Male truss
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a male truss for aiding in producing and maintaining an erection. 
     As explained in U.S. Pat. No. 3,636,948 to Atchley, truss devices have been devised which are designed specifically to restrict the flow of blood back through the dorsal vein of the penis to the heart. Most of these devices are circular in form and include internal, radially extended protuberances that must be accurately positioned with regard to the dorsal vein. Accordingly, these devices are relatively difficult to fit properly and are uncomfortable to the wearer once fitted. Additionally, many of these prior art devices are bulky and tend to interfere in the wearer&#39;s ability to engage in intercourse and are difficult to clean and thus cannot be used safely more than once. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve devices for achieving and maintaining an erection. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a male truss that is easily fitted by the user to restrict the flow of blood through the dorsal vein of the penis. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a male truss that is comfortable to wear and which can be easily cleaned and reused. 
     These and other objects of the present invention are attained by means of a male truss for producing and maintaining an erection during intercourse that includes a rigid linear member having an axially extended opening passing therethrough, the member having a length such that it spans laterally across the dorsal region of a penis. A loop passes through the opening in the member and is arranged to pass circumferentially around the penis to apply a downward pressure upon the rigid member that is sufficient to restrict the flow of blood through the dorsal vein of the penis back to the heart. Blood being supplied to the penis by the arteries is thus retained in the erectile tissue of the organ to cause and maintain an erection. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a better understanding of these and other objects of the present invention, reference shall be made herein to the following detailed description of the invention which is to be read in association with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a first embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view further illustrating a second embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another form of the invention mounted upon a penis; and 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken along lines 4--4 in FIG. 3 further illustrating the present invention in restricting contact with the dorsal vein of the penis. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring initially to FIG. 1, there is shown a first embodiment of the present invention, generally referenced 10. The device 10 includes a rigid cylindrically shaped member 11 having an elongated, axially extended slit 12 passing through the side wall of the member which opens into a central hole 13 that passes axially through this member. An elastic loop 14 is passed into the cylinder through the slot. The section 15 of the loop that is housed within the cylinder has an axial width that is narrower than the free section 16 of the loop that is situated outside of the rigid cylinder. The circumference of the loop is less than the circumference of the penis during arousal so that it will exert a biasing force on the cylinder when the device is mounted upon the penis. In practice, the loop is expanded and the device is passed over the penis and the rigid cylinder is positioned over the dorsal region of the penis close to the base of the penis. When the device is positioned near or at the base of the penis, the expanded loop is allowed to contract into biasing contact around the penis thus drawing the rigid cylinder downwardly into pressure contact against the dorsal region of the penis as illustrated in FIG. 3. As will be described in greater detail below, sufficient pressure is exerted by the loop to cause the cylinder to restrict the flow of blood through the dorsal vein of the penis. 
     Turning now to FIG. 2, there is shown a second embodiment of the present invention generally referenced 20. A first inner rigid cylinder 21 having an axially aligned slit 22 is passed over an elastic band 23. One end of the elastic band is attached to a hook pad 25 while the opposite end of the band is similarly attached to an eye pad 26. The two pads together form an adjustable Velcro-type closure device 27. 
     A second outer rigid cylinder 30, also containing an axially disposed slot 31 of sufficient width to allow either the hook or the eye pad to pass therethrough, is slidably mounted upon the inner cylinder as shown. The outer cylinder performs a first important function of closing the slot 21 of the inner cylinder thus preventing the elastic band 23 from inadvertently slipping out of the inner cylinder during use. The outer cylinder also serves a second function of allowing the outer diameter of the rigid section of the device to be selectively changed to fit the wearer. A number of outer cylinders, each having a different outer diameter, can be provided with each device. Through a minimal amount of experimentation, the user can thus select a cylinder diameter that is most satisfactory for his need. Accordingly, the device shown in FIG. 2 allows for two forms of adjustment. The first involves regulating the amount of tension applied to the rigid cylinder by loosening or tightening the closure device. The second involves the proper selection of the outer cylinder to obtain the greatest comfort, without sacrificing performance. 
     Turning now to FIG. 3, there is shown another form of the invention generally referenced 50 mounted at the base of penis 45. In this form of the invention, a single rigid cylinder 11, as explained above in reference to FIG. 1, is shown mounted upon an elastic band 23 as explained above with reference to FIG. 2. Here again, the ends of the band are attached to a Velcro closure device 25 and 26 which can be adjustably fastened as shown around the penis to apply the desired pressure to the cylinder. As should be evident from the drawing, the axial width of the closure pads is considerably greater than the contact zone of the cylinder. Accordingly, the downward biasing pressure concentrated in the cylinder contact region is more widely distributed over a greater area of the penis by the closure device thus providing for a more comfortable fit, and minimal interference with arterial blood entering to fill the organ. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, there is illustrated a section taken along lines 4--4 in FIG. 3 showing the device 50 positioned upon penis 45. Blood from the heart enters the penis through two profunda arteries 46 and 47 and a pair or lesser dorsal arteries (not shown). The profunda arteries are surrounded by the corpus cavernosa 48 and 49. Normally, the blood circulates through the penis and is returned back to the heart through the dorsal vein 61. The urethra 63 is located in the lower part of the penis through which urine moves as it is being discharged from the body. The urethra, in turn, is surrounded by the corpus spongiosum 64 which like the corpus cavernosum is made up of erectile tissue. The tissue contains little or no blood when the penis is in a non-erected state. The tissue, however, becomes filled with blood during an erection and the blood is trapped therein as long as the erection is maintained. 
     The device 50 is shown positioned upon the base of the penis in FIG. 4 with the rigid cylinder 11 located directly over the dorsal vein which, as noted above, functions to carry blood from the corpus cavernosum and corpus spongiosum regions back to the heart. The closure device 27 is passed about the base of the penis and is adjusted to the desired tension. The cylinder is thus pulled downwardly with sufficient pressure to occlude the dorsal vein and restrict the flow of blood from the corpus cavernosum and corpus spongiosum back to the heart. Blood flowing into the penis during arousal thus becomes entrapped in the erectile tissue causing the tissue to swell thereby producing an erection. 
     Once the closure device is fastened, the elastic band 23 maintains a steady biasing force on the cylinder which is concentrated within the arcuate contact area between the cylinder and the dorsal region of the penis. Because the cylinder is rigid and the contact area between the cylinder and the penis is relatively narrow, the cylinder is able to penetrate the dorsal region to a depth that is relatively greater than other devices found in the prior art. Because the cylindrical member penetrates downwardly along a linear line of contact, it is not necessary that the device be precisely positioned in regard to the dorsal vein when being fitted on the penis. Simple placement of the cylinder close to the pubic bone is all that is necessary to produce the desired restriction of the dorsal veins. Because of the relatively small size of the device, positioning the device as explained will not interfere with the wearer&#39;s ability to perform intercourse. To clean the device, the cylinder or cylinders are simply removed and washed along with the elastic loop or closure device. 
     While this invention has been explained with reference to the structure disclosed herein, it is not confined to the details set forth and this invention is intended to cover any modifications and changes as may come within the scope of the following claims: