EP0323634A2 — Disposable diaper having abdominal support band

Claim 1

Independent Claim 153 words

An anatomically form-fitting, generally self-adjusting disposable diaper comprising: an absorbent structure; an outer cover for positioning said absorbent structure in bodily registration to absorb and contain body wastes, including front and rear waist panels resiliently stretchable in a cross-body direction essentially transverse to a line centered on the longitudinal axis of said diaper and engageable about a wearer, defining an elastically contractible or expansible waist opening providing a fit line to said garment, and an intermediate crotch panel separating said waist panels from one another, with a pair of leg openings disposed along marginal sides of said crotch panel; an abdominal support band spaced longitudinally away from said waist opening and defining an abdominal support zone extending essentially in said cross-body direction across at least a central portion of said front waist panel, thereby imparting a tensile force thereto which is greater than existing cross-body tensile forces of said elastomeric front waist panel.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 153 words

An anatomically form-fitting, generally self-adjusting disposable diaper comprising: an absorbent structure; an outer cover for positioning said absorbent structure in bodily registration to absorb and contain body wastes, including front and rear waist panels resiliently stretchable in a cross-body direction essentially transverse to a line centered on the longitudinal axis of said diaper and engageable about a wearer, defining an elastically contractible or expansible waist opening providing a fit line to said garment, and an intermediate crotch panel separating said waist panels from one another, with a pair of leg openings disposed along marginal sides of said crotch panel; an abdominal support band spaced longitudinally away from said waist opening and defining an abdominal support zone extending essentially in said cross-body direction across at least a central portion of said front waist panel, thereby imparting a tensile force thereto which is greater than existing cross-body tensile forces of said elastomeric front waist panel.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 39 words

The invention of claim 1 wherein said absorbent structure comprises an insert, substantially superposable on said outer cover and including a liquid permeable bodyside liner, a liquid impermeable barrier coterminous with said liner and an absorbent core disposed therebetween.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 27 words

The invention of claim 2 further comprising attachment means for attaching and integrating said absorbent structure within said outer cover while allowing substantially unrestricted functional stretchability thereof.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 11 words

The invention of claim 1 wherein said outer cover is air-permeable.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 22 words

The invention of claim 1 wherein either of said front and rear panels are resiliently stretchable from about 20% to about 200%.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 39 words

The invention of claim 5 wherein said outer cover comprises a generally hourglass or T-shaped configuration, defining front and rear pairs of ear portions extending laterally outwardly from the sides of said waist panels and engageable with one another.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 42 words

The invention of claim 6 further comprising cooperating full-length fastening means on corresponding ones of said ear portions, respectively, for releasably securing said garment about a wearer, while maintaining the dimensional integrity of said garment between the waist and leg openings thereof.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 23 words

The invention of claim 7 wherein said full-length fastening means further comprise cooperating fixed-position fastening means fastenable at discrete locations with one another.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 26 words

The invention of claim 1 or 5 wherein said outer cover comprises a stretch-bonded laminate comprising an elastic layer joined to one or more gatherable layers.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 14 words

The invention of claim 9 wherein said elastic layer comprises an elastic nonwoven web.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 19 words

The invention of claim 10 wherein said one or more gatherable layers comprise at least one nonwoven gatherable web.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 17 words

The invention of claim 11 wherein either of said elastic and gatherable nonwoven webs comprise polyolefin fibers.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 15 words

The invention of claim 12 wherein said elastic nonwoven web comprises an A-B-A′ block copolymer.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 30 words

The invention of claim 13 wherein said elastic nonwoven web comprises a web of microfibers consisting essentially of a coextrudable blend of a polyolefin and an A-B-A′ block copolymer material.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 22 words

The invention of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said attachment means comprise autogenous bonds between said insert and said outer cover.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 23 words

The invention of claim 3 wherein said insert is attached to said outer cover while said outer cover is in a stretched condition.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 101 words

The invention of claim 1 wherein said fit line provided by said waist opening is registrable with the body at a point below the navel of a wearer and said abdominal support zone lies along a line extending from the small of the back, over the hip and on the lower side of the protruding stomach of a wearer and wherein the distance from the small of the back up to the upper edge of said diaper waist opening is less than the distance from said abdominal support band to said waist opening as measured along the centerline of said diaper.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 45 words

