Pull-on disposable diaper

• US 7,207,978 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2004
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Inventors: Takino, Shunsuke, Otsubo, Toshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zalukaeva; Tatyana
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDERSON, CATHARINE L
• Application Number:
  US10/945,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20050038404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 604/385.01, 604/385.201, 60438525-38528, 604393-396, 604/400
• 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 13/4942 the barrier not being integral with the top- or back-sheet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4946 the edge leakage prevention means being an absorbent medium A61F13/49426 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/496 in the form of pants or briefs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5323 having absorbent material located in discrete regions, e.g. pockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/4568 three-dimensional; with split absorbent core

Abstract

A pull-on disposable diaper has front and rear waist covering regions and a crotch covering region wherein a bodily discharge absorbing component extends over the crotch covering region into the front and rear waist covering regions. In the crotch covering region, the bodily discharge absorbing component is folded inward along first, second and third folding guides in a transverse direction of the absorbing component. A pair of flaps are formed along transversely opposite lateral side edges of the bodily discharge absorbing component. In each of the flaps, a first lateral marginal edge extending along the associated lateral edge is bonded to an outer surface of the bodily discharge absorbing component and a second lateral marginal edge lies on the side of an inner surface of the absorbing component. An elastic member is attached to the flap in a stretched state in a longitudinal direction of the flap.

Claims

1. A pull-on disposable diaper having a height direction and a transverse direction being orthogonal to said height direction, said diaper comprising:

a pants-type covering component having an inner surface and an outer surface opposed to said inner surface; and

a bodily discharge absorbent component;

wherein

said covering component comprises a front waist covering region, a rear waist covering region and a crotch covering region which define together a waist-hole and a pair of leg-holes;

said bodily discharge absorbing component is located on said inner surface of said covering component and extends over said crotch covering region into said front and rear waist covering regions;

said bodily discharge absorbing component has transversely opposite lateral edges, which extend parallel to each other in said height direction, and a middle zone between said lateral edges;

said bodily discharge absorbing component is formed with a first folding guide extending from the middle zone to respective said lateral edges in said front waist covering region, a second folding guide extending from said middle zone to respective said lateral edges in said rear waist covering region, and a third folding guide extending in said transverse direction between said first and second folding guides;

said bodily discharge absorbing component has a folded state in which said absorbing component is folded along said third folding guide so that an outer surface of said absorbing component has sections facing each other, and folded along said first and second folding guides so that an inner surface of said absorbing component has sections facing each other;

said diaper further comprises flaps formed along said lateral edges of said bodily discharge absorbing component, each said flap having first and second lateral marginal edges extending parallel to said lateral edges of said bodily discharge absorbing component and first and second ends;

each said flap is folded around the associated lateral edge of said bodily discharge absorbing component so that said first and second lateral marginal edges of said flap lie on the side of the outer surface and on the side of the inner surface of said bodily discharge absorbing component, respectively;

said first and second ends of each said flap are respectively joined to front and rear ends of said bodily discharge absorbing component lying in said front and rear waist covering regions, respectively;

said diaper further comprises first elastic members each attached to said second lateral marginal edge of one of said flaps and contractible in a longitudinal direction of said flap;

the facing sections of the outer surface of said absorbing component are free of direct attachment to each other, and contraction of said first elastic members in the longitudinal direction maintains the bodily discharge absorbing component in the folded state;

the disposable diaper further comprises second elastic members each of which is attached to one of said flaps in an intermediate zone defined between said first and second lateral marginal edges of said flap and is contractible in said longitudinal direction of said flap;

the absorbing component includes, between the lateral edges, a middle portion and side portions on opposite sides of said middle portion;

the absorbing component is directly bonded to the inner surface of said covering component in said middle portion, and is not directly bonded to said covering component in said side portions and along said lateral edges; and

contraction of said first and second elastic members raises at least said lateral edges of said absorbing component away from said covering component.

2. A pull-on disposable diaper, comprising:

a covering component having opposite inner and outer surfaces; and

a bodily discharge absorbent component;

wherein

said covering component comprises a front waist covering region, a rear waist covering region and a crotch covering region extending in a longitudinal direction of said diaper between said waist regions, transversely opposite side edges of the waist regions are permanently bonded to each other to define together a waist-hole and a pair of leg-holes;

said bodily discharge absorbing component is located on said inner surface of said covering component and extends over said crotch covering region into said front and rear waist covering regions;

said bodily discharge absorbing component has transversely opposite lateral edges and a middle zone between said lateral edges;

said bodily discharge absorbing component is formed with a first folding guide extending from the middle zone to respective said lateral edges in said front waist covering region, a second folding guide extending from said middle zone to respective said lateral edges in said rear waist covering region, and a third folding guide extending in a transverse direction of said diaper between said first and second folding guides;

said bodily discharge absorbing component has a folded state in which said absorbing component is folded along said third folding guide so that an outer surface of said absorbing component has sections facing each other, and folded along said first and second folding guides so that an inner surface of said absorbing component has sections facing each other;

said diaper further comprises flaps formed along said lateral edges of said bodily discharge absorbing component, each said flap having first and second lateral marginal edges extending in the longitudinal direction and first and second ends;

each said flap is folded around the associated lateral edge of said bodily discharge absorbing component so that said first and second lateral marginal edges of said flap lie on the side of the outer surface and on the side of the inner surface of said bodily discharge absorbing component, respectively;

said first and second ends of each said flap are respectively joined to front and rear ends of said bodily discharge absorbing component lying in said front and rear waist covering regions, respectively;

said diaper further comprises first elastic members each attached to the second lateral marginal edge of one of said flaps and contractible in said longitudinal direction;

each said flap has between the first and second ends thereof a middle portion which is not directly bonded to the absorbing component to define an opening to a pocket formed between said flap and the respective lateral edge of said absorbing component, thereby allowing bodily discharges to enter said pocket through said opening and to be absorbed by said absorbing component in a vicinity of said respective lateral edge of said absorbing component;

the disposable diaper further comprises second elastic members each of which is attached to one of said flaps in an intermediate zone defined between said first and second lateral marginal edges of said flap and is contractible in said longitudinal direction;

the absorbing component includes, between the lateral edges, a middle portion and side portions on opposite sides of said middle portion;

the absorbing component is directly bonded to the inner surface of said covering component in said middle portion, and is not directly bonded to said covering component in said side portions and along said lateral edges;

the first lateral marginal edge of each said flap is directly bonded to the outer surface of said absorbing component in one of said side portions; and

contraction of said first and second elastic members raises said lateral edges and said side portions of said absorbing component away from said covering component.

3. The diaper of claim 2, wherein said flaps are free of direct attachment to the crotch covering region of said covering component.