Innovative washable garments for children and adults to absorb and retain urine

Abstract

The device is a washable garment for incontinence use containing three layers. The inner layer is a soft fabric capable of absorbing wetness. The middle layer is a waterproof membrane, designed to block wetness from going out. The outer layer is the shell, designed to protect the user from the weather elements. All three layers are bonded together to form an absorbent inner surface, and a water repellent outer surface. The bonded layers also keep the garment intact, making it more comfortable for the user. To ensure the outer surface remains water repellent, seam-sealing tape is applied to the outer seam lines, covering the stitches and stitching holes. The garment is specially designed for children in bed-wetting / potty-training use, as well as for adults who have urinary incontinence long term or short term, for example after a medical procedure.

Description

[0001] Innovative Washable Garments For Children and Adults to Absorb and Retain Urine

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates generally to the field of urine incontinence. More specifically, the present invention is a washable garment for children and adults that can absorb and retain urine.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Incontinence-type garments are specially designed for children in bed-wetting / potty-training use, as well as for adults who have urinary incontinence (i.e., loss of bladder control). The essential purpose of these types of garments is to absorb urine and prevent the urine from leaking out, similar to a diaper. But unlike a diaper, these specially designed garments are made to look and feel like regular clothes (e.g., sweatpants, skirts). Today, there are some manufacturers that make absorbent, water repellent garments, designed to keep the wetness within. But each of these products lack the comfort and feel of regular clothing. To better understand why that is, it is important to first understand the underlying challenges in manufacturing such products.

[0006] It is well established in the industry that incontinence-type garments can be produced by using multiple layers of fabric. Generally, the inner layer is the absorbent layer that touches the skin. The middle layer is a type of membrane or panel that is water repellent, designed to keep the wetness within and prevent urine from seeping out. Finally, the outer layer is typically the outer surface of the garment (e.g., polyester). In theory, any garment should be capable of being produced with all three layers bonded together to form absorbent, water repellent clothing that feels like regular clothing. But in practice, the finished product does not perform as expected. In particular, manufacturers realized that the garments were not completely water repellent because the urine leaked out through the stitching holes at the seam lines. To solve this issue, some manufacturers have added seam-sealing tape along the stitched seam. The tape prevents the urine from seeping out through the stitching holes. But since the sealing tape does not adhere well to the inner absorbent layer, it was necessary to manufacture the garment in two separate layers. The outer layer is combined with the water repellent membrane, wherein the membrane is positioned on the inside. The sealing tape is then applied to the stitching seams of the membrane, thereby making the outer layer completely water repellent. The compromise, however, is that the inner absorbent fabric becomes a separate layer and remains loosely attached inside the garment. Although this design is effective in stopping leaks, the major flaw is the reduced comfort. For adults especially, a separate layer of fabric hanging within the pants is uncomfortable for the wearer.

[0007] An objective of the present invention is to provide a solution to the aforementioned problem. More specifically, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a washable garment for children and adults that can absorb and retain urine, while still providing the same comfort level as regular clothing. The present invention is a washable garment (e.g., pants) that comprises three layers of fabric. The inner layer is a soft fabric capable of absorbing wetness. The middle layer is a waterproof membrane, designed to block wetness from going out. The outer layer forms the exterior surface of the pants, which is preferably made from polyester, cotton, or nylon. All three layers are bonded together to form an absorbent inner surface, and a water repellent outer surface.

[0008] Unlike other garments that use two separate layers, the three bonded layers in the present invention keep the garment intact, making it more comfortable for the user. To prevent leaks at the seam lines, the present invention further comprises seam-sealing tape. Unlike other garments that apply seam-sealing tape on the interior surface of the outer layer, the seam-sealing tape in the present invention is applied to the stitched seams along the exterior surface of the outer layer (emphasis added). The seam-sealing tape adheres firmly to the outer layer, thereby ensuring the garment remains water repellent at all times, day or night, and under any condition.

