Abstract:
A disposable garment, such as a diaper, having a liner, an absorbent core and a liquid impervious bottom sheet. Coextensive openings are formed in the liner, bottom sheet and core, and a transparent layer of material overlays the openings to form a window through the openings into the diaper. An opaque, pliable cover is preferably attached to an exterior surface of the bottom sheet so as to overlie the transparent window. The cover includes a layer of adhesive material to enable the cover to be releasably affixed to the window. The cover preferably further includes a tab, the tab and adhesive cooperating to enable the cover to be selectively pulled back to allow for viewing through the transparent layer into the diaper, and then replaced over the opening to conceal the contents of the diaper.

Description:
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/688,387, filed on Jul. 30, 1996, now abandoned. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to disposable, absorbent garments and, more particularly, to a disposable garment in which an inspection porthole with a flexible cover is provided on the rear portion of the garment to enable a caretaker to selectively and easily determine whether the garment is soiled. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Today, disposable, absorbent garments, such as diapers, are widely used in infant and toddler care, and in the care of incontinent adults, as a means of containing, isolating and disposing of bodily wastes. These garments have generally replaced reusable, washable cloth garments as the preferred means for these applications, and the typical disposable garment is a composite structure containing a number of layers of material. Included in these layers of material are a liquid impermeable outer layer or backsheet, one or more layers of woven or non-woven material forming an absorbent core, and a liquid permeable inner layer or liner. The layers comprising the garment are generally secured together by lines of adhesive, with the backsheet and liner usually directly adhesively interconnected around the periphery of the garment. Elastic bands are often provided along the longitudinal sides of the garment to constrict the liner and backsheet to produce leg cuffs which fit snugly about the wearer&#39;s legs. In addition, closure devices, such as adhesive tabs, may be provided for removably fitting and holding the sides of the garment together about the waist of the wearer. Alternatively, the garment may be folded and sealed or otherwise attached along opposing side edges to form a pant or brief. 
     While many advancements have been made in the field of disposable garments for both infants and adults, which have enabled them to be widely preferred over conventional cloth garments, a number of problems still exist. Among the problems experienced with these disposable garments is the inability to determine whether the garment has been soiled without substantially removing the garment. It is desirable to detect soiling of the garment as soon after it occurs as possible, in order to reduce the occurrence of diaper rashes and other skin irritations and infections. Diapers and other disposable garments have traditionally been produced with opaque back or outer sheets to provide a sanitary appearance for the diaper. Unfortunately, however, the opaqueness of the sheets also serves to conceal the presence of waste material in the diaper. 
     Currently, there are a limited number of options available to a caretaker for determining whether a garment, such as a diaper, has been soiled. The first of these options is to smell the diaper in order to detect the odor of stool or urine. While this option is non-intrusive to the wearer, it is highly subject to error, since the deodorants applied to the diaper may mask the odor of the waste. Another option is for the caretaker to at least partially remove the garment from the wearer to see whether it is soiled. While this method is more accurate, it is also more invasive and inconvenient, requiring at least a partial removal of the wearer&#39;s clothing and diaper. A third option for inspecting the diaper is for the caretaker to stick a finger into the rear portion of the diaper to “feel” whether it is soiled. 
     While this method also tends to be very accurate, it can be a rather inconvenient and/or unpleasant experience for at least the caretaker. Diapers have been developed which include transparent portions for viewing bodily waste in the diaper without the need for removing the diaper. For instance, Haque, U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,708, issued Jan. 7, 1992, discloses a diaper which includes a transparent outer layer and an opaque soft lining material. In the Haque diaper, openings in the form of character shapes are provided in both the front and back portions of the soft material, so that soilage can be readily viewed from outside the diaper. While the Haque diaper eliminates the need to remove the diaper to detect soilage, its transparent outer layer creates an unsanitary, unpleasant appearance, since the soilage is visible to not only the caretaker, but also to anyone else who is in visual contact with the wearer before the diaper is changed. 
     Accordingly, to overcome the above and other problems, it is desirable to have a disposable, absorbent garment which includes an inspection porthole for determining whether the garment has been soiled without removing the garment. Further, it is desirable to have such a garment in which the inspection porthole is concealed when not in use in order to preserve the sanitary outer appearance of the garment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a disposable absorbent garment for infants and adults which includes an inspection porthole for inspecting the contents of the garment. 
     In particular, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a disposable, absorbent garment having a transparent inspection porthole which includes a releasably affixed cover for concealing the inspection porthole when it is not in use. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a disposable garment having a transparent inspection porthole and an at least partially detachable cover in which the cover is pliable so as not to detract from the wearer&#39;s comfort. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a disposable garment having an inspection porthole and cover, wherein the cover is reclosable to allow for multiple inspections of the same garment. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a garment with the above named advantages which is easy and inexpensive to construct. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a garment with the above-described features which can be worn as either a diaper, a child training pant or an adult incontinence brief. 
     Additional objects, advantages and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and, in part, will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
     To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention as described above, a disposable garment is provided comprising a liner, an absorbent core and a liquid impervious backsheet attached to the core. An opening is formed through the liner, core and backsheet to form a passageway between the inner and outer portions of the garment. A transparent layer of material extends over the passageway to form a window into the interior of the garment. An opaque, pliable cover is attached to the backsheet so as to extend over the transparent window. A layer of adhesive material extends about the periphery of the cover, to enable the cover to be releasably affixed to the window. The cover further includes a tab which cooperates with the adhesive material to enable the cover to be selectively pulled back from the transparent window to allow for viewing through the window into the garment. The tab also assists in replacing the cover over the opening to conceal the contents of the diaper. 
     Still other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description wherein there is shown and described a preferred embodiment of this invention, simply by way of illustration, of one of the best modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other different, obvious aspects all without departing from the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the present invention, it is believed the same will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a front top perspective view of a garment made in accordance with the present invention, wherein the garment is a diaper; 
     FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view of the garment of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a back bottom perspective view of the garment of FIG. 1, depicting the inspection porthole in a first, covered position; 
     FIG. 4 is a back bottom perspective view of the garment of FIG.  1 . depicting the inspection porthole in a second, open or inspection position; and 
     FIG. 5 is a front top perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the garment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIGS. 1-4 depict a representative embodiment of a garment made in accordance with the present invention, wherein the garment is an infant diaper. The invention will be described with respect to its application on a diaper, however, it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to other disposable, absorbent garments, such as an incontinence brief, without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     In the representative embodiment shown in the figures, the diaper, designated generally as  10 , includes an outer sheet or backsheet  12  extending along the bottom surface of the diaper  10 . The backsheet  12  is preferably comprised of a material that is substantially impervious to liquid, such as vinyl plastic or the like, to prevent liquid from leaking through the bottom surface of the diaper. The backsheet  12  has an outer surface  14  which faces away from the wearer and an inner surface  16  which contacts an absorbent core  18  in the diaper  10 . The backsheet  12  is preferably opaque, or otherwise made non-transparent to the interior or core of the diaper  10 , to present a sanitary and pleasant appearance. 
     As mentioned above, an absorbent core  18  is preferably positioned adjacent the interior surface  16  of the backsheet  12 . Core  18  is preferably rectangular in shape and extends longitudinally, substantially front to back, through the center of the diaper. Preferably, the core  18  is longitudinally shorter than the backsheet  12  to provide a free margin at each transverse edge of the diaper. Core  18  is comprised of one or more layers of woven or non-woven material capable of absorbing and retaining volumes of liquid. The core  18  may be integrally affixed to the backsheet  12 , may be peripherally affixed to the backsheet, or not affixed to the backsheet. If affixing is desired, the attachment can be made using any suitable urine stable adhesive or other known bonding means. 
