Inner thigh protector garment

A pair of substantially identical garments are adapted to be worn on each upper thigh to protect the thighs against irritation due to friction when they are rubbed together during walking, running, exercising, etc. The garment comprises a tube of elastomeric cloth material having an upper end and a lower end. The upper end has a larger diameter than the lower end. The length of the garment along its central axis between the upper and lower end is less than approximately eleven inches and is preferably in the range of six to ten inches. Either the garment or separate pantyhose or underwear can be provided with padding between the inner thighs to further protect against skin irritation due to friction when the thighs rub against each other.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a protective garment and padding for human 
inner thighs; in particular, a garment which is designed to be worn on the 
upper portion of each leg or thigh of a person to protect against 
irritation due to friction between the inner thighs. 
Many people, particularly women and teenage girls whose extra weight is 
concentrated in the thigh area, experience discomfort in the region 
between the thighs due to friction when the inner thighs rub against each 
other while walking, running and exercising. Such friction leads to skin 
irritation, especially during warm weather, often resulting in a severe 
rash or at least redness of the skin and consequent discomfort between the 
thighs. 
Another problem, which particularly affects women who wear girdles in the 
lower abdomen and thigh area, is an embarrassing "swishing" sound that is 
produced when the thighs rub together while walking. 
Finally, another problem which often occurs with persons wearing pants or 
shorts is that the leg portions of the pants "ride up" toward the lower 
abdomen or down toward the legs, due to the friction between the thighs as 
well as to excess fat on the upper outer thighs (i.e., "saddle bags"). 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a remedy for 
the various problems caused when a person's thighs rub together during 
walking, running, exercising, etc. 
This object, as well as other objects which will become apparent from the 
discussion that follows, are achieved, according to the present invention, 
by providing a garment, to be worn individually one on each thigh, which 
ameliorates the friction and chaffing between the thighs as they are 
rubbed together. 
In particular, the garment comprises a tube of elastomeric cloth material 
having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end having a larger 
diameter than the lower end. The length of the garment along its central 
axis between the upper and the lower end is less than approximately eleven 
inches and is preferably in the range of six to ten inches. 
The garment is adapted and designed to be worn as high up on a person's leg 
as possible; that is, on the upper thigh. When two such garments are worn 
in this way, they reduce substantially the friction in the region between 
the upper thighs when the person is walking, running, exercising, etc. 
Advantageously, the garment has a hem surrounding both the upper end and 
the lower end thereof to provide reinforcement and stability at these 
ends. 
The elastomeric cloth material is preferably of the type which permits the 
passage of air and moisture therethrough. The "no roll elastic" is 
preferably used at the upper and lower ends of the garment to prevent the 
garment from rolling either up or down. Cotton spandex and nylon spandex 
are the materials of choice; however, other materials may be used provided 
that the cloth material is a "mesh" spandex or the like which can "breath" 
through the plurality of holes. 
In order to further guard against friction and chaffing, the garment 
preferably also includes a protective pad disposed on the cloth tube 
substantially mid-way between the upper and lower ends. This protective 
pad is advantageously oval shaped and is disposed on the tube with its 
major axis extending substantially parallel to the central axis of the 
tube. When two garments are worn properly, the pad on each garment further 
guards against friction and chaffing in the region between the upper 
thighs. 
Alternatively, or in addition to the protective pad, the garment may be 
provided with a cloth overlay disposed on the tube substantially midway 
between the upper and lower ends to reduce friction between two garments 
when they are used. The cloth overlay is preferably made of a smooth 
material, such as satin, to minimize friction when the two garments are 
rubbed together during walking, running, exercising, etc., and to provide 
comfort as well as minimize "saddle bags". 
Instead of providing a tubular garment with its associated padding, it is 
possible to apply the protective pads to a pants-type garment such as 
pantyhose or underpants. In this case, a protective pad is disposed on 
each tubular portion of the garment in the region between the upper thighs 
such that the pads are disposed directly opposite each other when the 
garment is worn. 
For a full understanding of the present invention, reference should now be 
made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of 
the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described 
with reference to FIGS. 1-5 of the drawings. Identical elements in the 
various figures are identified with the same reference numerals. 
FIG. 1 illustrates the garment 10 according to the present invention. As 
may be seen the garment is in the shape of a tube having an upper end 12 
and a lower end 14. The upper end 12 has a diameter 16 which is larger 
than the diameter 18 of the lower end 14. The length of the tube-like 
garment 10 along its central axis 20 between the upper end and the lower 
end is less than approximately eleven inches and is preferably in the 
range of six to ten inches. 
The garment 10 has a reinforced hem 22 surrounding the upper end 12 and a 
reinforced hem 24 surrounding the lower end 14 to prevent fraying, etc., 
during use. 
The tube 10 is made of an elastomeric cloth material such as cotton 
spandex, nylon spandex or "no roll elastic". To facilitate "breathing", 
the material, no matter what it is made of, may be a mesh spandex. 
Arranged on one side the tube-like garment, either on the inside or outside 
of the tube, is a protective pad 26 disposed substantially midway between 
the upper end and the lower end. The pad is approximately oval shaped and 
is disposed on the tube with its major axis 28 extending substantially in 
parallel with the central axis 20 of the tube. 
In addition, or alternatively, the garment may be provided with a cloth 
overlay essentially of the same pattern as the pad 26. Whereas the pad 
protects against the effects of friction when two garments, worn on a 
person's thighs, rub together, the overlay is intended to reduce friction 
between the two garments as well as to provide comfort. Thus, the cloth 
overlay is made of a smooth material such as satin. 
FIG. 2 illustrates two garments being worn on the upper thighs of a person. 
The garments are arranged such that the pads and/or cloth overlays 26 are 
facing each other in the region of greatest friction. The upper ends 12 of 
the two garments are pulled up on the thighs as high as they will go. 
FIG. 3 illustrates how the garment according to the present invention may 
be worn by a woman with pantyhose. The garments 10 are placed on the upper 
thighs either inside or outside of the pantyhose. 
FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate how the garment 10 according to the present 
invention may be worn with jogging pants or Bermuda shorts, respectively. 
In this case, the garment 10 is worn underneath the pants or shorts to 
avoid an unsightly appearance. Experience has shown that the use of the 
garment 10 is helpful in preventing the pants or shorts from "riding up" 
due to friction between the legs. 
FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate how thigh protector pads of the type shown in 
FIGS. 1 and 2 can be attached directly to pantyhose (FIG. 6) and underwear 
(FIG. 7). The thigh protector pads 26 may be attached either by sewing or 
by an adhesive either to the inside or outside of the garment. These pads 
protect against skin irritation due to friction when the thighs rub 
against each other while walking, running and exercising. 
There has thus been shown and described a novel inner thigh protector 
garment which fulfills all the objects and advantages sought therefor. 
Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of 
the subject invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in 
the art after considering this specification and the accompanying drawings 
which disclose the preferred embodiments thereof. All such changes, 
modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not 
depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered 
by the invention, which is to be limited only by the claims which follow.