Patent Publication Number: US-2011047677-A1

Title: Men&#39;s underwear

Description:
BACKGROUND ART 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a men&#39;s underwear suited to prevention and treatment of skin diseases of the lower abdomen of a person, especially the scrotum of the person. 
     2. Related Art 
     Conventionally, men&#39;s underwear is wholly made of cotton such as knit fabric. The cotton knit fabric is suited to absorption of sweat, but is less airy. Hence the scrotum covered with the cotton knit fabric is not sufficiently ventilated, and becomes stuffy. If the scrotum is stuffy, bacteria tend to grow and often cause skin diseases, and it is not comfortable. 
     The present applicant previously disclosed a men&#39;s underwear improved in ventilation in JP-A-2008-138344. 
     The present applicant also proposed a men&#39;s underwear capable of changing the ventilation state in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3149736. This men&#39;s underwear includes an opening for a body of a person, a pair of openings for legs positioned at the opposite side of the opening for the body of the person, a front body having a window formed in a portion capable of covering to the scrotum of the person, linking to the opening for the body of the person and the pair of openings for legs of the person, and a plurality of covers covering a part or the whole of the window of the front body, and provided detachably to the front body. Each one of the plurality of covers has an opening, and each opening differs in an area of the opening in every cover. One of the plurality of covers selected to be most appropriate or nearly appropriate is attached to and used at the front body. 
     However, in the technology disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3149736, a plurality of cover members must be needed in order to change the area of the opening of the cover. To change the area of the opening at small intervals, further multiple cover members should be required. 
     The present invention is devised to solve these conventional problems, and it is hence an object thereof to present a men&#39;s underwear capable of changing the area of openings for ventilation at small intervals, and high in satisfaction, without using a multiplicity of cover members. 
     SUMMARY 
     The men&#39;s underwear of the present invention includes an opening for the body of a person, a pair of openings for legs of the person positioned at the opposite side of the opening for the body; a front body having a window formed in a portion corresponding to a scrotum of the person, linking to the opening for the body and the pair of openings for legs, and a cover that covers a part or the whole of the window of the front body, and is provided detachably to the front body. An area of an opening of the window of the front body can be changed continuously by changing the folding state of the cover. 
     Moreover, the men&#39;s underwear of the present invention includes an opening for a body of a person, a pair of openings for legs of the person positioned at the opposite side of the opening for the body; a front body having a window formed in a portion corresponding to a scrotum of the person, linking to the opening for the body and the pair of openings for legs; and a cover that covers a part or the whole of the window of the front body, and is provided detachably to the front body, wherein an area of an opening of the window of the front body can be changed continuously by changing an attaching position of the cover on the front body. 
     According to the men&#39;s underwear of the present invention, by changing the folding state of the cover, or by changing the attaching position of the cover on the front body, the opening area of the window of the front body (an area of an effective ventilation space of the window opening) can be changed continuously. Therefore, without requiring multiple cover members, the opening area can be set to an appropriate area for a user. Hence the satisfaction for the user is enhanced. 
     In the men&#39;s underwear of the present invention, the scrotum of the user is covered with a covering material formed in an appropriate area of an opening. The opening is much airy as compared, for example, with the cotton knit fabric. Hence, the scrotum is prevented from getting stuffy. As a result, skin diseases of the scrotum can be prevented or treated, and the cooling effect of testicles may also be expected. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a men&#39;s underwear in a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a state of a cover removed. 
         FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3G  are magnified views of a pocket of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a magnified perspective view of the cover of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B  are magnified views of the cover of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention (100% opening state). 
         FIG. 6A  and  FIG. 6B  are development diagrams of the cover of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7A  and  FIG. 7B  are magnified views of the cover of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention (50% opening state). 
         FIG. 8A  and  FIG. 8B  are magnified views of the cover of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention (0% opening state). 
         FIG. 9  is a development diagram of the cover of the men&#39;s underwear used in a second example of the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of a men&#39;s underwear in a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a front view of the men&#39;s underwear in the second embodiment of the present invention, showing a state of a cover removed. 
