Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-21
2001-07-24
Weiss, John G. (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S385190, C604S385290, C604S385300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264639
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an absorbent article for absorbing body fluids and exudates, such as urine and fecal material. More particularly, the present invention relates to absorbent garments, such as disposable diapers and adult incontinence garments, which are configured to absorb and contain body exudates and prevent leakage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers, employ absorbent materials located between a liquid pervious topsheet and a liquid impermeable backsheet to absorb body exudates. Such conventional absorbent articles have typically included elasticized waistbands and leg cuffs to help reduce the leakage of body exudates. Some conventional absorbent articles have also included elasticized containment or barrier flaps at the leg or waist sections of the article to further reduce leaks.
However, conventional absorbent articles which incorporate containment flaps at their waist sections have not been completely satisfactory. For example, it has been difficult to maintain the desired operation of the waist flap when the articles are being worn. To achieve a better fit, the waist flaps incorporated on conventional absorbent articles have typically been elasticized across the entire width or at least the central portion of the waist flap. However, it still has been difficult to maintain contact between the free edge of the waist flap and the wearer's body and reliably hold the flap open for an effective receipt and containment of urine and feces. This is particularly true across the back waist region of the absorbent article due to the typical configuration of the wearer's lower back region which is generally referred to as the small of the back. For example, the back of the wearer is typically concave or flat and, as such, it has been difficult to maintain contact with such a region.
Moreover, since the absorbent article is typically fastened upon the wearer when the wearer is lying on their back and on the back portion of the absorbent article, it has been difficult to correctly elongate and position any type of a back waist flap on the initial fastening of the absorbent article to the wearer. Such difficulties encountered in obtaining the optimum fit of the back waist flap about the wearer have undesirably resulted in increased leakage. As a result, conventional absorbent articles having back waist flaps have not been completely satisfactory. Accordingly, there remains a need for improved containment at the waist sections and, in particular, at the back waist section, of absorbent articles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In response to the difficulties and problems discussed above, a new disposable absorbent article which has an improved waist flap has been discovered.
In one aspect, the present invention relates to an absorbent article which defines a front waist section, a rear waist section, an intermediate section which interconnects said front and rear waist sections, a pair of longitudinally opposed end edges, and a pair of laterally opposed side edges. The absorbent article comprises a waist flap which is attached adjacent one of said end edges of said absorbent article in one of said waist sections. The waist flap extends inwardly towards the intermediate section to create a pocket between the waist flap and the waist section of the absorbent article. The waist flap defines a central zone and a pair of laterally opposed side zones which are connected to and extend outwardly in a lateral direction from the central zone to the side edges of the absorbent article. The side zones are configured to elongate in the lateral direction at least about 25 percent more than the central zone of the waist flap when the side edges of the absorbent article are extended outwardly in the lateral direction. In a particular aspect, the central zone of the waist flap is centered about a longitudinal centerline of the absorbent article and defines a width which is at least about 20 percent of a width of the absorbent article at the respective waist section.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to an absorbent article which defines a front waist section, a rear waist section, an intermediate section which interconnects the front and rear waist sections, a pair of longitudinally opposed end edges, and a pair of laterally opposed side edges. The absorbent article comprises a rear waist flap which defines a central zone which is capable of being elongated in a lateral direction from 0 to about 50 percent from a relaxed condition and a pair of laterally opposed side zones which extend outwardly in the lateral direction from the central zone to the side edges of the absorbent article. Each side zone is capable of being elongated in the lateral direction from about 50 to about 350 percent from a relaxed condition. The rear waist flap also defines an attached edge which is attached to the absorbent article adjacent the end edge and the side edges of the absorbent article in the rear waist section and a free edge which remains unattached to and spaced apart from the rear waist section of the absorbent article in at least the central zone to define a pocket between the rear waist flap and the rear waist section of the absorbent article.
In still another aspect, the present invention relates to an absorbent article which defines a front waist section, a rear waist section, an intermediate section which interconnects the front and rear waist sections, a pair of longitudinally opposed end edges, and a pair of laterally opposed side edges. The absorbent article comprises a backsheet layer, a liquid permeable topsheet layer which is connected in superposed relation to the backsheet layer, an absorbent body which is located between the topsheet layer and the backsheet layer, and a rear waist flap which is attached adjacent the end edge and the opposed side edges of the absorbent article in the rear waist section. The rear waist flap extends inwardly towards the intermediate section to create a pocket between the rear waist flap and the topsheet layer of the absorbent article for containing body exudates. At least a portion of the rear waist flap adjacent the side edges of the absorbent article is capable of being elongated in a lateral direction at least about 50 percent from a relaxed condition. The absorbent article may further comprise a pair of fasteners which are connected to the rear waist flap along the side edges of the absorbent article. The fasteners are configured to connect the front and rear waist sections of the absorbent article about the waist of a wearer when in use.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to an absorbent article which defines a front waist section, a rear waist section, an intermediate section which interconnects the front and rear waist sections, a pair of longitudinally opposed end edges, and a pair of laterally opposed side edges. The absorbent article comprises a rear waist flap which is attached adjacent the end edge of the absorbent article in the rear waist section and which extends inwardly towards the intermediate section to create a pocket between the rear waist flap and the rear waist section. The rear waist flap defines a substantially inelastic central zone and a pair of laterally opposed, elasticized side zones which are connected to and extend outwardly in a lateral direction from the central zone to the side edges of the absorbent article.
In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to an absorbent article which defines a front waist section, a rear waist section, an intermediate section which interconnects the front and rear waist sections, a pair of longitudinally opposed end edges, and a pair of laterally opposed side edges. The absorbent article comprises a backsheet layer, a liquid permeable topsheet layer which is connected in superposed relation to the backsheet layer, an absorbent body which is located between the topsheet layer and the backsheet layer, and a rear waist flap which is attac
Curtin Jeffrey B
Kimberly--Clark Worldwide, Inc.
Reichle K. M.
Weiss John G.
Yee Paul
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