Underwear including a perineal support device to reduce urinary leaks during exercise

Abstract

The invention relates to an undergarment (1) comprising a peripheral waistband (2), a front face (3) intended to at least partially cover a pubis of a user and a rear face (4) intended to at least partially cover the buttocks of the user. The front face (3) and the rear face (4) are connected by a crotch (5). A strap (6) extends between a front fastening means (7) constituting the front face (3) and a rear fastening means (8) constituting the rear face (4), the strap (6) overhanging at least the crotch (5) and comprising a sleeve (9) housing a plate (10) of which at least one of the faces (10a, 10b) is covered with a foam (11). Such an undergarment (1) is capable of reducing urinary leaks from a support of the sleeve (9) on at least the perineum of the user. Figure 3

Description

Title of the invention: Underwear comprising a perineal support device to reduce urinary leaks during exercise

[0001] The invention relates to an undergarment designed to support a user's perineum and to cause a closure of the user's urethra, in particular during exercise, in order to stop urinary leaks produced during exercise. Its subject is such an undergarment.

[0002] When a female person exerts effort, for example by performing a sporting activity, such as gymnastics or other, or due to a professional or leisure activity generating abdominal contraction, urinary leaks are likely to appear. These urinary leaks appear in particular when the pelvic floor no longer plays its supporting role. These urinary leaks often require the use of an accessory attached between the user and underwear worn by the latter.

[0003] Known, in particular from document EP2958556, is a panty liner which comprises a lower portion configured to adhere to a crotch portion of a thong undergarment. The lower portion has the same thickness throughout the panty liner, the panty liner further comprising a pelvic organ support positioned at the top of the lower portion. The pelvic organ support is the only portion extending from the lower portion and comprising a topography complementing the external female genitalia. The topography comprises only vertically ascending concentric contours extending from the lower portion towards a top of the pelvic organ support at the thickest portion of the pelvic organ support. The vertically ascending concentric contours have the same shape, the same symmetrical shape along a central anteroposterior axis and along an axis orthogonal to the central anteroposterior axis.The pelvic organ support contains an absorbent material configured to absorb vaginal moisture from the top to the bottom. The pelvic organ support maintains support for an expected prolapse of the external female genitalia after absorption of vaginal moisture. The panty liner contains an outer perimeter with an anterior end and a posterior end, the anterior end having a width that is greater than the width of the posterior end. The edges between the anterior end and the posterior ends are straight.

[0004] Such a panty liner is bulky, difficult to place and use, and ultimately not very effective.

[0005] As urinary leaks are a taboo subject, such a situation can lead a user to no longer practice sporting activity, which is detrimental to their health, or to stop a professional or leisure activity, which proves very restrictive.

[0006] An aim of the present invention is to propose an undergarment intended to be worn by a user, such an undergarment being simple, discreet and pleasant to use, such an undergarment being moreover of a common external appearance offering no annoying visual characteristics, so as to be easily worn under a potentially tight-fitting garment, while providing external support of the perineum which is optimized, to allow the user a sporting, professional or leisure activity requiring effort, in particular relating to abdominal contraction.

[0007] Another aim is to provide underwear that remains in position and accompanies all the movements of the user's body, regardless of the activity carried out by the user.

[0008] The present invention falls within this context and provides an undergarment comprising a peripheral waistband, a front face intended to at least partially cover a pubis of a user and a rear face intended to at least partially cover the buttocks of the user, the front face and the rear face being connected by a crotch.

[0009] According to the present invention, a strap extends between a front fastening means constituting the front face and a rear fastening means constituting the rear face. The strap overhangs at least the crotch and comprises a sleeve housing a plate, at least one of the faces of which is covered with foam. It is understood that the strap forms a perineal support device. It is understood that the strap is arranged at least above the crotch, or even partially above the front face and / or partially above the rear face. The sleeve is preferably made of a draining and absorbent fabric to drain and contain urinary leaks, so that the user does not feel any sensation of humidity. The plate is a preferably rigid plate to be pressed against the user's perineum. The foam is a comfort foam to make the underwear comfortable to wear.

