CA2014129A1 - Disposable feminine undergarment - Google Patents
Disposable feminine undergarmentInfo
- Publication number
- CA2014129A1 CA2014129A1 CA 2014129 CA2014129A CA2014129A1 CA 2014129 A1 CA2014129 A1 CA 2014129A1 CA 2014129 CA2014129 CA 2014129 CA 2014129 A CA2014129 A CA 2014129A CA 2014129 A1 CA2014129 A1 CA 2014129A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- undergarment
- body portion
- support sheet
- margins
- margin
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Abstract
ABSTRACT.
A disposable feminine undergarment is disclosed for absorbing menstrual fluids. The undergarment comprises a support sheet made of disposable impervious material having its crotch portion lined with an absorbent means adapted to absorb discharged menstrual fluids. The undergarment is provided with a back-body portion and a front-body portion which are spaced apart from each other by the body of the wearer when the garment is worn; when the undergarment is secured to the body of the wearer, these portions are linked to each other by strand members.
A disposable feminine undergarment is disclosed for absorbing menstrual fluids. The undergarment comprises a support sheet made of disposable impervious material having its crotch portion lined with an absorbent means adapted to absorb discharged menstrual fluids. The undergarment is provided with a back-body portion and a front-body portion which are spaced apart from each other by the body of the wearer when the garment is worn; when the undergarment is secured to the body of the wearer, these portions are linked to each other by strand members.
Description
The present invention relates to a disposable feminine undergarment for absorbing discharged menstrual fluids.
Various types of undergarments for the containment of body fluids have been proposed; these include diapers, incontinence briefs, toilet training pants for children and disposable non-woven apparel shorts; such undergarments are described, for example, in Canadian 10 Patent nos. 921,652, 899,552 and 1,228,953 as well as US
Patent nos. 4,641,381 and 4,745,636. The general emphasis of such known types of containment undergarments has been focused on the absorptive and containment capacity thereof since they must deal with a relatively large volume of different types of bodily discharges.
In order to meet such design criteria, an undergarment intended to be used by a mature population, must be provided with a relatively large absorptive lining. Thus such types of undergarments are bulky and their use can lead to discomfort. Aesthetically the use of such an undergarment leaves much to be desired since its very bulk means that the wearer can be hard pressed to conceal its presence.
A mature feminine population is faced with a problem other than incontinence, namely the discharge of menstrual fluids. Factors such as appearance as well as comfort are important physical and psychological considerations. IJndergarments intended for incontinence are not a suitable answer for such a specific need, especially since aesthetically the garment should be capable of being worn in as discreet a manner as the garment allows given the limitation of its function.
Keeping in mind the unpredictability of menstrual "accidents", such a containm2nt undergarment should be able to bs easily carried or d-stributed using dispensers difiposed in public places such as, for example, powder rooms. Such a feminine undergarment should also be relatively easily adapted to be worn by persons of , 2 ~ 9 different waist sizes especially if it is destined to be distributed using dispenser means such as referred to above.
Accordi.ngly, it would be advantageous to be able to provide a feminine undergarment for containing menstrual fluid which may be worn in a discreet fashion.
It would also be advantageous to be able to provide a feminine undergarment which may be distributed in an automatic dispensers.
It would further be advantageous to be able to provide an undergarment which may be made of a low cost textile sheeting so as to enhance the disposability thereof.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a disposable feminine undergarment comprising an absorbent means adapted to retain menstrual fluid, and a support sheet of flexible fluid impervious material for holding the absorbent means against the crotch of a female wherein the support sheet comprises a front-body portion, a back-body portion and a narrow crotch portion disposed between the front-body portion and the back-body portion, 2~3 ~
the narrow crotch portion having a longitudinal axis, the suppor~ sheet being provided with elasticised longitudinal margins and elasticised latitudinal margins, the support sheet being provided, on both sides of the longitudinal axis, with garment securement means for the securement of the undergarment to the body of a wearer, the garment securement means, on both sides of the longitudinal axis, each being adapted so that when the undergarment is worn and the front-body portion is spaced apart from the back-body portion by the body of the wearer, each garment securement means defines a respective strand member the length of which is variable and which extends across a respective side of a wearer's body to link the front-body portion to the back-body portion, the absorbent means being secured to the body side of said crotch portion the absorbent means having a width equal to or narrower than the width of said crotch portion and the elasticised margins and the garment securement means being adapted to cooperate to allow the support sheet to conform to the wearer's body size when the undergarment is used and to provide the garment with a multi-size waist.
