GB2436291A

GB2436291A - Diposable and biodegradeable absorbant article

Info

Publication number: GB2436291A
Application number: GB0605948A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bing Qu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-03-24
Filing date: 2006-03-24
Publication date: 2007-09-26
Also published as: GB0605948D0

Abstract

A disposable absorbent article is proposed herein for male personal care to absorb remaining droplets of urine from the genitals after urination. The article, with a unique shield shape to suit the male genital area and gender characteristics, is held inside a man's underpants whereat the genitals rest by removable adhesive with the wide end upward and the narrow end downward towards the legs, comprising: a pile of biodegradable absorbent sheets being mechanically sealed together to have two outer surfaces, the body-touching ply and the backing ply, with a layer of biodegradable water-impermeable substance covering the backing ply, whereupon a layer of biodegradable removable adhesive is applied, with all aforesaid materials being biodegradable so that the article can be disposed of in a toilet system for discreetness and to be more environmentally friendly, and an additional protective peel-off sheet covering the said adhesive which can be readily removed to expose the adhesive, and then disposed of in a normal bin.

Description

Disposable absorbent article

Technical field

This invention relates to a disposable absorbent article such as a sanitary towel, a pantiliner, or an incontinence pad, and more particularly to a sanitary protection pad for male personal care, or in simple terms, a pantiliner for men.

As men's underpants are not usually referred to as panties, this invention is designated by the name of pants-liner because the form of address is a sufficiently easily-understood descriptor. The pants-liner of the invention, with a specially designed shape to suit the male genital region and gender characteristics, is held inside a man's underpants by removable adhesive for retaining bodily fluids, and possesses a further advantage of being able to be safely disposed of by flushing it into a toilet system for discreetness and to be more environmentally friendly.

Background

The present invention is originated from noticing that men's underpants and/or trousers often have urinary stains and odours at the front where the genitals rest, caused by the remaining droplets of urine from the genitals after urination, and accumulated through several urinations during the day. It is not particularly due to any urinary incontinence problem, although in some cases it might be a combination of the two. In fact, the aforementioned problem happens everyday to most men of any nationality and age all over the world.

It is to everyone's experience that after urination there are always some remaining droplets of urine from the genitals. Women often use toilet paper to dry up which they flush straight down the toilet, or use a pantiliner attached to their panties; either way the undergarments are well protected. Nowadays many women use pantiliners as general hygiene devices and wear them everyday, which is a very significant reason why there are so many different brands, sizes and shapes of pantiliners for women available on the market today. However, most men do not normally use toilet paper to dry up after urination, obvious reasons being that men's urinals neither facilitate tissue flushing, nor have toilet paper available; even more inconveniently, men do not have any kind of sanitary protection appliances, like women's pantiliners, to guard their undergarments for daily cleanliness. This means that men's underpants will obligatorily take over the absorbing and cleaning job after every urination, and an inevitable result is that their underpants will get dirty and smelly with urinary stains and odours. Human urine is a pale yellow fluid containing small amounts of chloride, sodium and other chemical substances, therefore after a while the underpants may become bleached or discoloured locally at the genital area. Moreover, as the underpants are in close contact with the trousers, the latter can also be affected in the same way.

Conventional disposable absorbent articles are replete with all the features and a variety of devices specially designed for absorbing bodily fluids. These externally worn articles generally fall into two broad categories: a) sanitary towels or pantiliners, which are generally known to be worn by women during their monthly menstrual flow and for personal feminine hygiene. Therefore, these articles have typically designed shapes to address the female vaginal area and different styles of panties, like thongs or G strings, and are constructed with multiple layers of absorbent agents and have a considerable thickness in order to provide maximum protection for women's needs; b) incontinence pads, disposable diapers, bed pads and the like, being larger and thicker, or shaped like underpants, which are well known both commercially and practically for serving their commonly recognised purposes such as for greater absorption and protection.

The above discussion indicates that the existing disposable sanitary products are not satisfactorily or sufficiently suitable for solving the aforementioned problem for an ordinary man during his daily life. The prior articles either are too bulky, uncomfortable, unnecessary or expensive, or have an inappropriate shape, size or thickness to wear for men for their daily personal care. They also generally have a plastic water-impermeable backing, so they cannot be disposed of in a toilet system for discreetness and convenience. Some other disadvantages are that it may arouse common psychological or social acknowledgeable problems for men buying or using women's sanitary protection pads.

