Patent Publication Number: US-2010107312-A1

Title: Undergarments with transparent paneling

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application relates to and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/109,132, filed Oct. 28, 2008, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Embodiments relate to undergarments, and more particularly, to underpants with portions configured to substantially disappear against the skin, for example in areas of likely exposure including in the areas of the waist, back, and/or sides. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A need exists for people to have an alternative undergarment to traditional underwear, pantyhose, etc. Often, portions of undergarments are exposed during normal use. For example, the waist band of traditional underwear often rests on or above the hip bones of a user. When worn with many types of pants, including jeans, the waist band of the underwear is often exposed when the wearer pursues normal activities, for example bending over or squatting, which can be embarrassing and unflattering. This unflattering exposure is even more likely given the low-cut waist lines of many jeans and other pants currently popular in fashion. Moreover, traditional underwear may be exposed when worn with other outer cloth including shorts, skirts, dresses or tops with low-cut backs, or those dresses having cut out side panels. 
     While it is possible to wear such pants, dresses, or tops without undergarments altogether, this may be uncomfortable, or worse, cause injury, to the individual&#39;s sensitive areas. Some individuals may further consider it immodest or unsanitary to forego an undergarment. 
     SUMMARY 
     Disclosed are various embodiments of underwear with substantially transparent portions. It is contemplated that the features of the various embodiments disclosed herein are combinable to form additional embodiments. Such combinations are within the scope of this disclosure. 
     Some embodiments provide a garment, typically referred to as underwear or panties, worn about the pelvis of an individual. Embodiments can include an upper portion of substantially transparent, preferably at least partially elastic, material configured to surround at least a portion of the waist area of a user. The upper portion can include a waistband and, in some embodiments, may also include front and back panels. In some embodiments, the front and back panels can be connected by a connecting portion about a wearer&#39;s inguinal region sized and positioned to substantially cover the genitals of the wearer. In some embodiments, the connecting portion comprises a substantially opaque material. In some embodiments, the connecting portion comprises fabric. In some embodiments, the fabric may be breathable and may include either natural or synthetic fibers, or a combination of both. In some embodiments, one or both of the front and back panels may be integrally formed with the connecting portion. Thus, in some embodiments, the connecting portion may be large, comprising various percentages of the front, back, and genital portions. The upper portion is preferably configured to minimize or avoid exposure of some or all of the connecting portion when the upper portion of the undergarment is no longer covered by the overgarment worn by the user. 
     In some embodiments, the waistband is separately formed from the front panel, the back panel, and/or both panels and is later joined to the panels. In some embodiments, the waistband is integrally formed with the front panel, the back panel, and/or both panels. In some embodiments, the substantially transparent material comprises polyurethane. In some embodiments, the substantially transparent material is perforated to allow the passage of air through the material. In some embodiments, the waistband comprises two or more pieces connected together. In some embodiments, pieces of the waistband are seamlessly welded together. In some embodiments, the back and/or front of the waistband has a lower portion positioned near the central axis of the wearer and may be formed with a “V” shape. In some embodiments, the substantially transparent material is finished to look like lace or other familiar materials. In some embodiments, the connecting portion, including the front, rear, and/or genital portions, may form designed shapes within the substantially transparent portion. In some embodiments, the entire undergarment is formed of an integral piece of substantially transparent material with a substantially opaque portion positioned to cover the wearer&#39;s genitals. 
     In some embodiments, underwear is provided comprising an upper portion and a genital portion configured to substantially cover the genitals of a human. The upper portion comprises a substantially transparent material including perforations configured to facilitate the passage of air therethrough. 
