GB2577982A

GB2577982A - Nursing garment

Info

Publication number: GB2577982A
Application number: GB1912182.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Reed Nishani
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-08-24
Filing date: 2019-08-23
Publication date: 2020-04-15
Anticipated expiration: 2039-08-23
Also published as: GB2577982B; GB201813811D0; GB201912182D0

Abstract

A nursing garment in the form of a sleep bra which is suitable for laundering, formed of a main body (5, fig. 1) comprising a front portion, the front portion comprising an outward-facing layer 11; and a plurality of nipple shields, wherein each nipple shield comprises an absorbent system 15 and a barrier layer 13; where the barrier layer is positioned between the absorbent system and the outward-facing layer, and where the plurality of nipple shields are permanently attached to the outward-facing layer; wherein the garment is a sleep bra. Preferably there is also a body contacting layer 17. The absorbent system 15 might comprise an absorbent layer and a transfer layer. Preferably the garment is movable in use from a first configuration in which the user’s nipples are covered by the nipple shields to a second configuration where one nipple is covered and the other is exposed for nursing, where the garment can be moved from the first to the second configuration without operating any fasteners or closures.

Description

NURSING GARMENT

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a nursing garment, such as a brassiere (or "bra").

BACKGROUND ART

Leaking breasts is a common symptom experienced by women in the phases before and after childbirth. During the antenatal phase, the breasts produce a clear fluid called colostrum, a precursor to the production of milk, which may be released by the application of pressure on the breasts (either intentionally by active expressing or unintentionally in certain sleeping positions). In the early stages of the postnatal period, the body produces transitional milk, followed shortly by mature milk. Leaking can occur regularly during this phase, and sometimes for many months after childbirth, while the body attempts to regulate the production of milk to coincide with the infant's feeding schedule. Leaking can cause discomfort and embarrassment for women at what is already, for many, a physically and emotionally challenging time.

Typically, a woman who is experiencing leaking uses disposable breast pads, which adhere to the inside of the cups of a bra, to conceal the leak and protect clothing. Although breast pads absorb the flow of leaking milk, they can become dislodged, creased or folded over during the breastfeeding process. This is especially problematic during the night due to changes in sleeping position. Furthermore, regular night feeds each require access to the breast, presenting opportunities for breast pads to detach from the bra and become difficult to relocate in low lighting. These problems can render them ineffective in protecting outer clothing and bed clothes. The same problems also apply, albeit to a lesser extent, to use during daylight hours. In addition, breast pads are aesthetically unattractive and can appear bulky under bras.

Disposable breast pads are costly for the average consumer because they necessitate expensive repeat purchases. They also produce environmentally unsustainable waste, which is unappealing for an increasingly socially conscious consumer base. An alternative solution is reusable breast pads, which are typically washable fabric inserts. While overcoming the economic and environmental costs associated with disposable breast pads, these products do not address any of the functional issues with breast pads identified above, particularly in the case of night use.

Alternative "home-made" solutions to breast leaking during the night are rudimentary and unsatisfactory. They involve placing muslin cotton cloths into bras or under close-fitting clothing, or simply leaking freely on to towels placed over bed sheets and pillows. Both have clear disadvantages, including i) prolonged exposure to wetness, which results in discomfort and irritation; ii) the need for frequent laundering of bulky items such as towels and bed clothes; and/or iii) constant exposure to the unpleasant odour associated with stale milk.

US 2018/0077972 Al discloses a nursing garment having a front portion that includes an external layer, a first middle layer that includes a leak-resistant fabric, a second middle layer that includes an absorbent material, and an innermost layer configured to be in contact with a nipple of a user that includes a fabric configured to wick moisture away from the nipple of the user. The external layer, first middle layer, second middle layer, and innermost layer all cover both breasts of a user. WO 2017/192049 Al discloses a nursing garment that is intended for use by women, especially post-partum and lactating women, undertaking occupation-related or exercise-related daytime activities, and at the same time nursing an infant. The garment therefore includes at least one cup that comprises a shaped, flexible, absorbent and waterproof assembly. The garment includes at least one reclosable fastener for nursing purposes, or to facilitate putting on and taking off the garment.

Consequently, there remains a need for a nursing garment such as a maternity bra, that eliminates the need for using breast pads (whether disposable or reusable). It is desirable that such a garment does not irritate the breasts, eliminates the unpleasant odour associated with stale milk, and/or that overcomes other disadvantages associated with known nursing garments. It is further desirable that such a garment is comfortable for night time wear.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a nursing garment comprising a main body comprising a front portion comprising: an outward-facing layer; and a plurality of nipple shields, wherein each nipple shield comprises: an absorbent system; and a barrier layer; wherein the barrier layer is positioned between the absorbent system and the outward-facing layer, and wherein the plurality of nipple shields is permanently attached to the outward-facing layer. In a preferred aspect the nursing garment is launderable. In a further preferred aspect the nursing garment is a sleep bra.

