Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
1997-03-26
2001-02-13
Weiss, John G. (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S387000, C206S438000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186993
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wrapping construction of an absorbent article, and more particularly to a wrapping construction of an absorbent article, capable of individually compactly wrapping an absorbent article having a pair of wing portions without degrading the slip-preventive properties while providing an absorbent article which is easy to take out.
2. Description of Related Art
Absorbent articles having a pair of wing portions on opposing sides of a sanitary napkin body are widely used.
In a conventional wrapping construction for individually wrapping a sanitary napkin having wings, peelable materials separate from an individual-wrapping material are needed, so that adhesive portions of the body and the wings can be covered with the peelable materials.
Due to the conventional design, it is required for the user of such a conventional wrapping construction to take the trouble of removing the peelable materials provided to cover the adhesive portion of the body and the adhesive portion of the wing portions when the user wears a sanitary napkin. Moreover, the peelable materials thus removed remain as waste products. In addition, the adhesive portion of the body and the adhesive portions of the wing portions are left uncovered from the time the peelable materials are removed to the time the adhesive portions are attached to an undergarment such as sanitary shorts or the like. Besides, since the peelable materials are left as waste materials, handling difficulties occur. Therefore, handling of the sanitary napkin is likely to be completed incorrectly. As a consequence, there is a high probability that the adhesive portion of the body and the adhesive portions of the wing portions are accidentally attached together. This eventually makes it difficult for the absorbent article to fully perform as designed in many cases. The problems so far described can be hindrances for providing a favorable leak-preventive absorbent article.
For the purposes of obviating the above problems, various proposals have been made with respect to a wrapping construction of an absorbent article.
One such proposal is made by JPT. 506799/1993, in which a pair of wing portions are provided with adhesive portions in a wrapping construction of a sanitary napkin. The wing portions are folded back towards a topsheet side and the adhesive portion on each wing portion is protected by a peelable paper.
However, this conventional wrapping construction has the following shortcomings: the peelable papers protecting the adhesive portions of the wing portions must be removed before the sanitary napkin is worn. Moreover, since the peelable papers remain as waste products after removal, the problem of handling difficulty is left unsolved. Furthermore, since separate materials such as peelable papers are necessary to the conventional wrapping construction, the manufacturing process becomes complicated and productivity worsens while the cost is increased.
Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application No. 39820/1995 also proposes a wrapping construction of a sanitary napkin. A pair of wing portions are folded upon a topsheet of the sanitary napkin and longitudinal opposing end portions of the wrapping material are allowed to extend outwardly of longitudinal opposing end portions of the sanitary napkin. The extending wrapping material is folded back at one end edge thereof upon the topsheet so that adhesive portions of the wing portions may be protected by peelable portions disposed on the outer surface of the extending wrapping material.
However, in this wrapping construction, since it is necessary that one edge portion of longitudinal end of the wrapping material is allowed to extend outwardly of a corresponding one longitudinal end edge portion of the sanitary napkin in order to protect the adhesive portions of the wing portions, a large quantity of wrapping material is required. Therefore, the cost is increased. Moreover, since the wrapping construction is not compact, it is inconvenient to carry and therefore, portability is poor.
In the present specification, “edge portion” means an end edge portion in the longitudinal end of the wrapping material or the absorbent article, and is also referred to as “longitudinal end edge portion” hereinafter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a wrapping construction of an absorbent article which is easy to wear and handle, while the efficiency of the like antileak property is not degraded. With this invention peelable papers separate from the wrapping material are unnecessary. This invention increases productivity where the quantity of material to be used is comparatively small. The invention can individually and compactly wrap an absorbent article such a sanitary napkin.
As a result of investigation made by the present inventors for the purposes of solving the above-mentioned problems, they found out that the resolution of the above-mentioned problems can be achieved by wrapping an absorbent article such as a sanitary napkin, where a wrapping material is integrally folded three or more times.
The present invention has been accomplished based on the above finding. According to the present invention, there is essentially provided a wrapping construction of an absorbent article comprising an absorbent article including a body, and a pair of left and right wing portions disposed on opposing left and right sides of said body; the body being provided on a side of a surface thereof not contacting skin with an adhesive portion of the body; each of the wing portions being provided on a side of a surface thereof not contacting skin with an adhesive portion each of the wing portions; and a wrapping material for individually wrapping the absorbent article; the wing portions being folded towards a skin contacting surface side of the body; the adhesive portion of said body being in contact with and peelably adhered to an inner surface of the wrapping material; the wrapping material being allowed to extend at opposing left and right side edge portions and a front end edge thereof outwardly opposing side edges and a front end edge of the body, respectively; the absorbent article and the wrapping material being folded by gradually folding from edge of rear end sides thereof with the skin contacting surface sides facing inwardly; and an outer surface of the wrapping material which contacts the edge of rear end side of the body is peelably adhered to the adhesive portion each of wing portions.
In the present specification, “a surface not contacting skin” means a surface which does not contact the skin when a user wears the absorbent article but contacts a surface of the shorts, and is also referred to as “skin non-contacting surface” hereinafter.
In addition, “adhesive portion of the body” and “adhesive portion of the wing portion” mean adhesive portions provided on the body and the wing portion respectively, and are referred to as “body adhesive portion” and “wing adhesive portion”, respectively hereinafter.
Further, “edge of rear end” means an edge portion in the rear end of the body or the wrapping material, and is also referred to as “rear end edge” hereinafter.
Furthermore, “skin contacting surface” means a surface which directly contacts the skin when a user wears the absorbent article.
Also, according to the present invention, there is provided the above-mentioned wrapping construction of an absorbent article. The absorbent article is adhered to the wrapping material and is longitudinally divided into the following: a wing folding portion where the wing portions are folded; a front portion located forwardly of the wing folding portion; a rear center portion located backwardly of the wing folding portion; and a rear end portion located backwardly of the rear center portion; the absorbent article and the wrapping material are integrally folded together in such a way to form a quadruplicate construction.
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided the above-mentioned wr
Hamajima Mitsugu
Isobe Kimiko
Nakanishi Minoru
Toyoshima Yasuo
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Kao Corporation
Mager Carie
Weiss John G.
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