Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF TH~ INVENTION
The present invention relates to absorbent articles
such as disposable diapers, and more particularly, to
absorbent articles having an improved sealing means around
the leg and/or waist of the wearer.
U.S. Patent No. 4,695,278 to Lawson discloses absorbent
articles having dual cuffs for leg sealing. The sealing
means of the patent comprises an elastically contractible
gasketing cuff that extends outwardly relative to a center
line of the article and a barrier cuff disposed inboard of
the gasketing cuff. ~The barrier cuff is provided with
elastic means that spaces a distal end thereof away from a
topsurface of the article to form a pocket within which body
exudates are contained.
However, when the diaper is applied to a user, the
gasketing cuff is folded backward to encircle thighs of the
user which in turn causes the barrier cuff to be folded
inwardly and spaced away from the thighs because the both
cuffs have the same base line, that is, a proximal edge of
the barrier cuff. Movement of the user's thighs causes the
barrier cuff to be stretched and folded further inwardly in
the result the barrier cuff rides on the topsurface so that
the body exudates flow beyond the barrier cuff.
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Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention
to provide an absorbent article with the improved liquid
containment characteristics.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention,
an absorbent article such as a disposable diaper is provided
with a liquid permeable kopsheet, a liquid impermeable
backsheet, an absorbent core interposed between the topsheet
and the backsheet and a pair of elastic gathers extending
along the at least respective sides of the absorbent core.
The elastic gather comprises a pair of elasticized branch
portions diverging inwardly and outwardly, respectively,
from a leg portion which joins the branch portions to the
article.
When the diaper is applied to the user, the both branch
portions turn outwardly with the outward movement of the leg
portion to encircle the user's thigh. A pocket is formed
between the inner branch portion and the leg portion within
which liquid is contained and held ef~ectively.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a disposable diaper embodiment
of the present invention having cut-away portion;
Fig. ? is a section taken along a line 2 - 2 in Fig. 1;
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Figs. 3 and 4 are sections of alternative embodiments,
respecLively;
Fig. 5 is a partial perspective view of the diaper;
Figs. 6 through 10 are sections of alternative elastic
gather embodiments, respectively;
Fig. 11 is a plan view of a disposable diaper embodiment
showing a curved inner branch protion; and
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the diaper as shown in
Fig. 11.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
In Eigs. 1 through 12, there are shown preferred
embodiments of the present invention as applied to a disposable
diaper.
Referring to Fig. 1, the disposable diaper comprises a
liquid permeable topsheet 1, a liquid impermeable backsheet
2, an absorbent core 3 interposed between the topsheet 1 and
the backsheet 2, waist flaps 4 and side flaps 5 respectively
extending outwardly from longitudinal and lateral edges of
the absorbent core 3. An adhesive fastening tape 6 is
applied to each lateral end of the backwaist flap 4. As
shown in Fig. 2, the diaper also includes a pair of elastic
leg gathers 7 disposed on and extending longitudinally of
the side flaps 5.
Each elastic gather 7 includes an outer covering sleeve
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and an elastic element 11. The elastic element 11 is
positioned within the covering sleeve to define a pair of
elasticized inner and outer branch portions 9, 10 which
diverge inwardly and outwardly, respectively, from a leg
portion 8 which joins the branch portions 9, 10 to the side
flap S. The covering sleeve depends from the elastic
element 11 to form the leg portion 8. The elastic element
11 may be disposed at least in a crotch region.
The inner branch portion 9 and/or the outer branch
portion 10 has its longitudinal ends at least one of which
is preferably secured to the side flap 5 as exemplarily
illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5.
In Fig. 1 each longitudinal end of the inner branch
portion 9 is at its portion 12 secured to the side flap 5
and the longitudinal ends of both inner and outer branch
portions 9, 10 are shown to be secured to the side flap 5 in
Fig. 5. The other variations in such end securements may be
considered to be suitable.
While the respective widths of the inner and outer
branch portions 9, 10 that diverge from the leg portion 8
may be equally dimensioned as shown in Fig. 2, either branch
portion may also be dimensioned narrower or wider than the
other branch portion, such as generally illustrated in Figs.