Thus, in use, the absorbent system faces a user's body. The plurality of nipple shields (typically two nipple shields) are suitably laterally (as viewed when worn by a user) spaced apart, such that there is a vertical portion of the outward-facing layer that does not overlie either nipple shield. This vertical portion typically lies intermediate a user's breasts. The inclusion of a plurality of distinct nipple shields, rather than a single absorbent laminate that extends across both breasts, provides a garment that is conformable to a user's body, has a front portion that is breathable in at least the vertical portion mentioned above, may be cut with a variety of necklines, is stretchable in a lateral direction (such that a user can remove it over her feet, rather than removing it over her head) and/or that reduces or avoids disruption to the coverage of one nipple by a nipple shield while the other nipple is exposed for breastfeeding or expressing.

The front portion may further comprise a body-contacting layer, such that the plurality of nipple shields is positioned between the body-contacting layer and the outward-facing layer.

Alternatively, the plurality of nipple shields may each further comprise a body-contacting layer, such that the absorbent system is positioned between the body-contacting layer and the barrier layer. The body-contacting layer is suitably made from a moisture-wicking material.

When the garment is worn by a user, the garment is suitably movable from a first configuration in which both of the user's nipples are covered by the plurality of nipple shields to a second configuration in which one of the user's nipples is covered by one of the plurality of nipple shields and the other of the user's nipples is not covered by the garment. The user may then breastfeed or express. This movement suitably does not require the opening of any fasteners or other closure mechanisms, since the nursing garment of the invention is suitably free from such fasteners or other closure mechanisms. In other words, this movement is accomplished simply by stretching the garment to uncover one of the user's nipples.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a nursing garment that is leak-proof, resistant to external staining, absorbent moisture wicking, attractive and comfortable to wear at night.

Because the bra is absorbent, there is no need to use breast pads in conjunction with it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a front view of a nursing garment according to the present invention. Figure 2 is a back view of a nursing garment according to the present invention.

Figure 3 is a cross-section of one section of the front portion of a nursing garment according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Various embodiments of the invention are described herein. It will be recognised that features specified in each embodiment may be combined with other specified features to provide further embodiments.

Main body The main body of the nursing garment comprises a front portion, which comprises an outward-facing layer, and, suitably, a back portion, which also comprises an outward-facing layer and, optionally, a body-contacting layer. The two portions may be permanently joined together (e.g. sewn together) or may be formed from one or more continuous pieces of material (e.g. the outward-facing layer of each portion may be formed from a continuous piece of material, and/or the body-contacting layer of each portion may be formed from a continuous piece of material). However, for ease of manufacture, it is preferred that the front portion and the back portion are sewn together, e.g. with vertical seams under a user's arms. The nursing garment suitably includes shoulder straps extending between the front portion and the back portion. The shoulder straps may form part of the front portion, part of the back portion, or both (e.g. the shoulder straps extend from both the front portion and the back portion and are permanently joined (e.g. sewn) together at their apex, on top of a user's shoulders). By "part of the front/back portion", it will be understood that the shoulder straps can be formed from the same layer(s) of material (i.e. the layer(s) are continuous) as the front/back portion, or may be joined to the front/back portion. Thus, the outward-facing layer may extend uninterrupted (e.g. by fasteners or other closure mechanisms) across the entire exterior surface of the garment Similarly, the body-contacting layer may extend uninterrupted across the entire interior surface of the garment. Accordingly, the shoulder straps may define a neckline, and the shoulder straps in combination with the back portion define arm holes.

The nursing garment may take the form of any garment that is intended to be worn next to a user's body, including a nightie, a camisole, at-shirt, a tank top, or a dress. However, the nursing garment is preferably a bra, such as a sleep bra. Since it is designed for maximum comfort throughout the night the garment of the invention suitably minimises areas of friction against the skin. In particular, it may contain no fasteners or other closure mechanisms (such as clips, underwiring, Velcro or other fastenings typically found in garments designed for maternity wear during the day, such as that of WO 2017/192049 Al). Accordingly, the garment may comprise a waistband (e.g. an elasticated band) that is coupled to, or formed integrally with, each of the front portion and the back portion and that is sized to secure the garment to the torso of the user. In addition, the garment suitably does not include shaped cups, such as those of WO 2017/192049 Al and US 5,269,720, which would deform when a user lay on her side. The absence of shaped cups is further advantageous because breast size fluctuates all the time during late pregnancy and postpartum throughout the day and night (e.g. before and after feeds) in a manner that a shaped cup cannot comfortably accommodate.

