Laminate with indicia for an absorbent article

• US 20070005035A1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Borbach, Markus, Snauwaert, Sofie, Van Pappelendam, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,982,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/361
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15772 Control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/514 Backsheet, i.e. the impermeable cover or layer furthest from the skin A61F13/15211, A61F13/15252 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51478 being a laminate, e.g. multi-layered or with several layers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5622 specially adapted for diapers or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8497 having decorations or indicia means

Abstract

The present invention relates to laminates and to absorbent articles, such as diapers and sanitary napkins, and production methods thereof. Specifically, the present invention is directed to an absorbent article (20) comprising an absorbent core (28) which is covered by a liquid pervious topsheet (24) on the wearer facing side of the core (28) and a liquid impervious backsheet (26) on the garment facing side of the core (28), the liquid impervious backsheet (26) having a longitudinal centerline and a transverse centerline, the transverse centerline defining a front half of the liquid impervious backsheet (26) and a rear half of the liquid impervious backsheet (26), the liquid impervious backsheet (26) also having a garment-facing side and a wearer-facing side, the liquid impervious backsheet (26) comprising at least three layers, a first layer (210) being comprised by the wearer facing side of the liquid impervious backsheet (26) and a second layer (220) being comprised by the garment facing side of the liquid impervious backsheet (26), the first layer (210) comprising a wearer-facing surface and a garment facing surface, the garment facing surface of the first layer (210) of the liquid impervious backsheet (26) comprises at least first indicia (250), said first indicia (250) being present in the front half of the liquid impervious backsheet (26) and said first indicia (250) not being present in the rear half of the liquid impervious backsheet (26), the second layer (220) of the liquid impervious backsheet (26) is provided from a woven or non-woven material, the liquid impervious backsheet (26) comprising a third layer (230) which is provided from a woven or non-woven material and the third layer (230) being comprised by the front half of the backsheet (26) thereby partially but not fully covering the garment facing surface of the second layer (220) of the liquid impervious backsheet (26) and the third layer (230) partially covering said first indicia (250), wherein the second and the third layer (230) in combination are translucent as to allow such that said first indicia (250) comprised by said first layer (210) are visible through said second and third layer (230) when looking at the absorbent article from the garment facing side of liquid impervious backsheet (26).

The present invention is also directed to a laminate (200) and to a method of providing a laminate (200) useful as a liquid impermeable backsheet for an absorbent article.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising an absorbent core which is covered by a liquid pervious topsheet on the wearer facing side of the core and a liquid impervious backsheet on the garment facing side of the core, the liquid impervious backsheet having a longitudinal centerline and a transverse centerline, the transverse centerline defining a front half of the liquid impervious backsheet and a rear half of the liquid impervious backsheet, the liquid impervious backsheet also having a garment-facing side and a wearer-facing side,

the liquid impervious backsheet comprising at least three layers, a first layer being comprised by the wearer facing side of the liquid impervious backsheet and a second layer being comprised by the garment facing side of the liquid impervious backsheet, the first layer comprising a wearer-facing surface and a garment facing surface,

the garment facing surface of the first layer of the liquid impervious backsheet comprises at least first indicia, said first indicia being present in the front half of the liquid impervious backsheet and said first indicia not being present in the rear half of the liquid impervious backsheet,

the second layer of the liquid impervious backsheet is provided from a woven, non-woven, knitted, or film material,

the liquid impervious backsheet comprising a third layer which is provided from a woven, non-woven, knitted, or film, and

the third layer being comprised by the front half of the backsheet thereby partially but not fully covering the garment facing surface of the second layer of the liquid impervious backsheet and the third layer at least partially covering said first indicia,

wherein

the second and the third layer in combination are translucent as to allow that said first indicia comprised by said first layer are visible through said second and third layer when looking at the absorbent article from the garment facing side of liquid impervious backsheet

2. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein the garment facing surface of the first layer of the liquid impervious backsheet further comprises second indicia.

3. An absorbent article according to claims 2 wherein said first and second indicia are printed indicia.

4. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein said first layer comprises a polyolefin film.

5. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein said second layer comprises a non-woven material and said third layer comprises a knitted material.

6. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein said first layer, said second layer and said third layer are joined to a laminate by an adhesive.

7. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein a film layer is comprised between said second layer and said third layer.

8. An absorbent article according to claim 1, the article comprising fastening elements to better fit the article to a wearer, the fastening elements comprising a first and a second component, wherein said second component comprises said third layer.

9. An absorbent article according to claim 8, wherein the second component is a female component.

10. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said third layer does not carry indicia on any of its surfaces.

11. A laminate useful as a liquid impermeable backsheet for an absorbent article, the laminate comprising a first, a second, and a third layer, the first layer having a first surface and a second surface, the second layer having a first surface and a second surface, the third layer having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface of the first layer faces the first surface of the second layer and the second surface of the second layer faces the first surface of the third layer, the first surface of the third layer not fully covering the second surface of the second layer, the second surface of the first layer comprising indicia, the third layer at least partially covering said first indicia,

the second layer being provided from a woven or non-woven material, the third layer which being provided from a woven or non-woven material, and wherein

the second and the third layer in combination are translucent as to allow that said first indicia comprised by said first layer are visible through said second and third layer when looking at the laminate through the second surface of the third layer.

12. A laminate article according to claim 11 wherein the garment facing surface of the first layer of the liquid impervious backsheet further comprises second indicia.

13. A laminate article according to claim 11 wherein said first and/or second indicia are printed indicia.

14. A laminate article according to claim 11 wherein said first layer comprises a polyolefin film.

15. A laminate article according to claim 11 wherein said second layer comprises a non-woven material and said third layer comprises a knitted material.

16. A laminate article according to claim 11 wherein said first layer, said second layer and said third layer are joined to a laminate by an adhesive.

17. A laminate article according to claim 11 wherein a film layer is comprised between said second layer and said third layer.

18. A method of providing a laminate useful as a liquid impermeable backsheet for an absorbent article , the laminate comprising a first, a second, and a third layer, the first layer having a first surface and a second surface, the second layer having a first surface and a second surface, the third layer having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface of the first layer faces the first surface of the second layer and the second surface of the second layer faces the first surface of the third layer, the first surface of the third layer not fully covering the second surface of the second layer, the second surface of the first layer comprising indicia,

the method comprising a step of combining the first layer and the second layer, the method comprising a step of combining the second layer and the third layer,

wherein the step of combining the second layer and the third layer employs an optical placement controller as to combine the second layer and the third layer such that the first surface of the third layer is placed in a selected position onto the second surface of the second layer, the optical placement controller employing an optical signal received from the indicia comprised by the second surface of the first layer.