Abstract:
This invention describes a disposable front opening garment made with two centrally overlapped segments and pads of different shape and size located therebetween while maintaining the openable feature. Pre-selected pad size and placement between segments and selected pads inside the garment have impervious leakproof elements along edges and provide leak resistant pads for bi-level protection. The garment substrate includes stretchable rear panel portions and/or extensible tapes for overlapping connection of front and rear panels and a stretchable front closure tape for overllspped girth adjustment. Stretched elastic strands on each segment. spaced from edges of both pads provide cuffs for leg sealing in another embodiment, a third pad is added to a contractable support panel with cuffs to provide tri-levrl protection. Another embodiment for selective absorbency of single, double or triple pads permits use of a medical catheter while maintaining the front opening, The inventive products are used by stepping through the leg apertures and applying the expandable front tape, or applying folding the front panel over a prone user&#39;s crotch and fastening side panel and front closure tapes.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/889461 09/286,355 filed Apr. 5, 1999. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to disposable garments having a front panel opening that are put on by stepping through the leg openings, pulling up, and attaching an expandable closure tape across the front opening/closure.  
           [0003]    Applying these garments differs from prior art and current ‘pull-on’ disposable garments which are expandable around the waist without a front opening and are applied by stepping through the leg openings and pulling the garment upward into position about the lower torso, as described in typical U.S. Pat. No. 6,258,077 B 1  
           [0004]    The present invention describes the expandable side tapes along with the expandable front tape, and in combination with absorbent pads of pre-selected shape and absorbency, how the front opening is instrumental in placement and shape of the pad or pads used for absobent products such as disposable diapers, training pants, adult care products and for feminine hygiene use.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    Disposable diapers currently available include larger sizes with extra absorbency for children generally over 2 yrs old.  
           [0006]    These ‘heavy duty’ diapers usually include elements such as expandable waist portions with some degree of control over tighness around the waist depending on where side tapes are secured on the front panel, and their use is a prelude to the end of diaper use.  
           [0007]    Other products in the marketplace represnt the next phase in toilet training and include complete garments with waist features that allow expansion of the garment as it is pulled up around the torso.  
           [0008]    One popular product uses a plurality of elastic strands on front and rear panels to provide elasticity, albeit, once manufactured, the amount of waist expansion is fixed. What is confortable for one user may not represent the same comfort level for another user in the same wieght range.  
           [0009]    The fixed amount of expansion in current ‘training pants’ can lead to pressure marks around the waist because of high tension forces from the strands, and can also cause the inner absorbent core to be gathered at the waist opening allowing exudates to leak out at the waist.  
           [0010]    Use of transversely aligned elastic strands thus has functional limitations but is also a major problem in the manufacturing process.  
           [0011]    Another current approach for a “disposable pull-on pant” is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,258,077 which uses an expandable laminate for front and rear elastic waist components bonded to an intermediate “chassis” section that provides supporto pf the absorbent pad for collection and absorption of exudates in the intermediate crotch region.  
           [0012]    Since the front and rear expandable end panels extend downward from the waist margins a substantial amount, the greater expandable area decreases the unit force applied to the torso, lessening the possibility of skin marking and leaks, however the referenced &#39;077 B 1 product has a fixed amount of maximum expansion and may limit use over a larger range of waist and torso sizes.  
           [0013]    Like the training pants with transverse strands, the &#39;077 B 1 product relies on the pre-selected amount of expansion to fit a limited range of sizes. Further, current products do not have a front opening for inspection or possible replacement of saturated pads.  
           [0014]    Once used, the entire garment id discarded, exacerbating landfill problems, particlarly as applied to larger adult sizes for incontinent care, feminine care and underwear with integral absorbent pads.  
           [0015]    As a different approach, the inventive products essentially start with briefs/garments as a carrier for internal absorbent pads with a wide choice of shapes, location and degrees of absorbency without the stresses induced by transverse elastic strands or elastic waist components with finite stretch.  
           [0016]    The inventive products can be overlapped at the sides and with the overlapping front closure provides a comfortable level of tension depending on where the user chooses to attach the tapes (including tapes with stretchable portions in the center).  
