KR20030068873A - Sanitary napkin with intergluteal strip - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sanitary napkin having a strip extending backward to be located at the site between the buttocks. The sanitary napkin is worn snugly against the body without penetrating. Since the strip provides improved body contact, even a small sanitary napkin provides a similar protective effect, freeing the action.

Description

Sanitary napkin with interglute strips

The present invention relates to a sanitary napkin having a strip of material extending backward to be located at the site between the buttocks. This arrangement allows the pad portion of the sanitary napkin to be worn more snugly against the body, providing an improved protective effect.

The protective effect of external sanitary napkins is known to depend significantly on the proximity of the sanitary napkin to the perineum. Close contact allows the sanitary napkin to collect body fluid near the source of body fluid discharged from the body and minimizes body fluid flowing along the body. However, despite the importance of wearing for hygienic protection, prior art sanitary napkins that are adhesively fixed to the crotch portion of the undergarment rely on the relatively loose wearing of the undergarment. Panties worn during menstruation are often old and very worn and worn poorly. New panties are difficult to hold and maintain close enough to the sanitary napkin unless specifically designed. Even with specially designed undergarments, many women find it difficult and inconvenient to bond.

In addition, the dependence on the adhesive system for securing the sanitary napkin to the undergarment necessarily requires that the sanitary napkin fixing means is always strongly adhered to the undergarment. Thus, the adhesion system must withstand the frictional shear forces generated by moisture, sudden torsion caused by body movement, and the movement of various layers of the undergarment worn by the user. It is not surprising that the actual performance of a sanitary napkin does not satisfy these conditions satisfactorily.

One solution of the prior art to the problem of wearing has been to use sanitary belts that independently support sanitary napkins. Sanitary napkins with long strap ends worn using sanitary belts provide the body with the necessary adhesion, but are often unpleasant, inconvenient to use, and often show signs of rejection by women. The belt also rests on the sanitary napkin in a way that can be moved and twisted, greatly reducing its effectiveness.

Another solution contemplated by the prior art is to attach the distal end of the product to the skin. There are several patent documents that relate to body fluid collection designs that use adhesive adhesion to the skin. Zamist, US Pat. No. 3,906,952, relates to anatomically curved sanitary napkins with adhesive patches that adhere to the wearer's skin. These patches have a non-disposable die cutting gripper that receives the distal end of the sanitary napkin. Levine, US Pat. No. 4,702,151, describes a long full-size sanitary napkin provided with an adhesive strip at its longitudinal distal end for attachment to the body. Sohn's US Pat. No. 4,484,919 teaches rectal site dressings for anal incontinence. Such rectal periphery designs have pressure sensitive adhesives on extended absorbent sanitary napkins and extended distal end members that adhere to the skin surface.

While these inventions generally provide a close fit to the wearer's body, many women refuse to use body adhesives. In addition, the adhesive used in the prior art makes it difficult to elongate in the longitudinal direction to adjust to the size control requirements of the individual wearer. In addition, these designs are not flexible enough for the sanitary napkin to move with the body and return to its original position during bending and twisting. This may make the bonding and twisting of the sanitary napkin uncomfortable. In addition, the site of attachment of such products, which is sensitive to sudden torsion and shear forces, is not always reliable to fix the position of the product.

The present invention relates to a sanitary napkin comprising a strip between buttocks as a fastening means. While the use of sanitary napkins between buttocks has been disclosed in the prior art, they have been used to increase the absorbency of body fluids present in those sites. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,520,675 (Knox-Sigh), U.S. Patent 4,900,319 (Richwine), PCT Publication No. WO 90/04956 (Muller), and U.S. Application No. 24,385 (Flanders).

The present invention relates to a sanitary napkin that utilizes a portion between the buttocks of the wearer to help fix the sanitary napkin by including a strip between the buttocks as a fixation means. Using the wearer's body in this manner, the present invention reduces many of the sudden torsional and shear forces associated with the prior art. The present invention is also made in such a way that no adhesive is required at the strip portion between the buttocks. In addition, in the present invention, the strip is flexible between the buttocks. As a result, wearability of the sanitary napkin is improved.

