US2817338A - Baby pants - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 24, 1957 J. R. sLUssER BABY PANTS Filed Aug. 2. 1954 TIM/w74 51.0

JNVENTOR United States Patent O BABY PANTS Juanita R. Slusser, Pasadena, Calif. Application August 2, 1954, Serial No. 447,368 8 Claims. (Cl. 12S-286) This invention relates to improved baby pants, preferably of a type adapted to serve as waterproof pants at the outside of diapers.

In using conventional waterproof baby pants, it is virtually impossible to prevent the leakage of some moisture to the outside of the pants. This is due largely to the diiculty of maintain a tight t of the pants about the legs of the baby. Further, in attempting to prevent such leakage, prior baby pants have been so designed as to almost completely close off all air circulation to the baby, with the result that the baby frequently becomes chafed or irritated, and the mother may eventually stop using waterproof pants of any type on the baby.

A major object of the present invention is to provide an improved type of baby pants, adapted for use as waterproof diaper covers, and which are capable of very effectively and positively preventing fluid leakage to the outside of the pants. At the same time, the pants are desirably so designed as to afford a relatively open circulation of air to the interior of the pants. Particularly contemplated are pants of this type which are adapted for very easy application to and removal from a baby, and preferably are themselves designed to carry the diaper, and hold it in proper position in use.

To prevent water leakage from within the pants along the babys legs, I provide unique slide fastener means at opposite sides of the pants acting to adjustably and releasably fasten together the adjacent edges of a pair of front and rear portions of the pants. The pants may include a body panel which is passed through the babys crotch and then upwardly at the front and rear of the baby, to form the dened front and rear portions of the pants. The slide fasteners may then be adjustable vertically at the sides of the pants to vary the sizes of a pair of lower leg openings, and thus adjust the pants to t snugly about the legs of a particular baby. Each of the slide fasteners may include a slide element which is movable vertically along a pair of elements being interconnected thereby, these elements typically being formed of a flexible plastic material. In this connection, it is felt that certain features of novelty reside in the fastener structure itself, independently of its use in the present baby pants.

In order to allow air circulation to the baby, each of the slide fasteners is preferably so designed as to connect the front and rear portions of the body panel together at only the location of the vertically adjustable element. Above this element, the front and rear portions are unconnected, so that air may pass therebetween into the interior of the pants. On the other hand, the pants are desirably so designed as to prevent water leakage from with in the pants outwardly at its side edges. For this purpose, I prefer to provide a waterproof element or elements extending about the edge portions of the diaper within the pants, in a manner trapping the water in the diaper against escape from the edges thereof.

The above and other features and objects of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the typical embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l shows a pair of baby pants formed in accordance with the present invention, and illustrated in open position with a diaper positioned therein;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken on lines 2-2 and 3-3 respectively of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the pants in the condition in which they are worn;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a variational form of slide fastener which may be in the Figs. 1 to 5 form of the invention.

The illustrated waterproof baby pants include two superimposed preferably identically shaped plies 10 and 11 of sheet material. Th outer of these sheets 10 is preferably formed of a protective broadcloth or other fabric giving an attractive external appearance to the garment, but not necessarily waterproof, while the inner body ply 11 is formed of a flexible soft waterproof material, such as a vinyl plastic sheet material, preferably so selected as to be resistant to hardening, cracking, and/or other deterioration in use. In using the pants, a diaper 24 is folded to approximately the size of body plies 10 and 11 and is placed on the inner of those plies and beneath a peripheral retaining element 12, following which the pants and diaper are applied to the baby in the manner shown in Fig. 5. At opposite sides of the baby, the front and rear portions of the garment are adjustably and re`- leasably attached together by a pair of slide fastener units, including a pair of elongated fastener strips or track member 13, and a pair of slidable retaining elements 14.

The two body plies 10 and 11 have a pair of parallel end edges 15 and 16, which form the wastline of the pants when the two plies 10 and 11 are passed through the crotch of the baby and then upwardly at both the front and rear of the baby. The edge 16 which forms the wastline at the rear of the pants is preferably substantially longer than the end 15 forming the wastline at the front of the garment, with the two side edges 17 of the body converging progressively from edge 16 toward edge 15. As a result, the rear portion of the garment is substantially wider than the front portion. Body plies 10 and 11 may be stitched together peripherally along the entire extents of their edges 15, 16 and 17.

After the garment has been placed in position about a baby, the front and rear portions of the garment are releasably fastened together at waistlne edges 15 and 16, as by hooks 19 attached to the rear portion of the garment at opposite ends of edge 16, and selectively connectable into two series of `eye-s 20 fastened to the front portion of the pants at opposite ends of edge 15. As lwill be understood, connection of hooks 19 into ditferent ones of the eyes 20 allows for adjustment of the waistlne dimension of the pants. Adjacent 4the ends of waistlne edge 16 at the rear of the garment, the pants may include a pair of s'hort strips of elastic 21, which .take up any looseness in the waistlne. If desired, hooks 19 may be attached to the ends of elastic strips 21.

