A GARMENT

Abstract

A garment, particularly swimwear, to cover a wearer's body between the waist and thighs has a shell of substantially impermeable material +, a permeable inner lining material which lies next to the wearer's skin in use and an antimicrobial agent disposed between the shell of substantially impermeable material and the inner lining material, The antimicrobial agent may be Silver which has been deposited by a physical deposition process onto a textile disposed between the shell and inner lining material, The garment may form a lining of a swim nappy, the combination providing an article of swimwear.

Claims

1. A garment intended, in use, to cover a wearer's body between the waist and thighs, the garment comprising a shell of substantially impermeable material, a permeable inner lining material which lies next to the wearer's skin in use and an antimicrobial agent disposed between the shell of substantially impermeable material and the inner lining material.

2. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shell is formed from a textile material.

3. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner lining material is formed from a textile material.

4. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the antimicrobial agent is inorganic.

5. A garment as claimed in claim 4 wherein the antimicrobial agent is a metal.

6. A garment as claimed in claim 5 wherein the antimicrobial agent is Silver.

7. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the antimicrobial agent is disposed on a textile material.

8. A garment as claimed in claim 7 wherein the antimicrobial agent is coated onto the textile material by a physical deposition process, such as vacuum deposition.

9. A garment as claimed in claim 7 wherein the antimicrobial agent makes up at least 1% by weight of the textile material.

10. A garment as claimed in claim 7 wherein the textile material is knitted.

11. A garment as claimed in claim 7 wherein the textile material is formed from multifilament yarn of between 130 and 170 Denier.

12. A garment as claimed in claim 7 wherein the textile has a mass in the range 100 to 150 grams per square meter.

13. A garment as claimed in claim 7 wherein the textile is positioned at least within a crotch region of the garment and/or adjacent waist and leg openings of the garment.

14. A garment as claimed in claim 13 wherein the waist and leg openings are elasticated.

15. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the garment is swimwear.

16. Swimwear comprising an outer garment intended, in use, to cover a wearer's body at least between the waist and thighs, and an inner garment also intended, in use, to cover a wearer's body between the waist and thighs, the inner garment comprising an antimicrobial agent.

17. Swimwear as claimed in claim 16 wherein the inner garment comprises a shell of substantially impereable material, and the inner garment comprises a permeable inner lining material which lies next to the wearer's skin in use and an antimicrobial agent disposed between the shell of substantially impermeable material and the inner lining material.

18. Swimwear as claimed in claim 16 wherein the inner garment is attached to the outer garment.

19. Swimwear as claimed in claim 18 wherein the inner garment is attached to the outer garment at least partially around the waist of the inner garment.

20. Swimwear as claimed in claim 18 wherein the inner garment is stitched to the outer garment.

21. Swimwear a claimed in claim 18 wherein the inner garment is releasably attached to the outer garment.

22. Swimwear as claimed in claim 16 wherein the inner garment is sized such that it is contained within the outer garment.

23. Swimwear as claimed in claim 16 wherein the outer garment comprises a body of substantially impermeable material and elasticated waist and leg bands.

24. A method of manufacture of swimwear comprising the steps of: a. providing a yarn or textile; b. coating said yarn or textile with an antimicrobial agent using a physical deposition process, such as vacuum deposition; c. where present, forming the yarn into a textile; and d. forming a garment which includes the coated textile.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the antimicrobial agent is Silver.

26. A method as claimed in claim 25 wherein the coated textile comprises at least 1% by weight of Silver.

27. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the coated textile material is formed from multifilament yarn of between 130 and 170 Denier and/or has a mass in the range 100 to 150 grams per square meter.

28. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the coated textile is positioned at least within a crotch region of the garment and/or adjacent waist and leg openings of the garment.

29. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the garment is intended, in use, to cover a wearer's body between the waist and thighs and comprises a shell of substantially impermeable material, a permeable inner lining material which lies next to the wearer's skin in use and wherein the coated textile is disposed between the shell of substantially impermeable material and the inner lining material.

