Disposable obsorbent articles having printed wetness indicators

• US 20050234414A1
• Filed: 04/19/2004
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Liu, Kuang-Kai
• Granted Patent: US 7,332,642 B2
• 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 2013/422 the alarm being a colour change
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/30 Inkjet printing inks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a disposable absorbent article comprising a wetness indicator disposed between the absorbent core and the backsheet and in liquid communication with the absorbent core; the wetness indicator comprising a central graphic and a background graphic; wherein the background graphic comprises at least one responsive color composition that, upon wetting, exhibits a visible change that is selected from the group consisting of a color change, a graphic change, and combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A disposable absorbent article comprising:

a) a liquid pervious topsheet;

b) a liquid impervious backsheet that is at least partially joined to the topsheet;

c) an absorbent core disposed at least partially between the topsheet and the backsheet; and

d) a wetness indicator disposed between the absorbent core and the backsheet and in liquid communication with the absorbent core;

the wetness indicator comprising a central graphic and a background graphic;

wherein the background graphic comprises at least one responsive color composition and that, upon wetting, exhibits a visible change that is selected from the group consisting of a color change, a graphic change, and combinations thereof.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein the responsive color composition comprises:

a) from about 1% to about 10%, by weight of the composition, of solid pigment particles;

b) from about 1% to about 10%, by weight of the composition, of a fluid dyestuff; and

c) from about 10% to about 98%, by weight of the composition, of a solvent.

3. The article of claim 1 wherein the responsive color composition comprises:

a) from about 1% to about 10%, by weight of the composition, of a fluid dyestuff; and

b) from about 50% to about 99%, by weight of the composition, of a solvent; and

wherein said responsive color composition is disposed adjacent to a varnish coating.

4. The article of claim 2 wherein the solvent is selected from a non-aqueous solvent, an aqueous solvent, and combinations thereof.

5. The article of claim 3 wherein the solvent is a non-aqueous solvent.

6. The article of claim 1 wherein the central graphic comprises a permanent color composition.

7. The article of claim 3 wherein the central graphic comprises a permanent color composition.

8. The article of claim 1 wherein the central graphic comprises a second responsive color composition and wherein, upon wetting, the central graphic exhibits a visible change selected from the group consisting of a color change, a graphic change, and combinations thereof.

9. The article of claim 8 wherein the second responsive color composition comprises:

a) from about 5% to about 10%, by weight of the composition, of solid pigment particles;

b) from about 5% to about 10%, by weight of the composition, of a fluid dyestuff; and

c) from about 10% to about 80%, by weight of the composition, of a solvent.

10. The article of claim 3 wherein the central graphic comprises a second responsive color composition and wherein, upon wetting, the central graphic exhibits a visible change selected from the group consisting of a color change, a graphic change, and combinations thereof.

11. The article of claim 10 wherein the second responsive color composition comprises:

a) from about 1% to about 10%, by weight of the composition, of solid pigment particles;

b) from about 1% to about 10%, by weight of the composition, of a fluid dyestuff; and

c) from about 50% to about 98%, by weight of the composition, of a solvent.

12. The article of claim 10 wherein the second responsive color composition comprises:

a) from about 1% to about 10%, by weight of the composition, of a fluid dyestuff; and

b) from about 50% to about 99%, by weight of the composition, of a solvent; and

wherein said second responsive color composition is disposed adjacent to the varnish coating.

13. A method of printing a wetness indicator onto an absorbent article:

a) providing an absorbent article wherein said article comprises a topsheet, a backsheet and an absorbent core;

b) disposing between said backsheet and said absorbent core via printing a wetness indicator that is in liquid communication with the absorbent core wherein the wetness indicator comprises a central graphic and a background graphic;

wherein the background graphic comprises at least one responsive color composition and that, upon wetting, exhibits a visible change that is selected from the group consisting of a color change, a graphic change, and combinations thereof.