           [0017]    Side overlap can be assured with wider panels and tapes, or by extensions of the base material along side margins (having an assembled rear panel wider than the front) without affecting function of the front opening/closure.  
           [0018]    Since high tension forces can be controlled in the brief/garment structure, paper or paper/cotton composites can be used and made ‘separable’ from absorbent components with a higher bio-degradeability quotient than materials currently used. Further advances in air-laid paper composites could include bio-degradeable inner components.  
           [0019]    The inventive approach is applicable to diaper, adult and feminine care, as disposable underwear with or without pads, allowing for the addition of an extra overnight pad, and includes pre-selected levels of absorbency with single, double or three pad arrangements.  
           [0020]    The flexibility of design to serve these multiple uses are described in the objectives hereinbelow.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0021]    Generally, the invention describes briefs constructed from two similarly shaped overlapped segments with selective bonding to form a unitary rear panel and an openable front panel.  
           [0022]    With side and front tapes, the briefs thus formed are used as a garment to hold absorbent pads on pre-selected surfaces which permits the user to choose products for single, double and even triple pad protection.  
           [0023]    Rather than the single absorbent core used in current products, use of 2 or more thin pads permits the bottom pad to be enclosed within a ‘pouch’ for maximum protection against leakage.  
           [0024]    Thus,a primary object of this inveniton is to provide briefs as a ‘container’ for absorbent pads of different shapes for central absorbency or with wings for extended absorbency beyond the central overlapped area.  
           [0025]    Another object of this invention is to provide a range of product widths and waist sizes by varying the amount of overlap.  
           [0026]    An object is to provide a garment with an absorbent central pad of pre-selected size while maintaining the front opening feature.  
           [0027]    A further object is to provide a plurality of pads having extended wings while maintaining the front opening feature for urinary use or inspection through the front opening without foldover of the wings.  
           [0028]    An object is to provide segment support surfaces for attachment of absorbent pads having a length at least equal to the length of the unfolded garment.  
           [0029]    Another object is to furnish pads having a length less than the unfolded garment length for registered placement spaced from the end, and superposed on each half segment with an inner liner sheet added for contact with the users torso.  
           [0030]    An object of this invention is to combine the garment defined above and an absorbent half pad in the overlapped area of the front panel and attached to a front panel surface of one segment only.  
           [0031]    A further object is to provide a full length pad in the central overlaped area for attachment to both inner and outer segments in the rear panel and attachment to only the inside surface of the outer segment in order to maintain the front opening.  
           [0032]    A further object is to provide for a pad between segment overlap and secure pad position and garment integrity by bonding the two segments through pad apertures in the central overpapped area of the rear panel.  
           [0033]    An object of this invention is to provide full length pads having one or more extended wings for between segment attachment.  
           [0034]    In addition to the between segment pad, it is a further object of this invention to provide a full length pad attached to the inside innermost surfaces of the garment to provide double pad protection in selected portions of the garment.  
           [0035]    For selected adult or feminine use, in addition to the ‘double’ protection above, it is a further object to provide a third pad attached to and held by a support panel having contracted margins to form a concave shaped ‘pouch’ for a third pad and/or body parts.  
           [0036]    Another object is to provide a plurality of apertures in the support panel and each of the superposed segments to define a path for a catheter tube from the pouch to a remote reservoir.  
           [0037]    Another object of the invention is to provide pads with air laid absorbent cores having superabsorbent compounds therein.  
           [0038]    An object of this invention is to provide a soft porous liner sheet on each of the cooperating segments that from the garment body.  
           [0039]    Another object is to provide reclosable and stretchable side margin and front closure tapes for tensioned attachment of rear and front panels at the preferred comfort level to prevent marking of the torso without gathering the inside members or segments.  
           [0040]    It is an object of the invention to provide segments, support panels and absorbent pads using surfaces that are selectively coated or laminated with an impermeable coating or film on any selected surface.  
           [0041]    Another object is to provide space between front panel segments for insertion and attachment of (separately supplied) supplemental pads between segments of the front panel by the user for overnight and other heavy duty requirements.  
