IE43882B1 - Diapers - Google Patents

Abstract

It has an inner side (28) directed toward the body of the child and an outer side (30) directed away from the child. The diaper closure device (32) in the form of a strip has a closure head (36) intended for the releasable engagement in an opening (50) formed in the diaper. There are two strips (32, 44). Each strip (32, 44) has a large number of small fibres formed into hooks such that the strips (32, 44) are brought together for closure of the diaper, so that a "VELCRO"-like closure results.

Description

This’invention relates to diapers. \ : ' \ Conventional diapers of the permanent or nondisposable type. generally comprise a substantially rectangular sheet of absorbent material, such as cloth, defined by lateral and longitudinal edges, the junctures of the edges defining four corner portions. Various types of fastener enabling closure of the diaper about the trunk of an infant clad therewith are known in the art. These include so-called safety pins or similar fasteners having pointed portions which can cause discomfort and may present a safety risk to the infant if carelessly applied .

Fastening problems are also encountered with diapers of the disposable type which generally are of a multilayer of laminate structure comprising a hydrophobic outer sheet, an absorbent core and a fluid-pervious facing sheet, the various sheets being bonded into a unitary laminate structure by suitable adhesive means, for example.

In addition.to the aforementioned pin type fasteners, other types of closure devices heretofore recommended for either disposable or non-disposable diapers include various types of adhesive strips which are detachably secured to predetermined areas of the diaper, closure of the diaper being effected by contacting mating surfaces of the strips having sufficient tack to hold the diaper securely about the infant.

However, fasteners of the foregoing types have certain disadvantages. Thus, those types of fasteners designed for permanent attachment to a non-disposable diaper often deteriorate or are otherwise impaired in use, due to the often 2. destructive effects of laundering, e.g. high temperature and alkalinity. Moreover, metallic parts may he subject to rusting or other forms of corrosion. In addition, fasteners of the safety pin type are often difficult . to manipulate and may become lost under the conditions of use, e.g. by sliding down a sink drain. Other types of fasteners, such as pressure-sensitive adhesive tape tab fasteners commonly used with disposable diapers, may have a tendency to chafe the infant, causing severe . skin irritation when the diaper, through movement of the infant, slips down the body.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved fastener elements for diapers whether of the disposable or non-disposable types, wherein the above-mentioned . disadvantages are eliminated or at least mitigated to a substantial extent.

According to the invention a diaper comprises a body of absorbent material defined by lateral and longitudinal edges, the junctures of the edges defining four . corner portions, and having an inner surface and an outer surface; each of the corner portions of a first lateral edge having a first fastener element comprising a first strip of material detachably mounted on the outer surface of the diaper body, this strip having an inner surface . and an outer surface, the inner surface having a first portion comprising means detachably securing the strip to the diaper body and a second portion comprising a plush pile adapted to inter-engage with a complementary plush pile, the second portion extending out30. wardly from the adjacent longitudinal edge of the 3. 43SS2 diaper; and each of the corner portions of a second lateral edge.having a second fastener element comprising a second strip of material having an inner surface attached to the outer surface of the diaper . body and an outer surface comprising a complementary plush pile for detachably engaging the plush pile of the first fastener element.

At least the first of the fastener elements can be detached from the diaper body if desired, e.g. prior 0. to laundering.

The fastener elements may be devoid of metal parts so that problems associated with rusting or other forms of metal corrosion are eliminated.

The invention may be performed in various ways, and . one embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a diaper embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating dia0. grammatically the manner in which the diaper is closed; and Figure 3 is a view illustrating diagrammatically the positioning of the fastener elements just prior to closure of the diaper.

