KR20010034769A - Flushable diaper and method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a diaper 10 capable of washing with infants or adults. The sheath 16 has an inner 20 and an outer wall 22 which are fixed to each other along the outer circumference to form an inner cavity 24. The outer wall 22 consists of a hydrophobic outer layer 30 and a hydrophilic inner layer 28. The inner wall 20 consists of a hydrophobic outer layer 25 and a hydrophilic inner layer 23. The inner and outer walls are separated by internal cavities, in which one or more enclosures 32 and 34 are formed. These enclosures 32, 34 consist of a single layer or thinly stacked walls, thereby forming a chamber capable of containing water. The thinly laminated wall consists of a hydrophobic inner sheet and a hydrophilic outer sheet. When the enclosure ruptures by hand, water flows out and flows into the double wall of the shell and breaks down the hydrophobic outer layer with the hydrophilic inner layer of the double wall. The absorbent member 18 is formed on the inner wall of the shell, and the absorbent member is composed of a fluid permeable cover 52 which encloses the contents 54. The contents are composed of hydrophilic materials so that they can absorb urine or other body fluids while maintaining their shape and also absorb sufficient amount of water to break down the contents into small pieces.

Description

Washable Diapers and Methods {FLUSHABLE DIAPER AND METHOD}

(Related application)

The present invention is a continuous application of the application No. 08 / 182,807 filed Jan. 14, 1994 and the application No. 08 / 795,232 filed Feb. 10, 1997.

1. Technology Field

The present invention relates to a diaper for infants or adults (incontinence patients), and more particularly, to allow the soil to be conveniently washed in the toilet to prevent environmental pollution problems and health risks caused by disposable diapers. It is about a diaper.

2. Prior art

Various diaper designs have been proposed to solve the problem of disposal of contaminated diapers after use.

US Pat. No. 4,964,867 discloses a diaper having an outer portion that is decomposed by microorganisms and absorbs urine, and a lining that is removable and flushed with feces to flush the toilet. Such a diaper has a problem in that urine acts as a solvent of excreta, and contaminates the landfill while infecting bacteria to the outside. There is also a problem in that a large amount of diapers are embedded. This problem also occurs in US Pat. No. 4,578,773 consisting of a disposable inner portion and a reusable outer portion.

Conventional diapers having disposable components that can be degraded by microorganisms include U.S. Patent 5,037,410, U.S. Patent 5,190,533, U.S. Patent 5,108,385, U.S. Patent 5,207,664, U.S. Patent 5,185,009, U.S. Patent No. 5,026,363 is published.

U.S. Patent Nos. 4,338,371 and 4,798,603 disclose disposable diapers containing urine absorbent gel material. U.S. Patent No. 3,665,923 discloses a sanitary napkin capable of flushing treatment that decomposes upon contact with excess water.

Most of the prior art for diapers is disposed of in the trash. This is not only inconvenient, it causes odor, and there is a fear of causing occupational diseases to the cleaner. Moreover, the diaper is eventually landfilled, causing contamination of soil or public tap water.

Traditional cloth diapers are rinsed in flush toilets or other basins to remove feces, stored in diaper pails and laundered or laundered. This causes odor, hassle of washing, and washing costs.

In addition, conventional diaper designs are inconvenient for infants and cause diaper rashes as the diaper layer, which has absorbed moisture or urine, contacts the skin.

In order to prevent the limitations and problems of conventional diapers, a diaper capable of washing with water is required.

1 is a perspective view of a diaper capable of washing with water according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view and a partially enlarged view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

3 is a perspective view in enlarged view of the diaper component of FIG. 1.

4 is a perspective view of a diaper according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention provides a diaper and a method which can be worn by infants or adults and which can be washed with water. The diaper of the present invention consists of a sheath having inner and outer walls. The inner wall of the shell consists of a hydrophobic outer layer and a hydrophilic inner layer. The hydrophilic inner layer of the outer and inner walls absorbs an amount of water that can be broken down into small pieces. The inner and outer walls are sealed to form internal cavities along the outer circumference. Within the inner cavity is composed of a synthetic plastic film or a thin wall such that at least one enclosure can contain water. The plastic film can be of various synthetic materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polyvinyl acetate. The thin wall consists of a hydrophobic inner lamina and a hydrophilic outer lamina. The synthetic plastic film or thin wall may be ruptured by hand pressing so that the contained water flows out of the enclosure and outflows into the internal cavity. Attached to the center of the hydrophobic outer layer of the inner wall is the absorbent member. The absorbent member consists of an outer fluid permeable cover and an inner content. The inner contents are formed of hydrophilic materials to absorb urine or other fluids from the body and to absorb enough water to break down the inner contents into small pieces. A perforation line is formed in the cover so that the user can open the cover by tearing it by hand so that enough water can enter the absorbent member to break down into small pieces.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2 illustrate a diaper 10 capable of washing with water according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The diaper 10 is shaped like an hourglass so that it can be put on the waist. Suitable fastener tabs 12 are formed at opposite ends of the diaper. A cutout portion 14 is formed to wrap around the leg of an adult such as an infant's leg or an incontinence patient.

The diaper 10 is composed of an outer shell 16 and an absorbing member 18 attached to the outer shell by means of an adhesive or the like.

The sheath 16 consists of an inner wall 20 and an outer wall 22. The outer wall faces outward from the infant or adult body and the inner wall faces towards the body. The outer periphery of the inner and outer walls are glued together to form an inner cavity 24. As shown in the outer circumferential enlarged view 26 in FIG. 2, the outer wall consists of an inner layer 28 and an outer layer or film 30 coated with a waterproof material on the outer surface of the inner layer. In this embodiment, the inner layer 28 of the outer wall is composed of 10-75μ thick polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), and the film 30 is poly (vinylidene), a copolymer of polyvinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride. It is composed of dichloride (PVDC). Also in this embodiment, the inner layer 23 of the inner wall 20 is comprised of 10-75μ thick PVOH and the outer layer 25 is comprised of PVDC. PVDC films are hydrophobic and do not penetrate water or body fluids.

In addition, as shown in the enlarged view 26, the outer periphery of the inner and outer walls may be formed by means such as thermal bonding or ultrasonic welding, or by using a small amount of water to form the inner layers of the inner and outer walls. The sealant 29 is sealed by allowing the PVOH bonding surface to form a bond to be bonded. The edge of the wall may be folded when closed as needed. The exposed edges of the PVOH layer are sealed by coating 30 with PVDC or wax.

One or more watertight enclosures 32, 34 are installed at intervals in the inner cavity 24 of the shell. In this embodiment, four enclosures are positioned as shown in FIG. These enclosures are in the form of what is known in biology as the so-called "suicide bag" and have a concept similar to intracellular lysosomes. In biologically living cells, lysosomes rupture for a variety of causes, causing the cells to destroy themselves. Enclosure 34 is a typical example of the plurality of enclosures, and is formed by thin, stacked walls 38 surrounding chamber 40. As can be seen in the enlarged view 36, the thin wall includes an inner lamination 42 having an inner surface 44 and an outer surface 46 and an outer lamination formed on the outer surface of the inner lamination. 48). The inner sheet is made of hydrophobic material such as PVDC to hold water 50 in chamber 40. The enclosures are each formed to a size that can contain 1-8 cc of water. The outer sheet is made of PVOH or a hydrophilic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polyvinyl acetate. The material and thickness of the outer laminations 48 are such that they have a structural strength such that the water in the enclosure is normally contained when the diaper is worn, and can be ruptured when the thin wall is subjected to a predetermined force such as a user's finger pressure. Select and configure appropriately. As the thin wall ruptures, the water in the chamber flows into the internal cavity 24. Similarly, the enclosure may consist of a hydrophobic plastic composite film such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polyvinyl acetate in a single layer without lamination. Such enclosures contain water similar to the above and rupture by pressing with a finger. Although the enclosure of a single layer does not decompose as quickly as the enclosure of the stack, it does not cause a problem of clogging the toilet or piping because of its small size and volume.

The absorbent member 18 consists of a long permeable bag-shaped fluid permeable cover 52 surrounding the contents 54. The fluid permeable cover is made of synthetic polymeric material. The contents 54 are made of a hydrophilic substance so as to absorb the excretion such as urine while maintaining its shape, and also to absorb a sufficient amount of water to form a colloidal suspension with the substance in the contents so that the contents can be broken down. .

The hydrophilic material of the contents 54 consists of a synthetic hydrogel polymer that forms a colloidal suspension with water. Synthetic hydrogel polymers disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,798,603 can be used in the present invention except that the molecules of the polymer are free of crosslinks to dissolve in water. Synthetic hydrogel polymers suitable for use in the contents 54 include carboxymethyl cellulose, alkali metal salts of polyacrylic acid, polyacrylamides, polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene male anhydride Polymers or copolymers of ethylene maleic anhydride copolymers, polyvinyl ethers, hydroxy propyl cellulose, polyvinyl morpholinone, vinyl sulfonic acid , Polyacrylates, polyacrylamides, polyvinyl pyridine, hydrolyzed acrylonitrile grafted starch, acrylic acid grafted starch, isobutylene maleic anhydride copolymer (isobutylene maleic anhydride copolymers) and mixtures thereof.

The hydrophilic material of the contents 54 consists of inorganic superabsorbents, including absorbent clay and silica gel, and organic superabsorbents such as agar, pectin, guar gum, and pea moss. do. The contents may consist of 5-95% by weight hydrogel polymer and 5-95% by weight hydrophilic material. The hydrogel polymer is preferably distributed evenly with the weight of the hydrophilic material.

The permeable cover 52 may be provided with means for opening the absorbent member by hand to inject water into the contents and for removing the colloidal suspension formed from the hydrogel polymer. In this embodiment, this means consists of small diameter tear lines 56, 58 (see FIG. 1) formed across the cover 52. As shown in FIG. Along these perforations the user can pull open the strip 60 by hand. The opening means of the envelope can be woven to cover the user so that it can be easily torn off or an adhesive method can be used.

Attachment pads (not shown) formed opposite each other may be provided on both ends of the diaper so that the diaper can be worn on the lower body of an infant or an adult. This attachment pad is preferably composed of a loop material such as a hook or Velcro tape, an adhesive pad, or the like.

The diaper of the present invention configured as described above is worn so that the absorbent member 18 is in contact with the skin on the lower body of the infant or adult. Body fluids such as urine are absorbed into the hydrophilic material of the contents 54 through the permeable cover 52 of the absorbent member 18. The hydrophobic material of the outer layer 25 of the inner wall of the shell 16 forms a waterproof membrane to prevent body fluids from leaking out of the diaper and also to prevent the clothing from getting wet. The hydrophobic material of the outer layer 30 of the outer wall of the outer shell 16 forms a waterproof membrane to prevent body fluids from leaking out of the diaper and also to prevent the clothing from getting wet.

