Reusable outer shell for an absorbent insert

Abstract

A reusable outer shell (1) for a disposable absorbent insert (2) the outer shell (1) including an inner surface (3) intended to face the absorbent insert (2) and an outer surface (4) being opposite to the inner surface (3), the outer shell (1) including a front pocket (8) and a rear pocket (9), the front pocket being adapted to receive a front portion (2a) of the absorbent insert (2) and the rear pocket being adapted to receive a rear portion (2b) of the absorbent insert (2), the front pocket having a front pocket length (l.sub.fp), and the rear pocket having a rear pocket length (l.sub.rp), and wherein the rear pocket length (l.sub.rp) is greater than the front pocket length (l.sub.fp).

Claims

1. A reusable outer shell for a disposable absorbent insert, the outer shell comprising: an inner surface intended to face the absorbent insert and an outer surface being opposite to the inner surface, the outer shell having an extension in the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction, the outer shell comprising a front region, a crotch region and a rear region, the outer shell comprises a front pocket cover forming a front pocket in the front region and a rear pocket cover forming a rear pocket in the rear region, wherein the front pocket cover has a front pocket transverse distal edge region extending along a front pocket transverse distal edge, and an elastic member is arranged in the front pocket transverse distal edge region and extends in the transverse direction for less than an entirety of the front pocket transverse distal edge, wherein the rear pocket cover has a rear pocket transverse distal edge region extending along a rear pocket transverse distal edge, and an elastic member is arranged in the rear pocket transverse distal edge region and extends in the transverse direction for less than an entirety of the rear pocket transverse distal edge, the front pocket being adapted to receive a front portion of the absorbent insert and the rear pocket being adapted to receive a rear portion of the absorbent insert, the front pocket having a front pocket transverse distal edge adapted to extend over the front portion of the absorbent insert and the rear pocket having a rear pocket transverse distal edge adapted to extend over the rear portion of the absorbent insert, the front pocket has a front pocket length, as measured along a longitudinal centerline of the outer shell from a front pocket transverse proximal edge to the front pocket transverse distal edge and the rear pocket has a rear pocket length, as measured along the longitudinal centerline of the outer shell and from a rear pocket transverse proximal edge to the rear pocket transverse distal edge, and wherein the rear pocket length is greater than the front pocket length.

2. The reusable outer shell according to claim 1, wherein the rear pocket length is at least 15% greater than the front pocket length.

3. The reusable outer shell according to claim 1, wherein the reusable outer shell comprises a front hook member arranged on the inner surface of the outer shell, inside the front pocket and a rear hook member arranged on the inner surface of the outer shell inside the rear pocket, wherein the front hook member has a length extending in the longitudinal direction and a width extending in the transverse direction and the rear hook member has a length extending in the longitudinal direction and a width extending in the transverse direction.

4. The reusable outer shell according to claim 3, wherein the length of the rear hook member is greater than the length of the front hook member.

5. The reusable outer shell according to claim 3, wherein the length of the rear hook member is at least 15% greater than the length of the front hook member.

6. The reusable outer shell according to claim 3, wherein the width of the rear hook member is within the range of from 50 mm to 200 mm.

7. The reusable outer shell according to claim 3, wherein the width of the front hook member is within the range of from 50 mm to 200 mm.

8. The reusable outer shell according to claim 3, wherein the rear hook member comprises a first rear hook member part and a second rear hook member part, the first rear hook member part and the second rear hook member part being spaced apart from each other with a distance and arranged on a respective side of a longitudinal centerline of the outer shell, the width of the rear hook member being measured at the greatest width between an outermost transverse edges of the respective first rear hook member part and second rear hook member part and the length of the rear hook member being measured at the greatest length between a frontmost edge of the first rear hook member part or the second rear hook member part and a rearmost edge of the respective first rear hook member part or second rear hook member part, optionally wherein the first rear hook member part has the same width and/or length as the second rear hook member part.

