Underwear abstract
An underwear garment for increased comfort while sitting for lengthy
periods of time having a resilient cushion means secured by sewing
it in the seat of the underwear. The cushion can extend into the
crotch portion to provide comfort and protection to the spinal cord,
especially for persons with hemorrhoids. The cushion is also sewn
down the middle so that it folds with the natural line of the buttocks.
The cushion means may consist of foam rubber or any cushion that
allows air penetration. Although the cushioned underwear is designed
primarily for comfort, the present underwear may also be worn to
protect the body while playing sports without interference.
Underwear claims
Having thus described my invention, I claim:
1. An underwear garment having a waistband and front and seat portions
connected by a crotch portion with leg openings comprising:
cushion means in the seat portion thereof extending from below
the waistband to the bottom of the seat and leg openings, from one
side of the seat portion to the other; and
means for securing the cushion inside the seat portion of the underwear.
2. The underwear garment of claim 1 wherein the cushion means consist
of foam rubber.
3. The underwear garment of claim 1 or 2 wherein the means for
securing the cushion means comprises a cloth placed over the cushion,
said cloth being slightly larger than the cushion and sewn around
its perimeter to the seat portion of the underwear.
4. The underwear garment of claim 1 or 2 wherein the means for
securing the cushion means comprises a cloth placed over the cushion
means, said cloth being sewn around its perimeter to the seat portion
of the underwear and further being sewn again along a line parallel
and interior to the first sew-line.
5. The underwear garment of claim 1 or 2 wherein the means for
securing the cushion means comprises a cloth placed over the cushion
means, said cloth being sewn around its perimeter to the seat portion
of the underwear and further being sewn again along a line parallel
and interior to the first sew-line and also sewn along a third sew-line
down the middle of the seat portion to provide additional flexibility
and comfort to the seat portion of the pants.
6. An underwear garment having a waistband and front and seat portions
connected by a crotch portion with leg openings comprising:
cushion means in the seat and crotch portion extending from below
the waistband to the bottom of the seat, from one side of the seat
to the other and down to the leg openings; and
means for securing the cushion means inside both the seat portion
and crotch portion of the underwear.
7. The underwear garment of claim 6 wherein the cushion means consists
of foam rubber.
8. The underwear garment of claim 6 or 7 wherein the means for
securing the cushion means comprises a cloth placed over the cushion
means, said cloth being sewn around its perimeter to the seat portion
and crotch portion of the underwear.
9. The underwear garment of claim 6 or 7 wherein the means for
securing the cushion means comprises a cloth placed over the cushion
means, said cloth being sewn around its perimeter on the seat portion
and crotch portion of the underwear and further being sewn again
along a line parallel and interior to the first sew-line.
10. The underwear garment of claim 6 or 7 wherein the means for
securing the cushion means comprises a cloth placed over the cushion
means and sewn around its perimeter to the seat portion and crotch
portion of the underwear and further being sewn again along a line
parallel and interior to the first sew-line and sewn along a third
sew-line down the middle of the seat portion to provide flexibility
to the seat portion of the pants.
Underwear description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to clothing undergarments and more particularly
to underwear containing cushions or pads for comfort and safety.
Most often, when a person is required to sit for long periods of
time at sporting events or other activities, particularly on hard
benches, his or her posterior becomes very sore. Therefore, attending
such events or activities is very discomforting, particularly for
older people.
Currently, there is almost no way to avoid such discomfort, except
perhaps by taking a cushion or seat with oneself when attending
such events. That, too, is cumbersome and is easily forgotten. Therefore,
there exists a need for an undergarment that will provide the necessary
cushioning for the posterior, that is comfortable, form-fitting
so it is unnoticeable and not too hot when worn.
The prior art include some undergarments with cushions therein,
but none like the present invention. For instance, U.S. Pat. No.
4,807,301 by Ferber (1989) shows a wrap-around garment with pads
in the hips and buttocks. Ferber's invention differs in that it's
separate garment that can be worn around the person. U.S. Pat. No.
2,637,032 by Pinsuti, shows underwear with a pair of seat cushions
suspended and sewn into the buttocks portion of the underwear. Pinsuti
differs in that the pads are sewn into a different area and are
not actually a part of the underwear itself. Other relevant prior
art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,294 by Horn (1979); U.S. Pat. No.
4,462,115 by Carlson, et al., 1984; U.S. Pat. No. 1,044,494 by Clarke
(1912); U.S. Pat. No. 1,561,712 by Goldsmith (1925); U.S. Pat. No.
