MXPA06012228A - Disposable absorbent undergarment. - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a disposable absorbent undergarment formed by a central body having the basic construction of any disposable diaper: a fluid-permeable inner layer, an impermeable outer layer and an absorbent matrix located therebetween; the invention includes as a novel characteristic the use of only two side elastic pieces which form the side portions of the garment and which are attached to the front and rear portion of the central body, said elastic pieces being in close proximity the upper end portions and being located at the right and left side portions thereof, thus forming a product having elastic side pieces providing safety and a particular comfort to users: children, adolescents or adults, since the use of adhesive tapes or mechanic closing systems to be adjusted are avoided as the same are detached or easily separated due to movements caused by crawling, walking or running; the inventive garment is similar to a common fabric undergarment. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the process for the manufacture of the disposable absorbent undergarment includes attaching the elastic side pieces to the diaper body using only four seams obtained either by heat, ultrasound, adhesive or yarn; the size of the undergarment pieces may be varied so as to provide different sizes useful for infants, children, adolescents and adults.

Description

ABSORBENT DISPOSABLE INTERIOR GARMENT Field of the Invention The invention relates to a disposable absorbent garment and particularly to an absorbent disposable undergarment of the type used by young children as diapering training or in large sizes for elderly people such as those suffering from incontinence or some disability. or medical condition with difficulty in sphincter control.

Background of the Invention Traditionally, disposable diapers have been used as absorbent garments to contain and absorb urine and faeces that have as their purpose to prevent wetting or soiling of outer garments that are in contact with the diaper, so its construction is essential for provide comfort and safety to the user whether child or adult.

However, diapers that have adhesive tapes for adjustment to the waist are extremely practical for babies, it has been noticed in a generalized way, that they are inappropriate for children who already walk as well as for adults, since there is a risk that These tapes are detached by the type of movements of the users of those ages and by the heat that the same body generates and this is accentuated even more in areas where the environmental temperatures exceed 40 degrees centigrade. This same problem is presented with diapers that use the so-called mechanical seals in which tiny hooks are attached with the front strap constructed from small loops and also due to the natural movements of the body tend to detach so that the diaper is no longer tight to the body, causing the urine or stool to not be contained within it, which is not only uncomfortable but unpleasant for the user.

Therefore, other types of garments have been developed that aim to eliminate this type of inconveniences, such as, for example, the one described in the North American Patent No. 4,940,464 of which Kimberly-Clark owns, which proposes a disposable incontinence garment or briefs of training, comprising a central body type diaper that has joined 4 elastic bands that form the sides of the pants, two coupled on each side of the front of the body of the diaper and two coupled on each side of the back, joined by ultrasound to the body of the diaper. These elastic bands are also joined in pairs (front to back) in the central part of each side with two other bands of a non-elastic material by means of two seams. In this way the shorts are constructed with three bands on each side, 2 elastic and one non-elastic, joined together and to the shorts by means of 4 seams on each side. This type of construction is not optimal, since it uses a large amount of material and requires many joints, making it uncomfortable and bulky so that through the continuous use of said garment the seams cause marks on the user's skin. In addition, this construction with many seams implies a greater complexity in the production process, with a large number of operations of cutting and sewing either heat, ultrasound, adhesive or thread making it a very expensive process.

Another proposal developed by Kimberly-Clark embodied in US Patent No. 4,938,753 consists of a garment similar to the one described above with four elastic bands and 3 seams on each side of the garment: two of them to join the elastic bands to the body of the pant and one to join the elastic front bands with the rear ones. Described in another way, this invention proposes to use four elastic bands, two on the right side and two on the left side joined to the body of the shorts by means of 4 seams and joined together by means of a seam on each side of the pants forming an anatomical garment .

Although this proposal is better and reduces the use of materials and seams, it still requires a very expensive process because of the sophisticated machinery required to perform the operation of cutting and joining the elastic panels with the body of the pants and then between them. the front with the rear.

