Athletic Hammock

Abstract

The invention is a garment which has the characteristic of supporting the male genitals in a cradle created by a suspension of cloth which does not pull towards the abdomen, but rather is itself supported by anchoring points at the waistline at the maximum width of the torso. This forms a sling-like platform which functions much like a hammock stretched between two trees, and the wearer's genitals rest on the hammock. The structure necessary to support the hammock is a form-fitting athletic short, with certain modifications to support the improvement of the invention.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] Active wear athletic support garment for men DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART [0002] U.S. Pat. No. 2,454,507 Flaherty 23-Nov.-1948 [0003] U.S. Pat. No. 3,035,586 Bell May-1962 [0004] U.S. Pat. No. 3,449,442 Steinmetz 10-Mar.-1970 [0005] U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,671 Nelkin 7-Apr.-1970 [0006] U.S. Pat. No. 3,517,666 Atlee 30-Jun.-70 [0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,976 Bloomquist, et al. 13-Nov.-1979 [0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,739 Hall, et al. 5-Feb.-1980 [0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,541 Castelli, et al. 12-Jun.-1984 [0010] U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,554 Wright 28-Apr.-1987 [0011] U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,554 Markham 14-Jul.-1987 [0012] U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,355 Thrower 26-Jul.-1988 [0013] U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,427 Regan March-1989 [0014] U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,768 Tatro 6-Nov.-1990 [0015] U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,100 Atwater et al. July-1992 [0016] U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,727 Brisco. August-1992 [0017] U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,793 Michels 27-Oct.-1992 [0018] U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,706 Nalbandian August-93 [...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0039] The structure necessary to support the hammock is a form-fitting athletic short of the style typically known as a trunk, compression short, or bicycle short, with certain modifications to support the improvement of the invention. The shorts' chief characteristic being they are composed of cloth which has elastic properties and are constructed so as to tightly conform to the shape of the wearer around the top of his legs and his lower waist. The design makes them less prone to twisting and thus provides a stable structure (or chassis) on which to attach the hammock element of the garment. The chief difference in their construction from the usual form being they have an opening in the front which begins at a point between the legs of the wearer just aft of the scrotum and extends up to a point adjacent to the top of the pubic bone. This opening has an inelastic reinforced basting which is sewn around its perimeter to make the size and shape of the opening constant or nearly so. Obviously, the wearer's genitals would simply hang exposed if not for the addition of the improvement (hammock) or some other modesty enhancing element.

[0040] The hammock is composed of a fabric which, though soft and comfortable, has little stretch capability in the transverse direction. The hammock piece is somewhat banana-leaf in shape. It is secured to the bottom of the opening in the chassis (adjacent to the posterior of the scrotum) with an inelastic stitch technique. From the top of each side opening the hammock is attached to the shorts on a line roughly following the natural joining of the leg and torso, to a point at the outside top of the hipbone. The width of the hammock (anterior to posterior) at its lowest point is sufficient to establish a platform. The forward edge of this platform is held approximately horizontal while the wearer stands. This is due to the hammock's non-stretch bias being oriented on line with the anchor points. The end result is that it acts as a cable in tension, supporting the platform on which the genitals rest. The placement of anchor points for this support cable below the anchor points for the posterior edge ensures the cable is held forward by the bulk of the wearer's legs. The genitals are cradled in this sling, the forward edge of which is in tension, anchored at only two points (on the body centerline below the waist). From this forward edge the hammock fabric wraps up, forming a pouch, and is secured at the elastic waistline of the chassis with a stitch technique allowing for the stretch of the waistband. Attachment at the waist-line requires darts, pleats, an asymmetrically weaved cloth, or a similar manufacturing technique to prevent undesirable bunching of the excess materiel. As the wearer raises his legs or spreads his legs the hammock assembly is pulled forward and / or up due to the anchor points moving farther apart. The inelastic bias of the hammock prevents excessive stretching, thereby ensuring the cable-like action which pulls on and displaces the platform in concert with the leg movement. By lowering the terminus of the hammock from the waist-line the effect of the action of the leg movement on the hammock can be modulated. The larger the wearer's legs the farther the forward edge of the hammock is pulled. It is by ensuring the hammock cloth is cut to such a width and anchored appropriately (meaning that the lowest point of the V-shaped line from hip-to body centerline-to hip does not fall below the bottom of the opening in the chassis), that the full realization of the hammock effect is achieved. When the wearer is seated the hammock will pass from the outside of the leg, across the top of the leg, under the genitals, back across the top of the opposite leg to its anchor point on the opposite side. This supports the genitals and prevents them from falling between the wearer's legs.

Problems solved by technology

They are generally uncomfortable.

Though not as constricting as the traditional approach this manifestation does not provide much support.

While seated these designs provide no support to the wearer, who after standing must indelicately reposition his genitals or rely on gravity to do the job.

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