WO1995012374A1

WO1995012374A1 - Washable diaper

Info

Publication number: WO1995012374A1
Application number: PCT/NZ1993/000106
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dan Gibson Witters
Original assignee: Little Rippers International Limited
Priority date: 1993-11-05
Filing date: 1993-11-05
Publication date: 1995-05-11
Also published as: AU5379194A

Abstract

A washable diaper (10) is disclosed which is comprised of at least two sheets (16-17, 16'-17') of fabric joined together face to face. A pad (15, 15') of absorbent material is mounted between the sheets. Elastic elements (21, 21') are mounted at the extremities of two opposed edges of a waisted portion (32) of the diaper which in use passes through the crotch of the infant. The elastic elements bunch or gather the opposed edges. In manufacture, the sheets are joined together around their edges and bagged. The pad is located in the waisted portion and sewn between the two sheets, being held in position by a seam (19) which passes around the periphery of the pad and through the first and second sheets, there being no further seams which hold the pad in position and which pass across the pad. In an alternative construction, the pad is sewn between one of the two said sheets and a third sheet (38) located between the two said sheets. In this case the pad can be held in position between said one sheet and said third sheet by a seam (19') which passes around the pad and through said one sheet and said third sheet but not through the second of the two said sheets. Also in this case the elastic elements can be located between said one sheet and said third sheet.

Description

WASHABLE DIAPER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to children's clothing, with particular application to reusable, washable diapers.

PRIOR ART

It has hitherto been known to provide a reusable diaper comprising a single square sheet of fabric, which can be folded in a number of ways to provide a diaper having several layers of cloth around the crotch region, and long flaps which can wrap around the infant and be pinned in place to hold the diaper on. When washing is required, the diaper can be unfolded to facilitate rapid washing and drying.

Such diapers have been found disadvantageous in a number of ways - they require a modicum of skill to fold properly; the requisite pins are inconvenient to use; they are relatively loose fitting because of the lack of elastic adjacent the hems.

One alternative to such diapers has been a washable diaper shaped to conform to the body of the infant. An example of such a diaper is disclosed in New Zealand patent #235229. This diaper is comprised of two sheets of woven fabric in a substantially face to face configuration with a pad of fibrous material between said sheets. The sheets are shaped so that they have four comers extended to provide fastening tabs. The sheets are sewn together around and across the pad and elastic elements are sewn into the diaper adjacent each of four edge portions between the tabs. The elastic elements are stretched during the sewing operation which has the effect of bunching or gather the diaper adjacent the edges between the tabs. The gathered edges respectively define two leg apertures and front and back parts of a waist aperture in use. The diaper can thus be bunched or gathered by the elastic elements at both of the leg apertures, and at of the both front and back parts of the waist aperture. Complementary strips of hook and loop material such as Velcro™ tape are sewn on the tabs. These strips interengage in use to hold the diaper in place on the infant.

Other diapers of this kind are disclosed in US patents #4402690, 4704117, 4516975, 4773906, GB patent #2238462; and WO specification #PCT/CA90 00008.

An alternative to such reusable diapers has been a disposable diaper, formed from plastic and wood pulp, having a thin plastic outer surface, a pad of bleached wood pulp or other fibre in the crotch region, and an inner sheet of thin gauze or paper-like material, usually also formed from wood pulp fibres, stabilised in a sheet with speckles of wax or plastic to bind the fibres together. This assemblage has strands of elastic built into the waist and adjacent the leg hems, and is shaped with a curvature and extended tabs to easily fit onto a infant. The diaper is fastened in place with adhesive strips or the like.

Principal disadvantages with such diapers have been their expense, and the fact that they can only practically be used once, because the wood pulp readily disintegrates if washed and the adhesive is only effective for a single use. The adhesive tabs have been found particularly disadvantageous, in that if the adhesive is weak the diaper is likely to fall off on use, and if the adhesive is strong it tends to tear the plastic outer surface to which it adheres, if an attempt is made to disengage it. This can result in the diaper being unintentionally torn when being checked or adjusted, as is often required.

Disposable diapers also pose a considerable problem in their ultimate destruction, in that when thrown away they comprise a substantial mass of organic matter, sealed against decomposition in a plastic wrapper. The large number of diapers required for a infant means that a large volume of substantially non-decomposing waste is produced by a population using such diapers, with no effective means for destroying it. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide the public with the choice of a useful alternative to the diaper disclosed in New Zealand patent #235229.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

In one aspect the present invention provides a washable diaper comprised of two sheets of fabric joined together in a substantially face to face configuration, a pad of absorbent material mounted on or between the sheets, and elastic elements mounted at at least two opposed edges of a waisted portion of the diaper which in use passes through the crotch of the infant which elastic elements bunch or gather the edges.

In the diaper disclosed in New Zealand patent #235229 (and in other shaped diapers known to the applicant), the elastic elements are set in from the edges of the waisted portion. Between each edge and the adjacent elastic element the diaper thus comprises a strip of fabric which is bunched or gathered by the elastic element. It has been found the removal of these bunched strips reduces leakage of waste body fluid (urine) past the edges of the waisted portion of the diaper.

In another aspect of the invention, the two sheets are bagged after being joined together. The term 'bagging' is known in the textile field and means that after two pieces of fabric are joined together around their edges to form what is in effect a bag, the bag is turned inside out. Bagging is a somewhat time consuming and therefore expensive operation but in the present instance has been found to have a useful and unexpected advantage, namely that it further reduces the leakage of waste body fluid past the diaper in the area of the waisted portion.

In the diaper disclosed in the applicant's New Zealand patent #235229 the pad of absorbent material is located in the waisted portion of the diaper and sewn between the two sheets. To hold it in position a seam passes right around the periphery of the pad and a further seam passes down the longitudinal centre thereof. Because the pad is mounted after the two sheets are sewn together, these seams pass right through the diaper. It has been found that there is a tendency for waste body fluid to leak through the diaper at these seams and particularly at the seam down the longitudinal centre of the absorbent pad. According to one aspect of the invention, this seam, at least insofar as it passes right through the diaper, is omitted. The seam which passes around the periphery of the diaper cannot be omitted but, in one form of the invention, it may be modified so as not to pass right through the diaper. This is possible due to the fact that the sheets are bagged; i.e. the absorbent pad may be sewn to what will be the inner sheet before the two sheets are sewn together and bagged.

In fact, if the pad is sewn to only one of the sheets (being the inner sheet), the tendency of waste body fluid to pass through more easily at the seams may be turned to advantage inasmuch as this should speed the passage of fluid past the inner sheet to the absorbent pad.

These and other aspects of the invention will be made apparent in the following description of one preferred form of the invention, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1; shows the inside surface of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2: shows the embodiment of Figure 1 in end view;

Figure 3: shows the outside surface of the embodiment of Figure 1 ; Figure 4: is a cross sectional view on Arrows A- A in Figure 1, showing the arrangement of the components of the diaper, Figure 4A: is an enlarged view of part of Figure 4; Figure 5: shows the embodiment of Figure 1 in perspective view, partially folded as in use, and with one fastening tab pocket inverted; and Figure 6: is a view similar to Figure 4A of an alternative arrangement of the components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

In its preferred form the present invention provides a washable reusable diaper, formed from fabric such as cotton, shaped and sewn to provide a form which can readily be correctly fastened on a infant, and having releasable Velcro™ fasteners permanently attached to fastening tabs. Two of the fastening tabs have pockets therein which can be inverted so as to cover the fasteners and protect them from contact with lint or other fabric articles during washing.

As illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 and Figure 4A of the accompanying drawings, the preferred example of the present invention comprises a diaper 10, cut and sewn to a shape permitting relatively easy fitting on an infant. A range of sizes may be produced to suit infants of different sizes. Four tabs 11, 12, 13 and 14 are provided at the corners as shown, and a pad 15 is provided in the centre. The pad is comprised of material known for use for the purpose such as cotton fibre, or a mix of plastics materials such as polyester, rayon and polyolythene fibres. In the present instance the pad is located between the inner 16 and outer 17 layers of the diaper. The layers 16, 17 comprise sheets of fabric which again is known for the purpose, such as cotton or cotton mix, sewn together at the hem 18 and, by a seam 19, around the periphery of the pad 15. It is an important characteristic of the invention that the two layers are bagged after being initially sewn together. For this purpose the edges of the layers 16, 17 located along a portion 30 of the hem are not initially sewn together. This portion 30 is advantageously, but not necessarily essentially, located at what in use is the back of the diaper and thus between the tabs 11 and 12. The layers 16, 17 are however initially sewn together along the remaining portions of the hem to form what is in effect a sheath having an open mouth constituted by the portion 30. The sheath so formed is bagged, i.e. turned inside out through the mouth, and it will be noted that the strips of fabric at the border of the layers 16, 17 outward of the seams now project inwardly.

Strips of elastic 20a, 20b, 21 are provided, also sewn between the layers 16, 17. The strip 20a is located between the tabs 11, 12 adjacent what in use is the back of the diaper. The strip 20b is located between the tabs 13, 14 adjacent what in use is the front of the diaper. The strips 21 are located between the tabs 11, 13 and the tabs 12, 14 respectively along the edges of the waisted portion 32 of the diaper which passes through the crotch of the infant in use. The elastic strips constrict the waist and leg apertures 22, 23 in use, thereby providing a tight but comfortable fit around the infant. It is another important characteristic of the present invention that at least the strips 21 are located at the extremities of the edges of the portion 32.

The bagging step and the location of the strips 21 at the edges of the portion 32 have the effect of reducing leakage of body fluid in this region or at last of providing a neater appearance. The strip 20b may also be located at the extremity of the edge of the portion 34.

The mouth of the sheath is useful for inserting the pad 15 and the strips 20a, 20b, 21 into the sheath after the bagging step. If this is done, it is advantageous to omit as far as possible any seams which hold the pad in place and which pass through the diaper and across the pad, especially any such seam which passes lengthwise across the pad. Leakage of waste body fluid through the diaper at such seams is thus reduced. However, the pad and strips could alternatively be sewn onto what in use will be the inner layer 16 before it is sewn to the outer layer and, naturally, before the bagging step. In this case the seams which hold the pad in place on the inner layer 16 may usefully cross the pad as they could well speed the flow of waste body fluid past the inner layer to the pad. This is illustrated in Figure 6 which shows an inner layer 16', an outer layer 17', an elastic strip 21 ' and a pad 15' sewn between an inner layer 16' and an intermediate layer 38 along a seam 19'. It may be noted that the seam 19' does not pass through the outer layer 17'. For producing the diaper shown in Figure 6, the pad 15' is first sewn between the layers 16' and 38. The component so produced is then sewn to the layer 17' and bagged. The elastic strips 21' etc are then inserted and sewn into the diaper along the seams 40. In this case additional seams which cross the pad may be provided for holding the pad in position between the layers 16', 38. They should not however, pass through the layer 17'.

In another alternative the strips 21' etc may also be sewn between the layers 16' and 38 before the layer 17' is attached.

In all cases, the mouth is sewn closed after the bagging step and after the pad and the elastic strips are in place.

The tabs 11, 12, 13 and 14 are provided with fasteners 24 and 25, preferably comprising strips of Velcro™ or similar press fasteners. Such fasteners generally comprise pairs of pieces of interengageable material, one piece 24 having nylon hooks thereon, and the other 25 having loops with which the hooks engage. A difficulty hitherto encountered with such fasteners when used on clothing has been that the hooks tend to snag on lint and other fabrics during washing and/or machine drying. Because reusable diapers are washed and dried very frequently, this can be a significant problem. Eventually the hooks can become substantially entirely entangled, and lose their ability to fasten, and furthermore, there is a significant risk of damage being done to other clothing by the fasteners, particularly delicate fabrics such as silk. While it is imusual for diapers and silks to be washed together, it would nonetheless be desirable to avoid such problems where possible. In the preferred form of the present invention this problem can be overcome, or at least reduced, by the provision of pockets 26 at the ends of the tabs 11 and 12. The pockets 26 are positioned on the outer surface 17 of the diaper 10, directly behind the press fasteners 24 on the inner surface 16. By inverting the pocket 26, as is best shown in Figure 4, so that it extends inside out over the inner surface 16, the fastener 24 is concealed inside the pocket 26, and is protected against contact with other materials.