30. A method of reducing contamination of a swimming pool by a swimmer comprising: the swimmer wearing a garment as claimed in claim 1, and wearing a swim nappy over that garment, the swim nappy comprising a body of substantially impermeable material and elasticated waist and leg bands.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0048] In order that the invention may be more clearly understood embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

[0049] FIG. 1 is a front view of a brief;

[0050] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the brief of FIG. 1;

[0051] FIG. 3 is a left side view of the brief of FIG. 1;

[0052] FIG. 4 is a right side view of the brief of FIG. 1;

[0053] FIG. 5 is a left side view of the brief of FIG. 1 with the left side of the brief opened;

[0054] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the brief of FIG. 1;

[0055] FIG. 7 is an underneath view of the brief of FIG. 1;

[0056] FIG. 8 is a part cut away front perspective view of the brief of FIG. 1, with an enlarged view of a circled region;

[0057] FIG. 9 is a front view of the brief of FIG. 1 with the inner textile and binding removed to reveal the antimicrobial textile;

[0058] FIG. 10 is a left side view of the brief of FIG. 9;

[0059] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the brief of FIG. 9;

[0060] FIG. 12 is a part cut-away view of the brief of FIGS. 1-11 in use worn by a by a user under a swim nappy;

[0061] FIG. 13 is a part cut-away perspective view of another swim nappy;

[0062] FIG. 14 is a front view of the swim nappy of FIG. 13;

[0063] FIG. 15 is a rear view of the swim nappy of FIG. 13;

[0064] FIG. 16 is a side view of the swim nappy of FIG. 13;

[0065] FIG. 17 is a perspective view, from the front, of the swim nappy of FIG. 13;

[0066] FIG. 18 is a perspective view, from the rear, of the swim nappy of FIG. 13;

[0067] FIG. 19 shows a rear panel of the swim nappy of FIG. 13;

[0068] FIG. 20 shows the other rear panel of the swim nappy of FIG. 13;

[0069] FIG. 21 shows the front panel of the swim nappy of FIG. 13;

[0070] FIG. 22 shows the crotch panel of the swim nappy of FIG. 13;

[0071] FIG. 23 shows the front panel of the waist band of the swim nappy of FIG. 13;

[0072] FIG. 24 shows the rear panel of the waist band of the swim nappy of FIG. 13;

[0073] FIG. 25 shows a leg band of the swim nappy of FIG. 13;

[0074] FIG. 26 is a front perspective view of a liner which forms part of the swim nappy of FIG. 13; and

[0075] FIG. 27 is an opened and exploded view showing the three textile layers comprised in the liner of FIG. 26.

[0076] In what follows the terms top, bottom, side, inside, outside, front and rear are used to describe the garments in the orientation shown in the figures, which is the orientation they would adopt when worn by a person standing upright, and should not be taken to be otherwise limiting. Corresponding reference numerals are used to denote the same or equivalent features throughout the drawings. The drawings are not to scale.

[0077] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 11 of the drawings, there is shown a garment in the form of a brief. The brief is intended to be worn as swimwear or as a liner under swimwear or a swim nappy by babies and very young children, to serve as a nappy or diaper. The brief could, however, be used by older children and adults suffering from bowel incontinence.

[0078] The brief comprises outer, inner, intermediate and binding textiles.

[0079] In this example the outer textile is woven from 70 denier nylon fully drawn yarn and has a thread count of 190. The outer textile is substantially impermeable to water. The outer textile acts to contain matter in the brief during use.

[0080] The inner textile is knitted from 50 denier 72 filament polyester yarn and has a mass of about 125 grams per square metre. The textile is permeable, and soft to the touch. The inner textile provides a soft feel to the wearer's skin making the brief comfortable to wear. It also allows fluids to pass through, such as water containing dissolved faecal matter, but not solids above a certain size, thus helping retain them within the brief.

