Disposable garment with breathable leg cuffs
First Claim
1. A disposable diaper comprising:
- a liquid impermeable backsheet;
a liquid pervious topsheet secured to said backsheet;
an absorbent element interposed between said topsheet and said backsheet;
a longitudinally extending breathable cuff positioned in each longitudinal side margin of the diaper, each of said cuffs having a fixed edge and a distal edge spaced from said fixed edge, each of said cuffs having said fixed edge attached to the diaper, said distal edge being unsecured to at least a portion of the diaper, wherein each of said cuffs is permeable to vapor over at least a portion of its extent; and
an elastic element operatively associated with said distal edge of each of said cuffs and affixed in an elastically contractable condition to said cuff to render said distal edge of said cuff elastically contractable so that said elastic element effectively contracts or gathers the cuff material adjacent said elastic element so that said distal edge is displaced inwardly from said absorbent element and said fixed edge.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disposable diapers provided with breathable leg cuffs. Disposable diapers comprise a topsheet, an absorbent element, and a backsheet. The leg cuff of a disposable diaper is that part of the diaper which fits about the wearer'"'"'s leg. Extensions of the backsheet can be used to form cuffs which are frequently elasticized. In the present invention the cuffs are formed of a material which allows passage of vapor ("breathes") while tending to retard the passage of liquid. Apertured thermoplastic films are examples of such materials. Certain advantages accrue in cuffs which are permeable to vapor in their distal portions and impermeable in the portions adjacent the absorbent element. If the disposable diaper has a breathable backsheet, the cuffs are constructed to be more permeable to vapor per unit area in their breathable portions than is the backsheet.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A disposable diaper comprising:
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a liquid impermeable backsheet; a liquid pervious topsheet secured to said backsheet; an absorbent element interposed between said topsheet and said backsheet; a longitudinally extending breathable cuff positioned in each longitudinal side margin of the diaper, each of said cuffs having a fixed edge and a distal edge spaced from said fixed edge, each of said cuffs having said fixed edge attached to the diaper, said distal edge being unsecured to at least a portion of the diaper, wherein each of said cuffs is permeable to vapor over at least a portion of its extent; and an elastic element operatively associated with said distal edge of each of said cuffs and affixed in an elastically contractable condition to said cuff to render said distal edge of said cuff elastically contractable so that said elastic element effectively contracts or gathers the cuff material adjacent said elastic element so that said distal edge is displaced inwardly from said absorbent element and said fixed edge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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13. A disposable diaper comprising:
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a liquid impermeable backsheet; a liquid pervious topsheet secured to said backsheet; an absorbent element interposed between said topsheet and said backsheet; a longitudinally extending breathable cuff positioned in each longitudinal side margin of the diaper, each of said cuffs having a fixed edge and a distal edge spaced from said fixed edge, each of said cuffs having said fixed edge attached to the diaper, said distal edge being unsecured to at least a portion of the diaper, wherein each of said cuffs is permeable to vapor over at least a portion of its extent such that each of said cuffs comprises a vapor permeable portion and a vapor impermeable portion, said vapor permeable portion being positioned adjacent said distal edge and said vapor impermeable portion being positioned intermediate said vapor permeable portion and said fixed edge; and an elastic element operatively associated with said distal edge of each of said cuffs and affixed in an elastically contractable condition to said cuff to render said distal edge of said cuff elastically contractable so that said elastic element effectively contracts or gathers the cuff material adjacent said elastic element so that said distal edge is displaced inwardly from said absorbent element and said fixed edge.
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18. A disposable diaper having a front waist portion, a back waist portion, and a crotch portion placed between said front waist portion and said back waist portion, the diaper comprising:
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a liquid impermeable backsheet; a liquid pervious topsheet secured to said backsheet; an absorbent element interposed between said topsheet and said backsheet; a longitudinally extending breathable cuff positioned in each longitudinal side margin of the diaper in at least the crotch portion, each of said cuffs having a fixed edge and a distal edge spaced from said fixed edge, each of said cuffs having said fixed edge attached to the diaper, said distal edge being unsecured to at least a portion of the diaper, each of said cuffs formed by a separate element affixed to the diaper, each of said cuffs having a vapor permeable portion and a vapor impermeable portion so that each of said cuffs is permeable to vapor over at least a portion of its extent; and an elastic element operatively associated with said distal edge of each of said cuffs and affixed in an elastically contractable condition to said cuff to render said distal edge of said cuff elastically contractable so that said elastic element effectively contracts or gathers the cuff material adjacent said elastic element so that said distal edge is displaced inwardly from said absorbent element and said fixed edge.
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19. A disposable diaper comprising:
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a liquid impermeable backsheet; a liquid pervious topsheet secured to said backsheet; an absorbent element interposed between said topsheet and said backsheet; a longitudinally extending breathable cuff positioned in each longitudinal side margin of the diaper in at least the crotch portion, each of said cuffs having a fixed edge and a distal edge spaced from said fixed edge, each of said cuffs having said fixed edge attached to the diaper, said distal edge being unsecured to at least a portion of the diaper, each of said cuffs formed by a separate element affixed to the diaper, each of said cuffs having a vapor permeable portion and a vapor impermeable portion so that each of said cuffs is permeable to vapor over at least a portion of its extent, said vapor permeable portion being positioned adjacent said distal edge and said vapor impermeable portion being disposed intermediate said vapor permeable portion and said fixed edge; and an elastic element operatively associated with said distal edge of each of said cuffs and affixed in an elastically contractable condition to said cuff to render said distal edge of said cuff elastically contractable so that said elastic element effectively contracts or gathers the cuff material adjacent said elastic element so that said distal edge is displaced inwardly from said absorbent element and said fixed edge. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A disposable diaper having a front waist portion, a back waist portion, and a crotch portion placed between said front waist portion and said back waist portion, the diaper comprising:
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a liquid impermeable backsheet; a liquid pervious topsheet secured to said backsheet; an absorbent element interposed between said topsheet and said backsheet, said absorbent element having longitudinal side margins; two longitudinally extending breathable cuffs, said cuffs each comprising a side flap extending outwardly from and along each longitudinal side margin of said absorbent element in at least the crotch portion, each of said side flaps having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a distal edge spaced from said longitudinal side margin of said absorbent element and forming the longitudinal side margin of the diaper, each of said side flaps having a vapor permeable portion positioned adjacent said distal edge and a vapor impermeable portion positioned intermediate said vapor permeable portion and said longitudinal side margin of said absorbent element, said outer surface of said side flap constructed essentially of an integral film material with said backsheet such that said permeable portion is formed of an apertured portion of said film material and said vapor impermeable portion is formed of said backsheet, said vapor permeable portion being more permeable to vapor than said backsheet, and an elastic member operatively associated with said side flap in an elastically contractable condition, the elastic member being effective to gather the side flap. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification