Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to diapers.
Although an assortment of disposable diapers have been proposed for
infants, it has been difficult to obtain a close fit of the diaper due to the
narrowing contour of the body in the crotch region and about the infant's legs.
This problem has been more pronounced in disposable diapers than in conven-
tional cloth diapers, since the former are less pliable and do not as readily
adapt to the shape of the body. Accordingly, when the standard flat rectan-
gular disposable diapers are placed on the infant, they assume a bulky con-
flguration in the crotch region of the baby, resulting in irritation and
discomfort. Additionally, the longitudinal edges of such diapers do not
readily seal against the baby's body in the crotch region and about the legs,
and gaps develop through which fluid may escape.
A principle feature of the present invention is the provision of
a diaper of simplified construction which closely conforms to the contour
of an infant's body.
According to one aspect of the invention, a contourable diaper
comprises a fluid per~ious cover sheet having at least one pleat extending
laterally across the cover sheet; a fluid impervious back sheet having at
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least one pleat extending laterally across the back sheet; and a pair of
absorbent pads intermediate said cover and back sheets, said pads having
~: overlapping ends in the longitudinal central region of the diaper with the
pads~being free of attachment in the overlapped region9 whereby said pads
move longitudinally relative each other and the diaper transforms from a
generally planar shape to an arcuate configuration responsive to longitu-
dinal expansion of the diaper, with the longitudinal sides of tha diaper
bowing inwardly in the central region of the diaper to generally conform to
the contour of an infant's body.
According to another aspect of the invention~ a contourable diaper
comprises a fluid pervious cover sheet having at least one laterally extend-
ing pleat in the longitudinal central region of the diaper; a fluid impervious
back sheet having at least one pleat extending laterally across the back sheet;
and a pair of absorbent pads intermediate the cover and back sheets and having
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overlapped ends in the longitudinal central region of the diaper, with the
overlying end of one pad being received in a tuck of the cover sheet pleat
and the underlying end of the other pad being located beneath the opposing
tuck of the cover sheet pleat,whereby said pads move longitudinally relative
each other and the diaper transforms from a generally planar shape to an
arcuate configuration responsive to longitudinal expansion of the diaper, with
the longitudinal edges of said sheets bowing inwardly in the central region of
the diaper ~o generally conform to the contour of an infant's body.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a contourable diaper
comprises a fluid pervious cover sheet having at least one pleat extending
laterally across the cover sheet; a fluid impervious back sheet having at
least one pleat extending laterally across the back sheet; and at least three
absorbent pads intermediate the cover and back sheets, a first of said pads
having one end of a second of said pads, ancl a third of said pads having one
end underlying the other end of the second pad, whereby said pads move longi-
tudinally relative each other and the diaper transforms from a generally planar
shape to an arcuate configuration responsive to longitudinal expansion of the
diaper3 with the longitudinal sides of the diaper bowing inwardly in the cen-
~,
tral region of the diaper to generally conform to the contour of an infant's
~ 20 body.
;~ According to still another aspect of the invention, a contourable
diaper comprises a ~luid pe~vious cover sheet having at least one pleat
~ extending laterally across the cover sheet; a fluid impervious back sheet
: having at least one pleat extending laterally across the back sheet; and a
pair of absorbent pads intermediate the cover and back sheets, each of said
pads extending from the longitudinal central region of the diaper toward
opposite lateral edges of the diaper, said pads being free of attachment in
the longitudinal central region of the diaper, whereby said pads move longi-
tudinally relative each other and the diaper transforms from a generally
planar shape to an arcuate configuration responsive to longitudinal expansion
of the diaper, with the longitudinal sides of the diaper bowing inwardly in
the central region of the diaper to generally conform to the contour of an
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infant's body. ~41~52
According to still another aspect of the invention, a contourable
diaper comprises a fluid pervious cover sheet having at least one pleat
extending laterally across the cover sheet; a fluid impervious back sheet
having at least one pleat extending laterally across the back sheet; and a
pair of absorbent pads intermediate ~he cover and back sheets, each of said
pads extending from the longitudinal central region of the diaper toward
opposite lateral edges of the diaper, said pads having ends in approximately
abutting relationship in the longitudinal central region of the diaper, where-
~ 10 by said pads move longitudinally relative each other and the diaper transforms
; from a generally planar shape to an arcuate configuration responsive to longi-
tudinal expansion of the diaper, with the longitudinal sides of the diaper
bowing inwardly in the central region of the diaper to generally conform to
the contour of an infant's body.
