CZ35693A3 - Composition and clip of a repeatedly usable napkin - Google Patents

Abstract

Reusable Dispersion and Retention Absorption Protector the liquid comprises an inner layer (12) hydrophobic a liquid-receiving material, a middle layer (14), consisting of nonwoven fabric of carded and cross-stitched fibers from viscose rayon and outer layer (16) waterproof polyurethane foils. Medium fibers the layers have a rigid multilateral configuration and are intertwined to form a coherent dispersion layer a absorbing the liquid of the yarn under the middle tension, thereby forming the whole uniform absorbency characteristics. Inner layer 12), middle layer (14) and outer layer (16) they are joined to form a single washable structure for reuse.

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to a reusable protector against inadvertent urination and turbidity. In particular, it relates to a new reusable protector against inadvertent urination and hardening in the form of, for example, a diaper having improved liquid absorption, dispersion and retention characteristics.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In recent years, conventional cotton or flannel diapers have been displaced by disposable diapers. These disposable diapers not only eliminate the problem of having to be washed after soiling, but many of these new disposable diapers exhibit improved liquid absorption and dispersion characteristics compared to conventional fabric diapers.

The intensive market competition in the disposable diaper industry has resulted in the manufacture of a diaper which not only has greater liquid absorption and dispersion capability than prior products, but is also able to retain moisture in the inner layers of the diaper for a longer period of time it touches the skin, it remains felt dry. Such diapers, which remain dry, allow the wearer to wear them longer and extend the periods between them.

A disadvantage of disposable diapers is that they are not directly biodegradable. Increasing their popularity in recent years has resulted in congestion of landfills and landfills to the point where they contribute to serious environmental problems.

Disposable diapers or protectors for unwanted urination and cannula disposable from hospital wards are treated as infectious wastes and must be disposed of at special disposal sites specially designed for this purpose, increasing the critical lack of space on such sites. On the other hand, when disposable diapers are incinerated, burning the inner paper sheet or impermeable sheet may release dangerous toxins into the atmosphere.

It is estimated that approximately 85% of Canadian children now wear disposable diapers. In the city of Toronto itself, this represents a market for about 43 million disposable diapers in a single year. In addition to the disposal problem, these diapers consume a great deal of our natural resources. It is estimated that up to 1.8 trees per year are destroyed for every child that relies on disposable diapers during the time the baby wears the diaper. By using the diapers of the invention instead of disposable diapers, the child will use about 108 reusable diapers over two and a half years compared to about 7400 disposable diapers if such reusable diapers were used exclusively during this time. .

The Applicant's reusable diaper has the additional environmental benefits that the diaper can be torn at the end of its functional life and the artificial viscose fibers that form the middle layer can be recycled to form up to 50% of the composition of the new middle layer for such diapers.

In addition, the wet reusable baby diaper does not need to be soaked in the diaper container prior to washing, as the absorbing middle layer holds the liquid and accompanying the odor inside the diaper. In the case of solid waste, the infant diaper may comprise a woven insert which may be made of a degradable fibrous web. It is laid on the inner layer of the diaper and can be easily detached and discarded. Alternatively, woven synthetic fiber liners such as polyester may be used to retain the waste, and the liner may be reused after the solid waste has been removed from the diaper and flushed.

Although attempts have been made to produce biodegradable disposable diapers, only limited success has been achieved in this field. Disposable diaper components do not decompose in a waste depot where the environment is poor in oxygen and sunlight. In view of these shortcomings, it is vital to provide an improved product, a reusable diaper.

Multi-ply cotton or cotton diapers and synthetic fabric blends show improved absorbency to the original cotton-type diaper, but tend to be thick and heavy. They are also soaked with each emptying. These thick multi-layer cotton diapers also tend to dry very long after washing, which increases energy costs and increases washing time. This is an important circumstance in hospitals and in commercial diaper services, which have a high turnover of diapers.

Cotton reusable diapers must be soaked prior to washing to prevent the odor associated with the diaper used. Since the diapers have been soaked, they must be wrung to remove excess water before washing.

