RU2395265C1 - Absorbing piece of clothing with belt - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine. ^ SUBSTANCE: there is claimed absorbing piece of clothing, such as diaper and protective device, used in case of incontinence, said piece of clothing containing first panel for body, second panel for body and perineum part between them. Piece of clothing is provided with opposite, stretching in lateral direction belt elements, fastened to belt part of first panel for body and adapted for wrapping piece of clothing around user's waist and fixing them together with first fastening means. Second panel for body in its belt part is provided with second fastening means, adapted for fixing them to belt elements in such way that piece of clothing will take underpants-like form. Belt elements are joined to each other by means of belt stretching in transversal direction (x) along belt part of first panel for body. At least, one belt element contains elastic zone, located on the proximal end of said belt element near said belt. ^ EFFECT: invention allows to ensure possibility for regulation of piece of clothing fitness due to elastic zones in belt elements, joined by means of belt, and to simplify technology of piece of clothing manufacturing. ^ 9 cl, 6 dwg

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to an absorbent article of clothing, such as a diaper and an incontinence protector provided with a belt as part of fastening means for securing the article of clothing around the waist of the wearer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The so-called absorbent garments with a belt comprise a front panel for the body adapted to be applied to the wearer's stomach, a rear body panel adapted to be placed on the wearer's back, and a crotch portion adapted to extend over the wearer's crotch between the legs. The garment additionally contains two opposite laterally extending waist elements, usually attached to the rear panel in its waist part. These waist parts are adapted to wrap around the waist of the wearer of the garment and fastened together by means of a first fastening means, such as adhesive tape or mechanical fastening means, for example a fastening element in the form of hooks and loops. The front panel is then passed between the legs of the wearer and attached to the outside of the waist elements by means of second fastening means provided on the waist part of the front panel. The garment in this case will take on a shape similar to underpants. Alternatively, the waist parts are located on the front panel and the second fastening means on the rear panel. Since the front and back panels are often more or less identical in shape and size, the wearer or caregiver of the elderly, sick, etc., can wear the product according to individual preferences, so that the front panel can be used as a back panel and vice versa.

The belt provides improved capabilities for adjusting the fit of an absorbent garment. In addition, it makes it easier to change the item of clothing, especially when the wearer rises.

Examples of absorbent garments with a belt can be found, for example, in documents EP-A-0287388, EP-A-0409307, EP-A-0605012 and FR-A-2586558.

It is also known that the elastic part of the belt is made to further increase the degree of comfort and improve fit. JP-B-3471999 discloses a diaper with a belt in which the waist parts are attached to the side edges of the rear panel and have a stretchable part at their respective base end, which allows the waist parts to stretch along the direction of their length. The back panel of the diaper is additionally provided with an elastic part (elastic element for the waist, waist elastic element).

EP-A-1110529 discloses a diaper with a belt in which the waist elements are connected to each other by a belt that is attached by glue to the outside of the rear panel of the diaper. One part near the distal end of the waist elements may be elastic.

OBJECT AND MOST IMPORTANT SIGNS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is the development of an absorbent garment with a belt that provides increased comfort and has improved fit and which can be made through an economical process. In accordance with the present invention, this was accomplished by means of a garment having waist elements connected to each other by a belt extending in the transverse direction along the waist part of the first body panel, wherein at least one of the waist elements contains an elastic zone, located at the proximal end of the specified waist element next to the specified belt.

In one embodiment, the elastic zone extends over no more than 50% of the length of each waist element, preferably no more than 40%, and more preferably no more than 30% of the length of each waist element.

In accordance with a further aspect, the elastic zone extends along the length of each laterally extending waist element of at least 1 cm, preferably at least 2 cm.

The elastic element may comprise an elastic film or an elastic laminate. Alternatively, it contains one or more elastic yarns or strips fastened tightly between web materials.

In one embodiment, the elastic element extends on the waist and is attached “face to face” to the waist of the first body panel or to its side facing the garment, or to its side facing the wearer, or between the layers of material contained in first body panel.

In an alternative embodiment, the elastic element is attached to the distal edge of the waist part of the first body panel so as to form a continuation of the specified waist part in the longitudinal direction.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the first and second fastening means comprise hook elements, and at least a portion of the outer surface of the waist elements facing away from the wearer's body is made of material adapted to function as a material with loops interlocking with said elements in the form of hooks.

In one embodiment of the invention, the elastic zone of the corresponding waist element is made with a contrasting color, pattern or mark so that it is distinguishable from the rest of the waist element, or alternatively, the specified rest of the waist element is made with a contrasting color, pattern or mark with so that it can be distinguished from the specified elastic zone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will hereinafter be described in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a diaper with a belt visible from the side facing the wearer, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the diaper with the belt of Figure 1, visible from the side facing the garment.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a part of a diaper with a belt in accordance with a modified embodiment, visible from the side facing the garment.

