Abstract:
A cloth diaper includes a size adjustable impermeable outer layer, and an elongated absorbent insert permanently attached only at one end to the inside of said outer layer, near the upper edge of the outer layer. The absorbent insert extends a substantial distance beyond the opposite upper edge of said outer layer. Preferably, there is an absorbent layer attached to the outer layer, between the outer layer and the insert.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/807,458, filed Apr. 2, 2013, entitled CLOTH DIAPER. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to cloth diapers. Cloth diaper manufacturers have designed diapers that have an absorbent insert that is attached to both the reside front and back of the diaper, wherein excess fabric may be folded to accommodate male or female. Other cloth diapers have an absorbent insert that is attached with some form of fastener at either the front or back of the diaper, which allows the user to add additional absorbency to the diaper. In some diapers, the snap in and separable insert is the only absorbent member in the diaper. The additional inserts may be removed during laundering to aid in the washing and drying. Another variation is a cloth diaper with so absorbent insert which is sewn into the inside of the diaper on three sides, forming a pocket, and including an extending tail which is folded into the pocket for use. 
         [0003]    Size adjustable diapers are available, in which the length of the diaper from the front edge to the back edge can be adjusted, by providing two or three rows of like fasteners spaced from at least one row of mating fasteners. By folding a portion of the length of the diaper on itself, and snapping mating fasteners together to hold the fold, the size of the diaper is adjusted. 
       SUMMARY OF THE  INVENTION 
       [0004]    In the present invention, a cloth diaper includes a size adjustable impermeable outer layer, and an elongated absorbent insert permanently attached only at one end to the inside of said outer layer, near the upper edge of the outer layer. The absorbent insert extends a substantial distance beyond the opposite upper edge of said outer layer. Preferably, there is an absorbent layer attached to the outer layer, between the outer layer and the insert. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a preferred embodiment adjustable diaper at its largest size; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the interior side of the diaper of  FIG. 1  opened flat, arranged with its back portion at the top of figure, its front portion at the bottom of the figure, and the absorbent insert fully extending; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of the interior side of the diaper, showing the absorbent insert folded over once; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of the interior side of the diaper, showing the absorbent insert folded over twice at middle of the diaper, which will be the bottom of the diaper as worn; 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of the interior side of the diaper, showing the absorbent insert folded over twice toward the front of the diaper; 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  is a front view of the diaper adjusted to a smaller size. 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  is plan view of the interior of the adjusted smaller diaper of  FIG. 6  opened flat, with the absorbent insert folded over twice to accommodate the smaller size of the diaper; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 8  is a front view of the adjusted smaller diaper as it will look when worn. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0013]    The preferred embodiment diaper  1  shown in the drawings has a water proof outer layer  10 , to which is attached to absorbent layer  20 , which comprises of one or more layers of an absorbent material ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The term “layer” as used herein includes an integrated layer which may itself be made up of two or several layers of fabric. Inner absorbent layer  20  is dimensioned to encompass the area of the “wet zone” of the diaper. As is well known to every parent, the wet zone ordinarily extends from near the front or back upper edge of the diaper to near the opposite upper edge. At one end of interior of the diaper, specifically at an end of the wet zone, an absorbent insert  30  is permanently attached to the water proof outer layer. As shown, insert  30  is attached to at the top of the wet zone, which will be the top of the rear of the wet zone when the diaper is worn. 
         [0014]    Absorbent insert  30  exceeds the length of the diaper by a substantial distance, and may be folded to meet baby&#39;s needs. The term substantial distance means the absorbent insert when folded over once when when the diaper is adjusted to its largest size, provides two layers of added absorbency over the wet zone of the diaper. Preferably, absorbent insert  30  is about twice the length of the wet zone of the diaper, when the diaper is adjusted to its largest size, and most preferably at least twice the length of the wet zone. As can be seen from the drawings, absorbent insert is made of material such that either side of absorbent insert  30  can be placed against the baby&#39;s skin. 
         [0015]    Outer layer  10  is made of a water impervious material. It is sewn to absorbent layer  20 , which is comprised of one or more layers  20  of absorbent material. The waterproof layer  10  extends down the back, bottom and front sides  12 ,  13  and  14  respectively, of the diaper to prevent wicking of moisture out of absorbent layer  20 , and absorbent insert  30 . Elastic is encased around the top edge  11  of the back or rear portion  12  of the diaper ( FIG. 2 ) to help prevent “blow-outs”. Elastic is sewn to the inner seam around both curvilinear edges of the center or bottom portions  13  of the diaper  1 . 
