Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WO ~/lS~ 2 1 5 3 ~ 6 7 PcT~oNK~
ABSO~ING ARTICLE Of THE DIAPER OR INSERT TYPE
The ~-ont invention relates to absorbing articles
of the ~i~per or insert type.
Earlier it was customary to use for this type of
art~cles s~mple t~xtile pieces of cotton, which could be
w~heA and reused many times, but for a desirably high
~bsorption c~r~city it had to be accepted that several
cotton layers were n~e~, whereby the articles became
~eavy and volum;no~l~ and in fact also rather expensive
to wash. As well known the development has taken the
direction of the use of dispo~able products, which have
a high absorption capacity without being bulky from the
beginn; ng, h~C~17C~ of the use of a filler material of
the so-called ~uper absorbing type.
For the actual use it is a condition that the ab-
~orption material be insulated both to the outside, 80
~hat it will not give off liquid to the ~ oul-~ings,
and to the inside, so it will not be in wet contact with
the skin of the user. This is achieved by enveloping the
material in a casing having at the outside a tight sheet
layer and at the skin side a liquid permeable cover,
which, itself, is of a non-absorbing plastic that will
st~ily be felt as a dry layer.
This holds for di~ hle diapers and for hygienic
pads, and it is true that in the waste system these
products constitute problematic units that occur in
quite large amounts. They are too large to just be flus-
hed out in the toilet, and they are not particularly
suited to be delivered to the normal waste bags, e.g.
for kitchen refuse; when removed as solid re~use they
load the relevant destruction plants with their high
contents of substances which, in fact, could be dealt
with in a simpler manner, viz. by composting the purely
organic substances.
The US-A-2,826,199 discloses a diaper made with an
outer layer o~ a liquid tight material and an inner
WO9411SS~ 2 1 5 3 2 ~ 7 PCT~Kg4/~W~8
.
layer of fl~nn~l rubber having small holes in its cen-
tral area. From the front edge of the ~i~p~r a pocket
opening extends between the two layers, and in this
pocket is placed a ~,~e plate adapted to be reused
after drying. Obviously this is no suitable solution.
In US-A-3,070,095 i8 disclosed a plural layer mate-
rial which can be used for or as the relevant absorbing
articles, having a skin to~lch;n~ layer of a thin, loose
and soft, liquid absorbing material of cellulose which,
on at least one side, is coated with a moisture tight
substance, which, however, will permit a closet ~ll7ch~g
of the article~ the inner sides are impregnated with a
particular absorption material, also of a decompQR~hle
character. These articles will be highly unsuitable
b~ e in order to be flushable they should exhibit
such a low wet strength that they will become more or
less disintegrated already when in use. Inversely, in a
prac~c~lly usable quality they will not be suited to be
flushed out, particularly not the larger sizes, as there
are not ~loposed any measures for facilitating the
flllch; r~g
On this baCk~L OUI~d it is proposed by the present
invention to design the rele~ant articles in such a
manner that on the place of use it will be possible to
effect an easy separation of the absorption material
from the ~u~L~ ing envelope, it being aimed hereby
that the envelope material can be h~n~led as solid refu-
se with a relatively small volume, while the absorption
material, which accounts for the major part of the vol-
ume and is easily biologically decompocAhle, can be
~i~rosed of by simple closet flushing. This may be con-
ditioned, by way of example, by the pad being separated
or easily ~eparable in two or more parts, such that
these will bs of a reduced size, making them suitable
for this type of removal.
As far as hygienic pads are concerned the invention
. ~ WO 94115563 2 1 ~ 3 2 6 7 PCT/DKg4100008
may be realized in that the envelope ~L~o~ n~ the pad
material is provided with a tearing facility that makes
it ~o~sihle to break the envelope for easy separation of
the inner pad or the separate parts, of which it con-
sists, such that the user can easily separate the used
article in an envelope portion to be treated as kitchen
refuse and one or preferably more ~ r pad portions
for immediate closet flllchin~.
As far as ~ rs are concerned the situation is
somewhat different, because the diapers as a whole can-
not be regarded ~s a pad or an insert, as they are com-
plete garment articles comprising both the absorbing
material pad and an associated garment portion for moun-
ting on the body of the chil~. For the ~i~ros~hl~ dia-
pers here considered it is characteristic that the gar-
ment portion is constituted by projecting extensions of
the sheet materials encasing the moisture absorbing
material pad, and with the invention an extra advantage
will be gained when the pad material can be separated
from the casing material and these materials be treated
in respective optimized manners.
