Absorbent article with male and female locking elements

Details Absorbent article with male and female locking elements Absorbent article with male and female locking elements

1998-01-05

2000-11-21

Polutta, Mark O.

Surgery

Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material

Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...

24590, 24589, 60438501, A61F 1315, A61F 1320

Patent

active

061496391

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to absorbent article fastener means and to a method of manufacturing said means. The fastener means are used preferably to fasten or close an absorbent article, such as a diaper, an incontinence guard or like article. The fastener means is effective in fulfilling the desired function of the absorbent articles with regard to sealing of said articles at their leg openings and waist part, and also in ensuring a good fit. The fastener means enables the article to be opened and re-closed repeatedly.


TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Many different kinds of absorbent article fastener means are available commercially. One example of such fastener means is found described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,429, in the which absorbent article is fastened with the aid of a number of fastener tabs which are fastened within a particular tape-receiving area designed to enable the fastener tabs to be loosened from and refastened in the area repeatedly. This enables the fit of the absorbent article on the wearer to be adjusted and also enables the article to be inspected repeatedly with regard to its soiled state. Also available commercially are different products in which the fastener means have the form of so-called touch-and-close fasteners, e.g. Velcro.RTM. tape, which are used in a similar manner to the aforesaid fastener tabs. Also known in the art are fastener means which use conventional buttons, press studs and like devices. U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,776 describes a diaper which includes fastener means comprised of discrete pieces of material that are provided with a multiple of circular bosses. These bosses are comprised of two types of fastener elements, a male element and a female element, of similar design but with a small difference in size, therewith enabling the male element to be pressed into the female element to produce a locking effect. When respective female and male elements are mutually positioned on the discrete pieces of material, the mutual positioning of the discrete pieces of material provided with the locking elements can be varied so as to adjust the fit of the article on the wearer in accordance with requirements. The aforesaid locking elements may be produced by vacuumforming heated plastic film or by rolling plastic material between profiled rolls.


TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

One problem with the use of fastener means of the kind described above with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,776 resides in positioning the discrete pieces of material provided with locking elements correctly on the absorbent article in conjunction with its manufacture. Furthermore, when adjusting the position of an absorbent article on the wearer, there is a danger of displacing the discrete pieces of material provided with the locking elements laterally in a vertical and/or sideways direction, therewith impairing function and/or reducing comfort, for instance because the absorbent body is wrongly located, because the fastener means become located at vulnerable places, such as the iliac crests, or because the elastic cuts into the body, etc. Another problem encountered with this type of locking element is that pre-formed material from which the discrete pieces of material provided with pre-formed locking elements are obtained is often supplied and stored in the form of reels or stacks which require a large amount of space, because the locking elements extend at right angles to the normal plane of the ultimate discrete material pieces. In order to achieve an optimal function, the fastener means must be produced from a material which has a given rigidity or stiffness, which in turn enhances the risk of chafing and impaired comfort, among other drawbacks. Another problem with this type of fastener means is that powder, creams and the like are liable to adhere to the locking elements and reduce the friction engendered thereby, therewith impairing the locking ability of the coacting male and female elements.
When using fastener means that consist in mutually separate fastener elements, such as press studs for ins

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patent: 5219342 (1993-06-01), Hatch et al.
patent: 5236429 (1993-08-01), Widlund
patent: 5269776 (1993-12-01), Lancaster et al.

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