Delta Junction inventor wins design patent for sports bra with built-in neck guard

A Delta Junction woman now holds 15 years of federal protection on the look of a sports bra with a built-in neck guard. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued design patent US D1,146,219 S to Amelia Dianne Cummings on Sept. 8. She's listed as both inventor and applicant, with a Delta Junction address. The community sits in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area and had 918 residents at the 2020 census.

Cummings filed the application, No. 29/966,300, on Oct. 1, 2024, almost two years before the grant. The patent claims "the ornamental design for a sports bra with neck guard as shown and described" across seven drawing sheets showing perspective, front, back, side, top and bottom views. Broken lines in the drawings mark stitching, which the document says is part of the claimed design.

A design patent covers how something looks, not how it works. It gives no protection to the function of the neck guard itself.

Primary examiner J. Thorn Sr. weighed prior art going back to a 1987 apparel patent. That review also covered design patents issued to other inventors between 2016 and 2024, plus two online listings for existing neck-guard bras and workout tops. John Rizvi of John Rizvi, P.A. is listed as the attorney, agent or firm.

Neck guards are common gear in hockey. USA Hockey has required neck laceration protection for all non-adult players and under-18 on-ice officials since Aug. 1, 2024. Researchers writing in a peer-reviewed sports medicine journal in July argued that breast support and protection "should not be presented as established injury-prevention interventions," saying the evidence isn't yet strong enough to back that claim.

The full patent, including all seven figures, is public and searchable through the USPTO's patent database.