Particularly as far as ~;~r~rs are ~oncorned it
will be especi~lly advantageous if, on thi~ h~k~Jr~
and in aCcor~an~c with the present i-~vel~ion~ the devel-
opment is ~LVU~hl back to the use of washable textile
materials for the envelope or garment portion. This
portion may very advantageously be made of cotton or a
correspondingly washable and skin friendly material,
whereby the ~i~p~rs will consist of a reusable
casing/garmQnt portion and a disposable absorption pad
or in~ert.
For the refuse h~n~l ing it will be of noticeable
importance that a substantial part of the mass of dia-
pers, viz, the casing or garment portions, will thus be
le~t out ~rom the refusQ or at l~ast only appear ther~in
a~ter many times o~ use. ThQsQ textile articles should
WO s4nss~3 215 3 2 6 7
not be dimensioned 80 as to be operatively absorbing,
themselves, as the absorption is safeguarded by the
insert pads, so they may be desi~ne~ as non- voluminous
art$cles which can be washed or co-w~chP~ in ordinary
household W~Chin~ ma~hinec without lo~;n~ these unduly,
and the result will be that the visible refu~e is redu-
ced to a minimum while the user comfort of the ~ro~-
~ble diapers can be increased no~ hly, without the
removal costs being noticeably increased otherwise.
Particularly as far as ~i~p~rs are conc~rned the
refuse products will not only be liguid, but also fae-
ces. ~hese are befor~h~ well suited for delivery to
the most in~Yr~n~ive waste handling system, ~iz. by
fl~hin~ to the sewer system, and here there will be no
problem~ with ~ to ~eparation o~ this waste in
~maller units fit to be flushed. For that sake the fae-
ces could be delivered directly to the outside of the
liguid absorbing pad portions, when these are preadapted
to be flushed out.
However, for the invention it is a preferred fea-
ture that the casing or garment portion is prov~ded with
~n inwardly facing rock~t or flap portion of a liquid
permeable and non-absorbing textile material, such that
this flap portion may, in a permanent manner, form the
desired dry ~eparation between the skin ~nd the absor-
bing body, i.e. without this body or pad itself having
to be provided with such an outer layer. This, of cour-
se, will contribute to the low costs of the insert pads,
which will not, then, need to have such a cover layer of
their own. The ~aeces will be deposited directly on the
said flap portion, but ~or the user it will be easy to
pour or shake the ~aeces from the opened diaper into the
closet and therea~ter take or pour out the insert pad or
pad portions the same way.
The pad ~ember may be producQd bQ~orQhand in a way
~uch that it appQars as a unit o~ su~icient ~ize, y~
WO ~/lS~ 2 1 5 3 2 6 7 PCT~Kgl o~wi
s
being divided in mutually coh~rent areas which are easi-
ly separable, e.g. already by the action of the water in
the fl~-Ch~ system. Thereby the user may h~n~le the pad
~ember as a coherent, relatively large unit both when
laying it into the textile garment casing and by the
later removal therefrom, such that the pad w~ll automa-
t~ ly be separated into smaller parts that are co,.v~y-
able through the ~2w- 1 system without problems.
optionally, the said flap portion may be prepared
for the holding to the textile part in being stitched
thereto at one end and provided with a burr tape at the
opposite, free end.
The actual diaper inserts can be made as relatively
ino~roncive and small members, whereby it will also be
easier to produce and store them in different designs,
e.g. in particularly adapted designs for girls and boys
and in different sizes and different absorption capaci-
ties. It is important here that the diurnal rhythm of
the children enable a differentiated application of pads
with different absorption capacities, because at several
of the changings it is then possible to use cheaper pads
with reduced capac~ty relati~e to the high night capa-
city normally aimed at. It is to be noticed that every
unused capacity, e.g. during the day hours, will mean a
certain ma~s of refuse lo~A;ng any removal system in an
unnoco~-~ry way, while also the same mass or amount has
had to be pro~t7ce~, mostly as wood pulp. In connection
with the invention, of course, the same size of diaper
casing can be used with pad inserts of different capaci-
ties.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the said
~lap portion is ~ade with such an oversize that it can
be u~ed for a real packing in of the pad member, which,
by the a~sociated stabilization, may be produced in a
low- coherent quality promoting the flu~habillty, and
tha absorbing ln~ert may be a bunch or a paper wrappQd
wo ~lss63 2 1 S 3 2 6 7 PcT/DR~ ww8
pack of fully 1008e, llnho?~A~A fibres.
