Patent Publication Number: US-2021169706-A1

Title: Feminine Incontinence Apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to feminine incontinence devices and more particularly pertains to a new feminine incontinence device for providing a comfortable and discrete feminine pad. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to feminine incontinence devices. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising an absorptive pad including a base layer having a base top side, a base bottom side, a base front edge, a base back edge, a base left edge, and a base right edge. A first absorptive layer is coupled to the base top side. The base layer and the first absorptive layer have a gluteal crease extending from the base back edge along a medial axis towards the base front edge. The gluteal crease is configured to fold within a user&#39;s intergluteal cleft. The base bottom side is configured to be placed within an undergarment such that the base front edge rests adjacent a user&#39;s pubic region and the base back edge rests within the intergluteal cleft. 
     In another embodiment, the absorptive pad is coupled to an underwear brief. The underwear brief is configured to be worn like a traditional, form-fitting underwear. The underwear brief has a rear side configured to conform within the intergluteal cleft between a user&#39;s buttocks. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a feminine incontinence apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a front elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 7  thereof, a new feminine incontinence device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 7 , the feminine incontinence apparatus  10  generally comprises an absorptive pad  11  including a base layer  12  having a base top side  14 , a base bottom side  16 , a base front edge  18 , a base back edge  20 , a base left edge  22 , and a base right edge  24 . The base left edge  22  and the base right edge  24  may each be convex relative a medial axis extending from the base front edge  18  to the base back edge  20  in order to comfortably fit between a user&#39;s legs. The base front edge  18  may have a semicircular protrusion  26  to maximize coverage area. The base layer  12  may be waterproof. A first absorptive layer  28  is coupled to the base top side  14  of the base layer  12  and conforms to the shape of the base front edge  18 , the base back edge  20 , the base left edge  22 , and the base right edge  24 . The first absorptive layer  28  thus defines a perimeter region  30  of the base top side. The perimeter region  30  is uniform and acts as a boundary for the first absorptive layer  28  to prevent leaks. Each of the base layer  12  and the first absorptive layer  28  have a gluteal crease  31  extending from the base back edge  20  along the medial axis towards the base front edge  18 . The gluteal crease  31  is configured to fold within a user&#39;s intergluteal cleft to be as form fitting as possible. 
     A second absorptive layer  32  may be coupled to the first absorptive layer  28 . The second absorptive layer  32  has a pad front edge  34 , a pad back edge  36 , a pad left edge  38 , and a pad right edge  40 . A pad thickness  42  of the second absorptive layer above the first absorptive layer  28  tapers thinner from the pad back edge  36  to the pad front edge  34 . A pad width  44  between the pad left edge  38  and the pad right edge  40  also tapers thinner from the pad back edge  36  to the pad front edge  34 . The pad front edge  34  may be semicircular. 
     In another embodiment, the absorptive pad  11  is coupled to an underwear brief  46 . The underwear brief  46  is configured to be worn like a traditional, form-fitting underwear. The underwear brief  46  has a rear side  48  configured to conform within the intergluteal cleft between a user&#39;s buttocks to create a discrete incontinence device that can be worn with any type of clothing. The base bottom side  16  is coupled within the underwear brief  46  such that the base front edge  18  is configured to rest adjacent a user&#39;s pubic region and the base back edge  20  extends up the rear side  48  of the underwear brief within the intergluteal cleft. A waistband  50  of the underwear brief may be configured to be worn adjacent a user&#39;s natural waistline. 
     In use, the apparatus  10  is worn as a traditional feminine incontinence device whether independently or integrated within the underwear brief  46 . The gluteal crease  31  folds within the user&#39;s intergluteal cleft to allow the apparatus  10  to be more discrete and form fitting than a traditional incontinence device. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.