US3035578A - Sanitary napkin cover - Google Patents

Description

May 22, 1962 c. w. ELMORE SANITARY NAPKIN COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 4, 1958 INVENTOR. Claude W. Elmore May 22, 1962 c. w. ELMORE SANITARY NAPKIN COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 4, 1958 INVENTOR. Cidude W. Elmore BY Mtg/f United States Patent 3,035,578 SANITARY NAPKIN COVER Claude W. Elmore, 125 Buckingham Way, San Francisco, Calif. Filed Aug. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 756,267 9 Claims. (Cl. 128-290) This invention relates to a device for protectively enclosing used sanitary napkins. Reference is made to my copending United States patent application Serial No. 686,984, filed September 30, 1957, and now abandoned, of which the present application is a continuation-in-part.

An object of this invention is to provide liquid repellent material detachably mounted to the outer face of a sanitary napkin and in folded condition whereat the broad face of the material is in juxtaposition within the areas described by the outer face of the napkin.

A feature and advantage of this invention is that the material so positioned does not interfere with the normal use of the napkin.

Another feature of this invention is that subsequent to use of the napkin, the material may be removed from the napkin and thereafter employed as a wrapping into which the napkin may be enclosed for convenient disposal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a liquid repellent sanitary napkin cover normally attached to the bottom face of the napkin so as not'to interfere with the normal use of the napkin. The cover is further arranged to unfold and completely enclose the napkin after the napkin has been used.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sanitary napkin with a folded protective covering attached to the bottom face of the napkin.

FIG. 2 is a View of FIG. 1 shown with one of the cover holding means partially removed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the napkin of FIG. 1 with the cover in the unfolded position.

FIG. 4 is a view of the napkin enclosed in the cover.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the napkin and cover.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modification of the invention in which the cover is fitted into a pocket formed on the underface of the napkin and in which the cover is formed in the shape of a bag.

FIG. 7 is a view of FIG. 6 with the cover bag partially removed from the pocket.

FIG. 8 is a view of the embodhnent of FIG. 6 with the cover bag in position to receive the napkin.

FIG. 9 is a view of the embodiment of FIG. 6 shown with the bag enclosing the napkin.

FIG. 10 is a view of another modification of the invention in which the cover material is held by a tear sheet on the bottom face of the napkin.

Referring now to the drawings and with particular reference to FIGS. 1 through 5 there is shown a catamenial pad or sanitary napkin A composed of a liquid absorbent soft material such as soft fabric, cotton and the like.

A folded cover B is removably attached to the bottom face of the napkin in such a way that after the napkin has been used cover B may be unfolded as indicated in FIG. 3 and thence used for a Wrapping to enclose the napkin as indicated in FIG. 4.

Cover B is formed of a thin highly flexible liquid repellent material such as polyethylene, aluminum foil, wax paper or cellophane. Cover B is folded along fold lines as indicated at 18 so as to provide a plurality of coplanar broad faces 20 in the folded condition. Each of the broad faces 20 is arranged in the folded condition to lie within the area described by bottom face 15 of the napkin. Cover B is removably attached to the bottom face of napkin A by strips 22 attached partially to bottom face 15 of napkin A and partially on the longitudinal edges 23 of folded cover B. With strips 22 in place cover B is firmly attached in juxtaposition with face 15 of napkin A.

Strips 22 are formed of a severable material such as paper, cellophane or polyethylene and are provided with a tear string 24 mounted under each strip 22. By this means string 24 may be pulled upwardly and downwardly with respect to strips 22 thus severing the strip between the connecting points of strip 22 with the bottom face 15 of napkin A and the edges 23 of cover B. After the cover has been removed the cover may be unfolded as indicated in FIG. 3 and thence wrapped around the napkin as indicated in FIG. 4 wherein the napkin is completely enclosed in a water repellent cover so that the napkin may be conveniently disposed while in a sanitary container.

Bottom face 15 of the napkin is glued to one broad cover face 20 so that the napkin will not part from cover B in the unfolded condition. The particular face 20 to which the napkin is permanently attached is located in a central area of cover B so that the peripheral segments of the cover in the unfolded condition are formed with suflicient area to completely enclose the napkin without removing of face 20 from face 15 of the napkin.

It is noted that with the cover in the folded position as indicated in FIG. 1 that the entire cover B is so attached to bottom face 15 of napkin A that it will not interfere with the normal use of the napkin.

In FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 there is provided a modification of the invention. In FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 a napkin C formed of the same material as napkin A is provided with a pocket D formed on the underface of the napkin. Pocket D comprises a sheet of resilient material such as cheesecloth, soft fabric and the like firmly attached to edges 30 of napkin C along three peripheral edges 31 of fabric 29 so as to form the pocket with one open end as at 32.

The disposable cover is formed in the shape of a bag as indicated at E in FIG. 8 which is sealed along the side edges 33 and bottom edge 34 and open at the top as at.