The diaper body 10 is substantially rectangular in . shape, has longitudinal edges 12 and 14 and lateral edges and 18, the junctures of these edges forming comer portions 20, 22, 24 and 26. The diaper body has an inner surface 28 which in use is towards the body of an infant and an outer surface 30 which is away from the infant. 0. For purposes of clarity, the fasteners are illustrated in 4. 43S83 Figure 1 in a position just prior to mounting on the diaper body. Each of a pair of first fastener elements comprises a strip 32 of material having an outer surface 40 and an inner surface 42. The inner surface 42 . comprises a first portion 38 carrying a male snap fastener 36 which may have a rounded head or protuberance and which is attached to the strip 32 in a manner to be described, and a second portion 34 comprising a plush pile adapted to interengage with a complementary plush . pile. Fabrics having such complementary plush piles are commercially available under the registered trad» mark. VELCRO. The strip 32 can be formed on a suitable filmforming polymeric resinous material including, for example, resins derived from the polymerization of alpha, . beta-ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbons such as ethylene or propylene. The plush pile can be formed from a nylon polymer. The plush pile portion 34 can be bonded to the inner surface 42 of the strip 32 by procedures well known in the art such as heat or fusion bonding . or adhesive bonding. Alternatively, the strip 32 including the plush pile surface can be fabricated solely from nylon. Materials of this type are described, for example, in U.S. Patent 2,717,437.

The male snap fastener 36 is preferably formed from . a hard-tooling resin such as reinforced acetal or nylon.

Such resins are well known in the art and preferably have sufficient hardness and impact resistance to withstand the continued stress incident to repeated fastening and unfastening operations. The male member 36 can be perman30. ently attached to the inner surface 42 of the strip 32 by procedures well known in the art including riveting, heat . sealing or adhesive bonding.

The comer portions 20 and 22 are provided with complementary female fastener members for detachably receiving the snap fastener members 36. In the embodiment illustrated each such female fastener member comprises a base 48 of material such as cloth or plastics, which may be of any desired shape, illustrated here as circular, and a central socket 50 for receiving the head of the member 35 in a snap fit relationship. The base material may be attached to the outer surface 30 of the diaper body 10 by suitable means such as adhesive bonding or sewing.

The socket 50 is preferably fabricated from a hard tooling resin similar to that used for the member 36.

The female fastener members 48, 50 are positioned closely adjacent the longitudinal edges 12 and 14 and the lateral edge 16 in the corner portions 20 and 22.

The spacing from the longitudinal edge is such that the second portions 34 of the inner surfaces 42 of the strips 32 extend outwards substantially completely beyond longitudinal edges 12 and 14 in a direction substantially parallel to the lateral edge 16 when the Strips 32 are attached to the outer surface 30 of diaper body 10 by virtue of the members 36 detachably engaging the complementary members 50.

A pair of second fastener elements are detachably mounted at the corner portions 24 and 26.

Each of these elements comprises a strip 44 having an outer surface 34a and an inner surface 52, the latter carrying a substantially centrally located rounded head portion or protuberance 46 constituting a male snap 6. fastener member. The material of the strip 44 may be the same as that used for the strip 32. The member 46 is made of a hard tooling resinous material as previously described and is permanently secured to the . inner surface 52 by riveting, heat sealing or adhesive bonding. The corner portions 24 and 26 of the diaper body 10 are provided with means for detachably receiving the fastener member 46 of the strip 44. Such means may comprise a base 48a of a material such as . cloth or plastics of any desired shape having a central socket 50a for receiving the member 46 in a snap fit relationship. The base 48a can be permanently secured to the outer surface 30 of the diaper body 10 by means such as sewing or adhesive bonding. The socket 50a - is preferably made from a hard-tooling resin similar to that used for the member 46.

The outer surface 34a of the strip 44 has a plush pile covering substantially the entire extent of the outer surface 34a, this plush pile being complementary to the . plush pile of the portion 34 of the strip 32. Thus, the strip 44 may comprise a piece of VELCRO material, or a material of the type described in the aforementioned U.S. patent 2,717,437. The strips 44 are attached to the outer surface 30 of the diaper body 10 by the member 46 . detachably engaging the complementary socket member 50&· In this attached condition, the lateral edges 44a of the strip 44 are substantially parallel to the lateral edge 18 of the diaper body 10.

The female fastener elements 48a, 50a are spaced . from the longitudinal edges 12 and 14 of the diaper 7. body 10 by a distance such that the outer longitudinal edges 44b· of the strips 44 are positioned inwardly of the longitudinal edges 12 and 14.

The dimensions of the strips 32 and 44 may be varied. With respect to the strip 32, the second inner surface portion 34 preferably projects at least half an inch beyond the longitudinal edges 12 and 14. The complementary surface 34a of the strip 44 is preferably of a width, taken along the lateral edge 44a, of at least half the width of the surface portion 34. The strips 44 preferably are positioned on the diaper 10 so that the outward longitudinal edges 44b are disposed at least half an inch inwardly from the longitudinal edges 12 and 14. However, the dimensions as well as the shapes of the strips 32 and 44 are a matter of choice and may be selected in accordance with particular design requirements.

