Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DISPOSABLE ABSORBENT ARTICLES
' BACKGROUND OF' TIi:E INVENTION
The present invention relates to disposable absorbent
articles and, more particularly, to such articles, for
example, disposable diapers comprising a liquid-permeable
topsheet, a liquid-impermeable backsheet, an absorbent core
sandwiched between the top- and backsheets, first flaps
outwardly extending from opposite side edges of the
absorbent core, respectively, and second flaps connected to
the associated first, flaps, each of said second flaps
comprising a section branching upward from top surface of
the associated first flap and being partially elastic so as
to serve as a liquid barrier, on one hand, and a section
extending outward from the branching line, on the other
hand.
It has already been proposed, for example, by Japanese
Patent Application Disclosure Gazettes Nos. 1984-25741 and
1987-25020 to provide an absorbent article not only with
elastic flaps extending outward from opposite side edges
thereof but also with additional flaps rising from the top
surface of the absorbent article at the locations inside
said opposite side edges, said additional flaps serving as
liquid barriers and being partially elastic, so that these
additional flaps may substantially prevent any quan'ti'ty of
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CA 02021239 2000-09-08
urine from flowing out of the absorbent article,
confining the quantity of urine inside these flaps.
Such arrangement is certainly effective for
prevention of urinary leakage but disadvantageous in that
the quantity of urine confined in a space between the
additional flaps and gathers of the outer extending
elastic flaps often causes skin diseases such as eczema
and eruption because no liquid absorbing component is
present in said space and the wearer's skin is kept
contact with said quantity of urine confined therein.
It is an object of the invention to provide
disposable absorbent article having flaps branching
upward and partially elastic so as to serve as liquid
barriers, said flaps being provided on the top surface of
the sections horizontally extending outward from the
respective branching lines with liquid absorbency and
thereby to eliminate the above-mentioned inconvenience.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object set forth above is achieved, in
accordance with the present invention, by a disposable
absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable topsheet,
a liquid-impermeable backsheet, an absorbent core
sandwiched between said topsheet and said backsheet,
first flaps outwardly extending from opposite side edges
of the absorbent core, respectively, and second flaps
connected to the associated first flaps, each of said
second flaps comprising a first section extending upward
from a top surface of the associated first flap and being
partially elastic so as to serve as a liquid barrier, and
a second section extending outward from a lower portion
of the associated first section, said second section
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being provided on a top surface thereof with a liquid-
absorbent material.
Also in accordance with the present invention,
there is provided a disposable liquid absorbing article
comprising
(A) liquid-permeable topsheet,
(B) a liquid-impermeable backsheet,
(C) an absorbent core sandwiched between said top- and
backsheets,
(D) a first set of flaps formed from said topsheet and
said backsheet extending laterally outwardly from
opposite side edges of the absorbent core, and
(E) a second set of flaps which is formed from material
separate from the materials forming said topsheet and
said backsheet, each of said second flaps being connected
to one of each of said first flaps, each of said second
flaps comprising
(a) a first section which is formed from material
separate from the material forming said topsheet and
which extends upwardly from the surface of each first
flap and being partially elastic so as to serve as a
moisture-permeable liquid barrier, and
(b) a second section which is also formed from material
separate from the material forming said topsheet
extending laterally outward from the lower portion of
each said first section, each second section comprising
(i) a lower sheet-like layer made of liquid-
impermeable and moisture-permeable material, and
(ii) an upper sheet-like layer that is liquid
absorbent and adapted to be in contact with the wearer's
skin.
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CA 02021239 2000-02-04
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an unfolded plan view of diaper as an
example of the article constructed according to the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along a line
II-II in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2
illustrating another embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2
illustrating further another embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2
illustrating still another embodiment.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be described by way
of
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a
example, as embodiment in disposable diaper, in reference
with the accompanying drawings.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, diaper 1 comprises a
liquid-permeable topsheet 2 adapted to be in contact with
the wearer's skin when it is put on, a liquid-impermeable
backsheet 3 adapted to be not in contact with the wearer's
skin, a liquid absorbent core 4 sandwiched betureen these two
sheets 2, 3, first flaps 5 extending outward from respective
side edges of said core, and second flaps 7 connected to
outer edges 8 of the respective first flaps and having
elastic members 6.
