CONTROLLING UNDERWEAR GARMENTS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to undergarments, in particular, to an undergarment that covers the main problematic areas of obese men and women who have lost weight or for those who have undergone bariatric surgery and thus have skin-on-skin contact issues resulting from a pannus and/or excess skin folds.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Discussion of the Related Art

Obesity is now considered a pandemic and has resulted in a tremendous healthcare burden. Conventional diet and exercise programs result in low attainment of long-term weight loss. Bariatric surgery is more effective and alters the stomach to restrict food intake and promotes weight loss; it is the most aggressive form of treatment for obesity. Annually, 250,000 bariatric surgeries are performed in the US, and have been shown to be extremely useful in the treatment of obesity and co-morbid diseases such as type II diabetes. Rapid weight loss occurs after the surgery and it can lead to excess skin folds around the abdomen. While bariatric surgery is effective in weight loss, the rapid weight loss often results in loose skin folds at the waist and abdomen.

On most people, the loose skin tends to hang down in one or more folds, like an apron from their lower abdomen, called a “pannus”. The resulting skin-on-skin rubbing frequently leads to excessive heat and sweating, and rashes. Common skin injuries include chafing, rashes, hives, blisters, candidiasis and intertrigo (an inflammation (rash)). Such folds provide warm and moist environments that lead to chronic infections and open wounds for many patients who spend about 25 billion dollars annually to treat them. Avoiding skin-to-skin contact that provides such warmth and moist environments would dramatically improve quality of life and medical concerns for a post-bariatric patient or an obese person struggling with such an issue.

There are currently no commercially available undergarments specifically designed for this market segment, i.e., a market of addressing protective functions between excess skin folds while also providing an aesthetically pleasing external appearance. In addition, the majority of undergarments on the market today are made of synthetic fabrics that trap heat and moisture, exacerbating existing skin problems while providing ripe conditions for infections.

The best way to prevent skin infection and chafing is to keep the skin separated, cool and dry with a protective barrier such as absorbent cotton undergarments that reduce heat, friction and pressure from external apparel items. While large underwear is commercially available, there are no current designs that thoroughly cover the abdomen and pannus to address aesthetic feature while also ameliorating skin issues that are endemic to skin on skin contact in the manner disclosed in the present application.

Background information on a moisture management material provided under a pannus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,687,395B2, entitled: “Repositionable moisture management material that creates a barrier to skin-on-skin contact,” including the following “[a]n article of clothing can be used to reduce or prevent the occurrence of prolonged skin-on-skin contact, rashes, irritation, intertrigo, infections, discomfort, or chaffing. Such an article of clothing has a moisture management material made up of at least an outer layer, an inner layer, and a tab. The moisture management material is attached to a portion of the article of clothing via a tab of the moisture management material. The moisture management material may be of various shapes and sizes and preferably fits within a prescribed area of the article of clothing. The moisture management material may be variably positioned within the article of clothing to provide differing results such as additional support and/or moisture absorbing or moisture moving where necessary. Preferably the article of clothing is a brassiere but may be a shirt, diaper, pants, socks, panties, or other undergarments.”