In conclusion, there is currently no practical solution to remedy the aforementioned problem for men. Therefore, there is a great need for providing a sanitary protection pad for men, a pants-liner, which men could wear everyday for general cleanliness without causing physical or psychological discomfort, and is also simple and easy to use with removable attachment means like a woman's pantiliner. Furthermore this pants-liner can be conveniently disposed of in a toilet system for discreetness and to be more environmentally friendly.

Statement of invention

The present invention proposes a disposable absorbent article, which is to be mounted inside an undergarment, comprising a pile of biodegradable absorbent sheets being mechanically sealed together to have two outer surfaces, the body-touching ply and the backing ply, with a layer of biodegradable water-impermeable substance covering the backing ply, whereupon a layer of biodegradable removable adhesive is applied, with all aforesaid materials being biodegradable so that the article can be disposed of in a toilet system, and an additional protective peel-off sheet covering the said adhesive, which can be readily removed to expose the adhesive and then disposed of in a normal bin.

The present invention is a pantiliner for men, but as men's underpants are not usually called panties, this invention is thereby referred to as a pants-liner.

A pants-liner, being held inside a man's underpants by removable adhesive, provides a unique form of absorbent sanitary device for men, specifically adapted for absorbing and cleaning the remaining droplets of urine from the genitals after urination, offers an opportunity for men to maintain daily personal care and cleanliness, and consequently boosts men's confidence in their daily and social lives.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the said pile of biodegradable absorbent sheets consists of at least two plies of sheets which can be of the same or different materials fabricated from cellulose fibres. If it comprises different materials, it is desirable to position one with a soft and fine texture at the top of the pile to form the body-touching ply, and one with higher absorbency and strength at the bottom to form the backing ply.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the said pile of biodegradable absorbent sheets is mechanically sealed together around the peripheries by heat or pressure.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the said biodegradable water-impermeable substance made from natural wax, resin or the like, is applied on the backing ply by painting or rolling-on.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the said biodegradable removable adhesive is applied on top of the said water-impermeable substance all around the edge.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the construction of the pants-liner is contemplated to be such that its general overall thickness is less than two millimetres, and when formed, the pants-liner is substantially as flexible and lithe as the underpants themselves.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the pants-liner has a unique shield shape in outline, which is specially designed to suit the male genital region and gender characteristics. The shield shaped pants-liner is to be placed inside a man's underpants where the genitals rest, with the wide end upward and the narrow end downward towards the legs of the user.

Introduction to drawings

An example of the invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the pants-liner of the invention; Figure 2 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the pants-liner of the invention with a section turned over to show the construction at the back; Figure 3 is a section view taken along line HI -H2 of Fig 1, of a preferred embodiment of the pants-liner of the invention; Figure 4 is a back view of a preferred embodiment of the pants-liner of the invention with an additional protective peel-off sheet suspended above the adhesive; Figure 5 is a preferred embodiment of the pants-liner of the invention mounted inside a man's underpants.

Detailed description

The details of the present invention will now be described particularly hereunder and along with reference to the accompanying drawings for a more complete understanding.

In Fig 1, a particular configuration of the pants-liner is shown in a preferable shield shape in outline, with the widest part horizontally being approximately nine centimetres (line HI-H2), and the longest part vertically being eleven centimetres (line V1-V2). The configuration of the pad is merely a matter of choice, but it has been found, through experimentation and trials, that this shield shape is unique with the male character and very different from any female pantiliner, and it provides a great amount of comfort and protection and a high degree of psychological and social acceptance. Although the shield shape disclosed is believed to be the preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many different shapes and sizes of the invention can be available in light of the same teachings.

In Fig I and 2, the shield shaped pants-liner is a pile of biodegradable absorbent sheets which are mechanically sealed together by heat or pressure.

In one embodiment of the present invention, they are sealed together completely to provide maximum absorbent capacity; in another embodiment of the present invention, they are sealed together only around their peripheries, as the central part of the pad will be automatically, but not completely, pressed together by the naturally protruding male genitals. The latter structure is more effective and advantageous as not only will the pad possess sufficient absorbent capacity, but the central part of the pad will also be desirably soft, flexible and breathable, which will be much more comfortable to the wearer and provide better ventilation for the evaporation of the liquid.

