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  Article of clothing with a novel attachment meansRelated Patent Categories: Surgery, Sexual ApplianceThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060183968. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] 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 INVENTION [0002] People wear clothing for three principal reasons: [0003] (1) To protect themselves from the environment, [0004] (2) to insure decency, and [0005] (3) To respond to the dictates of fashion. [0006] 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. [0007] 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. [0008] 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. [0009] 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. [0010] 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. [0011] 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 INVENTION [0012] In 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: [0013] For the purposes of this disclosure the terms "article of clothing" and "garment" shall be considered synonymous terms. [0014] Similarly, in the context of this disclosure, "extension" and "insert" shall be considered synonymous terms. [0015] 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. [0016] 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) [0017] 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. [0018] (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. [0019] (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 [0020] (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. [0021] 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 [0022] 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. [0023] 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 [0024] FIG. 1(a) shows one particular design for the ultimately minimal woman's swimsuit bottom (or underpants) utilizing this invention as the principal means of garment attachment. In this particular embodiment the garment extension is meant for insertion into the woman's vagina, although an anal insert could be used (instead of, or in addition to the vaginal insert). The fabric comprising the garment itself is rendered here and in FIGS. 2 and 6 as semi-transparent, to reveal the details of the frame and insert more fully. FIG. 1(b) depicts an enlarged view of the insert portion of the garment shown in FIG. 1(a). [0025] FIG. 2(a) shows the equivalent swimsuit or underpants for a man. Here the insert is, of necessity, designed for insertion into the anus. FIG. 2(b) shows an enlarged view from above of the insert portion of the garment shown in FIG. 2(a). [0026] FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) show several variant forms for the frame, in each case intended for use with a separable insert. [0027] 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. Continue reading... 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