Garments for men

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 10834974
  • Patent Number
    10,834,974
  • Date Filed
    Monday, July 9, 2018
    6 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, November 17, 2020
    4 years ago
Abstract
Next-to-skin garments for men include an internal stretch panel. An opening in the stretch panel receives a wearer's external genitalia. A three-dimensional pouch is defined between the stretch panel and a front portion of the body of the garment. Embodiments provide garments such as undershorts, boarding shorts, and athletic shorts.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to next-to-skin garments. Example embodiments of the invention include briefs, underpants, swim suits, boarding shorts, cycling shorts, and the like.


BACKGROUND

Next-to-skin clothing for men must comfortably accommodate the wearer's genitalia. Uncomfortable pressure and/or chafing of the genital area are common especially for wearers who are performing sports or other activities.


Some existing garments are described in; Angheluta et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,345; Cutlip, U.S. Pat. No. 7,676,853; Shlush, US patent publication No. 2009/0106874; and Kitsch et al., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/000,966.


There remains a need for garments for men and boys that are more comfortable to wear than many existing garments, especially having regard to the genital area.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the invention provide a range of garments for men and boys. The garments provide a stretch panel having an opening for receiving a wearer's genitals. A pouch is defined between the stretch panel and a front of the garment.


An example aspect of the invention provides a male garment comprising a body including a front portion and having leg openings for a wearer's legs. The body includes a crotch panel extending between the leg openings and joined to the front portion along a first seam. The crotch panel is rectangular in some embodiments. A waistband is attached at an upper edge of the body. A stretch panel is attached to the body inside the front portion. The stretch panel comprises a sheet of elastically resilient two-way stretch material having a top edge attached to the body at the waistband, a bottom edge attached at the first seam, side edges attached to the body along either side of the front portion and an opening for receiving the wearer's genitals. The opening has a rounded bottom edge and opposing side edges that are spaced apart from one another on either side of the opening. The front portion is gathered from side-to-side and top-to-bottom by the stretch panel. A three-dimensional pouch is defined between the stretch panel and the front portion.


Further aspects of the invention and features of specific embodiments of the invention are described below.





BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate non-limiting example embodiments of the invention.



FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a pair of undershorts according to an example embodiment.



FIG. 2 is a front view of the undershorts of FIG. 1.



FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the undershorts of FIG. 1.



FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the front portion of the undershorts of FIG. 1 viewed from inside.



FIG. 5 is a cut-away view of the undershorts of FIG. 1 being worn.



FIG. 6 is a cut-away view of the undershorts of FIG. 1 being worn and showing the wearers genitalia being supported in a pouch.



FIG. 7 is a cross-section through the undershorts of FIG. 1 hanging from the waistband.



FIG. 8 is a cross-section through the undershorts of FIG. 1 being worn and showing the wearer's genitalia being supported in a pouch.



FIG. 9 shows a stretch panel before and during being sewn into a garment.





DESCRIPTION

Throughout the following description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced without these particulars. In other instances, well known elements have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.


This invention relates to garments for men that include pouches to receive the wearer's genitalia. Such garments may provide enhanced comfort for the wearer.



FIG. 1 shows undershorts 10 according to an example embodiment. Undershorts 10 have an elastic waist band 12 supporting a fabric body 14. Body 14 extends to leg openings 15R and 15L (collectively openings 15). A front portion 18 of body 14 is shaped to include extra fabric so that front portion 18 is not pulled tightly against a wearer's body. As described below, front portion 18 forms the front part of a three-dimensional pouch 20 that receives and gently supports a wearer's genitalia. In the illustrated embodiment, front portion 18 includes a front seam or ‘dart seam’ 19 that is stitched along a bottom portion of the pouch and that extends centrally and part way along front portion 18 from the crotch of undershorts 10 toward waistband 12 thereby providing extra fabric in front portion 18. This adds volume to pouch 20. A tunnel opening or other suitable opening may optionally be provided in front portion 18 to permit the wearer to urinate conveniently.


As shown in FIG. 3, undershorts 10 include a stretch panel 22 that extends between waistband 12 and the crotch area 24 of undershorts 10. In the illustrated embodiment, undershorts 10 have a construction that includes a crotch panel 25 joined by seams 26 and 27 to the front and back sides of body 14 respectively. Crotch panel 25 is sometimes called an arc panel or moisture panel.


