GB2327857A

GB2327857A - A disposable nappy

Info

Publication number: GB2327857A
Application number: GB9716403A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Toru Yamamoto
Original assignee: YKK Europe Ltd
Current assignee: YKK Europe Ltd
Priority date: 1997-08-01
Filing date: 1997-08-01
Publication date: 1999-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 2017-08-01
Also published as: GB9716403D0; GB2327857B

Abstract

A disposable nappy comprising a body portion 1 and fastening means 11 for fastening the body portion in place, the body portion has an outer layer 5 formed from a material having a loop surface. Fastening means are provided by hook means which fasten a rear section 9 to a front section 7 of the body portion.

Description

A Disposable Nappy The present invention relates to a disposable nappy or diaper with a hook and loop type fastening method.

Disposable nappies which use fastening tapes which are secured by pressure sensitive adhesives are well known. These suffer from the drawback that contarnination from powder, oil etc. when fitting the nappy impairs the fastening. Also, it is difficult to provide a re-usable fastening tape which allows the nappy to be checked and re-fitted.

Disposable nappies using hook and loop fastening systems have been proposed, for example in US 4 894 060. In this specification, both the hook and the loop fasteners are attached to the body portion of the nappy. This causes problems as it is expensive to manufacture such fasteners and to automate their attachment to the body of the nappy.

The present invention overcomes this problem by forming the loop part of the fastener as a structural part of the body portion. A nappy body portion is formed from a plurality of layers. In the present invention, the outer layer of the plurality of layers is covered in loops. Thus the whole of the outer layer forms the loop fastener part of the nappy.

Thus, a first aspect of the present invention provides a disposable nappy comprising a body portion and fastening means for fastening the body portion in place on a wearer, the body portion having an outer layer formed of a material having a loop surface and fastening means being provided by hook means, for fastening a rear section of the body portion to a front section of the body portion.

It is preferable if the hook type fastener is provided on a strip of material which is separate to the body portion. With the whole of the outside of the nappy covered in loops, a strip of hooks material can be used to fasten both the front and the rear parts of the nappy together. This type of hook fastener has many advantages. For example, there is no need to permanently fix the hook fastener to the nappy body during manufacture. Also, as the hook type fasteners can have a longer life than the nappy body. and so the hook type fastener straps could be sold separately.

Some users may prefer the hook means to be attached to the nappy body. In this situation, the hook means may comprise a first strip of base material having a plurality of projecting hooks on one side of the base material and at one end thereof, and the strip is attached to the nappy at the other end thereof. For packaging the hook means can be folded so that they engage with loops close to where the hook means are attached to the nappy body. The hook means may be attached to the nappy via adhesive.

Non woven material has been used for the outside layer of the nappy body portion, and is described for example in W096/25905. Although this material does not have loops per se formed on its surface, it has a sufficiently open texture to allow engagement by a hook fastener. W096/25905 uses cohesive material on the hook fastener portion and on an area of the non-woven material to achieve a sufficiently strong fastening. However, the strength of the attachment will depend on the texture of the non-woven material and also the hook shape and so cohesive material may not be necessary. Thus according to another aspect of the invention, the nappy body portion outer layer is formed of nonwoven material and a hook fastener portion engages directly with the non-woven material outer layer to fasten the nappy on a wearer. Again, the hook fastener portion may be separate to the nappy body portion.

The present invention will now be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a hook fastener for the embodiment of Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a disposable nappy in accordance with the present invention which has been closed using the hook fastener of Figure 2.

Figure 1 shows a nappy body portion 1, which is made up of a plurality of layers 3.

Intermediate layers of the plurality of layers comprise a permeable inner layer, an absorbent middle layer, and an impermeable outer layer. The outermost layer of the plurality of layers 3, is the looped outer layer 5. The present invention is concerned with the fastening of disposable nappies and not the intermediate layers which make up the body portion. Therefore, no further detail regarding the intermediate layers of the plurality of layers 3 will be discussed here.

The body portion 1 comprises both a front section 7 and a rear section 9. The outer layer 5 extends over both the front section 7 and the rear section 9. The looped outer layer 5, is covered with a plurality of loops which project upwards from the outer surface of the looped outer layer 5, in a direction away from the wearer's skin.

Figure 2 shows a fastening means 11 to be used with the body portion 1 shown in Figure 1. The fastening means 11 is made up of a strip 13 which is covered on one surface 15 by a plurality of hooks 17. The hooks 17 stand upright stand upright from the plane of the surface 15. One end of the hooks 17 is connected to the strip 13.

Figure 3 shows the fastener 11 of Figure 2 used with the body portion 1 of Figure 1.

The fastener 11 is connected to both ends 21 and 23 of the body portion 1. Thus the ends 21 and 23 are brought into contact. The hooks 17 of the fastener 11 engage with the loops 6 of the looped outer layer 5. Thus, the fastener 11, is firmly secured to the looped outer layer 5.

The hooks 17 are preferably formed as small moulded hooks having a rounded profile, to feel comfortable to the touch. Mushroom shaped hooks and cut filament type hooks could also be used.

With appropriate selection of materials, the outer layer 5 could be a non-woven material such as corded web or spun bond web non woven. Such materials are manufactured by Frendenberg of Weinheim, Germany.

In light of this disclosure, modifications of the described embodiment, as well as other embodiments, all within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims, will now become apparent to a person skilled in the art.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A disposable nappy comprising a body portion and fastening means for fastening the body portion in place on a wearer, the body portion having an outer layer formed of a material having a loop surface and fastening means being provided by hook means, for fastening a rear section of the body portion to a front section of the body portion.

2. A disposable nappy according to claim 1, wherein the hook means is a strip of hook material which is independent of the body portion.

3. A disposable nappy according to claim 1, wherein the hook means comprises a first strip of base material having a plurality of projecting hooks on one side of the base material and at one end thereof, and the strip is attached to the nappy at the other end thereof.

4. A disposable nappy as claimed in claim 3, wherein the strip is attached to the nappy by means of adhesive.

5. A disposable nappy comprising a body portion and a two-part surface fastener for fastening the body portion on a wearer, first parts of the fastener being provided on front and rear parts of the body portion, and the second part being independent of the body portion and engaging uith the first parts to fasten the body portion on a wearer.

6. A disposable nappy as claimed in claim S, wherein the first parts are an integral part of an outer surface layer of the body portion.

7. A disposable nappy as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the surface fastener is a hook and loop fastener.

8. A disposable nappy comprising a body portion having an outer layer of nonwoven material, and a hook fastener portion which engages directly with the nonwoven material to fasten the nappy on a wearer.

9. A disposable nappy as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hook fastener portion is independent of the body portion.

10. A disposable nappy as substantially hereinbefore described with reference to accompanying drawings.