Sanitary Panty Garment

Abstract

A sanitary panty garment having a crotch section formed from a laminate having an inner layer of a flexible stretchable plastic foam material with a high coefficient of friction and an outer layer of stretchable synthetic fabric material, the layers being bonded together to form a material having a high-coefficient-of-friction inside surface and sufficient elasticity frictionally to engage and form a secure pocket around a sanitary napkin to hold it in place within the crotch section of the garment without fasteners or other attachments to stabilize its position therein.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to sanitary panty garments, and more particularly to a sanitary panty garment having a special crotch section adapted to hold a sanitary napkin snugly in place without fasteners or other attachments.

Reference may be made to my prior U.S. Pat. No. 2,678,648, issued May 18 , 1954 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,048,176 , issued Aug. 7 , 1962 , for the field of this invention and typical prior art, which necessitates the use of fasteners for securing a sanitary napkin in place in the crotch section of the garment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a sanitary panty garment having a crotch section adapted per se to hold a sanitary napkin in place therein without any fasteners or other appurtenances to stabilize it in the position originally placed; and the provision of such a sanitary panty garment which is comfortable to wear and economical to manufacture.

In general, a sanitary panty garment of this invention has a laminated crotch section comprising an inner layer of a flexible resilient plastic foam material having an exposed surface which has a relatively high coefficient of friction for frictionally holding a sanitary napkin placed thereon in position in the crotch section and an outer layer of a stretchable fabric bonded to the inner layer. The inner and outer layers interact to provide a stretchable elastic laminate with a high-coefficient-of-friction inside surface for frictionally engaging and forming a snug pocket around a sanitary napkin placed in the crotch section. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a sanitary panty garment;

FIG. 2 is a plan of a crotch piece per se before it is assembled with the body portion;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3--3 of FIG. 2 showing the laminations of the crotch piece;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation of a modification of the FIG. 1 garment;

FIG. 5 is a plan of a trapezoidal crotch piece per se of the garment shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged section on line 6--6 of FIG. 5 showing the laminations of the FIG. 5 crotch piece;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of another modification of the FIG. 1 garment;

FIG. 8 is a plan of an elongate rectangular crotch piece per se of the garment shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged section on line 9--9 of FIG. 8 showing the laminations of the FIG. 8 crotch piece.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, a sanitary panty garment is shown in FIG. 1 having a body portion 1 of thin fabric material. The body portion 1 comprises front and back sections 3 and 5 joined at stitched side seams 7. An elastic waistband 9 encircles the upper end of the body, which is gathered and stitched thereto. The garment has a crotch section 11. The crotch section 11 and body portion 1 are shaped to provide leg openings indicated generally at 13. The crotch section has front and back margins 15 and 17 extending from one leg opening to the other and stitched along seams 19 and 21 to the body portion 1. The leg openings 13 have side margins which are encircled by elastic bands 23 stitched thereto. The shape of the crotch section 11 before it is assembled with the body portion 1 as shown in FIG. 2 is such that the front and back margins 15 and 17 are convex and side margins 25 and 27 are concave. The portion of this crotch section adjacent the back margin 17 is wider than the portion adjacent the front margin 15. The side margins 25 and 27 are gathered under the elastic bands 23 encircling the leg openings 13 and are stitched thereto to form a pocket in the crotch section for holding a sanitary napkin therein.

The crotch section 11 is formed from a piece of laminated plastic material 29 comprising an inner layer 31 of a flexible resilient plastic foam material bonded to an outer layer 33 of stretchable fabric material. The laminate 29 may comprise, for example, a layer of polyurethane foam bonded as by heat sealing to stretchable nylon fabric, or a polypropylene foam bonded as by heat sealing to a polypropylene stretchable fabric. Other flexible resilient plastic foam materials bonded to other stretchable fabrics (as by an adhesive) may also be used. Preferably the layer 31 of foam is sliced from a block or slab of plastic foam material, the cells of the material being cut through at the surface of the material which becomes the exposed surface 35 so that this surface is of rough open cellular texture thereby having a relatively high coefficient of friction. The inner and outer layers 31 and 33 interact to provide a stretchable elastic laminate 29 with a high-coefficient-of-friction exposed or inside surface for frictionally engaging and forming a snug pocket around a sanitary napkin N placed in the crotch section, thus holding the sanitary napkin N stabilized in the desired position within the crotch section without the use of fasteners or other attachments.

