U.S. patent application number 10/226349 was filed with the patent office on 2004-02-26 for detachable panties.
Invention is credited to Yturria, Francisca A..
Application Number | 20040034902 10/226349 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31887207 |
Filed Date | 2004-02-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040034902 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yturria, Francisca A. |
February 26, 2004 |
Detachable panties
Abstract
The detachable panties are constructed so as to enable donning
and removal of the panty with minimal effort and bodily movement.
The panties comprise a front panel, applicable to the front of a
wearer's torso, a rear panel, applicable to the back of the
wearer's torso, a crotch portion extending adjacently below the
torso between front and back panel, a waistband at the top of front
and rear panels, and leg portions. Fastening means are distributed
on selected areas of the panty to allow assembly and removal of the
panty without the necessity of normal dressing movements. The
detachable panties are ideal for general use, as they allow a
playful and quick way of donning and removing the garment from the
body. The detachable panties are also appropriate for use by
elderly people or people suffering from a disability which impairs
their movement, as it can be worn and removed without bending.
Inventors: |
Yturria, Francisca A.; (San
Antonio, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LITTMAN LAW OFFICES, LTD.
P.O. BOX 15035 CRYSTAL CITY STATION
ARLINGTON
VA
22215
US
|
Family ID: |
31887207 |
Appl. No.: |
10/226349 |
Filed: |
August 23, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/400 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 13/129 20130101;
A41D 13/1254 20130101; A41B 9/007 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/400 |
International
Class: |
A41B 009/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. Detachable panties, comprising: a front panel having opposing
upper and lower edges and opposing side edge margins; a rear panel
having opposing upper and lower edges and opposing side edge
margins, the side margins of said front and rear panels being
integrally connected; a detachable crotch panel, extending between
the lower edges of said front panel and said rear panel, said
crotch panel being defined by a front crotch portion which extends
from a center of said front panel and a rear crotch portion which
extends from a center of said rear panel; a resilient waistband,
adapted to extend around a user's torso, the waistband being
attached along the top edges of said front and said rear panels,
the waistband being detachable at a separable point; a pair of leg
portions defined on either side of said crotch panel, along the
lower edges of said front panel and said rear panel; a plurality of
snap fasteners detachably connecting the front and rear crotch
portions; wherein one of said front panel and said rear panel is
divided into first and second detachable flaps extending from said
waistband to said crotch portion, the flaps having overlapping
edges and having mating strips of hook and loop fastening material
attached to the overlapping edges; whereby the detachable panties
are donned and removed by attaching and detaching said snap
fasteners and said mating strips of hook and loop fastening
material.
2. The detachable panties of claim 1, wherein said front panel is
separated diagonally from the separable point of said waistband to
said crotch panel, defining said first and second panels, said rear
panel being continuous and non-detachable.
3. The detachable panties of claim 1, wherein said rear panel is
separated diagonally from the separable point of said waistband to
said crotch panel, defining said first and second panels, said
front panel being continuous and non-detachable.
4. The detachable panties of claim 1, wherein said front panel is
separated vertically from the separable point of said waistband to
said crotch panel, defining said first and second panels, said rear
panel being continuous and non-detachable.
5. The detachable panties of claim 1, wherein said rear panel is
separated vertically from the separable point of said waistband to
said crotch panel, defining said first and second panels, said
front panel being continuous and non-detachable.
6. The detachable panties of claim 1, further comprising at least
one snap fastener element mounted between the overlapping edges of
said first and second flaps for aligning said mating hook-and-loop
strips.
7. The detachable panties of claim 1, further comprising a pull
attached to said first flap for aiding removal of the detachable
panties.
8. The detachable panties of claim 1, wherein said resilient
waistband is made from an elastic material.
9. The detachable panties of claim 1, wherein said front, rear and
crotch panels are made from cloth.
10. The detachable panties of claim 1, wherein said plurality of
snap fasteners comprises a plurality of plastic snaps.
