MEN'S UNDERGARMENT FOR RUNNING AND RELATIVE METHOD OF PRODUCTION

Abstract

A men's undergarment (1) for miming or similar sports and a relative method of production are described. The undergarment is worn at least on one section of the chest, for covering at least the zone comprising the nipples of a user, and comprises at least one protection band (9) having an upper edge (2) and a lower edge (3). In its inner surface (5) to be worn into contact with the skin of the user, the undergarment comprises first non-slip means (6) and second non-slip means (7) respectively at or near at least sections of said upper edge (2) and said lower edge (3) and at least one intermediate portion (8) to cover the nipples of the user.

Claims

1. A men's undergarment (1) to be worn by a user for covering at least the user's nipples, the undergarment being in the form of at least one protection band (9) having an upper edge (2), a lower edge (3) and at least one intermediate portion (8) extending between said upper and lower edges to cover the nipples of the user, wherein, in an inner surface (5) of the undergarment (1) to be worn in contact with the skin of the user, the undergarment comprises first non-slip means (6) and second non-slip means (7), which are configured to come into contact with the skin of the user to stably restrain the undergarment on the section of the body of the user on which it is worn, wherein said first non-slip means (6) and said second non-slip means (7) extend respectively at or near said upper edge and said lower edge, at least at: a level of a zone including the nipples; a zone comprised between nipples; or substantially at a level of an entire upper edge and lower edge of the undergarment.

2. The undergarment (1) according to claim 1, further comprising a single protection band extending so as to cover at least the nipples and chest section included in-between them.

3. The undergarment (1) according to claim 1, wherein the undergarment is closed-ring shaped and also surrounds an upper section of the user's back.

4. The undergarment (1) according to claim 3, wherein the undergarment is in one piece, comprising a single protection band extending along nearly the entire undergarment, or wherein the undergarment comprises at least one protection band (9) and connecting means (10) combined with said at least one protection band, for restraining the undergarment (1) against the user's body.

5. The undergarment (1) according to claim 3, further comprising joining means (11) for its ring closure, said joining means comprising a flat seam, fabric inserts, hooks, buttons or combinations thereof.

6. The undergarment (1) according to claim 1, wherein the protection band (9) has a total height (H) between 45 mm and 70 mm in a cross-direction, for covering the nipples of the user without constituting an excessive encumbrance.

7. The undergarment (1) according to claim 4, wherein each protection band (9) and/or any connecting means (10) are made of an elastic fabric, wherein at least each protection band (9) can be made of a synthetic and breathable fabric and wherein at least each protection band (9) has a smooth fabric of the same thickness along the entire protection band.

8. The undergarment (1) according to claim 1 wherein the first and second non-slip means (6, 7) are made by bands made of a non-slip material comprised of: rubber, silicone rubber, a rubber that is of the antiallergic type or combinations thereof.

9. A method for the production for a protective undergarment (1), to be worn by a user, for covering at least the user's nipples, comprising: a) arranging at least one protection band (9) having an upper edge (2) and a lower edge (3) to be each positioned, when the undergarment is being used, transversely to the user's trunk, at a section of the user's chest adjacent to a zone comprising the nipples, but on opposite sections with respect to each other; b) arranging first non-slip means (6) and second non-slip means (7) at a level of or near at least sections of said upper edge (2) and of said lower edge (3), said first and second non-slip means (6, 7) comprising at least portions made of a material adapted to exert friction on the skin of the user in order to stably restrain the undergarment on the section of the body to which it is combined, in an inner surface (5) of the undergarment to be worn in contact with the skin of the user, at least at the protection band.

10. The method for the production of an undergarment (1) according to claim 9, wherein the entire undergarment is obtained from a strip of linear elastic fabric with side siliconing, said siliconing being continuous or sectional.

11. The method for the production of an undergarment (1) according to claim 9, wherein the undergarment is closed-ring shaped for also surrounding an upper section of the user's back and wherein the undergarment is in one piece, comprising a single protection band extending along the entire undergarment and wherein the method further comprises: sewing two ends of the at least one protection band to each other by means of a flat seam or of combining said ends with joining means (11), said joining means being: fabric inserts, hooks, buttons, or combinations thereof.