     In addition to the backsheet  12  and core  18 , the diaper  10  also includes a non-absorbent, liquid permeable, generally inelastic liner  20 . Liner  20  extends along the upper surface of the diaper  10  in contact with the wearer&#39;s skin. As shown in FIG. 2, the liner  20  may generally correspond in size and shape to the backsheet  12 . The liner  20  is at least partially, and preferably fully, peripherally affixed to the backsheet  12 , laminating the core  18  intermediate the liner and backsheet. The liner  20  may be affixed to the backsheet  12  using any well known method such as adhesives, thermal sealing or ultrasonic welding. The liner  20  is considered to be affixed to the backsheet  12  if the liner is directly attached to the backsheet or indirectly attached to the backsheet through a separate component. The liner  20  is preferably soft, comfortable and non-irritating to the wearer&#39;s skin. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the backsheet  12  and liner  20  are preferably notched along their longitudinal sides to form cutouts  22 . Cutouts  22  form an opening for the wearer&#39;s legs when the diaper  10  is folded and attached about the wearer&#39;s torso. Attached to the backsheet  12  in a preferred embodiment, along the longitudinal sides of the diaper adjacent the cutouts  22 , are contracting structures, such as elastic strips  24 . The elastic strips  24  are preferably attached so as to extend substantially parallel to the length of the cutouts  22 , and are preferably attached to the backsheet  12  in a pre-strained condition, so that when permitted to relax, the strips tend to gather the backsheet adjacent the cutouts  22  to form outer barrier leg cuffs  28 , such as shown in FIG.  1 . In addition to the strips  24  on the backsheet  12 , a second set of elastic strips  26  are attached to panels  30 ,  32 . Panels  30 ,  32  are attached to the upper surface of the liner  20  along opposing longitudinal sides of the diaper  10 . The elastic strips  26  are similarly attached in a pre-strained condition, so that when permitted to relax, the elastic strips gather the edges of the panels  30 ,  32  to form inner barrier leg cuffs  34 . The inner and outer barrier leg cuffs  28 ,  34  enable the diaper  10  to fit snugly and comfortably about the wearer&#39;s legs, and also minimize the leakage of fluid around the leg openings in the diaper  10 . Gathering structures, such as elastomeric material  40 , are preferably provided at the front and rear transverse edges  36 ,  38  of the diaper  10 , as shown in FIG. 1, in order to contract the waist portion of the diaper  10  to likewise form a comfortable but snug fit about the wearer&#39;s torso. 
     Closure devices are preferably provided on the diaper  10  for securing the diaper about the wearer&#39;s torso. In the representative embodiment shown in the figures, these closure devices comprise adhesive tabs  42  which are secured on opposing sides of the backsheet  12 , and which extend around the side edges of the backsheet  12 , so that the adhesive surface of the tabs is attached to the rear portion of panels  30 ,  32  prior to use. To secure the diaper  10  about the wearer, the tabs  42  are peeled away from panels  30 ,  32  and adhered to the front edges of the backsheet  12  in a conventional manner. While the invention is depicted and described in terms of adhesive tabs as the closure devices, it is to be understood that other closure devices, such as hook loop fasteners and adjustable snaps, or another similar releasable, reclosable device could be used without departing from the scope of the invention. In an alternative embodiment, opposing sides of the garment may be lap or butt welded along their edges to form a pant. Welding the side seams together enables the garment to be used in a pull-on type capacity, such as, for example, in a child&#39;s training pant. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the diaper  10  of the present invention, a viewing area is provided to enable waste materials to be viewed from outside the diaper. In the representative embodiment shown in the figures, this viewing area comprises an opening  43  which is formed through the backsheet  12 , core  18  and liner  20 . The opening  43  is preferably located in the rear half of the diaper  10 , with the position of the opening  43  being selected so as to coincide with the portion of the diaper  10  where waste materials are most commonly deposited. The opening  43  through the liner  20 , core  18  and backsheet  12  forms a passageway between the inner and outer portions of the diaper  10  to form an inspection port  45 . In a representative embodiment, the inspection port  45  is substantially rectangular, and is approximately 1 inch by 1.5 inches in area. However, it is to be understood that the size and shape of the opening  43  and inspection port  45  may vary depending upon the type and intended use of the garment, without departing from the scope of the invention. Further, the present invention could be constructed such that an opening is formed through only the core and liner, but not through the back sheet. In this embodiment, the opening through the core and liner would enable soilage in the diaper to be partially visible through the backsheet. 
