EP0215408B1 — Form-fitting self-adjusting disposable garment

Claim 1

Independent Claim 351 words

Form-fitting self-adjusting disposable garment comprising: - an outer cover (20) having front (66) and back (64) waist sections and a crotch section (68) therebetween, wherein uppermost boundaries of said front and back waist sections (66, 64) or of extension members (80, 82) of said waist sections define a waist opening (12, 81), and wherein outermost portions of said crotch section (68) define first and second leg openings (14, 81) when said garment (10) is placed around a wearer; - absorbent means (38) disposed within said outer cover (20) for absorbing and containing body fluids and other exudates, and - full-length fastening means (16, 70, 72, 74, 76) attached to that outer cover (20) providing a first essentially full-length closure (77, 79) from a first site (83, 85) of said waist opening to said first leg opening (14, 87) and a second essentially full-length closure (77, 79) from a second site (83, 85) of said waist opening to said second leg opening (14, 81), characterized in that: (a) outermost boundaries of said front and back waist sections (66, 64) or outermost boundaries of said pair of front waist extension members (80, 82) and outermost boundaries of back waist section (64) comprise first and second junctions (77, 79) when said diaper is placed on a wearer and wherein uppermost points of said first and second junctions comprise said first and second sites (83, 85) respectively. (b) said full-length fastening means (16, 70, 72, 74, 76) comprise a first pair (74, 76) of members attached to said front waist section (66) or that front waist extension members (80, 82) of said outer cover (20) with one of said first pair (74, 76) of members attached at each of said junctions (77, 79) and a second pair (70, 72) of members attached to said back waist section (64) of said cover (20) with one of said second pair (70, 72) of members attached at each of said junctions (77, 79) and (c) said outer cover (20) is resiliently stretchable more than about 20% and preferably less than 200% in at least one direction (67, 69).

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 351 words

Form-fitting self-adjusting disposable garment comprising: - an outer cover (20) having front (66) and back (64) waist sections and a crotch section (68) therebetween, wherein uppermost boundaries of said front and back waist sections (66, 64) or of extension members (80, 82) of said waist sections define a waist opening (12, 81), and wherein outermost portions of said crotch section (68) define first and second leg openings (14, 81) when said garment (10) is placed around a wearer; - absorbent means (38) disposed within said outer cover (20) for absorbing and containing body fluids and other exudates, and - full-length fastening means (16, 70, 72, 74, 76) attached to that outer cover (20) providing a first essentially full-length closure (77, 79) from a first site (83, 85) of said waist opening to said first leg opening (14, 87) and a second essentially full-length closure (77, 79) from a second site (83, 85) of said waist opening to said second leg opening (14, 81), characterized in that: (a) outermost boundaries of said front and back waist sections (66, 64) or outermost boundaries of said pair of front waist extension members (80, 82) and outermost boundaries of back waist section (64) comprise first and second junctions (77, 79) when said diaper is placed on a wearer and wherein uppermost points of said first and second junctions comprise said first and second sites (83, 85) respectively. (b) said full-length fastening means (16, 70, 72, 74, 76) comprise a first pair (74, 76) of members attached to said front waist section (66) or that front waist extension members (80, 82) of said outer cover (20) with one of said first pair (74, 76) of members attached at each of said junctions (77, 79) and a second pair (70, 72) of members attached to said back waist section (64) of said cover (20) with one of said second pair (70, 72) of members attached at each of said junctions (77, 79) and (c) said outer cover (20) is resiliently stretchable more than about 20% and preferably less than 200% in at least one direction (67, 69).

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 36 words

The garment of Claim 1 wherein said outer cover (20) comprises a pair of front waist extension members (80, 82) with each of said pair attached to an outermost portion of said front waist section (66).

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 50 words

The garment of Claim 2 wherein said first (74, 76) and second pairs (70, 72) of members (16) have a complementary cross section for mating engagement and each of said first pair (74, 76) of members is releasably interlockable with each of said second pair (70, 72) of members (16).

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 25 words

The garment of Claim 3 wherein the first pair (74, 76) of members and the second pair (70, 72) of members comprise essentially full-length members.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 77 words

The garment of one of the preceeding claims wherein - said front (66) and back (64) waist sections of said outer cover (20) are resiliently stretchable in at least one direction, - an absorbent insert structure (22) is superposed on a body-facing surface of said outer cover (20), and - attachment means (26, 28) are provided for attaching and integrating said insert (22) into said outer cover (20) while allowing substantially unrestricted functional stretchability of the latter.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 32 words

The garment of claim 5, wherein the absorbent insert structure (22) includes a liquid permeable bodyside liner (42) bonded to a liquid impermeable barrier (44) with an absorbent composite (38) disposed therebetween.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 32 words

The garment of the preceding claims, wherein said front waist extension members (80, 82) are resiliently stretchable more than about 20% and preferably less than 200% in at least one direction (75).

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 23 words

The garment of one of the preceding claims wherein said outer cover (20) and/or the waist extension members (80, 82) are air permeable.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 37 words

The garment of one of the preceding claims wherein either of said uppermost boundaries (52, 54) of said front and back waist sections (66, 64) and said outermost portions (24) of said crotch section (68) are hemmed.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 19 words

The garment of one of the preceding claims wherein said full-length fastening means (16) are fixed position fastening means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 28 words

The garment of one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer cover (20) is resiliently stretchable in at least one direction (67) across the body of the wearer.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 54 words

The garment of one of the preceding claims wherein said each of said first pair (74, 76) of members is attached to an outermost portion of said back waist section (64) and said each of said second pair (70, 72) of members is attached to an outermost portion of said front waist section (66).

