US20100101000A1

US20100101000A1 - Lower body outerwear with condom pocket

Info

Publication number: US20100101000A1
Application number: US12/257,377
Authority: US
Inventors: Carlyle Hanson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-10-23
Filing date: 2008-10-23
Publication date: 2010-04-29

Abstract

The invention describes and claims the lower body outerwear article of clothing, such as (for example) denim jeans. Such outerwear is intended for safe storage and transport of a birth control device, such as a condom. The invention comprises a fly assembly and at least one condom pocket positioned in the front side of the article of clothing. The pocket is sized to accommodate a rubber condom in packaging.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the present invention is outer apparel and particularly lower body outerwear with condom pockets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the age of liberal views and deadly epidemic sexually-transmitted diseases, the use of personal protection devices, such as condoms, is as essential as never before. Condoms save lives by preventing the transmission of AIDS and other STDs. Condoms prevent broken families and abandoned children. Condoms provide peace of mind. Condoms signal courtesy and good hygiene to a partner. The absence of condom at the right moment can ruin the moment, the relationship, or the entire life.
Condoms are fragile. They are thin an easily punctured. They are sensitive to pressure. They are affected by temperature variations. Nonetheless, most women, who are responsible enough to carry condoms packets, often carry them loosely contained in their pockets or the bottom of the purse, mixed in with cosmetics, keys, and other items. Such storage exposes condom packets and condoms themselves to stress, temperature variations, and great possibility of puncture. Many men carry condoms inside the wallets a place of great bacterial infestation and tremendous compressing pressure. Wallets are constantly folded and unfolded. They are squeezed into pockets and sat upon. Storage in a wallet rapidly deteriorates the properties of the gentle rubber and can cause the appearance of microscopic cracks and tears, and loss of elasticity, leading to tears and subsequent tears.
Numerous unsuccessful attempts have been made in the art to assure that sexually-active individuals are in possession of a condom, when they require one. Most attempts involved the attachment of condom-carrying packets on or in close proximity to a person's body. For example, some inventions involved the attachment of condoms with special stickers to person's body parts or person's underwear. However such a solution can cause uncomfortable to attach and wear, painful to remove, and leave sticky traces on clothing. Adhesive attachment is unreliable and may result in loss of the condom. Most importantly, in such attachment condom is unprotected and may be damaged and torn.
Other attempts at a solution involved the use of brooches or containers, attachable to clothing for transport. Yet others, suggested special cases for use in wallets, to protect condoms from the pressure inside the wallet. However, the use of such containers is often burdensome they must be remembered about, when one intends to go out, and they take up extra space, add extra weight in the wallet or on user's person, and generally interfere with user's activities.
One invention suggests a pocket on the running shoe for storage of condoms. However, running shoes are subjected to powerful shocks and bending. They may get wet. Shoes are exposed to temperature extremes. And most importantly, shoe pocket is the last place a lover may think of or want to reach to and struggle with in the heat of passion.
Some attempts at a solution involve the attachment of condom pockets to underwear. Storage of condom in such pockets causes a number of problems. First of all, most underwear is made of soft, gentle materials, such as cotton. Such materials provide little to no protection against the rubbing and pressure caused on underwear and condom contained therein by rough outer clothing, such as jeans. Sharp edges of the condom pocket feel uncomfortable through the thin underwear. Underwear is positioned close to wearer's body, under a layer of outerwear. Accordingly, temperatures are elevated. Storage of rubber condoms at elevated temperatures for extended periods of time interferes with condom's strength and elasticity. Underwear is washed often. Sometimes a wearer may forget to take a condom out of the pocket, sending it through the hot washing cycle. Needless to say, condom stored in the underwear pocket will be severely damaged. If the wearer forgets and uses such a condom afterwards, tragedy may occur. If the wearer remembers to take the condom out prior to sending the underwear to the laundry, he or she may forget to insert a new condom prior wearing the underwear. Underwear is washed often, but outerwear is not. Underwear condom pockets exist, yet are full of shortcomings, and are therefore not of much use.
Similarly, soft inner pockets built into the inner side of the outerwear, and in contact with the body provides many of the same problems as do the pockets built into the underwear. Condoms in such pockets cause discomfort to the wearer, the condoms are not protected from wear and friction, and the qualities of rubber are effected by wearers body heat. Instead, a rigid, protective pocket in a convenient place is required.
In light of the problems and shortcomings associated with condom storage and transport, there is a long-standing and unsatisfied need in the art for a device / functional article of clothing and method that would allow the user to always have “condom on-board,” and be able to access it quickly and effortlessly. Such an article of clothing must provide protection to the condom from excessive physical stress, as well as extreme temperature variations. At the times when intimacy is likely, the article of clothing must be capable of reminding the user of the importance of self protection. In addition to that, the invention must be aesthetically appealing to young people, who are most at risk from unprotected sex. In addition to that, the article of clothing should have low costs of production and ownership. The present invention achieves all of these objectives and provides numerous additional benefits.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is defined by the following claims and nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation on those claims.
The invention describes and claims a lower body outerwear article of clothing. The article of clothing comprises a fly assembly and at least one condom pocket. The condom pocket is positioned in the front side of the article of clothing. It is sized to accommodate a rubber condom in packaging. In the preferred embodiments of the invention, the at least one condom pocket is one condom pocket.
Preferably, the condom pocket comprises an upper part of the pocket and a lower part of the pocket and at least two layers of material. The at least two layers of material comprise the forward layer of the pocket and the back layer of the pocket. The condom pocket further comprises a preferably-horizontal condom insertion slit.
The method of using the invention is also described and claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of pants with condom pocket showing my new design;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view from the left thereof;