     In some embodiments, an unobtrusive undergarment is provided including an upper portion comprising a waistband designed to fit around a portion of a human pelvis, a front panel, and a back panel. A genital portion is preferably designed to cover the genitals of the human wearer. The waistband, the front panel, and the back panel preferably comprise one or more substantially transparent materials. Further, the transparent portion of the back panel preferably extends lower than the transparent portion of the front panel. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Some embodiments will now be discussed in detail with reference to the following figures. These figures are provided for illustrative purposes only, and the embodiments are not limited to the subject matter illustrated in the figures. 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of an embodiment of underwear. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of a torso shown in a standing position and wearing the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  with exemplary outerwear (the dashed lines indicate the portion of the embodiment hidden from view by the outerwear). 
         FIG. 4  is a rear view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , wherein the torso is shown in a squatting position (again, dashed lines indicate the portion of the embodiment hidden by the outerwear). 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of an embodiment of underwear. 
         FIG. 6  is a rear view of an embodiment similar to that shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of yet another embodiment of underwear. 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of another embodiment of underwear. 
         FIG. 9  is a rear view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In general, underwear worn about the pelvis of an individual is made of a front and back panel area, each connected to a waistband and configured to cover a wearer&#39;s inguinal region. Typically, the underwear is sized and positioned to substantially cover at least the genitals of the wearer. The back panel covers the buttocks to a greater or lesser extent and helps hold the front panel in position. These panels and the waistband may include multiple different pieces stitched or otherwise joined together, or may be generated from one seamless material. The front and back panels may also be of varying widths and lengths to create different cuts of underwear, typically referred to as, for example, thongs, bikinis, V-strings, boy shorts, briefs, and the like. Any of these, or other such underwear, are amendable to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     One example is a thong-type undergarment illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of the thong  10 , showing a waistband portion  4  and a front panel portion  8 .  FIG. 2  illustrates a rear view of the thong  10 , also showing a waistband portion  4  and a rear panel portion  6 . The interior of the front panel portion  8  is also visible in  FIG. 2  because it is wider than the rear panel  6 , as is typical with thong underwear  10 . The front panel  8  and the rear panel  6  are connected by a genital portion  12 , thereby creating a left leg hole  14  and a right leg hole  16 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the upper portion  2  of the underwear  10 , including the waistband  4 , at least a portion of the rear panel  6 , and at least a portion of the front panel  8 , may be made wholly or partially of a substantially transparent or translucent material. The transparent or translucent material is preferably at least partially elastic to allow a wearer to easily don and remove the underwear and provide a snug fit while being worn. In some embodiments, the substantially transparent material comprises polyurethane, for example thermoplastic polyurethane (“TPU”) plastic resin. In some embodiments, a silicone rubber and/or other plastic material may be used. The material is preferably substantially transparent and generally soft and flexible. Further, in some embodiments, the transparent material may include perforations to allow the passage of air through the material and/or may be finished to resemble lace or other material. 
     The genital portion  12  may comprise a similar transparent material, but more preferably comprises a more opaque, breathable fabric, of the type used in conventional underwear. In various embodiments, the genital portion  12  may be made of bamboo, silk, cotton, nylon, spandex, combinations of the same, and the like. It is contemplated that the genital portion will generally be sized and positioned to cover or substantially cover the genitals of a wearer. In some embodiments, the waistband  4 , the front panel  8 , the rear panel  6 , and the genital portion  12  may comprise a single piece of the substantially transparent material with the genital portion  12  further including a more opaque material, such as silk or cotton, added to the interior of the underwear  10 . In some embodiments, a substantially opaque material may substantially enclose the more transparent material in the region of the genital portion  12 . In some embodiments, the substantially transparent material in the genital portion  12  may include perforations to enhance breathability in that area. 