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a controllable yet comfortable undergarment that addresses moisture retaining problematic areas of post-bariatric patients and/or obese people having a pannus and/or excess skin folds resultant from weight loss. There is also a need for an undergarment for such wearers to reduce heat and moisture as well as friction without any significant compressive forces from the undergarment. Such an undergarment, as disclosed herein, would necessitate different overall lengths, would not roll down or up when worn, and would aid in providing a more firm stream-lined shape that instills confidence in the wearer. The embodiments herein are directed to such a need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A particular aspect of the embodiments herein is directed to a full coverage controlling undergarment, that includes: a waistband configured with a moisture and heat management material and further configured to encircle above the navel of a wearer's torso; an anterior section configured with a moisture and heat management material and further configured with an anterior top edge cooperatively coupled to a first section of the waistband; a posterior section configured with a moisture and heat management material and further configured with a posterior top edge cooperatively coupled to a second section of the waistband, wherein the posterior section is cooperatively coupled to the anterior section in a tapered two directional configuration, and wherein the anterior section is continuous from the anterior top edge down and around to the coupled posterior section so as to form an interposed crotch region having an outer side and an interior side; a pair of front leg-hole defining edges coupled to a pair of opposing leg-hole defining edges, wherein the pair of front leg-hole defining edges are configured with a shallow arc adapted to enable the pair of front leg-hole defining edges to run along a natural crease where a leg of a wearer joins the abdomen and wherein the pair of opposing leg-hole defining edges are configured with a straight edge adapted to enable the buttocks of a wearer to be contained within the straight edge; and wherein the full coverage controlling undergarment is adapted to tuck the material provided by the anterior section and the posterior section into at least one of a pannus fold and one or more excess skin folds of the wearer.

Accordingly, the configurations herein provide for a unique design of a full-coverage undergarment that cover the main problem areas for obese men and women and post-bariatric men, but in particular, for post-bariatric women who have a pannus and/or excess skin folds and thus experience skin—on-skin issues. In addition to the structural configurations, the appropriate use of moisture and heat management material enables the undergarment to cover the abdomen and pannus and/or excess skin folds comfortably and with an adequate amount of fabric that enables the beneficial material to be inserted into the pannus and into any excess skin folds wherever resultant in the covered problematic areas.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a frontal view of the undergarment showing the pannus of a wearer in a typical location.

FIG. 1B illustrates a posterior view of the undergarment showing a pannus under the buttocks on a wearer, again in a typical location.

FIG. 1C illustrates a side view of the undergarment on a wearer showing the front pannus, which hangs like an apron.

FIG. 2A shows an example frontal view of the undergarment showing construction lines and angles for the seams and shallow leg openings

FIG. 2B shows a rear view of an example undergarment disclosed herein that illustrates construction lines for the seams and leg openings.

FIG. 2C shows an exploded view of one of the leg openings so as to illustrate example leg-hole defining, edges, lengths and angular features of the particular section of the undergarment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the description of the invention herein, it is understood that a word appearing in the singular encompasses its plural counterpart, and a word appearing in the plural encompasses its singular counterpart, unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise. Furthermore, it is understood that for any given component or embodiment described herein, any of the possible candidates or alternatives listed for that component may generally be used individually or in combination with one another, unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise. Moreover, it is to be appreciated that the figures, as shown herein, are not necessarily drawn to scale, wherein some of the elements may be drawn merely for clarity of the invention. Also, reference numerals may be repeated among the various figures to show corresponding or analogous elements. Additionally, it will be understood that any list of such candidates or alternatives is merely illustrative, not limiting, unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise. In addition, unless otherwise indicated, numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, constituents, reaction conditions and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified by the term “about.”

Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the subject matter presented herein. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the subject matter presented herein are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical values, however, inherently contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.

General Description

A pannus or panniculus, as described above, is a flap of excess skin, fat, and tissue at the bottom of the abdomen. The resulting large redundancy of skin in the abdominal area can hinder a person's ability to maneuver during daily activities and thus can decrease the quality of life. Such a condition results in those who are obese and those who have lost large amounts of weight, such as, after post-bariatric procedures, but still have the resulting excess skin. The condition itself often becomes problematic not only from a health standpoint (e.g., skin infections due to skin on skin rubbing) but also from an aesthetic viewpoint. The embodiments herein thus provide for a full-coverage undergarment configuration that addresses such problematic areas on men as well as on women while also providing a more aesthetic firm appearance and often without the need for elastic materials.

An important aspect disclosed herein is that the undergarment disclosed herein often extends from above the navel to about halfway to the rib cage even up to about below the breast region, where many women are the smallest so the garment sits comfortably, to below the creases where a leg of a wearer joins the abdomen in front and below the buttocks in the rear. It is also to be noted that the more pronounced the pannus or stomach area protrusion (i.e., large abdomen) is on a wearer, the taller the undergarment is constructed to make up for the material taken up because of a pannus or large abdomen.

