NZ213122A

NZ213122A - Disposable diaper with elasticised members between two absorbent pads

Info

Publication number: NZ213122A
Application number: NZ21312282A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: H Karami
Original assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co
Priority date: 1981-12-07
Filing date: 1982-11-29
Publication date: 1986-02-21

Description

<div class="application article clearfix" id="description"> 2 13122 Priority Date(s): Ir. iSr.*?! Complete Specification Filed: 1J. ?P-Class: Publication Date: .. .i.?. X .19B8 ■ •. P.O. Journal, No: .. I^SQ. Cinder the provisions of Regtt^ iktloi.jB (i:)- -j| ^pecificatton has ante-dated! ifilt&is Patents Form No. 5 Number PATENTS ACT 1953 Dated COMPLETE SPECIFICATION DIAPER WITH CUSHIONED ELASTIC LEG HOLE EDGES $We COLGATE-PALMOLIVE COMPANY a corporation organised under the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America of 300 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10022, United States of America do hereby declare the invention for whichJ5/we pray that a Patent may be granted to J&X/us. and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 13122 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to disposable diapers and more particularly to elasticized and contoured diapers. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART In the past elasticized contoured diapers have been developed such as that disclosed in the United States Patent to Buell, No. 3,860,003, issued January 14, 1975, for "Contractable Side Portions for Disposable Diaper" wherein elastic strips are secured to the crotch portions of the diaper and spaced at least 3/4 inch from the absorbent pad to form elasticized crotch seals for securement over the legs of the infant to prevent loss of fluid from the interior of the diaper along the legs of the infant. The elasticized strips were placed more than 3/4 inch from the absorbent pad in order to prevent pleats forming transversely of the crotch area of the diaper. Another diaper is presently in production in which the elasticized strips are less than 3/4 inch from the absorbent pad for the production of the transverse pleats in the crotch area of the diaper for the purpose of increasing the absorbent capacity at the crotch area of the diaper. This diaper is disclosed in United States Patent No. 4,050,462. However, it has been found that these pleats may act as a channel resulting in excessive -2- diaper leakage and the pleats in the crotch area make the infant's bottom uncomfortable when sitting, especially while the diaper is not saturated. The elasticized construction in both the diapers as disclosed in the aforesaid patents cause marks and indents to be formed in the skin of the infant on which these types of diapers are used. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of both the prior art diapers. The elastic members are placed according to the present invention between the two pad sections of a two section absorbent pad which is provided, cushioning the elastic action and preventing marks and indents being formed in the skin of the infant while providing unexpectedly better protection against excessive leakage through leg hole edges. The concept of the present invention features a disposable diaper which, in a preferred embodiment, is contoured in an hour-glass configuration and has a two section absorbent pad between a top sheet and a backing sheet with elastic members secured between the two pad sections. -3- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a plan view of a diaper constructed in accordance with the concepts of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along the plane of line 2-2 in Fig. 1 through the crotch portion of the diaper; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modification of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 10 generally designates an elasticized and contoured disposable diaper constructed in accordance with the concepts of the present invention. The diaper is of an hour-glass configuration having a crotch area 12 and four portions of greater width defining ears 14, 16, 18, and 20. The diaper includes a backing sheet 22 of an impervious material, such as polyethylene or polypropylene film. A top sheet 24, preferably of a typical non-woven bonded (e.g. by resin latex) rayon or rayon-polyester fibre sheet or a spunbonded sheet of polyethylene or polypropylene fibers, is sealed, preferably by hot melt lines, to the backing sheet along the peripheral edges of the diaper. An absorbent pad 40 213122 comprising two separate pad sections 42 and 44 is disposed between the top sheet 24 and the backing sheet 22 and the pad/pad sections may be of conventional wood fluff (e.g. from chemical, semi-chemical or thermo-mechanical pulp) or the like or a plurality of creped sheets as shown in United States Reissue Patent No. 26,151. An upper wadding sheet 28 and a lower wadding sheet 30 are provided, the pad and the wadding sheets conforming generally in contours to the hour-glass shape. The pads 42 and 44 are separated by a wadding tissue or sheet or non-woven sheet 46. A pair of elasticized strips 48 and 50 which may be provided with adhesive on at least the bottom end surfaces thereof are disposed between the pads 42 and 44. The elasticized strips are bonded to the upper surfaces thereof as shown. If desired, the strips 48 and 50 may be bonded to the lower surfaces of sheet 46. Bonding may be by means of a suitable continuing line or spots of adhesive. The adhesive may be any conventional hot melt or pressure-sensitive adhesive and, preferably, one that at ambient temperatures is flexible and extensible (i.e. elastic-like) in nature. The elasticized strips preferably extend the entire length of the pad inwardly of the ears 12, 14, 16, 18 so that the tension provided by the elasticized strips is such that the pad 40 itself cushions the leg hole edges to form especially fluid tight seals without causing marks or indents to be formed on an infant's skin. The top and bottom wadding sheets may be the conventional paper or tissue heretofore used in the art (i.e. cellulosic fibres) or may be formed of hydrophobic fibers (e.g. polyester, polyethylene or polypropylene) or rendered . ■ . "ATEKTOFf JGS ,_5_ 145 NOV 1985 .. 1 RECEIVED . 213122 hydrophobic by suitable and conventional treatments (e.g. resins) The elastic strips may be varied in widths:but generally from about 3 to 12mm with a range of about 5 to 8mm being preferred. The adhesive width used in bonding the strips may be somewhat greater or lesser than that of the elastic strips and typically, for a 6mm elastic strip, would range from about 4 to 12mm. Typical thicknesses of elasticized strips range from a few mils (e.g. 1 to 5) to 15 to 20mm, with the higher ranges more general for foams. The elastic strips may be of any suitable construction and materials such as the conventional rubberized (or otherwise elastomerized) fibers or may be simply a strip of elastomeric resin or foamed resin which may or may not be provided with adhesive. Such strips are generally available as double-sided transfer tapes (e.g. 3M Co., St. Paul, Minnesota, tape No. 465 high tack pressure-sensitive tape). The backing sheet 22 and/or the top sheet 24 may be fully elasticized and provided with a waist band if desired. A suitable elastic backing sheet is disclosed in United States Patent No. 4,166,464, Such a sheet provided with apertures provides an acceptable top sheet. Such apertures may vary from about 0.1mm to about 10mm or more in diameter and may comprise from 5% to about 80% of the total surface of the top sheet, particularly in the fluid contacting region. In Fig. 3 there is shown a modification where two pads 154 and 156 are employed with the elastic strips 134 and 136 therebetween held by friction between the pads. The strips may be sealed at.the opposite peripheral edges to the top sheet or backing sheet or therebetween. The same means sealing the top sheet to the backing sheet may be used to secure and seal tfre^gTrcte—ol—tfre-f y N.2. PATENT QFJ'ayS -6- 18 NOV 1985 ' RECEIVED elasticized strips 134 and 13 6 to the backing sheet 122 and may be adhesive or hot melt lines. -7- </div>

