CONTRACTABLE SIDE PORTIONS FOR DISPOSABLE DIAPER

• US 3,860,003 A
• Filed: 11/21/1973
• Issued: 01/14/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Barclay Buell
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Barclay Buell
• Inventors: Buell, Kenneth Barclay
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Layton, Henry S.
• Application Number:
  US05/418,147
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 128/284,287
• US Class Current: 604/385.25
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49017 the elastic means being located at the crotch region

Abstract

An elastically contractable, flexible side position for an integral disposable diaper. The side portion extends along the lateral edge of the diaper and an elastic contracting member is attached to the side portion adjacent the outer lateral edge of the side portion to elastically contract the outer edge of the side portion.

Claims

1. In an integral disposable diaper having a backsheet and a semi-rigid absorbent body superposed on and associated with the backsheet, an improvement, comprising:

a. a flexible side flap extending outwardly from and along each lateral edge of the absorbent body, the side flap being in the crotch area of the diaper, b. an elastic member secured to the side flap in an elastically contractable condition, the elastic member being effective to gather the side flap thereby providing an elasticized contractable line through the side flap;

c. the portion of the elasticized contractable line in the crotch area being spaced outwardly from the lateral edge of the semi-rigid absorbent body at leat 3/4 inch;

whereby effective elastic side flaps are formed on the integral diaper and the side flaps being compliant and forming effective seals about an infant'"'"''"'"'s leg.

2. The improvement claimed in claim 1 including attachment means between the side flap and its corresponding lateral edge of the absorbent body so that tension forces in the side flap are transmitted to the lateral edge of the absorbent body, whereby the absorbent body if compacted by the legs of the infant during wearing is uncompacted or stretched out by outward movement of the infant'"'"''"'"'s legs due to tension imposed on the edge of the absorbent body developed in the side flaps by outward movement of the infant'"'"''"'"'s legs.

3. The improvement claimed in claim 2 including an ear portion at a longitudinal end of the absorbent body, the ear portion extending outwardly beyond the lateral edge of the absorbent body in the crotch area and having flexural rigidity so that it is resistant to inward forces imposed on the ear portion, the elastic member being laterally inward towrad the longitudinal center line of the diaper from the lateral edge of the ear portion, whereby the ear portion tends to remain extended outwardly when subjected to forces imposed by the elastic member.

4. The improvement claimed in claim 3 wherein one end of the elastic member intersects the front portion of the absorbent body and the other end of the elastic member intersects the back portion of the absorbent body.

5. The improvement claimed in claim 2 wherein one end of the elastic member intersects the front portion of the absorbent body and the other end of the elastic member intersects the back portion of the absorbent body.

6. The improvement claimed in claim 1 including an ear portion at a longitudinal end of the absorbent body, the ear portion extending outwardly beyond the lateral edge of the absorbent body in the crotch area and having flexural rigidity so that it is resistant to inward forces imposed on the ear portion, the elastic member being laterally inward toward the longitudinal center line of the diaper from the lateral edge of the ear portion, whereby the ear tends to remain extended outwardly when subjected to forces imposed by the elastic member.

7. The improvement claimed in claim 6 wherein the minimum effective length of thE elastic member in its stretched condition is 4 inches.

8. The improvement claimed in claim 6 wherein the side flap is essentially triangular.

9. The improvement claimed in claim 8 wherein the angle Alpha is between 20* and 65*, the angle Beta is between 20* and 70*, and Alpha plus Beta is between 90* and 135* .

10. The improvement claimed in claim 8 wherein the angle Alpha is about 52* and angle Beta is about 58* .

11. The improvement claimed in claim 6 wherein one end of the elastic member intersects the front portion of the absorbent body and the other end of the elastic member intersects the back portion of the absorbent body.

12. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein one end of the elastic member intersects the front portion of the absorbent body and the other end of the elastic member intersects the back portion of the absorbent body.

13. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein the elasticized contractable line is spaced outwardly from the lateral edge of the absorbent body at least 1 3/4 inches.

14. An integral disposable diaper, comprising:

a. a flexible moisture impermeable backsheet;

b. a semi-rigid absorbent body having a crotch area width narrower than the width in the waist area on the back portion thereof, whereby the absorbent body has ears at the corners of the back portion thereof, the ears having flexural rigidity so that they are resistant to inward forces imposed thereon, the absorptive body superposed on the backsheet;

c. the backsheet extending laterally beyond the edges of the absorbent body, whereby a flexible side flap along each edge of the diaper is formed;

d. an elastic member longitudinally operatively associated with the side flap in an elastically contractible condition, to provide a longitudinally elastically contractable side flap, the elastic member being effective to longitudinally gather the side flap thereby providing an elasticized contractable line through the side flap; and

e. the portion of the elasticized contractable line in the crotch area being spaced outwardly from the edge of the semi-rigid absorbent body at least 3/4 inch;

whereby effective elastic side flaps are formed on the integral diaper and the side flaps are compliant and contractable and form effective seals about an infant'"'"''"'"'s leg.

15. The diaper claimed in claim 14 wherein the absorbent body is hour-glass shaped, the angle Alpha is between 20* and 65*, the angle Beta is between 20* and 70*, Alpha plus Beta is between 90* and 135* ;

16. the diaper claimed in claim 15 wherein the lateral edges of the absorbent body are secured to the flexible side flaps in the crotch area of the diaper.

17. In an integral disposable diaper having a semi-rigid absorbent body, an improvement comprising the combination of:

a. a moisture impermeable, flexible side flap extending along each lateral edge of the diaper and being at least in the crotch area;

b. an elastic member operatively associated with each side flap in an elastically contractable condition to provide a longitudinally contractable side flap, the elastic member being effective to longitudinally gather the side flap thereby providing an elasticized contractable line through each flexible side flap and oppositely disposed elasticized contractable lines, one on each side of the diaper;

c. the flexible side flap being located laterally inward toward the longitudinal center line of the diaper from the elasticized contractable line, the flexible side flap having a width of at least 3/4 inch in the crotch area;

d. the oppositely disposed elasticized contractable lines being at least 4 inches apart;

whereby during wearing each elasticized contractable line maintains contact with an infant'"'"''"'"'s thigh and the flexible side flap permits free movement of the infant'"'"''"'"'s legs while spanning the gap between the semi-rigid absorbent body and the thigh.