In this embodiment, a lower end of stretch panel 22 is attached at seam 26 and an upper end of stretch panel 22 is attached at the seam 28 joining waistband 12 to body 14. Side edges of stretch panel 22 are joined to front portion 18 of body 14 along seams 29 on either side of front portion 18.


When undershorts 10 are held open as shown for example in FIG. 3 with waistband 12 under gentle tension and body 14 hanging freely, stretch panel 22 is contracted and pulled away from front area 18 so as to provide a three-dimensional pouch 20 between stretch panel 22 and front portion 18. The bias of stretch panel 22 to be contracted more than front portion 18 helps to cause opening 30 to be held open. Pouch 20 and opening 30 may be self-aligning with the penis and scrotum of a wearer as the wearer inserts his legs through leg openings 15.


Stretch panel 22 includes an opening 30 to receive a wearer's genitalia. In the illustrated embodiment, opening 30 is U-shaped and has a softly-bound edge 31. Alternatively, stretch panel 22 may be shaped such that the free inner edges 31A and 31B along the sides of opening 30 become closer together in their parts near waistband 11 such that opening 30 is more tear-drop shaped. In yet other embodiments, the upper parts of edges 31A and 31B may be adjacent each other, or joined together such that opening 30 has an oval or elliptical shape (not shown). Regardless of the particular shape of opening 30 stretch panel 22 is configured to define opening 30 and to provide support around and underneath the scrotum of the wearer in order to comfortably position the wearer's genitals forward into pouch 20.


A soft thread is preferably used in any stitching to bind edge 31.


As can be seen in FIG. 3, holding the waistband of undershorts open as one would do to put undershorts 10 on naturally causes pouch 20 to be open to receive a wearer's genitals which can drop into place in pouch 20 through opening 30 as undershorts 10 are put on. In other words, when undershorts 10 is held by a man so as to be in a ready-to-wear position (i.e. held in mid-air by the waistband), the weight of undershorts 10 holds stretch panel 22 so that opening 30 is open and clearly defined. The man's genitals are thus naturally guided through opening 30 and positioned forward into pouch 20 as a result of this bias. As undershorts 10 are pulled on, stretch panel stretches. This bias prevents the man's genitals from falling out of pouch 20 in use, such as during physical activity and other movement.


Thus the illustrated undershorts are one example of a men's garment comprising: a waistband; a front wall depending downwardly from the waistband, a stretch panel attached behind the front wall so that the front wall and stretch panel provide a pouch formed at a level of a mid-section of the front wall, the pouch shaped to contain a wearer's penis and scrotum when the garment is worn. The stretch panel may have a bottom portion connecting opposing side portions and may be positioned to be disposed forward of a wearer's perineum when the garment is worn. In use the wearer's scrotum may be supported underneath by the bottom portion of the stretch panel with the wearer's penis and scrotum contained in the pouch.


It can be seen that side portions 31L and 31R of edge 31 and bottom portion 31B of edge 31 are all free edges that are spaced apart from the seams at which stretch panel 22 is attached to body 14 and that front portion 18 is spaced away from these edges in the forward direction. Bottom portion 31B is preferably curved.


Side portions 31L and 31R of edge 31 are spaced apart from one another by a gap to receive the wearer's genitalia. In some embodiments the gap has a width of 2 cm or more at a location just above bottom portion 31B. In the illustrated embodiment, side portions 31L and 31R of edge 31 are generally straight.


Stretch panel 22 may be made of a two-way stretch material such that when undershorts 10 are being worn, stretch panel 22 is under gentle tension. This causes stretch panel 22 to be held gently without sagging against the wearer's body in the perineal area and in the area adjacent the wearer's inner upper thighs. Stretch panel 22 is preferably made of or faced with a soft fabric that is comfortable against a wearer's skin. Stretch panel 22 is preferably made of a breathable fabric.


When undershorts 10 are being worn, stretch panel 22 may extend between the wearer's genitalia and the inner parts of the wearer's upper thighs thereby reducing or avoiding entirely chafing between the wearer's genitalia and thighs. Similarly, stretch panel 22 may extend upwardly from underneath between the wearer's genitalia and the wearer's perineal area, thereby reducing or avoiding entirely chafing between the wearer's genitalia and perineal area. Preferably, seam 26 is positioned forward of an arc panel 25 such that the bottom portion of stretch panel 22 is located forward of the perineum of a wearer.



FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the three-dimensional nature of pouch 20. Even when undershorts 10 are being held with the waistband horizontal and body 14 hanging down from waistband 12 under its own weight, stretch panel 22 is held so that it extends away from body 14 where it is attached along seam 26. Opening 30 is naturally open to receive the wearer's genitals. The free edges 31 of opening 30 lie away from body 14. Along seam 26, stretch panel 22 forms a generally upright wall between pouch 20 and the rest of the interior of undershorts 10. The two-way elasticity of stretch panel 22 helps to gather the material of front portion 18 of body 14 to increase the volume of pouch 20.



FIG. 6 shows how, when undershorts 10 are being worn, a wearer's genitalia pass though opening 30 over the upright portion 22A of stretch panel 22 that lies directly beneath the wearer's genitalia. Portion 22A of stretch panel 22 protects the underside of the wearer's genitalia from chafing. The edge 31B along the bottom of opening 30 is gently urged upward by the elastic nature of stretch panel 22 to gently support the wearer's genitalia from below. Side portions 22B and 22C of stretch panel 22 help to suspend edge 31B. If edge portion 31B is pressed down then the elasticity of stretch panel 22, particularly side portions 22B and 22C tend to pull edge portion 31B upward toward its original position. In the illustrated embodiment, side portions 22B and 22C are generally rectangular.


Edge portions 31R and 31L gently urge against the sides of the wearer's genitalia and thereby help to counteract swinging from side-to-side during activity. In FIG. 6 it can also be seen that stretch panel 22 provides a soft layer between the wearer's genitalia and upper thighs.


In the illustrated embodiment, stretch panel 22 is generally rectangular. The length of attachment of stretch panel 22 at seams 26 and 27 is equal to within ±10% or ±15% for example. With undershorts 10 lying flat, face up, seams 29 are generally straight and generally perpendicular to waistband 12. The ratio of height to width of stretch panel 22 in some embodiments is approximately about 1½:1 to about 2:1. For example, in an example embodiment stretch panel 22 has an un-stretched height of about 17 cm and an un-stretched width of about 10 cm.


One advantage of embodiments in which stretch panel 22 is provided in a garment which includes a crotch panel 25 is that the seam 26 along the front side of such a crotch panel 25 provides an ideal place to attach the lower edge of stretch panel 22. As seen for example in FIG. 8, crotch panel 25 extends down the inside of a wearer's legs and, when worn, has a highest point at the wearer's crotch. The front edge of crotch panel 25 tends to be just below and behind the base of the wearer's external genitalia while being worn. Further, the front edge of crotch panel 25 tends to be located at a location which does not receive pressure when the wearer sits. Crotch panel 25 may comprise, for example, a generally rectangular panel that extends from side-to-side from one leg opening 15 to the other.


Garments in which the lower edge of stretch panel 22 are fastened at a seam along the front edge of a crotch panel 25 are an example of a construction in which a garment comprises a perineum wall fastened at a front seam to a bottom edge of stretch panel 22, and fastened at a rear seam to a bottom edge of a rear wall part of body 14 that depends from a rear part of the waistband.


In some embodiments, the material of stretch panel 22 has asymmetrical stretch (i.e. the coefficient of elasticity of the material has a first value in a first direction in the plane of the material and a second value different from the first value in a second direction at right angles to the first direction in the plane of the material). The material may be oriented that it is easier to stretch the material of stretch panel 22 in a direction parallel to waistband 12 than it is to stretch the material in a direction perpendicular to waistband 12.


Various materials may be used for stretch panel 22. For example, stretch panel 22 may comprise an elasticized fabric. In one example embodiment the fabric comprises a cotton-Spandex™ blend. In one example embodiment the fabric comprises a woven blend of Modal™ and Spandex™. In an example embodiment, the blend comprises approximately 90% to 95% Modal™ and approximately 5% to 10% Spandex™. In another example embodiment, the blend comprises 93% Modal™ and 7% Spandex™.