4 is a plan view of a part of a diaper with a belt in accordance with a further embodiment, visible from the side facing the garment.

5 and 6 illustrate how a diaper with a belt is worn on a carrier.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of an absorbent article of clothing in the form of a diaper or incontinence guard 10 comprising a first body panel 11, which, in the embodiment shown in the drawings, is that part of the article of clothing that is used to to extend over the back and back of the wearer's thighs. The garment also comprises a second body panel 12, which in the shown embodiment is that part of the diaper-panties which, when used, is intended to extend over the abdomen and the anterior region of the thighs of the wearer. Each of these front and rear panels 11, 12 for the body has a waist part, designated 11a and 12a, respectively. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the first body panel 11 may be a front body panel and the second body panel 12 may be a rear body panel. The crotch portion 13 of the garment 10 is that part of the garment which, when used, is intended to extend through the crotch zone of the wearer, between the legs. The absorbent core 14 is located in the crotch portion 13 and extends into the first and second body panels 11 and 12. The absorbent core 14 is located between the inner covering sheet 15 and the outer covering sheet 16. The garment has a longitudinal direction x and a transverse direction y.

The term "inner cover sheet" refers to a sheet of liquid-permeable material that forms the inner cover element of an absorbent garment and which, when used, is placed in direct contact with the skin of the wearer. The inner covering sheet may comprise a nonwoven material, for example a nonwoven fabric of a spunbond production method, a nonwoven fabric obtained by melt aerodynamically, obtained by carding, hydro-entangling, laying in a wet state, etc. Suitable non-woven materials may consist of natural fibers, such as wood pulp or cotton fibers, artificial fibers such as polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, viscose, hydrated cellulose, etc., or a mixture of natural and artificial fibers. In addition, the material of the inner covering sheet may consist of fiber tows that can be bonded to form some kind of connection configuration, such as, for example, disclosed in EP-A-1035818. Additional examples of materials for the inner covering sheet are porous plastics, plastic films with holes, etc. Materials suitable as materials for the inner covering sheet should be soft and non-irritating to the skin and designed to quickly pass the fluid released by the body, such as urine or menstrual fluid. In addition, the inner covering sheet may be different in different parts of the absorbent garment.

The term “outer covering sheet” refers to a material forming the outer covering element of an absorbent garment. The outer covering sheet may be the same or different in different parts of the absorbent garment. At least in the area of the absorbent core, the outer coating sheet comprises a liquid impervious material, such as a thin plastic film, for example a polyethylene or polypropylene film, a non-woven material coated with a liquid-impermeable material, a hydrophobic non-woven material that prevents the penetration of liquids, or laminate made of plastic film and non-woven material. The material of the outer covering sheet may be breathable so as to allow steam to escape from the absorbent core while preventing the passage of liquids through it. Examples of breathable materials of the outer covering sheets are porous polymer films, non-woven laminates from layers of non-woven materials obtained by spunbond production method and aerodynamic method from the melt, and laminates from porous polymer films and non-woven materials. Preferably, the outer covering sheet comprises a nonwoven material, at least on its surface facing the undergarment.

An “absorbent core” is an absorbent structure located between two cover sheets of an absorbent garment in at least its crotch area. The absorbent core may be any conventional type of absorbent core. Examples of frequently occurring absorbent materials are fluff pulverized pulp, layers of tissue paper, highly absorbent polymers (so-called superabsorbents), absorbent foam materials, absorbent nonwoven materials, or the like. It is well known to combine fluff pulverized pulp with polymers with ultra-high absorption capacity in an absorbent core. Ultra-absorbent polymers are water-swellable, water-insoluble organic or inorganic materials capable of absorbing an aqueous solution containing 0.9 weight percent sodium chloride in an amount of at least about 20 times their own weight . Organic materials suitable for use as super-absorbent material may include natural materials such as polysaccharides, polypeptides and the like, as well as synthetic materials such as synthetic hydrogel-forming polymers. Such hydrogel forming polymers include, for example, alkali metal and polyacrylic acid salts, polyacrylamides, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylates, polyacrylamides, polyvinylpyridines and the like. Other suitable polymers include hydrolyzed starch grafted with acrylonitrile, starch grafted with acrylic acid and copolymers of isobutylene and maleic anhydride and mixtures thereof. The hydrogel-forming polymers preferably have a small degree of crosslinking so as to render the material substantially insoluble in water. In addition, preferred materials with ultra-high absorption capacity are provided with surface crosslinking, so that the outer surface or shell of the particle, fiber, flocculent element, sphere, etc. with ultra-high absorption capacity has a higher crosslink density (cross-link density) than the inside of the superabsorbent. Materials with ultra-high absorption capacity can be in any form that is suitable for use in absorbent composite materials, including particles, fibers, flakes, spheres and the like.

