Patent Application
20170042254
Disposable undergarments are often used by individuals in order to capture urinary leakage attributable to incontinence. Incontinence can be attributed to a variety of medical conditions. Individuals with such conditions may use disposable undergarments to capture involuntary urinary leakage. Such individuals require disposable undergarments that can be worn under clothing.
Known disposable undergarments suffer from many disadvantages. Known disposable undergarments are often bulky, poorly fitting, inconvenient for use in an active lifestyle and create problems during disposal. Many known disposable undergarments are of the pull-on type. As such, the disposable undergarment may require a wearer to remove his or her pants in order to remove and replace the disposable undergarment. This can be a time-consuming and cumbersome activity that does not work well for individuals with active or busy lifestyles. In addition, known disposable undergarments are often cumbersome due to the fact that they are designed to retain both solid and liquid wastes and are also designed to be one-size-fits-all products. Known undergarments do not conform to a wearer's body and can be seen through a wearer's clothing due to the attachment schemes, bulky absorbent cores and general over-engineering of the products. There exists a need, therefore, for a disposable undergarment that can be easily concealed, easily removed and replaced during normal daily life and that can accommodate a variety of body types and sizes.
Known disposable undergarments also can be difficult to dispose of easily and sanitarily after they have become soiled. It can be difficult to retain the captured wastes in the soiled undergarment once it has been removed from a wearer. There exists a need for a disposable undergarment that can retain bodily wastes and can be packaged or configured to retain such wastes from a point of removal to a point of disposal.
The instant disclosure describes various embodiments of an undergarment. In a first embodiment, an undergarment includes at least one panel of stretchable loop material. The panel of stretchable loop material is connected to a main body of the undergarment such that it can stretch around one side of a wearer's waist or hip. The stretchable loop material is configured such that it can releasably connect to a plurality of engaging elements. The engaging elements can be hooks of a hook-and-loop fastening system. The stretchable loop material can be a knit fabric that includes spandex yarn.
In a second embodiment, the undergarment includes a first panel and a second panel of stretchable loop material connected to opposite sides of the main body of the undergarment.
In a third embodiment, the height of the first flap is at least twice as long as its width.
In another embodiment, the undergarment includes a main body with an absorbent core with a first and second longitudinal side. A first tab is connected to the main body on the first longitudinal side and includes a first attachment area with a plurality of engaging elements. The undergarment also includes a first flap extending from the main body on the first longitudinal side. The first flap is made of stretchable loop material that is configured to releasably and directly connect to the first tab by engaging with the plurality of engaging elements.
In another embodiment, any location on the first flap's body-facing surface can engage with the plurality of engaging elements.
In another embodiment, the first tab and the first flap are configured to permit the undergarment to be worn by wearers with variations in weight of over 20 pounds.
In another embodiment, the undergarment further includes a second tab and a second flap both connected to the main body on the second longitudinal side. The second flap is made of stretchable loop material configured to releasably and directly connect to the second tab by engaging with a plurality of engaging elements on the second tab.
Certain embodiments are shown in the drawings. However, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in the attached drawings, wherein:
For the purposes of promoting and understanding the principles disclosed herein, references are now made to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language is used to describe the same. It is nevertheless understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device and such further applications of the principles disclosed as illustrated herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure relates.
The main body may include a top sheet and one or more backsheets. The layers of material can be paper, plastic or other suitable natural or synthetic fabrics. Such materials can be suitable nonwoven materials. The materials closest to a wearer's body are often made of breathable or permeable materials such that wastes are permitted to pass through such materials and are kept away from a wearer's skin. Other outer layers and materials can be made from impermeable materials such that bodily wastes are not permitted to escape or otherwise leak from the undergarment. Elastic bands or other materials can be fixed between the layers of material or to the layers of material to provide elasticity, gathers or other features to conform the disposable garment 10 to the body of a wearer. The absorbent core 12 may include one or more acquisition and liquid absorption layers that are intended to capture and hold bodily fluids. Known methods of connecting the various layers of main body 34 may be used to construct disposable undergarment 10 such as thermal bonding, adhesive, ultrasonic sealing and various stitching methods.
