Jan. 28, 1969 PARRAVCN 3,424,162 UNDERPANTS, IN PARTICULAR HYGIENIC PANTY Filed Sept. 50, 1965 Sheet / Of 2

Jan. 28, 1969 I. PARRAVCN 3,424,162 UNDERPANTS, IN PARTICULAR HYGIENIC PANTY Filed Sept. 30, 1965 Sheet 2 of 2

S. base-2. Gecks artwag 3,424,162 United States Patent Office Patented Jan. 28, 1969 2 half of a further embodiment of underpants designed 3,424,162 according to the teachings of the present invention; UNDERPANTS, IN PARTICULAR FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the underpants shown HYGENC PANTY in FIGURE 5, taken along the line VI-VI thereof, and Irma Parravicini, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Flora depicting the construction of a side seam; and Parravicini, Zurich, Switzerland 5 Filed Sept. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 491,698 FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary view showing a modified Claims priority, application Switzerland, May 20, 1965, form of underpants wherein the body portion of the under 7,079/65 m pants comprises two layers of cellulose material between U.S. C. 128-288 1 Claim which there is sandwiched a gauze layer. Int. CI. A61f 13/16, A61 15/00, A41b 9/04 Turning attention now to the drawings, especially the 0 first embodiment of inventive underpants, shown as a panty, and depicted in FIGURES 1 to 4, it will be recog ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUIRE nized that this exemplary illustrated embodiment of panty Underpants characterized by the feature that they comprises a body portion B, which is preferably formed of embody a body portion which is at least partially of cellu 15 a front panel 17 and a rear panel 18. Both of these panels lose material which is in fleece-like form and they may 17 and 18 are sewn together at the sides 19' and 20' to incorporate a gauze insert or may be completely lined provide respective vertical seams, generally represented with gauze. At the waist portion and at the leg portions, by reference numerals 19 and 20. It will be seen that the an elastic band and fabric band can be sewn or otherwise thus formed body portion B of the panty includes a waist 20 portion W and a pair of spaced leg portions L which are affixed. The cellulose material may be reinforced by a situated opposite the waist portion W and straddle a number of parallel threads. - crotch portion C in the usual manner. Both the waist -amakristemme portion W and the leg portions L in the region of the leg openings 35 are reinforced by a respective cloth or The present invention has reference to a new and im fabric band 10. Each of these fabric bands 10 are sewn proved construction of underpants, especially panties, onto the material 11 of the body portion B by means of and, in particular, is directed to an underpants construc a special zigzag stitch 12. Additionally, it will be noticed tion which can be thrown away after having been used, that elastic bands 13 and 13a, e.g. rubber bands, are hereinafter conveniently referred to as hygienic under again sewn onto the associated fabric bands 10 at the pants or panties. 30 waist portion W and at the leg portions respectively, by As is the case for instance with handkerchiefs or means of a special zigzag stitch 14. The elastic bands 13a diapers, it is also desired for hygienic reasons to throw at the leg portions L are preferably smaller than the elastic away underpants after having been used once. band 13 at the waist portion W. Moreover, the elastic Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to bands 13 and 3a are sewn onto the associated fabric provide an inexpensive construction of underpants, in 35 bands 10 while they are in stretched condition, so that particular a panty, which does not have to be washed and after the sewing operation these elastic bands 13 and 13a can be thrown away once it has been used. can pull together or tighten, whereby the material 11 and A further considerable object of this invention is di the fabric bands 10 are also pulled together, a number rected to providing underpants which are relatively inex of pleats or folds 36 forming at the waist portion W and pensive to manufacture, yet provide comfortable wear and 40 the leg portions L. Due to this measure there is achieved can be thrown away after once having been used, so that the possibility of also expanding a completely inelastic the necessity of washing them is obviated. material 11, whereby the pleats 36, formed in the manner According to one very important aspect of this inven described above, expand or stretch. tion, the inventive underpants is characterized by the fea It will also be seen that in this embodiment an insert 15 ture that it embodies a body portion which is at least is provided at the inside of the crotch portion C. The size partially formed of cellulose material which is in fleece of insert 15 can be optionally selected in accordance with like form. Moreover, such underpants can incorporate a requirements. Preferably, this insert 15 consists of a cotton gauze insert or can be completely lined with gauze. Fur guaze and, similar to the fabric bands 10, is sewn onto thermore, at the waist portion and at the leg portions of the material 11 of the body portion B by means of a the underpants a respective elastic band e.g. rubber band 50 special zigzag stitch 16. together with a fabric band can be sewn or otherwise FIGURE 3 shows details of the vertical seam 19 by affixed to such portions. The cellulose material used to means of which the front panel 17 and rear panel 18 are manufacture the underpants can also be reinforced by a connected to one another at one side 19, and it is to be number of parallel threads. understood that the seam 20 at the other side 20' is exactly Other features, objects and advantages of the inven 55 