Abstract:
An improved male sports/athletic undergarment/cup protective system provides maximum comfort, avoiding stress on the protected body parts while holding the cup securely in its optimal location in the undergarment. A conventional rigid cup is totally covered with a conformal sheath of soft fabric material and fitted externally with a triangular pattern of three snap fastener members made and arranged to removably engage three complementary snap fastener members attached in a matching triangular pattern inside the front panel of a sports/athletic undergarment. The interior layer of the fabric sheath is retained conformal to the interior surface of the cup, and the cup is secured against any shift or creep relative to the sheath and an attached undergarment. by a plurality of sewn-through points at each of which the exterior layer is seized together with the interior layer by loops sewn through vent openings configured in the cup.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to the field of sports and athletic apparel and equipment and more particularly to a method and structure for supporting a protective cup in male sports underwear in a manner that enhances comfort, convenience and effectiveness. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Protection for the genitals of males engaging in sports and athletic activities has been known and practiced for many years in the form of a metal or plastic cup held in place by straps or special underwear. Regarding cup material, past use of metal has been replaced by current use of high-impact plastic materials. 
   Such protection is usually mandated for males in all forms of sports and athletics, amateur and professional, youths and adults. There are available a variety of protective systems, the most common of which, referred to as “jock strap” type, consists of a pouch or pocket of stretchable fabric material containing the cup, attached to typically three straps: one to surround each leg and a waist band which is typically made substantially wider than the two leg straps. Typically all three straps are made as loops of elastic webbing material, in a range of different youth and adult sizes. For most professional and serious sports activities, where dressing or locker rooms are available, the protector cup and its “jock strap” are typically worn, along with other sports uniform or attire, only for the duration of the sports or athletic event, due to some degree of discomfort, so typically pro sports undergarments are exchanged for regular underwear in changing to regular street attire. However the pouch/pocket is usually made such that the cup can be removed temporarily if desired. 
   For youngsters and casual sports events, special sports/athletic underwear, equipped with a pouch/pocket to support a cup, is made of soft stretchable material and is made comfortable enough to be worn at times as regular underwear with the cup removed. This of great convenience for after-school youth sports or athletic events in locations where changing/locker rooms are not available and where a complete change of attire is unnecessary or undesired. 
   Unfortunately, the actual real-world experience, especially by boys of school age and their parents, has found the conventional available undergarment protection apparel to fall far short of being satisfactory regarding comfort and/or security of placement, due to fundamental problems inherent in the implementation of such protective apparel of known art. 
   DISCUSSION OF KNOWN ART 
   As examples of the conventional jock-strap type, with closed loop elastic web leg straps and waist bands about one inch and 2¾ inches wide respectively, a polyester product marked VK/Venus Athletic Wear, Murray Hill, N.J. 07974 in at least an adult small size (S), provides a pouch of soft fabric that is stretchable to about 200% horizontally and 120% vertically, accessed at its inside top region, held closed by two snap domes, while a product trademarked TRU-FIT, made in Taiwan in at least a “youth-small” size, provides a pouch of much firmer fabric that stretches only to about 115% (H&amp;V), accessed at the top outside frontal region, closed by a flap of material. 
   As an example of what might be termed a “romper” style, a product marked BIKE (RN 58322) has a full rear panel of soft fabric with nap, stretchable 200% (H&amp;V) stretchable fabric and a top-inside-access pouch of non-nap material, stretchable to about 200% H and 110% V. A large single circular leg-opening and a top opening of the pouch have an elastic hem sewn in place. 
   A sports/athletic compression-type underpant, marked “reusch” (R)p made in USA of “80% NYLON 20% Du Pont LYCRON(R)” material that is stretchable to about 175% HV, is configured with padded flanks extending down to near the bottom of leg portions extending down about 6″ from the crotch, where the cap is retained in a double-walled stretch-fabric compartment accessed from top inside. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,541 to Castelli et al, for ATHLETIC SUPPORTER exemplifies the “jock strap” concept of a waist band and a pair of leg straps, and shows a typical cup on the cover page and in  FIG. 4 . 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,768 to Le Ann M. Tatro for MALE SHORTS HAVING PROTECTIVE CUP SUPPORTER discloses shorts of a type having elastic body-gripping waist and leg apertures and having a sewn-in pocket to receive the protective cup. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,914 to Kate B. Dempsey for PROTECTIVE MALE UNDERGARMENT discloses such including a pouch for retaining a protective cup, and a slit for allowing urination without lowering the garment. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,414 for ATHLETIC PROTECTOR CUP exemplifies essentially rigid protective cups, and illustrates the normal configuration with ventilation apertures and an enlarged resilient molded rounded peripheral edge structure. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,219 for ATHLETIC PROTECTOR CUP teaches a cup with two layer structure for additional impact resistance. 
   The variety of configurations and stretch properties of the fabric materials found in the actual products as well as in the patents of known art are symptomatic of the underlying unsolved problem of incompatibility between fastening security and wearer comfort inherent in conventional approaches and practices in this field. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a system of male sports/athletic protection including a rigid protective cup and a related supportive undergarment that provide improvements in wearer comfort as well as security of retention in place during deployment. 
