WO1989007923A1

WO1989007923A1 - Disposable protective shielded undergarment

Info

Publication number: WO1989007923A1
Application number: PCT/US1988/001218
Authority: WO
Inventors: Scherrie Payne; Sheryl D. Durden
Original assignee: Scherrie Payne; Durden Sheryl D
Priority date: 1988-02-29
Filing date: 1988-04-20
Publication date: 1989-09-08

Abstract

A disposable protective shielded undergarment for use during a woman's menstrual cycle. The undergarment utilizes a body (20) made of a breathable non-woven flexible paper material that is held together with either thread, adhesive or heat bonding. The top of the garment contains a waist opening (22) that is lined with an elastic band (26) and the bottom contains a pair of leg openings (24), also having an elastic band (30). For aesthetics, the waist opening may be lined with a lace fabric (28). The crotch area is optionally lined with a moisture repellent shield (36) and in all embodiments with an absorbent liner (32).

Description

DISPOSABLE PROTECTIVE SHIELDED UNDERGARMENT

TECHNICAL FIELD

This present invention relates to undergarments in general, and more specifically to women's paper-like disposable undergarments having a moisture repellent shield and an absorbent liner for use during a woman's menstrual period.

BACKGROUND ART

Previously, disposable paper-like undergarments have been known and are in common use, as are absorbent pads for female use during the menstrual cycle. Com¬ binations have been attempted, particularly with flush disposable pads secured to the crotch area of under¬ garments by adhesive or heat sealing. Previous endeavors have also utilized double thickness of the same material in the crotch area, or have been combined with a remov¬ able absorbent section.

Therefore, the truly disposable undergarment incorporating a moisture repellent shield and an integral absorbent liner that is used in combination with a sanitary napkin or tampon is still sought after and fills a long felt feminine need.

A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however, the following U.S. patents were considered related:

Patent No. Inventor Issue Date 4,674,135 Greene Jun. 23, 1987

4,617,022 Pigneul et al Oct. 14, 1986 4,280,230 La Fleur Jul. 28, 1981 3,599,640 Larson Aug. 17, 1971

3,594,820 McCurry Jul. 27, 1971

3,397,697 Rickard Aug. 20, 1968

Greene teaches a disposable undergarment made from a single sheet of nonwoven cellulous material, such as paper. A band of elastomeric material is sewn around the waist portion and similar material around the leg open¬ ings. A detachable pouch is also taught for storage and disposal. Pigneul et al utilize a disposable article attached to the wearer by the use of a removable belt. The pad is a laminated structure using absorbent cloth made of cellulose foam with a polyethylene film backing hook and loop tape is used as the method of attachment. La Fleur employs a cotton material pa ty with a cut-out crotch in which a disposable paper crotch mem¬ ber is inserted. The removable section is held in place by Velcro-like elements being hooked in holes of the removable member. Larson in U. S. Patent 3,599,640 teaches a dispos¬ able waist supported garment including an integral ab¬ sorbent crotch pad. The garment is made of a nonwoven paper material with sufficient^" thermoplastic material incorporated by spraying, or the like, to allow heat sealing around the edges, gathered so as to be sufficiently stretchable to hold the garment in place. The integral pad is formed of a double layer of paper material, the same as formed by the body of the garment. In one em¬ bodiment, elastic threads are disposed between the layers and spot sealed in place.

Mc Curry uses a unitary sheet of nonwoven material with carding staple fibers having a set of scrim warp threads parallel and perpendicular allowing stretch in a predetermined direction.

For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the remaining cited patents.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Since the need for a disposable undergarment has been fulfilled by prior art, such as taught by Larson in U.S. Patent 3,599,640, the combination of a simple, absorbent liner and a moisture repelling shield is still called for as one of the utility requisities for use during the menstrual cycle of females, where use is appropriate and the disposition by simply throwing it away is highly desirable. It is, therefore, a primary object of the invention to produce a combination disposable undergarment that is cost effective enough to be thrown away after use and fulfills the need of having an absorbent liner integrally attached at a convenient location with a moisture repellent shield for use during the menstrual period. Normally, under¬ garments are worn by women to hold a sanitary napkin in place, however, when the napkin becomes saturated, . the excess body fluid often overflows onto t e crotch area of the garment and then to outer clothing. The present invention prevents this overflow from reaching the outer clothing, as an absorbent cotton liner is in direct contact with the outer surfaces of the napkin and is larger in size than the periphery of the napkin. The absorbent nature of the cotton liner retains the fluid in the localized region and the moisture repelling shield prevents any leakage to the body of the disposable garment therefore, the possibility of reaching the outer clothing is eliminated. This is true if an internal tampon is used by the women as the protection afforded is identical. Further, this garment is adaptive to most conventional styles of undergarment, such as so-called, "Bikini", "Brief", or "Hipster" styles in popular use today. An important object of the invention is the use of a material that is durable, breathable, flexible and tear resistant. This object is achieved by the utiliza¬ tion of a nonwoven paper material that is in wide use for such items as food service towels or hospital gowns, replacing cotton towels, sponges and throw-away paper.

