UNDER-RIDERS

Abstract

The invention is an attachable fabric liner for underwear, applied to the inside of underwear to protect from fecal stains and marks (‘skidmarks’) exclusively in the buttocks area. Skidmarks may be a result of improper wiping, improper cleansing or from leaking small quantities of fecal material. The invention is made of 100% cotton and is shaped to fit the user's underwear in the buttocks area. It attaches with human contact safe adhesive, coated 100% across the back fascia of the cotton. The cotton material is a ‘low twist’ thread, light weight, light weave, ‘lay flat’ jersey knit. The user cannot discern that the liner is in place. This invention is differentiated from other products since other products are made from synthetic materials, fibers, and films and others are made specifically to fit the narrow crotch area of the user's underwear instead of the buttocks area.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The field of endeavor is an ‘attachable fabric liner for underwear’ which protects the buttocks area of underwear from fecal stains and marks (a.k.a “skidmarks”), and is for adults and adolescent children with chronic, pelvic floor issues.

It is specifically designed to attach to the inside of the underwear, on the buttocks area.

DESCRIPTION OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE INVENTION

This document includes details about the design, the use, and the benefits of the attachable fabric liner for underwear.

The information and drawings in this document are for the purpose of providing a complete and thorough description of the attachable fabric liner for underwear.

The attachable fabric liner for underwear addresses problems not adequately addressed by other inventions in the field. More specifically, the attachable fabric liner for underwear is a non-obvious departure from others since it addresses specific issues related to fecal stains and marks in the buttocks area left from inadequate wiping, inadequate cleansing, or from fecal emissions.

Adults and adolescent children often experience long term pelvic floor issues that result in regularly leaking small quantities of fecal material that result in stains and marks on underwear. Often these pelvic floor issues are a result of diseases, child birth, or surgeries that may require long term use of appliances that protect underwear from stains and marks.

There are current products which can aid in this problem though most have shortcomings that do not adequately assist adults and adolescent children in living a comfortable and normal life. Most especially, many current products are intrusive, noticeable and often embarrassing appliances that are often visible to other people. Many current products are bulky and uncomfortable. Many current products are complete replacements for normal underwear and often quite expensive. Many current products are not composed of material which is comfortable for the user and the user is fully aware the product is in place when using other products. Current products also are primarily for absorbing liquid rather than protecting underwear from stains and marks.

The shortcomings of the current products are solved by the attachable fabric liner for underwear. The attachable fabric liner for underwear is a non-obvious departure from other inventions, since it uses non-bulky, non-intrusive, comfortable, 100% pure cotton material, with a unique size and shape. All of which clearly addresses the problems and areas of concern.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Objective and Advantages of the Invention

It is the objective of the attachable fabric liner for underwear to provide an article for the protection of underwear from stains and marks that can be made by pelvic floor fecal emissions. The attachable fabric liner for underwear includes a main body composed of 100% pure cotton which has a unique shape allowing the fabric liner to easily be positioned and secured to the inside of underwear, adjacent to the buttocks. The attachable fabric liner for underwear also includes adhesive on a single side of the cotton, side to side and end to end, which firmly secures the fabric liner to the underwear and keeps the liner flat while secured to the underwear. The attachable fabric liner for underwear includes a disposable, releasable backing paper which is used as a carrier for the cotton until the fabric liner made ready for use, without diminishing the effectiveness of the adhesive on the cotton.

The attachable fabric liner for underwear is composed of uniquely comfortable, light thread weight and light weave composition, 100% pure jersey knit cotton material, and the user cannot discern that the fabric liner in place. The attachable fabric liner for underwear has an elliptical shape and size, designed to fit the buttocks area from which fecal stains and marks may occur. The fabric varies in width from 3.5 inches to 0.0 inches and is 7.0 inches in length.

The attachable fabric liner for underwear is unisex and designed to fit boys, girls, men's and women's underwear.

