Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Background of the Invention
In recent years, disposable diapers have met with in-
creased commercial accep-tance primarily because of their conven-
ience as opposed to cloth diapers which neéd to be laundered once
soiled. There exists, however, a need for a disposable training
panty which can be ~sed during the transition period between dia-
pers and reusable undergarments. An undergarment of this general
type would also be useful with incontinent adults and children
because of their absorbent properties, fit, and disposability.
Currently available training pants are generally made
~rom ~nitted or woven cloth, such as cotton, or cotton-polyester
blenas. They may or may not include additional absorbent layers
in the crotch area and they may include a water-repellent outer
layer. Non-disposable training pants are disclosed, for example,
in U.S. Patent Nos~ 2,733,715, 3j237,625, 3,368,563, 3,530,859
and 3,613,687.
The prior art and commercially available training pants
suffer from a number of disadvantages, however. Aside fro~ the
obvious disadvantage of having to be laundered, the primary dis-
advantage of the currently available conventional cloth training
panty i5 the problem of liquid strike-through. The prior art has
attempted to solve this problem by providing areas of extra ab-
sorbency utilizing, for example, terrycloth or a piled fabric in
the crotch portion of the panty and/or additionally including a
water-repellent outer layer in the crotch area, or over the
entire outer surface of the panty. However, as anyone knows who
has ventured through the traumatic training period with their
~abies, the prior art simply has not provided a satisfactory
solution. .
For ~he above reasons, many mothers continue to use
diapers during -the training period, rather than suf~er the
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annoyance of liquid strike-through ~Ihen their child naS an acci-
dent. While the use o diapers suhstantially reduces the problem
of liquid strike-through, diaper use during the training period
is highly undesirable and tends to prolong the periOd required to
completely train the child. Psychologically, it is desirzble for
children to be in panties during the training period so ~heY are
ware of no longer being babies and are more aware or accidents.
Aside from the undesirable psychological drawbacks of
continuing to use diapers during the training period, di~posable
diapers present an economic drawback. Disposable diapers generally
utilize tape tab fasteners in place of safety pins as fa~tening
means. When the tabs are removed so that the child can be placed
on the toilet, the unsoiled diaper must be discarded because the
currently a~ailable tahs are for a single'use only and usually tear
the backing fzbric when they are pulled away.
A variety of disposable panties are kno~m. See, for
example, U.S. Patent Nos. 3,424,162, 3,599,638, 3t599,640 and
3r636,953. Such panties are provided with or adapted to receive
a sanitary napkin in the crot~h portion of the panty and are not
adapted to deal with the liquid strike-through problem encountered
during the training period or with incontinent adults or children.
Similarly, the disposable panty types disclosed in U.S. Patent
Nos. 3,663,962, 3,245,407 and 3r488,778, do not satisfy the need
for a disposable training panty,because the panties are either
non-absorbent, such as plastic, or lack the necessary fit in the
leg and waist area to prevent the problem of liquid strike-through
and leakage.
Summary of the Invention
,
~he disposable undergarment of this invention,' on the
other hand, is particularly well adapted to be used as a training
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panty during the training period. The undergarment is constructed
of one or more plies of strétchable non-woven fa~ric. Preferabl~,
several plies of stretcha~le, non-woven fabric are utilized to
provide different absorption and moisture-permeability character-
istics for the inner and the outer layer of the undergarment, as
- well as good conformability and fit without attendant ~ulkiness.
The inner, or faclng, layer of the undergarment provides an inner-
most ply having a soft surface for contact with the ~7earer's skin,
readily-permits passage of excreted body liquids therethrough,
and can provide an absorbent mass for body liquids as well, if
desired. The outer, or backing, layer of the undergarment, on
the other hand, presents at least one ply which is an effective
liquid barrier and which prevents or substantially minil~izes body
li~uid strike-through. In a preferred em~odiment of this inven-
tion, the non-woven outer fabric layer, as well as the non-woven
inner fabric layer, are micropleated in the machine direction of
~he fabric and compacted in the cross-direction of the-fabric to
give enhanced stretch or exten~ibility characteristics.