This material may also be cleaned after soiling by washing it by hand, making its use wide-spread enough to be mass produced and cost effective, therefore, easily adaptable to women's undergarments. Another object of the invention is the use of a cotton absorbent liner in the area of the crotch. Cotton fiber, loosely woven is highly absorbent and ideal for such usage and its cost is also economical.

Still another object of the invention is the aesthetic value of the non-woven paper material. This material may be employed in a wide variety of colors and textures, enhancing the application as the normal colors for this type of undergarment may be duplicated and the addition of lace type fabric may border the waist, again duplicating the fashions of today.

Yet another object of the invention provides an upwardly extending absorbent/repellent area in the crotch that is effective when the wearer is sleeping, particu¬ larly when a large size sanitary napkin is being used thereby preventing soiling of bed linen.

These and other objects and advantages of the pre¬ sent invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompany- ing drawings . BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the pre¬ ferred embodiment.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the pre- ferred embodiment.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2 with the material thickness slightly exaggerated for clarity.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 2 with the material thickness slightly exaggerated for clarity.

FIGURE 5 is a. front elevational view of the fourth embodiment with the front partially cut away showing the various layers of material. FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the fourth embodiment with the side partially cut away depicting the hook and loop tape.

FIGURE 7 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of FIGURE 6 with the material thickness slightly exaggerated for clarity.

FIGURE 8 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 8-8 of FIGURE 6 with the material thickness slightly exaggerated for clarity.

FIGURE 9 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 9-9 of FIGURE 6 with the material thickness slightly exaggerated for clarity.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of a preferred, second, third and fourth embodiment. All of the embodiments are basically the same except the second embodiment differs in basic body material. The third embodiment omits the moisture repellent shield and the fourth embodiment splits the undergaremtn on the sides and adds hook and loop tape to hold the sides together. The preferred embodiment, as shown in FIGURES 1 through 4 is comprised of a body 20 of nonwoven, breath¬ able, flexible paper formed to fit the lower torso of a woman. The body 20 has an opening 22 for the waist on the top and a pair of leg openings 24 on the bottom, otherwise, the body is unitary. The flexible paper material is absorbent in nature and porous, made with a plurality of holes. The cellulose, or synthetic, fibers are layered together providing sufficient air space to be porous and also resilient, allowing the material to feel soft to the touch. An alternate accept¬ able material, having the same characteristics, is known as PELLON. The shape of the undergarment is configured so as to fit snugly around one's body.

A stretchable elastic waistband 26 is sewn around the waist opening 22. This band 26 is formed of a stretchable, resilient material, such as synthetic rubber, woven into a fabric strip that allows the band to stretch in length and return by its own memory to the original dimension. Any stretchable material is included, such as elastic thread, stitched to form an elastic band or simple rubberband may be utilized in single or double ply. For the aesthetic value, a lace fabric 28 may be added to or incorporated into the elastic waistband 26. While this lace is illustrated only on the waist in FIGURE 2, it is well known in the art and is formed in a myriad of shapes, sizes, and patterns, any of which would be applicable to this invention as its utility is purely ornamental .

