Absorbent article with adjustable waist feature

• US 5,989,236 A
• Filed: 03/13/1998
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Fisher, Constance Lee, Roe, Donald C., Bergman, Carl L., Dreier, Kimberly A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Polutta, Mark O.
• Application Number:
  US09/042,421
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 604/385.1, 604/386, 604/391, 604/389
• US Class Current: 604/385.04
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/493 adjustable by adding or removing material, e.g. umbilical cord arrangements adjustable by the fastening A61F13/5638, A61F13/5655

Abstract

A disposable absorbent article including a chassis having a body facing surface and a garment facing surface. The disposable absorbent article also includes a fold down waist feature disposed in the rear waist region which extends longitudinally outwardly from the rear waist edge of the core and includes at least one ear flap extending laterally outwardly from one of the longitudinal edges of the core. A fastening system for joining a portion of the front waist region and a portion of the rear waist region is provided. The fastening system preferably includes a first fastening element disposed on the inner surface of the side panel, a second fastening element disposed on the outer surface of the side panel and a third fastening element disposed on the garment facing surface of the chassis in the front waist region. Both the first fastening element and the second fastening element are separately engageable with the third fastening element such that the absorbent article may be fitted to a wearer in a first configuration wherein the first fastening element is engaged with the third fastening element and a second configuration wherein at least a portion of the waist feature is folded longitudinally inwardly.

Claims

1. A disposable absorbent article having a front waist region, a rear waist region, a crotch region located between the front waist region and the rear waist region, a longitudinal centerline and a lateral centerline;

the disposable absorbent article including;

a chassis, having a body facing surface and a garment facing surface, the chassis comprising a topsheet forming at least a portion of the body facing surface of the chassis, a backsheet joined with the topsheet the backsheet forming at least a portion of the garment facing surface of the chassis, and a core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the core having a front waist edge, a rear waist edge and a pair of longitudinal edges;

a fold down waist feature disposed in the rear waist region, the fold down waist feature extending longitudinally outwardly from the rear waist edge of the core and including at least one ear flap extending laterally outwardly beyond one of the longitudinal edges of the core, the ear flap having an inner surface and an opposed outer surface;

the fold down waist feature further including a waist flap having a waist flap proximal edge and a waist flap distal edge, the waist flap proximal edge being joined with the chassis in the rear waist region and at least a portion of the waist flap distal edge being unsecured to the chassis such that when the fold down waist feature is folded longitudinally inwardly at least a portion of the waist flap distal edge may be disposed longitudinally outwardly from the waist flap proximal edge.

2. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 further including a fastening system for joining a portion of the front waist region and a portion of the rear waist region, the fastening system including a first fastening element disposed on the inner surface of the side panel, a second fastening element disposed on the outer surface of the side panel and a third fastening element disposed on the garment facing surface of the chassis in the front waist region, both the first fastening element and the second fastening element being separately engageable with the third fastening element such that the absorbent article may be fitted to a wearer in a first configuration wherein the first fastening element is engaged with the third fastening element and a second configuration wherein at least a portion of the waist feature is folded longitudinally inwardly and the second fastening element is engaged with the third fastening element.

3. A disposable absorbent article having a front waist region, a rear waist region, a crotch region located between the front waist region and the rear waist region, a longitudinal centerline and a lateral centerline;

the disposable absorbent article including;

a chassis, having a body facing surface and a garment facing surface, the chassis comprising a topsheet forming at least a portion of the body facing surface of the chassis, a backsheet joined with the topsheet the backsheet forming at least a portion of the garment facing surface of the chassis, and a core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the core having a front waist edge, a rear waist edge and a pair of longitudinal edges;

a fold down waist feature disposed in the rear waist region, the fold down waist feature extending longitudinally outwardly from the rear waist edge of the core and including at least one ear flap extending laterally outwardly beyond one of the longitudinal edges of the core, the ear flap having an inner surface and an opposed outer surface;

the fold down waist feature further including a waist flap having a waist flap proximal edge and a waist flap distal edge, the waist flap proximal edge being joined with the chassis in the rear waist region and at least a portion of the waist flap distal edge being unsecured to the chassis such that when the fold down waist feature is in a longitudinally extended configuration the waist flap proximal edge is disposed longitudinally outwardly from the waist flap distal edge and when the fold down waist feature is folded longitudinally inwardly the waist flap proximal edge is disposed longitudinally inwardly from the waist flap distal edge.

4. A disposable absorbent article having a front waist region, a rear waist region, a crotch region located between the front waist region and the rear waist region, a longitudinal centerline and a lateral centerline;

the disposable absorbent article including;

a chassis, having a body facing surface and a garment facing surface, the chassis comprising a topsheet forming at least a portion of the body facing surface of the chassis, a backsheet joined with the topsheet the backsheet forming at least a portion of the garment facing surface of the chassis, and a core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the core having a front waist edge, a rear waist edge and a pair of longitudinal edges;

a fold down waist feature disposed in the rear waist region, the fold down waist feature extending longitudinally outwardly from the rear waist edge of the core and including at least one ear flap extending laterally outwardly beyond one of the longitudinal edges of the core, the ear flap having an inner surface and an opposed outer surface;

the fold down waist feature further including a waist flap having a waist flap proximal edge and a waist flap distal edge, and longitudinal sides, the waist flap longitudinal sides being substantially unattached to the fold down waist feature, the waist flap proximal edge being joined with the chassis in the rear waist region and at least a portion of the waist flap distal edge being unsecured to the chassis such that when the fold down waist feature is folded longitudinally inwardly at least a portion of the waist flap distal edge may be disposed longitudinally outwardly from the waist flap proximal edge or longitudinally inwardly from the waist flap proximal edge.