Patent Application
20050059950
The marketplace provides various size adult absorbent garments (small, medium, large and extra large) for incontinent patients. The extra large size has the largest waist circumference of up to a maximum of 63 to 65 inches. Unfortunately, there are some incontinent patients who require garments that can provide for a waist circumference greater than 65 inches. For these individuals, there are no commercially available products that meet their needs.
Manufacturing adult absorbent garments with waist circumferences greater than 65 inches would require specialized, expensive production equipment, capable of handling extremely wide and heavy material rolls. They would also require wider adhesive application systems, wider rotary cutting knives, larger packaging equipment, among other things. When taking all of this into consideration, along with the fact that there are not many incontinent users of this large sized product, one can see why there are no manufacturers of this type of product today. A commercial need exists to provide a product that is a cost effective alternative.
The present invention discloses an absorbent article with extendable side panels. The side panels comprise a sheet of skin-friendly material, each having a first edge and a second edge extending in a lengthwise direction, and a third edge and a fourth edge extending in a widthwise direction. The side panels also include fasteners, preferably positioned along the third edge, adapted to affix said side panels to the front or back of the ears of a conventionally designed absorbent article. The fourth edge of the side panels are bonded to the left and right ear of the absorbent article. The extendable side panels allow for an absorbent garment that provide for a wide range of circumferences.
In another embodiment, the present invention discloses an absorbent article with a single extendable side panel. The side panel comprises a sheet of skin-friendly material, having a first edge and a second edge extending in a lengthwise direction, a third edge and a fourth edge extending in a widthwise direction, and a middle portion positioned between the first and second edges. This side panel includes fasteners, positioned along the third edge and middle portion, adapted to affix said side panels to the front portion of the absorbent garment and one of its back ears. The fourth edge of the side panel is bonded to the left and right ear of the absorbent article. The extendable side panel allows for an absorbent garment that provides for a wide range of circumferences.
The present invention provides a means for incontinent bariatric users to use adult brief products containing extendable side panels that can cover an extremely wide range of waist circumferences. The present invention also provides a more practical and cost-effective means to manufacture extremely wide products using current conventional high-speed manufacturing machines that currently produce commercial-sized absorbent garments (such as Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large sizes).
The absorbent garment of the present invention can be made by maintaining the current width dimensions on the conventional manufacturing machines, and modifying the garments to allow the attachment of the side panels to the outer edge (top or bottom) of the absorbent garment's ears, i.e. “cut and place”. These products can replace current commercially available products (Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large sizes), and provide the potential to expand the product for patients requiring Extra and Extra Large (XXL) sizes, i.e. those sizes extending beyond 65 inches in waist circumference. The maximum circumference attainable according to the present invention is not limited and depends only on the width of the side panels used.
The term “bonding” as used herein refers to the method used to bond or attach the side panels of the present invention to the ears or the sides of an absorbent garment. Such bonding can be accomplished by various methods including, without limitation, ultrasonic bonding, heat sealing, adhesive or cohesive attachment, mechanical attachment (hook & loop), stitching, taping or any other methods well known in the art. It is understood that this “bonding” does not have to be permanent and can be accomplished as suggested by adhesive or mechanical attachment, which allows for the side panels to be detached and reattached as needed.
Note that the taper-shaped side panel shown in
The sheet used to make the side panel of the present invention can be made of various skin-friendly materials. The term “skin-friendly” in the context of the invention is intended to mean any comfortable material, including breathable material, that will mitigate any kind of discomfort to the wearer when in contact with their skin. One such material is poly laminates commercially available from Clopay Plastic Products of Mason, Ohio. Another acceptable material is a non-woven fabric, such as SBPP (Spundbond Polypropylene) or SMS (Spunbond-Meltblown-Spunbond). Such non-woven materials are commercially available from SAAF Advanced Fabrics of Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Yet other acceptable materials are other non-woven fabrics such as ABPET (Adhesive Bonded Polyester), TABICO (Through Air Bonded Bi-Component Fiber), TBPP (Thermal Bonded polypropylene), spunlace fibers, hydro-entangled fibers, needle-punched fibers, airlaid composites and woven fabrics. These materials are commercially available from PGI Nonwovens of Mooresville, N.C.
The sheet of the present invention (prior to bonding to the absorbent garment) can also be made of an elastic composite, comprising an elastic material sandwiched in-between two layers of non-woven fabric. The elastic composite can also be bonded to one or more non-stretchable materials in sections (not illustrated). Such elastic composites are commercially available from Clopay Plastic Products of Mason, Ohio. In addition, as shown in
In addition, the sheet of the present invention can also comprise a breathable poly film and non-woven fabric, which can be laminated together. The breathable poly film may comprise a micro-porous film, 2-dimensional apertured film, 3-dimensional apertured film, hydro-entangled film, or any combination thereof. Such 3-dimensional apertured poly films and micro-porous films are commercially available from Tredegar Film Products of Richmond, Va.
An acceptable sheet can also be a combination of layers of the materials listed above. Such combinations can be bonded in various ways, such as by using adhesive, cohesive, ultrasonic bonding, chemical bonding, heat sealing, poly extrusion, etc.
The sheet of the present invention can be various shapes, such as trapezoidal shapes wherein the third edge is wider in length than the fourth edge, or vice versa. In addition, the sheets can be various lengths, but generally a length greater than the width. Furthermore, the width of the sheet should be sufficient, when attached to the absorbent product, to mitigate slippage of the garment causing it to possibly leak. Preferably, the width of the sheet is at least about 4 inches.
The fastener used in the side panel of the present invention can be adapted to affix the side panel with an adhesive such as an adhesive fastening tape. For example, such adhesive fastening tapes are commercially available from 3M Personal Care (3M) of St. Paul, Minn. The adhesive fastening tape may be combined with an adhesive release tape, to create a Y-bond attachment configuration. The adhesive release tape is also commercially available from 3M. In another embodiment, the release liner can be folded over the positioning adhesive.
In addition, the fastener can be adapted to affix the side panel by way of mechanical means. One such mechanical means is a mechanical hook commercially available from 3M. Another commercially available mechanical hook is Velcro®. The use of mechanical hooks requires another material to be attached to, such as a loop (brushed or knit) or some other type of engageable material (ie. as a high loft non-woven). In another embodiment, the adhesive tape and the mechanical attachment system can be combined. Both attachment means can be positioned along side one, another along side two, allowing the user to use either or both.
In a further embodiment, the side panel of the present invention can additionally comprise an adjustable means. The term “adjustable means”, as used herein, is intended to denote a mechanism that allows the side panel's length to be shortened. This can be accomplished by providing a fastener on one side of the panel, then folding the side panel in a Z fold.
In yet a further embodiment, the front portion of the absorbent article can include indicia such as a line or letter (M for medium, L for large, etc.) to indicate where to attach the side panels of the present invention to achieve a particular size circumference.
Without further elaboration the foregoing is intended to be fully illustrative of the present invention so that others may, by applying current or future knowledge, adopt the same for use under various conditions of service.
This patent application claims the benefit of, and incorporates by reference in its entirety, prior provisional patent application U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/503,532, filed Sep. 16, 2003.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60503532 | Sep 2003 | US |
