Disposable diaper

• US 6,165,160 A
• Filed: 09/14/1999
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Inventors: Mishima, Yoshitaka, Suzuki, Naomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHANOSKI, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US09/395,520
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 604/385.01, 604/385.04, 604/385.201, 604/385.28, 604/385.21
• US Class Current: 604/385.201
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49001 having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/55115 characterized by the features before use, e.g. how are the diapers folded or arranged in a package

Abstract

A diaper is folded along a first folding guide line extending in a transverse direction of the diaper so as to divide its longitudinal dimension in two toward the outer surface of a backsheet, then along a pair of second folding guide lines extending in parallel to each other in the transverse direction of the diaper and lying between the first folding guide line and longitudinally outer ends of front and rear waist regions toward an outer surface of a topsheet and finally along a pair of third folding guide lines extending in parallel to each other in a longitudinal direction of the diaper along transversely opposite side edges of an absorbent core toward an outer surface of the backsheet in any one of the front and rear waist regions.

Claims

1. A disposable diaper comprising:

a front waist region;

a rear waist region;

a crotch region between said front waist region and said rear waist region;

a liquid-pervious topsheet;

a liquid-impervious backsheet;

a liquid-absorbent core disposed between said liquid-pervious topsheet and said liquid-impervious backsheet; and

a pair of side flaps extending outward in a transverse direction from transversely opposite side edges of said liquid-absorbent core,

said diaper having a first folding guide line extending in a transverse direction of said diaper which bisects a longitudinal dimension of said diaper, a pair of second folding guide lines extending in parallel to each other in said transverse direction of said diaper between said first folding guide line and respective outer ends of said front and rear waist regions and a pair of third folding guide lines extending in parallel to each other in a longitudinal direction of said diaper along said side edges of said absorbent core,

said diaper being folded in said longitudinal direction thereof along said first folding guide line toward an outer surface of said liquid-impervious backsheet, then along said pair of second folding guide lines toward an outer surface of said liquid-pervious topsheet and finally said pair of side flaps are folded along said pair of third folding guide lines toward the outer surface of said liquid-impervious backsheet in one of said front and rear waist regions.

2. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein each of first dimensions defined in said longitudinal direction between said first folding guide line and said pair of second folding guide lines, respectively, is smaller than each of second dimensions defined in said longitudinal direction betweem said pair of second folding guide lines and said outer ends of said front and rear waist regions lying adjacent respective said outer ends.

3. The diaper according to claim 2, wherein said pair of first dimensions are equal to each other and said pair of second dimensions are equal to each other.

4. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein a dimension defined in said transverse direction between said pair of third folding guide lines is larger than a dimension defined in said transverse direction between said side edges of said absorbent core and outer most side edges of said side flaps.