       FIG. 3  indicates the approximate position of an embodiment of underwear  10  on a wearer while the wearer is standing. The dashed lines indicate the position of jeans or other outerwear in relation to the underwear  10 . Horizontal dashed line  18  indicates the division between the back panel  6  and the genital portion  12  in the figure. In some embodiments, the division  18  is not straight across, but may be irregular, curved, etc. As explained previously, underwear often rides up on the wearer and/or the jeans or other outerwear slips down, is very low cut, or bulges when the individual crouches. This creates an exposure of the underwear, both of its waistband  4  and often a significant portion of the back panel  6 , that can be considered unsightly, immodest, or unfashionable. This exposure is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
     With some embodiments of the disclosed underwear, however, the visibility of such exposure is significantly lessened or eliminated because substantially transparent upper portion  2  comprises at least a portion of the underwear  10  that is exposed. In the illustrated embodiment, the division  18  cannot be seen, as it is still within the jeans or pants. Thus, the exposed portion of the underwear will be substantially transparent and of reduced visibility. 
     In this way, the underwear  10  can provide comfort to a wearer while reducing or eliminating the visibility of the underwear  10  while a wearer has, for example, jeans, pants, dresses, or tops that have low-cut waistlines, waistlines that slip downward or buckle outward, or low-cut backs or sides. 
     As stated, the teachings of this disclosure are equally applicable to many different styles of undergarments and this disclosure is not limited to the thong illustrated in the pictures. For example, wider or narrower front, back, and/or waist panels could also be made of appropriate material to suit the tastes and comforts of the wearer. Additionally, the proportion of the height or rise of the upper portion  2  to the height or rise of the genital panel  12  can vary in different embodiments. In some embodiments, the upper portion  2  comprises a majority of the overall rise of the underwear  10 . Overall rise is measured when the undergarment is laid flat and is defined as the distance from the bottom of the genital portion  12  to the upper plane defined by top of the waistband  4 . In some embodiments, the upper portion  2  is between about 25% and about 85% of the overall rise. In some embodiments, the upper portion  2  is about 75% of the overall rise. In some embodiments, the upper portion  2  is approximately 35% of the overall rise. 
     In some embodiments, the genital panel  12  may rise higher in the front than in the back. For example, the genital portion may comprise about 50% of the front rise, while only extending about 10% or even less of the back rise. In some embodiments, the front rise of the upper portion  2  comprises between approximately 10% to approximately 80%. In some embodiments, the front rise of the upper portion  2  comprises between approximately 20% and 50%. In some embodiments, the rise of the rear rise of the upper portion  2  may be between approximately 50% and approximately 100%. While specific examples have been given, it is understood that generally the front portion is less likely to become exposed during normal wear of jeans or pants and so a smaller proportion of the front of underwear  10  can be made from a partially or substantially translucent material without losing the benefits of this disclosure. This may allow greater comfort or coverage for a wearer&#39;s more sensitive areas. 
     In some embodiments, the rear rise of the upper portion  2  may be between approximately 60% and approximately 90%. Again, the exact proportions of the front and rear can vary from the embodiments disclosed, so long as the upper portion  2  is of sufficient rise to extend below the waistline of the jeans, pants, or other outerwear when the wearer bends, squats, or otherwise causes the outer garment to bulge or ride lower on her body. 
     In some embodiments, substantially transparent material comprises a majority of the overall rise of the upper portion  2  of the underwear  10 . In some embodiments, substantially transparent material comprises between approximately 25% and approximately 85% of the overall rise of the upper portion  2 . In some embodiments, the rise of upper portion  2  is approximately 35% of the overall rise. 
     In some embodiments, upper portion  2  can include different, less transparent materials, as desired, to form various patterns or shapes in desired locations. Alternatively, genital portion  12  may rise further into upper portion  2  on the front of the undergarment  10  than in the back. Thus, in some embodiments, the upper portion  2  may have opaque material that rises higher in the front than in the back. For example, the upper portion  2  may be made of opaque material comprising about 50% of the front rise, while opaque material only comprises about 10%, or even less, of the back rise of upper portion  2 . In some embodiments, the upper portion  2  is made of substantially transparent material comprising between approximately 10% to approximately 80% of the total rise. In some embodiments, the upper portion  2  is made of substantially transparent material comprising between approximately 20% and 50% of the total front rise. In some embodiments, the rear rise of the upper portion  2  may be between approximately 50% and approximately 100% substantially transparent material. While specific examples have been given, it is understood that generally the front portion is less likely to become exposed during normal wear of jeans, pants, or other outerwear, and so a smaller proportion of the front of the underwear  10  can be made from a partially or substantially translucent material without losing the benefits of this disclosure. This may allow greater comfort or coverage for a wearer&#39;s more sensitive areas. 
