US3224448A

US3224448A - Separable crotch undergarment

Info

Publication number: US3224448A
Application number: US276260A
Authority: US
Inventors: George L Diebold
Original assignee: VENUS FOUNDATION GARMENTS Inc
Current assignee: VENUS FOUNDATION GARMENTS Inc
Priority date: 1963-04-29
Filing date: 1963-04-29
Publication date: 1965-12-21
Anticipated expiration: 1982-12-21

Description

Dec. 21, 1965 G. L. DIEBOLD SEPARABLE CROTCH UNDERGARMENT m m m Geofgefi. Diebald,

Filed April 29, 1963 United States Patent 3,224,448 SEPARABLE CROTCH UNDERGARMENT George L. Diebold, Skokie, Ill., assignorto Venus Foundation Garments, Inc, Chicago, ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 276,260 Claims. (Cl. 128--529) This invention relates to womens undergarments and more particularly to a panty girdle, corset or the like having a separable crotch portion.

Designers and manufacturers of womens undergarments have long recognized the desirability of providing a garment which does not have to be removed, either partially or entirely, when it is necessary to attend to natural functions. Such a garment is also desirable from the standpoint that its life is prolonged because it need not be laundered as frequently.

Various types of crotch constructions have been devised to achieve these objectives, some of which are the socalled open crotch, removable crotch, and overlapping or separable crotch garments. Many garments have been advanced which utilized the aforementioned types of crotch constructions, but in some respects each has proved somewhat unsatisfactory, either because the garment did not fit Well, or require complicated and time consuming procedures to effect operation of the crotch structure, or was uncomfortable due to bunching 0r gapping of the material at the crotch.

Because of the fact that the overlapping or separable crotch construction provides certain advantages over the other types, there has been a renewed interest in garments of this type. However, many of the garments thus far developed and employing a separable crotch construction have not proved entirely satisfactory. Some of the reasons for this are that, because of the type of material employed in the crotch portions, insufiicient elasticity is present to permit the desired size opening when the crotch portions are separated, and pinching may occur if the girdle rides up. In garments employing a sufficient amount of material to provide the desired size opening, bunching of the material or gapping may occur. In addition, many of the garments employing this type of crotch construction do not fit Well.

It is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to provide an undergarment for women, such as a panty girdle, corset or the like, having an improved separable crotch construction.

Another object is to provide an improved undergarment employing a crotch construction of the foregoing character in which portions of the crotch may be rapidly and easily separated while the garment is being worn, and when separated, provide an ample opening.

A further object is to provide an improved undergarment for women having a novel separable crotch construction which assures a smooth and comfortable fit of the garment.

A particular object is to provide an undergarment employing a novel separable crotch construction which eliminates any tendency of the crotch portions to bunch, bag, bind, or gap.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and accompanying sheet of drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a panty girdle having a separable crotch construction embodying the features of the present invention, the girdle being illustrated in position upon the body;

FIG. 2 is a bottom-plan view of the girdle and separable crotch construction illustrated in FIG. 1;

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FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom-plan view of the crotch portion and a portion of the legs of the girdle illustrated in FIG. 1 as the portions would appear when lying in the same plane; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the crotch portions separated.

In FIGURES 1 and 2, a womans undergarment is illustrated comprising, in this instance, a panty girdle 10 employing a separable crotch construction 20 embodying the features of the present invention. The girdle 10 in this case has a one-piece body portion 11 extending entirely around the body of the wearer with a front seam 11 and a pair of depending

leg portions

12 and 13 which extend around the front, rear, and outside portions of the Wearers legs. The inside portions of the wearers legs are covered by a pair of

inner panel portions

14 and 15 which are secured to the

leg portions

12 and 13, respectively, along

seam lines

16 and 17 at the front and rear of the garment, respectively.

The girdle 10 may be made of any suitable material, but in the present instance is a semi-elastic material known in the trade as power net or elastic mesh. Such a material is elastic in one direction but only slightly stretchable or expandable in a transverse direction by enlargement or deformation of the stitching of the weave. In the case of the panty girdle 10, the material is arranged in the body portion 11 and

leg portions

12 and 13 so as to be elastic in a horizontal or transverse direction as viewed in FIG. 1. The girdle 10 may also be provided with removable garters 18 for supporting hose.

The separable crotch portion 20 comprises a pair of elongated, generally rectangular sections of

material

22 and 23 which are arranged with their longitudinal dimensions extending in a fore and aft direction with respect to the body of the wearer. The outer longitudinally extending

marginal edges

24 and 25 of the

crotch sections

22 and 23 are secured to the upper edges of the

inner panel portions

14 and 15, and the front

transverse edges

26 and 27 and rear

transverse edges

28 and 29 of the

crotch sections

22 and 23 are secured to the

leg portions

12 and 13. The

sections

22 and 23 are sufficiently wide so that when the front and

rear edges

26, 27 and 28, 29 are secured to the

leg portions

12 and 13, the inner longitudinal edges, indicated at 32 and 33, of the

respective sections

22 and 23 overlap each other (FIG. 4). The amount of overlap of the

sections

22 and 23 is such as will normally maintain the crotch closed throughout the normal range of bodily movements of the wearer.

