Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-01
2001-03-06
Weiss, John G. (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06198018
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to disposable absorbent articles such as disposable diapers, incontinence briefs, incontinence undergarments, incontinence pads, feminine hygiene garments, training pants, pull-on garments, and the like and, more particularly, to disposable absorbent articles having a breathable, fluid impervious backsheet.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Infants and other incontinent individuals wear disposable absorbent articles such as diapers to receive and contain urine and other body exudates. Absorbent articles function both to contain the discharged materials and to isolate these materials from the body of the wearer and from the wearer's garments and bed clothing. Disposable absorbent articles having many different basic designs are known to the art. It is also known that the exterior of disposable diapers can be covered with a flexible, fluid and vapor impervious sheet to prevent any absorbed fluid from passing through the diaper and soiling adjacent articles such as clothing, bedding and the like. These outer covers, generally referred to as backsheets, are often constructed from fluid impervious films such as polyethylene. Although such backsheets do prevent fluid from passing through the diaper, they also can make the diaper feel hot and uncomfortable to wear because of their impermeability to air and/or moisture.
Backsheets which are pervious to vapor are generally known as breathable backsheets and have been described in the art. In general, these backsheets are intended to allow the passage of vapor through them while retarding, at least to a degree, the passage of fluid. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,242 issued to Crowe, Jr. on Nov. 10, 1964 teaches the use of a microporous film as a breathable backsheet. U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,489, issued to Hartwell on May 6, 1975, teaches a breathable backsheet comprising in combination two layers, the first of which is a low void volume perforated thermoplastic film and the second of which is a porous high void volume hydrophobic tissue. U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,867 issued to Sisson on Nov. 2, 1976 teaches a breathable backsheet provided with tapered hollowed bosses which prevent the passage of fluids while allowing vapors to pass readily therethrough.
While these backsheets do provide improvements over the commonly practiced impermeable backsheets of the prior art, they have been found to not be sufficiently fluid impervious when subjected to normal usage conditions. For example, when used as a backsheet on a disposable diaper, the backsheets may permit the transmission of urine upon impact from an infant sitting down. This ability of a fluid to be forced through such materials results in the unwanted transmission of urine waste through the diaper backsheet.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a disposable absorbent article backsheet having good containment characteristics while being breathable to ensure comfort for the wearer.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a disposable absorbent article having a breathable backsheet having good containment characteristics when subjected to normal usage conditions.
These and other objects of the present invention will be more readily apparent when considered in reference to the following description and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to disposable absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers, having a backsheet at least a portion of which is breathable and fluid impervious. The disposable absorbent article preferably comprises a containment assembly including a fluid pervious topsheet, a backsheet joined to the topsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet. The absorbent core has a pair of opposing longitudinal edges, an inner surface and an outer surface. In some embodiments at least a portion of the backsheet exhibits substantially zero dynamic fluid transmission when subjected to an impact energy of about 1000 joules/m
2
and will also exhibit a mass vapor transmission rate of at least about 2000 g/m
2
/24 hr. In other embodiments the entire backsheet will exhibit substantially zero dynamic fluid transmission when subjected to an impact energy of about 1000 joules/m
2
and will also exhibit a mass vapor transmission rate of at least about 2000 g/m
2
/24 hr.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3426754 (1969-02-01), Bierenbaum
patent: 3651014 (1972-03-01), Witsiepe
patent: 3763109 (1973-10-01), Witsiepe
patent: 3766146 (1973-10-01), Witsiepe
patent: 3881489 (1975-05-01), Hartwell
patent: 3904706 (1975-09-01), Hoeschele
patent: 3989867 (1976-11-01), Sisson
patent: 4014341 (1977-03-01), Karami
patent: 4091164 (1978-05-01), Schwarz
patent: 4116892 (1978-09-01), Schwarz
patent: 4153751 (1979-05-01), Schwarz
patent: 4289832 (1981-09-01), Schwarz
patent: 4306559 (1981-12-01), Nishizawa et al.
patent: 4324246 (1982-04-01), Mullane et al.
patent: 4341216 (1982-07-01), Obenour
patent: 4341217 (1982-07-01), Ferguson et al.
patent: 4342314 (1982-08-01), Radel et al.
patent: 4350655 (1982-09-01), Hoge
patent: 4368295 (1983-01-01), Newton et al.
patent: 4395215 (1983-07-01), Bishop
patent: 4493870 (1985-01-01), Vrouenraets et al.
patent: 4539255 (1985-09-01), Sato et al.
patent: 4681578 (1987-07-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 4681793 (1987-07-01), Linman et al.
patent: 4698372 (1987-10-01), Moss
patent: 4725481 (1988-02-01), Ostapchenko
patent: 4747991 (1988-05-01), Bishop
patent: 4761324 (1988-08-01), Rautenberg et al.
patent: 4769273 (1988-09-01), Hoeschele et al.
patent: 4777073 (1988-10-01), Sheth
patent: 4795454 (1989-01-01), Dragoo
patent: 4868062 (1989-09-01), Hoeschele et al.
patent: 4872871 (1989-10-01), Proxmire et al.
patent: 4887602 (1989-12-01), O'Leary
patent: 4900317 (1990-02-01), Buell
patent: 4908026 (1990-03-01), Sukiennik et al.
patent: 4908260 (1990-03-01), Dodia et al.
patent: 4923650 (1990-05-01), Antoon, Jr. et al.
patent: 4935287 (1990-06-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 4938752 (1990-07-01), Vrouenraets et al.
patent: 5008296 (1991-04-01), Antoon, Jr. et al.
patent: 5011698 (1991-04-01), Antoon, Jr. et al.
patent: 5032450 (1991-07-01), Rechlicz et al.
patent: 5036551 (1991-08-01), Dailey et al.
patent: 5069678 (1991-12-01), Yamamoto et al.
patent: 5085654 (1992-02-01), Buell
patent: 5098423 (1992-03-01), Pieniak et al.
patent: 5158819 (1992-10-01), Goodman, Jr. et al.
patent: 5418044 (1995-05-01), Mahler
patent: 5422172 (1995-06-01), Wu
patent: 5445874 (1995-08-01), Shehata
patent: 5447783 (1995-09-01), Horn
patent: 5506024 (1996-04-01), Flesher
patent: 5509142 (1996-04-01), Connell et al.
patent: 5527302 (1996-06-01), Endres et al.
patent: 5532053 (1996-07-01), Mueller
patent: 5571096 (1996-11-01), Dobrin et al.
patent: 5592690 (1997-01-01), Wu
patent: 5614302 (1997-03-01), Nance, Jr.
patent: 5786412 (1998-07-01), Shah et al.
patent: 5789065 (1998-08-01), Haffner et al.
patent: 5800928 (1998-09-01), Fischer et al.
patent: 5865823 (1999-02-01), Curro
patent: B1 4636207 (1989-11-01), Buell
patent: 0 560 630 B1 (1999-11-01), None
patent: 2 024 100 (1980-01-01), None
patent: WO 95/16746 (1995-06-01), None
patent: WO 95/17867 (1995-07-01), None
Andes William Scott
Cho David J.
Hogg Kevin D.
The Procter & Gamble & Company
Wei-Berk Caroline
LandOfFree
Absorbent article having a breathable, fluid impervious... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Absorbent article having a breathable, fluid impervious..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Absorbent article having a breathable, fluid impervious... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2464609