Disposable wearing article having a transverse partition

• US 7,666,173 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Inventors: Nakajima, Kaiyo, Mishima, Yoshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Zalukaeva; Tatyana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Craig; Paula L
• Application Number:
  US11/138,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20050267436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 604/385.19, 604/385.27, 604/385.08, 604/385.09, 604/385.28, 604/385.29, 604/401, 604/402, 604/385.101
• US Class Current: 604/385.19
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4915 specially adapted for male use
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/495 with faecal cavity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/4956 with vertical spacer or separator keeping other components out of contact

Abstract

A disposable wearing article includes a partition provided in a front half of a crotch region divided by a transverse centerline bisecting a longitudinal dimension of the article so that the partition extends in the transverse direction on a topsheet. During use of the article, the partition curves in the transverse direction so as to describe a generally circular arc which is convex upward above the topsheet. The partition is thus spaced upward from the topsheet and the wearer'"'"'s genital organ in contact with an outer surface of the partition is also spaced from the topsheet. In this way, the genital organ is protected from soiling with loose passage.

Claims

1. A disposable wearing article, comprising:

a diaper structure which includes

a front waist region;

a rear waist region;

a crotch region extending in a longitudinal direction of the article between said front and rear waist regions;

a body-faceable liquid-pervious topsheet;

an opposed liquid-impervious backsheet;

a liquid-absorbent core interposed between said topsheet and said backsheet so as to extend between said front and rear waist regions;

a partition which extends in a transverse direction of said article above said topsheet and is positioned at least in a front half of the crotch region, said partition having transversely opposite lateral zones bonded to transversely opposite side edge portions of the diaper structure and an intermediate zone defined between said lateral zones and free of direct attachment to said diaper structure; and

a pair of leak-barrier flaps extending in the longitudinal direction of said article above the topsheet, said leak-barrier flaps having

proximal zones bonded to the side edge portions of said diaper structure so as to extend in the longitudinal direction,

distal zones extending in the longitudinal direction and biased to rise up above said topsheet,

front and rear ends collapsed in the transverse direction and bonded in such collapsed state to vicinities of front and rear ends of said diaper structure, and

stretchable and contractible elastic members attached in a stretched state to said distal zones;

wherein

said partition is laid between said leak-barrier flaps and has transversely opposite regions of said intermediate zone being permanently and directly bonded to the respective distal zones of said leak-barrier flaps so that said intermediate zone is lifted above said topsheet as the respective distal zones of said leak-barrier flaps rise up above said topsheet;

a channel is defined between the intermediate zone of said partition and said topsheet to allow free movement of body discharges in the longitudinal direction between the front and rear waist regions;

the lateral zones of said partition are bonded to the respective side edge portions of the diaper structure at first bonding sites; and

the transversely opposite regions of said intermediate zone are permanently and directly bonded to the respective distal zones of said leak-barrier flaps at second bonding sites which are different from and located between the first bonding sites as seen in the transverse direction.