U.S. patent number 3,874,386 [Application Number 05/452,609] was granted by the patent office on 1975-04-01 for pressure-sensitive tape fastener for disposable diapers.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Union Carbide Corporation. Invention is credited to Theodore F. Kozak.
United States Patent |
3,874,386 |
Kozak |
April 1, 1975 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Pressure-sensitive tape fastener for disposable diapers
Abstract
A disposable diaper having a top sheet, a backing sheet and an
absorbent core interposed therebetween and a pressure-sensitive
tape fastener having a fixed end segment, a middle segment and a
releasable end segment which is folded in a manner such that the
releasable end segment and the middle segment are superimposed over
the fixed end segment with the lower surface of the releasable end
segment being in contacting relation and releasably secured to the
lower surface of the middle segment.
Inventors: |
Kozak; Theodore F. (Peekskill,
NY) |
Assignee: |
Union Carbide Corporation (New
York, NY)
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Family
ID: |
27017716 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/452,609 |
Filed: |
March 19, 1974 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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402088 |
Oct 1, 1973 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
604/390; 604/370;
428/41.3; 604/373 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
13/58 (20130101); Y10T 428/1452 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
13/58 (20060101); A61F 13/56 (20060101); A61f
013/16 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/284,286,287,29R,29H,296,155,156,169 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Medbery; Aldrich F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Vicari; Clement J.
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 402,088
filed Oct. 1, 1973 and now abandoned.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a disposable diaper having a top sheet, a backing sheet and
an absorbent core interposed therebetween, a means for providing
self-stored protective access to a portion of the adhesive surface
of a diaper tape fastener comprising, a pressure-sensitive tape
fastener having an upper surface and a lower surface, said lower
surface being divided widthwise into two end segments at least one
of which is adhesively treated and a middle segment containing a
release agent, one of said end segments being a fixed end segment
which is secured to said backsheet, the other of said end segments
being a releasable end segment; said fastener being folded in
manner such that said releasable end segment and said middle
segment are superimposed over said fixed end segment with the lower
surface of said releasable end segment being in contacting relation
and releasably secured to the lower surface of said middle
segment.
2. A disposable diaper as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fixed end
segment is secured to said backing sheet by adhering said fixed end
segment to said backing sheet.
3. A disposable diaper as claimed in claim 1 wherein said backing
sheet and said pressure-sensitive tape fastener are fabricated from
a thermoplastic material and wherein said fixed end segment is
secured to said backing sheet by heat sealing.
4. A disposable diaper according to claim 3 wherein said backing
sheet and said pressure-sensitive tape fastener are fabricated from
polyethylene.
5. A disposable diaper as claimed in claim 1 wherein said release
agent on said middle segment is silicone.
6. A disposable diaper as claimed in claim 1 wherein said
releasable end segment has an end portion on the lower surface of
said pressure-sensitive tape fastener which is not treated with
adhesive.
7. In a disposable diaper having a top sheet, a backing sheet and
an absorbent core interposed therebetween, a means for providing
self-stored protective access to a portion of the adhesive surface
of a diaper tape fastener comprising, a pressure-sensitive tape
fastener having an upper surface and a lower surface, said lower
surface being divided widthwise into two end segments and a middle
segment, one of said end segments being a fixed end segment which
is secured to said backsheet, the other of said end segments being
a releasable end segment, a system of release sections and adhesive
sections disposed on the lower surface of said releasable end
segment and said middle segment; said fastener being folded in
manner such that said releasable end segment and said middle
segment are superimposed over said fixed end segment with the lower
surface of said releasable end segment being in contacting relation
and releasably secured to the lower surface of said middle segment
and being further characterized in that said release sections are
in non-mating relationship when said fastener is in folded
position.
8. A disposable diaper as claimed in claim 7 wherein said release
sections and said adhesive sections extend laterally across the
lower surface of said middle segment and said end segment.
9. A disposable diaper as claimed in claim 7 wherein said release
sections and said adhesive sections extend lengthwise across the
lower surface of said middle segment and said end segment.
Description
The present invention relates to disposable diapers and more
particularly to an improved pressure-sensitive tape fastener for
disposable diapers.
Disposable diapers are presently enjoying increasingly widespread
commercial acceptance due primarily to the ease of simplicity of
application to the diaper. At present, there are several devices
known to the art for securing the diaper on an infant. Widely used
devices are pressure-sensitive tape fasteners which are preferred
over conventional safety pins because of the elimination of the
well-known danger incident to the use of safety pins.
