Leakproof and breathable undergarments and swim wear

• US 6,610,901 B2
• Filed: 11/17/1997
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tri-Sis, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tri-Sis, Inc.
• Inventors: McMahon-Ayerst, Marilyn, Clement, Doreen, Maloney-Dawson, Brenda
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIDWELL, MICHELE M
• Application Number:
  US08/971,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20020007171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,108 Days
• Field of Search: 240/0, 240/3, 240/6, 240/2, 240/1, 2 6/7, 2 8/2, 223/7, 223/8, 604/378, 604/396, 604/358, 604/365, 604/385.01, 442/86
• US Class Current: 604/378
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 2400/52 disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 9/12 Protective undergarments combined with swabs or absorbent pads or specially adapted for supporting them A61F13/15
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 7/005 Bathing drawers or trunks A41D7/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/66 Garments, holders or supports not integral with absorbent pads
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51411 being impervious to fluids but not for air or vapours
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51443 being impervious to fluids and being air permeable

Abstract

The present invention relates to a protective garment, which may be in the form of an undergarment or outerwear, such as a swimwear. The garment includes a body conforming portion for preventing leakage of body waste liquids. The garment includes, at least in the area of the garment which might come into contact with the body waste liquids, sheet material which comprises a lamination consisting of only two laminae. The first lamina is a liquid permeable fabric and the second lamina is a liquid impermeable but vapour permeable material. The liquid permeable fabric is positioned interiorly of the liquid impermeable but vapour permeable material having regard to the inside and outside of such a garment. Liquids are permitted to pass into and through the inner liquid permeable lamina to the interface between the inner laminae and liquid impermeable outer laminae whereat this liquid can be evaporated or dehydrated through the vapour permeable outer laminae.

Claims

1. A protective garment including a body conforming, lower torso portion (10, 10, 20, 20′

, 30, 40, 50a, 50a′

, 60, 60′

, 70, 80, 90, 80′ and

91′

) for preventing leakage of body waste liquids from a wearer, said lower torso portion being defined by sheet material and including a crotch area (13) disposed between a pair of leg openings, (12, 12) characterized by said sheet material at least in said crotch area being a lamination consisting of only two laminae, a first of said laminae (15, 15′

, 25, 25′

, 35, 45, 45′

, 55, 55′

65, 65′

, 75, 75′

, 85, 95, 95′

, 95″

) being a liquid permeable fabric material and a second of said laminae (14, 14′

, 24, 24′

, 34, 44, 44′

, 54, 54′

, 64, 64′

, 74, 74′

, 84, 94, 94′

, 94″

) being a liquid impermeable and vapour permeable material, at least one of said first and second laminae forming said lower torso portion above said crotch area as well, the first of said laminae being an inner lamina with respect to the wearer fully occupying at least said crotch area for allowing passage of said liquids into said inner lamina, the second of said laminae being an outer lamina with respect to the wearer fully occupying at least said crotch area and being juxtaposed said inner lamina in said crotch area for preventing strike through to the exterior of the garment of said liquids from said inner lamina while allowing escape of vapour from said inner lamina.

2. A close fitting garment as defined in claim 1, wherein said garment is selected from the group consisting of panties, briefs, underwear or undergarments and outerwear;

characterized by said inner lamina being of thin, lightly absorbent material, said outer lamina being formed of thin material, whereby the wearer is protected from leakage of body fluids, by said inner lamina which absorbs any spots or light flows of said bodily fluids and by the outer lamina which prevents any liquid from said flows from striking through said garment, while said outer lamina allows vapour transfer across the garment resulting in dehydration of the liquid from said flows absorbed in said inner lamina so that the wearer is protected by the garment from said flows of said body fluids.

3. A garment in defined in claim 2, characterized by said inner and outer laminae being attached at seams, said seams being sealed and liquid-proof.

4. A garment as defined in claim 2, wherein said outerwear is swim wear.

5. A garment as defined in claim 1, wherein said garment is adapted to be worn as a secondary garment over existing feminine protective means, and is selected from the group consisting of panties, briefs, underwear or undergarments and outerwear, characterized by said inner lamina being formed of a thin, launderable, lightly absorbent material, and said outer lamina being a thin lamina formed of launderable semipermeable membrane material, whereby the wearer is protected from secondary flows of menstrual fluid from said existing feminine protective means, by the inner lamina which absorbs the secondary flows of menstrual fluid, and by the outer lamina which prevents any liquid from said secondary flows from striking through the secondary garment while vapour permeability of the semipermeable membrane material permits vapour transfer across the secondary garment thereby allowing the liquid from the secondary flows in said inner lamina to dry so that the wearer is protected by the secondary garment from secondary flows of menstrual fluids.

6. A garment in defined in claim 3, characterized by said inner and outer laminae being attached at seams, said seams being sealed and liquid-proof.

7. A garment as defined in claim 5, wherein said outerwear is swim wear.

8. A garment as defined in claim 1, characterized by said inner lamina and said outer lamina being bonded together by stitching or adhesive.

9. A garment as defined in claim 1, characterized by said inner lamina and said outer lamina being connected together only at peripheries thereof (36, 86).

10. A garment as defined in claim 1, characterized by said inner lamina being formed by a gusset member in the crotch area (15, 45, 55, 65, 65′

).

11. A garment as defined in claim 10 characterized by said member being detachable from a remainder of said garment.

12. A garment as defined in claim 1, characterized by said outer lamina being formed by a gusset member (24, 24′

, 44′

, 54′

, 74, 74′

).

13. A garment as defined in claim 12 characterized by said gusset member being detachable from a remainder of said garment.

14. A garment as defined in claim 1, characterized by said inner lamina being formed of a non-woven material.

15. A garment in defined in claim 14, characterized by said outer lamina being formed of a non-woven material.

16. A garment in defined in claim 15, characterized by said inner and outer laminae being attached at seams, said seams being sealed and liquid-proof.

17. A garment as defined in claim 1, characterized by said outer lamina being formed of a non-woven material.

18. A garment as defined in claim 1, characterized by said inner lamina being formed of a woven material.

19. A garment as defined in claim 18, characterized by said outer lamina being formed of a woven material.

20. A garment in defined in claim 19, characterized by said inner and outer laminae being attached at seams, said seams being sealed and liquid-proof.

21. A garment as defined in claim 1, characterized by said outer lamina being formed of a woven material.

22. A garment in defined in claim 1, characterized by said inner and outer laminae being attached at seams, said seams being sealed and liquid-proof.