ABSORBENT ARTICLE FOR MALE WEARERS

Abstract: Disposable absorbent device for male wearers containing an outside layer and an absorbent batt wherein the part of said outside layer situated next to the wearer's body is provided with an opening preferably of a long and narrow shape equipped with elastics, to fit and surround the users penis and/or penis and scrotum. The devices of the invention are particularly suited for absorbent incontinent including bedridden patients but are also suitable to fit baby needs.

Description: ABSORBENT ARTICLE FOR MALE WEARERS The present invention is related to a disposable absorbing device, particularly adapted to male wearers, which trough its unique design holds genitals of various anatomy in place. The device is particularly adapted to incontinent persons, including bedridden persons. Background Incontinence in a common disease, approximately 3 - 5 % of the population suffers from incontinence in one way or another. Several types of disposable incontinence products exist on the market , however most of these products are not well adapted to men. Products made for males are also available; such male products are made in many different varieties in order to fit men's very different anatomy; but it is very common that penis slides out from these products and after urination it is difficult to hold the products in place; furthermore, such products are not designed to cope with large quantities of urine. Products especially made for men with a need for large absorption capacities, do therefore not exist on the market. Furthermore, for a large category of incontinent people the need for incontinence products is continuous and a large proportion of such people are bedridden. For bedridden males the currently available products are not suitable. The leakage frequency for these products is very high when they are worn by males, the reason for this is being men anatomy , penis are very often getting close to the edge of the absorbent body. On temporary erections, which are rather common , especially after certain medications , these products has a very poor function. Many types of penis anatomies exists, from a very developed to retarded , the later is rather common for elderly men. The present invention solves the above needs and provides disposable absorbent devices designed to be worn by males with very varying anatomy, whereby the penis or penis and scrotum are kept effectively in place, and the device can be used effectively in sitting, laying or standing position with a minimum risk of leakage, even with large urine volumes. The present invention is particularly suited for adult incontinence persons, but is also applicable to absorbent device for male babies, whereby the same benefits as described above will be achievable. State of the art Several different designs of disposable absorbent products exists on the market, most types of infant diapers have a lengthwise oriented elastic leg cuffs, normally extending over the whole length of the product; a typical example of this is described in US patent 4,555,224 or the Swedish laid open patent application 8406071-4. Another type is described in US Patent 4 662 877, which discloses large openings in the coverstock. US patent 4, 490,148 describes diapers where the outside layer is folded inwards on top of the absorbent body, to create barrier cuffs. Swedish laid open patent applications 469 621 app. no. 9003490-1 and 8303663-2 describes other type of incontinence product. Most incontinence products made for males are made as a pouch, were penis, and in some cases both penis and scrotum, are to be placed . WO 96/05787, WO 89/00037, WO 92/15269, WO 91/07155 and WO 87/07136 all describes open types of incontinence guards for males made as " suspensors ". WO 89/11839 describes a protection device meant to fit penis and is open in the upper part of the device. Products as described in the above documents are characterized in that they are open in the upper part of the product and do not completely surrounds the users genitals. WO 86/06621 discloses a flexible pouch type product having an elasticized opening to fit around the penis. General description of the invention The absorbent devices for male wearers of the present invention contain an outside layer and an absorbent batt, whereas the part of said layer in contact with the wearer's body is equipped with an elasticized opening; said opening should be entirely contained within said part of said layer in contact with the wearer's body. The size of the opening can vary but should be big enough, when open, to fit the penis or the penis and scrotum; the shape of the opening is preferably long and narrow such as made as a cut or slit in the layer in contact with the wearer's body or can be mad between overlapping layers forming an opening when separated; the opening can also be a hole in the layer in which the users genitals are to be inserted. The absorbent devices of the invention can be of varying size depending of type of usage, e.g. for babies or adults, and required capacity, e.g. from dribble