11. Detachable panties, comprising: a front panel having opposing
upper and lower edges and opposing side edge margins; a rear panel
having opposing upper and lower edges and opposing side edge
margins, the side edge margins of said front and rear panels being
overlapping; a crotch panel, extending between the lower edges of
said front panel and said rear panel, said crotch panel being
integrally connected with said front panel and said rear panel; a
resilient waistband extending along the top edges of said front and
said rear panels, said waistband being detachable at two separable
points, the separable points being disposed above the opposing side
margins of said front and rear panels; a pair of leg portions
defined on either side of said crotch panel, along the lower edges
of said front panel and said rear panel; mating strips of
hook-and-loop fastening material attached to the overlapping,
opposing side edge margins of said front and rear panels extending
between the separable points of said waistband and the leg
portions; wherein said front panel and said rear panels are donned
and removed by attaching and detaching said mating strips of hook
and loop fastening material.
12. The detachable panties of claim 11, further comprising at least
one snap fastener element mounted on each of said overlapping edges
for aligning said mating hook-and-loop strips.
13. The detachable panties of claim 11, wherein said resilient
waistband is made from an elastic material.
14. The detachable panties of claim 11, wherein said front panel,
said rear panel and said crotch panel are made from cloth.
15. The detachable panties of claim 11, further comprising a pull
attached to each of the opposing side margins for aiding in
detaching the side margins.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to undergarments, and
specifically, to panties style undergarments.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Donning and removing conventional panties entails
significant bodily movement, as an individual must bend and use
both arms and legs to carry out the procedure. For most people, the
effort and physical movement entailed in donning or removing a
panty is inconvenient and sometimes quite awkward. For elderly
people or people suffering from a disability which impairs their
movement, wearing or removing conventional panties can be
impossible if they are unable to either fold their arms or fold
their legs for purposes of inserting the limb into the conventional
panties leg openings. For example, without folding the legs, the
arms are simply not long enough to permit the insertion of the leg
into the panties. Thus, panties which can be put on and removed
quickly without requiring any bending or other awkward movements
would be desirable.
[0005] Panties and brief structures are known which have detachable
parts so that the garment can be donned without requiring
significant lower body movement. However, prior art panties and
brief structures which are detachable are flawed either because
they are completely detachable and prone to fall to the ground once
detached, in which case one must bend down to pick up the dropped
portion, they are not sufficiently secure when assembled, they are
difficult to assemble and disassemble, or they are unattractive for
general use, typically resembling diapers rather than panties.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,763, issued Mar. 27, 1979 to J. Abrams
et al., discloses an undergarment having a detachable crotch area
as well as detachable sides. This structure has totally detachable
front and back panels with hook and loop fastening material.
Consequently, significant effort is required to align the front and
back panels correctly before they can be attached. This may require
even more maneuvering than would be used in conventional brief
designs. Furthermore, since this brief is completely detachable, it
is possible that at least one panel may be dropped during
disassembly.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,440, issued Mar. 31, 1981 to M. McGowan,
discloses briefs for a handicapped person having front and rear
panels which are integrally connected at the crotch and which use
hook and loop fasteners for attachment. The hook and loop fastening
material extends longitudinally along opposing edge margins of the
panels. Loops are attached to each of side edge margins. One must
sit or lie atop the rear panel in order to successfully align and
attach the side margins. The garment is unsuitable for general use,
as it does not provide a flexible waistband to allow for
significant movement around the waist area.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,772, issued Apr. 15, 1986 to A. Smith,
discloses a training panty having front and rear panels integrally
joined together at a crotch. Releasable contact fastening means,
such as hook-and-loop material are positioned on opposing surfaces
of the front and rear panels so that the front and rear panels are
releasably secured together to define a waistband and a pair of
identical leg openings. To ensure inadvertent unfastening, a
plurality of contact fastening members are aligned along the side
edges of the panels. However, when the panels are secured together,
a closure is produced which includes gaps.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,675,918, issued Jun. 30, 1987 to A. O'Brien,
discloses a one-piece brief comprising an upper band portion with
front and rear panels and a crotch portion descending from the
middle of the rear panel. Hook and loop fastening material is
affixed to the side edges of the front and rear panels, on the
waist band, and on the crotch portion.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,795, issued Jun. 6, 1989 to E. Lonon,
discloses body suits and underpants in which a seat flap at the
crotch is readily opened or closed by means of a self-gripping
fastener, such as hook-and-loop fastening material.
[0011] Other patents relating to detachable undergarments include
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 339,445, issued Sep. 21, 1993 to J. Russano
(ornamental design for hospital brief); U.S. Pat. No. D440,027 S,
issued Apr. 10, 2001 to A. Strougo (ornamental design for
undergarment); U.S. Pat. No. 2,492,620, issued Dec. 7, 1945 to J.