Main body 34 may also include front waist portion 14 and rear waist portion 16. As can be appreciated, in use, front waist portion 14 is configured to fit against the front of a wearer's waist area. Rear waist portion 16 is configured to fit against the rear waist of a wearer under the wearer's lower back. As stated earlier, disposable undergarment 10 is low-rise such that it can be concealed under a wearer's clothing. As such front waist portion 14 and rear waist portion 16 are configured to be positioned on a wearer's body under and away from the waist region of wearer's clothing. Front waist portion 14 and rear waist portion 16 may include elastic bands, elastic strips or other features to contour disposable undergarment 10 against the body of a wearer. Furthermore, the elasticity provided at front waist portion 14 and rear waist portion 16 can provide the benefit of permitting disposable undergarment 10 to be worn by wearers of various shapes and sizes while still reliably capturing and retaining bodily fluids. Elastic bands, strips or other extensible members can be embedded between layers of main body 34 at front waist portion 14 and rear waist portion 16 or can be connected at these locations via various methods of attachment, as discussed above, such as thermal bonding, adhesive, ultrasonic sealing or stitching.
Along the longitudinal sides of main body 34 (i.e., in a direction extending between front waist portion 14 and rear waist portion 16) various members or panels may be attached to assist with the attachment of disposable undergarment 10 to the body of a wearer. In the example shown in
As can be seen in
First and second flaps 30, 32 can be connected to first and second extensions 18, 20 via any suitable means. Suitable methods of attachment may include, but are not limited to, adhesive, stitching, thermal bonding, ultrasonic sealing and the like. In one preferred embodiment, first and second flaps 30, 32 are secured via an overlock stitch to first and second extensions 18, 20. First and second flaps 30, 32 are preferably made of a stretchable loop material. Stretchable loop material is elastic and provides the advantage of contouring the flaps to a wearer's body and accommodating a wide variety of wearer body types and shapes. In one example, first and second flaps 30, 32 are made of a stretchable loop material that is a woven or knit material that is capable of being extended to at least twice its initial length. In other examples, the stretchable loop material can be extended to 220% of its original, non-extended length. Stretchable loop material additionally has the property that it can securely engage to the hook portion of a typical hook-and-loop fastening system. In this manner, and as will be described, first and second flaps 30, 32 can directly engage to an engaging element of a hook-and-loop fastening system. This property allows first and second flaps 30, 32 to be made of a single material without the need for manufacturing the flaps from multi-layers of material or to connect a separate fastening mechanism or a separate piece of loop material to the flap. This property of the stretchable loop material of first and second flaps 30, 32 also permits the engaging of the flaps at any position along its entire surface. The stretchable loop material permits such engagement, disengagement and re-engagement a significant number of times. These properties provide a significant benefit in providing flexibility, adjustment and comfort for a wearer.
Stretchable loop material with the properties described above can be constructed of different materials using different types of fabrics and threads. In one example stretchable loop material, the material is formed from a stitchbonded fabric that includes a nonbonded fibrous layer in which elastic yarns, such as spandex elastomeric yarns, are stitched to create rows in the fabric with differing abilities to stretch. In this example, the stretchable loop material provides for stretch of 190% in one row and for stretch of 60% in a second row. Substantially perpendicularly from the direction of stretch described above, this example stretchable loop material also provides for 80% to 90% stretch in a second direction as well. This example stretchable loop material has a significant overall stretch in the first direction as well as no more than 90% stretch in a substantially perpendicular direction.
In a preferred embodiment of the above example stretchable loop material, two types of threads are knitted into the substrate fabric. A first spandex thread that is covered with a texturized nylon can be used in addition to a second polyester thread. The first spandex thread with a texturized nylon cover is knitted into the substrate fabric at predetermined intervals in one direction using a simple chain stitch. The second polyester thread can then be knitted into the substrate fabric in one direction using a tricot stitch. These two types of threads can give the stretchable loop fabric a striped or banded appearance.
As discussed above, one of the threads or yarns used in the stretchable loop material can be textured. Textured yarn or thread is subjected to a procedure to increase the volume and the elasticity of the thread or yarn. Textured yarn exhibits twists, crimps, or other distortions along its filaments. In addition to increased elasticity, textured yarns and threads can impart other advantageous properties to fabrics in which it is woven, stitched or otherwise used. One such advantage can be the ability to engage with the hook portion of a hook-and-loop fastening system. The twists, crimps or other distortions give the fabric into which the textured yarn or thread is incorporated a “fuzziness” that can increases its ability to engage and re-engage the hook of a hook-and-loop fastening system.
In one example of disposable undergarment 10, first and second flaps 30, 32 are made of a stretchable loop material such as a knitted fabric of the same construction as a bedskirt knitted fabric available from Xymid, LLC of Midlothian, Va. Another example of a stretchable loop material is a polyester knitted fabric sold as a cover for a mattress by Sinomax USA, Inc. of Houston, Tex. These materials are examples of materials that provide flexibility and extendibility and are able to securely engage to the hook portion of a hook-and-loop fastening system.
