Superabsorbent laminate structure

• US 5,175,046 A
• Filed: 03/04/1991
• Issued: 12/29/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chicopee Incorporated (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Chicopee Incorporated (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Hien V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, James J.
• Application Number:
  US07/664,165
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 428/283, 428/284, 428/317.9, 428/323, 428/327, 428/68, 428/195, 428/198, 428/201, 428/206, 428/74
• US Class Current: 428/198
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/535 inhomogeneous in the plane of the pad, e.g. core absorbent layers being of different sizes A61F13/5323, A61F13/537 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/537 characterised by a layer facilitating or inhibiting flow in one direction or plane, e.g. a wicking layer A61F13/538 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/539 characterised by the connection of the absorbent layers with each other or with the outer layers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/0068 cross-linked by radiations, e.g. electron beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15422 Density
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530306 coated with superabsorbent polymer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530613 in fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53062 being made into a paper or non-woven
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530642 being cross-linked or polymerised in situ
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530649 in sponge or foam
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530656 being cut into pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/5307 characterized by the quantity or ratio of superabsorbent material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530766 by the cross-link factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530802 characterized by the foam or sponge other than superabsorbent A61F2013/530649 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/60 Liquid-swellable gel-forming materials, e.g. super-absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23 Sheet including cover or casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/237 Noninterengaged fibered material encased [e.g., mat, batt, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24826 Spot bonds connect components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249986 Void-containing component contains also a solid fiber or solid particle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/254 : Polymeric or resinous material

Abstract

A laminated structure in which a superabsorbent material is provided as a layer of discrete discontinuous chunks or elements attached to a continuous porous support layer. The superabsorbent element is provided by saturating a porous substrate with an acrylic acid monomer solution, polymerizing and crosslinking the monomer in the web, and then dicing the monomer/web substrate to produce discrete superabsorbent elements. The superabsorbent elements having various shaped are then affixed to the flexible porous support layer by friction so as to provide the flexible superabsorbent laminated structure.

Claims

1. A laminated structure comprising a porous support layer and discrete superabsorbent elements frictionally secured to said support layer in a discontinuous pattern, said superabsorbent elements comprising a superabsorbent polymer and a substrate material.

2. The laminated structure of claim 1 further comprising a porous cover layer, said cover layer being placed so that said superabsorbent elements are located between said support layer and said cover layer.

3. The laminated structure of claim 1 wherein said support layer is a layer of tissue.

4. The laminated structure of claim 1 wherein said support layer is a fibrous web.

5. The laminated structure of claim 1 wherein said support layer is an open-cell foam.

6. The laminated structure of claim 1 wherein said substrate material is a fibrous web.

7. The laminated structure of claim 1 wherein said substrate material is an open-cell foam.

8. The laminated structure of claim 1 wherein said substrate material is a tissue web.

9. The laminated structure of claim 1 wherein said superabsorbent elements cover from 5% to 75% of the surface area of said supporting layer.

10. The laminated structure of claim 1 wherein said superabsorbent polymer is water insoluble, water swellable, and capable of absorbing at least ten times its own weight of water.

11. The laminated structure of claim 1 wherein said superabsorbent elements have a size of about 1 mm to about 1 cm.

12. The laminated structure of claim 1 wherein said superabsorbent elements consist of polymerized monomer coated substrate having a polymer add-on level of at least about 100 wt %.