WO2005016037A1

WO2005016037A1 - A disposable product with differentiated absorbency for female menstruation cycles, incontinence and the like and, in the minimum absorbency version, also for daily use

Info

Publication number: WO2005016037A1
Application number: PCT/IT2004/000439
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paola Bellandi
Original assignee: Paola Bellandi
Priority date: 2003-08-13
Filing date: 2004-08-05
Publication date: 2005-02-24
Also published as: ITFI20030221A1

Abstract

Panties with absorbent pad wherein the actual absorbent pad area (3) which can be produced in different thicknesses up to the minimum for daily use, is extended in a shaped element (1) with lesser absorbency, like “panties” to produce a garment in light disposable material, provided with two adhesives (5) suitable to engage said element in the waist area, all being utilizables as “disposable”.

Description

"A DISPOSABLE PRODUCT WITH DIFFERENTIATED ABSORBENCY FOR FEMALE MENSTRUATION CYCLES, INCONTINENCE AND THE LIKE AND, IN THE MINIMUM ABSORBENCY VERSION, ALSO FOR DAILY USE" DESCRIPTION Disposable hygienic absorbent pads, for menstruation, for incontinence or the like, require the use of a garment destined to hold the absorbent pad in place. This may create various drawbacks, firstly as replacement of the absorbent pad requires removal of the garment destined to hold it, or a complicated maneuver to replace the pad after partially removing the garment from its functional position. In the second place the garment itself must frequently be removed, replaced, washed and at times even pressed. In any case, replacing the pad is not simple and a private room must be available for a certain length of time. Often, in addition to replacing the absorbent pad, the garment must also be changed, so that the user must ensure that, besides the absorbent pad, a change of garment is also available, and the used garment must be stored carefully until it can be washed or in any case until returning home. These drawbacks are also heightened in certain situations (for example during journeys and/or hospitalization) when it may be appropriate or necessary to deal with particular physiological needs. The finding in question avoids the aforesaid drawbacks and also offers other objects and advantages, which shall in any case be apparent from the text hereunder. The object of the invention is an actual product in the form of underpants or panties with hygienic absorbent pad for female menstruation cycles, incontinence and equivalent uses, also in males, which comprises, combined with the actual absorbent pad part, an element shaped like a garment, particularly like panties in light, disposable material, provided with adhesives suitable to engage said element around the waist area; all being usable as "disposable". The absorbent thickness may be variable. In substance, the actual absorbent pad area may be produced with different thickness up to the minimum for daily use and is extended in a shaped element with lesser absorbency, such as panties so that it is a garment in light disposable material, provided with adhesives suitable to engage said element around the waist area or in any other way. Said shaped element may be made of a material of the type comprising elasticized non-woven fabric, also very light and optionally colored and/or printed in the entire range that the study of these materials, also in future developments, will offer the market. Preferably the adhesive is fixed on the back, and is extemporaneously applied by pressure on the front, whatever the technique chosen for this purpose. Each of the two adhesives may be a double -sided adhesive applied directly and stably with one side to the shaped element and with the other side protected by means of silicone-coated paper or the like until use. In a possible embodiment, a double-sided adhesive or each double- sided adhesive may be extended in the direction around the circumference of the waist, and the protection in silicone paper or the like may be divided into at least two separate removable sections; in this way the embodiment can be adapted easily to persons with body sizes included in a more or less wide range. The shaped element, in addition to being produced in one piece, may be constituted by two or more parts connected to the actual absorbent pad part. With the various hypothetical solutions it is possible to considerably reduce the waste not utilized to form the elements cut from materials in strips. According to a possible solution, each adhesive may be a double -sided adhesive applied stably with one side to an appendix of the shaped element and with the other side covered by means of folding of said appendix, which is lifted to uncover said other adhesive side at the time of use. The finding shall now be better understood by following the description and accompanying drawing, which shows a non-limiting practical example of the finding. In the drawing: Figures 1 and 2 show a first embodiment in an opened out layout and in the layout that is adopted when worn; Figure 3 shows, analogous to Figure 1 , another possible embodiment; Figures 4 and 5 show a detail of a modified embodiment in the layout before use and in the conditions for being worn respectively; Figure 6 shows a possible particular folding system. According to the illustrations in Figures 1 and 2, the numeral 1 indicates as a whole a shaped element more or less of the type comprising panties open at the level of the circumference of the waist, so that this element, when opened out as shown in Figure 1 , has a narrower intermediate area 1A that corresponds to the crotch and two areas 1 B and 1C that correspond to the front and to the back of the shaped element correspondin g to panties; the area 1 B has two lateral appendices 1 E while the area 1 C has two appendices 1 F, also lateral and preferably of greater length with respect to the two appendices 1E. The numeral 3 indicates