Patent Publication Number: US-2005125872-A1

Title: Front vented swimwear

Description:
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/528,928, filed Dec. 11, 2003, entitled “Front Vented Swimwear”, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD  
      This present invention relates generally to swimwear and more particularly to swimwear adopted for facilitating the passage of gases and liquids therethrough.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      With the growing recreational and therapeutic use of hot tubs and spas, many users commonly experience an annoying phenomenon. Due to submerged water jets and ports for injecting air into the tub/spa, it is not uncommon for a user to experience significant bulging and puffiness in their swim garments from the air trapped therein.  
      This phenomenon is particularly pronounced for males wearing boxer-style swim trunks. It is believed that air enters the loose, lower openings of such swim trunks adjacent the wearer&#39;s thighs. The air is then trapped within the swim suit just below the form-fitting elastic waistband, as the air attempts to travel toward the water&#39;s surface. A wearer who wishes to minimize this problem can periodically pull the waistband briefly away from their waist to release the trapped air and allow it to bubble up to the surface. Typically, even with the above-described release of air, the problem will occur again in a short time.  
      A similar problem can occur for women, depending on the style of swim suit. If the suit allows air to enter and has a form-fitting band along a top surface, air may become trapped inside in a fashion similar to men&#39;s swim trunks described above.  
      It is against this background and with a desire to improve on the prior art that the present invention has been developed.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A swim suit is provided that includes a front panel having an upper portion and a rear panel. The front panel has at least one vent defined in the upper portion thereof to facilitate the passage of gas therethrough.  
      The swim suit may further include a waistband formed along an upper edge thereof proximate the upper portion of the front panel. The swim suit may be formed as a pair of shorts to be worn around the lower trunk of the wearer. The swim suit may be formed as a covering for a substantial portion of the chest of the wearer.  
      The at least one vent may be generally wider than it is tall. The at least one vent may be formed as a buttonhole. The at least one vent may be sufficiently sized to allow air bubbles to escape therethrough. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a swim suit on a wearer, showing air bubbles escaping from vents defined in a front panel thereof.  
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the swim suit of  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 3  is a close-up view of one of the vents of the swim suit of  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 4  is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a swim suit showing vents defined in an upper front panel thereof. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which assist in illustrating the various pertinent features of the present invention. Although the present invention will now be described primarily in conjunction with a swim suit, it should be expressly understood that the present invention may be applicable to other applications where release of trapped air is required/desired. In this regard, the following description of a swim suit is presented for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Consequently, variations and modifications commensurate with the following teachings, and skill and knowledge of the relevant art, are within the scope of the present invention. The embodiments described herein are further intended to explain modes known of practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such, or other embodiments and with various modifications required by the particular application(s) or use(s) of the present invention.  
      A swim suit  10  can be worn in conventional fashion by a wearer  12 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the swim suit  10  includes a front panel  14  and a rear panel  16  that are stitched or otherwise attached together on opposite lateral sides at side seams  18 . The panels  14  and  16  may also be stitched or otherwise attached together along inner seams (not shown) to define a pair of leg openings  20  and  22 . The swim suit  10  also includes a waistband  24  attached thereto along a top edge of the panels  14  and  16 . The waistband  24  may include elastic or a drawstring, or any other suitable means for holding the waistband  24  at or near the waist of the wearer  12 .  
      The front panel  14  includes a plurality of vents  26  defined therein to facilitate the passage of gases and liquids therethrough. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there are six such vents  26  arranged in an upper row of four vents  26  and a lower row of two vents  26 . The vents  26  are generally oriented in a horizontal fashion that is generally parallel to the waistband  24 . The vents  26  are further arranged in generally symmetrical fashion with half of the vents  26  being located to the left of a vertical centerline of the front panel  14  and the remaining half of the vents being located to the right of the vertical centerline of the front panel  14 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 3 , the vents  26  are significantly wider than they are tall. The vents  26  may be formed as buttonholes in a conventional manner. The vents  26  may be approximately 1.9 centimeters wide 0.4 centimeters tall and adjacent vents may be spaced apart from each other by approximately 3.5 to 4.5 centimeters. The pair of rows of vents may be spaced apart from each other by approximately 3 to 4 centimeters. It should be understood, however, that the scope and teachings of the invention apply to any front-vented swimwear, without regard to the number, shape, size, type, or orientation of the vents  26  and without regard to the spacing, pattern, or specific arrangement of the vents  26 . As merely a few examples, other types of openings such as grommets, zippers, and the like could be used.  
      A second embodiment is shown in  FIG. 4 , in which a portion of a woman&#39;s swim suit  30  is shown. The women&#39;s swim suit  30  includes a front chest panel  32  including six vents  34 . Each of the characteristics described above of the vents  26  may apply to the vents  34  of the women&#39;s swim suit  30  as well.  
      As can be appreciated, the front and rear panels of swim trunks are differently shaped from each other, so that they are well adapted for the likely directions of movement for the wearer&#39;s legs. Specifically, they easily allow for a wearer to move their legs into a position for seating. It is from this position that is commonly used in hot tubs and spas that the front panel with the vents therein will allow for the passage of air therethrough so as not to trap air within the swim trunks.  
      The foregoing description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Consequently, variations and modifications commensurate with the above teachings, and skill and knowledge of the relevant art, are within the scope of the present invention. The embodiments described hereinabove are further intended to explain best modes known of practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such, or other embodiments and with various modifications required by the particular application(s) or use(s) of the present invention. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.