Disposable Absorbent Garment With Improved Elastication

Abstract

A disposable absorbent garment includes front and rear panels with zones of elastication and non-elastication in the abdomen and rear regions of the garments. The zones of elastication comprise an elastified region, and a non-elastified region or a de-elastified region. The elastified non-elastified or de-elastified regions work in tandem to provide greater contour support and improved fit.

Claims

1. A disposable absorbent garment comprising a front panel, a rear panel, and a crotch panel, where the front and rear panels comprise right and left side edges, and where the side edges of the respective panels are joined to form side seams, leg openings, and a waist opening, and at least one of the front and rear panels comprises at least one elasticized zone and at least one non-elasticized zone, with at least a portion of the at least one non-elasticized zone being positioned along at least one of the side edges of at least one of the front or rear panel.

2. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 1, where the at least one elasticized zone includes a first elasticized area defined by the side edges of the respective panel, a crotch edge of the respective panel, and a first laterally-extending line laterally extending between the side edges of the respective panel, the first elasticized area longitudinally spaced from a waist edge, and where the at least one non-elasticized zone comprises a first non-elasticized area defined by the side edges of the respective panel, the first laterally-extending line, and a second laterally extending line disposed longitudinally between the first laterally-extending line and the waist edge of the respective panel.

3. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 2, where the front and rear panels each includes a respective first elasticized area and a respective first non-elasticized area.

4. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 2, where the front panel includes a respective first elasticized area and a respective first non-elasticized area, and where the rear panel does not include a respective first elasticized area and a respective first non-elasticized area.

5. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 2, where the rear panel includes a respective first elasticized area and a respective first non-elasticized area, and where the front panel does not include a respective first elasticized area and a respective first non-elasticized area.

6. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 2, where the first non-elasticized area is continuous between the side edges of the respective panel.

7. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 2, where the first non-elasticized area is substantially rectangular.

8. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 7, where longitudinal dimensions of the first non-elasticized area are less than lateral dimensions of the first non-elasticized area.

9. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 2, where the first non-elasticized area is discontinuous between the side edges of the respective panel.

10. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 9, where the first non-elasticized area comprises multiple non-elasticized areas, and where the multiple non-elasticized areas are intermittently spaced with multiple elasticized areas of the at least one elasticized zone between the side edges of the respective panel.

11. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 1, where the at least one elasticized zone includes a first elasticized area extending from the right side edge to the left side edge of the respective panel along the entirety of a waist edge of the respective panel and a second elasticized area laterally extending from the right side edge to the left side edge of the respective panel and longitudinally extending along a portion of the side edges, and where the at least one non-elasticized zone includes a first non-elasticized area laterally extending from the right side edge to the left side edge of the respective panel and disposed longitudinally between the first elasticized area and the second elasticized area, the first non-elasticized area longitudinally extending along a portion of a length of each of the side edges of the respective panel.

12. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 11, where the first non-elasticized area is continuous between the right side edge and the left side edge of the respective panel.

13. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 11, where the first non-elasticized area is discontinuous between the right side edge and the left side edge of the respective panel.

14. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 1, where the at least one elasticized zone includes a first elasticized area laterally extending from the left side edge to the right side edge of the respective panel along the width of the respective panel and longitudinally extending along a portion of the side edges of the respective panel, and where the at least one elasticized zone further includes a second elasticized area that laterally extends along a crotch edge of the respective panel.

15. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 1, where the at least one elasticized zone includes a first elasticized area laterally extending from the left side edge to the right side edge along the width of the respective panel and longitudinally extending along a portion of the side edges of the respective panel.

16. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 1, where a first end portion of the crotch panel overlaps a portion of the front panel, and a second end portion of the crotch panel overlaps a portion of the rear panel.

17. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 16, where the at least one elasticized zone does not extend over the crotch panel.

18. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 16, where the portion of the front panel overlapped by the first end portion of the crotch panel is not elasticized.

19. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 18, where the portion of the rear panel overlapped by the second end portion of the crotch panel is not elasticized.

