Disposable absorbent article with selectively expandable or inflatable components

• US 6,180,847 B1
• Filed: 04/13/1995
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Lavon, Gary Dean, Ahr, Nicholas Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): REICHLE, KARIN M
• Application Number:
  US08/422,676
• Time in Patent Office: 2,119 Days
• Field of Search: 604/358, 604/367, 604/369, 604/385.1, 604/385.2, 604/352, 128/118.1, 602/13, 606/202-204, 2DI/G 3, 441/98-101
• US Class Current: 604/367
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49009 with elastic means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/495 with faecal cavity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/511 Topsheet, i.e. the permeable cover or layer facing the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15365 Dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15406 Basis weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15447 Fibre dimension, e.g. denier or tex
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/49031 being elastic in longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/49084 conformable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/4956 with vertical spacer or separator keeping other components out of contact
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51066 for rendering the surface hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51409 being a film
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51411 being impervious to fluids but not for air or vapours
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/5149 being embossed
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51492 having specially shaped gas or air bubbles or bag-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530007 being made from pulp
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530131 being made in fibre but being not pulp
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530481 having superabsorbent materials, i.e. highly absorbent polymer gel materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53472 being a non-woven tissue wrapping the core
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53795 being a surge management layer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53908 with adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8476 : with various devices or method
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 2/03 : Inflatable garment

Abstract

A disposable absorbent article having an expandable component is disclosed. The expandable component can be inflatable, and includes a gas evolving material and an activating material separated from the gas evolving material by a breakable barrier. The barrier is broken to combine the materials and inflate the component at the point of use of the disposable absorbent article. The inflatable component can include a spacer for maintaining a fecal void space in a disposable absorbent article.

Claims

1. A disposable absorbent article having a front edge, a rear edge, longitudinal edges, and longitudinal and lateral centerlines, the disposable absorbent article comprising:

a liquid impervious backsheet;

a liquid pervious topsheet joined to the backsheet;

an absorbent core intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet;

a inflatable component having a sealed inflatable chamber disposed intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet, the inflatable chamber inflatable from a first thickness to a second thickness substantially greater than the first thickness;

a predetermined amount of a first material disposed on the disposable absorbent article prior to use of the disposable absorbent article;

a predetermined amount of a second material disposed on the disposable absorbent article prior to use of the disposable absorbent article, wherein the second material is separated from the first material by a breakable barrier, and wherein the first and second materials are combinable at a time selected by a user of the article for providing inflation of the inflatable chamber.

2. The disposable absorbent article recited in claim 1 wherein the second material comprises a liquid, and wherein the breakable barrier comprises a liquid impervious breakable packet containing the second material.

3. The disposable absorbent article recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second materials evolves a gas upon combining the first and second materials.

4. The disposable absorbent article recited in claim 3 wherein the first and second materials are disposed in a gas permeable envelope, and wherein the gas permeable envelope is disposed within the inflatable component.

5. The disposable absorbent article recited in claim 3 wherein the first and second materials combine to evolve carbon dioxide, and wherein one of the first and second materials comprises water.

6. The disposable absorbent article recited in claim 1 wherein the disposable absorbent article comprises a disposable diaper, wherein the topsheet comprises an aperture, and wherein the inflatable component comprises a spacer registered with the aperture in the topsheet and disposed intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet for maintaining a Z-direction fecal void space.

7. The disposable absorbent article recited in claim 6 wherein the spacer has an inflated shape comprising a generally closed figure.

8. The disposable absorbent article recited in claim 6 wherein the spacer has an inflated shape comprising a generally U-shaped figure opening rearward and having longitudinally extending portions joined by a laterally extending portion.