The fasteners 25, bearing loops rather than hooks, do not generally require such protection because they do not have the same tendency to catch on other fabrics or materials. It should be appreciated that the positions of the fasteners 24 and 25 could be reversed, although the arrangement illustrated is found preferable at present. The fasteners 25 are preferably relatively long, to allow the fasteners 24 to be attached to them at a range of different positions and thereby accommodate a range of different sizes of infant. A single long fastening strip 25 could be provided across the whole of one end of the diaper 10, comprising the front in normal use, but it is preferred at present to include at least one short elasticised portion 20 on that edge, between the two fastening points.

Variations in the shape or arrangement of the diaper illustrated might be made. In particular, the diaper might be arranged to partially disassemble or unfold to better facilitate washing and or drying. In practice it has been found that a diaper as described above does not take significantly longer to machine wash or dry than other clothing of comparable weight. It will be appreciated that the pad 15 could be arranged to unfasten and/or unroll to reduce its thickness and thereby speed washing or drying. This would however increase the complexity and expense of the article, and might consequently be seen as less preferable.

The fasteners 24 could be mounted on the pockets 26, rather than directly behind them, and be concealed inside by the same inverting action. In this case the pockets 26 (and fasteners 24) would be mounted on the inner surface 16, while the fasteners 25 are mounted on the outer surface 17. As a less preferred alternative, means might be provided so that the tabs 11 and 12 can be inverted or turned-back by simply folding them over and fastening them down. This might comprise a further small patch of the fastener 25 positioned inwardly adjacent each of the fasteners 24 on the inner surface 16. When the tab is folded over, the fastener 24 can adhere to it, thereby retaining the tab in a folded configuration.

It is not intended that the scope of a patent granted in pursuance of the application of which this specification forms a part should exclude modifications and/or improvements to the embodiments described and or illustrated which are within the spirit of the invention as defined herein or be limited by details of such embodiments further than is necessary to distinguish the invention from the prior art.

Claims

1. A washable diaper [10] comprised of first and second sheets [16-17, 16'-17'] of fabric joined together in a substantially face to face configuration, and a pad [15, 15'] of absorbent material mounted on or between the sheets, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the first and second sheets are joined together around their edges and bagged.

2.

A diaper according to claim 1, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the diaper comprises elastic elements [21, 21'] mounted at two opposed edges of a waisted portion [32] of the diaper which in use passes through the crotch of the wearer, which elastic elements bunch or gather the opposed edges.

3.

A diaper according to claim 1 or claim 2, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the pad of absorbent material is located in the waisted portion of the diaper and sewn between the first and second sheets, being held in position by a seam [19] which passes around the periphery of the pad and through the first and second sheets, there being no further seams which hold the pad in position and which pass across the pad.

4.

A diaper according to claim 1 or claim 2, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the pad of absorbent material is located in the waisted portion of the diaper and sewn between a first of the two said sheets and a third sheet [38] located between the two said sheets.

5.

A diaper according to claim 4, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the pad is held in position between said first sheet and said third sheet by a seam [19'] which passes around the pad and through the said first sheet and said third sheet but not through said second sheet.

6. A diaper according to claim 5, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the pad is held in position between said first sheet and said third sheet also by a seam which passes across AMQJDED CLAIMS

[received by the International Bureau on 4 May 1994 (04.05.94); original claims 1 and 2 amended; remaining claims unchanged (1 page)]

2.

3.

4.

5-

A diaper according to claim 5, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the pad is held in position between said first sheet and said third sheet also by a seam which passes across