U.S. patent application number 11/323833 was filed with the patent office on 2007-07-05 for garment protector.
Invention is credited to Eduardo Luna.
Application Number | 20070150995 11/323833 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38222776 |
Filed Date | 2007-07-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070150995 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Luna; Eduardo |
July 5, 2007 |
Garment protector
Abstract
A novel garment protector is disclosed with a disposable pad
containing an absorbent face and an adhesive face, and also
containing a reservoir for absorption and collection of
perspiration from a user. The garment protector having a generally
cruciform shape that is specifically alignable within a garment for
optimal location for use in protecting the garment. Additionally,
the cruciform shape of the garment protector provides enhanced
surface area for the collection of perspiration and for wicking
collected moisture to the reservoir area of the pad.
Inventors: |
Luna; Eduardo; (National
City, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHRISTOPHER D. HARRINGTON
SUITE 350
5300 CORPORATE GROVE DRIVE SE
GRAND RAPIDS
MI
49512
US
|
Family ID: |
38222776 |
Appl. No.: |
11/323833 |
Filed: |
January 3, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/53 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 27/13 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/053 |
International
Class: |
A41D 27/13 20060101
A41D027/13 |
Claims
1. A garment protector for protecting the garment of a user from
perspiration, the garment protector comprising: a pad with an
adhesive face for affixing the pad to the interior of a garment,
and an absorbent face for absorbing perspiration, where said
absorbent face includes at least one layer of absorbent padding and
at least one absorbent reservoir, and where said adhesive face
includes a sheath for protecting a layer containing adhesive, where
said sheath can be removed to expose the layer containing adhesive
at the time the adhesive face is to be affixed to the interior of
the garment.
2. The garment protector of claim Number 1, where said reservoir is
held between two layers of said padding.
3. The garment protector of claim Number 1, where said pad is
cruciform shaped and includes padding that extends across said
absorbent face and where said reservoir is centrally disposed on
said absorbent face, and where said padding is capable of wicking
perspiration to said reservoir.
4. The garment protector of claim Number 1, where said reservoir
and said padding include deodorant chemistry.
5. The garment protector of claim Number 1, where said reservoir
and said padding include desiccant chemistry.
6. The garment protector of claim Number 1, where said pad is
cruciform shaped.
7. A garment protector for protecting the garment of a user from
perspiration, the garment protector comprising: A cruciform shaped
pad with an adhesive face for affixing the pad to the interior of a
garment and an absorbent face for the absorption of perspiration,
where said adhesive face includes a sheath for covering a layer
containing adhesive, and where said absorbent face includes padding
for absorbing perspiration; Where said sheath is removable prior to
affixing said pad to the interior of a garment thereby exposing
said layer containing adhesive, and Where said cruciform shaped pad
is alignable with a select installation position of said pad within
the interior of the garment.
8. The garment protector of claim Number 7, where said absorbent
face further includes a reservoir for absorbing perspiration.
9. The garment protector of claim Number 8, where said padding and
said reservoir include deodorant chemistry.
10. The garment protector of claim Number 8, where said padding and
said reservoir include desiccant chemistry.
11. A garment protector for protecting the garment of a user from
perspiration, the garment protector comprising: A cruciform shaped
pad with an adhesive face for affixing said pad to the interior of
a garment and an absorbent face for the absorption of perspiration,
where said adhesive face includes a sheath for protecting a layer
containing adhesive and said absorbent face includes padding and a
reservoir for absorbing perspiration; Where said sheath is
removable prior to affixing said pad to the interior of a garment,
thereby exposing said layer containing adhesive, and where said
absorbent face further includes at least one padding layer and a
reservoir for absorbing perspiration; Where said sheath is
removable prior to affixing the pad to the interior of a garment,
thereby exposing said layer containing adhesive, and Where said
cruciform shape is alignable with a select installation position of
the pad within the interior of the garment.
12. The garment protector of claim Number 11, where said padding is
completely disposed across the absorbent face of the pad, and where
said reservoir is centrally disposed on said absorbent face, and
where said padding is capable of wicking perspiration to the
reservoir.
13. The garment protector of claim Number 11, where said padding
and said reservoir include deodorant chemistry.
