Swimwear with built-in draining mechanism

Details Swimwear with built-in draining mechanism Swimwear with built-in draining mechanism

2000-10-27

2004-11-23

Calvert, John J. (Department: 3761)

Surgery

Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material

Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...

C604S364000, C604S367000, C604S375000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06822136

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to disposable swimpants and swimsuits for pre-toilet trained children. More particularly, the swimwear has a built-in draining mechanism for draining swim water from the garment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Absorbent swim pants and swimsuits for pre-toilet trained children have absorbent cores and moisture barriers to prevent leaks of urine and bowel movements. Because the products are designed for leakage prevention, they retain sizable quantities of swim water, such as pool or lake water, during and after swimming. Some absorbent swim pants and swimsuits include containment flaps for additional leakage prevention. Containment flaps made of liquid impermeable material tend to retain even greater amounts of water within the garment than garments not having containment flaps. This retention of water is undesirable because it causes the pants to sag down, is uncomfortable for the wearer, can be uncontrollably released from the pant, and can soak towels and clothing after swimming.
There is a need or desire for an absorbent swimwear garment that provides uncompromised urine and bowel movement containment before swimming and allows the draining of excess water from the garment during and after swimming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a pant-like absorbent swimwear garment, such as a swim pant or a swimsuit, that prevents pre-swim urine leakage while allowing large amounts of excess water to be drained from the garment after swimming. A built-in draining mechanism in the garment uses semi-permeable gasketing materials or barrier materials, thereby enabling the absorbent garment to absorb urine without retaining excessive amounts of swim water, such as lake or pool water, after the wearer leaves the lake or pool. More particularly, a portion or all of the gasketing or barrier system is permeable to swim water at least under hydrostatic head conditions that exist in the garment when the wearer exits the water.
In one embodiment of the invention, semi-permeable or permeable containment flaps are used around the leg openings of the garment. The material that is used to form the containment flaps can be permeable to aqueous fluids under all pressures or only under high hydrostatic pressure. The material can have a gradient of permeability, for example, being most permeable at the top of the flap to impermeable at the bottom. Permeability can be delivered by the base material structure or by secondary perforations. Alternatively, permeability can be induced through partial or selective dispersibility.
In another embodiment of the invention, a liquid permeable outer cover composite serves as the built-in drain mechanism. The permeability can be zoned into the lowest, most inconspicuous portion of the garment, the back crotch area. By locating a permeable zone in the bottom of the garment, the permeable portion can be designed such that it requires a higher hydrostatic pressure to induce fluid flow. By requiring higher hydrostatic pressure, small amounts of fluid having relatively low hydrostatic pressures, i.e., pre-swim urinary insults, are better contained within the garment. Permeability can be delivered by the base material structure or by secondary perforations. Alternatively, permeability can be induced through partial or selective dispersibility.
An absorbent assembly including superabsorbent materials, surge materials, stabilized airlaid absorbent structures, coformed material, fluff pulp, or combinations of any of these materials, or the like, can be included in the absorbent garment to maintain a low hydrostatic pressure against the permeable membrane prior to swimming. These absorbent materials can be configured different ways to achieve fast intake and void volume generation to prevent excess fluid from reaching the containment flaps or other barrier materials. These materials can also be configured to direct incoming fluid insults parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the pant and to inhibit fluid movement away from the longitudinal centerline toward the permeable flap materials. Urine can be retained in the capillary structure or by gelation.
Prior to swimming, the garment can contain urine and bowel movements like a typical diaper or training pant. When the garment is worn while swimming, the water may dilute any urine that may be present and aqueous fluids not held in the absorbent material may flow out the garment through the semi-permeable or permeable membrane of the garment. Bowel movement material is kept inside the garment because the liner material is constructed as in a normal absorbent garment, which allows fluids to pass through while keeping bowel movements and other solids contained.
The resulting product is an absorbent swimwear garment that provides uncompromised urine and bowel movement containment before swimming but allows the draining of excess water from the swim pant during and after swimming, thereby resulting in improved pant fit, thus greater comfort, during and after swimming. Improved fit can lead to better bowel movement containment while swimming. Furthermore, the fluid permeability of the gasketing membrane also results in improved garment breathability. Such fluid permeability enables the garment to dry quickly.
With the foregoing in mind, it is a feature and advantage of the invention to provide an absorbent swimwear garment with a built-in draining mechanism for draining excess swim water.


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