incontinence to heavy incontinence. The absorbent devices of the present invention can be of such configuration and dimensions that they serve solely as a urine management purpose, and worn at the users' front side, or serve both as urine and faeces management purposes, and are worn by the user as a conventional pad; in the latter case, the front pad of the device should be such that it embodies the features of the present invention, while the back pad of the device can be of any appropriate configuration. The absorbent device of the present invention can also be in the form of a disposable garment to be worn around the wearer's lower torso, such as a refastenable diaper or a pull-on diaper, as long on the front part of the device embodies the features of the present invention. The outside layer can be made of plastic film or other liquid proof layers, and the part of said layer in contact with the body is preferably covered with nonwoven , soft paper or another soft and comfortable material; the outside layer can also be made of a water vapor hydrophobic nonwoven, or perforated plastic film; the outside layer can be either continuous or discontinuous, i.e. made of combinations of different materials. The device can for example be made only to have a water vapor permeable but water impermeable material only on the side facing towards the body of the user. The absorbent batt can be made of cellulose fluff, modified cellulose, soft paper, air laid cellulose with or without superabsorbents or only of superabsorbents encapsulated in pouches or pockets of liquid permeable materials ea. nonwoven or tissue paper; the absorbent batt may contain various layers, including acquisition or distribution layers made out of synthetic or natural fibers. Description of the accompanying drawings The drawings all represent the device of the invention in a pad for urine management configuration to be worn at the front side of the wearer; and which can be held in place by well-known means. Figures 1 to 10 with the exception of Figure 6a all describe devices according to the invention with the elastics in relaxed condition, i.e. typically representing the device while in wearing conditions. Fig. 6a shows a device according to the invention with the elastics in stretched condition, with the device laying flat, as for example during its manufacture. Fig.1 shows one embodiment of the present invention, wherein part of the outer layer is made of a water impermeable plastic film 1 , facing the outside, with an adhesive and protective foil strip 2, the side of the outer layer facing towards the wearer's being made of a water impermeable or hydrophobic layer 3 containing an opening 4, the opening having elastics 5 on booth sides of the opening 4. Fig 2. shows a transversal cut over the opening 4 in fig 1 , where 6 is the absorbent batt , 7 is a cover over the absorbent batt 6. The two parts of the outside layer 1 and 3 are sealed together with the hot melt strings 9; hot melt strings 8 are used to seal the cover 7 to the layer 1. The elastics 5 are fastened in between the U folded flaps in the layer 3, which is shown as a laminate of two different layers, e.g. with a nonwoven on the outside and a water proof layer on the inside. Fig 3. shows another embodiment of the invention where the part of the outside layer facing the body contains two sections 10 and 11 which are overlapping each other, elastics 5 are placed at the edges 12 and 13 of each section 10 and 11 , within a predetermined area, the layers are fastened together along the lines 23 and 24 except in the area containing the elastics 5, which forms the opening. Fig. 4 shows a transversal cut trough the region of the elastics in fig.3 showing the overlapping sections 10 and 11 creating an opening when separated. Fig. 5 exemplifies a preferred embodiment of the present invention where the outside layer is continuous, i.e. made in one piece surrounding the whole absorption batt, equipped with an opening 4 and elastics 5; the part of the outside layer in contact with the wearer's body is covered by a nonwoven 14. Fig. 6 exemplifies an embodiment of the present invention in which the part of the outside layers facing the wearer's body is made of two separate sections 15 and 16, which are creating an opening 4 between themselves, and are joined to the absorbent unit 6 at the longitudinal edges of the device, by joining lines 17 and which are lined by elastics 5 along the edges of the opening 4. Fig.6a shows the device of Fig. 6 in a flat configuration viewed from the wearer's body side, with the elastics 5 being stretched and the opening 4 narrowed. Fig. 7 represents a transversal section across the middle point of opening 4; in the represented embodiment, it can be seen that the outside layer 1 is continuous, i.e. extend to the wearer facing side, however, it is the nonwoven cover 14 which holds the elastics 5, and defines the opening 4. Fig. 8 shows an example of the invention where the opening 4 is placed in the cross direction of the device, the opening being made between two sections 18 and 19 