12. The method for the production of an undergarment (1) according to claim 9, wherein the undergarment is closed-ring shaped for also surrounding an upper section of the user's back, wherein the undergarment comprises at least one protection band (9) and wherein the method further comprises: combining connecting means (10) with ends of said at least one protection band, by means of flat seam and/or joining means (11) in the form of hooks, buttons or combinations thereof, for restraining said at least one protection band on the body of the user.

13. The method for the production of an undergarment (1) according to claim 9, wherein the undergarment comprises a single protection band and wherein the method further comprises: removing sections of an intermediate portion (8) comprised between the first non-slip means (6) and the second non-slip means (7), said sections are intended not to come into contact with the nipples of the user.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better highlighted by the review of the following detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment illustrated by way of example and without limitations, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a protective undergarment, especially for running, according to the present invention;

[0037] FIGS. 2a and 2b respectively show an outer view and an inner view of a different embodiment of a protective undergarment according to the present invention;

[0038] FIGS. 3a and 3b respectively show an outer view and an inner view of a further embodiment of a protective undergarment according to the present invention; and

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a view of the undergarment of FIG. 1 when worn by a user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] The figures show a protective undergarment 1 for men for practicing sports activities, and especially running, walking and the like, according to the present invention. In particular, the undergarment 1 is adapted to be worn under a shirt, usually used by a walker, at least on a section of the thorax of a user, at the chest zone, so that to be arranged at and thus cover the nipples of the user himself.

[0041] The undergarment 1 is in the form of a strip and has a first edge or upper edge 2 and a second edge or lower edge 3. The words “upper edge” mean the edge that is at a section of the chest of the user that is higher than the zone comprising the nipples, when the undergarment is worn and the user is in a standing position; whereas the words “lower edge” mean the edge of the opposite side of the undergarment with respect to the side of the upper edge and specifically the edge that is at a section of the chest of the user that is lower with respect to the zone comprising the nipples, when the undergarment is worn and the user is in a standing positions.

[0042] The undergarment comprises an outer surface 4, which is visible when the undergarment is worn, and an inner surface 5 intended to be worn into contact with the skin of the user.

[0043] The inner surface has first non-slip means 6 and second non-slip means 7 combined with or anyhow in proximity respectively of said first and second edges. Such non-slip means comprise portions of a material having friction such as to prevent the undergarment to slip on the skin, in order to stably restrain the undergarment on the desired section of the body of the user. This solution allows to maintain the undergarment in position, although not being in any way constrained to the shirt.

[0044] The inner surface further comprises at least one intermediate portion 8 extending between said non-slip means and is sized to, and intended to, come into contact and cover at least the nipples of the user. Preferably, there is a single intermediate portion that covers at least the nipples and the portion of the skin comprised in-between them.

[0045] The undergarment can comprise fastening elements such as hooks, buttonholes, Velcro or other and/or can be combined with outer fixing elements so that to be maintained stable in the desired position once positioned on the chest of the user.

[0046] Advantageously, the undergarment is in closed-ring shape, so that to also surround an upper section of the back of the user. In this case, the undergarment can comprise at least one protection band 9 to at least cover the nipples or the chest zone comprising the nipples—as shown in FIGS. 2a, 2b, 3a and 3b, and connecting means 10 combined with said protection band to restrain it on the body of the user.

[0047] In alternative and preferably, the protection band extends along nearly the entire length of the undergarment itself, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0048] The undergarment can be without a seam for its joining, or can have joining means 11. Preferably, such joining means comprise a flat seam, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3a and 3b, or fabric inserts so that such seam is not a source of annoyance when worn. In alternative, the joining means can comprise hooks, buttons, Velcro or the like, so that the undergarment is easier to wear. In the embodiment of FIGS. 2a and 2b, the joining means can be provided at the ends of the connecting means, intended to be joined with the protection band.

