Disposable Absorbent Article.

No. 6,045,545; Philippe Vandemoortele, Jean-Pierre Koczab and Albert Villez, assignors to Peaudouce, Linselles, France. Filed 12/4/96. Issued 4/4/00.

A disposable absorbent hygiene article with a generally rectangular shape with opposed lengthwise edges and opposed transverse edges was recently patented. The article also includes a liquid impervious support sheet that has an inner face, lengthwise edges and transverse edges. An absorbent pad with an inner surface and both lengthwise and transverse edges define a pad periphery. The absorbent pad is arranged on and fastened to the inner face of the support sheet. The pad periphery defines a size smaller than the size of the support sheet so that the lengthwise and transverse edges of the absorbent pad are spaced inward toward a center region of the article, relative to the lengthwise and transverse edges of the support sheet. A liquid impermeable coversheet with an inner face that at least partially covers the inner face of the absorbent pad is fastened at least partially to the support sheet about the periphery of the absorbent pad. Lengthwise elastic members are fastened in a stretched state to the support sheet transversely outward from the lengthwise edges of the absorbent pad.

The article also contains two transversely spaced side flaps that are arranged on the inner face of the coversheet, along the lengthwise edges of the article. Each of the flaps has a proximal portion fastened to the coversheet and a distal edge with lengthwise elastic members fastened to the coversheet by the proximal portion over the whole length of the hygiene article and positioned with the fastened proximal portion transversely inward of the respective lengthwise edge of the absorbent pad over the whole length of the absorbent pad. Fastening means are disposed in a vicinity of one of the transverse edges of the hygiene article to close the article around a user's waist. This defines a front end region that is adjacent to the transverse edges, a rear region adjacent to the other transverse edges and a crotch region corresponding to an intermediate region between the two end regions.

Each flap is formed by a tape folded back onto itself over the whole length of the tape toward the lengthwise center of the article, along a lengthwise fold line that is situated between the proximal portion and the distal edge. The lengthwise end portions of the folded tape are fastened flat to the coversheet in the two end regions of the hygiene article, so that the elasticized distal edge of the flap is located substantially adjacent to the proximal portion over the whole length of the flap. A pouch is formed by the folded tape open towards the lengthwise center of the crotch region. The pouch is disposed substantially transversely outward from the absorbent pad in the crotch region only.