A pair of stretchable elastic leg bands 30 are sewen around the leg openings 24 of a size to allow the garment to comfortably slip over the leg and yet fit tightly for comfort of the wearer. The material and the addition of lace fabric 28 is the same as described above. The moisture repellent shield 36 is conformally attached to the body 20 between the leg openings 24. The shield 36 may be made of any non-porous resilient mate¬ rial however, it is preferably made of a thermoplastic composition consisting of a non-woven material of polyethylene fibers. An absorbent liner 32 is attached on top of the shield 36 between the leg openings 24 and continue upwardly toward the waist opening 22, perhaps one-third the distance between the center of the crotch and the top of the garment. The front portion of the liner 32 and shield 36 distend upwardly somewhat higher than the back. The liner 32 is preferably made of a loosely knit cotton fabric that is highly absorbent. The cotton fibers are twisted into threads and woven in a loosely knit manner. Cotton is well known for its ability .to absorb "fluids and the arrangement of having the liner 32 on the inside next to the body or sanitary pad allows women's normal body fluid to be sanitarily contained within the fibers, and when it becomes saturated, may be easily discarded. Attachment of the elements of the undergarment is accomplished by an attachment means, such as by sewing with thread, preferably using stretchable type thread that allows some give to the seams . In order to allow the elastic bands 26 and 30 to expand, the stitching is accom¬ plished in a zigzag manner, therefore, when pulled taut, the thread pivotly rotates at each apex yieldingly allowing movement without reaching the expansion limitations of the thread. The flexible paper material is folded over at the raw edges into a hem 34, best illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, and is cut from separate pieces, preferably, a front, back and crotch, to form the undergarment. This construction allows the cotton absorbent liner 32 and moisture repellent shield 36 to be easily hemmed along with the body pieces to make a smooth even seam.

In addition to using thread to attach the undergar- ment elements, other attachment means may be employed. These other means include gluing the elements together with a suitable adhesive, securing them together with an adhesive strip or tabs, or by using a heat bonding process.

The second embodiment is identical to the preferred embodiment except the material for the body 20 is replaced by a synthetic woven fiber such as nylon or rayon. The balance of the invention remains the same the difference being only in the base material which has no effect upon the utility, only a cost impact on the raw materials. The third embodiment again is identical to the first embodiment except the moisture repellent shield 36 is omitted. This embodiment is directed to the utility of travel where disposable undergarments are convenient and also at any time where slight vaginal discharge is present other than a normal menstrual flow. ^'

The fourth embodiment is illustrated in FIGURES 5 through 9 and differs in construction by having both sides of the undergarment split and overlapped. The body 20 is then held together by a strip of hook and loop tape 38 better known by its registered trademark VELCRO. The hook side of the tape 38 is attached on one side of the body 20 and the loop side of the tape 38 is attached on the other allowing easy attachment and removal.

When the garment is made, it is in a one piece form with a top and a bottom. The sides have circular cutouts that when mated together form the openings for each leg. The top and bottom form the waist opening each having the same elastic band 26 and 30 as the preferred embodi¬ ment as well as the other elements. This split configur¬ ation allows the undergarment to be put on much like a diaper for bedridden patients and handicapped people where slipping the garment over the legs is awkward or inconvenient. This embodiment is also advantageous for women wearing panty hose or slacks, over the top of the undergarment that would normally require removal of both legs in order to replace the garment once it was worn.

While the invention has been described in complete detail and pictorially shown in the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited to such details, since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and the scope thereof. For example, the cotton absorbent liner 32 may also be made of rayon or nylon. Hence, it is described to cover any and all modifications and forms which may come within the language and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A woman's disposable protective shielded under¬ garment comprising:

(a) a body of nonwoven, breathable, flexible paper formed to fit a wome 's lower torso, said body having an opening for one's waist and a pair of openings for each leg, configured to fit snugly,

(b) a stretchable elastic waistband around said waist opening for holding the garment around one's waist without slipping,

(c) a pair of stretchable elastic leg bands around said openings for each leg of a size when expanded to fit one's legs tightly for comfort of the wearer,

(d) a moisture repellent shield conformally attached to said body between said openings for each leg to prevent body fluids from penetrating therethrough, and (e) an absorbent liner conformally attached to said shield between said openings for each leg for assimilating body fluids with said undergarment discarded when the fluids saturate said liner.

2. The undergarment as recited in claim 1 wherein said elastic waistband around the waist opening further comprises, lace fabric integral with the elastic waist¬ band adding aestheticallyto the appearance of the garment,

3. The undergarment as recited in claim 1 wherein said moisture repellent shield further comprises a thermoplastic composition of a thickness and con¬ struction allowing resiliency to conform to one's body without discomfort .