Also, currently, an adult underpants with the "TENA" brand, manufactured by the Sancela S.A. Enterprises, is marketed in Mexico. de C.V., another with the brand "AFFECTIVE", produced by the company Productos Internacionales Mabe S.A. of C.V. and another with the "DEPEND" brand, manufactured by the company Kimberly-Clark de México, S.A. of CV, all of them having a design similar to that of a common undergarment, that is, they are formed by a complete piece that constitutes the front, the back and the sides, joining the ends at the ends to build the garment and integrates in the central part of the body a set of pieces that make up the absorbent part. Said garments also include in the upper front and rear ends, this is in the area that sits on the user's waist, a series of elastic threads to provide elasticity and fit, however, these garments are very voluminous, since one should leave considerable slack in the material so that the garment can be passed through the widest part of the body which is uncomfortable not only because of the bulge it causes but also because it causes a greater generation of body heat. Also, the design with multiple elastic threads around the entire body, also causes several areas of the body to be wrapped by the threads causing irritation and often marks on the user's skin. Other disadvantages found in these products is that their volume causes various difficulties for packaging, transportation and display in the market, which limits their preference. Also the cost for production of these garments is very high due to the amount of material used and especially because the machinery used for its manufacture is specialized and a very sophisticated process must be followed with highly qualified personnel to operate the machinery, which requires a very high investment in technology, which is not very profitable, if it is considered in addition that said machinery can not be used for the manufacture of other products.

Accordingly, there is a need for a disposable absorbent garment that uses less material and can be produced with a reduced number of stages, using less complex machinery, so that both the costs and the production times of the same can be reduced. and at the same time provide a comfortable and safe garment.

Summary of the Invention The main objective of the invention is to provide a disposable and absorbent undergarment with a construction such as to provide comfort and safety to the wearer and at the same time avoid causing maximum irritation or marks in the elastic or joining areas of the parts. or pieces that constitute it.

Thus, the invention also aims to provide an absorbent disposable garment of simple construction such as to economize on the materials for its manufacture and reduce the time for its preparation.

Likewise, it is an object of the invention to provide a method for the manufacture of the disposable absorbent garment, which reduces the number of manufacturing stages and requires a low cost machinery, such that the total manufacturing cost of the product is reduced accordingly. the garment in a considerable way.

These and other objects are achieved by the disposable absorbent garment of the invention, which has a central body with the basic construction of any disposable diaper, ie an inner layer permeable to the fluid, an impermeable outer layer and an absorbent matrix placed between both layers, interior and exterior and incorporates as a novelty the use of only two lateral elastic pieces that form the sides of the garment, which are attached to the front and rear of the central body near the upper ends, one on the side left and one on the right side, thus forming a product with elastic side pieces that provide security and a special comfort to the user whether child, adolescent or adult, since it avoids the use of adhesive tapes or mechanical closure for its adjustment, which are detached or Easily detached by movements such as crawling, walking or running and closely resembles a common cloth interior garment. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the method for manufacturing the disposable absorbent garment described herein contemplates joining the elastic side pieces to the body of the pant by using only four seams either by means of heat, ultrasound, adhesive or thread and this same construction can be varied in the size of the pieces to provide products in different sizes for babies, children, adolescents or adults, which can be made of any type of elastic material.

Brief Description of the Drawings The disposable, absorbent inner garment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying figures in which: Figure 1 shows the absorbent disposable garment of the invention in a front view .; Figure 2 shows the disposable absorbent garment of the invention in a top perspective and on one side; Figure 3 shows the central body of the disposable garment of the invention in flat or extended form.

Figure 4 shows a cross section through the line A-A of figure 3 to illustrate the construction of the central body of the absorbent disposable garment of the invention; Figure 5 shows the absorbent disposable garment of the invention in partially uncoupled and extended form.

Detailed description of the invention The disposable absorbent undergarment of the invention shown in the attached figures with reference 1, is constituted by a central body 2 (see figures 3 and 5) which presents the basic construction of any disposable diaper, that is: an inner layer 3 permeable to the fluid, an impermeable outer layer 4 and an absorbent matrix 5, arranged between the inner 3 and outer 4 layers, as best seen in Figure 4, the inner 3 and outer 4 layers being longer and wider than the matrix or core 5, so that the parts protruding from the core 5 form an outline with a configuration such that they define the front, bottom or middle and rear sides of the disposable undergarment.

In accordance with the principles of the invention, said central body 2 is further provided with two lateral elastic pieces 10 forming the sides of the garment, which are joined to the front and back parts of the central body 2, close to the upper ends , one on the left side and one on the right side, as shown in figures 1, 2 and 5, thus forming a product with elastic side pieces that provide the garment with enough elasticity to stretch it, such as when the user and at the same time so that it remains adjusted to the body of the same, which provides security and a special comfort to the user whether child, adolescent or adult, since it avoids the use of adhesive tapes or mechanical closure for its Adjustment, which is easily detached or detached by movements such as crawling, walking or running and closely resembles a common cloth interior garment.

The lateral elastic pieces 10, are formed by pieces in a general form of bands preferably between approximately 5 and 20 centimeters wide and between approximately 10 and 20 centimeters long of an elastic material such as a material constructed by the lamination of two or more substrates of non-woven fabric and elastic materials.

Moreover, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the lateral elastic pieces 10 are joined to the central body 2 in an outer union 12, that is, in each joint 12 the edges that join both the lateral piece 10 and the central body. 2 are arranged towards the outside of the garment, as best seen in Figure 1. In this way, the inner part of the garment is free of seams or joints as well as any material that abulte the union, thereby it eliminates the irritations caused by the seams or joints in the garment, as is the case of the products of the prior art cited here, resulting in a comfortable garment for the user.

According to the preferred embodiment of the disposable absorbent undergarment, the inner layer 3 of the central body 2 is generally made of non-woven fabric of polyester, polypropylene, rayon, polyethylene and / or mixtures thereof, since these materials provide the Necessary characteristics of softness, permeability and non-irritating skin; the core 5 is preferably formed by a mixture of cellulose fibers with polymer that gelatinizes the liquids and said core can be in any way to assist in the distribution of the liquids.

Also, in a more preferred embodiment, the central body 2 is provided with a distribution layer of the liquids 11 to promote a better movement of the fluids in the longitudinal direction of the garment, placed just in the upper part of the absorbent core 5 and below the inner layer 3 permeable to liquids.

Additionally, said central body 2, of the disposable garment 1 can be provided with elastic elements 6, arranged in the vicinity of the lateral edges of the central body 2 and in the middle part of its length, corresponding to the internal part of the user's legs , for a better fit of the garment to the legs of! user. Said elastic elements 6, are constituted by one or several filaments that are joined to the inner part of the outer layer 4 of the garment 1, so that they contract it giving the effect of an elastic edge that serves to adjust the garment 1 in the internal part of the user's leg and prevent urine or feces from coming out of the pants.

In addition, between the elastic filaments 6 and the core 5, the barriers 7 that limit the course of the liquids towards the sides of the garment (anti-drip) arranged in the middle part of the length of the body 2 at the lateral ends can be arranged. of the absorbent matrix 5. Said barriers 7 are constituted by a material impervious to liquids, having at the upper edge of said barriers 7 one or more elastic filaments 8, thereby providing greater security and comfort to the user.

Also, the disposable undergarment 1 can be provided with elastic bands 9 on the upper front and rear edge of the central body 2, in the middle part, to fit the garment 1 on the user's waist, preventing the garment 1 from Slip down the movements.