[0009] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top-front-right perspective view of the present invention.

[0010] FIG. 2 is bottom-rear-left perspective view of the present invention.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 4 is an enlarged, exploded view of the plurality of layers of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken along lines 5-5 in FIG. 1, showing the stitching of the plurality of layers.

[0013] FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the present invention in accordance with another embodiment, showing the addition of outseams.

[0014] DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

[0015] All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0016] As can be seen in FIGS. 1-5, the present invention is a washable garment for incontinence use. More specifically, the present invention is an absorbent, water repellent garment 1, comprising a plurality of layers 2 and seam-sealing tape 3. The inner layer 21 of the plurality of layers 2 is a soft fabric capable of absorbing wetness, preferably made from cotton or bamboo. More specifically, the inner layer 21 is selected from the group consisting of: cotton and bamboo. The middle layer 22 of the plurality of layers 2 is a waterproof membrane, designed to block wetness from going out. The outer layer 23 of the plurality of layers 2 forms the shell of the garment 1, designed to protect the user from harsh weather elements including wind and rain. The outer layer 23 is preferably made from polyester, cotton, or nylon. More specifically, the outer layer 23 is selected from the group consisting of: polyester, cotton, and nylon.

[0017] The plurality of layers 2 is bonded together via an adhesive 4 to form an absorbent inner surface, and a water repellent outer surface. The plurality of layers 2 can be bonded together using any known technique in the industry, including but not limited to adhesive bonding. As seen in FIG. 5, the outer edges 24 of the bonded plurality of layers 2 are then stitched together via a plurality of stitches 5 to form a plurality of seam lines 6. The stitching technique is not limited and can be in the form of any technique known in the industry.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of seam lines 6 comprises an inseam 61 and a crotch seam 62, thereby forming the shape of a pants garment as seen in FIGS. 1-3. However, the plurality of seam lines 6 is not limited to an inseam 61 and a crotch seam 62. In another embodiment, as seen in FIG. 6, the plurality of seam lines 6 further comprises outseams 63. In other embodiments, the plurality of seam lines 6 can include any other seam lines known in the industry to form other incontinence-type garments, including but not limited to skirts and underwear.

[0019] Although there are various forms of incontinence-type garments in the industry today, many are not completely water repellent due to the stitching holes traversing along the seam lines. The type of fabric layer used may be water repellent, but liquid water is still able to seep through the stitching holes. To address this issue, the present invention utilizes multiple strips of seam-sealing tape 3. As seen in FIGS. 1-3, the seam-sealing tape 3 is applied to the exterior surface of the outer layer 23 of the garment 1, positioned along each of the seam lines 6. The seam-sealing tape 3 adheres firmly to the outer layer 23, thereby ensuring the garment 1 remains water repellent at all times and under any condition. In other embodiments, the seam-sealing tape 3 can also be applied to the interior surface of the inner layer 21 as well.

[0020] To prevent urine from leaking out through the outer layer of the garment, the middle layer 22 is preferably in the form of a PU (Polyurethane) membrane. As best seen in FIG. 4, the polyurethane membrane is flexible, durable, and waterproof, making it ideal for use on incontinence-type clothing. However, it is understood that the middle layer 22 is not limited to a polyurethane membrane and can be in the form of any other waterproof material known in the industry.