   It is a further object that the cup should be readily removable while wearing the undergarment in place, and that the undergarment should be suitable to wear as regular underwear for ordinary activities other than sports and athletics. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The foregoing objects have been accomplished in the present invention of a sports/athletic male protective system wherein a conventional rigid cup is totally covered with a conformal sheath of soft fabric material and fitted externally with a triangular pattern of three snap fastener members made and arranged to removably engage three complementary snap fastener members attached in a matching triangular pattern to an interior frontal region of a sports/athletic undergarment. The interior layer of the fabric sheath is retained conformal to the interior surface of the cup, and the cup is secured against any shift or creep relative to the sheath and an attached undergarment by a plurality of sewn-through points at each of which the exterior layer is seized together with the interior layer by loops sewn through vent openings configured in the cup. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of a rigid protective cup of known art. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-section taken through axis  2 — 2  of the cup of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a rear elevation view of the protective cup of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-section taken through axis  4 — 4  of the cup of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  shows the subject matter of  FIG. 5  deployed in the conventional manner in a sports/athletic undergarment of known art, shown in part. 
       FIG. 6  is a front elevation view showing the convex exterior of a fabric-covered rigid protective cup in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-section of the fabric-covered protective cup of  FIG. 6 , taken through axis  7 — 7 . 
       FIG. 8  is a rear elevation view showing the concave interior of the fabric-covered protective cup of  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-section of the fabric-covered protective cup of  FIGS. 6–8  taken through axis  9 — 9  of  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 10  depicts a male protective system in accordance with the present invention: a sports/athletic undergarment shown in an interior view of the front panel thereof, fitted with three snap fastener members, and a fabric-covered rigid cup fitted with three corresponding snap fastener complementary members, as in  FIGS. 6–9 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  is a rear elevation view of a protective cup  10  shown as a typical example of conventional practice of known art, showing the convex exterior surface of the cup. The main body  10 A is typically formed from a rigid plastic material and is fitted around its periphery with a compliant rim  10 B of rubbery material held in place by its own elasticity. Ventilation is provided by an array of openings  10 C: five circular openings  10 C in this example, located as shown. 
     FIG. 2  is a cross-section through axis  2 — 2  of the protective cup  10  of  FIG. 1  showing the shape of rigid main body  10 A in profile with compliant rim  10 B at the periphery of main body  10 A. The periphery of cup  10  is shaped to fit against an appropriate frontal crotch region of the human body and to substantially enclose and protect the male genitals. Visible in this view are four vent openings  10 C of the total of five. 
     FIG. 3  is a rear elevation view of the protective cup  10  of  FIG. 2  showing the concave interior of main body  10 A as seen from a rear viewpoint opposite that of  FIG. 1 , showing the peripheral compliant rim  10 B and the five vent openings  10 C. 
     FIG. 4  is a cross-section through axis  4 — 4  of the protective cup  10  of  FIG. 1 , showing the shape of main body  10 A and the peripheral compliant rim  10 B, and showing three vent openings  10 C of the five total. 
     FIG. 5  shows the protective cup  10  of  FIG. 5  deployed between a frontal layer  12 A and rear sewn-in panel  12 B of a sports/athletic undergarment of known art, shown in part. Typically the fabric in panels  12 A and  12 B of the undergarment is selected to be moderately stretchable: at least in the horizontal direction, and in some products, at least partially in the vertical direction. 
   The two undergarment panels  12 A and  12 B, sewn together as shown, form a pocket or pouch, typically open at the top for insertion of the cup  10 . Alternatively the pocket/pouch can be formed by adding a pocket/pouch front panel and sewing it in place onto the front of the undergarment which then forms the rear panel of the pocket/pouch. 
   In other forms of known products, the pocket/pouch may be formed as a separate item and attached at top and/or bottom to the undergarment. 
   It is typical for the pocket or pouch to be dimensioned such that, prior to deployment. the fabric in the rear panel  12 B becomes in effect “stretched” across the rim of the cup as shown. Then, when deployed, the protected body parts must force rear panel  12 B into the cup, thus further stretching the fabric of panel  12 B, developing tensional stress in the material that can cause pain or at least discomfort to the wearer. 
   The foregoing problem can be alleviated by making the pocket/pouch wider in size, however that introduces another problem by allowing the cup  10  to move out of place sideways, and thus varying the width of the pocket/pouch merely alters the tradeoff between these two inherent shortcomings of conventional products in this field. Similarly the variations in fabric material properties, e.g. regarding stretchability, found in various undergarment products in this field, cover a wide range that has still failed to provide a satisfactory “happy medium”. 
   Despite extensive research on behalf of her own sons involving a wide range of conventional sports/athletic protective undergarments, the inventor found it impossible to find any product on the market that provides a satisfactory solution to these problems amongst commercially available products. 