     In some embodiments, the substantially transparent portion of the rear rise of the upper portion  2  may be between approximately 60% and approximately 90%. Again, the exact substantially transparent and opaque proportions of the front and rear can vary from the embodiments disclosed, however, it is preferable the substantially transparent portion of the upper portion  2  is of sufficient rise to extend below the waistline of the jeans, pants, or other outerwear when the wearer bends, squats, or otherwise causes the outer garment to bulge or ride lower on her body. 
       FIGS. 5-7  illustrate additional embodiments of the undergarments disclosed herein.  FIG. 5  is a front view of an alternative embodiment of an undergarment. The underwear  10  illustrated has a wider cut, such as a bikini cut or brief, and provides greater coverage to a wearer. In this embodiment, the rear panel  6  is seen from the front view because it is wider than the front panel  8 . The front panel  8  also includes a perforated pattern  20 . Perforated patterns  20  may include geometric shapes, lines, stripes, checks, or any of a wide variety of patterns. Such a perforated pattern  20  can be found in one location (as shown) or one or more patterns can be distributed throughout the underwear  10 . The perforated pattern  20  can allow breathability in the substantially transparent material, provide a brand indicator, or simply add detail for a different finish to the underwear  10 . The design  20  could also be of another fabric, attached to the underwear. As shown in  FIG. 7 , design  20  may extend substantially throughout the upper portion  2  of an embodiment of the underwear  10 , providing breathability to the underwear. 
     In another embodiment of underwear  10 , color may be added to a portion of the substantially transparent material to provide other detailing, brand indication, or the like.  FIG. 6  is a rear view of an embodiment of underwear  10  with such a colored detail  22 . As shown, the colored detail  22  is low on the rear panel  6 . This is preferable so that the colored detail  22  does not become visible during crouching, bending over, or the like. In some cases, however, a small brand or other colored detail  22  on the upper portion  2  of the underwear  10  may be desired. Such a detail may resemble a tattoo or sticker on the bearer&#39;s skin. It is understood that the perforated pattern(s)  20  and colored detail(s)  22  can be combined in various embodiments to provide both kinds of detail. 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate additional embodiments of the disclosed undergarments. Similar to  FIGS. 1 and 2 ,  FIG. 8  depicts a front view of the thong underwear  10  and  FIG. 9  depicts a rear view of the thong underwear  10 . In this embodiment, the waistband  4  is made of substantially transparent or translucent material and preferably includes perforations  46  to allow skin breathability and comfort. Also, the waistband  4  comprises two pieces of transparent material joined together along seams  48 . Preferably, the pieces are seamlessly welded together with a front seam  48   a  and a back seam  48   b  of the waistband  4 . The welding allows for multiple pieces of transparent material to be attached together without causing skin irritation or discomfort. In some embodiments, the welding  48  may alternatively be located on the sides in lieu of or in addition to the welding at the front and back as illustrated, such as, for example, when three or more pieces of material are used to form waistband  4 . As with the other embodiments disclosed herein, the undergarment is preferably configured to minimize its appearance when exposed from under the wear&#39;s outer garments, including, for example, exposure from under jeans, shorts, skirts, shirts, dresses, etc. 
     The welding  48   a  and  44   b  of multiple piece of material also preferably facilitates a slight V-shape at the top of the middle of the front  40   a  of the waistband  4 , and the top of the middle of the back  40   b  of the waistband  4 . It also allows a similar V-shape at the bottom of the middle of the front  42   a  of the waistband  4  and the bottom of the middle of the back  42   b  of the waistband  4 . The V-shape provides for a comfortable fit around the pelvis and allows the user to angle the undergarment more naturally on her hips, as the band may contour to the usual upward curve of the hips and pelvic region. 
