ABSORBENT ARTICLE HAVING VISIBLE INDICIA AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME

• US 20090240221A1
• Filed: 03/18/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Retail Services Ag (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Retail Services Ag (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Rothenberger, Ron, McGinty, Brian, Reyes, Loida Guzman
• Granted Patent: US 8,865,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/365
• 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 13/51464 being stretchable or elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51478 being a laminate, e.g. multi-layered or with several layers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51484 being inhomogeneous in the plane of the sheet, i.e. having zones of different properties or structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51496 having visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15243 printed or coloured, e.g. to match skin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

A multiple layer laminate and method of manufacturing the same having visible indicia for use in an absorbent article includes a first outer layer, a second outer layer, an elastomeric film interposed between said first outer layer and said second outer layer and a non-elastomeric appliqué having the indicia. The non-elastomeric appliqué is interposed between the elastomeric film and the first outer layer or between the elastomeric film and the second outer layer. The non-elastomeric appliqué is coupled to the elastomeric film in a stretched condition such that the non-elastomeric appliqué limits the retraction of the elastomeric film from the stretched condition in a location where the non-elastomeric appliqué is coupled to the elastomeric film, wherein the indicia is positioned to be visible through the first outer layer, the second outer layer or the first and the second outer layers.

Claims

1. A multiple layer laminate having visible indicia for use in an absorbent article, the multiple layer laminate comprising:

a first outer layer;

a second outer layer;

an elastomeric film interposed between said first outer layer and said second outer layer; and

a non-elastomeric appliqué

having said indicia, said non-elastomeric appliqué

being interposed between said elastomeric film and said first outer layer or between said elastomeric film and said second outer layer;

said non-elastomeric appliqué

being coupled to said elastomeric film in a stretched condition such that said non-elastomeric appliqué

limits the retraction of the elastomeric film from the stretched condition in a location where said non-elastomeric appliqué

is coupled to said elastomeric film, wherein said indicia is positioned to be visible through said first outer layer, said second outer layer or said first and said second outer layers.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein said first outer layer, 5said second outer layer, said elastomeric film and said non-elastomeric appliqué

are coupled together by ultrasonic bonds.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein said non-elastomeric appliqué

comprises a thermoplastic film material.

4. The absorbent article of claim 3 wherein said non-elastomeric appliqué

comprises a polypropylene or a polyethylene film material.

5. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein said indicia on said non-elastomeric appliqué

is selected from the group consisting of a printed art graphic, a sewn material, an embroidered material, and a pasted material.

6. The absorbent article of claim 5 wherein said indicia comprises an art graphic printed on said non-elastomeric appliqué

.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein said first and second outer layers each comprises a nonwoven material.

8. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein said multiple layer laminate is adapted for use in an absorbent article selected from the group consisting of disposable underwear, briefs, training pants, and sanitary napkins.

9. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein said non-elastomeric appliqué

has a neck-down of about 0% to about 40% when the elastomeric film is retracted from the stretched condition.

10. The absorbent article of claim 9 wherein said non-elastomeric appliqué

has a neck-down of about 10% to about 30% when the elastomeric film is retracted from the stretched condition.

11. An absorbent article having visible indicia, the absorbent article comprising:

a multiple layer chassis, at least a portion of which includes;

a first outer layer;

a second outer layer;

an elastomeric film interposed between said first outer layer and said second outer layer; and

a non-elastomeric appliqué

having said indicia, said non-elastomeric appliqué

being interposed between said elastomeric film and said first outer layer or between said elastomeric film and said second outer layer, said non-elastomeric appliqué

being coupled to said elastomeric film in a stretched condition such that said non-elastomeric appliqué

limits the retraction of said elastomeric film from the stretched condition in a location where said non-elastomeric appliqué

is coupled to said elastomeric film, wherein said indicia is positioned to be visible through said first outer layer, said second outer layer, or said first and said second outer layers.

12. The absorbent article of claim 11 further comprising an absorbent core.

13. The absorbent article of claim 11 wherein said first outer layer, said second outer layer, said elastomeric film and said non-elastomeric appliqué

are coupled together by ultrasonic bonds.

14. The absorbent article of claim 11 wherein said non-elastomeric appliqué

comprises a thermoplastic film material.

15. The absorbent article of claim 14 wherein said non-elastomeric appliqué

comprises a polypropylene or a polyethylene film material.