Further features will become more fully apparent in the following
description of preferred embodiments.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front side of a contourable
diaper of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the back side of the diaper of
Figure l;
~` Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially as
indicated along the line 3-3 of Figure l;
Figure 4 is a ~fragmentary sectional view of the diaper of Figure 3
after expansion of the diaper;
Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of
the diaper of Figure l;
Figures 6-8 are perspective views of the diaper of Figure 5,
illustrating how the diaper of Figure 1 is constructed;
Figure 9 is a perspective view o the diaper of Figure 1 after
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expansion of the diaper;
Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of another embodiment of
; a diaper, and
Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional view of another embodiment of
a diaper.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to Figs. 1-3, and 5, there is shown
a diaper deslgnated generally 20 having a fluid pervious
cover sheet 22, a fluid impervious back sheet 24, and a pair
of absorbent pads 26a and 26b. As shown in Fig. 5, the pads
26a and b may be constructed from-fluf~ 28a and 28b, such as
wood pulp, sandwiched between a pair of tissues 30a and 30b.
As illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, and 5, the cover sheet 22 has
a,t least one laterally extending pleat 32 preferably in the
, longitudinal cen'ter portion of the diaper 20. Similarly,
as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, the back sheet 24 also has at
least one laterally extending pleat 34 preferably in the
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longitudinal center portlon of the diaper 20. As lllu~trated
in Figs. 33,5 and 6, the pads 26a ~nd b have ends 36a and 36b
which are overlappedO The overlapping ends 36a and b are pre-
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erably located'in the~long~tudina:L central region of the
diaper,~such that they are positioned in the crotch region of
the diaper. ~
A preferred ambodimènt of the diaper of'the present
-20 invention may be constructed~ as foIIows: As-shown in,Figs~ 5
~ and~6, flaps 40a and 40b of the back sheet 24 adJacent the
-~ ~ lateral edges of~the back sheet may be folded over and adhered
to the the top of the cover sheet 22. Areas o~ adhe~ive 42a
' ~ and 42b extending from the flaps~40a and b along the longitu-
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dinal side edges of the back sheet 24 may be utilized to
adhere the back sheet 24 to the cover sheet 22 in the~e areas.
The pads 26a and~b pre~erably extend from adJacent the lateral
edges 44a and 44b of the diaper, and are preferably taperèd
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toward their overlapping ends 36a and b, such that the pads
26a and b are spaced inwardly from the longitudlnal edges of
the cover and back sheets 22 and 24, as shown in Fig. 6.
Although the overlapped ends 36a and b o~ the pads 26a and b
may be located beneath the plea-t 32 of the cover sheet 22,
the overlying~end 36a of one pad 26a is preferably received
in one tuck 46a of the pleat 32 as shown in Fig. 3, while the
underlying end 36b of the other pad 26b is located beneath an
opposing tuck 46b of the pleat 32. In either case, the pad~
are ~ree of attachment in the overlapped region.
.
As lllustrated in Fig. 7, flaps 50a and 50b of the
cover and back sheets adjacent the longitudinal edges of the
sheets may be folded o~er the cover sheet 22. As shown in
Fig. 8, the longitudinal central portion of the sheets, along
the sides of the diaper of Fig. 7, may be refolded over the
cover sheet 22, and the re~olded portion of the sheets may be
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adhered to the cover ~heet by adhesive zones 52a and 52b, thus
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; defining the longitudinal sides 54a and 54b of the completed
diaper shown in Fig. ~. The diaper 20 may have co~ventional
tape strips 58a and 5~b, as shown, to secure the diaper on an
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in~ant during plac ment of the diaper. ~ -
Preparatory to placement of the diaper 20, the flat
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~- diapers of Figs. 1 and ~ may be grasped ad~acent the lateral
edges 44a and b and pulled lengthw~se, as shown in Fig. 93
such that the overlapped ends 36a and b of the pads 26a and
b move longitudinally relative each other, as shown in Fig. 4,
in order to expand the diaper. The pleats 32 and 34 permit
longitudinal exp~nsion of the cover and back sheets 22 and 24.
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The diaper 20 transforms from a generally planar shape, as
shown in Fig. ~ to an arcuate configuration, as shown in Fig.
9~ responsive to the longitudinal expansion of the diaper.
