Underwear abstract
An underwear garment or similar garment having leg shield means
which are adapted to fit into both crevices located at the junctures
of the legs and the pelvis to form the sides of a compartment for
containing the male reproduction organs which provides for less
restrictive and more effective, indirect support than found in the
prior art.
Underwear claims
I claim:
1. In a garment of the type having a waist opening and two leg
openings for covering the lower torso of the wearer, the improvement
comprising:
a body member for covering the rear and both sides of the lower
torso;
a first leg shield secured to a first front-most edge of said body
member, extending around the inner surface of a first leg of the
wearer and secured to the rear bottom portion of said body member;
a second leg shield secured to a second front-most edge of said
body member, extending around the inner surface of a second leg
of the wearer and secured to the rear bottom portion of said body
member; wherein each leg shield has a straight front edge, concave
lower edge, a convex rear edge, and an upper edge having an elongated
straight portion and a portion which curves to generally perpendicular
to said elongated straight portion; and
at least one front panel connected to the front-most portions of
said body member and connected to the rear bottom edge of said body
member, thereby forming a compartment between said leg shields;
further provided that contact between the inner surface of the
wearer's leg and the scrotum and penis is prevented.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first leg shield is generally
vertically aligned at its juncture with said first front-most body
member portion, and conforms to the surface of the wearer's leg
as it extends around the inside of the leg and then rotates to a
generally horizontal alignment at its juncture with the rear bottom
portion of said body member; and wherein said second leg shield
is generally vertically aligned at its juncture with said second
front-most portion of said body member, and conforms to the surface
of the wearer's leg as it extends around the inside of the leg and
then rotates to a generally horizontal alignment at its juncture
with the rear bottom portion of said body member.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the bottom edge of said first
leg shield cooperates with said body member to form a first leg
opening; and wherein the bottom edge of said second leg shield cooperates
with said body member to form a second leg opening.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the top edge of said first
leg shield fits into a first crevice located at the juncture of
the first leg and the crotch of the wearer; and wherein the top
edge of said second leg shield fits into a second crevice located
at the juncture of the second leg and the crotch of the wearer.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said first leg shield extends
around the inner surface of said first leg a vertical width of from
about one inch to about two inches; and wherein said second leg
shield extends around the inner surface of said second leg a vertical
width of from about one inch to about two inches.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the top edge of said first
leg curves from the front of said first leg to the rear of said
second leg and wherein the top edge of said second leg shield curves
from the front of said second leg to the rear of said first leg.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said leg shield top edges cross
behind the longitudinal axis of the wearer's body.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said leg shield top edges cross
the buttox crevice of the wearer generally perpendicular thereto.
9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the top edges of said leg shields
are elasticized.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said leg openings are elasticized.
11. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said panel further comprises
a inner panel, an outer panel, and means for access to said compartment
between said inner panel and said outer panel.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising an elasticized
waist band connected to the upper edge of said panels and to the
upper edge of said body member.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each of said panels is seamed
along the center of its lower portion, thereby forming a pouch.
Underwear description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to clothing and particularly
to underwear having leg shields.
BACKGROUND ART
Undergarments are well known in the art. Men's underwear having
a pouch or some other means for retaining the male reproductive
organs are also well known. Examples are found in the following
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,601,602; 3,207,155; 3,459,181; 3,621,846; 4,195,630
and 4,377,008.
Such underwear is typically adequate for providing support. However,
these prior art retention means are also overly restrictive, since
the pouch or other retention means provides affirmative, direct
support for the scrotum and penis. In addition, the prior art underwear,
with less restrictive retention means usually do not prevent contact
between the scrotum and penis and the inside of the legs. Perspiration
and heat remain a problem in the prior art. Further, the prior art
underwear with retention means is unable to prevent the male reproductive
organs from falling out of the pouch to one side or the other, and
is also unable to prevent foreign matter from entering the leg aperture
of the garment and contacting the reproductive organs. All of these
problems, common to the prior art underwear, result in discomfort
to the wearer and require frequent readjustment of the position
of the underwear and the male reproduction organs.
The present invention solves these problems by providing underwear
comprising leg shield means and unrestrictive support means.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The present invention is an underwear garment having leg shield
means which are adapted to fit into both crevices located at the
junctures of the legs and the pelvis. Each leg shield extends from
the crevice down the leg a distance of from about one inch to about
two inches. The leg shields form the sides of a compartment for
containing the male reproduction organs which provides for less
restrictive and more effective, indirect support than found in the
prior art. The leg shield and indirect support means may also be
adapted to other garments such as swimwear or shorts.
Thus a major object of the present invention is to provide underwear
having leg shield means.
Another object is to provide means for preventing contact between
the male reproduction organs and either leg without undue restriction
of the male reproduction organs.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide means
for increasing the comfort of an underwear garment wearer by providing
means for absorbing perspiration.
Yet another object is to provide means for preventing male reproduction
organs from falling or hanging through a leg aperture of an undergarment.
Another object of this invention is to provide means for preventing
ingress of foreign matter into an underwear garment through a leg
aperture.
