JP7490173B2 - Sanitary shorts with superior practicality and functionality for menstrual care - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to sanitary shorts to which an absorbent article such as a sanitary napkin is fixed, and more particularly to sanitary shorts which allow adjustment of the adhesion of the absorbent article to the genitals and are excellent in preventing side leakage of body fluids.

To date, configurations that stably hold sanitary napkins and the like when worn and prevent leakage of menstrual blood or slippage have been disclosed, such as layered undershorts (JP 2007-135919 A) (JP 2015-47335 A), shorts with a specially designed internal crotch section (JP 2011-50682 A) (JP 2002-345891 A), and sanitary shorts with a three-dimensional piece (JP 2003-171802 A).
Furthermore, sanitary shorts designed to further enhance the adhesion of absorbent articles have been disclosed in (JP-A-2001-245929), (JP-A-2001-276130), and (JP-A-2003-328201).

The sanitary shorts disclosed in (JP Patent Publication 2001-245929A) are provided with lifting members made of a stretchable material across the front, crotch and back body, with extension cloths on both sides. This gives the sanitary napkin a convex shape to increase its adhesion to the body. This is comfortable to wear and has an aesthetically pleasing appearance, but the following problems and issues arise during use. The sanitary napkin cannot be held stably at all times, so the position of the lifting member shifts, the lifting member may dig into the intergluteal cleft due to its stretch strength, there is a high possibility of menstrual blood leaking sideways, and it cannot be used on days with heavy menstrual flow, during exercise or while sleeping, which can cause a lot of anxiety.

In JP 2003-328201 A, an outer cover suitable for wearing an absorbent article is provided with a support band that is elastically stretchable in the vertical direction from the tip of the crotch to the rear body on the skin side of the shorts body, and furthermore, a movable auxiliary material is provided to stop excretory liquid leaking from the absorbent article. In JP 2001-76130 A, sanitary shorts are disclosed in which a support band is provided on the inside of the shorts body, extending from the front body to the rear body. In these sanitary shorts, the support band exerts an elastic stretching function, and the sanitary napkin attached to the support band is brought into close contact with the genitals together with the auxiliary material due to the elasticity of the support band, thereby preventing leakage of menstrual blood.

Although these devices can certainly adjust the adhesion of the absorbent article to the genitals and improve the effectiveness of preventing leakage of bodily fluids, they are too cumbersome to be used frequently in daily life, and in reality, from the user's perspective, they have the following major drawbacks.
(i) Although the auxiliary members, support belts, and the like have the effect of ensuring that absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins are tightly attached to the crotch area of the wearer, the comfortable fit in the delicate areas is impaired.
(b) In particular, the outer casing of JP 2003-328201 A has extremely complex components, such as a crotch section, front seam, rear seam, support band, hooks, auxiliary members, loops, insertion arms, attachment cloth, insertion section, and napkin attachment cloth.
(c) The manufacturing process is complicated, and the distribution cost is higher than that of regular shorts, so they cannot be used frequently in everyday life due to the expense.
(d) It is inconvenient and time-consuming to clean the device if it is to be used repeatedly.
(e) It is troublesome to replace the support belts, auxiliary parts, etc.
(f) If the only measure required is to increase the adhesion of sanitary napkins, etc., this can be achieved by wearing multiple shorts, using a girdle in combination, or using shorts with high elasticity and stretchability.

JP 2001-245929 A JP 2001-276130 A JP 2002-345891 A JP 2003-171802 A JP 2003-328201 A JP 2007-135919 A JP 2011-50682 A JP 2015-47335 A

In light of these background technologies, the current issues and demands are as follows:
In other words,
(a) Adhesion that reliably and stably holds sanitary napkins, etc.
(b) The convenience of having the same effect without having to wear multiple layers of clothing.
(c) The peace of mind of having the functions of both a girdle and period shorts.
(ii) Fashionability, allowing the garment to be worn in a way that does not cause anxiety about appearance when worn.
(e) Ease of putting on and taking off, so that sanitary shorts can be used alone depending on the situation.
The challenge is to provide sanitary shorts that can deliver the above performance, and sanitary shorts with these capabilities can meet the following demands and situations of consumers.
(1) When exercising on days when the flow is somewhat heavy during menstruation, even if I wear period shorts or layer them, I still feel uneasy about menstrual blood leaking out.
(2) When going to bed, particularly on days with heavy menstrual flow, it is difficult to get a comfortable sleep due to the pressure on the lower abdomen caused by frequent preventive changes of sanitary napkins and wearing layers of clothing such as girdles for long periods of time.
(3) When studying or working while sitting for long periods of time, the moment you stand up from your chair, you may feel as if your blood flow is suddenly decreasing, and you may not be able to react in time.
(4) When using multiple large napkins, it feels uncomfortable while moving around, and the napkin liner tends to show through your outerwear.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide sanitary shorts which have an adhesiveness that allows absorbent articles such as napkins to be held stably even during exercise, are easy to put on and take off as a single integrated sanitary shorts, and can be worn with confidence even on days with heavy menstrual flow as they eliminate concerns about their appearance.