Element 12 preferably comprises a one piece sheet of material cut to `essentially the same external shape as body plies 10 and 11, and containing an opening 12a for receiving diaper 24. More specifically, this pie-ce of material may havey a rear waist edge `coinciding with and stitched to edges 16 of the body plies, and may have con verging opposite side edges coinciding with and stitched to opposite side edges 17 of the body plies. At the front 4waist edge 15 of the body plies, element l2 may be sewn to the body plies along a line 28. The opening 12a is spaced inwardly from all of the edges 15, 16 and 17, so that element 12 forms strips of material adjacent the on line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

3 front, rear andV sides of the diaper, and adapted to overlie Vthe edges of diaper '2d when placed in posi-tion. At its four corners, `element 12 may be cut away angularly (see 114 in Fig. l) to a size smaller than the body plies, `so that the corners of the diaper may be exposed for pinning together by pins 27 when in use.

Element 12 is preferably formed of the same type of waterproof plastic flexible material utilized in making body ply 11. The previously mentioned elastic strips 21 may be received between body ply 11 and the inner piece of material 12., both of these pieces of material as well as outer body ply 141 being adapted to pucker to allow for extension and contraction of the elastic tabs.

Describing now the slide fastener construction, the strips 13 comprise a pair of elongated flexible elements, typically formed of a flexible resinous plastic material, such as a vinyl plastic. Each of these strips of material 13 is of a length to extend along substantially the entire extent of a corresponding one of the side edges 17 of the body plies 14) and 11. Strips 13 have 'fiat sheetlike portions 29, which are .stitched at 3u to and continuously along edge portions 17 of the body plies. Outwardly beyond their fiat attaching portions 29, strips 13 have enlarged thickness portions 31 containing longitudinally extending track `recesses or grooves 32. The sliding fastener elements 14 of the fasteners slidably engage the enlarged track portions 31 of fastener strips 13.

The slide elements 14 are preferably of substantially the same construction as the slide `elements utilized. in conventional slide fasteners. Each of these elem-ents may comprise a piece of sheet material deformed to form a pair of parallel spaced walls 33, interconnected at 3d, and between which portions of the enlargements 31 of fastening strips 13 are slidably received. For retaining the strips 13 -to slide elements 14, the walls 33 of each slide element have inturned flange portions 35, one of which is received within each of the track grooves 32 in the strips 13, to guide element 14 for sliding movement along `strip 13. Preferably, the two inturned Itrack-engaging flanges at one side of each of the slide elements 14, converge toward the corresponding flanges 35 at the opposite side of the element, as shown. rf'he usual handle tab 37 is attached to an outer side of each of the slide elements 1d, for moving it along the corresponding strip 13.

At one end 38 of `eac-h .strip 13, preferably the end adjacent the rear waist edge 16 of the pants, the enlarged portion 31 of strip 13 may be curved into direct engagement with one of the pieces of Imaterial or 11 and preferably to a location between these pieces of material, and may be stitched or otherwise retained in that position to prevent movement of slide element 14 off of strip 13 at that end of the strip. The opposite end of the strip is detachably connectable into lthe slide velement 14, and for tha-t purpose the enlargement 31 of the strip is at that second end spaced from the body plies, rather than curved into engagement therewith. I find it best to have the lower enlarged width end of each fastener element extending downwardly.

lIn using the pants illustrated in the drawing, the -diaper 2d is first placed along the inside of 4the pants, with the edges of the diaper underlying piece 12. The pants and diaper are then passed beneath the crotch of a baby, and the front and Vrear portions are pulled upwardly at the front and rear respectively of the baby. The two front and rear corners of the diaper at each side of the baby are then fastened together by pins 27, following which the front and rear portions of the .pants are releasably attached Itogether by inserting the forward free end of each fastener `strip 13 into the corresponding slide element 14, which slide element has previously been moved upwardly along the rear portion of strip 13 to va location near the waist edge 16. With both the front and rear portions of each strip 13 within a corresponding one of the .slide elements 1d, .these elements may be slid downwardly into substantial engagement with the babys legs. This `constricts the size of the lower leg openings 39 to a size exactly fitting the particular baby.

Because of the unique formation of the slide fastener parts, the portions of fastener strips 13 directly above elements 14, and extending upwardly to the location of hooks 19, are free of an interconnection, to thus allow free circulation between .these upper side edges of the garment, and thereby prevent chaing of the baby. At the same time, the :piece of lmaterial 12 overlying the edges of the diaper prevent the leakage of any water from the edges of the diaper outwardly through the air circulation space between the upper side edges of the pants, even though this space is open to free air flow into and out ofthe garment.

