Garment

Abstract

A garment for positioning a menstruation pad below a crotch of a user includes a hip portion, a crotch portion, and a pair of leg portions for covering hips, the crotch, and the legs respectively of the user. A panel is mounted in the hip portion and has a pair of free lateral edges which allow wings of the menstruation pad to fold around the panel to connect the menstruation pad to the panel.

Claims

1. A garment comprising: a hip portion, a top edge of the hip portion defining a waist opening, the waist opening having a size such that the top edge is configured to surround a waist of a user, an interior dimension of the hip portion having a size such that the hip portion is configured to be worn around a pair of hips of the user; a crotch portion being coupled to and extending downwardly from the hip portion wherein the crotch portion is configured to be worn over a crotch of the user; a pair of leg portions being coupled to and extending away from the hip portion and the crotch portion, the pair of leg portions being positioned opposite each other across the crotch portion, an interior dimension of each leg portion of the pair of leg portions having a size such that each leg portion is configured to be worn around an associated leg of a pair of legs of a user; and a panel being mounted in the hip portion, the panel extending from a front interior surface of the hip portion along the crotch portion to a rear interior surface of the hip portion, the panel having a pair of end sections and a central section, the central section being coupled to and extending between the pair of end sections, the central section having a pair of free lateral edges, the pair of free lateral edges being positioned inwardly from the crotch portion and the pair of leg portions.

2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the central section is unattached to the crotch portion.

3. The garment of claim 1, wherein each end section of the pair of end sections tapers toward the central section.

4. The garment of claim 1, further comprising a pair of connectors being coupled to the panel and the hip portion, each connector of the pair of connectors coupling an associated end section of the pair of end sections of the panel to the hip portion.

5. The garment of claim 1, wherein each connector of the pair of connectors comprises stitching, the stitching having an end portion which extends along an end edge of the associated end section of the panel.

6. The garment of claim 5, wherein the stitching has a pair of lateral portions, each lateral portion of the pair of lateral portions extending from the end edge of the associated end section of the panel toward the central section of the panel along an associated lateral edge of a pair of lateral edges of the associated end section.

7. A garment comprising: a hip portion, a top edge of the hip portion defining a waist opening, the waist opening having a size such that the top edge is configured to surround a waist of a user, an interior dimension of the hip portion having a size such that the hip portion is configured to be worn around a pair of hips of the user; a crotch portion being coupled to and extending downwardly from the hip portion wherein the crotch portion is configured to be worn over a crotch of the user; a pair of leg portions being coupled to and extending away from the hip portion and the crotch portion, the pair of leg portions being positioned opposite each other across the crotch portion, an interior dimension of each leg portion of the pair of leg portions having a size such that each leg portion is configured to be worn around an associated leg of a pair of legs of a user; a panel being mounted in the hip portion, the panel extending from a front interior surface of the hip portion along the crotch portion to a rear interior surface of the hip portion, the panel having a pair of end sections and a central section, the central section being coupled to and extending between the pair of end sections, the central section having a pair of free lateral edges, the pair of free lateral edges being positioned inwardly from the crotch portion and the pair of leg portions, the central section being unattached to the crotch portion, each end section of the pair of end sections tapering toward the central section; and a pair of connectors being coupled to the panel and the hip portion, each connector of the pair of connectors coupling an associated end section of the pair of end sections of the panel to the hip portion, each connector of the pair of connectors comprising stitching, the stitching having an end portion which extends along an end edge of the associated end section of the panel, the stitching having a pair of lateral portions, each lateral portion of the pair of lateral portions extending from the end edge of the associated end section of the panel toward the central section of the panel along an associated lateral edge of a pair of lateral edges of the associated end section.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0011] The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a garment according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure turned inside out.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure turned inside out.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a top exploded in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a top in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 7 thereof, a new garment embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

[0020] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7, the garment 10 generally comprises a hip portion 12 with a top edge 14 which defines a waist opening 16. A crotch portion 18 is coupled to and extends downwardly from the hip portion 12. A pair of leg portions 20 is coupled to and extends away from the hip portion 12 and the crotch portion 18, the pair of leg portions 20 being positioned opposite each other across the crotch portion 18. When a user wears the garment 10, the top edge 14 of the hip portion 12 surrounds a waist of the user, the hip portion 12 contains a pair of hips of the user, and each leg portion 20 is worn around an associated leg of the user. The garment 10 is shaped like a boxer short or the like which typically covers at least 25% of a user's thigh when worn. However, embodiments in which the leg portions 20 cover less than 25% of the user's thighs are contemplated. Embodiments may include elastic bands which may line the top edge 14 of the waist opening 16 and leg openings 24 at bottom edges 22 of the leg portions 20 such that the elastic bands constrict around the user to keep the garment 10 fixed around the waist, hips, and legs of the user. Some embodiments may include elastic material throughout the garment 10 such that the entirety of the garment 10 compresses around the user.

[0021] A panel 26 is mounted in the hip portion 12 and extends from a front interior surface 28 of the hip portion 12 along the crotch portion 18 to a rear interior surface 30 of the hip portion 12. Greater than 75% of the panel 26 along a length of the panel 26 is positioned over the crotch portion 18, while the remaining less than 25% of the panel 26 is positioned against the front interior surface 28 and the rear interior surface 30 of the hip portion 12. The panel 26 has a pair of end sections 32 and a central section 34. The central section 34 is coupled to and extends between the pair of end sections 32. The central section 34 has a pair of free lateral edges 36 which are positioned inwardly from the crotch portion 18 and the pair of leg portions 20. The central section 34 is unattached to the crotch portion 18. Each end section 32 of the pair of end sections 32 tapers toward the central section 34. The panel 26 provides a location to attach a menstruation pad 50 while also providing the leg portions 20 which extend around the legs of the user. Menstruation pads will typically be bonded to the panel 26 via an adhesive, but other suitable fasteners may be used. In some embodiments, the central section 34 of the panel 26 may be attached to the crotch portion 18 so long as the free lateral edges 36 remain open to attachment to wings 52 of the menstruation pad 50 as further described below. The leg portions 20 extend away from the hip portion 12 and the crotch portion 18 in part to cover the lateral edges 36 of the central section 34 of the panel 26 when worn by the user. Without the leg portions 20, the lateral edges 36 would be visible in at least some embodiments where the crotch portion 18 is not as wide as the central section 34 of the panel 26.

[0022] A pair of connectors 42 couple the panel 26 to the hip portion 12. Each connector 42 of the pair of connectors 42 is positioned on an associated end section 32 of the pair of end sections 32 of the panel 26. Each connector 42 of the pair of connectors 42 comprises stitching 44 with an end portion 46 which extends along an end edge 38 of the associated end section 32 of the panel 26 and a pair of lateral portions 48. Each lateral portion 48 extends from the end edge 38 of the associated end section 32 of the panel 26 toward the central section 34 of the panel 26 along an associated lateral edge 40 of a pair of lateral edges 40 of the associated end section 32.

[0023] In use, the garment 10 is worn around the hips, crotch, and legs of the user as described above. The panel 26 provides a mounting location for the menstruation pad 50 while also extending over the legs of the user. A menstruation pad 50 with wings 52 may be adhered to the panel 26 by folding the wings 52 around the free lateral edges 36 of the panel 26 and adhering the wings 52 to the panel 26. Menstruation pads without wings may also be adhered to an inner surface of the panel 26 without folding around the free lateral edges 36 of the panel 26. The garment 10 may also be worn on its own without a menstruation pad.

[0024] With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0025] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word comprising is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article a does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.