According to the invention, the process for manufacturing the absorbent disposable undergarment contemplates: forming a central body 2 with an inner layer 3 of non-woven fabric, such as polyester, polypropylene, rayon, polyethylene and / or mixtures thereof, an absorbent core 5 of a mixture of cellulose fibers with polymer that gelatinizes the liquids and an outer layer 4 of a liquid impermeable material, applying hot adhesive to bond the materials; and joining said central body 2 to two side pieces 10, with a general band shape, of an elastic material, by means of 4 external joints 12, two on each side of the disposable undergarment, that is, joining the upper side edge either straight or left from the front part of the central body 2 to the side edge of a piece 10 and the upper side edge either right or left from the rear part of the central body 2 to the opposite side edge of the piece 10, so that the joined edges of each side piece and the central body are arranged towards the outside of the garment.

Said joints 12 can be formed either by ultrasonic, heat, adhesive or by thread sewing. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said seam or union 12 of the lateral elastic pieces 10 to the central body 2 allows an overlap of the materials of between 0.3 to 0.8 centimeters approximately.

Even though a specific form of construction has been described here, it will be evident that various modifications and variants may be made to the designs, color shapes according to the sizes or needs of the users, without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (12)

1 .- A disposable absorbent inner garment of the type comprising a central body formed by an inner layer permeable to the fluid, an impermeable outer layer and an absorbent matrix, disposed between the inner and outer layers, the inner and outer layers being longer and wide that the matrix or core, so that the parts protruding from the core form an outline with a configuration such that define the front, bottom or middle and rear sides of the garment, characterized in that it comprises two lateral elastic pieces attached to each the front and rear parts of the central body by four joints, being arranged close to the upper ends thereof, one on the left side and one on the right side, forming the sides of the garment, which provide sufficient elongation to fit the body of the body. user.

2 - . 2 - A disposable absorbent undergarment according to claim 1, characterized in that the junctions of the lateral elastic pieces with the central body are external joints, so that the joining edges of each side piece and the central body are disposed towards the external part of the garment.

3. - A disposable absorbent undergarment according to claim 1, characterized in that the lateral elastic pieces are formed by pieces in a general form of bands of an elastic material.

4. - A disposable absorbent undergarment according to claim 3, characterized in that the elastic material is a material constructed by the lamination of two or more non-woven fabric substrates and elastic materials.

5. - A disposable absorbent undergarment according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the central body of the disposable garment is further provided with elastic elements arranged in the vicinity of the lateral edges of the central body, in the middle part of its body. length, corresponding to the internal part of the user's legs, for a better fit of the garment to the user's legs.

6 -. 6 - A disposable absorbent undergarment according to claim 1, characterized in that the central body of the disposable garment is further provided with barriers that limit the course of the liquids towards the sides of the garment arranged in the middle part of the length of the garment. body 2 at the lateral ends of the absorbent matrix.

7. - A disposable absorbent undergarment according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is provided with elastic bands on the upper edge both anterior and posterior of the central body, in the middle part, to fit the garment on the user's waist .

8. - A process for making the disposable absorbent undergarment of the type comprising forming a central body with an inner layer of non-woven fabric, such as polyester, polypropylene, rayon, polyethylene and / or mixtures thereof, an absorbent core of a mixture of cellulose fibers with polymer that gelatinizes the liquids and an outer layer of a material impervious to liquids, applying hot adhesive to join the materials, characterized in that it comprises the step of joining said central body to two side pieces of an elastic material, forming 4 external joints, two on each side of the disposable undergarment, in which the upper lateral edge either right or left of the front part of the central body 2 joins the side edge of a piece and the upper side edge either The right or left side of the rear part of the central body joins the opposite side edge of the side piece, so that the joined edges of each side The lateral part and the central body are arranged towards the outside of the garment.

9. - Process according to claim 8, characterized in that the four joints are formed by ultrasound.

10. - Process according to claim 8, characterized in that the four joints are formed by application of heat.

11. - Process according to claim 8, characterized in that the four joints are formed by application of adhesive.

12. - Process according to claim 9, characterized in that the four joints are formed by thread sewing.