U.S. patent number 3,890,973 [Application Number 05/374,939] was granted by the patent office on 1975-06-24 for sanitary diaper.
Invention is credited to Alwyn K. Davis, Ward A. St. John.
United States Patent |
3,890,973 |
Davis , et al. |
June 24, 1975 |
Sanitary diaper
Abstract
A folded disposable diaper having an inner absorbent layer and
an outer impervious layer both of pliant material with an opening
through the absorbent layer for the passage of excretion into a
pouch formed by or affixed to the overlying impervious layer, the
diaper to be worn by an infant as a garment and having straps that
tighten the diaper around the leg openings and tied at the anterior
of the infant so as to adjust the diaper as may be desired.
Inventors: |
Davis; Alwyn K. (Thousand Oaks,
CA), St. John; Ward A. (Newbury Park, CA) |
Family
ID: |
23478827 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/374,939 |
Filed: |
June 29, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/355;
604/385.03; 604/392 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
13/495 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
13/15 (20060101); A61f 005/44 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/284,286,287 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gaudet; Richard A.
Assistant Examiner: Layton; Henry S.
Claims
We claim:
1. A sanitary diaper having an inner absorbent layer and a
contiguously overlying and impervious outer layer, and including a
normally closed slit-shaped excrement diverting opening through the
inner absorbent layer to be spread by and to pass fluid excrement
from the interior to the exterior of the inner absorbent layer for
containment within the confines of said impervious outer layer.
2. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 1 wherein the said
impervious outer layer is translucent for visibly showing the
containment of excrement thereby.
3. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 1 wherein the opening
through the inner absorbent layer is positioned at the discharge of
excrement when the diaper is worm as a garment.
4. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 1 wherein the
excrement diverting opening extends rearwardly from the crotch area
when the diaper is worn as a garment.
5. A sanitary diaper having an inner absorbent layer and a
contiguously overlying and impervious outer layer, and including; a
normally closed slit-shaped excrement diverting opening through the
inner absorbent layer to be spread by and to pass fluid excrement
from the interior to the exterior of the inner absorbent layer, and
a chamber means at the exterior of the inner absorbent layer for
receiving and containing said fluid excrement passed through said
excrement diverting opening.
6. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 5 wherein the chamber
means is a pocket overlying the absorbent layer and the diverting
opening therethrough.
7. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 5 wherein the chamber
means is a pocket of said impervious layer overlying the absorbent
layer and the excrement diverting opening therethrough.
8. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 5 wherein the chamber
means is a pocket of said impervious layer overlying the absorbent
layer and the excrement diverting opening therethrough, said
impervious outer layer being translucent for visibly showing the
containment of excrement thereby.
9. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 5 wherein the chamber
means is a pocket attachment of said impervious layer to said
absorbent layer and overlying the same and the excrement diverting
opening therethrough.
10. the sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 5 wherein the chamber
means is a pocket attachment of said impervious layer to said
absorbent layer and encircling and overlying the same and the
excrement diverting opening therethrough.
11. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 5 wherein the chamber
means is a pocket encirclement attaching the impervious layer to
said absorbent layer around the same and the excrement diverting
opening therethrough.
12. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 5 wherein the chamber
means is a pocket encirclement by a seam of joinder to the
impervious layer surrounding the excrement diverting opening.
13. A sanitary diaper having an inner absorbent layer and a
contiguously overlying and impervious outer layer and including; a
normally closed slit-shaped excrement diverting opening through the
inner absorbent layer to be spread by and to pass fluid excrement
from the interior to the exterior thereof, and a chamber means
overlying the excrement diverting opening at the exterior of the
inner absorbent layer for receiving and containing said fluid
excrement passed through said diverting means.
14. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 13, wherein the
chamber means is a pocket of said impervious layer overlying the
absorbent layer and the excrement diverting opening
therethrough.
15. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 13 wherein the
chamber means is a pocket attachment of said impervious layer to
said absorbent layer and encircling the slit-shaped opening.
16. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 13 wherein the
excrement diverting opening extends rearwardly from the crotch area
when the diaper is worn as a garment, and wherein the chamber means
is a pocket attachment of said impervious layer to said absorbent
layer and encircling and overlying the absorbent layer and the
excrement diverting opening therethrough.
17. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 13 wherein the
excrement diverting opening extends rearwardly from the crotch area
when the diaper is worn as a garment, and wherein the chamber means
is a pocket encirclement attaching the impervious layer to said
absorbent layer around the excrement diverting opening.
18. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 13, wherein the
excrement diverting opening extends rearwardly from the crotch area
when the diaper is worn as a garment, and wherein the chamber means
is a pocket encirclement by a seam of joinder to the impervious
layer surrounding the excrement diverting opening.
19. A sanitary diaper having initially pleated inner absorbent and
contiguous outer impervious and normally detached layers, with
opposite inwardly folded side margins outwardly refolded along the
center of the diaper and each having edges at the opposite sides of
the diaper respectively, and including; a normally closed
slit-shaped excrement diverting opening in the center of the
absorbent layer to be spread by and to pass fluid excrement from
the interior to the exterior of the inner absorbent layer for
containment within the confines of said impervious outer layer.
20. The sanitary diaper as set forth in claim 1 wherein the
excrement diverting opening extends rearwardly from the crotch area
when the diaper is worn as a garment.
Description
Reference is made to Disclosure Document No. 005779 filed June 30,
1971, which describes and shows the concepts herein disclosed.
BACKGROUND
This invention relates to disposable diapers for use in clothing
infants, and for receiving and holding excretion in the form of
fluid solids and liquids. Both male and female infants have the
same general elimination habits and the absorption and/or
collection of feces and urine is essentially the same for each.
That is, the location of the anus and genitals is normally about
the same, and generally speaking the feces is discharged from the
body posteriorly while the urine is discharged anteriorly. A
problem arises, however, with ordinary diapers or clothing, in that
the secretion and often simultaneous discharge of feces and urine
results in an obnoxious mixture, all as a result of lack of
separation; also the two are most often inflamatory when left in
contact with the infant's skin, and this too is aggrevated by the
admixture of the two. Therefore, it is a general object of this
invention to provide means in a diaper for the reception and timely
discharge of feces separated from the reception and storage of
urine, and to thereby remove the feces as much as possible from
skin contact.
The reception and containment of feces within the confines of a
diaper has been primitive in the past, to say the least, since
there has been no provision for diverting the same away from the
infant's body. It is the buttocks of the infant which extend
posteriorly from the anal opening where the inner thighs come
together at the crotch; and thus the discharge of feces under
pressure from the infant's body is necessarily localized between
the cheeks of the buttocks. Therefore, it is an object of this
invention to provide diverting means to the exterior of the
aforementioned absorbent layer of the diaper, whereby the feces
excretion is removed from the infant's body to the greatest extent
possible. Naturally, the excrement will remain to some extent
between the cheeks of the buttocks, immediate to the anal opening,
but in accordance with this invention and with a reasonable secure
diaper, the excretion of feces will extrude through the diverting
means which provides a course of least resistance.
It is also an object of this invention to provide for the timely
storage of feces separate from urine in a diaper having diverting
means for the former, and to this end we provide chamber means
adapted to be filled with feces entered therein by means of the
infant's body pressure which extrudes the feces excrement along the
course of least resistance into said chamber means for timely
storage. With the present invention the chamber means is inflatable
and in the form of a pocket at the exterior of the absorbent layer
of the diaper; and in practice, the impervious layer coacts with
the absorbent layer to establish the chamber means.
It is another object of this invention to provide for the mounting
of the diaper to the body of the infant as a garment, without the
necessity of other fasteners such as safety pins and snaps etc.
