Incontinence Garment

Abstract

A garment, mainly for use on bedridden persons, that includes an outer piece comprising a pair of short leg portions for the legs of a person and an imperforate continuous body portion in upward continuation of the leg portions to enclose the pubic and gluteal areas and to extend to approximately the waist, and an inner piece of moisture proof, flexible, sheet material having an outline generally corresponding to the outline of the outer piece, insertable into and removable from the upper end of the outer piece. The inner piece has a layer of moisture absorbent soft, fibrous material on one side and leg portions to extend into the leg portions of the wearer. The inner piece is to be positioned to extend across the gluteal region of the wearer and past the crotch with the moisture absorbent material facing the wearer.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The care of persons requiring catheters and those unable to control the natural evacuations, is particularly difficult where such persons, who are usually elderly, are bedridden.

Where catheters must be used, the patients may unconsciously remove them when asleep, thereby jeopardizing their welfare. Others not aware of the danger or not sufficiently competent to know the danger, may remove or attempt to remove the catheters, where the latter are readily accessible.

Heretofore, in many instances, the arms of the patients have been tied to prevent the hands from reaching the catheters, or to prevent sufficient bodily movement to dislocate them. In other instances, diaper-like devices have been devised, which are uncomfortable and difficult to apply and to change.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a comfortable garment that is readily positioned on a person and that, in most instances, will be adequate to prevent ready, manual access to a catheter when the latter is in place, and displacement of the catheter.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a comfortable garment to be worn by bedridden persons, which garment also protects the bedding from soiling due to incontinence of the wearer, and includes an outer garment that is moisture resistant, and an inner piece that includes a moisture-absorbent layer of material adapted to face the body of the wearer and which layer is secured to a moistureproof backing, and which outer garment is constructed to enable changing the inner piece from approximately a location adjacent to the waist of the person without removing the outer garment from the person, and by merely rolling the body to one side.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a comfortable garment to be worn by a bedridden person to both prevent ready access by such person to a catheter in position on such person, and which garment includes an outer piece that has leg and waist portions, generally of the character of short pants, and an inner piece that includes moisture-absorbent material on a sheet of moistureproof material that is adapted to be slipped into and out of a position against the rear side of such person and into the leg portions of the outer piece when the outer piece is loosened at the waist, without removing the outer piece from the person or materially changing its position.

An added object is the provision of a garment of the character described in the foregoing objects, that is adapted to be secured on persons of different body sizes without modification, or sacrifice of efficiency for its intended purposes.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the outer piece of the garment.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the rear side of the piece shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the side of the inner piece of the garment that is to face the rear side of a person when the garment is on the latter and within the piece shown in FIGS. 1, 2.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the garment with the pieces of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 assembled, the upper portion of the front wall of the outer piece being broken away to show the side shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged elevational view showing the outer piece of FIG. 1 folded on itself along a vertical medial line to show the cut formed to provide for the fullness of the buttocks and for positioning the inner piece without discomfort to the wearer.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view along line 6--6 of FIG. 4, the inner and outer parts being spaced apart and somewhat exaggerated to show structure.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary, cross-sectional view along line 7--7 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view along line 8--8 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The garment, as a whole, comprises an outer piece generally designated 1, (FIGS. 1, 2) and an inner piece, generally designated 2 (FIG. 3), the inner piece to be inserted into the outer piece for use on a person (FIG. 4).

The outer piece 1 is preferably of tough, paperlike, imperforate, moisture proof plastic material that is sufficiently economical to be disposable in the event of objectionable soiling, although it is reusable on the same person if not so soiled. Piece 1 is generally in the form of a pair of short pants, having a front, imperforate panel 3 and a rear panel that are continuously joined along the sides. The front and rear panels are cut along arcuate lines to define the crotch portion 5 dividing the legs and providing adequate fullness for the body and the inner piece, without discomfort.

Neither the front panel 3 or the rear panel 4 open, said panels being continuous, but the rear panel is recessed between the portions of the outer piece 1 that defines the sides 6 of the outer piece, as indicated at 7. This recess is generally rectangular, the opposite side edges extending slightly convergently downwardly from the upper edge of piece 1 and the lower edge extending horizontally along a line that extends across the upper portion of the buttocks when the piece 1 is on a person.

A band 8 (FIGS. 1, 2) of the same material as the piece 1 is secured to the panel 1 and sides 6 along the upper marginal portion of piece 1, said bands projecting a substantial distance toward each other from the upper ends of the free side edges of recess 7. A pair of tying tapes 9 or ribbons are respectively secured at one of their ends to the ends of the band 8 (FIG. 2) and a second pair of tying tapes or ribbons 10 are respectively secured at one of their ends to band 8 at points adjacent to the upper ends of the free side edges of recess 7.

The recess 7 enables a nurse or attendant to insert the inner piece 2 into the outer piece and to remove a soiled inner piece, when the wearer is rolled on one side, and to replace a piece so removed without removal of the wearer of the garment from a bed, and without lifting such wearer.

The recess 7 also enables either or both of the pairs of the tapes 9, 10 to draw the outer piece snugly about waists of different sizes without puckering the garment in a manner to produce uncomfortable bulges.

The inner piece 2 is wider than the horizontal dimension of piece 1, and its function is to provide an insert having a main body portion 13 with a pair of leg portions -respectively adapted to be extended into the leg portions 4 (FIG. 4) of the outer piece 1. The leg portions 14, when inserted into leg portions 4 may be shorter than the latter and when the crotch 15 of the inner piece is approximately at the crotch 5 of the outer piece, the body portion 13 will project above the upper edge of the outer piece 1, and will extend across the recess 7. Also, the marginal portions 16 of the inner piece will extend slightly around the lateral sides of the body of the person wearing the garment (FIG. 6).

