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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/791,584, entitled TRAINING PANTS WITH RECLOSABLE BREACH, filed on Apr. 12, 2006. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.
Not Applicable.
At one stage of development, human males must advance through what is commonly termed “potty training.” The male must learn to control his urination and be able to timely urinate in a toilet, urinal or other sanitary device. To do so, the male must reach the sanitary device, expose his genitals and urinate in a timely manner. Unfortunately, accidental urination is common during the course of such training. For this reason, it has been long recognized that “training pants” can serve a useful purpose. That is, training pants can provide the male with a device that can absorb accidental urination, and yet allow the male to rapidly remove the pants for proper urination.
While a variety of conventional training pants exist to assist a male through this training, none provide a recloseable breach or crotch cover that generally mimics traditional male pants having a crotch zipper or other such openable device to allow for sanitary urination.
Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are shown in the following drawings which form a part of the specification:
FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the training pants of the present invention with the breach cover closed;
FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of the training pants of the present invention with the breach cover partially open;
FIG. 3 is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the training pants of the present invention having separable side strips, and showing one side strip and the breach cover both partially open;
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
In an illustrative embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 1), the training pants A have a front panel 10, a rear panel 12, and a breach cover 14. While the pants A of this illustrative embodiment are designed for a toddler, similar pants incorporating the features of the present invention can also be constructed for larger males, such as adults with disabilities. The edges of the pants A form a waist 16 along the top of the pants A, and two leg holes 18 along the bottom of the pants A, all as shown. The waist 16 and leg holes 18 are elasticized to provide a secure fit to the toddler and minimize the possibility of leakage. The pants A are formed of quilted cotton to provide absorbency, although alternate absorbent materials may be used such as, for example, paper materials, manmade fibers, and other cloths. Further, one or more of the components may alternatively be non-absorbent, and the materials need not be quilted.
The front and rear panels 10 and 12 are generally shaped and sized to respectively cover the front and rear areas of a toddler's body from generally the navel to just below the crotch. The breach cover 14 is generally positioned at the lower portion of the front panel 10 between the leg holes 18, and in the general vicinity of the toddler's crotch when the pants A are properly worn by the toddler.
The front and rear panels 10 and 12 are sewn together along three edges or seams 20, 22 and 24. The seams 20 and 22 run along the pants A, from the waist 16 to the leg holes 18 of the pants A. The seam 24 runs along the front of the pants A, below the breach cover 14, and from one leg hole 18 to the other leg hole 18.
Cloth edge beads 26 and 28 are sewn over the seams 20 and 22. Similarly, cloth edge beads 30 are sewn along the edges of the leg holes 18. Of course, the edge beads 26, 28 and 30 are not necessary to the functioning of the present invention in its most basic form. Further, the edge beads 26, 28 and 30 need not be cloth, but may be any of a number of suitable alternative materials including, for example, vinyl, rubber, elastic, or plastic.
In this embodiment (FIG. 1), the breach cover 14 is generally rectangular in shape, having a bottom edge 32 and three remaining edges 34, the bottom edge 32 being sewn into the seam 24. Fastening strips (shown in dotted lines) are attached to the underside of all three remaining sides 34 of the breach cover 14. Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the fastening strips 36 mate to reciprocal strips 38 on the front panel 10. The strips 36 and 38 are preferably formed of Velcro, such that one of said strips 36 and 38 is formed of loop material, while the other is formed of hook material. While the strips 36 and 38 are preferably formed of Velcro, alternate materials and devices may be used to releasably attach the breach cover 14 to the front panel 10. These include, for example, snaps, buttons, hooks and laces, cords, clasps, ties, pins, clips, buckles and buttons.
The reciprocal strips 38 outline an opening 40 in the pants A that reveals the rear panel 12. The opening 40 is sized and shaped such that when the pants A are worn by a male toddler, and the breach cover 14 is pulled open, to a disengagement position (partial disengagement is shown is FIG. 2), the opening 40 provides a resealable aperture or opening in the pants A through which the toddler may urinate without soiling the pants. As can be appreciated, because the breach cover 14 is secured to the pants A, the breach cover 14 cannot be lost or dropped, such as onto an unsanitary bathroom floor or into a toilet.
In an alternative embodiment, shown in FIG. 3, the front and rear panels 10 and 12 are releasably attached to one another along the edges or seams 20 and 22. That is, instead of the seams 20 and 22 being sewn together as disclosed in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the front and rear panels 10 and 12 each have matching Velcro strips 50 and 52 along the seams 20 and 22. In this configuration, the front panel 10 may be separated from the rear panel 12, at one or both sides along the seams 20 and 22, and then reattached by merely pressing the Velcro strips 50 and 52 together. Of course, a variety of other fastening devices may be used in place of the Velcro strips 50 and 52, including but not limited to, snaps, buttons, hooks and laces, cords, clasps, ties, pins, clips, buckles and buttons.
While the above description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an exemplification of a preferred embodiment thereof. Many other variations are possible. For example, the breech cover 14 need not be sewn or otherwise permanently attached to pants A. The breach cover 14 may alternatively be any of a variety of shapes, so long as the breach cover provides a resealable covering over the genitals of a male toddler when in place on the pants A. Further, for those configurations in which the breach cover 14 is attached in part to the pants A, the breach cover 14 is not limited to being attached at the bottom of the opening 40, but may be attached at the top or along one or more sides of the opening 40.
Although generally designed for a male toddler, the present invention may also be used, for example, by older individuals having incontinence difficulties, including adults or individuals that are physically or mentally challenged.
One of ordinary skill in the art will also recognize that the pants A may also be formed of a single panel instead of the two panels 10 and 12. In such a configuration, the opening 40 would merely need to be shaped, sized and positioned such that the wearer can expose his genitals sufficiently to enable urination through the opening 40 when the breach cover 14 has been removed or set aside. Similarly, the pants A may be formed of more than the two panels 10 and 12. Further, the components of the pants A may be constructed of a variety of clothing materials, including but not limited to various cloths, plastics, rubbers and other synthetics, or any other suitable material that will provide pliant fit and some degree of absorbency such that each component can perform its desired function as stated herein. Each dimension of the pants A, and thereby all of its components, may be of varying sizes. Of course, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that structural or other enhancement members may be added to strategic positions on or in the pants A to enhance the durability and use of the pants A.
The detailed description above illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. This description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the invention, including what we presently believe is the best mode of carrying out the invention. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.