Abstract:
An improved, anti-irritant, disposable diaper. The diaper is comprised of a front portion, a crotch area, a rear portion, closing tabs for securing the diaper upon a wearer, waste containment means for collecting and isolating body wastes; attachment means for detachably attaching said containment means to the crotch area of the interior said diaper. The improvement comprises a reinforced, semi-rigid ribbing disposed contiguous to at least one surface of the containment means, for restoring the containment means to its original shape after being compressively deformed, and closure means provided on the containment means, to ensure closure of the containment means when the wearer is seated.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to disposable diapers, in particular to diapers constructed to collect and isolate body wastes so as to protect wearers from skin irritation.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     In my previous U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,673 issued Oct. 15, 2002, there was disclosed an anti-irritant disposable diaper designed to contain body waste and maintain it and wet absorbent material apart from the skin of an infant, thus removing the two major sources of irritation caused by prior art disposable diapers.  
         [0003]     The present invention improves on the prior art by providing a more economical and efficient container for holding solid and urinary body wastes. The container of the present invention is designed so as to return to its original shape when deformed by body weight pressure being applied to it, especially when there is change of a user&#39;s position from standing to sitting on a rigid surface. Additionally, the present invention provides closing means which ensure the container is held closed during sitting, so that the contents of the container do not leak out during sitting on a rigid surface. The present invention introduces features not heretofore anticipated and therefore novel and also not obvious.  
         [0004]     Use of disposable diapers for both infants and incontinent adults, especially geriatric patients, has provided a convenient and sanitary solution for those responsible for daily care and personal hygiene of wearers of diapers. However, the plastic coating used on the outside of the absorbent layers, while helping to prevent leaks, also causes body wastes to be retained in close contact with the skin of the wearer, and creates a breeding ground for rash-causing micro-organisms.  
         [0005]     Many advances have been made in diaper technology such as the use of gels to lock in liquid waste and prevent it from irritating a wearer&#39;s skin. These advances have improved the use of disposable diapers. However, many wearers continue to suffer from skin irritations and rashes. A more apparent problem is those rashes caused by contact with solid body waste.  
         [0006]     Additionally, disposable diapers can be expensive to use and are perceived as wasteful. Dirty diapers must be changed as soon as possible so as to prevent rashes, but often the diaper is not wet and its absorbent capacities have not been realized. Because disposable diapers are not biodegradable, it is necessary to find ways of conserving the use of diapers.  
         [0007]     Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method of containing body wastes, to prevent their coming into contact with the skin of a wearer, so as to avoid rashes. This would also ease cleaning a wearer during changing of the diaper. It would also be desirable to provide for an economic use of disposable diapers so that diapers that have not been used to their full potential may be re-used.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to overcome the problems of prior art diapers, and provide an improved, anti-irritant, disposable diaper.  
         [0009]     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an improved disposable diaper comprised of a front portion, a crotch area, a rear portion, closing tabs for securing the diaper upon a wearer, waste containment means for collecting and isolating body wastes; attachment means for detachably attaching said containment means to the crotch area of the interior said diaper; wherein the improvement comprises: 
        a reinforced, semi-rigid ribbing disposed contiguous to at least one surface of said containment means, for restoring said containment means to its original shape after being compressively deformed; and closure means provided on said containment means, to ensure closure of said containment means when the wearer is seated.        
 
         [0011]     In the present invention the reinforced semi-rigid ribbing maintains the distinctive shape of the containment means, such as in the form of a four-sided, open, flexible nylon sack or bag, while not causing discomfort or injury to the wearer of the diaper. The ribbing provides for a controlled folding of the sack when a wearer is seated, in such a way as to contain any waste matter therein. The semi-rigid ribbing on the containment means maintains it in a fixed, open position while the wearer is standing.  
         [0012]     During sitting, it has been found that leakage of solid waste out of the opening of the waste sack must be prevented, therefore the present invention provides closure means to ensure closure of the waste containment sack during sitting on a rigid surface. In the most preferred embodiment, the semi-rigid ribbing acts as the closure means, since the ribbing has at least one region of lesser rigidity, such as pre-creases, upon which the ribbing may fold and close the neck of the containment sack. According to this embodiment, during sitting, pressure is exerted from the ground or chair, through the semi-rigid ribbing, onto the upper lip of the containment means, causing the sides of the containment means to be forced outward or inward at right angles to the vertical axis of the containment means. This folding is controllable by pre-creasing the semi-rigid ribbing either on an interior or exterior side, respectively, in relation to the orientation of the ribbing to the containment means.  
