The present invention relates generally to the field of disposable articles utilized for absorption and containment of urine and other body exudates. More particularly, the invention relates to a disposable article, for example a diaper, that incorporates components such as an absorbent insert pad which may be removed from the article and flushed down a toilet.
Disposable articles for the absorption and containment of urine and other body exudates are generally known in the art. Such disposable articles have found particular utility in the fields of infant care, child care, feminine care, and adult incontinency. Present commercially available disposable articles for such uses are generally unitary, preshaped or prefolded, and comprised of a fluid pervious bodyside liner, a fluid impervious backing sheet, and an absorbent material disposed between the bodyside liner and the backing sheet. Disposable articles of this type effectively and efficiently absorb and contain urine or other body exudates. Such articles are designed for a single use and are simply deposited after use in a waste receptacle. This ease and convenience of disposal has contributed to the increasing popularity of such disposable absorbent articles.
Until now, the vast majority of the absorbent articles of :he aforementioned type have been designed to be disposed of by delivery to solid waste landfills. Such absorbent articles have not generally been compatible with being flushed down a toilet. The relatively few products that have been designed specifically to be disposed of, at least partially, by flushing have been ineffective or impractical.
With regard to diapers, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,211,147 to P. O. Pherson et al. discloses a diaper pad that is intended to be completely disposed of in household toilets and septic tanks. The pad includes a paper web, several fluff pads, and paper reinforcing strips. The diaper employs numerous channels to distribute fluids. Because the pad contains only wood pulp derivatives, the user may separate the diaper into pieces and flush the pieces in a toilet.
A diaper with a flushable portion is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,466 to H. J. Ralph. This patent discloses a diaper having a flushable layer and a reusable retainer. The flushable layer is composed of top and bottom layers of wet-strength material that surround an absorbent layer. The diaper incorporates numerous perforations which cause the diaper to be self-segmenting and self-disintegrating when immersed in a toilet.
Another diaper with a flushable portion is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,857 to C. Osborn. This patent discloses a diaper that incorporates a removable and flushable inner sheet of material. The inner sheet has a liquid permeable layer, an absorbent layer, and a moisture repellent layer. The inner sheet, which is attached to the remainder of the diaper by adhesives, is constructed with a plurality of perforations and a series of hollow channels. A drawstring located within the channels is used to remove the inner sheet from the remainder of the diaper.
These attempts to provide diapers that are completely or partially flushable have not been entirely successful. For example, the above-mentioned completely flushable diapers must necessarily be limited to materials that can be flushed. Consequently, completely flushable diapers have provided less than desirable fit and absorbency characteristics. On the other hand, the diapers having a flushable layer and a reusable retainer are frequently messy and inconvenient. Finally, the diapers that incorporate a removable insert have not effectively utilized the absorbent material contained within the insert and have tended to prematurely experience saturation spots. Consequently, these diapers have not provided an adequate amount of comfort and dryness. Additionally, these diapers have included devices such as drawstrings to remove the inserts. Devices of this type present numerous manufacturing difficulties and increase the expense and complexity of production.
The present invention teaches an improved disposable article which provides components, such as an absorbent insert pad, which may be quickly and conveniently removed from the article. The user can dispose of the insert pad, as well as any solid feces material held in the article, in any toilet that is connected to a holding tank, a municipal sewer, or other municipal wastewater treatment system. The insert pad may then be flushed down the toilet, and the remainder of the article may be composted or recycled where suitably equipped facilities are available, disposed at a conventional landfill site, or incinerated. Alternately, the complete absorbent article including the insert pad may be directed into the solid waste stream. Thus, the user may select among several alternative disposal methods, thereby accommodating the individual's preferences and the community's capabilities.