     In the representative embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, a liquid impermeable overlay  44  is positioned across the opening  43 , in order to seal the opening and prevent body fluids and other waste materials from leaking through the inspection port  45 . The overlay  44  is preferably comprised of a transparent plastic material, or another similar transparent, liquid impermeable material, so that the interior of the diaper is visible through the overlay  44 . In the representative embodiment shown in the figures, the overlay  44  is positioned between the bottom surface of the core  18  and the upper surface  16  of the backsheet  12 . In this position, the overlay  44  is sealed to the top surface of the backsheet  12  by any suitable means, such as thermal welding or adhesives, so that a fluid-tight seal is formed between the backsheet and overlay to prevent fluid leakage. While the overlay  44  has been described as being attached between the core  18  and backsheet  12 , it is to be understood that the overlay could also be attached on the outer surface  14  of the backsheet  12  without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     In order to hide the opening  43 , overlay  44 , and inspection port  45  between inspection viewings of the diaper contents, a concealing structure is provided on the outer surface  14  of the backsheet  12 . In the embodiment shown in the figures, the concealing structure is a releasable, reclosable cover  46  which extends across the overlay  44 . By “releasable”, it is meant that at least a part of cover  46  can be selectively peeled back or disconnected from diaper  10  to reveal inspection port  45  for viewing the interior of the garment in a non-intrusive and convenient manner. The cover  46  is shown in a closed, attached position against the backsheet  12  of the diaper  10  in FIG. 3, and in an open, detached position in FIG.  4 . The cover  46  is securely attached (e.g. in a hingeable fashion) along one portion to the outer surface  14  of the backsheet  12  to prevent the cover  46  from separating from the diaper  10 . An adhesive material  48  is preferably provided on the side of the cover  46  facing the backsheet  12  to enable the cover to adhere to the overlay  44 , or the surface of the backsheet  12  surrounding the overlay. Preferably, the adhesive material applied to the cover  46  remains sticky after detachment to enable the cover to be detached and reattached to the overlay  44  multiple times as needed. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the cover  46  is rectangular, and the adhesive  48  is applied around the peripheral edges of the cover, as shown in FIG. 4, to enable the cover to be more easily detached from the overlay  44 . The cover  46  is preferably comprised of a pliable, non-transparent material, such as a flexible plastic. The cover  46  is preferably pliable to allow the cover to easily conform to shifts in the position of the diaper as the wearer moves, and to prevent the cover  46  from inadvertently poking the wearer and causing discomfort. The cover  46  may be integrally formed with the outer sheet  12  by cutting the outer sheet along three edges and peeling the cut portion back to form the cover. Alternatively, the cover  46  may be a separate piece of material, having the same or different characteristics from the backsheet  12 , which is thermal welded or attached by some other permanent means, along one edge to the backsheet  12 . 
     To assist in detaching the cover  46  from the backsheet  12 , a detaching mechanism, such as a tab  50 , is provided on the cover. The tab  50  extends from at least one edge of the cover  46 , beyond the adhesive  48 , to provide a loose portion which can be easily grasped to lift the cover away from the overlay. 
     While the invention has been described with respect to an opening through the core for viewing waste materials, it is to be understood that it is also possible to construct the present invention by utilizing an absorbent core having a low density such that waste materials are visible through the core, or by using a core in which the density is reduced in the viewing area, to enable the presence of waste materials to be detected through the core. In addition, in an alternative embodiment such as shown in FIG. 5, the inspection port  45  could include structure  52 , such as, for example, fiber optic materials, to enable inspection of the inside of the diaper from outside the backsheet. 
     The foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment shown and described was chosen in order to best illustrate the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.