[0010] The underwear advantageously comprises at least one of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination:

[0011] - the sleeve is interposed between a portion of front strap which is shaped into a parallelogram and a portion of rear strap which is shaped into a rectangle. These arrangements are such that the sleeve is substantially located above the user's anus and vagina, without covering the user's urethra, in order to avoid urinary tract infections,

[0012] - the front strap portion includes a rear base which adjoins the sleeve and which is of a first width and a front base which adjoins the front face and which is of a second width greater than the first width. Such a conformation of the front strap portion allows optimized coverage of the user's pubis,

[0013] - the rear face is provided with a pocket housing a reinforcement. Such a reinforcement is preferably a stiffening reinforcement. Such reinforcement is positioned at the bottom of the back and above the buttocks to optimize the support of the underwear on the user,

[0014] - the pocket is arranged parallel to the peripheral belt,

[0015] - the pocket is arranged at a first distance from the peripheral belt which is non-zero and at a second distance from the rear fastening means which is non-zero,

[0016] - the pocket is made up of a rear band which extends between the belt peripheral and the rear fixing means, and which constitutes the rear face,

[0017] - a height taken between the sleeve and the crotch is non-zero. We understand that new that the sleeve is distinct and dissociated from the crotch, and that the sleeve is located at a distance above the crotch to optimize the wearing of the underwear by the user.

[0018] - the plate has a front part which is tapered towards an intermediate part interposed between the front part and a rear part which is shaped like a diamond. Such a conformation of the plate makes it easier to maintain the sleeve above the crotch. In addition, such a conformation offers better comfort for the user's coccyx and does not generate discomfort between the user's thighs.

[0019] - the rear strap portion is a fourth width equivalent to a third width of a rear edge of the sleeve. These arrangements make it easier to wear the underwear with optimized positioning of the rear strap portion between the user's buttocks.

[0020] The invention and the advantages resulting therefrom will be better understood upon reading the description and the non-limiting embodiments which follow, with regard to the appended figures in which:

[0021] [Fig-1] represents a front view of an undergarment according to the present invention.

[0022] [Fig.2] represents a rear view of the underwear illustrated in the previous figure.

[0023] [Fig.3] represents a cross-sectional view of the underwear illustrated in the previous figures.

[0024] [Fig.4] represents a top view of a strip constituting the underwear illustrated in the previous figures.

[0025] [Fig.5] represents a side view of the underwear illustrated in Figures 1 to 3.

[0026] In Figures 1 and 2, an undergarment 1 is illustrated, intended to be worn by a user in order to reduce potential urinary leaks generated during exercise, the undergarment 1 being visible from the front in [Fig. 1] and from the back in [Fig. 2].

[0027] The undergarment 1 comprises a peripheral belt 2 carrying a front face 3 intended to at least partially cover a pubis of the user and a rear face 4 intended to at least partially cover the buttocks of the user. The peripheral belt 2 carries the front face 3 and the rear face 4, which are connected to each other by a crotch 5. When the undergarment 1 is worn by the user, the crotch 5 is interposed between the thighs of the user. The peripheral belt 2 is in particular made from a straddled elastic.

[0028] In Figures 3 to 5, a strap 6 is shown which advantageously extends between a front fixing means 7 constituting the front face 3 and a rear fixing means 8 constituting the rear face 4. The front fixing means 7 preferably comprises a front seam which connects the strap 6 and the front face 3. The rear fixing means 8 preferably comprises a rear seam which connects the strap 6 and the rear face 4. According to another variant embodiment, the fixing means 7, 8 comprise reversible attachment means, heat-sealing connection means or the like.

[0029] The strap 6 overhangs at least the crotch 5 and comprises a sleeve 9 housing a plate 10 of which at least one of the faces 10a, 10b is covered with a foam 11. The plate 10 is a rigid plate made of a metallic material, stainless steel in particular, which forms a frame for the sleeve 9 and prevents twisting and / or bending of the sleeve 9 and / or the strap 6 between the front face 3 and the rear face 4. The foam 11 is a comfort foam of parallelepiped conformation but which has a curved appearance due to the seams provided at the edge of the sleeve 9.

[0030] The sleeve 9 is interposed between a front strap portion 6a and a rear strap portion 6b.

[0031] The front strap portion 6a is shaped into a parallelogram. According to one embodiment, the front strap portion 6a comprises a rear base 6c, which adjoins the sleeve 9 and which has a first width L1, and a front base 6d, which adjoins the front face 3 and which has a second width L2 greater than the first width L1. The first width L1 and the second width L2 are taken in a direction orthogonal to a general elongation axis A1 of the strap 6 and between longitudinal edges 6x of the strap 6.

[0032] The rear strap portion 6b is shaped into a rectangle. The rear strap portion 6b has a fourth width L4 equivalent to a third width L3 of a rear edge of the sleeve 9, the fourth width L4 being taken in a direction orthogonal to the general elongation axis A1 of the strap 6 and between the longitudinal edges 6x of the strap 6, the third width L3 being taken in a direction orthogonal to the general elongation axis Al of the strap 6 and between longitudinal edges of a rear edge of the sleeve 9. The rear edge of the sleeve 9 is the one which adjoins the rear strap portion 6b.

