ABSORBENT ARTICLE WITH LOTION-CONTAINING TOPSHEET

• US 20100222759A1
• Filed: 05/12/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Lee Hammons, John Richard Noel, Raphael Warren
• Original Assignee: John Lee Hammons, John Richard Noel, Raphael Warren
• Inventors: Noel, John Richard, Warren, Raphael, Hammons, John Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,910,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/367
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15 Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body non-absorbent catamenial receptacles A61F5/44; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/20 Tampons, e.g. catamenial tampons; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/472 specially adapted for female use A61F13/474, A61F13/475, A61F13/476 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/511 Topsheet, i.e. the permeable cover or layer facing the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51104 the top sheet having a three-dimensional cross-section, e.g. corrugations, embossments, recesses or projections
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51113 comprising an additive, e.g. lotion or odour control A61F13/51108 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5116 being formed of multiple layers A61F13/5123 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/8405 Additives, e.g. for odour, disinfectant or pH control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15414 Bulk thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51165 with the combination of films and nonwovens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51344 with pile webs or velvet-like tissues
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8461 having petroleum derivative
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/00 Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle which imparts the desired form; Apparatus therefor extrusion blow-moulding B29C49/04
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2038/042 Punching
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/02 on fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/24 Organic non-macromolecular coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0253 Polyolefin fibres vinyl or acrylic copolymers B32B2262/0223 or B32B2262/0246
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0261 Polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/12 Conjugate fibres, e.g. core/sheath or side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/718 Weight, e.g. weight per square meter
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/726 : Permeability to liquids, absorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7265 : Non-permeable
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/728 : Hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/73 : Hydrophobic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/732 : Dimensional properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2555/02 : Diapers or napkins
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/06 : as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a layer of a particular substance B32B9/045; next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/046; next to a water setting substance layer B32B13/12; next to a metal layer B32B15/08; next to a glass layer B32B17/10; next to a layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles B32B19/045; next to a wood layer B32B21/08; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/08; next to a natural or synthetic rubber layer B32B25/08
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 : next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 : comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/02 : characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions non-uniform thickness B32B3/263
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/266 : characterised by an apertured layer, the apertures going through the whole thickness of the layer, e.g. expanded metal, perforated layer, slit layer regular cells B32B3/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 33/00 : Layered products characterised by particular properties or particular surface features, e.g. particular surface coatings; Layered products designed for particular purposes not covered by another single class
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 : Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/06 : characterised by a fibrous or filamentary layer mechanically connected, e.g. by needling to another layer, e.g. of fibres, of paper
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/08 : the fibres or filaments of a layer being of different substances , e.g. conjugate fibres, mixture of different fibres
• 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: B32B 7/12 : using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0017 : Woven household fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 27/00 : Woven pile fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/00 : Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 11/00 : Non-woven pile fabrics layered products forming non-woven pile fabrics B32B
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 13/00 : Other non-woven fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/00 : Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 5/00 : Non woven fabrics formed of mixtures of relatively short fibres and yarns or like filamentary material of substantial length
• CPC Class Codes: D06C 11/00 : Teasing, napping or otherwise roughening or raising pile of textile fabrics for making patterns or designs D06C23/02
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2509/026 : Absorbent pads; Tampons; Laundry; Towels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23929 : Edge feature or configured or discontinuous surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23936 : Differential pile length or surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2395 : Nap type surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23957 : Particular shape or structure of pile
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23979 : Particular backing structure or composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24281 : Struck out portion type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24289 : Embedded or interlocked
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24298 : Noncircular aperture [e.g., slit, diamond, rectangular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24314 : Slit or elongated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 : Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 : Composite web or sheet

Abstract

A sanitary napkin comprising a topsheet having a body-facing side and comprising a plurality of discrete tufts of fibrous material. The topsheet has a lotion composition applied to at least a portion of the body-facing side thereof. An absorbent core is in fluid communication with the topsheet, the absorbent core having an average thickness of less than about 10 mm, and a free absorbent capacity of from about 4 to about 125 grams per gram.

Claims

1. A sanitary napkin comprising:

a topsheet comprising a body-facing side, a film-based web, and a nonwoven web, said body-facing side comprising at least a portion of the film-based web, and fibers associated with the nonwoven web;

a backsheet;

an absorbent core in fluid communication with said topsheet, said absorbent core having an average thickness of less than about 10 mm, and a free absorbent capacity of from about 4 to about 125 grams per gram; and

a lotion disposed on said body-facing side of said topsheet.

2. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein said fibers associated with the nonwoven web are in the form of discrete tufts of fibers.

3. The sanitary napkin of claim 2, wherein said discrete tufts of fibers comprise a plurality of looped fibers.

4. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein said lotion comprises petrolatum.

5. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein said lotion is hydrophobic.

6. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein said lotion is semi-solid.

7. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein said topsheet further comprises a low surface energy treatment so that a portion of said topsheet comprising said treatment has a surface energy of between about 20 and about 60 dynes per square centimeter.

8. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein said lotion is positioned on outer areas of said topsheet to define a gap in the center of said topsheet that is free of said lotion.

9. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein said lotion is applied to said topsheet in plurality of spaced apart stripes.

10. A sanitary napkin comprising:

a topsheet comprising;

a) a first web comprising a nonwoven layer; and

b) a second web disposed over said nonwoven layer and at least partially defining said body-facing said, said second web comprising;

i) a plurality of openings;

ii) a plurality of apertures that are separate and distinct from said plurality of openings; and

iii) a discrete tuft of fibers extending from said nonwoven layer and through said openings;

a lotion composition applied to at least a portion of said body-facing side of said topsheet;

a backsheet; and

an absorbent core in fluid communication with said topsheet, said absorbent core positioned between said nonwoven layer and said backsheet.

11. The sanitary napkin of claim 10, wherein said second web is a film-based web.

12. The sanitary napkin of claim 10, wherein said second web is a nonwoven web.

13. The sanitary napkin of claim 10, wherein said discrete tufts of fibers comprise a plurality of looped fibers.

14. The sanitary napkin of claim 10, wherein said lotion comprises petrolatum.

15. The sanitary napkin of claim 10, wherein said lotion is hydrophobic.

16. The sanitary napkin of claim 10, wherein said lotion is semi-solid.

17. The sanitary napkin of claim 10, wherein said topsheet further comprises a low surface energy treatment so that a portion of said topsheet comprising said treatment has a surface energy of between about 20 and about 60 dynes per square centimeter.

18. A sanitary napkin comprising:

a topsheet having a body-facing side and comprising a plurality of discrete tufts of fibrous material,

a backsheet; and

an absorbent core disposed between said topsheet and said backsheet, said absorbent core being in fluid communication with said topsheet, said absorbent core having an average thickness of less than about 10 mm, and a free absorbent capacity of from about 4 to about 125 grams per gram;

wherein said topsheet comprises a first web and a second web, wherein said first web comprises a nonwoven web, wherein said second web comprises a film, wherein said tufts comprise fibers of said first web that integrally extend from said first web and through said second web,; and

wherein said plurality of discrete tufts comprise a lotion.