Male Underwear Garment with Protective Flap

Abstract

The present invention relates to a male underwear garment with an attached protective fabric attachment. The fabric attachment can be integrated to the inner lining of a male underwear garment during manufacturing and functions as a barrier between the male reproductive organ of the wearer and clothing during and after urinating. The attachment prevents urine droplets from staining clothing during and after male urination. The attachment can be stitched into the underwear liner and can be pulled out (i.e. deployed) to cover a front portion of clothing to prevent urine droplets from staining the clothing.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/149,445, which was filed on Feb. 15, 2021 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an article of clothing. More specifically, the present invention relates to a fabric attachment integrated with underwear for use by men and boys, and to protect the pants/shorts of users against urine droplets and stains during and after urination. A fabric flap or liner can be sewn into the material of male underwear, which can be pulled outwards (i.e. deployed) from the top of the underwear prior to using the bathroom (i.e. urinating). In this manner, the uniquely designed underwear for men and boys prevents urine droplets or water splash from staining clothing during and after male urination. The underwear garment provides maximum protection against urine drip marks on the frontal area of jeans, slacks and any other type of pants or shorts, and thereby prevents embarrassment to the user. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

By way of background, underwear for males has been a typical article of clothing worn as an inner layer between a wearer's body and an outer layer of clothing. Underwear further typically covers the body starting at the waist and extending downwards along the body to cover each leg to a mid-thigh region or thereabouts. When a male goes to the bathroom to urinate, the male is typically required to lower his underwear to urinate into the urinal. During and after urination, drips of urine can get on the outer parts of the pants. As such, urine that drips on the outer side of the pants can be easily visible to others, which creates an embarrassing situation for men. Additionally, it may take time for the urine droplets to dry on a pant surface, thereby embarrassing the wearer for a substantial period of time.

Additionally, while using a urinal the backsplash of the urinal can also create stains on the clothes worn by the user, and may cause the clothes to become wet and dirty. In such scenarios, the individual is oftentimes required to change his clothes. However, in situations where the individual is using a public urinal, if the individual's clothes become wet or dirty due to backsplash from the urinal, the individual may be unable to change his clothes, which causes further embarrassment.

In an effort to prevent the soiling of clothes during urination, the individual may resort to bringing a hand towel into the restroom. However, carrying hand towels and placing a hand towel over the pants to prevent the pants from becoming stained with urine while urinating can be difficult for the user. Also, many individuals may not be comfortable holding a towel while urinating, and other individuals may be reluctant to carry a hand towel for such purposes, as it may not fit into their pant pockets and/or may require the individual to carry a separate bag/pouch to store the hand towel.

Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for an improved undergarment that prevents urine from dripping over and onto an outer surface of a pair of pants/shorts while urinating in bathrooms. There is also a long felt need in the art for an improved underwear garment for males that prevents any embarrassment due to stains of urine that occur while urinating. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for uniquely-designed underwear that eliminates the need to carry hand towels to cover pants while urinating. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for underwear that prevents the clothes of the wearer from getting wet and dirty due to backsplash from urinals, and therefore prevents the users from having to change clothes after urinating. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for an underwear garment that ensures males can urinate worry-free, without the concern of stains due to dripping urine on an outer surface of pants or due to stains from urinal backsplash. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for novel underwear that maximizes protection against urine drip marks on the lower or frontal area of j eans, slacks, shorts and other types of clothing articles.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises an improved underwear garment. The device is comprised of a male underwear garment with a protective fabric flap which prevents urine droplets from staining clothing during and after urination. More specifically, the underwear garment includes a waistband to enable encircling of a waist, a left panel configured for encircling the left thigh, and a right panel configured for encircling the right thigh. A generally rectangular protective fabric flap is also sewn along an edge to the inner lining of the waistband, such that the flap suspends inside the underwear to cover the male reproductive organ, a part of the front portion of the left panel and a part of front portion of the right panel when the underwear is worn by a male. The suspended flap can then be pulled out and deployed over the waistband to cover a front portion of underwear or clothing during urination, thereby allowing urine droplets to fall on the deployed flap and preventing clothing from staining.