FIG. 3 is a left perspective view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view thereof, wherein the lower obscured portion of the pocket is a mirror image of the top visible portion;

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view thereof;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Present invention will now be illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the lower body outerwear article of clothing (clothing) of the present invention have been assigned reference numeral 10. Other elements have been assigned the reference numerals referred to below.
The term lower body outerwear article of clothing 10 is also referred to as article of clothing 10, clothing 10 or pants 10 in this description. The term refers to any outerwear articles of clothing intended to be worn around or below the waist, except for footwear. Some examples of such articles of clothing may are pants (such as jeans), shorts and skirts. The preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated on FIGS. 1-5 is in the form of pants, and preferably jeans. This preferred embodiment will be discussed in this description
The article of clothing 10 comprises a front side 12 of the article of clothing, a rear side of the article of clothing 14, a right side of the article of clothing 16, and a left side of the article of clothing 18, as illustrated on FIG. 1. The article of clothing 10 (or pants 10) further comprises a fly assembly 20. The fly assembly 20 refers to the general portion of the pants 10 that includes a fastening device (such as a button 22, in preferred embodiments) and one overlapping side 24. In preferred embodiments, such as the one shown in FIG. 1-FIG. 5, the fly assembly 20 is positioned to be in the crotch area of the wearer.
The pants 10 comprise at least one condom pocket 26 (pocket 26), and preferably one condom pocket 26. The condom pocket 26 is positioned in the front side of the article of clothing. The condom pocket 26 is sized to accommodate a rubber condom in packaging. As condom packages come in different sizes, the size of the pocket 26 may differ. Preferably condom pocket 26 is adapted for elongated condom packages and is thus several inches high (vertically) to an inch or so wide horizontally (3″×1.5″).
In the preferred variants of the invention, the condom pocket 26 comprises an upper part of the pocket 27 and a lower part of the pocket 30. The pocket 26 also comprises at least two layers of material that comprise the forward layer of the pocket 32 and the back layer of the pocket 34. The pocket 26 also comprises a condom insertion slit 36, that is intended for insertion of the condom. Preferably, the condom insertion slit 36 is horizontal and is positioned in the forward layer of the pocket, as shown in FIG. 3. Horizontal positioning of the slit 36 is preferred, as the condom can be inserted from above and be held in place by the force of gravity. For the same reason, the slit 36 is preferably positioned in (i.e. cut into) the top part of the one condom pocket (see FIG. 5).
In alternative embodiments, the slit may be vertical. In such embodiment, a zipper closure mechanism of other fastener may be required to secure the condom inside the pocket.
The condom pocket 26 is intended to protect the condom from wear and tear, as well as temperature extremes. Thus, in the preferred embodiments of the invention the condom pocket is made of denim. Denim is a much more rigid material than that used in manufacture of underwear. Denim pocket 26 thus offers much better protection from abrasion and stress than thin cotton does. Furthermore, as the pocket 26 is positioned on the outerwear, such as jeans, the condom in the pocket 26 is not as affected by owner's body temperature, as condoms contained in underwear or other pockets in direct contact with wearer's body. Furthermore, in some alternative embodiments of the invention, condom pocket 26 comprises heat-insulating materials (such as foil, or additional layers of fabric), positioned between the forward layer of the pocket and the back layer of the pocket and intended for thermal protection of condom. In other alternative embodiments condom pocket 26 comprises rigid walls, positioned between the forward layer of the pocket and the back layer of the pocket and intended for condom protection. That is, the pocket 26 may comprise a rigid box or box-like structure to further protect the condom inside.
In the preferred embodiments of the invention, such as shown on FIG. 1-FIG. 5, the pocket 26 is positioned in the center of the front side of the article of clothing. Preferably, the pocket 26, containing the condom is positioned over the crotch of the wearer. This way, the wearer may be reminded of the pocket and of the condom therein in the minutes of sexual excitement. Furthermore, in preferred embodiments, the condom pocket is part of the fly assembly. This way, every time the user of the pants 10 unbuttons the fly, he or she will be touching or otherwise become aware of the pocket 26 and reminded of the “condom-on-board.” As shown on the preferred embodiments of FIG. 1-FIG. 5, the pocket 26 is preferably built in, so as to be coverable by the flap 24, for additional protection when the pants 10 are on and zippered up.
The preferred positioning of the pocket 26 on the crotch of the wearer provides additional protection tot he condom within the pocket 26. As human crotch is a private and sensitive area, the wearer of the pants 10 is more likely to avoid physical impacts in that area, than in any other area of the body, thus ensuring the protection of the condom. Rubber condom in the crotch area in turn provides additional protection to the crotch area in case of impact. Since condom contained in the pocket 26 is better protected than condoms contained in underwear condom pockets, poses less of an inconvenience, and as outerwear, such as jeans, are washed less frequently than underwear, the user of the pants 10 is more likely to have the condom in the pocket 26, when the need comes.
As stated above, preferably pants 10 are denim jeans or shorts. However, the invention is also effective in most other types of leg-wear, such as other types of pants, trousers, skirts, etc.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the at least one condom pocket is plurality of condom pockets. In such cases, the pants 10, comprise a waist belt area 40. Additional condom pocket or pockets are then positioned in the waist belt area of the lower body outerwear article of clothing.
The method of storing and transporting unwrapped rubber condom, using the current invention comprises the steps of obtaining the pants 10 (lower body outerwear article of clothing) of the type described above. Such pants 10 comprise a front side and a fly assembly, preferably positioned in the front side. The pants 10 further comprise at least one condom pocket. This pocket is positioned in the front side of the pants 10 (article of clothing), in crotch area of a jean wearer. As above, the pocket is sized to accommodate a rubber condom in packaging. Preferably, as above, the at least one condom pocket is part of the fly assembly. The method of using the pants 10 further comprises the step of inserting a wrapped rubber condom into the at least one condom pocket. The method may further include the step of wearing the pants 10. Preferably, the pants 10 used for this method are made of denim.
It is to be understood that while the apparatus and method of this invention have been described and illustrated in detail, the above-described embodiments are simply illustrative of the principles of the invention and the forms that the invention can take, and not a definition of the invention. It is to be understood also that various other modifications and changes may be devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof. It is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. The spirit and scope of this invention are limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. Lower body outerwear article of clothing, comprising:

