A feminine hygiene undergarment built around an elastane outer shell received US patent protection on September 15, 2026, granted to Spokane, WA-based inventor Felicia Anita Smith. Filing date: March 25, 2024. Nonwovens Industry carried the patent watch on its site.

What does the design specify?

The application opens with the garment described, in the inventor's words, as a feminine hygiene product "configured to capture and retain bodily fluids." The body comprises two coupled layers:

• A first (outer) layer manufactured from elastane
• A second (inner) layer manufactured from an absorbent material, positioned adjacent the wearer
• Front and rear wall panels joined by opposing single-layer side panels
• Upper leg portions integrally formed with both wall panels, terminating in a lower perimeter edge
• Tab members integrally formed with that perimeter edge, extending downward from front wall to rear wall, positioned adjacent the wearer's groin

The patent states the body "is configured to provide coverage of a pelvic area of a wearer." Together, the integral tab members and elastane shell replace the adhesive strips and polyethylene backsheets found on most commercial pads, anchoring absorption at the point of highest fluid release.

Where does this sit on the supply-chain map?

The claim names two material inputs without specifying grade or supplier: elastane and a generic "absorbent material." On the absorbent hygiene product manufacturing chain, that second layer typically resolves to a nonwoven laminate — airlaid core, spunbond top sheet, or superabsorbent polymer composite — sourced from tier-one nonwovens converters and converted into finished goods by AHP assemblers.

The elastane-shell specification marks a divergence from mass-market hygiene construction. Standard disposable pads and mainstream period underwear rely on polyethylene or SMS nonwoven backsheets, with elastane confined to leg-cuff elastication. Washable and reusable menstrual underwear, by contrast, uses elastane-rich knit shells. Smith's patent sits squarely in that second category, and it carries an integral tab feature absent from most reusable SKUs currently on shelf.

The patent enters a sector dominated by Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, Edgewell Personal Care, and Essity, whose portfolios and continuous filings tend to set the freedom-to-operate baseline for new entrants.

What should sourcing and compliance teams do?

Three actions the September 15, 2026 issue date forces on trade desks:

• Prior art mapping. Brand IP teams gain a fixed reference point for freedom-to-operate reviews on feminine hygiene SKUs that use integral tab members, elastane shells, or both.
• Material spec review. Sourcing teams auditing nonwoven laminates should check whether their absorbent inner-layer descriptions read on the patent's broad "absorbent material" language.
• Reusable-line benchmarking. Brands developing washable period underwear can use this filing as a reference when comparing shell materials, panel construction, and tab geometry against their own product specs.

No corporate assignee is named on the patent. The rights remain with the individual inventor, which limits immediate commercial leverage but lifts the document's weight as prior art for converters and brand R&D teams working on elastane-based hygiene formats.