         FIG. 12A  and  FIG. 12B  are development diagrams of the cover of the men&#39;s underwear in the second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  is a front view of a men&#39;s underwear in a third embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 14A  to  FIG. 14C  are front views showing variations of a shielding member of a pocket. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below while referring to the drawings. 
     First Embodiment 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 8B , the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment is described below.  FIG. 1  is a front view of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a front view of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state the cover is removed. The men&#39;s underwear  1  of this embodiment includes a front body  2 , a back body  3 , a pocket  4 , and a cover  5 . In the men&#39;s underwear  1 , an opening  1   a  for the body of a person, and a pair of openings  1   b  for legs of the person are formed. When the user wears the men&#39;s underwear  1  of the present embodiment, the cover  5  is the portion covering the scrotum of the person. 
     The opening  1   a  for the body of the person is a portion for passing the body of the user. The pair of openings  1   b  for legs of the person are opened at the opposite side of the opening  1   a  for the body of the person, and are portions for passing the legs of the user. 
     In the portion of the front body  2  covering the scrotum, a window  2   a  for ventilation is formed (hereinafter called “window  2   a ”). The shape of this window  2   a  may be an arbitrary shape, for example rectangular, triangular, or circular, and the number of this window may be either one or a plurality, and these shapes and the number may be freely combined or mixed. Alternatively, the window  2   a  may be formed of punching mesh consisting of vents. 
     The pocket  4  is attached to the front side, corresponding to the position of the window  2   a  of the front body  2 , and can accommodate the cover  5 . 
       FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3G  are magnified views of the pocket  4  of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention. Specifically,  FIG. 3A  is a front view,  FIG. 3B  is a D-D sectional view of  FIG. 3A ,  FIG. 3C  is an E-E sectional view of  FIG. 3A ,  FIG. 3D  is an F-F sectional view of  FIG. 3A ,  FIG. 3E  is an A-A sectional view of  FIG. 3A ,  FIG. 3F  is a B-B sectional view of  FIG. 3A , and  FIG. 3G  is a C-C sectional view of  FIG. 3A . The pocket  4  is formed of two cloth pieces  4 A and  4 A overlapped back and forth. The edge of the pocket  4  is utilized as a sewing allowance  4   a  to the front body  2 , except for the upper side, and the inside portion of the sewing allowance  4   a  is utilized as an accommodation unit  4   b  for accommodating the cover  5 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3G , the front and rear cloth pieces  4 A and  4 A of the pocket  4  are respectively provided with windows  4   c  and  4   c  slightly larger than the window  2   a , corresponding to the position of the window  2   a  of the front body  2 . The windows  4   c  and  4   c  are covered with an airy shielding member  6 . The shielding member  6  may be formed of gauze, for example. The shielding member  6  can prevent the scrotum of the person from being exposed outside through the window  2   a , and windows  4   c  and  4   c . The window  2   a  is formed in a rectangular shape. The shape of the windows  4   c  may be, as the same as the shape of the window  2   a  of the front body, an arbitrary shape, for example rectangular, triangular, or circular, the number of window  2   a  may be either one or a plurality, and these shapes and the number may be freely combined or mixed. 
       FIG. 4  is a magnified perspective view of the cover  5  of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention. As clear from  FIG. 4 , the cover  5  is formed in a caterpillar shape, and has an opening  5   a . The cover  5  is made of a cloth, and can be folded at an arbitrary position, and the area of the opening may be changed depending on the state of folding. 
       FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B  are views of the cover  5  of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a folded state so that an area of the opening  5   a  for ventilation (cutoff portion) may be maximum (100% opening state). Specifically,  FIG. 5A  is a view of the cover  5  as seen from the front, and  FIG. 5B  is a view of the cover  5  as seen from the back.  FIG. 5A  shows an I-I sectional view, a J-J sectional view, a G-G sectional view, and an H-H sectional view. When the cover  5  is folded as shown in  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B , it is cut off at the lower side. This cut-off portion forms an opening  5   a  (the portion surrounded by double-dot chain line). When the cover  5  is put in the pocket  4  in the state as shown in  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B , it is almost overlapped with the window  2   a  of the front body  2  in a front view. The area of the opening  5   a  is set to be nearly equal to the area of the window  4   c  of the pocket  4  and the area of the window  2   a  of the front body  2  in the state shown in  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B . 
