Abstract
An undergarment has an interior v-panel and exterior v-panel located to form a channel between the v-panels that allows the v-panels to be moved to form an opening between the v-panels. The undergarment can also have a front seam with a bulge (e.g. a raised curve) to locate the seam away from a sensitive area of the wearer.
Claims
1. An undergarment comprising: a main body; a bias-cut interior v-panel attached to the main body; and a bias-cut exterior v-panel attached to the main body and overlaying the interior v-panel, the exterior v-panel and interior v-panel lay flat and are movable to form an opening between the interior v-panel and the exterior v-panel.
2. The undergarment of claim 1, further comprising: a gusset attached to the main body.
3. The undergarment of claim 2, wherein the gusset has a raised inside leg gusset area at center front.
4. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the main body comprises straight-cut fabric.
5. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein an inseam of the undergarment has a length of approximately 5 inches.
6. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein an inseam of the undergarment has a length of approximately 7 inches.
7. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein an inseam of the undergarment has a length of approximately 9 inches.
8. The undergarment of claim 1 wherein the exterior v-panel has a finished edge.
9. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the interior v-panel has a finished edge.
10. The undergarment of claim 1, further comprising: a pocket panel attached to the main body.
11. An undergarment comprising: a main body; an interior v-panel attached to the main body; an exterior v-panel attached to the main body and overlaying the interior v-panel, the exterior v-panel and interior v-panel lay flat and are movable to form an opening between the interior v-panel and the exterior v-panel; and a gusset attached to the main body, wherein the gusset has a raised inside leg gusset area at center front.
12. The undergarment of claim 11, wherein the main body comprises straight-cut fabric.
13. The undergarment of claim 11, wherein the interior v-panel and the exterior v-panel comprise bias-cut fabric.
14. The undergarment of claim 11, wherein an inseam of the undergarment has a length of approximately 5 inches.
15. The undergarment of claim 11, wherein an inseam of the undergarment has a length of approximately 7 inches.
16. The undergarment of claim 11, wherein an inseam of the undergarment has a length of approximately 9 inches.
17. The undergarment of claim 11, wherein the exterior v-panel has a finished edge.
18. The undergarment of claim 11, wherein the interior v-panel has a finished edge.
19. The undergarment of claim 11, wherein the gusset is double layered.
20. The undergarment of claim 11, further comprising: a pocket panel attached to the main body.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1A shows a front view of a prior art undergarment;
[0006] FIG. 1B shows a center crotch view of the prior art undergarment of FIG. 1A;
[0007] FIG. 2A shows a front view of an undergarment according to one embodiment;
[0008] FIG. 2B shows a rear view of the undergarment of FIG. 2A;
[0009] FIG. 2C shows the undergarment of FIG. 2A with the crotch rotated upward so details of the undergarment are shown;
[0010] FIG. 3 shows the undergarment of FIG. 2A rotated to show details of v-panels according to one embodiment;
[0011] FIG. 4 show an undergarment having various in-seam lengths; and
[0012] FIG. 5 shows pieces used to form the undergarment of FIG. 2A according to one embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] FIG. 1A shows a front view of prior art undergarment 10 comprising main body 12 to which waist band 16 and gusset 14 are attached forming a boxer brief type undergarment. FIG. 1B shows a center crotch view of undergarment 10 in which gusset 14 is shown having a rectangular shape. Front seam 18 and rear seam 20 of boxer brief are shown being straight and attached to main body. Front seam 18 can lay over sensitive private areas of a wearer. This can cause the wearer to experience discomfort and possible chaffing.
[0014] FIGS. 2A through 2C show undergarment 100 according to one embodiment which can be worn under outer garments in order to protect the wearer's skin from the possibly rough texture of the outer garments. In addition, undergarment 100 also promotes hygiene by absorbing sweat and other bodily fluids. The absorbent quality also prevents staining of outer garments by bodily fluids. In one embodiment, undergarment 100 is an all gender boxer brief as shown in FIG. 2A.
[0015] FIG. 2A shows a front view of undergarment 100 according to one embodiment. Undergarment 100 is shown having main body 102 to which exterior v-panel 104, interior v-panel 106, and pocket panel 112 are attached. Pocket panel 112, in one embodiment, is attached to main body 102 along the sides and bottom of pocket panel 112 thereby forming a pocket. Waistband 110 is attached to an upper opening of main body 102 while gusset 108 is located in a crotch area of undergarment 100. Main body 102, v-panels 104, 106, waistband 110 and gusset 108 together form a boxer brief type undergarment. In one embodiment exterior v-panel 104 is shown having a finished edge 105. In one embodiment, finished edge 105 is formed by sewing along the edge but can be formed using different techniques and/or additional material. In addition, other edges of v-panels 104, 106 can be finished as well. For example, a free end of interior v-panel 106 can have a finished edge. FIG. 2B shows a rear view of undergarment 100 of FIG. 1A. As shown in FIG. 2B, undergarment 100 has waistband 110, gusset 108, and pocket panel 112 attached to main body 102.