Greater ability to accumulate (retain) liquids is provided through the use of large quantities of material with ultra-high absorption capacity. For an absorbent core containing a matrix of hydrophilic fibers, such as cellulose fibers, and an ultrahigh absorbency material, the proportion of ultrahigh absorbency material is preferably from 10 to 90 weight percent, more preferably from 30 to 70 weight percent.

Typically, absorbent articles of clothing have absorbent cores containing layers with various properties in terms of fluid-receiving ability, liquid-distributing ability, and retention capacity. Thin absorbent bodies, which are widely used, for example, in diapers for children and in incontinence protectors, often contain a compressed, mixed, or layered structure of fluff pulverized pulp and ultra-high absorbency polymers. The size and absorbency of the absorbent core may vary to suit different applications, such as for babies or adult incontinence people.

The absorbent core may further include a receiving distribution layer that is placed over the main absorbent body and which is configured to quickly receive and temporarily hold the recovered fluid before it is absorbed by the primary absorbent core. Such receiving distribution layers are well known in the art and may consist of porous fiber wool or foam materials.

Two waist elements 17 are attached to the waist of the first body panel 11 and are intended to be wrapped around the waist of the wearer of the garment and fastened together by first fastening means 18, for example a mechanical fastening element, especially a fastening element with hooks made of fastening means in the form of hooks and loops. The outer surface of the opposite waist element, especially if it contains a fibrous non-woven material, can function as a material with loops. Additional examples of mechanical fastening elements are buttons and button holes or loops, button fasteners and the like. Buttons can be attached either to the belt or to the garment.

A “fastener in the form of hooks and loops” refers to complementary fastening means that have a part with hooks and a part with loops and which are re-fastened. The term “hook” as used herein refers to any element capable of engaging with another element, the so-called part with loops. The term “hook” is not limited to “hooks” in the usual sense of the word, but rather encompasses any kind of mating elements regardless of whether they are unidirectional or bidirectional. The term “loop” is likewise not limited to “loops” in the usual sense of the word, but also encompasses any structure that can engage with a fastening element with hooks (in the form of a hook). Examples of materials with loops are fibrous structures similar to non-woven materials. Hook and loop fasteners, for example, are supplied by Velcro, USA.

Alternatively, the first fastening means 18 is an adhesive fastening means, such as a tongue made of adhesive tape, while the outer surface of the opposite waist member 17 may be made of material to which the adhesive tape can adhere.

Second fastening means 19 are provided at the lateral edges of the waist portion 12 a of the front panel 12, as illustrated in FIG. These second fastening means 19 are mechanical fastening elements, such as fastening elements with hooks, buttons and button holes or loops or fastening elements in the form of adhesive tape, and are intended for fastening to the outer surface of the waist elements 17.

The width of the waist elements 17 should be from 5 to 20 cm, preferably from 7 to 15 cm.

The belt elements 17 are made, for example, of a laminate of a carrier material that forms the outer surface of the belt and a soft non-woven material that forms the inner side of the belt, which is designed to be in direct contact with the skin of the user.

A suitable nonwoven material may be a nonwoven spunbond production method, for example, from polypropylene or polyethylene fibers. Bicomponent fibers may also be used. Another suitable nonwoven material is formed from thermally bonded material obtained by carding, for example, from polypropylene, polyester or bicomponent fibers.

The outer surface of the waist elements, for example, the supporting material, should (should) be adapted to function as a receiving surface for the fastening means 18. In the case where the fastening means is a fastening element with hooks, the supporting material can be used nonwoven fabric. In the case where the fastening means 18 is a tongue of adhesive tape, a plastic film is suitable as a carrier material.

Each waist element 17 comprises, at its proximal end, next to the first body panel 11, an elastic zone 17a. The specified elastic zone 17A can be made in the form of an elastic roll material, such as an elastic film, an elastic non-woven material, an elastic laminate or the like. An elastic laminate may be a laminate between two or more layers of nonwoven material, two or more layers of film, or a combination of layers of film and nonwoven material.

