US2544726A - Infant's garment - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1951 P. M. ROGATZ INFANTS GARMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 22, 1947 PziaPZ F0 EZ'Z March 13; 1951 p, RQGATZ. 2,544,726

'INFANT'S GARMENT Filed May 22, 1947 I s Sheets-Sheet 2 March 13, 1951 P. M. ROGATZ 2,544,726

mum's GARMENT Filed May 22, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 H a a /6 Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INFANTS GARMENT Pearl M. Rogatz, Milwaukee, Wis. Application May 22, 1947, Serial No. 749,843

Thi invention relates to improvements in garments for infants and refers particularly to a diaper-like garment.

Attempts have been made in the past to provide a garment suitable for use on infants in lieu of the conventional diaper and while some of these past innovations had advantages over the diaper, no garment of this type heretofore available has been wholly satisfactory.

Among the reasons that might be mentioned for the failure of garments of thi type heretofore available, are the following:

1. Excessive costs-The entire diaper had to be removed to be laundered; so-called soakers and rubber panties were required.

2. Difficulty in application.-Because of the inevitable variation in the infants contours, size and weight, diapers heretofore available were not designed to especially conform to the infant's body Hence the application of the garment or diaper required considerable time to assure its not being too tight or too loose.

3. Hazards incident in appZz'cation.The use of safety pins or strings or other loose objects heretofore necessary to hold the diaper or garment in place provided objects which could be swallowed or entwined about the infant.

4. Skin irritation.-Where rubber panties were used heretofore they were in direct contact with the infants skin. Such materials often produce skin irritation requiring the care of a physician for their correction. This is particularly apt to happen with allergic infants.

5. Disagreeable odors.-Loose cloth diapers permitted odors to emanate from the infant.

Another object of this invention is to provide a garment for infants which when in position has a neat pantie-like appearance and cannot change in shape, shift, or painfully bind the infant.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a garment of the character described having a removable and interchangeable pad quickly and easily snapped into place on the main pantieforming portion of the garmentwhich, therefore, may be used repeatedly without washing thus effecting an economy in first cost and facilitating rapid change.

A further object of this invention is to provide a diaper-like garment for infants which incorporates a water-proof shield or liner in such a manner that no part of the waterproof shield or liner comes in contact with the infant but which is so disposed and arranged as to afford assurance that the infant wearing the garment will be socially acceptable.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds this in vention resides in. the novel method and in the combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claim. It being 1 Claim. (Cl. 128-287) understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claim.

The accompanying drawings illustrate two complete examples of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view of an infant wearing one of the garments of this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the garment shown from the rear;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the pantie forming portion of the garment with the removable pad detached therefrom;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the removable pad;

Figure 5 is a perspective view looking down into the pantie forming part of the garment, but with no pad in position;

Figure 6 is a fiat plan view of the pad for the pantie forming garment;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a removable pad illustrating a modified adaptation thereof; and

Figure 8 is a plan view of the pantie-forming part of the garment illustrating a modification thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates generally the outer or pantie-forming part of the garment which is designed to fit the infant somewhat in the nature of a loin-cloth and in which a removable pad 6 is readily detachably secured. The part 5 is made of two layers or thicknesses I and 8 of soft textured fabric material of cloth with a lining 9 of water-proof material therebetween.

The water-proof material must be boil-proof and capable of taking considerable wear, and capable of preventing the escape of disagreeable odors from the-diaper, as well as seepage of liquid or solid material to adjacent bed linens, and while other material may be used, pliable plastics have been found to be exceptionally satisfactory.

The three layers forming the part 5 are cut to the pattern shown in Figure 6 and then sewed together. 'As shown in Figure 6, the composite unit when laid flat has substantially an hour glass shape with a narrow mid-portion l0, wide end portions II and I2 and parallel opposite edges [3 and I4 defining the ends of the unit.

The end portion H is somewhat narrower than the end portion l2, but both are still a substantial amount wider than the midportion Ill. The portion ll provides the front of the garment while the portion l2 serves as the back. The side edges l5 of the composite unit are cut to the same shape, and in each instance they extend for a short distance perpendicularly to the end edges 13 and M as at It, and then angle inwardly to define the narrow mid-portion Ill.

Elastic bands [1 are sewed to the end portions H and [2. The free length of these bands are less than the full width of the end portions but still greater than the width of the mid-portion 10. Thus the elastic bands shirr the end portions into the shape shown in Figure 3.