As mentioned above a feminine undergarment of the present invention has a support sheet which has a narrow crotch portion. This crotch portion is connected to oppositely disposed front-body and back-body portions.
The front-body and back-body portions may each have the general configuration of (truncated) triangles or some other similar or suitable shape. The support sheet may thus have a generally hour-glass configuration or shape.
The general configuration of the support sheet may be different keeping in mind that the role of the support is to hold the absorbent means against the crotch of the wearer.
The undergarment of the present invention is provided with a front-body portion and a back-body portion which, as their designation indicates, are so disposed, sized and configured (in relation to the desired user(s)) that they are spaced apart by the body of the wearer when the undergarment is worn. Xeeping this in mind, the front and back body portions may be of the same size or of different sizes; the back-body portion may, for example, be generally larger than the front-body portion. When the garment is worn, the body portions are, however, linked together, as herein described, by strand members defined by respective garment securement means; i.e. in addition to being connected together by the crotch portion.
The absorbent means is fixed to the body side of the crotch portion and, preferably, for reasons of appearance, is sized so as to be confined therewithin;
i~e. it does not extend into the front or back body portions where, depending on its thickness in these portion, it may produce a noticeable bulge or outline on the exterior garments of the user. The absorbent means may, however, have any desired or suitable longitudinal length. The length will be dependent on various factors including the thickness of the absorbent means, the absorptive capacity of the materials of its construction, etc..
The absorbent means may be fixed to the crotch portion in any conventional manner such as by sewing, idhesive bonding, sonic bonding, etc...
2 ~
A feminine undergarment, in accordance with the present invention, may have a front-body portion and a back-body portion both of which define a corner margin S on one side of the longitudinal axis of the narrow crotch portion and a further corner margin on the other side of this axis. Each of the elasticised margins may thus be bounded by a pair of respective corner margins;
e.g. the corner margins of the front-body portion in the embodiment discussed hereinafter define the extremities of a transverse waist line as defined by the front-body portion.
The garment securement means, on both sides of the longitudinal axis, may, for example, each comprise a pair of tie members; the tie members of each pair being, of course, disposed on the same side of the longitudinal axis. One of the tie members of a pair may be disposed at a corner margin of the front-body portion and the other respective tie member may be disposed at a corner margin of the back-body portion.
The tie members may be disposed or attached at the corner margins of the body portions so that they may be tied together so as to secure the undergarment to the wearer's waist. Keeping in mind that the securement means is to define a linking strand member when the undergarment is worn, the securement means may take other forms rather than comprising a plurality of tie members such as strings disposed at or attached to respective corner margins. The securement means may comprise, for example, some combination of strings disposed on one body portion and apertured areas disposed on the other to allow for the anchoring of strings thereto by tying; they may include buttons and apertured areas adapted to fasten strings, cords, etc. to the front and back body portions;
etc., etc..
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention each of the tie members may be fixed to a 2L9~ ~ 2~
respective corner margin and may each in particular comprise a string.
As mentioned above the undergarment is provided with elasticised longitudinal and latitudinal margins, the latitudinal margins being disposed generally transversely relative to the longitudinal margins. These margins are provided to allow the border of the support sheet, when the undergarment is in use, to be deformed (e.g.
elongated) so that it may conform to the body size of the wearer when the margins are subjected to a suitable tension (e.g. by a manipulation of the length of the strand member). The desire is to provide a snug and comfortably fit against the wearer's crotch area as well as around the wearer's waist. The tension necessary to bring this about will of course, for example, depend on the construction of the elasticised margins, the length of tie members which may be present, the body size of the wearer, etc..
The elasticised margins may include elastic means such as, for example, an elastic band(s) or other similar types of elastic means suitable for use in the construction of a garment. The elastic means (e.g.
band(s)) may be disposed conti~uous to or adjacent to the side edges of the support sheet. The elastic means may, if desired, be spaced apart from the side edges some desired distance keeping in mind that the elastic means is present to provide the support sheet with an extendable border.
Various types of elastic means are known; U.S.
Patent no. 4,641,381 includes a description of a number of such means. The elastic means may be made of any suitable elastomeric material such as, for example, natural rubber, butyl rubber, or other synthetic rubber, Suitably the material may exhibit an elongation in the range of 5% to 300% preferably in the range of 25~ t.o 200%. The elastic means can be applied to the support sheet by any suitable means including sewing, adhesive 20~ .29 bonding, heat sealing, or sonic bonding, whichever is appropriate to the specific material selected for the elastic means and the support sheet.