       FIG. 6A  and  FIG. 6B  are development diagrams of the cover  5  of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 6A  is a front view, and  FIG. 6B  is a rear view.  FIG. 6A  shows a K-K sectional view, an L-L sectional view, an M-M sectional view, and an N-N sectional view. At one end side in the longitudinal direction of a cover material  5 ′ for composing the cover  5 , a rectangular cutoff  5   a ′ is formed so as to correspond to the opening  5   a . At the right and left sides of the cover material  5 ′, hook and loop fasteners  7  and  7  are attached. The cover material  5 ′ is rolled like a caterpillar so that the hook and loop fasteners  7  and  7  may be opposite to each other, and the leading portion of one end side of the cutoff  5   a ′ side is joined to the other end portion, and the caterpillar shape is formed. The cover  5  is folded, so that the area of the opening  5   a  of the cover  5  may be as desired, and the opposite fasteners  7  and  7  are combined together, so that the cover  5  may be maintained in a desired folded state. It should be noted that, instead of hook and loop fastener  7 , tape fastener or Velcro tape (trademark) may be applicable. 
     Since the cover  5  is made of a cloth as mentioned above, the folding position of the cover  5  may be at any desired position.  FIG. 7A  and  FIG. 7B , and  FIG. 8A  and  FIG. 8B  show examples of changing in the folding position. For example,  FIG. 7A  and  FIG. 7B  is a magnified view of the cover of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention (50% opening state).  FIG. 7A  is a front view, and  FIG. 7B  is a rear view.  FIG. 7A  shows an O-O sectional view, a P-P sectional view, a Q-Q sectional view, an R-R sectional view, and an S-S sectional. In this state, the opening  5   a  is a lower half of the state shown in  FIG. 4 , and the area of the opening is 50%. As a result, the upper half of the window  2   a  of the front body  2  is covered with the cover  5 . That is, the area of the opening of the window  2   a  (the airy portion area of the opening of the window  2   a ) is 50% of the case of  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 8A  and  FIG. 8B  are magnified views of the cover of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention (0% opening state). Specifically,  FIG. 8A  is a front view, and  FIG. 8B  is a rear view.  FIG. 8A  shows a T-T sectional view, a U-U sectional view, a V-V sectional view, an R-R sectional view, and an S-S sectional view in  FIG. 8A . In this state, the opening  5   a  is completely covered with the cover material  5 ′, and the area of the opening is 0%. As a result, the window  2   a  of the front body  2  is wholly covered with the cover  5 . That is, the area of the opening of the window  2   a  is 0%. 
       FIG. 7A  and  FIG. 7B , and  FIG. 8A  and  FIG. 8B  are examples, and by folding the cover  5  at a desired folding position, the area of the opening  5   a  may be set continuously and arbitrarily in a range from 0% shown in  FIG. 8A  and  FIG. 8B  to 100% shown in  FIG. 5 . The cover  5  may be also provided with graduation lines as marker of folding position. Hence, the desired folding position may be adjusted promptly. In addition, when the hook and loop fasteners  7  and  7  are separated before washing, the marker may be used by the user for remembering the desired folding position. 
     At the opening end portion of the pocket  4 , the hook and loop fasteners  8  and  8  are attached so as to be opposite to the cloth pieces  4 A and  4 A. After the cover  5  is put into the pocket  4 , by combined these fasteners  8  and  8  together, the opening end portion of the pocket  4  can be closed. As a result, the cover  5  which is put in the pocket  4  is prevented from slipping out of the pocket  4  during use. 
     According to the men&#39;s underwear  1  of the first embodiment, by changing the folding state of the cover  5 , the area of the opening of the window  2   a  of the front body  2  can be changed continuously. Therefore, without preparing multiple cover members, the area of the opening of the window  2   a  can be set to an arbitrary area appropriate for the user. As a result, the satisfaction for the user may be enhanced. 
     The cover  5  covers the scrotum of the user, and it is not covered with the front body  2  of the cotton knit fabric. Hence, being different from the state covered with the cotton knit fabric, the scrotum is sufficiently airy. Therefore, the scrotum is prevented from getting stuffy extremely, and skin diseases due to growth of bacteria can be prevented, and the treatment may be promoted. 