While the dimensions of the composite unit are, of course, subject to variation, for illustration those found suitable are as follows: For the full extended width of the front forming end. portion ll (measured along the edge I3) 19 inches; for the opposite back forming end portion (measured along edge [4) 20%; inches; for the width of the mid-portion i0, 12 inches; and forthe length of the unit from the edge 13 to the edge 14,19 inches.

Although the elastic bands i! draw the end portions in, they are, however, each long enough to extend around considerably more than half the waist of an infant so that when the garment is in place the ends of the two elastic bands overlap a substantial distance as shown particularly in Figure 5.

Snap fasteners I8 arranged at spaced intervals along the elastic bands provide means for securing. the overlapping ends of the hands together with different waist measurements. By virtue of the shape and proportions of the composite unit 5 and the substantial overlap of its end portions the legs openings 19 are adjustable from almost fully closed to a comparatively large size, thus providing a self-adjusting snug fit on the infants .legs.

The pad 6 is made of a number of thicknesses of soft material preferably a cloth having substantiallbibulosity. Four or more such layers or thicknesses may be used all of which are sewed together along their marginal edges. The shape of the pad, as shown in Figure 4, is such as to provide a mid-portion 20 somewhat narrower than the mid-portion in of the unit 5 and narrower end portions 2|. Snap fasteners 22 on the pad and pantie forming unit provide means for readily removably securing the pad in position. 7

While the provision of a single water-proof linerin the panti forming unit as described is entirely satisfactory and sufiicient, if desired the removable pad also can be provided with a water-proof lining or covering 23 as shown in Figure 7. In this case the water-proof covering is sewed to the pad only along the side edges thereof, its end edges 24 being left free. This facilitates washing the pads as it allows unrestricted egress of water from between the waterproof covering and the pad proper. Where the pads are equipped with such water-proof coverings, the water-proof lining of the pantie forming unit 5 may be omitted'if desired.

It is to be understood, of course, that where the pad shown in Figure '7 is employed, it is so applied that its water-proof covering faces outwardly and does not come in contact with the infant. Another modified application of the water-proof lining as shown in Figure 8 comprises a water-proof shield 25. This shield is of the size and shape of the pads, andis sewed to the inside of the pantie forming unit 5. Here again the liner 9 may be dispensed with.

From the'foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be readily apparent that this invention-provides a diaper type garment for infants which has many advantages over the use of conventional diapers and constitutes asubstantial improvement over garments of this general type heretofore available. Of the advantages inherent in this invention the following may be specifically mentioned:

1. The pad insert is quickly removable.

2. The main diaper of the pantie may be used repeatedly without washing.

3. The specially incorporated water-proof and boil-proof material-is covered by cloth and does not .come in contact with the infants skin.

4. The pad is so constructed that the plastic water-proof and boil-proof sheet becomes an integral portion of the cloth pad.

5,. No strings or pins are required to secure either the pad or the entire garment in place.

.6. The garment may be applied or changed in the dark without the irritating effect of a light on the babys eyes.

7. Being a permanent part of the garment and interchangeable pad, the snap fasteners employed to secure the diaper on the infant, cannot be swallowed or loosened and become hazards to the infant.

What I claim as my invention is:

A diaper-like garment for infants comprising: a panti forming unit consisting of two layers of soft fabric material with a layer of water-proof material therebetween, said unit having substantially parallel opposite edges and having its sides arcuately cut out to give the mid-portion of the unit considerably less width than said opposite edge portions; elastic bands secured to said edge portions and extending along the length thereof to shirr the same; a fastener on each end of each of said edges; a plurality of fasteners on each of said edges spaced inwardly from the ends there of and disposed at spaced intervals along said edges, said last named fasteners being engageable with said first named fasteners to secure the corresponding side portions of said opposite edges to one another about the waist of an infant when the garment is applied loin-cloth fashion with the mid-portion of said 'pantie forming unit serving as a crotch and with the opposite edge portions overlapping a substantial distance over the hips of the wearer to substantially close the sides of the garment, and so that said overlapping portions cooperate with said mid-portion to define leg openings automatically adjustable in size, the amount of overlap of said portions being adjustable by engagement of said first named fasteners with different ones of said second named fasteners to conform to the waist of the wearer; a removable crotch pad unit; and cooperating fasteners on said pad. unit and the panti unit for readily removably holding the pad in place thereon.

interchangeable and PEARL M. ROGATZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,329,119 George Jan. 2'7, 1920 1,941,677 Friedman Jan. 2, 1934 2,004,088 Alsop June 11, 1935 2,119,610 Tasker June 7, 1938 2,122,417 Fridolph July 5, 1938 2,284,944 ZBruning June 2, 1942

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