GB2227643A

GB2227643A - Wearing apparel for affording protection against rape

Info

Publication number: GB2227643A
Application number: GB8908485A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Helen Anastasiou
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-02-01
Filing date: 1989-04-14
Publication date: 1990-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 2009-04-14
Also published as: GB8908485D0; GB2227643B; GB8902109D0

Abstract

Apparatus (2) for affording protection against rape, which apparatus (2) comprises a belt portion (4) for passing around a person's waist, a crotch portion (6) for passing under the person's crotch, and locking means (8) for locking the apparatus (2) in position on the person, the apparatus (2) being made of a material which allows ease of movement but which is resistant to being ripped or cut with a knife thereby to afford protection to a person's pudenda in the event of an attempted rape, and the crotch portion (6) being such that it is not provided with one or more openings for allowing the person to effect urination and bowel evacuation. Suitable materials are chain mail, steel wires or thread, plastics, optionally with a covering of material suitable to afford comfort. <IMAGE>

Description

APPARATUS FOR AFFORDING PROTECTION AGAINST RAPE This invention relates to apparatus for affording protection against rape.

Attacks on women and girls have increased in recent years. Many of these attacks involve rape or attempted rape. Many women and girls are thus frightened to go out, especially at night.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, this invention provides apparatus for affording protection against rape, which apparatus comprises a belt portion for passing around a person's waist, a crotch portion for passing under the person's crotch, and locking means for locking the apparatus in position on the person, the apparatus being made of a material which allows ease of movement but which is resistant to being ripped or cut with a knife thereby to afford protection to person's pudenda in the event of an attempted rape, and the crotch portion being such that it is not provided with one or more openings for allowing the person to effect urination and bowel evacuation.

It is important to realise that the apparatus of the present invention is not a known chastity belt, and it is also important to realise that the apparatus of the present invention is used in an entirely different manner to a known chastity belt. More specifically, known chastity belts were metal girdles which knights of old caused their wives to wear whilst the knights were away on crusades. Only the knights had the key to the chastity belts and their women were required to wear the chastity belts until their knights returned. The chastity belts were thus worn for very long periods of time and they thus needed a crotch portion which was provided with one or more openings for allowing a women wearing the chastity belt to effect urination and bowel evacuation.With the apparatus of the present invention, it is the person wearing the apparatus who actually wants to wear the apparatus and who actually has the key. The apparatus is only intended to be worn for short periods of time whilst the person is going out or is travelling to a destination. Thus there is no need for the crotch portion to be provided with one or more openings for allowing the person to effect urination and bowel evacuation so that the apparatus of the present invention is different in construction and purpose to the known chastity belts used by knights of old.

The apparatus of the present invention can be worn under or over clothes. Usually, the apparatus will be worn over underwear so that the apparatus can easily be slipped on just prior to a person leaving a place, and the apparatus can easily be slipped off immediately the person arrives at a chosen destination.

Women and children may thus be given more confidence to go out, either by walking, travelling on public transport, or travelling in private vehicles. The women will know that the apparatus of the present invention will cause a potential rapist attacking them to use up time in trying to remove the apparatus.

Since time is usually the one thing that a rapist does not have, it is highly likely that the rapist will be forced to give up the attempted rape. Furthermore, a person wearing the apparatus of the present invention will have two hands free to keep off the attacker.

Without the apparatus of the invention, a person attacked by a potential rapist is likely to always be using one hand to keep her knickers in place so that only one hand is available to fight off the attacker. With two hands to fight off the attacker, more time may again be gained.

In contrast to the above mentioned chastity belts, the apparatus of the present invention may be designed to be portable, flexible and relatively comfortable to wear. The apparatus of the present invention can thus be designed to be folded and placed in the handbag or pocket of a women or girl. Just prior to travelling, for example travelling home from a party, the person can slip on the apparatus and can travel home in relative comfort and in the knowledge that if she is unlucky enough to be attacked by a potential rapist, the apparatus will act as a deterent and will prevent sexual penetration of the pudenda.