14. The garment protector of claim Number 11, where said padding
and said reservoir include desiccant chemistry.
15. The garment protector of claim Number 11, where said reservoir
is contained within at least two layers of padding.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates to an antiperspirant pad for
protecting a garment. More specifically, the present invention is a
shaped absorbent pad for installation in the underarm area of a
shirt or a blouse type of garment.
[0004] The problems associated with underarm perspiration are very
well known and have been combated with a vide variety of measures.
Approaches using chemical products, basically underarm deodorants,
have been formulated with antiperspirant constituents. These are
generally provided in roll-on, stick and spray-on forms and they
work to apply a layer of deodorant and antiperspirant compounds
directly to the underarm area of a user. While these products have
undergone dramatic improvements over time, they still have
shortcomings when a user is confronting situations that may cause
enhanced underarm perspiration. This may occur, for instance, when
weather is unduly hot and/or humid, or when the user is in a
stressful situation, or where the chemistry has been consumed over
the course of a day.
[0005] Another approach to underarm perspiration is the use of pads
that act as a barrier between the user and the garment they are
wearing. Such pads have been in use for many decades and have
similarly undergone changes in attempts to become more effective.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,330 (Erlich) discloses a garment protector that
is applied to the fabric of a piece of clothing in the area of a
wearer's underarm. This device is foldable near its mid-point and
allows two egg-shaped section to flex accordingly. This protector
uses the structure to assist in locating the pad in the appropriate
place on the garment. The padding, when thus positioned, is able to
absorb underarm perspiration and enhance the confidence of the user
while wearing it. The garment protector in U.S. Pat. No. 5,790,982
is similar to the Erlich pad in that it is foldable and can be
placed directly on the seam of the garment at the point where the
garment sleeve meets the garment body.
[0006] In another example of a garment protector, U.S. Pat. No.
4,545,080 (Gorham) teaches the use of a pad that has a specific
crease in it for alignment with the area where the sleeve of a
garment meets the body of the garment. This crease facilitates the
installation and adhesion of the pad to the garment, while
orienting the pad portion towards the underarm are of the user. The
garment pad in U.S. Pat. No. 3,588,916 (Glatt) discloses a garment
shield that employs an adhesive layer as well as an absorbent layer
for installation in the underarm area of a garment.
[0007] The problem with the prior art pads is that they still lack,
at times, sufficient adhesion area to securely keep the pad
attached to the clothing. Additionally the underarm protectors of
the prior art do present problems when trying to place them in the
desired location. In some cases, the known pads do not possess
enough absorbent material to fully protect the user, and the
garment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] A new garment protector comprises a disposable,
multi-layered pad with an absorbent face and an adhesive face. The
pad of the present invention has an overall "cross-shaped"
appearance that more conveniently aligns and adheres to the area in
a garment that corresponds to the underarm area of a user. The pad
of the present invention has an enhanced adhesive area and
absorbent area, with a zone where a high absorbency reservoir is
provided specifically where it is needed by a user. The adhesive
face of the pad is comprised of an impermeable material that acts
as a barrier between the garment and the absorbent face, and on the
surface of such impermeable material is an adhesive that allows for
the removable affixing of the pad to the garment. Further, the
adhesive face is covered by a sheath that covers the adhesive face
until it is ready to be used.
[0009] The novel garment protector of the present invention further
includes deodorant chemistry for counteracting any odor, and
chemistry for enhancing the ability of the pad to absorb
moisture.
[0010] These and other benefits and attributes of the present
invention will be more fully discussed herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a portion of a garment,
specifically a section of a shirt at the sleeve area, showing the
garment protector of the present invention installed in place.
[0012] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the garment protector of the
present invention with the absorbent face exposed.
[0013] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the garment protector of FIG.
2, with the adhesive face exposed.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the garment protector of
FIG. 2 taken at 4-4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] A garment protector in accordance with the present invention
is shown in the drawings, in particular FIGS. 1 and 2, a garment
protector or multi-layered pad 30 is disclosed as applied to a
shirt 10, the shirt being made from conventional fabric materials,
where the shirt includes the sleeve 12, the shirtfront 14, the
shirt back 16, the shirt interior 18, the sleeve interior 20 and
the sleeve seam 22. The garment protector 30 includes the padding
32, the pull-tab 34, and the indents 36. In addition, the garment
protector has interior lobes 44 and exterior lobes 46 and the
reservoir 48.