The preferred disposable undergarment comprises two
stretchable, non-woven fabric layers having one or more plies
each, preferably compressively-shrunk non-woven fabrics, and an
absorbent layer or panel whi~h is disposed between the inner and
out~r layers at least in the crotch portio~ of the undergarment.
If desired, the absorbent layer can extend further up the back
and/or the front portions of the undergarment. The undersarment
has a self-fitting ~raist aperture and self-fitting leg apertures.
Fabric blanks for manufacturing the undergarment of this
invention are laid out and cut to provide a substantially hour-
glass shape of which one end panel is adapted to become the front
portion o~ the undergarment, another end panel is adapted to become
the back or rear portion of the undergarment, and an intermediate
xegion of the blank is adapted to beco~e the crotch portion of the
3~
undergarment. Longitudinally oblong cut-outs in the blz~k pro-
vide leg apertures when an undergarment is formed from the bIank.
Elasticity can be impa~ted to the waistband portion of th~ under-
garment by the use of a thermoplastic~ heat-sealable elastic
material which can be laid down along the waistband region of the
blank, stretched during heat-sealing, and then allowed to relax
after the heat-sealinq process, gathering at least a portion of
the fabric in the waistband region~ Fit in the waistband area
and he leg area is enhanced by cutting the blanks from a cross-
compacted and micropleated fabric so that the micropLeats r~nalong the lsngitudinal cente~ line of the blank, that is, from
one waistband edge to the other waistband edge, and the com-
paction runs substantially parallel to the micropleats, i.e.,
substantially normal to the machine direction of the fabric we~
during micropleating.
A further feature of the preferred disposable undergar-
m~nts of this invention is the seam construction for joining the
front and back portions of the undergarment to form the waist
apexture and the leg apertures. According to this feature, side
marglns of a pair of superimposed blanks are overlapped and joined
so that the seam comprises only three ply thicknesses at any given
location along the seam. That is, in the ovexlapping region, one
o~ the outer plies abuts one of the inner plies while the other
outér ply and the otner inn~r ply extend from opposite sides over
the abutting plies.
The resulting product not only provides an undergarmen,
which minimizes liquid strike-through problems while at the same
time improving fit around the waist and leg areas, but does so
with a novel arrangement of components which give the feel of a
more costly cloth garment while being sufficiently ine.Ypensive tc
3~ 2
be disposed of after a single use. Thus, the garment of the
present invention solves many of the problems inherent in the
past, and constitutes a significant advance in the art.
According to a still further broad aspect of the
present invention, there is provided a unitary, multilayer,
disposable undergarment, suitable for use in training infants
or with incontinent children or adults, constructed from a
non-woven micropleated, cross-compacted fabric, and comprising
a front portion, a rear portion, a crotch portion connecting
said front portion and said rear portion, and first and second
side seams defining a self-fitting waist aperture and self-
fitting leg apertures, said undergarment having a moisture-
pervious inner layer adapted to contact the skin of the wearer,
a moisture-impervious outer layer, and an intermediate liquid-
absorbent panel disposed therebetween, micropleats in said
fabric running parallel to the longitudinal center line of
said front and rear portions of said undergarment and said
fabric being more extensible in a direction substantially nor-
mal to said longitudinal center linesO
According to a still further broad aspect of the
present invention, there is provided a stretchable, integ~al
blank of non-woven fabric suitable for forming a disposable
undergarment, said blank being cut to define a front panel,
a rear panel, and a crotch portion therebetween having first
and second longitudinally oblong opposed cu~outs symmetrically
situated on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of
said blank, each of said cut-outs extending from said front
panel to said back panel along each longitudinal side margin
of said blank, the radius of curvature of each said cut-out
near the front panel being smaller than the radius of curvature
of said cut-out near the back panels, said blank having an ex-
tensibility to failure of at least about 40 percent along the
j - 6 ~ .
longitudinal center line of said blank and at least ahout 30
percent in the direction substantially normal to said longi-
tudinal center line said blank having a ribbed surface on
one face thereof and a puffed surface on the other face there-
of, and said front panel and said rear panel being asymmetri-
cally positioned with respect to the longitudinal center line
of said blanX.