         [0013]     The containment means, in another embodiment of the invention, folds on only one side or in one direction depending on the orientation and disposition of supporting ribs on one or more of the surfaces of the containment means. In either case, the folds generally narrow an area of the containment means to prevent wastes from accidentally escaping and coming into contact with the skin of a wearer. Even with a diaper formed from absorbent material, portions of the diaper that lie closest to the skin of a wearer might be subject to excessive amounts of body waste from seepage out of the container. The present invention accounts for this by providing closing that shuts the opening of the container against accidental seepage when the container is compressed and allows for the container to naturally resume its full volume state when the sitting pressure is removed.  
         [0014]     According to a preferred embodiment, the containment means, such as a nylon sack, can be attached directly to the diaper itself, in the crotch area so that the sack cannot become twisted or displaced and thereby accidentally release its contents.  
         [0015]     In a case where a diaper is dirty and not wet, it would only be necessary to open the diaper, remove the sack and replace it. This would conserve for reuse a diaper with absorbent padding which has not been used for liquid waste; overall, a considerable saving in cost of new diapers.  
         [0016]     In one embodiment, the waste containment means can be provided with a flexible flap extending from the front portion of the crotch area of the diaper and being positioned under the wearer so as to cover the waste when the wearer is sitting down and to withdraw when the wearer resumes a standing or upright position.  
         [0017]     In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the semi-rigid ribbing is slidable upon at least one pair of slide tracks which retains a partially-attached, flexible, extended tongue piece. When a wearer sits down, pressure from the body forces the tongue piece, which is attached only at the lower-most surface of a containment means, such as a sack, to slide upward along the tracks, closing the opening. In effect, the folded sides of the sack move with the tracks down over the lower section of the tongue piece so that the upper section which is not attached, is guided to form a closure for the opening of the sack.  
         [0018]     Upon resuming a standing position, the pressure on the sack is released and the sack resumes its initially opened form assisted by the expansion of the compression folds and the latent energy of the semi-rigid plastic tracks which produce a small, but significant counter-force to the compression. This expansion movement of the folds caused by decompression, as well as the small counter-force of the tracks, causes the slide tracks, which are attached to the folds, to move in such a way as to relatively encompass more of the tongue piece, in effect, exposing the opening which once again allows wastes to collect in the sack.  
         [0019]     In another embodiment, instead of a single tongue piece, the containment means is provided with two pairs of tracks attached to the outer bottom portion of the diaper and two tongue pieces which slide within the tracks and which are oppositely disposed from one another, in relation to the opening, and designed to meet and close the opening to the containment means as described above for the single tongue piece. The tongue pieces extend from the bottom of the containment means along the tracks so that when a diaper user sits on the containment means, the tongues are forced to come together and overlap the opening in the diaper, effectively preventing body wastes from spilling out of the containment means and causing skin irritation and discomfort to the diaper user. The two tongue pieces slightly overlap to provide a secure closure and easily separate when the pressure on the containment means is relieved.  
         [0020]     The advantage of two tongue pieces is that the length of the tongue pieces can be shortened and the closing and opening action occurs over a shorter distance, thus more quickly protecting the wearer from accidental spill-out of wastes from the containment means when sitting.  
         [0021]     Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following drawings and descriptions. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]     For a better understanding of the invention with regard to the embodiments thereof, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals designate corresponding elements or sections throughout and in which:  
         [0023]      FIG. 1  shows a pictorial view of a diaper fitted with a waste containment means of the present invention;  
         [0024]      FIG. 2A  shows an orthographic view illustrating an over-all view of an embodiment of the containment means of the present invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 2B  shows an isometric side view of the containment means of  FIG. 2A  in a compressed mode when the wearer is in a sitting position; and  
         [0026]     FIGS.  3 A-C are various views of another embodiment of the containment means of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]     Referring now to  FIG. 1  there is shown diaper  10  constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Diaper  10  comprises four tabs  12  extending from the extreme ends of the front and back portions of the diaper which enable attaching and detaching the diaper  10  from a wearer for changing when necessary. A standard absorbent layer  14  is provided for absorbing urinal discharges. An opening  16  is provided in a central crotch position for allowing solid body wastes, and excess, unabsorbed urinal discharges, to exit through opening  16  in diaper  10  and be deposited in a containment means  18 , such as, for example, a nylon bag or sack. Containment means  18  may be permanently affixed to diaper  10 , or detachable. As shown in a preferred embodiment of the invention, opening  16  is substantially rectangular, but other shapes, such as oval or round, may also be provided.  
         [0028]     Containment means  18 , such as a nylon sack or bag, is disposed beneath opening  16  that is situated in the approximate crotch area of diaper  10 . Containment means  18  (unless otherwise indicated, hereinafter referred to as sack  18 ) is attached to diaper  10  by pressing the edge of sack  18  which lies along the perimeter of opening  16  against a matching adhesive area  20  provided on diaper  10 . When the wearer is seated, sack  18  becomes folded in such a way as to contain body wastes discharged into sack  18 .  
         [0029]     In one embodiment of the invention, sack  18  is placed over the hand and inserted through opening  16  in the crotch area of diaper  10 , such that the perimeter of the open end of sack  18  are brought into proximity to the upper edge of opening  16 . Then the upper portion of the open end of sack  18  is pressed firmly against the adhesive area  20 . Sack  18  is positioned directly under opening  16  and attached to diaper  10  via attachment means  20 , such as an adhesive edge. Sack  18  is a container generally four-sided in shape in a preferred embodiment of the invention, but other shapes are also possible.  
         [0030]     The attachment area  20  is optionally disposed either under or over the opening  16 , but in a preferred embodiment of the invention, sack  18  is inserted from inside the diaper  10  to provide additional strength to the attachment. The attachment may, alternatively, be any type of detachable attachment as is known to those skilled in the art, such as Velcro, sticky adhesive, and the like.  
         [0031]     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, sack  18  is supported in an upright and open condition, by a semi-rigid ribbing  22  which closely wraps around opposing upright sides and bottom of sack  18  in a continuous band. Alternatively, sack  18  is provided with at least one additional support ribbing  24  which crosses the ribbing  22  on the bottom surface of sack  18  at right angles and wraps around the remaining two sides of sack  18  in a continuous band. The width of semi-rigid ribbing  22 ,  24  is calculated at a minimum so as to be suited to the physical size and weight of the wearer. Obviously an adult diaper would require a ribbing that is stronger and wider than that used for an infant diaper.  
         [0032]     In another embodiment of the invention (not shown), the semi-rigid ribbing comprises the entire width of the bottom surface and two opposite sides of sack  18  extending upward in a continuous band to the crotch area thus forming a maximal width ribbing.  
         [0033]     Preferably, the semi-rigid ribbing  22 ,  24  is pre-creased so as to compress outward, or, alternatively, inward, when a wearer assumes a sitting position and provided with such resiliency as to return to an uncompressed, fully extended shape when a wearer resumes a standing or upright position.  
         [0034]     Optionally, an additional collecting chamber  26  is provided with sack  18  which functions as an overflow chamber for wastes for wearers in need of a larger capacity containment means. The sack  18  is designed for a general capacity of solid and urinal waste discharges in accordance with the physical dimensions of a wearer, whether an infant, a child, or an adult, so as not to cause a wearer discomfort. The collecting chamber  26  is manufactured as an extension of at least one of the front, back and both sides of sack  18  in such as way as to be positioned between the legs of the wearer.  
         [0035]     In a sitting position, the wearer is not bothered by the slight extension of sack  18 , yet body wastes are hygienically collected and kept apart from the skin of the wearer. Such extensions incidentally provide for longer use of sack  18  between changes of diaper  10  without creating a health hazard.  
         [0036]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , there is illustrated a detailed view of an embodiment of a body waste collection means of the present invention. The sack  18 , such as a soft and flexible nylon sack, is lined on the bottom and at least on two opposite sides with a semi-rigid ribbing  22  which is pre-creased along crease line  28  so as to allow for folding of sack  18  when a wearer is seated. The folds form inward or outward depending on the placement of pre-creases such as crease line  28  in sack  18  when it is compressed between the body of the wearer and a firm seating surface, such as  29  in  FIG. 2B .  
         [0037]     The folds and flexible material of sack  18 , made of soft nylon in a preferred embodiment of the invention, are able to resist tearing or bursting from the force of compression. Opening  16  is held open due to attachment around the perimeter of opening  16 , but sack  18  becomes folded inwardly at the pre-creases formed in ribbing  22  so as to form a tight, narrow neck as shown by the horizontal arrows in  FIG. 2B  so as to prevent the pressure of the wearer on sack  18  to accidentally discharge the contents.  
