Liner For Incontinent Pants

Abstract

A removable and washable liner for incontinent pants in the form of an essentially seamless flattened tubular sleeve formed from a porous hydrophobic knitted fabric enclosing one or more layers of an hydrophilic material, the hydrophobic sleeve acting as a barrier to prevent discharged body fluids absorbed by the enclosed hydrophilic material from wicking into contact with the wearer's body on its inner surface and with the enclosing pants on its outer surface, yet the liner, due to the porosity and tubular construction of the sleeve, being readily washable and free from obstructions which would retain or inhibit the removal of absorbed fluids during washing.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Numerous forms of incontinent pants have hitherto been proposed to retain discharged body fluids. In their simplest form, such pants may comprise a diaper formed from one or more layers of a material which will readily absorb the discharged fluids. Similarly, one or more layers of an absorptive material have been utilized as a liner for a garment which is impervious to the body fluids, thereby preventing the absorbed fluids from wetting the wearer's clothing, bed-clothing, or the like. In order to prevent the absorbed fluids from remaining in contact with the wearer's body, it has also been proposed to surface the side of the liner in contact with the wearer's body with a hydrophobic material, such a knitted fabric formed from non-absorptive fibers, which permits the fluids to flow through the knitted fabric for absorption by the underlying absorptive material, thereby maintaining a relatively dry and non-irritating surface in contact with the body.

All of the prior art arrangements are, however, subject to various disadvantages, particularly in their ability to be washed. For example, a liner composed of an inner ply of a knitted hydrophobic fabric and one or more outer plies of an absorptive fabric is usually formed by wrapping the edges of the plies with a binding tape and stitching the plies together. Unless a binding is used, the edges of the plies will readily fray and the stitching will unravel. Such binding, and even the stitching itself, provide obstructions which will retain or inhibit the removal of the absorbed fluids during washing. Since the body fluids provide an excellent culture medium to promote bacterial growth, complete removal of the body fluids during washing is essential if contamination is to be prevented. In addition, such edge bindings are relatively coarse and hard and hence are irritating to the wearer's skin, particularly when wet.

It will also be evident that if the liner includes an impervious outer ply, thorough washing and rinsing is further inhibited by the impervious material. Consequently, heretofore the various forms of incontinent pants and their liners have either compromised washability or have sacrificed fluid containment. If, for example, an absorptive liner is covered on its inner surface only with a protective layer of a knitted material which is hydrophobic, the liner nonetheless wets the surrounding outer garment, with the result that both the liner and the outer garment must be changed. Even if the liner is provided with an impervious outer cover, the absorbed fluids will wick through the edge bindings and wet the outer garment, again necessitating changing of both the liner and the outer garment. Usually, where the outer garment is formed from a liquid impervious material, such as a nylon fabric coated on its inner surface with a vinyl plastic, the garment will be lined on its inner surface with a layer of flannel or other material which will contact the wearer's body; and when wicking occurs, the flannel lining will be wetted, again posing a laundering problem.

In contrast to the foregoing, the instant invention provides a liner which effectively prevents wicking and hence leakage of the contained body fluid, yet the liner is readily washable with the assurance of essentially complete removal of urine and other contained body wastes.

RESUME OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention, the liner comprises an elongated seamless tubular sleeve adapted to be detachably secured to the inner surface of the outer garment, the liner sleeve containing one or more layers of a hydrophilic material extending the full length of the sleeve.

The tubular sleeve is preferably of a length to extend from the uppermost front edge of the outer garment to the uppermost rear edge thereof, and of a width to comfortably pass between the wearer's legs. The tubular sleeve is in flattened condition and the enclosed hydrophilic material will be of a width to lie essentially flat within the confines of the flattened sleeve.

Being in the form of a seamless tube surrounding the enclosed layers of hydrophilic material, no binding tapes or stitching is required along the side edges of the liner; and while the opposite end edges of the sleeve are preferably bound and stitched to close the ends of the sleeve and bind together the end edges of the juxtaposed layers, such bindings will lie in the area of the wearer's waist and hence as remote as possible from the normal area of containment of the body fluids.

Preferably, the tubular sleeve will be formed from a double knit woven fabric having a sufficiently open mesh weave to permit the fluids to readily pass therethrough. Single knit woven fabrics also may be employed, although the double knits are preferred due to their increased thickness which increases the barrier forming properties of the sleeve. Excellent results have been achieved using knitted fabrics made from hydrophobic yarns, such as olefin, nylon, Dacron, Orlon, polyester and the like, all of which fibers provide the desired hydrophobic characteristics. The inner hydrophilic plies are preferably formed from cotton fabrics, such as flannel, the so-called double nap flannels being preferred. Alternatively, the hydrophilic material may comprise hydrophilic foam, which is a synthetic sponge-like material available in sheet form.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a typical outer garment incorporating a liner in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the inner surface of the outer garment with the liner attached.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated an essentially conventional outer garment 1, in the nature of detachable diaper pants having front and rear body panels 2 and 3, respectively, interconnected by a crotch portion 4. At their opposite ends the body panels 2 and 3 are provided with gathered waistline portions 5 and 6, respectively fitted with interior elastic bands, and the opposite sides of the crotch forming portion 4 and the adjoining edges of the body portions are also gathered and provided with elastic bands, as indicated at 7 and 8, to define leg hole openings 9 and 10, as seen in FIG. 1.

