IE74399B1

IE74399B1 - Disposable napkin

Info

Publication number: IE74399B1
Application number: IE922080A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Christel Bienstein; Krzysztof D Malowaniec
Original assignee: Hartmann Paul Ag
Priority date: 1991-06-28
Filing date: 1992-07-01
Publication date: 1997-07-30
Also published as: IE922080A1; EP0591248A1; DK0591248T3; ATE127004T1; FI935793A0; FI935793A; DE59203484D1; WO1993000059A1; NO934782D0; NO300354B1; FI106774B; GR3017706T3; EP0591248B1; NO934782L; DE4121419A1; ES2078047T3

Abstract

A disposable diaper (1) has a liquid-tight clothing protecting foil (3), a liquid-permeable nonwoven covering (4) and an absorbent body (5) arranged between the clothing protecting foil (3) and the nonwoven covering (4), as well as sealing strips (16) that form the outer contour of the diaper. In order to help incontinent persons to learn the use of the toilets, hydrophilic side tabs (11) linked to the liquid-permeable nonwoven covering (4) are arranged on the outer contour of the sealing strips (16) so as to project at least partially sideways.

Description

DISPOSABLE NAPKIN * The invention relates to a disposable napkin with a protective film or sheet which is impermeable to liquid for protection of the . underclothes, a non-woven fabric cover which is permeable to liquid, an absorbent body which is arranged between the protective film and the non-woven fabric cover, and a sealing strip which forms the outer contour.

It is generally known that this type of napkin designed for use only once absorbs excreta of infants and incontinent persons so that these persons do not feel any discomfort after release of the liquid as the absorbent body of the napkin fully absorbs the liquid. The surface of the skin of these persons which is covered by the napkin is not only subjectively but also objectively dry as the absorbent body keeps the liquid away from the surface of the skin. This is desirable in order to prevent the skin from becoming affected by the excreted body fluid particularly since the closed-in area of the napkin provides a highly favourable climate for bacteria and fungi. However, it has been found that owing to the pleasant feeling after release of the excreta, the users of these napkins, in particular curable incontinent persons and older infants, have no incentive to go to the toilet when they feel the urge. Therefore, owing to the absence of a learning effect, normal use of the toilet will only be learned at a very late stage or in the case of pathological incontinence not at all.

An object underlying the invention is, therefore, to 74329 further develop a napkin of the kind mentioned at the beginning so as to achieve a learning effect which educates the incontinent persons and infants to go to the toilet.

This object is accomplished in accordance with the invention by the provision of hydrophilic side flaps which project laterally over at least part of the outer contour of the sealing strips and are connected to the non-woven fabric cover which is permeable to liquid.

EP-A-0 376 022; Side flaps are known in general /EP 0 219 326), but these serve to hold the body fluid excreted into the napkin safely in the napkin so that it cannot seep out at the side edges. Therefore, such side flaps are designed as sealing strips.

In the disposable napkin according to the invention, however, the function of the side flaps is to conduct some of the body fluid out of the napkin. Therefore, with these side flaps the sealing strips are bypassed.

The body fluid is drawn out by the side flaps being cover directly connected to the non-WOVen fabric/ with which the body fluid first comes into contact. Therefore, immediately after release of the excreta, part of the liquid is drawn out of the napkin. The rate depends on the absorbency of the side flaps. If the sections of the side flaps protruding from the napkin are wet with liquid, the incontinent person experiences an unpleasant feeling when this damp part of the side flaps comes into contact with the surface of the skin. As a rule, part of the liquid evaporates at the side flaps, whereupon t these cool down on account of the evaporation enthalpy.

However, this coldness is perceived as unpleasant by the wearer. The unpleasant cold feeling is then gradually associated with the excretion of the liquid. In this way these persons can be taught that by using the toilet the unpleasant cold feeling will be avoided as excretion of liquid into the napkin then no longer occurs. The napkin according to the invention, therefore, has the advantage that the surface of the skin covered by the napkin is not affected by the excreted body fluid as it is kept away from the surface of the skin, while the incontinent person is nevertheless urged by the cold feeling to control the excretion of the body fluid.

It is advantageous for the hydrophilic side flaps to project over the outer contour of the sealing strips in the area of the cut-out sections for the leg. This advantageously allows the side flaps which absorb the moisture from the interior of the napkin on account of their hydrophilic characteristic to lie in the groin area against the inside of the thighs. However, this area of the body is particularly sensitive. Even slight changes in temperature in relation to the environment are perceived as unpleasant. The smallest amounts of liquid absorbed from the napkin area can already be found disturbing. As the side flaps only project over the napkin in the area of the cut-out sections for the leg but within the napkin are connected to the non-WOVen cover fabric / throughout its entire length, the wick effect and hence the time required for absorption of part of the liquid are independent of the place at which the liquid is excreted into the napkin.

In another embodiment, the side flaps are only provided in the area of the cut-out sections for the leg. These side flaps do not extend over the entire length of the napkin but are only provided in the area where body fluid mainly occurs. In this embodiment, the side flaps have a shorter length and the napkin can, therefore, be manufactured at lower cost.

In a further embodiment, the side flaps extend over the entire length of the napkin. This has the advantage that attachment of the side flaps is easily implemented as they can be unrolled from a continuous web, placed on the napkins likewise coherently forming a continuous web, joined to these by heat sealing and severed jointly with these.

In a preferred embodiment, provision is made for the side flaps to be connected, in the appropriate circumstances, integrally, to the non-woven fabric cover in an area in which this covers the absorbent body. This has the advantage that the side flaps absorb the liquid not only cover from the Πθη-WOVen fabric / but also from the absorbent body. If in a napkin of this kind the liquid is cover released into the non-WOVen fabric / at one side thereof, it still reaches both side flaps as the liquid is I distributed uniformly by the absorbent body within the napkin and hence also into the area of both side flaps.

In a special embodiment, provision is made for only one side flap to be attached to a single side of the napkin.

The side flaps are preferably capable of absorbing liquids and act like a wick. The liquid is thereby drawn out relatively quickly from the inside of the napkin to the surface of the wearer's skin. The rate of absorbency can be adjusted to a desired range of values by the choice of the material, the density and possibly surface treatment.

In a further development, provision is made for the side flaps to extend away from the napkin when it is worn on the body. The side flaps advantageously lie against the inside of the wearer's thigh or touch the inside at least in sections thereof.

Viscose is a suitable material for the side flaps, but other suitable materials may also be used.

The side flaps are preferably bonded to the non-WOVen fabric cover. This can be carried out with, for example, a heat-sealing or thermoplastic adhesive during manufacture of the napkin.

Further advantages, features and details of the inven- ( tion are set forth in the following description in which particularly preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in detail with reference to the drawings. The features described herein may be embodied individually on their own or in any desired combination in the invention. The drawings show: Figure 1 a plan view of half of a napkin with a side flap arranged in the cut-out section for the leg; Figure 2 a plan view of half of a napkin showing the side flap extending over the entire length of the napkin; and Figure 3 a cross-section III-III along the center line according to Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1 shows a entirety 1, only gitudinal center is clearly shown plan view of a napkin designated in its the half lying to the right of the Ionline 2 being illustrated therein. As in Figure 3, this napkin 1 is provided with a sheet or protective film 3 for protection of the underclothes on its underside and with a fleece covering (non-woven fabric cover) on its top side. An absorbent tody 5 which completely absorbs liquid flowing into the napkin 1 is arranged between the protective film 3 and the non-woven fabric cover 4. The protective film 3 is impermeable to liquids and consists, for example:, of polyethylene or polypropylene. The napkin 1 (leg opening) has a cut-out sectionylO for the leg between the rear I band 7, which is provided with non-woven fabric elements 8, and the front band 9. The cut-out section 10 for the leg may be any . desired shape, the invention not being limited to the shapes illustrated in the Figures. Finally, there is shown a side flap 11 connected along one of its longitudinal edges to the non-woven fabric cover 4 by, for example, an adhesive connection 13. The opposite longitudinal edge 14 of the side flap 11 projects over the longitudinal edge 15 of the napkin 1 and thus also over the cut-out section 10 for the leg.

