Athletic Hammock

Abstract

The invention is a garment which has the characteristic of supporting the male genitals in a cradle created by a suspension of cloth which does not pull towards the abdomen, but rather is itself supported by anchoring points at the waistline at the maximum width of the torso. This forms a sling-like platform which functions much like a hammock stretched between two trees, and the wearer's genitals rest on the hammock. The structure necessary to support the hammock is a form-fitting athletic short, with certain modifications to support the improvement of the invention.

1 . (canceled)  
   
   
       2 . I claim a men's active wear garment of unique design generally composed of two main elements: the chassis and the hammock.  
   
   
       3 . Said chassis of  claim 2  is a form contouring short composed of tightly fitting elastic fabric with an opening from the base of the scrotum to pubic bone.  
   
   
       4 . Said opening of  claim 3  prevents the wearer's genitals from being displaced, compressed or encumbered in any fashion.  
   
   
       5 . Said hammock of  claim 2  is composed of a fabric which resists tension in one direction.  
   
   
       6 . Said hammock of  claim 5  is attached to the chassis at either end in a generally V-shaped configuration at three main points: top points of the V outside the legs on the body centerline below the waist; the lowest point of the V at the anatomic point where the scrotum is attached to a man's body.  
   
   
       7 . The forward edge of said hammock of  claim 6  is displaced forward of the described anatomic point by its positioning across the front of each leg.  
   
   
       8 . The forward edge of said hammock is attached to the chassis outside the legs on the body centerline below the two points described above in  claim 6 .  
   
   
       9 . Said hammock forms a platform of cloth between the described anatomic point of  claim 6  and the displaced forward edge of  claim 7 .  
   
   
       10 . The tension resistance of the hammock cloth acts as a cable whose effective positioning is the forward edge of the hammock described in  claim 7 .  
   
   
       11 . The cable of  claim 10  supports said platform of  claim 9 .  
   
   
       12 . Said configuration of  claim 6  provides support without compressing the objects resting on the platform when the wearer is in a standing position.  
   
   
       13 . When the wearer is in a seated position the hammock is in tension from its point of attachment on the outside of the left leg, across the top of the left leg, under the wearer's genitals, across the top of the right leg, to its point of attachment on the outside of the right leg.  
   
   
       14 . Said configuration of  claim 13  tends to prevent the wearer's genitals from displacing to their natural location between the legs when the wearer is seated.