Absorbent articles having channels and wetness indicator

• US 10,543,129 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2016
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Strasemeier, John Andrew, Fites, Theodore Cory, Sanborn, Sarah Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Catharine L
• Application Number:
  US15/162,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20160346136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49 Absorbent articles specially adapted to be worn around the waist, e.g. diapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49001 having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51496 having visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/532 inhomogeneous in the plane of the pad
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/422 the alarm being a colour change
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/427 pH indicator
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/428 for articles with superabsorbent materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8497 having decorations or indicia means

Abstract

An absorbent article, such as a diaper or a training pant, having a wearer-facing side and a garment-facing side and a longitudinal axis. The absorbent article comprises a topsheet on the wearer-facing side, a backsheet on the garment-facing side, and an absorbent core between the topsheet and backsheet. The absorbent core comprises a pair of generally longitudinally-extending channels. The absorbent article further comprises a wetness indicator at least partially superposed with at least one of the channels, as seen from the garment-facing side of the article.

Claims

1. An absorbent article, having a wearer-facing side and a garment-facing side and a longitudinal axis;

the absorbent article comprising;

a topsheet on the wearer-facing side,

a backsheet on the garment-facing side, and

an absorbent core between the topsheet and backsheet;

the absorbent core comprising a core wrap having a top layer and a bottom layer enclosing an absorbent material, wherein the absorbent core comprises a pair of generally longitudinally-extending channels symmetrically disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of the absorbent article;

wherein the absorbent article further comprises a wetness indicator having a water soluble dye and superposed with at least one of the channels such that the wetness indicator is entirely encompassed in the at least one of the channels, as seen from the garment-facing side of the article.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the wetness indicator is placed between the bottom layer of the core wrap and the backsheet.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the wetness indicator comprises a composition that changes appearance when contacted with urine.

4. The absorbent article of claim 3 wherein the composition comprises a pH indicator.

5. The absorbent article of claim 3 wherein the composition is slot coated or printed on a component of the absorbent article.

6. The absorbent article of claim 3 wherein the composition is the disposed on the side of the backsheet facing the absorbent core.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the wetness indicator comprises a single wetness indicator area in at least one channel where the wetness indicator is present.

8. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the urine indicator comprises two or more wetness indicator areas in the at least one of the channels.

9. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core does not comprise a channel superposed with the longitudinal axis.

10. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the channels are areas of the absorbent core substantially free of absorbent material.

11. The absorbent article of claim 10 wherein the top layer of the core wrap is bonded to the bottom layer of the core wrap through at least one channel.

12. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent material comprises from 40% to 80% of superabsorbent polymer particles by weight of the absorbent material.

13. The absorbent article of claim 12, wherein the absorbent material comprises at least 70% of superabsorbent polymer particles by weight of the absorbent material.

14. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein at least one channel has a length (L′

) projected on the longitudinal axis of the article which is at least 10% of the length (L) of the absorbent article.

15. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein at least one channel has a width (Wc) of at least 2 mm, at least in some of its part.

16. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the periphery of the absorbent material within the core wrap defines an absorbent material deposition area, and wherein the absorbent material deposition area is either rectangular or is shaped with a width narrower at the crotch point than the maximum width of the absorbent material deposition area in the rest of the absorbent core, wherein the crotch point is defined as the point on the longitudinal axis of the absorbent core and placed at a distance of two fifth (⅖

) of L from a front edge of the absorbent article, L being the length of the absorbent article measured along its longitudinal axis.

17. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core comprises an auxiliary glue between the absorbent material and the top layer and/or between the absorbent material and the bottom layer of the core wrap.

18. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the wetness indicator provides an appearing signal, a disappearing signal, a color change signal or a combination thereof.

19. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the wetness indicator comprises a stabilizer and a matrix.

20. An absorbent article, having a wearer-facing side and a garment-facing side and a longitudinal axis;

the absorbent article comprising;

a topsheet on the wearer-facing side,

a backsheet on the garment-facing side, and

an absorbent core between the topsheet and backsheet;

the absorbent core comprising a core wrap having a top layer and a bottom layer enclosing an absorbent material disposed in an absorbent material deposition area, wherein the absorbent core comprises a pair of generally longitudinally-extending channels symmetrically disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of the absorbent article and wherein the channels do not extend to any edge of the absorbent material deposition area;

wherein the absorbent article further comprises a wetness indicator at least partially superposed with at least one of the channels, as seen from the garment-facing side of the article, wherein the wetness indicator comprises a printed adhesive coating.