Garment With Wipe Zones

Abstract

A garment having one or more wipe zone structures positioned in predetermined locations on an outer-facing surface of the garment providing for the transfer of moisture and/or particulate matter from a wearer's skin upon contact with the wearer's skin is provided herein. The wipe zone structures may be comprised of repeating patterns of surface treatment that have been deposited in predetermined locations. Methods of manufacturing a garment having wipe zone structures are also provided herein.

1 . A lower-body garment comprising:
 a torso portion, a first leg portion extending from the torso portion, and a second leg portion extending from the torso portion, wherein the torso portion defines at least a waist opening, and further wherein the first leg portion and the second leg portion define a first leg opening and a second leg opening respectively;   an inner-facing surface; and   an outer-facing surface opposite the inner-facing surface,   wherein:
 a hypothetical vertical midline reference plane divides the lower-body garment into generally equal halves, 
 the outer-facing surface comprises at least a first pattern of elastomeric polymer deposited on the outer-facing surface on a first side of the hypothetical vertical midline reference plane and a second pattern of elastomeric polymer deposited on the outer-facing surface on a second side of the hypothetical vertical midline reference plane, wherein the first side is opposite the second side with respect to the hypothetical midline reference plane. 
   
     
     
         2 . The lower-body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the lower-body garment comprises at least a front aspect, a back aspect, and two side aspects positioned laterally on the lower-body garment. 
     
     
         3 . The lower-body garment of  claim 2 , wherein the elastomeric polymer is deposited on the lower-body garment in a location corresponding to at least the two side aspects of the lower-body garment. 
     
     
         4 . The lower-body garment of  claim 2 , wherein the elastomeric polymer is deposited on the lower-body garment in a location corresponding to the back aspect of the lower-body garment. 
     
     
         5 . The lower-body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric polymer deposited comprises at least a first layer of silicone polymer and a second layer of silicone polymer deposited on the first layer of silicone polymer, wherein the first layer of silicone polymer has a width greater than the second layer of silicone polymer. 
     
     
         6 . The lower-body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric polymer has a height between 4 and 6 millimeters. 
     
     
         7 . The lower-body garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second patterns comprise a plurality of separate and distinct lines of elastomeric polymer, each line of elastomeric polymer separated from an adjacent line of elastomeric polymer by an intervening space. 
     
     
         8 . The lower-body garment of  claim 7 , wherein the elastomeric polymer is not deposited in the intervening space. 
     
     
         9 . A lower-body garment comprising:
 a torso portion adapted to cover at least a lower torso area of a wearer when the lower-body garment is worn by the wearer;   a first leg portion extending from the torso portion;   a second leg portion extending from the torso portion, the torso portion defining at least a waist opening, the first leg portion and the second leg portion defining a first leg opening and a second leg opening respectively; and   at least one wipe zone comprising a repeating linear pattern of foam ink deposited at one or more predetermined locations on the lower-body garment.   
     
     
         10 . The lower-body garment of  claim 9 , wherein the first leg portion and the second leg portion each comprise at least an anterior aspect and a posterior aspect, and wherein the wipe zone extends over a portion of the anterior aspect of the first leg portion and a portion of the anterior aspect of the second leg portion. 
     
     
         11 . The lower-body garment of  claim 10 , wherein the first leg portion and second leg portion comprise a pocket adjacent a lateral seam line joining the anterior aspect and the posterior aspect, the at least one wipe zone being configured to extend to an opening of the pocket. 
     
     
         12 . The lower-body garment of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one wipe zone further extends over a portion of the posterior aspect of the first leg portion and the second leg portion. 
     
     
         13 . The lower-body garment of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one wipe zone extends to an area proximate the waist opening of the lower-body garment. 
     
     
         14 . The lower-body garment of  claim 9 , wherein the foam ink has a height between 2 and 2.5 millimeters. 
     
     
         15 . The lower-body garment of  claim 9 , wherein the linear pattern comprises a plurality of separate and distinct lines of foam ink, each line of foam ink separated from an adjacent line of foam ink by an intervening space. 
     
     
         16 . The lower-body garment of  claim 9 , wherein one or more additional portions of the lower-body garment do not have foam ink deposited thereon. 
     
     
         17 . The method of manufacturing a wipe zone area on a lower-body garment, the method comprising:
 providing the lower-body garment comprising a torso portion, a first leg portion extending from the torso portion, a second leg portion extending from the torso portion, the torso portion defining at least a waist opening, the first leg portion and the second leg portion defining a first leg opening and a second leg opening respectively; and   applying at least one layer of a surface treatment in a repeating pattern to at least one of a portion of an anterior aspect of the first leg portion, a portion of an anterior aspect of the second leg portion, a portion of a posterior aspect of the first leg portion, and a portion of a posterior aspect of the second leg portion to form one or more wipe zones.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the surface treatment comprises an elastomeric polymer. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the surface treatment comprises a foam ink. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the surface treatment is applied via a multi-layer screen printing process.