The present invention relates to sanitary shorts 1 which are used in conjunction with an absorbent article that absorbs bodily fluids, such as a sanitary napkin, and which comprises a single flat support short 2 consisting of a rear body seam 8, a front body fixed part 9, and a straddling part 10 located between the two. The support shorts 2 are fixedly attached to the rear waistband part 7 of the sanitary shorts 1 only by the rear body seam A11, allowing the sanitary shorts 1 and the support shorts 2 to be used together as a single unit. The support shorts are characterized in that a hollow thin band opening 19 is provided in the central part of the thin band area 15 of the straddling part 10, and a bonding band 20 is provided at the front body fixed part 9 of the support shorts.

The width of the rear body seam 8 of the support shorts is preferably set to 3/4 or less of the width (half of the waist circumference) of the rear body waistband 7 of the sanitary shorts. The vertical width (vertical width) of the rear body seam 8, with the head side facing upward as viewed from the wearer, is set to twice the vertical width of the sanitary shorts 1, and is equally divided into two parts, a rear body seam A11 and a rear body seam B12.

When viewed from the wearer, the head side is upwards, and the front body fixing portion 9 of the support shorts is downwards, and only the rear body seam portion A11 of the support shorts is fixedly attached to the rear body waistband portion 7 of the sanitary shorts, thereby enabling two ways of using the support shorts 2.
In other words, there is a method in which the support shorts 2 are connected to the sanitary shorts 1 on the outer surface thereof by a joint band 20 across the crotch, and used as a single unit, and a method in which the support shorts 2 are connected to the sanitary shorts 1 on the skin side thereof by a joint band 20 across the crotch, and used as a single unit.

By using the sanitary shorts 1 and the support shorts 2 together as one unit, the stable retention and adhesion of absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins are dramatically improved, eliminating anxiety about menstrual blood leakage during exercise, sleep, and on days with heavy menstrual flow.

1A shows sanitary shorts, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a back view, and (C) is an explanatory view seen from the back of the front. Plan view of support shorts. FIG. 2 is an enlarged explanatory diagram of the part where the rear seam A of the support shorts is attached to the rear waistband part of the sanitary shorts. A rear view of period shorts with support shorts attached. A front view of period panties with support panties attached and wrapped around the front body on the outer surface. A perspective view of support panties attached to period panties, wrapped around the front side against the skin. A reference partial exploded view showing support shorts attached to sanitary shorts, from the crotch area to the front body.

First, the sanitary shorts 1 shown in FIG. 1 are composed of a front body 3, a back body 4, and a crotch cloth portion 5 located between the front and back body portions. Both the front body 3 and the back body 4 have a front body waist belt portion 6 and a back body waist belt portion 7 at the upper part of the waist. Belt loops 24 are provided in two places on the front body waist belt portion 6 of the sanitary shorts.
1, 2 and 4, the Y direction is the vertical direction, the X direction perpendicular thereto is the horizontal direction, and the center line extending vertically at the center of the horizontal direction is designated as 0-0.

Please refer to FIG.
2 is a plan view of a flat pair of support shorts 2 consisting of a back body seam 8, a front body fixing part 9, and a straddling part 10 located between them. In the drawing, the X direction is the horizontal direction and the Y direction is the vertical direction, and the width etc. will be explained.
The width of the rear body seam 8 is 3/4 or less of the width of the rear body waistband 7 of the sanitary shorts 1, and the vertical width of the rear body seam 8 is twice the vertical width of the rear body waistband 7 of the sanitary shorts 1. The rear body seam 8 is divided equally into upper and lower halves of the vertical width, with the upper part being A11 and the lower part being B12. Only the rear body seam A11 is folded in half at the boundary line 26 and sewn to the rear body waistband 7 of the sanitary shorts 1 and fixedly attached, so that the sanitary shorts 1 and the support shorts 2 are used as a single unit.

