Article of clothing with a novel attachment means
An article of clothing including extensions for insertion into a body cavity permit swimsuits, undergarments, and several other types of clothing to be secured in place with a minimum of fabric, as described. The articles are made dimensionally stable to maintain their position and orientation relative to the wearer's body.
This invention relates to an article of clothing which is supported on the wearer's body by one or more extensions adapted to enter a bodily orifice.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTIONPeople wear clothing for three principal reasons:
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- (1) To protect themselves from the environment,
- (2) to insure decency, and
- (3) To respond to the dictates of fashion.
To accomplish any of these purposes, it is vital that the garments do not fall off of one's body. And for that to be insured, they must have a certain degree of mechanical integrity internally, and they must be made in some fashion that permits taking advantage of various anatomical features of a person's body in one way or another.
There have been, to date, only four general methods used, singly or in combination, to accomplish this vital task of keeping garments on the wearer's body. These methods may be termed wrapping, clamping, draping, and gluing. The present invention presents a fifth technique for securing garments on the wearer's body—one that is particularly appropriate for use in swimwear and underwear, but which may also find utility in many other types of garment.
The purposes for holding garments on one's body are, as stated above, to protect one from the environment, to insure decency, and to conform to (or rebel against) the dictates of fashion. And, of course, to avoid losing them altogether.
Decency is a term that varies by culture. But in almost all cultures the minimum requirements include covering the external genitalia [penis and testicles for men, and vaginal lips for women], plus the anus. In many cultures women are also required to cover their breasts (at least the nipples and areolas). Some cultures require more coverage than this minimum, but for swimwear and underwear in particular, any such additional coverage is fast becoming optional.
Perhaps the closest approach to the minimum required coverage is provided by one or another variation of what is commonly termed a thong. This is a well-known variation on the bikini in which most of the back panel of the bottom is removed, and in the most extreme versions, includes only a narrow strap connecting the bottom of the front panel down underneath the crotch and up to the waist band. One problem with this sort of garment is that if the front panel is sufficiently narrow to barely cover the external genitalia and anus, it may well slip off of those areas.
Like all swimsuits before them, the bikini, thong, and other similar swimsuit designs depend primarily on the principle of wrapping and also, to the extent that the material is stretchy, on clamping to keep the suit on the wearer's body. With this new invention, truly minimal decency-providing coverage can be achieved without the risk of any inadvertent indecent exposure.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTIONIn accordance with the principles of the present invention, garments can be made such that they include one or more extension(s) of a design that permits the extension to be inserted into a bodily orifice or into more than one orifice at once. Any article of apparel, of any design, that utilizes this new technique, namely an extension of the garment which is inserted into one of the wearer's bodily orifices to assist in keeping it on the wearer's body, is included within the scope of this invention. An additional aspect of the present invention is the provision of a means for insuring appropriate hygienic practices when using garments incorporating such an extension (or extensions).
Definitions:
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- For the purposes of this disclosure the terms “article of clothing” and “garment” shall be considered synonymous terms.
- Similarly, in the context of this disclosure, “extension” and “insert” shall be considered synonymous terms.
- Further, in the context of this disclosure, any mention of “fabric” shall be construed to include any woven or non-woven material, of natural or man-made origin including cloth, plastic film or sheeting, leather, metal mesh, paper or any other material from which a garment may be made. This material may be opaque, translucent, semi-transparent, or clear, and may have any desired color or pattern.
- Finally, in this disclosure, any mention of a “band”, “collar,” “cuff,” “cord,” “chain,” or “strap” shall be construed to include all of the others, any of which may be constructed of any of the materials mentioned under the definition of “fabric” or other materials (such as a linked chain) which may serve the necessary mechanical purpose of holding together the garment segments at either end of the band. Such a band may further be either inextensible or stretchy to any desired degree that may serve the purposes of the garment design.
Inserts and Frames (or Frame-Insert Combinations)
In order to attach the insert to the garment, to insure that it keeps a prescribed geometrical relationship to the portion of the garment immediately surrounding the insert, and to insure that at least that portion of the garment maintains a desired shape and relationship to the wearer's body it can be useful to attach the insert to a somewhat stiff frame (or one might make the insert a part of a single piece serving both as frame and as insert). Whether it is attached to a frame or directly to the fabric comprising the garment, the insert may be retained in the bodily orifice in any of three ways.
