Abstract:
Cycling shorts for protecting a rider from harmful effects occasioned by the design of the substantially unpadded seat of a racing-type cycle. Fabric shorts of conventional or elongated design include a interior protective pad. The pad includes adjoined seat and crotch sections and is symmetrical with respect to an axis of symmetry. It includes an interior chamber for receiving pressurized air. A pump for delivering selectively pressurized air communicates with the interior chamber by means of a conduit. The chamber includes internally honeycombed sections for minimizing air flow so that the cushioning effect of the pad is preserved despite the force exerted by the weight of a wearer on the hard and relatively-inflexible seat.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to cycling. More particularly, this invention pertains to shorts that include air-cushioning for significantly reducing the discomfort and possible risks to the rider often posed by the relatively hard seat of a cycle. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     While bicycle riding, or cycling, is almost-universally appreciated as a high quality source of fitness and health, it can pose health issues, especially for male cyclists. Although a generally low impact activity, the interface between rider and a racing-type seat can contribute to not-insubstantial physical harm. 
     A racing-style seat is designed to provide minimal impediment to the rider&#39;s ability to “pump” his legs for maximum speed and power when, for example, racing or climbing a hill. This dictates that it present a minimal profile in the horizontal plane to offer maximum clearance for the insides of the rider&#39;s legs. This is in contrast to other types of recreational cycles that provide a well-padded seat of generally-triangular design. Such seats are found on cycles designed for leisurely coasting and are quite suitable for sightseeing rather than racing or strenuous workouts. 
     The seat of a racing-type cycle is generally horizontally-elongated and aligned with the frame of the cycle. It is characterized by a transverse cross-section of inverted u-shape for maximum leg clearance as discussed above. The described shape allows the unfettered pumping of the cyclist&#39;s legs. In keeping with the objective of minimizing interference with the pumping of the rider&#39;s legs, the seat of a racing-type cycle is minimalist, formed of a cast metal frame with an overlying cover of leather or synthetic fabric. Minimal allowance is made for cushioning material of any kind. 
     While a seat of the type described in the preceding paragraph is advantageous for the aggressive rider who may often be standing throughout the majority of his workout, such design poses certain well-recognized risks. The seat of a racing-type cycle is only minimally-functional in terms of cushioning when one sits on it for extended periods of time. This is especially the case for male riders whose physiology is not particularly well suited for resting on a hard seat. Riding can cause the weight of the upper body of a male rider to press the rider&#39;s prostate and gonadal region down upon the hard seat, resulting in medically-recognized harm. 
     Current designs of cycling shorts for men include padding of, for example, foam rubber, synthetic fabric or fiber that extends from the rider&#39;s seat to cover the crotch region. While offering some comfort and protection, such shorts are not particularly suitable for use by casual riders over long distances as the padding is subject to compression and can become hard and ineffective as a cushion with extended use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses the preceding and other shortcomings of the prior art by providing cycling shorts of novel design. Such shorts include a first fabric portion for covering at least a first upper leg of a wearer and extending to the wearer&#39;s waist and a second fabric portion for covering at least a second upper leg of a wearer rider and extending to the wearer&#39;s waist. 
     The first and second portions converge to a seam defining an axis of symmetry of the shorts. A pad is affixed to the inner surface of the shorts. The pad comprises integral seat section and crotch sections. The pad is aligned with respect to the axis of symmetry of the shorts so that the crotch section overlies the wearer&#39;s crotch region. The pad includes a interior chamber for receiving and retaining pressurized air. 