Some cotton reusable diapers include a so-called still dry pad that is worn directly on the body so that liquid can pass through the pad and into the multilayer cotton portion. By passing the liquid through a fabric that is in direct contact with the wearer's skin, the wearer avoids the feeling of moisture coming from the wet cotton diaper. Although such pads appear to be dry to the touch, they do not absorb any liquid. Therefore, if the cotton portion does not absorb liquid completely, the liner will not prevent excess liquid from flowing back from the cotton portion to the wearer's skin. This phenomenon is known as rewetting.

The impermeable panties may be worn outside the multi-layered cotton diaper to prevent any wear of the outer garment which the wearer may wear. However, this increases the volume of the diaper as well as its cost and may also require buckles to hold the panties in place.

In view of these problems, it is highly desirable to produce a washable and reusable diaper having comfort, appearance and absorbent qualities comparable to those found in disposable diapers. It has been found that the diaper of the present invention is capable of using up to 250 wash cycles as compared to a cotton diaper provided with an ever-dry liner that tends to become tangled and deformed after about 40 washes.

The reusable diapers of the prior art may be sewn or molded, but are generally designed so that the manufactured size fits all wearers, with the result that they often do not fit well enough. Such reusable diapers are generally secured around the wearer using attachment means such as safety pins, patents or hooks and loops such as Velcro. A lot of time and effort is needed to fold and fasten such diaper sticks. Since patents are affixed to specific points of the diaper, they do not allow the conventional attachment to be adapted.

Safety pins must be removed from the diaper before washing to prevent the machine from clogging and rusting the metal safety pins. Velcro hooks and loops will clog the fiber wads during the wash, and the Velcro fasteners can adhere to each other or to the other diapers to form a compact wad from the load of laundry. Hence, reusable diapers with Velcro fasteners are not suitable and well suited for hospital, public and commercial operation.

Bed protectors against inadvertent urination and hardening, which in fact serve as open diapers on a bed, usually consist of cotton or polyester or a mixture thereof and require an impermeable sheet. However, these protectors lack sufficient absorption to keep the patient's bed dry when the patient's skin contacts the top surface of the protector.

Reusable protectors against inadvertent urination and hardening and adult diapers usually contain blends of a combination of cotton, polyester and yarn. These are manufactured by the stab method for preparing an absorbent layer. However, they have been found to lack sufficient absorbency to keep the emptied liquid out of contact with the wearer's skin. Such commercially available inadvertent urination and hardening protectors are said to be able to withstand up to 200 wash cycles, but have been tested in industrial wash cycles and have been found to be limited to about 75 wash cycles, whereupon these protectors become unusable in appearance. to cause the impermeable layer to disintegrate or to damage the seams or fray the material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of one aspect of the present invention to provide a multi-use protector with improved liquid absorption and dispersion characteristics that is particularly useful as a protector against inadvertent urination and turbidity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reusable protector having improved liquid retention characteristics, particularly useful as protectors against inadvertent urination and turbidity.

It is an object of yet another aspect of the invention to provide a reusable protector with odor retention characteristics, particularly useful as a protector against inadvertent urination and turbidity.

These and other objects are achieved through a reusable protector against inadvertent urination and turbidity comprising:

(a) an inner skin contact layer, the layer being a soft hydrophobic fabric of polyester fibers;

b) a middle layer consisting of a nonwoven web of carded and transverse viscose rayon fibers, wherein the fibers have a cross-section of a substantially rigid multi-armed configuration and the web is interwoven to form a coherent layer with retained absorbency;

c) an outer layer of a substantially water impermeable polyurethane film, the inner layer, the middle layer and the outer layer being joined to form a protector of uniform construction.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel web of viscose rayon fibers for use in a reusable protector against inadvertent urination and turbidity or the like.