     The shape of the opening  5   a  of the cover  5  may be, as the same as the shape of the window  2   a , an arbitrary shape, for example rectangular, triangular, or circular, and the number of this window may be either one or a plurality, and these shapes and the number may be freely combined or mixed. 
     The cloth pieces  4 A and  4 A of the pocket  4  may be (1) both cloth pieces  4 A and  4 A made of cloth, (2) both cloth pieces  4 A and  4 A made of mesh, or (3) one cloth piece  4 A made of cloth, and the other cloth piece  4 A made of mesh. Alternatively, (4) the cloth material of the front body  2  side may be used by the front body  2  itself, and the other cloth material  4 A may be made of cloth, or (5) the cloth material of the front body  2  side may be used by the front body  2  itself, and the other cloth material  4 A may be made of mesh. Herein, the mesh may be made of gauze or the like. 
     As a second example of the first embodiment, without using the shielding member on the widows  4   c  and  4   c  of the pocket  4 , as shown in  FIG. 9  (a development diagram of the cover of the men&#39;s underwear used in the second example of the first embodiment of the present invention), a shielding member  6  may be attached to the portion of a cutoff  5   a ′ of the cover member  5 ′. 
     Second Embodiment 
     Referring now to  FIG. 10  to  FIG. 12B , a men&#39;s underwear in the second embodiment of the present invention is described below.  FIG. 10  is a front view of the men&#39;s underwear in the second embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 11  is a front view of the men&#39;s underwear in the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the cover is removed.  FIG. 12A  and  FIG. 12B  are development diagrams of the cover of the men&#39;s underwear in the first embodiment of the present invention. Specifically,  FIG. 12A  is a front view, and  FIG. 12B  is a rear view.  FIG. 12A  shows a W-W sectional view, an X-X sectional view, a Y-Y sectional view, and a Z-Z sectional view. In these diagrams, same or similar elements as in the first embodiment are identified with the same reference numerals. Same points as in the first embodiment are not explained, and different points are mainly described. 
     The men&#39;s underwear  1  of the second embodiment is not provided with the pocket as provided in the first embodiment, and a cover  11  is detachably attached to the front side, corresponding to the position of the window  2   a  of the front body  2 . The window  2   a  is covered with an airy shielding member  13 . The shielding member  13  may be made of, for example, gauze. The window  2   a  is rectangular in shape. The shape of this window  2   a  may be an arbitrary shape, for example rectangular, triangular, or circular, and the number of this window may be either one or a plurality, and these shapes and the number may be freely combined or mixed. 
     The cover  11  is made of cloth and has in a caterpillar shape as the same as in the first embodiment. The cover has an opening  5   a , it may be folded at an arbitrary position. In the second embodiment, hook and loop fasteners  14  and  14 ,  15  and  15  are provided at both sides of the cover  5 . 
     At the front body  2  side, hook and loop fasteners  12  and  12  are provided so as to surround the window  2   a , by combining these hook and loop fasteners  12  and  12 , and the hook and loop fasteners  15  and  15  of the cover  5  together, the cover  11  can be disposed on the front body  2  so as to cover the window  2   a . The means for attaching the cover  11  to the front body  2  is not limited to the hook and loop fasteners  12  and  12 , but any other means may be used as far as the cover  11  can be detachably fitted to the front body  2 . 
     In the men&#39;s underwear  1  of the second embodiment, by changing the folding state of the cover  11 , the area of the opening of the window  2   a  of the front body  2  can be changed continuously. Therefore, without requiring multiple cover members, the area of the opening of the window  2   a  can be set to a arbitrary area appropriate for the user. As a result, the satisfaction of the user is enhanced. 
     In the second embodiment, too, as same as in the first embodiment, the scrotum is prevented from getting extremely stuffy, and skin diseases due to growth of bacteria can be prevented, or the treatment may be promoted. 
     Moreover, by way of the cover  11  of the second embodiment, a curative medicine for treating skin diseases such as ringworm can be applied. Therefore the cover  11  of the embodiment is suited to treatment of skin diseases of the scrotum. Since the cover  11  is detachable, the medicine can be applied easily. 
