Textiles: knitting – Fabrics or articles – Articles
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-03
2002-12-31
Worrell, Danny (Department: 3765)
Textiles: knitting
Fabrics or articles
Articles
C066S202000, C002S239000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06499320
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to garments and the materials for garments that embody antimicrobial properties. More particularly, the present invention relates to garments and materials for garments that contain a metal such as silver, wherein the metal is the antimicrobial agent.
2. Prior Art Statement
There are many garments that are worn on the body that harbor bacterial and other microbial contamination. Socks are an obvious example. When socks are worn on the feet, the socks absorb perspiration. Furthermore, the sock becomes contaminated with microbial agents from the foot and shoe. The moist warm material of the sock is ideal for the growth of the microbial agents. As such, the socks quickly become malodorous and require laundering.
Typically, people only change their garments once a day. As the day progresses, the degree of microbial contamination within the garments increases. In addition to odor, microbial contamination has other adverse effects. The presence of the contaminated garment against the skin sometimes effects the health of the skin. People with sensitive skin may develop rashes, blisters and/or microbial infections transferred from the garments.
Another example of where a garment becomes quickly contaminated is a liner for a prosthetic limb. Liners are often placed over the remaining portion of an amputated limb prior to the attachment of a prosthesis to that limb. As a prosthesis is placed over the liner, the liner becomes encased in a dark, warm confined area. The liner quickly becomes contaminated with microbial agents from the skin. The liner harbors the microbial agents until laundered. The presence of the microbial agents causes the liner to become malodorous and often causes irritation to the skin. This requires a person to remove the prosthetic limb and change the liner more often than is convenient.
In the prior art, there exist many different ways to manufacture garment material so that it resists microbial contamination. One of the most common techniques used is to treat the material with an antimicrobial agent. Such prior art techniques are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,464,847 to Megson, entitled, Treatment Of Fabrics With Anthrantic Acid And Silver Nitrate Solutions. A problem associated with treating material with antimicrobial chemicals is that the antimicrobial chemicals tend to wash out of the material over time as the material is repeatedly laundered. Furthermore, the chemicals themselves may cause irritation to sensitive skin.
Another prior art technique used to resist microbial contamination of material is to manufacture the material from inorganic materials that do not absorb moisture or harbor bacteria. Garments made from such specialty materials tend to be more expensive than garments made of conventional materials. Furthermore, garments made from such materials tend to be less comfortable than garments made from conventional materials. Furthermore, although there exist many synthetic materials that do not harbor moisture and microbial contamination, these materials typically do no have antimicrobial properties that actively combat contamination.
A need therefore exists for a garment material that is comfortable, inexpensive and actively fights microbial contamination. This need is met by the present invention as it is described and claimed below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a garment device and its associated method of manufacture. The garment produced has an internal surface and an external surface, wherein the internal surface contacts a portion of the user's skin. The garment is preferably fabricated from a knitted or woven material having at least one first yarn made from a conventional garment material and a second yarn that includes an active antimicrobial agent. The knit pattern is designed to cause the conventional garment material to be predominant on the exterior surface of the garment while the yarns containing the antimicrobial agent are predominant on the interior surface of the garment. The presence of the yarns with the active antimicrobial agent on the interior of the garment resists the microbial contamination of the interior of the garment. As a result, the length of time the garment can be worn without the adverse effects of contamination can be extended.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3464847 (1969-09-01), Megson
patent: 3950822 (1976-04-01), Bolli
patent: 4206514 (1980-06-01), Yamauchi
patent: 4672825 (1987-06-01), Yasukawa et al.
patent: 5053021 (1991-10-01), Feibus
patent: 5651244 (1997-07-01), Lucca
patent: 5799333 (1998-09-01), Mcgarry et al.
patent: 5965223 (1999-10-01), Andrews et al.
patent: 6155084 (2000-12-01), Andrews et al.
LaMorte & Associates
Worrell Danny
LandOfFree
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