In this manner, the novel underwear garment of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives, and provides a relatively safe, easy and convenient solution to protect the lower and frontal area of jeans, slacks and any other type of pants or shorts from being stained from urine dripping during urination. The improved underwear garment of the present invention also prevents the clothes from becoming wet and dirty due to backsplash from urinals. Additionally, the novel underwear of the present invention is user-friendly, as it is comfortable to wear and enables the users to easily use the inner fabric flap before and during use of a bathroom. As such, the inner fabric flap of the underwear, when pulled outwards while using the bathroom, acts as a barrier between a urinal and the outer surface of pants or other similar clothes in order to protect the outer pant surface from inadvertent stains or from getting wet from splash back (i.e. backsplash), and therefore prevents the wearer from embarrassment due to urine or water stains.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises an improved undergarment in the form of a male underwear garment with a protective fabric flap. The underwear garment with a protective fabric flap is configured for preventing urine droplets from staining clothing during and after urination. The underwear garment further comprises: a waistband defined by a generally annular shape and is configured to enable encircling of a waist; a left panel configured for encircling the left thigh; a right panel configured for the encircling right thigh; and a generally rectangular protective fabric flap sewn along an edge to the inner lining of the waistband, such that the flap suspends inside the underwear to cover the male reproductive organ, a part of the front portion of the left panel and a part of the front portion of the right panel when the underwear is worn by a male. The suspended flap is configured to be pulled out and deployed over the waistband to cover a front portion of underwear and/or a front portion of on outer layer of clothing during and immediately after urination, thereby allowing urine droplets to fall on the pulled out flap and thereby prohibiting droplets from staining the outer layer of clothing.

In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, a generally rectangular or square protective fabric attachment for an underwear garment is disclosed. The protective fabric attachment is a planar fabric and is sewn along a waistband of a male underwear garment such that the attachment suspends inside the underwear from the waistline to cover the male reproductive organ of the wearer. The suspended attachment or flap is pulled out along the sewn edge over the waistband to cover the front portions of the underwear and/or outer layer of clothing worn by the wearer during urination, thereby allowing the urine drops to fall on the fabric attachment. After use, the fabric attachment can be pulled back in to suspend again inside the underwear garment (i.e. pair of underwear) along the sewn edge. It is to be appreciated that the fabric attachment is reusable for an unlimited number of uses and is manufactured to last as long as the underwear garment.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, a fabric flap sewn to inner lining of waistband of a male underwear is disclosed. The fabric flap is configured to function as a barrier between the male reproductive organ and clothing while and immediately after urinating. The fabric flap includes a generally rectangular planar fabric panel sewn along an edge to a lining of a waistband of a male underwear garment which is designed to suspend inside the underwear to cover the male reproductive organ. During use, the flap is pulled outward and deployed from the top of the waistline to function as a barrier between the male reproductive organ and the user's clothing such that it prevents urine droplets from staining clothing during and after male urination. It is to be appreciated that the flap protects a wearer from urine droplets on clothing when the wearer returns the male reproduction organ to inside the underwear garment upon completing urination.

In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, the flap can be replaced easily and does not restrict the elasticity of the underwear. The flap allows the male reproductive organ to be suspended naturally and does not limit or restrict freedom of movement of the wearer's legs or trunk. The flap and the male underwear garment with the integrated flap are relatively simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, a material of the fabric attachment includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of: polyester, nylon, cotton, spandex, rubber, polyurethane and a synthetic or natural material (i.e. bamboo).

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of the underwear garment with sewn fabric flap of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

FIG. 2 illustrates a plan view of the fabric flap of one potential embodiment of the underwear garment of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

FIG. 3A illustrates an enlarged view showing the stitching of the fabric flap to the inner lining of the underwear of one potential embodiment of the underwear garment in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

FIG. 3B illustrates a top perspective view of the fabric flap positioned inside the underwear garment of one potential embodiment of the underwear garment in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view showing steps of pulling the fabric flap of the present invention out of the underwear garment for use in accordance with the disclosed architecture; and

FIG. 5 illustrates one potential embodiment of the underwear garment with sewn fabric flap in a folded out position of the present invention when worn by a user in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.

