Expandable cover garment

Details Expandable cover garment Expandable cover garment

1999-02-12

2001-07-24

Seidel, Richard K. (Department: 3763)

Surgery

Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material

Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...

C604S378000, C604S385010

Reexamination Certificate

active

06264641

ABSTRACT:

FILED OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to garment articles. More particularly, the present invention relates to absorbent articles, desirably disposable absorbent articles, which have a distinctive, extensible outercover.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional garment articles, such as disposable diapers and other disposable absorbent articles, have typically employed adhesive or mechanical fasteners which attach appointed waistband sections of the articles around a wearer. In addition, various configurations of waist elastics, leg elastics, elasticized liners, and elasticized outercovers have been employed on garment articles to help produce and maintain the fit of the articles about the body contours of the wearer.
Other conventional absorbent garments have included folded pleats in the outercover. The pleats are arranged to expand open as the garment absorbs liquids.
The external surfaces of such disposable absorbent products may include a nonwoven fibrous material or a matte-finished film material. In some arrangements, pattern embossments have been formed into outer surface of the outercover to provide a decorative pattern.
Still other disposable garments have incorporated an absorbent composite jointed to an outercover composed of elastomeric materials, such as elastomeric, stretch-bonded-laminate materials. Such materials have included a layer meltblown elastomeric fibers which has been stretched and sandwiched between facing layers composed of a polypropylene spunbond nonwoven fabric. The meltblown layer has typically been pattern-bonded to the facing layers with thermal bonds, sonic bonds and/or adhesive bonds.
Conventional garment articles, such as those described above, have not provided desired levels of fit, absorbency, resistance to leakage, low cost and ease of manufacture. As a result, there has been a continued need for garments having improvements in such properties.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Generally stated, the present invention provides an integral absorbent article having a longitudinal article length and a lateral article width. The article includes an absorbent composite having first and second longitudinally opposed end regions, laterally opposed side regions, a bodyside surface, an outward surface, and a first longitudinally terminal end edge. The absorbent composite further includes a substantially liquid-impermeable backsheet layer; a liquid permeable topsheet layer, and a retention portion sandwiched between said backsheet and topsheet layers. An extensible outercover is joined to extend over a major portion of said outward surface of said absorbent composite. The extensible outercover is desirably capable of providing a selected elongation when subjected to an applied tensile force. The extensible outercover is also desirably capable of providing a selected, sustained deformation, when subjected to an applied tensile force and then allowed to relax after the tensile force has been removed.
In particular arrangements, the extensible outercover can be substantially non-elastomeric. In other configurations, the absorbent article can include an expandable attachment section joined along at least a portion of each side region of the absorbent composite in the first end region of the absorbent composite. Each expandable attachment section can be expandable at least outwardly, and each expandable attachment section is configured to secure its correspondingly joined side edge region of the absorbent composite to the outward surface of the first body panel.
By incorporating its various aspects, the article of the present invention can provide an article having improved fit, improved absorbency and improved resistance to leakage. The article can also be produced at lower cost and with greater efficiency. In addition, the article of the invention can also provide improved breathability, greater softness, and more cloth-like properties.


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