The straddling portion 10 of the support shorts 2 will be described with reference to FIG.
The straddling portion 10 is composed of a hip area 13, a lifting area 14, and a narrow belt area 15 located between the two, and the hip area 13 is formed so that its width gradually narrows in a curved manner from both the left and right ends of the rear body seam 8 of the support shorts toward the narrow belt area 15.

The narrow strip region 15 of the spanning portion 10 will be described with reference to FIG.
The vertical width of the thin belt region 15 is preferably set to be equal to or greater than the length of the portion of the sanitary shorts 1 where the support shorts 2 abuts from the rear end 16 of the crotch cloth to the front end 17 of the crotch cloth. In other words, the vertical width is preferably set to be equal to or greater than the length from the rear end 16 to the front end 17 of the crotch cloth, and the thin belt region 15 of the straddling portion of the present invention is set to be the same vertical width. The width of the start position 18 of the thin belt region is set to be within 3/4 of the width of the rear end 16 of the crotch cloth, with a minimum width of 5 cm or more, and the shape of the thin belt region 15 may be a long and narrow rectangle in a plan view. However, in order to adopt a shape that allows smooth straddling of the intergluteal cleft, it is preferable that the part that contacts the anus area is cut in a gentle curve from the left and right to be slightly narrow. The thin belt region 15 is preferably made of a slightly loose elastic material.

When the support shorts 2 are fixedly attached to the sanitary shorts 1 and worn, the narrow belt area 15 of the support shorts presses against both the sanitary shorts 1 and the sanitary napkin or the like used in combination, thereby stably holding the sanitary napkin or the like and reliably preventing side leakage of menstrual blood.
The thin belt region 15 is provided with a thin belt opening 19 which is hollow and open in a portion including the central portion of the thin belt region. This is intended to prevent strong pressure from being applied to the sanitary napkin throughout the thin belt region 15. Specifically, the thin belt opening 19 applies weak pressure to the sanitary napkin, while the outer edge of the thin belt region applies stronger pressure.
In other words, the outer edge portion of the thin belt region 15 exerts a stronger pressure on the skin than the central portion of the thin belt region 15, which has the effect of improving the ability to prevent menstrual blood leakage.

The narrow belt opening 19 is provided along the center line (0-0) of the support shorts 2 in Fig. 2, at a position within 3/4 of the vertical width of the narrow belt region 15. The horizontal width is preferably set as wide as possible to reduce a feeling of pressure or discomfort in the delicate zone, and is preferably 65% to 70% of the horizontal width of the narrow belt region 15. The shape of the narrow belt opening 19 may be a long and narrow rectangle, but is not particularly limited, and a streamlined shape in a plan view is particularly preferable from the viewpoint of the stability and wearing comfort of the sanitary napkin.

The lifted region 14 of the straddling portion 10 shown in FIG. 2 spreads out in a fan-like shape downward in the Y direction from the end position 21 of the adjacent narrow belt region 15, and the width of the end position 22 of the lifted region is preferably 1/2 or less of the waist circumference width of the front waist belt portion 6 of the sanitary shorts 1.
The vertical width of the lifted area 14 is determined relative to the vertical width of the crotch cloth 5 of the sanitary shorts, and will be described in the following specifications. H1 shown in FIG. 2 is the vertical width from the lowest end Oy of the crotch cloth 5 to the boundary line 26 between the rear body seams A and B of the support shorts. This H1 is the same as the vertical width of H1 of the sanitary shorts 1 shown in FIG. 1. H2 shown in FIG. 2 is the vertical width of (the vertical width of the rear body seam B12 + 3 cm). In other words, (the vertical width of H1 - the vertical width of H2 = the vertical width of H3). Therefore, H3 shown in FIG. 2 is the vertical width from the lowest end Oy of the crotch cloth 5 to the end position 22 of the lifted area vertically downward. Specifically, the joining band 20 of the front fastening part of the support shorts begins 3 cm before the front waistband part 6 of the sanitary shorts on the ventral side, making it possible to elastically adjust the degree of tightness of the entire sanitary shorts 1.