     The waistband  4  may be substantially wide, as depicted in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . A wide waistband may comprise between approximately 10% and approximately 50% of the overall rise of the underwear. This will achieve the desired purpose of limiting exposure of the undergarment while also allowing a larger amount of preferably non-transparent, substantially opaque, material to be used in making the remainder of the underwear. In some embodiments, the waistband  4  is between approximately ½ inches wide and approximately 6 inches wide. In some embodiments, the waistband  4  is between approximately ½ inches and approximately 3 inches wide. 
     In  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the waistband  4  is made of substantially transparent material while the some or all of the reminder of the upper portion  2  is made of substantially opaque material. For example, both the front panel  8  and the rear panel  6  are preferably made of substantially opaque fabric, such as bamboo or cotton as illustrated by diagonal lines. Preferably, the substantially opaque material is breathable. This composition may provide enhanced comfort in the front panel  6 , rear panel  8 , and genital portion  12 , while still being substantially transparent in the waistband area. In some embodiments, the substantially opaque material is synthetic fabric, either breathable or non-breathable. In some embodiments, the rise of the genital portion  12  can be controlled by the width of the substantially transparent waistband  4 . Thus, a wider waistband  4  can place the genital portion  12  lower on the undergarment, enhancing the effectiveness of the undergarment  10  in some embodiments. 
     A substantially wide waistband may also allow the underwear to have a variety of styles. For example, a wide waistband may allow the underwear to easily have a low-rise fit wherein the wide waistband provides stability to underwear having an overall shorter rise of the upper portion  2 . In these embodiments the waistband  4  may preferably be the only substantially transparent portion of the underwear. 
     In embodiments comprising both transparent and opaque portions, the opaque fabric used may be attached to the transparent portion of the underwear in a number of ways. In  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the front panel  6  and rear panel  8  may be attached to the waistband  4  by a series of stitches  44   a  and  44   b . These stitches may be gathered together wherein the stitches  44   a  and  44   b  allow the front panel  6  and rear panel  8  to horizontally stretch, making it easy to put on and take off the underwear comfortably. The stitches  44   a  and  44   b  also provide elasticity facilitating a snug and flexible fit. In some embodiments, the undergarment may be substantially stitch free with, for example, the front and rear panels  8 ,  6  being bonded to the waistband  4 . 
     In some embodiments, the waistband  4  is formed from a strip cut from a sheet of substantially transparent material, for example polyurethane or other suitable material. Once cut to the desired thickness, the material can then be put into a shape-specific mold for perforation, leaving a final perforated piece of substantially transparent material ready to be used in the disclosed embodiments. The material can be perforated with multiple, smaller diameter holes as shown in the illustrated figures. Alternatively, the material may be perforated to include larger slits extending vertically or horizontally or other shaped openings configured to facilitate the flow of air through the substantially transparent material. In some embodiments, the material may include a combination of different shaped cut outs or perforations. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the front and rear panels  8 ,  6  form a substantially horizontal upper edge that overlaps a portion of the waistband  4 . In some embodiments, the waistband  4  is trimmed or otherwise formed to generally correspond to the upper edge of the front and rear panels  8 ,  6 . In some embodiments, front and/or rear panels  8 ,  6  may be configured to correspond to the front lower “v” shape  42  a and/or the back lower “v” shape  42   b  of the waistband  4 . 
     Although the foregoing has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the disclosure herein. Moreover, the described embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. While a number of embodiments have been discussed in detail herein, it will be understood that not every aspect of each embodiment is necessary. Different aspects may be combined in different embodiments without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Accordingly, other combinations, omissions, substitutions and modifications will be apparent to the skilled artisan in view of the disclosure herein. Thus, the present disclosure is not limited by the preferred embodiments.