Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-22
2004-07-13
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S390000, C604S396000, C604S387000, C604S386000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06761711
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 having refastenable side seams.
Current disposable absorbent training pants for children going through the potty training stage have proved to be a particularly desirable and useful product. Such training pants generally include an absorbent chassis including a liquid impervious outer cover, a liquid pervious bodyside liner and an absorbent structure. The training pants further include elastic side panels that are permanently bonded to opposite side edges of the absorbent chassis. The chassis and side panels thereby form a unitary waist opening and two leg openings. The fit of the pants may be further enhanced by gathering means along the waist and leg openings.
The components of traditional training pants are permanently seamed together to provide a pant product. These products are particularly appealing to caregivers and are useful in the toilet training process because the pant has a very garment-like look. Children identify diaper products with babies, and most children do not like being identified with or as babies. Consequently, these children do not want to wear baby diapers, and instead prefer to wear training pants that look like adult underwear. Thus, the switch from a traditional diaper to a more garment-like or underwear-like training pant can be an important step in the toilet training process.
One drawback with current training pants, however, is that the manner of applying them is limited to being pulled on like a pant. Applying the product like a pant is advantageous in many instances, and is particularly suited for active, walking children. Even for the same child, however, there may be times when it would be useful to apply the product like a diaper. For instance, it might be more convenient to apply the product like a diaper when there is a desire not to remove the child's shoes. Because it is difficult to know when a particular mode of applying the garment will be needed, it is beneficial to have a garment that is adaptable to being used either as a diaper or as a pant. This is preferable to keeping both types of garments available. A product that can be applied like either a diaper or a pant permits the interior of the product to be easily checked without having to pull the product downward.
Thus, it would be desirable to have a disposable absorbent article that provides the garment-like or underwear-like look of a traditional training pant yet affords the option of being applied either like a diaper or like a pant.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In response to the above-referenced unfulfilled need in the art, a new pant-like disposable absorbent article having refastenable side seams has been discovered. The absorbent article includes a fastening system that can be repeatedly fastened, unfastened and refastened. The refastenable seams formed by the fastening system components are disposed along the sides of the absorbent article for convenience and a garment-like look similar to conventional training pants, and elastomeric side panels can be positioned on either side of the refastenable seams for fit and comfort comparable to traditional training pants.
In one embodiment, the present invention pertains to an absorbent article including an absorbent chassis defining a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, front and back waist edges parallel to the transverse axis, opposite side edges extending between the front and back waist edges, a front waist region contiguous with the front waist edge, a back waist region contiguous with the back waist edge, and a crotch region which extends between and interconnects the front and back waist regions. The front waist region defines a pair of transversely opposed front side panels and a front center panel positioned between and interconnecting the front side panels. Similarly, the back waist region defines a pair of transversely opposed back side panels and a back center panel positioned between and interconnecting the back side panels. At least one pair of side panels is elastomeric in a direction generally parallel to the transverse axis. The absorbent chassis includes a bodyside liner, an outer cover bonded to the bodyside liner, and an absorbent assembly disposed between the bodyside liner and the outer cover. The absorbent article also includes a fastening system for releasably securing the absorbent article in a pant-like configuration. The fastening system includes first and second fastening components disposed on the back side panels and adapted to releasably engage first and second mating fastening components disposed on the front side panels. Further, the transverse distance between the first and second fastening components is substantially equal to the transverse distance between the first and second mating fastening components.
The fastening components and the mating fastening components form refastenable seams for securing front and back waist regions together. The refastenable seams allow the product to be either pulled on like a pant or applied like a diaper. If the training pant becomes soiled during use, the fastening components can be disengaged from the mating fastening components to easily remove the training pant from the waist of the wearer with reduced risk of undesirably soiling the clothes or legs of the wearer. Further, the fastening components can also be easily disengaged from the mating fastening components to inspect the training pant for possible soiling. Thus, the training pant is configured to be pulled on or off over the hips of the wearer such as conventional training pants and can be readily applied or removed by disengaging the fastening components similar to conventional diapers. Moreover, the first and second fastening components can be repositioned if necessary after the training pant has been pulled on over the legs and hips of the wearer.
The design of the absorbent chassis and the fastening components provides the absorbent article with a fastening system which is resistant to accidental disengagement of the fastening components. The location of the refastenable seams at the sides of the wearer over the hips is particularly desirable because that is an area of the absorbent article that is least subject to movements of the wearer, such as articulation of the legs. The side refastenable seams have distinct advantages over front attachment designs, which are more subject to separation forces caused by bending at the waist and movements of the legs of the wearer. Furthermore, in particular embodiments, there can be elastic panels on either side of the refastenable seams to isolate the fastening components from stress and strain caused by movement of the body. In this way, the elastic panels function in a manner similar to shock absorbers to reduce stress and strain on the fastening components. Moreover, locating the refastenable seams at the sides of the wearer maintains a garment-like look to the product and is convenient for operating the fastening components. Additionally, the fastening system components can be incorporated into the absorbent article without interfering with existing outer cover graphics, which have become an important interactive toilet training feature in current training pants.
The side panels of the absorbent article each have a waist end edge parallel to the transverse axis and forming part of one of the waist edges, as well as an opposite leg end edge. In particular embodiments, each side panel is elastomeric in a direction parallel to the transverse axis from the waist end edge to the leg end edge to provide automatic fit of the product around the wearer.
In another embodiment, the present invention pertains to an absorbent article including an absorbent chassis defining a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, front and back waist edges parallel to the transverse axis, opposite side edges extending between the front and back waist edges, a front wai
Dimitrijevs Lisa Ann
Fletcher Amy Lynn
Olson Christopher Peter
Ratliff Kathleen Irene
Weber Shirlee Ann
Gage Thomas M.
Kimberly--Clark Worldwide, Inc.
Kubicki H. Michael
Stephens Jacqueline F
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