20. The disposable absorbent garment of claim 16, where the portion of the rear panel overlapped by the second end portion of the crotch panel is not elasticized.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The following drawings illustrate by way of example and not limitation. For the sake of brevity and clarity, every feature of a given structure may not be labeled in every figure in which that structure appears.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a disposable absorbent garment with laterally-extending non-elasticized or de-elasticized regions positioned inward of waist elasticized zones.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a disposable absorbent garment with vertical or longitudinal non-elasticized or de-elasticized regions inward of front and rear side edges and inward of side seams or edges.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a disposable absorbent garment with laterally-extending non-elasticized or de-elasticized regions within front and rear panel elasticized areas.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG. 1 depicts the disposable absorbent garment 10 in a flat and unfolded configuration, which it assumes during one point in the manufacturing process when it is stretched in both the lateral and longitudinal directions. As will be further explained below, the disposable absorbent garment 10 may be subsequently trimmed, folded, sealed, welded and/or otherwise manipulated to form a disposable absorbent garment 10 in final form and for packaging. In this regard, the disposable absorbent garment 10 is referred to as being finishable to form a final disposable absorbent garment product.

[0019] It should first be noted that, upon review of the detailed description and the drawings provided herein, it will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention is also applicable to other disposable absorbent articles and, more particularly, to disposable absorbent garments other than protective underwear and adult incontinence garments.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 1, the garment 110 features a front panel 112 comprising front waist edge 130 and a rear panel 114 comprising rear waist edge 132. Crotch panel 124 connects front panel 112 and rear panel 114. The front panel, rear panel and crotch panels are preferably formed by joining two non-woven sheets, commonly referred to as a topsheet nonwoven, which faces the user and a backsheet nonwoven, which faces away from the user and faces the user's garment. The crotch panel includes an absorbent body positioned between the topsheet and backsheet as will be described in more detail below. Front panel 112 and rear panel 114 comprise front and back panel regions 120 and 122, respectively. Front panel region 120 abuts front waist edge 130, and comprises a portion of front panel 112. Rear panel region 122 abuts rear waist edge 132 and comprises a portion of rear panel 114. Front panel 112 comprises transversely opposite front side edges 126a and 126b. Rear panel 114 comprises transversely opposite rear side edges 128a and 128b. In the final disposable absorbent garment product, front and rear side edges 126a and 128a and front and rear side edges 126b and 128b are bonded together to form a three-dimensional absorbent garment comprising a waist opening and two leg openings. Particularly, front and rear side edges 126a and 128a and front and rear side edges 126b and 128b are bonded together to create side seams 134. Bonding of front and rear side edges may be accomplished by any means known in the art.

[0021] In some embodiments, transversely extending leg elastics 148 are positioned proximately to each crotch edge of front and rear panels 112 and 114. When the garment 110 is properly worn by the user, leg elastics 148 work in conjunction with each other and encircle the legs of the user and effects a seal thereon to prevent leakage. Generally, leg elastics 148 are formed with elastic members which are typically applied in the stretched or extended condition and are placed between the topsheet and backsheet. The elastic members are glued or otherwise secured to one or both of the topsheet or backsheet or other material layer of absorbent garment 110. Upon release from a stretched state, the elastic members retract with the attached material layer and form gathered leg regions surrounding leg openings of the final absorbent garment product.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the disposable absorbent garment 110 may also be equipped with waist elastics 144. Waist elastics may be inserted between the topsheet and backsheet of each of the front and rear panels 112 and 114. In some embodiments, the waist elastics 144 may be omitted.

[0023] As mentioned above, when the garment 110 is properly worn about the waist region of the user, the topsheet generally contacts the user, while the backsheet faces outwardly from the body of the user. Further, the front waist region 120 of the garment 110 is situated at the front waist area of the user and the back waist region 122 is situated at the back waist area of the user, while the crotch region 124 is situated between the legs of the user and at the crotch area.

[0024] As used herein for the purpose of description, each of the terms backsheet, backsheet assembly or outer layer of the garment refers to any sheet, layer or composite that is on the garment side of the undergarment and covers the core 136, and extends longitudinally beyond the core 136 toward the front and rear waist edges 130 and 132 and to side edges 126a, 126b, 128a, and 128b. Further, the term backsheet, backsheet assembly or outer layer of the garment may refer to any assembly, unitary or integrally, of sheets, layers, or composites applied at least over the core 136 and any part, portion, region or section thereof. The backsheet and film material may be referred to as one structure or as individual structures or layers. For example, the backsheet may comprise three individual backsheets, one for each of front, rear, and crotch panels 112, 114, and 124. Alternatively, a unitary backsheet may be disposed on the back surfaces of front, rear, and crotch panels 112, 114, and 124.