It is also to be appreciated that an ample amount of the herein utilized fabric material, often heat and moisture management material (i.e., via wetting and wicking properties), is provided to beneficially be inserted into the pannus and resulting redundant cutaneous excess skin folds wherever they may occur for added moisture absorbance after donning of the undergarment. Such a beneficial configuration also addresses odor issues but also importantly microbial issues that often result in skin problems, such as, but not limited to, chafing, rashes, hives, blisters, candidiasis, and intertrigo.

Specific Description

The example embodiments herein are designed to be worn by anyone recovering from bariatric surgery, or just as beneficial, anyone trying to prevent problems via excess skin-fold-induced health problems occurring from a loss of weight. The controlling undergarment can be donned by any number of wearers easily and enables the wearer to position (i.e., tuck) the stretchable portion of material within the pannus fold or even excess skin folds wherever found, if desired.

The fabrics/textiles to be tucked into such excess skin folds and the fold of a pannus are natural or cellulosic fiber materials, such as, for example, flax, silk, bamboo, hemp, but preferably cotton. Moreover, such fabrics/textiles can be configured with any knits (Crepe) and/or and weaves, and with stitching materials and patterns known in the art. Such configurations also aids in heat and moisture management, while also providing an elastic/stretch ability (e.g., at least about twice in width about a belly position as opposed to the stretch in the long direction) so as to enable a comfortable yet non-significant restoring force (pressure) in the problematic regions resulting from the overall design.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1A shows a general anterior view, FIG. 1B shows a general posterior side view, and FIG. 1C shows a general side view of an example full-coverage-controlling undergarment 2 as positioned on a wearer 6. As to appreciated by the reader after review of the present disclosure, but as generally shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, the workings of the full-coverage-controlling undergarment 2 changes the design of the garment to better meet the needs of obese men and women and is particularly suited for meeting the needs of post-bariatric men and/or women.

The full-coverage-controlling undergarment 2 is designed with substantially all natural fabric material, as briefly discussed above, to cover the entire abdomen 8, and buttocks 9 (See FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C), and to extend down the leg (as generally denoted by the reference numeral 19). An important aspect that is to be emphasized is that the undergarment disclosed herein is designed with a desired length (vertically) greater than commercially available undergarments, as to be explained hereinafter.

In particular, the undergarment 2 is designed with a vertical length (denoted as L, as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B) that goes above the navel 21 (See FIG. 1A) of the abdomen region 8 (See FIG. 1A and FIG. 1C) and even up to the breast area 23 of a wearer when desired for practicality purposes. In addition, the undergarment 2 disclosed herein is designed with a beneficial leg-hole geometry, as to be detailed with respect to the discussion for FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C below, that aids in containing, for example, the pannus and excess skin folds on a wearer.

The undergarment 2 disclosed herein itself thus beneficially provides support for wearers 6 having a pannus 13 and excess skin folds 14, as best shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1C, while managing pannus and excess skin fold(s) induced moisture of the wearer. Because of the overall design herein, the disclosed undergarment also enables a subtle but important increase in the aesthetic appearance to enable the wearer to operate through daily life activities with more self-esteem.

It is to be intuitively noted that the overall size and shapes of people vary. It thus necessarily follows that the location and size of the pannus 13 (see FIG. 1A) and excess skin folds 14 (only one denoted for simplicity as shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1C) vary in scope from person to person. Accordingly, the undergarment 2, as disclosed herein is adapted to vary as well in size (overall length and width), shape (curvature), and in elastic properties in areas of the undergarment to provide a desired product for a variety of people in the consumer/patient/marketplace.

Of interest in providing various designs, that in the textile industry, while sizes for men are relatively consistent for manufacturers of textiles, sizes for women for differing manufacturers do not follow strict ASTM guidelines and thus differ wildly. To accommodate such disparities, the undergarments 2 disclosed herein can be provided for women in sizes of 5 up to 5 XL for any of the manufacturers particular standards. For additional understanding, to make the sizes applicable for both men and women, the undergarments 2 herein can accommodate wearers ranging in weight from about 100 pounds (lbs) up to about 400 pounds (lbs).

In any case, the appreciable aspect by the wearer/consumer/patient is that the undergarment is adapted in construct so that the wearer can tuck the adaptable fabric into the folds of the pannus 13 and/or excess skin folds 14 of a specific user wherever such problematic skin folds 14 occur.

It is to be reiterated that the undergarments disclosed herein extends from above the navel up to the rib cage, even up to about below the breast region, to below the creases where a leg of a wearer joins the abdomen in front and below the buttocks in the rear.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the undergarments' disclosed herein is configured with a waistband 11 (as similarly denoted in FIGS. 1A-1C) that is often constructed of moisture managing fabric and of a stretchable knitted construction (e.g., Crepe knit) to provide a conforming stretch. The waistband 11, as utilized herein, of at least one layer, but often two layers, such a as a folded double layer of the moisture management material, is also configured with a width of at least about an inch, but often two inches or greater that aids in providing the conforming elasticity.

It is to be noted however, that while the waistband 11 itself is adapted to provide a conforming holding pressure, such a conforming pressure is designed to not be significant enough to cause discomfort. Nonetheless, the pressure provided by the waistband 11 aids in holding the undergarment in place, as extended above the navel up to the mid torso, even about below the breast region. Moreover, because the waistband 11 is configured with a moisture management material, the construct also aids in moisture control from the pressurized region.

To further explain design features of the waistband 11 portion, it is noted that for most women's undergarments, the undergarment typically does not utilize a waistband of considerable width, as such garments typically utilize only a narrow elastic band. For most women's undergarments, the anterior portion 102 and the posterior portion 103 of a configured undergarment 2 stops at the top edge 32, 32′, as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B.

The reasoning is, as to be further discussed below, the natural curvature of a woman's body (e.g., hips) provides the necessary anatomical structure and thus frictional coupling to the overlying material to keep an undergarment in place. Thus, women's underwear does not often necessitate an elastic waistband. However, because the undergarments disclosed herein are configured to be pulled above the user's navel up to the mid torso, and even up to below the breast line, often about a protruding pannus or large abdomen area, a conforming elastic-like waistband becomes beneficial for the present application for holding the undergarment in place. Moreover, the degree of elasticity needs to be of a degree that also accommodates a man, as a man does not have the hip structure to aid in holding the undergarment in place. Thus, the waistband as disclosed herein, (denoted as V in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B) is configured with a width and with a degree of elasticity that provides adequate support.

Turning back to the discussion of FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the undergarment 2 is configured with an anterior section 102 seam coupled (denoted as S3) to a posterior section 103 of which both are often adapted with heat and moisture management material, as disclosed herein. The waistband 11 is cooperatively (i.e., has a degree of elasticity) seam coupled (e.g., stitched (denoted as S1)) to the top edge 32 of the anterior section 102 and a corresponding top edge 32′ of the posterior section 103. The anterior section 102 is at least one layer of a heat and moisture management fabric that is continuous from the top edge 32 of the waistband 11 down around a crotch region 104 that culminates in a coupling seam 105 (as denoted in FIG. 2B) attachment to the posterior section 103, as provided often by a designed stitch (denoted as S2).

A second layer of often heat and moisture management fabric 106 (see FIG. 2A) is cooperatively seam coupled (stitched with a degree of elasticity) to the interior side of the crotch region 104 and in a manner that does not irritate the skin (e.g., flat cover stitched, as discussed in detail below). Stitching coupled areas S2, as shown in FIG. 2B and S5, as shown in FIG. 2A, about the crotch region 104 are designed to align after manufacture in the front and back. It is to be noted that while the anterior section 102 and the posterior section 103 are described and shown as two separate cut fabric pieces, another alternative that can be utilized, is to make both the anterior section 102 and the posterior section 103 a single cut fabric piece, if desired, resulting from a manufacturing decision.