The diaper is removed when dirty after use. The absorbing member 18 is in a state of absorbing feces and urine. The user pulls the strip 60 formed by the perforations 56 and 58 by hand to open the cover 52 of the absorbent member. Then, the enclosures 32 and 34 are pressed down by hand. It is desirable to mark (not shown) the position of the enclosure on the outside of the outer shell of the diaper. The water contained in the enclosure flows out into the inner cavity 24 of the shell. Flatten the envelope so that water can spread out to the interior cavity. The water dissolves the water soluble PVOH of the inner layer 23 of the inner wall 20 and the inner layer 28 of the outer wall. The PVOH material in turn decomposes the PVDC waterproof coating 30 of the outer wall 22 of the skin and the PVDC waterproof coating 25 of the inner wall 20. The sheath is "self-decomposed". Then, the whole diaper is dropped into the water of the flush toilet together with the absorbent member 18 opened by hand. The water of the toilet enters through the opened part of the absorbent member and is injected into the contents 54. As a relatively large amount of water is injected into the contents, a colloidal suspension is formed with the hydrogel polymer, and the contents lose their shape and break up. The colloidal suspension and hydrophilic material then flow out of the toilet water through the opening of the absorbent member. The whole diaper, together with the colloidal suspension, the disintegrated pieces of each layer, the excreta and the urine, can then be flushed through the toilet without clogging. The hydrogel polymer of the contents and the material forming the layer with the hydrophilic material are treated as sewage, which in turn does not microbially decompose and contaminate the water quality.

The diaper of the present invention disassembles itself. The diaper system of the present invention does not depend on any particular type of sewage treatment system for disassembly of the diaper. In some countries, such as Austria, they do not use flush toilets, but instead use a slightly concave cache with water. New Zealand toilets use a small amount of water for substantial drainage. In the United States type of flush toilet, the diaper component of the present invention disassembles as quickly as possible in the water of the toilet. The dismantled components are finally dissolved and washed in the toilet water.

The inner wall 20 and outer wall 22, which consist of a PVDC coating layer of PVOH, disintegrate when the enclosures 32, 34 are ruptured. These enclosures also act to decompose the absorbents of the contents 54 through the immediately adjacent inner wall 20. When the cover 52 is opened by hand as described above, the toilet water penetrates the contents 54. This secondary water enters the absorbent member 18 to facilitate the disassembly of the diaper.

4 shows another embodiment of the present invention. Here, the diaper 70, which can be washed with water, is composed of a sheath 72 composed of an inner wall 74 and an outer wall 76. The inner and outer walls of the shell are constructed identically to the corresponding inner and outer walls of the embodiment shown in FIGS. The walls 74 and 76 are sealed along the outer periphery in the same manner as in the embodiment described above to form an inner cavity 78. Planar sheet 80 of PVOH, cellulose, synthetic fabric, or the like is formed in the interior cavity. An absorbing member 82 configured in the same manner as the absorbing member of the above-described embodiment is fixed to the wall 74. Multiple water filled enclosures 84,86 are located within the cavity 78 at intervals from each other, these enclosures being constructed identically to the corresponding enclosures of the embodiments described above.

When the enclosures 84 and 86 rupture, water is spilled out and spread along the hydrophilic sheet 80. This will act as a wick to facilitate the diffusion of water and facilitate the disassembly of the hydrophilic components of the diaper.

On the other hand, while various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it should be understood that other forms of modifications, substitutions, and alterations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications, substitutions and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as determined from the appended claims.

Claims (26)