16. The absorbent article of claim 11 wherein said indicia on said non-elastomeric appliqué

is selected from the group consisting of a printed art graphic, a sewn material, an embroidered material, and a pasted material.

17. The absorbent article of claim 16 wherein said indicia comprises an art graphic printed on said non-elastomeric appliqué

.

18. The absorbent article of claim 11 wherein said first and second outer layers each comprises a nonwoven material.

19. The absorbent article of claim 11 wherein said absorbent article is selected from the group consisting of disposable underwear, briefs, training pants, and sanitary napkins.

20. The absorbent article of claim 11 wherein said non-elastomeric appliqué

has a neck-down of about 0% to about 40% when the elastomeric film is retracted from the stretched condition.

21. The absorbent article of claim 20 wherein said non-elastomeric appliqué

has a neck-down of about 10% to about 30% when the elastomeric film is retracted from the stretched condition.

22. The absorbent article of claim 20 wherein the indicia on said non-elastomeric appliqué

is distorted in the direction of the neck-down in a range of about 0% to about 40%.

23. An absorbent article having visible indicia comprising:

a front panel;

a rear panel; and

a crotch panel extending between said front panel and said rear panel, said crotch panel being associated with an absorbent core;

wherein edges of the front panel are connected to edges of said rear panel to define a waist opening;

said front panel or said rear panel comprising a multiple layer laminate having;

a first outer layer;

a second outer layer;

an elastomeric film interposed between said first outer layer and said second outer layer; and

a non-elastomeric appliqué

having said indicia, said non-elastomeric appliqué

being interposed between said elastomeric film and said first outer layer or between said elastomeric film and said second outer layer, said non-elastomeric appliqué

being coupled to said elastomeric film, wherein said indicia is positioned to be visible through said first outer layer or said second outer layer.

24. The absorbent article of claim 23 wherein each of said front and said rear panels includes said multiple layer laminate.

25. The absorbent article of claim 23 wherein said non-elastomeric appliqué

limits retraction of said elastomeric film from a stretched condition in a location where said non-elastomeric appliqué

is coupled to said elastomeric film.

26. The absorbent article of claim 23 wherein said indicia on said non-elastomeric appliqué

is selected from the group consisting of a printed art graphic, a sewn material, an embroidered material, and a pasted material.

27. The absorbent article of claim 26 wherein said non-elastomeric appliqué

comprises an art graphic printed on said non-elastomeric appliqué

.

28. A method of manufacturing a multiple layer laminate having visible indicia for use in an absorbent article, the method comprising the steps of:

interposing an elastomeric film in a stretched condition between a first outer layer and a second outer layer;

interposing a non-elastomeric appliqué

having the visible indicia between the elastomeric film and the first outer layer or between the elastomeric film and the second outer layer to form the multiple layer laminate such that the indicia is visible through the first outer layer, the second outer layer, or the first and the second outer layers;

coupling together the non-elastomeric appliqué

, the first and second outer layers, and the elastomeric film, thereby limiting the retraction of the elastomeric film from the stretched condition in a location where the non-elastomeric appliqué and

the elastomeric film are coupled together.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising the step of associating the multiple layer laminate with an absorbent core.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the coupling step comprises ultrasonically bonding the elastomeric film, the non-elastomeric appliqué

, and the first and second outer layers together to form the multiple layer laminate.

31. The method of claim 28 further comprising the step of relaxing the elastomeric film from the stretched condition upon separating the laminate into sections.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising the step of limiting neck-down of the non-elastomeric appliqué

to about 0% to about 40%.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising the step of providing indicia on the appliqué

in a distortion in a direction of the neck-down.

34. A method of manufacturing a multiple layer laminate having visible indicia for use in an absorbent article comprising the steps of:

elongating an elastomeric film;

positioning a non-elastomeric appliqué

having the indicia adjacent a first nonwoven web;

positioning a first surface of the elastomeric film adjacent the non-elastomeric appliqué

to sandwich the non-elastomeric appliqué

between the elastomeric film and the first nonwoven web;

positioning a second nonwoven web adjacent a second surface of the elastomeric film; and

bonding the elastomeric film, the non-elastomeric appliqué and

the first and second nonwoven webs to one another to form the multiple layer laminate.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising the step of ultrasonically bonding the elastomeric film, the non-elastomeric appliqué

and the first and the second non-woven webs together.