Diaper having improved wicking and dryness

Claim 2

A diaper comprising an absorbent body having a length and width adapted to be applied to the lower portion of the torso of a child, said body having end sections adapted to embrace the waist and cover adjacent abdominal and back areas of the child and a central section adapted to lie between the child''s legs substantially throughout their normal range of movement, said absorbent body being continuous from end to end and having throughout the interior of its central section a substantially uniform unstressed absorptive capacity per unit face area which is lower than the average unstressed absorptive capacity per unit face area in other portions of said absorbent body, said interIor of said central section comprising at least about 70 percent of the width of said absorbent body.

Claim 3

The diaper recited in claim 1 wherein said central section comprises that portion of the diaper which lies between about 45* rearward to about 120* forward of the vertical center line of the leg openings of the diaper affixed to an infant.

Claim 4

The diaper of claim 1 wherein said absorbent body comprises a compressible material and the interior of said central section is permanently compressed to result in a free space content which is about 85 percent to 95 percent of its total volume.

Claim 5

The diaper of claim 3 wherein said compressible material is selected from the group consisting of highly creped cellulose wadding, airlaid felt of pulp fibers and mixtures thereof.

Claim 6

The diaper of claim 1 wherein said absorbent body of material includes a thin sheet of water-impervious material extending the length of the said central section and the major portion of the width of the said absorbent pad, said sheet being located between the top surface and the bottom surface of said absorbent pad.

Claim 7

The diaper of claim 1 wherein one face of the absorbent body is covered by a porous hydrophobic topsheet.

Claim 8

The diaper of claim 1 wherein said absorbent body comprises a plurality of layers of absorbent material, the interior of said central section comprising at least one layer of said material and the other said portions of the absorbent body contiguous to said central section comprising a plurality of layers of absorbent material which is cumulatively thicker than the material in the interior of said central section.

Claim 9

The diaper of claim 7 wherein the said one layer of absorbent material extends the length and substantially the breadth of said absorbent pad and has a small capillary size and low compressibility relative to that of the material comprising the said other portions of the absorbent body contiguous to the central section thereof.

Claim 10

The diaper of claim 8 wherein the said one layer of absorbent material is low creped tissue having a basis weight of about 10 pounds per 3,000 square feet creped at 12 to 18 percent and the other layers of said absorbent material are selected from the group consisting of highly creped cellulose wadding having a basis weight of between about 9 to 28 pounds per 3,000 square feet, an airlaid felt comprising airdeposited pulp fibers and mixtures thereof.

Claim 11

A diaper having a length and width adapted to be applied to the lower portion of the torso of a child, said diaper having end sections adapted to embrace the waist and cover adjacent abdominal and back areas of the child and a central portion adapted to lie between the child''s legs substantially throughout their normal range of movement, said diaper comprising an absorbent body of hydrophilic material and a porous topsheet covering one face of said absorbent body; said absorbent body being continuous from end to end and having throughout the interior of its central section a substantially uniform absorptive capacity per unit face area which is lower than the average absorptive capacity per unit face area in other portions of said absorbent body, said interior of said central section comprising the major portion of the width of said absorbent body, said topsheet being hydrophobic and having a free space available for fluid retention per unit free area under a compressive stress of about 3 pounds per square inch which exceeds the change in absorptive capacity occurring per unit face area in the interior of the central section of said absorbent body when the compressive stress thereon changes from about 0.1 pound per square inch to about 3 pounds per square inch.

Claim 12

A diaper having a length and width adapted to be applied to the lower portion of the torso of a child, said diaper having end sections adapted to embrace the waist and cover adjacent abdominal and back areas of the child and a central portion adapted to lie between the child''s legs substantially throughout their normal range of movement, said diaper comprising an absorbent body of hydrophilic material and a porous topsheet covering one face of said absorbent body; said absorbent body being continuous from end to end and having throughout the interior of its central section a substantially uniform absorptive capacity per unit face area which is lower than the average absorptive capacity per unit face area in other portions of said absorbent body, said interior of said central section comprising the major portion of the width of said absorbent body, said topsheet being hydrophobic and having a free space available for fluid retention per unit free area under a compressive stress of about 3 pounds per square inch which exceeds the change in absorptive capacity occurring per unit face area in the interior of the central section of said absorbent body when the compressive stress thereon changes from about 0.1 pound per square inch to about 3 pounds per square inch.

