Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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'his invention ralates.to disposable sanitary articles
comprising an absorbent pad. Various forms of such
l0 articles are known, e.g. nappies (or diapers), sanitary
napkins for the absorption o~ menstrual emissions,
incontinence axticles and the like.
Problems relating to the disposal of such sanitary articles
have already bean addressed in the prior art. Examples
include the constructtions proposed in UK Patent
publications Nos. 151$40, 2060398 and x1.673T5. However
none of such prior proposals is canaerned with the need to
clean the body axea(s) before the fresh sanitary artiole ~.~s
applied thereto in replacement of a used, usually soiled,
san~.tary article that has bean removed. (~taually, of
course, thc~ fresh replacement sanitary article is only
necessary beoause such body area(s), and the old samitary
article being replaced, ar~ in a soiled state). The
present invention is primarily ooncerned with this ales»ing
need.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is
provided a disposable sanitary article oomprising:
a tirst m~mber comprising a pad of absorbent materialf
a second mermber of impervious material in the ~oxm of
a bag that is releasably.,attaahed to said f~.ret m~ambar'
and
at least ono thixd member of impervious mat~rial which
vealing~.y enoldseg $ cleaning itom, the or each said third
member being itself onalosed by thd said second ~uembar.
21 ~~'~~)
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The or each said third,member may be wrapped up xn the said
second member (i.e. be encompassed by an exterior surface
of the said second member).
a Alternatively the or each said third member may ba disposed
inside the said bag (i,.a. be encompassed by an interior
surface of the said second member).
In another alternative, the or each said third member may
be formed integrally with the said second member.
Preferably, in th~.s Gase, the or each said third member is
fxangibly separable (e. g. v~.a tearable. pgrforatxons) from
the said seadnd member.
The sanitary articles may be a sanitary napkin fax the
absorption of menstrual emissions, or an incontinence
article, or (as is preferred) a nappy or diaper.
advantageously'the said pat! of the first member has an
2o outer layer of impervious material, and the sa~.d second
memb~rr is attached to said outAr layer by means including
a releasable adhesiee.
Preferably said bag is faldstl up in the form of a rectangle
arid is adhered to the said outer ~.ayer by a quick~releas~a
contact adhesive and/or by an adhesive tape that extends
aaror~s one or more cadges of the xeata~tgle. Wher~ the or
each said third member is wrapped up Within the folds of
the sbid second member, the adhesive gape may serve to
r~tain the or each said third member in its condition of
enclosure by the said second member.
Advantageously the or ~aah cleaning item is a selected one
of the following (without duplioation):
a cleaning cloth moistened with a volatile meaning
riuid~
a dry alotht
i~~.~~$ri,)
ro
..
t
talcum powder;
cleansing Cream or lotion;
cream or lotion applicator (e. g, cotton v~ool pad),
Preferably a pluxality of such third members is provided,
those third members comprising sachets formed of a meta,llia
foil or like material, the several sachets being edge-
connected to one another.
Advantageaus~,y the edge-connected sachets axe disposed in
fan-folded (concertina) fashion,
~y way of example one embodim~nt of this invention will now
be described with reference to the accomp$nying drawings oil
which:
Figure 1 iss a plan view of a sanitary~package according to
this invention in a partly unfolded state,
Figure 2 is a plan view of a bag (in folded up state) when
removed from the package of Fig 1,
Figure 3 is is a plan view of the bag of Fig Z when in it~t
unfolded state, and
Figuxe 4 is a schematic perspective view of interconnected
sachets removed from the enclosing environment of
the bag of Fig z.
The illustrated embodi~nant of the invention provides a
single package 10 aompxiaing three mutually Combined or
interconnected - though functionally separate ~ kinds of
component a~rtiales.
The fixst, and main component is $ disposable sanitary
article in the Form of an infant's nappy or diaper 1l. The
nappy 11 aompri~ces a.main member i2 in the farfi of a pad r5f
arisorbent material provided with an outex layer ~.3 of
impervious material, the nappy having cut outs 14 in its
sides adjacent elasticated side strips 15, and a pair of
adhesive tapes 16 ad3acent one end to be fasten to the
2,:~.~1~~ ,?
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other ez~d of the nappy,when securing the nappy about the
infant.
~'he aeGOnd component is a disposal bag 2~. of impervious
material in rolled up or, as shown, in a folded up state
and which, in its rolled-up or folded-up state, is
releasably attached to the outer layer 13 of the nappy 7t1.
xhis bag 21 serves to enclose the third component beFore
the package is bpenod or aged (1.e. as part of the paal~age
) , and thereafter aar~ be used as a disposal bag far a
soilsc~ nappy (e.g. that is to be replaced by the nappy 11
of this embadimenty.
