Disposable diaper

A disposable diaper apparatus is provided for use on babies and is made of a layered flat absorbent material having a generally rectangular shape and first and second end portions and a center portion. The center portion has arcuate edges extending into the generally rectangular shape to provide a form fitting diaper having a pair of attaching tapes for holding the first and second end portions together. The improvement in the diaper includes, a removable perforated area in the first end portion along one edge thereof and positioned to fit over a navel area of a baby wearing the diaper so that the perforated area can be removed for young babies to help prevent umbilical infection in the baby.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to disposable diapers and especially to 
disposable diapers having a removable perforated area to keep the diaper 
off the umbilical area of newborn babies. 
In the past a wide variety of baby diapers have been provided and have been 
made of absorbent material or cloth which can be folded to be wrapped 
around the baby prior to the baby being potty trained. Diapers were 
formerly held onto the baby with large safety pins. Disposable diapers or 
diapers made of absorbent cellulostic or other materials can be layered 
with absorbent material with increased thickness or absorbency in areas 
where increased absorbtion is needed. Disposable diapers generally have 
ready made attaching adhesive straps so that the diaper can be pulled from 
a box and strapped onto a baby. Once the diaper has been used, it can be 
taken off the thrown away and is biodegradable so that it can be disposed 
of through any conventional disposable means. Typical prior art baby 
diapers can be seen in the Mesmer U.S. Pat. No. 2,570,963 which is 
designed to avoid pricking the baby with pins and in the Hemple U.S. Pat. 
No. 91,334 having a lower than usual front on the diaper. The Kleinert 
U.S. Pat. No. 580,406, is for baby diapers as is the Ferris U.S. Pat. No. 
631,629 and the Hughes U.S. Pat. No. 109,410, each of which patents show 
a diaper on a baby falling below the navel area of the baby. 
The present invention is directed toward a disposable diaper having a 
perforated area which can be torn away for young babies to provide 
umbilicus relief from mechanical irritation and contact with urine or 
feces collected by the diaper to thereby prevent umbilical infection on a 
newborn baby prior to the healing of the umbilical area on the baby. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to disposable diapers and especially to 
disposable diapers for placing on a baby and made of a layered flat 
absorbent material having a generally rectangular shape having first and 
second end portions and a center portion. The center portion has arcuate 
edges extending into the generally rectangular shape to provide a 
form-fitting diaper. The diaper has a pair of attaching adhesive straps on 
the first or second ends for attaching the diaper to a baby. The 
improvement includes a removable perforated area in the first end portion 
along one edge thereof and positioned to fit over a navel area of a baby 
wearing the diaper, so that the perforated area can be removed for young 
babies to prevent umbilical infection in the baby. The first end portion 
of the diaper can have an end edge and two side edges with the removable 
perforated area positioned in the middle of the end edge to form a removed 
portion alongg the edge when the perforated portion is removed. The 
perforated portion can be of an arcuate shape of different sizes or maybe 
of a triangular or square shape as desired.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings and especially to FIGS. 1, 2 and 7 a disposable 
diaper 10 has a generally rectangular shape having a first end portion 11 
and a second end portion 12 and a center portion 13. The center portion 13 
has arcuate edges 14 and 15 shaped to fit around the babies legs in a 
manner to make the diaper 10 form fitting. The second end portion 12 has a 
pair of adhesive straps 16 and 17 attached thereto and having an adhesive 
or other attaching surface 18 on the end thereof so that the straps can be 
attached or taped to the first end portion 11 to hold the diaper of a baby 
20 as shown in FIG. 2. The first end portion 11 has two side edges 21 and 
22 and an edge 23 and a line of perforations 24 perforating the material 
and extend from a point 25 along the edge 23 to a point 26 along the edge 
23 for removing a perforated area 27 removed along the edge 23. The 
perforated portion 27 is located along the middle of the edge 23 so that 
the removed portion is removed from over the baby's umbilical area or 
navel 28. Normally the perforated area would not be removed from most 
babies but is removed for young babies, during the first weeks after 
birth, when the umbilical area has not healed. The area tends to get 
infected from the urine and feces of the baby collecting in the diaper and 
especially from the urine which is soaking into the absorbent material of 
the diaper. Having the umbilical area 28 of the baby 20 open to air by 
tearing off the perforated section 27 allows the proper and rapid healing 
of the umbilical cord area and the proper formation of the navel. 
FIGS. 3 through 6 shows alternate embodiments of the diapers shown in FIGS. 
1 and 2. The diapers are each identical to that shown in 10 having a 
generally rectangular shape with a first end portion 11 a second end 
portion 12 and a middle portion 13. The middle portion 13 has removed 
portions 14 and 15 from each side. A pair of straps 16 and 17 are on each 
diaper in FIGS. 3 through 7 but each diaper differs in that the edge 23 
has a different perforated line. Figure three has a triangular 
perforations 30 for removal of a triangular removal area 31. FIG. 4 has a 
square shaped perforation lines 32 for a removal of a square area 33. FIG. 
5 has semi-circular arcuate perforations 34 for removing a semi-circular 
area 35 of the diaper. FIG. 6 has a different shaped curve performations 
36 for removing a curved shape 37 from the diaper. 
FIG. 7 illustrates a rear elevation of the diaper in which the adhesive 
straps 16 and 17 are attached to the back of the diaper which forms the 
edges 14 and 15 around the legs of the baby using the diaper. 
It should be clear at this point that a disposable diaper has been provided 
with advantgeously has a removable perforated area for removal in the case 
of young babies or in babies with infected umbilical or navel area to 
protect the baby from infection and to promote rapid healing of the area 
in new babies. However the present invention is not to be construed as 
limited to the form shown, which are to be considered illustrative rather 
than restrictive.