This object is achieved by a non-woven mat of absorbent material, wherein the nonwoven mat comprises a web of carded and transverse viscose rayon fibers having a cross-section of a substantially rigid trilobal configuration and a 100-345% wicking characteristic intertwined with polyester threads in rows arranged in the spacing so that there are approximately 2-10 rows per 2.54 cm (one inch) of web, each having 6 to 20 stitches per 2.54 cm (1 inch). The moving thread is under moderate tension, thereby maintaining uniform absorption throughout the mat.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide new diaper fastening means that can be retained on the diaper during washing, being easy to attach when the diaper is wrapped to the wearer, while providing for customary folding to fit the size of the wearer.

This object is achieved by a fastening device comprising:

a) a textile fastener comprising an inner portion for attachment to the outer surface of the diaper protector and a projecting portion protruding therefrom;

b) a switching member protruding from the protruding portion and maintained in a bias relation to the inner portion;

c) a contacting surface between the switching member and the inner portion for attaching a portion of the diaper protector therebetween; and

d) finger contact means on the switching member to release the switching member for contact with the inner portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

1 is a top plan view of an inadvertent urinating and hardening protector according to the invention showing an end cross-section in a cut-out portion; FIG. 2 is a photomicrograph of a cross-section of one exemplary embodiment of viscose silk fibers used in the present invention, Fig. 3A is a view of one side of the inadvertent urination and hardening protector according to the invention shaped for use as a diaper; Fig. 3B is a view of the opposite side of the protector of Fig. 3a; Fig. 4 is a perspective view Fig. 5A is a perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of a fastening device according to the invention; and Fig. 5B is a perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment of a fastening device 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It has been found that the inadvertent urination and turbidity protector or diaper of the present invention has its unique absorption, dispersion and retention characteristics due to the specific components of the three layers.

The middle layer, which is found to be most suitable for a protector or diaper of this type, consists of viscose rayon fibers having a multi-armed cross-sectional configuration that gives it exceptional volume and absorbency. Viscose rayon fibers, developed by Cortaulds Limited and manufactured under the GALAXY brand, are particularly good for achieving the fluffiness required for a nonwoven web of this type. The filament fibers available under the trademark GALAXY I have also been found to have uniform dispersion characteristics so that the liquid located in the center of the web is absorbed not only in the web itself, but is dispersed towards the outer edges of the web with a substantially uniform distribution. Examples of cross-sectional GALAXY I cross-sectional fiber configuration are shown in Fig. 3.

The middle layer web is produced by carding and transversely depositing viscose rayon fibers in layers to provide the desired thickness. For general use of diaper, the apparent thickness is approximately 203.1 to 677 grams per square meter (6 to 20 ounces per square yard), most preferably about 270 grams per square meter (8 ounces per square yard). The web is maintained as a cohesive unit by interlocking using a MALI or ARACHNE interlocking machine. The webs of the present invention were formed on a MALLYMO machine manufactured by Textina Inc.

The weaving is performed by a machine that uses a number of needles to guide the tie thread through the web and back as in conventional sewing machines and in a manner well known in the art. The interlocking process and use for interlocking fabrics have been described in U.S. Patent No. 4,876,128. However, the interlocking fabrics described herein require that they be bonded either chemically or thermally before being processed by the interlocking machine or are designed to be withdrawn to increase the insulation value of the fabric.

It has been found that in order to maintain the integrity of the absorbent and dispersive properties of the viscose rayon web while ensuring its consistency, the interlocking was performed using a polyester yarn of about 150 denier thickness. It will be appreciated that some variation in thread thickness can be accepted. Weaving was performed using a set of needles to provide a series of substantially parallel rows of stitches spaced apart to give approximately 2 to 10 rows per 2.54 cm (1 inch), with approximately 5 rows per 2.54 cm (1 inch) as the most appropriate value for diapers. Each such series contains approximately 6 to 20 stitches per 2.54 cm (1 inch fl), with 12 stitches being unpleasant.