Cohen (detachable lady's undergarment); U.S. Pat. No. 2,638,900,
issued May 19, 1953 to L. Gruenberg et al. (children's detachable
panties); U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,110, issued Jul. 1, 1986 to J. Smith
Sr., (panty-type undergarment with detachable crotch portion); U.S.
Pat. No. 5,269,320, issued Dec. 14, 1993 to J. Hunnicutt
(prophylactic contraceptive barriers with shield flange and
attached undergarment); U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,757, issued Jul. 16,
1996 to A. Fleming Jr. (combination of an undergarment and
prophylactic); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,161 B1, issued Jan. 15, 2002
to K. Ali Muhammad (detachable women's lingerie).
[0012] None of the above inventions and patents, taken either
singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant
invention as claimed. Thus, the detachable panties of the present
invention solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The detachable panties are constructed so as to enable
donning and removal of the panties with minimal effort and bodily
movement. The panties comprise a front panel, applicable to the
front of a wearer's torso, a rear panel, applicable to the back of
the wearer's torso, a crotch portion extending adjacently below the
torso between front and back panel, a waistband at the top of front
and rear panels, and leg portions. Fastening means are distributed
on selected areas of the panties to allow assembly and removal of
the panties without the necessity of normal dressing movements. The
detachable panties are ideal for general use, as it allows a
playful and quick way of donning and removing the garment from the
body. The detachable panties are also appropriate for use by
elderly people or people suffering from a disability which impairs
their movement, as they can be worn and removed without
bending.
[0014] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to
provide detachable panties which can be worn and removed without
bending or attempting normal dressing movements.
[0015] It is another object of the invention to provide detachable
panties which can be assembled and disassembled in a manner which
is not awkward for a wearer.
[0016] It is a further object of the invention to provide panties
made from one piece.
[0017] Still another object of the invention is to provide panties
which can be securely fastened on the torso of the wearer.
[0018] It is an object of the invention to provide improved
elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which
is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its
intended purposes.
[0019] These and other objects of the present invention will become
readily apparent upon further review of the following specification
and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of detachable panties
when unassembled with a diagonal strap of hook and loop fastening
material according to a first embodiment of the present
invention.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective front view of detachable panties
when assembled with a diagonal strap of hook and loop fastening
material according to a first embodiment of the present
invention.
[0022] FIG. 3 is a perspective rear view of an alternate embodiment
of detachable panties with a diagonal strap of hook and loop
fastening material on the rear panel, with the closure partially
pulled down.
[0023] FIG. 4 is a perspective rear view of a fourth embodiment of
detachable panties when unassembled with vertical strap of hook and
loop fastening material.
[0024] FIG. 5 is a perspective front view of a fourth embodiment of
detachable panties with vertical strap of hook and loop fastening
material fastened on the back panel and with the crotch open.
[0025] FIG. 6 is a perspective side view of fifth embodiment of
detachable panties with vertical side straps of hook and loop
fastening material when unassembled.
[0026] FIG. 7 is a perspective side view of detachable panties with
vertical side straps of hook and loop fastening material when
assembled.
[0027] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features
consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] The present invention is detachable panties, generally
designated as 10 in the drawings. Referring first to FIGS. 1-2, the
detachable panties 10 comprise a front panel 12, applicable to the
front of a wearer's torso, a rear panel 14, applicable to the back
of the wearer's torso, a crotch panel 16 extending adjacently below
the torso between front panel 12 and rear panel 14, a waistband 18,
and a pair of identical leg portions 20. The front and rear panels,
12 and 14 include two opposing side edge margins 22 and 23
respectively. The detachable panties 10 have an inner surface 24
which faces the body of the wearer, and an outer surface 26 which
faces away from the body of the wearer. The detachable panties 10
can be made from cloth or any flexible material suitable for
undergarments. Waistband 18 can be made from an elastic fabric or
any other resilient material which is conventionally used as a
waistband in conventional panties.
[0029] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-2, rear panel 12 and
front panel 14 are integrally connected at side edge margins 22.