           [0042]    These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully understood from the following detailed description of the invention when read in conjunction with the drawings  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0043]    [0043]FIG. 1 is a plan view of the inventive garment viewed from the inside illustrating a pad in the front panel region enclosed within a segment and liner sheet as an overlapping first assembly bonded to a second assembly in the rear panel area.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic side elevation viewed along  2 - 2  of FIG. 1 illustrating front and rear seals for a pad enclosed within a selectively perforated top film and a non-porous bottom film as components of a first assembly.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 3A is a schematic end view of FIG. 1 viewed along line  3 A- 3 A′ of FIG. 2 illustrating a pad wrapped inside a sealed enclosure for side seals and bonding of the sealed pad between the first segment and liner.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 3B is a schematic end view of FIG. 1 viewed along line  3 B- 3 B′ of FIG. 2 illustrating bonding of liner sheets to segments and superposed segments to each other in the overlapped area of the rear panel.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 4A is an enlarged side elevation perspective from the top illustrating the pad enclosure of FIG. 2.  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 4B is an enlarged end perspective view illustrating a pad enclosure with permeable top and bottom substrates having selective areas of non-porous coating.  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating a linear pad portion between segments extending from the front panel area to the rear panel area,  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 6 is a perspective front view of the garment in FIG. 5 with a pad in the front and rear panel overlapped areas between segments and the openable front.  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 7 is a simplified side elevation of FIG. 5 viewed along line  7 - 7 .  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 8A is a simplified cross section along  8 A- 8 A′ of FIG. 7 illustrating the unbonded surfaces between segment assemblies to define a front opening.  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 8B is a simplified cross section along line  8 B- 8 B′ of FIG. 7 illustrating bonding between segment assemblies to define a unitary rear panel.  
         [0054]    FIGS.  9 A- 9 C are schematic perspective views looking at the inside of the garment.  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the left hand second inner segment illustrating the segment outline with a superposed sealed absorbent pad with wing extensions to form a segment sub-assembly.  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the right hand first outer segment illustrating the segment outline with a superposed sealed pad having wing extensions and prepared for bonding to the inner segment sub-assembly.  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 9C is a perspective view of the segment assemblies of FIGS. 9A and 9B bonded together in the rear panel area to from a garment with a pad between segments coacting with a second pad, with the asssembled segments being openable in front.  
         [0058]    [0058]FIG. 10 is an end view along line  10 - 10 ′ of FIG. 11 combined with a fragmentary top view schematic of the garment in FIG. 9C illustrating the overlapped segment assemblies with pads having end and side seals including along contoured margins.  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 11 is a plan view of the assembled garment of FIG. 9C illustrating a pad between segments and the overlying cooperating pad to provide an assembly with double pad absorbency in the central area and single pad thickness in end and side sealed pad wings.  
         [0060]    [0060]FIG. 12 is a top view perspective of the segment assembly of FIGS. 9 c,    10 ,  11  in combination with another pad on a support panel having cuffs in addition to cuffs on segments.  
         [0061]    [0061]FIG. 13 is a schematic cross section along line  13 - 13 ′ in FIG. 12.  
         [0062]    [0062]FIG. 14 is a perspective view from the front of the folded garment illustrating the front opening and an extended tab of a supplemental pad for manual insertion between segments of the front panel by user.  
         [0063]    [0063]FIG. 15 is a perspective front view of the supplemental pad shown in FIG. 14,  
         [0064]    [0064]FIG. 16A is a perspective view of the inner support panel in FIG. 17 illustrating an aperture for a catheter path.  
         [0065]    [0065]FIG. 16B is a perspective top view of the inner segment illustrating a bonding area for attachment of the pad support panel shown in FIG. 16A.  
         [0066]    [0066]FIG. 16C is a perspective top view of the outer segment with pad attached to the front panel between segments and a rear panel bonding area before attachment of the outer segment.  
         [0067]    [0067]FIG. 16D is a top perspective view of the garment from the inside with components and apertures of  16 A- 16 D as assembled.  
         [0068]    [0068]FIG. 17 is a cross section along line  17 - 17 ′ of FIG. 16D illustrating the arrangement of elements and apertures that define the catheter path when the garment is worn.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0069]    As described herein, garment refers to a disposable article of wear having leg openings and a front opening panel with closure means. The garment is applied to the user by opening the front panel before the wearer ‘steps into’ the garment and after pulling it around the torso, fastening the tape.  
