Protective patch providing protection against the transfer of bodily secretions

Abstract

The protective patch providing protection against visible transfer of bodily secretion is for incorporating on the inside of an article of clothing in a determined zone thereof. It comprises a fabric having two faces formed by interlaced yarns and connected to each other. The outside face of the fabric acts at least in part as an impermeable outer layer for coming into contact with the article, and comprises yarns made of a synthetic material. The fabric has “storage” yarns made of an absorbent material suitable for storing moisture and being visible little or not at all in the outside face. The inside face of the fabric, i.e. its face that is to come closer to the wearer of the article, comprises yarns suitable for absorbing and/or transferring moisture towards the storage yarns.

1 . A protective patch for providing protection against the visible transfer of bodily secretion, for incorporating inside an article of clothing in a determined zone thereof and including at least an absorbent layer and a waterproof outer layer that is to come into contact with the article, the patch comprising a fabric having two faces formed by interlaced yarns and connected to each other, wherein:
 the outside face of the fabric acts at least in part as a waterproof outer layer and comprises yarns made of synthetic material;   the fabric includes yarns made of an absorbent material, being suitable for storing moisture and being hardly or not at all visible on the outside face; and   the inside face of the fabric, i.e., its face that is to be closer to the wearer of the article, comprises yarns suitable for absorbing and/or transferring moisture towards the storage yarns.   
     
     
         2 . A protective patch according to  claim 1 , wherein the fabric is of the three-dimensional type, with its two faces formed by two walls that are spaced apart from each other and that are connected together by link yarns which are at least in part storage yarns. 
     
     
         3 . A protective patch according to  claim 1 , wherein the storage yarns are constituted at least in part by weft yarns inserted between the two faces of the fabric. 
     
     
         4 . A protective patch according to  claim 1 , wherein the waterproof outer layer includes means for reinforcing the moisture barrier effect of the outside face of the fabric, e.g., a treatment agent, in particular, a hydrophobic agent, applied to said face or a waterproof membrane or a breathable waterproof membrane secured to the outside face of the fabric, in particular, by dots of adhesive. 
     
     
         5 . A protective patch according to  claim 3 , that includes a non-woven or textile outer layer secured to the membrane. 
     
     
         6 . A protective patch according to  claim 1 , which is put into a three-dimensional configuration that is adapted to the configuration of the determined zone, in particular, by thermoforming or by thermo-molding. 
     
     
         7 . A protective patch according to  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the yarns suitable for absorbing and/or transferring moisture from the inside face contain multi-lobed filaments or fibers with improved moisture transfer, in particular, Coolmax® fibers. 
     
     
         8 . A protective patch according to  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the storage yarns made of an absorbent material are yarns based on viscose, in particular, having bacteriostatic properties, e.g., based on bamboo viscose or indeed on bacteriostatically-treated viscose, or in association with a silver yarn. 
     
     
         9 . A protective patch according to  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the yarns of the outside face and possibly of the link yarns that are made of synthetic material are based on polyester and possibly are based on spandex. 
     
     
         10 . A protective patch according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer layer includes an adhesive coating, optionally protected by an anti-adhesive film. 
     
     
         11 . An armpit patch according to  claim 4 , wherein its periphery is consolidated by ultrasonic welding. 
     
     
         12 . An article of clothing having at least one determined zone that is to cover at least one zone of the user that generates a natural secretion, which zone is provided with a protective patch according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . An article according to  claim 12 , which includes at least one protective patch according to  claim 1  and at least one pocket formed in said determined zone, suitable for housing said patch. 
     
     
         14 . An article according to  claim 13 , wherein, for a determined zone, it includes first and second pockets having mutually facing openings enabling a first portion of the protective patch to be inserted into the first pocket and a second portion of the patch to be inserted into the second pocket. 
     
     
         15 . An article according to  claim 13 , wherein the pocket(s) is/are formed by fitting a panel of great porosity onto the outside of the determined zone of the article. 
     
     
         16 . An article according to  claim 12 , which article includes at least one protective patch according to  claim 10  that is fastened to the determined zone by adhesive using an adhesive coating. 
     
     
         17 . An article according to  claim 12 , wherein the article is obtained by assembling together a plurality of panels, in particular, by stitching, and the protective patch constitutes one of said panels. 
     
     
         18 . An armpit protection article having at least one determined zone that is to cover at least one zone of the user that generates a natural secretion, which zone is provided with a protective patch for providing protection against the visible transfer of bodily secretion, for incorporating inside an article of clothing in a determined zone thereof and including at least an absorbent layer and a waterproof outer layer that is to come into contact with the article, the patch comprising a fabric having two faces formed by interlaced yarns and connected to each other, wherein:
 the outside face of the fabric acts at least in part as a waterproof outer layer and comprises yarns made of synthetic material;   the fabric includes storage yarns made of an absorbent material, being suitable for storing moisture and being hardly or not at all visible on the outside face; and   the inside face of the fabric, i.e., its face that is to be closer to the wearer of the article, comprises yarns suitable for absorbing and/or transferring moisture towards the storage yarns,   the article having a given type of armhole and wherein the article includes two protective patches according to  claim 6  presenting a three-dimensional configuration that is a function of the type of armhole.