[0025] The backsheet may be constructed from a number of different suitable materials and, preferably, may have a breathable or vapor-permeable attribute (distinguishing it from liquid-permeable) so that air can pass therethrough. The garment 10 may be equipped with a nonwoven-poly assembly comprising a nonwoven material of a hydrophobic, vapor-permeable material and a polyolefin film mask or film barrier that is laminated or otherwise applied onto the nonwoven material. In some embodiments, the film barrier may or may not be vapor-permeable. Preferably, the film barrier may be applied as a mask or sheet in a central area of garment 110. In some embodiments, the film barrier has an overall width that is less than the width of the other nonwoven materials but is sufficiently wide to cover the absorbent core.

[0026] One suitable construction for the backsheet assembly includes an outer layer of spunbond polypropylene fiber with a basis weight of about 15 gsm (available from BBA Nonwovens of Simpsonville, S.C.) and a polyethylene film of about 0.5 mil (0.0005) thickness adhesively laminated to the outer layer. Such a polyethylene film is available from, and manufactured by Exxon Chemical USA of Houston, Tex. The film may be laminated using adhesive available from National Starch & Chemical Company of Bridgewater, N.J. Yet another suitable construction for the backsheet 118 includes a web of spunbond or SMS (spunbond\meltblown\spunbond) nonwoven material and breathable or non-breathable films of 0.5 mils to 2.0 mils in thickness.

[0027] The absorbent core 136 is generally elongated and rectangular in shape. As best shown in FIG. 1, the core 136 is generally centered about the longitudinal and lateral axes of the garment 110. The core 136 is preferably made of an absorbent composition adapted to absorb bodily liquids received through the topsheet. Typically, the absorbent composition includes a fluffed wood pulp component for wicking and structural integrity and a high absorbency material (or super absorbent) for containing liquids. However, the garment 110, according to the present invention, is equally adapted to utilize absorbent cores of varying shapes and compositions, as well as other types of cores known in the art.

[0028] As used herein for purposes of description, the term topsheet, topsheet assembly or inner layer of the garment may refer to any sheet, layer or composite that covers the core 136 and extends beyond the core 136 toward front and rear longitudinal edges 130 and 132 and towards side edges 126a, 126b, 128a, and 128b. Further, the term topsheet, topsheet assembly or inner layer of the garment refers to any assembly, unitary or integrally, of sheets, layers, or composites applied over the core 136 and any part, portion, region or section thereof. The topsheet may be referred to as one structure or as individual structures or layers. For example, the topsheet may comprise three individual topsheets, one for each of front, rear, and crotch panels 112, 114, and 124. Alternatively, a unitary topsheet may be disposed on the front or wearer-facing surfaces of front, rear, and crotch panels 112, 114, and 124.

[0029] The topsheet may be constructed from a wide range of suitable materials including nonwoven webs of natural fibers (e.g., wood or cotton) or synthetic fibers (e.g., polypropylene or polyester), a combination of such webs or fibers, or apertured film. One suitable topsheet material is a 15 gsm spunbond polypropylene from Avgol Nonwoven Fabrics of Holon, Israel. In addition, the topsheet may be treated with a surfactant to facilitate liquid transfer, especially at a central zone of the topsheet over the core 136, and an inner surface of the topsheet may be treated with a chemical to increase the surface tension of liquid passing through the material.

[0030] Referring to the laid-open structure 110 of FIG. 1, the topsheet may comprise three topsheets, corresponding to a topsheet for each of front, rear and crotch panels 112, 114, and 124.

[0031] Leg cuffs may be positioned on either side of or spaced from a longitudinal center axis and laterally outboard of the core 136. These cuffs may extend generally upwardly from the topsheet (i.e., toward the user). The longitudinal ends of the cuffs may be attached, for example, to the topsheet in the front and rear panels 112 and 114. The ends of the leg cuffs may be tacked down inwardly and attached, for example, by adhesive. Such a construction biases the cuffs inwardly and is generally considered to cause the cuffs to exhibit improved leakage prevention properties.