The amount of stretch of a fabric may be measured in various ways. The fabric stretch may be measured by taking a strip of material that is 30-40 cm long and 20 cm wide when taught but un-stretched, anchoring one end of the strip, pulling the other end of the strip so that the material stretches and becomes elongated and determining the maximum stretched length after which the strip will no longer return to its original length in the taught but unstretched condition. The ratio of the maximum stretched length minus the taught but unstretched length to the taught but un-stretched length is the fabric stretch. For example, if the strip has a taught but un-stretched length of 25 cm and a maximum stretched length of 50 cm then the fabric stretch is (50−25)/25=100%. In some embodiments, the material of stretch panel 22 has a stretch of 30% or more. In some embodiments the material of stretch panel 22 has a stretch of at least 70% or at least 75%.


Stretch panel 22 may be pre-stretched relative to front portion 18 while it is being assembled to front portion 18 of body 14. Thus, during assembly, stretch panel 22 is substantially stretched, while front portion 16 of body 14 is not stretched or is stretched less than stretch panel 22. In some embodiments the material of stretch panel 22 is stretched by at least 50%, 55% or 60% while stretch panel 22 is being sewn in place. In an example embodiment, stretch panel 22 has a stretch of 100% and is stretched by 60% while at least the final seams which hold it in place are being sewn.



FIG. 9 shows stretch panel 22 ‘as cut’ according to a pattern in solid outlines and ‘as stretched’ for assembly to front portion 18 in dashed outline. In this embodiment, top edges 23A and 23B of stretch panel 22 along which stretch panel 22 is attached at a seam parallel to waistband 12 are angled. In the illustrated embodiment, bottom edge 23C is also cut so that it is indented at the centerline. Thus, when unstretched, the cut-out material for stretch panel 22 is shorter in its vertical dimension along vertical lines extending along the edges of opening 30 than it is farther away from its centerline. As a result of the angling of edges 23A and 23B, and the indenting of bottom edge 23C, stretch panel 22 is stretched more for assembly in its portions along edge portions 31R and 31L than it is stretched in its portions closer to the sides where it is attached along seams 29. This causes the tension in stretch panel 22 when undershorts 10 are being worn or suspended to be put on to be somewhat greater along edge portions 31R and 31L than in other parts of stretch panel 22. This gradient in tension helps to better support edge portion 31B and to hold opening 30 open when undershorts 10 are being held to be put on.


As shown in dotted outline in FIG. 9, the material from stretch panel 22 may be stretched from an un-stretched length L1 to a stretched length L2 while top edges 23A and 23B and bottom edge 23C are attached along parallel seams 26 and 28 and side edges of the stretch panel 22 are attached along seams 29, for example by sewing.


After assembly, stretch panel 22 can contract. This gathers the material of front portion 18 and helps to form pouch 20 to have a three-dimensional volume open to receive a wearer's genitalia even when undershorts 10 are being suspended from waist hand 12 in preparation for being put on.


The configuration of stitching used to affix stretch panel 22 to body 14 preferably permits stretching along the length of the seams. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, seams 26, 28 and 29 may be stitched using a combination of stitch pattern and/or thread that permits stretching along the lengths of seams 26, 28 and 29.


In some embodiments, stretch panel 22 is stretched in length only (i.e. in a direction perpendicular to waistband 12) as it is being attached to front portion 18 during manufacture. In some embodiments, stretch panel 22 is stretched in both width and length (four-way stretch) relative to front portion 18 as it is being attached to front portion 18 during manufacture. Thus, in its relaxed, un-stretched, configuration stretch panel 22 both pulls side edges of front portion 18 toward one another at seams 29 and pulls top and bottom edges of front portion 18 toward one another at seams 26 and 28. This, builds volume in pouch 20 especially when taken in combination with the shaping of front portion 18 (e.g. by front seam 19) which makes front portion 18 non-flat.


In some embodiments a length measured along material of the front portion 18 from seam 26 to waistband 12 exceeds a length measured along the fabric of stretch panel 22, when un-stretched by at least 50%. In some embodiments a length measured along material of the front portion 18 side-to-side at the level of bottom portion 31B from seam 28 to seam 29 exceeds a length measured along the fabric of stretch panel 22, when un-stretched between the same seams by 10 to 15% or more.