The structure of the undergarment 2 is designed in a tapering structure to aid in conforming to anatomical features of a wearer. The waistband provides a modicum of tapering, as noted via the angular connotation θ₁. An example tapering angular range for θ₁is from about 110° up to about 120°, as measured from a horizontal grid point (denoted as h). It is to be appreciated however, that the anterior section 102 and the posterior section 103 are at the same time, beneficially arranged in a tapered (as generally denoted by θ₂and θ₃) two-directional manner. Such a two-directional tapering is provided after the anterior section 102 and posterior section 103 are cooperatively (e.g., elastically) seam coupled, as generally denoted at S3, as viewed with the undergarment flattened from a top down perspective with S2 and S5 seams aligned (as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2C).

Thus, θ₁, θ₂, and θ₃, and with respective lengths V, X, and Y, as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, indicate the tapering structure (e.g., an s-curve) using an angular connotation for explanation purposes of the undergarments 2 herein. Specifically, θ₂, and θ₃, and θ₁, (i.e., the tapering structure) with corresponding lengths V, X, and Y, are designed in a way and in cooperation with the stitching and fabric structure, to elastically conform and with a degree of firmness, to the anatomical structure of a wearer.

Such a curvature aids the undergarment 2 so as to fit across the abdomen of a wearer without the need for elastic features commonly found in currently provided undergarments. While not bound by any specific angular features, as shapes and sizes of the human anatomy result in garment variability, example angular measures to illustrate tapering herein include: θ₁being angularly tapered in a range from 110° up to about 120°, θ₂being angularly tapered in a range from about 95° up to about 105°, and θ₃being angularly tapered in a range from about 90° up to about 95°, as measured from a horizontal grid point (denoted as h). Lengths for X and Y vary correspondingly to the sized garment. For example, such lengths would vary for women sized 5 to 5 XL and/or for wearers ranging from about 100 pounds up to about 400 pounds, and this may vary depending on the manufacturer as size standards for garments are not often uniform in the industry.

FIG. 2C, which is an exploded view of the leg-hole configuration (denoted by the dashed square 122) is shown to illustrate a beneficial feature of the leg-holes that aids in the undergarment providing heat and moisture mitigation as well as skin fold(s) and/or pannus containment. It must first be stated for the reader's appreciation that commercially available undergarments are problematic, in particular for obese women and for women after undergoing bariatric surgery, in that the leg opening is configured high on a wearer's hip(s), allowing the skin fold to fall out of the underwear. Moreover, such commercial products utilize elastic to keep the garment in place, but such elastic materials provides friction to the irritated skin, such as in the pannus.

FIG. 2C thus illustrates beneficially leg-hole edge designs (to provide the leg-holes of the undergarment) and of a material that addresses the aforementioned problems associated with current underwear that are particularly provided for women. Thus, the angular connotations ϕ₁, and ϕ₂, as viewed from a flattened top down view of the undergarment with seams S2 and S5 aligned (as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2C), are provided for illustration purposes to enable the reader to appreciate a resultant shallow arc of a front edge 124 design of the leg-hole 122 disclosed herein. Such a resultant arc of the front edge 124 enables the front edge 124 to run along a natural crease where a leg of a wearer joins the abdomen and of which therefore does not project high on a wearer's hip(s). What is also of note that because of the design, a wider crotch region 104 is resultant to aid in heat and moisture management of the region.

While not bound by any specific angular features, example angular measures to illustrate the shallow resultant arc for the front edge 124 of the leg-hole 122 include ϕ₁being configured as an inward angular forming portion from about the hip region (denoted as H in FIG. 2C) in a range from about 0° up to about 10°, (angle as measured from a horizontal grid point (denoted as h′)). The shallow resultant arc for the front edge 124 of the leg-hole 122 also include ϕ₂being configured as an upward angular forming portion from about a crotch region point (denoted as C in FIG. 2C) in a range from about 30° up to about 75°, (angle as measured from a horizontal grid point (denoted as h′)).