9. The reusable outer shell according to claim 8, wherein the first rear hook member part and the second rear hook member part cover from 25% to 100% of an area of the rear hook member, as measured by multiplying the length of the rear hook member with the width of the rear hook member.

10. The reusable outer shell according to claim 8, wherein the distance between the first rear hook member part and the second rear hook member part corresponds to from 15% to 75% of the width of the rear hook member.

11. The reusable outer shell according to claim 3, wherein the front hook member comprises a first front hook member part and a second front hook member part, the first front hook member part and the second front hook member part being spaced apart from each other with a distance and being arranged on a respective side of a longitudinal centerline of the outer shell, the width of the front hook member being measured at the greatest width between the outermost transverse edges of the respective first front hook member part and second front hook member part and the length of the front hook member being measured at the greatest length between a frontmost edge of the first rear hook member part or the second rear hook member part and a rearmost edge of the first front hook member part and second front hook member part, optionally wherein the first front hook member part has the same width and/or length as the second front hook member part.

12. The reusable outer shell according to claim 11, wherein the distance between the first front hook member part and the second front hook member part corresponds to from 15% to 75% of the width of the front hook member.

13. The reusable outer shell according to claim 11, wherein the first front hook member part and the second front hook member part cover from 25% to 100% of an area of the front hook member, as measured by multiplying the length of the front hook member with the width of the front hook member.

14. The reusable outer shell according to claim 3, wherein the rear hook member has a width to length ratio within the range of from 0.7:1 to 20:1.

15. The reusable outer shell according to claim 3, wherein the front hook member has a width to length ratio of from 1:1 to 40:1.

16. The reusable outer shell according to claim 1, wherein the outer shell in the rear region comprises a first hook member provided in a first rear transverse corner region on an inner surface of the outer shell and a second hook member is provided in a second rear transverse corner region on the inner surface of the outer shell, the outer shell comprises a hook attachment zone on the outer surface in the front region of the outer shell, the first and second hook members being adapted to be attached to the hook attachment zone to form a waist opening.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will be further explained hereinafter by means of non-limiting examples and with reference to the appended drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1A illustrates a reusable outer shell according to the present disclosure as seen from the inner surface;

(3) FIG. 1B illustrates the reusable outer shell from FIG. 1A as seen from the outer surface;

(4) FIG. 2 illustrates a reusable outer shell according to the present disclosure as seen from the inner surface; and,

(5) FIG. 3 illustrates the reusable outer shell according to FIG. 2 comprising an absorbent insert.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) The invention will be described more closely below by reference to an exemplary embodiment. The invention may however be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth in the drawings and the description thereto.

(7) FIGS. 1A and 1B show a washable outer shell 1 according to the present disclosure. The outer shell 1 comprises an inner surface 3 and an outer surface 4 and has an extension in the longitudinal direction L and in the transverse direction T. FIG. 1A is an illustration of the washable cover 1 as seen from the inner surface 3 and FIG. 1B shows the outer shell 1 as seen from the outer surface 4. The outer shell 1 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B is adapted to receive an absorbent insert 2 (shown in FIG. 3).

(8) The reusable outer shell 1 is an outer shell that is capable of being reused multiple times. The reusable outer 1 shell may be a washable outer shell, capable of being washed without essential shrinkage or other damage. The outer shell 1 may be made from a washable material such as a washable fabric. The outer shell 1 may be made of one or more of the following materials; polyester, viscose, polyamide and/or cotton. The outer shell 1 may be a stretchable outer shell, i.e. being made of a stretchable material. The outer shell 1 may be an elastic shell, being elastic in the longitudinal direction L and/or the transverse direction T of the outer shell 1.

