Disposable elastic absorbent article having retaining enclosures

• US 7,037,299 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: First Quality Products Incorporated (First Quality Products LLC)
• Original Assignee: First Quality Products Incorporated (First Quality Products LLC)
• Inventors: Turi, Mordechai, Kauschke, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Zalukaeva, Tatyana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bogart, Michael G.
• Application Number:
  US10/900,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20050055004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 604/385.01, 604/385.19, 604/385.24, 604/385.25, 604/385.27, 604/385.29, 604/385.26, 604/385.28, 604/385.3
• US Class Current: 604/385.19
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49019 the elastic means being placed longitudinally, transversely or diagonally over the article
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4942 the barrier not being integral with the top- or back-sheet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49473 the edge leakage prevention means having a continuous closed form, e.g. circle, ellipse, rectangle
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/565 pants type diaper

Abstract

An integral disposable elasticized absorbent article has a front waist portion, a back waist portion, a crotch portion, a pair of spaced apart leg openings, an absorbent core member, and means for tightly fitting the absorbent body to the body of the wearer. The absorbent article has a barrier layer which comprises one or more segments overlying portions of the absorbent core member, and defining one or more retaining enclosures between the barrier layer segments and the underlying portion of the absorbent core member.

Claims

1. An integral disposable elasticized absorbent article providing dual barrier layer protection and having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, comprising:

(a) a topsheet, a backsheet, a waist portion having a front waist portion and a back waist portion, a crotch portion and a pair of spaced apart leg openings;

(b) an absorbent layer having a longitudinal axis and a horizontal axis disposed between said topsheet and said backsheet, said absorbent layer being defined by two opposed spaced apart longitudinal sides, each longitudinal side having a proximal end, a distal end and a middle portion, and opposed spaced apart proximal and distal lateral ends;

(c) means for fastening said absorbent article around a waist portion of a wearer of the absorbent article; and

(d) a pair of elasticized barrier layers selected from the group consisting of

(d1) a pair of elasticized end barrier layers including;

(i) a first arch-shaped elasticized barrier layer formed of a pair of opposed leg segments and a generally concave bight segment connecting said leg segments, and having a first of said leg segments attached to said topsheet along a length of the periphery of said absorbent layer between the middle portion and distal end, inclusive, of one of said longitudinal sides, a second of said leg segments opposite said first leg segment attached to said topsheet along a length of the periphery of said absorbent layer between the middle portion and distal end, inclusive, of the other of said longitudinal sides, and said bight segment attached to said topsheet along said distal lateral end of said absorbent layer, thereby forming a first retaining enclosure between said first barrier layer and said topsheet; and

(ii) a second arch-shape elasticized barrier layer formed of a pair of opposed leg segments and a generally concave bight segment connecting said leg segments, and having a first of said leg segments attached to said topsheet along a length of the periphery of said absorbent layer between the middle portion and proximal end, inclusive, of said one longitudinal side, a second of said leg segments opposite said first leg segment attached to said topsheet along a length of the periphery of said absorbent layer between the middle portion and proximal end, inclusive, of said other longitudinal side, and said bight segment attached to said topsheet along said proximal lateral end of said absorbent layer, thereby forming a second retaining enclosure between said second barrier layer and said topsheet;

each of said first and second arch-shaped elasticized barrier layers being disposed with the respective free ends of said leg segments intersecting and overlapping the respective free ends of said leg segments of the other of said barrier layers to form in said crotch portion a double barrier layer on said topsheet along the middle portion of each of said longitudinal sides; and

(d2) a pair of elasticized side barrier layers including;

(i) a first generally concave elasticized barrier layer having a first end segment attached to said topsheet along a length of the periphery of said absorbent layer between the middle portion and distal end, inclusive, of one of said longitudinal sides, and a second end segment opposite said first end segment attached to said topsheet along a length of the periphery of said absorbent layer between the middle portion and proximal end, inclusive, of said one longitudinal side, and an intermediate segment connecting said first and second end segments attached to said topsheet along said one longitudinal side, thereby forming a first retaining enclosure between said first barrier layer and said topsheet; and

(ii) a second generally concave elasticized barrier layer having a first end segment attached to said topsheet along a length of the periphery of said absorbent layer between the middle portion and distal end, inclusive, of the other of said longitudinal sides, a second end segment opposite said first end segment attached to said topsheet along a length of the periphery of said absorbent layer between the middle portion and proximal end, inclusive, of said other longitudinal side, and an intermediate segment connecting said first and second end segments attached to said topsheet along said other longitudinal side, thereby forming a second retaining enclosure between said second barrier layer and said topsheet;

each of said first and second elasticized barrier layers being formed of a pair of generally triangular elements disposed with the respective apices thereof intersecting and overlapping each other to form in said crotch portion a double barrier layer on said topsheet along the middle portions of each of said longitudinal sides.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein said pair of elasticized barrier layers is said pair of elasticized side barrier layers.

3. The article of claim 2 wherein:

one of said first and second end segments of each of said first and second elasticized side barrier layers is attached to said topsheet along one of said proximal and distal ends of said absorbent layer; and

the other of said first and second end segments of each of said first and second elasticized side barrier layers is attached to said topsheet along the other of said proximal and distal ends of said absorbent layer.

4. The article of claim 2 wherein one of said triangular elements of said first elasticized side barrier layer intersects and overlaps a laterally aligned one of said triangular elements of said second elasticized side barrier layers to form a double barrier layer on said top sheet along one of said proximal and distal lateral ends of said absorbent layer.

5. The article of claim 4 forming three double barrier layers.

6. The article of claim 2 wherein each of said triangular elements of said first elasticized side barrier layer intersects and overlaps a respective laterally aligned one of said triangular elements of said second elasticized side barrier layer to form a double barrier layer on said top sheet along each of said proximal and distal lateral ends of said absorbent layer.

7. The article of claim 6 forming four double barrier layers.

8. The article of claim 1 wherein said pair of elasticized barrier layers is said pair of elasticized end barrier layers.

9. The article of claim 2 wherein each of said generally triangular elements forms a generally right triangular element with the hypotenuse of said generally right triangular element being elasticized.

10. The article of claim 9 wherein only said hypotenuse of each said generally right triangular element is elasticized.

11. The article of claim 9 wherein said hypotenuses intercept and overlap each other at points spaced from both said longitudinal sides.

12. The article of claim 8 wherein the inner edges of said leg segments are elasticized.

13. The article of claim 12 wherein only said inner edges of said leg segments are elasticized.

14. The article of claim 8 wherein said inner edges of said leg segments intersect and overlap each other only at points spaced from both said longitudinal sides.

15. The article of claim 8 wherein the inner edges of said bight segments are elasticized and spaced from an adjacent one of said lateral ends.

16. The article of claim 1 wherein each of said elasticized barrier layers has an elasticized inner edge

(i) defining a partially continuous configuration having a discontinuity therein, and

(ii) extending for essentially its entire length non-parallel to said longitudinal axis.

17. The article of claim 1 wherein each of said elasticized barrier layers is a vapor-pervious nonwoven.

18. An integral disposable elasticized absorbent article having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, comprising:

(a) a top sheet, a back sheet, a waist portion having a front waist portion and a back waist portion, a crotch portion and a pair of spaced apart leg openings;

(b) an absorbent layer having a longitudinal axis and a horizontal axis disposed between said top sheet and said back sheet, said absorbent layer being defined by two opposed spaced apart longitudinal sides, each longitudinal side having a proximal end, a distal end and a middle portion, and opposed spaced apart proximal and distal lateral ends;

(c) means for fastening said absorbent article around a waist portion of a wearer of the absorbent article; and

(d) at least one elasticized barrier layer selected from the group consisting of;

(i) an arch-shaped elasticized end barrier layer formed of a pair of opposed leg segments and a generally concave bight segment connecting said leg segments, and having a first of said leg segments attached to said top sheet along a length of the periphery of said absorbent layer between the middle portion and distal end, inclusive, of one of said longitudinal sides, a second of said leg segments opposite said first attached to said top sheet along a length of the periphery of said absorbent layer between the middle portion and distal end, inclusive, of the other of said longitudinal sides, and said bight segment attached to said top sheet along said distal lateral end of said absorbent layer, thereby forming a retaining enclosure between said barrier layer and said top sheet;

(ii) a generally concave elasticized end barrier layer having a first end segment attached to said top sheet along a length of the periphery of said absorbent layer between the middle portion and distal end, inclusive, of one of said longitudinal sides, a second end segment opposite said first end segment attached to said top sheet along a length of the periphery of said absorbent layer between the middle portion and proximal end, inclusive, of the other of said longitudinal sides, and an intermediate segment connecting said first and second end segments attached to said top sheet along one of said lateral ends of said absorbent layer, thereby forming a retaining enclosure between said barrier layer and said top sheet;

(iii) a generally concave elasticized side barrier layer having a first end segment attached to said top sheet along a length of the periphery of said absorbent layer between the middle portion and distal end, inclusive, of one of said longitudinal sides, and a second end segment opposite said first end segment attached to said top sheet along a length of the periphery of said absorbent layer between the middle portion and proximal end, inclusive, of said one longitudinal side, and an intermediate segment connecting said first and second end segments attached to said top sheet along said one longitudinal side, thereby forming a retaining enclosure between said barrier layer and said top sheet; and

(iv) combinations thereof;

said at least one elasticized barrier layer having an elasticized inner edge

(A) defining a partially continuous configuration having a discontinuity therein, and

(B) extending for essentially its entire length non-parallel to said longitudinal axis.

19. The article of claim 18 wherein said at least one elasticized barrier layer is said arch-shaped elasticized end barrier layer.

20. The article of claim 18 wherein said at least one elasticized barrier layer is said generally concave elasticized end barrier layer.

21. The article of claim 18 wherein said at least one elasticized barrier layer is said generally concave elasticized side barrier layer.

22. The article of claim 18 wherein said arch-shaped elasticized end barrier layer of paragraph (i) defines a pair of facing retaining enclosures, said generally concave elasticized end barrier layer of paragraph (ii) defines a single retaining enclosure adjacent said one lateral end of said absorbent layer, and (iii) said generally concave elasticize side barrier layer defines a single retaining enclosure spaced from the other of said longitudinal sides.