Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
so
The present invention relates to disposable
absorbent liners.
Man disposable absorbent liners are taught
in the prior art and include, for example, diapers,
sanitary napkins, panty shields, various pads used in
the medical field, etc. The present invention is related
to the field of sanitary napkins and panty shields. Such
products are well known and are provided to absorb and
retain body fluids to protect the undergarment from
staining and soiling. The prior art teaches many such
products which comprise an absorbent body having pair
of opposed major planar surfaces. While such products have
become widely accepted, many such products have been found
to have insufficient absorbent capacity under certain
conditions - e.g. during overnight use.
It is an object of the present invention to
provide a product having an absorbent body which may be
utilized in conjunction with conventional sanitary napkins
and/or panty shields when required.
According to the present invention, there is
provided a protective adsorbent liner for unclergarm~nts
which has a body portion with a pair of opposed major
planar surfaces. One of the surfaces is a body contacting
surface and the other surface is a garment contacting
surface. The garment contacting surface has means associated
therewith for securing the liner to the garment while
adjacent or forming a portion of the garment containing
so
surface is a fluid impervious layer. The liner is
adapted to be used posteriorly of conventional sanitary
napkins and/or panty shields and will generally 'rave
a length of between 5 and 12 inches and a width of
between 3 and lo inches. It is desirable that a tab
portion having adhesive means associated therewith be
utilized for securing the liner to conventional products.
The product of the present invention is desirably
adapted for use with conventional garment liners such
as Nemo sanitary napkins and panty shields. The product
is adapted to be secured posteriorly of the conventional
product and utilized when the conventional product does
not provide the required absorbent capacity. However,
as will be appreciated by those knowledgeable in the art,
one could combine the two products - i.e. the conventional
liner and the liner of the present invention could be manufac-
lured as a single unit if so desired.
The liner of the present invention may be
manufactured in accordance with known techniques and having
known properties. Thus, the liner will have a pair of
opposed major faces with one of the major faces for
contact with the body of the wearer and the other major
faces for contact with the ~nderyarment. The liner will
include an absorbent body portion, the body portion being
made of any suitable absorbent material which is well
known in the art. gyp eel of such absorbent materials
I
many natural fibers such as cotton, rayon, judo pulp
fibers, and the like. Similarly, synthetic materials
may equally well be utilized including synthetic materials
which although they do not normally have the required
absorbent properties, have Den -treated to have the such
properties. The particular material or form of the
absorbent material may be any which is known in the art.
On one of the major faces, the major face adapted
to contact the undergarment there will normally ye provided
adhesive means for adhering the liner to the undergarment
although other means such as belts for retaining the liner
in position may be used. Again such adhesive means
or systems are well known to those skilled in the art
and must meet several requirements. Thus, the adhesive
system, when secured to the undergarment, should
withstand normal frictional forces and have the required
"stickiness" to maintain adherence to the garment. On
the other hand, for disposal of the liner, it is required
that the user can peel the liner from the garment.
As aforementioned, such adhesive systems are well known
to those skilled in the art and will generally include a
protective release strip which overlies the pressure-
sensitive portion to protect the adhesive portion from
unintentional adhesion when packaged, stored and
handled prior to use.
I
The liner will also preferably include a fluid
impervious layer which is in juxtaposition Tooth the garment
contacting major face to act as a barrier and prevent any
"strike through". Again, such a fluid impervious layer
is well known to those skilled in the art and may
include any conventional materials such as various polymeric
films or in the alternative, may include the treatment of
the outer layer to render the same fluid impervious.
Similarly, the body contacting surface may be
treated in a manner Known to those skilled in the art to
ensure that the contacting surface remains "dry".
When utilized in conjunction with conventional
sanitary napkins and panty shields, the liner will
preferably include a tab portion, which tab portion will
have adhesive means associated therewith for Sacramento to
the conventional sanitary napkin or the like. The tab
portion is preferably a very thin layer and may be a continuation
of one of the layers forming the liner. Thus, the liner, when
used in conjunction with conventional products would be
secured thereto.
The product of the present invention will,
at the end, adapted to he secured to the conventional
product, have a width substantially equal to that of the
conventional product and will taper outwardly to a
substantially greater width.
I
The above described liner of the present
invention has an overall elongated configuration. Its
dimensions will generally vary between 4 and 12 inches in
length while waving a width of between 2 and lo inches.
Having thus generally described the invention
reference will be made to the accompanying drawings
illustrating an embodiment thereof, in which:-
FIGURE l is a perspective view of a first
embodiment of the invention; and
FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a further
embodiment of the invention.
As shown in figure l, liner lo of the present
invention has a pair of opposed major planar surfaces
12 and 14. Surface 12 is the body contacting surface while
surface 14 is the garment contacting surface. Intermediate
of body contacting surface 12 and garment contacting surface
14 is an absorbent layer generally designated by reference
numeral 16. Layer 16 is formed of an absorbent material
which may ho chosen of those materials known in the art.
The liner includes a fluid impervious layer
generally designated by reference numeral 18. Layer 18,
which in the illustrated embodiment, forms garment contacting
surface 14, is preferably a thin flexible impermeable
material such as a polymeric material. As may be seen in
Figure l, a pair of adhesive strips 20 are provided on
fluid impervious layer 18 which forms garment contacting
so
surface 14. A peel or release strip 22 is provided to
protect adhesive 20 from dirt and unintended adhesion
prior to its desired use.
A tab portion generally designated by reference
numeral 24 is provided; tab portion 24 is integral with
and is an extension of fluid impervious layer 18.
Adhesive 26 is provided on tab portion 24; tab portion 24
may then be secured to a conventional sanitary napkin
, or panty shield.
In the embodiment of Figure 2, a liner 10' is
formed to function both as the posterior portion of the
above-described embodiment and as well as a conventional
sanitary napking/panty shield. In this embodiment, the
line 10' again has a body contacting surface 12', a garment
contacting surface 14', and an absorbent layer 16' between
the pair of opposed major surfaces. A fluid impervious
layer 18' having adhesive 20 thereon with peel or release
strip 22 covering the adhesive until desired.
As previously discussed, the liner of the
present invention is adapted to be secured posteriorly of
the conventional panty shield/sanitary napkin and its to be
used when additional absorbent capacity is required. As such,
the liner of the present invention will taper outwardly
from an initial relatively narrow portion adapted to be
secured to the crotch portion of a garment to a relatively
wider portion which will provide the required absorbency
capacity.
The initial relatively narrate portion may
include the tab portion which may be securable either to
the garment or to the conventional panty shield/sanitary
napkin. The tab portion will be relatively narrow - i.e.
a width of between 1 to 2 inches and a length of approximately
1-1/2 inches would be sufficient.
It will be understood that the above described
embodiments are for purposes of illustration only and
that changes and modifications may be made thereto without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
