GB2066051A - Improvements in or relating to baby pants and like waterproof attire - Google Patents

Abstract

Baby pants adapted to fit children of different sizes consist of a PVC sheet 1 with arcuate edges 2 bounded by strips 7 fusion welded peripherally to sheet 1 and each covering an arcuate pad of foam material 25 fusion welded all over to the covering portions of sheet 1 and strip 7. These arcuate formations have press button fastenings 26, 27 enabling the pants to be adapted to legs of different sizes. Similar fastenings 20, 21 are provided for the girdle part of the pants which is elasticated by an endless band 22 looped round small spaced areas 24 and located in a sleeve formed by welding a comparatively wide band 4 to sheet 1. Similar endless bands may be used in place of the pads 25, in which case the ends 3 of the sheet may be extended so as to wrap round the baby one from front to back and the other from back to front to be detachably secured at the front and back of the child and to hold the arcuate formations about the child's legs. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to baby pants and like waterproof attire This invention relates to baby pants and analogous waterproof attire required to support a diaper or "nappy".

The object of the present invention is to provide baby pants or the like based on a single profiled sheet of waterproof material and which can be sold cheaply, are easy to fit, can be readily adapted to children of different sizes orto a growing child and provide an effective and very comfortable seal around each leg.

According to the present invention, waterproof baby pants comprise a single sheet of waterproof material for extending between the legs of a wearer and having arcuate side edge portions arranged to extend round the legs of the wearer in watertight engagement therewith, additional flexible strips being sealed along the arcuate side edge portions to provide sleeves each encasing an elastic element secured within the sleeve to be stretched as a unit with the sleeve to maintain a sufficient watertight engagement round the legs of the wearer when the pants are being worn and the ends of the sheet being arranged to provide a girdle including a further elastic element for holding the pants in position when they are being worn.In a preferred form of the invention each of said elastic elements for a wearer's leg is an arcuate pad of foam material extending along the associated arcuate edge of the sheet and encased between the sheet and strip of material which is sealed along its edges to the sheet with the pad adhering over its entire surface to the encasing material provided by the sheet and strip. Preferably the sheet, strips and pads are of thermoplastic material, each strip being fusion welded round its edges to the sheet, and each pad being fusion welded over its surface to the sheet and strip.

In another embodiment of the invention each said elastic element for a wearer's leg is an endless elastic band and each strip is further sealed to the sheet attwo spaced points providing retaining means round which the ends of the associated elastic band are looped. A similar arrangement comprising an endless elastic band in a sleeve may be used to provide the said further elastic element forthe girdle.

The girdle may be secured by press button connections at opposite sides of the wearer and arranged to accommodate different waist sizes.

Similar press button arrangements may be used for securing the arcuate formations round the legs.

Alternatively the ends of the sheet may be shaped so as to be wrapped about the wearer so that, when the pants are in use, the portion at one end is wrapped from front to back and the portion at the other end is wrapped from back to front, whereby the sides of each portion are juxtaposed or contiguous, resilient means being provided for securing together and releasing the sides of each said portion at the back or front of the wearer.

In order that the invention may be clearly under stood and readily carried into effect one form of baby pants in accordance therewith will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure lisa plan of baby pants; Figure 2 is a side elevation of a detail as viewed in the direction of arrow II in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section on line Ill-Ill in Figure 1 show ing a detail on an enlarged scale; Figure 4 is a plan of fastening device used in secur ing the baby pants to a baby; Figures 5 and 6 are respectively side and front ele vations of the baby pants when folded substantially to the form taken when fitted to a baby; Figure 7 is a plan of another form of baby pants as viewed before fitting; Figure 8 is a cross-section of a detail of the pants shown in Figure7;; Figures 9 and 10 are respectively a front elevation and a side elevation of the shape taken by the pants of Figure 7 when fitted; and Figure 11 is a view of a detail as seen in the direc tion of the arrow A in Figure 9.