         [0070]    Intended as a containing garment for one or more absorbent pads depending on use, and given the selection of stretchable materials available, the garment ‘container’, together with pads of pre-selected shape and placement, provides absorbent protection used for infants and children, adults for incontinent use and feminine hydiene applications.  
         [0071]    In FIG. 1, a disposable garment  1  is assembled from two mirror image segments; outer segment  5  and inner segment  6  which faces the user&#39;s body.  
         [0072]    For use, the garment is folded transversely about line F-F′ before tapes  19 - 19 ′ are attached to define a waist and leg openings.  
         [0073]    The unfolded garment  1  has a rear panel  2 , front panel  3  and by virtue of cutouts  10 , 10 ′ a crotch region  4 . The garment segments extend from rear panel end margin  7  to front panel end margin  8 .  
         [0074]    In FIG. 1, segments  5 ,  6  are overlapped in a central region  9  and each has a width substantially equal to half the width W of the garment plus about half the width of the overlap. Segment width is increased slightly to add elastic strands adjacent cutouts  10 ,  10 ′ to form ‘cuff’  
         [0075]    It is understood that segments of non-woven or paper comoposite materials have a wide range of functional characteristics including porosity and extensibility, and that longitudinal or registered patterns of impervious coating can be applied to contain liquids.  
         [0076]    Also, depending on pre-selected pad width, the amount of overlap between segments can be varied with the same segment widths to change size of garment width and waist openings without functional effect on these products.  
         [0077]    In FIG. 1, before outer segment  5  and inner segment  6  are superposed and overlapped an amount  9 , a linear series of dots  12 ,  12 ′ between side margins  11 ,  11 ′ bond the segments to form a unitary rear panel  2 . Bonding does not occur between facing surfaces of the segments in the front panel area  3  thus defining a front panel opening  14 .  
         [0078]    For closure and use, tape  20  connects segments  5  and  6  in the front panel region  3 .  
         [0079]    In FIG. 1, liner sheets  21 ,  22  are removed by cutaway to expose underlying components including absorbrent pad  15  enclosed by and bonded to top overwrapping substrate  23  and bottom substrate  24  which are sealed together in adjacent pad end margins  16 , 16 ′ and side margins  17 , 17 ′.  
         [0080]    In FIG. 1, a narrow area of bonding  25 , 25 ′ secures the liner sheets  21 ,  22  along segment margins. Longitudinal edge reinforcing strip  26  encloses one margin of the liner, pad and substrates, and segment  5 . (also shown in FIGS. 5, 6).  
         [0081]    Front release tape  20  and side margin tapes  19 ,  19 ′ have extensible portions for stretch of the waist enclosure during use.  
         [0082]    In FIG. 1 and similar embodiments of FIGS. 7,8 absorbent pad  15 , comprised of air laid fibers with bonding agents to impart monolithic density and strength, is between segments  5  and  6  and attached to the inside surface of outer segment  5 . Pad  15  extends from the front end of segment  5  to adjacent the fold line F-F′.  
         [0083]    In FIG. 2, segment assembly  5 ′ and  6 ′ are bonded together in rear panel area  2  with bonding patterrn  12 , it being understood that a series of dots, lines or areas can be used and bonding can include adhesives, heat sealing or sonic bonding.  
         [0084]    For FIG. 2, the bonding legend describes attachment of superposed elements to join them into an outer segment assembly  5 ′ and inner segment assembly  6 ′.  
         [0085]    The bonding legend for FIG. 2 also applies to FIGS. 3, 7.  
         [0086]    In FIG. 2, bonding means include:  29 —outer segment  5  to lower substrate  24 : bonding  30 —lower substrate  24  to pad  15 : bonding  31 —top of pad  15  to upper substrate  23 ; bonding  32 —substrates  23  to  24 ; bonding  33 —liner  21  to upper substrate  23 ; bonding  34 —liner  21  to outer segment  5  to form assembly  5 ′.  
