Sanitary napkin having improved side leakage protection

Details Sanitary napkin having improved side leakage protection Sanitary napkin having improved side leakage protection

1998-04-02

2001-11-13

Weiss, John G. (Department: 3761)

Surgery

Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material

Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...

C604S386000, C604S385040, C604S385220

Reexamination Certificate

active

06315766

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a sanitary napkin which comprises an absorbent body enclosed between an outer liquid-impermeable casing sheet and an inner liquid-permeable casing sheet which lies proximal to the wearer's body in use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One problem associated with the construction of sanitary napkins is ensuring that the napkins offer protection against leakage. The main reason why sanitary napkins leak is not because their absorption capacity is insufficient, but because the liquid or fluid discharged from the wearer is either deposited onto one side of the absorbent body or runs along its surface without being absorbed, either because the napkin has been incorrectly positioned when donned or because the napkin has been deformed by the forces exerted on the napkin when in use, among other things. Swedish Patent Application No. 9402448-6 discloses a sanitary napkin with which this problem is solved by placing beneath the absorbent body a compressible and resilient layer of material which functions to press the absorbent body resiliently against the wearer's body when the napkin is worn. A sanitary napkin of this kind has been found to be extremely reliable against leakage. However, the resilient layer must be relatively thick in order to ensure that it will function effectively, and consequently this solution is not suited for application with thin sanitary napkins, i.e. sanitary napkins having a total thickness of less than 5 mm.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is also known to attach transversely directed elastic means to the underside of an absorbent body in order to deform the body to have a convex shape as seen in a cross section, see for example EP-A1-0 330 206.
The object of the present invention is to enable sanitary napkin to be made lockproof in a manner which can also be applied to thin sanitary napkins and therewith solve the aforesaid problem.
This object is achieved in accordance with the invention with a sanitary napkin of the aforesaid kind which is characterized in the sanitary napkin includes two separate side-bodies which extend along the outside of the side-edges of the absorbent body on both sides thereof, at least in the central part of the sanitary napkin, and are joined to at least the outer casing sheet, and also pre-stretched elastic devices which strive to move the side-edges of the side-bodies distal from the absorbent body towards one another on that side of the sanitary napkin which lies distal from the wearer in use. Such side-bodies will act as resilient spacing elements which, when the napkin is worn, press the central part of the napkin resiliently into contact with the wearer's body and therewith ensure effective protection against leakage.
In one preferred embodiment, the side-bodies are enclosed between the two casing sheets. The absorbent body also has an hourglass configuration and the side-bodies extend longitudinally in the region of the inwardly curved concave parts thereof. The side-bodies have a shape which corresponds to the shape of respective concave parts of the absorbent body. In one preferred variant, the elastic devices have the form of a piece of elastic material which extends transversely between the side-bodies and the side-edges of which are either fastened to said side-bodies or to parts of the outer casing sheet joined to said bodies. In another variant, the elastic devices have the form of transverse elastic threads or bands which extend transversely between the side-bodies and the ends of which are fastened to said side-bodies or to parts of the outer casing sheet joined thereto. The side-bodies preferably have the shape of a segment of a circle, although it is conceivable to curve the side-edges of the side-bodies distal from the absorbent body in directions opposite to the side-edges that lie proximal to the absorbent body. The elastic devices are pre-stretched so that when the sanitary napkin is in a load-free state, the side-bodies will be maintained in a plane which defines an obtuse angle with the plane of the absorbent body and the rigidity or stiffness of the side-bodies is sufficient to enable said bodies to withstand the loads that normally occur when the napkin is in use, essentially without being deformed. In one variant, the side-bodies may be made of a resilient material.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4758241 (1988-07-01), Papajohn
patent: 4897084 (1990-01-01), Ternstrom et al.
patent: 4917697 (1990-04-01), Osburn et al.
patent: 5037417 (1991-08-01), Termström
patent: 5098422 (1992-03-01), Davis et al.
patent: 5125918 (1992-06-01), Seidy
patent: 5129893 (1992-07-01), Thoren
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patent: 5275591 (1994-01-01), Mavinkurve
patent: 5344416 (1994-09-01), Niihara
patent: 5346486 (1994-09-01), Osburn et al.
patent: 5391162 (1995-02-01), Widland et al.
patent: 5591147 (1997-01-01), Couture-Dorschner et al.
patent: 0 330 206 A1 (1989-08-01), None
patent: WO 95/17148 (1995-06-01), None

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