(9) The outer shell 1 comprises a front region 5, a crotch region 6 and a rear region 7. The outer shell 1 comprises a front pocket 8 in the front region 5 and a rear pocket 9 in the rear region 7. The front pocket 8 has a front pocket length l.sub.fp, as measured along a longitudinal centerline L.sub.c of the outer shell 1 from a front pocket transverse proximal edge 8b to the front pocket transverse distal edge 8a and the rear pocket 9 has a rear pocket length l.sub.rp, as measured along the longitudinal centerline L.sub.c of the outer shell 1 and from a rear pocket transverse proximal edge 9b to the inner rear transverse edge 9a. The rear pocket length l.sub.rp is greater than the front pocket length l.sub.fp. The rear pocket length l.sub.rp may be at least 15% greater than the front pocket length l.sub.fp. The rear pocket length l.sub.rp may be 35 mm or more and the front pocket length l.sub.fp may be 25 mm or more.

(10) The front pocket 8 and the rear pocket 9 may constitute of the same or different type of material as the outer shell 1. The pocket material may, as well as the outer shell material, be capable of being washed several times without essential shrinkage or other damage. The pockets may be made from a washable material such as a washable fabric. The pocket material may be a polyester, polyamid, cotton and/or a viscose material. The pocket material may be made of a stretchable material. The pocket material may be an elastic material, being elastic in the longitudinal direction L and/or the transverse direction T.

(11) A front hook member 10 is arranged on the inner surface 3 of the outer shell 1, inside the front pocket 8 and a rear hook member 11 is arranged on the inner surface 3 of the outer shell 1 inside the rear pocket 9. The rear hook member 11 comprises a first rear hook member part 11a and a second rear hook member part 11b. The front hook member 10 comprises a first front hook member part 10a and a second front hook member part 10b. The first front hook member part 10a and the second front hook member part 10b are spaced apart from each other and are arranged on a respective side of a longitudinal centerline L.sub.c of the outer shell 1. The first rear hook member part 11a and the second rear hook member part 11b are spaced apart from each other and are arranged on a respective side of a longitudinal centerline L.sub.c of the outer shell 1. The front hook member has a length l.sub.f and the rear hook member has a length l.sub.r, the respective lengths each extending in the longitudinal direction L. The length l.sub.r of the rear hook member 11 is greater than the length l.sub.f of the front hook member 10.

(12) The front and rear hook members 10,11 may comprise any hook-type material with a hook surface structure and the terms hook members are to be interpreted as encompassing the hook part of a hook and loop fastening system, e.g., known as a VELCRO system. The hooks may have many different shapes which are adapted to engage with a loop part of the hook and loop fastening system. The hooks may, purely as an example, by of a J-shape, mushroom shape, and palm tree shape.

(13) The outer shell 1 comprises a first hook member 16 in the rear region 7 provided in a first rear transverse corner region 17 on the rear pocket 9 and a second hook member 18 provided in a second rear transverse corner region 19 on the rear pocket, depending on the transverse extension of the pocket 9, the first and second hook members 16,18 may be provided on the rear pocket 9 or on the inner surface 3 of the outer shell 1.

(14) The outer shell 1 comprises a hook attachment zone 20 on the outer surface 4 in the front region 5 of the outer shell 1, as illustrated in FIG. 1B. The first and second hook members 16,18 are adapted to be attached to the hook attachment zone 20 to form a waist opening.

(15) The first and second hook members 16,18 may comprise any hook-type material with a hook surface structure and the hook attachment zone 20 may comprise any loop surface structure, and the terms hook members are to be interpreted as encompassing the hook part of a hook and loop fastening system, e.g., known as a VELCRO system. The hooks may have many different shapes which are adapted to engage with a loop part of the hook and loop fastening system. The hooks may, purely as an example, by of a J-shape, mushroom shape, and palm tree shape. The hook attachment zone 20 may comprise any type of loop surface structure, which is here to be understood to encompass a surface structure to which a hook material of a hook and loop fastening system is attachable. Accordingly, a loop surface structure may include fibers or threads extending from a surface and back into the surface to define genuine icons, as we as a surface structure including fibers or threads extending out from a surface and having loose ends, which fibers or threads entangle with each other. Upon attachment of the respective hook members 16, 18, the hook surface structure engages with the loop surface structure providing a releasable attachment between the elements.

