SK60396A3 - Disposable diaper having elasticized leg cuffs - Google Patents

Abstract

Disposable diaper with elasticised cuffs of legs comprises a bsorbent core (38) arranged between upper layer (34) and bottom l ayer (36). It is in the shape of sand-glass with narrow, centrall y arranged portion (18), front waist portion (20) in one vertical end area of the crotch and back waist portion (22) in the second vertical end area of the crotch portion. These waist portions ar e wider than the crotch portion and are equipped with fastening e lements (30, 32) to fix the diaper around the person wearing it. Diaper also comprises pre-expanded elastic devices (24), arranged along their longitudinal edge parts to secure pre-determined smo cked and non-smocked areas along these edge portions. Elastic dev ices (24) are extendedly placed along whole length of the longitu dinal edge portions (25) from the fastening elements (30) having width (a) on the front waist portion (20), to the fastening eleme nts (32) having width (b) on the back waist portion.

Description

Disposable diaper with elasticated leg cuffs

Technical field

The present invention relates to a disposable diaper according to the preamble of claim 1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For reasons of comfort and seating, it is now common to provide diapers in different sizes. For example, diapers are available within certain ranges of infant sizes, including newborns, toddlers, etc. For adults suffering from incontinence, due to the great disparity in the size of the adult, as well as the variety of diaper absorption requirements, a wide range of diapers of different sizes is required. Expressed in cost-effectiveness, it is optimal to have one size that adapts to most adults.

To reduce the risk of leakage, it is known to provide diapers with elasticized leg cuffs. Such typical diapers are those described in US-A-4,437

860, US-A-4,486,192, GB-B-2,143,115, US-A-4,050,462,

SE-B-446 939 and GB-A-2 063 677. In these known diapers, the elastic band in the respective elasticized leg cuffs extends along each longitudinal edge portion of the diaper, near its crotch region. At both ends of the crotch piece, wider waist panels are provided within which the elastic tape terminates at a distance from the longitudinal edge portion of the diaper. To fasten the diaper around the wearer

Fastening means, such as hook and loop fasteners, are secured to the longitudinal edge portions of the belt portions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a disposable diaper that is conveniently worn by persons of different sizes.

This object is achieved in accordance with the present invention by the disposable diaper of claim 1.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are detailed in the respective dependent claims.

Overview of the figures in the drawing

The invention is by way of examples in which:

will be described in more detail below, with reference to the attached drawings only,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an absorbent article in accordance with the present invention, with cuffs shown elasticized by the foot during the manufacturing process phase, and

Fig. 2 is a partial perspective cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line II-II in FIG. 1, but with the product in the finished state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the drawing, the absorbent article in the form of a disposable diaper is designated by reference number 10. For the sake of clarity, the diaper 10 is shown in FIG. 1 referred to in the stage occupied by the diaper during its manufacture. by

The reference numeral 12 indicates the connecting lines, for example, the adhesive lines or the heat-sealing lines, around which the diaper is picked up in a manner known per se, and forms a pair of inner cuffs 14 (Fig. 2) through which the elastic cord 16 runs. the diaphragm lines 12, this diaper adopts an overall hourglass shape, with a narrow centrally arranged crotch region 18 and wider front and rear waist panels 20 and 22, respectively, in the transverse end regions of the crotch panel.

The diaper 10 is provided with pre-stretched elastic means 14 disposed along the longitudinal edge portions 25 of the diaper. The belt portions 22, 22 may be well provided with transversely extending elastic means 26 and 28, respectively.

In order to allow the diaper to be attached around the wearer, fastening means are provided in the belt parts. As shown in FIG. 1, the front waist portion 20 that would normally be placed at the front of the wearer may be provided with a pair of fastening means, such as a hook member 30, with each pup member 30 extending substantially perpendicularly from the longitudinal edge portion 25 of the diaper. The fastening means may further comprise a belt 32 extending substantially perpendicularly from the rear waist panel 22, the part of which, during use, is normally disposed at the rear of the wearer. As shown in FIG. 1, the web may be in two halves, with each half extending from opposite longitudinal edge portions 25 of the diaper. It is contemplated that the two belt halves will pass around the wearer's belt and be secured in a pile at the front of the wearer by any suitable means such as a hook and loop fastener. Preferably, the web is made of a nonwoven material that acts as a loop fastener for the hook members 30.

The diaper assembly of FIG. 1 will be more readily understood from a partial cross-sectional view through the crotch portion 11f, as shown in FIG. The diaper 10, in accordance with the present invention, has an overall hourglass shape and comprises a topsheet 24, a backsheet 36 and an absorbent core 38 disposed between the topsheet and backsheet 24, respectively 36. The specific components used to form the illustrated diaper may be of any type, commonly used for these purposes. For example, the topsheet 34 may be any flexible liquid permeable material, such as a nonwoven fibrous structure having a basis weight of about 20 g / m ² . The backsheet 36 is made of a liquid impermeable material such as a thin (e.g., 20 gm) plastic film of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and the like. The absorbent core 38 may comprise wood pulp fibers, airlaid tissue, various superabsorbent materials, and the like.