Each of the elasticised margins may, for example, comprise an elastic band which may be confined within a fold formed by folding over an edge portion of the support sheet. The fold and elastic band combination may extend over the full length of any given side of the support sheet or only partially provided that the desired elasticity is obtainable thereby. Thus such a fold may extend from one respective corner margin of an elasticised margin to the other respective corner margin thereof. A margin may be elasticised by confining the elastic band within the fold while the elastic band is maintained in a stretched state (e.g. extending from one respective corner margin to the other respective corner margin) such that the elasticised margin is formed when the band is released. The fo~d may include two or more foldings of the support sheet but a single fold as referred to above is preferred.
Fixation of the elastic means such as a band in a stretched state may occur only at the extremities thereof (e.g. be anchored thereby), intermittently over the length of the band or continuously over its entire length. Thus, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an elastic band may be anchored to the support sheet at the respective corner margins.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, elastic bands may, for example, be secured to the support sheet by having been sewn thereto.
The garment securement means tie member, instead of being fixed directly to the support sheet may be connected to the elastic means at the longitudinal margin, the lateral margin or both, the elastic means being connected to the support sheet.
2 ~ 2 9 In accordance with the present invention the support sheet may be made (e.g. cut) from a non-woven material (e.g. a single sheet thereof); such a material may be made by forming a web of natural or synthetic fibres and causing the fibres to adhere to each other in some suitable manner. The fluid impervious, non-woven sheet may, for example, be derived from a material such as cellulose or a polyester; it may be derived from any other suitable materials as may be mentioned, for example, in U.S. Patent nos. 4,641,381 and 4,745,636 referred to above.
The support sheet may be formed from a single sheet such that the various portions mentioned above are integral or it may be formed from a number of pieces of sheet material which are fixed or secured together by some suitable means; preferably, the portions are integral.
AS mentioned the support sheet may be made of a nonwoven material, which materials may generally be described as being a planar assembly of textile fibres held together in a web or mat either by mechanical interlocking, by fusing or by bonding with a cementing medium such as starch, glue, casein, rubber latex or one of the cellulose derivatives or a synthetic thermoplastic resin. The fibres may be preferentially oriented in one direction or may be deposited in a random manner.
Variouæ types of non-woven materials are described in USP
4745636. The obtained support sheet must, however, be fluid impervious and flexible.
In accordance with the present invention, the absorbent means may have any suitable construction while keeping in mind its function; various types of such means are mentioned in the above referred to patents. The absorbent means may, for example, comprise a fluid pervious layer which overlays a fluid absorbent layer, the fluid absorbent layer being disposed between the top layer and the support sheet. The absorb~nt means may ,,,,," ~ 0 1 ~
also itself include a fluid impervious bottom layer, the fluid-impervious bottom layer underlying the fluid absorbent intermediate layer and being bonded or otherwise suitably fixed to the body side of the crotch portion of the support sheet.
The absorbent means may, for example, comprise a feminine sanitary napkin; these are available on the market in various sizes, shapes and thickness and may be used to provide a variety of protection according to the needs or desire of the wearer of the undergarment. An undergarment, in accordance with the present invention, may be adapted to be folded to a size comparable to the sanitary napkin such that it may be easily carried or distributed using an automatic dispenser.
The garment securement means may be made of any suitable material; the material used must of course be sufficiently strong to allow for securement of the garment around the user's waist.
In accordance with the present invention shape ad~ustment and attachment of the garment is accomplished by the manipulation of the garment securement means with an accompanying stretching of the elastic margins.
As indicated previously, each garment securement means may comprise a pair of tie members both of which may be disposed at a respective corner margin of the front and back body portions. The undergarment is secured to the body of the wearer by a waist encircling action brought about by tying together both members of each of the pairs of tie members (which may be stings, cords etc..) together. Depending on the length of the tie members as well as on the elongation characteristics of the elasticised parts of the undergarment, the undergarment may thus accommodate a plurality of waist slzes .
,:, . ~, . ~ ~, . ,: .;, ,:
2 ~ 2 ~
The support sheet being made of flexible material the undergarment may be folded up before and after use.
In the drawings which illustrate an example embodiment of the present invention:
Figure 1 is a front view of an embodiment of an undergarment in accordance with the present invention and Figure 2 is a perspective side view of the undergarment illustrated in figure 1 in a worn configuration.
Referring now to figure 1, the illustrated embodiment has a support sheet 4 which is provided with a back-body portion 5 and a front-body portion 6 which are joined to each other by means of a narrow crotch portion 7. The crotch portion 7 has a longitudinal axis 7' and concave arcuate longitudinal margins 7a and 7b.