of the part of the outside layer facing the wearer, are sealed together along the dotted line 20 except over the opening 4; the opening 4 has elastics 5 on both its sides Fig. 9 shows another example of the invention wherein said sections 18 and 19 are overlapping and an opening can be achieved by separation of said sections 18 and 19. The cover layers are sealed together along the dotted lines 21 and 22 except over the opening and are each lined by elastics 5 in the area corresponding to said open section. Fig. 10 shows an example of the device where the opening for the genitals are made as a round hole 4 in the outside cover 3, surrounded by elastic 5. Detailed description The figures described above show examples of the main different designs of the invention, where the different kind of openings for the users genitals are described, these kind of openings being well suited for many different kinds of incontinence products; other aspects of the present invention are further detailed as follows: The outside layer of the present device can be made of a variety of water impermeable materials well known in the art for this purpose and be either continuous or discontinuous. The part of the layer are in body contact can be made of a water vapor permeable layer or very low vapor permeable layer, made of polyethylene, polypropylene, or co-polymers thereof, or biologically biodegradable polymers ea. based on Polysaccharides; this part of the outside layer can also be covered with a nonwoven or another soft comfortable materials based on cellulose. The outside layer can also be made or partly made of perforated plastic film together with combinations of nonwoven, hydrophobic or hydrophilic materials or combinations thereof on both sides or one side of the plastic film. The outside layer can also contain hydrophobic, water repellent materials ea. nonwoven made of different kind of polymers. The inside of the layer can also be equipped with an absorbing material ea. cellulose -fluff or tissue soft paper , air laid cellulose with or without super -absorbents. The outside layers can also include a microporous film, with nonwoven laminated onto said film, preferably at the area in contact with the wearer's body. The part of the outside layer in contact with the body can be made in two sections extending all over the whole length or width of the device such as in figures 3 to 9. That layer can also be made of one single piece of coverstock, ea. with a slit as shown in fig. 1 or as a hole according to fig. 10. The outside layer can be such that only one part of the layer is made of a water vapor permeable material, e.g. the upper part of the layer, in body contact with the genitals of the user. The opening is preferably of a long narrow shape, and the length of such an opening, when it has its extension in the longitudinal direction of the device can be anything from 1 to 20 cm preferably 1.5 - 12 cm; compared to the total length of the device, the length of the opening should represent from 10 % to 90 % of the total length of the device. In such a configuration, when the elastics are in relaxed condition the width of the opening should be anything from 0 - 10 cm, preferably from 0 - 5 cm, but, the actual width of the opening, when the device is stretched out to a flat configuration (e.g. when manufacturing), and the elastics in their stretched condition, should be inferior to 2 cm and preferably close to zero, i.e. the elastics on both sides of the opening should be touching each other or in a position adjacent or near adjacent to each other; alternatively the opening should be made between overlapping sections of the outside layer, the overlapping area typically ranging from 0.1 to 50 mm, most preferably from 0 - 5 cm. The opening for the genitals can be made as a cut or slot in the outside layer or as a hole, cut in the layer close to the body; it can be oval round or have another geometric form of a suitable size for inserting of the users penis, scrotum or scrotum and penis big enough to make a suitable closure around the users genitals. The opening for inserting the users genitals can have a length from 1.5 cm, to 90 % of the width of the device, when it has its extension in the transverse direction of the device. The opening can also be made as tear initiation in the layer to be opened to a proper size to fit the users anatomy, the tear initiation can also made as a perforation in the layer , a as smaller hole or a cut in the layer in order to be teared to a suitable size for the user. The opening for insertion of the genitals can be located in the middle section of the device preferably partly or as a whole in the upper half of the device. The elastics can have an extension over the whole length or width of the device or only over, or mainly over, the opening in the device; the elastics are preferably present on both sides of the opening, but can be present on only one side; e.g in one embodiment of the device, when the opening have its extension in the transverse direction elastics can only be present at one side of the