With the foregoing construction, it will be apparent that the degree to which the crotch 20 may be opened depends upon the elasticity of the material of the

sections

22 and 23, and particularly the overlapping

marginal edges

32 and 33. In order to provide comfort for the wearer, the

separable crotch sections

22 and 23 preferably are of a soft material such as nylon tricot, jersey, or the like. While such materials are soft, they do not possess the same degree of elasticity and elongation as is found in the elastic materials usually employed in the other parts of a girdle. Moreover, when fabrics of this type are utilized to provide the

crotch sections

22 and 23, they are normally arranged so as to be stretchable or deformable to the greatest extent in the direction of transverse opening movement of the crotch sections away from each other or in a direction generally perpendicular to that to which the inner

marginal edges

32 and 33 are tensioned when the crotch is opened. However, the resulting limited fore and aft extensibility of the crotch sections detracts from the comfort of the garment and the extent to which the crotch sections may be opened.

The crotch construction 20 of the present invention overcomes the foregoing disadvantages and at the same time results in a garment having a more comfortable fit by providing an elastic material insert in each overlapping

marginal edge

32 and 33. These inserts are indicated generally at 42 and 43 in the

respective sections

22 and 23. As will be apparent from FIG. 4, the

inserts

42 and 43 preferably have a generally semi-circular shape and thus include

arcuate edges

44 and 45 and straight edges 46 and 47, respectively. The edges 32' and 33 are centrally recessed or cut-out to receive the

inserts

42 and 43 which are stitched to the

edges

32 and 33. Thus, when the inserts are in place, they become a unitary part of the

crotch sections

22 and 23. The inserts are arranged so that the edges 46 and 47 thereof comprise continuations of the

section edges

32 and 33. The transverse width of the

inserts

42 and 43 is suificient so that a substantial overlap is provided when the crotch is closed.

In order to provide the desired longitudinal or fore and aft elasticity to the

sections

22 and 23, and particularly the

marginal edges

32 and 33 when the sections are displaced laterally to open the crotch 20, the

inserts

42 and 43 preferably are of a material which is elastic in both a longitudinal and transverse direction. Such a material is commonly known inthe trade as two-way stretch elastic. However, the inserts may also be of a semi-elastic material which is elastic in one direction and deformable in a transverse direction by elongation or stretching of the stitching. Such a material is known in the trade as power net or mesh elastic. If a material of the latter type is employed in the

inserts

42 and 43, it is arranged with its greatest elasticity in a longitudinal or fore and aft direction with respect to the

sections

22 and 23 and parallel to the

marginal edges

32 and 33.

While the

inserts

42 and 43 have been herein described as having a semi-circular shape, they could also have other shapes, such as semi-oval, triangular, or the like. If such other shapes were employed, they would be arranged in the

crotch sections

22 and 23 in the same manner as the semi-circular inserts, and the

marginal edges

32 and 33 of the

crotch sections

22 and 23 would of course be similarly recessed or cut-out to receive such other shaped insert-s.

The provision of the elastic material inserts 42 and 43 thus greatly increases the longitudinal or'fore and aft elasticity of the

sections

22 and 23. Thus, when the

edges

32 and 33 are displaced transversely to effect an opening of the crotch 20, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the additional elasticity of the inserts permits a much greater opening of the crotch. At the same time, the increased longitudinal elasticity imparted to the

crotch sections

22 and 23 by the

inserts

42 and 43 enhances the comfort of the garment when the crotch is closed.

In addition to the foregoing functional advantage, the provision of the

inserts

42 and 43, which are of a somewhat stiifer material than the

sections

22 and 23, prevents bunching or gapping of the overlapping

edges

32 and 33 and thus provides a more comfortable fit to the garment 10. Furthermore, because of the improved combination of characteristics provided by the

crotch sections

22, 23 and the

inserts

42, 43, the degree of normal overlap of the crotch sections may be greater thereby providing more positive closure and the general feel of a closed crotch girdle, but at the same time allowing ample separation when required.

Experiments have shown that by employing a pair of

inserts

42 and 43 having the approximate proportions indicated in FIG. 4, and by utilizing an elastic fabric having a fore and aft elongation of about to the desired functional characteristics are achieved while providing a high degree of comfort for the wearer.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that modifications and variations thereof may be effected without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An undergarment comprising a body encircling portion and a separable crotch portion, said crotch portion including a pair of elongated flexible material sections secured at the front and rear edges thereof to said body portion with the inner longitudinal edges of said sections overlapping each other to a substantial degree preventing separation of said sections during normal body movements, said sections overlapping in an area covering the entire central portion of said crotch portion, and an elastic material insert of substantial width in each of said sections and forming one portion only of the length of said inner longitudinal edges.

2. An undergarment according to claim 1, further characterized in that said elongated sections are substantially inelastic in a longitudinal direction, and said inserts are elastic at least in a longitudinal direction.

3. An undergarmen-t according to claim 1, further characterized in that said inserts are of a two-way stretch fabric stretchable in a longitudinal and transverse direction.

4. An undergarment according to claim 2 wherein the inner longitudinal edges of each section are provided with a semicircular recess located substantially centrally of the longitudinal length of each section and wherein a semicircular elastic material insert is secured at its arcuate edge in each recess so that the linear edge of each insert forms a continuation of the inner longitudinal edge of each section.

5. An undergarmen-t as defined in claim 1 wherein said sections comprise complementally shaped fabric sections, each section being secured at an outer longitudinal edge to a leg portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,476,585 7/1948 Cohen 1'28--529 2,478,263 8/1949 Geltz 128526 2,875,763 3/1959 Marchisella 128-529 FOREIGN PATENTS 592,623 5/1957 Canada.

ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner,

LOUIS R. PRINCE, Exam t