AU2016100284A4 - A garment for men - Google Patents

Abstract

A garment, to be worn by a male, which incorporates a crotch and an 'inner pouch'. The inner pouch is shaped to anatomically accompany the male genitalia. The two sides of the inner pouch are configured to follow the valley of the human inner thighs and converge at the rear of the scrotum adjacent to the anus. The inner pouch is partially secured into the front crotch via the sides and the top along the waistband. The crotch is configured to shape similar to that of the inner pouch but slightly wider and longer such that the points of convergence when in use are at, adjacent or rearwards of the human's anus. A 'breathing zone' is located on each side of the inner thigh region. Figure 1 Figure 2

Description

1 TITLE A garment for men FIELD The present invention relates to increasing the perceived comfort of male undergarments through minimisation of chafing and improvement of air circulation and support. BACKGROUND Chafing is an uncomfortable skin condition which men can suffer as a result of friction on the skin. This condition is further exacerbated through the accumulation of sweat in such context such as sports or manual labour. Repetitive friction can cause redness, irritation, blistering or even bleeding. This condition is commonly experienced in sensitive and delicate areas which inner thigh and genital area being one of the most common places. There are many methods commonly used to prevent or reduce the effects of chafing such as wearing appropriate clothing, pre-conditioning the skin with anti-friction lubricant, body powder, keeping the body hydrated, etc. However, one of the main approaches in preventing chafing in the male inner thigh and genital area is wearing appropriate undergarments or sportswear as it is in direct contact with the skin. In addition, the accumulation of sweat can substantially worsen the chafing conditions due to increased skin friction. Therefore, moisture wicking properties in some undergarments and sportswear play an important role in chafing prevention. Moisture wicking fabrics are designed to pull moisture away from the skin to the outer layers for quick evaporation. Men's undergarments generally consist of a cloth portion which covers the male genitalia in the front (the crotch), the hips on the sides, the buttocks in the rear and an elastic waistband to securely hold the garment around a man's waist. A pair of leg holes is provided through which the man's legs extend and the garment is thus situated to cover and protect the male genitalia, hips, and the buttocks. During daily and physically demanding activities, undergarments and sportswear are generally designed to provide support and comfort in and about the genital area by limiting the movement of the genitalia. The majority of men's undergarments currently available on the market rely on the elastic property of the fabric to provide support to the genitals with little curvature given to the form of the crotch (some nearly flat) potentially resulting in the genitals being pushed against the body in a compressed position. This could cause discomfort and overheating in this region which is one of the main contributing factors to lower male fertility rate. More recent undergarment designs have attempted to address some of the issues above with anatomically correct 'pouches' for the crotch which provide a better fit. However, the pouches are commonly completely integrated into the undergarment which provides little to no air movement. This arrangement could still cause overheating to the genital area. Some men's undergarments have also attempted to address the chafing issue by separating the genitals from the inner thighs to reduce friction on the skin. Some have even gone further with separating the penis from the scrotum. This is generally achieved via separate compartments for the penis (some in tubular form) and the scrotum. However, most of them require wearers to 2 position their genitals in unnatural and possibly uncomfortable positions with extra manual adjustment needed when donning and removing the garment. Furthermore, several forms of support structures such as additional elastic bands, adjustable pouches and additional layers have been integrated into the crotch internal design to provide extra support. However, they often require complicated and confusing manoeuvres to place the genitals in the right position to fully benefit from these features. Thus, there remains a need for a garment that can separate the genitalia from the inner thighs to prevent chafing, gently lift the genitalia upwardly to improve air circulation while being easy to use, feel natural and provide comfort in general. SUMMARY The present invention is directed to a garment, to be worn by a male, incorporating a crotch and an 'inner pouch'. In the preferred embodiment, the inner pouch is shaped such to anatomically accompany the male genitalia (which are the penis and the scrotum). Preferably the two sides of the pouch are configured to follow the valley of the human inner thighs and converge at the rear of the scrotum adjacent to the anus. In the preferred embodiment, the inner pouch is partially secured into the front crotch via the sides and the top along the waistband. Preferably the crotch is configured to shape similar to that of the inner pouch but slightly wider and longer such that the points of convergence when in use are at, adjacent or rearwards of the human's anus. The semi-integrated pouch, acting like a sling or hammock, serves to slightly lift and separate the male genitalia from the bottom of the crotch and inner thighs of the wearer. This creates an air gap that promotes air circulation in the genital area while reducing friction on the skin thus preventing chafing. In addition, the top portion of the crotch along the waistband may also include a crescent shaped cut-out to further improve air circulation to the genital region. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, an almost triangular shape of preferably perforated or breathable material, called the 'breathing zone' is located on each side of the inner thigh region. Each breathing zone has an upper side extended from where the upper part of the genitals joins the body to the rearwards of the anus. The breathing zone's other two sides run along the inner thigh towards the knee. This is believed to be one of the areas that produces the most sweat and heat. Preferably the 'breathing zone' is connected into each side of the crotch and forms part of the leg. Among the many different possibilities contemplated, the garment is made of several types of material that are thin, breathable and pliable. Preferably the inner pouch is made of soft and elastic, perforated or mesh materials with cooling properties. The breathing zones are made of breathable, most preferably perforated or mesh materials to further promote air circulation. Preferably the crotch, rear and leg portions are made of soft and elastic materials to provide support. Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.

