Patent Application
20210368900
When people wear swimwear and get into the water, a common issue arises when the user gets out of the water as water fills all of the openings and cavities in the fabric. When the user exits the water, the water filled openings prevent the air from passing through them. As a result, there is a vacuum created between the fabric and the user.
As a result of the vacuum, the swimwear tends to “cling” to the user's skin. This can lead to several potentially negative effects. First, it can cause the user to feel the outside air is colder than the actual temperature since the air is directly cooling the water which is directly cooling the skin. Second, it can make the swimwear difficult to take off as it is effectively adhering to the user. Third, the vacuum make parts of the body more pronounced through the fabric, which raises issues of modesty.
The invention in various exemplary embodiments prevents swimwear from adhering to various parts of the body. This regulates temperature and comfort while addressing modesty issues. This is accomplished in part by the placement of materials with certain properties where it prevents a vacuum forming between the user and the swimwear when the user leaves the water.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is made from a lightweight and water resistant material such as nylon/spandex blend. The material used may be any known to those skilled in the art that allows for the passing of gases but restricts liquids. The exemplary embodiment may use a single layer of fabric or multiple layers of fabric depending on the fabric thickness and other properties. An advantage of the exemplary embodiment is that is assists in temperature regulation by restricting contact between the user and swimwear, which creates a perceptible temperature change against a user's skin when the user leaves the water due to the water retained by the swimwear.
The first embodiment is a front concealer 100 that consists of a modesty panel 102 that is strategically positioned against a sensitive area or an area to be covered due to modesty. The exemplary embodiment is coupled to the swimwear 150 in a location such as over the genital area of a swimwear 150. The exemplary embodiment prevents the swimwear 150 from sticking to the covered area when the user leaves the water while the rest of the swimwear 150 adheres to the user due to a suction. Additionally, the potential vacuum becomes compromised by the presence of the front concealer 100 creating a small cavity where the front concealer 100 prevents the swimwear 150 from adhering to the user in the area covered by the front concealer 100 when the user leaves the water.
In a second exemplary embodiment, a panel concealer 200 is coupled to the inner surface of the swimwear 150 in the front orientation. The panel concealer 200 comprises the modesty panel 102 and panel liners 202 that are sewn together. The second exemplary embodiment covers the front upper legs and lower torso. As described above, the presence of the panel concealer 200 prevents the swimwear 150 from adhering to the user when they leave the water. Further, the modesty panel 102 and the panel liners 202 may be sewn together or created as a single unit without departing from the scope of the invention.
In a third exemplary embodiment, a suit concealer 300 lines the inner surface of the swimwear 150 on all sides. The suit concealer 300 comprises the modesty panel 102 and a suit liner 302 that is sewn together. The suit concealer 300 forms a barrier between the swimwear 150 and the user. As described above, the presence of the exemplary embodiment prevents the swimwear 150 from adhering to the user when they leave the water. Further, the modesty panel 102 and the suit liner 302 may be sewn together or created as a single unit without departing from the scope of the invention.
A fourth exemplary embodiment comprises a leg concealer 400 that is worn by the user and encircles the users upper legs and lower torso. The leg concealer 400 comprises the modesty panel 102 and a leg liner 402 that is sewn together. The leg concealer 400 forms a barrier between the swimwear 150 and the user. As described above, the presence of the exemplary embodiment prevents the swimwear 150 from adhering to the user when they leave the water. Further, the modesty panel 102 and the leg liner 402 may be sewn together or created as a single unit without departing from the scope of the invention.
All the above described exemplary embodiments may be made from a single or multiple layers of fabric of varying thickness for modesty and thermal regulation. An example would be where the modesty panel 102 is thicker than the panel liner 202 or suit liner 302. The increased thickness may be accomplished by using material of different thickness. An alternate method would have multiple layers of the same thickness material used for the modesty panel 102.
Additional exemplary embodiments of the invention can be adapted for either gender.
One of skill in the art will appreciate that embodiments provide improved garments for use in aquatic environments. Although specific embodiments are illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement which is calculated to achieve the same purpose can be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This specification is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of embodiments. In particular, one of skill in the art will appreciate that the names and terminology are not intended to limit embodiments. Furthermore, additional apparatus can be added to the components, functions can be rearranged among components, and new components corresponding to future enhancements and future physical devices used in embodiments can be introduced without departing from the scope of the invention. The terminology used in this application is intended to include all embodiments and alternatives which provide the same functionality as described herein.