In using the MALLYMO interlocking machine, the polyester thread is interlaced under medium tension such that the viscose rayon fibers which are grasped by the thread are not agglomerated and tightened in a manner that would interfere with uniform liquid absorption and dispersion throughout the web area. While certain variations in thread tension are allowed depending on the thickness of the web itself, such tension is usually determined visually by observing the fluff of the web after interlacing. If the resulting web forms an overly rigid mat, the thread tension should be reduced.

The water absorbency characteristics of these multi-armed GALAXY fibers make them particularly suitable for the applicant's absorbent mats and for diapers and pads against unwanted urination and hardening containing such mats. Various trilobed and multi-lobed viscose rayon fibers of this type have been found to have a water wicking characteristic of from 300 to 345%.

Water absorption was measured by taking a gram of fiber sample, soaked in water at 20 ° C for 15 minutes, then subjected to a centrifugal force of 1000g for 5 minutes, weighed, and the fiber was dried for 2 and a half hours at 110 ° C and reweighed. The percentage of wicking was determined by dividing the weight difference between the wet and dry fibers by the weight of the dry fiber itself and multiplying the result by 100.

While the middle layer of the invention is considered to be unique in itself, the inadvertent urination and tarnishing or diaper mat of the invention comprising this middle layer also includes additional elements that make the protector or diaper particularly suitable as a still dry protector that can be worn over an extended period of time without the wearer feeling moisture or sticky.

Giant. 1 shows a protector against inadvertent urination and quenching with a cut out portion to illustrate the location of the three layers. The inner layer 12 or the top layer, which is a layer that normally contacts the wearer's skin, is laid immediately above the middle layer of the viscose fiber. This inner layer is a soft hydrophobic fleece of polyester fibers that has been knitted with a warp tricot weave to provide the desired porosity. The skin touching the outer surface of this layer has a brushed finish to obtain a fiber or cotton wool texture that is comfortable to wear on the skin.

When the liquid waste of the wearer is discharged onto the inner surface of the inner layer 12, the hydrophobic characteristic of the fiber prevents the liquid from accumulating on that layer. It rapidly seeps through the porous knitting loops down into the middle layer 14 where it is absorbed and dispersed. The wearer may wear the diaper without discomfort, since the fluid will not normally return to the inner surface of the inner layer 12, that is, the humidest back even when the body weight acts on a certain exit area of the mat. When such liquid passes into the middle layer 14, it disperses rapidly and evenly outwardly towards the various corners so that the middle layer 14 of viscose fiber 14 can retain a significant amount of liquid without being wet.

Since the middle layer 14 absorbs liquid, it will also retain the odors that are normally associated with the diaper used.

It has been found that for the dense and pleasant appearance of the inner layer 12, it is highly desirable that the polyester fiber be knitted to a thickness of 101.6 to 169.3 grams per square meter (3-5 ounces per square yard), while the most preferred thickness is 148 9 grams per square meter (4.4 ounces per square yard). Greater thickness would provide the same desirable absorption, but would render the diaper uncomfortably thick. Such greater thickness can be used in inadvertent urination and hardening protectors, but this will entail increased costs.

Furthermore, the outer layer 16 of the protector or diaper provides waterproofness, particularly for any outer garment that can be worn over the diaper. This outer layer 16 is attached to the bottom or downstream surface of the middle viscose fiber layer 14 and includes a polyurethane film that contacts the middle layer 14 and prevents liquid from passing therethrough.

While the protector or diaper of the present invention would be functional with a polyurethane outer sheet, this would give the appearance of plastic pants that would not be as comfortable as a structured outer surface. For this reason, the outer layer preferably includes an outer fiber surface such that the entire diaper protector has the appearance of a dense and abundant fabric on both sides.

This appearance of the dense fabric on the outer layer is achieved by means of a polyester fiber fleece which is knitted by a warp leotard weave. The polyurethane film is then prestressed and glued to the knitted polyester fiber. This prestressing gives the outer layer a dense fluffy appearance as well as additional strength once the polyurethane film is released. However, the thickness of the polyester fiber outer layer need not be as large as the polyester fiber inner layer thickness and is normally between 67.7 to 135.4 grams per square meter (2.0 to 4.0 ounces per square yard), the most preferred the thickness is 74.5 grams per square meter (2.2 ounces per square yard).