3 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with the crotch and front of the breathing zones being visible. Figure 2 is a rear view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with the back of the breathing zones being visible. Figure 3 is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with the crotch, the inner pouch and part of the breathing zone being visible. Figure 4 is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with the inner pouch, part of the crotch and breathing zones and leg openings being visible. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Figures 1 and 2 show a front view and a rear view of the garment respectively, which includes an elastic waistband 1, crotch 2, breathing zones 3A and 3B, garment's 'body' and legs 4A and 4B. Waistband 1 is a continuous loop of elastic material that extended around the lower torso to the rear of the wearer. The crotch, the inner pouch and the garment's body are interconnected via the waistband, which also acts as an anchor point to provide support to the entire garment and wearer's genitalia. Different finishes such as printed branding, fabric covered, metallic finishes, 3D text and/or images, etc. along the outer surface of the waistband are possible. Crotch 2 generally comprises of two symmetrically identical portions, 2A and 2B, joined along one side. The other sides of the crotch generally follow the curvature of the human inner thighs and converge at the rear of the scrotal area. Converging points 7A and 7B (as shown on Figure 4) are generally located at, adjacent or rearwards of the human's anus when the garment is worn. The top of crotch 2 is integrated into waistband 1 with a crescent shaped cut-out 9 may be provided to promote air ventilation to the crotch. Two breathing zones 3A and 3B, which are generally made of perforated or breathable materials, are connected to the crotch at connecting points 6A and 6B. Breathing zones 3A and 3B generally cover the inner thigh areas with the upper portion following the side profile of the crotch and the rear curves to point 3C, rearwards of the human's anus (refer Figure 2). The breathing zone's sides are integrated into the garment's body forming part of the leg. Connecting points 6A and 6B are located at the upper part of the genitalia, generally where the penis joins the body. Connecting points 6A and 6B also indicate where the inner pouch ends its connection to the crotch which will be described in further details below. The garment's body is formed by legs 4A and 4B, which cover the outer thighs and the buttocks (refer Figure 1 and Figure 2). Figure 3 shows a side view of the garment with one side of the leg omitted for ease of reference. Inner pouch 8 and the crotch's convergence 7 are visible in this view. The inner pouch is an anatomically correct pouch designed to separate the genitals from the inner thighs while gently lifting them upward to create an air separation. The inner pouch closely follows the shape of the 4 crotch but is much shorter in length and slightly smaller in width. The inner pouch is generally constructed from one piece of material with a short joint along the bottom centre line to form the shape of a pouch; however, construction using two identical pieces of material is entirely plausible. Similar to the crotch, the shape of the inner pouch generally follows the curvature of the human inner thighs and converges at the rear of the scrotum, adjacent to the perineum. The lower side of the pouch is intended to wrap around the side to the back of the scrotum and end just where the scrotum joins the body (point 5E) thus preventing any undue pressure onto this part of the wearer's body. In reference to Figure 3, the inner pouch 8 is attached onto waistband 1 along the upper side and integrated into crotch 2 along line 5 and stops at point 6. This leaves the lower part of the pouch free of any attachment, to provide extra flexibility. The semi-integration with crotch 2 will also help to naturally form the shape of a pouch when donning the garment, thus requiring minimum or no adjustment. Figure 4 shows a top view of the garment, as seen by a wearer, when about to be donned. In this view, the majority of the inner pouch 8, end point 5E, connecting points 6A and 6B are visible. In addition, the crotch's converging points 7A and 7B and leg opening 10A and 10B, can also be seen. Generally, joining and integrating various parts of the garment takes the form of stitched seams. However, other types of connections such as: welding, folding, sonic wave bonding, etc. are possible. In addition, seamless variants of the garment are also plausible. For example, the crotch and inner pouch could be formed by moulding a piece of material and then bonding onto the other parts of the garment.

Claims (5)

1. A garment, to be worn by a male, including a) a crotch that is shaped to follow the curvature of the human inner thighs, converged at the rear of the scrotum, and a cut-out along the top portion; the crotch being configured such that the point of convergence when in use is at, adjacent or rearwards of the human's anus; and b) an inner pouch that is shaped to follow the curvature of the human inner thigh, converged at the rear of the scrotum, semi-attached onto the interior of the said crotch; the inner pouch being configured such that the point of convergence when in use is at the back of the scrotum and is shorter than the said crotch's point of convergence; the inner pouch being configured to be slightly lifted from the said crotch and to carry the human's genitalia; and c) two connecting portions located in the inner thigh areas called 'breathing zones', connected to the crotch and formed part of the legs.

2. The garment of claim 1 wherein said garment is a pair of men's undergarment.

3. The garment of claim 1 wherein said garment is a pair of men's sport pants.

4. The garment of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the inner pouch is semi-integrated into the crotch.

5. The garment of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the crotch, the inner pouch and the breathing zones are at least predominantly made from a lightweight, breathable and pliable material.