Color printed laminated structure, absorbent article comprising the same and process for manufacturing the same

• US 20040170813A1
• Filed: 03/08/2004
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Bellucci, Remo, Carlucci, Giovanni, Toro, Carlo, Digiacomantonio, Marco
• Application Number:
  US10/795,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20040170813A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/195.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/00059 provided with visual effects, e.g. printed or colored
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15577 Apparatus or processes for manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15585 of babies' napkins, e.g. diapers A61F13/15617 - A61F13/15804 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15699 Forming webs by bringing together several webs, e.g. by laminating or folding several webs, with or without additional treatment of the webs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/511 Topsheet, i.e. the permeable cover or layer facing the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51121 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5116 being formed of multiple layers A61F13/5123 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51394 creating a visual effect, e.g. having a printed or coloured topsheet, printed or coloured sub-layer but being visible from the topsheet, other than embossing for purposes of bonding, wicking, acquisition, leakage-prevention
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53747 the layer is facing the topsheet layer is part of the topsheet A61F13/511
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00153 coloured or with decoration pattern or printing
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15243 printed or coloured, e.g. to match skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15821 characterized by the apparatus for manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0253 Polyolefin fibres vinyl or acrylic copolymers B32B2262/0223 or B32B2262/0246
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0276 Polyester fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/067 Wood fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 5/24 for flexographic printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/04 Flexographic printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41P 2200/12 Flexographic printing
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2012 : using liquid photohardening compositions, e.g. for the production of reliefs such as flexographic plates or stamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 : Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a color printed liquid permeable laminated structure comprising a first liquid permeable layer and a second liquid permeable layer, the first layer is color printed on at least one of its surfaces prior being laminated to the second layer and stabilizing the laminated structure with a bonding means. These color printed laminated structures are particularly suitable for use in disposable absorbent articles for feminine protection, typically as so called ‘secondary’ topsheet in face to face relation with so called ‘primary’ topsheet, through which they are visible.

Claims

1. A color printed liquid permeable laminated structure comprising at least a first liquid permeable layer and a second liquid permeable layer, the second layer being a fibrous web, the first layer being color printed on at least one of its surfaces prior laminating it to the second layer and stabilizing the laminated structure with a bonding means.

2. A laminated structure according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is a non-woven, preferably a spunbonded non-woven.

3. A laminated structure according to claim 1, wherein the first layer, prior laminating it to the second layer, is color printed on at least the surface thereof directly adjacent to the second layer in the laminated structure, the color print being visible through the first layer on its opposite surface.

4. A laminated structure according to claims 1 or 2 or 3, wherein the second layer is a dry laid fibrous web, typically comprising cellulose fibers.

5. A laminated structure according to claim 4, wherein the dry laid fibrous web is an air laid.

6. A laminated structure according to claim 1, wherein the bonding means stabilizing the structure comprises a latex binder typically selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate and acrylic ester copolymers, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, styrene butadiene carboxylate copolymers, and polyacrylonitriles, typically at a level of about 2% to about 30% by weight of the total weight of the laminated structure.

7. A laminated structure according to claim 1, wherein the bonding means comprises a thermoplastic polymeric material in finely divided form distributed into the second fibrous layer in order to bond the fibers of said fibrous layer.

8. A laminated structure according to claim 1, wherein the color for color printing the first layer is selected from a range of colors ranging from yellow to blue (440 to 580 nanometers).

9. A laminated structure according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is color printed with a water-based ink and preferably a self-crosslinking acrylic copolymer emulsion.

10. A disposable absorbent article, preferably a sanitary napkin or pantiliner, comprising a topsheet, a backsheet and a color printed laminated structure according to any of the preceding claims 1, 2 or 3, typically as an underlying layer directly adjacent to the topsheet so as to be visible through said topsheet.

11. A disposable absorbent article according to claim 10, wherein said topsheet is provided with at least some regions, which are transparent, and most preferably is completely transparent.

12. A process for manufacturing a laminated structure according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 9, wherein the process comprises the steps of:

(a)-providing the first layer, then color printing it on at least one of its surfaces,

(b)-then providing fibers onto the first layer to form the second layer,

(c)-then applying a bonding means, preferably a latex binder, onto the outer surface of said second layer and curing and/or

(d)-applying a bonding means, preferably a latex binder, onto the outer surface of said first layer and curing

wherein when both steps (c) and (d) are carried out, steps (c) and (d) might be carried in any sequence, including first (c) then (d) or first (d) then (c) or simultaneously, provided (a) and (b) are operated before (c) and (d).

13. A process according to claim 12, wherein the color printing of the first layer is made per flexography printing.

14. An absorbent article for feminine protection comprising a liquid permeable topsheet, an underlying layer visible through the liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet and an absorbent core positioned between the underlying layer and the backsheet, characterized in that the underlying layer visible through the topsheet is a color printed liquid permeable laminated structure comprising at least two liquid permeable layers, each layer having a pair of opposed surfaces, at least one layer of the laminated structure is color printed on at least a surface directly adjacent another liquid permeable layer of the laminated structure, prior laminating the liquid permeable layers of the laminated structure together.