Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Patent
1998-02-03
2000-11-21
Polutta, Mark O.
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
428343, 428220, 264296, A61F 1315, B32B 1504, B32B 712
Patent
active
061496405
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to flexible plastics tapes, and to sanitary articles provided with such tapes. In particular the invention relates to diapers provided with such tapes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is conventional to use flexible plastics tapes for holding a diaper in place. This is so with diapers for infants, though such tapes are also used for adult diapers. In its unused condition the diaper has a pair of tapes, one on each side, the tapes being secured to the rest of the diaper by, for example, heat sealing. The tapes have free end portions which are coated with adhesive, the adhesive surface each being covered prior to use with a backing film. At the time of use, the backing films are removed and the tapes adhered to the portion of the diaper which is then adjacent to them, the tape connections then being located adjacent either side of the waist of the infant or other user.
In order to provide adequate strength for the tapes, it is normal to use a strong, relatively stiff plastics material, such as polypropylene, in the form of solid tapes produced, for example, by extrusion. The term "solid" here is used to mean that the material of the tape is present throughout its cross-section, as opposed, for example, to tapes formed of matted fibres. The tapes are cut with a blade from a roll of material. Normally what is done is to start with a roll whose width is equal to the desired length of the tapes, and cut it into lengths equal to the desired tape width. However, the tapes are quite thin. They might be as much as 500 .mu.m in thickness, but would normally be less than 200 .mu.m, and typically about 100 .mu.m or 150 .mu.m. They might be as little as 20 or 25 .mu.m in thickness. These values exclude the adhesive coating. As a result of their thinness the edges of the polypropylene tape are very sharp. The phenomenon is akin to that encountered with paper. There is therefore a risk of the person putting the diaper on the infant being cut by the tapes. Furthermore, it is found that movement by the infant after the diaper is put on can result in the tapes coming into contact with the infant's skin, which can be the cause of the irritation.
The problem is one which is known in the art, but the only solution proposed hitherto, as far as the present applicants are aware, is that described in EP-A-379850, which involves cutting the initial plastic material in a wave shape. This requires a specially constructed, and somewhat complex, cutting apparatus.
It is an object of the present invention to provide tapes in which the above problem is avoided or mitigated in a simple and effective manner, and a sanitary article, for example a diaper, using such tapes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a flexible plastics tape formed using a plastics material, wherein at least one edge of the tape is rounded as viewed in cross-section and wherein the tape has a thickness not greater than that at which the said edge would be sharp if it were not rounded. In a preferred version the edges of the tape which have been cut are rounded.
The tape typically has a thickness of less than 500 .mu.m, more typically less than 200 .mu.m, still more typically less than 150 .mu.m, and most typically of the order of 100 .mu.m.
The invention further provides a sanitary article, for example a diaper, which comprises a fluid-absorbing body portion and at least one tape as just defined.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows the edge of a polypropylene plastic film, of a type conventionally used for diapers, before treatment with hot air at 350 deg. C.
FIG. 2 shows the film from FIG. 1 after treatment with a hot air at 350 deg. C.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention will now be described in more detail.
During diaper assembling, closure tapes are cut from a roll by a cutting device, and conveyed to a point at which they are fixed in place on the diaper. According to the present invention, at least one edge, and preferably both edges of
REFERENCES:
patent: 3193034 (1965-07-01), Pandolfo
patent: 3931666 (1976-01-01), Karami
patent: 4237889 (1980-12-01), Gobran
patent: 5133706 (1992-07-01), Dixon
patent: 5312387 (1994-05-01), Rossini et al.
patent: 5603708 (1997-02-01), Seth
Corzani Italo
Palumbo Gianfranco
Kolodesh Michael S.
Miller Steven W.
Polutta Mark O.
The Procter & Gamble & Company
Weirich David M.
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