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- (1) The insert may be held in place or clamped by the muscles and/or tissues surrounding the orifice, thus preventing it from easily being withdrawn, and thereby preventing the garment at the point of the insert's attachment from moving laterally on a wearer's body.
- (2) The insert may be “hooked” into the orifice, and kept there by its shape and that of any attached frame, combined with forces applied to the insert from the remainder of the garment, which forces must be such as to pull on the insert sideways (rather than in or out of the orifice), and which motion is then prevented by the hooked shape of the insert; or
- (3) The insert may be “snapped” into the orifice. The meaning of “snapped” in this context is that during the entry into (or withdrawal from) the orifice either the insert or the orifice changes (or both may change) shape sufficiently to let the insert pass freely, and after it is in place, those parts return to a shape (or shapes) that do not permit the insert to pass out of the orifice easily. In this way the bodily orifice and the surrounding musculature and skin work together with the insert much as the two parts of a conventional snap work together to create a secure, yet detachable bond. Clamping of the insert by the muscles surrounding the orifice is not, in this instance, essential—although it may also occur.
Depending on the design of the garment and the insert (and the frame, if one is used), any combination of the above means for retaining the insert in the bodily orifice may be used.
Method for Assuring Hygienic Usage
In another aspect the present invention also relates to a method for insuring appropriate hygienic usage of the disclosed garment is the inclusion in the design of each insert of a provision for an (optional) insert cover that can be easily removed from the insert and replaced by a fresh insert cover when the insert is out of the wearer's body. By making the insert cover impermeable, its presence during the wearing of the garment would substantially prevent soiling of the garment insert by bodily fluids or excretions. If the insert cover is washable, it could be removed and cleaned between wearings of the garment. Or if the insert cover is disposable, it could easily be discarded and replaced between wearings. Furthermore, if the insert is prelubricated, it may facilitate the insert's insertion into (and removal from) the wearer's body.
It will be particularly important for stores to provide disposable insert covers for pre-purchase trials of garments created using this invention. The insert covers could be made in a variety of materials, colors, and patterns to satisfy users' desires, to meet desired price points, and to let the users make another “fashion statement” in addition to that made by the garment with which it is used.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL DRAWINGS
FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) show several variant forms for the frame, in each case intended for use with a separable insert.
FIGS. 4(a) through 4(j) show several variant forms for a vaginal insert, including several different functional features that might be added to the basic design.
FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) show how an insert cover can be retained on (and removed from) the insert shown in
Like components of the various embodiments herein are designated by the same numerals in all the figures to facilitate comparisons between those figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONIn this section I describe in detail several preferred embodiments of my invention, and I also mention several additional useful embodiments. Further, I detail here some of the benefits of using this invention in these ways.
Swimsuits and Underpants
One particular class of embodiments of the invention are garments intended for use as swimsuits or underpants. In these embodiments, the orifice to be used would be one's anus, or—in the case of a woman—her vagina and/or her anus. In this class of embodiments the frame can usefully be extended to (partially) wrap around the pelvis from a small distance above the pubis to just behind the anus—thereby insuring the wearer's decency, since—as long as the frame is covered with a sufficiently opaque fabric and surrounds the bodily regions that must be covered—it is impossible for the garment to slip and reveal those regions in an indecent manner if the insert is firmly retained within the bodily orifice(s). This is in sharp contrast to the case for a conventional, minimally-coverage swimsuit or underpants design.
In certain versions of this class of embodiments, the insert can be hooked into the orifice with the other aspects of the garment's design supplying the force necessary to keep the insert hooked in place. In other versions of this class of embodiments, the insert could be snapped or gripped within the orifice for even greater security.
FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b)
FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) shows an ultimately minimal-coverage woman's swimsuit bottom 15 created in accordance with the principles of this invention.