The back-body portion 5 and the front-body portion 6 have a roughly triangular shape. The support sheet as a whole thus has the general appearance of an hour-glass shaped sheet. In this embodiment the various portions are integral, the sheet being cut from a single sheet of base material.
An absorbent means 8 consisting of a feminine sanitary napkin is sewed to the body side (see reference numeral 14 in figure 2) of the crotch portion 7. Such sanitary napkins are available from the market under trade designations such as Always, New Freedom, etc...
They are also available in different sizes and thickness to provide a variety of protection according to the needs of the wearer.
The front-body portion 6 defines two corner margins 6a and 6b which are disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis 7'. The back-body portion 5 also defines two corner margins 5a and 5b which are also disposed on opposite sides of said longitudinal axis 7'.
One of the garment securement means consists of strings 9 and 9~ which are attached to respective corner S margins of the front-body portion and back-body portion which are on the same side of the longitudinal axis 7';
the other garment securement means similarly consist of strings 9a and 9b.
The longitudinal margins 7a and 7b as well as the latitudinal margins 8a and 8b (which as seen extend transversely thereto) are elasticised. Each of the elasticised margins is bounded by a respective pair of corner margins; for example, the latitudinal margin 8a is bounded by corner margins 5a and 5b whereas the longitudinal margin 7a is bounded by corner margin 5a and 6a. Referring by way of example only to the latitudinal margin 8a, the elastic means shown consists of an elastic band 10 which is disposed more or less contiguous to the edge 11 while being confined within a single folding 12 of the support sheet. Although not shown the elastic band 10 extends from corner margin 5a to corner margin 5b. The elastic band 10 is ~ixed inside the folding by way of a stitch such as is indicated generally at 13 for longitudinal margin 7b; the stitch for purposes of illustration is only shown with respect to margin 7b.
The stitch is initially formed while the elastic band 10 is in an at least partially stretched state such that when the elastic band 10 is released the elasticised margin is formed. The other elasticised margins are constructed in the same fashion. A single piece of elastic band may be applied to each of the elasticised margins; however a single band may be used which would require that it be stretched to conform with the entire desired elasticised border before being fixed to the support sheet.
The strings in the illustrated undergarment are shown as being fixed to the support sheet itself. The strings may, if desired, be connected to the elastic band o~a~c~ ;
forming part of the longitudinal margin, the lateral margin or both, the elastic band being fixed to the support sheet.
The undergarment may be folded unto itself and around the central sanitary napkin to provide a compacted underwear easy to carry and which can be stored and distributed in automatic dispensers.
After unfolding the garment, it may be secured to the user by slipping the crotch portion (i.e. absorbent means) underneath the crotch of the user, who will then lift up the front and back body portions and in turn, pull a respective pair of strings until the desired tension is obtained and tie the two together.
Referring to figure 2 the undergarment is shown in a worn condition; the body of the wearer is not illustrated in order to provide a full view thereof. As can be seen each of the tied pair of strings defines a strand which links the front and back body portions.
These strands would normally extend across a respective side of the wearer's body. The sides of the wearer's body are thus not encumbered by the presence of part of the undergarment, the support sheet being essentially limited to a presence at the front and back of the body.
Various types of undergarments for the containment of body fluids have been proposed; these include diapers, incontinence briefs, toilet training pants for children and disposable non-woven apparel shorts; such undergarments are described, for example, in Canadian 10 Patent nos. 921,652, 899,552 and 1,228,953 as well as US
Patent nos. 4,641,381 and 4,745,636. The general emphasis of such known types of containment undergarments has been focused on the absorptive and containment capacity thereof since they must deal with a relatively large volume of different types of bodily discharges.
In order to meet such design criteria, an undergarment intended to be used by a mature population, must be provided with a relatively large absorptive lining. Thus such types of undergarments are bulky and their use can lead to discomfort. Aesthetically the use of such an undergarment leaves much to be desired since its very bulk means that the wearer can be hard pressed to conceal its presence.
A mature feminine population is faced with a problem other than incontinence, namely the discharge of menstrual fluids. Factors such as appearance as well as comfort are important physical and psychological considerations. IJndergarments intended for incontinence are not a suitable answer for such a specific need, especially since aesthetically the garment should be capable of being worn in as discreet a manner as the garment allows given the limitation of its function.
Keeping in mind the unpredictability of menstrual "accidents", such a containm2nt undergarment should be able to bs easily carried or d-stributed using dispensers difiposed in public places such as, for example, powder rooms. Such a feminine undergarment should also be relatively easily adapted to be worn by persons of , 2 ~ 9 different waist sizes especially if it is destined to be distributed using dispenser means such as referred to above.