[0081] The intermediate textile is knitted from multifilament polyester yarn of 150 denier and has a mass of 130 grams per square metre. After knitting, the textile has been coated on both sides with Silver using a vacuum deposition process, involving sputtering of substantially pure Silver to deposit Silver ions onto the textile, so that Silver makes up about 2% of the weight of the textile. It is found that particles of Silver deposited by the deposition process combine to form a coating on the surface of the fibres forming the textile. When subjected to a test for colour fastness under the action of human sweat according to ISO 105-E04:2013, testing with acid sweat (second solution) this yielded a concentration of 32 ppm of Silver. The intermediate textile has antimicrobial properties and acts to kill or prevent reproduction of bacteria and/or other pathogens.

[0082] The binding textile is a resiliently stretchable textile knitted from 82% nylon and 18% elastane with a mass of about 185 grams per square meter.

[0083] The outer shell of the brief is formed from a single panel 1 of the outer textile. Edges of the panel are stitched together along the right side of the brief at 2. To the left side of the brief the two panels overlap and are releasably fastened together by panels of hook and loop tape 3, 4 or other suitable fastening medium on the facing inside and outside overlapping surfaces of the brief. Being able to fasten and unfasten the brief along one side facilitates putting the brief on and removing it from a wearer. The outer shell defines a waist 5 and two leg 6, 7 openings. A crotch portion extends between the two leg openings.

[0084] Inner leg panels 8 with an outer surface formed from the outer textile are fastened just inside the edge of the leg openings 6, 7 along approximately the lower half of each opening. Each leg panel has a convex curved side which is stitched to the leg opening opposing a substantially straight, free edge. In an alternative embodiment the inner leg panels 8 are omitted.

[0085] A generally rectangular strip 9 of the intermediate textile is disposed over the inside of the crotch region, and respective panels of intermediate textile 10 are disposed over the inside of each inner leg panel 8, having substantially the same shape as the leg panels.

[0086] A single panel 11 of the inner textile is disposed over the entire inside of the brief

[0087] Elongate generally rectangular strips 12 of the intermediate textile are folded along their centreline over the edges of the waist and leg openings, providing a band of intermediate textile adjacent each side of the edges of the brief surrounding the openings. Further elongate rectangular strips 12 of the intermediate textile are folded over the free ends of the inner leg panels 8 and a rectangular strip of intermediate textile extends along the inside edge of one portion of the hook and loop tape.

[0088] Elongate generally rectangular strips 14 of the binding textile of slightly greater width than those of the intermediate textile are folded along their centreline over the strips of intermediate textile in a stretched state and two generally parallel lines of stitching are formed through the binding textile. The stitching secures opposed sides of the strip of binding textile together along with strips of intermediate textile, and layers of outer, inner and, where present, intermediate textile between the opposed sides of the strip of binding textile. This holds the various panels and strips of textile together forming the brief and provides elasticated, stretchable, leg and waist openings. Binding textile is also stitched over the strip of intermediate textile which borders the hook and loop tape, securing the hook and loop tape in position.

[0089] In use, the brief is sized to fit a wearer, with the elasticated waist and leg openings and elasticated edges of the leg panels gripping the wearer's waist and legs. Optionally, the brief may we worn underneath a conventional type of swim nappy as shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 12 shows a conventional swim nappy 13 largely cut away to reveal an inner brief as shown in FIGS. 1 to 11. The swim nappy 13 is of the type described in WO2018/083474, having a body 15 formed from panels of impermeable material, such as neoprene, defining waist and leg openings around which extend elasticated bands 16. In use the swim nappy covers the wearer's body between waist and thighs. In particular, the top edge of the waist band and bottom edges of the leg bands, and preferably a major part of each band, extends beyond the waist and leg openings of the inner brief.

