Ventilated Garment and Method of Manufacturing Such Garment

Abstract

An undergarment and method for making an undergarment, the undergarment having a front side and a back side. The under garment including a pouch extending from the waistband on the front side to the back side of the undergarment. The pouch having an inner layer including a plurality of apertures forming an inner pattern of apertures and an outer layer having a plurality of apertures forming an outer pattern of apertures.

Claims

1. An undergarment having a front side and a back side, the undergarment comprising: a waistband; a first leg opening; a second leg opening; a body fabric connecting the waistband, the first leg opening, and the second leg opening; a pouch, the pouch extending from the waistband on a front side of the undergarment to a back side of the undergarment, the pouch comprising: an inner layer, the inner layer having plurality of apertures forming an inner pattern of apertures; and an outer layer, the outer layer having a plurality of apertures forming an outer pattern of apertures; wherein the inner pattern of apertures and the outer pattern of apertures are configured such that inner pattern of apertures do not align with the outer pattern of apertures.

2. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the outer pattern of apertures comprises a chevron pattern.

3. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the outer pattern of apertures includes a plurality of rows of apertures and wherein each row of apertures angle upward from a center portion of the pouch to an outer portion of the pouch.

4. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the outer pattern of apertures includes a plurality of rows of apertures and wherein a size of the apertures in each of the plurality of rows increases from a center portion of the pouch to an outer portion of the pouch.

5. The undergarment of claim 4, wherein a diameter of a smallest aperture in the plurality of rows of apertures is about 0.5 mm and a diameter of a largest aperture in the plurality of rows of apertures is about 1.75 mm.

6. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein each of the apertures of the inner pattern of apertures are substantially consistently spaced from each other.

7. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein each of the apertures of the inner pattern of apertures are substantially the same size.

8. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the pouch further comprises a keyhole fly.

9. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the inner layer comprises a first type of a fabric and the outer layer comprises a second type of fabric, and wherein the first type of fabric is different than the second type of fabric.

10. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the inner layer is a first color and the outer layer is a second color, and wherein the first color is different than the second color.

11. An undergarment having a front side and a back side, the undergarment comprising: a waistband; a first leg opening; a second leg opening; a body fabric connecting the waistband, the first leg opening, and the second leg opening; a pouch, the pouch extending from the waistband on a front side of the undergarment to a back side of the undergarment, the pouch comprising: an inner layer, the inner layer having plurality of apertures forming an inner pattern of apertures; and an outer layer, the outer layer having a plurality of apertures forming an outer pattern of apertures; wherein the pouch has an air permeability of at least 140 cfm/ft.sup.2 and a burst pressure of at least 50 lbs/in.sup.2.

12. The undergarment of claim 11, wherein the outer pattern of apertures comprises a chevron pattern.

13. The undergarment of claim 12, wherein the pouch has air permeability that is about 2.25 to 2.75 times greater than a pouch made of the same material but having no apertures.

14. The undergarment of claim 12, wherein the pouch has an air permeability in a range of about 150 cfm/ft.sup.2 to about 165 cfm/ft.sup.2.

15. The undergarment of claim 14, wherein the inner pattern of apertures and the outer pattern of apertures are configured such that inner pattern of apertures do not align with the outer pattern of apertures.

16. A method for making an undergarment having a front side and a back side, the method comprising: providing an undergarment comprising: a waistband; a first leg opening; a second leg opening; a body fabric connecting the waistband, the first leg opening, and the second leg opening; an inner pouch layer; an outer pouch layer; creating a plurality of apertures from the inner pouch layer forming an inner pattern of apertures; creating a plurality of apertures from the outer pouch layer forming an outer pattern of apertures; forming a pouch from the inner pouch layer and the outer pouch layer such that the inner pattern of apertures do not align with the outer pattern of apertures; and fastening the pouch to the undergarment.

17. The method of making an undergarment of claim 16 further comprising: engaging the use of a laser cutting machine and placing the outer layer on a machine bed; defining the outer pattern of apertures; creating the plurality of outer apertures using a laser to cut the outer pouch layer.

18. The method of making an undergarment of claim 16 further comprising: creating the plurality of apertures from the outer pouch layer using a hole punch machine.

19. The method of making an undergarment of claim 16 further comprising: engaging the use of a laser cutting machine and placing the inner layer on a machine bed; defining the inner pattern of apertures; creating the plurality of inner apertures using a laser to cut the inner pouch layer.

20. The method of making an undergarment of claim 16 further comprising: creating the plurality of apertures from the inner pouch layer using a hole punch machine.

