Patent Publication Number: US-2005142986-A1

Title: Shorts or underpants retaining the sexual organs

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      The present application is a National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/FR02/03648, filed Oct. 24, 2002, which published as WO 03/034850 on May 1, 2003. Further, the present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of French Patent Application No. 01/13741 filed on Oct. 24, 2001.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to shorts or underpants having a support for retaining the sexual organs.  
      2. Discussion of Background Information  
      It relates to the industrial and commercial field of manufacture and to the distribution of clothing articles or swimming wear in particular for men.  
      Nowadays, an increasingly large number of men would like to replace the usual brief with a pair of shorts or underpants, whether for aesthetical reasons, or for comfort-related reasons.  
      Indeed, undergarments of this type have the advantage of not compressing the sexual organs; however, it is obvious that they do not ensure their retention, which is often considered as a hindrance.  
      Shorts are known inside of which a conventional type brief is mounted. An article of this type, designed for a predetermined usage, cannot be used satisfactorily as undergarment.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The device according to the present invention proposes a garment or undergarment that is aesthetic and comfortable, capable of replacing the shorts and underpants, whether used for swimming or as an undergarment, and offering an unusual comfort by ensuring a proper retention of the sexual organs while leaving the buttocks free.  
      It is constituted of the combination of shorts or underpants with an element for retaining the sexual organs both mounted on a common belt. The retaining element utilizes a yoke adapted to cover and retain the sexual organs and of two narrow side strips passing under the buttocks and linked to the lower portion of the yoke, on the one hand, and on the sides of the belt, on the other hand.  
      The invention also provides for an article of clothing having a support for retaining a user&#39;s sexual organs, wherein the article comprises a belt and an element for retaining the sexual organs. The element comprises a front yoke adapted to cover and retain the sexual organs and two strips extending from a lower portion of the yoke and attached to the belt.  
      The article of clothing may comprise one of shorts, underpants, swimwear, and a men&#39;s article or clothing. Each end of the two strips may be coupled to the belt at different locations. The two strips may extend from the lower portion of the front yoke are attached to sides of the belt. Ends of the two strips may be attached to designated areas of the belt, whereby the two strips can pass between the user&#39;s legs and along a line separating the user&#39;s buttocks from the user&#39;s thighs. The two strips may be attached to the lower portion of the front yoke. The two strips may be attached to the front yoke, run along lateral edges of the front yoke, and rise up to a central portion of the belt. The two strips may be made of an elastic material. The front yoke may be made of a perforated fabric. The front yoke may be made of knitted textile. The article of clothing may further comprise a vertical fly.  
      The invention also provides for an article of clothing for men having a support for retaining a user&#39;s sexual organs, wherein the article comprises a belt arranged at an upper end of the article of clothing, a retaining member adapted to cover and retain the sexual organs, and strip members having first ends coupled to a lower portion of the retaining member and second ends coupled to the belt.  
      The article of clothing may comprise one of shorts, underpants and swimwear. The strip members may extend from the lower portion of the yoke are attached to sides of the belt. Ends of the strip members may be attached to different areas of the belt, whereby the strip members can pass between the user&#39;s legs and along a line separating the user&#39;s buttocks from the user&#39;s thighs. The strip members may be attached to the lower portion of the retaining member. The strip members may run along lateral edges of the retaining member. The strip members may comprise elastic material strip members and at least one of the retaining member comprises a perforated fabric retaining member and the retaining member comprises knitted textile retaining member.  
      The invention also provides for an article of clothing having a support for retaining a user&#39;s sexual organs, wherein the article comprises a belt arranged at an upper end of the article of clothing and a retaining member adapted to cover and retain the sexual organs. The fabric or textile retaining member comprises an upper portion which extends to the belt and a lower portion. Strip members have first ends coupled to the lower portion of the retaining member and second ends coupled to the belt. The article of clothing comprises shorts or underpants.  
      The invention also provides for a method of retaining a user&#39;s sexual organs using the article of clothing described above, wherein the method comprises positioning the article of clothing on the user, covering and retaining the user&#39;s sexual organs with the retaining member, and arranging the strip members so that they pass between the user&#39;s legs and along a line separating the user&#39;s buttocks from the user&#39;s thighs.  
      The invention also provides for a method of retaining a user&#39;s sexual organs using the article of clothing, wherein the method comprises positioning the article of clothing on the user, covering and retaining the user&#39;s sexual organs with the front yoke, and arranging the two strips so that they pass between the user&#39;s legs and along a line separating the user&#39;s buttocks from the user&#39;s thighs.  
      The invention also provides for a method of retaining a user&#39;s sexual organs using the article of clothing, wherein the method comprises positioning the article of clothing on the user, covering and retaining the user&#39;s sexual organs with the retaining member, and arranging the strip members so that they pass between the user&#39;s legs and along a line separating the user&#39;s buttocks from the user&#39;s thighs. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      In the attached drawings, provided by way of a non-limiting example of one of the embodiments of the object of the invention:  
       FIG. 1  shows a front view of the device; and  
       FIG. 2  shows the retaining element as spread and flattened.  
      The device, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , is constituted of two elements affixed to one another, an inner yoke  1  covering the sexual organs and an outer pair of shorts  2  or underpants. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      The shorts  2  or underpants are of a known type, preferably having a vertical fly  3  that is closed, for example, by one or more buttons, or by a zipper.  
      The element for retaining the sexual organs is formed of two parts: a front yoke  1  covering the sexual organs, the upper portion of which is attached to a belt  4  of the shorts  2 , and of two strips  5  extending the lower portion of the yoke  1  and attached, at their other end, to designated areas of the belt  4  so that these strips  5  pass between the legs and along the line separating the buttocks from the thighs.  
      The front yoke  1  is advantageously made of perforated fabrics so as to ensure the ventilation of the genitals. The material used is preferably an open-mesh cotton fabric, but can also be a knitted or woven textile made of other natural or synthetic textile fibers.  
      The strips  5  are constituted of narrow bands made preferably of an elastic material. They can be attached to the lower portion of the yoke  1 , or they can run along the lateral edges thereof by rising up to the central portion of the belt  4 .  
      The garment according to the invention makes it possible to bring the shorts back into fashion, whether they are of the conventional type with short legs or with long legs (Bermuda).  
      It is particularly well suited for use as swimming trunks.  
      As understood, and in view of the above, the invention is not limited to the only embodiment of the device described hereinabove by way of example; it encompasses all of the alternative embodiments and applications respecting the same principle.