LV11001B - Absorbing article of the diaper or insert type - Google Patents

Description

1 LV 11001 ABSORBING ARTICLE OF THE OIAPER OR INSERT ΤΥΡΕ

The present invention relates to absorbing articles of the diaper or insert type.

Earlier it was customary to use for this type of articles simple textile pieces of cotton, which could be vashed and reused many times, but for a desirably high absorption capacity it had to be accepted that several cotton layers vere needed, whereby the articles became heavy and voluminous and in fact also rather expensive to wash. As well knovn the development has taken the direction of the use of disposable products, which have a high absorption capacity vithout being bulky from the beginning, because of the use of a filler material of the so-called super absorbing type.

For the actual use it is a condition that the absorption material be insulated both to the outside, so that it will not give off liquid to the surroundings, and to the inside, so it will not be in wet contact vith the skin of the user. This is achieved by enveloping the material in a casing having at the outside a tight sheet layer and at the skin side a liquid permeable cover, vhich, itself, is of a non-absorbing plastic that will steadily be felt as a dry layer.

This holds for disposable diapers and for hygienic pads, and it is true that in the vaste system these products constitute problematic units that occur in quite large amounts. They are too large to just be flus-hed out in the toilet, and they are not particularly suited to be delivered to the normai vaste bags, e.g. for kitchen refuse; vhen removed as solid refuse they load the relevant destruction plants vith their high contents of substances vhich, in fact, could be dealt vith in a simpler manner, viz. by composting the purely organic substances.

The US-A-2,826,199 discloses a diaper made vith an outer layer of a liguid tight material and an inner 2 layer of flannel rubber having small holes in its Central area. From the front edge of the diaper a pocket opening extends between the tvo layers, and in this pocket is placed a sponge plate adapted to be reused after drying. Obviously this is no suitable solution.

In US-A-3,070,095 is disclosed a plural layer mate-rial vhich can be used for or as the relevant absorbing articles, having a skin touching layer of a thin, loose and soft, liquid absorbing material of cellulose vhich, on at least one side, is coated vith a moisture tight substance, vhich, hovever, vill permit a closet flushing of the article; the inner sides are impregnated vith a particular absorption material, also of a decomposable character. These articles will be highly unsuitable because in order to be flushable they should exhibit such a lov vet strength that they vill become more or less disintegrated already vhen in use. Inversely, in a practically usable quality they vill not be suited to be flushed out, particularly not the larger sizes, as there are not proposed any measures for facilitating the flushing.

On this background it is proposed by the present invention to design the relevant articles in such a manner that on the place of use it vill be possible to effect an easy separation of the absorption material from the surrounding envelope, it being aimed hereby that the envelope material can be handled as solid refu-se vith a relatively small volume, vhile the absorption material, vhich accounts for the major part of the volume and is easily biologically decomposable, can be disposed of by simple closet flushing. This may be con-ditioned, by vay of example, by the pad being separated or easily separable in tvo or more parts, such that these vill be of a reduced size, making them suitable for this type of removal.

As far as hygienic pads are concerned the invention 3 LV 11001 may be realized in that the envelope surrounding the pad material is provided with a tearing facility that makes it possible to break the envelope for easy separation of the inner pad or the separate parts, of vhich it con-sists, such that the user can easily separate the used article in an envelope portion to be treated as kitchen refuse and one or preferably more smaller pad portions for immediate closet flushing.

As far as diapers are concerned the situation is somevhat different, because the diapers as a whole can-not be regarded as a pad or an insert, as they are com-plete garment articles comprising both the absorbing material pad and an associated garment portion for moun-ting on the body of the child. For the disposable diapers here considered it is characteristic that the garment portion is constituted by projecting extensions of the sheet materiāls encasing the moisture absorbing material pad, and with the invention an extra advantage will be gained when the pad material can be separated from the casing material and these materiāls be treated in respective optimized manners.

Particularly as far as diapers are concerned it will be especially advantageous if, on this background and in accordance with the present invention, the devel-opment is brought back to the use of vashable textile materiāls for the envelope or garment portion. This portion may very advantageously be made of cotton or a correspondingly vashable and skin friendly material, whereby the diapers vill consist of a reusable casing/garment portion and a disposable absorption pad or insert.

For the refuse handling it vill be of noticeable importance that a substantial part of the mass of diapers, viz, the casing or garment portions, vill thus be left out from the refuse or at least only appear therein after many times of use. These textile articles should 4 not be dimensioned so as to be operatively absorbing, themselves, as the absorption is safeguarded by the insert pads, so they may be designed as non- voluminous articles which can be vashed or co-vashed in ordinary household vashing machines vithout loading these unduly, and the result will be that the visible refuse is redu-ced to a minimum while the user comfort of the dispos-able diapers can be increased noticeably, vithout the removal costs being noticeably increased othervise.

Particularly as far as diapers are concerned the refuse products will not only be liquid, but also fae-ces. These are .beforehand veli suited for delivery to the nost inexpensive vaste handling system, viz. by flushing to the sever system, and here there vill be no problems vith respect to separation of this vaste in smaller units fit to be flushed. For that sake the fae-ces could be delivered directly to the outside of the liquid absorbing pad portions, vhen these are preadapted to be flushed out.

Hovever, for the invention it is a preferred fea-ture that the casing or garment portion is provided vith an invardly facing pocket or flap portion of a liguid permeable and non-absorbing textile material, such that this flap portion may, in a permanent manner, fona the desired dry separation betveen the skin and the absor-bing body, i.e. vithout this body or pad itself having to be provided vith such an outer layer. This, of cour-se, vill contribute to the lov costs of the insert pads, vhich vill not, then, need to have such a cover layer of their ovn. The faeces vill be deposited directly on the said flap portion, but for the user it vill be easy to pour or shake the faeces from the opened diaper into the closet and thereafter take or pour out the insert pad or pad portions the same vay.

The pad meober may be produced beforehand in a vay such that it appears as a unit of sufficient size, yet 5 LV 11001 being divided in mutually coherent areas which are easi-ly separable, e.g. already by the action of the vater in the flushing system. Thereby the user may handle the pad member as a coherent, relatively large unit both when laying it into the textile garment casing and by the later removal therefrom, such that the pad will automa-tically be separated into smaller parts that are convey-able through the sever system vithout problems.

Optionally, the said flap portion may be prepared for the holding to the textile part in being stitched thereto at one end and provided with a burr tape at the opposite, free.end.

The actual diaper inserts can be made as relatively inexpensive and small members, whereby it will also be easier to producē and store them in different designs, e.g. in particularly adapted designs for girls and boys and in different sizes and different absorption capaci-ties. It is important here that the diurnal rhythra of the children enable a differentiated application of pads with different absorption capacities, because at several of the changings it is then possible to use cheaper pads with reduced capacity relative to the high night capa-city normally aimed at. It is to be noticed that every unused capacity, e.g. during the day hours, vill mean a certain mass of refuse loading any removal system in an unnecessary way, vhile also the same mass or amount has had to be produced, mostly as wood pulp. In connection with the invention, of course, the same size of diaper casing can be used with pad inserts of different capacities.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the said flap portion is made with such an oversize that it can be used for a real packing in of the pad member, which, by the associated stabilization, may be produced in a low- coherent quality promoting the flushability, and the abeorbing insert may be a bunch or a paper vrapped 6 pack of fully loose, unbounded fibres.

In the folloving the invention is described in more detail with reference to the drawing, in vhich:-

Fig. l is a plān viev of a diaper member according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view of a diaper insert;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a hygienic pad;

Fig. 4 is a plān view of a preferred embodiment of a diaper garment according to the invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodi-ment of a diaper according to the invention;

Fig. 6 is.a sectional view thereof;

Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional view of a pad insert therefor, and

Figs. 9 and 10 are a perspective view and an end viev, respectively, of an insert according to the invention.

The diaper shovn in Fig. 1 comprises an outer cover or garment portion 2 made of cotton or a corresponding textile material. This material does not, itself, con-stitute the relevant absorbent of the diaper, and the cover 2, therefore, can be made as a lightveight pro-duct, preferably consisting of two textile layers 4 with an intermediate layer 6 of a liguid tight material, this layer being somevhat retracted from the edge of the cover. In order for the cover to be easy to wash and dry, instead of pure cotton it may consist of a mixture, e.g. 60 % cotton and 40 % polyester, vhich will also improve the lifetime of the product. The contents of artificial fibres may even be stili higher, since there is no need for any absorbing capacity, and the modern artificial materiāls can be made so that they are very aoft and comfortable. In a manner not shovn the cover can be provided vith special closing facilities, e.g. burr tapes, just as it may othervise be prepared vith a high quality, e.g. vith incorporated rubber bands at the 7 LV 11001 edges of the side constrictions; it will be acceptable that the product is considerably more expensive than a disposable diaper, as it may be used hundreds of times and moreover be more comfortable every time.

At the tight places around the legs and the vaist the cover will provide a pleasant, breathing textile contact, because the layer 6 is retracted from the edge of the cover, while this layer will othervise prevent access of liquid to the textile layer facing the skin.

It should be mentioned that it is not even necessary for the layer 6 to be located spaced from the edge, as the skin will be touched by a breathing textile layer any-way. The edge area of the layer 6 may then be effective-ly prevented from touching the skin by making the edge seam on an outwardly folded edge fold of the vorkpiece.

At the interior side of the cover 2 there is secur-ed by stitching, at 8, a textile flap 10 of a liquid permeable, non-absorbing material, e.g. of the type known from the inner side of disposable diapers, but optionally of a stili better guality. This flap covers the entire critical area and is adapted to cover a diaper pad 12 that is laid under the flap. Optionally, the free end of the flap may be adapted to be fastened re-leasably to the cover 2, e.g. by means of burr locking.

The diaper pads, as mentioned, may be manufactured in different models, partly for girls and boys, respec-tively, partly with different sizes, and partly with different absorbing capacities. The pads or inserts may be made from fibre mass vithout any kind of envelope, optionally only with an increased concentration of bind-ing fibres on the flat sides, and with an adjusted con-tent of a super absorbing substance. The pads may be closed at the edges by velding or any other manner. At their outsides they may carry a couple of strips of adhesive that will stabilizē them in their mounted con-dition. 8

It will be possible to adapt the pads to the waste or deomposition system to which the used pads are deli-vered, for example combustion, direct composting or composting from the sewer system, after closet flushing in the latter case. The larger pads may be unfit for direct flushing, but according to the invention they may be subdivided in two or more pieces that are easy to separate in connection with their removal from from the cover, e.g. in connection with a joining area already being veakened in the wet surroundings prior to that removal. The flushing will be an attractive possibility, and since the user will normally be conscious of the fact that whole pads may choke the dovnlet, the user will then be motivated to carry out a modest activity for effecting the reguired separation, when the pads are suitably prepared. They may cosist of mutually separated pad portions joined only by an adhesive tape to form the entire pad, and the user should then only tear up a portion of this tape for separating the pad. Fig. 2 shows a diaper pad 12 with an indicated separation area 14.

Fig. 3 shows a hygienic pad comprising a corre-sponding absorbing pad 12 surrounded by a casing having a liguid tight outer layer and a non-absorbing, liguid permeable inner layer. According to the invention this casing is provided with a tear up cord 16 enabling the user to open the casing in a simple manner for dropping the used pad in the closet and subsequent handling of the casing as solid waste. Alternatively, one side may be in tvo pieces, joined by a removable adhering tape.

It is a further possibility that also ordinary disposable diapers may be designed according to the principle here disclosed, i.e. with a removable insert pad for removal by flushing, while it will then only be the remaining part of the diaper that loads the house-hold refuse generally. 9 LV 11001

Fig. 4 shows a diaper garment or cover correspond-ing to Fig. 1, where only nov the flap 10 is stitched or othervise secured to the main portion along three sides, such that an elongate pocket is formed, accessible from the rear end of the diaper for introduction of a hand and therevith also for both insertion and removal of a diaper pad 12. Thus, this pad will be totally supported inside the pocket, whereby the demand for rigidity of the pads can be reduced. At the extreme, a handful of loose fibres could be sufficient, taken from a mixture of cellulose fibres and fibres of a super absorbing material, but preferably, prefabricated fibre packages should be used, only with a vrapping of paper like toi-let paper, such that the pads, after use, are well sui-ted to be flushed out in the closet after being vith-drawn or othervise manipulated out from the elongate pocket once faeces, if any, are sent the same way.

When the requirements as to the rigidity of the pads are ķept lov, these pads will be particularly easy to producē in a manner promoting their ability to be removed by flushing into the sever system. The pads vill not have to be vrapped in any particularly strong material, and optionally they may just be surface coated by spraying vith a suitable binding aģent, vhich becomes partly decomposed already during its stay in the diaper pocket, once this has been vetted during the use.

After use, the pad vill be easy to press or pour out of the diaper pocket, and it is easily beaten apart by the very flushing. If desired, the pad may also be disposed of as a fully compostible solid vaste, a so-called green vaste product.

Preferably, the length of the pads used is only slightly more than half the length of the pocket. The pad may then be placed correctly ali according to the vearer being a girl or a boy, and moreover, for particu-larly productive periods such as overnight, two partly 10 overlapping pads may be placed in the pocket, such that a desirable differentiation is achievable with the use of cheap Standard components. It is also a possibility that the pads can be stili smaller, both in area and thickness, whereby the use can be differentiated stili more.

As an alternative to the flap 10 of Fig. 1 and the pocket according to Fig. 4, more flaps or half pockets of the liguid permeable material can be used, e.g. a side flap fixed to one of the long sides, Fig. 4, and a half pocket fixed to the other long side and to the shorter front side, whereby the inserted pad or pads may be easier to remove, even though they will stili be well stabilized in use. Even traditional disposable diapers may, advantageously, be arranged in this or a similar manner for enabling a refuse separation betveen the contents and the cover. A preferred embodiment of the diaper cover is shown in Fig. 5. The textile diaper of Fig. 1 is here supple-mented with a stitched on textile strip 20, which in a known manner may form an extrusion barrier tovards the sides and rearwardly from the Central production area. This strip may consist of the same impermeable, yet breathing material as the intermediate layer 6 in the cover. To one of the sides of this strip there is sēcu-red a laterally projecting flap portion 22 consisting of the said permeable and non-absorbing material of the flap 10 in Fig. 1. As shown, this flap portion may have bent over side edge portions 24, betveen vhich, at the outer end of the flap portion, there may be placed an absorbing pad 12, vhereafter the flap portion may be folded a couple of times until the pad is brought into a position in the receiver trough formed by the space inside the strip 20, confer Fig. 6.

Hereby the pad insert 12 vill be easy to mount, but in particular the pad vill be effectively enclosed in 11 LV 11001 the flap portion 22 and will be easy to pour out from its mounted position, viz. by a simple lateral tilting of the cover, whereby the pad, ali by itself, will roll out from its mounted position, preferably for delivery to the closet for being flushed out.

Because the pad 12 will here be particularly well protected inside the folded together flap portion 22 as held inside the pocket 20, the pad may be designed in a correspondingly veakened manner, such that it may be particularly easily disintegratable when poured into the closet.

Peferably? confer Fig. 7, the pad insert 12 is produced as a plate 26 of a fibrous, absorbing material surrounded by a vrapping 28 of a paper of low wet strength, i.e. of the toilet paper type, which may be wrapped one or more times about the fibre plate 26. In Fig. 7 the paper is shovn vrapped one and a half time, whereby there will be double layer strength at one side, while at the side edges there is only a single layer of paper. When the fibre plate 26 expands by liquid absorp-tion these side edge areas will be stretched by the associated thickening of the plate, whereby the paper will burst such that the vrapping will not thereafter hold the fibre plate package 26 together. The pad insert may thus be poured out in an already partly disintegra-ted condition, whereby, by the flushing itself, it is readily further disintegrated.

As already mentioned in connection vith Fig. 3, the pad may be provided vith a tear cord 16, vhich, hovever, vill nov refer to a tearing of the paper casing around the fibre package 26 for ensuring an easy flushability of the entire pad insert 12. It is to be noted that faeces, if any, vill have been delivered to the closet already before it becomes actual to handle the pad insert, whereby it vill be a clean and simple operation to break up the pad for ensuring a safe flushing thereof. 12

It will even be a further possibility to create, in connection with the mounting of the pad, an operative connection with the diaper or the flap 22, e.g. with the use of an adhering zone, such that already by the very pouring out of the pad the pad will get torn vithout any separate manipulation.

In Fig.8 it is shown that instead of a single fibre plate 26 two mutually separated plates or pads 30 may be used. In principle, such a division may occur in both the longitudinal and the transverse direction, whereby it is preensured that the pads are divided into relati-vely small pieces that are flushable vithout problems. This may cause difficulties in the production, but al-ready a simple tvo part division of the fibre plate in the longitudinal or the transverse direction vill pro-vide a good result.

Fig. 9 shows that the pad 12 may appear as a suita-bly closed package, vith the paper vrapping 28 closed by a stamping 32 at the ends. Thus, such a pad may as a vhole be flushed out in the closet after use, in a a more or less disintegrated condition.

In connection vith the invention it has been reali-zed that vith the use of simple fibre packages 26,30 vith an even material distribution, including that of the superabsorbing material, it vill be advantageous to make arrangements for facilitating the distribution of spotvise applied liquid over the vhole area of the pad, such that the absorption capacity may be fully exploi-ted. For that reason, Figs. 9 and 10 show that the pad 12 may be designed vith stamped surface grooves 34, along vhich the liquid may be distributed ali over the pad area.

It should be mentioned that for a further optimi-zing in this respect paper vrappings may be used, the fibre direction of vhich vill predominantly proraote a liquid spreading in the longitudinal direction of the LV 11001 13 pad. Moreover, it is possible to choose for the flap 22 a fabric with good liquid spreading abilities.

Even though the pad, when reaoved, has not been fully utili2ed, it will have been vetted at least over a partial area, sufficiently to veaken the paper vrapping in order to be easily broken. Most users will automāti-cally make sure that the used pad is at least partially broken before delivering it to the closet, and as the flap fabric 22 will typically be a deformable knitted product the user may easily and as a matter of routine effect a breaking of the pad by extemal manipulation of the vrapping 22 or for that sake the entire relevant area of the diaper. Therefore, special means for breaking up the pads could veli be renounced. LV 11001 C L A I M S : 1. A garment article of the diaper type for use in combination vith an absorbing fibrous pad body enclosed so as to be accessible for liguid from one side, through a permeable non-absorbing cover sheet, vhile at the opposite side the pad body is covered by a liquid imper-meable able material, characterized in that the diaper garment article is a vashable and reusable textile unit comprising, generally at least two tejctile layers and an intermediate liguid impermeable barrier layer, the skin contact side of the article being provided vith an open-able and closable pocket or flap formation constituting said permeable, non-absorbing cover sheet and adapted to receive one or more absorbing pads of a flushable type. 2. An article according to claim 1, in vhich the flap formation is a sheet member secured to the garment along one side or end only, so as to be usable as a vrapping for the absorbing pad or pads. 3. An article according to claim 2, in vhich the flap sheet member is attached to the garment along a longitudinal seam so as to project therefrom generally in the vidth direction of the garment. 4. An article according to claim 2, in vhich the pocket or flap formation is raounted in such a manner that the pad or pads are naturally placeable inside an area delimited by a freely outstanding barrier edge strip on the inside of the diaper garmenp. 5. An article according to claim 2, in vhich the flap formation is made vith folded side edge portions to accommodate opposed pad edge areas. 6. An article according to claim 1, characterized in that its insert ia made as an absorption pad adapted for use once only and preferably made in such a disintegrat-able manner that it is flushable is the closet. 7. A refill pad member according to claim 6 and made vith a low vet strength, either as a vhole or/and in areas of separation betveen partial areas thereof. 8. A refill pad member according to claim 6, made vith means for tearing up the pad. 9. A refill pad according to claim 6 and made vith an adhering area for adhesion to the holding garment. 10. A refill pad according to claim 6, made vith exterior longitudinal grooves and, optionally, vith other measures for the spreading of locally received liguid. 11. An article according to claim 1 and an associa-ted refill pad member according to claim 6, characteri-zed in that one or both of these elements are prepared such that betveen them there is arranged an engagement to the effect that the refill pad, vhen removed or pour-ed.out, vill automatically be disintegrated at least partially.

Claims (11)

An infant garment, such as diapers, used in conjunction with an absorbent fiber insert inserted so that it can absorb fluid through one of the permeable non-absorbent covers, while on the other side this liner is covered with a liquid. liquid-proof material, characterized in that the diapers are made of washable and reusable fabric and generally consist of at least two layers of fabric between which there is a fluid-tight protective layer, and a pocket or flap for opening and closing the skin. a fluid permeable non-absorbent cover intended for insertion of one or more absorbent pads which, after use, are flushed into the toilet. An infant garment according to claim 1, wherein the flange is a fabric strip attached to the garment with only one edge or end so that it can be used as a casing for an absorbent liner or liner. An infant garment according to claim 2, wherein the flange is fastened along the longitudinal groove in such a manner that it is directed toward the width of the garment. An infant garment according to claim 2, wherein the pocket or flange is secured in such a manner that the insert or inserts can be conveniently inserted into a space enclosed by a freely protruding backing strip inside the diaper. 2 An infant garment according to claim 1, wherein the flange is made with a folded edge to engage the surface of the insert. 6. An infant garment according to claim 1, characterized in that it is preferable to use a absorbent sanitary napkin containing absorbent sanitary material and a casing of readily disintegrating material, such as toilet paper, for its insert to be flushed into the toilet for insertion into its insert. . A hygienic insert according to claim 6 having a low degree of moisture resistance in general or / and separate portions of its surface. 8. A hygienic insert according to claim 6, with the possibility of dividing it. 9. A hygienic insert according to claim 6, with a surface for attaching it to the garment. 10. A hygienic insert according to claim 6 with longitudinal outer folds and, alternatively, other means for dispersing local fluid. 11. An infant garment as claimed in claim 1 or claim 6, wherein the insert, when removed or washed, disintegrates at least partially.