Diaper

The present invention relates to diapers for babies and infants, more particularly to a diaper knitted in the form of a tube having a pile surface on the outside of the tube and a smooth surface on the inside thereof.

Diapers to be worn by rapidly growing babies and infants must permit free physical movement, be comfortable to wear without undue tightness, and must not injure or irritate the soft skin. It is further essential that they have high water-absorbing properties. Conventional diapers, however, fail to completely fulfill all of these requirements whether they are made of fabric or paper. The known prior art diapers of which I am aware have the disadvantages of being bulky, low in stretchability and uncomfortable to wear. Moreover they do not have sufficiently high water-absorbing properties.

The aforementioned disadvantages are eliminated by the diaper of this invention which is knitted in the form of a tube having a pile surface on the outside of the tube and a smooth surface on the inside thereof.

An object of this invention is to provide a tubular knitted diaper having high stretchability and comfortable wear characteristics.

Another object of this invention is to provide a diaper which has a soft pile surface on its outside which is especially comfortable to the skin, and which is highly water-absorbent.

Another object of this invention is to provide a diaper having an upper half portion of a relatively large width and which is capable of fully wrapping the backside, crotch, abdomen and flanks of the baby or infant.

Another object of this invention is to provide a diaper having a more padded or bulky center portion so as to increase the absorbing properties of the diaper.

Another object of this invention is to provide a diaper which has complementary engageable fastener pieces preferably of the Velcro or Magic Tape type embodying patches of coacting miniature hooks and loops formed of relatively rigid filament material for fastening the diaper on the infant, and which is therefore adjustable to accommodate babies of different size and to allow for body growth of the baby or infant.

These and other objects of this invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description together with the illustrative accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing one embodiment of the diaper of this invention in open flat condition;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line II--II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view of FIG. 2 to show the relationship between the knitted structure of the diaper and the flow of urine discharged from the baby;

FIG. 4 is a plan view similar to FIG. 1, and showing another embodiment of the flattened diaper which has a bulky center portion;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line V--V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another embodiment having an auxiliary piece extending upwardly and laterally from the upper end of the diaper body;

FIG. 7 is a plan view similar to FIG. 6 showing still another embodiment having auxiliary pieces attached to the upper and lower ends of the diaper respectively;

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a diaper having cooperative engageable fastening means;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line IX--IX in FIG. 8;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are plan views respectively showing further modified examples or arrangements of the cooperatively engageable fastening means;

FIGS. 12 to 14 are views showing the progressive folding use of the diaper of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 15 to 17 are views similar to FIGS. 12 - 14 showing features of the progressive adjustability and folded up use of the diaper of FIG. 11;

FIG. 18 is a plan view showing a modification wherein the diaper of FIG. 11 has embodied therewith an auxiliary diaper inserted therein; and

FIG. 19 is a plan view showing the diaper of FIG. 11 on which a net is placed for use therewith.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a diaper generally designated A has the form of a knitted tube, shown in the flattened open condition, and having an upper half portion 1 of a relatively larger width than the lower half portion 2, as shown. The tubular diaper A has a pile surface 3 on its outside and a smooth surface having no pile on its opposing inner surfaces.

The diaper A is knitted usually by a circular knitting machine using cottom yarns such as 30s combed yarn. Alternatively, the diaper A may be knitted of 85% of cotton yarns as mentioned above and combined with 15% of (for example 75-denier) special finished yarns of synthetic fibers. Such latter fibers may include crimped nylon yarns which preferably have a high degree of curliness or are precrinkled sufficiently to impart a predetermined resiliency or stretchability to the garment or diaper. The crinkled character of the synthetic yarns is important in greatly facilitating the diffusing of the urine over a wider area and within the inner tubular portions.

The various yarns are made so that a soft pile surface is provided on the outside of the diaper, with the pile being made only from cotton yarns in a most preferred embodiment, and as to form smooth opposing inner surfaces from combinations of the two types of yarns.

Further, by having the upper half portion 1 knitted using any suitable form of a highly stretchable pile stitch structure, such as "kanoko" fabric or tuck stitch, and the lower half portion 2 made with only a plain-knitted pile stitch structure, the upper half portion will have a larger width than the lower half portion.

To use the diaper, the opposite side edges of its lower half portion are folded inward to narrow that portion in conformity with the crotch of the baby (see FIG. 12), and the baby's bottom is placed on the upper half portion of the diaper. The lower half portion is then drawn up between the legs and placed over the abdomen (FIG. 13). Subsequently, the upper opposite side parts of the upper half portion are slightly stretched and fitted around the flanks of the baby so as to preferably overlay lateral side portions of the upturned lower portion, as shown in FIG. 14.

The present improved diaper, being in the form of a tubular knitted fabric, is highly stretchable in its entirety and has an excellent ability to return to its original shape, thereby providing a snug fit around the baby. Because the upper half portion of the diaper has a larger width than the lower half portion, the backside, crotch, abdomen and flanks can be fully wrapped with one diaper. Accordingly, it is extremely low in bulkiness during use, thereby lessening the load on the abdomen, and permits free bodily motion without imparting an uncomfortably tight feel to the body. With the pile surface adapted to contact the skin, the diaper is especially soft and comfortable to wear and well-suited for new babies.