Preferably, the belt portion is adjustable in size. The belt portion may be adjustable in size in any desired and appropriate manner.

Advantageously, the belt portion has overlapping ends which are each provided with apertures, whereby the belt portion can be tightened until an appropriate pair of apertures overlap whereupon the apertures can be locked together with the locking means.

Usually, the belt portion will be an elongate strip of the material but the belt portion may be made in various sizes and shapes as may be desired.

Preferably, the crotch portion is adjustable in size. The crotch portion may be made to be adjustable in size by any suitable and appropriate means.

Advantageously, the crotch portion has a free end which is provided with apertures, the free end of the crotch portion being such that the apertures in the free end can be brought into registry with the registering apertures in the ends of the belt portion and then locked together with the locking means.

Preferably, the crotch portion is an elongate strip of the material. The elongate strip of material will usually be substantially solid and continuous.

The crotch portion may be made in any desired sizes and shapes.

Preferably, the locking means includes a key-operated lock. The key-operated lock may be a padlock or other type of lock.

With a key-operated lock, a person wearing the apparatus may choose to travel without the key.

One key could thus be left at a place of departure, and another key could be left at a place of arrival. With such an arrangement, it would be impossible for a potential rapist to search the person wearing the apparatus in order to find the key to remove the apparatus. The person wearing the apparatus may alternatively choose to carry the key on her person. This will usually not matter since rapists normally do not have the time to effect a body search.

If desired, the locking means may be a combination lock. Other appropriate and suitable types of locking means may also be employed.

The locking means may include a locking pin for passing through the apertures and then being locked in position in the aperture, for example by the above mentioned key-operated lock.

The material from which the apparatus is made may be metal wires. The metal wires may be formed as elongate metal wires, as chain mail, or as wire mesh.

Generally, the material may be any desired and appropriate material such for example as steel plate, steel wires, steel chain mail, aluminium, fibre glass, carbon fibre, hard plastics material, rubber and leather. The material sold under the trade mark Kevlar may also be employed.

Where the material is slightly harsh, the material may be provided with a soft covering. The covering may assist in the comfort of the user. Any desired and suitable type of covering may be employed such for example as a cotton, wool or synthetic fabric covering.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows first apparatus for affording protection against rape; Figure 2 shows second apparatus for affording protection against rape; Figure 3 illustrates third apparatus for affording protection against rape; Figure 4 shows how the apparatus of Figure 3 locks together; and Figure 5 illustrates in more detail part of the locking means shown in Figure 4.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a apparatus 2 for affording protection against rape.

The apparatus 2 comprises a belt portion 4 for passing around a person's waist. The apparatus 2 further comprises a crotch portion 6 for passing under the person's crotch. The apparatus 2 further comprises locking means 8 for locking the apparatus 2 in position on the person. The apparatus 2 is made of chain mail which is a material which allows ease of movement but which is resistant to being ripped or cut with a knife, thereby to afford protection to the person's pudenda in the event of an attempted rape. The crotch portion 6, as shown, is continuous and it is not provided with one or more openings for allowing the person to effect urination and bowel evacuation.Thus the apparatus 2 is different from a known chastity belt as used in olden times in that the crotch portion 6 is substantially solid and in that the chain mail material enables the apparatus 2 relatively comfortably to be worn, and also enables the apparatus 2 to be folded and placed in a handbag, pocket or the like ready for use during travelling. The locking means 8 may be any desired and suitable type of locking means so that it may be a key or a combination lock. Opening of the locking means 8 will be in the control of the person wearing the apparatus 2 and the opening will take place when the person has safely completed a journey.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown second apparatus 2 for affording protection against rape.

Similar parts as in Figure 1 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding.

The apparatus 2 shown in Figure 2 is of the same general construction as that shown in Figure 1 except that the apparatus 2 shown in Figure 2 is made of steel wires or steel thread instead of chain mail.

Figure 3 illustrates third apparatus 2 and shows the apparatus 2 prior to use. Similar parts as in Figure 1 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding.