The front portion may comprise two distinct sections, with at least one nipple shield in each section. In a preferred embodiment, the two sections partially overlap, thus forming a "wrap front". Thus, a first section may extend from the apex of the left shoulder strap across the vertical centerline of the garment to the waistband, and a second section may extend from the apex of the right shoulder strap across the vertical centerline of the garment to the waistband.

The wrap front not only provides additional structure and support, it also increases the ease with which a user can expose one nipple for breastfeeding or expressing while reducing or avoiding disruption to the coverage of the other nipple by a nipple shield.

Similarly to the front portion, the back portion may comprise two distinct sections, and it is preferred that the two sections partially overlap to form a wrap back, providing additional structure and support. The back portion may be cut high on the back for extra support. For instance, the back portion may extend greater than 50%, or greater than 75% of the distance between the waistband and the apex of the shoulder straps, or may even extend to the height of the apex of the shoulder straps. Fuller coverage of the back area may help to provide extra warmth during cooler nights spent awake.

The garment may be constructed in such a way that most or all seams are internal and undetectable to promote comfort. Other features of the garment designed to promote comfort and support include, if present, the shoulder straps (measured at their apex) and waistband being wider than on a garment designed for maternity wear during the day, e.g. at least 2cm, 3cm, 4 cm or 5cm in width.

The movement of the garment from a first configuration in which both of the user's nipples are covered by the plurality of nipple shields to a second configuration in which one of the user's nipples is covered by one of the plurality of nipple shields and the other of the user's nipples is not covered by the garment typically involves moving the neckline of the main body below a breast (e.g_ with or without moving a shoulder strap off the user's shoulder).

Outward-facing layer The outward-facing layer, which faces away from a user's body, typically comprises a supportive and elastic fabric blend that is supportive enough to hold the breasts in place during the night, but elastic enough so that i) it allows for fluctuations in breast size common in pregnancy and throughout the postnatal phase; and ii) it can be pulled down for easy access to the breast for breastfeeding (whether from a sitting or sleeping position). The elastic fabric blend may comprise bamboo viscose and a stretchable fabric, e.g. 50-99%, 75-97%, or 95% bamboo viscose and 1-50%, 3-25%, or 5% spandex. The shape of the fabric may allow for fuller coverage of the breast area to ensure that the breasts are reliably contained within the fabric, regardless of the sleeping/feeding position adopted. The garment will therefore provide adequate support for the breast and allow easy access to the breast for breastfeeding or expressing. Additionally, it is desirable that the garment is soft and comfortable for night wear.

The outward-facing layer may include aesthetic details, such as printing or embossing, and may be stain resistant to maintain an attractive appearance.

Body-contacting layer The body-contacting layer is suitably made from a wicking material that is intended to take up fluid rapidly and transport it away from the user's body and the point of deposition. It may be formed from a non-woven web material, such as a relatively low density, bulky, high-loft nonwoven web material, or an apertured film. It may have a relatively high degree of wettability, although the individual fibers comprising the cover may not be particularly hydrophilic. A suitable material is a fabric made of a blend of polyester/PET fibres, such as a microfleece of these fibres.

Nipple shields The plurality of nipple shields is permanently attached to the outward-facing layer of the front portion of the main body of the garment. In this context, "permanently attached" means that the nipple shields are not removed from the garment by the user during normal use, including laundering. In other words, removing the nipple shields from the garment would result in the destruction of the garment. The nipple shields may be attached directly to the outward-facing layer, or may be attached to another layer that itself is attached to the outward-facing layer. For instance, by stitching into the body-contacting layer, the nipple shields are concealed within the main body of the garment and the seams are invisible from the outward-facing layer, which adds to the visual appeal of the garment. The barrier layer of each nipple shield may be stitched onto the body-contacting layer using a densely sewn seam or double seam to encapsulate the absorbent core and act as a further barrier to leaks. Alternatively, all the layers of each nipple shield may be stitched together and further onto the body-contacting layer using a densely sewn seam or double seam. The seam may run around the full perimeter of each nipple shield to act most effectively as a barrier to leaks.

Each of the plurality of nipple shields is suitably of a size large enough to both capture any fluid leaving a user's nipple and retain that fluid. For instance, each of the plurality of nipple shields may form the "cups" of the garment. Preferably, however, each of the nipple shields spans a wider area of the cup than a breastpad would allow. For instance, each of the nipple shields may extend to each side edge of the front portion (where it joins the back portion), and/or to the waistband (where present). Alternatively or additionally, each of the nipple shields may extend to the neckline of the garment. The increased size of the nipple shields as compared to a conventional breastpad may ensure that leaks are caught in any sleeping/feeding position. Typically, however, the nipple shields do not extend into the shoulder straps, e.g. they extend less than 75%, or less than 50% of the distance between the waistband and the apex of the shoulder straps.