Brief_Description of_the Drawin~s
The present invention will be further illustrated
by reference to the following detailed descxiption taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a disposable train-
ing panty embodying this invention,
FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the disposable
training panty illustrated in FIGURE l;
FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of another em-
bodiment of the disposable training panty of this invention;
FIGURE 4 is a further embodiment of the disposable
txaining panty of this invention,
FIGURE 5 is a plan view of an assembly used to form
the training panty illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2
FIGURE 6 is a plan view of an assembly used to form
the training panty of FIGURES 1 and 2 and having an absoxbent
layer or panel positioned in the crotch area thereof:
FIGURE 7 is a plan view of an assembly utilizing two
superimposed blanks used to form the training panty of FIGURES
1 and 2 after the leg and waist portions have been joined in a
stretchable fashion, with parts of the uppermost blank folded
away to show interior construction,
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FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view of the side seam
portion of the disposable training panty taken along plane 8-8
of FIGURE 2,
FIGURE 9 is an enlarged view of the front surface of
the preferred fabric used in constructing the training panty of
this invention,
FIGURE 10 is an enlarged view of the back surface of
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the fabric of FIGURE 9;
- FIGURE 11 is a plan view of an assembl~ used to form
an embodiment of the disposable training panty of this inven-
tion wherein the waistband portion of the blank has been folded
over a heat-sealable, stretchable material;
FIGURE 12 is a plan view of the assembly of FIGURE ll
after the waistband portions have been sealed;
FIGURE 13 is a view of an assembl~ similar to that
shown in FIGURE ll and additionally having an absorbent layer
or panel sealed at the leg portions to the single blank;
- FIGURE 14 is a cross-seGtional view of another suitable
side seam construction;
FIGURE 15 is an end view of yet another side seam con-
structio~ that can be utilized;
FIGURE 16 is a plan view of an asymmetric blank suit-
able for manufacture of an undergarment embodying the present
invention; and
FIGURE 17 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of
an assem~ly utilized to form a panty of this invention.
Detail~d Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a dispos-
able training panty which is adapted to be used during the train-
iny period of an infant. Baby training panty l is preferably
constructed from a light-weight, non-woven fabric formed pre-
dominantly of short-length cellulosic f.ibers with a minor per-
centage of long fibers in a non-woven web OL the type disclosed
in U,S. Patent No. 3,633,348 to Liloia et al. Other non-woven
webs that can be used are the so-called transition webs manufac-
tured by the process disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,768,1~8 to
Ruffo et al. Other suitable webs are carded or spun-bonded long-
fiber non-woven webs such as those disclosed in U.S. Pa-tent No.
3,815,602.
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Prior to being cut into a blank suitable for use in the construc-
tion of the ~aby panty of this invention, the non-woYen web can
be made stretchable by compressive shrInking, preferably ~y com-
pacting the fabric in the cross direction and micropleating in
the machine direction, so that the extensibility to rupture prefer-
ably is at least about 30 percent, and more preferably greater
that about 55 percent, in the machine direction, and preferably
at least about 40 percent, and more preferably greater than about
60 percent, in the cross directionq Such a fabric will be herein-
after referred to as a compressively-shrunk fabric.
Compressively shrunk non-woven fabrics can be made by
subjecting a non-woven fabric web to creping, micropleating,
ru~ber belt compressing, or compacting in either the machine
direction or the cross direction of the fabric. For optimum
stretchability or extensibility, the abric web can be subjected
to a combination of two or more of the aforementioned treatments.
For the purposes of the present invention a particularly pre-
ferred compressively shrunk fabric is one which has been com-
pacted in the cross direction by passa~e through nested bowed
rolls of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,171,579 to Robertson
and thereafter micropleated according to the teachings of U.S.
Patent No. 3,390,2I8 to Painter et al. and U.S. Patent No.