a. a front side of the article of clothing, a rear side of the article of clothing, a right side of the article of clothing, and a left side of the article of clothing;

b. a fly assembly,

c. at least one condom pocket positioned in the front side of the article of clothing,

d. wherein the pocket is sized to accommodate a rubber condom in packaging.

2. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the at least one condom pocket is one condom pocket.

3. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 2, wherein the one condom pocket comprises

a. an upper part of the pocket and a lower part of the pocket,

b. at least two layers of material, wherein the at least two layers of material comprise the forward layer of the pocket and the back layer of the pocket, and

c. a condom insertion slit in the one condom pocket.

4. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 3, wherein the lower body outerwear article of clothing is pants.

5. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 4, wherein the condom insertion slit is positioned in the top part of the one condom pocket, and wherein the condom insertion slit is horizontal.

6. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 5, wherein the one condom pocket is positioned in the center of the front side of the article of clothing.

7. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 6, wherein the one condom pocket is part of the fly assembly.

8. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 7, wherein the condom insertion slit is positioned in the forward layer of the pocket.

9. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 7, wherein the pants are denim jeans.

10. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 3, wherein the lower body outerwear article of clothing is a skirt.

11. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 3, wherein the one condom pocket comprises a zipper closure mechanism.

12. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 3, wherein the one condom pocket comprises rigid walls, positioned between the forward layer of the pocket and the back layer of the pocket and intended for condom protection.

13. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 3, wherein the one condom pocket comprises heat-insulating materials, positioned between the forward layer of the pocket and the back layer of the pocket and intended for thermal protection of condom.

14. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the at least one condom pocket is plurality of condom pockets.

15. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 14, wherein the lower body outerwear article of clothing comprises a waist belt area, and wherein an additional condom pocket is positioned in the waist belt area of the lower body outerwear article of clothing.

16. The method of storing and transporting unwrapped rubber condom, comprising the steps of:

a. obtaining a lower body outerwear article of clothing of the type comprising:

i. a front side of the article of clothing,

ii. a fly assembly,

iii. at least one condom pocket positioned in the front side of the article of clothing, in crotch area of a jean wearer,

iv. wherein the pocket is sized to accommodate a rubber condom in packaging, and

v. wherein the at least one condom pocket is part of the fly assembly;

b. inserting a wrapped rubber condom into the at least one condom pocket.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the lower body outerwear article of clothing is made of denim.

18. The lower body outerwear article of clothing of claim 3, wherein the one condom pocket is made of denim.