(16) The outer shell 1 comprises leg elastics 22,23 arranged along a respective longitudinal side edge of the outer shell 1 in the crotch region 6 and waist elastics 24 arranged along a rear transverse edge in the rear region 7 of the outer shell 1.

(17) FIG. 2 illustrates a washable outer shell 1 according to the present disclosure. The outer shell 1 is illustrated as seen from an inner surface 3 and has an extension in the longitudinal direction L and in the transverse direction T. The outer shell 1 comprises a front region 5, a crotch region 6 and a rear region 7. The outer shell 1 comprises a front pocket 8 in the front region 5 and a rear pocket 9 in the rear region 7. The front pocket 8 has a front pocket length l.sub.fp, as measured along a longitudinal centerline L.sub.c of the outer shell 1 from a front pocket transverse proximal edge 8b to the front pocket transverse distal edge 8a and the rear pocket has a rear pocket length l.sub.rp, as measured along the longitudinal centerline L.sub.c of the outer shell 1 and from a rear pocket transverse proximal edge 9b to the inner rear transverse edge 9a. The rear pocket length l.sub.rp is greater than the front pocket length l.sub.fp. The rear pocket length l.sub.rp may be at least 15% greater than the front pocket length l.sub.fp The rear pocket length l.sub.rp may be 35 mm or more and the front pocket length (l.sub.fp) may be 25 mm or more.

(18) A front hook member 10 is arranged on the inner surface 3 of the outer shell 1, inside the front pocket 8 and a rear hook member 11 is arranged on the inner surface 3 of the outer shell 1 inside the rear pocket 9. The rear hook member 11 comprises a first rear hook member part 11a and a second rear hook member part 11b. The front hook member 10 comprises a first front hook member part 10a and a second front hook member part 10b. The first front hook member part 10a and the second front hook member part 10b are spaced apart from each other with a distance d f and are arranged on a respective side of a longitudinal centerline L.sub.c of the outer shell 1. The first rear hook member part 11a and the second rear hook member part 11b are arranged on a respective side of a longitudinal centerline L.sub.c of the outer shell 1.

(19) The front hook member 10 has a length l.sub.f extending in the longitudinal direction L and a width w f extending in the transverse direction T. The length l.sub.f is measured at the greatest length, in the longitudinal direction L, between a frontmost edge 10a,10b of the first front hook member part 10a and the second front hook member part 10b and a rearmost edge 10a,10b of the first front hook member part 10a and second front hook member part 10b.

(20) The rear hook member 11 has a length l.sub.r extending in the longitudinal direction L and a width w.sub.f extending in the transverse direction T. The length l.sub.r is measured at the greatest length, in the longitudinal direction L, between a frontmost edge 11a,11b of the first rear hook member part 11a and the second rear hook member part 11b and a rearmost edge 11a,11b of the first rear hook member part 11a and second rear hook member part 11b.

(21) The length l.sub.r of the rear hook member 11 is greater than the length l.sub.f of the front hook member 10.

(22) The length of the of the front hook member 10 may be the same over at least 50% of the front hook member 10, as seen in the transverse direction T and the length of the of the rear hook member 11 may be the same over at least 50% of the rear hook member 11, as seen in the transverse direction T.

(23) As for the measurements of the lengths of the hook members, the width w.sub.r of the rear hook member 11 is measured, in the transverse direction T, at the greatest width between an outermost transverse edges 11a,11b of the respective first rear hook member part 11a and second rear hook member part 11b. An alternative hook configuration is illustrated in FIG. 2 below the outer shell 1, wherein the first and second rear hook member parts 11a,11b each has a rhombus shape. The width w.sub.r of the rear hook member 11 is thus not constant, as seen in the longitudinal direction L. The width w.sub.r of the rear hook member 11 is measured by drawing an extension in the longitudinal direction L, at the outermost section of the respective outermost transverse edges 11a,11b and measuring the width therebetween.

(24) The first front hook member part 10a and the second front hook member part 10b cover from 25% to 100% of an area of the front hook member 10, as measured by multiplying the length l.sub.f of the front hook member 10 with the width w.sub.f of the front hook member 10.