     The preceding and other features of the invention will become further apparent from the detailed description that follows. Such description is accompanied by a set of drawing figures. Numerals of the drawings, corresponding to those of the written description, point to the features of the invention with like numerals referring to like features throughout both the written description and the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  are perspective frontal and rear views of a pair of cycling shorts (on a wearer) in accordance with the invention; 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  are perspective assembled and exploded perspective views, respectively, of the interior pad of cycling shorts in accordance with the invention; and 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the air pump apparatus for cycling shorts in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  are perspective frontal and rear views, respectively, of cycling shorts  10  (on a wearer  11 ) in accordance with the invention. The shorts  10  of  FIG. 10  are of the men&#39;s classic compression-fit design that generally comprises first and second (left and right) fabric portions  12  and  14  that cover portions of the legs of a wearer. The fabric portions  12 ,  14  upwardly converge, forming (at the front) a frontal portion or panel  16  and a seat portion or panel  18 . The upper edge of the shorts  10  comprises a waistband  20 . A seam  21  running between the portion of the waistband  20  adjacent the frontal panel  16  through that adjacent the seat panel  18  defines the axis of symmetry of the cycling shorts  10 . As shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the seam  21  may represent an actual sewn seam that joins the two fabric portions  12  and  14 . It may also be a “virtual” seam in the event that another physical seam configuration joins the fabric portions  12  and  14  to form the frontal and seat panels  16 ,  18 . It shall be understood that, regardless of the configuration adopted for physical joinder of the fabric portions  12  and  14  to form the completed cycling shorts, the term seam is understood to be either a physical or virtual manifestation that coincides with the axis of symmetry of the cycling shorts  10  as is clearly the case as illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . 
     The shorts of  FIGS. 1A and 1B  are preferably of elasticized synthetic fabric such as LYCRA® and a waistband  20  may be reinforced with elastic material or a drawstring to secure the shorts  10  to the rider&#39;s waist. 
     The particular type of shorts illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B  are, as mentioned earlier, of classic compression-fit design that terminate above a wearer&#39;s knees and offer a skin-tight fit that is especially suitable for racing. Numerous other designs of cycling shorts are recognized as more-or-less standard and, as will be seen, adaptable to the features that characterize the invention. Such alternative cycling short designs include so-called baggy and bib shorts. 
     As seen in  FIG. 1A , a pump  22  is centrally fixed to the upper frontal panel  16  in close proximity to the waistband  20 . Offset from the pump  22  is a relief valve  24 . The pump  22  communicates with the relief valve  24  through a connecting conduit segment  26 . The overall arrangement of the system for selectively pumping air into the shorts  10  for air-cushioning is illustrated in  FIG. 3  below. 
     A pad (not visible in  FIG. 1A  or  1 B) is secured to the interior of the shorts  10  by stitching, indicated by a continuous stitch line  28  that spans both the frontal and seat panels  16  and  18  respectively. Detailed views of the interior pad for air-cushioning of the shorts  10  are provided in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the view of  FIG. 2A  being a perspective view of an assembled interior pad  30  and that of  FIG. 2B  being an exploded perspective view of the pad  30  illustrating its internal details. 
     Referring in particular to  FIG. 2B , the pad  30  comprises a composite, multi-layered device. Fabric outer layers  32 ,  34  surround an internal chamber  36  formed between mating internal layers  38 ,  40  of impermeable material. The internal layers  38 ,  40  are preferably formed of molded silicone rubber for flexibility and may be secured to one another by one or more of a number of conventional sealing processes such as gluing or fusion, thereby assuring that the internal chamber  36  formed between the internal layers  38 ,  40  is air tight. Designed apertures are provided within the internal chamber  36  for communication with an input/output air conduit  42  and for guiding the distribution of cushioning air within the internal chamber  36 . 
     Returning to  FIG. 2A , the assembled pad  30  is shaped to include relatively distinctly shaped enlarged seat and narrow crotch regions  44  and  46  respectively. When fixed to the shorts  10 , the seat region  44  generally lies within the seat portion or panel  18  while the crotch region  46  extends from the seat portion to the frontal portion or panel  16 . 
     Returning to the exploded perspective view of  FIG. 2B , the internal chamber  36  is seen to be subdivided into a honeycombed plurality of cells, each cell being divided from the others by an arrangement of cell-defining internal walling  45  contained within a shaped outer wall  47 . A variety of apertures and passages are provided within the internal chamber  36  to permit the controllable inflation of the pad  30  both prior to and during use. Recognizing that the first and second layers of impermeable material  38 ,  40  are sealed to one another when assembled, pressurized air can enter (and exit) the chamber  36  via the input/output conduit  42  through an accommodating aperture in the outer wall  47 . Once within the boundary formed by the outer wall  47 , such air can circulate under pressure within the internal chamber  36 , guided throughout the cell-defining internal walling  45  via notches at upper edges of cells (such as a representative notch  48 ) and through a duct  50  that joins a front portion chamber  52  to a mid-portion chamber  54  of the internal chamber  36 . 
