IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,185,768

Granted Patent B2

US 12,185,768 · App. 18/013,973 · Granted Jan 7, 2025

Genital concealing underwear for trans female gender presentation

Inventor: Martha Hall (Newark, DE)

Assignee: University of Delaware

A41B9/04 A41B9/004 A41B9/02

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12,185,768
App. No.: 18/013,973
Granted: Jan 7, 2025
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

Garments for concealing male genitalia of a wearer, the garment having a compressible region configured to be disposed over the genitalia of the wearer. Adjustment of tensile forces exerted on the compressible region resolve to compression forces exerted by the compressible region on the wearer's genitalia. Embodiments include garments having a primary portion and a connector portion configured to connect a front portion to a back portion, the connector having an adjustable length between a connection to the front portion and connection to the back portion, wherein adjustment of the length is used for adjusting the tensile forces.

Claims (52)

1. A garment for concealing male genitalia of a wearer, the garment comprising:

a compressible region configured to be disposed over the genitalia of the wearer;

means for adjusting tensile forces exerted on the compressible region, wherein said tensile forces resolve to compression forces exerted by the compressible region on the wearer's genitalia,

a primary portion having a front region configured to lie adjacent a front body portion of the wearer and a back region configured to lie adjacent a back body portion of the wearer;

wherein the connector portion is attachable and detachable from the primary portion and comprises a first fastener portion of a front fastener interface on a front end and a first fastener portion of a back fastener interface on a back end;

wherein the primary portion comprises a second fastener portion of the front fastener interface disposed in the front region and a second fastener portion of the back fastener interface disposed in the back region, wherein each first fastener portion is configured to mate with each corresponding second fastener portion; and

wherein the front end of the connector portion has bulbous end region and the primary portion front portion comprises a pocket having an opening, the bulbous end region having a width greater than a width of the opening of the pocket and configured to be disposed in the pocket, and a neck region configured to be disposed in the opening or outside of the pocket and having a width equal to or less than the width of the opening in at least a portion of the neck region configured to be disposed in the opening.

2. The garment of claim 1 , further comprising lace attached to the primary portion, the connector portion, or both, disposed to hide panty lines, portions of the first fastener interface, portions of the second fastener interface, or a combination thereof.

3. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment comprises a bottom portion and a top portion.

4. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the primary portion comprises a bottom portion and a top portion that form a unitary element and the connector portion has a fixed end attached to the primary portion and at least one free end that is attachable and detachable to the primary portion.

5. The garment of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front fastener interface and the back fastener interface are selected from the group consisting of:

hook and eye fasteners, button and buttonhole fasteners, and microhook/microloop fasteners.

6. The garment claim 1 , wherein the front portion of the primary portion has a first design element and the neck region of the connector portion comprises a second design element configured to interact with the first design element to form a completed design having a variable presentation depending upon a position of the front end of the connector relative to the opening.

7. The garment of claim 1 , wherein the garment comprises at least one drawstring for adjusting at least one characteristic of the garment.

8. A garment for concealing male genitalia of a wearer, the garment comprising:

a compressible region configured to be disposed over the genitalia of the wearer;

means for adjusting tensile forces exerted on the compressible region, wherein said tensile forces resolve to compression forces exerted by the compressible region on the wearer's genitalia;

a primary portion having a front region configured to lie adjacent a front body portion of the wearer and a back region configured to lie adjacent a back body portion of the wearer;

a connector portion configured to connect the front portion to the back portion and having an adjustable length between a connection to the front portion and connection to the back portion, wherein the means for adjusting the tensile forces comprises the adjustable length, wherein the connector portion has a fixed end attached to the primary portion and at least one free end that is attachable and detachable to the primary portion;

wherein the at least one free end of the connector portion comprises a first fastener portion of a fastener interface, and the primary portion comprises a second fastener portion of the fastener interface, wherein the first fastener portion is configured to mate with the corresponding second fastener portion; and

one or more guides disposed in the back of the primary portion and configured to receive and guide the at least one free end of the connector portion to a fastener at a front of the garment.

9. The garment of claim 8 , wherein the at least one free end of the connector portion comprises a first fastener portion and second fastener portion of a fastener interface, wherein the first fastener portion is configured to mate with the corresponding second fastener portion, the connector portion fixedly attached to the front of the primary portion and configured to be wrapped medially between a wearer's legs and folded around a waistband of the primary portion in the back of the primary portion, the connector portion folded around the waistband at a location between the first fastener portion and the second fastener portion so that the first fastener portion is in a position to be affixed to the second fastener portion.