In the following the invention is described in more
detail with reference to the drawing, in which:-
Fig. 1 i8 a plan view o~ a ~ r member accordingto the il-~e,-Lion;
Fig. 2 is a ~v~ rQnA~n~ view of a diaper insert;
Fig. 3 is a ~el~ective ViQW of a hygienic pad;
Fig. 4 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of
a diaper garment according to the invention;
Fig. 5 is a ~eL~ective view of a preferred embodi-
ment of a diaper according to the il.~enLion;
Fig. 6 is a sectional view thereof;
Figs. 7 ~nd 8 are sec~ion~l view of a pad insert
therefor, and
Figs. 9 and 10 are a perspective view and an end
view, respectively, of an insert according to the inven-
tion.
The ~ ~ shown in Fig. 1 comprises an outer cover
or garment portion 2 made of cotton or a ~o~e~ .ding
textile material. This material does not, itself, con-
stitute the rele~ant absorbent of the diaper, and the
cover 2, there~ore, can be made as a lightweight pro-
duct, preferably consisting of two textile layers 4 with
an intermedi~te layer 6 of a liquid tight material, this
layer being somQwhat retracted from the edge o~ the
cover. In order ~or the cover to be easy to wash and
dry, in~tead of pure cotton it may consist of a mixture,
e.g. 60 % cotton and 40 % polyester, which will also
improve the lifetime of the product. The contents of
artificial fibres ~ay even be still higher, since there
is no need for any absorbing capacity, and the modern
arti~icial materials can be made so that they are very
soft and com~ortable. In a manner not ~hown the co~er
can be provided with -apecial closing ~acilities, e.g.
burr tapes, ~u~t as it may otherwise be prepared with a
high quality, e.g. with in~ ated rubber bands at the
W094/lSS~ 2 1 5 3 2 6 7 PCT~K9uOW~8
~dges of the side constrictions; it will be acceptable
that the product is considerably more eYrDncive than a
disposable ~i~rDr, as it may be Used hundreds of times
and mole~er be more comfortable every time.
At the tight places around the legs and the waist
the cover will provide a plea8ant, breathing textile
contact, hDc~ e the layer 6 is ~eL~acted from the edge
of the cover, while this layer will otherwise ~Le~ L
access of liquid to the textile layer facing the skin.
It should be mentioned that it is not even n~c~s~ry for
the layer 6 to be located s~aced from the edge, as the
skin will be ~o~he~ by a breathing textile layer any-
way. The edge area of the layer 6 may then be effect~ve-
ly prevented from ~onching the skin by making the edge
seam on an outwardly folded edge fold of the workpiece.
At the interior side of the cover 2 there is secur-
ed by stitchi ng, at 8, a textile flap 10 of a liquid
permeable, non-absorbing material, e.g. of the type
known from the inner side of disposable ~i~p~rs, but
optionally of a still better quality. This flap co~el~
the entire critical area and is adapted to cover a dia-
per pad 12 that is laid under the flap. Optionally, the
free end of the ~lap may be adapted to be fastened re-
leasably to the cover 2, e.g. by means of burr loc~in~.
The diaper pads, as mentioned, may be manufa~
in dif~erent models, partly for girls and boys, respec-
tively, partly with different sizes, and partly with
different absorbing capacities. The pads or inserts may
be made from fibre mass without any kind of envelope,
optionally only with an increased conc~ntration of bind-
ing fibres on the flat sides, and with an adjusted con-
tent of a ~uper absorbing substance. The pads may be
closed at the edges by welding or any other manner. At
their outsides they may carry a ccuple of strips of
adhesive that will stabilize them in their mounted con-
dition.
WO g411~563 2 1 5 3 2 6 7 ~cr
It will be possible to adapt the pads to the waste
or deomposition system to which the used pads are deli-
vered, for example combustion, direct composting or
composting from the sewer system, after closet f
~n the latter case. The larger pads may be unfit for
direct fl~ n~, but ~ ~o~ing to the invention they may
be ~h~vided in two or more pieces that are easy to
separate in ~onn~ction with their removal from from the
cover, e. g . in connection with a joining area already
being we~k~nP~ in the wet ~L L 0~ S prior to that
removal. The flur~in~ will be an attractive possibility,
and since the user will normally be c~i-ci~us of the
~act that whole pads may choke the downlet, the user
will then be motivated to carry out a modest activity
for effecting the required separation, when the pads are
suitably prepared. They may cosist of mutually separated
pad portions joined only by an adhesive tape to form the
entire pad, and the user should then only tear up a
portion of this tape for separating the pad. Fig. 2
shows a diaper pad 12 with an indicated separation area
14.
Fig. 3 shows a hygienic pad comprising a corre-
sponding absorbing pad 12 xulL~u.lded ~y a casing having
a liquid tight outer layer and a non-absorbing, liquid
permeable inner layer. A~ ding to the invention this
casing is provided with a tear up cord 16 enabling the
user to open the casing in a simple manner for dropping
the used pad in the closet and subsequent handling of
the casing as solid waste. Alternatively, one side may
be in two pieces, joined by a removable adhering tape.
It is a further possibility that also ordinary
di~o-~hle diapers may be designed according to the
principle here disclosed, i.e. with a removable insert
pad for removal by ~lushing, while it will then only be
the rQmaining part of the diaper that loads the house-
hold re~use generally.
WO g4/lS563 2 1 ~ 3 2 6 7
Fig. 4 shows a diaper garment or cover ~o~
ing to Fig. 1, where only now the flap 10 is stitched or
otherwise secured to the main portion along three sides,
such that an ~lon~Ate rock~t is formed, ~cco~eible from
~he rear end of the ~r~ for i~lL~G~uction of a hand
and therewith also for both insertion and removal of a
~p~r pad 12. Thus, this pad will be totally ~ L-Q~Led
inside the pocket, whereby the demand for rigidity of
the pads can ~e reduced. At the extreme, a handful of
loose fibres co~ be sufficient, taken ~rom a mixture
of cellulose fibres and fibres of a super absorbing
mater~al, but preferably, prefabricated fibre r~.k~q~s
should be used, only with a wrapping of paper like toi-
let paper, such that the pads, after use, are well 8Ui-
ted to be flushed out in the closet after being with-
drawn or otherwise manipulated out from the elongate
pocket once faeces, if any, are sent the same way.
When the requirements as to the rigidity of the
pads are kept low, these pads will be particularly easy
to produce in a manner promoting their ability to be
removed by flll~h~ng into the sewer system. The pads will
not have to be wrapped in any particularly strong mate-
rial, and optio~lly they may just be surface coated by
~aying with a suitable binding agent, which h~cQmes
p~rtly decom~ already during its stay in the ~iAp~r
pocket, once this has been wetted during the use.
After use, the pad will be easy to press or pour
out of the diaper pocket, and it is easily beaten apart
by the very fll~ch;ng. If desired, the pad may also be
dis~o_~d of as a ~ully composti~le solid waste, a so-
called green waste product.
PrQfsrably, the length of the pads u~ed is only
slightly more than half the length of the pocket. The
pad may then be placed correctly all according to the
wearer being a girl or a boy, and moreover, ~or particu-
larly productive periods such as overnight, two partly
WO g4115S63 2 1 5 3 2 ~ 7 PCT/DW4100008
overlapping pads may be placed in the pocket, such that
a desirable differentiation is achievable with tha use
of cheap st~n~rd compon~nts. It is also a possibility
~hat the pads can be still smaller, both in area and
~hickng~c, whereby the use can be dif~erentiated still
more.
As an alternative to the flap 10 of Fig. 1 and the
pocket according to Fig. 4, more flaps or half pockets
of the liquid permeable material can be used, e.g. a
side flap fixed to one of the long sides, Fig. 4, and a
half pocket fixed to the other long side and to the
~horter front ~ide, whereby the inserted pad or pads may
be easier to remove, even though they will still be well
fitabilized in use. Even traditional dis~-c~hle ~i~pPrC
may, advantageously, be arranged in this or a similar
manner for enabling a refuse separation between the
contents and the cover. -
A preferred emho~iment of the ~i~r~r ~eL is shown
in Fig. 5. The textile diaper of Fig. 1 is here supple-
mented with a stitched on textile strip 20, which in a
known manner may form an extrusion barrier towards the
sides and rearwardly from the central ~o~ction area.
This strip may consist of the same impermeable, yet
breathing material as the intermediate layer 6 in the
cover. To one of the sides of this strip there is secu-
red a laterally projecting flap portion 22 consisting of
the said permeable and non-absorbing material of the
flap 10 in Fig. 1. As shown, this flap portion may have
bent over side edge portions 24, between which, at the
outer end o~ the flap portion, there may be placed an
absorbing pad 12, whereafter the flap portion may be
folded a couple o~ times until the pad is brought into a
posltion in the receiver trough formed by the space
inside the strip 20, confer Fi~. 6.
