Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-22
2002-03-05
Ruhl, Dennis (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S387000, C604S389000, C604S390000, C604S391000, C604S385010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06352528
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to absorbent articles which are adapted to contain body exudates. More particularly, the invention pertains to pant-like disposable absorbent articles with refastenable seams and hidden graphics, packages of such disposable absorbent articles, and methods of making such disposable absorbent articles.
The age at which little boys and girls begin the toilet training process varies significantly. Some children may start the toilet training process as early as the age of fifteen months, while others may not be ready until after the age of two years. The age at which children begin this training process is dependent upon many factors, some of which are psychological, some physiological, and some unique to the individual child or their environment.
The toilet training process embraces a number of aspects, not all of which apply to each child. One aspect of the total toilet training process is the change from diapers to training pants to help the child understand that he or she should now use the toilet just like grownups. Another aspect of the total toilet training process includes parental or caregiver instruction as a positive encouragement and reinforcement to the child that he or she should now be using a toilet instead of diapers. Although the use of training pants and positive encouragement from the parent or caregiver have been helpful in the toilet training process, there is still much room for improvement. Specifically, parents and caregivers are still searching for easier and quicker ways to guide their children successfully through the toilet training process.
Many caregivers and parents have difficulty in determining the readiness of a child to begin the toilet training process, and underestimate the difficulty of teaching the toilet training process to young children. If a child does not respond to an initial toilet training instruction or introduction, the caregiver or parent can be at a loss for finding techniques, methods, or teaching tools to encourage the child to master the art of toilet training. Thus, while various teaching tools such as books, videotapes, charts with stickers, personalized toilets, and interactive toilet training kits are available, there remains a need for new and improved educational and motivational mechanisms to facilitate the toilet training process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In response to the above-referenced unfulfilled need in the art, a new disposable absorbent article has been discovered. The absorbent article is in the form of a refastenable pant with hidden graphics. The fastening system of the pant can be repeatedly fastened, unfastened and refastened. When the fastening system is engaged, such as would be the case during use and when manufactured in a prefastened condition, the hidden graphics are not directly visible upon inspection of the inner and outer surfaces of the garment. Rather, the hidden graphics become visible only when the fasteners are disengaged from one another. The hidden graphics can be used by the caregiver or parent as a motivational and educational instrument to improve the speed and quality of the total toilet training process.
In one embodiment, the present invention pertains to an absorbent article including an absorbent chassis defining longitudinal and transverse axes, opposite inner and outer surfaces, first and second longitudinally spaced waist regions, and a crotch region which extends between and interconnects the waist regions. The first waist region defines a pair of transversely opposed side panels. The absorbent article also includes first and second fastening components disposed on the side panels, and at least one mating fastening component disposed in the second waist region. The fastening components are adapted to releasably engage the mating fastening component, thus forming an overlap region of the first and second waist regions. A graphic is disposed in the overlap region in the second waist region, separate from and transversely outward from the at least one mating fastening component, to define a hidden graphic.
In another embodiment, the present invention pertains to an absorbent article including an absorbent chassis with a pair of transversely opposed side panels in the first waist region. First and second fastening components are disposed on the side panels, and at least one mating fastening component is disposed in the second waist region. The fastening components releasably engage the mating fastening component to form an overlap region of the first and second waist regions. Additionally, a graphic is disposed in the overlap region and on the inner surface of one of the side panels to define a hidden graphic.
In this particular embodiment, the graphic can be disposed on one or both of the first and second fastening components, and/or disposed in close proximity to and transversely inward from one of the fastening components.
In a further embodiment, the present invention pertains to an absorbent article with a fastening system including first and second fastening components disposed in the first waist region and first and second mating fastening components disposed in the second waist region. At least one of the mating fastening components includes a freeform graphic. The first and second fastening components are substantially the same size or larger than the freeform graphic and substantially the same size or larger than the first and second mating fastening components. In this way, the freeform graphic forms a hidden graphic when the fastening components are centrally positioned relative to and engaged with the mating fastening components.
As used here, the term “freeform graphic” refers to all forms of graphics except those that form all or part of an array of identical or similar discrete graphic elements defining transversely oriented columns. Freeform graphics can comprise text messages and/or pictorial images, but as noted exclude position indicators in the form of transversely oriented graphic arrays. Such graphic arrays have been employed on disposable absorbent articles for use as position indicators for fastening tapes. Graphic arrays using identical graphic elements, similar-size graphic elements, and similar-shaped graphic elements as position indicators are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,875 issued May 5, 1987 to Hirotsu et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,707 issued Jul. 28, 1992 to Rogers et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,588 issued Jan. 4, 1994 to Matsumoto et al.
In a still further embodiment, the present invention pertains to an absorbent article with a fastening system including first and second fastening components disposed on the inner surface in the back waist region and first and second mating fastening components disposed on the outer surface in the front waist region. Each of the mating fastening components has a length dimension that is equal to or greater than a width dimension. At least one of the mating fastening components includes a freeform graphic that forms a hidden graphic when the fastening components are engaged with the mating fastening components.
In yet another embodiment, the present invention pertains to an absorbent article defining a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, front and back longitudinally spaced waist regions, and a crotch region which extends between and interconnects the waist regions. The absorbent article includes an absorbent chassis and front and back elastic side panels extending transversely outward from the absorbent chassis in the front and back waist regions. A mechanical fastening system includes first and second fastening components disposed on the front elastic side panels and first and second, mating fastening components disposed on the back elastic side panels. A graphic is located on at least one of the fastening components or the mating fastening components and forms a hidden graphic when the fastening components are engaged with the mating fastening components.
The fastening components and the mating fastening components form refastenable seams for securin
Dimitrijevs Lisa Ann
Gage Thomas Michael
Olson Christopher Peter
Weber Shirlee Ann
Bogart Michael
Gage Thomas M.
Kimberly--Clark Worldwide, Inc.
Ruhl Dennis
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