         [0087]    In FIG. 2 bonding means also include: bonding  35 —liner  22  to inner segment assembly  6 ′; and bonding  12 —between overlapping assemblies  5 ′ and  6 ′.  
         [0088]    In FIG. 2, absorbent pad  15  is sealed between upper non-pervious substrate  23  having perforations in a selected central area and lower non-pervious substrate  24 . Pad  15  and substrates  23 ,  24  are enclosed between segment  5  an liner sheet  21  which faces toward the user&#39;s body.  
         [0089]    In FIG. 2,an absorbent pad  15  enclosed within non-pervious film or coated substrates  23 ,  24  forms a pad assembly described in detail in FIGS. 4A and 4B.  
         [0090]    In FIG. 2, outer segment assembly  5 ′ is bonded to overlapping assembly  6 ′ to form the unitary rear panel and left unbonded in the front panel area.  
         [0091]    In FIG. 2, the top pad encloseing substrate  23  is shown dashed to indicate a perforated or apertured pervious surface  23  which allows fluids to pass into the absorbent pad. The bottom substrate  24  is non-pervioud to retain fluids inside the pad enclosure. In FIGS.  2 , pad end seal areas are designated  27 , 27 ′.  
         [0092]    In FIG. 3A, the pad side seals  28 ,  28 ′ are completed to leakproof the pad enclosure as detailed in FIG. 4A below.  
         [0093]    In FIG. 3A, the same bonding attachments as in FIG. 2 enclose pad  15  which is bonded to the inside surface of segment  5  in the overlap area of front panel  3 .  
         [0094]    The pad assembly of FIGS. 2 and 3 is confined to the front panel area for urinary or menstral leakage.  
         [0095]    In FIG. 3B, attachments involve segment  5 , pad enclosures  23 ,  24  (without the pad) and liner sheet  21  bonded together as an outer assembly  5 ′. Inner segment  6  and liner sheet  22  form inner assembly  6 ′. Assemblies  5 ′ and  6 ′ are bonded together as at  12  to form a unitary rear panel, and remain unbonded in the front panel area to define the panel opening  14 .  
         [0096]    In FIG. 4A pad  15  has a length of less than the distance between end margins of the underlying segment to provide space for end seals.  
         [0097]    In FIG. 4A, items  16 ,  16 ′ and  17 ,  17 ′ are the pad end and side margins respectively.  
         [0098]    In FIG. 4A, pad  15  is enclosed between upper substrate  23  and lower substrate  24 , both impervious materials such as film or coated substrates.  
         [0099]    In FIG. 4A, seals  27 , 27 ′ and side seals  28 , 28 ′ are bonded by means described above. With film,a perforated area  23 ′ allows fluid passage to the pad.  
         [0100]    Perforations are preferably registered (FIG. 4A) and stop short of the ends thus providing positive seals on four sides and a central area of pervious material for fluid transmission to the enclosed pad.  
         [0101]    Other substrates properly coated for top and bottom seals can be registered for positive end and side seals, or can be continuous and non-registered to provide positive sealing along the sides but with some limited fluid leakage in the end seal central area described in FIG. 4B.  
         [0102]    In FIG. 4B, pad portions are spaced from both ends. Upper substrate  23  is a film or pervious material  36  strip coated or laminated along side margins with a non-pervious agent.  
         [0103]    Lower substrate  24  is coated full width to provide a leakproof bottom surface to retain fluid for absorption by the enclosed [ad  15 . In this instance, the side seals  28 , 28 ′ enclose pad  15  sides, but pad ends can transmit fluid through upper end material  23 .  
         [0104]    It is understood that the enclosure of  4 A is preferred because of positive sealing all sides despite some manufacturring advantages with the embodiment of FIG. 4B.  
         [0105]    In FIG. 5, pad  15  with the enclosure of FIG. 4A extends from end margin  7  of the rear panel to end margin  8  of front panel  3 .  
         [0106]    In FIG. 5, end seal  16  of the longer pad is adjacent rear panel end margin  7  rather than terminating near the fold line F-F′ as in FIGS.  1 - 3 .  
         [0107]    Details of bonding for FIG. 5 are accurately shown in the bonding legend of FIG. 2. The garment with extended pad is shown in FIG. 6.  