4. The undergarment as recited in claim 3 wherein said moisture repellent shield of thermoplastic composition further comprises a non-woven material made of polyethylene fibers .

5. The undergarment as recited in claim 1 wherein said absorbent liner is formed of a loosely knit cotton fabric.

6. The undergarment as recited in claim 1 further comprising an attachment means for attaching the body, elastic bands, liner and shield together in a permanent manner.

7. A woman's disposable protective shielded under¬ garment comprising:

(a) a body of breathable, flexible material formed to fit a woman's lower torso, said body having an opening for one's waist and a pair of openings for each leg, configured to fit snugly,

(c) a pair of stretchable elastic leg bands around said openings for each leg of a size when expanded to fit one's legs tightly for comfort of the wearer, (d) a moisture repellent shield conformally attached to said body between said openings for each leg to prevent body fluids from penetrating therethrough, and 5 (e) an absorbent liner conformally attached to saidshield between said openings for each leg for assimilating body fluids with said undergarment discarded when the fluids saturate the shield.

0 8. The undergarment as recited in claim 7 wherein said body material is a woven rayon.

9. The undergarment as recited in claim 7 wherein said body material is a woven nylon.

10. The undergarment as recited in claim 7 5 wherein said elastic waistband around the waist opening further comprises, lace fabric integral with the elastic waistband adding aestheticallyto the appearance of the undergarment.

11. The undergarment as recited in claim 7

20 wherein said moisture repellent shield further comprises a thermoplastic composition of a thickness and con¬ struction allowing resiliency to conform to one's body without discomfort.

12. The undergarment as recited in claim 11

^ wherein said moisture repellent shield of thermoplastic composition further comprises a non-woven material made of polyethylene fibers.

13. The undergarment as recited in claim 7 wherein said absorbent liner is formed of a loosely knit cotton fabric.

14. The undergarment as recited in claim 7 further comprising an attachment means for attaching the body, elastic bands, liner and shield together in a permanent manner.

15. A woman's disposable protective shielded under¬ garment comprising: (a) a body of nonwoven, breathable, flexible paper formed to fit a womans lower torso, said body having an opening for ones waist and a pair of openings for each leg, configured to fit snugly; (b) a stretchable elastic waistband around said waist opening for holding the garment around ones waist without slipping;

(c) a pair of stretchable elastic leg bands a- round said openings for each leg of a size when expanded to fit ones legs tightly for comfort of the wearer; and,

(d) an absorbent liner conformally attached to said body between said openings for each leg for assimilating body fluids with said under- garment discarded when the fluids saturate the liner.

16. A woman's disposable protective shielded undergarment comprising:

(a) a body of nonwoven, breathable, flexible paper formed in one piece having a top bottom and sides of a configuration such that when wraped around a woman's lower torso and over¬ lapped on each side, a snug fitting undergarment is formed, further having an overlapped open¬ ing for one's waist formed by the top and bottom and a pair of overlapped openings for each leg formed by the sides,

(b) a pair of hook and loop fasteners disposed on mating surfaces of said overlapped sides securing the sides together while allowing attachment and removal thereof,

(c) a stretchable elastic waistband around said top and bottom formed into a waist opening for holding the garment around one's waist without slipping, (d) a pair of stretchable elastic leg bands around said bottom formed into openings for each leg of a size when expanded to fit one's legs tightly for comfort of the wearer,

(e) a moisture repellent shield conformally attached to said body betwen said openings for each leg to prevent body fluids from penetrating therethrough, and

(f) an absorbent liner conformally attached to said shield between said openings for each leg for assimilating body fluids with said under¬ garment discarded when the fluids saturate the liner.

17. The undergarment as recited in claim 16 wherein said elastic band around the top and bottom form a waist opening further comprises, lace fabric integral with the elastic band adding aesthetically to the appearance of the garment.

18. The undergarment as recited in claim 16 wherein said moisture repellent shield further comprises a thermoplastic composition comprised of a non-woven material made of polyethylene fibers formed in a uniform pattern of a thickness and construction allowing resiliency to conform on one's body without discomfort.

19. The undergarment as recited in claim 16 wherein said absorbent liner is formed of a loosely knit cotton fabric.

20. The undergarment as recited in claim 16 further comprising an attachment means for attaching the body, elastic bands, liner and shield together in a permanent manner.