[0049] The first and second non-slip means 6, 7 are provided at least at the zone including the nipples and possibly at the zone comprised in-between them; preferably, however, they are provided at the entire undergarment, possibly excluding the portion comprising the joining means, so that to ensure the proper positioning and to prevent it from moving while running.

[0050] Advantageously, once worn so that to cover the nipples, the undergarment 1 is advantageously properly maintained against the chest of the user by the first and second non-slip means and thus constitutes a protection for the nipples; in fact, thanks to such undergarment, the shirt is no longer into contact with the nipples of the user, but is into contact with the undergarment itself. While running, the shirt thus slips on the undergarment instead of on the skin of the user, whom is protected, thus avoiding the formation of irritations. In other words, there is no more rubbing between skin and fabric, since the undergarment 1 stay still, but between the fabric of the shirt and the fabric constituting the undergarment. Thus, when the undergarment is worn, it constitutes a protection for the nipples since it prevents the shirt from rubbing thereon, irritating them.

[0051] At least in its transverse direction comprised between the upper edge and the lower edge, the protection band 9 has a total height H of at least 25 mm; such total height is preferably of at least 35 mm and even more preferably of at least 45 mm. Advantageously, the total height H is lower than 120 mm, preferably lower than 90 mm and even more preferably lower than 70 mm, so as not to create excessive encumbrance.

[0052] Advantageously, the undergarment is made of a synthetic and breathable fabric so that to ease the slipping of the shirt over the undergarment itself, contemporaneously preventing the formation and accumulation of sweat.

[0053] At least each protection band of the undergarment is made of a smooth fabric substantially having an even thickness, so that the outer and inner surfaces are smooth and homogeneous in order to respectively facilitate the slipping between the undergarment and the shirt and to not irritate the skin and, especially, the nipples of the user.

[0054] Each protection band 9 and preferably also the connecting means 10 are made of a fabric elastic especially in a longitudinal direction denoted by the arrow X. In fact, such elasticity allows the undergarment to be worn and to remain adherent to the section of the chest of the user. The undergarment can be made in different sizes depending on the body size of the user in order to be used by athletes of different ages and different physical structures.

[0055] The first and second non-slip means 6, 7 are made by strips of a non-slip material, for example silicone rubber, preferably of the antiallergic type.

[0056] At least each protection band or the protection band, but preferably the entire undergarment, is obtained starting from a strip of linear elastic fabric with side siliconing. Such siliconing can be continuous, throughout the longitudinal extension of each protection band or of the undergarment, or can be provided only in the zones concerned.

[0057] In case of an undergarment having a single protection band extending along the entire undergarment, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3a and 3b, the undergarment itself can simply be obtained by joining the two ends of the strip of fabric to each other by sewing, or by combining appropriate joining means therewith.

[0058] It is also possible to remove sections of intermediate portion that must not come into contact with the nipples, as shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 3a and 3b, so that to obtain a particularly breathable undergarment.

[0059] In alternative, whenever the undergarment comprises a single protection band extending between and at the nipples, as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, or two separate protection bands, each at a respective nipple, and possibly others to protect other sections, it is necessary to prearrange as many strips of linear elastic fabric with side siliconing as the number of protection bands and to combine connecting means 10 at their ends so that to connect a strip to the other, or so that to connect the ends of the same strip, whenever the undergarment comprises a single protection band, and to prearrange possible joining means to obtain a closed-ring shaped undergarment.

[0060] At least each of the protection band, but preferably the entire undergarment, has a smooth surface, thus without details that can vary the texture and thickness, so that to prevent the fabric of the undergarment from constituting a source of irritation or annoyance for the nipples of the user and so that the shirt slips easily above the undergarment itself, thus preventing the fabric of the shirt from getting entangled and/or from wearing due to the rubbing of its inner surface onto a rough or anyhow processed surface. The undergarment is thus made of a single jersey fabric, preferably of a single jersey elastic fabric.