Disposable Absorbent Article With Enhanced Absorption Properties

• US 20110288513A1
• Filed: 08/04/2011
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axel Krause, Harald Hermann Hundorf, Holger Beruda, Horst Blessing, Lutz Stelzig, Matthias Schmidt, Peter Dziezok
• Original Assignee: Axel Krause, Harald Hermann Hundorf, Holger Beruda, Horst Blessing, Lutz Stelzig, Matthias Schmidt, Peter Dziezok
• Inventors: Dziezok, Peter, Schmidt, Mattias, Beruda, Holger, Krause, Axel, Hundorf, Harald Hermann, Blessing, Horst, Stelzig, Lutz
• Granted Patent: US 8,552,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/366
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15203 Properties of the article, e.g. stiffness or absorbency chemical aspects A61L15/00
• 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 2013/15463 Absorbency
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15487 Capillary properties, e.g. wicking
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530489 being randomly mixed in with other material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53051 being only in particular parts or specially arranged
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24661 Forming, or cooperating to form cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24826 Spot bonds connect components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249961 With gradual property change within a component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249982 With component specified as adhesive or bonding agent

Abstract

A substantially cellulose free absorbent core comprising absorbent polymer material having a saline flow conductivity greater than about 100×10⁻⁷ cm³•sec/g and a centrifuge retention capacity of greater than about 20 g/g. A disposable absorbent article is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A disposable absorbent article comprising:

a chassis including a topsheet and a backsheet; and

a substantially cellulose free absorbent core located between the topsheet and the backsheet and 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 adhesive 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 adhesive material of the first absorbent layer contacts at least a portion of the thermoplastic adhesive 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;

wherein the absorbent particulate polymer material has a saline flow conductivity greater than about 100×

10<sup>−

7</sup> cm³•

sec/g and a centrifuge retention capacity of greater than about 20 g/g.

2. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein:

the absorbent particulate polymer material is deposited on the first and second substrates in respective patterns of land areas and junction areas between the land areas such that the absorbent particulate polymer material is discontinuously distributed on the first and second substrates; and

the first and second absorbent layers are combined together such the respective patterns of absorbent particulate polymer material are offset from one another.

3. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent particulate polymer material area extends substantially entirely across the absorbent core.

4. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent particulate polymer material area extends substantially entirely from front to back of the absorbent core.

5. The disposable absorbent article of claim 2, wherein the respective patterns are substantially the same.

6. The disposable absorbent article of claim 2, wherein the respective patterns are different.

7. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core consists essentially of the first and second substrates, the absorbent particulate polymer material, and the thermoplastic adhesive material.

8. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the backsheet has a water vapor transmission rate of greater than about 3000 g/24 h/m² according to the test described herein.

9. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 having an absorbent particulate polymer material loss of no more than about 70% according to the Wet Immobilization Test herein.

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

11. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core has a front end and a rear end and a longitudinal axis extending from the rear end to the front end and a plurality of absorbent zones, each of the plurality of absorbent zones having absorbent particulate polymer material present in differing amounts.

12. The disposable absorbent article of claim 11, wherein there is a gradual transition in amount of absorbent particulate polymer material form one of the plurality of absorbent zones to another.

13. The disposable absorbent article of claim 2, wherein the absorbent core has a front end and a rear end and a longitudinal axis extending from the rear end to the front end and the land areas of the respective patterns are arranged in a grid which is positioned at an angle from about 5 to about 85 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the absorbent core.

14. The disposable absorbent article of claim 2, wherein the absorbent core has a length extending from a rear end to a front end, and a width extending from a first edge to a second edge and perpendicularly to the length, and the respective patterns are offset from one another in both a direction parallel to the length and a direction parallel to the width.

15. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent article is a diaper comprising a re-closable fastening system joined to the chassis for securing the diaper to a wearer.

16. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent article is a pant-type diaper comprising at least two side panels joined to the chassis and to each other to form a pant.

19. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent particulate polymer material has a saline flow conductivity greater than about 70×

10<sup>−

7</sup> cm³•

sec/g and a centrifuge retention capacity of greater than about 25 g/g.

17. An absorbent core comprising 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 adhesive 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 adhesive material of the first absorbent layer contacts at least a portion of the thermoplastic adhesive 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, wherein the absorbent core is substantially cellulose free;

wherein the absorbent particulate polymer material has a saline flow conductivity greater than about 100×

10<sup>−

7</sup> cm³•

sec/g and a centrifuge retention capacity of greater than about 20 g/g.

18. The absorbent core of claim 17, wherein:

the absorbent particulate polymer material is deposited on the first and second substrates in respective patterns of land areas and junction areas between the land areas such that the absorbent particulate polymer material is discontinuously distributed on the first and second substrates; and

the first and second absorbent layers are combined together such the respective patterns of absorbent particulate polymer material are offset from one another.

20. The absorbent core of claim 17, wherein the absorbent particulate polymer material has a saline flow conductivity greater than about 70×

10<sup>−

7</sup> cm³•

sec/g and a centrifuge retention capacity of greater than about 25 g/g.