In some embodiments, the shaping of front portion 18 is such that with stretch panel 22 held horizontally under just enough tension such that stretch panel 22 is generally planar with front portion 18 hanging below stretch panel 22, the center part of front portion 18 hangs well below the plane of stretch panel 22. In some embodiments, the center part of front portion 18 hangs below the plane of stretch panel 22 by a distance of 3 cm or more when undershorts 10 are held in this test configuration.


Like all clothing, undershorts 10 may be made to fit different sizes of men and boys and may be made from different fabrics to suit different personal preferences and price points. Thus, individual dimensions are not critical.


In some embodiments, the distance A along stretch panel 22 from the point at which it joins body 14 to the lowest point along the edge of opening 30 is at least 2 cm. In some embodiments, this distance is in the range of about 2 cm to about 3 cm. In some embodiments, the horizontal distance B between opposed edges of opening 30 when undershorts 10 or other garments according to some example embodiments are not being worn but are being suspended as shown for example in FIG. 3, distance B is in the range of about 3 cm to about 6 cm. In some embodiments, the horizontal distance C along stretch panel 22 from the point at which it joins body 14 (e.g. at seam 29) to the edge 31R or 31L of opening 30 just above bottom portion 31B is at least 2 cm. In some embodiments, this distance is in the range of about 2 cm to about 5 cm. In some embodiments, the distance D along the fabric in the center of front portion of body 18 from the lower edge of waist band 12 to the point where stretch panel 22 attaches to body 14 (e.g. seam 26) is at least 15 cm. In some embodiments, this distance is in the range of about 15 cm to about 25 cm.


It can be appreciated that garments which incorporate a stretch panel as shown in the accompanying drawings may be formed such that they are self-aligning with a wearer's genitalia, allowing the garment to be put on by a wearer without the wearer having to manually hold or position the pouch to receive his genitals. A stretch panel structured and incorporated as illustrated in the accompanying drawings can support and position a wearer's the scrotum and penis away from both the wearer's thighs and perineum. The scrotum and penis may therefore be protected from pinching between 5 the thighs or being sat upon, thereby enhancing comfort of the wearer.


The invention may be applied to any next-to-skin below-the waist garments for men. For example, the principles discussed above may be applied to shorts, swim suits, boarding shorts, briefs, boxer shorts, surf shorts, cycling shorts, unitards, long underwear, sports uniforms, athletic supporters, fighting shorts, pajamas, and other next-to-skin garments for males.


Except where otherwise indicated or necessarily implied, the description herein uses relative directional terms such as front, back, above, below, top, bottom, upper, lower, right and left relative to a wearer wearing a garment as described and standing upright.


Where a component (e.g. a panel, seam, elastic, thread, opening, etc.) is referred to above, unless otherwise indicated, reference to that component (including a reference to a “means”) should be interpreted as including as equivalents of that component any component which performs the function of the described component (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), including components which are not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention.


As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. For example:

    • It is not mandatory that stretch panel 22 be free from openings. In some embodiments, stretch panel 22 comprises a continuous layer of material with no openings other than opening 30. In other embodiments, stretch panel 22 may have one or more openings around the periphery of opening 30.
    • It is not mandatory that the material of stretch panel 22 be different from the material(s) of the rest of body 14. In some embodiments different fabrics are used for stretch panel 22 and for the front portion 18 of body 14.
    • Stretch panel 22 may incorporate openings into pouch 20 that are of various shapes. Example openings are U-shaped (as described above), oval, elliptical, teardrop shaped or the like.
    • Stretch panel 22 may optionally be formed from a plurality of pieces of fabric seamed together. For example, stretch panel 22 may be formed from three pieces of fabric, two of which extend vertically along sides of opening 30 and one of which extends transversely across the bottom of opening 30.
    • It is not mandatory that the garment include a body that covers a wearer's buttocks. In some embodiments, constructions as described herein are applied to athletic supporters (jock straps). In general, a pouch as described herein may be embodied in various types of men's garments, particularly in a mid-section of a front wall of men's garments to be worn around a man's torso.


      Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.