Leg portions 20 are partially defined on each of front and rear
panels, 12 and 14. The crotch panel 16 is formed by front crotch
section 28 which extends downwardly from the center of the front
panel 12 and rear crotch section 30 which extends downwardly from
the center of rear panel 14. Front crotch section 28 and rear
crotch section 30 comprise a plurality of complementary snap
fastener elements 36 aligned along opposing surfaces 24 and 26 of
front crotch edge 32 and rear crotch edge 34. In addition, one of
rear crotch section 30 or front crotch section 28 is adapted to
extend longer than the other so that front crotch edge 32 and rear
crotch edge 34 may overlap and adjustably connect together at a
connecting point 38 near the front or rear of the torso. Preferably
the snap fastener elements 36 are plastic snaps.
[0030] The waistband 18 includes a separable point 41. The
separable point 41 comprises detachable fastening material such as
mating strips of hook and loop fastening material 48 on its
opposing surfaces.
[0031] The front panel 12 is divided diagonally into first and
second front flaps 40 and 42. Thus, each of first front flap 40 and
second front flap 42 have diagonal edges 46 and 47, respectively,
which extend from the separable point 41 of the waistband 18 to the
connecting point 38 of the crotch panel 16. The diagonal edges, 46
and 47, are detachably connected with one another using any
suitable detachable fastening material. Preferably, mating strips
of hook-and-loop fastening material 48 are positioned on opposing
surfaces, 24 and 26, of the diagonal edges, 46 and 47. Thus, when
the diagonal edges 46 and 47 are pressed together, the
hook-and-loop fasteners 48 are engaged and the first and second
front flaps, 40 and 42, may be coupled together. At least one snap
fastener element 36 may also be mounted anywhere along the diagonal
edges, 46 and 47, to assist in aligning the mating hook-and-loop
straps 48 when panties 10 are being assembled. A pull 49, may also
be attached to a position on the outer surface of diagonal edge 46
to assist in pulling apart the mating straps of hook-and-loop
fastening material 48. The pull 49 can comprise any suitable
material attachment or link which can be easily grasped by a
wearer.
[0032] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the detachable panties,
designated as 50. This embodiment is identical to the detachable
panties 10, except for the structure of the front and rear panels
and the positioning of the hook-and-loop fastening material 48.
Identical components will not be further described. Referring to
FIG. 3, it will be seen that the front panel 12 is continuous and
the rear panel 14 is divided diagonally into first and second rear
flaps, 52 and 54. Each of first and second rear flaps, 52 and 54,
have diagonal edges, 53 and 55, respectively, which extend from the
waistband 18 to the connecting point 38 of the crotch panel 16.
Mating straps of hook-and-loop fastening material 48 are positioned
on opposing surfaces, 24 and 26, of the diagonal edges, 53 and 55.
Thus, when the diagonal edges, 53 and 55, are pressed together, the
hook-and-loop fasteners 48 are engaged and the first rear flap 52
and second rear flap 54 may be coupled together.
[0033] FIGS. 4-5 show a third embodiment of the detachable panties,
designated as 56. This embodiment is identical to the detachable
panties 50 except that rear panel 14 is divided vertically and
first and second rear flaps 52 and 54, have vertical edges 57 and
58. Identical components will not be further described. Referring
to FIGS. 4-5, a strap of hook-and-loop fastening material 48 is
positioned vertically on opposing surfaces, 24 and 26, of vertical
edges, 57 and 58. The hook-and-loop fastening material 48 extends
from the horizontal midpoint of the waistband 18 to the connecting
point 38 of the crotch panel 16. Thus, the hook-and-loop fastening
material 48 extends through rear crotch section 30. Alternatively,
the fastening material 48 may extend vertically in a similar manner
across the front panel 12 and extend to the connecting point 38 of
the crotch panel 16.
[0034] FIGS. 6-7 show a fourth embodiment of the detachable
panties, designated as 60. This embodiment is identical to the
detachable panties 10, except that the crotch panel 16 is
integrally connected with the front and rear panels, 12 and 14, and
the opposing side edge margins, 22 and 23, are detachably
connected. Identical components will not be further described.
Referring to FIGS. 6-7, it will be seen that vertical straps of
mating hook-and-loop fastening material 48 are positioned along
opposing surfaces, 24 and 26 of the side edge margins, 22 and 23,
in spaced relation.
[0035] It is to be understood that the present invention is not
limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and
all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *