Absorbent Articles with Decolorizing Structures

• US 20130261585A1
• Filed: 03/27/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, SangWook
• Granted Patent: US 9,283,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/385.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/47263 with activating means, e.g. elastic, heat or chemical activatable means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4755 the means being a flat barrier on or inside the absorbent article, e.g. backsheet wrapped around the edges
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49446 the edge leakage prevention means being an impermeable sheet or impermeable part of a sheet placed on or under the top sheet A61F13/49413 takes precedence
• 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 13/513 characterised by its function or properties, e.g. stretchability, breathability, rewet, visual effect; having areas of different permeability
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/8405 Additives, e.g. for odour, disinfectant or pH control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51178 with the combination of nonwoven webs

Abstract

A feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article includes a topsheet layer, a backsheet layer, at least one absorbent core layer positioned between the topsheet layer and the backsheet layer and a decolorizing structure positioned along the article side edges, with the decolorizing structure extending laterally beyond the lateral most side edges of the absorbent core layer.

Claims

1. A feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article having lateral side edges, comprising a topsheet layer, a backsheet layer, an optional additional pad interior layer, and at least one absorbent core layer having lateral side edges, said at least one absorbent core layer positioned between said topsheet layer and said backsheet layer, said feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article further having a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, and a depth axis, wherein at least one decolorizing structure is positioned on at least one of the topsheet layer, the at least one absorbent core layer, the backsheet layer, optional additional pad interior layer or between one or more of the above layers, said decolorizing structure being adjacent said article lateral side edges, which decolorizing structure extends laterally beyond the lateral side edge of the absorbent core layer along said transverse axis.

2. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein said decolorizing structure is positioned on said topsheet layer.

3. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 2, wherein said topsheet layer includes a central longitudinally directed topsheet material and two longitudinally directed side edge topsheet materials, and further wherein a decolorizing structure is positioned on said two longitudinally directed side edge topsheet materials,

4. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 3, wherein said two longitudinally directed side edge topsheet materials are comprised of a laminate including a masking layer.

5. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 4, wherein said laminate includes a nonwoven and film layer.

6. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1 wherein said decolorizing structure is a laminate of two nonwoven materials.

7. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 6, wherein said two nonwoven materials comprise a first nonwoven material having an average pore size of between about 50 and 200 microns, and a second nonwoven material having an average pore size of between about 3 and 40 microns.

8. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein said decolorizing structure is a two layer nonwoven laminate including a first nonwoven material and a second nonwoven material, with said first and second nonwoven materials demonstrating an average pore size ratio of between about 1:

1 to about 1;

0.01.

9. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 6, wherein said laminate is placed on each longitudinally directed side edge of the article.

10. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1 wherein at least two decolorizing structures are present in said article.

11. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein decolorizing structures are present in or on at least two separate layers within the article.

12. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein deodorizing structures are projections or extensions off of a layer within the article.

13. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein additional decolorizing structures are placed on the front and back ends of the article,

14. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein said decolorizing structure is a film and nonwoven laminate.

15. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein said decolorizing structure is positioned between said topsheet layer and an absorbent core layer.

16. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 15, wherein said decolorizing structure is in the form of a folded “

S”

configuration.

17. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein two decolorizing structures are present in the article and the two decolorizing structures are positioned in a separate plane along the depth axis than said absorbent core layer.

18. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein two decolorizing structures are present in the article, symmetrically disposed about a longitudinal axis of said article.

19. A feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article having lateral side edges, comprising a topsheet layer, a backsheet layer, and at least one absorbent core layer having lateral side edges, said core layer positioned between said topsheet layer and said backsheet layer, said feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article having a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, and a depth axis, wherein at least one decolorizing structure is positioned on at least one of the topsheet layer, an absorbent core layer or backsheet layer within the feminine hygiene absorbent article, adjacent said article lateral side edges, which decolorizing structure extends laterally beyond the lateral side edges of the absorbent core layer, said decolorizing structure comprising a laminate of a first nonwoven material and either a second nonwoven material or film layer, said first nonwoven material being either a meltblown or spunbond material and said second material being either a meltblown material or film material.

20. A feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article having lateral side edges, comprising a topsheet layer having a user facing surface, a backsheet layer, and at least one absorbent core layer having lateral side edges, said absorbent core layer positioned between said topsheet layer and said backsheet layer, wherein at least one decolorizing structure for filtering coloring components of menses is positioned on one of the topsheet layer, an absorbent core layer or backsheet layer within the feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article and adjacent said article lateral side edges, which decolorizing structure extends laterally beyond the lateral side edges of the absorbent core layer and which decolorizing structure filters color from menses as menses contacts or crosses said deodorizing structure towards said article lateral side edges.