10. A garment for concealing male genitalia of a wearer, the garment comprising:

a compressible region configured to be disposed over the genitalia of the wearer;

means for adjusting tensile forces exerted on the compressible region, wherein said tensile forces resolve to compression forces exerted by the compressible region on the wearer's genitalia;

a primary portion having a front region configured to lie adjacent a front body portion of the wearer and a back region configured to lie adjacent a back body portion of the wearer;

wherein the connector is bifurcated into a first tie having a first free end and a second tie having a second free end; and

wherein the primary portion comprises a first set of guides disposed in the back of the primary portion and configured to receive and guide the first free end of the connector portion to a waistband region of the primary portion and a second set of guides disposed in the back of the primary portion and configured to receive and guide the second free end of the connector portion to the waistband region, wherein the means for adjusting the tension comprises a position of a knot joining the first tie and the second tie in a front of the garment.

11. The garment of claim 10 , wherein the first tie and the second tie have different lengths.

12. A garment for concealing male genitalia of a wearer, the garment comprising:

a compressible region configured to be disposed over the genitalia of the wearer:

means for adjusting tensile forces exerted on the compressible region, wherein said tensile forces resolve to compression forces exerted by the compressible region on the wearer's genitalia;

a primary portion having a front region configured to lie adjacent a front body portion of the wearer and a back region configured to lie adjacent a back body portion of the wearer;

wherein the primary portion comprises a bottom portion and a top portion that form a unitary element and the connector portion has a fixed end attached to the primary portion and at least one free end that is attachable and detachable to the primary portion; and

wherein the connector portion is bifurcated into a first strap having a first free end and a second strap having a second free end, wherein the connector portion is configured to be disposed between the wearer's legs and adjacent a portion of the wearer's back, with the first strap and the second strap wrapped from back to front and secured to one another in the front in a waist region of the user.

13. The garment of claim 12 , wherein the primary portion comprises one or more guides for guiding the first strap and the second strap from a bottom back of the primary portion to the waist region.

14. The garment of claim 13 , wherein the one or more guides comprises a first slit for receiving the connector portion adjacent a bottom back of the wearer and a second and third slits in the waist region of the user adjacent opposite sides of the back of the user for respectively receiving the first strap and the second strap.

15. The garment of claim 13 , wherein the first strap comprises a first portion of an adjustable fastener interface and the second strap comprises a second portion of the adjustable fastener interface.

16. The garment of claim 15 , wherein the one or more guides comprises a first slit for receiving the connector portion adjacent a bottom back center of the wearer and a second slit in the waist region of the user adjacent a center of the back of the user for receiving both the first strap and the second strap.

17. A garment for concealing male genitalia of a wearer, the garment comprising:

a compressible region configured to be disposed over the genitalia of the wearer;

means for adjusting tensile forces exerted on the compressible region, wherein said tensile forces resolve to compression forces exerted by the compressible region on the wearer's genitalia; and

one or more padding pockets for receiving padding, and one or more pads configured to be disposed in the one or more pockets, wherein the means for adjusting the tensile forces consist of the one or more pads disposed in the one or more padding pockets, wherein selection of relatively greater thickness of the one or more pads results in relatively greater tensile forces.

18. The garment of claim 17 , wherein the one or more padding pockets includes a front pocket, a left side pocket, a right side pocket, a right rear pocket, and a left rear pocket.

19. The garment of claim 17 , wherein the one or more pads comprises a stitched or quilted fabric pad.

20. A garment for concealing male genitalia of a wearer, the garment comprising:

a compressible region configured to be disposed over the genitalia of the wearer;

means for adjusting tensile forces exerted on the compressible region, wherein said tensile forces resolve to compression forces exerted by the compressible region on the wearer's genitalia; and

an internal fabric catcher configured to be disposed over the wearer's genitalia, the catcher configured with a plurality of channels, including a channel on each lateral side, and a drawstring in each channel, the catcher connected to an internal top front of the garment at one end, extending between the legs of the wearer, and attached to an internal back top at an opposite end, each drawstring having free ends extending outside the channels on opposite lateral sides of respective leg holes in the garment, the garment further comprising a drawstring closure proximal of each drawstring end, wherein the means for adjusting the tensile force comprises a location of drawstring closure relative to the free ends of the drawstrings.

Assignments (2)

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 20, 2024

From: HALL, MARTHA

To: UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE

Reel/Frame 069346/0862 →

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2024

From: HALL, MARTHA

To: UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE

Reel/Frame 069299/0792 →

Continuity (2)

Provisional Application 63045964 · Jun 30, 2020

Related Publication 20230284709A1 · Sep 14, 2023

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