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US3943930A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Disposable diaper

Assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co
•
Filing: 1974-10-03
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Granted: 1976-03-16
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Expires: 1994-10-03
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Abstract

Abstract A disposable diaper comprising, an absorbent pad assembly having a pair of waistline portions, a crotch region intermediate the waistline portions, a fluid impervious backing sheet, a fluid pervious cover sheet, and an absorbent pad intermediate the backing and cover sheets. The pad assembly may have a plurality of longitudinally extending folds defining a pleated configuration of the pad assembly having a longitudinally extending central panel, and a pair of outermost panels overlying the central panel. The pad assembly also has a lateral fold of the pleated pad assembly in the crotch region. The diaper has means for securing a sufficient portion of the outermost panels together in the lateral fold to maintain the pad assembly in its laterally folded configuration, in order that the diaper assumes a contoured configuration responsive to longitudinal expansion of the central panel.

Inventors

  • 👤 Charles H. Schaar

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 19:15
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/45; A61F13/49; A61F13/49001; A61F13/53; A61F13/534; A61F13/53409; A61F13/53436; A61F13/15203; A61F2013/15284; A61F2013/15365; A61F2013/1539

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim 125 words
A disposable diaper, comprising: an absorbent pad assembly having a pair of waistline portions, a crotch region intermediate the waistline portions, a fluid impervious backing sheet, a fluid pervious cover sheet, an absorbent pad intermediate the backing and cover sheets, a plurality of longitudinally extending folds defining a pleated configuration of the pad assembly having a longitudinally extending central panel, and a pair of outermost panels overlying the central panel, and lateral fold means of the pleated pad assembly in said crotch region; and means for securing a sufficient portion of the outermost panels together in said lateral fold means to maintain the pad assembly in its laterally folded configuration, whereby the diaper assumes a contoured configuration responsive to longitudinal expansion of the central panel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 125 words
A disposable diaper, comprising: an absorbent pad assembly having a pair of waistline portions, a crotch region intermediate the waistline portions, a fluid impervious backing sheet, a fluid pervious cover sheet, an absorbent pad intermediate the backing and cover sheets, a plurality of longitudinally extending folds defining a pleated configuration of the pad assembly having a longitudinally extending central panel, and a pair of outermost panels overlying the central panel, and lateral fold means of the pleated pad assembly in said crotch region; and means for securing a sufficient portion of the outermost panels together in said lateral fold means to maintain the pad assembly in its laterally folded configuration, whereby the diaper assumes a contoured configuration responsive to longitudinal expansion of the central panel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 16 words
The diaper of claim 1 wherein the securing means extends substantially laterally across the outermost panels.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 42 words
The diaper of claim 1 wherein the longitudinally extending folds define a box-pleat configuration of the pad assembly having a pair of first panels extending from and overlying the central panel, and the outermost panels extending from and overlying the first panels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 17 words
The diaper of claim wherein said lateral fold means comprises a lateral tuck in the pad assembly.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 38 words
The diaper of claim 4 wherein said lateral tuck includes a lateral fold line, and first and second longitudinal sections of the pad assembly extending from the lateral fold line toward opposite waistline portions of the pad assembly.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 26 words
The diaper of claim 5 wherein the longitudinal length of each of the longitudinal sections is approximately 1/2 inch (1.27 cms.) to 2 inches (5.08 cms.).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 20 words
The diaper of claim 5 wherein said lateral fold line is located adjacent the longitudinal mid-point of the pad assembly.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 19 words
The diaper of claim 1 wherein said absorbent pad extends through a substantial portion of said lateral fold means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 22 words
The diaper of claim 1 wherein said absorbent pad includes cut-out portions in the outermost panels located in said lateral fold means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 18 words
The diaper of claim 1 wherein said absorbent pad includes a cut-out portion in said lateral fold means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 26 words
The diaper of claim 1 wherein at least a part of the securing means retains inner portions of the outermost panels together adjacent its inner edges.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 18 words
The diaper of claim 1 wherein said lateral fold means comprises a lateral pleat in the pad assembly.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 31 words
The diaper of claim 12 wherein said pleat has a pair of lower fold lines and an upper fold line defining a plurality of contiguous longitudinal sections in the pad assembly.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 13 words
The diaper of claim 13 wherein the securing means retains said sections together.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 67 words
A disposable diaper comprising, an absorbent pad assembly having a pair of side edges, a pair of waistline portions, a crotch portion intermediate the waistline portions, a fluid impervious backing sheet, a fluid pervious cover sheet, and a pair of absorbent pads intermediate the backing and cover sheets, said pads being separated in the crotch region of the diaper defining a laterally extending area of reduced thickness.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 67 words
A disposable diaper comprising, an absorbent pad assembly having a pair of side edges, a pair of waistline portions, a crotch portion intermediate the waistline portions, a fluid impervious backing sheet, a fluid pervious cover sheet, and a pair of absorbent pads intermediate the backing and cover sheets, said pads being separated in the crotch region of the diaper defining a laterally extending area of reduced thickness.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 26 words
The diaper of claim 15 wherein the pad assembly is folded laterally in the area of reduced thickness, said area facilitating folding of the pad assembly.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 21 words
The diaper of claim 15 including means for securing folded portions of the pad assembly in said area of reduced thickness.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 72 words
The diaper of claim 15 wherein the pad assembly has a plurality of longitudinally extending folds defining a box-pleat configuration of the diaper having a longitudinally extending central panel, a pair of first panels extending from and overlying the central panel, and a pair of outermost panels extending from and overlying the first panels, and including means for securing overlapped portions of the outermost panels together in said area of reduced thickness.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 26 words
The diaper of claim 18 wherein at least a part of the securing means retains inner portions of the outermost panels together adjacent the first panels.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 15 words
The diaper of claim 18 wherein the securing means extends laterally across the outermost panels.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 41 words
The diaper of claim 18 wherein said pads are spaced approximately the same distance from the longitudinal mid-point of the pad assembly, and said pad assembly is laterally tucked adjacent the longitudinal mid-point of the diaper to overlap said outermost panels.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 41 words
The diaper of claim 18 wherein said pads are spaced approximately the same distance from the longitudinal mid-point of the pad assembly, and said pad assembly is laterally pleated adjacent the longitudinal mid-point of the diaper to overlap said outermost panels.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 69 words
A disposable diaper comprising, an absorbent pad assembly having front and back waistline portions, a fluid impervious backing sheet, a crotch region intermediate the waistline portions, and securing means for retaining spaced areas of said backing sheet in a close relationship to define pocket means of said backing sheet in the crotch region depending from the pad assembly in the crotch region to receive body exudate from an infant.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 69 words
A disposable diaper comprising, an absorbent pad assembly having front and back waistline portions, a fluid impervious backing sheet, a crotch region intermediate the waistline portions, and securing means for retaining spaced areas of said backing sheet in a close relationship to define pocket means of said backing sheet in the crotch region depending from the pad assembly in the crotch region to receive body exudate from an infant.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US318141A Cited
US3030956A Cited
US3592194A Cited
US3816227A Cited
US3747601A Cited
US3719189A Cited
US3848599A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1979-03-16 1979-09-15 1980-03-16 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1983-03-16 1983-09-15 1984-03-16 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1987-03-16 1987-09-15 1988-03-16 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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