H-Shaped Insert Undergarment for Genital Support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sport undergarments fail to provide comfortable and effective support for male genitalia during athletic activities, often leading to discomfort and increased risk of injury due to the shifting and crushing of athletic cups.
Innovation Solution
An undergarment with a support system featuring an H-shaped insert and a front athletic cup pocket that maintains constant alignment of the cup, reducing chafing and ensuring the genitalia remain within the cup's perimeter during movements, utilizing compression shorts with strategically positioned panels to pull the undergarment snugly against the body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional athletic cup systems are used to protect against injury, then protection reliability is improved, but comfort deteriorates due to shifting and crushing during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The undergarment is divided into multiple functional segments: an H-shaped support structure with vertical and horizontal panels, a separate athletic cup pocket, and strategically positioned side panels. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, with the H-shaped structure providing support and positioning while the cup pocket maintains cup alignment, resolving the contradiction between protection and comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The H-shaped insert acts as an intermediary structure between the wearer's body and the athletic cup. It provides a stable framework that positions the genitalia forward and maintains alignment with the cup, preventing direct contact and shifting between the cup and body, thereby improving both comfort and protection reliability.
2Reliability
If athletic cup is held in exterior pocket, then protection is provided, but alignment stability deteriorates during aggressive athletic movements
Solution Approach 1:
The H-shaped insert is pre-positioned to hold the genitalia in a forward position before movement occurs. This preliminary positioning ensures that during aggressive athletic movements, the genitalia remain aligned with the athletic cup in the exterior pocket, maintaining alignment stability while providing protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The side panels are positioned to pull the back portion of the undergarment forward against the buttocks and the bottom portion upward against the perineum. This changes the spatial parameters and forces within the undergarment system, creating a stable configuration that maintains cup alignment during movement while providing protection.
3Ease of operation
If support structure is added to hold genitalia forward, then comfort is improved by reducing chafing, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The H-shaped insert serves multiple functions simultaneously: it positions the genitalia forward to reduce chafing, provides structural support, maintains alignment with the athletic cup, and creates a fabric barrier between the legs and groin. This multi-functionality improves comfort without proportionally increasing complexity, as one structure accomplishes multiple goals.
Solution Approach 2:
The H-shaped insert combines the support function, positioning function, and chafing prevention function into a single integrated structure. By merging these functions into one component rather than using separate elements, the design improves comfort while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An undergarment is provided having a support system configured to comfortably support a male wearer's genitalia throughout aggressive athletic movements. Inside of the undergarment, an internal pocket is formed by a generally H-shaped insert that holds the male wearer's genitalia in a forward position and keeps the wearer's genitalia aligned with the internal portion of the athletic cup positioned at the front of the undergarment. Additionally, the H-shaped insert positions the male wearer's genitalia away from their legs, providing increased support and comfort for the wearer. A cross-wall defining the back of the internal pocket holds the wearer's genitalia to prevent it from dropping backward or downward, and presses against the wearer's perineum at its top edge to further aid in creation of a barrier that even further reduces the risk of chaffing. The side panels of the H-shaped insert are so positioned with respect to the wearer's anatomy so as to pull the back portion of the undergarment forward against the wearer's buttocks, and the bottom portion of the undergarment upward against the bottom of the wearer's torso (and particularly against the wearer's perineum), when worn.