With the present invention we provide separate straps which tighten
the diaper around the infant's two legs and waist, and which are
trained around the midriff of the infant's body and tied together
with the desired tension for a firm diaper.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved
diaper in the form of a garment as hereinabove set forth and which
is practical and inexpensive of manufacture. The diaper exterior is
translucent and the accumulation of feces is externally visible
without the usual partial removal and inspection. The usually
expected discharge of feces around the leg openings is virtually
eliminated by the least resistance flow to the exterior of the
absorbent layer which then remains most effective for the
collection and storage of urine.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
This is an infant's diaper of the disposable type made of highly
absorbent material and of an impervious overlying film. These two
materials are related so that the absorbent material has interface
contact with the body, or skin, of the infant and so that the
impervious film is outside and away from the infant's body so as to
form a cover. A typical combining of these two materials is shown,
wherein the article is initially pleated with an accordion fold at
each margin thereof, the absorbent material being at the inside and
the imperforate film being at the outside or exterior. The said
accordion folds touch together longitudinally at the center of the
diaper and coextensively therewith; they are transversely secured
together midway between the ends of the diaper so as to prevent
unfolding at said center point; and they are unfoldable at the
opposite end portions, the midpoint of the diaper remaining narrow
where it is to pass through the crotch while the ends are
expansible so as to extend around the infant's waist.
In accordance with the present invention, we have provided
diverting means X preferably in the form of a slot through the
absorbent inner layer of the diaper, chamber means Y preferably in
the form of an inflatable pocket formed by the impervious film at
the exterior of the diaper, and strap means Z that cooperatively
tie so as to secure the diaper to the infant as a garment.
DRAWINGS
The various objects and features of this invention will be fully
understood from the following detailed description of the typical
preferred form and application thereof, throughout which
description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 illustrates an infant wearing the sanitary diaper of the
present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sanitary
diaper partially opened and taken from the interior side thereof.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken through the
diaper before its expansion into form as a garment. FIG. 4 is a
perspective view of the sanitary diaper as it is initially prepared
(before expansion) and taken from the exterior side thereof.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The diaper D is formed generally to two coextensive rectangular
sheets of material, a layer of absorbent material 10, such as
highly absorbent textile or paper fibers and a layer of impervious
film 11 such as an imperforate sheet of pliant plastic, the latter
having a marginal portion 13 folded under and free of the outermost
folds of material 10, thereby to form an inwardly turned
flap-shaped seal at the leg openings when the diaper is worn.
However, this seal is often insufficient when the diaper is filled
with fluid solids, and consequently it is not uncommon for the
excrement to exude from the leg openings due to pressurization
caused by confinement. The diaper that we will now describe
relieves the pressure of these excreted fluid solids within the
interior confines of the diaper by providing an exterior receptacle
chamber into which the excrement is transferred and timely
stored.
Referring now to the diverting means X, the mid-point of the layers
10 and 11 are joined together along a transverse line, as by means
of adhesive applied continuously or at intervals. In practice, it
is sufficient to tack the accordion folds 12 together at or near
the center of the diaper, indicated at 15, thereby establishing a
crotch area 14 that does not separate. It is this crotch area that
overlies and which will be inherently positioned at or between the
anus and genitals of the infant. In accordance with this invention,
the diverting means X is an opening 20 through the absorbent layer
10 and which extends rearwardly into the rear portion or back
section a of the diaper. As is best illustrated in FIG. 2 of the
drawings, the opening 20 is preferably a slot or slit-shaped
opening that extends from the crotch area 14 and along the center
line of the absorbent layer a substantial distance toward the back
edge 21 of the layer 10, and in practice the slot or slit-shaped
opening 20 extends throughout about half of said distance. In this
or any like manner, the interior of the diaper is open to the
exterior thereof, and any lateral spreading forces that are applied
as and when the diaper is expanded to surround the buttocks of the
infant results in a tendancy or degree of separation of the opening
which establishes a free passage for excrement issuing into the
area of the slot or slit-shaped opening 20.
Referring now to the chamber means Y, an inflatable pocket 25 is
formed at the exterior of the absorbent layer 10 for the reception
of excrement delivered through the opening 20 as above described.
