Absorbent Article With Shorter Rise And Tactile Training Cue

• US 20110144602A1
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Weber, Shirlee Ann, Hoang Nhan, Davis-Dang, Olson, Christopher Peter, Knight, Sandra Kay, Long, Andrew Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/635,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20110144602A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/361
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm

Abstract

A pant-like absorbent article is provided including an absorbent chassis defining a waist opening and first and second leg openings, the absorbent chassis including an absorbent assembly. The absorbent chassis has a longitudinal length and the waist opening having an unstretched circumference, such that the longitudinal length is proportional to the unstretched circumference of the waist opening by a ratio less than 0.82. The absorbent article also includes a wetness indicator for alerting a wearer to a release of liquid body exudates, the wetness indicator including a physical sensation agent responsive to liquid body exudates received by the absorbent article to facilitate a physical sensation against the wearer'"'"'s skin for alerting the wearer to the wearer'"'"'s release of liquid body exudates.

Claims

1. A pant-like absorbent article, comprising:

an absorbent chassis defining a waist opening and first and second leg openings, the absorbent chassis including an absorbent assembly;

the absorbent chassis having a longitudinal length and the waist opening having an unstretched circumference, such that the longitudinal length is proportional to the unstretched circumference of the waist opening by a ratio less than 0.82; and

a wetness indicator for alerting a wearer to a release of liquid body exudates, the wetness indicator including a physical sensation agent responsive to liquid body exudates received by the absorbent article to facilitate a physical sensation against the wearer'"'"'s skin for alerting the wearer to the wearer'"'"'s release of liquid body exudates.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the physical sensation is a temperature change.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the physical sensation is fizzing.

4. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the wetness indicator is in overlaid relationship with the absorbent assembly.

5. The absorbent article of claim 1, further comprising a liner adapted for generally contiguous relationship with the wearer'"'"'s skin during wearing of the absorbent article, and an outer cover, the wetness indicator being disposed between the liner and the outer cover.

6. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent article is configured for wear about a wearer'"'"'s waist, the absorbent article having a front region, a back region and a crotch region interconnecting the front and back regions and extending generally longitudinally therebetween, the wetness indicator being longitudinally positioned generally within the crotch region of the absorbent article.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1, the wetness indicator further comprising a temperature element, wherein the physical sensation agent is a temperature change agent in the form of particles disposed on or within the temperature element of the wetness indicator.

8. The absorbent article of claim 7, wherein the temperature change agent comprises an endothermic material.

9. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal length is proportional to the unstretched circumference of the waist opening by a ratio less than 0.80.

10. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal length is proportional to the unstretched circumference of the waist opening by a ratio less than 0.78.

11. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the wetness indicator further includes a liquid absorbent body therein, the liquid absorbent body adapted to absorb liquid body exudates in the presence thereof so that the wetness indicator increases in thickness as liquid body exudates are absorbed, the wetness indicator having a first thickness when dry and a second thickness greater than the first thickness upon absorption of liquid body exudates.

12. The absorbent article of claim 11, wherein the second thickness is at least about three times greater than the first thickness.

13. The absorbent article of claim 11, wherein the second thickness is between about three and about twenty times greater than the first thickness.

14. The absorbent article of claim 11, wherein the second thickness is between about five and about fifteen times greater than the first thickness.

15. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the unstretched circumference of the waist opening is between about 450 and about 750 millimeters.

16. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the unstretched circumference of the waist opening is between about 500 and about 700 millimeters.

17. An article for personal wear, the article being capable of alerting a wearer to the wearer'"'"'s release of liquid body exudates, the article comprising:

an outer cover, an absorbent assembly, a waist opening, and first and second leg openings, the article having a longitudinal length and the waist opening having an unstretched circumference;

a liner adapted for contiguous relationship with the wearer'"'"'s skin due to the longitudinal length being proportional to the unstretched circumference of the waist opening by a ratio less than 0.82; and

a wetness indicator disposed between the liner and the outer cover, the wetness indicator including

an absorbent body disposed for absorbing liquid body exudates, whereby the wetness indicator swells as the absorbent body absorbs liquid body exudates, and

a physical sensation element including a physical sensation agent responsive to the liquid body exudates to facilitate a physical sensation against the wearer'"'"'s skin, the physical sensation agent being disposed at least one of on or within the physical sensation element such that liquid body exudates absorbed by the physical sensation element of the wetness indicator are subjected to a physical sensation by the physical sensation agent at least one of prior to and upon absorption of liquid body exudates by the absorbent body.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the physical sensation is a temperature change.

19. The article of claim 17, wherein the physical sensation is fizzing.

20. The article of claim 17, wherein the longitudinal length is proportional to the unstretched circumference of the waist opening by a ratio less than 0.80.

21. The article of claim 17, wherein the longitudinal length is proportional to the unstretched circumference of the waist opening by a ratio less than 0.78.

22. A method for producing an article for personal wear, the article being capable of alerting a wearer to the wearer'"'"'s release of liquid body exudates, the method comprising:

producing a first disposable absorbent article of size n including no wetness indicator and having a size n longitudinal length and a waist opening with a size n unstretched circumference;

producing a second disposable absorbent article of size n-1 substantially equivalent in design to the first disposable absorbent article, the second disposable absorbent article including no wetness indicator and having a size n-1 longitudinal length and a waist opening with a size n-1 unstretched circumference; and

producing a third disposable absorbent article of size n including a wetness indicator and having a longitudinal length of the size n-1 longitudinal length ±

5% and a waist opening unstretched circumference of the size n unstretched circumference ±

5%.

23. The method of claim 22, the third disposable absorbent article further comprising a physical sensation agent.

24. The method of claim 22, the third disposable absorbent article further comprising a swellable wetness indicator.