1 is a top view of the sanitary napkin of the present invention.

2 is a cross-sectional view of the sanitary napkin of FIG. 1.

3 is a cross-sectional view of another aspect of the present invention for illustrating the barrier material forming the tail and flap.

4 is a bottom view of another embodiment in which a continuous phase of material forming the tail and flap is attached to the barrier layer.

5 is a front view of the sanitary napkin of the present invention worn by the wearer.

6 is a top view of another embodiment of the present invention illustrating a body adhesion region in a dislocation flap.

7 is a cross-sectional view of the sanitary napkin of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a top view of another embodiment of the present invention illustrating a double dislocation flap arrangement with body adhesive regions in each dislocation flap. FIG.

9A and 9B are bottom views of another embodiment of the present invention in which the adhesive region in the body is located in the sanitary napkin body.

FIG. 10 is a top view of another embodiment of the present invention illustrating an adhesive area within a distal end of a tail for attaching to the back of a user's panties. FIG.

11 is a top view of another embodiment of the present invention illustrating a body adhesion area on the distal distal end of a tail for securing the tail to a user's body.

12A and 12B show another embodiment of the invention showing the stabilization region of the tail.

13A, 13B and 13C are rear views of the site of the buttocks and the buttocks of the user, and FIG. 13B further illustrates the placement of the tails between the buttocks in an embodiment of the invention where the tails do not contain stabilizing regions. Fig. 13C shows the arrangement of the tails between the buttocks in the embodiment in which the stabilization region is present.

14 and 15 illustrate another embodiment of the invention in which the stabilization region is another form.

The present invention provides sanitary napkins that provide a dynamic fit. The sanitary napkin is in close contact with the user's body by means of including a strip between the buttocks. As the user moves, the user's panties can move as well, but the sanitary napkin can remain comfortable with the body due to this attachment means.

More specifically, according to one aspect of the present invention,

(a) an absorbent core system disposed between the sanitary napkin cover material and the barrier layer, a posterior distal end proximal to the wearer's hip in use and a distal end opposite it, a first face adapted to contact the wearer's body And a sanitary napkin body having a second side adapted to face inwardly of the wearer, opposite the wearer, wherein the sanitary napkin body has a thickness defined as the dimension of the sanitary napkin body from the first side to the second side. Adjusted to be worn close to the wearer's vagina,

(b) the absorbent core system is adapted not to extend much beyond the perineal dislocation of the wearer in use;

(c) the thickness is relatively small compared to the thickness of the sanitary napkin body and further comprises a substantially planar tail extending posteriorly from the posterior end of the sanitary napkin body and terminating at the distal end,

(d) a tail is shaped between the wearer's buttock and shaped to easily adjust the sanitary napkin body adjacent to the wearer's vagina.

Features and other features of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

In the description of the invention, the same numerals are identified with the same members in still another figure illustrating the invention.

1 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a corresponding cross-sectional view. The sanitary napkin 1 shown has a central longitudinal axis 16. As shown in these figures, the sanitary napkin body 17 of the sanitary napkin 1 extends from point P ₂ to point P ₃ on the longitudinal axis 16 and between the sanitary napkin cover material 4 and the blocking layer 6. And an absorbent core system (2) located at. This sanitary napkin body has a distal end portion 18 located adjacent to point P ₃ and a rear end portion 19 positioned adjacent to point P ₂ . In the illustrated embodiment the cover 4 and the barrier layer 6 are slightly larger than the absorbent system and have a space to be heat sealed along the periphery of the sanitary napkin.

In the embodiment shown, the tail 8 between the buttocks is connected to the sanitary napkin body and is disposed below the absorbent core system so as not to interfere with the absorbency. Examples of means for attaching the tail 8 to the sanitary napkin body include structural as well as heat. In a preferred embodiment, the tail consists of a polyester knit fabric manufactured under the trade name AQ 7500 by Tomen Corporation. In another aspect, the tail may be comprised of a microcreped nonwoven material, an example of which is a microcreped material purchased from Microx Corporation. The use of such microcreped materials expands the user's body in use. The present invention is not limited only to these materials, and other materials including extensible or absorbent materials have been considered by the present inventors.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to disposing the tail between the buttocks between the cover material 4 and the blocking layer 6. In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 3, the barrier layer material itself is extended to form both the tail and dislocation flap 10. In another aspect, the barrier layer may be stretched to form only one of the tail and the dislocation flap and the other may be composed of an attached material. Thus, the materials used in the manufacture of the tails and / or any dislocation flaps may be selected to best match the desired physical properties (eg, elasticity, absorbency, etc.), to minimize costs, or to simplify manufacturing.

