GB2282053A

GB2282053A - Panties

Info

Publication number: GB2282053A
Application number: GB9318833A
Authority: GB
Inventors: May Ifeyinwa Mbu
Original assignee: MBU PATRICK BISONG
Current assignee: MBU PATRICK BISONG
Priority date: 1993-09-10
Filing date: 1993-09-10
Publication date: 1995-03-29
Also published as: GB9318833D0

Abstract

Panties for use with a sanitary, maternity or medical towel are provided that include an elasticated waistband 4 and a partial lining 6 of impermeable material. The panties are so configured and constructed that, in use, the towel is firmly held against a wearer's body by the panties via the impermeable material, and movement of the towel is substantially prevented. The material of the panties is substantially inelastic in direction 7 but is elastic in the direction 5. <IMAGE>

Description

PANTIES This invention relates to panties, in particular it relates to woman's panties for use in conjunction with a sanitary towel or maternity towel.

It is known that during menstruation, or following giving birth, women may use a sanitary towel or maternity towel, hereinafter collectively termed towels, to absorb menses or post-natal discharges respectively. The towel is generally placed inside a pair of woman's panties and held in place against the woman by those panties.

It is also possible that a result of a medical condition, or a medical treatment men may have to wear an absorbent pad in the region of their groin.

This arrangement is not always found to be satisfactory in that the towel may move from its intended position of use, because of the wearer's movements, the increase in weight of the towel during use, or a combination of both.

The movement of the towel from its intended position against the wearer may lead to discomfort to the wearer and/or to staining of the women's panties and perhaps outer garments.

To try to combat problems of movement, towels which incorporate adhesive sections are marketed. The adhesive is used to adhere the towel to the panties to try to limit or prevent movement. This solution has a degree of effect, but may not substantially alleviate the problem when maternity towels are being used, or where there is a particularly heavy flow of the menses.

An alternative attempt to solve the problem is the provision of panties specifically designed for use with maternity towels. These panties are configured as an elasticated waistband with a gusset that is attached to the waistband, and in use extends between the wearer's legs. The gusset includes an impermeable membrane which is so positioned to support the towel in the appropriate position against the wearer. This form of panties has not been found to substantially alleviate the problem of movement of the towel from the desired position.

According to the present invention there are provided panties suitable for use in conjunction with a sanitary, maternity or medical towel, in which the panties have an elastic waistband and are partially lined with an impermeable membrane, the impermeable membrane being so positioned in the panties that when worn in conjunction with a towel, the towel is fully supported against the wearer's body in an appropriate position by the impermeable membrane, and the panties are so configured that they substantially prevent movement of the towel from its intended position of use by way of the construction of the panties and the materials used therefor.

It has been found that the optimum material for construction of the present invention is one in which the material is elastic in a first direction and relatively inelastic in a second direction, the first and second directions being substantially perpendicular. This material is most optimumly used when the elastic direction of the material is substantially circumferential about the wearer.

The directional difference in elasticity of the material has the substantial benefit of allowing the panties to stretch in a circumferential direction to firmly and elastically surround and grip the wearer. This firm elastic rounding and gripping of the wearer has the effect that it is difficult for the towel to move from the desired position. The relative inelasticity of the material extending from the waistband to the region of the panties supporting the towel is desirable as it serves to substantially prevent the towel moving away from the wearer's body as the towel increases in weight as it is used. This is achieved by the substantially inelastic material transmitting the increasing weight of the towel directly to the waistband which is elastically gripping the wearer. This is especially important when the wearer is standing because if the towel were to move away from the wearer then there would be a greatly increased possibility of the towel moving and discomfort and/or staining occurring.

In a preferred embodiment the material of the panties is a mixture of cotton and elasticated acrylic fibres, for example LYCRA (Registered Trade Mark). Optimumly the material for the panties is composed of 90% cotton by weight and 10% acrylic elastic fibres by weight.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the panties are configured such that a portion of the panties extends along a portion of the upper thigh of each leg of the wearer. The impermeable portion of the panties extends at least partially along the portion of the panties extending along the wearer's legs. It is preferred that the openings in the panties through which the legs pass in this embodiment are elasticated, either through provision of additional elastic material, or by way of the material of the panties.

The present invention will be further described and explained by way of example with reference to the accompanying Figure.

A pair of panties 2 is comprised of a material 3 attached to an elasticated waistband 4. The material 3 is most preferably composed of a mixture of 90% cotton and 10% acrylic elastic fibres such as LYCRA (Registered Trade Mark). The material 3 has a substantially greater elasticity in the direction of arrow 5 than in the direction of arrow 7, the material in the direction of arrow 7 being relatively inelastic. The material 3 of panties 2 is socut as to comform closely to the body shape of the wearer and, when in use, tightly embraces the contours of the wearer. Attached to the material 3 on the face of material 3 adjacent to the wearer's skin is a piece of flexible impermeable material 6. The impermeable material 6 is so located and so configured that when the panties 2 are being worn, the impermeable material 6 may hold a sanitary towel or maternity towel (not shown) in the correct position against the wearer.

In the particularly preferred embodiment illustrated in the Figure the panties 2 have portions 8 that extend partially down the legs of the wearer. The edges of the apertures for the wearers legs in panties 2 are defined by elasticated bands 10 which help to prevent portions 8 from riding up the wearer's leg in use. The impermeable material 6 is so configured that portions 12 of material 6 extend into portions 8. This arrangement serves to give increased protection to the panties against staining.

Claims

1. Panties suitable for use in conjunction with a sanitary, maternity or medical towel, in which the panties are partially lined with an impermeable membrane, the impermeable membrane being so positioned in the panties that when worn in conjunction with a towel, the towel is fully supported against a wearers body in an appropriate position by the impermeable membrane, and the panties are so configured that they substantially prevent movement of the towel from its intended position of use by way of the construction of the panties and the materials used therefor.

2. Panties according to Claim 1 in which the panties are of a material that is elastic in a first direction and relatively inelastic in a second direction, the first and second directions being substantially perpendicular, and in which the first elastic direction is substantially circumferential about the wearer when the panties are constructed and in use.

3. Panties according to Claim 1 or 2 in which the panties are of a material comprised of a mixture of cotton and acrylic elastic fibres.

4. Panties according to Claim 3 in which the material is comprised of 90% cotton by weight and 10% acrylic elastic fibre by weight.

5. Panties according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the panties are so configured that the panties extend along a portion of each leg of the user.

6. Panties according to Claim 5 in which the impermeable portion extends into the portions of the panties that extend along the wearer's legs.

7. Panties according to any one of the preceding claims and as hereinbefore described with reference to the Figure.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. Panties suitable for use in conjunction with a sanitary, maternity or medical towel, in which the panties are partially lined with an impermeable membrane, the impermeable membrane being so positioned that in use it prevents staining of and leakage from the panties, characterised in that the material used for the panties, substantially prevents movement of the towel from its intended position of use, by means of the composition and configuration of the material.