Inasmuch as the tubular diaper has an outside pile surface made of water-absorbent cotton yarns, and smooth opposing inner surfaces having no pile, the urine discharged is first absorbed by the pile surface 3a, (FIG. 3) and the remainder of the liquid is diffused over and absorbed by the smooth inner surface 4a. Excess liquid is then absorbed by the opposing smooth surface 4b while being diffused thereover and is ultimately absorbed by the highly absorbent pile surface 3b, as illustrated in FIG. 5. In this way, the diaper can absorb liquid very efficiently over a much wider area, thereby preventing local seepage experienced with the more conventional prior art diapers. An apparent advantage is the elimination or marked reduction of wetting of clothes and bedding. It is therefore more sanitary to use.

When the diaper A is knitted of a combination of cotton yarns and special finished yarns of synthetic fibers having high curliness such as nylon yarns, wherein the outer pile surface is made of only the cotton yarns, and the smooth inner surface is made of both the cotton and special finished yarns in mixture, the smooth inner surface, by having relatively low water-absorbing properties, permits water to diffuse over a still wider area to greatly improve the water-absorbing properties of the diaper. Moreover, the combination of pre-crinkled or pre-curled synthetic fibers and natural cotton fibers serves to provide the finished diaper fabric with pleasantly soft character which it retains even after repeated washings.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a diaper A1 in which the longitudinal center back and front parts, 11 and 12 respectively, of the upper and lower half portions are made bulkier than the respective opposite side portions 21, 21 and 22, 22. When knitting the diaper, yarns are supplied in larger amounts to the center parts than to the side portions to lengthen the piles and to thereby increase bulkiness. For example, loops in center parts are about 2-mm long, while those in the side portions are about 1-mm long. The diaper thus made has improved water-absorbing properties.

FIG. 6 shows a diaper A2 having an auxiliary piece 5 extending continuously from and along the upper edge of the diaper. The diaper A3 shown in FIG. 7 is very similar to the diaper A2 in FIG. 6, having the same upper auxiliary piece 5, plus a further auxiliary piece 6 extending from the illustrated lower end of the diaper. These modified diapers can have the auxiliary edge pieces readily sewn onto the body of the diaper in a manner so as to prevent the upper or lower ends from fraying. These auxiliary pieces are helpful for fully wrapping the flanks of the baby.

FIGS. 8 to 11 show diapers of the type of FIGS. 1 and 6, having engageable fastening means attached thereto. The engageable fastening means are preferably of a special textile or cloth type, such as those commercially known as VELCRO or MAGIC TAPE. Such fasteners comprise a plurality of miniature hook pieces 7 secured to a fabric patch which has a portion thereof attached to the rear surface of the upper portion of the diaper A at its opposite edges. The hooks are operatively engageable with a patch of complementary loop pieces 8, attached to the rear surface of the diaper approximately at its lower end, to effect fastening of the diaper during use. A strip of the loop-bearing material 8 may be horizontally attached to the diaper, as per FIG. 8, or a pair of generally vertically elongated rectangular patches of the loop pieces 8' may be attached, as shown in FIG. 10, to the left and right side portions of the diaper. The hook-bearing pieces are designated 7' in FIG. 10.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11, vertically elongated, obliquely disposed, parallelogrammatic patches of the loop pieces 8" may be attached to the diaper, such that the upper and lower sides of each patch 8" are positioned horizontally with the corresponding sides of the other. In this form, the hook-bearing patches or pieces 7" are selectively displaceable from one position to another upon the loop-bearing pieces 8" so as to be movable obliquely outward thereof, as seen in FIG. 16. The pieces 8", therefore, are affixable in a suitable position in accordance with the growth of the baby, for example in accordance with 6-month-old, 12-month-old, 18-month-old and 24-month-old stages and at intermediate stages thereof. In this way, the effective length and girth of the diaper A are fully adjustable.

FIGS. 15 - 17 show not only the progressive folding steps of the diaper type A2, but also the selective adjustability features afforded by the unique dispositioning of the fastener means 7 and 8.

As shown in FIG. 8 - 11 and 15 - 19, additional patches of loop-bearing pieces designated at 9 are attached to one surface of the diaper opposite to the position where the hook-bearing pieces 7 (or 7' and 7") are attached. When washing or replacing the diaper, the hook-bearing pieces are folded over and fixed to these loop pieces, as indicated in dot-and-dash line in FIG. 9, so that the hook pieces will not engage with other articles or tend to injure the skin.

The present invention is further characterized in that an auxiliary diaper B indicated in dotted outline in FIG. 18 is either placed over or inserted into any of these improved tubular diapers for use during night when a larger amount of urine is likely to be discharged. The auxiliary diaper B is proportionately smaller than the diaper A. The assembled or doubled diaper will then have improved water-absorbing properties. Further, if a net C (FIG. 19), having no water-absorbing properties and which is permeable to water, is placed over the diaper for use in combination therewith, the diaper will be very easy to wash after defecation.

The knitted structure of the diaper A of this invention is not particularly limited. A fabric of usual pile stitch, stretchable tuck stitch such as kanoko fabric or any suitable construction is usable. Also complementary patches 7 and 8 for fastening the diaper may be reversed, if desired, and/or less desirably replaced by suitable other fastener means.

While specific embodiments of this novelly improved diaper have been shown and described, other variations and modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.