Each of the second flaps 7 is a combined sheet of a
liquid absorbent sheet 9 and a liquid-impermeable and
moisture-permeable sheet 10 so that such combined sheet
totally serves as a liquid barrier. One end of the second
flap 7 is folded back to form a sleeve 11 and the remainder
of the flap 7, i.e., a section defined by 'the sleeve 11
extends outward from the sleeve 11, a section 13 thereof
having liquid absorbency on its top surface. An elastic
member 6 doubled into a cross-section of inverted U-shape is
mounted within the sleeve 11 so as to be elastic
longitudinally of the latter and thereby to provide 'the
sleeve 11 with longitudinal elasticity. Specifically, the
sleeve 11 is maintained in its upright posture under its
contractile force. Longitudinally opposite ends 14 of the
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sleeve 11 are often collapsed inward and bonded onto the
associated first flap. Tt is also possible that said
opposite Cnds are collapsed outward and bonded onto the
outer section 13 of the second flap or that the one end 14
is collapsed inward and bonded onto the first flap while the
other end 14 is collapsed outward and bonded onto the outer.
section 13 of the second flap.
With an embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3, the second
flap 7 comprises one end rolled around the elastic member 6,
the upwardly branching section 11a and the section 13a
provided on its top surface with liquid absorbency.
With an embodiment illustrated Fig. 4, the second flap
7 comprises one end sandwiching the elastic member 6 between
the both sheets 9, 10, the upwardly branching section 11b
and the section 13b having liquid absorbency on its top
surface .
With an embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5, the second
flap 7 comprises one end and a portion adjacent this end
consisting only of the sheet 10, the elastic member 6 around
which said one end is rolled, the upwardly branching section
11c and the section 13c having liquid absorbency on its
top surface.
Except for the configurations of the respective second
flaps, the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 3 through 5 are
identical to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2. With the
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.c c-~ :~
a
embodiments illustrated in Figs. 2 through 5, the second
flaps 7 are formed along the respective outer edges with
curved lines 15, leaving longitudinally opposite ends
thereof intact, typically as illustrated in Fig. 1.
Furthermore, the second flaps 7 are provided respectively
adjacent their upper ends, as viewed in Fig. 1,
corresponding to opposite sides of the rear waist with tape
fasteners 1f>, respectively.
Though not shown, there may be also provided elastic
members along the curved lines 15 of the respective second
flaps 7 and the upwardly branching sections 11, 11a, 11b,
11c of the respective second flaps 7 may be also formed in
V-shape.
The topsheet 2 may be made of liquid-permeable nonwoven
fabric, porous plastic film or the like, the backsheet 3 rnay
be made of liquid-impermeable plastic .film,
liquid-impermeable and moisture-permeable plastic film or
the like, and the core 4 may be made of fluffy pulp mixed
with super absorbent polymer particles, or the like. The
sheet 9 may be made of sweat absorbent nonwoven fabric such
as spun-bonded fabric, molten-bonded fabric under
heat-treatment or molten-blown fabric prepared by extrusion
under air-blow, of polyester fibres having hydrophilic
surface treatment; cellulose.type hydrophilic fibres such as
rayon, said fibres having said hydrophilic surface treatment,
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or the like made entangled under the effect of high
pressurized fluid such as water jets with nonwoven fabric of
hydrophobic fibres such as polyester, polypropylene or the
like; and molten-banded nonwoven fabric comprising a mixture
of fibres having said hydrophilic surface treatment or
hydrophilic fibres with said hydrophobic fibres. The fibres
having hydrophilic surface treatment or the hydrophilic
fibres 'to be mixed with the hydrophobic fibres preferably
occupy 70~ or higher of the final nonwoven fabric. The
sheet 10 may be made of nonwoven fabric, such as spun-banded
fabric, molten-blown,fabric under heat-treatment ar
molten-blown fabric prepared by extrusion under air-blow,
having liquid barrier characteristic and moisutre
permeability such as polyester or polypropylene, or micro
porous plastic film of polyethylene or the like.
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