JPS63122451A - Absorbing pad - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an external absorbent pad. More particularly, the present invention relates to an elongated cup-shaped elastic wear article, particularly for use as a menstrual or incontinence product.

The present invention comprises an absorbent body and a jacket surrounding the absorbent body, the jacket comprising a fluid permeable layer facing the user's layer in use and a fluid impermeable layer disposed on the opposite or back side of the absorbent body. absorbent products such as sanitary or incontinence napkins.

(Prior Art) Side leakage has been a problem when using conventional incontinence or sanitary napkins. Such leakage occurs when the wearable item slips and body exudates do not come into contact with the wearable item. Another cause of leakage is when the garment is twisted, so that the entire absorbent body is not directed towards the wearer's body, but a portion of it is turned outwards and comes into contact with the wearer's underwear. A third cause of side leakage is that the absorbent garment is unable to absorb fluid jets quickly enough that these jets flow out the sides of the garment instead of being absorbed.

Conventional sanitary napkins of uniform thickness often deform significantly during use because they are too large to fit the shape of the human body. They are also not elastic so they deform as the wearer's body moves. Usually they are squeezed together in the middle and bent along the longitudinal axis, so that the front part, the side facing the user, is convex, with the liquid-permeable layer facing towards the sides, and the liquid-impermeable layer slightly It folds upwards, thereby reducing the surface area available as a liquid-blocking surface. This means that liquid may leak from the napkin through the bent liquid permeable layers on either side of the upwardly folded liquid impermeable layer. Leakage also occurs due to bending or shifting of the pad.

Attempts to solve this problem include creating new napkins that closely follow the shape of the human body during use and provide maximum absorbency where it is needed most.

Newer napkins do not deform much during use and are more comfortable to use, but side leakage is still a major problem even with anthropomorphic napkins. When the volume of fluid discharged is large, experience shows that not all of the liquid has room to be absorbed, and some of the liquid leaks out from the sides beyond the longitudinal edges of the napkin.

Advances over the past few years have made napkins thinner and thinner. This was made possible by the compression of absorbent materials and the use of highly absorbent materials. An example of such a very thin (and comfortable) napkin is a thin sanitary band made of highly absorbent material that replaces traditional thicker sanitary napkins.

In such thin napkins, side leakage becomes a problem because the pad does not conform to the human body. Because they are usually very thin, they must be relatively wide even in the middle and are susceptible to significant deformation during use. Therefore, even with this type of napkin, edge leakage may occur from time to time.

Various attempts have been made to eliminate the occurrence of side leakage. One example in a thin napkin is to provide the absorbent body with many longitudinal compression areas to allow liquid to spread rapidly longitudinally. However, these compression areas are not sufficient to reliably eliminate edge leakage.

In addition, the liquid-impermeable back layer is made wider, so that when in use,
It is also known to cover, in addition to the back and side edges of the napkin, the front part that is in contact with the user. Such a design ensures that the fluid already collected in the absorbent body is retained therein.

Molded pads have been proposed as menstrual or incontinence products.

European Patent Application No. 0091412 (Widlun
d) discloses a molded pad with elastic edges. Widl
The und pad has an elastic cord along the edge of the central portion of the generally rectangular pad. This elastic band serves to shape the pad into an arcuate shape with an upwardly extending elastic edge. British patent application bundle 2.142.541 (Buell) discloses a waste containment elastic wear article intended for incontinence. This wearable article also has an elastic rim. In the Buell application, the elastic cord extends almost the entire length of the wearable article, and the elastic edge portion that does not include absorbent material appears to be somewhat wider than in Widlund. Other pads exhibiting elastic edges are described in European Patent No. 0.167.931 (Damico
et al), European Patent No. 0.164.435 (Damico), and British Patent No. 2.156.6
No. 81 (Mokry).

There continues to be a need for pads that fit the curves of the human body, are fixed during use, are comfortable to wear, are particularly effective against side leaks and liquid jets, and are unobtrusive. Thin rectangular prior art pads are not shaped to easily conform to the human body without puckering or deforming. Accordingly, there remains a need for improved menstrual or incontinence pads.

The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of conventional human body waste absorption products.

Another object of the invention is to form a menstrual or incontinence article that is capable of handling jet streams of liquid.

Yet another object of the invention is to form a menstrual or incontinence article that resists kink.

Yet another object of the invention is to form a menstrual product that is discreet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above and other objects of the present invention are achieved by an incontinence or menstrual article having an absorbent body of generally rectangular pieces cut at precisely controlled angles. The angle of the incision is such that when folded after the incision, the pad can be cup-shaped with the edge rubber loose, and preferably tapers towards the single-thickness area at the rear of the pad. The thickness region is precisely controlled to form. The pad is further
The portion of the pad that has the narrower folded absorbent body has an elastic region. Elastic pads with triple-thickness areas have raised portions that have angled grooves in the area where the sides are elasticized, and the bottom of the grooves where the narrow triple-thickness area abruptly collapses into a single layer. Located in the area where the thickness changes in the anterior part.

(Effects of the Invention) The present invention has many advantages over conventional absorbent pads. The pad of the present invention has three layers of absorbent material in the Targetera) H region. The preferred pad of the present invention, which is curved and shaped from a rubber band, has grooves on the sides and front, and is shaped like a target BIT.
The center of the area is raised and provides a snug fit against the perineum, allowing fluid to move into the absorbent body without passing through skin folds. The present invention also has the advantage that there is no waste in the absorbent body in that the edges of the rectangular piece of absorbent body are folded downward to form a triple thickness section. Another advantage is that the preferred pad of the present invention resists gathering and twisting because the band has a stronger crotch section where the three sections of absorbent material are folded and polymerized. Yet another advantage is that the pad is less susceptible to deformation, twisting, and side leakage than other designs, and is therefore more leak resistant. These and other advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the drawings.

(Example) As shown in FIG. 1, a preferred pad 10 of the present invention includes:
It has a curved shape having a front part 12 and a rear part 14. The pad has an elastic area indicated by line 16.18.

The pad is provided with an absorbent-free area surrounded by lines 20.22 on each side of the SM area. The pad has a raised triple thickness central portion 24 and groove areas 26, 28 on each side of this area 24. In the example shown, the pad is sealed at the end on line 30.32. The pad has an impermeable folded edge 34.3
It has 6.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the pad 10, showing the impermeable back cover 3.
8 is shown. As shown in plan view in FIG. 3, pad 10 is generally rectangular with overlapping sides 34.36. The target area has a portion 24 bordered by grooves 26,28.

The bottom view of FIG. 6 shows adhesive bottom strips 39, 40 covered with peelable strips 42, 44. Adhesives 39, 40 are provided to secure the wearable article to the wearer's underwear. The adhesive fixation may be by one wide strip or by a number of strips other than the two shown. However, the best worn items (
Two separate long adhesive strips are preferred for retention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cross section at the narrowest part of the target area consists of three layers of absorber 46. The three layers of the absorbent body are a top layer 48, a middle layer 50, and a bottom layer 52.
has. Cover member 54 is liquid permeable. Back cover 38 is not liquid permeable, but may be vapor permeable. Edges 56.58 are each rubber string 16.1
Gears are attached by 8. The permeable cover and the puffing material are connected by a heat seal or adhesive connection at 60.62. The grooves 26, 28, which direct the liquid and receive and stop the jets, extend downwardly towards the grooves at the edge of the triple layer of the absorbent body.

FIG. 6 shows the absorbent body becoming a single layer again after the folded layers have tapered back into a single layer. 7th
The figure shows a cross-section taken slightly off-center in the longitudinal direction of the pad of the invention, showing the two folded sections 50, 52 forming the three-layer structure forming the raised section 24 of the target area of the pad and the central section 48. show.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the absorbent body 46 of a preferred pad of the present invention. The absorbent body 46, when viewed from the bottom side away from the human body, has folded sections 50, 52 which, when folded, form a three-layer structure. Folding portion 52.
The front edges 68° 70 of 50 coincide after folding. These front edges lie on a line approximately perpendicular to a longitudinal line drawn through the center of the absorbent body 46 and are located along the edge 72 of the absorbent body 46.
It corresponds approximately to a line perpendicular to ゜74. Cut 76°78
terminates at point 80.82 where fold line 84.86 terminates. Point 88.90 at the tip of portion 50.52 is
After folding, it is located adjacent to point 82.80.

FIG. 9 illustrates the angles to be considered when making cuts in absorbent pad 100 to fold absorbent pad 100 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Pad 100 has a front portion 102 and a rear portion 104. pad 10
0 is shown with longitudinal centerline 106 and line 10B perpendicular to parallel sides 110° 112 of pad 100. Cut lines 114, 116 and folding line 118
120° is the point 12 on the line 108 perpendicular to the side of the pad.
2. Intersect at 124. Cut line 114°116
intersects fold line 118.120 at point 122°124. The angle between line 108 and score lines 114, 116 is represented as theta θ. Folding line 11
The angle between 8,120 and the line 108 perpendicular to the side is designated as angle alpha (α). The relationship between theta and alpha is shown by the following formula: Alpha = (180 - theta) ÷ 2° The total width of the absorber is:
It has a certain relationship to the distance between points 122, 124 and the edge of pad 100, represented by X.

That is, the total width of the pad (W) - 2X+ (X÷cosine theta). To illustrate the relationship between theta and alpha, a pad with a theta of 15 degrees has an alpha of 82 degrees. A pad with 30 degrees theta has an alpha of 36 degrees, a pad with 50 degrees theta has an alpha of 6
A pad with an alpha of 5 degrees and a theta of 70 degrees has an alpha of 55 degrees. The size of such an angle is determined by the pad portion 128 surrounded by the score line 114 and the fold line 118, the fold line 120, and the score line 116.
and the pad portion 130 surrounded by the point 132 and the point 12
2 and point 134 is adjacent to the intersection 124 of score line 116 and fold line 120. Also, after folding, the score line 116
and 118 coincide with each other and with the perpendicular line 10B.

FIG. 10 illustrates variations in score and fold lines that may be used in forming pads with cut angles alpha of 15°, 30°, 50°, and 706 with coded fold and score lines. FIG. 10 also shows the width of pads formed using various cut and fold angles.

Surprisingly, it has been discovered that the cuts and fold lines described above with respect to Figures 9 and 10 may be reversed to form an absorbent pad.

This means that the score line becomes the fold line and the fold line becomes the score line. If you do this,
An absorbent body 150 as illustrated in FIG. 11 is formed.

The absorbent body 150 has fold lines 152,154. These fold lines are formed after cutting along lines 156.degree. 158 in what was originally a generally rectangular piece.

The overlapping pieces 160, 162 are located in the front portion 164 of the absorbent body forward of the narrowest point. In this embodiment, the longer rear section 166 is devoid of multiple absorbent layers, since the multiple absorbent layers are in the anterior portion ahead of the narrowest point. 11th
A pad having an absorbent body 150 as illustrated in the figure is compatible with male incontinence in that the triple thickness region is better able to absorb large amounts of urine that may be released into the upper fold of the pad by male incontinence. it is conceivable that. In this example, the narrowest part is not triple-layered and the crotch area is not very strong, so a pad with an absorbent material as illustrated is somewhat susceptible to twisting and bending, so it is considered that it is not so desirable. It will be done.

As mentioned above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and the case where the present invention is mainly used as a menstrual product has been described.
．． No. 435 Dam ico and U.S. Patent No. 4,315
．． It can also be used as a large device, such as a loincloth-type incontinence wear described in Bolick No. 508. The high absorbency and deformation resistance of the crotch area also has applications in these large wear articles. Such large wearable items may be supported by a band or, as illustrated, by an adhesive.

The liquid-impermeable backing sheet member of the present invention may be comprised of any suitable material that does not permit the passage of aqueous liquids. Typical examples of such materials are sheets of polyethylene, polypropylene, and other polymers and copolymers. A preferred material is a sheet formed by extruding polyethylene onto a nonwoven fabric. Nonwovens are made by spinning thin continuous filaments of polypropylene on a moving belt.

Coextruded sheets are formed by extruding a very thin layer of polyethylene polymer onto a nonwoven fabric. This material is lightweight and low cost due to the very thin polymer film thickness. Also, in a preferred configuration, the backing sheet is folded at the edges against the side of the body to form a powerful. The baffle in contact with the skin
It feels more comfortable to have the cloth exposed instead of the polymer sheet. Polymer sheets without a cloth-like surface, when in contact with the skin, can cause skin redness, abrasions, and swelling of the skin. However, if a low cost product is desired, a simple polymer sheet may be used. Vapor permeable liquid impermeable sheets may be used to provide a more comfortable padding.

The absorbent material can be any of a number of known absorbents. Typical examples of such absorbent materials are fluff consisting of destimulated wood fibres, melt-blown fibers such as polypropylene, carded webs of polyester, rayon and cotton, and combinations of the above materials with super absorbents. A preferred absorbent body is a coform nonwoven absorbent sheet. The coform consists of destimulated wood fibers and melt-blown polymers (
It is an air-blown combination with polypropylene (usually polypropylene). This material has been found to have high integrity and absorbency when present in a thin pad. The strength and wet integrity of the coform absorber further increases the pad's strength and resistance to kink. Coform molding is described in U.S. Patent No. 4,100+324 Ander
son et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. British Patent No. 2.113.73N 1983 8
The use of a coform material that also contains a superabsorbent, such as that disclosed in J.D. Especially desirable.

The wearable article of the invention can be designed to hold any desired amount of fluid by selecting the appropriate amount and type of absorbent material. For menstrual use, pads are 10 to 2
It can have an absorbency of 5cc of aqueous fluid. For light incontinence applications, the vasodum is preferably capable of rapidly absorbing and retaining 20-60 cc of aqueous fluid. Mild incontinence generally refers to people who suffer from stress incontinence, where small amounts of urine leak when they sneeze or laugh, or those who constantly leak some amount of urine. Pads with absorbency as defined above are suitable for such incontinence conditions.

Large undergarments for heavy incontinence can have an absorbency of several hundred cubic centimeters of aqueous fluid.

The permeable liner material may be any known absorbent material for absorbent pads, provided that it does not irritate the wearer's skin and readily allows fluids to pass through it without absorbing it.

Typical examples of such materials are porous polymer sheets, Tissue-1 nonwovens, combinations of permeable materials layered or permeable layers with moving layers. A preferred material is that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,397.644
spunbond layer in combination with a carded web as disclosed in tal. A suitable material is spunbond polypropylene fiber sheet. Spunbond polypropylene treated with wetting agents or surfactants to make it hydrophilic is also suitable. The permeable liner may be wrapped around the impermeable backing material and the absorbent body, or may be adhered onto the puffful 18 by way of pad construction.

The rubber string of the pad of the present invention is generally as shown in the figure.
Wrapped in folded puffing material. The elastic cord adhesively connects to the banding material when stretched and forms a pad and provides an elastic edge when released and compressed.

However, it is also possible to fix the elastic cord to the back of the backing material. Pa-nod rowing may also be accomplished without the use of elastic cords using an impermeable banking material of molded foam plastic, such as the ethylene polymer foam disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,554,191 Korpa+an. It is possible. Pad rowing can also be accomplished by placing a heat-shrinkable non-elastic member or a heat-shrinkable rubber band in the area where the rubber band is indicated and shrinking the piece. Pads made of molded foam plastic or heat-shrinked non-elastic materials are considered somewhat less preferred than elastic pads because they do not conform as well to the human body.

Additionally, an elastomeric outer sheet can be used to improve the fit or replace the use of elastic bands.

The pad is secured to the user by means of an adhesive or by a strap.

Further, when a diaper-like wearable article is formed, an adhesive tape tab can be used to secure the diaper-like wearable article in contact with the wearer.

Although the pads of the present invention have been described primarily for menstrual and incontinence purposes, the pads may also be used as bandages or wound dressings. The pad is believed to be particularly well suited as a knee or elbow bandage. Although the pad has been described as a product for use by adult women, it is also suitable as an incontinence product for men, infants, and children.

The above specification and drawings are intended to explain the invention and are not intended to show everything.

Other modifications and rearrangements of the pad of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pad according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of a pad according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a plan view of a pad according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a pad according to the present invention. , FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the pad of the present invention taken along cross-sectional line 5-5 in FIG.
6 is a cross-sectional view of the pad of the present invention taken along cross-sectional line 6--6 of FIG. 3, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the pad of the present invention taken along cross-sectional line 7 of FIG.
8 is a perspective view of the absorbent body of the pad according to the present invention partially folded; FIG. 9 is a diagram of the absorbent body of the pad according to the present invention showing score lines and folding lines; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the cuts and fold lines of pads of various widths, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another cut and fold of the absorbent body. 10... Pad, 38... Back cover,
46.150...Absorber, 54...Cover member. , FIG. 5 FIG. 6

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. An absorbent pad comprising a liquid-permeable body side liner, a liquid-impermeable outer covering ring, and a folded absorbent body between the covering ring and the liner, comprising: The absorbent body consists of a member having substantially parallel sides,
Each of said sides is formed with an angled cut extending to an end point forming a fold between the cut and the side from which the cut begins, the end point of each cut being at the end of each member. located generally on a line perpendicular to said sides, each of said sides further extending from said side of said member to said termination point and each side folded portion extending said angle when folded from said fold line. 2. An absorbent pad according to claim 1, wherein one side of the cut has a folding line that is perpendicular to the parallel edges and substantially overlaps the line connecting the end points. 2. The angle formed by each of the scoring line and the folding line with respect to the perpendicular line is such that the angle of the folding line is equal to 180° - half the cutting angle (θ). A pad according to claim 1, characterized in that: 3. The width W of the pad absorbent body is defined by the score line and a line that is perpendicular to the side of the pad and passes through the end point of the cut line, with X being the distance from the inner end of the cut line to the edge of the member. When the angle is θ, the formula W=2X+X/co
Claim 1 characterized in that the calculation is performed using sθ.
Pads as described in Section. 4. The pad of claim 1, wherein the incision begins at a rear portion of the pad and extends forward. 5. The pad according to claim 1, wherein the pad has a rubber string at a central portion of a side edge of the pad. 6. The pad according to claim 1, wherein the pad has a cup-like shape, and the bottom of the cup is located in a triple-thickness portion of the absorbent body where folded portions overlap each other. 7. The pad according to claim 6, wherein the impermeable cover comprises an impermeable foam sheet. 8. The pad according to claim 1, wherein the narrowest area of the absorbent body is in the front half of the pad. 9. The pad according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent body is made of coform. 10. The pad of claim 1, wherein the pad includes a raised central portion and angled grooves extending into resilient regions on the sides of the pad. 11. An absorbent pad comprising a liquid-permeable body side liner, a liquid-impermeable outer covering ring, and a folded absorbent member between the covering ring and the liner, wherein the absorbent member is substantially parallel to each other. a member having round sides, each of said sides being formed with an angled cut extending to an end point forming a fold between said cut and the side from which the cut begins; and the end point of each cut is located substantially on a line perpendicular to the side of each member, each of the sides further extending from the side of the member to the end point, and each of the folded portions An absorbent pad having a folding line such that when folded from the folding line, a triple thickness region is formed perpendicular to the parallel edges and in front of the line connecting the end points. 12. The angle that each of the score line and the folding line makes with the perpendicular line is such that the angle of the score line is equal to 180° - the folding angle (θ) divided in half. A pad according to claim 11, characterized in that: 13. The width W of the pad absorbent body is defined by the folding line and a line that is perpendicular to the side of the pad and passes through the end point of the incision, with X being the distance from the inner end of the incision line to the edge of the member. When the angle is θ, the formula W=2X+X/c
12. The pad according to claim 11, wherein the pad is calculated in osθ. 14. The pad of claim 11, wherein the incision begins at the forward end of the pad and extends rearwardly. 15. The pad according to claim 11, wherein the pad further includes a rubber cord at a central portion of a side edge of the pad. 16. The pad according to claim 11, wherein the pad has a cup-like shape. 17. The pad of claim 11, wherein the narrowest area of the absorbent body is in the front half of the pad. 18. The pad according to claim 11, wherein the absorbent body is made of coform. 19. The pad of claim 11, wherein the triple thickness region of the pad is in front of the narrowest portion.