Absorbent products with enhanced rewet, intake, and stain masking performance

• US 20040127872A1
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Sharma, Varunesh, English, Jason Matthew, Griffin, Rebecca Willey, Petryk, Teresa De Jesus, Stern, Patricia A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,943,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/382
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/47 Sanitary towels, incontinence pads or napkins A61F13/49 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49 Absorbent articles specially adapted to be worn around the waist, e.g. diapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51113 comprising an additive, e.g. lotion or odour control A61F13/51108 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51305 having areas of different permeability
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/8405 Additives, e.g. for odour, disinfectant or pH control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8497 having decorations or indicia means

Abstract

An absorbent article, such as a feminine care product, includes a liquid permeable liner layer, a generally liquid impermeable outer cover layer, and an absorbent layer disposed between the liner layer and outer cover layer. Spaced apart solidified deposits of a phase-change liquid are defined one either the liner layer top surface, bottom surface or both surfaces, and/or other layers along the other layers upper or lower surfaces. The deposits are defined such that areas of the liner layer top surface is exposed thereby being permeable to bodily exudates insulting the article between the deposits while acting as a barrier against liquid that may flow back to the liner layer or other treated layers from the absorbent layer or other layers contained in the absorbent article.

Claims

1. An absorbent article, comprising:

a liquid permeable liner layer having a top surface and a lower surface;

a generally liquid impermeable outer cover;

an absorbent layer disposed between said liner layer lower surface and said outer cover; and

a series of spaced apart solidified deposits of a liquid impermeable material defined across at least one of said liner layer surfaces.

2. An absorbent article, comprising:

a liquid permeable liner layer having a top surface and a lower surface;

a generally liquid impermeable outer cover;

an absorbent layer disposed between said liner layer lower surface and said outer cover;

a surge layer disposed between said liner layer lower surface and said absorbent layer; and

a series of spaced apart solidified deposits of a liquid impermeable material defined across at least one of said liner layer surfaces.

3. The absorbent article of claim 2 wherein said surge layer has a top surface and a lower surface, and at least one of said surge layer surfaces include a series of spaced apart solidified deposits of a liquid impermeable material across said at least one surface.

4. An absorbent article, comprising:

a liquid permeable liner layer having a top surface and a lower surface;

a generally liquid impermeable outer cover;

an absorbent layer disposed between said liner layer lower surface and said outer cover;

a surge layer disposed between said liner layer lower surface and said absorbent layer; and

a series of spaced apart solidified deposits of a liquid impermeable material defined across at least one of said surge layer surfaces.

5. An absorbent article, comprising:

a liquid permeable liner layer having a top surface and a lower surface, said top surface defining a liner top surface area;

a generally liquid impermeable outer cover;

an absorbent layer disposed between said liner layer lower surface and said outer cover;

a series of spaced apart solidified deposits of a liquid impermeable material defined on said liner layer top surface and spaced across said top surface wherein less than or equal to 80% of said liner surface area is covered with said spaced apart solidified deposits.

6. The absorbent article as in claim 5, wherein less than or equal to 75% of said liner surface area is covered with the spaced apart solidified deposits.

7. The absorbent article as in claim 6 wherein said article comprises either a feminine care product, a diaper, a training pant, or an adult an incontinence product.

8. The absorbent article as in claim 6, wherein said article is a sanitary napkin, pad, or pantiliner.

9. The absorbent article as in claim 6, wherein said deposits comprise spaced apart continuous stripes disposed on said top surface.

10. The absorbent article as in claim 6, wherein said deposits comprise spaced apart discontinuous patterns disposed on said top surface.

11. The absorbent article as in claim 6, wherein said deposits comprise phase change liquid.

12. The absorbent article as in claim 11, wherein said phase change liquid is one of an ink, wax, petrolatum based lotion, adhesive, thermoplastic, or combination thereof.

13. The absorbent article as in claim 12 wherein said phase change liquid comprises a skin wellness additive.

14. The absorbent article as in claim 9 wherein said stripes have a width of about 1.50 mm.

15. The absorbent article as in claim 9 wherein said stripes are spaced apart a distance of from about 0.25 to about 0.75 mm.

16. The absorbent article of claim 6 further including at least one additional layer disposed between said liner layer and said absorbent layer, said additional layer having a top surface and a lower surface.

17. The absorbent article of claim 16 therein said additional layer includes across either its top, lower, or both top and lower surfaces, a series of spaced apart solidified deposits of a liquid impermeable material.

18. The absorbent article of claim 6, wherein the absorbent layer contains superabsorbent material in the concentration of between about 10-30% by weight.

19. A feminine care product, comprising:

a liquid permeable liner layer having a top surface and a lower surface;

a generally liquid impermeable outer cover layer;

an absorbent layer disposed between said liner layer lower surface and said outer cover layer;

spaced apart solidified deposits of a phase-change liquid defined on said liner layer top surface across the top surface of said liner layer.

20. The feminine care product as in claim 19, wherein said phase-change liquid is one of an ink, wax, petrolatum based lotion, adhesive, and thermoplastic.

21. The feminine care product as in claim 19, wherein said deposits comprise a series of spaced apart continuous deposits of said phase-change liquid.

22. The feminine care product as in claim 19, wherein said spaced apart continuous deposits comprise generally parallel stripes.

23. The feminine care product as in claim 22, wherein said stripes have a width of about 1.50 mm and are spaced apart a distance of from about 0.25 to about 0.75 mm.

24. The feminine care product as in claim 19, wherein within said top surface a ratio of exposed surface area of said liner to treated surface area of said liner is at most about 3:

1.

25. The feminine care product of claim 19 further including at least one additional layer disposed between said liner layer and said absorbent layer, said additional layer having a top surface and a lower surface.

26. The feminine care product of claim 19, wherein the absorbent layer contains superabsorbent material in the concentration between about 10-30% by weight.

27. The absorbent article of claim 25 wherein said additional layer includes across its top surface a series of spaced apart solidified deposits of a liquid impermeable material.

28. A feminine care product containing including an upper layer having a top and lower surface, with at least one of said top and lower surfaces being treated with ink across said surface such that no more that 80 percent of said surface is covered with ink, and said feminine care product also including a lower layer containing superabsorbent.

29. A method of creating a feminine care product with reduced rewet properties comprising the steps of:

a) providing a print head capable of processing phase change inks,

b) providing a phase change ink,

c) providing a feminine care product substrate,

d) activating the printhead such that said ink passes therethrough, and passing the substrate under the printhead, wherein at least one image is formed on the substrate in discrete areas across the substrate surface, such that 80% or less surface area of the substrate is covered with a printed image.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said printed image is a floral pattern.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said ink is colored.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein said ink is clear.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein said feminine care product substrate includes one or more layers that are apertured.