         [0108]    In FIG. 6, pad  15 ′ is positioned in central area  9  between segment assemblies  5 ′,  6 ′. and bondably attached to the inside surface of outer segment  5 . Segment assemblies  5 ′ and  6 ′ are only bonded together in the rear panel region  3 .  
         [0109]    The detailed bonding legend described in FIG. 2 applies to FIG. 7.  
         [0110]    In FIG. 7, bonding between assemblies  5 ′,  6 ′ creates the unitary rear panel and the absence of bonds in the front defines the opening  14 .  
         [0111]    In the simplified end elevation of FIG. 8A, pad  15  is bonded at  24  to the inside of segment  5  and left unbonded between segments  5 ,  6  for a front panel opening  14 .  
         [0112]    In FIG. 8B, pad  15  is bonded at  24  to segment  5  and bonded on the top surface at  12  to join segment assemblies  5 ′,  6 ′ in the rear panel area  2 .  
         [0113]    [0113]FIGS. 9A to  9 C show a two-tier combination garment that includes a pad between segment assemblies.  
         [0114]    In FIG. 9A, a sealed absorbent pad  115 ′ with two wings is attached to the inside surface of inner segment assembly  6 ′ comprised of segment  6 , sealed pad assembly  115 ′ with enclosing elements, and a liner sheet (not referenced for clarity).  
         [0115]    In FIG. 9B, a sealed pad  115  with two wings is bonded for attachment to the outer segment assembly  5 ′ comprised of segment  5 , sealed pad  115  with substrates and a liner (not referenced).  
         [0116]    In FIG. 9C, the inner segment sub-assembly  6 ′ is superposed over outer sub-assembly  5 ′ in central overlapped region  9  and bonded to the rear panel region  12 . to create a unitary rear panel having unbonded front panel overlap for a front opening.  
         [0117]    In FIG. 10, pad  115  with two extending wings is bonded to outer segment  5  in overlapping cooperation with a pad  115 ′ bonded to inner segment  6 .  
         [0118]    Pads  115 , 115 ′ are spaced from ends  7 ,  8  to provide room for end seals  27 ,  27 ′, and spaced from side margins for side seals  28 , 28 ′.  
         [0119]    Each pad is enclosed with a top substrate  23  having a pervious area  23 ′.  
         [0120]    In FIG. 10, bottom substrate  37  enclosing pad  115  is coated full width to prevent leakage to underlying segment  5 . Top substrate  23  for pad  115  as well as both top  23  and bottom  24  substrates for pad  115 ′ have pervious central regions to allow fluid transmission to underlying elements.  
         [0121]    While providing double pads in the central area of overlap (see FIG. 5) the four single thickness wings are sealed adjacent cutout margins  28 ,  28 ′ and side margins (see  28 ″ for pad  115 ′). Pad  115  linear and side seals are not visible and not shown in phantom for clarity,  
         [0122]    In FIG. 10, the outside edge of film or coated substrate extends across the cutout crotch portions and the outline edge  40  of segment  5  and  41  of segmnt  6   
         [0123]    Liner sheets  21 ,  22  are on the inside of each segment subassembly and in combination, provide a soft hourglass shaped two piece surface on the inside of the garment.  
         [0124]    In FIG. 11, selected elements previously described are not shown for clarity, including side margin  19  and front closure  20  tapes,reinforcing strip  26 , elastic strands  18  on both segments and side areas  28 .  
         [0125]    In FIG. 11, the outlines for segments  5 , 6  are referenced near the bottom as  40 ,  41  respectively and include segment extensions  42 ,  42 ′ so that foldover insures closing the side gap between front and rear panels.  
         [0126]    In FIG. 11 with the liner sheet cutaway, outside edges for film or coasted substrates  38 ,  39  indicate that film portions  43 ,  43 ′ extend beyond outer pad margins and are capable of being bonded to seal side margins and portions  27 ,  27 ′ of the end seals not in the pervious central area of overlap  9 .  
         [0127]    In FIG. 11, each segment assembly  5 ′,  6 ′ includes a segment, sealed pad as described above and a liner sheet.  
