US3842838A

US3842838A - Removable diaper topsheet portion for disposal of solid wastes

Info

Publication number: US3842838A
Application number: US00313079A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Gellert
Original assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Current assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date: 1972-01-31
Filing date: 1972-12-07
Publication date: 1974-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 1991-10-22
Also published as: AU470993B2; FR2170035A1; ATA84273A; BE794748A; JPS5429932B2; DE2304059C3; IT985575B; GB1422591A; DK133766C; NO133995C; JPS4892140A; DE2304059A1; IE37251B1; AU5125073A; NL7301272A; CH549966A; DK133766B; SE379270B; FR2170035B1; GB1422592A

Abstract

A disposable diaper is provided with a topsheet for covering of the absorbent pad and contacting the infant, the topsheet having a separable central portion. By removal of the separable portion of the topsheet, it and the solid waste thereon may be disposed of separately from the remainder of the diaper, particularly the bulky portion which absorbs the water-like liquid wastes.

Description

[Juited States Patent Gellert Oct. 22, 1974 [5 REMOVABLE DIAPER TOPSHEET 2,693,806 11/1954 Wright 128/286 PORTION FOR DISPOSAL OF SOLID 2,788,786 4/1957 Dexter 128/284 WASTES 3,315,676 4/1967 Cooper 128/287 3,630,201 12/1971 Endres 128/287 [75] Inventor: Dale A. Gellert, Aurora, Ind. 5,920 5/1972 128/287 3,667,466 6 1972 R l h 128 287 [73] Assignee: The Proctor & Gamble Company, I a p Cmcmnau Ohm Primary ExaminerRichard A. Gaudet [22] Filed: Dec. 7, 1972 Assistant Examiner.1. C. McGowan Attorney, Agent, or FirmE. Kelly Linman; Fredrick [21] 3134179 H. Braun; Richard c. Witte Related US. Application Data [63] lCgopinugitiodn-in-(part of Ser. No. 222,065, Jan. 31, [57] ABSTRACT an one A disposable diaper is provided with a topsheet for [52] US t 128/284 covering of the absorbent pad and contacting the in- [51] Int CL "A 13/16 fant, the topsheet having a separable central portion. [58] Field l' 287 288 By removal of the separable portion of the topsheet, it

"" 128/29O and the solid waste thereon may be disposed of separately from the remainder of the diaper, particularly [56] References (med the bulky portion which absorbs the water-like liquid UNITED STATES PATENTS wastes 2,627,858 2/1953 Miller 128/287 11 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PMENIED-BBIZZIQH v v 7 am 2w 3 FiLg. 8

REMOVABLE DIAPER TOPSHEET PORTION FOR DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTES CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of US. application Ser. No. 222,065, filed Jan. 31, 1972, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a liquid-pervious topsheet for disposable diapers or disposable absorbent diapering pads and more particularly relates to such a topsheet having a severable or otherwise separable central portion removable for convenient disposal of fecal material deposited thereon.

In the past decade, improvements in disposable diapers have revolutionized the diapering of infants. As the term disposable implies, these diapers are designed to be discarded after a single use. Disposable diapers generally consist of an absorbent pad, a padcovering topsheet which contacts the infant, and a liquid-impervious backsheet for containing the liquid wastes within the absorbent pad. Not all disposable diapers include all of these features; for example, some disposable diapers contain no backsheet and are used in conjunction with a separate pair of liquid-impervious pants.

A variety of pad-like inserts for use with specially designed pants or for application within a conventional cloth diaper have also been used, typical of which are described in US. Pat. No. 2,450,059 which issued Sept..

28, l948 to F. K. Rickerson and US. Pat. No. 2,002,368, which issued May 21, 1935 to C. L. Fancher. Also, separate loose paper-like liners have been used in the past with cloth diapers.

While going part of the way to solving the disposal problems, the prior art does not address itself to the problems raised in disposing of a single use diaper which is fecally soiled. Although many disposable diapers have an absorbent pad assembly, typically comprising an absorbent pad and a pad-covering bodycontacting topsheet, which is suited for disposal by flushing in a water closet, this manner of disposal of the absorbent pad assembly has some significant drawbacks. Generally, the absorbent pad assembly is held in the flowing stream of water resulting from flushing the water closet so that the pad is gradually torn apart by the flowing water. The inconvenience of holding the diaper as it is being flushed away discourages many users from disposing of the absorbent pad assembly by flushing it down the water closet.

The alternatives to flushing the absorbent pad assembly also have major drawbacks. If the absorbent pad assembly is fecally soiled, disposal of it in the garbage is both unpleasant and potentially unsanitary. Therefore, one concerned with the undersirable aspects of disposing of a fecally soiled diaper in the garbage must first scrape or rinse the soil into the toilet and then dispose of the pad assembly in the garbage.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to reduce the inconvenience associated with the disposal of single-use diapers which are fecally soiled.

It is a further object of this invention to provide for the separate disposal of solid wastes from diapers without the inconvenience of having to manipulate a loose liner to accomplish this end.

It is still a further object of this-invention to allow separate disposal of the solid waste from a diaper together with a minimum amount of topsheet material and without the bulky absorbent pad.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To accomplish these objects, a disposable diaper is provided with a separable water-pervious feces receiving sheet. The separable feces receiving sheet together with the solid waste on it may be disposed of separately from the remainder of the diaper. A variety of cuts, perforations, holes, attachment means and other means referred to generally hereinafter as lines of weakness are used to provide separability in the various configurations shown and claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the invention, it is believed that the invention will be better understood by reference to the following explanation and accompanying drawings in which;

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the present invention in a flat diaper assembly;

'FIGS. 2-5 are plan views of other various alternate embodiments of the invention in flat diaper assemblies;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a typical prior art disposable diaper with the layers partially cut away to show its overall makeup;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the diaper of present invention with one end fanned outwardly in preparation for application;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section view of the diaper of FIG. 7 taken along line 88; and

FIG. 9 is a vertical section view, corresponding to FIG. 8, of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Several embodiments typical of the invention are shown in the drawings. For clarity and convenience, similar members and features are designated by the same number and different letter suffixes in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 through 6.

FIG. 6 shows a partially cut-away plan view of a typical prior art disposable diaper 11a. The various layers of material comprising the diaper 11a are bound at the ends and the sides 13a. Typically, the diaper 11a will comprise a liquid-impervious backsheet 14a, a liquid-absorbent pad 15a, and a body-contacting topsheet 16a. The binding of the ends 12a and sides 13a is accomplished by turning the end and side edges of the topsheet 16a around and under the pad 15a and suitably affixing them to the pad 15a and/or the backsheet 14a. The backsheet 14a may be made of plastic, treated paper of the like or may be omitted entirely if, for example, the disposable diaper is used with separate plastic pants. Although omitted for clarity in FIGS. l-6, the backsheet will typically wrap over the absorbent pa'd assembly at the edges to improve the containment characteristics of the diaper. (See FIGS. 7-9.) The pad 15a may be constructed of multiple layers of creped cellolosic wadding. Comminuted wood pulp, generally referred to as airfelt, can also be used as the absorbent pad 150 and, when used, is typically enveloped in paper sheeting having at least moderate wet strength. (See FIGS. 8 and 9.) The topsheet 16a is of a liquid-pervious and, preferably, hydrophobic material. Materials suitable for use as topsheets typically have a grain" resulting from the fact that the fibers comprising them align themselves along rather than across the length of the machine producing them. While the machine direction of the topsheet may be oriented either across or along the length of diaper 110 it is preferably transverse, running between the sides 13a and parallel to the ends 12a. This preferred orientation will be assumed hereinafter in each embodiment.

FIG. 1 shows a diaper 11b including a preferred embodiment of this invention, with the topsheet 16b visible. The central area 17b of the topsheet 16b serves as a feces receiving sheet and is separably connected to the remainder of the topsheet 16b along line of weakness 18. Line of weakness 18, comprising transversely extending portions 18a, arcuately shaped transitional portions 18b, and lengthwise-extending portions 18c, provide for separability when the user pulls on the central portion 17b of the topsheet material 16b. Cuts 190 can be provided at the intersections of

portions

18a and 18c to facilitate initiation of separation. Either or both of the cuts 190 may be used as a means to grasp the central area 17b of the topsheet 16b by providing access to both sides thereof. Normally, the user would hold the diaper 11b by the end 12b most convenient to him. The diaper would be elevated above the receptacle for receiving the solid waste, typically a water closet, and the corner of central area 17b defined by the uppermost of the cuts 19a would be used for grasping and pulling the central portion 17b downwardly to cause separation along line of weakness 18. The fecal material and the separated central area 17b would then be discarded into and flushed down the water closet and the remaining portions of the diaper discarded as desired.

The removable portion 17b may be virtually as large as the outer face of the topsheet or may be as small as the area normally soiled. Desirably, it is as small as practical within the above limits, thus reducing the quantity of topsheet material which is flushed away with the soil from a diaper, since materials suitable for a topsheet are generally slow to disintegrate. Typically, the central area 17b will have a width of between about inches and about 1 1 inches, preferably inches, and a length of from about 9 inches to about 13 inches, preferably 13 inches, and will be substantially centered on the outer face of the topsheet 16b.

The line of weakness 18 can be provided in a number of ways and can vary over a range of geometries depending on the material used for topsheet 16b and the strength required to withstand the in-use stresses applied to it. A typical topsheet material is a non-woven, wet laid fabric of rayon, with a binder such as ethyl and methyl methacrylates in a nonionic latex with selfcrosslinking properties as manufactured by Rohm and Haas and sold under the Trademarks Rhoplex HA-8 and Rhoplex HA-24, of about 4 to 5 mils thickness, 19 gm./sq. yd. basis weight, and having a tensile strength of about 1,000 gm./inch with the machine direction and about 550 gm./inch across the machine direction.

For this topsheet, a line of weakness 18 comprising perforations with linear cuts l/l6 inch long separated by uncut sections l/32 inch long work well along the machine direction and cuts 1/32 inch long separated by uncut sections l/64 inch long work well across the machine direction. Cuts 19a can be included as part of the line of weakness and can be made any dimension sufficient to offer access and gripping area for the fingers of the user and can, for example, be a right-angle cut measuring 1 inch along each leg. After being perforated and cut, the topsheet 16b preferably has a tensile strength of at least 300 gm./inch along its machine direction (across the diaper) and at least gm./inch across its machine direction (along the diaper).

The arcuately shaped transitional portions 18b of the line of weakness 18 connect the portions 18c, which are substantially parallel with the sides 13b, with the portions 18a, which are substantially parallel with the ends 12b. These transitional portions 18b must be designed with some care. The grain of the topsheet, mentioned earlier, makes it relatively easy to tear the topsheet along the grain (transversely of the diaper) and relatively difficult to tear the topsheet across the grain (lengthwise of the diaper). Thus a tear initiated along perforations 18a would continue directly to side 13b if perforations 18b did not provide a suitable transition toward perforations 18c. For the topsheet material and perforation pattern mentioned above, portions 18b can be in the form of quadrants of a circle, preferably with a radius of about 3 inches, and located so as to be tangential at its point of interception to both

portions

18a and 18c. The smaller perforations used across the machine direction are continued through the transitional portions 18b. Alternatively, the removable portion can be rectangular and the tear directing transitions can be provided by suitably sized (e.g. about 1 to 3 inch) cuts at the corners thereof.

FIG. 2 shows another configuration of the invention of diaper 11d in which the line of weakness comprises perforations 18d, which describe a removable portion 17d which is rectangular with rounded corners and cuts 19d which provide access to the material of the topsheet at points essentially centered on the ends 12d. Again, care must be taken to provide a smooth transition from perforations along the grain to perforations across the grain.

FIG. 3 shows a diaper lle with a removable portion 17e similar to that of the diaper 11d of FIG. 2. Access to the removable portion 17e is by holes defined by cuts 19e. A hole such as is shown in FIG. 3 may be used with any other configuration forming a portion of the line of weakness. The holes defined by cuts 19c should be large enough to accommodate a finger and small enough to minimize contact between the absorbent pad and the infant, and are preferably semicircles of about 1 inch to about 2 inch diameter.

FIG. 4 shows diaper 11f with still another embodiment of the invention. Lines 20f are not a physical feature of the. diaper but are intended to represent a line of the grain of the topsheet 16f connecting the ends of cuts 19f. A line such as this parallel to the fibers of the topsheet is a line of weakness without the use of perforations. Consequently, a tear may be made along the line 20fwithout the use of perforations. In this embodiment, the central separable portion 17f of the topsheet 16f is defined by lines of weakness comprising transverse lines of grain 20f, and cuts 19f, the lines of grain 20f projecting from the ends of one of said cuts and connecting it with the other of said cuts.

FIG. 5 shows a diaper 11g with a removable feces receiving sheet 17g. Sheet 17g is preferably of the same material used as the topsheet 16 in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 4. In this embodiment, the feces receiving sheet 17g is attached along lines 183 (Le, near its periphery) to the absorbent pad g by glue, embossing, etc. This embodiment teaches the feasibility of having a feces receiving sheet 17g which is attached to the face of the underlying absorbent pad 153 rather than being a separable part of larger sheet which is coextensive with the absorbent pad 15g and attached to the edges thereof. The corners 19g of the feces receiving sheet 17g are not attached to .the absorbent pad 15g and therefore facilitate initial separation of the feces receiving sheet 17g from the absorbent pad 15g in a manner similar to the cuts 19 of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 4. The unattached corners and the lines of attachment 18g comprise the line of weakness and the lines of attachment 18g should be of such strength that the feces receiving sheet 17g will be retained in placed in use and yet may be peeled away for disposal.

FIG. 7 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention in folded form, partially fanned open, designated generally by the numeral 20. The general form of the diaper is as disclosed in US. Pat. No. Re. 26,151 which issued Jan. 31, 1967 to R. C. Duncan et al. and is commonly assigned to the assignee of this invention. As seen more clearly with reference to FIG. 8, the diaper 20 is comprised of multiple superposed plys of materials folded in a box pleat configuration.

A liquid retaining backsheet 21 of polyethylene or the like underlies the entire diaper and preferably wraps around and overlies the marginal edges thereof, forming inwardly turned side flaps 22. An absorbent layer is superposed on and preferably bonded to the backsheet 21 and preferably is comprised of a layer of communited woodpulp 23 sandwiched between an upper sheet 24 and a lower sheet 24 of creped tissue paper having at least moderate wet strength. Referring again to FIG. 7 the relatively bulky absorbent layer preferably terminates along lines 25 which are spaced inwardly from the longitudinal ends 26 of the diaper 20. This makes it possible to fold the portion of the backsheet 21 lying between the

lines

25 and 26 inwardly to form a gasket" at the waist of the wearer.

The feces receiving topsheet 27 of FIGS. 7 and 8 is separably attached to the remainder of the diaper by, for example, a strip of glue 28. A particularly saticfactory material for the topsheet 27 is a fluffy sheet having a density of from about 0.05 to 0.l5 gm./c.c. One particularly suitable such sheet is comprised of short (less than l/4 inch) cellulosic and long (about 3/4 to 1% inch) cotton or rayon fibers which are dry laid and through bonded with a self-crosslinking acrylic emulsion as described more fully in US. Pat. No. 3,663,348, which issued to Gerald L. Liloia, et al., on May 16, 1972 and which is incorporated herein by reference. Such a topsheet 27 has excellent strike-through characteristics because it is relatively open and is not readily wetted and therefore can be superposed on the sideflaps 22 without adversely affecting the containment of liquid wastes.

The topsheet 27 is separable from the remainder of the diaper 20 and provides the ability to dispose of solid 10 jected to peeling forces), consistent with the need to retain the topsheet 27 in place during diaper application and use. Attachment consistent with these aims can be achieved with adhesives of the pressure sensitive family, with latex or acrylic adhesives or with the weaker members of the hot melt variety. A stripe 28 of any of these adhesives extending laterally the full length of the topsheet 27 and centrally thereon is satisfactory for bonding purposes and also provides large unattached areas which can be readily grasped to separate the topsheet 27 from the remainder of the diaper. The topsheet 27 is preferably coextensive with the backsheet 21 in the lengthwise dimension (see FIG. 7), thereby assuring that the area which is to be grasped for disposal is free from solid wastes.

Preferably, the topsheet 27 will be somewhat narrower than the remainder of the diaper as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. This reduces the amount of material needed for the topsheet 27 and essentially eliminates any difficulties which might be encountered in the disposal thereof in a water closet or the like. Since the topsheet 27 is essentially non-absorbent, thereby keeping liquids out of contact with the wearers skin, its reduced size also reduces the bulkiness of the diaper 20 (compared to a similar topsheet which is coextensive with the absorbent pad in both directions, as is conventional) without reducing its absorptive capacity.

A hydrophobic sheet 31 is preferably provided along each of the lengthwise edges of the diaper 20, sized so as to cover at least those portions of the absorbent pad assembly which are not covered by the topsheet 27, thereby keeping the wearer dry and out of contact with the absorbent pad. The hydrophobic sheet 31 is secured to the top of the absorbent pad (upper sheet 24) but is unattached to the topsheet 27 which overlies it, thereby allowing relative motion therebetween as the diaper 20 is fanned open and applied. One satisfactory hydrophobic sheet 31 consists of a polyproplyene sheet about 1 mil thick which is perforated and relatively open as manufactured by Hercules, Inc. and sold under the Trademark Delnet.

Although the diapers of this invention can be secured by pins, the preferred diapers utilize tapes 29 for securement and release liners 30 overlying and protecting the initially unsecured portion thereof. A major advantage of tapes in connection with the present invention is that tapes distribute the securing force on the backsheet 21 and, unlike pins, do not rely on the strength of the absorbent pad and topsheet. Sonsequently the absence of a topsheet running between the lengthwise edges of the diaper does not materially change its effective in-use strength.

One of the major problems with prior art disposable diapers is due to the conflicting demands placed on the absorbent pad. ln-use, the absorbent pad must be strong and resist wadding and balling. The disposal of the absorbent pad and topsheet assembly in the water closet requires a weak topsheet and absorbent pad. The present invention not only substantially reduces the amount of diaper material which is to be disposed of in the water closet but also eliminates the need to have a weak water-dispersable absorbent pad and allows the use of strong pads which heretofore have been impractical in view of recommended disposal methods.

FIG. 9 illustrates a variation on the diaper of FIGS. 7 and 8 wherein the lofty separably attached topsheet 27a is positioned under the inwardly turned sideflaps 22a of the diaper a. No hydrophobic sheet (comparable to sheet 31 of the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8) is used in this embodiment. When eliminating the separate hydrophobic sheet in this or other embodiments it will frequently be desirable to make the exposed portions of the envelope of the absorbent pad at least somewhat hydrophobic; for example, by treatment thereof with suitable fluorocarbon materials well known in the art. The remaining portions of the diaper 20a are identical to the diaper 20 and are numbered similarly, but including the suffix a. Many other variations of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A disposable diaper having sides aligned substantially parallel to its longest dimension and ends aligned substantially parallel to its shortest dimension, said diaper being suitable for securement about the wearers waist by the application of tension in a direction substantially parallel to said shortest dimension at the ends of said diaper, said diaper comprising a liquidabsorbent pad and a liquid-pervious topsheet secured along its entire periphery in superposed relation to said liquid-absorbent pad, a centrally-located portion of said topsheet defining a liquid pervious feces-receiving sheet portion separable from said topsheet, said fecesreceiving sheet portion being defined by means of a continuous line of weakness in said topsheet, the periphery of said feces-receiving sheet portion being completely located within the perphery of said topsheet so as to provide an imperforate border, whereby the portions of said topsheet located at the ends of said diaper which are subjected to in use tension in a direction substantially parallel to said shorter dimension are not weakened by said continuous line of weakness, said feces-receiving sheet portion being adapted for separation and removal from the remainder of said diaper to permit separate disposal thereof.

2. A disposable diaper having sides aligned substantially parallel to its longest dimension and ends aligned substantially parallel to its shortest dimension, said diaper being suitable for securement about the wearers waist by the application of tension in a direction substantially parallel to said shortest dimension at the ends of said diaper, said diaper comprising a liquidabsorbent pad, a liquid-impervious backsheet underlying said liquid-absorbent pad and a liquid-pervious topsheet superposed on said liquid-absorbent pad and secured along its entire periphery to said liquidimpervious backsheet, a centrally-located portion of said topsheet defining a liquid-pervious feces-receiving sheet portion separable from said topsheet, said fecesreceiving sheet portion being defined by means of a continuous line of weakness in said topsheet, the periphery of said feces-receiving sheet being completely located within the periphery of said topsheet so as to provide an imperforate border, whereby the portions of said topsheet located at the ends of said diaper which are subjected to in use tension in a direction substantially parallel to said shortest dimension are not weakened by said continuous line of weakness, said fecesreceiving sheet portion being adapted for separation and removal from the remainder of said diaper to permit separate disposal thereof.

3. The disposable diaper of claim 2, wherein said liquid-pervious topsheet has a grain and wherein said continuous line of weakness is comprised of two substantially parallel cuts of substantially equal length, said cuts being oriented transverse to the direction of said grain, and lines of said grain connecting the ends of one of said cuts to the corresponding ends of the other of said cuts, said cuts providing access for grasping both sides of said feces-receiving sheet portion in order to initiate separation and removal thereof from the remainder of said diaper.

4. The disposable diaper of claim 2, wherein said continuous line of weakness in said topsheet is comprised of a continuous line of perforations and at least one cut, said cut being of sufficient size to provide access for manually grasping both sides of said fecesreceiving sheet portion in order to initiate separation and removal thereof from the remainder of said diaper.

5. The disposable diaper of claim 2, wherein said continuous line of weakness in said topsheet is comprised of a continuous line of perforations and at least two intersecting cuts, said intersecting cuts forming a tab of sufficient size to permit manually grasping both sides of said feces-receiving sheet portion in order to initiate separation and removal thereof from the remainder of said diaper.

6. The disposable diaper of claim 5, wherein said intersecting cuts form a substantially right-angle tab.

7. The disposable diaper of claim 6, wherein said feces-receiving sheet portion has a substantially rectangular outline, and a substantially right-angle tab is formed at least at two corners of said feces-receiving sheet portion.

8. In a disposable diaper having a liquid-absorbent pad enveloped by paper sheeting having moderate wet strength, the improvement comprising a centrallylocated, liquid-pervious feces-receiving sheet separably attached near its periphery to the face of said liquidabsorbent pad, said feces-receiving sheet having its periphery within the periphery of said liquid absorbent pad and being readily separable and removable from the remainder of said diaper to permit separate disposal thereof.

9. The disposable diaper of claim 8, wherein at least one corner of said feces-receiving sheet is not attached to the surface of said liquid-absorbent pad, thereby providing a tab to permit grasping both sides of said feces-receiving sheet in order to initiate separation and removal thereof from the remainder of said diaper.

10. A disposable diaper, comprising a liquidabsorbent pad, and a liquid-pervious feces-receiving sheet superposed on and separably attached to the face of said liquid-absorbent pad by centrally located attachment means having low peel strength, the width of said feces-receiving sheet being less than the width of said liquid absorbent pad, said feces-receiving sheet thereby being adapted to permit removal from the remainder of the diaper and separate disposal thereof.

11. The disposable diaper of claim 10, wherein said centrally located attachment means is comprised of pressure-sensitive adhesive.

Claims

1. A disposable diaper having sides aligned substantially parallel to its longest dimension and ends aligned substantially parallel to its shortest dimension, said diaper being suitable for securement about the wearer''s waist by the application of tension in a direction substantially parallel to said shortest dimension at the ends of said diaper, said diaper comprising a liquid-absorbent pad and a liquid-pervious topsheet secured along its entire periphery in superposed relation to said liquidabsorbent pad, a centrally-located Portion of said topsheet defining a liquid pervious feces-receiving sheet portion separable from said topsheet, said feces-receiving sheet portion being defined by means of a continuous line of weakness in said topsheet, the periphery of said feces-receiving sheet portion being completely located within the perphery of said topsheet so as to provide an imperforate border, whereby the portions of said topsheet located at the ends of said diaper which are subjected to in use tension in a direction substantially parallel to said shorter dimension are not weakened by said continuous line of weakness, said feces-receiving sheet portion being adapted for separation and removal from the remainder of said diaper to permit separate disposal thereof.

2. A disposable diaper having sides aligned substantially parallel to its longest dimension and ends aligned substantially parallel to its shortest dimension, said diaper being suitable for securement about the wearer''s waist by the application of tension in a direction substantially parallel to said shortest dimension at the ends of said diaper, said diaper comprising a liquid-absorbent pad, a liquid-impervious backsheet underlying said liquid-absorbent pad and a liquid-pervious topsheet superposed on said liquid-absorbent pad and secured along its entire periphery to said liquid-impervious backsheet, a centrally-located portion of said topsheet defining a liquid-pervious feces-receiving sheet portion separable from said topsheet, said feces-receiving sheet portion being defined by means of a continuous line of weakness in said topsheet, the periphery of said feces-receiving sheet being completely located within the periphery of said topsheet so as to provide an imperforate border, whereby the portions of said topsheet located at the ends of said diaper which are subjected to in use tension in a direction substantially parallel to said shortest dimension are not weakened by said continuous line of weakness, said feces-receiving sheet portion being adapted for separation and removal from the remainder of said diaper to permit separate disposal thereof.

4. The disposable diaper of claim 2, wherein said continuous line of weakness in said topsheet is comprised of a continuous line of perforations and at least one cut, said cut being of sufficient size to provide access for manually grasping both sides of said feces-receiving sheet portion in order to initiate separation and removal thereof from the remainder of said diaper.

8. In a disposable diaper having a liquid-absorbent pad enveloped by paper sheeting having moderate wet strength, the improvement comprising a centrally-located, liquid-pervious feces-receiving sheet separabLy attached near its periphery to the face of said liquid-absorbent pad, said feces-receiving sheet having its periphery within the periphery of said liquid absorbent pad and being readily separable and removable from the remainder of said diaper to permit separate disposal thereof.

10. A disposable diaper, comprising a liquid-absorbent pad, and a liquid-pervious feces-receiving sheet superposed on and separably attached to the face of said liquid-absorbent pad by centrally located attachment means having low peel strength, the width of said feces-receiving sheet being less than the width of said liquid absorbent pad, said feces-receiving sheet thereby being adapted to permit removal from the remainder of the diaper and separate disposal thereof.