Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~2~
ATHLETIC GARMENT FOR PROTECTING GENITAL AREA
FIEJ D OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates primarily to an athletic garment intended to
provide protection for the genital area of a wearer, and, in a preferred form,
S provides light-weight hockey shorts which simultaneously provide genital
protection, support for hockey leggings, and enhanced freedom of skating
movement and wearer comfort.
DES~RIPI lQ~ OF THE PRIOR ART
The invention has particularly advantageous, though not
10 exclusive, application to hockey garments.
According to present practice, a hockey player normally wears a
conventional athletic support. Such a support is basically an elastici~ed
undergarment which is worn imrnediately against the skin and which serves to
support and raise the genital area to provide a measure of protection against
15 injury. A genital protector, commonly referred to as a "cup", is normally
inserted into the athletic support which may be formed with a pocket appropriatefor such purposes. The cup is usually a hard convex-shaped device intended to
absorb the impact of a hockey puck or stick.
A garter with appropriate garter-type fasteners is normally worn
20 over the athletic support and cup. The garter serves to support the stockings cornmonly worn by a hockey player during play. A hockey pant with short
pant legs is commonly worn over the garter and may be provided with
appropriate hip and thigh protectors.
This basic arrangement comprising an elasticized athletic support
25 containing a cup and a garter-type stocking support has been common practice
for many decades. It is still today the principal arrangement used to protect
- 1 - .
~Z90~98
hockey players against groin injuries and to support stockings.
There are a number of shortcomings associated with such
conventional practices. Anyone who has worn an athletic support and cup can
attest to the discomfort which these can occasion. They tend to restrict a hockey
5 player's freedom of movement and make him extremely conscious of the
presence of the support and protector. Additionally, the garter-type stocking
supports are cumbersome, add an additional component to the number of
garments which must be purchased and worn by a player, and can be a source
of embarrassment to young players.
It would be desirable to provide an alternative form of hockey
garment which s;multaneously provides proper support and protection of the
genital area and relatively enhanced freedom of movement and c~rnfort. In
connection with such a garment, it would also be desirable to provide a simpler
means for supporting hocking leggings or stockings. It would additionally be
15 desirable that such a ga~nent lend itself to and be appropriate for fabrication
from light-weight materials so that the garment does not add significantly to the
weight of garments and protective devices otherwise worn by a hockey player.
BRIEF SUMMARY OEl~lE INVEN rlON
In one aspect, the invention provides an athletic garment for use
20 in protecting the genital area of the wearer. I~e garment comprises a waistband
and support means for maintaining the waistband at the wearer's waist. The
support means may comprise, for example, elastic means which normally tend
to contract the waistband, a drawstring, or a clasp or button arrangement which
draws the waistband sufficiently tight about the wearer's waist as to tend to
25 prevent relative dropping of the waistband.
The garment comprises both an inner pant and an outer pant.
Both are supported from the waistband by stitching directly thereto or any other
~90098
appropriate manner. The outer pant defines an outer crotch portion, the outer
crotch portion having a pocket shaped to receive a genital protector, the pocketbeing positioned forwardly of the genital area of the wearer when the waistband
is maintained at the wearer's waist. The inner pant defines an inner crotch
S portion with a predetermined rise so selected that the inner crotch portion
engages the genital area of the wearer when the waistband is raised to its
required location at the wearer's waist. The outer pant has a rise greater than
that o~ the inner pant. The difference between the rises is selected such that the
genital protector remains in a protective position overlaying the genital area
10 whenever the waistband is maintained at the wearer's waist.
When the user steps into the protective gannent, the waistband is
raised until the inner pant engages the genital area of the wearer. The protector
on the outer pant is then in a proper protective orientation. Since there is a
difference in the rises between the inner and outer pants, the associated genital
15 protector essentially "floats" relative to the wearer's body. Accordingly, the
wearer is provided with enhanced freedom of movement and cornfort.