[0090] In use, the substantially impermeable outer shell of the brief serves to contain both liquid and solid matter within the brief. Any passage of liquids or other matter out of (or in to) the brief must take place via the leg and or waist openings, since these are not sealed to the wearer. Liquid and dissolved matter contained within the brief will come into contact with the Silver coated intermediate textile in the crotch region of the brief. The Silver coating has an antimicrobial action and will kill or inhibit reproduction of bacteria or other pathogens contained in liquid or materials into which it comes into contact. Silver from the coating may also disperse into liquid contained in the brief. For the Silver coating and any dispersed Silver to effectively treat liquid and material it must typically be exposed to the material for a period of time, possibly up to about 5 minutes. It is therefore useful that the brief substantially contains matter, increasing the probability that it is effectively treated by the Silver coating and in this respect the elasticated leg and waist openings help to retain liquid and solid matter in the brief. Ultimately, though, as the openings are not fully sealed to the wearer they will allow passage of some matter into and out of the brief, principally swimming pool water which will disperse or dissolve faecal matter, contaminating the water, which may then flow back out of the brief. Since the intermediate textile is disposed around the waist and leg openings liquids and other materials passing out of, or in to, the garment must pass through (or closely adjacent) the textile bringing it into contact the Silver coating increasing the probability that the active antimicrobial effect of the Silver may kill or inhibit reproduction of bacteria or other pathogens contained in the liquid or materials which has not already been treated whilst contained within the brief.

[0091] The brief may be washed and re-used repeatedly. It is found the repeated washing over, say, a six month period does not significantly reduce the effectiveness of the Silver coating as an antimicrobial agent. Six months is the typical useful life of swimwear for babies and young children as over that period they typically grow sufficiently to require a larger size of garment.

[0092] Where the brief is worn under a conventional swim nappy this will further help contain matter and so maximise the probability that it is treated by the Silver coating of the intermediate textile, and rendered harmless, before passing into the swimming pool through pool water flowing into and out of the swim nappy and brief via waist and leg openings.

[0093] Referring now to FIGS. 13 to 27 there is shown a swim nappy. The swim nappy comprises an outer garment, generally 15, and an inner garment in the form of a brief, both defining a single waist 5 and two leg 6, 7 openings.

[0094] The outer garment comprises a main body formed from a single front panel 17, two rear panels 18 and 19, a crotch panel 20. These panels are all substantially impermeable and formed from an approximately 1 mm thick layer of neoprene laminated between two layers of synthetic woven fabric such as a polyester or nylon fabric. Owing to inclusion of the layer of neoprene the fabric is resiliently stretchable. The panels are further described below and are joined together to form a garment having waist and leg openings, the leg openings each extending at about a 45 degree angle to the waist opening.

[0095] Resiliently stretchable waist 21, 22 and leg 23 bands extend around each opening. The waist and leg bands are formed from a resiliently stretchable knitted fabric comprising a proportion of elastic fibre. In the described example the fabric is a tricot knit fabric formed from approximately 70% nylon and 30% elastane (spandex) fibres. This fabric has a greater degree of elasticity than the fabric forming the panels of the main body of the brief.

[0096] The front panel 17 has top, bottom and two side edges on opposite sides of the panel. It is symmetric about a vertical centre line extending between the top and bottom edges. The opposed side edges are generally convex, and taper towards each other towards the top edge. The side edges meet the top edge at an approximate right angle. The bottom edge is formed from two concave curves extending respectively at an approximate right angle from the bottom of each side edge and each meeting a central substantially straight section at an approximate right angle.

[0097] The two rear panels 18, 19 each have top and bottom edges and opposed outer and inner side edges which are are mirror opposites of each other. The top and outer edges are convex. The outer edge is substantially the same length as the outer edges of the front panel 17. The top edge meets the outer edge at an obtuse angle. The opposite end of the top edge meets the inner edge at an approximate right angle. The inner edge is slightly concave adjacent the top edge and transitions into a convex shape, such that over its length the inner edge has the general shape of a full wave. The inner edge is longer than the outer edge. The bottom edge has a substantially straight portion which meets the inner edge at an obtuse angle, and a concave portion which extends from the opposite end of the straight portion to the lower end of the outer edge. The concave portion meets both the straight portion and the outside edge at obtuse angles. The height of the panel from the bottom edge to the top edge increases from the outer edge to the inner edge of the panel.