Claims
  • 1. A male garment comprising: a body including a front portion and having leg openings for a wearer's legs;a waistband attached by a waistband seam at an upper edge of the body;a stretch panel attached to the body inside the front portion, the stretch panel comprising a sheet of elastically resilient four-way stretch material having a top edge attached to the body at a top location, a bottom edge attached to the body at a bottom location, side edges attached to the body at side seams extending substantially continuously along either side of the front portion and an opening for receiving a wearer's genitals;the stretch panel being resiliently elastic both in a direction between the top edge and the bottom edge and in a direction between the side edges, the stretch panel having a length when unstretched smaller than a length measured along the front portion between the top and bottom locations and a width when unstretched smaller than a width measured along the front portion between the side seams such that the front portion is gathered from side-to-side and top-to-bottom by the stretch panel and defines a three-dimensional pouch between the stretch panel and the front portion for receiving the wearer's genitals and holding the wearer's genitals while the garment is being worn.
  • 2. A male garment according to claim 1 wherein the stretch panel has asymmetrical stretch characteristics such that the stretch panel stretches more easily in a direction parallel to the waistband and less easily in a direction at right angles to the waistband.
  • 3. A male garment according to claim 1 wherein the stretch panel is rectangular and the opening is U-shaped.
  • 4. A male garment according to claim 3 wherein the stretch panel comprises a fabric having a stretch of at least 30%.
  • 5. A male garment according to claim 1 wherein the top location is the waistband seam and the bottom location is the first seam, and a length measured along material of the front portion from the first seam to the waistband seam exceeds a length measured along the fabric of the stretch panel, when unstretched, by at least 30%.
  • 6. A male garment according to claim 1 wherein the garment is a pair of undershorts.
  • 7. A male garment according to claim 1 wherein the stretch panel comprises a fabric different from a fabric of the body.
  • 8. A male garment according to claim 1 wherein the opening has a width in excess of 2 cm.
  • 9. A male garment according to claim 1 wherein: the front portion depends downwardly from the waistband and the front portion is formed to provide the pouch at a mid-section thereof; the stretch panel is positioned to be disposed forward of the wearer's perineum when the garment is worn, whereby, in use, a scrotum of the wearer of the garment is supported underneath by the stretch panel to contain the wearer's penis and scrotum in the pouch.
  • 10. A male garment according to claim 1, wherein the elastically resilient four-way stretch material is comprised of a spandex blend.
  • 11. A male garment according to claim 1, wherein the stretch panel is fastened to the front portion while in a pre-stretched condition while the front portion is less stretched, whereby the stretch panel is biased to hold the opening open while the garment is held in position to be put on.
  • 12. A male garment according to claim 11, wherein the front portion is attached to a rear portion of the body that depends from the waistband at a seam disposed forward of the perineum region of the wearer, and wherein a bottom edge of the stretch panel is fastened to the seam.
  • 13. A male garment according to claim 1 wherein the opening has a U-shape when the stretch panel is in a relaxed state.
  • 14. A male garment according to claim 1 wherein the stretch panel is formed from a single unitary piece of woven fabric.
  • 15. A male garment according to claim 1 wherein the pouch comprises a dart seam stitched along a bottom portion of the pouch and centrally to provide extra volume in front of and underneath the genitals of the wearer.
  • 16. A male garment according to claim 1 wherein the stretch panel is rectangular and the opening has a rounded bottom edge and opposing side edges that are spaced apart from one another on either side of the opening.
  • 17. A male garment according to claim 1, wherein the body includes a crotch panel extending between the leg openings and joined to the front portion along a first seam.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/798,332, filed on 13 Jul. 2015, and entitled GARMENTS FOR MEN, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,034,496; which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/193,584, filed on 28 Jul. 2011, and entitled GARMENTS FOR MEN, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,687,030; which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of U.S. Patent Application No. 61/429,065, filed on 31 Dec. 2010, and entitled MEN'S GARMENT WITH POUCH AND SUPPORTING FLAP, each of which is incorporated hereby by reference.

