Intake/distribution material for personal care products

• US 6,534,149 B1
• Filed: 02/09/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Daley, Michael Allen, Matela, David Michael, Mace, Tamara Lee, Hammonds, Yvette Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Watkins, III, William P.
• Application Number:
  US09/500,498
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 428/137, 428/138, 428/131, 604/378, 604/383
• US Class Current: 428/137
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/512 characterised by its apertures, e.g. perforations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53713 the layer having a promotional function on liquid propagation in the vertical direction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53717 the layer having a promotional function on liquid propagation in the horizontal direction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53747 the layer is facing the topsheet layer is part of the topsheet A61F13/511
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53782 with holes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24273 including aperture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24331 including nonapertured component

Abstract

There is provided an intake/distribution layer for personal care products which is a co-apertured distribution layer and a transfer delay layer between them. The co-apertured distribution and transfer delay layer can serve to store liquid and release it to an absorbent core in a personal care product at a rate at which the core can absorb. This ability to accept irregular and large flow rates makes the layer of this invention particularly well suited for “gush” management. The distribution layer is preferably an airlaid fabric and the transfer delay layer is preferably a spunbond fabric and they are co-apertured using a pin density of preferably about 2.5 pins/cm².

Claims

1. An intake/distribution layer for personal care products comprising co-apertured distribution and nonwoven transfer delay layers, wherein said transfer delay layer controls fluid movement in a Z-direction of said product and wherein said co-aperturing produces apertures with walls wherein liquid can be absorbed through the walls of said apertures.

2. The layer of claim 1 wherein said co-apertured materials were apertured with pins at a density of between about 1.6 and 6.2 pins/cm².

3. The layer of claim 2 wherein said co-apertured materials were apertured with pins at a density of about 2.5 pins/cm².

4. The layer of claim 1 wherein said transfer delay layer is a material selected from the group consisting of nonwoven fabrics and films.

5. The layer of claim 1 wherein said distribution layer horizontally wicks menses a distance of from about 1.2 cm to about 15.25 cm.

6. The layer of claim 5 wherein said distribution layer is a material selected from the group consisting of airlaid fabric, bonded carded webs, coform materials, hydroentangled pulp fabrics and meltblown fabrics.

7. A personal care product selected from the group consisting of diapers, training pants, absorbent underpants, adult incontinence products and feminine hygiene products comprising the layer of claim 1.

8. The product of claim 6 wherein said personal care product is a feminine hygiene product.

9. The product of claim 6 wherein said personal care product is an adult incontinence product.

10. The product of claim 6 wherein said personal care product is an adult incontinence product.

12. The layer of claim 10 wherein said co-apertured materials were apertured with pins at a density of about 2.5 pins/cm².

13. The layer of claim 10 wherein said airlaid layer is comprised of pulp and thermoplastic fibers.

14. The layer of claim 10 wherein said transfer delay layer comprises polyolefin fiber produced by the spunbonding process.

15. The layer of claim 13 wherein said polyolefin is polypropylene.

16. The layer of claim 10 wherein said transfer delay layer comprises polyolefin film.

17. The layer of claim 15 wherein said polyolefin is polyethylene.

11. An intake/distribution layer for personal care products comprising co-apertured distribution and nonwoven transfer delay layers, wherein said transfer delay layer controls fluid movement in a Z - direction of said product, wherein said co-aperturing produces apertures with walls wherein liquid can be absorbed through the walls of said apertures, and wherein said distribution layer comprises staple polyolefin and is produced by the airlaying process onto said transfer delay layer, and wherein said layers are apertured at a pin density of between about 1.6 and 6.2 pins/cm².