Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-30
2001-09-25
Lewis, Aaron J. (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S379000, C604S380000, C604S385101
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293931
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to absorbent articles. Absorbent articles are generally worn in the crotch region and may be in the form of an absorbent garment or an insert for use in a garment. Examples of absorbent articles include sanitary napkins, diapers, incontinence pads etc. Such articles include an absorbent core capable of absorbing a large volume of human exudates. The invention in particular relates to sanitary napkins.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Sanitary napkins generally include a top sheet which is worn next to the wearer. The top sheet is permeable to allow bodily liquids to pass through it. The liquids which pass through the top sheet are absorbed in an absorbent core which lies underneath the top sheet. In order to protect the clothes of the wearer, an impervious backing sheet is provided which prevents the passage of bodily fluids.
Many sanitary napkins have a generally planar shape. However, in order to better fit to the shape of the body of the wearer it has been proposed to provide a three-dimensional shape which includes a form of a hump so that a central portion is raised out of the plane of the napkin relative to the surrounding portion towards the wearer. The hump is intended to allow the sanitary napkin to conform more closely to the shape of the wearer and to provide enhanced absorption capacity in the wetting area. In particular, the sanitary napkin should continue to conform to the shape of the wearer even when the wearer adopts different positions or performs different activities. One example of such a hump-shaped sanitary napkin is taught in WO-A-95 27457. In accordance with the teachings of this document a sanitary napkin is provided with a lifting member for biassing a central core segment towards a position in which the central segment is raised relative to side segments.
Not all wearers however find the presence of a raised central segment to be comfortable. For certain types of activities, e.g. cycling, such a three dimensional shape may not be found comfortable. Also the external appearance of such a raised central segment may cause embarrassment to the user and hence not be acceptable to all wearers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention there is provided an absorbent article in accordance with claim
1
.
A device in accordance with the invention allows the user to choose the form in which the article is to be used. The first form has a raised portion such as to form a hump type of shape, whilst the second portion presents a generally flat form towards the user. Thus in one situation the absorbent article may be used in the first form in which a better fit to the wearer may be achieved. In another situation the absorbent article may be used in the second form which produces greater comfort in that situation.
An unconstrained form is a form which the absorbent article will keep when the force is removed which has changed the article to that form.
As referred to herein a longitudinal direction is intended to mean a direction along the largest dimension of the article. A vertical direction is intended to be a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and in a direction from the backing sheet to the top sheet so that in the case of a sanitary napkin the vertical direction is towards the urogenital area of the body of the user when in use. A transverse direction is a direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal and vertical directions. A transverse cross-section is intended to mean a cross-section in a plane which is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
Although described with respect to a sanitary napkin, the invention may be applied to all forms of absorbent articles for which it is desired to provide a form fitting to the body of the wearer, in particular female wearers, e.g diapers, incontinence garments etc.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4623341 (1986-11-01), Roeder
patent: 5591148 (1997-01-01), McFall et al.
patent: 5716351 (1998-02-01), Roe
patent: 0 483 730 A1 (1992-05-01), None
patent: 2 272 157 A (1994-05-01), None
patent: WO 95/27457 (1995-10-01), None
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
Lewis Aaron J.
SCA Hygiene Products AB
Webb Jamisue A
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