US Referenced Citations (100)
Number Name Date Kind
2033551 Rumery Mar 1936 A
2140459 Reis Dec 1938 A
2235849 Reis Mar 1941 A
2254863 Weihe Sep 1941 A
2310839 Chatfield et al. Feb 1943 A
2328953 Chatfield et al. Sep 1943 A
2438310 Ashe et al. Mar 1948 A
2601602 Firsching Jun 1952 A
2623210 Chatfield Dec 1952 A
2624336 Hansley Jan 1953 A
2641257 Rutiedge Jun 1953 A
2652053 Dann Sep 1953 A
2872685 Denbo Feb 1959 A
3207155 Casey Sep 1965 A
3220410 Sloan Nov 1965 A
3283545 Simon Nov 1966 A
3294086 Netkin Dec 1966 A
3459181 Mann Aug 1969 A
3496576 Artzt Feb 1970 A
3499442 Steinmetz Mar 1970 A
3499443 Scheerer Mar 1970 A
3511234 Larson May 1970 A
3517666 Atlee Jun 1970 A
3621846 Lehman Nov 1971 A
3844282 King Oct 1974 A
4009495 Faust Mar 1977 A
4173976 Bloomquist et al. Nov 1979 A
4195630 Connery et al. Apr 1980 A
4377008 Jung Mar 1983 A
4414971 Chung Nov 1983 A
4554685 Ray Nov 1985 A
4660551 Nishimura Apr 1987 A
4702239 Ichikawa Oct 1987 A
4759355 Thrower Jul 1988 A
4870958 Webster Oct 1989 A
4955088 Terjesen Sep 1990 A
5029345 Angheluta et al. Jul 1991 A
5070869 Zhang Dec 1991 A
5157793 Michels Oct 1992 A
5226179 Choi Jul 1993 A
5237706 Nalbandian Aug 1993 A
5283912 Chung Feb 1994 A
5379462 Morgan et al. Jan 1995 A
5461729 Brocks Oct 1995 A
5524298 Plunkett Jun 1996 A
5547466 McRoberts et al. Aug 1996 A
5598587 Wada Feb 1997 A
5647065 Richerson Jul 1997 A
5718003 Gwinn Feb 1998 A
5785495 Springer et al. Jul 1998 A
5807299 McRoberts et al. Sep 1998 A
5870779 Heron Feb 1999 A
5875495 Thrower Mar 1999 A
5978971 Wald Nov 1999 A
6026517 Kang Feb 2000 A
6038703 Chung Mar 2000 A
6061840 Alligator May 2000 A
6245036 Mcroberts et al. Jun 2001 B1
6289520 Page Sep 2001 B1
6295651 Kang Oct 2001 B1
6308342 Qi Oct 2001 B1
6353940 Lyden Mar 2002 B1
6487728 Cook Dec 2002 B1
6662378 Vartanyan Dec 2003 B2
6799334 Yu Oct 2004 B2
6820284 Horikoshi et al. Nov 2004 B2
6862746 Cym et al. Mar 2005 B2
6901607 Elwell Jun 2005 B1
D509945 Ogle Sep 2005 S
7017193 Auger Mar 2006 B2
7024703 Della Ratta Apr 2006 B1
7065797 Chen Jun 2006 B1
7178174 Soderstrom Feb 2007 B2
7198688 Mortell et al. Apr 2007 B2
7631369 Geiwald et al. Dec 2009 B2
7676853 Cutlip Mar 2010 B1
7958571 Kitsch et al. Jun 2011 B2
D646462 Ellis et al. Oct 2011 S
D656708 Ellis Apr 2012 S
8555422 Steele Oct 2013 B2
9687030 Bigney Jun 2017 B2
10034496 Bigney Jul 2018 B2
20040025218 Huang Feb 2004 A1
20050229293 Miller Oct 2005 A1
20050268380 Sovell Dec 2005 A1
20060000008 Chong Jan 2006 A1
20060005301 Taylor Jan 2006 A1
20060162052 Stankowski et al. Jul 2006 A1
20070180600 Allemann et al. Aug 2007 A1
20070192941 Soderstrom Aug 2007 A1
20070220660 Roesch et al. Sep 2007 A1
20070245463 Kang Oct 2007 A1
20070277285 Gravette et al. Dec 2007 A1
20080178368 Clark Jul 2008 A1
20080178369 Kitsch Jul 2008 A1
20090106874 Shlush Apr 2009 A1
20120167279 Bigney Jul 2012 A1
20120167280 Adams et al. Jul 2012 A1
20130219591 Gu Aug 2013 A1
20150313290 Bigney et al. Nov 2015 A1
Foreign Referenced Citations (6)
Number Date Country
133058 Jun 2010 CA
2729368 Jun 2012 CA
2747893 Jan 2013 CA
0 476 818 Mar 1992 EP
9839981 Sep 1998 WO
0137687 May 2001 WO
Non-Patent Literature Citations (19)
Entry
U.S. Appl. No. 13/193,584, Ex Parte Quayle Action dated Mar. 3, 2015, 4 pages.
U.S. Appl. No. 13/193,584, Final Office Action dated Jan. 9. 2014, 19 pages.
U.S. Appl. No. 13/193,584, Non-Final Office Action dated Apr. 25, 2013, 18 pages.