The attachable fabric liner for underwear has multiple advantages which include being a very thin single layer of fabric, being lightweight, being non-intrusive, being non-abrasive, being non-crinkly, being easily applied, being easily disposed, and being organic material. The attachable fabric liner for underwear performs exactly the way the users prefer—for which the users have found no other products that come close to the performance advantages of the underwear liner. A 30 pack of the under wear liners weighs only 3.5 ounces and can easily be carried in a pocket or a bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Drawings are Included Below

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the construction, components and measurements of the underwear liner with enumerated reference points

• • ref point 1 is the front fascia of the underwear liner, being 100% pure cotton
  • ref point 2 is the center vertical line of the underwear liner (17.8 cm)
  • ref point 3 is the center horizontal line of the underwear liner (8.9 cm)
  • ref point 4 is the inwardly curved edge of the underwear liner, with a matching inwardly curved edge on the opposite side
  • ref point 5 is the blunt rounded end of the underwear liner (0.5 cm)
  • ref point 6 is the straight edge end of the underwear liner (6.2 cm)
  • ref point 7 is the pressure sensitive adhesive, coated across 100% of the surface of the back fascia of the underwear liner
  • ref point 8 is the back fascia of the releasable backing paper
  • ref point 9 is the silicon coated fascia of the releasable backing paper

FIG. 2 is a view of the fabric liner for underwear as it appears, attached to the inside and rear of underwear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The attachable fabric liner for underwear is both new and unique in composition, in size, and in shape. The attachable fabric liner for underwear is distinguished from all previous inventions since there is no other product like it that has been invented.

More specifically, other inventions that are in the same general field, are bulky absorbent pads designed for other uses.

The attachable fabric liner for underwear is differentiated from all other inventions since it is not an absorbent pad. The attachable fabric liner for underwear is a single piece of light weight, non-intrusive, not noticeable 100% pure organic cotton material.

Other inventions in the same general field are generally a modified rectangle designed to fit the shape of specific, inner crotch areas of the body. The attachable fabric liner for underwear is differentiated from all other inventions since it is specifically designed to fit the buttocks area from which fecal stains and marks may occur.

Other inventions in the same general field are comprised of various kinds of synthetic materials, fibers, and films which makes the user fully aware that they are in use. The attachable fabric liner for underwear is differentiated from all other inventions since it is not made of synthetic materials, fibers or films.

The attachable fabric liner for underwear is differentiated from all other inventions since it is made of 100% pure cotton.

The low twist weight, 100% cotton ‘lay flat’ material differentiates the attachable fabric liner for underwear so completely that a user is unaware that the invention is in place, even though it is serving a very important function for the user's underwear.

Other inventions in the same general field use adhesive strips around the perimeter edges of the synthetic, the fiber and the film materials to hold the products in place. The attachable fabric liner for underwear is differentiated from all other inventions since it uses a unique blend of pressure sensitive adhesive that is applied 100% across the back fascia of the liner. This characteristic allows the entire surface of the fabric liner to stay firmly in place across the entire surface of the underwear.

Other inventions in the same general field may become detached around the edges and begin to bunch up in various places, which can cause discomfort for the user. The attachable fabric liner for underwear is differentiated from all other inventions since the present invention's pressure sensitive adhesive is applied 100% across the back side of the cotton, it will not detach around the edges or any area, and will not bunch up in unusual and uncomfortable places.

The attachable fabric liner for underwear is manufactured in a multi-stage process. The 100% cotton material is processed on specialized equipment on a continuous roll and joined together with a silicone coated releasable backing paper and by applying a pressure sensitive adhesive.

Subsequently, the rolls of cotton material with the combined adhesive and the releasable backing paper are processed through a die cutting operation that produces the shapes necessary for the finished product. The finished product is subsequently packaged for distribution to consumers.

The ‘best mode’ of using the attachable fabric liner for underwear is by applying it to the inside of underwear with the pressure sensitive adhesive side toward the underwear and with the clear cotton side facing the area that would contact human skin. The tapered shape of the attachable fabric liner for underwear is a truncated oval with a narrow rounded point on one end and a flat (truncated) edge on the opposite end. The opposing parallel edges of the tapered shape are identical as they progress from the flat edge to the narrow rounded point. The attachable fabric liner for underwear is placed in the underwear with the narrow rounded point at the crotch area of the underwear and the flat truncated edge near the waist band. See FIG. 2 for an illustration of how the fabric liner for underwear is to be applied.

