Patterned application of activated carbon ink

• US 7,816,285 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jaeho, MacDonald, John Gavin, Fish, Jeffrey Eldon, Quincy, Roger Bradshaw III
• Primary Examiner(s): HAND, MELANIE JO
• Application Number:
  US11/021,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20060137568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,126 Days
• Field of Search: 604/359, 423/447.1, 423/447.5, 502/180
• US Class Current: 442/69
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5514 each item packaged single
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/8405 Additives, e.g. for odour, disinfectant or pH control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8497 having decorations or indicia means
• CPC Class Codes: D06B 11/0056 of fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 1/44 using insoluble pigments or auxiliary substances, e.g. binders
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/00 Other features in dyeing or printing textiles, or dyeing leather, furs, or solid macromolecular substances in any form
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2082 At least one coating or impregnation functions to fix pigments or particles on the surface of a coating or impregnation

Abstract

An odor control substrate that is applied with an activated carbon ink is provided. The activated carbon ink is applied in a pattern that covers from about 25% to about 95% of the surface area of the substrate. Although not covering the entire surface, the present inventors have discovered that the activated carbon ink is still capable of providing good odor reduction qualities to the substrate. To further enhance the aesthetic appeal of the odor control substrate to a consumer, one or more colored inks may also be applied the substrate in a pattern that may or may not overlap with the activated carbon ink pattern. The colored ink(s) may contrast well with the activated carbon ink to provide an overall design that is more aesthetically than otherwise would be provided by a uniform coating of activated carbon ink.

Claims

1. A method for forming an odor control substrate, said method comprising:

printing a first ink in a pattern onto a surface of said substrate, the ink comprising activated carbon particles and a polymer latex having a glass transition temperature of about 30°

C. or less, wherein said first ink is discontinuous over the surface so that the pattern covers from about 25% to about 95% of the area of said surface, and wherein said first ink presents a color that is visually distinguishable from another color presented by said substrate; and

drying said first ink so that the solids add-on level is at least about 2%.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate contains a nonwoven web, a film, or combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first ink covers from about 30% to about 90% of the area of said surface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the solids add-on level of said first ink is from about 4% to about 40%.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the contrast between the color of said first ink and another color presented by the substrate has a minimum gray scale value of at least about 45 on a scale of 0-255.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the color of said first ink is black.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing a second ink onto said substrate that presents a color that is visually distinguishable from the color of said first ink.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the color of said second ink is white, yellow, cyan, magenta, red, green, blue, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said first and second inks are applied in an overlapping relationship.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said first and second inks are applied in a non-overlapping relationship.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said odor control substrate contains a liquid impermeable film.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said odor control substrate contains a nonwoven web.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said first ink further comprises masking particles.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern is in the form of indicia, floral designs, stripes, bands, dots, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said first ink comprises from about 5 wt.% to about 25 wt. % of activated carbon particles.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said first ink comprises from about 10 wt.% to about 20 wt. % of activated carbon particles.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said first ink comprises from about 0.1 wt.% to about 20 wt. % of polymer latex.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said first ink comprises from about 1 wt.% to about 15 wt. % of polymer latex.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said first ink comprises water.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said first ink comprises from about 60 wt. % to about 90 wt. % of water.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said dried first ink comprises from about 40 wt. % to about 60 wt. % of activated carbon particles.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said dried first ink comprises from about 30 wt. % to about 50 wt. % of polymer latex.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer latex has a glass transition temperature from about −

15°

C. to about 15°

C.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer latex is a styrene polymer.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the styrene polymer is a styrene acrylic copolymer.

26. The method of claim 11, wherein the film is breathable.

27. The method of claim 11, wherein the film has been exposed to a corona discharge treatment prior to printing the ink thereon.

28. The method of claim 11, further comprising folding the film into a pouch for individually wrapping an absorbent article wherein the surface of the film printed with the first ink comprises the inner surface of the pouch.