[0098] The crotch panel 20 has convex front and rear edges joined by concave sides and is symmetric about a centre line running between the front and rear edges. The front edge is the same length as the central substantially straight portion of the lower edge of the front panel 17, and the length of the rear edge is double that of the substantially straight portion of the lower edge of one rear panel 18, 19.

[0099] The waist band is formed from substantially identical front 21 and rear 22 panels, each being substantially trapezoidal in shape, having substantially parallel upper and lower edges, with the upper edge shorter than the lower edge. The height of each panel between its parallel sides is the same, about 6 cm in the current example.

[0100] The leg bands 23 are each formed from a single, elongate, generally rectangular panel of fabric, with a width of about 4 cm in the current example.

[0101] To form the outer garment the inner edges of the rear panels 18, 19 are stitched together with their respective ends aligned, the outer edge of each rear panel is stitched to a respective side of the front panel 17, again with their ends aligned. The front edge of the crotch panel 20 is stitched to the central substantially straight portion of the lower edge of the front panel 17 and the rear edge is stitched to the adjacent straight portions of the lower edge of the rear panels 18, 19. The panels are all stitched together with flat lock stitching, so that the edges of adjacent, joined panels abut each other. This forms the main body of the outer garment.

[0102] The lower edge of the front panel 21 of the waist band is stitched to the top edge of the front panel 17 with the respective ends of the edges aligned. Similarly, the lower edge of the rear panel 22 of the waist band is stitched to the combined top edges of the two rear panels 18, 19. The panels 21, 22 of the waist band are stitched to front 17 and rear 18, 19 panels of the garment by way of internal seams. Respective sides of each panel 21, 22 of the waist band are stitched together with flat lock stitching to form a continuous loop. As the panels 21, 22 making up the waist band are trapezoidal the length of the top, free edge of the waist band is longer than the bottom edge, which is fastened to the main body of the garment. The height of the panels 21, 22 forming the waist band, from their bottom edge to top edge, is a minimum of about 25% of the overall height of the garment from the top edge of the waist band to the underside of the crotch panel.

[0103] A long edge of each leg band 23 panel is stitched around each leg opening formed by an outer concave portion of the lower edge of the front panel 17, the concave portion of the lower edge of the adjacent rear panel 18, 19 and the adjacent side of the crotch panel 20. The long edge of the leg band 23 panel is the same length as the combined length of the edges of other panels to which it is stitched so the leg band completely encircles the leg opening. Opposite short ends of the leg band panel are then stitched together to form a continuous band.

[0104] The inner, brief, is essentially the same as the brief illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 11 being formed form the same materials and having essentially the same construction. The inner brief differs from the brief illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 11 only in the following ways.

[0105] Adjacent edges of the single textile panels forming the outer shell 1 and inner lining 11 are stitched to together along both the left and right hand sides of the garment, so the garment cannot be opened to one side. There are no inner leg panels. And the brief is stitched into the outer garment. This is achieved by bottom edges of the panels 21, 22 forming the waist band, and the top edges of the front 17 and rear 18, 19 panels of the outer garment, extending and being stitched into the binding material 14 which extends around the waist opening of the brief, together with the top edges of the textile panels 1, 11 forming the outer shell and inner lining of the brief. A line of stitching extends through the binding material and the materials captured within it to form an elasticated seam connecting the inner and outer garments.

[0106] The inner brief and outer garment are shaped and positioned relative to each other so that the leg openings of the brief are adjacent to or just inside the leg openings defined by the main body of the outer garment. The combination can thus be comfortably worn as a single garment which gives the advantages of the two garment combination shown in FIG. 12 but which can be put on and taken off a user more easily. Since the inner brief is only attached to the outer garment around the waist the bulk of the inner brief can be turned inside out to extend out of the waist of the outer garment to facilitate washing.

[0107] The above embodiments are described by way of example only. Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.