The pocket 25 can be formed in various ways to coextensively
overlie the opening 20, and in accordance with the preferred form
of this invention involves the cooperative combination of the inner
absorbent layer 10 and an outer impervious layer 11. As is best
illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the pocket 25 is a chamber
formed by the impervious film 11 superimposed outside the absorbent
layer 10, the former being secured to the latter by means of a
continuous line of joinder 26 encircling the opening 20. The
impervious film 11 of plastic is preferably of translucent material
and the encircling line of joinder is indicated by shading in FIG.
4, it being understood that any suitable form or process of joinder
can be employed as circumstances require. As shown in FIG. 2, the
encircling line of joinder 26 is indicated by a cross-hatched layer
of, for example, adhesive that can be applied to either part 10 or
11 and the two parts brought together for attachment. It will be
apparent that the initial preparation of the pocket 25 establishes
continuous layers of material 10 and 11, which are readily
separable for inflation when excrement is forced through the
opening 20 to the exterior of layer 10 to occupy and/or fill the
chamber means Y.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the two aforementioned
means pressures and Y are provided without additions to the
elements 10 and 11 as they are commonly employed in the manufacture
of disposable diapers. However, several distinct and novel features
are employed as herein described to provide for the separation of
feces and passage thereof to the exterior of the absorbent layer 10
to be stored within the impervious layer 11. The diverting means X
takes form in the slot or slit-shaped opening which affords a
course of least resistance and which tends to be self-closing when
spreading strains are removed from the diaper. That is, the
absorbent layer 10 is of substantial thickness and has opposite
faces that re-seal when the diaper straightens as a result of
removal from the infant. The chamber means Y takes form as a
storage receptacle for fluid solids and is spacious as is
indicated; the pressres remaining in substantial equilibrium at the
interior and exterior of the distended impervious film 11, causing
inward force which maintains body contact of the absorbent layer 10
with the skin of the infant. Therefore, a distensible film 11 is
employed which stretches substantially for accomodation of
excrement of variable volume while maintaining body contact of the
absorbent layer 10.
Referring now to the strap means Z, a pair of like straps 30 are
provided to project from the front end 22 of the diaper and each of
which is adapted to be passed through an opening 31 at
complementary opposite corners of the other back end 21 of the
diaper. As is best illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the strap
30 at one side of the diaper is passed through the opening 31 at
that side of the diaper; and subsequent to this process with each
strap 30 the free ends thereof are brought together and tied at the
front and adjustably tightened as may be desired.
In accordance with this invention, economy of manufacture is
realized by preparing a single strap element as shown in FIG. 4,
employing an elongated strip or ribbon 35 of said material or film
and preferably the same material that is used for the film 11. As
shown, the mid-portion 36 of the strip is disposed transversely and
secured to the exterior front portion of the film 11 as by heat
welding the plastic, or chemically with solvents or adhesives. The
opposite ends of the ribbon are free so as to establish oppositely
extending straps 30. The openings 31 are formed fo like strips or
ribbons of plastic folded back and secured to itself to form loops
entered into or between the confines of the folded margins 13, the
margins being heat welded or tacked together by means of adhesive
at 36 (indicated by shading) in order to retain the loops in
working position.
With the sanitary diaper fabricated as hereinabove disclosed,
economy of manufacture is realized by supplying the certain novel
features to the commonly accepted major elements. These certain
features reside in the diverting means X and chamber means Y by
which the fluid solid excrement is channeled away from the infant's
body while exposure of the absorbent inner layer is augmented for
receiving and storing liquid discharges. The outer film 11 is
impervious and translucently shows the presence of confined fluids
entered into the pocket 25, and also closes off the odors. As and
when the diaper is removed, substantially all or the greater
portion of excrement will be contained within the pocket 25 and
cleaning of the infant minimized. Facility of storage and removal
is made with the soft pliable straps Z which are inexpensive
additions to the structure which more than offset the cost of added
elements such as hardward type fasteners.
Having described only a typical preferred form and application of
our invention, we do not wish to be limited or restricted to the
specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to ourselves
any modifications or variations that may appear to those skilled in
the art:
* * * * *