the actual absorbent pad area which is positioned more or less at the level of the intermediate area 1A and is shaped anatomically and can be produced in various thicknesses for the various flows possible. On the two appendices 1 F, on the same surface as the absorbent area 3, two adhesives 5 are provided, applied stably at the ends of the two appendices 1F and normally protected, on the adhesive surface destined to be operative, with a protection made of silicone -coated paper or the like, which may be^! removed at the time of use. Alternatively the adhesive may be provided at the front part rather than the rear part. When the whole 1 , 3 is to be worn, the area 1 B is placed against the abdomen and the area 1C against the back and the waist area is then encircled with the two end portions of the areas 1C and 1 B so that the appendices 1 F overlap the appendices 1 E and the adhesives 5, uncovered and efficacious, are pressed onto the appendices 1 E on the front of the area 1B which is exposed on the abdomen. This operation may be performed and produced also inverting the adhesive parts so that the operative adhesive area is on the front part (1B) and is pressed against the rear part (1C). The whole of the element 1 is these conditions practically replaces the underpants or panties as underwear, which are therefore not required as the presence of the disposable element 1 is sufficient to replace them. When the absorbent pad 3 requires to be replaced the adhesives 5 are detached from the appendices 1 E and the whole 1 , 3 is removed with extreme ease without the need to involve on other garments; the whole 1 3 may in this way be replaced with another identical one, while the used one may simply be discarded. Figure 3 shows, analogously to Figure 1 , another possible example of element 1 with an absorbent pad area 3, identical to the one indicated in Figures 1 and 2. Evidently, the various parts constituting the element may be modified in dimensions and differently combined, also according to different functions and sizes, for example for men and/or so that the two sides 1 B and 1 C are higher for use by those suffering from incontinence, who require an absorbent pad and correlated panties of greater dimensions equivalent to outsizes. Figure 3 also shows a particular type of adhesive 5X, which extends further transversely on each of the two appendices 1 F, the silicone-coated paper that protects the adhesive surface to be used to fix against the appendices 1 E is divided into two or three segments such as those S1 , S2, S3 each of which may be lifted individually to uncover the corresponding area of the adhesive surface; in the drawing, on the left when looking at the Figure, it can be seen that the intermediate area S2 of the silicone-coated paper divided into areas St, S2 and S3, is lifted. With this expedient they can be worn using different areas of adhesive chosen from the areas S1 , S2, S3, according to the dimensions of the circumferential extension of the waist area of users with larger or smaller builds; Figures 4 and 5 partially show an element 1 to illustrate one of the appendices thereof corresponding to those 1 F of the previous examples; in this solution the appendix 1F has an adhesive 15 which, in the conditions of the hygienic absorbent pad in question packed before use, is folded as shown in Figure 4, so that the adhesive surface of the adhesive 15 is applied against the surface area indicated with 1K, which replaces the silicone-coated paper or other protective means. To use the panties with absorbent pad, the appendix 1 F is lifted from the layout in Figure 4 to the layout in Figure 5 to uncover the adhesive surface of the adhesive 15 for use as illustrated previously with reference to Figures 1 and 2 and to Figure 3 respectively. As it is possible to ensure relatively flexible adaptation, that is, which can be modified in applying of each of the appendices 1F against the corresponding appendix 1 E, it is possible to reduce the number of sizes, that is the number of dimensions requested by customers for adaptation to the various body sizes. The size and overall dimension of each whole 1 , 3 are very limited when folded appropriately, also similarly to the traditional female absorbent pad, or as shown in Figure 6, for example; in this figure, as the panties with absorbent pad are folded along the vertical line of symmetry G, the two appendices 1F are coupled so that the two double-sided adhesives, for example 5, face and correspond with each other. In this case, a single silicone-coated paper may be sufficient to maintain protected and efficient the two adhesive surfaces which must be utilized extemporaneously for use. Other folding layouts, which can be prearranged by the manufacturer, are possible. However folded, the panties with absorbent pad may be packaged in waterproof paper or in a bag of the same material identical to those utilized today for hygienic absorbent pads, having essentially similar overall dimensions and sizes. The choice of material to produce the element 1 and the correlated choice of the greater or lesser thickness of the central absorbent part may be such as to ensure function both as disposable panties with absorbent pad for heavy flows, and as disposable underwear for daily use, with an adequate consistency combined with sufficient lightness and low cost, necessary to allow disposable use of the whole 1 , 3 each time the absorbent pad must be replaced, in the case of use as panties with absorbent pad. To reduce to a maximum scraps, that is the waste of the material with which the element 1 is formed, owing to the particular shape that this element 1 must adopt as shown in particular in Figures 1 and 3, it is also possible for the element 1 , instead of being constituted by a single piece of the chosen material (such as elasticized non -woven material), to be produced in two or more components to be connected at the level of the