US3496576A

US3496576A - Undershorts with moisture-proof crotch lining

Info

Publication number: US3496576A
Application number: US718062A
Authority: US
Inventors: William Walter Artzt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-04-02
Filing date: 1968-04-02
Publication date: 1970-02-24
Anticipated expiration: 1987-02-24
Also published as: DE1785038A1; CH497858A; GB1238922A; FR1591726A

Description

Feb. 24, 1970 I w. w. ARTZT 3,496,576

' UNDERSHORTS WITHMOISTURE-PROOF CROTCHLINING Filed April 2, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WILLIAM WALTER ARTZT ATTORNEY UNDERSHORTS WITH MOISTURE-PROOF CROTGH"LINING Filed April 2.1.968

W. W. ARTZT Feb. 24,1970

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T R n R N A E m WT M W M M I- 1 W FIG.7.

ATTORNEY 3,496,576 UNnERsHoRTs WITH MOISTURE-PROOF CROTCH LINING William Walter Artzt, 116 E. 68th St.,

New York, NY. 10021 Filed Apr. 2, 1968, Sell. N0. 718,062 Int. Cl. A41d 27/00, 27/02, 27/14 US. Cl. 2224 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Briefs or undershorts of the type including a bodyencircling portion and a crotch portion extending centrally between the front and back of the body-encircling portion to define leg openings at its opposite sides are provided with a crotch lining of polypropylene fabric covering the inner surface of at least the forward part of the crotch portion and which resists the penetration therethrough of moisture and dries rapidly at body temperatures. The body-encircling portion preferably includes a part at the bottom front thereof having a free lower edge extending between the leg openings and overlapped by the forward part of the crotch portion, and such forward part has an angled upper end edge, sections of which converge upwardly from the leg openings to a point at the center of the front of the undershorts, with one or both of such sections being free of the body-encircling portions except at the adjacent leg opening and the point of convergence to define a fly opening or openings at the front of the undershorts.

This invention relates generally to undergarments, and is particularly directed to improvements in briefs or undershorts.

Briefs or undershorts are usually formed of knitted cotton and generally include a body-encircling portion and a crotch portion extending centrally between the front and back of the body-encircling portion to define leg openings at its opposite sides. The crotch portion of undergarments of the described type, and particularly the forward part thereof, is frequently subject to perspiration or other moisture. The knitted cotton crotch portion of existing undergarments of the described type has little resistance to the passage of such moisture therethrough and, furthermore, once the crotch portion is wet with perspiration or other moisture, the same dries slowly if at all so long as the undergarment is worn and this results in discomfort to the wearer.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide briefs or undershorts with a crotch portion Which, particularly at the forward part thereof, resists the penetration of perspiration or other moisture therethrough and which dries rapidly, particularly at body temperatures.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention, at least the forward part of the crotch portion of briefs or undershorts is provided with a lining of polypropylene fabric, which fabric has the desired characteristics of resisting the penetration of moisture therethrough and of drying rapidly, particularly at body temperatures.

It is another feature of this invention, to provide briefs or undershorts having the foregoing characteristics, and which is further provided with two oppositely directed fly openings at the front thereof.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of briefs or underted States Patent ice.

shorts of the leg-less type in accordance with an embodiment of this invention, and which are shown partly broken away in the crotch portion thereof;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a fabric blank employed in the production of the briefs of FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a lining to be provided in the crotch portion of the briefs of FIG. 1 in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view, partly broken away, of the briefs of FIG. 1 at an intermediate stage in the production thereof;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged sectional views taken along the lines 55, 66, and 77, respectively, on FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4, but illustrating an intermediate stage in the production of briefs in accordance with another embodiment of this invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, it will be seen that briefs or undershorts of the leg-less type to which this invention relates are there generally identified by the reference numeral 10 and shown to comprise a body-encircling portion 11 and a crotch portion 12 extending centrally between the 'front and back of the body-encircling portion and cooperating with the latter to define leg openings 13 at opposite sides of the crotch portion. An elastic waist band 14 extends along the top edge of body-encircling portion 11 and is suitably stitched thereto, as at 15. The edges of leg openings 13 are suitably finished, as by knitted or otherwise stretchable binding tapes 16 sewn therealong, and similar binding tapes 17 and 18 converge upwardly from leg openings 13 to a junction or point of convergence 19 at the center of the front body encircling portion 11 and then diverge upwardly from such point 19, as at 17a and 18a, to waist band 14 at the top of body encircling portion 11. As hereinafter described in detail, at least one, and preferably each of binding tapes 17 and 18 is free of body encircling portion 11 along the length of the respective binding tape between the leg opening 13 and the point 19 to provide a fly opening at the respective side of the front of the briefs.

As shown on FIG. 2, body-encircling portion 11 and crotch portion 12 of the described briefs 10 may be formed from a one-piece blank 10a, preferably of a knitted cotton fabric, and having a central, upper section 11a corresponding to the back of body-encircling portion 11, a section 12a depending centrally from section 1101 and corresponding to crotch portion 12, and sections 111a and 111b extending laterally from the opposite sides of section 11a to form corresponding sides of the front of body-encircling portion 11 of the completed garment.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, a section 20a is provided as an integral extension at the bottom of section 111a to define a bottom front part 20 of body-encircling portion 11 when blank sections 111a and 111b are folded inwardly about fold lines 21a and 21b so as to be superposed on section 11a, as shown on FIG. 4. The edge 22a of section 20a and the adjacent edge 23a of section 11a are cut at angles, as are corresponding end edges 22b and 23b of section 111b, so that, when sections 111a and 11112 are folded inwardly over section 11a of blank 10a, edges 22a and 22b and edges 23a and 2312 will come into abutting relationship. The abutting edges 22a and 22b and the abutting edges 23a and 23b are sewn together to provide the correspondingly numbered

seams

22 and 23 of FIG. 4, with

such seams

22 and 23 being located so as to be cov ered by the binding tape indicated at 17 and 17a on FIG. 1.

The section 12a of blank 10a is longitudinally dimensioned so that, when such section 12a is folded upwardly about the fold line 24a (FIG. 2), the upwardly folded part of section 12a which defines a forward part 25 of crotch portion 12 will be in overlapping relation to bottom front part 20 of body-encircling portion 11 (FIGS. 1 and 4). Further, the end edge of section 12a of the blank has

edge sections

25 and 27 converging to a central point 19a and at an angle with respect to each other selected so that, when section 12a is folded upwardly, as described above, and has the point 19a of its end edge located at the junction or point 19 at the front of the body-encircling portion, edge section 26 will substantially overlie seam 22 and be inclined downwardly from the point 19 to the adjacent leg Opening 13, while edge section 27 will be similarly inclined downwardly from point 19 to the other leg opening.

In accordance with the present invention, at least the forward part 25 of crotch portion 12 is provided with a lining 28 of a polypropylene fabric which is also preferably knitted and which may be cut in the form of a blank 28a (FIG. 3) corresponding substantially to the configuration of the part of section 12a of blank 10a which is to be folded upwardly about line 24a.

In producing the garment 10 according to this invention, the blank 28a for the crotch lining may be disposed on section 11a of blank 10a while the latter is in its flat condition, as indicated in broken lines at 2Sa on FIG. 2, so that the straight transverse edge 29 of blank 28a extends slightly beyond fold line 24a, as indicated at 29' on FIG. 2. Then, blank 28a may be stitched to blank 10a along fold line 24a, as at 30 on FIG. 7. After such initial sewing of blank 28a to blank 10a, blank 28a is folded onto the similarly shaped part of section 12a which is to constitute the forward part 25 of crotch portion 12. When thus folded, converging sections 2641 and 27a of the end edge of crotch lining 28 are brought into alignment with the

corresponding edge sections

26 and 27 of the forward part 25 of crotch portion 12, as indicated on FIG. 4.

Crotch lining 28 is further secured to forward part 25 of crotch portion 12 along the opposite side edges of part 25 by the binding tapes 16 sewn along the edges of leg openings 13. The

end edge sections

26 and 27 of forward part 25 are also secured to the corresponding edge sections 26a and 27a of crotch lining 28 by the binding tapes 17 and 18 which are respectively sewn therealong. Preferably, all stitching passing through crotch lining 28, as aforesaid, is formed of polypropylene thread.

As previously mentioned herein, the tapes 17 and 18, and hence the

edge sections

26 and 26a and the edge sections 27 and 27a which are secured together thereby, are sewn or otherwise secured to body-encircling portion 11 only at the ends of tapes 17 and 18 adjacent leg openings 13 and at the junction or point of convergence 19 of the tapes 17 and 18. The upwardly diverging extensions 17a and 18a of tapes 17 and 18, respectively, are stitched, along their entire lengths, to body-encircling portion 11, with the tape extension 17a overlying or covering the seam 23.

It will be appreciated that the lower edge 30 of the bottom front part 20 of body-encircling portion 11 is free of forward part 25 of the crotch portion and its lining 28 except at the ends of edge 30 which are also secured by the tape 16 binding the edges of leg openings 13. Thus, fly openings 31 and 32- (FIGS. 1, and 6) are provided at opposite sides of junction 19 along binding tapes 17 and 18 between bottom front part 20 of body-encircling portion 11 and the upper, overlapping end portion of the forward part 25 of the crotch. The tape extensions 17a and 18a extending from the point of convergence or junction 19 of tapes 17 and 18 up to waist band 14 serve to support crotch portion 12 from such waist band and further to tension the binding tapes 17 and 18 to prevent gaping of the

fly openings

31 and 32.

