Moisture detecting liner for a diaper and a process for manufacture thereof

• US 5,808,554 A
• Filed: 07/02/1997
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asher Shuminov
• Original Assignee: Asher Shuminov
• Inventors: Shuminov, Asher
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, Sihong
• Application Number:
  US08/860,688
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 340/604, 340/603, 340/605, 340/573, 604/361, 200/61.04
• US Class Current: 340/604
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm

Abstract

A diaper liner comprising an electrically insulating sheet material having disposed thereon first, second and third separated electrically conductive tracks which become short-circuited when the liner is exposed to moisture, at least one end of each of the electrically conductive tracks being in the form of a conductive pad printed on the liner for permitting easy connection thereto of a moisture alarm circuit. The third conductive track is commonly connected so that the first and the third tracks are short-circuited by urine whilst the second and third tracks are short-circuited by feces.

Claims

1. A liner for a diaper, said liner comprising:

an electrically insulating sheet material having disposed thereon first, second and third separated electrically conductive tracks which become short-circuited when the liner is exposed to moisture, at least one end of each of the electrically conductive tracks being in the form of a conductive pad printed on the liner for permitting easy connection thereto of a moisture alarm circuit;

wherein;

the first electrically conductive track forms a common rail extending across an upper and lower portion of the liner,

the second electrically conductive track extends across only the upper portion of the liner, and

the third electrically conductive track is mutually separated from the first and second electrically conductive tracks and extends across only the lower portion of the liner;

so that, in use, the first and second electrically conductive tracks are short-circuited by urine and the first and third electrically conductive tracks are short-circuited by feces.

2. The liner according to claim 1, wherein:

the first track is in the form of a generally S-shaped rail extending longitudinally from a first end of the liner partially along a first side thereof and continuing partially along a second side of the liner towards a second end thereof,

the second track extends longitudinally from the first end of the liner at least partially along the second side thereof,

the third track extends longitudinally from the second end of the liner at least partially along the first side thereof,

a first pair of equipotential bars interconnects the first and second tracks and extends laterally therebetween towards the first end of the liner so as to form a maze-shaped matrix which, in use, is disposed towards a front portion of the diaper, and

a second pair of equipotential bars interconnects the first and third tracks and extends laterally therebetween towards the second end of the liner so as to form a maze-shaped matrix which, in use, is disposed towards a rear portion of the diaper.

3. The liner according to claim 1, being integral with a disposable diaper between first and second outer layers thereof, at least one of which has an aperture formed in at least one end thereof overlying respective ones of said conductive pads so as to facilitate proper connection to said conductive pads of a moisture alarm circuit.

4. The liner according to claim 3 being disposed behind an outermost layer of said diaper so as to permit connection of the moisture alarm circuit to said outermost layer.

5. The liner according to claim 4, wherein conductive pads are provided at opposite ends of said electrically conductive tracks and apertures are formed at opposite ends of the diaper so as to allow connection of a moisture alarm circuit to either a rear or front surface of the diaper.

6. The liner according to claim 3 being disposed behind an innermost layer of said diaper so as to permit connection of the moisture alarm circuit to said innermost layer.

7. The liner according to claim 3, further comprising a base member having protruding therefrom an electrically conductive pin in respect of each of said electrically conductive tracks for inserting through the corresponding aperture in the diaper so as to permit connection of the moisture alarm circuit thereto.

8. The liner according to claim 1, further comprising a removable seal adhered to the conductive pads which is peeled away before connecting the moisture alarm circuit.

9. A diaper including an absorbent layer between innermost and outermost layers and further including between the absorbent layer and one of said innermost or outermost layers the liner according to claim 3.

10. A moisture alarm circuit for use with a diaper having an absorbent layer between innermost and outermost layers and further including between the absorbent layer and one of the innermost or outermost layers the liner according to claim 1, said moisture alarm circuit comprising:

first and second independent moisture detector means for connecting, respectively, across the first and second and the first and third tracks of said liner so as to produce a respective indication signal when the first and second tracks are short-circuited or when the first and third tracks are short-circuited.

11. The alarm circuit according to claim 10, mounted in a casing having on an upper surface thereof the general features of a face having a pair of eyes and a nose, connected to respective electrically conductive tracks on a rear surface of the casing so that when the alarm circuit is mounted on to the diaper with the face correctly orientated, said electrically conductive tracks are located for maintaining electrical contact with the first, second and third tracks of the liner.

12. A liner for a diaper, said liner comprising:

an electrically insulating sheet material having disposed thereon first, second and third separated electrically conductive tracks which become short-circuited when the liner is exposed to moisture, at least one end of each of the electrically conductive tracks being in the form of a conductive pad printed on the liner for permitting easy connection thereto of a moisture alarm circuit;

wherein;

first and second rails extend longitudinally from an end of the liner at least partially along a length thereof,

two sets of equipotential bars are connected each to respective ones of said rails and extend laterally therebetween so as to form a maze-shaped matrix which, in use, is disposed towards a front portion of a diaper,

the first electrically conductive track forms a common rail extending across an upper and lower portion of the liner,

the second electrically conductive track extends across only the upper portion of the liner, and

the third electrically conductive track is mutually separated from the first and second electrically conductive tracks and extends across only the lower portion of the liner;

so that, in use, the first and second electrically conductive tracks are short-circuited by urine and the first and third electrically conductive tracks are short-circuited by feces.

13. The liner according to claim 12, wherein the first, second and third tracks each extend from a first end of the liner to a second end thereof and are terminated at respective conductive pads.