         [0038]     When sack  18  is soiled or overly full, of either liquid or solid body wastes, the tabs  12  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) of diaper  10  are opened and sack  18  is removed. It is not necessary to replace the whole diaper  10  if the absorbent layer  14  is unsoiled, rather a new sack  18  replaces the old and diaper  10  is ready for further use. Sack  18  is provided with an absorbent layer  14  also, so that most if not all urinary discharges are quickly isolated and absorbed. The improved diaper of the present invention is economical, as besides isolating solid body wastes, it also collects all excess urinal discharges within sack  18  so that, if the larger area of absorbent material  14  lining diaper  10  (see  FIG. 1 ) remains dry, it may be reused.  
         [0039]     FIGS.  3 A-C are various views of another embodiment of the containment means of the present invention.  
         [0040]     In one embodiment of the invention (as in  FIG. 3A ), a single pair of flexible slide tracks  30  guides a movable flexible rib  32  which ends in a tongue piece  34  which slides upward along sack  40  closing opening  16  of containment means  40  whenever a wearer sits down on a rigid surface  29 .  
         [0041]     FIGS.  3 B-C illustrate cross-section views of a second embodiment of the invention comprising two slide tracks  30  and two ribs  32  with tongue pieces  34  formed from an upper end thereof, oppositely disposed from one another, in relation to opening  16 , so that both tongue pieces  34  meet and close opening  16  from the upward force on ribs  32  when a wearer assumes a sitting position on rigid surface  29  as shown in  FIG. 3C . The closure is effected due to the vertical compression force exerted on containment means  40  between the body of the wearer and the rigid sitting surface  29  which partially collapses sack  40  which folds to retain body wastes held therein, while ribs  32  are deformed outward as shown by the horizontal arrows.  
         [0042]     Upon resuming a standing position, the pressure on containment means  40  is relieved and due to the resiliency of the ribbing  32  containment means  40  resumes its initially opened form assisted by the expansion of semi-rigid plastic tracks  30  which produce a small, but significant counter-force to the compression, in effect, exposing the opening  16  which once again allows body wastes to collect in containment means  40  through opening  16 .  
         [0043]     The advantage of providing two tongue pieces  34  is that the length of ribs  32  can be shortened and the closing and opening action occurs over a shorter distance, thus more quickly protecting the wearer from accidental spill-out of wastes from the containment means  40  when a user of diaper  40  assumes a sitting position.  
         [0044]     Slide tracks  30  are made of any resilient, semi-rigid material, but in a preferred embodiment of the invention, are made of plastic attached at an upper point in proximity to opening  16  to the underside of diaper  10 . Slide tracks  30  restrain tongue pieces  34  which are made of the same plastic material as slide tracks  30 . Tongue pieces  34  are formed as extensions of ribbing  32 .  
         [0045]     In the embodiment of the invention of  FIG. 3  tongue pieces  34  extend slightly beyond the upper end of slide tracks  30  to facilitate smooth movement. Note that tongue pieces  34  do not interfere with opening  16  when in a retracted position within slide tracks  30  so as not to become soiled with body wastes passing through opening  16 . When closed, tongue pieces  34 , in a preferred embodiment of the invention, are protected from undesirable pollution by a thin, disposable sleeve of nylon (not shown) tightly fitted to the upper portion of tongue piece  34  making clean-up, when necessary, convenient and easy. Tongue pieces  34  alternatively may be coated with a hard plastic coating, such as polymer, which is easily washed clean and resists stain.  
         [0046]     Optionally, a support rib can be present within the diaper for maintaining a gap between the diaper and the skin, extending the length of the diaper, as described in my previous patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,673. In such case, the semi-rigid ribbing upon the containment sack does not always need to be included, as long as the lowest part of the sack is fixed to the support rib present within the diaper itself. This fixing ensures the shape and placement of the sack are maintained. Optionally in such case, the closure means that ensure closure of the sack are comprised of an area of lesser rigidity upon the containment means, as compared to the rigidity found in the remainder of the containment means. Optionally the containment means may be shaped to have a narrowed neck and a containment body wider than the narrow neck.  
         [0047]     Thus the improved anti-irritant diaper construction provides a disposable diaper which prevents waste from coming in contact with the skin of the wearer. Furthermore, because the waste is confined within a protective and separately disposable container, the diaper changing process is made easier, cleaner, and less expensive since solid wastes are hygienically isolated from the absorbent material of a diaper, making the diaper itself reusable if not wet.  
         [0048]     Having described the invention with regard to certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the description is not meant as a limitation, since further modifications may now suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and it is intended to cover such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.