3,556,921 to Painter et al. After micropleating, the compres-
sively shrunk fabric exhibits a plurality of discontinuous pleats
across the width of the fabric, which pleats are made up of
relatively smaller pleats interrupted in the transverse direc-
tion of the fabric by relatively larger pleats. As can be seen
from FIGURES 9 and 10, a pleat pattern of relatively smaller
pleats 41 and relatively larger pleats 42 extends across the
fabric ~idth, each of the relatively larger pleats having
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adjacent thereto a relatively smallPr pleat both in the longitu-
dinal and in the transverse directions. Stated in another ~lay,
each relatively longer pleat is separated rom nearest pleat Oc
substantially the same size by a relativelY smaller pleat. One
surface of the micropleated web is puffed surface 40 and the
other surface is ribbed surface 38 having a relatively softer
hand. Micropleated fabrics generally have about 8 to about 20
rows o micropleats per inchO
Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, in the preferred embodi-
ment, baby training panty 1 is a multi-layered construction
having a front portion 2, a rear portion 3, crotch portion 4,
front waistband section 5 and rear waistband section 6 which
together form a self-fitting waistband, si~e seams 7 and 8, and
self-fitting leg apertures 9 and 10. Side seams 7 and 8 are
secured by securement lines such as glue lines 11 and 13, re-
spectively.
Baby training panty 1 is constructed from paired
superimposed fabric blanks such as stretchable integral blank 12
which is shown in FIGURE 16 to be a rectangular member having a
length dimension greater than the width dimension. As will here-
inafter appear, the paired blanXs 12 form the inner and outer
layers of the panty garment, and both blanks axe identical in size
and shape. The configuration of each blank 12 defines front panel
14, back panel 18 and crotch portion 16 therebetween. Longitu-
-dinally oblong opposed cut-outs 20 and 22 form leg apertures 9
and 10 of panty 1~ Cut-outs 20 and 22 are positioned on opposite
sides of longitudinal center line ~4 of blank 12 and e~tend f~om
front panel 14 to back panel 18 on each longitudinal side of the
blank and define the side edges of crotch portion 16. T~e radius
of curvature of cut-outs 20 and 22 near front panel 14 is smaller
than the radius of curvature near back panel 18.
Front and back panels or portions 14-and 18 sf each of
the two blanks are substantially the same ~lidth and are asym~m2tric,
having une~ual distan.ces from opposite side edges of each portion
to the longitudinal center line of the blanks. That is, the
distance from the side edge of front portion longitudinal side
margin 29 to the longitudinal center line 24 of blank 12 is gr~ater
than the distance from the side edge o opposed front portion
longitudinal side margin 28 to center line 24. Similarly, the
distance from the side edge of back portion side margin 30 to
longitudinal center line 24 is less than the di5tance from the side
edge of opposed back portion side margin 32 to center line 2~.
Stated in another way, the distance from the side edge
margin 26 to .center line 24 is greater than the distance from
the side edge of margin 30 to center line 2~ and the distance
rom the side edge of margin 28 to center line 24 is less than
the distance from the side edge of margin 32 to center line 24.
Blank 12 can also be characterized as havin~ front panel or
portion 14 and the back or rear panel or portion 18 asymmet-
ZO rically positioned with xespect to the longitudinal center line24 of the blank. Such an arrangement provides the unique seam
construction illustrated in FIGURE 8 and discussed hereinbelow.
Blank 12 additionally defines front waistband edge 34
and back waistband edge 36.
In order to provide the desired stretch in the walst-
band area, blank 12 is cut from a micropleated, cross-compacted
non-woven fabric web so that the micropleats preferably run
along, i.e., substantially parallel to, longitudinal center
line 24 of the blank and the cross-compaction runs substantially
normal to the direction of micropleating. The blanks are cut
.
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in this manner for optimum stxetch and fit in the leg ar a.
Referring now to FIGURES 5, 9 and 10, in construct-
ing panty 1, blank 12 is positioned so that ribbed surface 38
(FIGURE 9) of one face of the micropleated, cross-compacted
fabric faces downwardly and puffed surface 40 ( FIGURE 10)
formed during micropleating on the other face of the fabric
faces upwardly~ Strip 42 of an elastomeric material such as
an elastic natural rubber tape (e.g., L-l900 rubber compound
which is commercially available from Easthampto~ Rubber Thread
Company) is disposed along front waistband transverse edge 34
of blank 12 and strip 44 of a like elastomeric material is
disposed along back waistband transverse edge 36. Strips 42
- and 44 are secured in place on the blank by, for example,
double-sided transfer tape, such as ~o. 465 high-tack pressure-
sensitive tap~ availablefrom the Minnesota Mining and Manu-
facturing Co., St. Paul, MinnesotaO
It is preferred to provide stretch in the waistband
by utilizing strips or extruded beads of thermoplastic elasto-
meric materials such as heat-sealable, elastomeric block co-
polymers of styrene and isoprene or a similar diene. Matérials
of this general type are commercially available from Shell
Chemical Company and identified by the Registered Trademark
"KRATON". Similarly, elastorneric strips of the polyolefin
type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,245,407 to Mason and elas- --
tomeric strips of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No.
