Disposable diaper having upstanding walls for improving leakage prevention

• US 6,648,870 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2002
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Original Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Inventors: Itoh, Taketo, Minowa, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stephens, Jacqueline F
• Application Number:
  US10/135,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20020123733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 604/385.24, 604/385.25, 604/385.01, 604/385.28, 604/385.21, 604/385.26, 604/385.27, 604/385.23
• US Class Current: 604/385.28
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4942 the barrier not being integral with the top- or back-sheet

Abstract

A disposable diaper includes an absorptive body having a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and a liquid retentive absorbent member interposed between the sheets and a pair of flaps connected to the lateral edges of the absorptive body. The disposable diaper has a pair of upstanding walls which are formed by providing a sheet at the lateral sides of the diaper, the sheet has a lateral base edge and a lateral distal edge and is arranged in such a manner that the sheet is folded to allow the base edge and the distal edge to be positioned on the side of the flap and that the longitudinal ends of the sheet as folded are fixed to a stomach side section and a back side section of the diaper, respectively. The upstanding wall includes a base portion formed by fixing the sheet to the flap or the absorptive body; a folded portion positioned on the inner side of the absorptive body and formed by folding the sheet; and a free end portion positioned further outward in the width direction of the diaper than the folded portion, the folded portion and the free end portion are each provided with an elastic member to stand the upstanding wall upward.

Claims

1. A disposable diaper comprising:

an absorptive body including a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet and a liquid retentive absorbent member interposed between said topsheet and said backsheet;

a pair of flaps connected to lateral edges of said absorptive body;

a pair of upstanding walls, each of said pair of upstanding walls being formed by providing a sheet at lateral sides of said diaper, each of said sheets for forming said upstanding walls having a lateral base edge and a lateral distal edge and being arranged in such a manner that said sheet is folded to allow said lateral base edge and said lateral distal edge to be positioned on a side of a respective of said pair of flaps, and longitudinal ends of said sheet, when folded, are fixed to a stomach-side portion and a back-side portion of said diaper, respectively, said lateral distal edge extending over a lateral edge of the absorbent member and being positioned on said flap; and

each of said upstanding walls includes a base portion formed by fixing said sheet to said flap or said absorptive body;

a folded portion positioned further inward than said base portion and formed by folding said sheet; and

a distal free end portion positioned further outward in the width direction of the diaper than said folded portion and said base portion, said folded portion and said free end portion each being provided with an elastic member to stand said upstanding wall upward.

2. The disposable diaper according to claim 1, wherein a leg portion, adapted to be positioned around the wearer'"'"'s leg while said diaper is worn, is provided with an elastic member to be gathered, and said base portion is positioned more inward in the width direction of said diaper than said elastic member.

3. The disposable diaper according to claim 1, wherein said distal free end portion is positioned more outward in the width direction of the diaper than said folded portion, when no stress is applied to the diaper.

4. The disposable diaper according to claim 1, wherein said base portion is positioned on said absorbent member in said absorptive body.

5. The disposable diaper according to claim 1, wherein a length of said flap is smaller than a height of said upstanding wall.

6. The disposable diaper according to claim 1, wherein each of said flaps is formed by a continuous portion of said sheets for forming upstanding walls extending outward from said base portion.

7. The disposable diaper according to claim 1, wherein a terminal point of each of said sheets for forming said upstanding walls is located adjacent said elastic member in said free edge portion.

8. The disposable diaper according to claim 1, wherein said sheet for forming said pair of upstanding walls comprises water-repellent nonwoven fabric.

9. The disposable diaper according to claim 1, wherein each of said upstanding walls includes a lower wall portion between said base portion and said folded portion, and an upper wall portion between said folded portion and said lateral distal edge, a length of said lower wall portion is 10 to 40 mm and a length of said upper wall portion is 5 to 60 mm.

10. The disposable diaper according to claim 1, wherein each of said upstanding walls stands generally upright as a whole upon use of the diaper.

11. The disposable diaper according to claim 1, wherein said sheet for forming said pair of upstanding walls is adhered to said flap at said lateral base edge thereof.

12. A disposable diaper comprising:

an absorptive body including a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet and a liquid retentive absorbent member interposed between said topsheet and said backsheet;

a pair of flaps connected to lateral edges of said absorptive body;

a pair of upstanding walls each of said pair of upstanding walls being formed by providing a sheet at lateral sides of said diaper, each of said sheets for forming said upstanding walls having a lateral base edge and a lateral distal edge and being arranged in such a manner that said sheet is folded to allow said lateral base edge and said lateral distal edge to be positioned on a side of a respective of said pair of flaps, and longitudinal ends of said sheet, when folded, are fixed to a stomach-side portion and a back-side portion of said diaper, respectively, said lateral distal edge extending over a lateral edge of the absorbent member and being positioned on said flap; and

each of said upstanding walls includes a base portion formed by fixing said sheet to said flap or said absorptive body;

a folded portion positioned further inward than said base portion and formed by folding said sheet; and

a distal free end portion positioned further outward in the width direction of the diaper than said folded portion and said base portion, said folded portion not being provided with an elastic member, said free end portion being provided with an elastic member to stand the upstanding wall upward.

13. The disposable diaper according to claim 12, wherein each of said sheets for forming said upstanding walls laterally extends from the lateral edges of said absorbent member to form said flaps, respectively.

14. The disposable diaper according to claim 12, wherein a leg portion, adapted to be positioned around the wearer'"'"'s leg while said diaper is worn, is provided with an elastic member to be gathered, and said base portion is positioned more inward in the width direction of said diaper than said elastic member.

15. The disposable diaper according to claim 12, wherein said distal free end portion is positioned more outward in the width direction of the diaper than said folded portion, when no stress is applied to the diaper.

16. The disposable diaper according to claim 12, wherein said base portion is positioned on said absorbent member in said absorptive body.

17. The disposable diaper according to claim 12, wherein a length of said flap is smaller than a height of said upstanding wall.

18. The disposable diaper according to claim 12, wherein each of said flaps is formed by a continuous portion of said sheets for forming upstanding walls extending outward from said base portion.

19. The disposable diaper according to claim 12, a terminal point of each of said sheets for forming said upstanding walls is located adjacent said elastic member in said free edge portion.

20. The disposable diaper according to claim 12, wherein said sheet for forming said pair of upstanding walls comprises water-repellent nonwoven fabric.

21. The disposable diaper according to claim 12, wherein each of said upstanding walls includes a lower wall portion between said base portion and said folded portion, and an upper wall portion between said folded portion and said lateral distal edge, a length of said lower wall portion is 10 to 40 mm and a length of said upper wall portion is 5 to 60 mm.

22. The disposable diaper according to claim 12, wherein each of said upstanding walls stands generally upright as a whole upon use of the diaper.

23. The disposable diaper according to claim 12, wherein said sheet for forming said pair of upstanding walls is adhered to said flap at said lateral base edge thereof.