WEARABLE ARTICLE HAVING ARTWORK

• US 20160058628A1
• Filed: 08/26/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Liu, Hui, Morimoto, Kouichi, Tong, Ling, Cheng, Chunmin
• Granted Patent: US 10,383,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49012 the elastic means being elastic panels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/496 in the form of pants or briefs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51496 having visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/49025 having multiple elastic strands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8497 having decorations or indicia means

Abstract

A wearable article comprising: a main body comprising an outer cover layer and a backsheet attached to the skin-facing surface of the outer cover layer; and a ring-like elastic belt comprising a front belt and a back belt; the backsheet comprising a printed main artwork observable from the garment-facing side of the article. The main artwork exists in the vicinity of the proximal edge of the central panel of at least one of the front and back belts, extends from at least one of the front and back central panels into the crotch panel; and comprises a belt area artwork displayed on the central panel and a crotch area artwork displayed on the crotch panel. The relationship of the opacity of the outer cover layer to the opacity of the central panel overlayed on the garment facing side of the backsheet is defined herein.

Claims

1. A wearable article continuous in a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction comprising:

a main body comprising an outer cover layer at the most garment-facing side and a backsheet attached to the skin-facing surface of the outer cover layer; and

a ring-like elastic belt comprising a front belt and a back belt;

the center of the front belt is joined to a front waist panel of the main body, the center of the back belt is joined to a back waist panel of the main body, the front and back belt each having a left side panel and a right side panel where the main body does not overlap, and the transverse edges of the front belt and the back belt are joined by a seam to form a waist opening and two leg openings, the main body having a crotch panel which is not joined to either the front belt or the back belt;

each front belt and back belt having transversely continuous proximal and distal edges, the proximal edge being located closer than the distal edge relative to the longitudinal center of the article, each of the front belt and back belt each comprise an inner sheet and an outer sheet, wherein the backsheet comprises printing for providing;

a main artwork observable from the garment-facing side of the article, the main artwork existing in the vicinity of the proximal edge of the central panel of at least one of the front and back belts, the main artwork extending from at least one of the front and back central panels into the crotch panel;

the main artwork comprising a belt area artwork displayed on the central panel and a crotch area artwork displayed on the crotch panel;

wherein when the opacity of the outer cover layer is L1;

the opacity of all of the materials in the central panel overlayed on the garment facing side of the backsheet is L3;

L3−

L1=Lg; and

Lg is about 28% or less.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein Lg is less than about 25%.

3. The article of claim 2, wherein Lg is less than about 22%.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the opacity of the outer sheet and inner sheet combined is L2, and L1 is greater than L2.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein L1 is from about 30 to about 60%.

6. The article of claim 5 wherein the outer cover layer is a nonwoven material comprising polymer resin comprising about 5% or less, titanium dioxide.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein the main artwork comprises the belt area artwork and the crotch area artwork that are separable graphical elements.

8. The article claim 1, wherein the main artwork comprising the belt area artwork and the crotch area artwork overlaps the proximal edge.

9. The article of claim 8, wherein the color brightness of the belt area artwork is greater than the color brightness of the crotch area artwork.

10. The article of claim 8, wherein the main artwork is provided in gradation of color brightness or color intensity in the longitudinal direction.

11. The article of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer sheets comprise a plurality of elastic strands sandwiched therebetween and running in the transverse direction, the elasticity of the elastic strands being removed at areas where the belt area artwork is displayed.

12. The article of claim 1, further comprising an absorbent core.

13. The article of claim 1, comprising both of a front main artwork and a back main artwork, each observable from the garment-facing side of the article.

14. The article of claim 1, wherein the materials overlaying the garment facing side of the backsheet consist essentially of the outer cover layer, an outer sheet, and an inner sheet.

15. The article of claim 1, wherein the main artwork comprises a wetness indicator.

16. A process for manufacturing a wearable article, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a wearable article continuous in a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction comprising;

a main body comprising an outer cover layer at the most garment-facing side and a backsheet attached to the skin-facing surface of the outer cover layer; and

a ring-like elastic belt comprising a front belt and a back belt;

the center of the front belt is joined to a front waist panel of the main body, the center of the back belt is joined to a back waist panel of the main body, the front and back belt each having a left side panel and a right side panel where the main body does not overlap, and the transverse edges of the front belt and the back belt are joined by a seam to form a waist opening and two leg openings, the main body having a crotch panel which is not joined to either the front belt or the back belt;

each front belt and back belt having transversely continuous proximal and distal edges, the proximal edge being located closer than the distal edge relative to the longitudinal center of the article, each of the front belt and back belt each comprise an inner sheet and an outer sheet; and

(b) printing on the backsheet, such that the backsheet comprises;

a main artwork observable from the garment-facing side of the article, the main artwork existing in the vicinity of the proximal edge of the central panel of at least one of the front and back belts, the main artwork extending from at least one of the front and back central panels into the crotch panel;

the main artwork comprising a belt area artwork displayed on the central panel and a crotch area artwork displayed on the crotch panel;

wherein when the opacity of the outer cover layer is L1;

the opacity of all of the materials in the central panel overlayed on the garment facing side of the backsheet is L3;

L3−

L1=Lg; and

Lg is about 28% or less.