The particular design shown here has an insert 22 that preferably is separable from the frame 10 by detaching hooks 26 (see
The shape of the insert 22 shown here is merely suggestive of the actual shape. The insert may be of any shape adapted to be received and held in the intended bodily orifice. Likewise, the frame, preferably made of stainless steel wire or of a rubber or plastic material, may have a different cross-sectional shape and/or may include stiffening cross-members. The base of the insert 22 preferably has hooks 26 which grip the frame at its attachment regions 12. The frame 10 and insert 22 may be attached together in a different manner, or they may be constructed as a single-piece assembly. The present invention covers all such variations on the embodiment so long as the frame-insert assembly functions in a similar manner.
If the frame 10 can be readily removed from the fabric covering, several benefits can be obtained which are of interest especially to people wishing to wear multiple garments of this type while traveling. These include (a) ease of cleaning all the parts separately, (b) interchangeable coverings—which implies being able to carry a multitude of swimsuits, underpants, or other garments with only one frame 10 and its insert 22, in a very small space, at low cost, and with minimal weight. Not all the covering fabric forms need be of the same design—for example, the various garments shown in FIGS. 1(a), 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 can all use the same frame as the one depicted in
Since the suit depicted in
FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b)
The designs shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 2(a) can be used for underwear as easily as for swimwear. They also are the foundation for many other garments one can make using this invention, such as those shown in
FIGS. 4(g) and 4(h) show two views of a vaginal insert 22 which can be manipulated to minimize its width during insertion and removal and adjust it for maximum comfort and security while it is being worn. This embodiment has a number of extensible fingers 35, each of which ends in a soft pad 36. A mechanism (not shown) can be built into the base 24 for controlling the position of those fingers. In
Finally,
Most, if not all, of the foregoing variations and comments regarding suitable materials, and optional features for vaginal inserts also apply to anal inserts, although anal inserts would preferably have a narrower shape both in the portion that extends within the body, and in the portion attaching to the frame.
Further Discussion of Garments Using Anal and/or Vaginal Inserts
One important point that has been glossed over so far is the matter of proper sizing of the frame and insert for each wearer. Most likely garments utilizing this invention will have to be sold in two-dimensional sizes, similar to that used for shoes. One dimension of size corresponds to the wearer's body size. Mainly this means the frame must be sized with a width that will just fit in the space between the legs and pass outside of the external genitalia, and of a length that covers the anus in the rear and wraps comfortably upward around the front of the pelvis. The second dimension of size specifies the insert size, which may vary even for people with similar overall body sizes. Young people will take fairly small inserts. Sexually active women may need a slightly larger size in vaginal inserts, while women who have born multiple children may require a somewhat larger size. Similarly, the anal insert size that is comfortable and secure will likely vary among individuals based not only on their overall body size, but also on what else they have inserted into their anuses in the past.
If the insert and frame are separate items this two-dimensional sizing can easily be accommodated with two, independent sets of frames and inserts. If the volume of garments sold is sufficient, it may be feasible to create unitary frame-and-insert assemblies in a range of two-dimensional sizes, as is now done with shoes, pantyhose, and many other garments.
Underwear and swimwear made using this invention has some unique advantages. Since the garments need not encircle either the legs or the pelvis, it is possible to put them on and off without having to lift one leg, and without having to pass them over one's feet. This means that in a public restroom, the wearer could remove the garment to utilize the facilities and then replace the garment, all without risking getting the garment dirty off the floor or one's feet, and without risking falling over from having to raise either of one's legs off the floor.
Underwear made using this invention has the additional advantage of make it possible to create outfits that are even more fully free of any “visible panty line” (VPL). To many fashion-conscious men and women, this would be one of the major selling points for this sort of undergarment.
Other Types of Garment Utilizing the Present Invention
The present invention can also be used to create other kinds of special-purpose garments. The remaining figures show just a few of the possibilities.
Conventional designs for large headdresses fall into two classes. In the first, the wearer must have very short hair. A scarf is tied tightly around the skull, and the headdress is built upon this foundation. Headdresses of this type are limited in size, and the wearer must not move his or her head and neck too much or too quickly, lest the headdress fall off or slip out of place.
The second type of headdress is built upon an armature that wraps around the torso and extends up behind the neck to the headdress. This sort of design implies that the wearer must always hold his or her neck straight up. But it does relieve the wearer of the requirement of having only very short hair, as well as transferring the weight of the headdress to the torso.
