Patent Publication Number: US-5152014-A

Title: Breathable body wear

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to women&#39;s clothing, such as tights, bathing suits, leotards and pantyhose. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The wearing of tight undergarments is one of the contributing factors of vaginitis, including one of the most common types, candidiasis, or yeast infection. One authority listed insulating clothing as one of the six host factors associated with higher incidence of vaginal yeast colonization. The others included pregnancy, contraceptives, diabetes, antibiotics and iron deficiencies. The itching and the discomfort associated with this infection are universal problems, and physicians often recommend that patients avoid tight clothing, or switch to panties and pantyhose with a cotton crotch. The wearing of cotton undergarments was previously advised due to cotton&#39;s ability to absorb moisture. 
     However, the retention of moisture in the cotton material may, in fact, aggravate the condition, or at least not ameliorate it significantly. 
     Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide women&#39;s body wear which provides drier conditions, and which contributes to a reduction in the conditions which favor yeast infections and vaginitis. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, it has been determined that the use of a liner for women&#39;s body wear of an open knit material formed of a hydrophobic fiber having an irregular outer surface configuration and accordingly a high surface area, transports or &#34;wicks&#34; moisture away from the body, thereby helping to keep intimate areas drier, cooler and more comfortable. Collaterally, the moist conditions which favor the generation of yeast infections are reduced. 
     An open knit fabric formed of the Dupont fiber identified as &#34;COOLMAX™&#34; has been found to have the desirable qualities for a liner for ladies&#39; body wear, as outlined above. 
     In some cases it is useful to provide an inner open knit panel of high surface area hydrophobic fiber material and a mating outer knit panel of cotton or some similar absorbent material, both in the crotch area of the women&#39;s body wear. The outer panel may be dyed to be the same color as the remainder of the garment, while the inner panel may be natural, or not dyed so that it is maximally &#34;wicking&#34; in its action, and transports moisture away from the body. 
     The loosely knit inner panel is seamed along all of its edges to avoid unravelling. In some cases it is seamed to the women&#39;s body wear on all of its edges, and in other cases, for example where a panel is sewn into a bathing suit along only three sides, the fourth, free side of the panel has its edge seamed to avoid unravelling. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and from the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 shows a breathable body wear garment illustrating the principles of the invention, and being worn by a model; 
     FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a fiber having a large surface area compared to its cross-sectional volume; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the fiber of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 shows a thread formed of a bundle of fibers of the type shown in FIGS. 2 and 3; 
     FIG. 5 shows an inner panel of loosely woven knit material located in the crotch area of the body wear garment as shown in FIG. 1, and employing threads of the type shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 6--6 of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 shows a pair of black tights, illustrating the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is an outside view of the crotch area of the tights shown in FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is an inside view showing a crotch panel of open knit material, located on the inside of the tights of FIG. 7; and 
     FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 10--10 of FIG. 9. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, it shows a typical women&#39;s body wear garment 12 worn by a model 14. To be discussed hereinbelow is the new construction provided in the body wear, including a special panel in the crotch area of the body wear garment. 
     The special panel, as mentioned hereinabove, is formed of a loosely knit material in which the basic fiber has an irregular outer surface, preferably including longitudinally extending channels, and has a corresponding high surface area. One fiber which may be employed is the Dupont fiber sold under the trademark &#34;COOLMAX™.&#34; FIGS. 2 and 3 show the configuration of the basic COOLMAX fiber 16 with FIG. 2 being an isometric view of one end of one of the fibers, and FIG. 3 being a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2. The fiber has longitudinally extending channels 18, 20, 22 and 24, and these &#34;wicking&#34; channels transport liquid away from the body. The fiber is preferably made of hydrophobic material having low moisture absorption, which prevents clinging, and contributes to the lightweight &#34;feel&#34; characteristic of fabrics made using this fiber. 