3,637,230 by Poik (1972); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,407 by Mattila
(1987). All of these prior patents involve some form of padded undergarment,
primarily for protecting a person from sports and motorcycle injuries,
but none is constructed as the present invention to provide cushioning
in the proper areas for sitting. Furthermore, the additions to the
underwear in prior art are not incorporated into the underwear for
proper fit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to provide an underwear
garment that removes or alleviates the discomfort caused by sitting.
Another object is to provide such an underwear garment that fits
the form of the body so that it is not noticeable through outer
garments.
Even another object is to provide such an undergarment that is
not cumbersome and is easy to wear.
A further object is to provide such an underwear garment that is
not too hot for the wearer.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide protection
to the user when worn in sporting activities.
The present invention accomplishes the above and other objects
by providing underwear having a waistband in front and seat portions
connected by a crotch portion having cushion means in the seat portion
extending from just below the waistband to the bottom of the seat
and from one side of the seat to the other. The cushion means, which
is secured in the underwear means preferably by of stitching around
the perimeter thereof, may be foam rubber or any other material
that allows air flow through so that it breathes and remains cool
when worn. In order to be form-fitting, the cushion means is also
stitched down the center thereof so that it conforms to the shape
of the body. To provide further protection, the cushion means may
extend to the crotch area of the underwear so that it also provides
comfort and protection for the spinal cord of the wearer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The drawings used in conjunction with the description of the preferred
embodiments are as follows:
FIG. 1 is a rear plan view of the padded underwear;
FIG. 2 is a side plan view of the padded underwear being worn;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along lines 3--3 of the padded
underwear of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 4 is a front plan view of the padded underwear.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, the padded underwear which is the
subject of this invention is shown having the basic components of
most underwear garments, that is, a waistband 1, seat portion 3,
crotch 9 and front portion 10. The underwear also has openings 6
for the insertion of the legs. As shown in the planned view, the
pad or cushion means 4 may be fastened securely in the rear seat
portion 3 of the underwear by sewing or stitching around its perimeter.
Although only one stitch line is necessary; however, as shown the
cushion means 4 is served by two sew lines--an outer sew-line 2
and an inner sew-line 8. The use of two sew lines results in two
padded sections, an inner padded section 4 and an outer padded section
5. As shown, the pad may also extend under the crotch area 9 to
form a crotch padded portion 7, which provides comfort and protection
to the back bone or spinal cord, especially important for persons
with hemorrhoids. Although not necessary to the underwear, this
invention may have an additional sew- or stitch-line 11 vertically
down the center thereof, to further conform it to the shape of the
buttocks so that it folds with movement and is less likely to be
noticeable through outer garments.
In FIG. 2, the padded portion of the underwear is shown as it might
appear in plan view when worn by a person 17. The securement of
the padded portion is designed to make the cushion 14 unnoticeable
when worn.
FIG. 3 shows the inner cushion portion 4 in FIG. 1 in crosssection.
The cushion may consist of foam padding 14 or another substance
that would allow air to penetrate through it when worn, air penetration
being important to keep a person from becoming hot or sweating while
wearing the underwear. The foam padding 14 would be secured to the
seat portion 3 of the underwear by first placing the foam rubber
padding over the seat portion 3, then placing over the foam padding
an inner cloth 16 made of the same material as the overall underwear
and sewing said cloth 16 around its perimeter. The inner cloth 16
would be large enough to fit around the padding's perimeter when
the entire foam padding 14 is place under compression. As shown,
the foam padding could also be placed in the crotch section of the
underwear 9 and then sewn around its perimeter 13. Further stitching
could be added at inner sew-lines 8 and 12 in order to further secure
the foam padding therein. The cushion means would not interfere
in any way with the front 10 the underwear or waistband 1.
The final view of the invention in FIG. 4 illustrates in plan view
the underwear as it might appear with the cushion means sewn in
place. The cushion section 4 could be all one cushion or multiple
cushions. As shown, it would be preferably one cushion which is
sewn in various sections to conform to the human body. The cushion
may extend from the waistband 1 to leg opening 6 and under the crotch
section 9 so that it would cover the entire buttocks area. This
design would provide the most comfort and protection over the entire
area of the user.
As described in detail hereinabove, the present invention provides
a novel and non-obvious padded underwear which will alleviate the
discomfort of sitting, especially for long periods of time, and
yet will be unnoticeable through the outer garments. At the same
time the present invention provides comfort it would provide those
wearers involved in sporting activities with important protection
to a vital area of the body, the spinal cord.
Although the description above has been limited to a few preferred
embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the present
invention is intended to incorporate any modifications within the
scope and spirit of the claims. |