Figure 3 illustrates the manner in which the diaper is closed about the trunk of an infant. The corner portion 22 of the diaper body 10 overlaps the comer portion 26. The plush pile (e.g. VELCRO) surfaces 34 and 34a are thus positioned to engage each other detachably, this being accomplished by merely contacting such surfaces and applying slight finger pressure. The fit can be adjusted by varying the degree of overlap of the plush pile surfaces 34 and 34a.

The complementary surfaces of VELCRO fabrics each comprise numerous closely woven filaments, each being in the form of hooks, or alternatively, one such surface may comprise hooks while the other comprises 8. 438S2 relatively soft filaments formed into loops. Preferably the strips 44 are provided with the soft nylon loop type VELCRO surface. In each case, closure of the diaper is effected by the filament surfaces detachably engaging . each other, their separation being effected by simply peeling them apart.

In a modification (not illustrated) the strips 44 are permanently attached to the diaper body 10 by suitable means such as sewing. This modification en10. ables the snap fasteners 46, 48a and 50a to be dispensed with.

It will be understood that the mating fastener members 36 and 50, and 46 and 50a, respectively, may be varied as to orientation, i.e. the members 50 and . 50a may be the male members while the members 36 and may be the female members. Also, instead of the fastener members being snap fasteners as described, they.· may be of other forms, such as hooks or clamps, as is known in the art. < For convenience to the user, the strips 32 and may be of different colours so that they are easily distinguishable. Also, the members 48 and 48a may be of the same colours as the respective strips 32 and 44.

The fastener devices can be used with both dis25. posable and non-disposable diapers. Examples of the fo.rmer type are described in numerous publications and comprise in general a multilayer laminate structure having an outer, water-impervious layer prepared from a . suitable waterproof, non-absorbent resinous polymeric 9. material such as polyethylene, polypropyleneor polyvinlchloride and the like, an absorbent core layer comprising an envelope type construction including absorbent sheets or layers filled, for example, v/ith a fibre fluff such as wood fluff or cotton fluff, and a water-pervious inner layer generally in the form of a soft, non-woven tissue which may be perforated.

Claims (9)

1. WHAT WE Claim is:1. A diaper comprising a body of absorbent material defined by lateral and longitudinal edges, the junctures of the edges defining four corner portions, and having an inner surface and an outer surface; each of the corner portions of a first lateral edge having a first fastener element comprising a first strip of material detachably mounted on the outer surface of the diaper body, this strip having an inner surface and an outer surface, tne inner surface having a fii‘at portion comprising ^eans detachably securing the strip to the diaper body and a second portion comprising a plush pile adapted to interengage with a complementary plush pile, the second portion extending outwardly from the adjacent longitudinal edge of the diaper; and each of the corner portions of a second lateral edge having a second fastener element comprising a second strip of material having an inner surface attached to the outer surface of the diaper body and an outer surface comprising a complementary plush pile for detachably engaging the plush pile of the first fastener element.

2. A diaper according to Claim 1 wherein the inner surface of each of the first and second strips is provided with a hook, clamp or snap member for detachably engaging a complementary member attached to the respective corner portion of the diaper body.

3. A diaper according to Claim 2 wherein the hook, clamp or snap member is fabricated from a hard-tooling polymeric resinous material attached to the strip by riveting, heat sealing or adhesive bonding. 11.

4. A diaper according to Claim 1 wherein the second fastener element is permanently attached to the diaper body.

5. A diaper according to any of the preceding 5 Claims wherein the first and second strips comprise a film-forming polymeric material.

6. A diaper according to Claim 5 wherein the film-forming polymeric material comprises polyethylene or polypropylene. I

7. · A diaper according to any of the preceding Claims wherein the diaper body Comprises an absorbent cloth material.

8. A diaper, according to any of Claims 1 to 6 which is of the disposable type and the diaper body comprises a multilayer material having a water-impervious hydrophobic outer layer, an absorbent core layer and a water-pervious inner layer.

9. A diaper substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.