US 6,093,178 A · Sanitary napkin having laterally extensible means for attachment to the undergarment of the wearer

Abstract

An improved sanitary napkin is disclosed. The sanitary napkin has a laterally extensible flap which extends outwardly from one of the longitudinal edges of the sanitary napkin or a laterally extensible backsheet. The backsheet or flap may be laterally extended from the neutral, retracted position and will return to the retracted position upon release of the disturbing force. This arrangement provides the advantage that any adhesive strips or patches associated with the flaps or backsheet more easily move with the undergarment of the wearer and are less likely to be stressed or become detached from the undergarment of the wearer due to the forces encountered during typical wearer movements.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A sanitary napkin having mutually orthogonal longitudinal and lateral axes, and two spaced apart longitudinal edges, said sanitary napkin comprising:

a liquid pervious topsheet;
a liquid impervious backsheet;
an absorbent core intermediate said topsheet and said backsheet;
at least one flap joined to at least one of said topsheet and said backsheet, said flap having a proximal edge where said flap is joined to said at least one of said backsheet and said topsheet, a distal end spaced outward from the proximal edge, and a central portion between the proximal edge and the distal end;
a longitudinally oriented pleat joining the proximal edge to said central portion;
and
at least one spring having a laterally oriented vector component spanning said pleat, whereby said flap is elastically extensible in the lateral direction.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

09/006,610Filed 13 Jan 1998 · division

Priority

1 Nov 1989

Granted

25 Jul 2000

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification39 codes

A61F 13/47227
With a raised crotch region, e.g. hump: for interlabial use
A61F 13/476
Sanitary towels, incontinence pads or napkins: characterised by encircling the crotch region of the undergarment, e.g. with flaps
A61F 13/515
Characterised by the outer layers of the pads: characterised by the interconnection of the topsheet and the backsheet
A61F 13/5611
Specially adapted for sanitary napkins or the like: using fastening strips, e.g. adhesive, on the undergarment-facing side

Family

Serial431,009Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Nov 1989

Serial707,233Parent of this continuation · filed 21 May 1991

Serial224,413Parent of this continuation · filed 8 Apr 1994

Serial699,677Parent of this division · filed 15 Aug 1996

US 5,346,486 AParent of this continuation

US 6,093,178 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Sanitary napkin having laterally extensible means for attachment to the undergarment of the wearer

Life of this patent

Sanitary napkin having laterally extensible means for attachment to the undergarment of the wearer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10