intermediate area 1 A in the exemplary drawing, and/or in' any other divisions chosen by the manufacturer in the cases of divisions into more than two parts. In any case, components that create fewer scraps may be produced. The exemplary drawing shows a hypothesis wherein connection of the two parts to form the element 1 may be entrusted directly to the absorbent part 3 which is applied in the area 1A and which can thereby act as a connecting element for the two parts of which the element 1 can be composed and that is, the two parts that practically constitute the area 1 B and the area 1 C. The elements 1 of the panties with absorbent pad according to the invention may be suitably shaped, with respect to a completely flat layout, with known techniques already utilized for other underwear garments, such as bras and the like, and also for sportswear. This contributes towards ensuring good fit, which is added to the elasticity of the material, such as the non -woven material, with which the elements 1 are produced. Along the shaped side edges and the transverse edges of the garment 1 (Figures 1 and 2) or the like, there may be reinforcements created or applied and if necessary characterized by longitudinal elasticity, to ensure adherence to the body and to avoid the formation of irregular folds in the garment when worn. To reduce the formation of scraps (waste) while producing garments in non-woven fabric or the like, instead of production according to an axis of symmetry, as shown in the drawings, they may be produced by extending the opposite lateral appendices 1 E and/or 1 F of different lengths, and providing non-symmetrical coupling of the garment when worn, or other suitable expedients. The absorbent pad 3 may in any case be applied to the shaped element 1 in non-woven fabric or the like, using double-sided adhesive or other known techniques, such as hot or cold glues and mastics, in more or less extended or limited areas, and if necessary with waterproofing characteristics, in the case of application on relatively extensive surfaces. In addition to being an applied double-sided adhesive, the adhesive for engaging the element when worn can also be provided as a layer of adhesive spread on the relevant areas of the element 1 , applied to which is a protective layer which is removed extemporaneously to putting on garment, or folded as a protection of itself (obviously when this is compatible with the characteristics of the adhesive), or also obviously with Velcro type systems or the like. It is understood that the drawing merely shows a simplification provided purely by way of a practical embodiment of the finding, as said finding may vary in forms and arrangements which in practice may be evaluated and implemented by the manufacturer, without however departing from the scope of the concept on which the finding is based. Any reference numerals in the appended claims are provided purely to facilitate reading thereof with reference to the description and to the drawing, and do not limit the scope of protection represented by the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A disposable hygienic absorbent product for female menstruation cycles, for incontinence and for equivalent uses, characterized in that it comprises, in addition to the actual absorbent area, an element shaped like underpants or panties in light, disposable material, provided with adhesives, of any type, suitable to engage said element around the waist area; all being usable as "disposable". 2. Absorbent product as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the absorbent area can be produced in various thicknesses, in consideration of different flows, up to a minimum thickness also for simple daily use. 3. Absorbent product with absorbent area of varying thickness and use, as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said element can be produced in material of the type comprising elasticized non -woven fabric, also colored, printed and in the various ranges of the material that future developments will also offer the market. 4. Disposable hygienic absorbent product as claimed in claim 1 , 2 or 3, characterized in that it is produced in disposable material. 5. Disposable hygienic absorbent product as claimed in at least claim 1 , characterized in that each of the two adhesives is a double -sided adhesive applied directly and stably with one side to the shaped element and with the other side protected until use by means of silicone-coated paper or the like and with the possibility of inverting the positions of the adhesive parts. 6. Disposable hygienic absorbent product as claimed in one of the previous claims, characterized in that an adhesive or each adhesive extends in the direction around the circumference of the waist, and in that the protection made of silicone-coated paper or the like is divided into at least two individually removable sections. 7. Disposable hygienic absorbent product as claimed in at least claim 1 , characterized in that the shaped element is constituted by two or more parts connected by the actual absorbent area. 8. Disposable hygienic absorbent product as claimed in claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each adhesive is a double -sided adhesive applied with one side stably to an appendix of the shaped element and with the other side covered by means of folding said appendix, which is lifted to uncover the other side at the time of use. 9. Disposable hygienic absorbent product as claimed in at least one of the previous claims, characterized in that in folding the two adhesives are positioned opposite each other and are kept separate by a single silicone- coated paper or the like. 10. Disposable hygienic absorbent product for female menstruation cycles, for incontinence and equivalent uses, also in males, which can also be produced in a minimum thickness for daily use; all as described and represented by way of an example in the accompanying drawing.