3,639,917 to Althouse can also be utilized. Also suitable are
flexible heat-shrinkable polyurethane strips of the type shown
in U.S. Patent No. 3,912,565 to Koch et al~
Before blanks 12 and 112 are supermiposed, adhesive
~eads or strips 54, 56, 58 and 60 are deposited along the
transverse axis of the blank substantially parallel'to the outer
margins 26, 28, 30 and 32, respectively, of bla~k 12. The two
blanks are then secured together along the glue lines depicted
in ~IGURE 5, for ease of manufacture preferably prior to forming
the heat-sealed waistband areas 5 and 6. Side seams J and 8 of
panty 1 can be formed as described hereinbelow.
The fit in the leg area can be further enhanced by
extruding or otherwise suitably depositing beads of hot-melt
elastic 62 and 64 as shown i~ FIGURE 5. Suitable for this pur-
pose are aforementioned thermoplastic elastomeric compositionscommercially available from Shell Chemical Company under the
designation "Kraton".
Glue lines 54 and 56 are extruded onto adjacent longi-
tudinal front panel side margins 26 and 28 of blank 12, respec-
tively. Similarly glue lines 58 and 60 are deposited adjacent
longitudinal'bac~ panel side margins 30 and 32, respectively,'to
secure another blank over blank 12 when a multilayer garment is
manuactured. The same set of glue lines is used to secure both
blanks together, thus there is no need for an additional set of
glue lines on the superimposed blank. Beads 62 and 64 of a hot-
melt elastomeric material or the like (e.g., elastomeric block
copolymers of styrene and isoprene) can be laid down along the
margins of oblong cut outs 20 and 22 to provide a gasketing
effect and to enhance fit in the leg area. Glue lines 58 a~d 60
and gasketing beads 6'~ and 64 can be of the same material or
di~ferent, depending on the assembly methods that are used and
the ultimate end us~ of the product.
When blanks 12 and 112 are secured together, the elasto-
meric beads 62 and 64 which act as securement means also provide
additional stretchability in the leg area as well as providing
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a li~uid-impervious barrier around the leg apertures. Extrud~d
beads of an elastomeric composition such as gum rubb~r and the
like, suitably secured to blanks 12 and 112, can also be used
to this end.
The outermost of the two blanks, i.e., the blank which
ultimately defines the outer surface of the training panty of
this invention, preferably has different moisture permeability
characteristics from those of the blank which defines the inner-
most layer of the training panty. The former can be provided
with an inherent moisture barrier which can be sprayed on or
incorporated into the web from which the blank is cut during the
manufacture thereof ~y appropriate use of fibers, binders and/or-
surfactants. The latter, i.e., the innermost blank, on the other
hand is pre~erably non-wettable albeit moisture permeable.
Again the desired non-wettability and moisture permeability
characteristics can be obtained by suitable selection of fibers,
binders, and/or surfactants during web manufacture.
- If desired, an absorbent inner la~er 66 of hydrophilic
foam or unbonded cellulosic fluff can be disposed in the crotch
area or portion 16 of blank 12. As shown in FIGURE 6, the mld-
portion of absorbent inner layer 66 can be contoured to substan- -
tially the same configuration as crotch portion 16 of blank 12.
