Flushable sanitary napkin having a reinforcing and securing strip therein

Claim 1

A FLUSHABLE SANITARY NAPKIN COMPRISING: (A) AN INTERIOR PAD OF DISPERSIBLE FIBROUS ABSORBENT MATERIAL ADAPTED TO ABSORB BODY FLUIDS; (B) A FLUSHABLE FLUID PERMEABLE WRAPPER OF CREPED CELLULOSIC FIBROUS SHEET MATERIAL DISPOSED AROUND AND ENCLOSING SAID INTERIOR PAD AND DEFINING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING OVERLAPPING EDGES, SAID WRAPPER COMPRISING BONDED, HYDROPHILIC, FLAT RIBBON-LIKE, AERATED, REGENERATED CELLULOSE FIBERS OF THE GENERALLY COLLAPSED MULTI-CELLULAR FORM TO PROVIDE HIGH DRY STRENGTH, WET HANG AND DISPERSIBILITY FOR SAID WRAPPER WHEN AGITATED IN A LARGE EXCESS OF WATER; AND (C) A REINFORCING AND SECURING STRIP DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID OVERLAPPING EDGES OF SAID WRAPPER AND COMPRISING A GENERALLY INEXTENSIBLE, THIN, FLAT, RIBBON-LIKE STRIP COATED WITH AN ADHESIVE FOR SECURING SAID OVERLAPPING EDGES OF SAID WRAPPER TOGETHER, SAID STRIP BEING ADAPTED TO RESTRICT ELONGATION OF SAID CREPED WRAPPER, PROVIDE ADDITIONAL STRENGTH TO SAID WRAPPER, AND FORM AND HOLD THE BODY CONTACTING FACE OF SAID SANITARY NAPKIN IN A RELATIVELY SMOOTH LONGITUDINALLY CURVED CONFIGURATION CONFORMING GENERALLY TO THE NATURAL BODY CONTOUR OF THE WEARER WHEN PLACED IN POSITION THEREON TO PROVIDE A GREATER SURFACE AREA IN CONTACT THEREWITH FOR OPTIMUM ABSORBENCE AND COMFORT.