including a center leg positioned between the woman's breasts and two outer legs positioned along the outside of each of the woman's breasts wherein the sling provides little or no support and full access to the breasts;    an elastic chest band having a front and a back portion wherein the chest band extends about the woman's chest and below the woman's breasts and wherein the sling legs are attached to the front portion of the chest band and the back portion of the adjustable straps are attached to the back portion of the chest band.    
   
   
       16 . The tank top nursing bra according to  claim 15  wherein the support flaps are connected to one another at the center of the garment forming an unified bottom edge whereby the support flaps are connected to the front portion of the chest band and wherein each support flap includes a clip for retaining the support flap in a closed position.  
   
   
       17 . The tank top nursing bra according to  claim 14  wherein the support flaps are commonly shaped to the outer garment flaps so that a more attractive outward appearance is provided.  
   
   
       18 . The tank top nursing bra according to  claim 17  wherein the inner support flaps and outer garment flaps have common top edges so that the inner support flaps are essentially hidden and outer garment is allowed to freely move relative to the inner support structure.  
   
   
       19 . The tank top nursing bra of  claim 14  wherein the outer garment is a unified single piece of material.  
   
   
       20 . The tank top nursing bra of  claim 14  wherein the outer garment is made from multiple clothing panels.