[0032] The leg cuffs (or at least the outer cuff section) may be formed by a number of alternative methods known in the art. One method involves gluing a separately constructed leg cuff or cuff section to the top surface of the garment. Another method requires forming the leg cuff or cuff section from the topsheet or the backsheet. Yet another method involves creating and folding noodle cuffs as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,350, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0033] It is understood that it will be apparent to one skilled in the art, upon reading the detailed descriptions provided herein and viewing the accompanying Figures, to employ various conventional manufacturing elements (e.g., rollers, conveyors, etc.) and arrangements thereof to produce the garment and, more particularly, a breathable, stretchable section of the garment as described above.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, disposable absorbent garment 110 comprises multiple elasticated areas. Elasticated areas include the front and rear waist sections 120 and 122, panel elastics 154, leg elastics 148, and crotch elastics 146. The elastics depicted in the figures are elastic strands, however, other elasticizing means known in the art may be employed, for example, elasticated film. Referring to FIGS. 1-3, corresponding elements in respective garments 110, 210, and 310 are annotated so as to include the same final two digits. For example, crotch elastics are annotated as 146 in FIG. 1, 246 in FIG. 2, and 346 in FIG. 3. The absorbent core is annotated as 136 in FIG. 1, 236 in FIG. 2, and 336 in FIG. 3

[0035] Referring to the embodiment in FIG. 1, the front and rear panels 112 and 114 comprise elasticated zones comprising regions of elastication 152 and non-elasticated regions 156. For ease of reference, the term non-elasticated and variations of the term includes zones in which no elasticizing means is added and zones in which elasticizing means exist but have been de-elasticized, for example, a zone in which elasticized film exists but where the elastication of the film has been deadened or otherwise rendered ineffective. The non-elasticated regions 156 are located at front and rear longitudinal ends 130 and 132, inward of front and rear waist regions 120 and 122. Non-elasticated regions 156 traverse the entire lateral width of the front and rear panels 112 and 114. Non-elasticated regions 156 are continuous and are substantially rectangular in shape, with longitudinal dimensions being less than lateral dimensions.

[0036] Referring to the embodiment in FIG. 2, the front panel 212 comprises elasticated zones comprising a central region of elastication 252 and non-elasticated regions 256 at front panel 226a and 226b. In the embodiment illustrated, the regions of non-elastication 256 travel along the entire longitudinal length of the side edges 226a and 226b, except for the waist regions 220 and 222. Rear panel 214 comprises non-elasticated regions 256 at rear panel side edges 228a and 228b. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the side edge non-elasticated regions 256 are substantially rectangular regions with longitudinal dimensions that are larger than lateral dimensions.

[0037] Referring to the embodiment in FIG. 3, the front panel 312 comprises elasticated zones comprising a central region of elastication 352, upper elastication zones 352, and non-elasticated regions 356. The non-elasticated regions 356 travel along the entire width of the front and rear panels, and are laterally located within elasticated regions 352. The non-elasticated regions 356 present a gap within elasticated regions 352. In extending from the front waist edge 330 towards the crotch edge of front panel 312, a first region of waist elastics is followed by an upper zone of elastication 352, a non-elasticated region 356, which is then followed by a second region of panel elastics 352. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, this pattern is repeated in the rear panel. In some embodiments, front and rear panel zones of elastication follow the same elastication pattern. In other embodiments, front and rear panel zones of elastication follow different patterns. For example, the front panel may comprise a longitudinally-spanning non-elasticized zone and the rear panel may comprise side edge non-elasticized zones. In still other embodiments, only one of the front and rear panels exhibit zones of elastication and non-elastication.

[0038] Additionally, the panel elastication may assume a variety of combinations of elasticized and non-elasticized zones. For example, the non-elasticized zones 156 of FIG. 1 may include intermittent, elasticized zones spaced inboard of the side edges and, likewise, the elasticized zones 152 may include intermittent, non-elasticized zones. The non-elasticized zones 256 of FIG. 2 may include intermittent, elasticized zones spaced inboard of the side edges and, likewise, the elasticized zones 252 may include intermittent, non-elasticized zones. The non-elasticized zones 356 of FIG. 3 may include intermittent, elasticized zones spaced inboard of the side edges and, likewise, the elasticized zones 352 may include intermittent, non-elasticized zones.

[0039] The claims are not to be interpreted as including means-plus- or step-plus-function limitations unless such a limitation is explicitly recited in a given claim using the phrase(s) means for or step for, respectively.

[0040] Although the present disclosure and certain of its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the present invention, disclosure, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.