Adult incontinent absorbent undergarment

• US 5,562,648 A
• Filed: 03/31/1995
• Issued: 10/08/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Peterson, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): CLARKE, ROBERT A
• Application Number:
  US08/414,251
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 604/370, 604/385.1, 604/393, 604/397
• US Class Current: 604/370
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 2400/34 antimicrobial or antibacterial
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15268 reusable with separable parts A61F13/505
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/496 in the form of pants or briefs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/505 with separable parts, e.g. combination of disposable and reusable parts, A61F13/20, A61F13/49003 take precedence; supporting or fastening means A61F13/56; belts or the like A61F13/64
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51108 the top sheet having corrugations or embossments having one axis relatively longer than the other axis, e.g. forming channels or grooves in a longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/512 characterised by its apertures, e.g. perforations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51405 treated or coated, e.g. with moisture repellent agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5148 having an impervious inner layer and a cloth-like outer layer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51496 having visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/531 having a homogeneous composition through the thickness of the pad A61F13/538, A61F13/539 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/72 with endless waist encircling band, e.g. panty type
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15447 Fibre dimension, e.g. denier or tex
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/49044 being stretchable non-elastic panels, A61F13/4902 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/4948 the edge leakage prevention means being elastic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/5055 Possibility of doubling or putting in new pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51009 characterized by the shape of the fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51139 being woven or knitted fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51468 being removable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8414 with anti-microbic

Abstract

An improved reusable adult incontinent absorbent undergarment involving an outer panty with elastic waist band and leg holes and an inner hour-glass shaped insert stitched or attached by the use of VELCRO fasteners to the back and front of the panty without stitching in the crotch. By employing a novel combination of multiple layers of highly absorbent, antimicrobial fabric with an open knit polyester making contact with the skin forming a pad that is free floating in the crotch and an outer non-woven layer of urethane coated stretch fabric as a waterproof liner that is separately free floating and elasticly gathered in the crotch, the propensity for fluid leakage during use is dramatically reduced.

Claims

1. An adult incontinent undergarment comprising:

(a) an outer panty having elastic top around the waist and elastic edging around the leg holes wherein said outer panty fabric consists of a conformable, stretchable fabric that is absorbent and adapted to wick moisture; and

(b) an inner hour-glass shaped insert operatively attached to the inside surface of said panty at the perimeter of the large ends of said hour-glass shaped insert to the back and front area of said panty, respectively, and not operatively attached to the inside surface of said outer panty at the narrow portion of the hour-glass shaped insert to the crotch of said panty wherein said hour-glass shaped insert comprises;

(i) an inner most wicking layer of open knit fabric for making contact to the skin;

(ii) a plurality of center layers of spunlaced fabric comprising a blend of antimicrobial acrylic fibers and hydrophilic cellulosic fibers, wherein the edges of said plurality of layers and said open knit layer are stitched together in the region of the crotch forming a separate free-floating absorbent fabric pad at the crotch; and

(iii) a outer most layer of non-woven, conformable fabric, wherein the outer surface of said non-woven fabric is laminated with a moisture impermeable coating of urethane and the edges of said non-woven fabric are stitched around individual elastic bands in the region of the crotch that tend to gather the urethane coated non-woven, conformable fabric forming a separate free-floating waterproof barrier between the panty and said absorbent fabric pad at the crotch,

wherein said inner hour-glass shaped insert further comprises two to six center layers of a spunlaced water-absorbent fabric comprising a mixture acrylic and cellulosic fibers consisting essentially of from about 25 to less than 50 percent, by weight, of crimped antimicrobial acrylic fibers having a dpf of from about 0.75 to about 3.0 and a length from about 0.75 to about 3.0 inches and from about 75 to greater than 50 percent of crimped hydrophilic cellulosic fibers having a dpf of about from 0.75 to about 3.0 and a length from about 0.75 to about 3.0 inches.

2. An adult incontinent undergarment according to claim 1 wherein the inner hour-glass shaped insert is operatively attached to the inside surface of said outer panty by stitching the perimeter of the large ends of said hour-glass shaped insert to the back and to the front area of said outer panty.

3. An adult incontinent undergarment according to claim 1 wherein the inner hour-glass shaped insert is operatively attached to the inside surface of said outer panty by the use of fasteners located at the perimeter of the large ends of said hour-glass shaped insert and at the back and the front area of said outer panty.

4. An adult incontinent undergarment according to claim 1 wherein said inner most wicking layer of open knit fabric for making contact to the skin is polyester fabric made of four-channel fiber.