Examples of elastic laminates suitable for forming said elastic zones 17a are any elastic laminates known in the art. One group of elastic laminates is the so-called “stretch-bonded” laminates in which the elastic layer is stretched in at least one direction before bonding it to one or more inelastic layers by lamination. After removing the tensile force from the elastic layer, it can be freely contracted to its unstretched state, and the inelastic (s) layer (s) attached to it by lamination becomes (are) folded, giving a three-dimensional “wrinkling” ".

Another group of elastic laminates are the so-called “neck-bonded” laminates, which include laminates in which the elastic material is attached to an inelastic material while the inelastic element is stretched under conditions that cause a decrease its width, or narrowed. A “tapered bonded laminate” refers to a composite material having at least two layers, in which one layer is a narrowed, inelastic layer, and the other layer is an elastic layer. The layers are joined together when the inelastic layer is in a stretched state.

An additional group of elastic laminates is disclosed, for example, in document WO / 047488, in which layers of inelastic nonwoven fabric are bonded to a layer of elastic film by lamination, and the laminate is stretched to a level exceeding the level at which the nonwoven materials break, so that the inelastic layers break.

Examples of elastic laminates are described in documents EP-B-0646062, WO 98/29251, WO 03/000165 and US-A-5226992. Examples of industrially manufactured and commercially available flexible laminates are Fabriflex 306 from Tredegar and PK 6358 from Nordenia.

The elastic zones 17a should have an elasticity of at least 30% as determined by the elasticity test, as described below.

Alternatively, the elastic zones 17a comprise one or more elastic threads or strips that are secured to contract between layers of web material.

In an alternative embodiment, only one waist member 17 is provided with an elastic zone 17a.

Preferably, the elastic zone 17a does not extend over more than 50% of the length of each waist element, preferably extends over no more than 40% and more preferably no more than 30% of the length of each waist element 17. This is because the effectiveness of the fastening means 18 and 19 is reduced if they are attached to the elastic zone, since the elastic zone can stretch and / or contract and thereby weaken the connection between the fastening means and the elastic zone. In addition, it is preferable that the active part of the corresponding elastic zone 17a extends along the length a of each laterally extending waist member 17 of at least 1 cm, preferably at least 2 cm. The active part a of the elastic zone 17a refers to that part of the elastic zone that has not been made "inactive" due to attachment to the inelastic waist elements 17. This is shown in Fig.2. Thus, a portion of the elastic zone 17a overlapping with the inelastic waist elements 17 and attached to the inelastic waist elements 17 is not included in the active part a.

The belt elements 17 are connected to each other by a belt 20 extending in the transverse direction x along the waist part of the first body panel 11. The belt 20 may be made of the same material as the belt elements 17, or of another roll material.

The belt 20 may be attached to the garment side of the first body panel 11, that is, to the outer covering sheet 16, adjacent to its waist portion 11a, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Alternatively, it is attached to the side facing the wearer. the first panel 11 for the body, that is, to the inner covering sheet, or between the inner and outer covering sheets 15 and 16. The belt 20 is attached by gluing, ultrasonic welding, heat bonding or other suitable bonding method to the first panel 11 for the body.

The waist elastic member 21 extends in the transverse x direction along at least a portion of the waist portion 12 a of the second body panel 12. The waist elastic member may be an elastic web material, such as an elastic laminate, an elastic film or the like, fixed to be tightened between the inner and outer covering sheets and attached to the outer side of the outer covering sheet or to the side of the inner covering sheet facing the carrier. Alternatively, it comprises two or more elastic filaments or strips fastened tightly between the outer and inner covering sheets. The corresponding waist elastic element (elastic element for the waist) can also be located in the waist part 11a of the first panel 11 for the body.

The zones of the leg openings are also elasticized, wherein said elasticization is usually carried out by means of a plurality of elastic elements 22, such as elastic threads, which are fixed so that they can be tightened between the outer and inner covering sheets. A garment may also be provided with so-called barrier cuffs to provide improved leakage protection. These barrier cuffs in some cases can replace elastic elements for the legs.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the belt 20 is attached at a certain distance inside with respect to the distal edge of the waist portion 11 a of the first body panel 11 so that a portion of said waist portion extends outward with respect to the waist 20 in the longitudinal direction y.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the belt 20 is attached to the distal edge of the waist portion 11 a of the first body panel 11 and extends outward with respect to the waist portion in the longitudinal direction y.

When donning a garment with a belt on the wearer, the waist elements 17 “wrap” the waist of the wearer of the garment, and the waist elements 17 are fastened together by the first fastening means 18. This is illustrated in FIG. Then, a second body panel 12 is passed between the legs of the wearer and attached to the outside of the waist members 17 by means of second fastening means 19 provided on the second body panel 12, as illustrated in FIG.