Figure 3 shows how the crotch portion 6 is secured at one end to the belt portion 4 at position 10.

Figure 3 also shows how the belt portion 4 is adjustable in size. As can be seen from Figures 3, 4 and 5, the belt portion 4 (which is made of chain mail as shown in Figure 4) has overlapping ends 12,14 which are made of solid material and which are attached to the chain mail. These ends 12, 14 are provided with apertures 16 as shown. The belt portion 4 can thus be tightened around a person's waist until an appropriate pair of the apertures 16 overlap, whereupon the apertures 16 can be locked together with the locking means 8.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 also illustrate how the crotch portion 6 is adjustable in size. Thus the crotch portion 6 has a free end 18 which is made of a solid material like the ends 12, 14 and which is attached to the chain mail forming the majority of the crotch portion 6. The free end 18 of the crotch portion 6 is provided with apertures 20. The crotch portion 6 can be pulled tight under the person's crotch until one of the apertures 20 aligns with two registering apertures 16 in the ends 12, 14. The ends 12, 14, 18 can then be locked together by the locking means 8.

The locking means 8 includes a locking pin 22 which has a head portion 24 and a shank portion 26.

The shank portion 26 is provided with a bore 28. When the apertures 16,20 are in registry as mentioned above, the locking pin 22 can be passed through the apertures as shown in Figure 4. The head portion 24 of the locking pin 22 will then be on the inside of the belt portion 4, and the bore 28 in the shank portion 26 will be on the outside of the belt portion 4. A key-operated lock in the form of a padlock 30 can then be passed through the bore 28 to lock the locking pin 22 in position so that the belt portion 4 and the crotch portion 6 will be locked together and so that it will not be possible to remove the apparatus 2 from the body of the wearer until such time as the padlock 30 is undone.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only. Thus, for example, if the chain mail or other material should be slightly too harsh, then the belt portion 4 and/or the crotch portion 6 may be provided with a soft covering, for example of cotton, wool or nylon. The apparatus 2 can be made of other materials as mentioned above and other types of locking means 8 can be employed. The belt portion 4 and the crotch portion 6 can be of other designs and the apparatus 2 can be worn, as may be desired, next to the skin, over underwear, or over jeans or trousers.

Instead of using a padlock 30, a combination lock or other type of lock may be employed. The apparatus 2 can also be used by male persons if desired, for example men in prisons. If desired, only the inner surface of the belt portion 4 and the crotch portion 6 could be lined with a relatively soft material.

Since the apparatus 2 can be worn under clothing, it will be apparant that it need not be seen and thus it can be worn without creating embarrassment for the wearer, whilst at the same time giving the wearer more confidence to travel, for example alone and/or at night.

The apparatus may be sold under the trade mark THE CHASMAN.

Claims

1. Apparatus for affording protection against rape, which apparatus comprises a belt portion for passing around a person's waist, a crotch portion for passing under the person's crotch, and locking means for locking the apparatus in position on the person, the apparatus being made of a material which allows ease of movement but which is resistant to being ripped or cut with a knife thereby to afford protection against a person's pudenda in the event of an attempted rape, and the crotch portion being such that it is not provided with one or more openings for allowing the person to effect urination and bowel evacuation.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the belt portion is adjustable in size.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the belt portion has overlapping ends which are each provided with apertures, whereby the belt portion can be tightened until an appropriate pair of apertures overlap whereupon the apertures can be locked together with the locking means.

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the crotch portion is adjustable in size.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the crotch portion has a free end which is provided with apertures, the free end of the crotch portion being such that the apertures in the free end can be brought into registry with the registring apertures in the ends of the belt portion and then locked together with the locking means.

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the crotch portion is an elongate strip of material.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the locking means includes a key-operated lock.

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 in which the locking means is a combination lock.

9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including a locking pin passing through the apertures and then being locked in position in the apertures.

10. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and which is made from metal wires.

11. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the apparatus is made from a material which is provided with a soft covering.

12. Apparatus for affording protection against rape, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.