Also shown in FIG. 2C is an opposing edge 126 design of the leg-hole 122 disclosed herein. Such an opposing edge 126 is designed to be substantially straight and is joined in a uniform manner with the front edge 124. Specifically, the straight feature of the opposing edge 126 is adapted to enable the buttocks 9, as shown in FIG. 1B, of a wearer to be contained in a heat and moisture managing manner because of the resultant holding structure and fabric provided by the opposing edge 126. When the undergarment is flattened from a top down view with S2 and S5 seams aligned (as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2C), the front edge 124 has a distance (denoted as U) at its arc midpoint to the opposing edge 126 midpoint that can also vary depending on the various parameters, e.g., size, shape, manufacturer, etc. An example non-limiting distance is a range from about 1.5″ up to about 2.0″. The opposing edge 126, as shown in FIG. 2A also is configured with a length that varies but as an example range, the distance Z can vary from 5″ up to about 12″ before donning by a wearer.

It is to be appreciated that the material(s) disclosed herein for the controlling-full-coverage undergarment 2 are often configured from substantially natural moisture management fabrics that can include additive constructs (e.g., laminates) that aids in moisture management. A controlled stretch-profile of the undergarment 2 is aided via a fabric/structure, such as but not limited to a Crepe Knit structure, comprising a substantial amount of natural fibers, e.g., between about 70% up to about 95% cotton with the remaining materials comprising often stretchable synthetic blends or the like. In particular, because of the fabric materials, the knitting structure of the fabrics utilized, preferably a Crepe knit, and to some degree the stitching configurations and materials, the undergarment has a controlled stretch profile outwardly that stretches at least about 100% in extension. It is also of note that that after being stretched, there does exist an elastic recovery force, as discussed above, that provides some degree of firmness for the wearer but is one that is not significant enough to make the wearer feel uncomfortable.

Cotton, is the preferred main fabric material used in constructing the undergarments 2 herein, as the material is often non-irritating (i.e., the material often does not cause allergic reactions or aggravate skin that is dry) and has beneficial moisture wicking properties. An important feature the fabric(s) utilized herein is that it transports water out of wearer's body surface so as to make the wearer feel more comfortable.

To explain, wetting and wicking to manage moisture is important for clothing in general as the control of moisture to an acceptable level provides comfort to the wearer and is especially important for controlling skin irritations. The materials chosen for the undergarments 2 herein, e.g., cotton, thus enable moisture resulting from a pannus, or any number of skin folds, or from any part of the wearer's skin, to be diffused throughout the fabric to enable the absorbed moisture (e.g., perspiration) to evaporate more readily.

Moreover, as known in the art, cotton as a preferred material, is also tolerant to hot water and thus can be sterilized, it is breathable based on its inherent structure and can have enhanced breathability based on resultant knits, and it is fairly affordable. It is also to be appreciated that cotton can be configured in the present embodiments with a wide range of elongation properties (different degrees of elasticity) depending upon the type and size of the fibers (e.g., microfibers (less than 1 denier)), and also the type and size of the knit (e.g., Crepe) or weave. To also aid in the material's (e.g., cotton) natural moisture-wicking properties, the fabrics can also be configured with coatings to enhance such properties. The preferred construct is of course directed to minimizing skin-on skin contact so as to inhibit the possibility of infections and other skin perturbations (e.g., rashes), as previously discussed.

It is also important to note that while the preferred undergarment 2 is often comprised often of about 70 up to about 95% cotton fiber, the undergarment 2 can also be configured as a 100% single textile fabric of cotton material. It is also to be noted that as part of the configuration, various other materials selected from a hydrophobic textile material (e.g., via coated hydrophobic agents), a hydrophilic textile material (e.g., via coated hydrophilic agents), modified surfaces of materials to provide desired hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties, or combinations thereof can also be included to aid in tailoring wicking properties of any utilized fabric, as known to those of ordinary skill in the textile arts.