21. The method of making an undergarment of claim 17, wherein the laser is a CO.sup.2 laser.

22. The method of making an undergarment of claim 19, wherein the laser is a CO.sup.2 laser.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] To allow for a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, it will now be described by way of an exemplary embodiments in the nature of a men's lower undergarment, having a pouch, which is a common feature of men's underwear, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0019] FIG. 1A illustrates a front view of an exemplary undergarment, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 1B illustrates a side view of an exemplary undergarment, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 1C illustrates a back view of an exemplary undergarment, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates enlarged front view of a portion of an exemplary undergarment 100, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 3A illustrates a front view of an exemplary outer pouch layer of an undergarment, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 3B illustrates a front view of an exemplary inner pouch layer of an undergarment, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

[0025] FIG. 3C illustrates a front view of an exemplary outer pouch layer partially over an inner pouch layer of an undergarment, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

[0026] FIG. 4A illustrates a front view of an exemplary undergarment, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

[0027] FIG. 4B illustrates a side view of an exemplary undergarment, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 4C illustrates enlarged front view of a portion of an exemplary undergarment, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 5A illustrates a front view of an exemplary outer pattern of apertures, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

[0030] FIG. 5B illustrates front views of exemplary inner patterns of apertures, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 5C illustrates front views of an exemplary outer pattern of apertures and an exemplary inner pattern of apertures, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 6A illustrates a front view of an exemplary undergarment, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 6B illustrates a front view of an exemplary undergarment, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure; and

[0034] FIG. 6C illustrates a front view of an exemplary undergarment, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail example embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. In the following description of various example structures according to the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration various example devices, systems, and environments in which aspects of the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other specific arrangements of parts, example devices, systems, and environments may be utilized, and structural and functional modifications may be made, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0036] Also, while the terms top, bottom, front, back, side, distal, and the like may be used in this specification to describe various example features and elements of the invention, these terms are used herein as a matter of convenience, e.g., based on the example orientations shown in the figures or the orientation during typical use. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three-dimensional orientation of structures in order to fall within the scope of this invention. Also, the reader is advised that the attached drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0037] The following terms are used in this specification, and unless otherwise noted or clear from the context, these terms have the meanings provided below.

[0038] Plurality, as used herein, indicates any number greater than one, either disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number.

[0039] In general, this disclosure relates to garments providing a means of ventilation and methods of making such garments. The exemplary undergarments described herein are designed to allow for increased airflow while preserving modesty and providing an aesthetically pleasing design. FIGS. 1-6 illustrate aspects of various embodiments of undergarments and specifically, undergarments having a ventilated pouch area.

[0040] FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, and FIG. 1C (collectively referred to as FIG. 1) show a front, side, and back view of an example undergarment 100, in accordance with one or more embodiments. FIG. 1A shows a front view of an example undergarment 100. FIG. 1B shows a side view of the example undergarment 100. And FIG. 1C shows a back view of the example undergarment 100.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1, the undergarment 100 has a front side 101 and a back side 102. The undergarment 100 also includes a waistband 103. As shown in FIG. 1 the waistband 103 encircles an entire top portion of the undergarment 100 as a loop with its two edges sewn together at the top portion of back side 102 of the undergarment 100.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1, the undergarment 100 also includes a first leg opening 104 and a second leg opening 106. A body fabric 108, connects the waistband 102, the first leg opening 104, and the second leg opening 106. The body fabric 108 may be a single piece of fabric or may comprise multiple pieces of fabric that are sewn or otherwise connected together.

[0043] The undergarment 100 also includes a pouch 120. The pouch 120 can extend from the waistband 103 on the front side 101 of the undergarment to the back side 102 of the undergarment 100. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the pouch 120 may have at least two layers of fabric. Specifically, the pouch 120 may have an inner layer 140 (or inner pouch layer) and an outer layer 160 (or outer pouch layer). The outer edges of inner layer 140 and outer layer 160 may be cut from fabric by various techniques, such as by powered cutting machines (e.g., a band knife) or computer-guided cutting machines (e.g., a laser cutting machine). The pouch 120 (including both the inner layer 140 and outer layer 160) may be connected to the body fabric 108 and/or waistband 103. The pouch 120 may be joined to the body fabric 108 and/or waistband 103 using any of various means. In one embodiment, thread may be sewn through the pouch 120 and body fabric 108 and/or through the pouch 120 and/or waistband 103 to assemble undergarment 100.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 1, the pouch 120 has a front portion 122 and a gusset portion 124. The front portion 122 is primarily in the front of the garment 100 and the gusset portion 124 may extend through an underside of the garment 100 to the back 102 of the garment, as best shown in FIG. 1C. In some embodiments, the pouch 120 may also include a keyhole fly 130, as shown for example in FIG. 2. In some embodiments the pouch 120 may also include a center front seam 126.

