TROUSERS MADE OUT OF WATER-TIGHT MATERIAL

Abstract: The invention relates to swimming trunks made of water-tight material, where the openings (2, 3) for the torso (4) and for the legs (5) are provided with tight-fitting cuffs or similar devices made of elastic material. In order to sealingly bridge over depressions on the surface of the body, e.g. the "ditches" found on each side of the spine, each cuff comprises a tube-shaped channel (7, 8), which extends around the adjacent opening and which to a small extent is filled with a fluid, preferably air.

Description: TROUSERS MADE OUT OF WATER-TIGHT MATERIAL The present invention relates to trousers, preferably swimming trunks, made of water-tight material, where the openings for the torso and the legs are supplied with tight-fitting cuffs or similar devices. Similar garments manufactured to prevent or reduce the contact between the bath water and the part of the body covered by such garment are previously known. They are, however, provided either with tight-fitting elastic ribbons around the openings or with some kind of tape, which can stick to the skin and form a water-tight connection between the edges of the openings of the garment and the body. Elastic, water-tight elastic ribbons have a tendency to let the water escape past uneven surfaces of the body, found especially along the spine in the shape of "ditches". Tape which can stick to the skin will at least for a short time give a good protection, but has a tendency to soon fail. Tape which is securely fastened to the skin, tends to be most difficult and painful to remove without solvents and furthermore causes skin irritation. The object of this invention is to achieve a pair of trunks, which function more dependably and are easier to use than any earlier known garment of the fore-mentioned type. According to the invention such a result is reached by inserting in each of the cuffs around the openings an elastic, tube-shaped channel partly filled with a fluid, preferably air. Such cuffs are shown to effectively and indefinitely seal when the fluid moves within the channel toward places with more space, that is the uneven body surfaces like those "ditches" along the spine. If along such a channel, the surface toward the body is made of extremely thin material, which is also very elastic, the pressure against the body will be constant along the entire channel and the contact will normally be total. The trunks are manufactured of some kind of elastic plastics or latex material and are preferably used underneath ordinary swimming trunks or bathing suits. It is therefore desirable that the outline of the inner trunks is not very noticeable. The material used on the outside of each channel as well as a narrow strip on each side of the channel is therefore less elastic than that of the inside where the material touches the skin. The fluid in the channel is then forced toward the edges of the channel such that any formation of a visible bulge along the channels is prevented or at least reduced. The invention is further explained in the following section with reference to the attached drawing, which schematically shows an example of one design made according to this invention, where Figure 1 shows the front of the trunks worn by a person, Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line II-II in figure 1, Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line III-III in figure 2, and Figure 4 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV in figure 2. The trunks shown in figure 1 are made of flexible and elastic latex. The opening 2 for the torso and the openings 3 for the legs are fairly tightly fitted against the person's torso 4 and legs 5. Surfaces where those openings fail to fit tightly are found where the body surface has various depressions, which occurs especially along the spine. Such a "ditch" 6 is shown in figure 2. Such "ditches" can also develop around the legs 5 depending on the existence of muscles. In order to force the openings 2,3 of the trunks to fit tightly against the body even there tube-shaped channels 7,8 are located close to the opening 2 for the torso and the openings 3 for the legs. Each channel 7,8 is formed by an endless strip 9 of extremely thin-walled and elastic latex being attached to the inner side of the trunks by vulcanization, glueing or a similar method with a small quantity of air enclosed in the channel. The quantity of air is distributed along the channels 7,8 and is assembled where there is a space, i.e. fills up existing depressions 6. It is advantageous if the trunks 1 are rather tight-fitting such that the air is pressed into the depressions 6 and towards the edges of the channels 7,8 so that no visible bulges are formed by the channels. A contributory cause to this is also the fact, that the channels 7,8 are located a short distance from the edges of the openings 2,3, such that a small portion on each side of the channels are less elastic than the material of the channels in contact with the body. The trunks according to the invention are intended for use underneath conventional, elastic swimming trunks or swimming suits, which also contributes more or less to the good sealing function of the channels 7,8. The invention is of course not limited to the embodiment shown and described here but can be modified in different ways within the scope of the inventive idea defined by the claims. Hence, each opening for the torso and the legs may be provided with further one or more tight-fitting cuffs formed by channels filled with a fluid.

Claims: C L A I S 1. Trunks, preferably swimming trunks, made of water-tight material, where the openings (2,3) for the torso (4) and for the legs (5) are provided with tight-fitting cuffs or similar devices made of elastic material, characterized in that each cuff is provided with a tube-shaped channel (7,8) extending around the adjacent opening (2,3) and partly filled with a fluid, preferably air. 2. Trunks according to claim 1, characterized in that the portion of the channel (7,8) in contact with the body (4,5) consists of an extremely thin-walled material (9) . 3. Trunks according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the material of the trunks covering each channel (7,8) and extending a small distance off the channel on each side of the channel is less elastic than the material of the portion of the channel in contact with the body (4,5).

Inventors: TOERNQVIST LENA, TOERNQVIST, LENA
Applicants: TOERNQVIST LENA, TOERNQVIST, LENA
Application year: 1995
Main classification: A41D7
IPC codes: A41D7