3 and 4.
Although not illustrated, a pair of elastic elements
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can be positioned within the covering sleeve such that each
of the elastic elements respectively defines one of the
inner and outer branch portions 9, 10 of the elastic gather
7.
Figs. 6 through 8 show alternative embodiments of the
elastic gather 7 wherein the covering sleeve comprises two
covering sheets each enclosing at least one elastic element
to respectively define the inner and outer branch portions
9, 10.
In Fig. 6, respective covering sheet is equally folded
onto itself with a flat elastic element 11 securedly
enclosed therein and respective portions depending from the
elastic element are secured together to form the leg portion
8 which is joined to the side flap 5.
In Fig. 7, a leading edge of each covering sheet is
folded onto itself to form a tonnel within which an elastic
strand 11 is enclosed. The respective elastic strands 11
are positioned substantially parallel relative to each
other.
A plurality of elastic strands 11 may be positioned
within the tonnel as shown in Fig~ 8.
In Fig. 9, a T-shaped covering sleeve includes an
downwardly curved elastic element 11 to form inner and outer
branch portions 9, 10. The covering sleeve depending from
the elastic element 11 defines the leg portion 8. The covering
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sleeve includes a further extension from the leg portion 8
which defines a base portion 13 secured to the backsheet 2
such that the topsheet 1 stops underneath the leg portion 8.
In another embodiment, one cover sheet develops an
elastic element and depends therefrom to define a leg
portion which is joined to the side flap. ~nother cover
sheet which also develops an elastic element is secured to
the leg portion to define the inner and outer elasticized
branch portions.
When two cover sheets are employed, material of each
cover sheet would be sùitably selected.
In the foregoing embodiments, there is formed a base
portion 13 which is a portion of the covering sleeve joined
to the side flap 5. While either terminal edge of the base
portion 13 is illustrated in Figures as directing outwardly,
the base portion 13 can be positioned such that the terminal
edge directs inwardly toward the absorbent core 3.
In Fig. 10, the base portion 13 is secured between the
absorbent core 3 and the backsheet 2.
When such elastic gather 7 is arranged in the crotch
region of the diaper, the inner branch portion 9 and the leg
portion 8 together form a pocket 14 within which body
exudates are contained and held.
In Figs. 11 and 12, the inner branch portion 9 is curved
relative to a centerline to have a wider width at respective
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ends than at a central portion thereof and an elastic strand
1-1a is positioned along the curved edge. A relatively wide
and rectilinear polyurethane elastic foam 11b is disposed
within the outer branch portion 10. The similar elastic
foam 15 is positioned in respective front and back waist
flaps 4 to form a waist elastic gather.
The topsheet 1 may be of fibrous nonwoven fabric, porous
plastic film etc, and the backsheet 2 may be of liquid-
impermeable plastic film, laminate sheet consisting of
preferably moisture-permeable plastic film and flbrous
nonwoven fabric. The absorbent body 3 may be, for example,
of mat-like body consisting of fluff pulp mixed with super
absorbent polymer particles, covered at least on upper and
lower sidès with liquid-permeable sheets such as tissue
paper.
The covering sleeve may be preferably made of flexible
and moisture-permeable material. However, such moisture-
permeability of the covering sleeve can be partly provided
to at least either one of inner and outer ~ranch portions
and a leg portion. Examples of the moisture-permeable
material are micro-porous plastic film, fibrous nonwoven
fabric treated to be hydrophobic, and laminate sheet
thereof.
The elastic element 11 may comprise natural or
synthetic rubber, polyurethane foams, any heat shrinkable
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elastic material or other wide variety of materials as well
known in the art.
While the particular elastic gather embodiments of the
present invention have been illustrated and described as
applied to a crotch section, it should be understood that
such elastic gather can be applied to the waist flap of the
diaper for providing an elastic waist gather.
Furthermore, additional elastic means can be disposed
in the flap outwardly of the elastic gather.
