Patent Application
20150209647
Male genital support garments, also sometimes referred to as “jockstraps,” are worn to support and protect the wearer's genitals and generally comprise a waistband, a pouch and/or a cup for holding the wearer's genitals, and two straps connecting to the back or sides of the waistband. A jockstrap protects the wearer's genitals from injury by holding the genitals close to the body and restricting their movement. Unfortunately, conventional jockstraps can cause discomfort or pain because the wearer's penis and scrotum may shift to an unsafe or uncomfortable orientation or direction during physical activity. Conventional jockstraps also often do not fit well and do not provide optimal protection for many wearers because they are designed to fit average body sizes such as small, medium, or large.
Embodiments of the present invention solve the above-described shortcomings and other problems by providing a male genital support system that provides increased support and protection to a wearer's genitals while also being more comfortable to wear.
A male genital support system constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention broadly comprises a waist belt, a buttocks support belt, a pouch, a scrotal restraint strap, a penis sheath, a groin bracer, and a sheath covering.
The waist belt is the attachment point for other components of the genital support system and is configured to be wrapped around the wearer's waist.
The buttocks support belt lifts and supports the wearer's buttocks and is configured to be attached to the waist belt near the wearer's hips.
The pouch supports the wearer's scrotum and holds it separately from the wearer's penis. The pouch is configured to be connected to the front of the waist belt.
The scrotal restraint strap restricts lateral movements of the wearer's scrotum and is configured to be wrapped around the pouch and connected to the front of the waist belt.
The penis sheath holds the wearer's penis separately from the scrotum and is configured to extend to the base of the wearer's penis.
The groin bracer holds a base of the penis sheath against the wearer's groin and is configured to be secured to the front of the waist belt and to the middle of the buttocks support belt.
The sheath covering holds the penis and the penis sheath in either an upward or downward orientation and is configured to cover the pouch, the scrotal restraint strap, the penis sheath, and the groin bracer.
The genital support system also may be connected to a urine bag for retaining urine for an incontinent wearer or when worn during activities that do not permit the wearer to unsuit, such as by a race car driver during a race, by an underwater diver in a drysuit, or by a worker in a hazardous materials suit.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.
Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.
The following detailed description of the invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, the present technology can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.
Turning now to
The waist belt 12 is provided for supporting the genital support system 10 around a wearer's waist and may be of any size and shape and made of any suitable materials. An embodiment of the waist belt 12 has a width of from approximately 6 inches to approximately 12 inches and a length of from approximately 30 inches to approximately 60 inches and may be made of neoprene rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, or other elastic material. The waist belt 12 may include an end fastener 26, a connecting surface 28, and one or more extenders 30. The end fastener 26 is provided for securing the waist belt 12 around the waist and may be a piece of hook or loop material for connecting to the connecting surface 28 at an opposite end of the waist belt 12. Alternatively, the waist belt 12 may be formed of a closed loop with no end fastener. The connecting surface 28 may comprise an entire outer surface of the waist belt 12 (e.g., an entire outer surface of hook or loop material) for connecting the buttocks support belt 14 and other components anywhere on the waist belt 12 or may comprise designated connecting areas such as near hip positions and near a middle of the lower back. The connecting surface 28 encompassing a large area of the waist belt 12 allows fasteners of the components to be connected to the waist belt 12 at virtually any location thereon for achieving an appropriate tension and fit for each component. The extender 30 is a strip of additional elastic material configured to be connected to the end fastener 26, thus adding approximately 4 inches to approximately 16 inches to an overall length of the waist belt 12. The end portions of the waist belt 12 are configured to overlap each other and form a small intermediate space configured to receive a portion of the groin bracer 12 therebetween when the genital support system 10 is worn, as described below.
The buttocks support belt 14 is provided for lifting and supporting the wearer's buttocks and may be of any size and shape and made of any suitable materials. An embodiment of the buttocks support belt 14 has a width of approximately 2 inches to approximately 4 inches and may be made of neoprene rubber, EPDM rubber, or other elastic material. The buttocks support belt 14 includes end fasteners 31a,b and middle fasteners 32a,b (
The pouch 16 is provided for holding the wearer's scrotum separately from the wearer's penis and may be of any size and shape and made of any suitable materials. An embodiment of the pouch 16 is an open-topped concave receptacle made from a porous rubber-like mesh or similar material. Alternatively, the pouch 16 may be formed of a non-porous material and may define a plurality of holes 36 for allowing air to pass therethrough. The pouch 16 includes fasteners 38a,b extending from a top of the pouch 16, an arcuate recess 40 located at a top front of the pouch 16, and one or more inserts 42 configured to be positioned in the pouch 16. The fasteners 38a,b are provided for connecting the pouch 16 to the connecting surface 28 of the waist belt 12. The arcuate recess 40 is located at the top front of the pouch 16 and is configured to cradle the penis and the penis sheath 20 therein. The pouch 16 may also include one or more inserts 42 such as a porous pad or a soft filler material. The insert 42 is shaped similarly to the pouch 16 and includes an arcuate recess 44 located at the middle front of the insert 42 and configured to be aligned with the recess 40 of the pouch 16 for cradling the penis and the penis sheath 20 therein.
The scrotal restraint strap 18 is provided for restricting lateral movements of the scrotum and may be of any size and shape and made of any suitable materials. An embodiment of the scrotal restraint strap 18 is made of neoprene rubber, EPDM rubber, or other elastic material and may have contoured edges to prevent chafing. The scrotal restraint strap 18 includes a central band 46, two short tabs 48a,b configured to wrap around the front of the scrotum and two long tabs 50a,b configured to extend upwards to the waist belt 12. The short tabs 48a,b are approximately 2 inches wide and include a fastener 52 for connecting them together at the front of the scrotum under the penis. The long tabs 50a,b include fasteners 54a,b for connecting them to the connecting surface 28 of the waist belt 12. The central band 46 or the tabs 48a,b and 50a,b may define a plurality of holes 56 for allowing air to pass therethrough. The holes 56 may be evenly spaced and may have a diameter of approximately ¼th of an inch.
The penis sheath 20 is provided for holding the penis separately from the scrotum and may be of any size and shape and made of any suitable materials. An embodiment of the penis sheath 20 is made of a non-porous material such as latex or other polymer and includes an elongated tube 58 defining an interior chamber 60 (
The groin bracer 22 is provided for retaining the base of the penis sheath 20 against the wearer's body and may be of any size and shape and made of any suitable materials. An embodiment of the groin bracer 22 includes a complementary bracer flange 68 configured to mate with the penis sheath flange 64, a tab 70 extending from the top of the bracer flange 68, and two tension straps 72a,b extending from lower portions of the bracer flange 68. The bracer flange 68 is made of solid plastic such as vinyl or PVC and defines a central hole 74 configured to receive the penis and the penis sheath 20 therethrough. The bracer flange 68 may include liners or coverings formed of latex rubber, a thermoplastic elastomer such as Santoprene®, foam, or other soft material configured to cushion areas around the central hole 74 and the tab 70. For example, two layers of soft rubber may be attached to either side of the bracer flange 68 for preventing chafing near the central hole 74. The tab 70 is provided for keeping the groin bracer 22 in place when the genital support system 10 is worn. The tab 70 is configured to be inserted into the overlapping portions of the waist belt 12 and includes a fastener 76 for connecting the groin bracer 22 to the connecting surface 28 of the waist belt 12. The tension straps 72a,b are provided for retaining the groin bracer 22 against the base of the penis sheath 20 when the genital support system 10 is worn. The tension straps 72a,b are elongated belts or tubes and may be made of Santoprene®, neoprene rubber, EPDM rubber, or other elastic material. The tension straps 72a,b are configured to be extended from left and right lower portions of the bracer flange 68 (optionally from left and right short tabs on the bracer flange 68 configured to space the tension straps 72a,b from the pouch 16), through the space between the wearer's legs, and towards the middle of the buttocks support belt 14 when the genital support system 10 is worn. Distal ends of the tension straps 72a,b include connecting portions of the fasteners 32a,b configured to connect to the complementary portions of the fasteners 32a,b on the buttocks support belt 14. The connecting portions of the fasteners 32a,b on the ends of the tension straps 72a,b may be narrow for being at least partially inserted into ends of the tension straps 72a,b.
The sheath covering 24 is provided as an additional layer of protection to the wearer's genitals and may be of any size and shape and made of any suitable materials. An embodiment of the sheath covering 24 is an elongated and semicircular outer liner made of neoprene rubber, EPDM rubber, or other elastic material and includes an upper fastener 78 extending from a top of the sheath covering 24 and a lower fastener 80 extending from a bottom of the sheath covering 24. The sheath covering 24 may also include an additional fastener 82 and may define a plurality of corrugated ribs 84. The upper fastener 78 is configured to connect the sheath covering 24 to the connecting surface 28 of the waist belt 12 and the lower fastener 80 is configured to connect the sheath covering 24 to the middle of the buttocks support belt 14. The fastener 82 may extend vertically along an outer surface of the sheath covering 24 and is configured to connect the sheath covering 24 to a protective cup, as described below. The corrugated ribs 84 may be configured to interlock with grooves of the protective cup when the protective cup is worn.
An optional rigid sports cup or other protective cup may be provided for additional impact protection and may be of any size and shape and made of any suitable materials. The protective cup is configured to be worn over the sheath covering 24 and may have inward facing grooves for interlocking with the ribs 84 of the sheath covering 24 when worn.