Yet another object is to provide swimwear, shorts and similar garments
incorporating the above referenced features.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing
out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded
as the invention, it is believed that the invention, objects, features,
and advantages thereof will be better understood from the following
description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in
which like parts are given like identification numerals and wherein:
FIG. 1 is an elevation of the underwear of the present invention
having the front panel thereof removed in order to clearly show
the leg shields;
FIG. 2 is a top view of the underwear of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a view of the patterns for cutting the pieces which form
the garment; and
FIG. 4 is a front view of the finished garment of the present invention.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The present invention is a male undergarment or similar garment
having leg shields. As FIG. 1 illustrates, the underwear indicated
generally at 10 comprises a body member 11, a waist band 12, a first
leg shield 13 and a second leg shield 14. Front panels (15, 16 of
FIG. 2) are removed for clarity. The body member 11 forms the back
and both sides of the garment as shown. The top of body member 11
cooperates with waistband 12 to define an upper aperture which provides
for encircling of the torso. A front portion of the first leg shield
13 is attached to a first front-most edge of the body member 11,
and a rear portion of first leg shield 13 is attached to the bottom
rear portion of body member 11, thus forming a first leg aperture.
The front portion of first leg shield 13 is generally vertically
aligned, conforming to the front surface of the leg of the wearer.
First leg shield 13 conforms to the surface of the wearer's leg
as it extends around the inside of the leg and then begins to rotate
to a generally horizontal alignment where it is secured to the rear
bottom portion of body member 11. Second leg shield 14 is similarly
secured to a second front-most edge of body member 11, and a rear
portion of second leg shield 14 is attached to the bottom rear portion
of body member 11, thus forming a second leg aperture. The front
portion of second leg shield 14 is generally vertically aligned,
conforming to the front surface of the leg of the wearer. Second
leg shield 14 conforms to the surface of the wearer's leg as it
extends around the inside of the leg and then begins to rotate to
a generally horizontal alignment where it is secured to the rear
bottom portion of the body member 11. When the garment 10 is put
on, it is pulled up until the top of each leg shield 13,14 fits
in each respective crevice located at the juncture of the top, inner
surface of the leg and the crotch of the wearer, thereby acting
as a gauge of how far to pull the garment up. The leg shields 13,14
extend around the inner surface of each leg a vertical width of
from about one inch to about two inches. In this manner, each leg
of the wear is isolated from other parts of the wearer's body. Shields
13,14 absorb perspiration, and increase comfort by preventing contact
between the inner surface of the wearer's leg an the scrotum and
penis.
FIG. 2 is a view from the top of garment 10. The leg shields 13,14
cross behind the longitudinal axis of the wearer's body (not shown)
in order to prevent pinching of the rear portion of the scrotum.
The top portion of each leg shield 13,14 curves from the front of
one leg to the rear of the opposite leg, crossing the buttox crevice
generally perpendicular thereto in order to avoid becoming lodged
therein. FIG. 2 also shows an inner front panel 15 and an outer
front panel 16 which are attached to both front-most edges of body
portion 11, to the bottom, leg aperture forming edge of each leg
shield 13,14 and to the rear bottom edge of the body portion 11.
Left and right lower portions of each panel 15,16 are also seamed
together, forming a slight pouch. Thus, a compartment is formed
for containing the scrotum and penis. Opposite curved fly edges
of each panel 15,16 are not joined to another position of the garment
10 in order to permit access to the interior of the garment compartment
through and between the front pnels 15,16.
FIG. 3 illustrates the patterns for the garment pieces. Cloth 17
(preferrably cotton or cotton blend material) is folded at the left
side, and body member 11 is cut on the fold. Two identical leg shields
13,14 are cut from folded cloth 17 and are reversed when incorporated
into the garment 10. Two identical front panels 15,16 are also cut
from folded cloth 17 and are reversed when incorporated into garment
10. The v-portion 35 of the front panels 15,16 are also clearly
shown in FIG. 3. These v-portions 35 are seamed together forming
the pouch as shown in FIG. 2. Each leg shield 13,14 has a straight
front edge 30 which is attached vertically to the front-most edge
31 of body member 11 as explained above. The lower edges 32 of each
leg shield 13,14 is concave as shown and cooperates with body member
11 and front panels 15,16 to form the interior portions of the leg
apertures of the garment. The rear edge 33 of each leg shield 13,14
is convex as shown and is secured to body member 11 as discussed
above. The upper edge 34 of each leg shield 13,14 has an elongated
straight portion which is designed to fit in the crevice at the
juncture of the top of the wearer's leg and his crotch as discussed
above. Upper edge 34 also has a curved portion which curves to generally
perpendicular to the elongated straight portion thereof. Front panels
15,16 have a v-portion 35 which is seamed together as discussed
above at seam 36 of FIG. 2, which forms a generally straight bottom
surface 37 of each front panel 15,16. Bottom surfaces 37 of the
front panels 15,16 are joined to the rear bottom edge 38 of body
member 11 at seam 39 of FIG. 2. Front panel top edges 40 and body
member top edge 41 are joined to waist band 12 as discussed above.
The completed garment 10 is shown in FIG. 4. It is preferred that
the top edge 34 of the leg shields 13,14 are elasticized to provide
tension for assuring that the top edges 34 remain in the crevice
of the crotch and leg juncture, thereby maintaining the compartment.
Elastic means are also sewn into each finished leg opening and into
the waist band 12. Seams are joined with binding tape where necessary
in the conventional manner. The finished garment isolates each leg
and forms a compartment for containing the penis and scrotum. In
addition, the leg shields 13,14 of the compartment prevent the scrotum
and penis from falling out of either leg opening. The leg shields
13,14 also prevent ingress of foreign matter. The leg shields 13,14
may also be used with swimwear and shorts.
While this invention has been described in detail with particular
reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood
that variations and modifications can be effective within the spirit
and scope of the invention as described hereinbefore and as defined
in the appended claims.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
This invention is capable of exploitaton in the garment industry.
It is particularly useful in underwear and similar garments.
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