Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-22
2003-02-04
Ruhl, Dennis (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S389000, C604S391000, C604S393000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06514233
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to disposable absorbent articles, e.g., diapers for children/infants and briefs for adults, and more specifically to articles of that type which are can be manufactured very efficiently and economically and which exhibit good protection from leakage, good fit and comfort.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Disposable absorbent articles, such as infant/child diapers and adult incontinent briefs, are designed to absorb and contain body waste, e.g., urine and/or feces, to prevent such waste from soiling, wetting, or otherwise contaminating clothing or other articles, such as bedding, that come in contact with the wearer. Many such diapers/briefs are commercially available. Moreover, the patent literature is replete with examples of various diaper/brief constructions and methods of manufacturing them.
For example, In U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,234 (Smits, et al.), which is assigned to the same assignee as this invention and whose disclosure is incorporated by reference herein, there is disclosed a method of manufacturing an absorbent pad for utilization as a diaper or an adult incontinent brief. The method entails providing a moving web of material forming sequential backing sheets for the article. Nozzles are utilized to apply a pair of continuous bands of adhesive to the back sheet of the pad, prior to its assembly. The nozzles eject the adhesive onto a moving web which makes up the backing sheet and are shifted sideways during their extrusion of adhesive from a first location to a second location. This action generates a pair of non-linear bands of adhesive on the backing sheet. The nozzles are again shifted from their second location to their original first location. The elastic band is not shifted when the nozzles are, thus effectuating securement of the elastic bands only on the portions of the backing sheets where the adhesive was applied at the first location. The sequentially located sheets are cut on opposite marginal side to form leg cut-out areas, whereupon only those portions of the elastic bands at the center of each of the leg cut-out areas contract to form a gather thereat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,242 (Gressick et al.), which is also assigned to the same assignee as this invention and whose disclosure is also incorporated by reference herein, discloses a machine for manufacturing a diaper or brief like that disclosed in the aforementioned Smits et al. patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,451 (Buckley), which is also assigned to the same assignee as this invention and whose disclosure is also incorporated by reference herein, discloses a disposable absorbent pad for use as a baby diaper or an adult incontinent brief wherein the backing sheet of the diaper has a pair of continuous bands of adhesive arranged in a stepped generally longitudinal configuration thereon. An elastic band is disposed over the mid-portion of the adhesive being stepped to the side, out of contact with the elastic. When the pads are cut in the assembly process, only that portion of elastic in contact with the adhesive causes the pad to gather. The remaining end portions of the adhesive bands are secured to the intermediate layer of absorbent fluff material, helping it remain in place, and act as a fluid barrier on the sides of the absorbent pad.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,379 (Toth et al.), which is also assigned to the same assignee as this invention and whose disclosure is also incorporated by reference herein, discloses a disposable absorbent pad for utilization as a diaper or adult brief. The pad is an absorbent member covered on one side by a sheet of fluid impervious material, and on the other side by a pair of generally parallel strips of fluid impervious material overlapping the absorbent pad and the backing sheet, in the crotch area to prevent leakage of fluid from the absorbent pad in the crotch area. The pad includes a pair of opposed leg cut-outs each of which is elasticized by a linear elastic band.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,459 (Tanji et al.), there is disclosed an arrangement of a disposable diaper in which there are provided elastic members extending not only along opposite side edges of an opening formed in a skin-contacting topsheet but also further extending beyond longitudinally opposite ends of the opening substantially to longitudinally opposite ends of the skin-contacting topsheet so that the opening may sufficiently rise up together with the skin-contacting topsheet to assure reliable introduction of excretions through this opening into a pocket space defined between the skin-contacting topsheet and a separately provided topsheet underlying the skin-contacting topsheet.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,741 (Buell et al.), there is disclosed absorbent articles having an elastomeric member and an associated non-elastic web for improving the dynamic fit as well as containment characteristics. A portion of the nonelastic web coincides with at least a portion of the elastomeric member. The portion of the nonelastic web is mechanically prestrained to improve not only the extension of the elastomeric member, but also the heat-shrink contraction of preferred elastomeric members.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,243 (Klemp), there is disclosed a disposable diaper having opposed leg cut-outs and unitary elasticized leg cuffs disposed on the interior surface of the diaper along the leg cut-outs.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,377 (Juergens), there is disclosed a process for making a wearable, absorbent article wherein two longitudinally extending barrier leg cuffs are attached to a chassis and the barrier leg cuffs are joined to the article so that they are directed inwardly toward a longitudinally extending centerline in the first waist region of the article and directed outwardly away from the longitudinally extending centerline in the second waist region of the article. The article is made by a method that entails first attaching the cuffs in the first waist region and then in the second waist region in one embodiment and, in another embodiment, being attached in the second waist region first and then in the first waist region of the article. The method also entails attaching the barrier leg cuffs to the article outboard of the longitudinally extending centerline in both the first waist and second waist regions of the article and wherein the barrier leg cuffs are joined partially to the article in the crotch region.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,919 (Roessler et al.), there is disclosed an absorbent article which has a lateral width, a longitudinal length, longitudinally extending side margins, a front waistband portion, a back waistband portion, and an intermediate portion which interconnects the front and back waistband portions. The article comprises a backsheet layer and an absorbent retention portion superposed on the backsheet layer. A liquid permeable topsheet layer is superposed on the retention portion to sandwich the retention portion between the topsheet layer and the backsheet layer. An elasticizing means form elasticized gathers at leg opening portions of the article. The elasticizing means include a front set of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending leg elastic members located in the article side margins in at least the intermediate portion of the article. The front elastic members are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the article length and have a selected offset toward the front waistband portion of the article. A back set of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending leg elastic members are constructed separate from the front set of elastic members and are located in the article side margins in at least the intermediate portion of the article. The back elastic members are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the article length and have a selected offset toward the back waistband portion of the article.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,121 (Roe et al.), there is disclosed absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers, having two waist regions and a crotch region. The absorbent articles comprise a liquid pervious topsheet, a liquid impervious backsheet, an absorbent core
Caesar Rivise Bernstein Cohen & Pokotilow Ltd.
Ruhl Dennis
Tyco Healthcare Retail Services AG
Webb Jamisue
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