The front body fixing portion 9 of the support shorts 2 shown in Fig. 2 is composed of two joining strips 20 provided adjacent to the straddle lifting area 14, and if the vertical length is set to 8 cm or more, it can be folded back through two belt loops 24 provided on the sanitary shorts 1, and the support shorts 2 can be stably fixed by the hook and loop fasteners 25 provided on the joining strips 20. The width of the joining strips 20 is 2 cm, and the joining strips 20 are preferably provided at both the left and right ends. The joining strips 20 may be provided in the form of thin round strings instead of the above-mentioned strips. In the case of strings, the length is preferably set to 15 cm or more so that they can be tied in a bow, etc., taking into consideration the appearance.

Next, the sewing specifications of the rear body seam parts A11 and B12 of the support shorts 2 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 3. The vertical widths of the rear body seam parts A11 and B12 are set to be the same as the vertical width of the rear body waistband part 7 of the sanitary shorts. The rear body seam part A11 is folded back along the boundary line 26, and then sewn to the rear body waistband part 7 of the sanitary shorts 1 for fixed attachment.
In this sewn state, the following two usage methods are possible. The first method is to wear the support shorts 2 in this state by placing the entire support shorts 2 across the crotch of the front side of the sanitary shorts 1 and joining them at the front body fixing part 9 of the support shorts 2. The second method is to wear the support shorts 2 in its entirety, including the rear body sewing part B12 and below, by folding it over the crotch of the sanitary shorts 1 to the skin side and joining it at the front body fixing part 9 while fixing and pressing a sanitary napkin or the like.

FIG. 4 is a rear plan view of the sanitary shorts 1 with the support shorts 2 attached to the outer surface of the rear waistband portion 7 thereof.
First, the wearer puts the support shorts 2 on in this state, and then joins the entire support shorts 2 along the outer surface of the sanitary shorts 1 across the crotch area at the front waistband portion 6 of the sanitary shorts 1, and uses them as a single unit.
The sewing method for the rear body seam A11 of the support shorts and the rear body waistband 7 of the sanitary shorts is partially shown in FIG.

5 is a front view of the support shorts 2 sewn together across the crotch of the outer surface of the sanitary shorts 1. In this case, in order to eliminate the wearer's anxiety about the appearance, it is quite possible to enhance the fashionability and make the appearance beautiful by matching the colors and patterns of the sanitary shorts 1 and the support shorts 2.
In addition, if the joining method between the back body seam A11 of the support shorts 2 and the sanitary shorts 1 is a joining method using a hook-and-loop fastener 25 instead of sewing, it becomes easy to put on and take off during use and to wash. Moreover, since the sanitary shorts 1 can be used alone, it is convenient to use them according to the condition of the menstrual day.
In any case, the support shorts 2 are easy to manufacture and can be completed with only sewing in the final process, so they are also cost-effective.
This method of wearing is extremely optimal for limited use in situations where appearance is not a concern, such as when sleeping, when studying or working while sitting indoors for long periods of time, or when exercising.

Furthermore, if a strong peelable tape or re-peeling tape is provided at the rear body seam A11 of the support shorts 2, the shorts can be used disposably after each use.

Therefore, because the above-mentioned facts make it possible to use the support shorts 2 in combination with commonly available sanitary shorts, the support shorts 2, the receiving fastener and the belt loop 24 may be distributed as a set.

6 is a reference perspective view seen from the front side of the support shorts 2 worn across the crotch of the skin side of the sanitary shorts 1. Although this method of use relieves the wearer's anxiety about the appearance, there is a concern that it may impair the comfortable wearing experience, so it is preferable that the support shorts 2 be made of a material that is gentle on the skin.
Furthermore, in this method of use, since the sanitary shorts 1 and the support shorts 2 are used as a single unit, it is much more convenient than wearing them layered together.

When a sanitary napkin or the like is used in combination, the narrow strip opening 19 further enhances the effect of preventing side leakage of menstrual blood, thereby preventing the sanitary shorts 1 from becoming soiled.

The joining band 20 of the front body fixing part of the support shorts 2 can be made in the form of a thin round string, and can be passed through the belt loop 24 of the front body waist belt part 6 of the sanitary shorts 1 and tied in a bow to create a cute look. The length of the joining band 20 can be set to about 12 cm to make it easier to adjust the degree of tightness. Furthermore, if the joining band 20 is not to be exposed on the outer surface of the sanitary shorts 1, the belt loop 24 can be provided on the skin side of the sanitary shorts 1.

FIG. 7 is a partial development view for reference showing the inside of the sanitary shorts 1 from the crotch portion 5 to the front body portion 3. As shown in FIG.
This is a partial explanation of the case where the support shorts 2 are used in such a way that they directly press against a sanitary napkin or the like from the skin side of the sanitary shorts 1.