In Fig 2, the shield shaped pants-liner has two outer surfaces, the body-touching ply I and the backing ply B. The body-touching ply T will be in close contact with the wearer's body, and the backing ply B will be covered with a biodegradable water-impermeable substance W, whereupon a layer of biodegradable removable adhesive A is applied. In one embodiment of the present invention, the pile of absorbent sheets only comprises one kind of material, so subsequently it needs to be a soft, thin, pliable, strong and highly absorbent cellulose fibre sheet, with desirably porous and breathable configurations, and certain qualities are also required such as in the dry state, it does not rub or irritate the skin of the wearer, and in the wet state, it does not rupture or crease, yet has sufficient strength and elasticity to retain its integrity under some pressure and moisture. Materials with such a texture are widely available on the market, like soft facial paper-cloths, luxury toilet paper-wipes, or other non-woven sheets made of cellulose fibres, like cotton, paper cotton and such; in another embodiment of the present invention, the pile of absorbent sheets comprises different materials, and it is desirable to position one with a soft and fine texture at the top of the pile to form the body-touching ply, and one with higher absorbency and strength at the bottom to form the backing ply.

Also in Fig 2, the backing ply B is covered with the biodegradable water-impermeable substance W (illustrated in Fig 2 and 4 dotted section), to form a water-proof base. This can be done by painting or rolling-on the said water-impermeable substance extensively, in one embodiment of the present invention, on the backing ply B after the said absorbent pile has been sealed together; in another embodiment of the present invention, on one side of a sheet that has a higher absorbency and strength, prior to the said absorbent pile being sealed together, and this sheet will be located at the bottom of the pile with the water- impermeable substance facing outward when they are sealed. A sufficient quantity of the said water-impermeable substance is required to formulate water-imperviousness but still leaving the pad adequately soft, flexible and pliable. Such a water-repellent can be of any biodegradable natural wax, resin or the like, prepared by conventional processes in the known manner.

Also in Fig 2, a biodegradable removable adhesive A, preferably a pressure sensitive adhesive, is applied on the aforesaid water-impermeable substance W. In one embodiment of the present invention, the said adhesive may extend substantially to the entire backing ply B (already carrying the water-impermeable substance W), to provide maximum adhesion for securing the pad firmly to the wearer's underpants; in another embodiment of the present invention, more desirably, the said adhesive is applied only around the edge of the pad (illustrated in Fig 2 and 4 crossed-lines section). Such a construction allows: a) the pad to satisfactorily maintain its shape against the underpants of the wearer; b) the central portion of the pad to move freely without any dragging or pulling; and C) the pad to be more in accordance with the body of the wearer.

In Fig 3, the construction of the pants-liner is contemplated to be such that its general overall thickness is less than two millimetres (line D1-D2), and when formed, the pad is substantially as flexible and lithe as the underpants themselves.

In Fig 1, 2 and 3, the pants-liner is made from biodegradable materials, therefore it can be conveniently flushed away in a toilet system for discreetness and to be more environmentally friendly.

Also in Fig 1, 2 and 3, the manufacture of each sheet in the said pile of absorbent sheets is similar to the manufacture of a sheet in toilet paper rolls; also the pants-liner having absorbent properties on the top section, water-proof and adhesive properties on the bottom section, and being bonded together makes its manufacturing process similar to that of a conventional sanitary towel, pantiliner or incontinence pad and the like. Some conventional materials and machines for making the above conventional products can also be employed herein inexpensively and conveniently to mass produce the present invention.

In Fig 4, the pants-liner preferably has an additional protective peel-off sheet P covering the said adhesive A, which is readily removable at the time of use to expose the adhesive element. The said protective sheet can be of any conventional non-stick paper from the known art, and is easy to dispose of in a normal bin without any indiscreetness or embarrassment.

In Fig 5, a shield shaped pants-liner is preferably mounted inside the underpants where the genitals rest with the wide end upward and the narrow end downward towards the legs of the user, and by doing so, the pants-liner would well cover the wearer's external urinary organ and its natural flexible movement areas.

The present invention refers to a personal hygiene device for men. Like a woman's sanitary towel or pantiliner, this pants-liner may or may not be fragranced with different fragrances for men; also like an incontinence pad or a disposable diaper, this pants-liner may or may not be incorporated with an anti-leaking or/and wetness-locking core, or an anti-odour or/and neutralising-odour agent.

The present invention with the designed configuration should be so flexible and pliable that it may be suitable to wear during sitting, walking, doing sports or any other activities.

Although the present invention is not designed for urinary incontinence problems, it could be used for minor urine loss for men. This pants-liner may be especially suitable on some occasions when men cannot change or wash their underpants as often as they should, or as a means of protection for trousers, which are in close contact with the underpants, that are unable to be washed frequently like the underpants, or some trousers that are expensive or dry clean only, which would be ravaged by frequent washing.

