Simple disposable absorbent article

• US 20050171499A1
• Filed: 02/02/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Beck, Theodora, Nigam, Pankaj, LaVon, Gary Dean
• Granted Patent: US 7,736,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/385.220
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49413 the edge leakage prevention means being an upstanding barrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49453 the edge leakage prevention sheet being combined with the impermeable backing sheet, e.g. integral with the backing sheet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/532 inhomogeneous in the plane of the pad
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5633 open type diaper

Abstract

A simple disposable absorbent article including a chassis and an absorbent assembly. The chassis includes a water-impermeable sheet folded laterally inward at both of its side edges to form opposing side flaps. Each side flap is attached to the interior surface of the chassis adjacent to its end edges. Each side flap has a longitudinally extending elastic gathering member attached adjacent to its proximal edge. The absorbent assembly is smaller in width and in length than the chassis. The side edges and end edges of the absorbent assembly may be disposed proximally relative to the respective side edges and end edges of the chassis. The absorbent assembly includes an absorbent core that may contain superabsorbent particles, which may be contained inside pockets. The chassis may be extensible. The absorbent assembly may be attached in a cruciform pattern to the chassis to allow portions of the chassis to extend laterally.

Claims

1. A disposable diaper comprising:

a chassis having a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region between the waist regions, laterally opposing side edges defining its width, longitudinally opposing front and back waist end edges defining its length, an interior surface and an exterior surface, and including a water-impermeable backsheet and laterally opposing side flaps attached to the interior surface adjacent to their longitudinally distal ends and each having a longitudinally extending elastic gathering member attached adjacent to its proximal edge, at least a portion of the chassis being extensible; and

an absorbent assembly smaller in width and in length than the chassis attached to the interior surface of the chassis and having its side edges and its end edges disposed proximally relative to the respective side edges and end edges of the chassis.

2. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the portion of the chassis that is extensible includes at least two distinct laterally extending altered regions each containing a pattern of generally longitudinally oriented alternating ridges and valleys created by a deformation of the portion of the chassis and also containing an unaltered region located between the altered regions, such that the portion of the chassis can be laterally extended to a given extent with the application of relatively less force than that required to laterally extend the same portion of the chassis to the same given extent before the deformation.

3. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the chassis underlying the absorbent assembly in one of the waist regions is laterally extensible.

4. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the chassis in one of the waist regions is laterally extensible to a maximum extensibility greater than a maximum extensibility of at least a portion of the chassis in the crotch region such that a lateral extension of each of the portions to its maximum extensibility imparts an hourglass shape to the chassis.

5. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the side flaps are attached to the interior surface of the chassis in laterally opposing attachment zones and a laterally central portion of the chassis between the attachment zones is laterally extensible to a different degree under a given level of laterally opposing tensile forces than portions of the chassis in the attachment zones.

6. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the chassis includes an inner liner attached on an interior surface of the backsheet.

7. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the chassis includes fastening elements for fastening the front waist region to the back waist region to encircle a waist and legs of a wearer.

8. The disposable diaper of claim 7 wherein the fastening elements include at least one fastening sheet attached to the exterior surface of the chassis.

9. The disposable diaper of claim 7 wherein the fastening elements include cohesive fastening elements.

10. The disposable diaper of claim 1 further comprising cohesive fastening elements disposed on both an interior surface of the disposable diaper and an exterior surface of the disposable diaper such that the front waist region may be fastened over the back waist region or the back waist region may alternatively be fastened over the front waist region to encircle a waist and a leg of a wearer.

11. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the absorbent assembly includes a water-permeable covering sheet and an absorbent core.

12. The disposable diaper of claim 11 wherein the covering sheet is disposed on an interior face of the absorbent core and the absorbent assembly also includes a second water-permeable covering sheet disposed on an exterior face of the absorbent core.

13. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the absorbent assembly is attached to the chassis in a cruciform pattern of attachment.

14. A disposable diaper comprising:

a chassis having a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region between the waist regions, laterally opposing side edges defining its width, longitudinally opposing front and back waist end edges defining its length, an interior surface and an exterior surface, and including a water-impermeable backsheet and laterally opposing side flaps attached to the interior surface adjacent to their longitudinally distal ends and each having a longitudinally extending elastic gathering member attached adjacent to its proximal edge, and

an absorbent assembly smaller in width and in length than the chassis attached to the interior surface of the chassis and having its side edges and its end edges disposed proximally relative to the respective side edges and end edges of the chassis,

at least portions of the laterally opposing portions of the chassis located between the respective side edges of the chassis and the respective proximal edges of the side flaps being folded laterally inward to overlap the absorbent assembly and being attached to an interior surface of the absorbent assembly.

15. The disposable diaper of claim 14 wherein an hourglass shape is imparted to the chassis.

16. The disposable diaper of claim 14 wherein the laterally opposing portions of the chassis are folded laterally inward over their entire longitudinal lengths and an hourglass shape is imparted to the chassis when the laterally opposing portions are laterally extended by unfolding at their longitudinally distal ends to prepare the disposable diaper for use.

17. The disposable diaper of claim 14 wherein at least a portion of the chassis is extensible.

18. A disposable diaper comprising:

a chassis having a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region between the waist regions, laterally opposing side edges defining its width, longitudinally opposing front and back waist end edges defining its length, an interior surface and an exterior surface, and including a water-impermeable backsheet and laterally opposing side flaps attached to the interior surface adjacent to their longitudinally distal ends and each having a longitudinally extending elastic gathering member attached adjacent to its proximal edge, and

an absorbent assembly smaller in width and in length than the chassis attached to the interior surface of the chassis and having its side edges and its end edges disposed proximally relative to the respective side edges and end edges of the chassis,

laterally opposing portions of the chassis in at least the crotch region being folded laterally inward to form the side flaps and laterally opposing portions of the chassis in at least one of the waist regions remaining unfolded so as to project laterally outward beyond the inward-folded portions.

19. The disposable diaper of claim 18 wherein laterally opposing portions of the chassis in both of the waist regions remain unfolded so as to project laterally outward beyond the inward-folded portions and thereby impart an “

I”

shape to the chassis.

20. The disposable diaper of claim 19 wherein the chassis includes fastening elements for fastening the front waist region to the back waist region to encircle a waist and legs of a wearer, the fastening elements being disposed on the outwardly projecting unfolded portions of the chassis.