As noted above, there exists a long felt need in the art for an improved undergarment that prevents urine from dripping over and onto an outer surface of pants/shorts while urinating in bathrooms. There is also a long felt need in the art for an improved underwear garment for males that prevents any embarrassment due to stains of dripping urine while urinating. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for uniquely designed underwear that eliminates the need to carry hand towels to cover pants while urinating, and also prevents the clothes of the wearer from getting wet and dirty due to backsplash from urinals which prevents the wearer from changing clothes after urinating. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for an underwear garment that obviates the need for individuals to carry clothes to public places to change after experiencing backsplash from urinals on their clothes. In addition, there is a long felt need in the art for an underwear garment that ensures males can urinate worry-free without concern of stains due to the dripping of urine on an outer surface of pants/shorts or stains due to water or urine backsplash from urinals. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for novel underwear garment that maximizes protection against urine drip marks on the lower or frontal area of jeans, slacks, shorts and other types of clothing.

The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is comprised of an improved underwear garment. The underwear garment is preferably designed for males and is comprised of a novel generally rectangular or square protective fabric attachment. The protective fabric attachment is a planar fabric and is sewn along a waistband of the underwear garment such that the attachment suspends inside the underwear from the waistline to cover the male reproductive organ of the wearer. The suspended attachment or flap can then be pulled out along the sewn edge over the waistband to cover the front portions of the underwear and/or outer layer of clothing worn by the wearer during urination, thereby allowing the urine drops to fall on the fabric attachment instead of the surface of the pants/shorts. After use, the fabric attachment can be pulled back in to and once again suspend inside the underwear garment (i.e. pair of underwear) along the sewn edge. It is to be appreciated that the fabric attachment is reusable for an unlimited number of uses and is manufactured to last at least as long as the underwear garment.

Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of an improved underwear garment 100 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The underwear garment 100 is comprised of a sewn fabric flap 106 that is generally rectangular, square or semi-circular and is sewn to the interior surface of waistband 104 of the underwear 102. The fabric flap 106 is stitched 108 into the underwear inner liner 1040 of the waistband 104. The underwear garment 100 also includes a left panel 1020 for encircling the left thigh of a wearer and a right panel 1022 for encircling the right thigh of a wearer.

The fabric flap 106 is positioned inside the underwear 102 such that it covers the penis or male reproductive organ of the male wearing the underwear 102. Further, all sides of the fabric flap 106, except the side which is sewn to the inner liner 1040, are unattached which enables the fabric flap 106 to be easily pulled outwards and deployed over the waistband 104. Accordingly, the fabric flap 106 is used for protection against urine drip marks on the lower and frontal areas of jeans, slacks, shorts and other types of clothing articles when deployed. During and after urination, the flap 106 is positioned behind and below the penis. Therefore, during and after urination drops of urine are absorbed, deflected and/or collected by the flap 106 to prevent same from staining the outer parts of the clothing article (e.g. pants/shorts) being worn by the wearer. The flap 106, when pulled outwards and deployed thereby, acts as a barrier between the outer surface of the clothing article and urinals, and prevents urine drops and urinal backsplash from falling on the outer surface in and around the frontal area of the clothing article being worn. Once the user has urinated or used the bathroom, the penis is maneuvered back inside the underwear 100, the fabric flap 106 is rotated back inside the underwear 102 and the clothing article is then returned to its normal wear position.

The fabric flap 106 can be a conventional soft and stretchable fabric that can be woven or knitted with elastic, stretchable strands. The fabric flap 106, when inside the underwear garment 100, creates a barrier between the underwear fabric and the penis when the underwear 102 is worn by a user. In this orientation, the fabric flap 106 allows accidental urine drip marks to be absorbed by an inner surface 126 of the fabric flap 106, and thereby eliminates staining of the underwear garment and the inner and outer surfaces of the clothing article being worn by the user.

The fabric flap 106 can be stitched inside boxer-shorts, drawers, long drawers, briefs, shorts or any male or female undergarment known in the art. Further, the fabric flap 106 is not visible to any other individual when the fabric flap 106 is in its stored orientation (refer to FIG. 1), thereby giving a conventional look to the underwear garment 100 and to the clothing article being worn therewith.