This invention literally benefits men of any nationality and age for everyday personal hygiene care. A particular advantage of the present invention is that it will definitely conquer the common psychological problem men may have encountered when needing to buy women's sanitary protection pads. Since this invention specifically addresses men and can be marketed as such, it will stop such a social embarrassment. Furthermore it has some far-reaching implications, for example, this invention brings a new concept into the realm of men's hygiene care, opens up a new hygiene industry, and presents new meanings to innovation, evolution and fairness in our society today.

The present invention provides a novel product which can be made in various embodiments. It is also characterized by the feature that the materials used within are flushable in a toilet system, therefore it can popularise its broadest aspects to other types of disposable protection pads, such as female pantiliners, incontinence pads, medical and surgical pads, and other like devices known in the art.

The present invention is introduced herein with recognition that many modifications and variations are possible based on the above teachings.

What has been described is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that other modifications, methods and substitutions by an ordinary skill or skills in the art are also considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims 1) A disposable absorbent article which is to be mounted inside

an undergarment, comprising a pile of biodegradable absorbent sheets being mechanically sealed together to have two outer surfaces, a body-touching ply and a backing ply, with a layer of biodegradable water-impermeable substance covering the backing ply, whereupon a layer of biodegradable removable adhesive is applied, with all aforesaid materials being biodegradable so that the article can be disposed of in a toilet system, and an additional protective peel-off sheet covering the said adhesive which can be readily removed to expose the adhesive and then disposed of in a normal bin.

2) A disposable absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the pile of biodegradable absorbent sheets consists of at least two plies of sheets.

3) A disposable absorbent article of claims 1 and 2 wherein the pile of biodegradable absorbent sheets can be of the same or different materials fabricated from cellulose fibres.

4) A disposable absorbent article of claims 1 to 3 wherein if the pile of biodegradable absorbent sheets comprises different materials, one with a soft and fine texture is positioned at the top of the pile to form the body-touching ply, and one with higher absorbency and strength at the bottom to form the backing ply.

5) A disposable absorbent article of claims I to 4 wherein the pile of biodegradable absorbent sheets is substantially shield shaped.

6) A disposable absorbent article of claims 1 to 5 wherein the pile of biodegradable absorbent sheets is mechanically sealed together around their peripheries by heat or pressure.

7) A disposable absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the biodegradable water-impermeable substance is made from natural wax, resin or the like.

8) A disposable absorbent article of claims I to 7 wherein the biodegradable water-impermeable substance is applied on the backing ply by painting or rolling-on.

9) A disposable absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the biodegradable removable adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive.

10) A disposable absorbent article of claims I to 9 wherein the biodegradable adhesive is applied on top of the said water-impermeable substance, either on the entire exposed surface or around the edge only.

ii) A disposable absorbent article of claims 1 to 10 wherein the construction of the article is contemplated to be such that its general overall thickness is less than two millimetres.

12) A disposable absorbent article of claims I to Ii wherein a particular configuration of the article is showed in a preferable shield shape in outline, with approximately nine centimetres at the widest part horizontally, and eleven centimetres at the longest part vertically.

13) A disposable absorbent article of claims ito 12 wherein the manufacture of each sheet in the pile of biodegradable absorbent sheets is similar to the manufacture of a sheet in toilet paper rolls.

14) A disposable absorbent article of claims 1 to 13 wherein an article having absorbent properties on the top section, water-proof and adhesive properties on the bottom section, and being bonded together makes its manufacturing process similar to that of a conventional sanitary towel, pantiliner or incontinence pad and the like.

15) A disposable absorbent article of claims I to 14 wherein a shield shaped article is preferably held inside the underpants by removable adhesive where the genitals rest with the wide end upward and the narrow end downward towards the legs of the user.

16) A disposable absorbent article of claims 1 to 15 wherein the said article may or may not be fragranced.

17) A disposable absorbent article of claims i to 15 wherein the said article may or may not be incorporated with an anti-odour or/and neutralising-odour agent.

18) A disposable absorbent article of claims 1 to 15 wherein the said article may or may not be fitted with an anti-leaking or/and wetness-locking core.

19) A disposable absorbent article of claims I to 18 wherein the said article may be a pants-liner.

20) According to claim 1, where the said additional protective peel-off sheet covering the said adhesive can be of any conventional non-stick paper from the known art.