Fitted belt for absorbent garment

Abstract

Disclosed is a disposable absorbent garment having a belt. The belt may either be integral with or detachable from the absorbent portion of the garment. The belt is arcuate so that one laterally extending edge of the belt is longer than the other laterally extending edge of the belt. This arrangement provides a better fitting belt which more discretely conforms to the contours of the wearer and is less noticeable under clothing. Alternatively, the belt may have a portion which is worn relatively high on the wearer's back, extends diagonally downward to the front of the wearer and is worn relatively low, below the stomach of the wearer in front. This arrangement provides a belt which generally does not interfere with the portions of the wearer's body which encounter large ranges of motion during normal movements of the body.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An absorbent garment to be fitted to a wearer having a front portion, a rear portion, and a longitudinal centerline, said front portion being concave upward when said absorbent garment is worn, said absorbent garment comprising: a belt portion for encircling at least a portion of a wearer's waist, said belt portion having a centerline which corresponds in position to a wearer's spinal cord when the absorbent garment is worn, a first face and a second face opposed thereto, two spaced apart laterally extending edges generally centered about said centerline, wherein said laterally extending edges comprise an upper laterally extending edge and a lower laterally extending edge wherein the upper laterally extending edge is disposed above the lower edge when the absorbent garment is worn and the highest portion of the belt portion on the wearer's body at a rear of the wearer's body is in the area of the wearer's spinal cord at the inner section of the centerline of said belt portion and said upper laterally extending edge, and said belt portion curves downward toward a front of the wearer's body when the absorbent garment is worn; and   a disposable assembly associated with said belt portion, said disposable assembly comprising a liquid pervious topsheet, a liquid impervious backsheet joined to said topsheet, an absorbent core positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet, and a means for affixing said disposable assembly to at least one face of said belt portion.   
     
     
       2. A garment according to claim 1 wherein said belt portion has at least one proximal end joined to said backsheet. 
     
     
       3. A garment according to claim 1 wherein said belt portion comprises three discrete segments: a central segment having laterally extending edges originating at or juxtaposed with the centerline and extending laterally outwardly therefrom in each direction towards the oppositely disposed distal ends, said laterally extending edges of said central segment being arcuate within the plane of said belt portion and concave in a first direction;   two intermediate segments disposed outboard of said central segment, one said intermediate segment being on each side of the centerline, each of said intermediate segments having an inboard end adjacent to or juxtaposed with said central segment and an outboard end disposed laterally oppositely therefrom, each of said laterally extending edges of said intermediate segments being arcuate within the plane of said belt portion and concave in a second direction generally opposite that of said first direction of said central segment; and   two distal segments, one said distal segment on each side of the centerline, each said distal segment being between said respective intermediate segment and the respective distal end, each said distal segment being a generally rectilinear projection of the tangent of the outboard end of said respective intermediate segment.   
     
     
       4. A garment according to claim 1 wherein the means for affixing said disposable assembly to at least one face of said belt portion comprises an association between the disposable assembly and the belt such that the relationship between the disposable assembly and the belt are selected from the group consisting of integral, joined at a proximal end, and detachable. 
     
     
       5. A garment according to claim 4 wherein said belt portion is integral and comprises elastic strands. 
     
     
       6. A garment according to claim 1 wherein said belt portion comprises at least one elastic segment having differential extensibility, as measured in the lateral direction, across the finite width of said belt portion. 
     
     
       7. A belt according to claim 6 wherein said elastic segments monotonically decrease in lateral dimension as one laterally extending edge of the belt portion is approached. 
     
     
       8. A garment according to claim 1 wherein a portion of each said laterally extending edge is arcuate within the plane of the belt portion concave in the same direction. 
     
     
       9. A belt according to claim 8 wherein said arcuate portion has a curvilinear segment which increases in radius of curvature as a distal end of said belt portion is approached. 
     
     
       10. A disposable absorbent article having a front end edge and a rear end edge, said disposable absorbent article comprising a liquid pervious topsheet, a liquid impervious backsheet joined to said topsheet, and an absorbent core positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet, wherein said front end edge of said disposable absorbent article is concave upward and disposed below a wearer's stomach and abdomen when said disposable absorbent article is worn. 
     
     
       11. The disposable absorbent article of claim 10 further comprising at least one elastic strand adjacent said front end edge of said absorbent article. 
     
     
       12. The disposable absorbent article of claim 10 wherein said rear end edge comprises a convex upward waistband portion for encircling at least a portion of a wearer's waist when said disposable absorbent article is worn. 
     
     
       13. The disposable absorbent article of claim 12 further comprising at least one elastic strand adjacent said rear end edge of said absorbent article.