Claim 13

The diaper of claim 10 wherein said absorbent body comprises a compressible material and the interior of said central section is permanently compressed to a free space content which is about 85 percent to 95 percent of its total volume.

Claim 14

The diaper of claim 10 wherein said absorbent body comprises a plurality of layers of absorbent material, the interior of said central section comprising at least one layer of said material and the other portions of the absorbent body comprising a plurality of layers of absorbent material which is cumulatively thicker than the material in said central section.

Claim 15

The diaper of claim 10 wherein said absorbent body includes a thin sheet of water-impervious material extending the length of said central section and the major portion of the width of said absorbent pad, said sheet being located between the top surface and the bottom surface of said absorbent body.

Claim 16

A diaper having a length and width adapted to be applied to the lower portion of the torso of a child, said diaper having end sections adapted to embrace the waist and cover adjacent abdominal and back areas of the child and a central section adapted to lie between the child''s legs substantially throughout their normal range of movement, said diaper comprising a pad formed into a box pleat configuration by means of a multiplicity of longitudinal folds, said folds being unsecured at the ends of said pad whereby the pad is freely laterally spreadable at said ends, said box pleat configuration including a central panel, a pair of oppositely disposed inside panels connected to the sides of said central panel and folded in nonoverlapping relationship with one another over one face of said central panel with the inner sides of said inside panels juxtaposed, and a pair of outwardly facing terminal panels overlying said inside panels, each of said terminal panels having an outer side edge which comprises a free edge of said pad; said pad being continuous from end to end and comprising an absorbent body, a porous topsheet overlying the absorbent body and secured thereto, said absorbent body having throughout the interior of its central section a substantially uniform unstressed absorptive capacity per unit face area which is lower than the average unstressed absorptive capacity per unit face area in other portions of said absorbent body, said interior comprising the major portion of the width of said body; said diaper including a thin waterproof back sheet on the side of the absorbent body which is opposite said topsheet, which back sheet has a width exceeding that of the said pad so as to provide oppositely disposed side flaps which are folded inwardly to enclose the side edges of said pad and overlie a portion of said terminal panels.

Claim 17

A diaper having a length and width adapted to be applied to the lower portion of the torso of a child, said diaper having end sections adapted to embrace the waist and cover adjacent abdominal and back areas of the child and a central section adapted to lie between the child''s legs substantially throughout their normal range of movement, said diaper comprising a pad formed into a box pleat configuration by means of a multiplicity of longitudinal folds, said folds being unsecured at the ends of said pad whereby the pad is freely laterally spreadable at said ends, said box pleat configuration including a central panel, a pair of oppositely disposed inside panels connected to the sides of said central panel and folded in nonoverlapping relationship with one another over one face of said central panel with the inner sides of said inside panels juxtaposed, and a pair of outwardly facing terminal panels overlying said inside panels, each of said terminal panels having an outer side edge which comprises a free edge of said pad; said pad being continuous from end to end and comprising an absorbent body, a porous topsheet overlying the absorbent body and secured thereto, said absorbent body having throughout the interior of its central section a substantially uniform unstressed absorptive capacity per unit face area which is lower than the average unstressed absorptive capacity per unit face area in other portions of said absorbent body, said interior comprising the major portion of the width of said body; said diaper including a thin waterproof back sheet on the side of the absorbent body which is opposite said topsheet, which back sheet has a width exceeding that of the said pad so as to provide oppositely disposed side flaps which are folded inwardly to enclose the side edges of said pad and overlie a portion of said terminal panels.

Claim 18

The diaper of claim 14 wherein said topsheet is hydrophobic and has free space available for fluid retention per unit face area when subjected to a compressive stress of about 3 pounds per square inch which exceeds the change in absorptive capacity per unit face area in the central section of said absorbent body occurring when the compressive stress thereon changes from about 0.1 to about 3 pounds per square inch.

Claim 19

The diaper of claim 14 wherein said absorbent body of material includes a thin sheet of water-impervious material extending the length of the said central section and the major portion of the width of the said absorbent pad, said sheet being located between the top surface and the bottom surface of said absorbent pad.