Accordi.ngly, it would be advantageous to be able to provide a feminine undergarment for containing menstrual fluid which may be worn in a discreet fashion.
It would also be advantageous to be able to provide a feminine undergarment which may be distributed in an automatic dispensers.
It would further be advantageous to be able to provide an undergarment which may be made of a low cost textile sheeting so as to enhance the disposability thereof.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a disposable feminine undergarment comprising an absorbent means adapted to retain menstrual fluid, and a support sheet of flexible fluid impervious material for holding the absorbent means against the crotch of a female wherein the support sheet comprises a front-body portion, a back-body portion and a narrow crotch portion disposed between the front-body portion and the back-body portion, 2~3 ~
the narrow crotch portion having a longitudinal axis, the suppor~ sheet being provided with elasticised longitudinal margins and elasticised latitudinal margins, the support sheet being provided, on both sides of the longitudinal axis, with garment securement means for the securement of the undergarment to the body of a wearer, the garment securement means, on both sides of the longitudinal axis, each being adapted so that when the undergarment is worn and the front-body portion is spaced apart from the back-body portion by the body of the wearer, each garment securement means defines a respective strand member the length of which is variable and which extends across a respective side of a wearer's body to link the front-body portion to the back-body portion, the absorbent means being secured to the body side of said crotch portion the absorbent means having a width equal to or narrower than the width of said crotch portion and the elasticised margins and the garment securement means being adapted to cooperate to allow the support sheet to conform to the wearer's body size when the undergarment is used and to provide the garment with a multi-size waist.
As mentioned above a feminine undergarment of the present invention has a support sheet which has a narrow crotch portion. This crotch portion is connected to oppositely disposed front-body and back-body portions.
The front-body and back-body portions may each have the general configuration of (truncated) triangles or some other similar or suitable shape. The support sheet may thus have a generally hour-glass configuration or shape.
The general configuration of the support sheet may be different keeping in mind that the role of the support is to hold the absorbent means against the crotch of the wearer.
The undergarment of the present invention is provided with a front-body portion and a back-body portion which, as their designation indicates, are so disposed, sized and configured (in relation to the desired user(s)) that they are spaced apart by the body of the wearer when the undergarment is worn. Xeeping this in mind, the front and back body portions may be of the same size or of different sizes; the back-body portion may, for example, be generally larger than the front-body portion. When the garment is worn, the body portions are, however, linked together, as herein described, by strand members defined by respective garment securement means; i.e. in addition to being connected together by the crotch portion.
The absorbent means is fixed to the body side of the crotch portion and, preferably, for reasons of appearance, is sized so as to be confined therewithin;
i~e. it does not extend into the front or back body portions where, depending on its thickness in these portion, it may produce a noticeable bulge or outline on the exterior garments of the user. The absorbent means may, however, have any desired or suitable longitudinal length. The length will be dependent on various factors including the thickness of the absorbent means, the absorptive capacity of the materials of its construction, etc..
The absorbent means may be fixed to the crotch portion in any conventional manner such as by sewing, idhesive bonding, sonic bonding, etc...
2 ~
A feminine undergarment, in accordance with the present invention, may have a front-body portion and a back-body portion both of which define a corner margin S on one side of the longitudinal axis of the narrow crotch portion and a further corner margin on the other side of this axis. Each of the elasticised margins may thus be bounded by a pair of respective corner margins;
e.g. the corner margins of the front-body portion in the embodiment discussed hereinafter define the extremities of a transverse waist line as defined by the front-body portion.
The garment securement means, on both sides of the longitudinal axis, may, for example, each comprise a pair of tie members; the tie members of each pair being, of course, disposed on the same side of the longitudinal axis. One of the tie members of a pair may be disposed at a corner margin of the front-body portion and the other respective tie member may be disposed at a corner margin of the back-body portion.
The tie members may be disposed or attached at the corner margins of the body portions so that they may be tied together so as to secure the undergarment to the wearer's waist. Keeping in mind that the securement means is to define a linking strand member when the undergarment is worn, the securement means may take other forms rather than comprising a plurality of tie members such as strings disposed at or attached to respective corner margins. The securement means may comprise, for example, some combination of strings disposed on one body portion and apertured areas disposed on the other to allow for the anchoring of strings thereto by tying; they may include buttons and apertured areas adapted to fasten strings, cords, etc. to the front and back body portions;
etc., etc..
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention each of the tie members may be fixed to a 2L9~ ~ 2~
respective corner margin and may each in particular comprise a string.