FIG. 2 illustrates a plan view of the fabric flap 106 of one potential embodiment of the underwear garment 100 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The fabric flap 106 can be generally rectangular or square in shape. Although, any geometric shape such as elliptical, pentagonal, circular, semi-circular or the like for the fabric flap 106 is under the scope of the invention. The top edge 204 is stitched to the inner lining of an underwear garment 102. The longitudinal edges 202, 206 and the lower edge 208 are unattached and are free to be pulled out and rotated over the waistband 104 of the underwear 102. In one potential embodiment, the length of the longitudinal edges 202, 206 is generally from about 4 inches to about 10 inches, but is not limited within this range. The width W can be generally equal to the length L of the flap 106. The flap 106 can also be planar and can be absorbent to quickly absorb drops of urine. The length L of the flap 106 can be generally equal to or less than the seam length (till gusset of a conventional underwear) of the underwear 102 to which the flap 106 is stitched. The width W of the flap 106 can be generally enough to cover from about one third to about one half of the leg openings of the underwear garment.

FIG. 3A illustrates an enlarged view showing the stitching of the fabric flap 102 to the inner lining of the underwear 102 in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The fabric flap 106 is sewn/stitched 108 along the front inner lining 1040 of an underwear garment 102. The stitching 108 is flat, thereby providing comfort to the user. The waistband 104 supports the flap 106 so as to maintain constant shape when the flap 106 is in the deployed position and when inside the underwear garment 102 (i.e. stored position). Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the flap 106 is sewn 108 on the inner lining 1040 of the underwear 102 such that the user can comfortably wear the underwear 102. The flap 106 is sewn 108 in the front portion of the waistband 104, which makes the flap 106 easily accessible prior to urinating (i.e. preparing to urinate) or using the bathroom.

The flap 106 can be integrated within any type, size or design of male underwear 102 and is of a size proportional to cover the frontal portion of the corresponding underwear. Additionally, the flap 106, when worn out after repeated use, can be replaced easily without restricting the elasticity of the underwear garment 102.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view showing the steps of pulling out the fabric flap 106 of the present invention out of the underwear for use in accordance with the disclosed architecture. During use, the flap 106, whose top edge 204 is sewn 108 along the inner lining 1040 of the waistband 104, is pulled out and deployed by holding the flap 106 and moving or rotating the free edges 202, 206, 208 outward to allow the flap 106 to be easily moved outside the underwear garment. The flap 106 covers the front or outer surface of the clothing article when it is pulled out, and an outer facing surface 136 of the flap 106 can protect the underwear 102 and the clothing article from urine droplets and stains during and after urination. The fabric flap 106 can be easily grasped and pulled outward from the top of any undergarment to which the fabric flap 106 is stitched.

FIG. 5 illustrates a male underwear garment with a sewn fabric flap 106 in a folded-out position of the present invention, when worn by a user in accordance with the disclosed architecture. As shown, the fabric flap 106 is pulled out to cover the front portion of a pair of jeans 504 and underwear 102 worn by the male wearer 500. During and after urinating, the urine drops 502 are caught by the fabric flap 106 and prevents staining the jeans 504 and underwear 102 during and after urination. The fabric flap 106 is positioned such that it maximizes protection against urine drip marks 502 on the lower and frontal areas of jeans 504.

The color and shape of the fabric flap 106 of the present invention 100 can be based on the underwear to which the flap is attached. The fabric flap 106 can be integrated within any type, size or design of male underwear and shorts. The fabric flap 106 can be formed using one or more materials selected from the group, consisting of a natural fiber such as cotton, hemp, bamboo, or silk, a regenerated fiber such as rayon or acetate, and a synthetic fiber such as nylon, acrylic, polyester or polyurethane and mixtures thereof. The fabric flap 106 is also smooth to the foreskin of the male reproductive organ of a user and does not block the leg openings of underwear, thus maintaining the ventilation effect of the underwear 102. Further, the flap 106 allows the male reproductive organ to be suspended naturally.

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “improved underwear garment”, “underwear garment”, and “male underwear garment”, are interchangeable and refer to the improved underwear garment 100 of the present invention. Similarly, “fabric flap”, “fabric attachment”, “protective fabric”, “protective attachment” and “flap” are interchangeable and refer to fabric flap 106 of the present invention.