Finally, the relationship between the sanitary shorts 1 and the support shorts 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs.
Sanitary shorts on the market come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and it is not possible to indicate which one is the standard. In addition, the height and nude measurements of the wearer vary widely, so it is not possible to indicate the length and width by numbers on the drawings. Therefore, the support shorts 2, which are fixedly attached and used as one unit, will be described based on their relative relationship to the sanitary shorts 1. The sanitary shorts 1 shown in Figure 1 are the basic shape.

H1 in Fig. 1 is the vertical width from the uppermost end Hy of the front waistband portion 6 of the sanitary shorts to the lowermost end Oy of the crotch cloth portion 5, and is the same as the vertical width of H1 in Fig. 4. In other words, the lowermost end Oy of the crotch cloth portion 5 of the sanitary shorts and the lowermost end of the narrow belt region 15 of the support shorts are set to be the same. Furthermore, in Fig. 4, the vertical width of H4 indicates that the vertical width of the crotch portion 5 and the vertical width of the narrow belt region 15 are the same. The horizontal width of the narrow belt region 15 of the support shorts is set to be within 3/4 of the horizontal width of the crotch cloth portion 5 of the sanitary shorts, and the vertical widths of the rear body seams A11 and B12 of the support shorts are also set to be the same as the vertical width of the rear waistband portion 7 of the sanitary shorts.

Due to the uniformity of the above configuration, the sanitary shorts 1 and the support shorts 2 can be used smoothly as a single unit, and the impact of sagging or twisting of the sanitary shorts 1 on the outerwear can be minimized.

1 Sanitary shorts 2 Support shorts 3 Front body of sanitary shorts 4 Back body of sanitary shorts 5 Crotch part of sanitary shorts 6 Front body waist belt part of sanitary shorts 7 Back body waist belt part of sanitary shorts 8 Back body seam part of support shorts 9 Front body fixing part of support shorts 10 Straddling part of support shorts 11 Back body seam part A of support shorts
12. Seam B of the back of the support shorts
13: buttocks area of support shorts 14: lifting area of support shorts 15: narrow belt area of support shorts 16: rear end of crotch portion of sanitary shorts 17: front end of crotch portion of sanitary shorts 18: start position of narrow belt of support shorts 19: narrow belt opening of support shorts 20: joint portion of support shorts 21: end position of narrow belt of support shorts 22: end position of lifting portion of support shorts 23: start position line of straddle portion of support shorts 24: belt loop of front waistband portion of sanitary shorts 25: hook-and-loop fastener provided on joint portion of support shorts 26: boundary line between rear seams A and B of support shorts 27: upper edge 28: lower edge Hy of rear waistband portion of sanitary shorts: uppermost end Oy of front waistband portion of sanitary shorts: lowermost end of crotch portion of sanitary shorts

Claims (3)

A pair of sanitary shorts ( 1 ) having a front body ( 3 ) , a rear body ( 4 ) , and a crotch cloth portion ( 5 ) located between the two, a flat support shorts (2) consisting of a rear body seam portion ( 8 ) , a front body fixing portion ( 9 ) , and a straddling portion ( 10 ) located between the two , is attached to the outer surface of the rear body ( 4 ) of the sanitary shorts ( 1 ) at the rear body seam portion ( 8 ) ,
The sanitary shorts are provided with a narrow belt section ( 15 ) which is a section from the back side to the ventral side of the straddling section ( 10 ) of the support shorts ( 2 ) and has a narrow width near the vertical center section to cover the anus and female genitalia , and a narrow belt opening ( 19 ) having a streamlined shape which starts out narrow at the tip from the back side, gradually widens in width, reaches a maximum width, and then gradually narrows toward the ventral side, in a section including the vertical and horizontal center sections of the narrow belt section ( 15 ) . The sanitary shorts according to claim 1, wherein the front body fastening portion ( 9 ) is provided with one or more joining bands ( 20 ) equipped with hook-and-loop fasteners ( 25 ) , and the front body waistband portion ( 6 ) of the sanitary shorts ( 1 ) is provided on an outer surface with one or more belt loops ( 24 ) for passing through the joining bands (20) and folding them back for fastening . 3. The sanitary shorts according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein a peelable tape or a re-peelable tape is provided on the seam surface of the rear body seam A ( 11 ) of the support shorts ( 2 ) .

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