Unfortunately, however, the known pressure-sensitive tape fasteners
for diaper use are not entirely satisfactory from a practical
standpoint. For example, in general, some types of
pressure-sensitive tape fasteners utilize a throw-away release
paper which is normally adhered to a portion of the tape tab. When
it is desired to secure the diaper on an infant, the operator
removes the release paper from the tap exposing an adhesively
treated surface which is, thereafter, fixed in adhesive relation on
the desired surface of the diaper. Since this operation is
conducted while the diaper is on the infant, it is difficult for
the operator to both apply the diaper to the infant while at the
same time releasing the release paper from the tape fastener.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an
improved pressure-sensitive tape fastener for a disposable diaper
which does not utilize a disposable throw-away release material,
such as a release paper, with the pressure-sensitive tape
fastener.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of an
improved pressure-sensitive tape fastener for a disposable diaper
which is easily manufactured, and is simple to apply to an
infant.
These and other objects will become apparent from the following
description of the invention taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view looking upwardly at the bottom of the
improved pressure-sensitive tape fastener of the present invention
showing the location of the adhesive surfaces and the release
surface of the fastener.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing the pressure-sensitive tape fastener
indicating the location of the folds of the fastener.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a disposable diaper
showing the position of the tape fastener in non-operating
position, i.e., only one end affixed to a corner of the diaper.
FIG. 4 is a view showing the tape fastener in operating position,
i.e., both ends affixed to adjoining corners of a diaper in
securing position.
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing however, a modified form
of the pressure-sensitive tape fastener wherein a portion of the
free end is not treated with adhesive.
FIG. 6 is a view similiar to FIG. 1 showing however, another
embodiment of the pressure-sensitive tape fastener wherein portions
of the middle segment and releasable end segment contain laterally
extending strips of release material on their surfaces.
Broadly contemplated, the present invention provides an improvement
in a disposable diaper having a top sheet, a backing sheet and an
adsorbent core interposed therebetween, the improvement being a
pressure sensitive tape fastener having an upper surface and a
lower surface, the latter being divided widthwise into two end
segments at least one of which is adhesively treated and a middle
segment containing a release agent. One of the end segments is a
fixed end segment which is permanently secured to the backsheet and
the other end segment which is adhesively treated is a releasable
end segment. The tape fastener is folded in a manner such that the
releasable end segment and the middle segment are superimposed over
the fixed end segment with the lower surface of the releasable end
segment being in contacting relation and releasably secured to the
lower surface of the middle segment.
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that the
pressure-sensitive tape fastener of the present invention,
generally indicated by reference numeral 10 has an upper surface 11
and a lower surface 12. The lower surface is divided widthwise into
three segments, including two end segments or ends 13 and 15 and a
middle segment 14. Depending upon the positioning of the tape
fastener on the diaper, either end 13 or 15 can be termed a fixed
or attached end in which case the other end would be termed a free
or releasable end. The pressure-sensitive tape is preferably a
paperbacked tape but it can also be any of several well-known
commerical types including the type having a polyethylene backing.
In either case, it can be used with or without reinforcing. At
least one of the end segments 13 and 15 on the lower surface 12 are
coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive which can be any of the
conventional types well known in the art. The middle segment 14 is
treated with a release agent, so that when the releasable end is
adhered to the middle segment, as will hereafter be described,
there is a minimal adhesive attachment therewith. Thus, according
to the invention, the adhesive portions and the release portion are
all disposed on the same side of the pressure-sensitive tape i.e.,
the lower surface 12 of the tape. When the pressure-sensitive tape
fastener is in non-operating position, i.e., prior to securing the
diaper on an infant, the pressure-sensitive tape has a system of
folds as indicated in FIG. 2.
Referring specifically to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the folds
occur at the inward ends of the segments 13 and 15 with the
releasable end 15 being superimposed and in contact with the middle
segment 14 containing the release agent. The resultant
configuration depends upon which end is the fixed end. When segment
13 is the fixed end i.e., the end permanently secured to the
diaper, the resultant configuration has an S-shape, whereas if the
fixed end is segment 15, then the resultant configuration is
Z-shaped.
The pressure-sensitive tape fastener can be employed with any
conventional disposable diaper particularly of the kind that has a
plastic backing sheet. Merely as illustrative, of the kind of
diaper to which the invention is readily adapted, reference is made
to the diaper described in my copending application Ser. No.
312,131 filed on Dec. 4, 1972.
It will be obvious that the tape fastener illustrated and described
herein may be applied to the corner of a diaper of that particular
design and configuration. On the other hand, it will be understood
that the invention is not limited to any specific diaper structure
or configuration and the disclosure of the above copending
application is incorporated herein by reference merely for the sake
of illustrating a typical example of the kind of diaper to which
the present invention can be usefully applied.