As mentioned above with reference to FIG. 1, the pre-stretched elastic means 24 are disposed along the longitudinal edge portions 25 of the diaper. As can be clearly seen from FIG. 2, the elastic means 24 may be in the form of an elongated preferably elastic tape. The elastic tape is relatively wide, for example between about 1 and 2 cm, preferably about 1.5 cm, so as to limit the tendency of the leg cuffs to squeeze on the wearer. The elastic bands may be incorporated into the diaper in any known manner, but preferably in the manner disclosed in our co-pending Swedish patent application, which is entitled Disposable Diaper with Elasticated Leg Cuffs.

In accordance with the present invention, the elastic means 24 extend along substantially the entire length of the longitudinal edge portions 25 between the fastening means on the front and rear waist portions 20 and 22 respectively. Consequently, when the diaper is secured to the wearer, the tension force exerted during the operation - fasteners for fastening

The means 30 on the front waist portion 20 will directly act to stretch the elastic means 44, thereby ensuring a more firm fit of the leg cuffs around the wearer.

In order to further enhance the comfort of the diaper wearer, it is beneficial if the fastening means 32 on the back waist panel 22 represents a relatively wide engagement area for receiving the fastening means on the front waist panel 20. Also, the fastening means 30 on the front waist panel 20 preferably protrudes substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal edge portions 25 of the diaper, with fasteners having a predetermined width and. Similarly, the fastening means 32 on the back waist panel 22 protrudes substantially perpendicularly from the longitudinal edge portions 25 of the diaper, with these fastening means having a predetermined width b. The percentage ratio of the width and the fasteners 30 on the front waist panel 20 to the width b of the fasteners 32 on the back waist panel 22 is preferably between about 10% and about 30%, more preferably about 25%.

When the fastening means 30 on the front waist panel comprises a pair of opposing hook members, their width a may be between about 15 mm and about 45 mm, preferably about 30 mm.

When the fastening means 32 22 are a pair of opposing bs it may be between about 50 mm mm. Preferably, in the form of a nonwoven web, the hooks engaging the loops of the loop fasteners, a width of about 150 mm, preferably about 120, opposite loop fasteners, as they may comprise regions of material fastened or incorporated in the backsheet 22.

Also, when the diaper is fastened around the wearer, tension is applied to the fastening means 30 on the front waistband portion until the leg elastic 24 is sufficiently stretched. The fastening means 30 can then be fastened to the fastening means 32 on the rear waist panel. The tension can be easily adjusted by sliding the fastening means 30 over the width of the fastening means 32 on the rear waist piece.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and the drawings in the form of examples, but may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

It is to be understood that the term diaper is intended to cover absorbent articles of the type set forth in the appended claims that are worn by infants as well as adults. The term "waistband" and "backband" refer to the alignment of these parts during normal intended use of the diaper, although it is conceivable that the parts are reversed, for example, that the hook members are secured to the rear waist panel and loop fasteners to the front waist panel. It will be apparent to the skilled person that other suitable fastening means, such as hook and loop fasteners, for example, releasable adhesives, may be used.

Claims (6)

PATENT CLAIMS A disposable diaper (10) comprising an absorbent core (38) disposed between the topsheet (34) and the backsheet (36), having an overall hourglass shape with a narrow, centrally disposed crotch portion (18), a front waist portion) 20) in one transverse end region of the crotch part and a rear waist panel (22) in the other transverse end region of the crotch part, these belt parts being wider than the crotch part and provided with fastening means (30); 32) for fastening a diaper around the wearer, the diaper further comprising pre-stretched elastic means (24) disposed along their longitudinal edge portions (25) to provide predetermined picked and substantially non-picked regions along said edge portions, characterized in that the elastic means (24) extend substantially along the entire length of said longitudinal edge portions (25) from the fastening means on the front waist portion (20) to the fastening means on the back waist portion (22). 2. Disposable diaper by Claim 1 characterized ú c a clothes m that elastic the means is elastic tape. 3. Disposable diaper by claim 1, v yznačujú time and by that fastening the means 30 on the front waist panel (20) project substantially perpendicularly from the longitudinal edge portions (25) of the diaper, and that the fastening means have a predetermined width (a). Disposable diaper according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastening means (32) on the rear waist panel (22) project substantially perpendicularly from the longitudinal edge portions (25) of the diaper, and that the fastening means have a predetermined width (b). Disposable diaper according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the ratio of the width (a) of the fastening means (30) on the front waist edge (20) to the width (b) of the fastening means (32) on the back waist part (22) it is between about 10¾ and about 30%, preferably about 25%. A disposable diaper according to claim 5, characterized in that the fastening means (30) on the front waist portion (20) are a pair of opposing hook members whose width (a) lies between about 15 mm and about 45 mm, preferably about 30 mm. Disposable diaper according to claim 5, characterized in that the fastening means (32) on the rear waist portion (22) are a pair of opposed loop fasteners whose width (b) is between about 50 mm and about 150 mm, preferably about 120 mm. . Disposable diaper according to claim 7, characterized in that the opposed loop fasteners are in the form of a nonwoven web.