     FIG. 6  is a rear elevation view of a fabric-covered rigid protective cup  14  in accordance with the present invention. The entire surface of a rigid plastic cup, which can be the same as cup  10  in  FIGS. 1–4 , is covered with a lightly padded sheath of fabric, of which the exterior layer  14 A is seen in  FIG. 6 ; it is firmly stretched over the front side of the cup, wrapped around the periphery and extending further to form an internal layer which is held in place in a conformal manner against the concave interior surface by an array of seven sewn-through seizing points  14 C, three of which appear in  FIG. 6 , where the exterior layer  14 A is held together with the interior layer by the seven sewn-through seizing points  14 C each having loops of thread traversing a corresponding opening in the cup (e.g. circular vent holes  10 C in  FIG. 1 ). 
   A reinforcement pad  14 D of firm fabric, sewn onto exterior layer  14 A in an upper region of cup  14 , form the support base to which are attached two snap fastener members  14 F located as shown, located approximately 2⅛ inches apart. Similarly a smaller reinforcement pad  14 E sewn onto exterior layer  14 A in a lower region of cup  14  forms the support base to which is attached a third snap fastener member  14 F, located approximately 3⅞ inches beneath the other two snap fastener members  14 F above. 
     FIG. 7  is a cross-section through axis  7 — 7  of the fabric-covered protective cup  14  of  FIG. 6 , showing the main body  10 A and compliant rim  10 B fully surrounded by the fabric sheath with exterior panel  14 A and interior panel  14 B, held together by seven sewn-through seizing points  14 C, three of which, being located on axis  7 — 7  ( FIG. 6 ), are visible in this view: one behind upper reinforcement pad  14 D and one behind lower reinforcement pad  14 E and snap fastener member  14 F. 
     FIG. 8  is a rear elevation view of the fabric-covered protective cup of  FIG. 6  showing the concave internal layer  14 B with seven sewn-through seizing points  14 D. The inner outline of the peripheral resilient rim is indicated as a dashed line. 
     FIG. 9  is a cross-section taken through axis  9 — 9  of the fabric-covered protective cup of  FIG. 6 , shown in a deployed location relative to a portion of a front panel  16  of an associated support undergarment for sports and/or athletic activities. It is seen that the conformal location of the internal layer  14 B of soft e fabric is secured by sewn-through points  10 C with loops of thread traversing openings in the main body  10 A of the cup and encompassing internal layer  14 B and external layer  14 A. Reinforcement pad  14 D is seen interposed between front panel  16  and external layer  14 A. 
     FIG. 10  depicts, in a male protective system in accordance with the present invention, a rear view of the front panel  16  of a sports/athletic undergarment, fitted with three snap fastener members  16 A, and, shown beneath, a fabric-covered rigid cup  14  fitted with three corresponding snap fastener complementary members  14 F mounted on reinforcing pads as described above in connection with  FIG. 6 . In front panel  16 , the upper pair of snap fastener members  16 A are attached to reinforcing pad  16 B, and the lower snap fastener member  16 A is attached to reinforcing pad  16 C; the pads  16 B and  16 C are sewn to the front panel  16  of the undergarment. 
   The three arrows and dashed lines show how the cup  14  is to be moved into place and the snap fastener members  14 F engaged to their counterpart members  16 A so as to hold the cup  14  in place against the rear side of the front panel  16  of the undergarment, as shown in  FIG. 9 . 
   The numerous sewn-through seizing points  14 C (seven in the illustrative embodiment) ensure that there can be no shifting or creeping of the cup  14  relative to the fabric sheath, and serves along with the snap fastening of the sheath to front panel  16  of the undergarment to hold the cup  14  securely in place, particularly with the compression type undergarment shown. 
   It is recommended that fastener members  14 F on the fabric covered cup  14  be the snap fastener portion with the protruding dome, so that the mating portion  16 A in the undergarment, having only opening receptacles, will not cause any discomfort when worn with cup  14  removed. 
   The fabric covered cup  14  can be readily laundered whenever required. 
   The invention can be practiced by applying fabric covering as described above to conventional protective cups of virtually any size, shape and material. If existing vent holes are insufficient, additional holes may be drilled as required. 
   The quantity and locations of the sewn-through seizing points may vary from the seven shown, as a matter of design choice. The basic undergarment, to which the fastenings are added in accordance with the invention, may be of virtually any size and in any available style of known or new art: including the conventional elastic jock strap type, boxer shorts, romper style with elastic leg openings, etc. 
   As alternatives to the three pairs of snap fasteners shown and described above in connection with an illustrative embodiment, the invention can be practiced with other types of fasteners such as hook and eye, Velcro hook and loop, or zippers, and the quantity may be other than three pairs. 
   The reinforcement pads  16 B/ 16 C shown are recommended, particularly if the undergarment is made from soft stretchable material, however, as a matter of design discretion, the pads may not be required with some sports/athletic undergarment products made if the materials are already sufficiently firm. 
   As an alternative to the fabric sheath being closed as shown and described in connection with the illustrative embodiment, the invention could be practice with some portion of the sheath open, e.g. at the top, with or without a flap and/or fastenings. Also it is not essential that the entire exterior surface of the cup be covered by the sheath; e.g. a central opening in a region in which there are no sewn-through seizing points. 
   The invention may be embodied and practiced in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description; and all variations, substitutions and changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.