However, the difference in rises is so selected as to ensure that the protector
cannot displace to a non-protective orientation at least while the waistband
remains positioned at the wearer's waist. If the waistband is displaced during
20 an athletic activity, this becomes immediately apparent to the wearer indicating
that protection has been lost, as discussed below.
When used as a hockey garment, the outer pant may have a pair
of short pant legs each of which has attached thereto a pair of VelcroTM
fasteners of the type forrned with a multiplicity of filarnent-like hooks. These25 fasteners are preferably spaced-apart, one fastener of each pair being located at
a front portion of the associated pant leg, the other being located at a back
portion of the associated pant leg. Ccnventional hockey leggings or stockings
1290(1~8
can be conveniently hooked to the fasteners, which if spaced-apart and at~ached
to front and back portions of the pant legs, permit considerable freedom of
movement for the hockey player. A conventional garter is consequently
eliminated.
The terms "inner pant" and "outer pant" should not be construed
as suggesting that the outer pant will necessanly constitute a garrnent intendedfor external wear. In practice, the inner and outer pants are preferably formed
of light-weight fabrics and may both be worn beneath athletic garments
specifically intended as outer wear, such as conventional hockey shorts. Also,
in interpreting the functions and features to be provided by a garment
constructed according to the invention, and in interpreting the appended clairns,
it should be understood that such garments will be made to accommodate an
individual of particular size, as is common practice with more conventional
gannents.
In another aspect, the invention provides a hockey garrnent
adapted to support hockey stockings. The garment comprises a pant having a
waistband and a pair of short pant legs. Each pant leg has fastening means
attached thereto and formed with a multiplicity of filament-like hooks adapted to
releasably fasten to a hockey stocking. Support means associated with the
waistband secure the waistband against downward displacement with the
stockings in response to skating action.
Other inventive features will be apparent from the description of
a preferred embodiment below and will be more specifically identified in the
appended claims.
DFSCRIPTION OF THE DRAWIN(~S
The invention will be better understood with reference to
~Z9~98
drawings in which:
fig. 1 is an elevational view of a hockey garment constructed
according to the present invention, shown supported from the waist of a wearer;
and,
S fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view in a vertical plane extending from ~ront to back through the crotch region of the garment.
DESCRIP'llON OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Fig. 1 shows the exterior of a hockey garment 10 constructed
according to the invention. The garment 10 may be seen to comprise a
waistband 12 which is elasticized and in addition comprises a drawstring 14,
both of which serve to contract the waistband 12 about the waist 16 of a wearer.For purposes of the invention, it is important that the waistband 12 be properlymaintained at the wa~st 16 to ensure proper protection of the wearer.
The hockey garment 10 compr~ses an outer pant 18 having a pair
of short pant legs 20, 22. A pocket 24 is forrned on the exterior of the outer
pant 18 adjacent a crotch portion 26 associated with the outer pant 18. The
pocket 24 is positioned forwardly of and overlays the genital area of the wearerwhen the waistband 12 is maintained at the wearer's waist 16. The pocket 24 is
shaped to retain a protective cup 28 (illustrated in fig. 2) of predetermined si~e
and comprises a movable flap 30 which can be opened either to receive or
remove the cup 28. The flap 30 is releasably secured with complementary
VelcroTM fasteners 32, 34 to the body of the outer pant 18. One fastener 32
formed with a multiplicity of filament-like hooks is attached to the inside of the
flap 30. The other fastener 34 which is formed with a multiplicity of filament
like loops is attached to the body of the outer pant 18 in the interior of the
pocket 24.
The hockey garment 10 comprises an inner pant 36 located
. . . ,~ . . .
12~3~)V9~3
within the outer pant 18. An upper circumferential portion 38 of the inner pant
36 is sandwiched between inner and outer portions 40, 42 of the waistband 12
and stitched thereto fully around the circumference of the waistband 12. The
inner pant 36 is consequently .supported from the waistband 12 when the
S garment 10 is worn.