U.S. Appl. No. 13/193,584, Notice of Allowance dated Aug. 6, 2014, 13 pages.
U.S. Appl. No. 13/193,584, Notice of Allowance dated Mar. 1, 2017, 8 pages.
U.S. Appl. No. 14/798,332, Non-Final Office Action dated Nov. 9, 2017, 5 pages.
U.S. Appl. No. 14/798,332, Notice of Allowance dated Mar. 29, 2018, 8 pages.
Canadian Application No. 2,729,368, Office Action dated Sep. 21, 2017, 3 pages.
Youtube, “AC Demo ShowIt by Andrew Christian” Available online at: https://youtu.be/N6NU61GZEk8, Apr. 30, 2020, pulled from the internet on May 8, 2020, 3 pages.
Youtube, “AC Photos ShowIt by Andrew Christian” Available online at: https://youtu.be/NTSERBfM9NM, Apr. 30, 2020, pulled from the internet on May 8, 2020, 3 pages.
Andrew Christian Andrew Christian Underwear 2009 Collection 1-Immediates, Show-It 2009 Line Sheet (“Show-It 2009 Line Sheet”), allegedly available 2009, 2 pages.
United States District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle “Declaration of Erin C. Kolter in Support of Motion for Leave to Amend with Exhibits” Civil Action No. 2:18-cv-1464-JLR, 0912139 B.C. LTD., a Canadian corporation and Pakage Apparel Inc., a Canadian corporation, Plaintiffs, v. Rampion USA Inc., a Washington corporation, and Rampion Enterprises LTD., a Canadian corporation, Defendants., Filed Aug. 15, 2019, 1457 pages.
Andrew Christian 2009-2010 Collection Show-It with Show-It Technology 2.0 for Maximum Front Enhancement (“Show-It 2009-2010 Catalog”). allegedly available 2009-2010, 9 pages.
Andrew Christian, 9132 Show it brief.jpg—allegedly metadata document properties show that the created date and last modified date are both Feb. 6, 2009, 1 page.
Andrew Christian, 9133 Show it Boxer F & B.jpg—allegedly metadata document properties show that the created date and last modified date are both Feb. 6, 2009, 1 page.
Underwear News Briefs, a Men's Underwear Blog, “Andrew Christian—Show-It Technology Brief Advertisement” products in Style No. 9132 and Style No. 9133., pulled from the internet on Apr. 21, 2020 https://www.underwearnewsbriefs.com/2009/03/andrew-christian-show-it-technology-bri ,Allegedly on sale and/or publicly used or known at least as early as Mar. 6, 2009, 4 pages.
Underwear News Briefs, a Men's Underwear Blog, “Andrew Christian—Underwear of the Week—Andrew Christian “Show-IT” Line” Press Release—pulled from the internet on Apr. 21, 2020 https://www.underwearnewsbriefs.com/2009/03/underwear-of-the-week-andrew-christian-show-it-line/ ,Allegedly on sale and/or publicly used or known at least as early as Mar. 11, 2009, 4 pages.
Andrew Christian “Andrew Christian Underwear 2009 Collection 1—Immediates, products in Style No. 9132 and Style No. 9133”. Allegedly on sale and/or publicly used or known at least as early as Mar. 6, 2009, 2 pages.
Andrew Christian “Andrew Christian . . . The Panty-Christ Gets Devilish . . . And Is Ready to “Show-It!”—Celebrity Fashion Designer Andrew Christian Brings You “Show-It” His New Enhancing Underwear Featuring Show-It Technology 2.0 Show-It—2.0” Press Release—allegedly dated “Mar. 2009” on its face, 1 page.
Related Publications (1)
Number Date Country
20180317563 A1 Nov 2018 US
Provisional Applications (1)
Number Date Country
61429065 Dec 2010 US
Continuations (2)
Number Date Country
Parent 14798332 Jul 2015 US
Child 16030769 US
Parent 13193584 Jul 2011 US
Child 14798332 US