`lt is noted that when the front and rear portions of one of the fastener strips 13 are received in fastening relation within one of the slide elements 14, lthe enlargements 31 of the two adjacent strip portions within the slide `elements may interengage at their adjacent surfaces, to maintain these lportions of the strips in generally parallel relation.

Fig. 6 illustrates fragmentarily a variational form of slide fastener, which may be substituted for the slide fastener shown in Figs. l-5. Specifically, the Fig. 6 fastener includes a sliding element 14a constructed the same as element 14 of Fig. l, but coacting with tracks 13a of slightly changed construction. Each of these tracks may be formed of an elongated strip of plastic sheet material 113, typically made of the same plastic as body ply 11, with this strip being disposed about a flexible cord in a manner such that an enlargement is formed at the location of the cord which enlargement extends along the side edge of the diaper and is slidably receivable in slide element 14a. The edges of the plastic strip 113 overlie one another, and are stitched to the edge of the diaper continuously at 116.

I claim:

l. Baby pants comprising a body of sheet material adapted to be passed beneath the crotch of a baby and having front and rear portions extending upwardly at the front and rear respectively of the baby, and slide fastener means operable to releasably interconnect adjacent edges of said front and rear portions of the body at opposite sides of the baby, said slide fastener means including a pair of movable slide elements at said opposite sides of the baby, and means attached to said front and rear portions of the body near said edges and adapted to be slidably engaged and held by said elements, said slide elements being vertically slidable along said last mentioned means and acting by said vertical sliding movement to vary the sizes of a pair of leg openings therebeneath, said slide fastener means being so constructed as to interconnect said front and rear portions of the body at the locations of the slide elements but to leave said portions unattached directly above said elements for air circulation to the body, and directly beneath said elements for providing said leg openings.

2. Baby pants as recited in claim l, in which said means on the body portion engaged by said slide elements comprise elongated strips of material slidably interftting with said elements.

3. Baby pants as recited Yin claim 2, in which said strips of material contain track grooves extending therealong, and said slide elements have projections fitting into and riding within said track grooves.

4. Baby pants as recited in claim 3, in which said strips of material are formed of a exible resinous plastic material.

5. Baby pants comprising a body of sheet material adapted to be passed beneath the crotch of a baby and having front and rear portions extending upwardly at the front and rear respectively of the baby, and slide fastener means operable to releasably interconnect adjacent edges of said front and rear portions of the body at opposite sides of the baby, said slide fastener means including a pair of movable slide elements at said opposite sides of the baby, means attached to said front and rear portions of the body near said edges and adapted to be slidably engaged and held by said elements, said slide elements being vertically slidable along said last mentioned means and acting by said vertical sliding movement to vary the sizes of a pair of leg openings therebeneath, and additional fasteners retaining said front and rear portions of the body together at locations above said slide elements, said slide fastener means being constructed to interconnect said front and rear body portions at the locations of said slide elements but to leave the portions unattached directly above said elements between said element and said additional fasteners, and directly beneath said elements at said leg openings.

6. Baby pants comprising a body of sheet material adapted to be passed beneath the crotch of a baby and having front and rear portions extending upwardly at the front and rear respectively of the baby, and slide fastener means operable to releasably interconnect adjacent edges of said front and rear portions of the body at opposite sides of the baby, said slide fastener means including a pair of movable slide elements at said opposite sides of the baby, means attached to said front and rear portions of the body near said edges and adapted to be slidably engaged and held by said elements, said slide elements being vertically slidable along said last mentioned means and acting by said vertical sliding movement to vary the sizes 6 of a pair of leg openings therebeneath, said slide fastener means being so constructed as to interconnect said front and rear portions of the body at the locations of the slide elements but to leave said portions unattached directly above said elements to provide air circulation spaces, and directly beneath said elements for providing said leg openings, said body being formed of a flexible Waterproof material and being adapted to receive a diaper along the inside thereof, and waterproof strips of exible sheet material attached to and overlying said body along its side edges and adapted to extend over the edges of said diaper.

7. Baby pants as recited in claim 6, including strips of flexible waterproof sheet material attached to front and rear Waist edges of said body and overlying adjacent edges of the diaper.

8. Baby pants as recited in claim 7, in which said means engaged by the slide elements comprise a pair of strips of flexible plastic material extending along and attached to side edges of the body and having traclc grooves extending longitudinally therealong, and said slide elements having projections tting into and riding within said grooves.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 867,864 Wright Oct. 8, 1907 2,141,105 Eller et al Dec. 20, 1938 2,575,163 Donovan Nov. 13, 1951 2,632,220 Robinsohn Mar. 24, 1953

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