The three layer components are stacked on top of each other to form a protector or diaper and are gathered around the periphery of their adjacent edges, and the end rim 18 of the woven polyester fiber is usually sewn around the periphery to give the protector a smooth finish.

The diapers and pads of the present invention have been found to be washable and are then ready for reuse up to 250 times before the middle layer 14 loses its absorption and dispersion characteristics.

Giant. 3A shows a protector according to the invention formed as a shaped diaper. In this figure, the inner layer 12 worn by the skin is shown as the highest. The protector is trimmed at the periphery with the end rim 18 and shaped substantially into an hourglass shape with a relatively narrow central region to accommodate the wearer's crotch diaper. The protector is expanded at its front end to provide a pair of opposing wings 20 and 22 for easy wrapping and fastening around the wearer's torso. The crotch region edge may also be pleated to better fit the wearer's leg.

In Fig. 3B, the outer layer 16 is shown as the highest. It will be appreciated that the relatively narrow end 29 of the diaper opposite the extended wings 20 and 22 comprises a fastener 26 with a pair of buttonholes 28 for fastening the releasable fasteners 100 in the manner described below.

Giant. 4 shows the diaper folded and fastened as if it were attached to the wearer's torso. The outer layer 16 is shown with the narrow end 29 of the diaper pulled forward in front of the crotch and positioned to cover the abdominal region of the wearer. The opposite end of the diaper covers the rear end of the wearer while the opposing extended wings 20 and 22 extend sufficiently forward such that their front ends overlap one of the buttonhole 28. Each of the buttonhole 28 is secured by a type fastener 100 as described below. With one portion of the fastener anchored in the buttonhole 28, the releasable securing means on the fastener retains the leading edge of the respective elongated wings 20 and 22. If the fastener 100 is of the type capable of gripping the fabric of the elongated wings 20 and 22 anywhere along their length, the wings 20 and 22 they may be pulled forward so that the diaper wraps the secure wearer before the fastening member 100 engages.

The diaper, as shown in Fig. 3A, can be used with a knitted insert 23 that is embedded on the inner layer

12. The -23 braided liner is used to collect solid manure. The lining together with the excrement can be flushed down the toilet and disappeared in the sewer system. The liner is preferably made of a biodegradable fiber fabric so that both the excremenet and the liner can be flushed into the waste system. However, the liner may be made of a polyester fabric that can be washed and reused.

One exemplary embodiment of the novel fastening device of the invention is shown in Fig. 5A and includes a pair of interlocking parts of polyurethane or the like that can be formed by extrusion. The retaining plate 102 is retained in the buttonhole 28 by inserting the upper and lower ends 104 and 106 into the buttonhole 28. The retainer 109 includes a retaining jaw 110 that grips the retaining arm 112 of the retaining plate 102. In this example, two components 102 and 108 they are designed to be permanently engaged together. The retainer plate 102 and the retainer 108 may form an integral unit, but as demonstrated in another exemplary embodiment, it may be advantageous to manufacture these members separately for manufacturing reasons.

The clip 108 includes a biased arm 114 disposed between the gripper jaws and the clamping plate 116 that presses the plate onto the lower end 106 of the clamping plate 102. It is clear from the figure that the clamping plate 116 and the lower end 106 are interlocking ridges 118. it should be noted that when the attachment plate 102 is seated in the buttonhole, the attachment plate ridge 118a is below the fabric in which the buttonhole is formed such that the ridges 118a and 118b do not actually fit together, but provide some degree of meshing across the fabric, in which the buttonhole is formed. A switching protrusion 120 is provided on the outer edge of the clamping plate 116 to lift the clamping plate out of engagement with the lower end 106.