The inner pant 36 has a predetermined rise. For purposes of the
present specification, the term "rise" should be understood in the conventional
sense as being a measure of the distance between the bottom of the crotch and
~e top of the waistband associated with and supporting the pant This rise is so
10 selected tha~ an inner crotch po~tion 49 associated with the inner pant 36
engages and supports the genital area of the wearer while the waistband 12 is
maintained at the wearer's waist 16.
The outer pant 18 has a rise which is greater than that of the
inner pant 36 by a preselected amount. Accord~ngly, the pocket 24 and
15 contained cup 28 associated with the outer pant 18 will normally be spaced from
the crotch portion 49 of the inner pant 36 and the wearer's genital area. Since
the cup 28 is externally supported, and can move relative to the wearer, there is
significantly increased comfort to the wearer. Both freedom of movement and
somfort will be enhanced by increasing the difference between the inner and
20 outer rises.
It will be apparent that the cup 28 essentially floats relative to the
genital area. In prior practices, an elasticized athletic support and cup would be
positioned immediately against the skin and over the genital area of the athlete.
There is little relative movement of the athletic support and associated cup
25 relative to the wearer's body in such a prior practice, and accordingly the wearer
is guaranteed a measure of protection against injury, although no signi~lcant
measure of comfort. Since according to the present invention the genital
1290~3~8
protector will float to a certain degree relative to the wearer's genital area and is
not directly attached to the wearer's genital area, it is important that the wearer
have some indication that the genital protector is properly positioned. In
pa~ticular, the most significant displacement of the cup 28 tending to reduce
5 protection of the genital area would involve a downward movement with the
outer pant 18. Since both the outer and inner pants 18, 36 are supported from
the waistband 12, any downward movement of the waistband 12 that must
accompany such a downward movement of the cup 28 and outer pant 18 is
manifested as a loosening of the inner pant 36 from the wearer's body. He is
10 accordingly alerted to the fact that the genital protector is no longer properly
positioned, and can take steps to raise the waistband 12 and tighten the
associated drawstring 14.
Each pant leg associated with the outer pant 18 carnes VelcroTM
fasteners. These fasteners are of the male type, comprising a dense mass of
filament like hooks. In fig. 2, typical fasteners 44, 46 associated with the right
pant leg 20 have been illustrated and specifically identified. These fasteners 44,
46 may be seen to be spaced-apart circumferentially, one fastener 44 being
positioned at a front portion of the pant leg 20 on its exterior surface, the other
fastener 46 being positioned on a back portion of the pant leg 20, once again on20 the exterior surface. A hockey legging or stocking 48 (shown in stippled
outline in fig. 2) would norrnally be formed of a wool or a comparable material
and is drawn up over the pant leg 20. The ~llament-like hooks of the ~vo
fasteners 44, 46 fasten to the woollen material and support the stocking 48
directly frorn the exterior of the pant leg 20. Accordingly, conventional
25 garter-type fasteners are eliminated, and hockey stockings may be very quickly
and reliably supported.
1290~)98
The stocking fasteners are preferably spaced-apart and
positioned on the front and back on eaeh pant leg. If formed as a single
circumferential fastener or equivalent structure mounted on the front, back and
sides of the pant legs 20, 22, skating movement tends to be impeded.
S Basically, the player will sense a tugging frorn his stockings as he skates,
particularly when turning. Positioning the fasteners 44, 46 as described at the
front and back of the pant leg 20 ensures greater freedom of movement.
The outer and inner pants 18, 36 may be formed of
comparatively light fabrics. Accordingly, protection for the genital area of the10 hockey player and support for his leggings can be provided without
significantly adding to the weight of the outer garmen~ and the protective gear
otherwise worn. An additional heavier pair of hockey shorts with optional
thigh or hip protectors would typically be worn over the outer and inner pants
18, 36.
It will be appreciated that a particular embod~nent of the
invention has been described and that modifications may be made therein
without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended
claims.