         [0128]    In FIG. 11, a cutaway of the top pervious film shows pad  115 ′.  
         [0129]    In FIG. 11, pads are sealed in end areas  27  and side areas  28  (see FIGS. 4A, 4B), and enclosed between liner sheet  21  and segments  5 , and between liner  22  and segment  6 .  
         [0130]    In FIG. 12, the overlapped mirror image segments  5 ,  6 , and similar cooperating pads  115 , 115 ′ (each with two extended wings) are shown with another pad  215  to provide triple pad thickness in the central area and single thichkness in each of the wing areas  
         [0131]    Outer segment assembly  5 ′ consists of segment  5 , pad  115  with wings enclosed by film or substrates for margin seals which are positioned between segment  5  and liner sheet  22  (not shown).  
         [0132]    Segment assembly  6 ′ includes the same members in mirror image cooperation with pad  115 ′.  
         [0133]    In FIGS.  9 A- 11 , the overlapping segments and pads as well as types of sealing are described in detail and used on the garment of FIG. 12.  
         [0134]    [0134]FIG. 12 is viewed from the inside. Pad  115  is bonded to and supported by panel  44  of pre-seleced width.  
         [0135]    Panel  44  is attached at both ends to inner segment  6  (see dashed spots at ends of the overlapped area).  
         [0136]    In FIG. 12, stretched elastic strands  45  are attached at spaced intervals to panel  44  and when the garment is folded about line F-F′ form shirred ‘cuff’ edges  46  of panel  44  see FIG. 13 also).  
         [0137]    In FIG. 13, panel  44  is attached at both ends to segment  6 . Pad  115  is bonded to segment  5  along its full length. Outer assembly  5 ′ (segment  5  and pad  115  shown) is bonded to inner assembly  6 ′ (segment  6  and pad  115 ′) as at  12  in the rear panel only.  
         [0138]    The absence of bonding  12  in the front panel creates front panel opening  14 ..  
         [0139]    In FIG. 13, front and rear panels are attached with side margin tapes  19 , 19 ′. The front opening  14  between segment assemblies  5 ′, 6 ′ is closed by attaching front closure tape  20  to a front panel portion of segment  6 .  
         [0140]    In FIG. 14, a completed garment in use is opened by detaching closure tape  20  to expose pad  115  bonded to the front panel of outer segment  5 .  
         [0141]    In FIG. 14, a supplemental pad  47  is placed between pad  115  and the inside surface of segment  6  for additional absorbency.  
         [0142]    Tab  48  extends beyond the margin of opening  14  and is grasped to remove the supplemental pad  47  for inspection or replacement.  
         [0143]    In FIG. 15, supplemental pad  47  is shown in place for use. Adhesive areas  48  are secured to the inside of segment  6 .  
         [0144]    In FIG. 15 the pad is sealed along edges as at  50 . Removalbe cover strips for adhesive  49  and a liner sheet are not shown.  
         [0145]    In FIG. 16A support panel  44  is attached at both ends to inside segment  6  and has stretched elastic strands that contract to form a shirred ‘pocket’  46  (see FIG. 17) when the garment if folded for use.  
         [0146]    Aperture  51  allows a catheter tube to pass through panel  44 .  
         [0147]    In FIG. 16B, aperture  52  in inside segment  6  allows the tube to pass through segment  6  and be directed rearward obove pad  15  affixed to the inside surface of segment  5 .  
         [0148]    In FIG. 16C, segments  5 ,  6  are bonded together in area  12  of the rear panel. (see also FIG. 17). Pad  15  is bonded to a front portion of segment  5 . The catheter tube is passed over pad  15  and through aperture  53  to an external reservoir.  
         [0149]    In FIG. 17, a garment is folded near in crotch area  4 . Stretched elastic strands  45  contract the panel along both side margins to form shirred side edges  46  of a ‘pocket for body parts and a catheter or an absorbent pad.  
         [0150]    In FIG. 17, the catheter path is shown dashed and passes through three apertures,  51  in support panel  44 ,  52  in segment  6 , and  53  in outer segment  5 .  
         [0151]    It is further to be understood that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or special attributes; and it is therefore, not restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.