When the fastener is attached to the diaper and the diaper is wrapped around the baby as shown in Fig. 4, the elongated wings 20 and 22 are closed in place by lifting the switch tab 120 and sliding the elongated wings 20 and 22 between the clamping plate 116 and the fabric 26 in which buttonholes are disposed immediately in front of the ridge 118a. Between the ridge 113b and the edge of the fabric 26 in which the buttonholes are arranged, there is sufficient adhesion to hold this end portion in place when the clamping plate 116 is lowered to its engagement position.

The staple is designed so that while the elongated wings 20 and 22 can easily connect and detach the adult, the small child will not have the necessary hand coordination to lift the clamping plate out of its engagement and eject the bend from the interlocking ridges.

Further, the fabric 26 in which the buttonhole is arranged may be stitched around the buttonhole area 28 such that the contour of the stitched area corresponds to the shape of the attachment plate 10. When inserted into the buttonhole 28, the clip 100 is securely retained in the diaper.

FIG. 5B illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the clip 100. This is substantially similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, but the retainer plate 102 and the retainer 108 form an integral unit, which is preferably manufactured by separate casting or injection molding. Again, with a fastening plate mounted in a buttonhole 128 or otherwise sewn to the outer layer of the diaper. The elongated diaper wings 20 and 22 may be wedged in place between ridges 118a and 118b in the manner described above.

Although the clip 108 is retained in the diaper, it can be removed once the diaper has exceeded its shelf life. The used buckles can be attached to new diapers, thereby increasing the recyclability of the invention,

In use, the diaper is wrapped around the wearer in a conventional manner. Once soiled, the diaper can be replaced with a clean diaper. The soiled liner is thrown into the sewer system and the soiled diaper is placed in a diaper container or basket. Once enough contaminated diapers have been collected, they can be washed and dried for reuse in a conventional manner.

Once the diaper has reached its useful life, several diaper components can be removed from the diaper and recycled in new diapers. The viscose rayon fibers of the middle layer 14 may be removed and reused. Furthermore, clips 108 may also be used.

Alternatively, the multi-armed fiber may be produced as a mixture of multi-armed fiber and polyester fiber to improve the strength of the resulting fiber. According to the invention, it is possible to use between five percent and forty percent polyester fiber. Although an increase in the amount of polyester used in the fiber blend results in a stronger fiber capable of withstanding a greater number of wash cycles, there will also be a reduction in the absorbency characteristics of the protector. The most preferred composition is 80% trilobal fiber and 20% polyester.

A reusable protector as described herein may have other uses for absorbing liquid such as a surgical sponge or a feminine hygiene protector. The woven mat itself can be used as a surgical sponge. The interwoven mat layer may be sandwiched between the layers of hydrophobic polyester fiber web and shaped for use as a feminine hygiene protector.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention are described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these particular embodiments. Many variations and modifications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For the purpose of defining the present invention, reference is made to the appended claims.

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Claims (20)