As mentioned above the undergarment is provided with elasticised longitudinal and latitudinal margins, the latitudinal margins being disposed generally transversely relative to the longitudinal margins. These margins are provided to allow the border of the support sheet, when the undergarment is in use, to be deformed (e.g.
elongated) so that it may conform to the body size of the wearer when the margins are subjected to a suitable tension (e.g. by a manipulation of the length of the strand member). The desire is to provide a snug and comfortably fit against the wearer's crotch area as well as around the wearer's waist. The tension necessary to bring this about will of course, for example, depend on the construction of the elasticised margins, the length of tie members which may be present, the body size of the wearer, etc..
The elasticised margins may include elastic means such as, for example, an elastic band(s) or other similar types of elastic means suitable for use in the construction of a garment. The elastic means (e.g.
band(s)) may be disposed conti~uous to or adjacent to the side edges of the support sheet. The elastic means may, if desired, be spaced apart from the side edges some desired distance keeping in mind that the elastic means is present to provide the support sheet with an extendable border.
Various types of elastic means are known; U.S.
Patent no. 4,641,381 includes a description of a number of such means. The elastic means may be made of any suitable elastomeric material such as, for example, natural rubber, butyl rubber, or other synthetic rubber, Suitably the material may exhibit an elongation in the range of 5% to 300% preferably in the range of 25~ t.o 200%. The elastic means can be applied to the support sheet by any suitable means including sewing, adhesive 20~ .29 bonding, heat sealing, or sonic bonding, whichever is appropriate to the specific material selected for the elastic means and the support sheet.
Each of the elasticised margins may, for example, comprise an elastic band which may be confined within a fold formed by folding over an edge portion of the support sheet. The fold and elastic band combination may extend over the full length of any given side of the support sheet or only partially provided that the desired elasticity is obtainable thereby. Thus such a fold may extend from one respective corner margin of an elasticised margin to the other respective corner margin thereof. A margin may be elasticised by confining the elastic band within the fold while the elastic band is maintained in a stretched state (e.g. extending from one respective corner margin to the other respective corner margin) such that the elasticised margin is formed when the band is released. The fo~d may include two or more foldings of the support sheet but a single fold as referred to above is preferred.
Fixation of the elastic means such as a band in a stretched state may occur only at the extremities thereof (e.g. be anchored thereby), intermittently over the length of the band or continuously over its entire length. Thus, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an elastic band may be anchored to the support sheet at the respective corner margins.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, elastic bands may, for example, be secured to the support sheet by having been sewn thereto.
The garment securement means tie member, instead of being fixed directly to the support sheet may be connected to the elastic means at the longitudinal margin, the lateral margin or both, the elastic means being connected to the support sheet.
2 ~ 2 9 In accordance with the present invention the support sheet may be made (e.g. cut) from a non-woven material (e.g. a single sheet thereof); such a material may be made by forming a web of natural or synthetic fibres and causing the fibres to adhere to each other in some suitable manner. The fluid impervious, non-woven sheet may, for example, be derived from a material such as cellulose or a polyester; it may be derived from any other suitable materials as may be mentioned, for example, in U.S. Patent nos. 4,641,381 and 4,745,636 referred to above.
The support sheet may be formed from a single sheet such that the various portions mentioned above are integral or it may be formed from a number of pieces of sheet material which are fixed or secured together by some suitable means; preferably, the portions are integral.
AS mentioned the support sheet may be made of a nonwoven material, which materials may generally be described as being a planar assembly of textile fibres held together in a web or mat either by mechanical interlocking, by fusing or by bonding with a cementing medium such as starch, glue, casein, rubber latex or one of the cellulose derivatives or a synthetic thermoplastic resin. The fibres may be preferentially oriented in one direction or may be deposited in a random manner.
Variouæ types of non-woven materials are described in USP
4745636. The obtained support sheet must, however, be fluid impervious and flexible.
In accordance with the present invention, the absorbent means may have any suitable construction while keeping in mind its function; various types of such means are mentioned in the above referred to patents. The absorbent means may, for example, comprise a fluid pervious layer which overlays a fluid absorbent layer, the fluid absorbent layer being disposed between the top layer and the support sheet. The absorb~nt means may ,,,,," ~ 0 1 ~
also itself include a fluid impervious bottom layer, the fluid-impervious bottom layer underlying the fluid absorbent intermediate layer and being bonded or otherwise suitably fixed to the body side of the crotch portion of the support sheet.