Said inner piece 2 comprises a sheet 17 of waterproof flexible, paperlike plastic material of the type having a layer of soft, fibrous, moisture-absorbent material 18, secured on one side thereof.

The upper marginal portion 1 of the main body 13 of the sheet 17 may be relatively wide and may be folded on itself at the side having the absorbent material thereon (FIG. 7) with a narrow strip 20 of said marginal portion (FIGS. 3, 7) along the terminal edge of the portion 19 folded on marginal portion 19 to a position between said marginal portion and the body of the sheet, thereby precluding leakage of moisture past the terminal upper edge of piece 2. A second strip 22 of the same material as sheet 17 (FIG. 7) may be secured to the sheet 17 along and spaced below the marginal portion 19 to also function as a barrier to passage of moisture.

Along the inner and outer end edges of leg portions 14 the marginal portions 23 of sheet 17 are folded on themselves and a second similar strip 24 is partially folded on itself and is cemented to the marginal portions 23 (FIG. 8) to obstruct leakage of moisture from the absorbent material past the edges of the sheet.

It is pertinent to note that the sheet 17 will protect the rear panel 4 and sides 6 from moisture in the absorbent material 18, and the latter may be of whatever thickness is required. Also, said sheet 17 extends across the recess 7.

When the inner piece 2 is in the outer piece and the garment comprising the two pieces is on the wearer, the cinching of the band 19 by tying the tapes 9 or 10, according to the girth of the person, will hold the inner piece in position against displacement and removal.

The tapes for tying the garment on a person will be behind the body of the wearer and inaccessible for untying by the latter, and a catheter, when in position, will be covered by the outer piece 1.

It is to be understood that, normally, the main use of the garment hereinabove described is for the many relatively inactive elderly or physically incapacitated and bedridden persons that do not require the tying of their hands or bodies to restrain actions that may result in bodily harm, but who heretofore have, consciously or unconsciously succeeded in removing or displacing catheters essential to their care.

Also, it should be noted that the degree of protection against the soiling of bedding due to involuntary evacuations, is different from the protection required for persons in active life. The present invention enables an attendant to readily remove the inner piece and to replace it while the wearer is prone, when necessary, and without lifting the wearer of the garment or moving the person to a sitting or standing position. Furthermore, the economy of manufacture of the garment, as a whole, makes it practical to dispose of the outer piece, as well as the inner piece, when necessary.

Claims

We claim:

1. An incontinence garment comprising:

a. an outer piece of flexible, sheet material having front and rear continuous panels connected to extend across the front, rear and lateral sides of the body of a person to enclose the gluteal and pubic areas of such person, and having a crotch portion to extend between the legs of such person and leg portions adjoining the crotch portion extending downwardly therefrom in continuation of said front and rear panels for the legs of the person, said piece having an open upper end opposite to said leg portions,

b. an inner piece for insertion into said outer piece through said open end of the latter and for withdrawal from said open end, said inner piece comprising a sheet of moisture-absorbent, relatively soft, fibrous material having leg extensions for removably extending into said leg portions upon said insertion into said outer piece, and also a crotch portion and a main body portion integral with said leg extensions for extending over and in engagement with the rear side of the part of the body of a person to be enclosed by said outer piece when said outer piece is on said body and said inner piece is inserted into said outer piece with said leg extensions in said leg portions and with said crotch portion of said inner piece adjacent to the crotch portion of said outer piece.

2. In a garment as defined in claim 1;

c. said inner piece including a relatively thin, paper-like sheet of waterproof material covering the side of said sheet of absorbent material that is opposite to the side engageable with the rear side of the body of a person when said inner piece is inserted into said outer piece, and

d. said paper-like sheet including marginal portions extending across the edges of said sheet of absorbent material and overlying the marginal portion of the latter to prevent leakage of moisture past said edges.

3. In a garment as defined in claim 1;

c. said front panel including an upward continuation thereof for extending to approximately the waist line of a person when said outer piece is in said operative position and

d. said rear panel being cut away from a line approximately at the level of said waist line to a line at the gluteal area of a person when said outer piece is in said operative position to provide an upwardly opening recess on the rear side of said outer piece to facilitate said insertion of said inner piece into said outer piece, and the withdrawal of said inner piece from said outer piece,

e. said paper-like sheet including said absorbent material extending across said recess closing the latter when said inner piece is inserted within said outer piece with the crotch portions on said outer end inner pieces adjacent to each other,

f. and means releasably connectable at the back of the person wearing said garment for securing said outer piece and said inner piece on such person.

4. In a garment as defined in claim 2;

e. said front panel including an upward continuation thereof for extending to approximately the waist line of a person when said outer piece is in said operative position,

f. said rear panel being cut away from a line at the level of said waist line to a line at the gluteal area of a person when said outer piece is in said operative position to provide an upwardly opening recess in the rear side of said rear panel to facilitate said insertion of said inner piece into said outer piece and the withdrawal of said inner piece from said outer piece,

g. tie means secured to said upward continuation of said front panel respectively at opposite sides of said recess for tying together at the rear side of the person wearing said garment for securing said garment on such person,

h. said paper-like sheet including said absorbent material thereon extending across said recess closing the latter when said inner piece is inserted into said outer piece with the crotch portions on said inner and outer pieces adjacent to each other.

5. In a garment as defined in claim 4;

i. said inner piece being of a length to extend above said tie means when said inner piece is within said outer piece with said tie means extending outside said inner piece relative to the body of a person when said garment is on said person, whereby said tie means will releasably hold said inner piece in position within said outer piece.