Another aspect of the sanitary napkin (not shown) may include channeling or embossing on the cover material. Such channeling is well known in the sanitary napkin industry.

FIG. 4 shows the opposite surface in the further another aspect of the invention in which the tail 8 between the buttocks and the dislocation flap are one continuous part of the material attached to the blocking layer 6. As attachment means, for example, there are thermal and structural adhesives. In this embodiment, the sanitary napkin is simply manufactured without limiting the barrier layer to be made of the same material as the tail and dislocation flap.

As shown in FIG. 2, any dislocation flap 10 located at the dislocation end portion 18 of the sanitary napkin body 17 includes a positioning adhesive 12 and a release paper 14 on opposite surfaces within. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dislocation flap is laminated between the cover 4 and the blocking layer 6 and is attached using a structural adhesive as well as heat. In this preferred embodiment, the dislocation flap is made of an extensible material to aid in both comfort and wearability of the sanitary napkin.

As shown in FIG. 5, the tail between the buttocks extends posteriorly into the space region between the buttocks of the wearer. Thus, the placement of the tail between the buttocks in this position provides additional fixing means for the sanitary napkin. An important feature of the present invention is that in use the absorbent core system 2 of the sanitary napkin does not extend much beyond the dislocation of the user's perineum. As is well known, the perineal portion of a user is limited to an area that extends between the anus and the posterior part of the external organs. As a result, in normal use, the absorbent core system of the sanitary napkin extends significantly beyond the anus of the user and does not extend posteriorly to the area between the user's buttocks, and thus to a minimum. Preferably, when wearing a sanitary napkin, the absorbent core system extends less than 25 mm past the dislocation of the user's perineum and most preferably does not extend past the dislocation of the user's perineum.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the sanitary napkin of the present invention allows the sanitary napkin to be worn dynamically by fixing it to the body such that only one point is attached to the panty. Sanitary napkins use a tail between the buttocks to keep them in close contact with the body. Once worn, the sanitary napkin does not move with the panties but with the body. Therefore, it is worn dynamically. Because of this optimal fit, the user can achieve the same protective effect by using smaller, more cautious sanitary napkins.

Another embodiment uses body adhesion to fix the distal end of the sanitary napkin without the need to attach the sanitary napkin to the panty of the user. One such aspect is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, wherein the dislocation flap 10 is sufficiently large so that, when worn, the body adhesive area 20 of the flap does not touch the user's pubic area beyond the area described above. long. As shown in FIG. 7, this adhesive area is covered with release paper 22 before using the sanitary napkin. Another aspect of this aspect of the invention is shown in FIG. 8, wherein two dislocation flaps are used to form a sanitary napkin in the "Y" shape. As a result, when worn, the distal end of the flap extends up and away from the user's crotch portion to avoid body contact with the pubic hair.

FIG. 9A shows another sanitary napkin fixed to the user's undergarment by using the sanitary napkin body 30 on the barrier layer and thus on the opposite side of the sanitary napkin. As a result, dislocation flaps are unnecessary.

Selective use of the adhesive in is illustrated in FIG. 9B. The figure shows a smaller positioning adhesive region 30 located proximate to the tail. The adhesive area is mainly used to assist in fitting the position of the sanitary napkin in the wearer's underwear immediately before use. Once the inner is pulled to the wearing position, the tail 8 is placed at the site between the buttocks and this adhesive area is expected to no longer secure the sanitary napkin to the inner of the user.