Referring to FIG. 3 which illustrates the location of the tape
fastener 10 in non-operating position, on a corner of a disposable
diaper, the diaper generally designated by reference numeral 16
contains an absorbent core 17. The core can be formed from any well
known material having good fluid-absorbing characteristics such as
absorbent wadding, cellulosic fluff and the like. Preferably,
however, the absorbent core is in the form of an absorbent pad
which is substantially centrally located and sandwiched between the
thin flexible backing sheet 18 of liquid impermeable material such
as polyethylene film, and the thin flexible top sheet 19 also of a
normally liquid impermeable material which has been treated such as
by providing openings or slits therein so as to permit the passage
of liquid therethough. It will be understood however, that both the
top sheet 19 and backing sheet 18 may be any suitable material and
need not be plastic, particularly when the diaper is to be covered
with plastic panties or the like. In its preferred form, backing
sheet 18 and top sheet 19 are of approximately equal size and are
of a length and width slightly greater than the corresponding
dimensions of the absorbent core 17. The edges of backing sheet 18
and top sheet 19 are sealed to each other (if plastic) around the
entire periphery of the diaper and just outside the outermost edges
of absorbent core (pad) 17.
The sealing can be accomplished by any convenient means, such as by
the use of an adhesive, however heat sealing around the periphery
of the diaper is preferred.
The pressure-sensitive tape fastener 10 has one end, e.g., the
fixed end 13 which is strongly adhered and permanently secured to
the backing sheet 18 as shown in FIG. 3 (for simplicity of
illustration, only one tape 10 is shown but it will be understood
that normally two tapes are provided on two diaper corners in a
complete diaper structure). When the pressure-sensitive tape
fastener is fabricated from a thermoplastic material for
application to a backsheet also of thermoplastic material, then the
securing of the fixed end can be effected by heat sealing. However,
when heat sealing is not possible, then the fixed end segment can
be coated on the lower surface with an adhesive material so that
both end segments would be adhesively treated. The other end of the
tape, i.e., the releasable end 15 when in non-operating position,
is superimposed over the middle segment 14, containing the release
agent, and is adhesively, albeit minimally, secured thereto.
FIG. 4 illustrates the tape fastener 10 after the operator has
released the releasable end 15 and positioned it on the adjacent
corner of a diaper in securing engagement therewith.
A further embodiment of the tape fastener 10 is illustrated in FIG.
5. The releasable end 15 has an end portion 21 on the lower surface
12 which is not treated with adhesive material. The non-adhesive
portion 21 is of a length which will permit the operator to grasp
and hold the non-adhesive portion while releasing the releasable
end 15 from the middle segment 14. Normally a minimum of about
one-eighth inch in length is sufficient for accomplishing the
above.
In another embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 6, the
middle segment, 14 and the releasable end 15, have a system of
release sections 22, and adhesive sections 23 laterally extending
across the lower surface 12 of the middle segment 14 and the lower
surface of the releasable end 15. These sections are characterized
in that they also contain a release material and when superimposed
over each other the release sections are in nonmating relationship,
i.e., the release sections do not overlie each other. It will, of
course, be understood that the release sections can be disposed on
the lower surfaces of the middle and releasable end segments by
other design configurations. Thus, the release sections can run in
sections lengthwise across the lower surface of the middle and end
segments, the important criterion being that they be in non-mating
relationship when folded in the S- or Z-fold on the diaper. The
size of these sections should be such as to make the releasable end
15 easily releasable from the middle segment 14. Moreover the
exposed adhesive portions on the lower surface of the middle and
releasable end segments, i.e., those portions not having the
release material thereon, should be sufficient to provide adhesive
holding power when the tape fastener is in operating position. The
size of the release portions and the adhesive portions required for
the above purposes are easily ascertainable by those skilled in the
art and hence no further detailed discussion appears necessary.
In a typical mode of operation, the operator unfolds the diaper and
wraps it around the infant in the usual manner. The
pressure-sensitive tape fastener 10 is in the non-operating
position as shown in FIG. 3. The operator thereafter grasps the
releasable end and releases it from the middle segment 14. The
adjacent corners are urged towards each other and the operator
positions and secures the releasable end on the backing sheet of
the adjacent corner of the diaper as shown in FIG. 4. The operation
is repeated on the other adjacent corners with sufficient force
being exerted so as to provide a tight, comfortable fitting
diaper.
As mentioned previously the end segments 13 and 15 of the tape
fastener 10 can be treated on the lower surface 12 with a
conventional adhesive material. The adhesive material should be of
sufficient bond strength to adhere to the backing sheet 18 under
normal stress and strain during movement of the infant. The middle
segment 14 of the tape fastener 10 is likewise treated on the lower
surface with a release agent so as to provide minimal adhesive
attachment with the releasable end. Although a wide variety of
release agents are known, a silicone treated lower surface of the
middle segment is preferred.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated
and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that
various changes and modifications can be made without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended to
cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications
that are within the scope of this invention.
* * * * *