Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-12
2004-04-27
Lo, Weilun (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S385101, C604S367000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06727404
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to a disposable absorbent pant having fluid handling characteristics that encourage a wearer to progress through and complete the toilet training process.
When a child begins toilet training, the toilet training process may be hampered by the child's inability to discern the difference between diapers and training pants if the training pants are as thick and cumbersome as the diapers. If the training pants appear to be too diaper-like, the child may not be motivated to participate in the toilet training process. Furthermore, if the training pants absorb liquid rapidly, the toilet training process may be further hampered by the child's inability to sense wetness within the garment. Thin absorbents not only provide for a greater garment-like appearance and improved discretion when worn under other garments, but also may provide limited absorbent capacity that results in fluid handling characteristics that encourage children to complete the toilet training process at a faster rate than children wearing currently available disposable diapers and training pants.
During the toilet training process, a child may be particularly motivated to become fully toilet-trained if his or her training pants hold only a limited amount of waste. More particularly, if a training pant is designed to absorb multiple insults, the child may not be as aware of having urinated and may not be as motivated to change his or her training pant immediately after the first insult. However, if a training pant is designed to hold only one or two insults, and is further designed to handle the fluid in such a manner that the child is aware that fluid is present in the training pant, the child may be more likely to realize immediately after a first insult that a clean training pant should be applied in order to avoid any embarrassing leakage that would occur after multiple insults.
Leakage protection is very important in training pants designed to hold only one or two insults. If a training pant leaks with less than one insult or at very low volumes of urine, the child may become frustrated with toilet training. The child may perceive the act of changing the training pant as futile, since the garment is destined to leak regardless of the number or amount of insults. Furthermore, leakage protection in a training pant having limited absorbent capacity benefits the wearer by providing a safeguard against embarrassing leakage after a first insult, and also benefits a caregiver by preventing extra work and stains in the wearer's clothing if the wearer informs the caregiver of the need to change the training pant after the first insult. If the wearer of a training pant having limited absorbent capacity and leakage protection exceeds the capacity of the pant by issuing multiple insults, the wearer not only experiences unavoidable leakage due to the excessive urine volume but also incurs disappointment from the caregiver, thus giving the training pant wearer an incentive to become toilet trained. The wearer of a limited absorbent capacity training pant may be further motivated to become toilet trained through the realization of the hassle of having to have the pants changed after every insult.
There is a need or desire for a disposable absorbent pant that encourages accelerated toilet training.
There is a further need or desire for a low capacity disposable absorbent pant that is capable of absorbing only one or two insults, and preventing leakage of one or two insults, while providing awareness to the wearer of the wetness incurred from one or two insults.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In response to the discussed difficulties and problems encountered in the prior art, a low capacity disposable absorbent pant having fluid handling characteristics that encourage accelerated toilet training has been discovered.
The disposable absorbent pant includes a chassis with a waist opening and a pair of leg openings defined therein. The chassis includes an outer cover, a body side liner at least partially bonded to the outer cover, and an absorbent pad positioned between the outer cover and the body side liner. The absorbent article is designed to function over a wide range of user activities and positions while providing a thin, garment-like appearance.
The training pant including the thin absorbent pad looks more like “big kid” underwear than a bulky diaper, and is more discreet underneath clothing than a bulky diaper. The absorbent pad itself is suitably less than about 2 millimeters thick, and the entire absorbent article is suitably less than about 3 millimeters thick.
The low absorbent capacity and fluid handling characteristics of the absorbent article of the invention may motivate a child to change into a clean training pant immediately after issuing an insult into the training pant. More particularly, the pant suitably has an absorbent capacity of between about 30 and about 400 grams, or between about 40 and about 300 grams, or between about 50 and about 150 grams.
A slow fluid intake time results in pooled fluid, which can be felt by the wearer. Suitably, the pant has a fluid intake rate for a 40 milliliter (ml) insult of at least 7 seconds, or at least 12 seconds, or at least 16 seconds, and a fluid intake rate for an 80 ml insult of at least 45 seconds, or at least 65 seconds, or at least 80 seconds.
Also, a delayed fluid lock-up time, exemplified by an initially high fluid flowback followed by a much reduced fluid flowback, causes a squishy, uncomfortable feeling which also makes the wearer aware of the wetness within the pant. Suitably, the pant has a final flowback of a 40 ml insult of less than 35% of an initial flowback of the 40 ml insult, or a final flowback of the 40 ml insult of less than 30% of the initial flowback, or a final flowback of the 40 ml insult of less than 25% of the initial flowback, and a final flowback of an 80 ml insult of less than 60% of an initial flowback of the 80 ml insult, or a final flowback of the 80 ml insult of less than 50% of the initial flowback, or a final flowback of the 80 ml insult of less than 45% of the initial flowback.
Additionally, a fluid distribution covering a considerable portion of the absorbent pad means that the wetness can come into contact with a larger surface area of the wearer's skin to increase the wearer's ability to realize that he or she is wet. Suitably, the pant has a fluid distribution of an 80 ml insult of at least 60%, or at least 65%, or at least 70%.
A Cradle Test, described herein, can be used to measure the fluid handling characteristics of the absorbent pant of the invention, as well as the fluid handling characteristics of other absorbent pants for comparison purposes. From the data provided herein, it can be seen that an absorbent pant having the fluid handling characteristics described herein can be used to effectively toilet train a child. Training pants are often tested and found to have measurable differences compared to conventional training pants, but such differences are not necessarily felt by the wearer of the garment. However, the differences found in the garments of the present invention are measurable in terms of quantitative data as well as in qualitative differences experienced by the wearer. Recognizing and responding to urination are key accomplishments associated with toilet training progress and are taught by this pant.
With the foregoing in mind, particular embodiments of the invention provide an absorbent article that imparts wetness awareness in the garment.
Additionally, particular embodiments of the invention provide a method and a toilet training garment that motivate a child to complete the toilet training process more quickly than using conventional absorbent garments.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3338992 (1967-08-01), Kinney
patent: 3341394 (1967-09-01), Kinney
patent: 3502538 (1970-03-01), Petersen
patent: 3502763 (1970-03-01), Hartmann
patent: 3542615 (1970-11-01), Dobo et al.
patent: 3692618 (1972-09-01), Dorschner et al.
patent: 3802817 (1974-04-01)
Olson Christopher Peter
Ruman Marcille Faye
Sawyer Lawrence Howell
Weber Shirlee Ann
Kimberly--Clark Worldwide, Inc.
Lo Weilun
Pauley Petersen & Erickson
Stephens Jacqueline F
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