[0033] It is noted that a height H taken between the sleeve 9 and the crotch 5 is non-zero, such that the sleeve 9 is dissociated from the crotch 5 and arranged at a distance from it.

[0034] Referring again to [Fig.4], the plate 10 has a front portion which tapers towards an intermediate portion interposed between the front portion and a rear portion 10c which is shaped like a diamond.

[0035] Referring again to [Fig.2], the rear face 4 is provided with a pocket 12 which houses a reinforcement 13. The pocket 12 preferably extends parallel to the peripheral belt 2. The pocket 12 contains the reinforcement 13 which is a stiffening reinforcement of elongated parallelepiped shape. Preferably, the reinforcement 13 is shaped as a tab made of a metallic material, such as stainless steel, possibly covered with a polymer material, such as PET or the like. The reinforcement 13 allows better support of the peripheral belt 2 of the underwear 1 above the buttocks of the user when the underwear 1 is worn.

[0036] According to a preferred embodiment, the pocket 12 is arranged at a first distance D1 from the peripheral belt 2 which is non-zero and at a second distance D2 from the rear fixing means 8 which is non-zero.

[0037] The pocket 12 preferably constitutes a rear strip 14 which extends between the peripheral belt 2 and the rear fixing means 8, and which constitutes the rear face 4.

[0038] It is noted that the rear face 4 is preferably made of an elastic fabric of the second skin effect type to adapt to the user's buttocks, with an edge preferably glued so as not to mark the buttocks and to be invisible under clothing.

[0039] It is also noted that the strap 6 is made of a rigid or blocked fabric. This allows the front strap portion 6a, the rear strap portion 6b and the sleeve 9 to not be able to deform, and therefore the sleeve 9 to always be correctly positioned above the anus and the vagina and to apply a certain pressure to the user's perineum.

[0040] It is also noted that no adjustment is possible, and a fortiori necessary, on the part of the user for placing the sleeve 9 on the vagina, the perineum and the anus of the user to press on the perineum and close the urethra of the user.

[0041] These arrangements are such that, when the user exerts effort and her abdominal muscles contract and exert downward pressure towards the perineum, the latter is able to return this pressure thanks to the presence of the sleeve 9 carried by the strap 6, thus causing the urethra to flex and close. In other words, thanks to the strap 6 provided with the sleeve 9 which forms a perineum support device, the underwear 1 exerts slight pressure under the perineum and participates in returning the forces exerted during the effort, which minimizes the risk of urinary leaks.

Claims

Claims

1. Underwear (1) comprising a peripheral belt (2), a front face (3) intended to at least partially cover a pubis of a user and a rear face (4) intended to at least partially cover the buttocks of the user, the front face (3) and the rear face (4) being connected by a crotch (5), characterized in that a strap (6) extends between a front fastening means (7) constituting the front face (3) and a rear fastening means (8) constituting the rear face (4), the strap (6) overhanging at least the crotch (5) and comprising a sleeve (9) housing a plate (10) of which at least one of the faces (10a, 10b) is covered with a foam (11), the sleeve (9) being interposed between a front strap portion (6a) and a rear strap portion (6b).

2. Underwear (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the front strap portion (6a) comprises a rear base (6c) which adjoins the sleeve (9) and which is of a first width (L1) and a front base (6d) which adjoins the front face (3) and which is of a second width (L2) greater than the first width (L1).

3. Underwear (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rear face (4) is provided with a pocket (12) housing a reinforcement (13).

4. Underwear (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the pocket (12) is arranged parallel to the peripheral belt (2).

5. Underwear (1) according to any one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the pocket (12) is arranged at a first distance (D1) from the peripheral belt (2) which is non-zero and at a second distance (D2) from the rear fastening means (8) which is non-zero.

6. Underwear (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the pocket (12) is constituted by a rear band (13) which extends between the peripheral belt (2) and the rear fastening means (8), and which is constituted by the rear face (4).

7. Underwear (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a height (H) taken between the sleeve (9) and the crotch (5) is non-zero.

8. Underwear (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plate (10) comprises a part

9. front which is tapered towards an intermediate part interposed between the front part and a rear part (10c) which is shaped like a diamond. Underwear (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rear strap portion (6b) is of a fourth width (L4) equivalent to a third width (L3) of a rear edge of the sleeve (9).

Images