COUCHE A DOUBLE PLI POURVUE D'ELASTIQUES COUSSINES

BOX-PLEATED DIAPER WITH CUSHIONED ELASTIC MEMBERS

Abrégé anglais

BOX-PLEATED DIAPER WITH CUSHIONED ELASTIC MEMBERS

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A box-pleated disposable diaper having cushioned elastic members
secured between the backing sheet and the absorbent pad and adapted to
overcome leakage through the leg hold edges while cushioning so as not to
make indentations or marks on an infant's skin.

Revendications

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A disposable diaper comprising a backing sheet, an
absorbent pad on said backing sheet, a top sheet overlying said
absorbent pad, means securing said backing sheet to said top
sheet with said pad therebetween, a pair of spaced elasticized
members wholly disposed between said backing sheet and said
pad, so that said pad cushions the effect of all of the elastic
members, said diaper being folded into a box-pleat configuration.


2. A disposable diaper according to claim 1, wherein
said backing sheet has marginal edges folded over said top
sheet and bonded thereto, said marginal edges having said
elastic members lying therebelow.


3. A disposable diaper according to claim 2, including
means securing the central portions of said elastic members to
said backing sheet.


4. A disposable diaper according to claim 2, wherein
said box-pleat configuration includes a main body portion, an
inwardly extending pair of panels, and an outwardly extending
pair of panels, said elastic members being disposed in outer
portions of said outwardly extending panels.


5. A disposable diaper according to claim 2, wherein
said top sheet is bonded to said backing sheet by the same
means securing the ends of said elasticized members to said
backing sheet.

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Description

119~)351



RACKGROUND OF T}~ INVENTION
__~


FIELD OF THE TNVENTIOR


This invention relates t~ disposable diapers an~ more partlcularly
to an elasticized box-pleated diaper.
.

DEECRIPTIOE OF ~


In the past elasticized diapers have been developed ~or use only
with contoured shaped configurations such as an hour~glass shape, such as
that di~cl~ed in the IJnited States Patent to Buell, No. 3~860,003~ issued
January 14, 1975, for "Contractable Side Portions for Disposable Diaper"
wherein elastic strips ~re secured to the crotch portions o~ the diaper
¦ and spaced at least 3/4 inch from the absorbent pad to ~orm elastici~ed

¦ crotch seals for securement over the legs of the infant to prevent loss of
fluid ~rom the interior o~ the diaper along the leg~ of the infant. The
¦ elasticized strips were placed more than 3/4 inch rrom the absorbent pad
¦ in order to prevent pleats forming transversely o~ the crotch area of the
¦ diaper.
¦ Another contoured diaper i9 presently in production in which the
¦ elasticized strips are less than 3/4 inch from the absorbent pad for the
¦ production o~ the transverse pleats in the crotch area o~ the diaper ~or
the purpose o~ increasine the absorbent capacity at the crotch area of the

diaper. Th-ls diaper -ls di~closed in United States Patent No. 4,0503462.

However~ it has been found that theee pleats may act as a channel resulting
in excess1ve ~laper leakage and the pleats i~ the crotch area make the
in~ant'~ bottom uncomfortahle when sitting, especially while the diaper iB
not saturated.

.

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_.

03~

The elasticized construction in both the previous
contoured diapers as disclosed in -the aforesaid patents cause
marks and indents to be ~ormed in the skin of the infant on
which these types of diapers are used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of
both o-E -the prior axt contoured diapers.
According to the present invention -there is provided
a disposable diaper comprising a backing sheet, an absorbent pad
on said backing sheet, a top sheet overlying said absorbent pad,
means securing said backing sheet -to said top sheet ~ith said
pad therebetween, a pair oE spaced elasticized members wholly
disposed between said backing sheet and said pad, so that said
pad cushions the eEEect of all oE the elastic members, said
diaper being Eolded into a box-pleat configuration.
Locating the elastic members between the pad and the
backing sheet, thus cushioning the elastic action, prevents
marks and indents being Eormed in the skin oE the infant while
providing unexpectedly better protection against excessive
leakage through leg hold edges.

llg~351


~ L'~;Cl~I~'TION Ol~ T~TI~ J~I~AWING
Fig. l is a plan view of a box-pleated diaper constructed in
~ccordance with the concepts Or the present inventi~n;
Fig. 2 i~ a Sransverse sectional view taken along the plane of
line 2-2 in Fîg. I of the diaper in arl unfolded ~tate;
Fig. 3 is a section detail view similar to Fig. 2 hut ~howing
the diaper in a box-pleated ~olded eon~iguration;
Fig. 4 i~s an enlarged sectional detaliL view showing in particular
the locus of an elastic member.

. ~
With continuing reférence to the accompanying àraYYing, wherein .
like reference numerals designate ~imilar parts throughout the various
views, reference numeral lO generally designates an elasticized dis-
posable diaper constructed in accordance with the concepts of the present
invention .
The box-pleated diaper lO has a backing sheet 12 of an impervious
material. A top sheet 24 of typically non-woven fibers such as polyethylene
or polypropyLene fibers is provided and the backing sheet 12 ha~ portion~
l6 and ~8 folded over and sealed to edges of the top ~heet. An absorbent
pad 26 of woocl fluff or the like is disposed between the top sheet 24 and
the baclcing sheet l2. A pair of elasticized strips 34 and 36 are disposed
between the balcking sheet 12 and the pad 2&~derlying portions 16 anà
ll~ of th(3 d.iap(3r. Thc diaper i~ It)klcd in ~ I)ox-plcalcd confi~uration having
a central portion 40, two inwardly extending panels 42 and 44, and two ouS-
wardly ext~nding panel~ 4~ and 48. Adhe~ive ~pots 47 may be u~ed to
hold the pleats in place.


_ - _~ _


11~3(~3~j~


The elastic memhers 34 and 36 may be secured by spots or lines
of adhesive along preferabLy part of its lengt h in the crotch area of the
diaper lO or aLternatisrely along its entile length. A further alternative
is to use the same means iealing the top sheet to the backing sheet to seal
the ends Or the elasticized strips 3~ and 36 to the backing sheet 22 and
may b~ adhesive or hot rnelt lines.
. The elastic ~trips 34 and 36 may be of any suitable construction
and materials such as the conventional rubberi~ed (or otherwise elastomer-
ized) fibers or may be simply a strip of elastomeric re~in or foamed resin
lo which may or ~:nay not be provided with a~hesive. Such strips are generally
availahle as double-~ided tran~fer tapes (e.g. 3M Co., St. Paul, Minnesota,
tape No. 465 high tack pre~sure-~ensil:i~re tape), ln addition one may
apply the elastic material, e. g. rubber band, and secure same with a
suitable adhesive ~hot melt or pressure sensitive type3, The adhe~3ive may
1~ be a continuou~ line or may be a serie~ of adhe~ive ~pots which may beapplied on one or both sides of the ela~tic material. In use, the diaper
is positioned on the infant in a conventional manner with the converltional
wai3t tape fastener placing ten~ion on the ela3tic members 34 and 36 thu~
forming crotch seals. However, the pad 26 is between the elastic member~
16 and l8 and the in~ant and ~erve~ to pr~vent lin es or marks being formed
on the infant increasing comfort while increa~ing fluid i:ightness.