Disposable diaper having improved absorbent pad arrangement

Claim 2

A disposable diaper comprising, in combination: a crotch area; a main pad assembly having a transverse fold line in the crotch area dividing the diaper into front and rear sections, a liquid impervious cover sheet, a liquid pervious liner sheet opposite the cover sheet, and a main absorbent pad disposed between the liner and cover sheets; the main pad assembly, when the diaper is in at least a partially folded condition, having a pair of longitudinal fold portions extending toward the longitudinal centerline of the diaper, said fold portions including a portion of the main absorbent pad and having spaced apart opposed edges defining a space between the fold portions; and an auxiliary absorbent pad positioned between the opposed edges of the fold portions in said space only in said front section and said diaper.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1 wherein the auxiliary pad has a thickness equal to the distance between the liner sheet in the front section and the liner sheet in the rear section when the diaper is fully folded.

Claim 4

The combination according to claim 1 wherein the auxiliary pad has a thickness equal to the total thickness of the main absorbent pad laterally most adjacent to the auxiliary pad in the front and rear sections of the diaper.

Claim 5

The combination according to claim 1 wherein the auxiliary pad has a thickness equal to twice the maximum thickness of one of the fold portions.

Claim 6

The combination according to claim 2, 3 or 4 further comprising: another auxiliary absorbent pad positioned in the front section of the diaper between the main absorbent pad and absorbent pad positioned in said space; and wherein both of the auxiliary absorbent pads have a transverse edge contiguous to the transverse fold line whereby a void for containing fecal matter is formed in the rear section.

Claim 7

The combination according to claims 1 wherein the longitudinal fold portions each have opposite ends and define said space only intermediate said ends.

Claim 8

The combination according to claim 6 wherein: said edge of each longitudinal fold portion has a predetermined contour; and the auxiliary absorbent pad has an edge adjacent to and following the contour of the edge of each fold portion.

Claim 9

The combination according to claim 7 wherein said contour is concave toward the longitudinal centerline of the diaper intermediate the opposite ends of the longitudinal fold portions.

Claim 10

The combination according to claim 8 wherein each longitudinal fold portion contains a portion of the main absorbent pad along the concave contour edge of the fold portion.

Claim 11

A disposable diaper comprising, in combination: a crotch area; a main pad assembly having a liquid impervious cover sheet, a liquid pervious liner sheet opposite the cover sheet, and a main absorbent pad disposed between the liner and cover sheets; the main pad assembly, when the diaper is in a folded condition, having a pair of longitudinal fold portions each folded along a fold line running through the main absorbent pad, said fold portions extending toward the longitudinal centerline of the diaper and having spaced apart opposed edges defining a space between the fold portions; a first auxiliary absorbent pad engaging the main absorbent pad and being positioned between opposed edges of the fold portions in said space; and a second auxiliary absorbent pad between the main absorbent pad and the first absorbent pad, said second auxiliary pad having a pair of edges each adjacent to and diverging from a fold line toward said longitudinal centerline of a fold portion whereby the second auxiliary pad provides edge support for forming the fold portion about the fold line.

Claim 12

A disposable diaper comprising, in combination: a crotch area; a main pad assembly having a liquid impervious cover sheet, a liquid pervious liner sheet opposite the cover sheet, and a main absorbent pad disposed between the liner and cover sheets; the main pad assembly, when the diaper is in a folded condition, having a pair of longitudinal fold portions each folded along a fold line running through the main absorbent pad, said fold portions extending toward the longitudinal centerline of the diaper and having spaced apart opposed edges defining a space between the fold portions; a first auxiliary absorbent pad engaging the main absorbent pad and being positioned between opposed edges of the fold portions in said space; and a second auxiliary absorbent pad between the main absorbent pad and the first absorbent pad, said second auxiliary pad having a pair of edges each adjacent to and diverging from a fold line toward said longitudinal centerline of a fold portion whereby the second auxiliary pad provides edge support for forming the fold portion about the fold line.

Claim 13

The combination according to claims 10 wherein: the diaper has a crotch area; the main pad assembly has a transverse fold line in the crotch area dividing the diaper into front and rear sections; and said second auxiliary absorbent pad is positioned only in the front section of the diaper.

Claim 14

The combination according to claim 11 wherein the first and second auxiliary pads each have a transverse edge contiguous to the transverse fold line whereby a void for containing fecal matter is formed in the rear section adjacent the fold line.

Claim 15

The combination according to claims 10 wherein the first auxiliary pad has a thickness equal to the distance between the liner sheet in the front section and the liner sheet in the rear section when the diaper is fully folded.