Diaper having disposable chassis assembly and reuseable elasticized belt removably retained by said chassis assembly

• US 5,135,522 A
• Filed: 11/07/1991
• Issued: 08/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Corporation
• Inventors: Lord, Patrick R., Fahrenkrug, Anne M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Randall L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLSE, DAVID H
• Application Number:
  US07/790,103
• Time in Patent Office: 271 Days
• Field of Search: 604/392, 604/401, 604/402, 604/385.1, 604/385.2, 604/393, 604/400, 604/378
• US Class Current: 604/385.3
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49011 the elastic means is located at the waist region
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/491 specially adapted for gender distinct urine discharge pattern
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/64 Straps, belts, ties or endless bands A61F13/5605, A61F13/5622, A61F13/66 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/49076 as "I"-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/49088 characterized by the leg opening

Abstract

A diaper comprises a rectangular disposable chassis assembly capable of absorbing and containing bodily wastes, including front, crotch and rear portions and a liquid-previous liner and liquid-impermeable barrier formed together about a liquid-absorbing core. A reusable elasticized cloth belt is removably retained by the chassis assembly, holding the diaper in place against the body during use. When fastened about a wearer, the belt provides a line of support extending transversely across the body of the core in the front portion of the chassis assembly corresponding to the lower abdominal region of the wearer. The belt cinches to snugly position the chassis assembly for absorbing discharged wastes. Preferably, the core contains a lower pledget with hydrogel that swells outwardly against the belt. Breathable elasticized leg cuffs extend along the side margins of the chassis assembly.

Claims

1. A diaper article comprising:

a disposable absorbent chassis assembly having a liquid-pervious body-facing sheet;

a substantially liquid-impervious backing sheet;

a liquid-absorbing core contained between the backing and facing sheets;

continuous front, crotch and rear portions disposed along a central longitudinal axis of the chassis assembly;

a pair of side margins extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, each of the side margins having forward and rearward extending portions and front and rear end margins extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis;

the core having front and rear end margins extending transversely of the longitudinal axis;

a reusable continuous elasticized belt adjustable in length separable from the chassis assembly and having a central portion and a pair of free ends releasably engagable with one another; and

means on the front and rear portions of the chassis assembly for removably retaining the belt in fluid isolation from the core and, when the ends of the belt are engaged with one another about the torso of a wearer for defining a line of support which extends across and below the rear end margin of the chassis assembly and the front end margin of the body of the core in the front portion of the chassis assembly corresponding to the lower abdominal region of the wearer, the belt being cinched across and below the front end margin of the core to securely position the chassis assembly for the absorbing of bodily wastes discharged in use.

2. The diaper of claim 1 wherein the forward and rearward portions of the side margins of the chassis assembly do not extend completely about the torso and the belt further comprises a pair of lateral portions intermediate the central and end portions, respectively, and adapted to contact the torso therealong while interconnecting the forward and rearward portions of the side margins.

3. The diaper of claim 2 wherein the belt comprises a breathable fabric.

4. The diaper of claim 3 wherein the ends of the belt have cooperable mechanical closures which are adjustable to securely fit a range of body sizes.

5. The diaper of claim 4 wherein the mechanical closures comprise complementary hook-and-loop fastening tabs disposed on overlapping surfaces of the cooperating end portions of the belt.

6. The diaper of claim 1 wherein the size margins of the chassis assembly comprise elasticized leg cuffs between the forward and rearward portions.

7. The diaper of claim 6 wherein the leg cuffs are elasticized by a plurality of elastic threads.

8. The diaper of claim 7 wherein the leg cuffs comprise a breathable material.

9. The diaper of claim 8 wherein the breathable material of the leg cuffs comprises a nonwoven fabric which is liquid permeable.

10. The diaper of claim 8 wherein the leg cuffs cause the crotch area of the side margins to become upstanding from the surface of the body-facing sheet.

11. The diaper of claim 1 wherein the liquid-absorbing core comprises:

a top fluid acquisition layer, situated between the end and side margins, the top layer defining a fluid target zone; and

a bottom fluid storage layer containing a hydrogel, formed substantially separately from the top layer and in fluid communication with the top layer.

12. The diaper of claim 11 wherein the bottom storage layer comprises a discrete pledget having a lesser surface area than the top layer and being in liquid communication with the top layer.

13. A diaper article comprising:

a disposable chassis assembly having a liquid-pervious body-side liner and a liquid-impervious barrier joined to one another about their peripheral edges and a liquid-absorbing core contained between the liner and barrier, the chassis assembly having continuous front, crotch and rear portions disposed along a central longitudinal axis, the core having a body face and a back face and containing a hydrogel concentrated toward the back face in at least the front portion of the chassis assembly, the core defining a generally rectangular shape having continuous front, crotch and rear portions disposed along the longitudinal axis with front and rear end margins each extending transversely to the axis;

the chassis assembly having a pair of side margins each having forward, crotch and rearward areas which extend essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis outboard of the peripheral edges of the core and front and rear end margins extending transversely of the longitudinal axis, the crotch areas of the side margin being elasticized by a pair of gatherable leg cuffs;

laterally aligned pairs of fenestrations formed at the forward and rearward areas of the side margins of the chassis assembly, respectively, the forward areas pair of fenestrations being longitudinally spaced below the front end margin of the core; and

a reusable continuous elasticized belt adjustable in length which is separable from the chassis assembly, having an elongated central portion and a pair of free end portions which are engagable with one another, presenting cooperating mechanical closures, wherein the belt is adapted for being removably threaded through the forward and rearward areas pairs of fenestrations, engaging the central portion of the belt across the rear portion of the chassis assembly, and fastening the free end portions with one another across the front portion of the chassis assembly, providing a line of support extending across and below the rear end margin of the chassis assembly and the front end margin of the body of the core in the front portion of the chassis assembly corresponding to the lower abdominal region of a wearer, the belt being cinched across and below the front end margin of the core to securely position the chassis assembly against the wearer for absorbing discharged bodily wastes.

14. The diaper of claim 13 wherein the core has a top layer and a bottom layer, formed separately from the top layer, the bottom layer containing hydrogel.

15. A diaper article comprising:

disposable chassis assembly having a liquid-pervious body-facing liner and a liquid-impervious barrier joined to one another about their peripheral edges, and a liquid absorbent core contained between the liner and barrier, the chassis assembly having continuous front, crotch and rear portions disposed along a central longitudinal axis, the core defining a generally rectangular-shaped composite having continuous front, crotch and rear portions disposed along the longitudinal axis, and front and rear end margins each extending transversely to the longitudinal axis;

the chassis assembly having a pair of side margins each having forward, crotch and rearward areas extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis outboard of the peripheral edges of the core and front and rear end margins extending transversely of the longitudinal axis, the forward and rearward areas of the side margins of the chassis assembly each having laterally aligned pairs of fenestrations formed therein respectively, the forward pair of fenestrations being longitudinally spaced below the front end margin of the core; and

a reusable continuous elasticized belt adjustable in length having an elongated central portion, and free end portions which are engagable with one another, the belt being removably threaded through the forward and rearward areas pairs of fenestrations engaging the central portion thereof across the rear portion of the chassis assembly and the free end portions with one another across the front portion of the chassis assembly, providing a line of support which extends across and below the rear end margin of the chassis assembly and the front end margin of the body of the core in the front portion of the chassis assembly corresponding to the lower abdominal region of a wearer, the belt being cinched across and below the front end margin of the core to securely position the chassis assembly for the absorbing of bodily wastes discharged in use.

16. The diaper of claim 15 wherein the forward and rearward portions of the side margins of the chassis assembly do not extend completely about the torso, and the belt is selectively elasticized along a pair of elongated lateral portions, extending intermediate the central and end portions, respectively, adapted to contact the wearer'"'"'s skin while interconnecting the forward and rearward portions of the side margins of the chassis assembly.

17. The diaper of claim 16 wherein the belt comprises a breathable fabric which is capable of withstanding multiple launderings.

18. The diaper of claim 17 wherein the end portions of the belt present cooperable mechanical closures which are adjustable to securely fit a range of body sizes.

19. The diaper of claim 18 wherein the side margins comprise a pair of breathable leg cuffs between the forward and rearward portions which are each elasticized by a plurality of elastic threads, causing the side margins to become upstanding from the surface of the top sheet.

20. The diaper of claim 15 wherein the core contains a hydrogel.

21. The diaper of claim 20 wherein the core further comprises:

a top fluid acquisition layer, situated between the end and side margins respectively, and having a fluid target zone; and

a bottom fluid storage layer containing substantially all of the hydrogel.

22. The diaper of claim 21 wherein the bottom layer comprises a discrete pledget having a lesser surface area than the top layer.

23. The diaper of claim 22 wherein the pledget is positioned in the front portion of the chassis assembly.