In the embodiment represented by Figure 1, the side flap 11 is of trapezoidal shape, and the narrower longitudinal edge 14 projects over the sealing strip 16 which is usually formed by the edge of the protective film 3 and by the edge of the non-woven fabric 4.

In the embodiment represented by Figure 2, the side flap is of rectangular shape and extends from the rear band 7 to the front band 9 and, in this embodiment, too, one 12 of the longitudinal edges is connected by an adhesive cover connection 13 to the non-WOVen fabric /4 and the other longitudinal edge 14 projects over the cut-out section 10 for the leg. In the region of the cut-out section 10 for the leg, the adhesive connection 13 in this embodiment represented by Figure 2 is located outside the absorbent body 5, whereas the adhesive connection 13 in the embodiment of Figure 1 lies within the absorbent body 5 .

In Figure 3, the cross-section taken on III-III of Figure i shows the protective film on the underside of the napkin 1, the non-WOVen fabric a cover 4 forming the top side and the absorbent body 5 arranged between these. At their edges, the film 3 and the cover 4 form the sealing strip 16 which is to prevent leakage from the napkin 1. The side flap 11 is arranged over the sealing strip 16. Its longitudinal edge 12 is adhesively bonded to the non-woven fabric cover 4 above the absorbent body 5 and its longitudinal edge 14 projects freely over the sealing strip 16. With this side flap 11, liquid can be conducted out of the napkin via the sealing strip 16. If air flows through the part of the side flap 11 projecting over the napkin, part of the absorbed liquid evaporates and the side flap 11 becomes cold on account of the evaporation enthalpy, which the incontinent person finds unpleasant. The side flaps fulfil the purpose of a liquid indicator.

The side flaps 11 may be provided with one or several elastic elements for a better fit on the wearer’s thigh.

Claims

1. Disposable napkin (1) having a protective film (3) which is impermeable to liquid, a non-woven fabric cover (4) which is permeable to liquid, an absorbent body (5) which is arranged between the protective film (3) and the non-woven fabric cover (4), and sealing strips (16) which form the outer contour, characterised in that hydrophilic side flaps (11) are provided which project laterally over at least part of the outer contour of the sealing strips (16) and are connected to the non-woven fabric cover (4) which is permeable to liquid.

2. Disposable napkin as defined in Claim 1, characterised in that the hydrophilic side flaps (11) are provided in the area of the leg opening (10) and project beyond the outer contour of the sealing strips (16).

3. Disposable napkin as defined in Claim 1, characterised in that the side flaps (11) extend over the entire length of the napkin (1).

4. Disposable napkin as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the side flaps (11) are connected to the non-woven fabric cover (4) in an area in which the latter overlaps the absorbent body (5).

5. Disposable napkin as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the side flaps (11) act like a wick with respect to liquids and are of an absorbent nature.

6. Disposable napkin as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the side flaps (11) are provided with one or more elastic elements.

7. Disposable napkin as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that when the napkin (1) is applied to the body, the side flaps (11) extend away from the napkin (1). - 10

8. Disposable napkin as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that when the napkin (1) is applied to the body, the side flaps (11) apply themselves to the insides of the legs of the person wearing the napkin.

9. Disposable napkin as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the side flaps (11) consist of viscose.

10. Disposable napkin as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the side flaps (11) are fixed to the non-woven fabric cover (4) by an adhesive.

11. Disposable napkin as defined in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the side flaps (11) are formed integrally with the non-woven fabric cover (4).

12. Disposable napkin as defined in Claim 1, substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.