     The chamber  36  is controllably pressurized by means of the manually-operable pump  22  that is fixed to the frontal panel  16  of the cycling shorts  10 . Viewing  FIGS. 2A and 2B  together, it can be seen that the internal chamber  36  of the pad  30  is apportioned into a number of distinct sections to provide necessary protection and comfort for a wearer during cycling. Proceeding from front to rear, the front portion chamber  52  underlies and cushions the gonadal region of a wearer. It is connected by the internal duct  50  to the mid-portion chamber  54  that underlies the prostate area of a male cyclist. The relatively-narrow mid-portion chamber  54  merges with an enlarged seat region chamber  58  that underlies the rear or seat of the cyclist. 
     The honeycombed structure of the interior chamber  36  wherein cells permit limited transmission and redistribution of pressurized air between the various regions or sub-chambers described above assures that, once inflated, the interior chamber  36  will continue to support and cushion the various anatomical regions that can be negatively affected by pressure exerted by a hard racing-type seat on a rider. Were it not for the cellular structure with small ducts permitting only limited redistribution of air within the interior chamber  36  as the rider contacts the seat, air within the chamber  36  would invariably be disadvantageously distributed, largely negating any desired cushioning effect. Without the honeycombed internal structure of the chamber  36 , air would be readily forced away from the regions underlying portions of the rider&#39;s anatomy that press hardest against the hard cycle seat toward those that exert lesser pressure. For example, one would expect lateral migration of pressurized air away from the centerline of joinder of the fabric portions  12 ,  14  of the shorts  10 . This is both wasteful of the cushioning effect and degrades the effectiveness of the air cushion. Were one to attempt to compensate for this migration of cushioning effect, overinflation of the chamber  36  would undoubtedly produce other deleterious effects. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the air pump apparatus of the invention. Such apparatus enables the cyclist to inflate the pad  30  by an amount that provides comfort and protection. The apparatus includes the bladder-like pump  22 , commonly known as a “palm pump” which includes a small aperture  60  for admitting air via suction when pressed. The input/output conduit  42  includes an internal trapping air valve  62  that limits air transfer, permitting air to flow solely from the bladder-like pump toward and/or into the pad  30 . The relief valve  24  is connected to the input/output conduit  42  by means of the conduit  26 . It includes a flap  64  that permits the rider to reduce pressure within the chamber  36  as desired. This prevents overinflation of the pad  30  that can be harmful in itself to the cyclist. 
     Impact testing using INSTRON DYNATUP® instrumented impact test and data acquisitions software has shown that a pad in accordance with the invention as described, formed of laminated layers comprising an exterior of soft fabric and internal layers of impermeable material forming an internal chamber for receiving pressurized air, above can substantially reduce the loading in the presence of an applied force. Such load reduction is achieved by an increase in the degree of displacement (as compared with wood, as well as the padding employed in the following models of cycling shorts: SUGOI®-XL, SUGOI®-L women and CANARI®-M) that is absorbed by an air-cushioned pad in accordance with the invention. Load reductions of 45 to 57 percent were observed with in a pad in accordance with the invention inflated in the range of 30 to 40 p.s.i. The other paddings (including wood) offered load reductions in the range of 0 to 27 percent. 
     Thus it is seen that the air-cushioned cycling shorts of the invention provide a means for protecting a rider from the potentially damaging effects of a racing-type seat. By utilizing the teachings of this invention, the cyclist can enjoy the manifold health benefits of cycling without substantial fear of harmful side effects. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to its presently preferred embodiment, it is not limited thereto. Rather, this invention is limited only insofar as it is defined by the following set of patent claims and includes within its scope all equivalents thereof.