A reusable protector (10) for liquid absorption, dispersion and retention, comprising: a) an inner layer (12) of unperforated hydrophobic material knitted by a warp knitted fabric and representing a receiving surface; b) a middle layer (14) adjacent to the inner layer (12) opposite the receiving surface, comprising carded and transverse layers of unconnected viscose rayon fibers, the fibers having a cross-section of a substantially rigid multi-armed configuration and the viscose fiber layers intertwined by a thread underneath a medium stress-stabilizing layer of viscose fibers into the cohesive web in an unbound and fluffy state for a substantially uniform dispersion and liquid absorption characteristics throughout the web; c) an outer layer of a substantially water impermeable polyurethane film; wherein the inner layer, the middle layer and the outer layer are joined to form a unitary construction protector capable of being washed for reuse. 2. The reusable protector of claim 1 wherein the middle layer viscose rayon fibers have a three-lobed configuration and water absorption characteristics of from about 100% to about 345%. The reusable protector of claim 2, wherein the fiber layers are intertwined with polyester thread in a row system spaced about 2 to 10 rows per 2.54 cm (1 inch), each row having 6 to 20 stitches per 2.54 cm (1 inch). The reusable protector of claim 3, wherein the web of middle layer (14) has a density of from 203.1 to 677 grams per square meter (from 6 to 20 ounces per square yard). The reusable protector of claim 4, wherein the inner layer (12) is knitted by a warp leotard, with its first surface facing away from the middle layer and having a combed finish. The reusable protector of claim 5, wherein the inner layer (12) has a density of 67.7 to 169.3 grams per square meter (2 to 5 ounces per square yard). The reusable protector of claim 6, wherein the outer layer comprises a first sheet of prestretched polyurethane film coupled to a second sheet comprising polyester fibers knitted by a warp knitted weave, the first sheet being disposed adjacent the middle layer (14). The reusable protector of claim 7, wherein the second sheet has a density of from 67.7 to 135.4 grams per square meter (from 2 to 4 ounces per square yard). 9. The reusable protector of claim 8, wherein the apex of the protector has an hourglass shape to be worn as a diaper and is provided with a clip to secure it around the wearer. A reusable protector according to claim 9, characterized in that it is used in combination with a woven insert (23) to receive and remove solid excrements, the insert (23) covering the first surface of the inner layer (12). Reusable protector according to claim 10, characterized in that the insert (23) is biodegradable and can be disposed of together with the excrement. 12. A clip for attaching a reusable diaper around a wearer, wherein the diaper has a first edge portion at one end thereof and a second edge portion at the opposite end, comprising: a) a fabric fastener comprising a fabric (26) affixed to the outer surface of the diaper in the region of the first rim portion and having an aperture (28), an inner portion (102) affixed between the fabric and the diaper, and a protruding portion (112) inner portions through the opening; b) a clip (108) extending from the protruding portion and biased towards the inner portion for frictionally receiving the edge of the diaper between the clip and the inner portion; c) a contact surface (118b) on the clip and a complementary contact surface (118a) on the inner part, said surfaces having ridges biased in a direction opposite the diaper edge inlet to secure the diaper edge therebetween; and d) a finger contact means (120) extending from the clip, comprising a holder for lifting the clip from the inner portion to release the diaper. Buckle according to claim 12, characterized in that the inner part, the protruding part and the clip have a unitary structure. A reusable mat for absorbing, dispersing, and retaining a liquid, comprising a set of nonwoven webs of carded and crosswise viscose rayon fibers having a cross-section of a substantially rigid multilobed configuration intertwined with medium tension yarns thereby maintaining uniform absorption throughout the mat. 15. The reusable mat of claim 14, wherein the viscose rayon fibers are of three lobes and have a water absorption characteristic of from 100 to 345%. The reusable mat of claim 15, wherein the webs are interwoven with polyester threads in rows having a density of from about 2 to 10 rows per 2.54 cm (1 inch), each ranging from 6 to 20 stitches. , at 2.54 cm (1 inch). Use of a reusable mat as a diaper or the like of claim 16, characterized in that it is in combination with a layer of hydrophobic polyester fiber web and an impermeable garment, the mat being disposed within the garment and the hydrophobic web adjacent the mat. Use of a reusable mat as a feminine hygiene protector or the like of claim 16, wherein the mat is sandwiched between the layers of hydrophobic fleece of polyester fibers and shaped for use as a feminine hygiene protector. 19. Use of a nonwoven absorbent material mat for folding a reusable diaper, the mat comprising: carded and cross-woven viscose rayon webs having a substantially rigid trilobal cross-sectional configuration and wicking characteristics of 100 to 345% intertwined with polyester threads in rows spaced approximately 2-10 rows per 2.54 cm (one inch) each having between 6 and 20 stitches per 2.54 cm (1 inch) and the stitching thread being under medium tension, thereby maintaining uniform absorption throughout the mat. Use of a nonwoven mat according to claim 19, characterized in that the mat has a density of from 203.1 to 677 grams per square meter (from 6 to 20 ounces per square yard). F1G.1. FIG.2. FIG.3A. FIG.4.