Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Patent
1997-08-05
1998-10-06
Weiss, John G.
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
604 95, A61F 1315
Patent
active
058170863
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an absorbent product such as a diaper, a pant diaper, an incontinence shield or the like, comprising a front portion, a rear portion and an intermediate crotch portion, further comprising an absorbent body, a liquid-impermeable bottom layer and an easily flexible top layer, which in use of the absorbent product is intended to lie closest to the body of the user, which further comprises an opening having, as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the product, a front end and a rear end and two substantially longitudinal lateral edges, and which, at least within the area of the opening is not joined to the absorbent body.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Diapers with top layers provided with openings are previously known by, e.g., AU-A-45217/85 and EP-A2-0 357 298. The purpose of these designs is to achieve a diaper which isolates feces from the skin of the user. Feces which come into contact with the skin can cause skin irritation and can also make it more difficult to clean the user when diapers are changed. These patent specifications describe diapers which have elastic means attached to the top layer provided with an opening, said elastic means pulling the top layer together in its longitudinal direction and lifting it from the underlying absorbent body, which is deformed as a bowl at the same time. In this manner, a form of bowl is created with the top layer as a cover provided with an opening. Excreted feces are to be deposited through the opening and isolated from contact with the user by the top layer.
One embodiment according to EP-A2-0 357 298 is provided with an elastic means 28 in the area behind the opening 26, see, e.g., FIG. 1 in the description, col. 6, line 48-col. 7, line 1. The rear elastic means is set to force the rear piece of the top layer 24 into the "gluteal groove" between the buttocks of the user, which is said to tend to prevent feces from being transported into this area of the user's body. Such a design is, however, no guarantee that waste will not leak out by this path. In order to achieve any security at all against waste leakage, i.e. to prevent feces from being transported rearwardly over the contact surface of the top layer in the user's buttocks region, it is required that the top layer be pressed hard against the user. This is uncomfortable and can in itself give rise to skin irritation problems in a very sensitive area of the body. Even the smallest gap between the top layer and the user, e.g., due to the elastic means not being sufficiently tensioned to be able to lift the top layer up into the "gluteal groove" of the user will destroy the intended leakage barrier effect.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY
The present invention has a purpose of achieving a leakage barrier which prevents feces from leaking out from the rear portion of the product. Furthermore, the invention is intended to achieve a leakage barrier which does not cause skin irritation to the user.
This is achieved according to the invention by virtue of the and fact that the product has an elastic tongue at the rear end of the opening, the rear end of the opening being located at the root of the tongue, and that the tongue in its elastically unloaded state is contracted and folded in the area at the root of the tongue and the rear end of the opening, whereby the tongue forms a mechanical barrier against transport of waste past said area.
The tongue will be in its contracted state when the diaper is used, by virtue of the fact that it is elastic and very flexible and that there are no forces which prevent it from returning to its elastically unloaded state. Thanks to the contraction of the tongue, the tongue material is folded at the root of the tongue, i.e. at the rear end of the opening, and there forms a physical barrier or wall which is raised above the surface of the top layer, thus effectively preventing loose and solid waste from passing the barrier. Since the tongue is elastic, the otherwise easily flexible material in the ton
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Reichle K. M.
SCA Molnlycke AB
Weiss John G.
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