Absorbent garment with asymmetrical leg elastic spacing

• US 6,689,115 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2000
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Popp, Robert Lee, Coenen, Joseph D., Quereshi, Shawn A., Le Minh, Toan Thanh, Vogt, Robert Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): REICHLE, KARIN M
• Application Number:
  US09/642,206
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 604/385-4-3, 604/393-396, 604/346-349, 604/397-402, 604/385.17, 604/385.22, 604/387, 604/385.01, 240/0-4-8, 602/67-70, D24/385.19, D24/385.09, D24/126
• US Class Current: 604/385.27
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49017 the elastic means being located at the crotch region

Abstract

A pant-like absorbent garment adapted to the non-symmetrical nature and leakage demands of the anatomy of the human body has variable spacing and curvature among the elastic members bonded around the leg openings such that the spacing and/or curvature is asymmetrical with respect to the wearer'"'"'s anterior and posterior sides. The spacing and curvature profiles of the elastic members are designed to accommodate various pressure demands around a wearer'"'"'s legs during different activities. The resulting garment has optimized comfort, fit and containment about the leg openings.

Claims

1. An absorbent garment, comprising:

a waste containment section comprising an anterior side and a posterior side which define first and second leg openings and a waist opening, and a crotch area adapted to be located between a wearer'"'"'s legs; and

a first set of at least three non-segmented elastic members bonded to the absorbent garment about the first leg opening and a second set of at least three non-segmented elastic members bonded to the absorbent garment about the second leg opening, the first set of elastic members and the second set of elastic members located on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis bisecting the absorbent garment;

wherein spacing between the bonded elastic members around each leg opening is asymmetrical about each leg opening with respect to a front area and a rear area thereof, with the spacing between each of the bonded elastic members in the rear area of each leg opening being narrower than the spacing between each of the bonded elastic members in a crotch area of each leg opening and with the spacing between the bonded elastic members in the crotch area of each leg opening being narrower than the spacing between the bonded elastic members in the front area of each leg opening.

2. An absorbent garment, comprising:

a waste containment section comprising an anterior side and a posterior side which define first and second leg openings and a waist opening, and a crotch area adapted to be located between a wearer'"'"'s legs; and

a first set of at least three non-segmented elastic members bonded to the absorbent garment about the first leg opening and a second set of at least three non-segmented elastic members bonded to the absorbent garment about the second leg opening, the first set of elastic members and the second set of elastic members located on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis bisecting the absorbent garment;

wherein spacing between the bonded elastic members around each leg opening and curvature of the bonded elastic members around each leg opening are asymmetrical about each leg opening with respect to a front area and a rear area thereof, with the spacing between each of the bonded elastic members in the rear area of each leg opening being narrower than the spacing between each of the bonded elastic members, in a crotch area of each leg opening and with the spacing between the bonded elastic members in the crotch area of each leg opening being narrower than the spacing between the bonded elastic members in the front area of each leg opening.

3. The absorbent garment of claim 2 wherein the bonded elastic members have a higher degree of curvature in the front area of each leg opening than in the rear area of each leg opening.

4. The absorbent garment of claim 2 wherein the bonded elastic members have a higher degree of curvature in the rear area of each leg opening than in the front area of each leg opening.

5. The absorbent garment of claim 2, comprising a diaper.

6. The absorbent garment of claim 2, comprising swim wear.

7. The absorbent garment of claim 2, comprising child training pants.

8. The absorbent garment of claim 2, comprising an incontinence product.