Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-12
2001-12-04
Weiss, John G. (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S358000, C604S378000, C604S367000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325786
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
Absorbent article, such as a sanitary napkin, an incontinence guard or a panty-liner, which article has a substantially elongated shape with a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction and exhibits two long sides, two short sides, two end portions and a central portion located between the end portions, which central portion exhibits a transversely extending cross-sectional line from which the width of the article increases in a direction towards a short side of the article, wherein the end portion located at the short side exhibits a maximum width which is larger than the width of the central portion, wherein the long sides of the article change inclination at the cross-sectional line, wherein the inclination is defined by an angle a between the long side of the article and a longitudinal line parallel to the longitudinal direction of the article.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional absorbent articles of the above-mentioned kind exhibit a substantially rectangular shape. A problem associated with this design is that the articles are not adapted to the body of the user. As a rule, they are too wide in the central portion of the article, that is to say the portion of the article which is intended to fit in between the thighs of the user. Consequently, the article will wrinkle during use. This is both uncomfortable for the user and increases the risk of leakage. In order to solve this problem it has been suggested to make the absorbent articles hourglass-shaped rather than rectangular. Such articles are previously known from, for instance, EP 67 377 and EP 235 763.
Normally, absorbent articles of the above-mentioned kind are attached in the crotch portion of the underwear of the user by means of adhesive areas applied to the article.
A problem with this type of attachment is that the adhesive areas may be contaminated so that they lose their attachment capability. Another problem with adhesive attachment is that adhesive may adhere permanently to the underwear of the user, that is to say the adhesive cannot be washed away and the underwear is ruined. A further problem with adhesive attachment is that protective strips are required in order to protect the adhesive areas. Such protective strips must be removed and discarded before use. Many users of absorbent articles experience this as time-consuming and cumbersome.
A further problem, which is especially obvious if large areas of the article are covered with adhesive, is that the article is more likely to follow the movements of the underwear than of the body. This results in an increased risk of leakage since gaps easily arise between the article and the body of the user. In those cases where the article instead follows the movements of the body, this will lead to the attachment against the underwear being subjected to shear forces. This may imply that the article is detached from the underwear or is deformed. At worst, both these situations may occur simultaneously. The consequence will in all cases be that the article does not cover the areas it is intended for, with leakage as a result.
One way of reducing this problem is by designing the adhesive areas in different ways, as is disclosed in for example GB 2 119 656 and GB 2 119 657, or by combining adhesive areas with areas with high friction, as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,255.
PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the invention is to remedy the above-mentioned problems and to provide an article which has a good fit and can stay in place against the body without any aid from special attachment devices.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, an article of the kind mentioned in the introduction, in which the problems associated with previously known such articles essentially have been eliminated, is characterized in that the width of the crotch portion is no larger than 60 mm and that the angle &agr; is 30-90°.
Further embodiments are evident from the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
By means of the present invention, the problems with poor fit and attachment are solved. This is achieved by designing the article so that its central portion exhibits a smaller width than at least one of its end portions, and by ensuring that the angle between the longitudinal direction of the article and the main direction of the long sides of the article, where the article tapers towards the central portion, is 30-90°. When an article designed in this way is placed with the end portion exhibiting the widest cross-section forwards on the user, that is to say in the groin region of the user, the article will be kept in position in a natural way and no further attachment members such as adhesive surfaces will be required. This is due to the fact that the width of the central portion of the article, and the angle with which this is transformed into the width of the end portion, have been selected in such a way that the article conforms to the anatomy of the user. An article designed in this way is held in the groin of the user and prevents the article from being displaced backwards between the legs of the user. This is a common problem where conventional articles are concerned, since the leg movements of the user feed the article backwards. The angle between the longitudinal direction of the article and the main direction of the long sides of the article, where the article tapers towards the central portion, should be 30-90°. At angles exceeding 90°, the edges of the end portion may come to chafe against the groin area and the legs of the user and thereby create discomfort to the user. The smaller the angle is, the larger is the risk that the article will slide backwards in between the legs of he user. With an angle which is less than 30°, this risk is larger than acceptable. An angle between 35° and 55° provides the best balance between fastening and comfort. An angle of 45° has been found to be particularly favourable.
An alternative way of describing the angle, which is relevant to the invention, is in terms of proportions between the width of the central portion at its narrowest part, and the width of the end portion at its widest part.
The width of the end portion which during use is intended to be facing forwards on the user should be 1.5-5 times as wide at its widest part, as the width of the central portion at the narrowest part.
However, there is also a risk, although not as great, that the article will slide forwards between the legs of the user. This risk is eliminated if the end portion which is intended to be placed backwards on the user is also designed so that its width is larger than the width of the central portion.
It is important that the cross-section or width of the central portion is adapted to the anatomy of the user, so that the article does not wrinkle or crease in the central portion and thereby cause discomfort to the user and possible leakage. From a comfort point of view, where the width of the article is concerned, the most critical region in the crotch portion of the user is where the muscle group passes which has its origin on the inside of the base of the pelvis and its attachment along the thigh. This muscle group consists of the muscles Adductor Bre{acute over ( )}vis, Adductor Lo{acute over ( )}ngus, Gra{acute over (
0
)}cilis and Adductor Ma{acute over ( )}gnus.
Measurements have shown that the distance in the crotch region of the user, between the Adductor muscle groups on the left and the right hand side, is surprisingly similar for all human beings and is between 30 mm and 35 mm.
Fatness, of course, affects the width between the thighs, but the width between the muscle groups in the crotch region is the same and these are the ones which give rise to the perception that an article is chafing. The fatty tissue is deposited on the outside of the muscles, but does not contribute to the possible feeling of discomfort. If the article is constructed of a very stiff material, the width of the central portion, at least in the area which is intended to fit between the tendons, should not exceed approx.
Björklund Camilla
Drevik Solgun
Gustafsson Anders
Samuelsson Ann
Widlund Urban
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
Kidwell Michele
SCA Hygiene Products AB
Weiss John G.
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