The opposite side edges of the front body panel 2 are bound by strips of binding material, indicated at 11 and 12; and similarly, the opposite side edges of rear body panel 3 is provided with binding strips 14 and 15. Snap fastener elements 16 are arranged at spaced apart intervals along the opposite side edge of front body panel 2, and mating snap fastener elements 17 are provided along the opposite side edge of rear body panel 3, the sets of snap fasteners, when engaged, forming the body surrounding garment illustrated in FIG. 1.

The material from which the outer garment is formed does not constitute a limitation on the invention, although preferably it will comprise an essentially impervious outer covering 17, as seen in FIG. 3, formed from a non-fibrous film or from a woven fabric, such as nylon, coated with a vinyl or other material which renders the covering impervious to fluids. Such covering may be unlined, although preferably it will be lined with a layer of flannel 18 or other soft material which will protect the wearer's skin from direct contact with the impervious covering. It is to be understood that numerous modifications may be made in the outer garment without departing from the spirit and purpose of the invention which has to do with the liner which is associated with the outer garment.

As will be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the liner, which is indicated generally at 19, comprises an elongated seamless tubular sleeve 20 which is preferably of a length to extend from the front waistband portion 5 to the rear waistband portion 6 of the outer garment, as will be clearly evident from FIG. 2. The width of the liner will be preferably substantially equal to the width of the crotch 4 when the liner sleeve is in essentially flattened condition. The liner sleeve 20 is formed from a seamless tube of a knitted fabric having an open mesh weave which renders it porous and permits fluids to readily flow therethrough. Double knit fabrics are preferred due to their added thickness, although single knit fabrics may be readily employed. The yarn from which the sleeve is made is of essentially hydophobic character, being woven from olefin fibers, nylon, Dacron, Orlon, polyester fibers or the like, all of which are of hydrophobic character.

One or more layers of a highly absorptive or hydrophilic material, such as the layers 21 and 22 illustrated in FIG. 3, are enclosed within the sleeve 20. These layers will be formed from a material such as flannel, preferably a double napped flannel, or they may be formed from a sheet of hydrophilic foam, which is a sponge-line synthetic cellular material. The number of layers of lining material does not constitute a limitation on the invention and one or more layers may be employed, depending upon the desired absorbency.

The layer or layers of lining material preferably will extend the full length of the tubular sleeve 20 and will have a width substantially equal to the width of the outer sleeve.

The opposite end edges of the liner are bound and stitched, as indicated at 23 and 24, so that the inner layer or layers of absorptive material are joined to the surrounding sleeve. Sets of snap fasteners, indicated at 25, are provided to secure the ends of the liner to the waistline portions 5 and 6 of the outer garment. In order to avoid twisting or "roping" of the inner layers, particularly during washing, it is preferred to provide transverse lines of stitching 26 and 27 at approximately the opposite ends of the crotch area to hold the absorbent layers in place within the sleeve. Preferably the thread used for the lines of stitching will be formed from hydrophobic fibers.

As should now be evident, a liner formed in accordance with the invention provides a self-contained unit in which the absorbent material is completely surrounded and enclosed within a barrier sleeve which is effectively free from obstructions throughout its length which would permit undesirable wicking of contained fluids. Yet the liner may be readily washed with the assurance that all contained fluids will be removed. The tubular barrier provides a non-absorbent and hence essentially dry surface for contact with the wearer's body, and at the same time the surface in contact with the outer garment is protected from wetting by the contained fluids. It will be evident that modifications may be made in the invention without departing from its spirit and purpose. For example, while snap fasteners are preferred to secure the liner to the outer garment, other fastening means may be employed, as for example, a Velcro type fastener may be used. Similarly, the edge bindings at the opposite ends of the liner may be secured other than by stitching, as for example by heat sealing where the nature of the fabrics permits them to be bonded together. Other modifications will undoubtedly occur to the worker in the art upon reading this specification, and it is not intended that the invention be limited other than in the manner set forth in the claims which follow.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a garment for incontinent persons, a unitary liner adapted to be attached to the inner surface of the garment to extend from front to rear throughout the crotch area, said liner consisting essentially of an elongated, longitudinally seamless, porous tubular sleeve formed from a hydrophobic material, and at least one layer of a hydrophilic material wholly contained within and surrounded by said tubular sleeve, said tubular sleeve being in flattened condition with the layer of hydrophilic material lying in essentially flat condition within said flattened sleeve and substantially coextensive therewith, whereby said porous hydrophobic sleeve permits body fluids to pass therethrough for absorption by said enclosed layer of hydrophilic material and at the same time acts as an enclosing barrier effective to prevent the discharge of the contained body fluids by wicking action even if the liner is in contact with an outer garment or the like capable of absorbing such fluids, binding tapes surrounding the opposite ends of said sleeve and the underlying ends of the hydrophilic layer, means secured to said binding tapes for detachably connecting said liner to an outer garment, and stitching extending through said sleeve and the enclosed layer of hydrophilic material at spaced apart intervals to prevent the enclosed layers from twisting relative to the sleeve.

2. The liner claimed in claim 1 wherein said stitching is formed from thread consisting of hydrophobic fibers.