Disposable absorbent article with sealed absorbent core with substantially continuously distributed absorbent particulate polymer material

• US 9,241,845 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Hundorf, Harald Hermann, Beruda, Holger, Blessing, Horst, Dziezok, Peter, Krause, Axel, Schmidt, Mattias, Stelzig, Lutz
• Primary Examiner(s): Kidwell, Michele M
• Application Number:
  US14/330,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20140324008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 604/358, 604/364, 604366-368, 604/370, 604/375, 604/378
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5116 being formed of multiple layers A61F13/5123 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/515 characterised by the interconnection of the topsheet and the backsheet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5323 having absorbent material located in discrete regions, e.g. pockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/536 having discontinuous areas of compression
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15016 for breast; pads for bras
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530547 positioned in a separate layer or layers

Abstract

A disposable absorbent article includes a chassis and an absorbent core which is substantially cellulose free. The chassis may contain a topsheet and a backsheet. The absorbent core may be located between the topsheet and the backsheet and may include (i) a storage layer which comprises an absorbent particulate polymer material and has a wearer facing side and an opposed garment facing side, (ii) a first core wrap sheet covering the wearer facing side of the storage layer, and (iii) a second core wrap sheet covering the garment facing side of the storage layer, the first core wrap sheet being joined to the second core wrap sheet along at least one traverse sealing zone.

Claims

1. A disposable absorbent article comprising:

a chassis including a topsheet and a backsheet; and

an absorbent core, which is substantially cellulose free, located between the topsheet and the backsheet and having a wearer facing side oriented toward a wearer when the article is being worn and an opposed garment facing side, the absorbent core comprising

(i) a storage layer which comprises an absorbent particulate polymer material and has a wearer facing side and an opposed garment facing side,

(ii) a first core wrap sheet covering the wearer facing side of the storage layer, the first core wrap sheet being a first substrate for a first absorbent layer, and

(iii) a second core wrap sheet covering the garment facing side of the storage layer, the second core wrap sheet being a second substrate for a second absorbent layer,

wherein;

the first core wrap sheet is joined to the second core wrap sheet along at least one traverse sealing zone, the traverse sealing zone covering a total area,

the storage layer, the first core wrap sheet, and the second core wrap sheet together comprise the first and second absorbent layers, and

the absorbent particulate polymer material is deposited on the first and second substrates and thermoplastic adhesive material covers the absorbent particulate polymer material on the respective first and second substrates, the first and second absorbent layers combined together such that at least a portion of the thermoplastic adhesive material of the first absorbent layer contacts at least a portion of the thermoplastic adhesive material of the second absorbent layer, the absorbent particulate polymer material is disposed between the first and second substrates in an absorbent particulate polymer material area, and the absorbent particulate polymer material is substantially continuously distributed across the absorbent particulate polymer material area, wherein the traverse sealing zone provides a bond strength of at least about 1 N/cm between the first core wrap sheet and the second core wrap sheet as measured as tensile strength in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the traverse sealing zone comprises an open area of at least about 20% of the total area.

2. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the traverse sealing zone comprises an open area from about 30% to about 95% of the total area.

3. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the traverse sealing zone comprises a plurality of threads of adhesive that are separated by a plurality of areas having no adhesive.

4. The disposable absorbent article of claim 3, wherein the areas in the traverse sealing zone having no adhesive have a width of at least about 0.5 times the mean diameter of the absorbent particulate polymer material.

5. The disposable absorbent article of claim 3, wherein the threads have a diameter from about 100 microns to about 2 millimeters.

6. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the traverse sealing zone comprises an absorbent particulate polymer material movement obstruction agent applied between and about the traverse edges of the first and second core wrap sheets.

7. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the first core wrap sheet is further joined to the second core wrap sheet along at least one longitudinal sealing zone.

8. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal sealing zone comprises at least one thread of adhesive running substantially the length of the absorbent core.

9. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent particulate polymer material is deposited on the first and second substrates in respective patterns of land areas and junction areas between the land areas such that the absorbent particulate polymer material is discontinuously distributed on the first and second substrates;

and the first and second absorbent layers are combined together such that the respective patterns of absorbent particulate polymer material are offset from one another.

10. The disposable absorbent article of claim 9, wherein the respective patterns are substantially the same.

11. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent particulate polymer material area extends substantially entirely across the absorbent core.

12. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core consists essentially of the first and second substrates, the absorbent particulate polymer material, and the thermoplastic adhesive material.

13. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core has a front end and a rear end and a longitudinal axis extending from the rear end to the front end and a plurality of absorbent zones, each of the plurality of absorbent zones having absorbent particulate polymer material present in differing amounts and a gradual transition in amount of absorbent particulate polymer material form one of the plurality of absorbent zones to another.

14. The disposable absorbent article of claim 9, wherein the absorbent core has a front end and a rear end and a longitudinal axis extending from the rear end to the front end and the land areas of the respective patterns are arranged in a grid which is positioned at an angle from about 5 to about 85 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the absorbent core.

15. The disposable absorbent article of claim 9, wherein the absorbent core has a length extending from a rear end to a front end, and a width extending from a first edge to a second edge and perpendicularly to the length, and the respective patterns are offset from one another in both a direction parallel to the length and a direction parallel to the width.

16. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, further comprising an acquisition system, which is located between the absorbent core and the topsheet.

17. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent article is a diaper comprising a re-closable fastening system joined to the chassis for securing the diaper to a wearer.

18. The disposable absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent article is a pant-type diaper comprising at least two side panels joined to the chassis and to each other to form a pant.