         [0016]    There are waterproof tabs  15  that extend out from the upper back portion  12  of the diaper and wrap around the front  14  of the diaper, using fasters  16 A to securely fasten to mating fasteners  16 B at the front  14  of the diaper, thereby securing the diaper around the waist of the wearer. In the preferred embodiments, fasteners  16 A and  16 B are mating male and female snaps. There are two horizontal rows of eight mating snaps  16 B each, on the front  14  of outer cover  10 . The two rows of snaps  16 B are spaced to correspond to the spacing of snaps  16 A on each of tabs  15 . As shown, snaps  16 A are female snaps, and snaps  16 B are male snaps. Snaps multiple snaps  16 B served as waist adjustment snaps, in that the diaper tabs  15  can be fastened to different pairs of snaps  16 B, in order to accommodate varying baby waist sizes. In this way, diaper  10  can be used for babies of many different sizes, and indeed can be dimensioned to fit substantially all sizes. By comparing  FIG. 8  to  FIG. 1 , one can see that in  FIG. 8 , the female snaps  16 A on tabs  15  have been secured to the third pair of male snaps  16 B in from each edge, leaving only two pair of the male snaps  16 B visible in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0017]    Inner absorbent layer or layers  20  are preferably sewn to outer layer  10 . Absorbent insert  30  is preferably comprised of multiple layers of absorbent fabric and is attached only along an end edge  31  to the back portion  12  of diaper  1 , where the outer waterproof layer and the inner absorbent fabric layer  20  meet. 
         [0018]    The rise of the diaper is adjusted by using mating rise adjustment fasteners  17 A and  17 B that are reinforced and located across the front  14  of outer waterproof layer  10  ( FIG. 1 ). In the preferred embodiment, fasteners  17 A and  17 B are snaps. There is one row of three male snaps  17 B toward the upper portion of front  14 , just below the bottom row of eight male snaps which are available for mating with the bottom female snap  17 A on tabs  15 . There are three rows of three each female snaps  17 A, each spaced progressively further below the upper row of three male snaps  17 B. By folding front  14  upon itself, and fastening one of the three rows of female snaps  17 A to the upper row of three male snaps  17 B, diaper  1  can be adjusted to three different sizes, in terms of the “rise.” By comparing  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 6 , one can see that the bottom row of female snaps  17 A has been secured to the row of three male snaps  16 B, thereby shortening the rise of diaper  1  to its shortest position. One can adjust the rise to two intermediate positions by using either of the other two rows of three female snaps  17 A. 
         [0019]    The long “tongue-like” permanently attached absorbent insert  30  allows for all the absorbency that is necessary, while providing optimal exposure to water and air during the laundering process. Since only one end of the insert is connected to the interior of the diaper, there is less bulk on smaller babies and the preferred amount of absorbency where necessary for male and/or female. 
         [0020]    In use, diaper  1  should be laid out flat and the attached insert  30  folded with more fabric in the middle for females ( FIG. 4 ), more in the front for males ( FIG. 5 ), or distributed evenly inside the diaper ( FIG. 3 ). The front rise snaps  17 A and  17 B should be fastened so that the front of the diaper is close in proximity to the wearer&#39;s navel. When set to one of the smaller rise settings ( FIG. 6 ), it will be advantageous for the insert to be folded with more fabric towards the middle or back of the diaper to reduce bulkiness ( FIG. 7 ). Once the insert is positioned and the rise appropriately set, one lays the baby on the diaper and fastens tabs  15  to the front snaps  16 B so as to hold the diaper securely around the baby&#39;s waist. 
         [0021]    The present diaper provides a one-size, all-in-one diaper that washes cleaner and dries faster than other one-size, all-in-one diapers on the market. Most one-size, all-in-one diapers use too many layers of fabric, in too close of proximity with each other. Such diapers take multiple drier cycles to completely dry, and generally result in stinky, damp diapers. The present diaper is easy to use, and allows the absorbency to be adjusted to accommodate the needs of both male and female. 
         [0022]    Finally, the present diaper is trimmer than other one-size, all-in-one diapers without eliminating of absorbency. Even in its largest size, permanently attached insert  30  provides two additional layers of absorbency, in addition to absorbent layer  20 . In  FIGS. 4 and 5 , three additional layers of absorbency are provided in critical locations. In the diaper as adjusted to its smallest size, three additional layers of absorbency are provided. Thus for most applications one has at least four layers of absorbency, at least in the critical locations. Yet in the washing and drying cycle, there is realty only one layer of absorbency being washed and dried. 
         [0023]    Of course, it is understood that the foregoing describes preferred embodiments of the invention, and that changes and alterations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.