With reference to FIG. 1, Ref point 1 through Ref point 9, and to FIG. 2, the attachable fabric liner for underwear is an article for the protection of underwear comprising a ‘liner body’ and a releasable backing paper. The liner body has a unique size and shape. The liner body is composed of specifically selected and tested materials for their conformance to user requirements.

With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 the liner body is uniquely shaped to easily be positioned inside the underwear. The liner body has a truncated oval shape with a straight edged end and a rounded, narrow point on the opposite end.

The liner body varies in width from the straight edge to the blunt rounded tip end. The liner body is tapered and varies in width from 2.44 inches (6.2 cm) at the straight edged end, to 3.5 inches (8.9) cm in the center horizontal line, to 0.2 inches (0.5 cm) at the blunt rounded tip end. The length of the liner body is 7 inches (17.8 cm). The liner body is 0.32 millimeters thick, a feature unique to the attachable fabric liner.

The liner body is composed of uniquely selected and tested 100% cotton. The liner body has a low twist thread, jersey knit weave which yields a ‘lay flat’ result. The lay flat design allows the liner body to easily lay flat onto the inside of underwear. Being composed of 100% pure cotton, the liner body is comfortable for the skin of the user.

The liner body further comprises a uniquely engineered and tested pressure sensitive adhesive for the liner body to be firmly secured onto the inside of underwear. The pressure sensitive adhesive is coated across 100% of a single side of the liner body and covers the entire back surface. The pressure sensitive adhesive is ISO 10993 tested and approved for medical devices and for human skin contact so that any contact with human skin, although unlikely, will not cause irritation or discomfort for the user. The adhesive is an acrylic pressure sensitive ‘FREE’ (a relative rating scale) adhesive, specifically engineered for this use. This means that the liner body can be applied to the underwear and subsequently removed without adhesive material adhering to the garment. The adhesive enables the liner body to stay in place and lay flat, all around, without bunching or curling. The liner body will not wedge in the user's buttocks area.

With reference to FIG. 1, and to FIG. 2, the releasable backing paper is positioned on the adhesive side of the liner body. The releasable backing paper is secured to the liner body by the adhesive. The releasable backing paper is the same shape and size of the liner body and allows the user to easily peel the backing paper from the liner body. The releasable backing paper keeps the underwear liner prepared until it is removed and applied to underwear. The releasable backing paper is composed of ninety pound bleached white paper with a silicon coating on one side, which is the side next to the adhesive. The release liner is 0.17 millimeters thick.

With reference to FIG. 1, and to FIG. 2, the attachable fabric liner is positioned on the inside of underwear with the straight edge of the liner body positioned parallel with the waistband of the underwear. The liner body is vertically centered on the inside of the back of underwear with the rounded, narrow end towards the crotch area of the underwear. When in position on the underwear, the liner body is the layer on which stains and marks may occur and will protect the underwear beneath from stains and marks. The adhesive being a ‘free release’ adhesive, allows the user to easily remove the releasable backing paper from the liner body and to firmly apply the liner to the inside of underwear. The releasable backing paper is discarded at this point. The attachable fabric liner for underwear will be removed from the underwear for disposal when it is stained or marked.

Claims

1. The invention is an attachable fabric liner for underwear as shown in Drawings FIG. 1, which comprises: a uniquely shaped 100% pure cotton fabric underwear liner;a human contact safe adhesive, (ISO 10993 tested and approved), being coated across 100% of a single side of the fabric liner;a releasable backing paper comprised of 90 pound bleached white paper and a non-stick coating;a non-stick, silicone coating applied to the releasable backing paper;a releasable backing paper being attached and opposite to the adhesive coating which is on the fabric liner;a fabric liner, the adhesive layer, and the releasable backing paper being exactly replicated in size and shape to each other.

2. The attachable fabric liner for underwear as claimed in claim 1, is non-absorbent; is designed to protect underwear from stains and marks made from fecal leakage or from lack of properly cleansing or wiping in the buttocks area of the user, (aka, ‘skidmarks’),is a non-obvious departure from other inventions since it is not an absorbent pad,is to be used for one purpose only—to protect underwear from skidmarks.