The baby pants shown in Figure 1 are symmetrical about vertical and horizontal axes and comprise a sheet 1 of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) formed with opposed arcuate recesses 2 extending between rectangular ends 3. These ends 3 consist cf a double layer in that each of the end portions of the material is bonded to a band 4 which is fusion welded by high frequency current along marginal lines 5 each of which has a re-entrant contour 6 limiting a pocket between the two layers of material to receive one end of a diaper.

Arcuate PVC strips 7 contoured to match the recesses 2 and each fusion welded round their peripheries to the sheet 1 with their outer edges coincident with the arcuate edges 2. Each strip 7 is also fusion welded to the sheet 1 at two spaced comparatively small circular areas 8 to provide retainers for the ends of an endless elastic band 9 looped round these fused areas and lying in the sleeve constituted between the sheet 1 and strip 7.

When the sheet 1 is fully extended as shown in Fig ure 1 these elastic bands are stretched. Thus, in the free state of the baby pants, the material gathers along the arcuate edges. However, when the baby pants are fitted as described below, these edges extend round the child's legs and the elastic bands 9 are stretched so as to maintain watertight seals round the legs.

To enable the baby pants to be secured to a child, PVC loops 8, 9 are fusion welded outside and at opposite sides of one end 3, and loops 10,11 are similarly provided at the other end 3. In fitting the baby pants one of the ends 3, say that with loops 8, 9, is brought round the child's body, either from front to back or from back to front, and the loops 8, 9 connected by a strap device as shown in Figure 4.

This device comprises a thermoplastic elastic strap 12 secured through apertures in hooks 13, 14 having prongs 15, 16 that are fitted into the loops 8, 9. The baby pants are then passed between the legs and the other end 3 brought round the body outside the first end 3 for the loops 10, 11 to be joined by another strap device as shown in Figure 4, for example, at the front of the child if the loops 8,9 have been secured at the back.

Clearly baby pants as shown in Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings, when of one size, can be adapted to children of diffent sizes orto a growing child by using fastening devices with straps of different lengths or by providing more than one loop at each side of each end 3, such loops being spaced at different distances from their respective sides. The side edges of each end can then be juxtaposed or contigous to varying extents depending on the length of the strap 12, its capacity to stretch and its points of attachment. There are numerous ways in which the length of the strap 12 can be made adjustable. Obviously also it is only necessary to do up or undo one end of the strap when the pants are being put on or removed from the baby so that the attachment at one end of the strap can be designed to provide semi-permanent junction with the pants.

Referring now to the modification of Figures 7 to 11, in which, where possible, the same reference numerals are used for elements that are equivalent to corresponding elements in Figures 1 to 6, it will be seen that the ends 3 of the PVC sheet, instead of being rectangular, are slightly tapered towards their free ends and, more important, the sides of each end 3 are not made to be joined to one another but each is arranged to be joined to a corresponding side of the other end 3 at one side of the child by means of a press stud 20 and a selected one of two press sockets 21.Moreover, the end 3 that is intended to lie against the back of the child is elasticated by the insertion of an endless elastic band 22 between the sheet 1 and the comparatively wide superimposed PVC band 4 fusion welded to the sheet 1 along the marginal lines 5 and also along an intermediate line 23 which defines a sleeve in which the band 22 is located. The sheet 1 and this band 4 are also welded together at small circular areas 24to provide retainers for the ends of the endless band 22 and to receive the press studs 20. When the sheet 1 is fully extended as shown in Figure 7, the endless band 22 is stretched and when the pants are fitted the material is gathered slightly round the child's back as indicated in Figure 10.

In this example, the endless bands 9 in the sleeves between the sheet 1 and strips 7 are replaced by arcuate pads of an elastic thermoplastic foam material 25, each of which is fusion welded over its entire surface to the sheet 1 and to the respective strip 7 so that it is integral along its length with the strip 7 and sheet 1, which are also welded together along the arcuated margins of the pad 25. In this example, each padded arcuate portion of the pants is looped around the child's leg and made secure by a push button 26 and a selected one of three press sockets 27.

