Vacuum-packing diaper at millibars of pressure

Abstract

A method of packaging a diaper includes: disposing the folded diaper within a flexible substantially air impermeable encasement; creating a vacuum state within an interior space defined by the encasement; and sealing the encasement such that the interior space of the substantially air impermeable encasement is completely sealed, and such that the compressible absorbent diaper is completely enclosed within the sealed interior space. Vacuum-packing of the diaper is done at millibars of pressure.

1 . A method of packaging a diaper, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) disposing a diaper within a flexible substantially air impermeable encasement;    (b) creating a vacuum state within an interior space defined by the encasement; and    (c) sealing the encasement such that, 
 (i) the interior space of the substantially air impermeable encasement is completely sealed, and  
 (ii) the compressible absorbent diaper is completely enclosed within the sealed interior space;  
   (d) wherein a pressure within the encasement when sealed is on the order of magnitude of millibars.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein no significant difference in pressure exists between a pressure within the interior space of the encasement and a pressure immediately adjacent an exterior surface of the encasement when the encasement is sealed in said step (c).  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure is less than 10 millibars.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure within the encasement when sealed is less than 20 millibars.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure within the encasement when sealed is between about 5 millibars and about 1 millibar.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the diaper is the only diaper disposed within the sealed interior space.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the diaper disposed within the encasement comprises an unused disposable diaper.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the encasement comprises at least a portion thereof that is transparent such that the diaper is viewable through the encasement.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the diaper includes printed indicia thereon, and the diaper is disposed within the encasement in said step (a) such that the printed indicia of the diaper is visible through the transparent portion of the encasement.  
     
     
         10 . A diaper packaged in accordance with the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         11 . A method of packaging a diaper, comprising vacuum-sealing a compressible diaper disposed within a flexible air impermeable encasement, wherein a pressure within the encasement is on the order of magnitude of millibars when the encasement is sealed with the diaper disposed therein.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the pressure within the encasement when sealed is less than 10 millibars.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the pressure within the encasement when sealed is less than 20 millibars.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the pressure within the encasement when sealed is between about 5 millibars and about 1 millibar.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the diaper is the only diaper disposed within the sealed interior space.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the diaper disposed within the encasement comprises an unused disposable diaper.