In a preferred embodiment, the tail may contain no adhesive on its distal end. As shown in Figure 5, the tail between the buttocks is located at the site between the buttocks by the wearer. Positioning the tail into this region is sufficient to fix the tail end of the sanitary napkin. Another aspect is also contemplated that the tail between the buttocks is of sufficient length to use the adhesive at its distal end. As shown in FIG. 10, such adhesive regions 40 may be located on opposite surfaces of the interior to attach to the interior of the user. Alternatively, the body adhesive area 50 on the body facing surface may be used to fix the distal end of the tail, as shown in FIG. Sanitary napkins containing such adhesive regions are preferably used with adhesive release paper to facilitate packaging and handling of the sanitary napkins prior to use.

In the following discussion, the length dimension corresponds to the distance present along the central longitudinal axis 16 of the sanitary napkin as shown in FIG. 1. The width dimension corresponds to the distance along the corresponding horizontal axis perpendicular to this longitudinal axis. Thus, the length of the tail 8 between the buttocks is the distance from point P ₁ to point P ₂ present along the longitudinal axis 16. Similarly, the sanitary napkin body extends longitudinally from point P ₂ to point P ₃ along this axis. Finally, the length of the dislocation flap is a dimension from point P ₃ to point P ₄ .

In a preferred embodiment, the dislocation flap is rounded off the contour of the sanitary napkin body as shown in FIG. 1. Its width is variable along the length of the flap. The widest part is adjacent to the sanitary napkin body, the narrowest part is located at the distal distal end and ends at the round point. The widest part is 7 cm wide, but can vary from 7 to 10 cm depending on the width of the sanitary napkin body. The flap extends further 4 cm beyond the distal end of the sanitary napkin body. The length of the flap may range from 3 to 7 cm.

The tail extends 15 cm from the rear end 19 of the sanitary napkin body. The acceptable length range is 10-30 cm. Preferably, the length of the tail is 12-18 cm. The width of the tail can vary from 0.5 to 2.5 cm. Preferably, the width of the tail is 1.5 to 2 cm. The thickness of the tail is preferably less than 1 cm, most preferably less than 5 mm. The thickness range is an important feature of the present invention with regard to user comfort. The distal end of the tail between the buttocks may contain the adhesive in a range of patterns including dislocations of the tail contour, strips, dots, and the like.

In a preferred embodiment, the sanitary napkin body is adjusted to be worn close to the outside of the vagina of the wearer. Thus, in this embodiment, the sanitary napkin body is substantially flat on its body facing surface. In a further aspect, it may be substantially tapered but slightly tapered in dislocations in the back direction, laterally in the lateral direction or in both directions. However, the present invention is not limited to being worn on the outside of the vagina. As yet another embodiment, it is contemplated to include a raised area into which the sanitary napkin body is inserted into the vagina. These intralabial properties provide several advantages, including assisting in proper placement of the sanitary napkin and / or concentrating the absorbent material at the location of the body fluid release.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the absorbent core system is of sufficient length to cover only the length of the labia of the user, i.e. in the range of 8.0 to 13.1 cm. The length of the sanitary napkin body preferably exceeds the length of the absorbent core system 2 so that the perimeter of the barrier layer 6 and the cover material 4 surrounds the absorbent core. The width of the circumference ranges from 0.5 to 2 cm. This means that the length of the sanitary napkin body can range from 9.0 to 17.1 cm. Most preferably, the circumference is 1 cm in width. The most preferable length of the absorber is 11.5 cm, which means that the most preferred length of the sanitary napkin body is 13.5 cm.

The width of the sanitary napkin body is most preferably variable along its length, so that it is narrower at the rear end 19 of the sanitary napkin body. The width may be kept relatively constant. In a preferred embodiment with variable width, the maximum width occurs near the distal end 18. The width here is in the range of 8 cm to 10 cm. In a preferred embodiment, the sanitary napkin body is narrowest at the posterior distal end 19 near the tail, providing a more comfortable fit. Therefore, this width is preferably in the range of 0.5 to 4 cm. Most preferably, the width is 2 cm. Further, in a preferred embodiment, the narrowest portion of the sanitary napkin body should be approximately equal to the width of the tail 8 between the buttocks and may vary from 0.5 to 2.5 cm.