Absorbent system The absorbent system suitably comprises an absorbent layer and, optionally, a transfer layer.

The absorbent layer can be made from any absorbent material that is both capable of absorbing and retaining liquid (e.g. breast milk) and of being laundered. Typical materials include hemp and cotton, such as a cotton terry cloth. The ability of the garment of the invention to be laundered (i.e. being launderable) contrasts with garments in which certain elements, such as the nipple shields, or indeed the bra as a whole, such as that of CN 108576953 A, are intended to be disposed of after a single use. As such, the garment of the invention provides a more environmentally friendly and economical option to such prior art products.

The transfer layer, also known as an acquisition distribution layer, may be positioned between the body-contacting layer and the absorbent layer and generally improves the efficiency of the garment to absorb and retain fluids. For example, the transfer layer may include a void volume, which serves as a temporary reservoir to collect and hold fluids until the fluids can be absorbed by the absorbent layer, and/or may promote lateral flow of fluids in a direction generally parallel to the plane of the transfer layer, thereby permitting more of the absorbent layer to be used to absorb fluids. The transfer layer may also function to prevent or reduce rewet, which is a phenomenon in which fluids are released from the absorbent layer and find their way back to the surface of the body-contacting layer, giving a feeling of wetness. Suitable materials for the transfer layer include nonwoven webs and three-dimensional formed films.

Barrier layer The barrier layer suitably comprises a liquid-impervious, preferably breathable, material to prevent leakage. The barrier layer is typically made of polymeric film (in particular, microporous polymeric film) or repellent-treated non-woven or micropore films or foams. Suitable materials include polyester films and breathable polyurethane laminates (e.g. a waterproof PUL).

One or more of the above layers may have anti-microbial properties, e.g. provided by treatment with silver nitrate solution and/or by inclusion of silver halide (suitably silver chloride or silver iodide) particles. This may contribute to reducing skin irritation or infections, and/or odour.

The invention will further be described with reference to the figures.

Figure 1 is a front view of nursing garment 1, which comprises a front portion constructed of two identical mirroring sections 3 (each section constructed from several layers as further illustrated in Figure 3) overlapping across the breasts in a "wrap-fronts' style. Each section is attached to an elastic waistband 7 and attached to a back portion both at the apex of the shoulders, forming wide shoulder straps 5, and at the sides of the torso to create armholes.

Figure 2 is a back view of nursing garment 1, which comprises a back portion constructed of two identical mirroring sections 9 that overlap and are attached to elastic waistband 7.

Figure 3 is a cross-section of one section of the front portion, which comprises outward facing layer 11, barrier layer 13, absorbent system 15 and body-contacting layer 17.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A launderable nursing garment comprising a main body comprising a front portion comprising: an outward-facing layer; and a plurality of nipple shields, wherein each nipple shield comprises: an absorbent system; and a barrier layer; wherein the barrier layer is positioned between the absorbent system and the outward-facing layer, and wherein the plurality of nipple shields is permanently attached to the outward-facing layer, wherein the garment is a sleep bra.
2 The garment of claim 1, wherein the front portion further comprises a body-contacting layer and the plurality of nipple shields is positioned between the body-contacting layer and the outward-facing layer.
3. The garment of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of nipple shields further comprises a body-contacting layer, wherein the absorbent system is positioned between the body-contacting layer and the barrier layer.
4 The garment of any preceding claim, wherein when the garment is worn by a user, the garment is movable from a first configuration in which both of the user's nipples are covered by the plurality of nipple shields to a second configuration in which one of the user's nipples is covered by one of the plurality of nipple shields and the other of the user's nipples is not covered by the garment, wherein said movement does not require the opening of any fasteners or other closure mechanisms.
5. The garment of any preceding claim, wherein the absorbent system comprises an absorbent layer.
6. The garment of claim 5, wherein the absorbent system further comprises a transfer layer, wherein the absorbent layer is positioned between the transfer layer and the barrier layer.
7. The garment of any preceding claim, wherein the main body further comprises a back portion, which comprises an outward-facing layer, wherein the outward-facing layers of the front portion and the back portion are formed from a continuous piece of material.
8 The garment of any preceding claim, wherein the front portion comprises two distinct sections, with at least one nipple shield in each section, and the two sections partially overlap.
9. The garment of any preceding claim, wherein back portion comprises two distinct sections, and the two sections partially overlap.
10. The garment of any preceding claim, wherein the garment further comprises an elasticated waistband having a width of at least 2cm.
11. The garment of any preceding claim, wherein the garment further comprises shoulder straps having a width of at least 2cm