Appeal No. 1998-2791 Page 5
Application No. 08/422,676
disposable diapers (40) which have low bulk prior to being
inflated while enabling, when inflated, the resilient
absorbent material (31) therein to absorb relatively large
quantities of liquid compared to the amount of liquid such
absorbent material could absorb if compressed under the weight
of a bed patient or a sitting or lying infant (column 5, lines
23-32). The diaper disclosed by Whyte (Figures 8-10)
comprises a laminated back sheet (200) including a
substantially impervious lamina (222) and a semipermeable3
lamina (223), an absorbent pad (31), a hydrophilic wicking
sheet (228) and a hydrophobic top sheet (229). Upon wetting
of the diaper from the upwardly facing side, the wicking sheet
distributes moisture across a relatively large surface of the
portions of lamina (223) defining self-inflatable pillows
(21). Such moisture permeates lamina (223) and reacts with
gas evolving material (24) comprising any of the materials
enumerated in column 3, lines 41-46, disposed within the
pillows (21) to cause release of carbon dioxide which then
As used by Whyte, "semipermeable" describes material which is3
substantially pervious to the liquid (bodily fluids) sought to be absorbed by
the absorbent material (31) and substantially impervious to gas evolved within
the pillows, as discussed infra (column 5, lines 58-61).
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