Disposable diaper

• US 5,690,624 A
• Filed: 11/27/1996
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Inventors: Sasaki, Toru, Suekane, Makoto, Hisada, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): ZUTTARELLI, ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US08/757,863
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 604/358, 604/361, 604/364, 604/380, 604/385.1
• US Class Current: 604/361
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm

Abstract

A disposable diaper is provided with an indicator adapted to be revealed as it is wetted with discharged urine and to tell a mother her baby'"'"'s urination. The indicator comprises a hydrophilic base sheet, a first coating layer formed on one side of the base sheet so as to develop its proper color as the indicator is wetted with urine, and a second coating layer formed on the other side of the base sheet or upper surface of the first coating layer and intermittently bonded to the inner surface of the backsheet so that the second coating layer covers up the first coating layer. The second coating layer becomes transparent as the indicator is wetted with urine.

Claims

1. A disposable diaper comprising a liquid-permeable topsheet, a liquid-impermeable backsheet, a liquid-absorbent core disposed therebetween, and indicator means provided on a front or rear region of the diaper so as to be revealed as the indicator means is wetted with urine and thereby to allow occurrence of body fluid excretion to be visually recognized externally of the diaper, the disposable diaper being characterized by that:

a. the backsheet is light-transmissive;

b. the indicator means comprises a hydrophilic base sheet, a first coating layer formed on one side of the base sheet and having a color different from that of the base sheet, and a second coating layer formed on the other side of the base sheet or an upper surface of the first coating layer so as to substantially cover up the color of the first coating layer when the indicator means is dry but to become transparent and thereby to reveal the color as the indicator means is wetted with urine;

c. the first coating layer comprises at least one of silica and alumina particles, and water-absorptive binder and colorant;

d. the second coating layer comprises at least one of silica and alumina particles, and hydrophilic binder; and

e. the indicator means is attached to the diaper by intermittently bonding said second coating layer to inner surface of said backsheet.

2. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein the backsheet is made of plastic film having a light-transmission rate of 20-80%.

3. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein the indicator means is bonded to said backsheet by intermittent spots of hot melt type adhesive.

4. The diaper according to claim 3, wherein the hot melt type adhesive contains no oily ingredients.

5. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein the indicator means has the first coating layers intermittently arranged on the base sheet.

6. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein the indicator means has the first coating layers and second coating layers both intermittently arranged on the base sheet.

7. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein the base sheet for the indicator means includes a peripheral region having a width of 10 mm or larger left not bonded to the backsheet.

8. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein the base sheet is a narrow strip of sheet having its longitudinally opposite margins each extending by 10 mm or longer left not bonded to the backsheet.

9. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein the base sheet presents undulation in one direction and is bonded respectively at bottoms of the undulation to the backsheet, on one hand, and spaced respectively at crests of the undulation from said backsheet but able to contact the core at said crests;

and wherein the first coating layer is formed at least on said bottoms of the undulation.

10. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein the core contains fluff pulp;

wherein a plurality of grooves formed by locally compressing the pulp and having their bottoms of relatively high density extend between one of the front and rear regions and the crotch region; and

wherein the grooves cross the indicator means provided on the one of the front and rear regions.