Abstract:
A condom is disclosed having a foraminous side wall having a plurality of openings for enhancing sensation and encouraging usage.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/109,905 filed on Jan. 30, 2015. The patent application identified above is incorporated here by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This disclosure relates to condoms for contraceptive and prophylactic use, and more particularly to improved condoms for enhanced pleasure. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
         [0004]    Condoms are well known in the art. Condoms have a dual use as a contraceptive, to inhibit or prevent semen from being deposited in a woman&#39;s cervix, and as a prophylactic to inhibit or prevent sexually transmitted infections (STI&#39;s) such as the HIV virus, which causes the Auto-Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Most modern condoms are made from latex. 
         [0005]    The use of condoms inhibits the spread of STI&#39;s. Considerable, world-wide effort has been made to promote the adoption of condoms to prevent infection and unwanted pregnancies. The use of condoms as a contraceptive method and as a method of preventing the spread of STI&#39;s has is viewed as urgent, both from a medical and a societal standpoint. Unfortunately, the widespread adoption of condom use (both in the US and internationally) has been limited by a number of factors. From the male user&#39;s perspective, condoms inhibit sensation and pleasure due to the interposition of the condom between the penis and the vagina during intercourse. This drawback causes condoms to be inconsistently or intermittently used. 
         [0006]    Therefore, there is a need for an improved condom that enhances sensation while still functioning as a contraceptive and prophylactic device. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    An elastomeric condom, including a closed distal end portion to cover the glans of the penis, said closed end portion terminating in a teat for the collection of semen, an axial hollow tubular portion to cover a shaft of the penis having an inner surface and an outer surface, and having an open proximal end, wherein the hollow tubular portion includes a discontinuous portion having a plurality of openings. 
         [0008]    A condom is disclosed having a foraminous, i.e., discontinuous side wall for enhancing sensation and encouraging usage. The side wall may be foraminous or discontinuous by virtue of a plurality of openings, the openings having a particular shape type from any number of shape types in various embodiments including hexagon, octagon, elliptical, rectangular, circular, square, and/or diamond. 
         [0009]    Various embodiments include bands formed axially or circumferentially of the condom sheath and having less flexibility than the body of the axial tubular sheath so as to aid in keeping the condom in place during use. One or more of the bands may be positioned between the closed end and the openings. 
         [0010]    Various embodiments include an outwardly extending protrusion integrally formed of the condom sheath around one or more of the openings. 
         [0011]    This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    One or more embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary condom, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the exemplary condom, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary condom taken along line A-A of  FIG. 2 , in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary condom taken along line B-B of  FIG. 2 , in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  show an exemplary embodiment of the condom having hexagonal openings, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  show an exemplary embodiment of the condom having hexagonal openings with additional rows, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  show an exemplary embodiment of the condom having rectangular openings, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  show an exemplary embodiment of the condom having octagonal openings, in accordance with the present disclosure; and 
           [0021]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  show an exemplary embodiment of the condom having elliptical or circular openings, in accordance with the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take at least the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context dictates otherwise. The meanings identified below do not necessarily limit the terms, but merely provide illustrative examples for the terms. The meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference, and the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.” The phrase “in one embodiment,” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Similarly, the phrase “in various embodiments,” as used herein, when used multiple times, does not necessarily refer to the same embodiments, although it may. As used herein, the term “or” is an inclusive “or” operator, and is equivalent to the term “and/or,” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not to be construed as exclusive, preferred or advantageous over other aspects. 
         [0023]    Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, where like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the claimed invention. 
         [0024]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein the depictions are for the purpose of illustrating certain exemplary embodiments only and not for the purpose of limiting the same,  FIGS. 1-4  show a first embodiment of a condom  10  as one embodiment the present invention in the unfurled, unrolled condition. 
         [0025]    The condom  10  is flexible and is preferably is made of a resilient material, such as latex or various synthetic polymeric materials, e.g., thermoplastic elastomeric material. The condom  10  is preferably formed of substantially uniform thickness. Upon a careful reading of the teachings herein, one skilled in the art will readily recognize that the disclosure can be applied to various resilient materials and is therefore not intended to be limited thereby including any material commonly used for the manufacture of condoms or that may be suitable for such usage. For example, the condom and the elastic material from whence it is formed can be of material having an elastic impermeable characteristic once shaped and removed from the mold. Examples of such materials include substances such as natural rubber (e.g. latex); synthetic rubber (e.g. silicone rubber); polyurethane; and other elastic substances such as thermoplastic polyolefin elastomers. 
         [0026]    The exemplary condom  10  is formed of sheath  12  having a distal closed end portion  14  and a proximate open end  15 . The open end  15  preferably includes a reinforced rib or lower band  16  to provide friction, holding the condom  10  in place during use. The lower band  16  is shaped as a generally circular torus and is made from the same material as the sheath  12  positioned at an axial end  15  of sheath  12 . The lower band  16  surrounds the opening  15 . The lower band  16  may be formed as an integral part of the sheath  12 . In one embodiment, the distal closed end portion  14  is an enlarged portion of the condom  10  having a circumference and diameter slightly larger than associated with the lower portion  11  of the sheath  12 . 