Hereby the pad insert 12 will be easy to mount, but
in particular the pad will be ~ffectively enlosed in
WO g4115563 2 1 5 3 2 ~ 7 PCTID}C94/00008
11
~he flap portion 22 and will be easy to pour out from
its mounted position, viz. by a simple lateral tilting
of the cover, whereby the pad, all by itself, will roll
out from its mounted position, preferably for delivery
to the closet for being flushed out.
R~ e the pad 12 will here be particnl~ly well
protected inside the folded together flap portion 22 as
held inside the rooket 20, the pad may be de igned in a
corres~on~in~ly weA~ene~ manner, such that it may be
particularly easily disintegratable when poured into the
closet.
Peferablyc confer Fig. 7, the pad insert 12 is
7~e~ as a plate 26 of a fibrous, absorbing material
~uLL~u~lded by a wrapping 28 of a paper of low wet
~L~ h, i.e. of the toilet paper type, which may be
wrapped one or more times about the fibre plate 26. In
Fig. 7 the paper is shown wr~rp~ one and a half time,
whereby there will be double layer ~L~e~.yLh at one side,
while at the side edges there is only a single layer of
paper. When the f~bre plate 26 ~Xp~n~C by li~uid absorp-
tion these side edge areas will be stretched by the
associated thickening o~ the plate, whereby the paper
will burst such that the wrapping will not thereafter
hold the fibre plate package 26 together. The pad insert
may thus be ~ d out in an already partly disintegra-
ted condition, whereby, by the ~l~tshing itself, it is
readily further disintegrated.
As already mentioned in connection with ~ig. 3, the
pad may be provided with a tear cord 16, which, however,
will now refer to a tearing of the paper casing around
the ~ibre packaga 26 for ensuring an easy ~lushability
of th~ entire pad insert 12. It is to be noted that
aeces, i~ any, will have been delivered to the closet
already be~ore it becomes actual to handle the pad in-
sert, whereby it will be a clean and simple operation to
break up the pad ~or ensuring a ~a~e ~lu~hing thereo~.
WO ~1~5~ PCT~K9~K~8
. ~ 21~3267
12
It will even be a further pOSsibility to create, in
c~nection with the mounting of the pad, an operative
connection with the ~i~r~ or the flap 22, e.g. with the
use of an adhering zone, such that already by the very
pouring out of the pad the pad will get torn without any
separate ma~ip~ tion.
In Fig.8 it is shown that instead of a single fibre
plate 26 two mutually separated plates or pads 30 may be
used. In principle, such a division may occur in both
the longit~ al and the transverse direction, whereby
it is preen~ured that the pads are divided into relati-
~ely small pieces that are flushable without problems.
This may cause difficulties in the production, but al-
ready a simple two part division of the ~ibre plate in
the longitudinal or the transverse direction will pro-
vide a good result.
Fig. 9 shows that the pad 12 may appear as a suita-
bly closed package, with the paper wrapping 28 closed by
a stamping 32 at the ends. Thus, such a pad may as a
whole be flushed out in the closet after use, in a a
more or less disintegrated condition.
In connection with the invention it has been reali-
zed that with the use of simple fibre packages 26,30
with an even material distribution, including that of
the superabsorbing material, it will be advantageous to
make arrangements for facilitating the distribution of
spotwise applied liquid over the whole area of the pad,
such that the absorption capacity may be fully exploi-
ted. For that reason, Figs. g and lo show that the pad
12 may be designed with stamped surface grooves 34,
along which the liquid may be distributed all over the
pad area.
It should be mentioned that for a further optimi-
zing in this respect paper wrappings may be used, the
~ibre direction of which will predominantly promotQ a
liquid spreading in the longitudinal direction of the
:
wo s4n~s63 K:T~DK~8
~ 2153267
13
pad. M~o~r, ~t i8 ~ ihle to c~oo~ ~or the flap 22
a fabric with good liquid sprs~n~ Ah~l~ti~5
Even t h~ h the pad, when removed, has not been
fully u~ d, it ~ill have been wetted at least o~er a
partial area, 5Uff i ~i ~ntly to weaken the paper wrapping
in order to ~e c-~ly broken- Most u~ers will automati-
¢ally make ~ure that the used pad i8 at least partially
~roken before dsli~ering it to the closet, and as the
flap fabric 22 will typ~c~lly be a deformable knitted
~Lo~UCt the u~er may easily and as a matter of routine
effect a br~Ak~ n~ of the pad by external m~n~r~tion of
~he wrapping 22 or for that sake the entire relevant
area of the ~;Ar~. There~ore, special means for br~ak-
~~ng up the pads ~o~ well be renol~n~o~. -
.