The invention of claim 17 wherein the distance from said abdominal support band to said waist opening as measured along the diaper centerline is longer than the distance from the small of the back up to said waist opening by about 1 to 3 inches.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 209 words

A disposable diaper comprising: an absorbent structure; an outer cover for positioning said absorbent structure in bodily registration on a wearer for absorbing and containing body wastes, said outer cover including front and rear waist panels resiliently stretchable in a cross-body direction essentially transverse to a line centered on the longitudinal axis of said diaper, an intermediate crotch panel separating said waist panels from one another, with a pair of sides extending between and interconnecting said waist panels, delimiting a pair of body-conforming leg openings along said sides of said crotch panel and delimiting at least a rear pair of elongated ears extending laterally outwardly from said rear waist panel and presenting inner, body-facing surfaces superposable on externally-facing surfaces of said front panel; and a pair of inelastic landing zones appointed within given areas of said external surfaces and presenting fastening means which are releasably engageable with fastening means provided on said inner surfaces of said rear ears, said landing zones being selectively shaped, sized and oriented on said external surfaces, so as to impart a tensile force distribution pattern directing stresses away from said leg and waist openings while providing a band of abdominal support across said front panel when said garment is securely fastened about a wearer.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 209 words

A disposable diaper comprising: an absorbent structure; an outer cover for positioning said absorbent structure in bodily registration on a wearer for absorbing and containing body wastes, said outer cover including front and rear waist panels resiliently stretchable in a cross-body direction essentially transverse to a line centered on the longitudinal axis of said diaper, an intermediate crotch panel separating said waist panels from one another, with a pair of sides extending between and interconnecting said waist panels, delimiting a pair of body-conforming leg openings along said sides of said crotch panel and delimiting at least a rear pair of elongated ears extending laterally outwardly from said rear waist panel and presenting inner, body-facing surfaces superposable on externally-facing surfaces of said front panel; and a pair of inelastic landing zones appointed within given areas of said external surfaces and presenting fastening means which are releasably engageable with fastening means provided on said inner surfaces of said rear ears, said landing zones being selectively shaped, sized and oriented on said external surfaces, so as to impart a tensile force distribution pattern directing stresses away from said leg and waist openings while providing a band of abdominal support across said front panel when said garment is securely fastened about a wearer.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 32 words

The invention of claim 19 wherein said landing zones comprise generally rounded or polygonal shapes having a tapered longitudinal diameter or width which lessens any direction approaching the centerline of said garment.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 64 words

The invention of claim 20 wherein said landing zones comprise one or more of the following: sheets of material having selected sizes and shapes which are oriented and affixed to said given areas; closed patterns of bonds surrounding said given areas; or pieces of material which are selectively sized and shaped and then oriented and bonded around their peripheral edges to said given areas.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 34 words

The invention of claim 21 wherein said landing zones are oriented so as to preferentially direct tensile forces away from either of said leg and waist openings when said garment is being securely worn.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 43 words

The invention of claim 22 wherein said landing zones are oriented with respect to one another and said garment so that an area of highest tension is defined in said support band along a minimum distance between two points on said landing zones.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 37 words

The invention of claim 23 wherein said landing zones comprise generally triangular shapes and wherein said two points defining said minimum distance between said landing zones comprise apexes equidistantly spaced on opposed lateral sides of the centerline.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 20 words

The invention of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 wherein said cooperating fastening means comprise mechanical fastening means.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 15 words

The invention of claim 25 wherein said mechanical fastening means comprise hook and loop fasteners.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 34 words

The invention of claim 26 wherein said rear pair of elongated ears comprise truncated shapes defining proximal portions equidistantly laterally spaced from the centerline and rounded used portions spaced distally from said proximal portions.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 44 words

The invention of claim 26 wherein said hook components are located on said landing zones and isolated from contact with a wearer's skin by bottom edges of said front ears which are curled outwardly over and covering a bottom margin of said hook component.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 69 words

The invention of claim 27 wherein said front ears have shapes which are elongated in a cross-body direction and said landing zones tapered distally, narrowing outwardly in said cross-body direction so that said fastening means are secured together along substantially the full tapered length of said landing zones to provide secure closure of said garment between said front and rear waist panels from said leg to said waist openings.

Disposable diaper having abdominal support band

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