The absorbent means may, for example, comprise a feminine sanitary napkin; these are available on the market in various sizes, shapes and thickness and may be used to provide a variety of protection according to the needs or desire of the wearer of the undergarment. An undergarment, in accordance with the present invention, may be adapted to be folded to a size comparable to the sanitary napkin such that it may be easily carried or distributed using an automatic dispenser.
The garment securement means may be made of any suitable material; the material used must of course be sufficiently strong to allow for securement of the garment around the user's waist.
In accordance with the present invention shape ad~ustment and attachment of the garment is accomplished by the manipulation of the garment securement means with an accompanying stretching of the elastic margins.
As indicated previously, each garment securement means may comprise a pair of tie members both of which may be disposed at a respective corner margin of the front and back body portions. The undergarment is secured to the body of the wearer by a waist encircling action brought about by tying together both members of each of the pairs of tie members (which may be stings, cords etc..) together. Depending on the length of the tie members as well as on the elongation characteristics of the elasticised parts of the undergarment, the undergarment may thus accommodate a plurality of waist slzes .
,:, . ~, . ~ ~, . ,: .;, ,:
2 ~ 2 ~
The support sheet being made of flexible material the undergarment may be folded up before and after use.
In the drawings which illustrate an example embodiment of the present invention:
Figure 1 is a front view of an embodiment of an undergarment in accordance with the present invention and Figure 2 is a perspective side view of the undergarment illustrated in figure 1 in a worn configuration.
Referring now to figure 1, the illustrated embodiment has a support sheet 4 which is provided with a back-body portion 5 and a front-body portion 6 which are joined to each other by means of a narrow crotch portion 7. The crotch portion 7 has a longitudinal axis 7' and concave arcuate longitudinal margins 7a and 7b.
The back-body portion 5 and the front-body portion 6 have a roughly triangular shape. The support sheet as a whole thus has the general appearance of an hour-glass shaped sheet. In this embodiment the various portions are integral, the sheet being cut from a single sheet of base material.
An absorbent means 8 consisting of a feminine sanitary napkin is sewed to the body side (see reference numeral 14 in figure 2) of the crotch portion 7. Such sanitary napkins are available from the market under trade designations such as Always, New Freedom, etc...
They are also available in different sizes and thickness to provide a variety of protection according to the needs of the wearer.
The front-body portion 6 defines two corner margins 6a and 6b which are disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis 7'. The back-body portion 5 also defines two corner margins 5a and 5b which are also disposed on opposite sides of said longitudinal axis 7'.
One of the garment securement means consists of strings 9 and 9~ which are attached to respective corner S margins of the front-body portion and back-body portion which are on the same side of the longitudinal axis 7';
the other garment securement means similarly consist of strings 9a and 9b.
The longitudinal margins 7a and 7b as well as the latitudinal margins 8a and 8b (which as seen extend transversely thereto) are elasticised. Each of the elasticised margins is bounded by a respective pair of corner margins; for example, the latitudinal margin 8a is bounded by corner margins 5a and 5b whereas the longitudinal margin 7a is bounded by corner margin 5a and 6a. Referring by way of example only to the latitudinal margin 8a, the elastic means shown consists of an elastic band 10 which is disposed more or less contiguous to the edge 11 while being confined within a single folding 12 of the support sheet. Although not shown the elastic band 10 extends from corner margin 5a to corner margin 5b. The elastic band 10 is ~ixed inside the folding by way of a stitch such as is indicated generally at 13 for longitudinal margin 7b; the stitch for purposes of illustration is only shown with respect to margin 7b.
The stitch is initially formed while the elastic band 10 is in an at least partially stretched state such that when the elastic band 10 is released the elasticised margin is formed. The other elasticised margins are constructed in the same fashion. A single piece of elastic band may be applied to each of the elasticised margins; however a single band may be used which would require that it be stretched to conform with the entire desired elasticised border before being fixed to the support sheet.
The strings in the illustrated undergarment are shown as being fixed to the support sheet itself. The strings may, if desired, be connected to the elastic band o~a~c~ ;
forming part of the longitudinal margin, the lateral margin or both, the elastic band being fixed to the support sheet.
The undergarment may be folded unto itself and around the central sanitary napkin to provide a compacted underwear easy to carry and which can be stored and distributed in automatic dispensers.
After unfolding the garment, it may be secured to the user by slipping the crotch portion (i.e. absorbent means) underneath the crotch of the user, who will then lift up the front and back body portions and in turn, pull a respective pair of strings until the desired tension is obtained and tie the two together.
Referring to figure 2 the undergarment is shown in a worn condition; the body of the wearer is not illustrated in order to provide a full view thereof. As can be seen each of the tied pair of strings defines a strand which links the front and back body portions.