In another preferred example of stretchable loop material, the fabric is a knitted fabric using spandex elastic yarn combined with polypropylene. The example stretchable loop fabric may also have one or more layers that can be knitted from the same type of yarn or from different types of yarns, such as from yarns of polyester. Another example knitted fabric stretchable loop material is made of polyester, nylon and spandex yarns. Other suitable woven and knit materials can also be used. Such suitable stretchable loop material's capability to engage the hook portion of a hook-and-loop fastening system can be further improved by subjecting the material to heat treatment prior to manufacturing of the disposable undergarment. Such heat treatment can include repeated washing and drying of the material on high heat prior to manufacturing of the disposable undergarment. Heat treatment of the material can increase the force required to disengage the material from a hook portion of a hook-and-loop fastening system.
As further shown in
As further shown in
In one example, first and second attachment areas are pieces of hook material from a hook-and-loop fastening system that are approximately 10-15 mm wide by 90-100 mm long. In other examples of disposable undergarment 10, first and second tabs 22, 24 may include one or more first and second attachment areas. Instead of or in addition to first and second attachment areas 26, 28, as shown on
As previously described, the material of first and second flaps 30, 32 is configured of stretchable loop material such that it can directly secure to first and second attachment areas 26, 28. No separate piece of loop material of a hook-and-loop fastening system is required. The material of first and second flaps 30, 32 can directly secure to first and second attachment areas 26, 28 at any location along their surfaces. This also adds to the flexibility, fit and reliability of disposable undergarment 10. A wearer need only hold main body 34 and/or first tab 22 in position and pull or stretch first flap 30 into position and apply pressure at first attachment area 26 to secure one side of disposable undergarment 10 in position. This can be repeated on the second side of disposable undergarment 10 to fix the garment in position. For smaller or thinner wearers, first or second flap 30, 32 can be pulled into an overlapping position for a tighter fit. In such a situation, the distal end of first or second flap 30, 32 would extend over or past first and second attachment area 26, 28 such that first or second flap 30, 32 is engaged at a location on first or second flap 30, 32 nearer to its connection to first or second extension 18, 20. The fact that the stretchable loop material can engage the engaging elements at any location on its surface enables the undergarment to be worn by a wider variety of wearers including wearers with variations in weight of more than twenty pounds.
In still other embodiments of disposable undergarment 10, the various layers, flaps and attachment components may include other variations of the elements described above and can include variations in which the panels and attachments may be reversed from front to back or back to front. In another example, first and second extension 18, 20 and first and second flap 30, 32 may all be made of stretchable loop material. The stretchable loop material can also be a continuous piece of material that extends from the main body 34 across the buttocks of a wearer and extend beyond the first and second sides 36, 38 of main body 34 to create wrap portions that can be releasably attached to first and second tabs 22, 24. In this example, since the wrap portions are made of stretchable loop material, they can be directly connected to a hook portion of a hook-and-loop fastening system. In other examples, first and second tabs 22, 24 can also be made of a stretchable loop material. Embodiments of disposable undergarment 10 wherein first and second tabs 22, 24 are made of stretchable loop material can enable the undergarment to fit a wider range of body sizes such as wearers with larger waistlines. As explained above, the stretchable loop material may also extend into or over portions of main body 34 at the front waist region. Such configurations that use more of the stretchable loop material for portions of main body 34 as well as for fastening the disposable undergarment around the waist and hips of wearer can enable a tighter and more body-conforming undergarment.
Disposable undergarment 10 also has an improved design for easier and more sanitary disposal. Once a disposable undergarment captures bodily fluids or other wastes, it must be disposed. Some existing designs of disposable undergarments permit leakage of bodily fluids or other wastes, either during use or upon removal and disposal. Disposable undergarment 10 or the present disclosure permits a wearer to remove the used undergarment and secure the bodily fluids in the absorbent core for easy and sanitary disposal.
As shown in
In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the undergarment is reusable and not disposable. One or more of the materials can be constructed of natural or synthetic fabrics. The reusable undergarment makes use of the stretchable loop material on first and second flaps 30, 32 that are attached to the other reusable fabrics that are used to construct the various other portions of the reusable undergarment. In this manner, the low-rise, non-bulky aspects of the undergarment as previously described can be maintained in a reusable form. The stretchable loop material on first and second flaps 30, 32 is able to directly engage the hook portion of a hook-and-loop fastening system on or near a front waist portion of the reusable undergarment.
While the particular preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the teaching of the disclosure. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as limitation. The actual scope of the disclosure is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the related art.