     In the second embodiment, the shielding member  13  is provided at the front body  2  side, but it may also be provided at the opening  11   a  side of the cover  11 . Or the cover  11  may be provided at both cover  11  and front body  2  side. 
     In the first and second embodiments, the covers  5  and  11  are formed in a caterpillar shape, but that is not limited. For example, by folding the upper end side or the lower end side of the cloth piece of a shape having a cutoff shown in the development diagram in  FIG. 6A  and  FIG. 6B  individually, the area of the opening of the cover  5  can be changed, and the area of the window  2   a  of the front body  2  can be changed. 
     Third Embodiment 
       FIG. 13  shows a men&#39;s underwear in the third embodiment of the present invention. The men&#39;s underwear of this embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment, except for the opening  2   a  of the front body  2  and its peripheral parts, and hence the diagram shows only the opening  2   a  of the front body  2  and its peripheral parts. Same points as in the first embodiment are not explained, and different points are mainly described. 
     In the third embodiment, the window  2   a , as the same as in the first embodiment, is provided in the front body  2 . The window  2   a , as the same as in the second embodiment, is covered with an airy shielding member  13 . The shielding member  13  may be made of, for example, gauze. 
     Corresponding to the position of the window  2   a  of the front body  2 , a cover  21  is detachably provided. More specifically, hook and loop fasteners  22 ,  22  are provided at both right and left sides of the window  2   a  of the front body  2 . Hook and loop fasteners  23  and  23  are provided at both right and left sides of the front body  2  side of the cover  21 . By combining the hook and loop fasteners  22  and  22  at the front body  2  side and the hook and loop fasteners  23  and  23  at the cover  21  side together, the cover  21  can be attached to the front body  2 , and by separating the hook and loop fasteners, they can be detached. 
     In the third embodiment, the hook and loop fastener  21  of the front body  2  side has a length of about two times of the height of the window  2   a . The attaching position of the cover  21  can be changed continuously in the height direction of the window  2   a  between the range indicated by solid line and the range indicated by single-dot chain line. As a result, the area of the opening of the window  2   a  may be set at, for example, 100% at the position indicated by solid line, and 0% at the position indicated by single-dot chain line (or at 50% at the position indicated by solid line, at the position indicated by double-dot chain line). Or by attaching at an arbitrary position between these positions, a desired area of the opening may be realized. 
     According to the third embodiment, by changing the attaching position of the cover  21  on the front body  2 , the area of the opening of the window  2   a  of the front body  2  can be changed continuously. Therefore, without requiring multiple cover members, the area of the opening of the window  2   a  can be set for an arbitrary area appropriate for the user. As a result, the satisfaction of the user is enhanced. In the third embodiment, the attaching position of the cover  21  is changed in the height direction of the window  2   a , but it may be also changed in the width direction or in an oblique direction. 
     According to the men&#39;s underwear of the third embodiment, the area of the opening of the window  2   a  can be changed in a simple structure. 
     (Others) 
       FIG. 14A  to  FIG. 14C  show design variations of the shielding member  6  of the cover  5  in the first embodiment. 
     The shielding member  6  shown in  FIG. 14A  is composed of a lattice-shaped gauze material. 
     The shielding member  6  shown in  FIG. 14B  is composed of a cloth piece having a plurality of circular holes of same shape (vent holes, so-called punching mesh). 
     The shielding member  6  shown in  FIG. 14C  is composed of a cloth piece having a plurality of design holes of same shape. In  FIG. 14C , for example, heart-shaped design holes are shown, but shape of the holes may be arbitrary shape. 
     Thus, various design variations of same shape or different shapes are available for the shielding member  6  of the cover  5 , and various needs of users may be satisfied. These variations may be also applicable to the shielding member  13  of the second embodiment, or the shielding member  13  of the third embodiment. 
     The illustrated embodiments are examples, and are not limitative. The invention is not limited in the explained scope, but is limited in the scope of the claims herein, and the present invention includes all changes and modifications allowable within the scope of the claims and the scope of the equal meaning.