Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-11
2002-06-04
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3765)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S385240, C604S385270, C604S385170, CD24S124000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398770
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
An absorbent article such as a sanitary towel, an incontinence protector or a pantyliner, which article has essentially an elongate shape, with a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, and has two end portions and a central portion situated between the end portions.
BACKGROUND
Conventional absorbent articles of the type mentioned above usually have a flat shape. Since the female pubic region does not have a corresponding flat appearance, problems can occur when applying and wearing such articles. The contact of the article against the body is not optimum, and when a gap develops there is a great risk of leakage. In order to solve this problem, it has been proposed to make the absorbent articles cup-shaped rather than flat. By and large, this shape provides a better fit to the contours of the body. The cup shape is produced, for example, by arranging elastic in the longitudinal edges of the article, or the article is moulded in a cup shape. EP 155,515 describes how an absorbent article is given a cup-shaped appearance by arranging elastic in the longitudinal side edges of the article. WO 96/20679 describes an absorbent article which comprises a resilient component and tensioning member for giving the article a cup-shaped appearance.
A problem with articles of the abovementioned type is that they do not adapt to the anatomy of the user particularly well, but simply have a general cup-shaped appearance. An article shaped in this way does not provide a good fit against the body. In addition, a gap can easily occur between the user's body and the user's briefs since most women, during menstruation, wear briefs which are of poor quality from the outset or are of poor quality because they are old ones. Unless either the absorbent article or the briefs are able to maintain a good contact with the user's body, there is a great risk of menstruation fluid leaking past both the absorbent article and the briefs.
WO 97/07764 discloses an incontinence product having longitudinally extending elastication means providing a longitudinal ridge in the central portion of the product. The product has a generally curved shape in the longitudinal direction and is stated to provide improved body contact in the central area of the product.
EP 0 335 253 discloses an absorbent article which is provided with a deformation element which causes the article to assume a predetermined shape in response to laterally acting forces.
EP 302,523 describes an absorbent article which has a three-dimensional, anatomically designed shape. The article has an end portion of flat or concave shape and an end portion which is provided with an elevation. The flat or concave end portion is intended to be placed outside the user's mons pubis, and the end portion comprising the elevation is intended to fit the user's buttocks. The three-dimensional configuration of the article is obtained by folding a fairly stiff absorption body. To make the elevation permanent, the reverse side of the article is provided with an adhesive surface at the end portion which is to present the elevation. When the elevation has been formed, it is maintained with the aid of the adhesive.
A problem with a construction of this type is that the three-dimensional shape can be hard and uncomfortable for the user. Moreover, it is difficult to package and transport a stiff three-dimensional product. It takes up a lot of space during transport and when on sale, and it can be inconvenient for the user to carry around a sanitary towel or an incontinence protector which cannot be folded and which therefore cannot be concealed in the hand or, at worst, cannot even be fitted in a handbag.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to remedy the abovementioned problems and to make available an absorbent article which provides a good fit against the user's body, and which article is comfortable to use and easy to transport.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, an article of the type discussed in the introduction, and in which the problems associated with previously known articles of this kind have been eliminated, is distinguished by the fact that elastic is arranged on the article and gives the article a cup-shaped part at one end portion and a ridge-like elevation at the other end portion.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the elastic is arranged in a loop in the end portion which has a cup-shaped part. Arranging the elastic in a loop contributes to giving the end portion its cup shape.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the elastic is arranged as a continuous thread or band running through the entire article.
In order to further improve the anatomical fit against the user's body for an article with a ridge-like elevation which extends across both the central portion of the article and across one end portion thereof, according to one embodiment of the invention the ridge-like elevation in the end portion has a steeper inclination towards the centre line of the article than does the ridge-like elevation in ad the central portion, as seen from a long side of the article.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the elastic in the central portion is arranged in an essentially straight line along the centre line of the article.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the elastic is arranged as a continuous thread or band running in a loop through the entire article. In this case, the elastic has two halves which in the longitudinal direction are arranged symmetrically around the centre line of the article. The continuous band or thread can be laid overlapping, i.e. with the halves crossing each other, at the transition between the end portion which has the cup-shaped part and the central portion, an at the transition between the central portion and the end portion which has the ridge-like elevation.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the article can have at least one fold line. Such a fold line can be arranged on the underside of the article below the ridge-like elevation in the end portion, in order to facilitate the shaping of the ridge-like elevation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The abovementioned problems are solved by means of the present invention. This is achieved by the fact that elastic is arranged on the article and gives the article a cup shape at one end portion and a ridge-like elevation at the other end portion. When an article according to the invention is placed on the user with the cup-shaped end portion towards the front, that is to say over the mons pubis, and with the ridge-like end portion towards the back, that is to say towards the user's bottom, the article will fit naturally to the user's anatomy and will therefore by itself also come to lie fully against the user's body. The cup shape of the front end portion will surround the mons pubis during use, and the ridge-like elevation of the rear end portion will fit in the cleft between the user's buttocks. In this way, sealing is obtained at the front, which is required in particular when the user leans forwards or is lying on her stomach, and also sealing at the rear, in particular when the user leans backwards or is lying on her back. Thus, this design affords considerably better protection against leakage than does a generally cup-shaped appearance of an absorbent article which is not fully adapted to the user's genitals.
An absorbent article according to the invention has a top side and an underside, the top side being liquid-permeable and the underside being liquid-impermeable. The liquid permeability and liquid impermeability, respectively, are usually obtained by the respective side being provided with a layer which is liquid-permeable or liquid-impermeable. The liquid-permeable top side of the article is intended during use to be directed towards the user, and the liquid-impermeable underside is intended during use to be directed away from the user. It is the top side of the article which wil
Calvert John J.
Grayson Angela J.
SCA Hygiene Products AB
Young & Thompson
LandOfFree
Absorbent article such as a sanitary towel, an incontinence... 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 such as a sanitary towel, an incontinence..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Absorbent article such as a sanitary towel, an incontinence... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2980371