The third component Comprises a plurality of sachets 31
each sealingly enclosing a Gleaming item, the several.
sachets 31 being edge-connected to one another in ga»~
folded (aonaertina) fashion arid being thefiselves ehalosed
by the folded-up ox rolled-up bag 21.
2a mhe sachets 31 of this embodiment are Formed of metallic
fail or a like impervious material, and each contains ~,
cleaning item selected (without duplication) from the
following:
a cleaning Cloth mo~.stened with a volatile cleaning
fluid:
a dry aloth~
cleansing cream or loGiont
a cream or lotion applicator (e.g. a cotton wool pad
or wad )
talcum powder.
for example, a full-~s~ize saGttet 3~.,a, at on~ end may contain
a folded-up cleaning alath moistened with a volatile
cleaning fluids an_ adjoining full--sine sachet 31~ may
contain a dry al.otht and two hall-sixe saahats 31.g and 31~
(connected °~o the Apposite edge of sachot 31~) may aonicain
ras~peotively a cleansing croam (or lotiah) and talcum
powdex.
~~(.lR~j)
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xho fari~folded sachetsl3~, may be wrapped up in the rpl~,ed,
up bag 21 (i.e. be encompt~ssed by an exterior surf$ce of
the bag) . Alternatively the fan~folded sachets 31 may be
disposed inside the rolled-up or folded-~up bag 21 (i.e. be
encompassed by axe interior surface of the bag). xn yet
another alternative, the sachets 15 may be formed
integrally with the: bag (e.g. where the sachets and bag are
of a similar material -~ for example a plastics material)
and convenienetly in this case the sachets may be frangibly
separable from the bag - e.g. y"~,~tearable perfaratiox~s.
The bag 27. is preferably folded up in the form of a
rectangle and is adhered to the outer layer 13 of the nappy
22 in the full--line positiarl shown in Fig 1 or iri some
other convenient position, e.g. one of the two alternative
positions indicated by phantom lines in Fig 1. The
disposal bag 21 can have any convenient size (both in its
unfolded and/or unrolled state and in 3,t~s rol3.ed-up and/or
fold~d-~up state ) and Care be sited i.n any suitable position
on the nappyos outer layer ~,3. Attaahme»t of bag 21 to
layer 13 is by a quickwrelease, contact adhesive and/or by
an adhesive tape that extends across oa~e or rporg edges of
the xeCtat~gle. Where the fan-folded sachets 31 are tarappad
up within the folds of the folded-up bag 21, the adhesive
tape may serve to retain the sachets in their condition of
enclosure by the bag 21.
xn use the package 10 is opened to reveal. the three
combined articles 11, 21 and 31, the bash 21 is separated
from the nappy 11 and unfolded or unrolled, and the sachets
31 are removed. The used (soiled) nappy worn by the infant
is removed and placed for.disposal inside the bag 21. The
sachets 31$ to 31~ are opened end their therein-Contained
cleaning items used sgquentie~lly to clean the infants
soiled body areas. The used (and sny remaining a»us~d)
cleaning items, as well as tho empty (and any unused)
sachets, are then deposited into the disposal bag 21. The
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r
fresh nappy 11 is than ,fastened in ~aaaos~ about tha a~ean~c~
body areas of the infant to cartclude t~tls nappy'Changinc~
operation in a c.let~t~ and efficaoia~s manner.
Xt will be apparent that the c~.saning materials or ite~es
are provided in tha sachets ~1 as small one-ofd ~'dosesn
within the same package as the i~resh nappy and tt~e dispoga7.
ba.g (that is for the soiled nappy being replaced by the
fresh nappy) . This removes the need far the parent or ck~ild
minder always to have an hand, particularly when away xrom
home (s. g, whilst travelling, out shopping or an holiday),
a number of separate large battles, jars and other
containers of the various cleaning materials ~rh~.cYz would
otherwise have to be carried with the cxpare ar replacement
nappies.
Modifications and embodiments of the invent~.on other than
those described above will ba readily apparent to those
skilled xri this 'art. All sua~a modifica'~lons and embodiments
are to be deemed within the ambit and scope of the
invention, and the invention is not to be deemed limited to
the particular embodiment(e) hereir~bafore described which
may be varied in construction rend detail without departing
from the scope of the pt~tant monopoly lxereby sought.
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