3. The fabric underwear liner as claimed in claim 1, is made with a unique fabric formation which is 100% pure cotton; is differentiated from other products that are made of synthetic materials, fibers and films,is made of low twist, light thread weight and light weave, ‘lay flat’ material, specifically engineered, ‘Jersey Knit’, 100% pure cotton.

4. The cotton fabric as claimed in claim 3, is configured into a ‘jersey knit’ with a cotton ‘Fabric Formation’ as follows: the 100% pure cotton fabric is ‘knit’ using ‘SIMPLE’, ‘SINGLE’ thread, 100% natural cotton filaments;the Jersey Knit material (as differentiated from Rib Knit and from Woven Fabric) has superior ‘lay flat’ characteristics, ideally suited for the fabric liner, and since it lays flat, it can stretch as required, and will move with the motion of the underwear to which it is applied;the 100% pure cotton fabric has a weight of 244.37 g or 8.62 oz per yard (‘per length’ as referenced below);the 100% cotton filaments have a MINIMUM degree of twist per length, (as differentiated from a HIGH degree of twist per length), which means MINIMUM twist yields more comfort for the user;the 100% cotton filament fibers are ‘SIMPLE’ as differentiated from TEXTURED, and from PLIED, and from COMPLEX, to achieve the ‘lay flat’ style that provides additional comfort for human contact;the thickness of the fabric liner is approximately 0.32 millimeters;the cotton yarn used for the attachable fabric liner for underwear is a ‘Simple’ Twist, Filament yarn and formed as follows: the Filament fibers are laid side by side, with a simple (low) twist applied (meaning the Twist in staple yarns is given in units of turns of twist per unit length, measured in turns per inch), the yarn properties are affected by the degree of twist, but not by the direction (S or Z) of twist, and as twist increases, yarn strength and yarn stiffness increase up to a point, level off, then begin to fall at very high twist levels.

5. The ‘Jersey Knit’ cotton material, as claimed in claim 1, is manufactured in continuous rolls, 300 feet in length (91.44 meters)×64 inches in width (1.6256 meters), with an “edge dressing” applied to the material to a width of 2 inches on each edge which prevents material curl and provides useable material of 300 ft in length (91.44 meters)×60 inches in width (1.524 meters).

6. The attachable fabric liner for underwear, as claimed in claim 1, is uniquely shaped to fit the buttocks area of underwear, as illustrated in Drawings FIG. 1 AND FIG. 2; is uniquely shaped to attach to underwear adjacent to the buttocks area of the user from which fecal stains and marks may occur,is differentiated from other products since it is designed for the wider buttocks area only, whereas other products are designed to fit the narrower, middle crotch area of the user,is proportioned and sized to easily fit inside adult and adolescent underwear,aligns as a truncated oval shape with the narrow rounded end beginning at the rear crotch area and lays flat, backward and upward toward the label area of underwear,does not extend to the front of the crotch area, (from which field tests have proven that many people will not tolerate pads and synthetic fiber materials because of the intrusive and crinkly feeling of fibers and pads,and will not crinkle nor will it feel intrusive due the light weight and ‘lay flat’ knit of the 100% natural pure organic cotton material.

