Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-29
2004-03-02
Chapman, Jeanette (Department: 3635)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S385040, C604S385030, C604S385050, C604S385280
Reexamination Certificate
active
06699227
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an absorbent article, such as pantyliners. More particularly, the present invention relates to pantyliners for use with thong-type underwear. The invention includes means for attaching the absorbent article to underwear such that the attachment means are not discernible through the clothing of the user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Currently, absorbent articles for sanitary protection, such as, pantyliners, sanitary napkins, and incontinence pads, must fit a variety of individual body shapes and sizes. In particular, women have an almost infinite variety of body shapes and muscle tone in the upper thigh region. A product that offers superior comfort, fit, and protection for one woman may be deficient for another woman due to her body shape and muscle tone.
The availability of different types of underwear also affects the choice of absorbent articles for sanitary protection. For example, conventional pantyliners and napkins are typically designed to be used with underwear having a full sized crotch portion, e.g., briefs and bikinis. However, such conventional pantyliners and napkins attach poorly to underwear having an abbreviated crotch portion, e.g., thong or G-string, which have a substantially narrower posterior end compared to the anterior end. As a result, many women purchase multiple types of sanitary protection depending on the underwear they choose to wear.
One problem with pantyliners, especially those for use with thong underwear, is their ability to be secured to such underwear and to stay in place. For example, there is little surface area of fabric at the narrow posterior end of such pantyliners for such pantyliners to attach. Additionally, the area between the buttocks is sensitive and subject to a high degree of movement.
Attaching a pantyliner to underwear, including thong, often includes at least one flap, tab or wing that extends laterally from a side edge of the liner that wraps around to the outside of the underwear fabric and attaches thereto. As used herein, “flap,” “tab,” and “wing,” whether plural or singular, are interchangeable and shall have the same meaning. Attachment of the flaps is typically accomplished by having an adhesive on the side of the flaps that face the outer underwear fabric.
Typically, absorbent articles used as sanitary protection are white. Because the materials, e.g., fibers and polymers, used to make the components, e.g., cover, absorbent core and barrier, of such absorbent articles often do not have the desired whiteness, pigments, dyes, or color imparting materials, such as, titanium oxide, are added to such materials to produce the desired whiteness. However, for example, a cover and backsheet produced from such pigmented materials may make the flaps highly visible, thereby reducing discretion.
Accordingly, the need exists for a pantyliner that will attach securely to thong underwear and stay there, so as not to be discernible, especially through clothing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an absorbent article having a silhouette that includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion is in opposite relation to the first portion, and a pair of opposed longitudinally extending sides connecting the first portion to the second portion, wherein the distance between the pair of longitudinally extending sides decreases from the first portion to the second portion. The absorbent article also contains a layered portion with a substantially transparent cover layer and a substantially transparent backsheet layer. At least one flap may optionally extend laterally from a longitudinally extending side.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3645835 (1972-02-01), Hodgson
patent: 5462538 (1995-10-01), Korpman
patent: 5497788 (1996-03-01), Inman et al.
patent: 5681305 (1997-10-01), Korpman
patent: 5683373 (1997-11-01), Darby
patent: 5713886 (1998-02-01), Sturino
patent: 5782819 (1998-07-01), Tanzer et al.
patent: 5885681 (1999-03-01), Korpman
patent: 6350258 (2002-02-01), Markowiecki
patent: 40007047 (2000-11-01), None
patent: 1138293 (2001-10-01), None
Chapman Jeanette
Mc-Neil-PPC, Inc.
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