[0016] Turning to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the garment protector
30 further includes the sheath 38, and the backing 40. The
cross-section of the garment protector as depicted in FIG. 4
reveals the high capacity absorbent 42 as sandwiched in between the
padding 32, and the sheath 38.
[0017] In use, the garment protector of the present invention
provides an unexpectedly increased level of absorbency than
previous devices of this kind, and it can be used more easily than
some prior art protectors since it can be oriented to fit precisely
on the particular garment at the point where it is needed. The
multi-layered pad comprising the garment protector is fabricated in
what may be generally viewed as a "cruciform" shape, which means
that it is roughly "cross" shaped. This cruciform shape intuitively
imparts what may be termed longitudinal axis's to the pad which run
along the lengths established by opposing exterior lobes resulting
in two such axis's that cross substantially near the center of the
pad. In FIG. 2, these are shown as an "X" axis and a "Y" axis.
[0018] The pad is comprised of multi-layered components which will
be described in more detail below, however, the present embodiment
of the pad is pliable and easily folds along either of the
longitudinal axis's described above. Thus when the user is ready to
install the pad on a garment, it is possible to align the cruciform
shape such that one axis will be oriented in line with the sleeve
seam. With reference to FIG. 1, it can be appreciated that if it is
the "X" axis of the pad that is aligned with placement on the
sleeve seam, the opposing "Y" axis will be oriented in
perpendicular fashion and will be in rough parallel alignment with
the longitudinal axis of the sleeve, at least to the extent of the
portion of the "Y" axis or lobe that extends into the sleeve
interior. The other end of the "Y" axis or lobe will, as a result
of the folding that occurs along the "X" axis generally, will be
oriented to a second angle that is roughly ninety degrees relative
to the portion of the "Y" axis that extends into the sleeve
interior. This second "Y" axis lobe depends downwardly in the
shirt, the whole pad conforming generally to the interior of the
sleeve and shirt.
[0019] The arrangement of the pad described above, allows the pad
to be oriented with some precision as far as ensuring that the bulk
of the pad covers the area of the garment that would be subject to
the greatest need for protection from underarm perspiration. As
will be discussed further, the cruciform shape also allows the
maximum areas of absorbency to be positioned where the need for
protection is the greatest as well.
[0020] Turning now to the embodiment presented in FIGS. 2 and 4,
the pad is comprised of several layers that contribute to a
specific function of the garment protector. The depiction of the
pad in FIG. 2 shows the side of the pad with the padding, which may
be understood to be the absorbent face of the pad. The padding
completely covers this side of the pad including the raised area or
reservoir. In FIG. 3, the opposite side of the pad is shown with
the sheathing and the backing surfaces exposed. This side may be
understood as the adhesive face portion of the pad. In use, the
absorbent face is directed towards the underarm of the user, while
it is the adhesive face that contacts and adheres to the interior
portions of the shirt (or other garment).
[0021] The adhesive face includes the backing which is
preferentially a pliable plastic material of a kind and type that
would do service in applications of this type, and it has applied
thereon, a thin adhesive film (not shown) that may be located on
the surface of the backing or it may be embedded within the backing
itself, and which adhesive is suitable for affixing the pad to a
garment fabric. The sheathing covers the backing and the adhesive
film and is itself a thin plastic film that can be easily separated
from the backing and adhesive by pulling back on the pull tab and
withdrawing the sheathing away from the backing, as shown in FIG.
3, after which the sheathing is disposed in a normal fashion. The
sheathing is provided to protect the adhesive from drying out, or
from becoming unintentionally affixed to anything prior to the time
it is to be used. The pads are preferably packaged in pairs and
each pair would be preferably packaged as one unit, ready for use.
It should be understood that the garment protector of the present
invention is disposable, so that once used, it will be thrown away.
As will be discussed further, there are additives that can be made
to the pads that would require hermetic sealing in order to retain
effectiveness, thus the preference for packaging in use related
sizes.
