Disposable absorbent article with wetness/dryness indicator

• US 20040064113A1
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Paragon Trade Brands, LLC
• Original Assignee: Paragon Trade Brands Inc. (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Erdman, Carol L.
• Application Number:
  US10/255,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20040064113A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/361
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/425 being also a toilet training aid
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8497 having decorations or indicia means

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of absorbent articles in general, and more particularly to absorbent articles that have wetness/dryness indicators disposed thereon. Preferably, the disposable absorbent article, for example, a training pant, includes a disappearing wetness/dryness indicator that disappears when the article is wetted, and an appearing wetness/dryness indicator that appears when the article is wetted. The wetness/dryness indicators preferably allow a caregiver to interact with a child to promote toilet training. The wetness/dryness indicators are graphic elements that may or may not be related to one another, and that may or may not be related to other graphic elements on the article.

Claims

1. An absorbent garment comprising:

a top sheet;

a back sheet;

an absorbent core disposed at least partially between the top sheet and the back sheet; and

at least one disappearing graphic and at least one appearing graphic that disappear and appear respectively, when the absorbent article is insulted with an average insult amount of urine.

2. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one disappearing graphic and/or the at least one appearing graphic are disposed at least partially between the back sheet and the absorbent core.

3. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one disappearing graphic and/or the at least one appearing graphic are disposed on an absorbent core facing surface of the back sheet.

4. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one disappearing graphic and/or the at least one appearing graphic are disposed on a back sheet facing surface of the absorbent core.

5. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a web disposed at least partially between the absorbent core and the back sheet, and in fluid communication with the absorbent core, the web having printed thereon the at least one disappearing graphic and at least one appearing graphic.

6. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one disappearing graphic and at least one appearing graphic are printed on the same surface of the web.

7. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one disappearing graphic and at least one appearing graphic are printed on opposing surfaces of the web.

8. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one disappearing graphic is a positive graphic, and the at least one appearing graphic is a negative graphic.

9. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one positive disappearing graphic and/or the at least one negative appearing graphic are disposed at least partially between the back sheet and the absorbent core.

10. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one positive disappearing graphic and/or the at least one negative appearing graphic are disposed on an absorbent core facing surface of the back sheet.

11. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one positive disappearing graphic and/or the at least one negative appearing graphic are disposed on a back sheet facing surface of the absorbent core.

12. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a web disposed at least partially between the absorbent core and the back sheet, and in fluid communication with the absorbent core, the web having printed thereon the at least one positive disappearing graphic and at least one negative appearing graphic.

13. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one positive disappearing graphic and at least one negative appearing graphic are printed on the same surface of the web.

14. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one positive disappearing graphic and at least one negative appearing graphic are printed on opposing surfaces of the web.

15. A method of making an absorbent article comprising:

providing a top sheet;

providing a back sheet;

providing an absorbent core and disposing the absorbent core at least partially between the top sheet and the back sheet; and

disposing at least one disappearing graphic and at least one appearing graphic at least partially between the absorbent core and the back sheet,

whereby the at least one disappearing graphic and the at least one appearing graphic disappear and appear, respectively, when the absorbent article is insulted with an average insult amount of urine.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one disappearing graphic and/or the at least one appearing graphic are disposed on an absorbent core facing surface of the back sheet.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one disappearing graphic and/or the at least one appearing graphic are disposed on a back sheet facing surface of the absorbent core.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising providing a web having printed thereon the at least one disappearing graphic and at least one appearing graphic;

and

disposing the web at least partially between the absorbent core and the back sheet such that the web is in fluid communication with the absorbent core.

19. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one disappearing graphic and at least one appearing graphic are printed on the same surface of the web.

20. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one disappearing graphic and at least one appearing graphic are printed on opposing surfaces of the web.

21. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one disappearing graphic is a positive graphic, and the at least one appearing graphic is a negative graphic

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the at least one positive disappearing graphic and/or the at least one negative appearing graphic are disposed on an absorbent core facing surface of the back sheet.

23. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the at least one positive disappearing graphic and/or the at least one negative appearing graphic are disposed on a back sheet facing surface of the absorbent core.

24. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising providing a web having printed thereon the at least one positive disappearing graphic and at least one negative appearing graphic;

and

disposing the web at least partially between the absorbent core and the back sheet such that the web is in fluid communication with the absorbent core.