Claims

<div class="application article clearfix printTableText" id="claims"> 2 II 3 1 2 WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A disposable diaper comprising a backing sheet, an absorbent pad including two separate pad sections on said backing sheet, a top sheet overlying said absorbent pad, means securing said top sheet to said backing sheet with said pad therebetween, and elasticized members within the pad and disposed between said pad sections. 2. A disposable diaper according to Claim 1, wherein the means securing said top sheet to said backing sheet secures the ends of said elasticized strips to said backing sheet. 3. A diaper according to Claim 2, wherein said diaper is box-pleated. 4. A diaper according to Claim 2, wherein said absorbent pads are of hour-glass configuration. 5. A disposable diaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said pad includes a lower tissue wadding sheet, the ends of said elastic members being bonded to said lower wadding sheet. 6. A disposable diaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the two pad sections of said pad are separated by a tissue wadding sheet,to one of the surfaces of which the elasticized members are bonded. -8- X\ 3 *22. A 1. A disposable diaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said top sheet is secured to said backing sheet by bonding together of said top sheet and said backing sheet along their respective peripheral edges. wherein said bonding together of said top sheet and said backing sheet is effected by hot melt, or heat sealing techniques. 9. A disposable diaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said elasticized members are centrally disposed with respect to the thickness of said pad. 10. A disposable diaper according to Claim 1, wherein said elasticized members are entirely between said pad sections. 8. A disposable diaper according to Claim 7, WEST-WALKER, McCABE per: ATTORNEYS FOR THE APPLICANT jN.Z. PATENT 0l-FKE -5 mv 1985 </div>