According to yet another aspect, the present invention relates to a full-size sanitary napkin with a length of 200-250 cm and a sanitary napkin for length over a length of 250-350 cm. In addition, a sanitary napkin having one or more flaps extending from each side of the sanitary napkin body may be considered as another aspect, which flaps are used to further secure the sanitary napkin to the user's undergarment. Such flaps are well known in the sanitary napkin industry.

A further aspect of the invention relates to the widened distal end of the tail, which forms the stabilization region 60 of the tail. 12A and 12B illustrate another embodiment of the invention in which the width (w and w ', respectively) of the stabilization region 60 exceeds the width of the tail 8 between the buttocks. This arrangement assists stabilization of the tail by providing a larger attachment area that laterally distributes and distributes the force acting on the tail. As shown in these figures, both the width of the stabilization portion and the stabilization angle β are combined to determine the surface area of the stabilization region 60.

This stabilization region may comprise an adhesive 64 region. In a preferred embodiment, such adhesive will be covered with release paper (not shown) prior to use. 12 shows panty adhesive on opposite sides of the tail. In a preferred embodiment, a body adhesive may be used to attach the tail directly to the user's body. 12A and 12B also show that the adhesive region takes substantially the same shape as the stabilization region, but this is not essential. Although not limited to this, a number of adhesive pattern region shapes can be contemplated by the present invention, including square, rectangular, circular or even straight.

13A, 13B and 13C show the hip posterior view of the user, respectively. 13A illustrates the region 65 between the buttocks of the user. FIG. 13B shows the buttock tail 8 without the stabilization region located in the buttock region 65. FIG. 13C shows a user wearing a buttock tail 8 having a stabilization region 60. This stabilization region not only stabilizes the force acting on the tail, but also assists the tail not to be located too far from the site between the buttocks, which is a position where the user can perceive discomfort.

FIG. 13C further shows how the width W and stabilization angle β of the stabilization region add together to affect the surface area of the stabilization region. The lower limit of these variables is affected by the stability of the materials used. The upper limit of these variables is chosen at discretion as the stabilization zone is outside of the site between the buttocks when the tail is in place as shown in FIG. 13C. In a preferred embodiment, the stabilization angle β can range from 5 to 80 degrees. In the case of a 20 mm wide tail, the preferred w range is 30 to 120 mm.

14 shows another embodiment of the stabilization region 60. In this embodiment, the height h is preferably in the range of 6 to 40 mm, and in the case of a tail having a width of 20 mm, the width w is preferably in the range of 30 to 120 mm. 15 illustrates another embodiment of the shape of the stabilization region 60. The present invention is not limited to this illustrated form as long as all significant broadening of the distal end of the buttock tail 8 acts as a stabilizing region and assists the tail to not be too far away from the site between the buttock.

In addition, in situations where an adhesive is required at the outer end of the tail between the buttock, the stabilization zone increases the surface area on which the adhesive can be placed. Finally, the stabilization area provides a convenient tail to assist the wearer's tail placement in use.

The discussion of stabilization areas thus far has been mainly about the area where the tail material is widened at the distal end of the tail. The present invention is not limited to this, and individual stabilizing strip materials are also contemplated that attach to the distal end of the buttock tail to form a stabilizing region. In a preferred embodiment, the stabilizing strip can be easily stretched. Non-limiting examples of suitable materials include LYCRA XA Q-3 [two-layer laminate of spunbond PP sandwich lycra strands of low basis weight; Manufactured by DuPont Corporation; AQ 3005 (polyester / polyurethane knit laminate; purchased from Tomen Corporation) and AQ 7500 (polyester knit; purchased from Tomen Corporation); FABRIFLEX 102 [Laminates of PP nonwovens and highly stretchable elastic films; Tredagar Corporation; And cotton / rayon bandage materials (trade name ARTICLE 207, purchased from Conco) made of mechanically braided yarns to provide extensibility.

