Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-16
2001-04-10
Weiss, John G. (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S385201
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213992
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to disposable, absorbent garments and, more particularly, to a disposable garment in which an inspection porthole with a flexible cover is provided on the rear portion of the garment to enable a caretaker to selectively and easily determine whether the garment is soiled.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Today, disposable, absorbent garments, such as diapers, are widely used in infant and toddler care, and in the care of incontinent adults, as a means of containing, isolating and disposing of bodily wastes. These garments have generally replaced reusable, washable cloth garments as the preferred means for these applications, and the typical disposable garment is a composite structure containing a number of layers of material. Included in these layers of material are a liquid impermeable outer layer or backsheet, one or more layers of woven or non-woven material forming an absorbent core, and a liquid permeable inner layer or liner. The layers comprising the garment are generally secured together by lines of adhesive, with the backsheet and liner usually directly adhesively interconnected around the periphery of the garment. Elastic bands are often provided along the longitudinal sides of the garment to constrict the liner and backsheet to produce leg cuffs which fit snugly about the wearer's legs. In addition, closure devices, such as adhesive tabs, may be provided for removably fitting and holding the sides of the garment together about the waist of the wearer. Alternatively, the garment may be folded and sealed or otherwise attached along opposing side edges to form a pant or brief.
While many advancements have been made in the field of disposable garments for both infants and adults, which have enabled them to be widely preferred over conventional cloth garments, a number of problems still exist. Among the problems experienced with these disposable garments is the inability to determine whether the garment has been soiled without substantially removing the garment. It is desirable to detect soiling of the garment as soon after it occurs as possible, in order to reduce the occurrence of diaper rashes and other skin irritations and infections. Diapers and other disposable garments have traditionally been produced with opaque back or outer sheets to provide a sanitary appearance for the diaper. Unfortunately, however, the opaqueness of the sheets also serves to conceal the presence of waste material in the diaper.
Currently, there are a limited number of options available to a caretaker for determining whether a garment, such as a diaper, has been soiled. The first of these options is to smell the diaper in order to detect the odor of stool or urine. While this option is non-intrusive to the wearer, it is highly subject to error, since the deodorants applied to the diaper may mask the odor of the waste. Another option is for the caretaker to at least partially remove the garment from the wearer to see whether it is soiled. While this method is more accurate, it is also more invasive and inconvenient, requiring at least a partial removal of the wearer's clothing and diaper. A third option for inspecting the diaper is for the caretaker to stick a finger into the rear portion of the diaper to “feel” whether it is soiled.
While this method also tends to be very accurate, it can be a rather inconvenient and/or unpleasant experience for at least the caretaker. Diapers have been developed which include transparent portions for viewing bodily waste in the diaper without the need for removing the diaper. For instance, Haque, U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,708, issued Jan. 7, 1992, discloses a diaper which includes a transparent outer layer and an opaque soft lining material. In the Haque diaper, openings in the form of character shapes are provided in both the front and back portions of the soft material, so that soilage can be readily viewed from outside the diaper. While the Haque diaper eliminates the need to remove the diaper to detect soilage, its transparent outer layer creates an unsanitary, unpleasant appearance, since the soilage is visible to not only the caretaker, but also to anyone else who is in visual contact with the wearer before the diaper is changed.
Accordingly, to overcome the above and other problems, it is desirable to have a disposable, absorbent garment which includes an inspection porthole for determining whether the garment has been soiled without removing the garment. Further, it is desirable to have such a garment in which the inspection porthole is concealed when not in use in order to preserve the sanitary outer appearance of the garment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a disposable absorbent garment for infants and adults which includes an inspection porthole for inspecting the contents of the garment.
In particular, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a disposable, absorbent garment having a transparent inspection porthole which includes a releasably affixed cover for concealing the inspection porthole when it is not in use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disposable garment having a transparent inspection porthole and an at least partially detachable cover in which the cover is pliable so as not to detract from the wearer's comfort.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a disposable garment having an inspection porthole and cover, wherein the cover is reclosable to allow for multiple inspections of the same garment.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a garment with the above named advantages which is easy and inexpensive to construct.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a garment with the above-described features which can be worn as either a diaper, a child training pant or an adult incontinence brief.
Additional objects, advantages and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and, in part, will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention as described above, a disposable garment is provided comprising a liner, an absorbent core and a liquid impervious backsheet attached to the core. An opening is formed through the liner, core and backsheet to form a passageway between the inner and outer portions of the garment. A transparent layer of material extends over the passageway to form a window into the interior of the garment. An opaque, pliable cover is attached to the backsheet so as to extend over the transparent window. A layer of adhesive material extends about the periphery of the cover, to enable the cover to be releasably affixed to the window. The cover further includes a tab which cooperates with the adhesive material to enable the cover to be selectively pulled back from the transparent window to allow for viewing through the window into the garment. The tab also assists in replacing the cover over the opening to conceal the contents of the diaper.
Still other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description wherein there is shown and described a preferred embodiment of this invention, simply by way of illustration, of one of the best modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other different, obvious aspects all without departing from the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3759261 (1973-09-01), Wang
patent: 3918454 (1975-11-01), Korodi et al.
patent: 3952746 (1976-04-01), Summers
patent: 4022211 (1977-05-01), Timmons et al.
patent: 4892536 (1990-01-01), DesMarais et al.
patent: 4944733 (1990-07-01), Casale
patent: 4955876 (1990-09-01), Millne
Miller Steven W.
Osborne, Jr. Thomas J.
Reiche K. M.
The Procter & Gamble & Company
Weirich David M.
LandOfFree
Disposable garment with inspection porthole does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Disposable garment with inspection porthole, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Disposable garment with inspection porthole will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2554084