In addition, the fabrics utilized herein can be configured using different weaving and knitting methods as also known and understood by those of ordinary skill in the art so as to aid in breathability properties. Such different weaving and knitting methods also can be designed to aid in wicking away moisture, and aid in retarding heat buildup as well minimizing retention of sweat in the pannus 13 or excess skin folds 14, as shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1C.

Alternatively, the fabrics utilized herein to construct the disclosed undergarments can include cellulose material or cellulosic derivatives, wherein the primary fabric material is a cellulosic material that is cotton. Although the preferred embodiment includes a relatively larger proportion of natural fibers (e.g., cotton) knitted in a manner that is directed to aid stretching, the materials can also include a blend of one or more natural materials (flax, silk, bamboo, hemp) and or synthetics when required.

Accordingly, the fabric can be a blend of a cellulosic derivative material, or fiber, and a non-cellulosic material or fiber, such as a synthetic elastomer polymeric fiber, in particular spandex. It is to be noted that the fabrics herein stretch not only because of its inherent properties but also because of the weaving convolutions (e.g., Crepe knit) which is distorted under tension. The undergarments herein, when stretched, have a restoring force (compressive) but the restoring force while aiding in firmness is often designed to not be significant enough to the point of being uncomfortable.

As alternative example embodiments, the fabric materials described herein can also be configured with a coating (apart from laminates discussed above), a treatment, or configured with fibers configured for additional functionality. For example, the materials herein can be configured with anti-microbial/sanitary reagents or fibers, as known in the art, into either the outer face of the textile or the inner lining textile to mitigate, for example odor and/or microbial development.

For example, the anti-microbial/sanitary reagents can be included as part of the surface of the materials/fibers on the interior of the first (e.g., abdomen anterior region) or second of layered materials where configured, such as in the crotch region, or distributed on one or both sides of each of the layers. Such anti-microbial/sanitary reagents can be an anti-bacterial and/or an anti-fungal reagent, as utilized in the industry.

In addition to anti-microbial/sanitary reagents applied to the fabrics, additional agents can be utilized to enhance the undergarment's properties in a desired fashion. For example, softeners may also be applied or a laminate or layers of laminates either before or after construction of the undergarment to impart properties to those fabrics which are not necessarily naturally provided. Such imparted properties include but are not limited to, increased waterproofness, increased abrasion, enhanced stain resistance, enhanced flame resistance, and can include anti-microbial materials.

In addition, the cellulosic fabric described herein is often a knit of a material of a comfortable weight or comprise any desired denier (1 denier=0.11 mg/m). Such a desired denier includes a denier of 15 or lower as such low denier fibers can aid in wicking moisture away from the skin of a wearer. As an alternative, multiple layers of fabrics provided in areas for the undergarment 2, such as in the crotch region (104, e.g., see FIG. 2A) region or waistband region 11 can be fabricated using fibers of differential sizes. Such an arrangement, if used, can also aid in wicking away moisture from such areas or any part of the undergarment that may be configured with one or more layers of fabric materials.

Preferably, the undergarment as a whole, is primarily designed to stretch to at least twice as much in the transverse (horizontal) direction (denoted as ½ W in FIG. 2A for half the width of non-stretched undergarment) about the abdomen as opposed to the long (vertical) direction (denoted as L) of the undergarment. Alternately, the undergarment can be configured with differing elongation (stretching) characteristics in any of the directions (i.e., length L stretches twice as much as the width W, (shown as ½ the width in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B) and the textile material can be orientated to exhibit elongation characteristics that differ based on a desired effect. For example, the transverse (i.e., along the horizontal width W) elastic properties as opposed to the vertical elastic properties (L) can be configured differently for the anterior side of the undergarment as opposed to the transverse and vertical elastic characteristics for the posterior side.