FIG. 4 shows a rear view of a modified version of the FIG. 1 panty garment. The FIG. 4 garment is similar to the FIG. 1 garment except that the shape of the crotch section 11a before it is assembled with the body portion 1a is generally trapezoidal, having front and back margins 15a and 17a which are generally parallel and side margins 25a and 27a which are tapered inwardly toward the back margin 17a. The side margins 25a and 27a are gathered under the elastic bands 23 encircling the leg openings 13 and are stitched thereto to form a relatively deep pocket in the crotch section 11a for holding a sanitary napkin N snugly therein. The body portion 1a of the FIG. 4 garment is also slightly different from the body portion 1 in FIG. 1 as the body portions must be shaped to match up with their respective crotch section. The crotch section 11a is formed from the same laminated plastic material 29 as crotch section 11. The combination of the stretchable elastic laminate with a high coefficient of friction on the exposed inside surface, the deep pocket, and tapering sides provide a sanitary garment with a crotch section which conforms closely to the contour of the sanitary napkin to make the garment very comfortable to wear and holds a sanitary napkin securely in the position in which it is originally placed without the use of any fasteners.

Another modification of the FIG. 1 panty garment is shown in FIG. 7. The FIG. 7 garment is similar to the FIG. 1 garment except the crotch section 11b (FIG. 7) before it is assembled with the body portion 1b is of generally elongate rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 8. Side margins 25b and 27b are gathered under the elastic bands 23 encircling the leg openings 13 and are stitched thereto to form a relatively deep pocket in the crotch section for holding a sanitary napkin N snugly therein. The body portion 1b is shaped slightly differently from the body portion 1 in order to match up with the end margins 15b and 17b of the crotch section 11b . The crotch section 11b is formed from the same laminated material 29 as crotch section 11 and 111.

The combination of the high-coefficient-of-friction inside surface and elasticity of the laminate and the gathering of the side margins of the crotch section under elastic bands provides a crotch section which will frictionally engage and form a snug pocket around a sanitary napkin placed therein to hold the napkin in the position in which it is originally placed without the use of any fasteners, and provides a sanitary panty garment which is convenient to use and comfortable to wear. Also, the foam is basically bacteriostatic.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A sanitary panty garment having a laminated crotch section comprising an inner layer of a flexible resilient plastic foam material having an exposed surface which has a relatively high coefficient of friction for frictionally holding a sanitary napkin placed thereon in position in the crotch section, and an outer layer of a stretchable fabric bonded to said inner layer, said inner and outer layers interacting to provide a stretchable elastic laminate with a high-coefficient-of-friction inside surface for frictionally engaging and forming a snug pocket around a sanitary napkin placed in the crotch section.

2. A sanitary panty garment as set forth in claim 1 wherein said exposed surface of said plastic foam inner layer has an open cellular texture providing said relatively high coefficient of friction.

3. A sanitary panty garment as set forth in claim 2 wherein said exposed surface of said plastic foam inner layer is a cut surface.

4. A sanitary panty garment having a body portion of thin fabric material, an elastic waistband encircling the upper end of the body portion and stitched thereto and a crotch section, the body portion comprising front and back sections joined at stitched side seams, the body portion and crotch section being shaped to provide leg openings, the crotch section having front and back margins extending from one leg opening to the other, the front and back margins of the crotch section being stitched throughout their length to the body portion, the leg openings having side margins, said leg side margins being encircled by elastic bands stitched thereto, the crotch section being a laminated material comprising an inner layer of flexible stretchable plastic foam material having an exposed surface which has a relatively high coefficient of friction for frictionally holding a sanitary napkin in position within the crotch section and an outer layer of stretchable fabric bonded to said inner layer, said inner and outer layers interacting to provide a stretchable elastic laminate with a high-coefficient-of-friction inside surface for frictionally engaging and forming a snug pocket around a sanitary napkin placed in the crotch section.

5. A sanitary panty garment as set forth in claim 4 wherein the shape of the crotch section, before it is assembled with the body portion, is generally trapezoidal, the front and back margins thereof being generally parallel and the side margins thereof being tapered inwardly toward said back margin.

6. A sanitary panty garment as set forth in claim 5 wherein the side margins of the crotch section are gathered under the elastic bands encircling the leg openings and stitched thereto.

7. A sanitary panty garment as set forth in claim 4 wherein the crotch section, before it is assembled with a body portion, is of generally elongate rectangular shape.

8. A sanitary garment as set forth in claim 7 wherein the side margins of the crotch section are gathered under the elastic bands encircling the leg openings and stitched thereto.

9. A sanitary garment as set forth in claim 4 wherein the shape of the crotch section before it is assembled with the body portion is such that the front and back margins are convex and the side margins are concave, the portion adjacent the back margin being wider than the portion adjacent the front margin

10. A sanitary garment as set forth in claim 9 wherein the side margins of the crotch section are gathered under the elastic bands encircling the leg openings and stitched thereto.