Also, as illustrated in Fig. 9, the longitudinal sides of the
diaper 54a and b bow inwardl~ in the central region of the
diàper, to genérally conform to the contour of an infant'~
body. Thus, when the expanded diaper is placed~on the infant,
the longltud1nal sides 54a and b o~ the diaper form a close
sealing contact with the infant's body to prevent the escape
- 10 of ~luids, and the back sheet 24 of the expanded dlaper
~-~ assumes pouch-like configuration to prevent inter~erence of
~; bulk in the diaper with movement of the infant's legs and
to provide a flu1d retention ch~mber for the body waste.
~` Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated
i5 in Fie. lO, ln which the diaper 120 has a fluid pervious cover
sheet 122~ a fluid impervious back sheet 124, and three ab
and 126c
sorbent;pads 126a~ 126b,~having overlapped ends. The cover
sheet 122 preferably has a pair of pleats 1~0 and~1~2, and the
back sheet l24 may have a~plurality of~pleats l90. A first
20 ~ end pàd 126a has one end 170 overlying one~end~172 of a second
~- central pad 126b.~ A third end pad~126c has one-end~174 under-
- 1~1ng the other ènd 176 of the second pad 126b.~ ~
- If desired, the overlapped ends of the three absorbent
pads may be located completely beneath the cover sheet 122 and
the pleats 180 and 182 in the cover sheet. However, in a pre-
ferred embodiment, the overlapping ends o~ the pads are separated
by the pleats o~ the cover sheet as described below. The cover
sheet pleat loO 1s located adjacent the overlapping ends of the
f1rst and seconl pads 126a and b, and the one end 170 o~ the
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: first pad 126a is received in a first tuck 184a of the pleat
180, while the one end 172 of the second pad 126b.is located
beneath a second.reverse tuck 1~4b of the first pleat 180.
Similarly, the cover ~heet pleat 1~2 is located ad~acent the
overlapping ends of the second and third pads 126b and c, and
: the overlying end 176 of the second pad 126b is received in a
first tuck 186a of the second pleat 1827 while the underlying
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~ .end 174 of the third pad 126c is located beneath a reverse
.~ second:tuck 186b of the second pleat 182. The first and third
pads 126a and c preferably extend to adjacent the lateral
sides 144a and b of the diaper 120, and the pléats of the cover
; sheet 122 are preferably located in the crotch region of the
diaper. When the diaper is expanded by grasping and pulling
the waistline portions of the diaper adjacent the lateral
1~ edges 144a and bl the diaper assumes a contoured configura-
~: tion in a manner similar to that described in connection
with the diaper of Figs. 1-9.
Another embodiment of the inventicn is illustrated
: in ~ig.. 11, in which -the diaper 220 has a ~luid per~ious cover
sheet 222, a fluid impervious back sheet 224, and a pair o~
; absorbent pads 226a and 226b. The cover sheet 222 has at
least one pleat 232, and the back sheet 224 has at least one
pleat 234. The pads 226a and b of the unexpanded diaper have
ends 262a and 262b, respectively, in approximately abutting
relationship, and the pads 226a and b extend from their ends
. 262a and b toward opposite lateral ends 244a and 244b of the
. diaper. The ends 262a and b of the pads 226a and b are pre-
ferably located in the longltudinal central portion of the
diaper, which generally conforms to the crotch region of an
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infant when the diaper is placed. When the diap~r is expanded
by grasping and pulling ad~acent the lateral ends 244a and b
o~ the diaper, the ends 262a and b of the pad 226a and b are
caused to separ.ate, and the diaper assumes a contoured con-
figuration, as perviously described in connection with the
diapers o~ Figs. l-10. During use of the diaper on an in~ant,
urine passes Oetween the separated ends 262a and b of the pads
226a and b onto the back sheet 224, a~ter which it spreads and
ie absorbed into the pads 226a and b from below. -
Thus, diapers have been described which~may becontoured to conform closely with the contour o~ an in~ant~s
body to achieve a better fit of the diaper and more comfort
to the infant a~ter placement~ It is understood that any
number of absorbent pads may be staggered in the manner dis-
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~closed above3 and the co~er and back sheets may have anynumber of lateral pleats, as desired, to obtain~a diaper which~eonfor~
to an in~ant ' s - body after expansion o~ the diaper.
The foregoi.ng detailed description is given for
; clearness of understanding only, and no ~nnecessary limita-
:~ . tions~should be understood therefrom, as modifications ~ill.
. be obvious to those skilled in the art. ~
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