     FIG. 4 is an end view of a thread formed of a bundle of the fibers of the type shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The irregular packing of the fibers creates added voids in the fiber bundle, allowing greater moisture and vapor transport and breathability. 
     Instead of the cross-section as shown in FIG. 3, the fibers employed in the implementation of the present invention could be formed of other hydrophobic fibers having longitudinally extending channels, for example a generally circular fiber with a series of deep channels cut into its periphery, or a fiber having a cross-section similar to that of FIG. 3, but with another one or two bumps or lobes extending from the central area of the fiber, or from either or both of the two side lobes thereof. 
     FIG. 5 is a view showing the inside of the crotch area in the garment 12 of FIG. 1. In FIG. 5, the garment 12 appears at the upper and lower ends of the figure, and a special loosely knit panel 32 is seamed into the garment 12, along the line 34, and at the two sides 36 and 38 of the garment. The rear edge 40 of the knit insert is seamed to prevent unravelling of the knit fabric, but is not secured to the outer material 12 of the garment. 
     The knit panel 32 is formed of an open knit fabric, which may be formed using threads as shown in FIG. 4, made with fibers of the type shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Accordingly, the panel 32 is a loose knit fabric with an open configuration, using hydrophobic fibers having an irregular outer surface, preferably including longitudinally extending channels, with the fibers therefore having a high surface area relative to the cross-sectional volume of the fiber. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along lines 6--6 of FIG. 5. As indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the loosely knit panel 32 is seamed into the garment material along the seam 34 toward the front of the garment, and at the two side edges 36, 38 of the garment. The rear edge of the panel 32 is provided with a seam 40, as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6, to prevent unravelling of the rear edge thereof, but is not secured to the garment 12. It is made of tightly woven or tightly knit, relatively thin material but includes resilient and stretchable fibers, so that the garment will stretch. As contrasted with the thinner, stretchable material 12, the panel 32 is looser, porous, and several times thicker, or at least twice as thick as the thinner material 12. 
     Now, a different body wear garment, black tights, are shown in FIGS. 7 through 10 of the drawings. FIG. 7 shows an overall view of the tights 52 having an elastic waistband 54, and feet 56. The overall material of the black tights is a relatively thin, closely woven or tightly knit, thin material and is preferably stretchable. A typical fabric which may be used includes 64% cotton, 29% nylon, and 7% LYCRA™. 
     FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 show the crotch area of the tights shown in FIG. 7. More specifically, FIG. 8 shows the loosely knit panel 58 which is sewn and fully seamed into the crotch area of the black tights 52. The panel 58 is substantially diamond-shaped and is seamed to the, adjacent material of the tights along the two seams 60, 62. FIG. 9 shows the outside of the tights in the crotch area, and shows a similar panel 64 which is coextensive with the inner panel 58, but is of the same color, black, as the remainder of the tights material 52. The panel 64 may be formed of loosely knit absorbent material, such as cotton. The cross-sectional view of FIG. 10 is taken along lines 10--10 of FIG. 8. 
     Using the configuration of FIGS. 7 through 10, moisture is &#34;wicked&#34; away from the body of the wearer, and transmitted to the absorbent panel 64 which is exposed to the air so that moisture absorbed there may be readily dried by exposure to the air. The result is a drier and more comfortable feeling for the wearer, with the drier conditions tending toward inhibiting potentially undesirable yeast growth or other possible infections. 
     In conclusion, it is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description and the accompanying drawings relate to preferred embodiments of the present invention. Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, by way of example and not of limitation, the present invention is applicable to all types of women&#39;s body wear, including bathing suits, tights, pantyhose, leotards, and the like. Further, instead of using COOLMAX™, other hydrophobic fibers having large surface areas could be employed, preferably those with longitudinal channels included in their structure. In addition, instead of using knit panels, other panels formed of this type of fiber and having a relatively open weave may be employed. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited precisely to the materials and structures described in detail hereinabove and shown in the accompanying drawings.