IE53563B1 - Diaper - Google Patents

Abstract

A disposable diaper 210 having an absorbent pad 218 between a top sheet 216 and a backing sheet 212. The absorbent pad includes a base layer and an upper layer 220 along only the opposite sides thereof to provide both a fluid trap and additional fluid absorbing material for the diaper which may be of rectangular or hour-glass configuration.

Description

The present invention relates to disposable diapers of either rectangular or hour-glass configuration, and more particularly to a disposable diaper having effective fluid entrapment.

In the past diapers have been provided with fluid traps usually 5 formed of a waterproof material such as an imperforate sheet of polyethylene or the like.

One form of fluid trap is formed from material of a fluid impervious backing sheet which extends over the top sheet. This sometimes becomes disadvantageous because the backing sheet material may cause discomfort or chafing of an infant.

Another fluid barrier is formed by utilizing strips of waterproof material forming a binder for the diaper, but this is an expensive and difficult diaper to manufacture and the waterproof material again is less comfortable than the usual top sheet material.

It is to be noted that the use of additional waterproof material increases the rigidity of the diaper thus making the proper fit thereof more difficult if not unlikely while in no way adding to the absorptive capacity of the diaper.

The present invention aims to overcome the difficulties of the prior art by providing a fluid barrier that has the further advantage of additional absorptive capacity.

A disposable diaper according to the present invention has a backing sheet, an absorbent pad on the backing sheet and a top sheet overlying the absorbent pad and bonded or heat sealed to the backing sheet along the peripheral edges thereof. The absorbent pad has a base layer of absorbent material and an upper layer of absorbent material along only the opposed side edges of the base layer forming a fluid trap and barrier. This arrangement can be used both in contoured diapers, whether elasticized or not, and in rectangular shaped diapers.

The invention can be put into practice in various ways and a number of specific embodiments will be described to illustrate the invention by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a contoured diaper in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan view of a rectangular diaper according to the present invention; Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 in Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a two layer absorbent pad according to the present invention.

In the accompanying drawings like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views. Reference numeral 10 generally designates a contoured diaper in accordance with the present invention illustrated in Figuresl and 2.

The diaper 10 includes a backing sheet 12, an absorbent pad 14 and a top sheet 16.

The backing sheet 12 is formed of any suitable waterproof material such as from an imperforate sheet of polyethylene or the like.

The top sheet 16 is formed preferably from a non-chafing comfort inducing material such as from a non-woven sheet of polyethylene or polypropylene fibres.

The absorbent pad 14 is formed from any suitable absorbent material such as the wood-fluff conmonly used in the art. Conventional absorbent pads of wood fluff are die cut to shape and sandwiched between the top sheet and backing sheet.

According to the invention the absorbent pad 14 is provided with a base layer 18 and a two part upper layer 20 disposed along the opposite sides 22, 24 of the pad 14. The pad 14 is die cut in an hour-glass configuration forming a crotch area 26 and opposed pairs of ears 28 at the four corners of the diaper. The upper layer 20 extends over or into the ears 28. Alternatively, it is within the concept of this invention to provide the upper layer in only the crotch area of the diaper. As shown in Figure 5, the pad 114 may be provided with cuts 116, 118 therein, e.g. formed by a die, which extend inwardly and convergingly.

The flap 120 thus formed is folded inwardly to form the upper layer on each side of the pad.

Elastic members in the form of elasticized strips 40 are bonded to the backing sheet 12, if desired, and the top sheet is heat sealed or adhesively bonded to the backing sheet along their pheripheral edges.

The upper layers 20, (220 in Figure 4) form fluid barriers while also increasing the absorptive capabilities of the diaper and during use may be compressed to increase the barrier effect.

As can be seen, the upper layer 20 may form an extension of the base layer 18 by folding. Alternatively, the upper layer may be made in a separate piece. However, the folding over of the upper layer 20 seems to add at that point, the fold, an increased barrier effect.

Figures 3 and 4 show an embodiment 210 of the invention for use in a rectangular diaper. The absorbent pad 214, preferably of wood fluff, is sandwiched between the backing sheet 212, preferably of sheet polyethylene and the top sheet 216, preferably of non-woven fibres of polyethylene or polypropylene. The ends 219 of the backing sheet 212 are folded over the top sheet 216.

The absorbent pad 214 includes a base layer 218 and an upper layer 220 along the opposite side edges 222 and 224 of the absorbent pad 214. The upper layer 220 may be preferably folded from the base layer 218 or can be positioned on the base layer 218 from separate pieces.

The various embodiments of the diaper can be positioned on an infant by use of conventional self-stick adhesive tabs.

Claims (10)

1. A disposable diaper comprising a backing sheet, an absorbent pad on the said backing sheet and a top sheet overlying the said absorbent pad and secured to the said backing sheet along the 5 peripheral edges thereof, the said absorbent pad including a base layer of absorbent material, and an upper layer of absorbent material along only the opposed side edges of the said base layer, the said base layer and upper layer lying between the backing sheet and the top sheet. 10

2. A disposable diaper as claimed in Claim 1 in which the said absorbent pad is of a hour-glass configuration defining a crotch area and opposed pairs of outwardly extending ears, the said upper layer extending along at least the said crotch area.

3. A disposable diaper as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the 15 said upper layer is integral with the said base layer.

4. A disposable diaper as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the said upper layer is integral with the said base layer and forms an extension of the said base layer folded thereover.

5. A disposable diaper as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 in 20 which the said absorbent pad has pairs of angularly inwardly and converging spaced cuts therein, the portions between the said cuts being folded over the said base layer and forming the said upper layers.

6. A disposable diaper as claimed in Claim 5 in which the said cuts form the said absorbent pad into an hour-glass configuration when the said 25 portions between the said cuts are folded over to form the said upper layer.

7. A disposable diaper as claimdd in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the said upper layer is separate from the said base layer.

8. A disposable diaper as claimed in Claim 7 in which the said upper layer is separate from the said base layer and extends over the said ears.

9. A disposable diaper as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 8 in which the said upper layer extends over the said ears.

10. A disposable diaper as claimed in Claim 1 substantially as specifically described herein with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or 10 Figures 3 and 4 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.