Abstract: A disposable diaper having improved fit about the legs and/or waist of the wearer and having reinforced corners for enhanced securement of the diaper about the wearer is disclosed. Improved fit and reinforcement are obtained by an elongated, inherently elastic ribbon member positioned along at least one margin of the diaper. The ribbon member is secured to the diaper so as to provide an elastic region at a central portion of the margin and a unitary, relatively inelastic reinforced region in a corner portion of the diaper.

Abstract: A disposable diaper having improved fit and liquid containment provided by gathering means adjacent at least one edge of the absorbent panel, said gathering means including at least two separately extending, effectively elastic elements. Each of the effectively elastic elements applies a gathering force to a zone of the diaper, thereby defining multiple lines of gasketing about the leg or waist openings.

Abstract: A disposable diaper having improved fit about the legs and/or waist of the wearer and having reinforced corners for enhanced securement of the diaper about the wearer is disclosed. Improved fit and reinforcement are obtained by an elongated, inherently elastic ribbon member positioned along at least one margin of the diaper. The ribbon member is secured to the diaper so as to provide an elastic region at a central portion of the margin and a unitary, relatively inelastic reinforced region in a corner portion of the diaper.

Abstract: An improved disposable diaper containing a shaped absorbent pad. The pad has an indentation disposed along each long side nearer one end of the pad than the other. The front half of each indentation is arcuate and the back half of each indentation is triangular in shape. The sides of the pad immediately adjacent the indentations in the central portion of the pad are parallel to the center longitudinal line.

Abstract: A disposable diaper having constringent means in the longitudinal side margins is disclosed. The constringent means foreshortens the side margins and acts on an absorbent batt contained within the diaper to bulge the side margins of the batt.

Abstract: A unitary, multi-layer disposable undergarment such as a panty adapted for use in training infants or for use by incontinent adults or children is provided. The undergarment is constructed from a non-woven, stretchable fabric and comprises a front portion, a rear portion, a crotch portion, a self-fitting waist portion and self-fitting leg apertures. The preferred undergarment has an inner ply of stretchable fabric adapted to contact an infant's skin, a moisture-impervious or mositure retardant outer ply and an intermediate liquid-absorbent layer or panel disposed therebetween. The inner and outer plies preferably are constructed from a non-woven fabric which has been mechanically compressed to provide small pleats (micropleats) perpendicular to the machine direction and which has first been compacted in the cross direction to provide the desired stretch characteristics.

Abstract: A disposable nursing pad is provided which comprises a flat but stretchable and conformable body constructed of a plurality of substantially coextensive layers and having a fibrous facing layer, an absorbent inner layer and a moisture-impervious backing layer. The coextensive layers may be constructed of compressively shrunk fabrics. The several layers of the pad are secured together at a plurality of circumferentially spaced zones by means of solidified, flexible strands of resin containing fibers therein, introduced by liquid stitching; or by sonically welding the layers of the pad together at the spaced zones.

Abstract: A disposable nursing pad is provided which comprises a dished or cup-shaped body constructed of a plurality of substantially coextensive layers and having an inner concave surface and an outer convex surface. The inner concave surface is adapted to substantially conform to a human breast. A moisture impervious material is provided at the outer convex surface, an absorbent material is disposed inwardly thereof and a moisture permeable but non-wettable material defines the inner concave surface. The several layers of the pad are secured together by sewing or similar securement means.

Abstract: An absorbent article such as a diaper or a sanitary napkin is made up of a facing sheet, an absorbent pad means, and a moisture-impervious backing sheet. The absorbent pad means comprises a fibrous structure having an intermediate densified layer and a layer of highly porous, loosely compacted batt on both sides of the densified layer. The batt layer between the densified fibrous layer and the moisture-impervious backing sheet contains distributed therein a particulate, water-insoluble but water-swellable polymeric absorbent.

Abstract: An absorbent bed pad comprises a liquid-impervious sheet which is adhered to an absorbent fabric throughout the interface therebetween. The fabric is unitary and highly stable and is formed from a mixture of long and short fibers. The mixture of fibers varies throughout the depth of the fabric to produce a short fiber-enriched face to be adhered to the impervious sheet and a long fiber-enriched face at the outer face. The fabric is through-bonded and may be adhered by adhesive to the backing sheet to produce compaction of the short fiber-enriched face.In other embodiments the fabric may be treated to increase the wettability of selected portions and a highly compacted, densified layer may be formed integral with the short fiber-enriched face.

Abstract: A diaper is provided having a facing layer comprising a fibrous nonwoven web having an exceptionally low weight per unit area for its loft and stength characteristics. The facing layer is made from an air laid web of mixed long and short fibers by impregnating the web with a volatile liquid composition containing a binder, rapidly vaporizing the volatile portions of the composition to cause puffing of the web while setting the web in puffed condition by solidification of the binder and thereafter splitting the puffed web into portions of lesser thickness and utilizing at least one of said portions as said facing layer.

Abstract: A fluid absorbing and storing structure comprising a highly porous, loosely compacted cellulosic fibrous batt, and integral therewith, a continuous paper-like, densified, cellulosic fibrous layer having selectively thickened portions for rapidly directing fluid away from an initially wetted area. The major unthickened portion of the paper-like, densified layer merges with the loosely compacted batt at a generally planar interface, and the thickened portions extend through the plane of the interface and into the loosely compacted batt to give the structure increased strength. The batt may be contoured to provide increased fluid storage capacity in the central area of the structure. A marginal fluid boundary of loosely compacted cellulosic fibers may be provided to aid in containing fluid within the structure.

Abstract: A disposable multi-layer diaper of high absorptive capacity is provided which comprises as a first layer, a porous facing web to be brought into contact with an infant's skin. A second layer, in juxtaposition to the facing layer, is a highly porous, loosely compacted cellulosic batt having greater wettability than that of the facing web. The batt is slightly narrower than the facing layer to provide exposed side portions of the facing layer outwardly of the side edges of the batt. A third layer integral with the second is a continuous, paper-like, densified highly compacted layer of the same cellulosic material as the second layer but of substantially smaller average pore size. The densified layer is bounded by transverse linear areas near the ends of the batt in which areas the densified layer is thickened. The final layer is an impervious backing sheet that is substantially coextensive with the facing layer and which is adhered to the densified layer.

Abstract: A disposable multi-layer diaper of high absorptive capacity is provided which comprises as a first layer, a porous facing web to be brought into contact with an infant's skin. A second layer, in juxtaposition to the facing layer, is a highly porous, loosely compacted cellulosic batt having greater wettability than that of the facing web. The batt is slightly narrower than the facing layer to provide exposed side portions of the facing layer outwardly of the side edges of the batt. A third layer, integral with the second, is a continuous, paper-like, densified, higly compacted layer of the same cellulosic material as the second layer but of substantially smaller average pore size. The third layer is thickened in selected areas to provide an increased volumetric flow capacity for rapidly drawing fluid away from an initially wetted area and directing it to areas of the densified layer remote from the wetted area.

Abstract: A multi-layer diaper includes a porous facing layer to be positioned adjacent an infant's skin, and absorbent batt, and a water-impervious backing sheet. The facing layer is provided with areas of preferential liquid flow, surrounded by areas of increased water repellency relative to the areas of preferential liquid flow. The areas of preferential liquid flow are in the form of thinned areas, areas of increased wettability or areas of normal wettability surrounded by water repellent borders. The flow paths are spread over at least the central portion of the facing layer to direct liquid to the absorbent batt.