Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Catalog Data

Collection Donor:
Lindahl, Lisa  Search this
Miller, Hinda  Search this
Smith, Polly Palmer  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1979-2000
Scope and Contents:
The patent records consist of patents, correspondence, agreements, notes, and articles about Miller's involvement with the "hard cup project" from 1987 to 2000. Miller holds six United States Patents: Athletic brassiere (US 4,174,717); Brassiere, (US D259370); Athletic shirt (US D260,445); Athletic brassiere, US (4,311,150); Brassiere (US D301,518); and Protective brassiere with local energy absorption (US 6,083,080). Miller and LaJean Lawson, a Portland businesswoman and Oregon State University adjunct professor in exercise science, created a hard cup brassierre designed to reduce the risk of injury to the breasts (US 6,083,080). Lawson also holds a patent for a hard cup brassiere (US 5,022,887) which she assigned to JBI, Inc. in 1990 and later Playtex Apparel, Inc., in 1991. Lawson conducted sports bra research at Oregon State University's biomechanics lab and worked with Champion Jogbra to test and improve sports bra designs. Some of the correspondence relates to the licensing and manufacturing of hard cup brassieres (US 4,607,640) belonging to LeRoy McCusker and Marc S. Weinberg (US 4,566,458). Miller and Lawson did not license McCusker or Weinberg's patents and ultimately pursued their own work and patent. The correspondence includes letters and memoranda exchanged with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the law firm of Browdy and Neimark, and with physicians who were asked to test products. Additional documents include agreements regarding ownership of inventions invoices for legal services, projected budgets, a marketing plan, testing notes by Lawson, and formation of the JBI Health Advisory Board comprised of sports medicine and health experts.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270. Social Security numbers are present and numbers have been rendered unreadable and redacted. Researchers may use the photocopies in the collection. The remainder of the collection has no restrictions.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Jogbra, Inc. Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1315, Series 4
See more items in:
Jogbra, Inc. Records
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep85a2c5b78-cac4-4c1a-a68c-5da5da4543ee
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-1315-ref25