Disposable Absorbent Articles Having An Interior Design Signal

• US 20080132864A1
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Ehrnsperger, Bruno Johannes, Rice, Alizha Victoria, Dziezok, Peter, Schmidt, Mattias, Beruda, Holger, Ciesko, Mark John, Hundorf, Harald Hermann, Blessing, Horst, Fuchs, Christofer, Lawson, Kathleen Marie
• Granted Patent: US 8,258,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/370
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53 characterised by the absorbing medium A61F13/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/532 inhomogeneous in the plane of the pad
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5323 having absorbent material located in discrete regions, e.g. pockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/534 having an inhomogeneous composition through the thickness of the pad A61F13/538, A61F13/539 take precedence; homogeneous cores with tissue wrapping A61F13/53
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/537 characterised by a layer facilitating or inhibiting flow in one direction or plane, e.g. a wicking layer A61F13/538 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5638 adjustable open type diapers adjustable otherwise than by the fasteners A61F13/493
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/565 pants type diaper
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/84 Accessories, not otherwise provided for, for absorbent pads
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51377 having decoration properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530868 characterized by the liquid distribution or transport means other than wicking layer A61F13/537 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53908 with adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8497 having decorations or indicia means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/225 Mixtures of macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/28 Polysaccharides or their derivatives A61L15/225 takes precedence

Abstract

Disposable absorbent article comprising an interior design signal indicating absorbency and an absorbent core including first and second absorbent layers, the first absorbent layer including a first substrate and the second absorbent layer including a second substrate, the first and second absorbent layers further including absorbent particulate polymer material deposited on the first and second substrates and thermoplastic material covering the absorbent particulate polymer material on the respective first and second substrates, the first and second absorbent layers combined together such that at least a portion of the thermoplastic material of the first absorbent layer contacts at least a portion of the thermoplastic material of the second absorbent layer, the absorbent particulate polymer material is disposed between the first and second substrates in an absorbent particulate polymer material area, and the absorbent particulate polymer material is substantially continuously distributed across the absorbent particulate polymer material area.

Claims

1. A disposable absorbent article comprising:

a. an interior design signal indicating absorbency; and

b. an absorbent core including first and second absorbent layers, the first absorbent layer including a first substrate and the second absorbent layer including a second substrate, the first and second absorbent layers further including absorbent particulate polymer material deposited on the first and second substrates and thermoplastic material covering the absorbent particulate polymer material on the respective first and second substrates, the first and second absorbent layers combined together such that at least a portion of the thermoplastic material of the first absorbent layer contacts at least a portion of the thermoplastic material of the second absorbent layer, the absorbent particulate polymer material is disposed between the first and second substrates in an absorbent particulate polymer material area, and the absorbent particulate polymer material is substantially continuously distributed across the absorbent particulate polymer material area.

2. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the disposable absorbent article is a diaper.

3. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the interior design signal is selected from the group consisting of patterns, shapes, solid colors, and mechanical modifications.

4. The disposable absorbent article of claim 3, wherein the patterns are selected from the group consisting of a wavy pattern, a network pattern, and a teardrop pattern.

5. The disposable absorbent article of claim 3, wherein the mechanical modifications are selected from the group consisting of embossing, slitting, creating overbonds that open up upon stretching, CPW bonding, ultrasonic bonding, heat bonding, and activation.

6. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the interior design signal indicates channels of absorption.

7. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the interior design signal is located on the topsheet of the absorbent article.

8. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the interior design signal is located on a layer beneath the topsheet of the absorbent article, wherein the interior design signal is visible through the topsheet.

9. The disposable absorbent article of claim 3 wherein at least the topsheet comprises a solid color.

10. The disposable absorbent article of claim 3 wherein at least the layer beneath the topsheet comprises a solid color, wherein the solid color is visible through the topsheet.

11. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein at least about 40% of the length of the absorbent article comprises an interior design signal.

12. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein at least about 70% of the length of the absorbent article comprises an interior design signal.

13. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein at least about 90% of the length of the absorbent article comprises an interior design signal.

14. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein at least about 40% of the width of the absorbent article comprises an interior design signal.

15. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein at least about 70% of the width of the absorbent article comprises an interior design signal.

16. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein at least about 90% of the width of the absorbent article comprises an interior design signal.

17. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the interior design signal is the same pattern as the pattern formed by the absorbent particulate polymer material distributed in the absorbent core.

18. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, further comprising an interior design signal on the leg cuffs.

19. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent particulate polymer material may be immobilized when wet such that the absorbent core achieves a wet immobilization of greater than about 50%.

20. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent particulate polymer material is present in the absorbent core in an amount of greater than about 80% by weight of the absorbent core.

23. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core further comprises a thermoplastic material covering the absorbent particulate polymer material on the substrate.

21. A disposable absorbent article comprising:

a. an interior design signal indicating absorbency; and

b. an absorbent core including a first absorbent layer, the first absorbent layer including a first substrate, an absorbent particulate polymer material deposited on the first substrate, and a thermoplastic material covering the absorbent particulate polymer material on the first substrate, wherein the absorbent particulate polymer material is substantially continuously distributed across the absorbent particulate polymer material area.

22. A disposable absorbent article comprising:

a. an interior design signal indicating absorbency; and

b. an absorbent core comprising a substrate and an absorbent particulate polymer material deposited on the substrate, wherein the absorbent particulate polymer material may be immobilized when wet such that the absorbent core achieves a wet immobilization of greater than about 50%.