These strands would normally extend across a respective side of the wearer's body. The sides of the wearer's body are thus not encumbered by the presence of part of the undergarment, the support sheet being essentially limited to a presence at the front and back of the body.
Claims (10)
1. A disposable feminine undergarment comprising an absorbent means adapted to retain menstrual fluid, and a support sheet of flexible fluid impervious material for holding said absorbent means against the crotch of a female wherein said support sheet comprises a front-body portion, a back-body portion and a narrow crotch portion disposed between said front-body portion and said back-body portion, said narrow crotch portion having a longitudinal axis, said support sheet being provided with elasticised longitudinal margins and elasticised latitudinal margins, said support sheet being provided, on both sides of said longitudinal axis, with garment securement means for the securement of the undergarment to the body of a wearer, the garment securement means, on both sides of said longitudinal axis, each being adapted so that when the undergarment is worn and the front-body portion is spaced apart from the back-body portion by the body of the wearer, each garment securement means defines a respective strand member the length of which is variable and which extends across a respective side of a wearer's body to link said front-body portion to said back-body portion, said absorbent means being secured to the body side of said crotch portion said absorbent means having a width equal to or narrower than the width of said crotch portion and said elasticised margins and said garment securement means being adapted to cooperate to allow the support sheet to conform to the wearer's body size when the undergarment is worn and to provide the undergarment with a multi-size waist.
2. A feminine undergarment as defined in claim 1 wherein said front-body portion and said back-body portion both define a corner margin on one side of said longitudinal axis and a further corner margin on the other side of said axis, the garment securement means, on both sides of said longitudinal axis, each comprise a pair of tie members, one tie member of each of said pairs being disposed at a corner margin of the front-body portion and the other respective tie member being disposed at a corner margin of the back-body portion, each of said elasticised margins is bounded by a pair of respective corner margins and each of said elasticised margins comprises an elastic band confined within a fold formed by folding over an edge portion of the support sheet, said fold extending from one respective corner margin to the other respective corner margin, said elastic band having been confined therein in a stretched state extending from said one respective corner margin to the said other respective corner margin such that said elasticised margin is formed when the band is released.
3. A disposable feminine undergarment as defined in claim 2 wherein said elastic band is anchored to said support sheet at said respective corner margins.
4. A disposable feminine undergarment as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said tie members is fixed to a respective corner margin and comprises a string.
5. A disposable feminine undergarment as defined in claim 2 wherein said elastic band is secured to said support sheet by having been sewn thereto.
6. A disposable feminine undergarment as defined in claim 1 wherein said absorbent means comprises a fluid pervious top layer covering a fluid-absorbent layer, said fluid absorbent layer being disposed between said top layer and said support sheet.
7. A disposable feminine undergarment according to claim 1 wherein said absorbent means comprises a sanitary napkin.
8. A disposable feminine undergarment according to claim 1 wherein said support sheet is made from a non-woven material.
9. A disposable feminine undergarment as defined in claim 1 wherein said absorbent means is sized so as to be confined within said crotch portion.
10. A disposable feminine undergarment as defined in claim 2 wherein said absorbent means is sized so as to be confined within said crotch portion.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2014129 CA2014129A1 (en) | 1990-04-09 | 1990-04-09 | Disposable feminine undergarment |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2014129 CA2014129A1 (en) | 1990-04-09 | 1990-04-09 | Disposable feminine undergarment |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2014129A1 true CA2014129A1 (en) | 1991-10-09 |
Family
ID=4144711
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2014129 Abandoned CA2014129A1 (en) | 1990-04-09 | 1990-04-09 | Disposable feminine undergarment |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2014129A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US6240569B1 (en) | 1993-08-31 | 2001-06-05 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | Disposable menstrual Panty |
| GB2409647A (en) * | 2003-12-31 | 2005-07-06 | Isma Haq | Absorbent sanitary undergarment |
| GB2519504A (en) * | 2013-08-20 | 2015-04-29 | Nailah Nadeem Dar | A device for early menstruation |
-
1990
- 1990-04-09 CA CA 2014129 patent/CA2014129A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US6240569B1 (en) | 1993-08-31 | 2001-06-05 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | Disposable menstrual Panty |
| US6367089B2 (en) | 1993-08-31 | 2002-04-09 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | Disposable menstrual panty |
| GB2409647A (en) * | 2003-12-31 | 2005-07-06 | Isma Haq | Absorbent sanitary undergarment |
| GB2519504A (en) * | 2013-08-20 | 2015-04-29 | Nailah Nadeem Dar | A device for early menstruation |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| FZDE | Dead |