similar to this seam 19 now to be described. By referring tion will become apparent by reference to the following to this figure it will be recognized that the marginal edges detailed description and drawings in which: of the front panel 17 and the rear panel 18 are here FIGURE 1 schematically illustrates a front view of enclosed by a fabric band 21 in order to prevent fraying a preferred embodiment of underpants designed accord of the material 11 forming these panels 17, 18. This fabric ing to the teachings of the present invention; 60 band 21 is also sewn onto these marginal edges by means FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the of a special zigzag stitch, by virtue of which the seam 19 underpants illustrated in FIGURE 1, viewed along the is formed at the same time. line II-II thereof, and showing details of the construc FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate a modified form of under tion of the waist portion of such underpants; pants, e.g. panty, wherein the same reference characters FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the underpants of 65 have generally been employed for similar portions there FIGURE 1, taken along the line III-III thereof, and of. This embodiment basically differs from the previous from which the construction of a vertical seam is clearly one in that here the body portion B of the underpants is visible; FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of the underpants completely lined, as shown by reference character 22. For of FIGURE 1, taken along the line IV-IV thereof, in the lining 22 there is advantageously employed gauze. At which there is visible the attachment of a gauze insert; 70 the waist portion W and at the leg portions L this lining FIGURE 5 schematically illustrates in front view one 22 is preferably fixedly sewn onto the fabric bands 23 and 3,424,162 3. 4 24 of the front panel 25 and rear panel 26. Similar to lose material of the body portion B at the region of the the first embodiment, here again, elastic bands 33 are leg portions L. sewn onto the front panel 23 and rear panel 24 forming While there is shown and described present preferred the body portion B of the underpants. However, in this embodiments of the invention it is to be distinctly under example the same kind of elastic bands 33 are preferably Stood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be used at both the waist portion W and leg portions L. The 5 otherwise variously embodied and practised within the vertical seams 27, only one of which is visible in the draw Scope of the following claim. ing of FIGURE 5, and which connect the front panel 25 What is claimed is: with the rear panel 26, can be of the same construction 1. Panty comprising front and rear single ply panels as the seam 19 described in FIGURE 3. However, in this O Sewn together to form a waist portion and a body portion case the fabric band 21 which covers or encloses the having leg openings, said front and rear single ply panels marginal edges of these panels can be omitted. being each made of only a layer of inelastic non-woven The invention contemplates using a conventional cellu cellulose material, a waist band formed by a strip of cloth lose material available upon the market for the parts of material secured to the waist portion for reinforcing the the underpants forming the body portion B. This cellulose edge of the non-woven cellulose material around the waist material may be the same as for instance used for hand of the wearer, a strip of cloth material secured to the kerchiefs, napkins, diapers and the like, and is what can front and rear panels along the leg openings of the body be considered to be in fleece-like form, usually having a portions for reinforcing the non-woven material along somewhat fluffy-like surface. Moreover, the invention also said leg openings, said front and rear panels being sewn teaches forming the body portion B of layers of cellulose 20 together along seams extending from the edge of said material with a gauze layer arranged between the cellu waist portion to said leg openings, and a cloth band en lose layers. Such further possible manner of forming the closing the edges of the non-woven material of said panels body portion B is shown in FIGURE 7 wherein there is along said seam and stitched together with edges of both depicted two layers of cellulose material 30, 31 between panels to reinforce the non-woven material along said which there is sandwiched a layer of gauze 32. edges. Moreover, in all of the embodiments herein disclosed References Cited it is advantageously possible to reinforce the employed cellulose material 11 by a number of parallely arranged UNITED STATES PATENTS threads, such as the threads 34 shown in FIGURE 1. 2,252,992 8/1941 Steiner ------128- 288 The individual parts of the underpants can be sewn to 30 2,299,446 10/1942. White ------128-288 gether by a zigzag stitch suitable for the material, although 2,748,772 6/1956 Titone et al. ------128-288 other type stitching can obviously be employed. Prefer 3,072,123 1/1963 Davis ------128- 288 ably, there are used the previously considered reinforce 3,085,309 4/1963 Olson ------128-284 ment bands which are applied to the waist portion W 3,237,625 3/1966 Johnson ------128-288 and the leg portions L. However, under certain circum FOREIGN PATENTS stances, it is sufficient if only such a reinforcement band is sewn to the waist portion W. The elastic bands which 357,040 1 1/1961 Switzerland. are sewn onto such reinforcement bands ensure for proper fitting of the underpants. In the event that such a rein CHARLES F. ROSENBAUM, Primary Examiner. forcement band is only provided at the waist portion W, 40 U.S. C. X.R. then the rubber bands can be directly sewn onto the cellu 2-224