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 57 words

The garment of one of the preceding claims wherein said each of said first pair (74, 76) of members is attached to an outermost portion of said back waist section (64) and said each of said second pair (70, 72) of members is attached to a member of said pair of front waist extension members (80, 82).

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 43 words

The garment of one of the preceding claims wherein each of said fastener members (70, 72, 74, 76) is sufficiently flexible to prevent skin irritation of a wearer of said disposable garment and sufficiently inflexible to prevent unwanted unfastening of said fastener members.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 60 words

The garment of one of the preceding claims wherein each of said fastener members (70, 72, 74, 76) comprises an essentially flat base (90) with a pair of clasps (94, 96, 102, 104) disposed thereon wherein said pair (70, 72, 74, 76) of clasps (94, 96, 102, 104) are separated by a first portion of said essentially flat base (90).

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 20 words

The garment of claim 15 wherein said first portion of said essentially flat base (90) has an aperture (92) therein.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 89 words

The garment of claim 16 wherein a value El is a measure of the flexibility and inflexibility of said fastener members and is calculated from the formula EI = L 3 M/48 and wherein a first value of El is measured through a cross section (105, 109) of each of said fastener members including said clasps (94, 96, 102, 104) and is preferably in the range from 1.44 x 10 -3 N.m 2 (0.5 pound-inches 2 ) to 10.04 x 10 - 3 N.m 2 (3.5 pound-inches 2 ).

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 38 words

The garment of claim 17 wherein said first value EI is most preferably in the range from 2.58 x 10- 3 N.m 2 (0.9 pound-inches 2 ) to 9.76 x 10- 3 N.m 2 (3.4 pound-inches 2 ).

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 57 words

The garment of claim 17 or 18 wherein a second value of EI is measured through a cross section (107) of said fastener member including said first portion and is preferably in the range from 5.7 x 10- 6 N.m 2 (0.002 pound-inches 2 ) to 2.87 x 10- 5 N.m 2 (0.010 pound inches 2 ).

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 61 words

The garment of one of claims 14 to 19 further comprising prevention means (106) for preventing said first pair of fastener members (74, 76) from sliding laterally from engagement with said second pair (70, 72) of fastener members, the prevention means comprising advantageously bonds bonding at least one edge of each of said pair of clasps (102, 104) to said base.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 45 words

The garment of one of the preceding claims wherein said outer cover (20) is resiliently stretchable and wherein said resiliency acts in conjunction with said fastener members (70, 72, 74, 76) to maintain said mating engagement between said first and second pairs of fastener members.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 59 words

The garment of one of the preceding claims wherein said fastener members (70, 72, 74, 76) are made from a material with a Modulus of Elasticity from about 266 bar (4000 Ib.lin. 2 ) to about 4134 bar (60,000 Ib.lin. 2 ) preferably from about 413 bar (6000 lb./in. 2 ) to about 2756 bar (40,000 Ib.lin. 2 ).

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 54 words

The garment of one of the preceding claims wherein said outer cover (20) is resiliently stretchable in two directions wherein preferably a first (67, 71, 75) of said two directions is a cross-body direction and wherein a second (69, 73) of said two directions is a vertical direction essentially perpendicular to said cross-body direction.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 27 words

The garment of claim 23 wherein said outer cover (20) is resiliently stretchable in a range from about 20% to 200% in each of said two directions.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 43 words

The garment of one of the preceding claims wherein said resiliently stretchable outer cover (20) comprises at least three sections, having directions (71, 73, 75) of stretchability which are different in any two adjacent sections in each of said at least three sections.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 61 words

The garment of claim 25 wherein said resiliently stretchable outer cover (20) comprises: a front waist section (66) resiliently stretchable in a first direction (75), a back waist section (64) resiliently stretchable in a second direction (71), and a crotch section (68), intermediate said front waist section (66) and said back waist section (64), resiliently stretchable in a third direction (73).

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 60 words

The garment of claim 26 wherein said first direction (75) is a cross body direction and/or said second direction (71) is a cross body direction and/or said third direction (73) is a vertical direction essentially perpendicular to said cross body direction, each of said at least three sections being preferably resiliently stretchable in a range from about 20% to 200%.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 59 words

The garment of one of the preceding claims wherein a waist elastic member (58, 60) is disposed along at least one of said front and back waist sectins (66, 64) and/or comprising leg elastic members (62) disposed at outermost portions (24) of said crotch section (66), and said elastic members (58, 60, 62) being preferably situated within said hems.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 34 words

The garment of claim 28 wherein said elastic members (58, 60, 62) complement said resiliently stretchable outer cover (20) and said hems to provide anatomically conforming waist and leg openings for said disposable garment.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 40 words

The garment of claim 28 or 29 wherein respective ends of said waist elastic member (58, 60) are anchored by said fastening means (65) and/or wherein respective ends of said leg elastic members (62) are anchored by said fastening means.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 32 words

The garment of one of the preceding claims in which the air-permeable outer cover (20) is made of nonwoven elastomeric fabric resiliently stretchable in at least one direction from 20% to 200%.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 20 words

The garment of claim 31 wherein said elastomeric nonwoven fabric comprises a stretch bonded laminate material preferably A-B-A' block copolymer.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 26 words

The garment of claim 32 wherein said stretch-bonded laminate material comprises an extrudable polyolefin, which preferably is meltblown onto opposing surfaces of a stretched elastomeric material.

Form-fitting self-adjusting disposable garment

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