The fasteners of the above-described components may be hook and loop fasteners, buttons, snaps, zippers, or other connectors. Connecting portions of the fasteners may comprise entire surfaces of the components for connecting fasteners at desired locations for setting an appropriate tension and fit of each component. It will be understood that complementary parts of the connecting fasteners such as a hook patch and a loop patch, a button and a button hole, a male and a female snap connector, and a left and a right zipper tape are attached to the components to be connected via staples, stitches, or other attachment means. The staples may be covered by a layer of adhesive or other protective covering for preventing the staples from becoming exposed. Each of the above-described components may also be lined with latex rubber, a thermoplastic elastomer such as Santoprene®, or other soft material for non-abrasively contacting the body.
The above-described genital support system 10 may be assembled and donned as an undergarment as follows:
The waist belt 12 is first wrapped around the wearer's waist with end portions of the waist belt 12 overlapping each other by at least 2 inches at the front center of the waist until the waist belt 12 is snug against the waist, as shown in
The buttocks support belt 14 is then wrapped around a lower portion of the buttocks and the end portions of the buttocks support belt 14 are extended diagonally forwards and upwards around the hips and connected to the connecting surface 28 of the waist belt 12 via the end fasteners 31a,b with tension in the buttocks support belt 14 lifting and supporting the buttocks, as shown in
The pouch 16 is then positioned under the scrotum with the arcuate recess 40 positioned in front of the scrotum and under the penis, as shown in
The scrotal restraint strap 18 is then donned by placing the central band 46 under the scrotum with the two short tabs 48a,b oriented below the two long tabs 50a,b, as shown in
The penis sheath 20 is then prepared for fitting onto the penis. The penis is inserted into the interior chamber 60 of the elongated tube 58 through its open base until the flange 64 contacts the groin, as shown in
The nozzle 66 at the end of the penis sheath 20 may be opened for removing extra air from the interior chamber 60 or for adding additional lubrication to the interior chamber once the penis sheath 20 is donned. The nozzle 66 may also be connected to a urine bag, as described below.
The groin bracer 22 is then placed over the penis sheath 20 with the tab 70 extending upwards and with the penis and the elongated tube 58 inserted through the central hole 74 until the bracer flange 68 contacts the flange 64 at the base of the penis sheath 20, as shown in
The sheath covering 24 is then placed over the penis sheath 20 and the pouch 16 with the penis sheath 20 and the penis pointing in the upwards or downwards orientation, as shown in
The optional protective cup may then be placed over the sheath covering 24. Portions of the fastener 82 on the outer surface of the sheath covering 24 adhere to a complementary fastener on the inner surface of the optional protective cup, thus holding the cup in position over the sheath covering 24.
It will be understood that the above-described components of the genital support system 10 may be assembled or donned in a different order from the order described herein without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The above-described genital support system 10 provides numerous advantages over conventional jockstraps. For example, the genital support system 10 improves comfort and protection of the wearer's genitals. The genital support system 10 also allows the wearer to urinate while it is worn. In addition, the genital support system 10 accommodates various sized body parts by allowing the components to be connected to supporting components at virtually any location and provides many hygiene benefits.
Specifically, the penis sheath 20 and the pouch 16 hold the wearer's penis and scrotum separately, as best shown in
The penis sheath 20 also allows the wearer to urinate while wearing the genital support system 10. The nozzle 66 at the end of the penis sheath 20 may be opened so that the wearer can urinate into a toilet or a urinal. The nozzle may also be connected to an optional urine bag, which collects and retains the wearer's urine and may be removed or emptied when convenient for the wearer, thus providing a mess-free and self-contained urine collecting solution for an incontinent wearer. This also allows a wearer to urinate during activities that do not allow the wearer to unsuit such as during a race, during an underwater drysuit dive, or while wearing a hazardous materials suit.
In addition, individual components of the genital support system 10 may be fitted to different sized body parts. For example, the connecting surface 28 of the waist belt 12 allows other components to be connected at virtually any location thereon, which allows the wearer to set an appropriate tension and fit to each component. In addition, the waist belt extender(s) 30 allows the waist belt 12 to accommodate waists of 30 inches in circumference or greater, and the buttocks support belt extender(s) 34 allows the buttocks support belt 14 to accommodate virtually any buttocks size. The pouch 16 may be fitted to virtually any scrotum size by adding one or more inserts 42 therein. Also, the penis sheath 20 may accommodate virtually any penis size when the seal 62 at the base of the elongated tube 58 of the penis sheath 20 is modified until it fits snugly around the base of the penis, as described above.
Moreover, the genital support system 10 provides many hygiene benefits. For example, the seal 62 at the base of the penis sheath 20 prevents any urine from migrating to other parts of the genital support system 10. In addition, the waist belt 12, the buttocks support belt 14, the pouch 16, the penis sheath 20, the scrotal restraint strap 18, the penis sheath 20, the urine bag, the groin bracer 22, and the sheath covering 24 may be disconnected from each other for being cleaned as needed.
Although the invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.