It will be seen that each pad 25 and the adjacent strip 7 and part of the sheet 1 stretch as an integral unit and the location of the press sockets 27 in relation to this stretch can be so chosen as to provide minimum tension for each press stud adjustment while maintaining a completely smooth and effective seal around the child's leg.

Claims (16)

1. Waterproof pants comprising a single sheet of waterproof material for extending between the legs of a wearer and having arcuate side edge portions arranged to extend round the legs ofthe wearer in watertight engagement therewith, additional flexible strips being sealed along the arcuate side edge portions to provide sleeves each encasing an elastic element secured within the sleeve to be stretched as a unit with the sleeve to maintain a sufficient watertight engagement round the legs of the wearer when the pants are being worn and the ends of the sheet being arranged to provide a girdle including a further elastic element for holding the pants in position when they are being worn.

2. Waterproof pants according to claim 1, in which each of said elastic elements for the legs of the wearer or said elastic element included in the girdle comprises an endless elastic band looped around spaced retaining means.

3. Waterproof pants according to claim 1, in which each said elastic element for a wearer's leg is an endless elastic band and each strip is further sealed to the sheet at two spaced points providing retaining means round which the ends of the associated elastic band are looped.

4. Waterproof pants according to claim 1, in which each of said elastic elements for a wearer's leg is an arcuate pad of foam material extending along the associated arcuate edge of the sheet and encased between the sheet and the strip of material which is sealed along its edges to the sheet with the pad adhering over its entire surface to the encasing material provided by the sheet and strip.

5. Waterproof pants according to claim 3, in which the sheet and strips are of thermoplastic material, the strips being fusion welded round their edges to the sheet and at the spaced points to the sheet.

6. Waterproof pants according to claim 4, in which the sheet, strips and pads are of thermoplastic material, each strip being fusion welded round its edges to the sheet, and each pad being fusion welded over its surface to the encasing material of the sheet and strip.

7. Waterproof pants according to claim 4 or claim 6, in which each arcuate edge of the sheet is formed so as to be looped about a wearer's leg and made secure about the leg buy a push button and a selected one of a plurality of sockets.

8. Waterproof pants according to any one of claims 1,2,3 and 5, in which each of the ends of the sheet is a portion shaped so as to be wrapped about the wearer, one from front to back and the other from back to front, so that the sides of each portion are juxtaposed or contiguous, the said elastic element included in the girdle being provided for securing together and releasing the sides of each said portion at the back or front of the wearer.

9. Waterproof pants according to claim 8, in which the elastic element for securing together and relasing the sides of each end portion consists of an elastic strap detachably secured to the sides of the end portion.

10. Waterproof pants according to claim 9, in which each detachable strap carries hooks at its ends which, when the pants are in use, are hooked into loops on the associated end portion.

11. Waterproof pants according to claim 10, in which a plurality of loops are provided at each side of each end portion to enable the pants to be adapted to wearers of different sizes.

12. Waterproof pants according to any one of claims 1,2,4,6 and 7, in which each side of each end of the sheet is arranged to be detachably secured to the corresponding side of the other end of the sheet at one side of the wearer with one said end of the sheet extending along the back of the wearer and the other said end along the front of the wearer.

13. Waterproof pants according to claim 12, in which each side of each end of the sheet is arranged to be detachably secured to the corresponding side of the other end of the sheet by a push button and a selected one of a plurality of sockets.

14. Waterproof pants according to claim 12 or claim 13, in which an elastic element in the form of an endless elastic band is looped round spaced retaining means adjacent the sides of one end of the sheet so that the endless band extends across the said end adjacent the transverse edge thereof, the endless band being encased between the material of the sheet and a flexible, comparatively wide band sealed to the sheet around the flexible band, and the band being such that, when unstretched, it causes the encasing material to gather.

15. Waterproof pants substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

16. Waterproof pants substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 7 to 11 of the accompanying drawings.