35. Bag E is folded to provide a plurality of coplanar broad faces arranged so that the folded cover B may conveniently fit within pocket D as indicated in FIGS. 6 and 7.

Cover bag E is formed of a liquid repellent material of the same nature as previously described in connection with cover B of FIGS. 1 through 5.

In operation napkin C in condition for normal use is provided with cover E in the folded condition nested within pocket D. In this condition the napkin is used in the normal manner. After the napkin has been used, bag E is removed from pocket D as indicated in FIGS. 7 and 8. Thereafter bag E is unfolded and the napkin is deposited within bag E as indicated in FIG. 9 whereafter top 35 of the bag is folded together to form a complete enclosure for the napkin.

In FIG. 10 there is shown another modification of the invention in which a napkin 40 is provided 'with an envelope 41 over the bottom face of the napkin. The envelope is formed of a severable material such as paper, or cheesecloth and is arranged to have nested between it and the bottom face of the napkin a cover or bag 39 such 3 as indicated at B in FIGS. 1 through 5 or at E in FIGS. 6 through 9.

A tear string 45 is disposed under envelope .1. When string 45 is pulled outwardly and downwardly envelope 41 severs thus allowing free access to the cover or bag 39 whereafter the latter can be unfolded and employed for the purpose of a wrapping for the napkin as previously explained.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by Way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the spirit of the invention as limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In the art of sanitary napkins of the type formed of a generally rectangular wad of liquid absorbent material the combination of: a sheet of liquid repellent material formed sufficiently large to completely wrap about all surfaces of said napkin; said sheet folded to form a plurality of coplanar broad faces; each said broad face in the folded position being juxtaposed the bottom face of said napkin and within the confines of the area formed by the bottom face of the napkin; and means for removably attaching said folded sheet on the bottom face of said napkin whereby upon removal and unfolding said sheet the sheet is adapted to form a wrapping for enclosing the napkin.

2. In the art of sanitary napkins according to claim 1 and wherein said means for removably attaching said folded sheet on the bottom of said napkin comprises strips attached to opposite edges of said folded sheet and the bottom face of said napkin; and means for severing the connecting of said strip between said sheet and said napkin.

3. In the art of sanitary napkins according to claim 1 and wherein said means for removably attaching said folded sheet on the bottom face of said napkin comprises a pocket formed on the bottom face of said napkin and wherein said sheet is enclosed within the pocket.

4. In a sanitary napkin of the type formed of a gen: erally rectangular Wad of liquid absorbent material the combination of: a liquid repellent sheet material formed sufiiciently large to completely enwrap said napkin; said sheet material folded to form a plurality of coplanar broad faces; each said broad face in the folded position being juxtaposed the bottom face of said napkin and within the confines of the area formed by the bottom face of the napkin; means for removably attaching said folded sheet material on the bottom face of said napkin; and means for permanently attaching to the bottom face of said napkin a portion of the broad face of said sheet material which lies against the bottom face of said napkin whereby upon removal and unfolding said sheet material the latter is adaptable to form a wrapping for enclosing the napkin.

5. The combination according to claim 4 and wherein the bottom face of said napkin is attached to said sheet material at a point adjacent the center of said sheet material in unfolded condition.

6. In the art of sanitary napkins of the type formed of a generally rectangular wad of liquid absorbent material the combination of: a bag formed of liquid repellent material sufficiently large to completely enclose said napkin within said bag; said bag folded to form a plurality of coplanar broad faces; said broad faces in the folded condition being juxtaposed the bottom face of said napkin and within the confines of the area formed by the bottom face of the napkin; and means for removably attaching the folded bag on the bottom face of said napkin whereby upon removal and unfolding of said bag said bag is adaptable to receive said nap-kin.

7. In the art of sanitary napkins according to claim 6 and wherein said means for removably attaching the folded bag on the bottom of said napkin comprises strips attached to opposite edges of the folded bag and the bottom face of said napkin; and means for severing the connection of said strip between said bag and said napkin.

8. In the art of sanitary napkins according to claim 6 and wherein said means for removably attaching said folded bag on the bottom face. of said napkin comprises a pocket formed on the bottom face of said napkin and wherein said folded bag is removably nested within the pocket.

9. A catamenial pad assembly comprising an elongated catamenial pad having opposed faces and a flexible, liquid repellent sheet of material formed of sufiicient size to substantially encompass said catamenial pad; said sheet being folded into a compact mass having its largest dimensions no larger than the largest face of said catamenial pad, and means detachably securing said sheet to one face of the pad, said sheet when detached from said pad being expandible to an opened-out condition of a size to encompass said pad.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,753,106 Barth Apr. 1, 1930 2,002,368 Fancher May 21, 1935 2,506,238 Rowe L. May 2, 1950 2,750,033 Pickens June 12, 1956 2,896,626 Voightman July 28, 19 59

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