Yet another aspect of the invention is that the tail comprises a suitable body adhesive along at least a portion of the sanitary napkin length. The use of an adhesive aids in fixing the tail (and thus the sanitary napkin) in place in the sanitary napkin. The use of adhesives also aids in the formation of non-invasive gaskets, minimizing potential leaks from behind the wearer. Examples of such adhesives include, but are not limited to, hydrogel adhesives, TPE / oil gel adhesives and polyethylene glycol / polyacrylate adhesives.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the other aspects described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the structure and function of each part of the system without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as a whole. It will be recognized.

The present invention provides a sanitary napkin that is worn more comfortably on the body without leaking fluid, thereby providing an improved protective effect.

Claims (28)

(a) an absorbent core system disposed between the sanitary napkin cover material and the barrier layer, a posterior end positioned proximate the wearer's buttock in use and a distal end positioned opposite it, a first side adapted to contact the wearer's body And a sanitary napkin body having a second side adapted to face inwardly of the wearer, opposite the wearer, wherein the sanitary napkin body has a thickness defined as the dimension of the sanitary napkin body from the first side to the second side. Adjusted to be worn close to the wearer's vagina, (b) the absorbent core system is adapted not to extend much beyond the perineal dislocation of the wearer in use; (c) the thickness is relatively small compared to the thickness of the sanitary napkin body and further comprises a substantially planar tail extending posteriorly from the posterior end of the sanitary napkin body and terminating at the distal end, and (d) a tail is shaped to be accommodated between the wearer's buttock to facilitate adjustment of the sanitary napkin body adjacent to the wearer's vagina. The female sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the sanitary napkin body is adapted to be worn outside the vagina of the wearer. The female sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the sanitary napkin body is at least partially held between the perineal part of the wearer when worn. The female sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the tail is substantially wrinkle free. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the length of the sanitary napkin body is 8 to 13.1 cm. The female sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the tail is less than 1 cm thick. The women's sanitary napkin according to claim 1, wherein the width of the tail is 0.5 to 2.5 cm. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the length of the tail is 10 to 30 cm. 2. The feminine sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the second side opposite it comprises an adhesive region that assists in maintaining the sanitary napkin body adjacent to the wearer's vagina. The feminine sanitary napkin of claim 1, further comprising a dislocation flap extending distal from the distal distal end of the sanitary napkin body, ending at the distal distal end, and adapted to assist in maintaining the sanitary napkin body adjacent to the wearer's vagina. The female sanitary napkin of claim 10, wherein the dislocation flap is stretchable. The female sanitary napkin of claim 10, wherein the distal end portion of the dislocation flap contains an adhesive region adapted to attach the distal end portion to the wearer's undergarment. The female sanitary napkin of claim 10, wherein the dislocation flap contains an adhesive region adapted to attach the distal end portion to the wearer's body. The dislocation flap and the additional dislocation flap of claim 13, including an additional dislocation flap that extends dislocation from the sanitary napkin body and displaces the body adhesive region adapted to attach to the wearer's body. Women's sanitary napkin is attached to the sanitary napkin. The feminine sanitary napkin of claim 13, wherein the second side opposite it comprises an adhesive region used to position the sanitary napkin body within the wearer. The female sanitary napkin of claim 10, wherein the dislocation flap and tail are both connected to the sanitary napkin body at a location between the absorbent core system and the barrier layer. The female sanitary napkin of claim 10, wherein the dislocation flap or tail, or both the dislocation flap and the tail, are formed by expanding the barrier layer. The female sanitary napkin of claim 10, wherein the dislocation flap and tail are both formed from one continuous phase of material attached to the second side of the sanitary napkin body. The sanitary napkin of claim 2, wherein the sanitary napkin body is substantially planar. 20. The female sanitary napkin of claim 19, wherein the sanitary napkin body is substantially planar in its central area and tapers towards the edge of the sanitary napkin. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the tail is flexible. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the tail is stretchable. The female sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the tail comprises an absorbent material. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the tail is nonabsorbent. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the length of the tail is adjustable. The feminine sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the tail comprises an adhesive region adapted to secure the tail to its wearer's distal end. The female sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the tail comprises an adhesive region adapted to secure the tail to the wearer's body at its distal end. The feminine sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the tail comprises a body adhesive region along its length.