7. The attachable fabric liner for underwear, as claimed in claim 1, and described in claim 2, claim 3, claim 4, claim 5, claim 6, is shaped as a truncated/modified oval with a straight edge on one end, and with tapered, opposing edges that extend from the straight edge to a blunt pointed end; and when applied, the straight edge is positioned just beneath the waist band of the underwear so that the tapered edges extend down the buttocks area of the wearer where fecal stains may occur,and comprises following specifications; a front facing profile as shown in FIG. 1 of the fabric, is a truncated/modified oval shape,a beginning end of the truncated oval shape is a straight edge,an opposite end of the truncated oval shape tapers to a rounded blunt tip,a convex inward taper begins at the straight edge end, on each vertical edge, and extends for a length of (3.0 cm) (1.18 in) until the maximum width is achieved,a straight vertical edge, on each edge, is positioned perpendicular to the vertical center line of the truncated oval shape,the straight vertical edge, on each edge, begins an inward convex taper, beginning at (6 cm) (2.33 in) where the curve is terminated at the rounded blunt tip,the rounded blunt tip is positioned at the vertical center line of the truncated oval shape,and comprises the following measurements; beginning at the truncated margin of the oval, the width is (6.3 cm, 2.48) inches in width, the shape gradually broadens on each edge, in an inward convex curve for a length of (3.0 cm, 1.18 in), until a width of (8.89 cm, 3.5 in) is achieved, which is the maximum width,the shape then extends vertically on each edge for (9.8 cm, 3.85 in),the straight vertical edge, on each edge begins an inward convex curve beginning at (12.6, cm 4.96 in) from the straight edge until it reaches the rounded blunt end The rounded blunt end is (0.5 cm, 0.2) inches in width,the overall length of the center line, from the straight edge to the rounded blunt end is (17.8 cm, 7 in),and comprises the following thickness measurement; the release liner paper backing is (0.17 mm) thick +/−10%,the cotton material is (0.32 mm) thick +/−10%,the overall thickness is (0.49 mm)+/−10%,and comprises the following weight measurement; the total weight of each underwear liner, including the release liner component is (3.06 grams, 0.1079 ounces) +/−10%.

8. The adhesive applied to the underwear liner, as claimed in claim 1 is uniquely engineered and configured to cover the entire back fascia of the 100% pure cotton material, instead of just an edge boundary adhesive; enabling the cotton material to stay in place and lay flat, side to side and top to bottom, without bunching or curling and will not ‘wedge’ into buttocks areas as could thicker fiber and pad products,the pressure sensitive adhesive being ISO 10993 tested and approved for medical devices and for human skin contact so that any contact with human skin, although unlikely, will not cause irritation or discomfort for the user,the adhesive being an acrylic pressure sensitive ‘FREE RELEASE LEVEL B’ (a relative rating scale), specifically engineered for this use, meaning that the liner body can be applied to the underwear and subsequently removed without the adhesive adhering to the garment,and, the relative adhesion release property scale is; ‘FREE RELEASE’ (B) vs EXTRA FREE (A)vs STANDARD (C)vs TIGHT (D).

9. The attachable fabric liner for underwear as claimed in claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, claim 4, claim 5, claim 6, claim 7, claim 8, includes four mandatory component layers, each layer being a critical factor in the composition and effective use of the product; and the technical details of each layer described in prior claims, and with the importance of each component and the relationship to each other is specified below in which the attachable fabric liner for underwear includes; a backing paper layer component,a silicon release coating layer component,an adhesive layer component,a 100% pure cotton liner layer component,the backing paper layer component being 90 pound bleached white paper, which is required as a carrier for the underwear liner until it is removed from the paper and applied for use, and having a caliper thickness of (0.17 mm)+/−10% and a weight of (143 gms/m2),the release coating layer component being a silicone coating applied to the backing paper layer component that enables the release (removal) of the cotton material from the backing paper, the adhesive layer component being released along with the cotton layer component,the adhesive layer component being an acrylic pressure sensitive ‘FREE RELEASE LEVEL B’ adhesive, and being ISO 10993 tested and approved for medical devices and for human contact,the 100% pure cotton liner layer component being a single piece of light weight, non-intrusive, not noticeable, lay flat, jersey knit materialin which these four critical components mean that the attachable underwear liner can be removed easily from the releasable backing paper and then applied to the underwear, and the cotton material will stay firmly in place using the Free Release adhesion vs. Extra Free adhesion vs. Standard vs. Tight adhesion, additionally meaning that the liner can be removed from the underwear and the adhesion properties will still be effective,with the thickness measurement as follows; the releasable backing paper being (0.17 mm) thick +/−10%,the cotton material being (0.32 mm) thick +/−10%,the overall thickness being (0.49 mm)+/−10%,with the weight measurement as follows; including the backing paper, the weight is (3.5 grams, 0.125 ounces)+/−10%.