Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-04
2003-02-25
Ruhl, Dennis (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S385310, C604S387000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06524291
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to an 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 lateral direction and also exhibits two side edges, a front edge and a rear edge, a front portion and a rear portion, and also a crotch portion situated between the front portion and the rear portion, which article further exhibits a liquid-pervious surface layer and a liquid-impervious surface layer.
BACKGROUND
Conventional absorbent articles of the above-mentioned kind typically have a substantially flat shape. Since the lower abdomen of a woman typically does not exhibit a corresponding flat appearance, problems often arise both during application as well as during use of such articles. The contact of the article against the body becomes poorer and a gap easily forms between the article and the body of the user. This implies that there is a substantial risk of body exudate leaking out between the article and the body of the user.
In order to solve this problem, it has been proposed to bend the absorbent article in a longitudinal direction, so that it assumes the shape of an elongated liquid-collecting bowl. Such a shape conforms somewhat better to the body contour of the lower abdomen of a woman. Accordingly, in EP 155 515 it is disclosed how such an absorbent article is given a bowl-shaped appearance by means of the application of elastics in the longitudinal side edges of the article.
In WO 96/20679 an absorbent article is disclosed which comprises a resilient component and tensioning means in order to provide the article with a bowl-shaped appearance.
One problem with articles of the above-mentioned type is, however, that they do not conform to the anatomy of the user particularly well, but only exhibit a generally bowl-shaped appearance. In order to make them bendable by means of the elastic means, and in order not to cause discomfort to the user, the articles are manufactured from soft, flexible materials. This implies that they are easily deformed during use, which leads to even worse fit and possible leakage. It is, for instance, not unusual that the longitudinal side edges of the article are folded in over the liquid-receiving surface of the article, whereby the area accessible for absorption is considerably reduced. When sudden and heavy liquid flows occur, there is consequently a substantial risk that the liquid is not absorbed into the article, but instead flows onto the inwardly folded side edges and leaks out on the clothes of the user.
Another problem associated with an article of the above-mentioned type is that it does not fit well against the body and therefore does not stay in place in a natural way during use, but must be attached to the panties of the user by means of special attachment means such as glue-surfaces or the like. The contact of the article against the body therefore becomes largely dependent on the quality and the shape of the panties of the user. Since many women use their most worn-out panties during menstruation, the result will in many causes be poor contact against the body with entailing leakage of menstrual liquid.
Still another factor which affects the leakage security of such a known article is that the article, instead of being in contact with the body of the user when in use, tends to follow the movements of the panties when the user is moving. Due to this, the article may end up in an incorrect position in relation to the body. Apart from leading to an increased risk of leakage, the mobility of the article in relation to the body also implies that the user, in a very obvious way, is reminded of the presence of the article in the panties and thereby perceives the article as uncomfortable and indiscreet to wear.
PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article with high leakage security and good fit and user comfort. Still a further object of the invention is to provide an absorbent article which during use rests securely and comfortably in place in contact with the body of the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An article of the type discussed by way of introduction, in which the problems associated with such previously known articles have been essentially eliminated is, according to the invention, mainly characterized in that the article, at least within the front portion and the crotch portion, exhibits high bending stiffness against bending along bending lines extending in a transverse direction, whereby the front portion and the crotch portion of the article exhibit high shape permanence during use of the article, and also that the front portion of the article is inclined in relation to the crotch portion, in a direction towards the liquid-pervious surface, whereby the front portion forms an angle &agr; with respect to the crotch portion which is substantially permanent during use.
Since the front portion of the article is angled upwards from the central portion so that the front portion of the article, in the longitudinal direction of the article, conforms in a better way to the shape of the mons veneris of the user, it is prevented that the article during use slides backwards on the user. During use, the angled front portion contacts the mons veneris of the user and functions as a stop plate which counteracts the article being fed backwards by the leg movements of the user. In order to obtain the desired braking function, it is necessary that the front portion and the crotch portion of the article are so stiff that the angle therebetween is essentially maintained even during use. For reasons of comfort, however, it may be convenient that the edge portions closest to the longitudinal sides of the article, and the front edge, respectively, are constituted by a less stiff material.
An article according to the invention is rigid to bending in a transverse direction, i.e. it resists bending along bending lines which extend in the transverse direction of the article. In this way, the article maintains the shape it has in the length direction during use. On the other hand, the article may allow for a certain degree of deformation by means of compression in the transverse direction. It may be an advantage if the article may adapt to some extent to the body movements of the user and to the gap between the legs of the user. Such deformation may be achieved in a controlled way if the material in the article is chosen in such a way that the edge portions of the article are soft and resilient, whereas a central, longitudinal portion of the article is stiff and incompressible. Another way of achieving controlled compression of the article is by means of providing it with longitudinal bending notches such as ridges, grooves, compressions, slits, or the like. It is an advantage if the compression of the article can take place with a certain elasticity, so that the article more or less resumes its original width when the compressive forces cease.
If, however, the article is designed so that its width at the narrowest point in the crotch portion does not exceed approx. 40 mm, and preferably does not exceed approx. 35 mm, it is possible to use articles which, when subjected to the forces which arise during use, are also completely rigid when bending along longitudinal bending lines.
Measurements have shown that all humans have a critical area in the groin portion between two muscle groups which extend from the inside of the base of the pelvis down along each thigh. The distance between the two muscle groups has thereby been found to be surprisingly similar for all individuals, independent of body shape and weight. Thus, the distance between the thighs of a user is of course affected by fatness, while the distance between the muscle groups in the crotch of the user is the same, independently of whether the user is thin, of normal weight or overweight. It has been shown that the fact which determines whether a user experiences discomfort in the form of pressure or chafing against the insid
Björklund Camilla
Drevik Solgun
Gustafsson Anders
Samuelsson Ann
Widlund Urban
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Ruhl Dennis
SCA Hygiene Products AB
Webb Jamisue
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