         [0027]    In one embodiment, the condom  10  includes one or more upper bands  17  to hold the distal closed end  14  in place during use. The one or more upper bands  17  are generally circular torus-shaped and may be made from the same material as the sheath  12 . In one embodiment, the bands  17  are formed as an integral part of the sheath  12 . 
         [0028]    The sheath  12  is a generally cylindrical or elongated tubular shaped structure. In various embodiments, the sheath  12  may have a semen receptacle  13  integrally formed thereof at a distal end. In various embodiments, lubricant and various agents may be deposited on interior and exterior surface portions of the sheath  12 . These agents can include spermicides and microbicides which inactivate or block infection by sexually transmitted pathogens. 
         [0029]    The condom  10  includes a plurality of openings  18  forming a discontinuous portion  19  of the sheath  12 . The discontinuous portion  19 , in one embodiment, is positioned in an upper to central area of the condom  10 . In one embodiment, the openings  18  are generally diamond or rhombus-shaped and are uniformly arranged in rows and columns. In one embodiment, the rows with openings  18  arranged under each other may be each offset essentially from each other by the half-width of an opening. In one embodiment, columns with openings  18  arranged adjacent each other may be offset laterally from each other, such as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  shows a cross-sectional view of the condom  10  along line B-B of  FIG. 2 . As  FIG. 4  shows, the openings  18 , in one embodiment, are generally bordered by a raised protrusion  20  formed around the openings  18 . The raised protrusion  20  forms a perimeter around the openings  18  and extends outwardly from an outer surface of the sheath  12 . In various embodiments, the raised protrusion  20  may extend outwardly from the sheath  12  and inwardly from the sheath  12 . 
         [0031]      FIGS. 5A-9B  show various embodiments of the openings of the condom  10  including hexagon shapes, square shapes, circular shapes, and octagonal shapes. In various embodiments, it is contemplated that the arrangement, quantity of openings, and size of openings may vary. 
         [0032]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  and  FIGS. 6A and 6B  show an embodiment of the condom  10  having hexagonal shaped openings  50  formed to a region of the sheath  12 .  FIGS. 5A and 5B  show the hexagonal shaped openings as arranged in three rows, while  FIGS. 6A and 6B  show the hexagonal shaped openings as arranged in five rows. In one embodiment, the region is positioned in a central area of the condom  10 . The openings  50  are generally hexagonal shaped and are uniformly arranged in rows and columns, such that a generally honeycomb structure is produced. In one embodiment, the rows with openings  50  arranged under each other may be each offset essentially from each other by the half-width of an opening. In one embodiment, columns with openings  50  arranged adjacent each other may be offset laterally from each other, such as shown in best in  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 6A . 
         [0033]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  shows an embodiment of the condom  10  having square shaped-openings  70  formed to a region of the sheath  12 . In one embodiment, the region is positioned in a central area of the condom  10 . The openings  70  may be generally oblong shaped-openings such as the square shapes shown, but may be rectangular and are preferably uniformly arranged in rows and columns. In one embodiment, the rows with openings  70  arranged under each other may be each offset essentially from each other by the half-width of an opening. In one embodiment, columns with openings  70  arranged adjacent each other may be offset laterally from each other, such as shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B . 
         [0034]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  shows an embodiment of the condom  10  having octagonal shaped-openings  80  formed to a region of the sheath  12 . In one embodiment, the region is positioned in a central area of the condom  10 . The openings  80  may be generally octagonal and are preferably uniformly arranged in rows and columns. In one embodiment, the rows with openings  80  arranged under each other may be each offset essentially from each other by the half-width of an opening. In one embodiment, columns with openings  80  arranged adjacent each other may be offset laterally from each other, such as shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8B . 
         [0035]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  shows an embodiment of the condom  10  having circular shaped-openings  90  formed to a region of the sheath  12 . In one embodiment, the region is positioned in a central area of the condom  10 . The openings  90  are generally circular or elliptical-shaped and are uniformly arranged in rows and columns. In one embodiment, the rows with openings  90  arranged under each other may be each offset essentially from each other by the half-width of an opening. In one embodiment, columns with openings  90  arranged adjacent each other may be offset laterally from each other, such as shown in  FIGS. 9A and 9B . 
         [0036]    Other suitable shapes are conceivable that facilitate a large area for the openings combined with simultaneous stability of the interlaying framework. 
         [0037]    With respect to the mutual arrangement of the openings, these may either be arranged in rows, in which the openings are entirely spaced apart in rows, or the openings are arranged in the rows such that they project into the corresponding cavities formed by openings of adjacent rows. The openings in the columns in which they are arranged may be provided directly beneath each other or offset from each other, such that load dissipation, improves. The columns with openings arranged under each other may be each offset essentially from each other by the half-width of an opening, in one embodiment. 
         [0038]    The disclosure has described certain preferred embodiments and modifications thereto. Further modifications and alterations may occur to others upon reading and understanding the specification. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.