The present design provides most of the advantages of the previous designs, while removing most of their limitations. Here the headdress 19 is built upon a base that resembles a thin but rigid plastic helmet 70. This helmet has “feet” that extend inward to bear on the back, sides, and top of the skull, plus two flexible arms 71 that extend downward in front of the ears. At the ends of these arms are extensions 72 that enter the ear canal of the wearer. By providing a small through hole in each insert, nearly normal hearing can be maintained. If the helmet 70 (and its arms 71 and ear extensions 72) are made of a transparent plastic, it will be very nearly impossible to see, and thus the headdress 19 will appear simply to sit on top of the head and move with it, with no visible means of support.
With both the ear canal anchorages and the feet bearing on the skull at several places on top, sides, and back, the helmet is securely held in place, relative to the skull. This will be so, even if the wearer makes quite vigorous movements, including tipping the head forward, back, or to the sides by quite a substantial amount. Thus the wearer can dance quite freely while wearing even rather large and elaborate headdresses. Finally, since the helmet arms are flexible, simply bending then m outwards permits the entire headdress to be easily and quickly be lifted off or lowered into place. Further, this design permits the wearer to have a full head of hair, since its feet extend inward through the hair, and the headdress's stability doesn't depend on a tight wrapping of the skull.
Not All Embodiments Have Been Described
The foregoing descriptions cover a number of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, but it is not an exhaustive listing of all possible embodiments. Therefore, whereas many additional variations and modifications will now readily occur to one skilled in the art, all such suitable modifications or variations are to be considered as falling within the scope of this invention.
Claims
1. An article of clothing for a wearer's body, said article including an extension of a size, shape, and material to permit inserting said extension into one of the wearer's bodily orifices and thereby gaining a mechanical anchorage for the article of clothing.
2. An article of clothing for a wearer's body, said article including an extension of a size, shape, and material adapted to insert said extension into one of the wearer's bodily orifices and thereby gaining a mechanical anchorage for the garment sufficient in itself to maintain that portion of the garment in place on the wearer's body including a means for assuring hygienic usage comprising an impermeable extension cover that detachably attaches to said extension.
3. An article of clothing as in claim 1 including a means of maintaining the location and orientation of said extension with respect to the rest of the article and providing some dimensional and shape stability to at least a portion of the article.
4. An article of clothing as in claim 3, wherein said means comprises a semi-rigid frame to which said extension detachably attaches.
5. An article of clothing as in claim 3, wherein said means comprises a semi-rigid frame which includes said extension.
6. An article of clothing as in claim 4, wherein said frame is, at least in part, made of plastic or metal.
7. An article of clothing as in claim 5, wherein said frame is, at least in part, made of plastic or metal.
8. An article of clothing as in claim 5, wherein said frame incorporates an extension of a shape, material, and in a location suitable for insertion into a woman's vagina.
9. An article of clothing as in claim 1, with an additional extension, said additional extension being of a shape, material, and in a location suitable for insertion into a woman's anus.
10. An article of clothing as in claim 1, comprising a fabric-covered frame that wraps around a portion of the pelvis of said wearer from just above the pubis, thence under the crotch, and terminating in a rounded point just to the rear of the anus, said article including an upward extension suitably located for insertion into a woman's vagina, said extension having a shape to extend into the vagina in such a manner that it will hold the article of clothing firmly up against said pelvis.
11. An article of clothing as in claim 1, comprising a fabric-covered frame that wraps around a portion of the pelvis of the wearer from just above the pubis, thence under the crotch, and terminating in a rounded point just to the rear of the anus, said article including an upward extension suitably located for insertion into the wearer's anus, said extension having a shape to extend into the anus in such a manner that it will hold the article of clothing firmly up against said pelvis.
12. An article of clothing for a woman as in claim 1, comprising a fabric-covered frame that wraps around a portion of the pelvis of said woman from just above the pubis, thence under the crotch, and terminating in a rounded point just to the rear of the anus, said article including two upward extensions suitably located for insertion into a woman's vagina and anus, said extensions having shapes to extend into the vagina and anus in such a manner that they will hold the article of clothing firmly up against said pelvis.
13. An article of clothing for a man as in claim 1, said article having an extended pouch to contain male external genitalia.