[0021] To prevent urine from leaking out through the stitching holes, each of the strips of seam-sealing tape 3 is preferably centered over the plurality of seam lines 6 and overlapping the plurality of stitches 5, as seen in FIG. 5. Although the width of the seamsealing tape is not limited, it is preferrable that the seam-sealing tape has a predefined width W sufficient to overlap and cover the plurality of stitching holes 7 traversing across the entire length of the plurality of seam lines 6. This arrangement ensures that the seamsealing tape 3 firmly attaches to the outer layer 23 and prevents leaks from occurring at the stitching holes 7. In other embodiments, the seam-sealing tape 3 may overlap only part of the plurality of stitches 5. In other embodiments, the plurality of layers 2 is not limited to three layers and may include additional layers for improved absorbency and / or improved comfortability. Further, the material of each of the plurality of layers 2 is not limited, such that any material serving the same purpose can be used as a substitute for any material of the plurality of layers 2 described above. Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An incontinence garment comprising: a plurality of layers; seam-sealing tape; the plurality of layers comprising an inner layer; a middle layer, and an outer layer; the inner layer being a water-absorbent fabric; the middle layer being a water-proof membrane; the outer layer being a shell; the plurality of layers being bonded together via an adhesive; the outer edges of the plurality of layers being stitched together to form a plurality of seam lines; the seam-sealing tape being applied to the outer layer; and the seam-sealing tape covering the plurality of seam lines.

2. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 1 comprising: the seam-sealing tape being centered over the plurality of seam lines; the seam-sealing tape having a predefined width; and the width of the seam-sealing tape overlapping the stitching holes.

3. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of seam lines comprises an inseam and a crotch seam.

4. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 3, wherein the incontinence garment is in the form of pants.

5. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner layer is selected from the group consisting of: cotton and bamboo.

6. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 5, wherein the middle layer is a polyurethane membrane.

7. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 6, wherein the outer layer is selected from the group consisting of: polyester, cotton, and nylon.

8. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 7 comprising: the seam-sealing tape being centered over the plurality of seam lines; the seam-sealing tape having a predefined width; and the width of the seam-sealing tape overlapping the stitching holes.

9. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 8 comprising: the plurality of seam lines comprising an inseam and a crotch seam; and the incontinence garment being in the form of pants.

10. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 8, wherein the incontinence garment is in the form of a skirt.

11. An incontinence garment comprising: a plurality of layers; seam-sealing tape; the plurality of layers comprising an inner layer; a middle layer, and an outer layer; the inner layer being a water-absorbent fabric; the middle layer being a water-proof membrane; the outer layer being a shell; the plurality of layers being bonded together via an adhesive; the outer edges of the plurality of layers being stitched together to form a plurality of seam lines; the seam-sealing tape being applied to the outer layer; the seam-sealing tape covering the plurality of seam lines; the seam-sealing tape being centered over the plurality of seam lines; the seam-sealing tape having a predefined width; andthe width of the seam-sealing tape overlapping the stitching holes.

12. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plurality of seam lines comprises an inseam and a crotch seam.

13. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 12, wherein the incontinence garment is in the form of pants.

14. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 11, wherein the inner layer is selected from the group consisting of: cotton and bamboo.

15. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 14, wherein the middle layer is a polyurethane membrane.

16. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 15, wherein the outer layer is selected from the group consisting of: polyester, cotton, and nylon.

17. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 16 comprising: the plurality of seam lines comprising an inseam and a crotch seam; and the incontinence garment being in the form of pants.

18. The incontinence garment as claimed in claim 16, wherein the incontinence garment is in the form of a skirt.

19. An incontinence garment comprising: a plurality of layers; seam-sealing tape; the plurality of layers comprising an inner layer; a middle layer, and an outer layer; the inner layer being a water-absorbent fabric selected from the group consisting of: cotton and bamboo;the middle layer being a water-proof membrane in the form of a polyurethane membrane; the outer layer being a shell selected from the group consisting of: polyester, cotton, and nylon; the plurality of layers being bonded together via an adhesive; the outer edges of the plurality of layers being stitched together to form a plurality of seam lines; the seam-sealing tape being applied to the outer layer; the seam-sealing tape covering the plurality of seam lines; the seam-sealing tape being centered over the plurality of seam lines; the seam-sealing tape having a predefined width; the width of the seam-sealing tape overlapping the stitching holes; the plurality of seam lines comprising an inseam and a crotch seam; and the incontinence garment being in the form of pants.