In one embodiment of the invention, the elastic zones 17a of the waist elements 17 are indicated by a contrasting color, pattern or label so that a user or caregiver, elderly or the like can easily distinguish them to indicate that the zone should not be used as a mounting surface for fastening means 18, 19 for the reasons given above. Alternatively, the inelastic portions of the waist members 17 are shown by means of a specified contrasting color, pattern, or mark to indicate that the area should be used as the attachment surface.

Elasticity test

The method allows to determine how the elastic material behaves with repeated loading and unloading cycles. The sample is stretched to a predetermined extension, and a cyclic motion from 0 to the specified predetermined extension is performed. Target forces during loading and unloading are recorded. The residual, that is, remaining, elongation of the material from which the load is removed is measured.

A tensile tester, Lloyd LRX, with the ability to perform cyclic movements and equipped with a printer / plotter or software for presenting data, is used. A sample is prepared by cutting it with a width of 25 mm and a length that is preferably 20 mm greater than the distance between the clamps in the tensile testing apparatus.

The tensile tester is calibrated in accordance with the instructions for the device. The parameters required for the test (efforts under loading and unloading) are adjusted to the following values:

Slider Speed: 500 mm / min Clamp distance: 50 mm Preload: 0.05 N

The sample is placed in the clamps in accordance with the marks and ensure that the sample is centered and fixed perpendicular to the clamps. The tensile tester is started and three cycles are performed from 0 to a predetermined elongation corresponding to the largest given first load. Before the last cycle, the sample is kept in an unstressed state for 1 minute, then the residual elongation is measured by stretching the sample until a force of 0.1 N is determined, and the elongation is recorded.

The residual elongation after relaxation (retention in an unstressed state) should be less than 10%, and it is measured as described above. Thus, an elasticity of 30% is defined as a parameter corresponding to a situation in which the laminate must have a residual relaxation after elongation of less than 10% after being subjected to an elongation of 30% in the tensile testing apparatus described above. Elongation of 30% means elongation to a length that is 30% more than the original length of the sample.

Although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible and that any such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined in the formula below inventions.

Claims (9)

1. An absorbent article of clothing, such as a diaper, and a protective device used for incontinence, wherein said article of clothing has longitudinal (y) and transverse (x) directions and contains a first panel (11) for the body, a second panel (12) for the body and the crotch part (13) between them, each of the first and second body panels having a waist part (11a), said garment being additionally provided with opposite laterally extending waist elements (17) adapted for wrapping in the waist circle of the wearer of the garment and fastening them together by means of the first fastening means (18), while the second panel (12) for the body in its waist part is provided with second fastening means (19) adapted to fasten them to the waist elements (17) in this way that the garment will take on a shape similar to underpants, characterized in that the waist elements (17) are connected to each other by a belt (20) extending in the transverse direction (x) along the waist part of the first body panel, and at least one of the waist elements (17) with erzhit elastic zone (17a) disposed at the proximal end of said element near the waist belt (20), wherein the elastic area (17a) extends at no more than 50% of the length of the respective belt element (17). 2. An absorbent article of clothing according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastic zone (17a) extends by no more than 40% and preferably not more than 30% of the length of the corresponding waist element. 3. An absorbent article of clothing according to claim 2, characterized in that the elastic zone (17a) extends over the length (a) of the corresponding waist element (17) of at least 1 cm, preferably at least 2 cm. 4. An absorbent article of clothing according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elastic zone (17a) comprises an elastic film or an elastic laminate. 5. An absorbent article of clothing according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the elastic zone (17a) contains one or more elastic threads or strips fixed with the possibility of tightening between the rolled materials. 6. An absorbent article of clothing according to claim 1, characterized in that the belt (20) extends on the waist part and is attached “face to face” to the waist part of the first panel (11) for the body or to its side facing the garment, or to its side facing the carrier, or between layers of material contained in the first panel for the body. 7. An absorbent article of clothing according to claim 1, characterized in that the belt (20) is attached to the distal edge of the waist part (11a) of the first panel (11) for the body so as to form a continuation of the specified waist part in the longitudinal direction (y). 8. An absorbent article of clothing according to claim 1, characterized in that the first and second fastening means (18, 19) contain elements in the form of hooks and at least a portion of the outer surface of the waist elements (17) facing away from the carrier’s body from a material adapted to function as a material with loops interlocking with said elements in the form of hooks. 9. An absorbent article of clothing according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastic zone (17a) of the corresponding waist element (17) is made with a contrasting color, pattern or mark so that it is distinguishable from the rest of the waist element, or, alternatively, the specified rest of the waist element is made with a contrasting color, pattern or label so that it can be distinguished from the specified elastic zone (17a).

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