Further, in order to avoid gaping of

fly openings

31 and 32 extending at opposite sides of junction 19 to leg openings 13, the free lower edge 30 of bottom front part 20 desirably has a length of elastic 33 extending therealong and stitched to edge 30 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6). As shown on FIG. 2, the length of elastic 33 is conveniently secured along edge 30 while the blank 10a for forming the garment is in its flat condition.

Referring now to FIG. 8, it will be understood that the briefs 10' in accordance with this invention as there illustrated are generally similar to the previously described briefs 10 and differ therefrom only with respect to the configurations of the seams 22' and 23' joining together the sides 111a and 111']; of the front of body-encircling portion 11'. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the seam 23 extends upwardly at an angle from the junction or point 19' corresponding to the point 19 on FIG. 1 so as to he disposedunder the tape extension 17a of the completed garment, but the seam 22' extends vertically downward from the point 19' to the free lower edge 30 or" the bottom front part of body-encircling portion 11'. Thus, a one-piece blank from which the body-encircling portion 11' and crotch portion 12 of FIG. 8 may be formed has sections 20a and 20b of the bottom front part of the body-encircling portion formed integrally with the sections 111a and 111b, respectively, of the blank defining the sides of the front of the body-encircling portion. In a completed garment of the type illustrated by FIG. 8, the seam 22 is hidden from view by the crotch lining 28' and the forward part 25' of the crotch portion extending upwardly to the point or junction 19.

Although the exact action of the polypropylene fabric of crotch lining 28 or 28' is not fully understood, it is known that the polypropylene fibers of the crotch lining do not absorb moisture and further that polypropylene has a lower specific gravity than any other fiber, specifically, a specific gravity of 0.9 as compared with specific gravities of 1.32 and 1.54 for W001 and cotton, respectively. By reason of such characteristics, it is believed that, particularly when crotch lining 28 or 28' is of a relatively close or tightly knitted polypropylene fabric, perspiration or other moisture is held against passage through the pores of the fabric by surface tension and, further, since the polypropylene fibers are not substantially wet by the moisture and do not absorb the latter into the fibers, such retained moisture is free to be evaporated rapidly, particularly at body temperatures, so as to effect the quick drying of the crotch lining.

In the foregoing, the invention has been specifically described as applied to undershorts of the leg-less type, but it is apparent that the crotch lining of polypropylene may also be applied in accordance with the invention to similargarments having legs. Further, it will be apparent that garments according tothe invention may have the front of the body-encircling portion integral with the back of such portion, as in the illustrated embodiments, or the front of the body-encircling portion may be cut separately from the back and joined to the latter at suitable side seams.

Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In undershorts including a body-encircling portion and a crotch portion extending centrally between the front and back of said body-encircling portion to cooperate with the latter in defining leg openings at opposite sides of said crotch portion; said body-encircling portion having a part at the bottom front thereof with a free lower edge extending between said leg openings and being overlapped by a forward part of said crotch portion, said forward part of the crotch portion having an upper end edge with sections thereof converging upwardly from said leg openings to a point of convergence at the center of said front of the body-encircling portion above said free lower edge of said bottom front part, said end edge of the crotch portion being secured to said body-encircling portion only 5 at the ends of said end edge and at said point of convergence of said edge sections to define fly openings at the opposite sides of the front of the undershorts, a crotch lining of polypropylene fabric of such close knit construction as to prevent the passage of moisture therethrough, said lining covering the inner surface of at least said forward part of the crotch portion and being secured to the latter along said upper end edge, across the lowermost region of said crotch portion and along the opposite side edges of the crotch portion defining said leg openings, and binding tapes secured along said converging sections of the end edge of said crotch portion and extending divergingly beyond said point of convergence to the upper edge of said front of the body-encircling portion said body-encircling portion and said crotch portion being sections of a single fabric piece having said crotch portion integral with said body-encircling portion at the lower back of the latter, and said body-encircling portion having References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,019,140 10/1935 Kneibler 2-224 2,575,701 11/1951 Artzt 2-224 2,649,864 8/1953 Mayer et a1. 139426 XR 3,063,452 11/1962 Del Guercio. 3,237,625. 3/1966 Johnson 2-224 XR 2,243,643 5/1941 Murphey 2-224 H. HAMPTON HUNTER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R 12852 8