The undergarment(s) 2 herein as discussed throughout are designed for an optimal stretch and the stitching utilized aid in such a flexibility. A most beneficial stitching for the undergarment 2 at example denoted points S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5 includes a safety stitch or a cover stitch or an overlocking stitch, a flat stitch, etc., so as to not be irritating to the skin of a wearer. The leg-hole stitching S4, as shown in FIG. 2A, is often provided as ½″ fold over to create extra support and the stitches may be with, for example, a ¼″ needle spacing and a ⅜″ distance from an edge.

The stitching (e.g., S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5) may also be constructed using thread(s)/materials with a different modulus of elasticity to that of the fabric used to construct the undergarments 2, as disclosed herein. Such a differentiation can provide a desired support and/or elasticity for the wearer of the undergarments 2. The elasticity of any of the stitched areas, e.g., S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5, lines can also be varied using different types of stitching and different constructions of individual stitches along differing pluralities of stitched areas as desired.

An actual assessment of abdominal skin temperature for plus-size women compared to post-bariatric patients of 12 females was conducted to aid in providing a configuration of the undergarments disclosed herein. Participants identifying as plus-size were recruited to participate in thermal imaging. They had not had bariatric surgery. During one 30 min session, thermal images of each participant recorded minimum, maximum and average skin temperature in four regions of interest (ROI): anterior (A), anterior abdominal skin (pannus) fold (APL), sagittal (S), and posterior (P) trunk body locations. The results were then compared to post-bariatric patients.

Results:

Table 1 demonstrates temperature assessment of plus-size women June 2017

TABLE 1

Group 3 Average Temperature of 1 image session

WSU Sample

June 2017

ROI
Temperature
Range

A
99.42° ± 0.89
98.1-101° F.

APL
100° ± 0.74
99-102° F.

S
97.3° ± 1.83
93-97° F.

P
97.11° ± 1.55
95.2-99.9° F.

TABLE 2

Post-bariatric groups 1&2, collected 2016

Post-Bariatric Group

1 & 2 2016

ROI
Temperatures
Range

A
97.51° ± 0.9386
−1.66° F.

APL
97.99° ± 0.9893
−1.27° F.

S
97.11° ± 1.721
−1.26° F.

P
96.49° ± .8504
−1.47° F.

Table 2. Group 1 &2 Average Temperature change before and after intervention

TABLE 3

Comparison of Bariatric patients and plus-size women

Post-Bariatric Group 1 & 2
WSU Sample June 2017

2016 Temperatures (Before
Temperature
+ or −

ROI
wearing underwear)
(no underwear trial)
difference

A
97.51°
99.42°
+1.91

APL
97.99°
100°
+2.01

S
97.11°
97.3°
+0.19

P
96.49°
97.11°
+0.62

On average, group 3 was warmer across all abdominal regions, indicating that bariatric patients have lower abdominal skin temperatures than the non-bariatric patients studied. Thus, both plus-size and post-bariatric women in these studies had higher than normal skin temperatures. Accordingly, all would benefit from using undergarments, such as that disclosed herein, that reduce skin temperature, cover the hot areas of the body and with wicking fabric undergarments that separate the skin while allowing for the sweat to evaporate.

The undergarment disclosed herein is thus appreciated to be an undergarment constructed of substantially natural fibers (e.g., cotton) that is both breathable and wicks moisture away from the skin, therefore reduces the warm and moist environments that lead to chronic infections and open wounds in the pannus and excess skin folds. Wear testing experiments have shown the efficacy of these undergarments. Test subjects report that they love the comfort of the fabric, and that the garments to improve, reduce or prevent chafing and skin infect ions by keeping the layers of skin separated, cool and dry with a protective layer of moisture wicking fabric

It is to be understood that features described with regard to the various embodiments herein may be mixed and matched in any combination without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Although different selected embodiments have been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be appreciated that they are exemplary, and that a variety of substitutions and alterations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

CONTROLLING UNDERWEAR GARMENTS

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CROSS-CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

Provisional Applications (1)