Notwithstanding the forgoing, the improved underwear garment 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration and material of the improved underwear garment 100 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the improved underwear garment 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the improved underwear garment 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the improved underwear garment 100 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.

Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.

What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

Claims

1. An underwear garment for protecting a clothing article from becoming stained, the underwear garment comprising:

a fabric attachment sewn along one edge to a waistband of said underwear garment;

said fabric attachment is a protective flap including a first stored orientation and a second deployed orientation;

said first stored orientation includes a first position inside said underwear garment between a male reproductive organ and an inner side of said underwear garment;

said second deployed orientation includes a second position outside said underwear garment between the male reproductive organ and an outer side of a clothing article; and

said protective flap movable from said stored orientation to said deployed orientation to protect said outer side of said clothing article from stains during and after urination of a user.

2. The underwear garment of claim 1, wherein said protective flap is replaceable.

3. The underwear garment of claim 1, wherein said protective flap comprises one or more materials selected from a group consisting of a cotton, a hemp, a bamboo, a silk, a rayon, an acetate, a nylon, an acrylic, a polyester, and a polyurethane.

4. The underwear garment of claim 1, wherein said protective flap comprises a shape selected from a group consisting of a rectangle, a square, and a semi-circle.

5. The underwear garment of claim 1, wherein said one edge is sewn to an inner lining of said waistband.

6. The underwear garment of claim 1, wherein said protective flap comprises a width and a length, and further wherein said width is generally equal to said length.

7. The underwear garment of claim 6, wherein said length is generally from about 4 inches to about 10 inches.

8. An underwear garment for protecting a clothing article from becoming stained, the underwear garment comprising:

a fabric attachment sewn along one edge to a waistband of said underwear garment;

said one edge is sewn to an inner lining of said waistband;

said fabric attachment is a protective flap including a first stored orientation and a second deployed orientation;

said first stored orientation includes a first position inside said underwear garment between a male reproductive organ and an inner side of said underwear garment;

said second deployed orientation includes a second position outside said underwear garment between the male reproductive organ and an outer side of a clothing article;

said protective flap rotatable from said stored orientation to said deployed orientation to protect said outer side of said clothing article from stains during and after urination of a user; and

said protective flap absorbs urine droplets and urinal backsplash in said deployed orientation during and after urination of the user.

9. The underwear garment of claim 8, wherein said protective flap is replaceable.

10. The underwear garment of claim 8, wherein said protective flap comprises one or more materials selected from a group consisting of a cotton, a hemp, a bamboo, a silk, a rayon, an acetate, a nylon, an acrylic, a polyester, and a polyurethane.

11. The underwear garment of claim 8, wherein said protective flap comprises a shape selected from a group consisting of a rectangle, a square, and a semi-circle.

12. The underwear garment of claim 8, wherein said protective flap includes a width and a length, and further wherein said width is generally equal to said length.

13. The underwear garment of claim 12, wherein said length is generally from about 4 inches to about 10 inches.

14. A method of protecting a clothing article from a urine stain, the method comprising the steps of:

attaching a protective flap to an edge of a waistband of an underwear garment;

storing said protective flap in a first position, wherein said first position is inside said underwear garment between a male reproductive organ and an inner side of said underwear garment;

deploying said protective flap in a second position, wherein said second position is outside said underwear garment between the male reproductive organ and an outer side of a clothing article; and

moving said protective flap from said first position to said second position to protect an outer side of the clothing article during and after urination of a user, wherein said protective flap absorbs urine droplets and urinal backsplash in said second position during and after urination of the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said attaching a protective flap to an edge of a waistband of an underwear garment further includes sewing one side of said protective flap to a waistband of said underwear garment.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising a step of moving said protective flap from said second position to said first position after urination of a user.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said protective flap comprises one or more materials selected from a group consisting of a cotton, a hemp, a bamboo, a silk, a rayon, an acetate, a nylon, an acrylic, a polyester, and a polyurethane.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said protective flap comprises a shape selected from a group consisting of a rectangle, a square, and a semi-circle.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said edge of said waistband is an inner lining of said waistband.

20. The underwear garment of claim 14, wherein said protective flap includes a width and a length; and wherein said width is generally equal to said length.