Absorbent barrier structures having a high convective air flow rate and articles made therefrom

• US 20020035354A1
• Filed: 06/18/2001
• Published: 03/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Sprengard-Eichel, Cornelia, Schmidt, Mattias, Polat, Suna, Mirle, Srinivas Krishnaswamy, McKibben, John Ferney
• Application Number:
  US09/883,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20020035354A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/385.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5146 having apertures of perforations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51462 being defined by a value or parameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51478 being a laminate, e.g. multi-layered or with several layers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51411 being impervious to fluids but not for air or vapours
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51421 only in special places
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/22 characterised by the presence of two or more layers which are next to each other and are fibrous, filamentary, formed of particles or foamed layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles next to a foam layer B32B19/047, next to a layer made of particles B32B19/048, or next to a fibrous or filamentary layer B32B19/06; paper layer or cardboard layer next to a paper layer or cardboard layer B32B29/005, next to a foam layer B32B29/007, next to a fibrous or filamentary layer B32B29/02, or next to a particulate layer B32B29/04

Abstract

The present invention relates to absorbent articles with improved protection and comfort by use of an absorbent barrier structure. This is achieved by the selection of individual components meeting specific requirements such that the combination thereof provides the absorbent articles having desired performance.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising an absorbent core and an absorbent barrier structure, wherein the absorbent barrier structure has

a hydrohead value of at least about 10 mBars;

a convective air permeability of at least about 10 Darcy/mm; and

a dynamic liquid impact value of less than about 10 g/m².

2. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the absorbent barrier structure has an absorbency of at least about 1 g/g.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the absorbent barrier structure a static liquid transmission value of less than about 6.5 g/m² at 2 minutes after impact and less than 13 g/m² at 15 minutes after impact.

4. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the absorbent barrier structure comprises a reservoir zone, and a barrier zone at least partially disposed between the absorbent core and the reservoir zone.

5. The absorbent article of claim 4 wherein the absorbent barrier structure has a basis weight of at least about 30 g/m² and a thickness less than about 1.5 mm.

6. The absorbent structure of claim 4 wherein the reservoir zone has an absorbency at least about 20% less than that of the absorbent core and the hydrohead value of the barrier zone is higher than the hydrohead value of the reservoir zone and the hydrohead value of the absorbent core.

7. The absorbent article of claim 6 wherein the reservoir zone comprises a porous structure selected from the group consisting of a fibrous web, a fibrous wad, a foam, and combinations thereof.

8. The absorbent article of claim 6 wherein the reservoir zone has a basis weight of at least about 15 gsm.

9. The absorbent article of claim 6 wherein the reservoir zone comprises at least about 70 wt % of cellulosic fibers.

10. The absorbent article of claim 9 wherein the reservoir zone further comprises additives selected from the group consisting of synthetic fibers, chemical bonding agents, crosslinking agents, debonding agents, wet strength resins, liquid or moisture absorbing agents, odor absorbing agents, antimicrobials, coloring agents, stiffening agents and mixtures thereof.

11. The absorbent article of claim 4 wherein the hydrohead value of the barrier zone is at least about 10 mBars.

12. The absorbent article of claim 4 wherein the barrier zone is made from polymeric materials selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, olefinic copolymers, polyesters, polyamides, polyalkylene oxides, polyvinyl alcohols, and mixtures thereof.

13. The absorbent article of claim 4 wherein the barrier zone includes a fibrous web selected from the groups consisting of a woven web, a knitted web, a spunbond nonwoven web, a meltblown nonwoven web, a spunbond/meltblown nonwoven web, a spunbond/meltblown/spunbond nonwoven web, a carded nonwoven web, an air-laid nonwoven web, a hydro-entangled nonwoven web, and combinations thereof.

14. The absorbent article of claim 4 wherein at least one surface of the reservoir zone or the barrier zone is treated with a hydrophobic agent.

15. The absorbent article of claim 14 wherein the hydrophobic agent is a fluorocarbon.

16. The absorbent article of claim 4 further comprises a topsheet and an outer cover, wherein the absorbent core is disposed between the topsheet and the outer cover;

and

the absorbent barrier structure is disposed between the absorbent core and the outer cover;

wherein a combination of the absorbent barrier structure and the outer cover has

a hydrohead value of at least about 25 mBars;

a convective air permeability of at least about 10 Darcy/mm; and

a dynamic liquid impact value of less than about 10 g/m².

17. The absorbent article of claim 16 wherein the combination of the absorbent barrier structure and the outer cover has a MVTR of no more than 3500 g/m²/24 hrs.

18. The absorbent article of claim 16 wherein the outer cover is a nonwoven web, an apertured film or a laminate thereof.

19. The absorbent article of claim 16 wherein the absorbent barrier structure comprises a first barrier zone disposed adjacent to a garment-facing surface of the absorbent core and a reservoir zone disposed between the barrier zone and the outer cover.

20. The absorbent article of claim 19 wherein the absorbent barrier structure further comprises a second barrier zone disposed at least partially between the reservoir zone and the outer cover.

21. The absorbent structure of claim 20 further comprises a dampness management means disposed between the absorbent barrier structure and the outer cover, or between the reservoir zone and one of the barrier zones.

22. The absorbent structure of claim 21 wherein the absorbent barrier structure, the dampness management means and the outer cover together has a MVTR of no more than 4500 g/m²/24 hrs.

23. The absorbent structure of claim 21 wherein the dampness management means is an apertured film having no more than about 20% open surface area.

25. The absorbent article of claim 24 wherein the barrier structure has a hydrohead value of at least about 10 mBars.

26. The absorbent article of claim 24 wherein the barrier structure comprises a reservoir zone and a barrier zone at least partially disposed adjacent to the absorbent core.

27. The absorbent article of claim 26 wherein the reservoir zone has an absorbency at least about 20% less than that of the absorbent core and the barrier zone has a hydrohead value that is higher than that of the reservoir zone and that of the absorbent core.

28. The absorbent article of claim 26 wherein the absorbent barrier structure has a basis weight of at least about 30 g/m² and a thickness less than about 1.5 mm.

29. The absorbent article of claim 26 further comprises a topsheet and an outer cover, wherein

the absorbent core is disposed between the topsheet and the outer cover;

and

the barrier structure is disposed between the absorbent core and the outer cover;

wherein a combination of the barrier structure and the outer cover has a hydrohead value of at least about 10 mBars;

a convective air permeability of at least about 10 Darcy/mm; and

a dynamic liquid impact value of less than about 10 g/m².

30. The absorbent article of claim 29 wherein the reservoir zone is a cellulosic web, the barrier zone is a nonwoven web, and the outer cover is a nonwoven web or an apertured film.

31. The absorbent article of claim 30 wherein the barrier structure comprises a first fibrous barrier zone disposed adjacent to a garment-facing surface of the absorbent core and a reservoir zone disposed between the fibrous barrier zone and the outer cover.

32. The absorbent article of claim 31 wherein the barrier structure further comprises a second fibrous barrier zone disposed between the reservoir zone and the outer cover.

33. The absorbent article of claim 32 further comprising a dampness management means disposed between the barrier structure and the outer cover or between the reservoir zone and one of the barrier zones.

34. The absorbent article of claim 33 wherein the dampness management means is an apertured film having less than about 20% open surface area.

24. An absorbent article comprising an absorbent core and a barrier structure, wherein the barrier structure has

a convective air permeability of greater than about 10 Darcy/mm;

a dynamic liquid impact value of less than about 10 g/m²; and

a post-compression air permeability decrease of no more than about 35%.