14. An article of clothing as in claim 1, said article having a fabric covering with an upward front extension to a waist-encircling band.
15. An article of clothing as in claim 1, said article having a fabric covering with an upward rear extension to a waist-encircling band.
16. An article of clothing as in claim 1, said article having a bifurcated front fabric panel extending upward to the wearer's breasts, there to attach to the bottom of breast coverings; said fabric panel continuing on over said wearer's shoulders and being joined behind the neck.
17. An article of clothing as in claim 18, said article's front panel's upward extensions passing around the wearer's back between the bottom part of the article and the breast coverings.
18. An article of clothing as in claim 1, with a bifurcated fabric panel extending from an anal end of the bottom portion up over the buttocks and around the wearer's sides to the bottom of the wearer's breasts, to attach thereat to breast coverings, the panels then continuing across one another in front of the wearer's throat, and being joined behind the wearer's neck.
19. An article of clothing as in claim 1, with a bifurcated fabric panel extending from an anal end of the bottom portion up over the buttocks and around the wearer's sides to the bottom of the wearer's breasts, there to attach to breast coverings, each such panels then continuing to form a loop around a nearest shoulder of the wearer.
20. An article of clothing as in claim 1, wherein said article comprises a backless dress which hooks around the wearer's shoulders and whose waistband is connected via a fabric panel to a frame partially wrapping around the pelvis and fitting with said extension.
21. An article of clothing as in claim 1, wherein said article comprises a backless pair of slacks with the waistband attached to a frame that extends from the top of the legs at the sides of the body under the crotch and terminates just past the wearer's anus, with the frame being coupled to said extension, said extension being suitable for insertion into the wearer's anus, said article further including straps around the legs to hold the legs portions of the garment against the legs.
22. An article of clothing as in claim 1, wherein said article comprises a headdress with at least one extension that inserts snugly into an ear canal.
23. An article of clothing as in claim 22, wherein said extension has an open channel in it.
24. An article of clothing as in claim 1 in which said extension includes a watertight, reclosable storage cavity.
25. An article of clothing as in claim 1 in which said extension is suitable for vaginal insertion and includes a holder.
26. An article of clothing as in claim 1 in which said extension includes a means for altering its width both to make insertion and removal easier and to adjust said extension's fit in the wearer's bodily cavity.
27. An article of clothing as in claim 1 in which said extension includes a vibrator or other means to sexually stimulate the wearer.
28. A method for insuring sufficient bodily coverage to meet societal decency requirements with minimal excess coverage. Said method comprising:
- (a) obtaining or constructing an article of clothing sufficient to cover the required areas, the article of clothing having a stiffening frame for holding its shape such that it conforms to the wearer's body in the required bodily areas,
- (b) providing an extension that is of a suitable size, shape, and material to be held within a bodily cavity, and
- (c) inserting that extension within said cavity and deforming either the extension, the cavity opening, or both as needed to achieve insertion of the extension in said cavity.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein the bodily cavity has a opening which is covered by the article of clothing when the extension is inserted in said cavity.
30. A method for insuring sufficient bodily coverage to meet societal decency requirements with minimal excess coverage. Said method comprising:
- (a) obtaining or constructing an article of clothing sufficient to cover the required areas, the article of clothing having a stiffening frame for holding its shape such that it conforms to the wearer's body in the required bodily areas,
- (b) providing an extension that is of a suitable size, shape, and material to be held within a bodily cavity, and
- (c) inserting that extension within said cavity and deforming either the extension the cavity opening, or both as needed to achieve insertion of the extension in said cavity wherein said extension is covered by a temporary, protective membrane or insert cover prior to insertion into said cavity.
31. A method for assuring hygienic usage of an article of clothing that incorporates at least one extension for insertion into at least one bodily cavity, said method comprising:
- (a) while said at least one extension of the article of clothing is outside the wearer's body, placing an impermeable cover over said at least one extension;
- (b) inserting said at least one extension into said at least one bodily cavity; and
- (c) at some later time, removing said at least one extension from said at least one cavity, and removing the insert cover from said at least one extension.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 28, 2003
Publication Date: Aug 17, 2006
Inventor: John Goodman (Garden Grove, CA)
Application Number: 10/509,968
International Classification: A61F 5/00 (20060101);