[0016] FIG. 2C shows an underside view of undergarment 100 (i.e., the crotch is rotated forward and upward so details of the underside of undergarment 100 are shown) having gusset 108 attached to main body 102 according to one embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2C, gusset 108 is attached to main body at front seam 120. The center of gusset 108 is shown having bulge 122 (e.g. a raised curve forming a raised inside leg gusset area at center front of gusset 108) which locates front seam 120 away from a sensitive area of the wearer. Although gusset 108 is shown having bulge 122, other shapes may be used as well as long as the chosen shape locates front seam 120 away from a wearer's sensitive areas. Rear seam 114 of gusset 108 is shown being straight. In one embodiment, gusset 108 is made of two layers of fabric thereby forming a double layer gusset.
[0017] Standard boxer brief styles have gussets that are cut straight across in a rectangle shape which causes the seam lines to cut across female private areas oddly. The raised curve of the gusset shape helps to clear over and sit at a flatter location of the wearer's body. This reduces possible irritation from seams. The raised curve shown in FIG. 2C moves the stiches away from the wearer's sensitive areas and provides a more comfortable undergarment than undergarments formed using rectangular double layered inside leg gusset. For male anatomies, the extended curved shape helps to provide more room without feeling compressive or restrictive.
[0018] FIG. 3 shows undergarment 100 with exterior v-panel 104 being pulled away from main body so that an opening (e.g., a channel) is formed between exterior v-panel 104 and interior v-panel 106. This allows access to the portion of the wearer's body located behind v-panels 104, 106. In one embodiment, this allows a wearer with male private parts to access them in order to urinate without removing undergarment 100. In one embodiment, interior v-panel 106 and exterior v-panel 104 are made of bias-cut fabric. Fabric is typically straight cut meaning that the fabric is cut parallel to the grain of the fabric or perpendicular to the grain of the fabric. A bias cut is a fabric-cutting technique where fabric is cut diagonally, at approximately a 45-degree angle to the grain, to create a more flexible, and body-hugging drape. This diagonal cut angle maximizes the fabric's stretch and malleability. Use of a bias cut for interior v-panel 106 and exterior v-panel 104 allows for maximum stretch of the v-panel area to more comfortably fit both female and male body shapes. In one embodiment, the exterior v-panel overlays the interior v-panel. The exterior v-panel overlays the interior v-panel both lay flat and are movable to form an opening between the interior v-panel and the exterior v-panel
[0019] FIG. 4 shows how undergarment 100 can be made having different inseam lengths. The inseam of undergarment 100 is the length of the inside of a pant leg, measured from the crotch seam to the bottom of the leg opening and can vary in length. For example, the inseam of undergarment 100 can be from approximately 5-9 inches in length with common lengths being 5, 7, and 9 inches as shown in FIG. 4. The length of the inseam of undergarment 100 can vary depending on the size of the wearer and the desired inseam length.
[0020] Undergarment 100 can be made of various materials such as cotton or polyester. In addition, main body 102, v-panels 104, 106, double layered inside leg gusset 108, and waistband 110 can each be made from different materials. For example, waistband 110 can be made from an elastic material. An elastic waistband conforms to a wearer's body (e.g., waist) and helps undergarment 100 remain in place on a wearer's body. In one embodiment, undergarment 100 is formed from several pieces.
[0021] FIG. 5 shows the shows the individual pieces (e.g. fabric pieces and/or fabric panels) that are attached together in order to form undergarment 100. In one embodiment, main body 102, waistband 110, v-panels 104, 106, pocket panel 112, and double layered inside leg gusset 108A and 108B are cut from desired materials before undergarment 100 is assembled. In one embodiment, the individual pieces that form undergarment 100 are stitched together using thread. The type of stitches used may be based on the strength required as well comfort of the wearer. The individual pieces that form undergarment 100 may also be attached using adhesive, glue, or any other type of attachment method. For example, adhesive may be used to attach v-panels 104, 106 and double layered inside leg gusset to main body 102 while waistband 110 is stitched to main body 102.
[0022] It should be noted that the gender neutral types of underwear available often only work well on one body type: males. However, these gender neutral types of underwear are described in a way that females can also wear them by sizing down. The placement of the v-panels as described herein creates a flat & functional channel that allows male users to easily access private parts for quick bathroom breaks, without creating a hole or excess fabric/gaping when worn by female bodies. Undergarment 100 works amazingly well between two very different body parts of private areas and will truly help elevating undergarments and taking a step towards removing stigma and/or gender association to garments.
[0023] The foregoing Detailed Description is to be understood as being in every respect illustrative and exemplary, but not restrictive, and the scope of the inventive concept disclosed herein is not to be determined from the Detailed Description, but rather from the claims as interpreted according to the full breadth permitted by the patent laws. It is to be understood that the embodiments shown and described herein are only illustrative of the principles of the inventive concept and that various modifications may be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventive concept. Those skilled in the art could implement various other feature combinations without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventive concept.