In diapers worn on the lower body of an infant or adult, The diaper is sewn into a double wall structure of inner and outer walls and consists of an outer sheath formed with an internal cavity, The outer wall faces outward relative to the body when the diaper is worn, the inner wall faces the body, The outer wall is formed of an inner layer and an outer layer, the outer layer is in contact with the outer side of the inner layer, and the inner layer is a hydrophilic material that absorbs water and is sufficient to decompose the outer wall. Consisting of, The inner wall is formed of an inner layer and an outer layer, the outer layer is in contact with the outer side of the inner layer, and the inner layer is made of a hydrophilic material that absorbs water and is made up in an amount sufficient to disintegrate the inner wall. Become, An absorbent member is located on the inner wall, the absorbent member having a content, the content being a hydrophilic material that absorbs urine or other body fluids while retaining its shape and also absorbs a sufficient amount of water to break down the content, The enclosure is filled with water in the inner cavity, the enclosure has a structural strength that can normally contain water even when wearing a diaper, When a predetermined force is applied, the enclosure ruptures and the contained water flows out and flows into the inner cavity through the inner layer of the outer wall and the inner layer of the inner wall, and the amount of the spilled water in the contents of the absorbent member A diaper capable of washing with water, which is absorbed. 2. The cover of claim 1, further comprising a cover having a cutout that the user can tear open by hand so that a sufficient amount of water can enter the contents of the absorbent member when the outer wall is submerged. Diaper which can be washed with water. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein the cover is made of a permeable material. 4. The washable diaper of claim 3 wherein the material of the inner and outer walls of the sealed envelope is polyvinyl alcohol. 2. The washable diaper of claim 1 further comprising a sheet of hydrophilic material configured to allow water to spread along the interior cavity in the interior cavity. 2. The washable diaper of claim 1 wherein said outer layer is comprised of a hydrophobic material. The diaper according to claim 6, wherein the hydrophobic material is poly (vinylidene) dichloride. The washable diaper according to claim 1, wherein the material of the inner layer is polyvinyl alcohol. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein the material of the inner wall is polyvinyl alcohol. The method of claim 1, wherein the sealed shell forms an inner cavity in a double wall structure between the inner wall and the outer wall, and water is introduced from the outside so that the diaper can be decomposed through the inner cavity between the double walls. Diaper which can be washed with water. The diaphragm of claim 1, wherein the material of the absorbent member is made of a hydrophilic material having a physical property of forming a colloidal suspension to absorb a sufficient amount of water so that the shape of the content can be broken. . 12. A washable diaper according to claim 11 wherein the hydrophilic substance of the contents is a hydrogel polymer which forms a colloidal suspension with water. 13. The washable diaper of claim 12 wherein said hydrogel polymer consists of molecules that absorb sufficient amounts of water to form a colloidal suspension and that are not crosslinked. The diaper according to claim 12, wherein the hydrophilic material is cellulose fiber which is decomposed by microorganisms. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent member is attached to an inner wall of the shell. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein the inner and outer walls have outer periphery portions sealed to each other. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure is made of an outer wall containing water, and the outer wall is made of a material selected from polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl acetate, and polyvinyl alcohol. 18. The diaper according to claim 17, wherein the polyvinyl alcohol is used as a hydrophobic coating layer on the inner surface in direct contact with water. 19. A washable diaper according to claim 18 wherein said hydrophobic coating is made of poly (vinylidene) dichloride. 2. The inner laminate according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure consists of a thin laminated wall surrounding a chamber capable of containing water, the wall consisting of an inner lamination and an outer lamination located on an outer surface of the inner lamination. A diaper which can be washed with water, wherein the diaper is made of a hydrophobic material. 21. A washable diaper as recited in claim 20 wherein said thin, laminated wall is configured to a strength that can rupture when a predetermined force is applied. The diaper according to claim 20, wherein the outer thin plate is made of polyvinyl alcohol. 21. The diaper according to claim 20, wherein the hydrophobic material of the inner sheet is poly (vinylidene) dichloride. The diaper according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent member has a fluid permeable cover surrounding the contents. Providing an envelope having an inner wall of hydrophobic outer layers and a hydrophilic inner layer and an outer wall of hydrophobic outer layers and a hydrophilic inner layer, It is located on the inner wall which is in contact with the body when the diaper is worn, and consists of a fluid permeable cover and hydrophilic contents, the excretion passes through the cover toward the contents, and the contents absorb the excretion while maintaining its shape, Providing an absorbent member in which a sufficient amount of water is injected to form a colloidal suspension together with a substance of crushing, It is formed in an inner cavity between the inner and outer walls, consists of a thin wall with water filling, hydrophobic inner lamination and hydrophilic outer lamination, ruptured when exerted by force, and the spilled water is hydrophilic inner Providing a housing adapted to be absorbed by the layer and the absorbent member. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the diaper is immersed in water after the rupture of the housing.