[0022] Once the pad has the adhesive face exposed, it is brought
into position over the subject area of the garment where the
protection is desired. As mentioned above, this is typically the
area where the sleeve of a shirt or blouse (or similar) meets the
body of the garment, which many times is delineated by a seam that
brings the separate pieces of fabric together. The alignment is as
discussed above and when ready, the user merely presses the
adhesive face against the fabric of the garment and it will adhere
and be affixed in position. The actual adhesive that would be used
for the pad of the present invention is any adhesive that is
suitable for removable installation of the pad to the shirt or
blouse. These adhesives are known in the art and the exact type is
not specifically a part of the present invention. Preferably the
adhesive selected for the purposes herein, would be one that not
only provides the compatible adhesion, but also does not have any
propensity or properties for exciting an allergenic response from
the user.
[0023] Continuing, the absorbent face of the pad is now left
exposed to the area of the user's underarm when the shirt or blouse
is being worn. It is noted that the absorbent face has structure
that uniquely functions to absorb perspiration. The cruciform shape
allows for an expanded area of coverage although it is noted that
there is a difference in the contours on the absorbent face. The
reservoir area is comprised of the padding which overlies another
layer of highly absorbent material. By design, the reservoir area
of the pad has increased absorbency over the outlying non-reservoir
area that is comprised solely of the padding layers. The reservoir
is positioned by alignment and by design, directly where the
absorbency is needed the most in the usual case. The outlying areas
by contrast, have padding that is also absorbent but the padding is
also able to wick collected perspiration to the reservoir area. In
this manner, the pad of the present invention utilizes the expanded
surface area presented by the cruciform shape and the usage of a
central reservoir to operate to collect excessive perspiration and
to contain it. It is believed that the present invention will
therefore have longer service and will enhance the confidence of
users who know that their garment protector will not fade or "give
out" part way through an evening or an event.
[0024] The padding is typically a cotton based material however it
is believed that much of the padding material that would be suited
for the padding layers in the present invention would include some
fibers in order to provide structural strength that would not be as
efficient as the basic cotton material in terms of absorbency. The
important factors for selection of a padding materials for the
present invention, is that they retain a suitable degree of
absorbency to be able to wick perspiration away from the user and
allow it to be accumulated within a highly absorbent reservoir. As
the drawings imply, the reservoir is preferentially comprised of a
different material than the padding, and this comes about in part
because the absorbent in the reservoir is encapsulated within the
padding above and below. The use of less structured absorbents is
possible, which may include for instance, a material like 3M's
Gamgee.RTM. absorbent padding which provides an enhanced level of
absorbency over the materials that would comprise the padding
layers.
[0025] In addition to supplying the reservoir with a high capacity
absorbent, the pad of the present invention may also have other
additives. For instance, deodorant may be included in the padding
layers and in the absorbent within the reservoir area. A
conventional deodorant chemistry can be included and would
beneficially prevent the collected perspiration from becoming a
problem by reason of smell. In addition, chemical desiccants could
be used within the structures of the padding and the reservoir to
allow the chemical absorption of perspiration within the present
invention, which would help to reduce the feeling of "wetness" that
could develop as the reservoir becomes saturated. This enhancement
would not necessary extend the useful life of the product but it
would make it easier to handle when the garment protector is
removed from the shirt or blouse at the end of its period of use.
The removal process is merely the action of the user to coax an
edge of the pad to lift slightly and then to gently pull the whole
pad off the surface of the fabric. Given the appropriate selection
of adhesive, this procedure will not harm the fabric nor will it
cause any discoloring or staining. In yet another enhancement of
the present invention, the pad may be provided in colored
treatments, such as white or black to be able to coordinate with
clothing selections and to render the garment protector as discrete
as possible, but it also may come in flesh tones, or other colors
for the same purpose.
[0026] Given the enhanced functionality of the present invention,
and its overall ease of use, the applicant believes that the
garment protector taught herein will represent a significant
advance over the prior art garment protectors. Nonetheless, the
embodiments and features disclosed within this application are
meant to be illustrative of the invention and are not meant to be
limiting of the scope of the invention.
* * * * *