[0045] As described above, the pouch 120 includes an inner layer 140 and an outer layer 160. An exemplary inner layer 140 is shown in FIG. 3B and an exemplary outer layer 160 is shown in FIG. 3A. The inner layer 140 includes an inner aperture pattern 142 and the outer layer 160 includes an outer aperture pattern 162. Each aperture pattern comprises a plurality of apertures through the respective layers 140 and 160 of the pouch 120. These layers are best shown in FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, and FIG. 3C (collectively referred to as FIG. 3). FIG. 3A shows a front view of an exemplary outer layer 160. FIG. 3B shows a front view of an exemplary inner layer 140. And FIG. 3C shows a front view of an exemplary outer layer 160 partially over an inner layer 140. As shown in FIG. 3, the outer layer 160 has an outer pattern of apertures 162 and the inner layer 140 has an inner pattern of apertures 142. The inner pattern of apertures 142 and the outer pattern of apertures 162 are different from each other. When the inner layer 140 and the outer layer 160 are assembled together, the inner pattern of apertures 142 do not align with the outer pattern of apertures 162. Advantageously, this allows for ventilation or air flow from inside of the garment 100 to outside the garment 100, but without allowing sight through the garment. Thus, this provides ventilation in the pouch 120 area while simultaneously protecting a wearer's privacy or modesty. In some embodiments, the inner layer 140 fabric can be seen through the outer pattern of apertures 162 due to the inner pattern of apertures 142 not being aligned with the outer pattern of apertures 162. Advantageously, this can also produce an aesthetically pleasing look. In some embodiments, the inner layer 140 may be a different color or fabric than the outer layer 160. This is best shown in FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, and FIG. 4C (collectively referred to as FIG. 4). FIG. 4A shows a front view of an example undergarment 100 where the inner layer 140 is blue and the outer layer 160 is grey. FIG. 4B shows a side view of the example undergarment 100 where the inner layer 140 is blue and the outer layer 160 is grey. And FIG. 4C shows an enlarged front view of the example undergarment 100 where the where the inner layer 140 is blue and the outer layer 160 is grey. As best shown in FIG. 4C, the inner layer 140 (blue) can be seen through the outer pattern of apertures 162 of the outer layer 160. In other examples other color combinations and/or fabric combinations can be used such that the inner layer 140 is a different color and/or different fabric than the outer layer 160.

[0046] As described above, each of the outer pattern of apertures 162 and the inner pattern of apertures 142 are different or at least not aligned with each other. Additionally, the outer pattern of apertures 162 and inner pattern of apertures 142 may have different aperture patterns over different parts of the pouch 120. As shown in FIG. 3A the outer pattern of apertures 162 may have a different aperture pattern in the front portion 122 than in the gusset portion 124. As best shown in FIG. 3A, the outer pattern of apertures 162 in the front portion 122 generally has a chevron alignment. The chevron alignment shown in FIG. 3A shows each row of apertures angle upward from a center portion of the pouch 120 to an outer portion of the pouch 120. Exemplary rows are labeled 162a, 162b, and 162c in FIG. 3A. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 3A each of the individual apertures may be largest toward an outer edge of the pouch and smaller toward a middle portion of the pouch 120. In one example, the smallest aperture of the chevron pattern may have a diameter of 0.5 mm and the largest aperture may have a diameter of 1.75 mm; and the diameter of each aperture may increase by 0.25 mm moving from the center of the pouch toward the outer edge of the pouch. Large apertures on the outer edge of the pouch serve to increase ventilation while the successively smaller apertures toward the center of the pouch 120 serve to protect the wearer's modesty. Such a pattern may also be aesthetically pleasing. In some examples, the diameter of the apertures can be within the range of about 0.1 mm to about 3.5 mm; or within the range of about 0.25 mm to about 2 mm; or within the range of about 0.5 mm to about 1.25 mm. In some garments, the chevron alignment may be reversed such that the rows of apertures angle downward from a center portion of the pouch to an outer portion of the pouch. And in others, all of the apertures of the outer pattern of apertures 162 may be the same size.

[0047] While one configuration of the outer pattern of apertures 162 is shown in FIGS. 1-4, many other aperture patterns may be used. Other exemplary aperture patterns are shown for example in FIGS. 5 and 6. In still other embodiments, the outer aperture pattern can form shapes, letters, numbers, and other designs.

[0048] As discussed above, and as shown in FIG. 3A, the gusset portion 124 of the pouch 120 may have the same or different aperture pattern than the front portion 122. As shown in FIG. 3A, the apertures in the gusset portion 124 may be a consistent size and may include substantially straight rows. In one example the apertures in the gusset portion may have a diameter of 1.25 mm. In some embodiments the diameter of the apertures in the gusset portion 124 can be within the range of about 0.1 mm to about 3.5 mm; or within the range of about 0.25 mm to about 2 mm; or within the range of about 0.5 mm to about 1.25 mm.

[0049] As discussed above, the inner pattern of apertures 142 may be different than the outer pattern of apertures 162 such that there is not a line of sight from outside the garment 100 to inside the garment 100. An exemplary inner layer 140 is shown in FIG. 3B. Exemplary rows are labeled 142a, 142b, and 142c in FIG. 3B. As shown in FIG. 3B each of the individual apertures of each row 142a, 142b, and 142c may be of a consistent size and may be consistently spaced. However, in other embodiments, the inner pattern of apertures 142 may be different than that shown in FIG. 3B. For example, each of the apertures can be differently sized or differently spaced. In some embodiments, the inner pattern of apertures 142 could be a chevron pattern similar to the outer pattern of apertures 162 but offset from the outer pattern of apertures 162.

[0050] FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B, and FIG. 5C (collectively referred to as FIG. 5) depict various exemplary outer patterns of apertures 162 and inner pattern of apertures 142. FIG. 5A, for example, shows one half of a chevron pattern of an outer pattern of apertures 162. The apertures toward the center of the chevron have a 0.5 mm diameter and the apertures may increase in diameter to 1.75 mm at an outer edge of the chevron shape. FIG. 5B, for example, shows two different inner aperture patterns. The first inner aperture pattern shows 1.25 mm diameter apertures that are evenly spaced 2.75 mm apart. The second inner aperture pattern in FIG. 5B shows 1 mm diameter apertures that are evenly spaced 4 mm apart. FIG. 5C, for example, shows an outer pattern of apertures 162 having a different chevron arrangement than shown in FIG. 5A and shows 0.75 mm diameter apertures. Thus, as shown and described above, there may be various inner and outer patterns of apertures that may be used.

[0051] Each of the inner aperture pattern 142 and the outer aperture pattern 162 can be formed by various methods. In one example, a laser, or laser cutting machine, can be used to cut the inner aperture pattern 142 and/or the outer aperture pattern 162 from the inner layer 140 and/or the outer layer 160, respectively. The advantages of using a laser include consistently precise cutting of the shapes and sizes of the apertures, more accurate alignment and spacing of the apertures, and smooth finishes and clean edges around the apertures. The smooth finishes and clean edges are the result of the heat the laser produces, which forms a seal around the apertures, thereby eliminating loose threads and fraying. Generally, the laser-cutting process involves using a computer-aided design (CAD) software program to create a digital design, which then formulates digital cutting instructions for the laser cutter. In the case of the particular example described here, the laser cutter executes the digital cutting instructions for the inner aperture pattern 142 to cut the apertures for inner layer 140 and/or executes the digital cutting instructions for the outer aperture pattern 162 to cut the apertures for outer layer 160. The layer to be cut is placed on the laser-cutting machine bed and the laser moves along the respective layer to cut the respective aperture pattern according to the digital design instructions. As noted at above, in some embodiments, the outer edge of the inner and/or outer layers 140, 160 may also be cut using a laser. The laser may be any laser appropriate for cutting the fabric of the inner and/or outer layers 140, 160 and/or cutting the inner and outer aperture patterns 142, 162. Once the inner and outer layers 140, 160 are cut, including the inner aperture pattern 142 and the outer aperture pattern 162, they may be sewn or otherwise attached to the garment 100 forming the pouch 120. In some examples, the laser may be a CO.sup.2 laser cutting machine. The laser may operate at a speed of about 40-50 mm/sec. The laser power may be about 30-35 W. The bed that the laser pouch 120 layers 140, 160 are cut on may be about 600 mm900 mm. The laser cut layers 140, 160 may be pre-aligned before cutting to ensure accurate laser placement. In some embodiments, residual shrinkage of the layers 140, 160 may occur, thus prior to laser cutting the layers 140, 160 may undergo a fabric relaxation process.

[0052] In another example, a hole punch machine may be used to cutor punchthe inner aperture pattern 142 for inner layer 140 and/or the outer aperture pattern 162 for outer layer 160. The hole-punch method is a long-established technique for cutting holes in fabrics. The inner aperture pattern 142 for inner layer 140 and/or the outer aperture pattern 162 for outer layer 160 may be cut by use of various types of hole punch machines, including, but not limited to, electronic, hydraulic, or pneumatic hole-punching machines designed for cutting holes in fabric.

[0053] In some embodiments, the layers may be formed using different methods. For example, in one embodiment the inner aperture pattern 142 may be formed using a hole punch machine and the outer aperture pattern 162 may be formed using a laser cutting process. In another embodiment the inner aperture pattern 142 may be formed by a laser cutting process and the outer aperture pattern 162 may be formed a hole punch machine. In other embodiments, both the inner aperture pattern 142 and the outer aperture pattern 162 may be formed using a laser cutting process or a hole punch machine.

[0054] Any suitable materials may be used to form the inner layer 140 and the outer layer 160. The materials used to form the inner layer 140 and the outer layer 160 may be the same material or they may be different from each other. For example, in one embodiment, the outer layer 160 may be a polyester/spandex blend, and the inner layer 140 may be a nylon/spandex blend. In one example, the outer layer 160 may be formed of a material having an approximately 90% polyester and 10% spandex composition. In one example the inner layer 140 may be formed of a material having an approximately 73% nylon, and 27% spandex composition. In other embodiments, these materials may be reversed or one of these materials can be used to form each of the inner and outer layers 140, 160. Similarly, these materials can also be used to form the body fabric 108. Any of the body fabric 108, inner layer 140, and outer layer 160 may be a knit or a woven fabric. Additionally, any of the body fabric 108, inner layer 140, and outer layer 160 may include finishes that may improve the functionality of the fabric. These finishes can include, for example, a wicking finish that may allow the fabric to move sweat away from the body and dry faster, and/or an antimicrobial finish that may help prevent growth of microbes, such as mold, bacteria, and fungus.

[0055] As described above, the garments described herein may have increased air flow, ventilation or breathability in specific or targeted areas of the garments. This increased air flow, ventilation or breathability may be measured as the air permeability of a fabric component, e.g., measured by ASTM D737-18 (R2023). In some embodiments, the air permeability of the pouch 120 area of the undergarment 100 may be about 157.3 cfm/ft.sup.2. In some embodiments the pouch area 120 may have an air permeability of at least 140 cfm/ft.sup.2; or in the range of about 150 cfm/ft.sup.2 to about 165 cfm/ft.sup.2; or in the range of about 140 cfm/ft.sup.2 to about 175 cfm/ft.sup.2.

[0056] As described above, the inner layer 140 includes an inner aperture pattern 142 and the outer layer 160 includes an outer aperture pattern 162. As described above the inner aperture pattern 142 and the outer aperture pattern 162 may significantly increase the air flow or air permeability of the pouch region 120. The pouch 120 having an inner and outer aperture pattern 142, 162 as described above may have a significantly higher air permeability than compared to a pouch 120 made of the same material but having no apertures. In some examples the pouch 120 may have an air permeability that is at least two times greater than a pouch having no apertures. In other examples, the pouch 120 may have an air permeability that is about 2.5 times greater than a pouch having no apertures, or may have an air permeability that is about 2.25 to 2.75 times greater than a pouch having no apertures.

[0057] In addition to providing increased air permeability, the strength of the pouch 120 may not be significantly decreased by the inclusion of apertures in the layers 140, 160 of the pouch 120. For example, in some embodiments the strength of the pouch may be measured using burst pressure which is the maximum pressure which the material can endure before it breaks. Burst pressure can be measured according to ASTM D3786 (R2023). In some embodiments, the burst pressure of the pouch can be about 62 lbs/in.sup.2. In other embodiments, the burst pressure of the pouch 120 can be at least 50 lbs/in.sup.2. In still other embodiments, the burst pressure of the pouch 120 can be in the range of about 55 lbs/in.sup.2 to about 65 lbs/in.sup.2 or in the range of about 50 lbs/in.sup.2 to about 70 lbs/in.sup.2.

[0058] The various embodiments described herein relate to an undergarment having a ventilated pouch area and related methods of making such a garment. It is also understood that in other embodiments, as well as in other types of garments, the various devices, components, and features of the undergarment and method described herein may be constructed with similar structural and functional elements having different configurations, including different ornamental appearances. Still, other benefits may be recognized by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims.