Absorbent article

Details Absorbent article Absorbent article

1996-09-10

2000-11-28

Weiss, John G.

Surgery

Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material

Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...

60438527, 60438528, A61F 1315

Patent

active

061529087

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an absorbent article which has a front part, a rear part and an intermediate crotch part, such as a diaper, an incontinence guard or like article, which includes an absorbent body, a bottom sheet comprised of liquid-impermeable material and joined to the absorbent body, and a top sheet which over a large part of its surface is free from connection with the absorbent body, i.e. not directly joined thereto, and which when the article is worn lies proximal to the wearer's skin, said top sheet including an elongated opening which extends from the rear article part into the crotch part, and elastic devices which are attached to the top sheet in a stretched state and which when contracting from their stretched state cause that part of the top sheet which is not joined to the absorbent body to be distanced from the absorbent body.
Diapers which are provided with an opening in the top sheet are known from AU-A-45217/85, EP-A2-0,357,298 and EP-A2-0,486,006 and are intended to avoid irritation of the wearer's skin as a result of excrement coming into contact with the skin. According to these publications, this is achieved because the absorbent body is brought to a basinlike shape as the elastic devices provided in the top sheet contract, at the same time as the top sheet is therewith distanced from the bottom of the basin to form a basin lid or cover which includes an opening. One problem with diapers of this kind is that the opening provided in the top sheet must be sufficiently large and so positioned as to ensure that excrement will fall safely from the wearer down onto the absorbent body. Any excrement that lands on the top sheet is highly liable to result in leakage and irritation of the skin. It has also been found that the skin is much more sensitive to a mixture of urine and faeces, and consequently it is important to minimize the risk of such a mixture coming into contact with the wearer's skin while the article is worn. When urine and faeces mix, ammonia is formed which leads to an increase in pH and also in greater activity of the faecal enzymes.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to ensure that urine and faeces will fall safely onto the absorbent body, and to prevent the urine and faeces discharged onto the absorbent body from mixing together. This object is achieved in accordance with the invention with an absorbent article of the kind defined in the introduction which is characterized in that the top sheet also includes a second elongated opening which extends from the front article part and into the crotch part, and in that a piece of flexible material extends transversely across the article between the absorbent body and the top sheet and within that area of the top sheet which lies between the two elongated openings, said piece of material being attached to the absorbent body and the top sheet. The provision of a front opening in the top sheet ensures that urine discharged from the wearer will fall onto the absorbent body, and the flexible piece of material forms a barrier which prevents urine from falling or running down over that part of the absorbent body onto which faeces are discharged and also to prevent faeces from entering that part of the absorbent body onto which urine is discharged. In addition to preventing urine and faeces mixing together, the arrangement also prevents faeces from coming into contact with the wearer's genitals.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the absorbent body includes a liquid-permeable casing sheet on that side thereof which lies distal from the bottom sheet, and that area of the top sheet which lies between the two elongated openings is located between the wetting point and the faecal discharge point. The side edges of the two elongated openings diverge from the transverse edges in the crotch part, and the elastic devices in the top sheet extend along the side edges of the openings, and the material piece mounted transversely between the top sheet and

REFERENCES:
patent: 3424160 (1969-01-01), Koornwinder et al.
patent: 3532093 (1970-10-01), Lovret
patent: 4662877 (1987-05-01), Williams
patent: 4695278 (1987-09-01), Lawson
patent: 4738677 (1988-04-01), Foreman
patent: 4935021 (1990-06-01), Huffman et al.
Translation of Portugese Document No. 9202817.

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