Personal care product with fluid partitioning

• US 6,627,789 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: VanDenBogart, Thomas William, Burns, Barbara Jean, Wood, Kevin Wilson, Achter, Amy Michele, Daley, Michael Allen, Veith, Michael William, Yavich, Dmitry, Potts, David Charles, Sawyer, Lawrence Howell, Matela, David Michael, Lefkowitz, Gregory Marc, Jackson, David Martin, Little, Sylvia Bandy, Mace, Tamara Lee, Elliker, Peter Robert, Kollin, Nancy Donaldson, Achter, Bruce Wilfuhr, Phillips, Cynthia Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruhl, Dennis
• Application Number:
  US09/654,442
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 604/367, 604/378, 604/385.101
• US Class Current: 604/378
• 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 13/53713 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 2013/530481 having superabsorbent materials, i.e. highly absorbent polymer gel materials

Abstract

There is provided an intake/retention/transfer material for personal care products like feminine hygiene products, which is a heterogeneous composite containing between 5 and 25 weight percent of a superabsorbent or gelling material and having a density less than 0.17 g/cc. A more particular embodiment contains less than 20 weight percent and a still more particular embodiment contains 15 weight percent or less of a superabsorbent or gelling material. Also provided are absorbent articles which contain the class of intake/transfer materials mentioned above along with additional absorbent layers such that the absorption of a menses simulant provides fluid partitioning of less than 72% of fluid in the intake/transfer/retention composite. Additionally said composite should have retention capacity values greater than 2.7 g/g.

Claims

1. A material for use in a personal care product comprising a liner, an intake/retention/transfer composite and a storage layer, said composite having between more than 6 and 25 weight percent superabsorbent, between 5 and 15 weight percent binder, between 0 and 40 weight percent synthetic fiber, and pulp, said composite having a density less than 0.17 g/cc, said material demonstrating fluid partitioning such that less than 72 percent of a menses simulant insult remains in said composite as measured by weight percentages of simulant in accordance with a flat system testing procedure, and further wherein said composite has a retention capacity of at least 2.7 g/g.

2. The material of claim 1 wherein said composite comprises between more than 6 and 20 weight percent superabsorbent.

3. The material of claim 2 wherein said composite comprises between more than 6 and 15 weight percent superabsorbent.

4. The material of claim 2 comprising between 10 and 20 weight percent superabsorbent.

5. The material of claim 1 further comprising a transfer delay composite.

6. A personal care product selected from the group consisting of diapers, training pants, absorbent underpants, adult incontinence products and feminine hygiene products comprising the material of claim 5.

7. The material of claim 5 wherein said transfer delay layer is a spunbond web.

8. The material of claim 7 wherein said spunbond web is made from polyolefin.

9. The material of claim 1 wherein said superabsorbent is distributed in said composite such that said composite comprises a first layer and a second subjacent layer, said first layer having essentially no superabsorbent, said first layer having between 5 and 15 weight percent of the layer being binder, said first layer having between 5 and 40 weight percent of the layer being synthetic fiber, and pulp, and said second subjacent layer having less than 60 weight percent of the layer being superabsorbent, said second subjacent layer having between 5 and 15 weight percent of the layer being binder, and said second subjacent layer having between 5 and 40 weight percent of the layer being synthetic fiber, and pulp.

10. The material of claim 1 wherein said composite has a density between 0.12 and 0.17 g/cc.

11. The material of claim 1 wherein said composite has a density of less than 0.12 g/cc.

12. The material of claim 11 wherein said composite has less than 30 percent superabsorbent.

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

14. The product of claim 13 wherein said personal care product is a feminine hygiene product.

15. The material of claim 1 wherein said liner is an selected from the group consisting of spunbond webs and apertured film and laminates thereof.

16. The material of claim 1 further comprising a baffle.

17. The material of claim 16 wherein said baffle is a film.

18. The material of claim 1 wherein said storage layer comprises pulp and binder fiber.

19. The material of claim 18, wherein said storage layer further comprises superabsorbent.

20. The material of claim 1 wherein said superabsorbent is homogeneously distributed in said composite.

21. A material for use in a personal care product comprising a polypropylene spunbond liner, an intake/retention/transfer composite, a pulp and binder fiber storage layer, and a polyethylene baffle, said composite having between more than 6 and 25 weight percent superabsorbent, between 5 and 15 weight percent binder, between 0 and 40 weight percent synthetic fiber, and pulp , said composite having a density less than 0.17 g/cc, said material demonstrating fluid partitioning such than less than 72 percent of a menses simulant insult remains in said composite as measured by weight percentages of simulant in accordance with a flat system testing procedure, and further wherein said composite has a retention capacity of at least 2.7 g/g.