opening. The number of elastic strands can vary from 1 to several units per side of the opening; typically 2, 3 or 4 units. The tension applied to the elastics should be such that the device fits tight around the penis or penis and scrotum when in use without creating abrasion. It has been found that when the device is created by overlapping sections of the outside cover the tension of the elastics does not need to be as high as when such an overlap does not exist. The elastics can be made of any material known to the man skilled in the art such as Lycra or latex, and the strings glued with known techniques to the edges of the opening, the outermost section thereof being preferably folded over the elastics, as shown in the accompanying drawings. The absorption batt can have an extension over the whole length and width of the device or only part of the device and be partly or as a whole be covered with a protective layer of ea. nonwoven or tissue. The absorption batt can also be divided in two or more parts A particularly preferred execution of the present invention is represented in Figures 6, 6a and 7; in said execution, the outside cover is continuous, and is made of a waterproof film, which can be made water-vapor permeable; the material part of the cover facing the wearer's skin is made of two distinct sections which are held in an adjacent or near adjacent position, and create a long and narrow opening between the sections. The sections can be covered with a soft material such as a nonwoven, and said nonwoven may be extending beyond the continuous outside layer, to define the opening and bear the elastics. The innermost edges of the section are joined to the absorbent body at the longitudinal edge of the device, and are lined with elastics along the remaining of their length, so as to create the elasticized opening. Manufacturing techniques for diapers and incontinence devices is well known for man skilled in the art . No part of the present invention should represent any difficulty for the man skilled in this type of manufacturing. The devices of the present invention should be worn in combination with well known means which allow the device to stay in place and ensure a good fit with the body. Such means can be mechanical, or adhesive; mechanical means include reusable or disposable garments, net or stretch pants, which can be used either as replacement or in addition to regular underwear, and through applied pressure and exploitation of the frictional forces between the device and the wearer, keep the device in a body fitting configuration; such mechanical means can also include reusable or disposable holding belts. Adhesive means include means to attach the devices herein to the wearer's underwear or to the mechanical means described above, such means being represented by e.g. an adhesive strip, covered by a release layer before use, as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Claims: What is claimed is: 1. Disposable absorbent device for male wearers containing an outside layer and an absorbent batt characterized in that the part of said outside layer situated next to the wearer's body is provided with an opening equipped with elastics, to fit and surround the users penis and/or penis and scrotum. 2. Absorbent device according to claim 1 characterized in that said opening is entirely contained within said part of said outside layer situated next to the wearer's body. 3. Absorbent device according to claims 1 -2 ch a ra cte rize d in that said opening is of a long and narrow shape. 4. Absorbent device according to claim 3 wherein the width of the said opening when the elastics are in stretched condition is inferior to 2 cm. 5. Absorbent device according to claims 1 - 3 wherein said part of said outside layer situated next to the wearer's body is made of two overlapping sections defining the opening between the area of overlap. 6. Absorbent device according to claims 1-5 wherein said outside layer is continuous. 7. Absorbent device according to claims 1 - 6 wherein said outside layer is discontinuous, and the part of said layer next to the wearer's body is made of a different material than the part of said layer facing away from the wearer. 8. Absorbent device according to claims 1to7 characterized in that the outside layer, including the part situated next to the wearer's body is water impermeable. 9. Absorbent device according to claims 1to8 characterized in that the layer situated next to the skin of the user is water vapor permeable 10. Absorbent device according to claim 1 -9 characterized in that the part of the outside layer situated next to the wearer's body has an overlapping layer of nonwoven, tissue or air laid cellulose or soft paper, on the side, facing the skin of the wearer. 11. The use of an absorbent device according to claims 1 - 10 as an incontinence protection device.

Inventors: BJORNBERG STEN GUNNAR, BJORNBERG, STEN, GUNNAR
Applicants: BJORNBERG STEN GUNNAR, PROCTER & GAMBLE, BJORNBERG, STEN, GUNNAR, THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A61F13
IPC codes: A61F5, A61F13