(25) The first rear hook member part 11a and the second rear hook member part 11b cover from 25% to 100% of an area of the rear hook member 11, as measured by multiplying the length l.sub.r of the rear hook member 11 with the width w.sub.r of the rear hook member 11.

(26) In FIG. 2, the first and the second front hook member parts have the same widths and the same length and are arranged with a distance d f corresponding to from 15% to 75% of the width w.sub.f of the front hook member 10, such as from 40% to 60% of the width w.sub.f of the front hook member 10.

(27) The front pocket 8 has a front pocket transverse distal edge region 12 extending along the front pocket transverse distal edge 8a and an elastic member 13 is arranged in the front pocket transverse distal edge region 12 and extends in the transverse direction T.

(28) The rear pocket 9 has a rear pocket transverse distal edge region 15 extending along the rear pocket transverse distal edge 9a and an elastic member 21 is arranged in the rear pocket transverse distal edge region 15 and extends in the transverse direction T.

(29) The elastic members 13,21 may be any suitable type of elastic members, such as for example a respective elastic thread, foam elastics or strips of an elastic film. The elastic members 13,21, may be of the same type of elastic material or of different types of elastic materials.

(30) The rear region 7 of the outer shell 1 furthermore comprises a first corner region 17 and a second corner region 19. The outer shell 1 comprises a first hook member 16 provided in the first corner region 17 and a second hook member 18 provided in the second corner region 19 on an inner side of the outer shell 1. The first and the second hook members 16,18 are intended to be attached to a hook attachment zone 20 (shown in FIG. 1B) provided on the outer surface 4 of the outer shell 1 to form a waist opening.

(31) FIG. 3 illustrates an outer shell 1 according to the present disclosure provided with an absorbent insert 2. The outer shell 1 comprises a front pocket 8 arranged in a front region 5 of the outer shell 1 on the inner surface 3 thereof and a rear pocket 9 arranged on the inner surface 3 of the outer shell in a rear region 7 thereof. The front pocket 8 receives a front section 2a of the absorbent insert 2 and the rear pocket 9 receives a rear section 2b of the absorbent insert 2.

(32) The front pocket 8 comprises a front pocket elastic member 13 arranged in a front pocket transverse distal edge region 12 extending along the front pocket transverse distal edge 8a and the rear pocket 9 comprises a rear pocket elastic member 21 arranged in a rear pocket transverse distal edge region 15 extending along the rear pocket transverse distal edge 9a.

(33) To releasably attach the absorbent insert 2 to the outer shell 1, the outer shell 1 comprises a front hook member 10 arranged in the front pocket 8 of the outer shell 1 and a rear hook member 11 arranged in the rear pocket 9 of the outer shell 1. The front and rear hook members 10,11 are releasably attached to a backsheet of the absorbent insert (not shown), such as for example a nonwoven/film layer backsheet. The front and rear hook members 10,11 may alternatively be attached to a loop material zone provided on the backsheet of the absorbent insert 2.

(34) The front hook member 10 comprises a first front hook member part 10a and a second front hook member part 10b and the rear hook member 11 comprises a first rear hook member part 11a and a second rear hook member part 11b.

(35) The outer shell 1 is of the open diaper type. The rear region 7 of the outer shell 1 furthermore comprises a first corner region 17 and a second corner region 19. The outer shell 1 comprises a first hook member 16 provided in the first corner region 17 and a second hook member 18 provided in the second corner region 19. The first and the second hook members 16,18 are intended to be arranged to face the outer surface 4 of the outer shell 1 during use and to be attached to a hook attachment zone 20 (shown in FIG. 1B) provided on the outer surface 4 of the outer shell 1 to form a waist opening.

(36) The outer shell 1 comprises leg elastics 22,23 arranged along a respective longitudinal side edge of the outer shell 1 in the crotch region 6 and waist elastics 24 arranged along a rear transverse edge in the rear region 7 of the outer shell 1.