Disposable diaper

• US 7,500,969 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2005
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Inventors: Nakajima, Kaiyo, Mishima, Yoshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephens; Jacqueline F.
• Application Number:
  US11/105,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20050234421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 604/385.201, 604/385.19, 604/385.01, 604/396, 604/398, 604/385.3
• 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 13/49406 the edge leakage prevention means being at the crotch region
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53436 having an undulated or corrugated cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53778 with grooves

Abstract

A disposable diaper is formed in a crotch region with a body fluid absorbent panel extending in a back-and-forth direction of the diaper and in the vicinity of transversely opposite side edges of the crotch region with elastic leak-barrier cuffs extending in the back-and-forth direction. The leak-barrier cuffs are normally under a tension in the back-and-forth direction. The body fluid absorbent panel is formed with first folding guide means extending across the body fluid absorbent panel, along which the body fluid absorbent panel can be folded to bring the body fluid absorbent panel close to the diaper wearer.

Claims

1. A disposable diaper having a back-and-forth direction and a transverse direction being orthogonal to said back-and-forth direction, said diaper comprising:

a front waist region;

a rear waist region;

a crotch region extending between said front and rear waist regions;

a body fluid absorbent panel provided in at least said crotch region and extending in said back-and-forth direction;

leak-barrier cuffs lying in a vicinity of transversely opposite side edges of said body fluid absorbent panel, respectively, and extending in said back-and-forth direction, said leak-barrier cuffs respectively having proximal edges and distal edges, wherein

said proximal edges are bonded to said body fluid absorbent panel in the vicinity of the respective side edges, and

said distal edges are laid inside with respect to the respective proximal edges as viewed in said transverse direction and elastically stretchable and contractible in said back-and-forth direction so as to cover a part of said body fluid absorbent panel; and

said body fluid absorbent panel in said crotch region being formed with

a first folding guide extending across said body fluid absorbent panel in said transverse direction so that said body fluid absorbent panel is folded inward along said first folding guide to describe a generally inverted V-sectional shape, and

a second folding guide along which said body fluid absorbent panel can be folded so as to describe a generally V-sectional shape, said second folding guide lying toward said rear waist region from said first folding guide and extending in parallel to said first folding guide.

2. The diaper as defined by claim 1, wherein said distal edges of said leak-baffler cuffs are bonded to said body fluid absorbent panel in a vicinity of said first folding guide.

3. The diaper as defined by claim 1, wherein said body fluid absorbent panel comprises

a liquid-pervious upper sheet adapted to come in contact with a wearer,

a liquid-impervious or liquid-pervious lower sheet, and

a body fluid absorbent core interposed between said two sheets and having a lower side adjacent said lower sheet and an upper side adjacent said upper sheet;

and

wherein

said first folding guide is a generally inverted V-shaped groove extending from the lower side of said body fluid absorbent panel toward the upper side; and

said second folding guide is a generally V-shaped grooves extending from the upper side of said body fluid absorbent panel toward the lower side.

4. A disposable diaper having a back-and-forth direction and a transverse direction being orthogonal to said back-and-forth direction, said diaper comprising:

a front waist region;

a rear waist region;

a crotch region extending between said front and rear waist regions;

a body fluid absorbent panel provided in at least said crotch region and extending in said back-and-forth direction;

leak-barrier cuffs lying in a vicinity of transversely opposite side edges of said body fluid absorbent panel, respectively, and extending in said back-and-forth direction, said leak-barrier cuffs respectively having proximal edges and distal edges, wherein

said proximal edges are bonded to said body fluid absorbent panel in the vicinity of the respective side edges, and

said distal edges are laid inside with respect to the respective proximal edges as viewed in said transverse direction and elastically stretchable and contractible in said back-and-forth direction so as to cover a part of said body fluid absorbent panel; and

said body fluid absorbent panel in said crotch region being formed with a first folding guide extending across said body fluid absorbent panel in said transverse direction so that said body fluid absorbent panel is folded inward along said first folding guide to describe a generally inverted V-sectional shape;

wherein said body fluid absorbent panel is formed with, in addition to said first folding guide, at least one of

a second folding guide along which said body fluid absorbent panel can be folded so as to describe a generally V-sectional shape, said second folding guide lying toward said front waist region from said first folding guide and extending in parallel to said first folding guide; and

a third folding guide along which said body fluid absorbent panel can be folded so as to describe a generally V-sectional shape, said third folding guide lying toward said rear waist region from said first folding guide and extending in parallel to said first folding guide.

5. The diaper as defined by claim 4, wherein said body fluid absorbent panel comprises

a liquid-pervious upper sheet adapted to come in contact with a wearer,

a liquid-impervious or liquid-pervious lower sheet, and

a body fluid absorbent core interposed between said two sheets and having a lower side adjacent said lower sheet and an upper side adjacent said upper sheet;

and

wherein

said first folding guide is a generally inverted V-shaped groove extending from the lower side of said body fluid absorbent panel toward the upper side; and

said second and third folding guides are generally V-shaped grooves extending from the upper side of said body fluid absorbent panel toward the lower side.