Absorbent inner layer can also have an upper portion 68 which
extends over a part of front panel 14 of blank 1~, crotch portion
70 which is longitudinally coextensive but horizontally non-
coextensive with crotch portion 16 of blank 12 and lower por,ion
72 which extends over a part of bac~ panel 18 of blank 12. How-
ever, it is to be understood that the absorbent inner layer can
have any desired configuration and can be, for example, substan-
tially coextensive with blank 12 or can be located simply in the
crotch area or portion 16~
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If absorbent inner layer 66 is disposed in the cro~cn
area or portion 16 or blank 12 before blank 112 is superimposed
thereon, it is not necessary to adhere the absorbent inner layer
66 to the blank 12. However, adhesive can be used if additional
securement is desiredn
Referring now to FIGURE 7, when baby panty 1 lS assembled,
a second blank substantially identical in configuration to blank
12 is superimposed over blank 12. For purposes of clarity the
second blank will ~e hereafter identified as blank 112 and the
blank ele~ents corresponding to the same elements of blank 12 will
be identified by 100-series legends having the same last two digits.
The blanks are superimposed so that the puffy surface of blank 112
faces and is juxtaposed to the exposed puffy surface of blank 12.
When blanks 12 and 112 are superimposed, margin 26 of blank 12
. . .
extends beyond adjacent margin 128 of blank 112 and margin 32 of
blank 12 extends.beyond adjacent margin 130 of blank 112. Simil-
arly, margin 126 of blank 112 extends over margin 28 of blank 12
and maxgin 132 of blank 112 extends over margin 30 of blank 12.
.. . . . . . .
Elastic stxip 42 is pre-stretched on blank 12 and sec-
20 ured to form gathered rear waistband section 6. Tabs 46, 48, 50
and 52 are then preferably cut off. ~hen strips 42 and 44 are
thermoplastic, securement by hea-t sealing is the method of choice.
The preferred method of heat-sealing is by intermittent heat-seal
. . .
regions which provide ridges simulating stitching in the ~inished
waistband.
In FIGURE 3, training panty 100 is made of similarly
contoured blanks as training panty 1 but thermoplastic heat-
- sealable elastic material 101 utilized in the waistband of panty
1 is also utilized to provide self-fit-ting leg apertures 102 and
104 of training panty 100. FIGURE 4 depicts trainin~ panty 106
.~Jhich is similar to trainin~ panty 1 but wherein con~inuous hot-
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~.~39~
melt elastic bead 107,. is used to enhance stretch in the waist~and
area as well as in the leg area.
Side seams 7 and 8 can be formed in several ways. The
preferred construction is sho~n in FIGURE 8. Longitudinal side
margins 28 and 130 of blanks 12 and 112 respectively are butte,
together. Margin 32 of blank 12 is then lapped over abutting
margins 28 and 130 on one side and margin 126 is lapped over th~
same abutting margins on the other side to form side seam 7
(FIGURE 2) which is then sealed with additional glue lines 80
and ~6~ Similarly, the seam.on the opposite side of the panty,
i.e., seam 8, is farmed by abutting margin 30 with margin 138
' and then lapping over the abutting margins, margin 26 on one
,side thereof and margin 132 on.the other side thereof, and by
securing the lapped margins by means of glue lines 82 and 84.
Such a side seam construction provides a side seam that is only
three layers thick. As can be seen from FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8,
while the blanks that are utilized to form a training panty ~ -
having the preferr~d seam construction are asymmetric as dis-
cussed in detail hereinabove, the glue lines such as lines 54,
-
- 56, 58, 60, 62 and,64 that are laid down or extxuded onto blank
lZ during the assembly process are'symmetric with respect to
longitudinal centerline 24~ That is, glue lines 56 and 58 are
closer to the respective outermost edges of margins 28 and 30
than are glue lines 54 and 60 relative to respective'margins 26
and 32.
Since the fabric to adhesive bond is weaker than the
fabric itself, the preferred seam construction described here-
inabove and illustrated in FIGURE 8 permits the panty to be
torn apart at the seams for easier removal when the pant~ is
soiled.
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Referring to FIGURES 14 and 15, panty side seam can
alternatively be constructed by alternativel~f lapping margins
26, 30, 126 and 130 or by lapFing margins 26 and 126 over sand-
wiched edges 30 and 130, it belng understood that margins 30
and 130 could overlie sandwiched margins 26 and 126 and the
order of lapping illustrated in FIGURE 14 could be reversed, if
desired. The seam is then secured with glue lines such as lines
81, 83, 85 and 87 in FIGU~E 14 and ylue lines 88, 90, 92, 94 and
96 in FIGURE 15. An asymm~tric blank is not necessary for ihe
i0 latter two seam constructions.
When the panty is worn, the rlbbed surface such as
surface 38 in FIGUP~ 9 of one of the blanks faces the baby and
forms the panty inner surface and similar ribbed surface o~ the
other blank forms the outer surface of the panty. The pu~fed
surfaces such as surface 40 in FIGURE 10 face one another.
In an alternate embodiment, as shown in FIGURE 11, the
training panty of this invention can be constructed from a single
blank 212 of micropleated, cross-compacted abric which is pro-
.:. . .................... . . . . . .
~ided with side margins 226, 228, 230 and 232 as ~ell as opposed
oblong cut-outs 220 and 222. Elastomeric strips 242 and 244 are
laid do~Jn as described in connection with FIGURE 5, with tabs
246 and 248 ex~ending from side margins 226 and 228,respectively,
of blank 212 and tabs 250 and 252 extending from sides 20 and
232, respectively. Edges 234 and 236 are folded over strips 242
and 244, respectively, as shown in FIGURE 11, and sealed 2s
descri~ed hereinabove to provide waistband front and rear por-
tions 260 and 262, as shown in FIGURE 12 Tabs 246, 248, 250
and 252 are cut off, blank 212 is folded, and edges 228 and 232,
and 226 and 233 are overlapped and secured.
Referring to FIGURE 13, if desired, an absorbent layer
or panel 264, enveloped in or covered with a moisture-per~ious
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facing if desired, can be placed in the crotch area 216 of
blank 212 and sealed thereto by heat-sealable adhesive
strips 26~ and 268, shown in phantom in the area of oblong
cut-outs 220 and 222, before formation of the side seams.
A further embodiment is shown in FIGURE 17. In con-
structing a training panty in accordance with this invention,
a contoured blank 312, as shown in FIGURE 16, is positioned
so that the puffy surface 340 faces upwardly as described
hexeinabove. A non-contoured, horizontally non-coextensive
facing layer 300 having a rectangular configuration overlies
the longitudinal midportion of blank 312 so that front waist-
band edge 334 is aligned with waistband edge 334 of blank 312
and waistband edge 336 is aligned with waistband edge 336.
Facing layer 300 is, of course, moistuxe-perme~ble, and an --
absorben~ panel can be sandwiched be~ween facing layer 300
and blank 312 which in this case forms the backing layerO
T~e absorbent panel in ~his case extends from about ~he waist
region of front portion of the undergarment defined by panel
314 to the waist region of back portion of the undergarment
defined by panel 318. A portion of the waistband of the
panty (not shown~ can be gathered to enhance fit, if desired.
Similarly, beads of an elastomeric thermoplastic material can
be laid down along the leg cut-outs 320 and 322 to provide a
gasket around the leg apertures of the produced training panty.
The outer ply of the undergarments of this invention
can be inherently hydrophobic as manufactured. On the other
hand, the outer ply can be an inherently hydrophilic web which
is treated so as to be moisture-repellen~ or moisture-impervious;
for example, by spraying the outer layer with a hydrophobic
agent. Suitable agents include the cellulose-reactive sizing
agent emulsions like those sold by Hercules, Inc. under the
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i~ ~
,, . ~,
(3Z
Registered Trademark "AQUAPEL" and the like. A stretchableplastic film can additionally be provided overlying the
outer ply as an additional moisture barrier, if desired.
Preferably, the facing layer of the undergarment,
i.e., the layer contacting the wearer's skin, is non-wet-
table even though this layer is moisture permeable. To this
end, the facing layer can be made of a non-woven fabric which
contains synthetic hydrophobic fibers or hydrophobic binders
for the non-woven fabric, or the layer can be treated before
or during undergarment manufacture with small amounts of a
~uitable hydrophobic agent. Preferred webs are those dis-
- closed in U.S. Patent NoO 3,663,348.
The foregoing description and the drawings are in-
tended as illustrative and are not to be taken as limiting.
Still other variations within the spirit and scope of this
invention are possible and will present themselves to one
skilled in the art.
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