Process for making an absorbent core with strain resistant core cover

• US 9,326,896 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Schmidt, Mattias, Graf, Nicole, Schfer, Jochen
• Primary Examiner(s): Musser, Barbara J
• Application Number:
  US12/431,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20090266478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,561 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15617 Making absorbent pads from fibres or pulverulent material with or without treatment of the fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15658 Forming continuous, e.g. composite, fibrous webs, e.g. involving the application of pulverulent material on parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530554 and being fixed to a web

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a process for making an absorbent core comprising a nonwoven core cover that offers improved performance on holding back fine particulate material after having been exposed to external strain.

Claims

1. A process for making an absorbent core comprising at least a first nonwoven core cover and a superabsorbent polymer material, the process comprising steps of

providing the first nonwoven core cover having an initial air permeability of less than 60 m³/(m²·

min) according to EDANA 140.2-99;

depositing the first nonwoven core cover on a support that includes open areas;

depositing a superabsorbent polymer material onto the nonwoven core cover; and

straining the first nonwoven core cover by a first prescribed strain of 10-20% such that the initial air permeability of the first nonwoven core cover is increased by less than 18%.

2. The process of claim 1, including providing the first nonwoven core cover that includes spunbond fibers having a weight that is greater than or equal to 80% and less than or equal to 95% of a weight of the first nonwoven core cover.

3. The process of claim 1, including providing the first nonwoven core cover that includes a layer of meltblown fibers sandwiched between layers of spunbond fibers.

4. The process of claim 1, including providing the superabsorbent polymer having a weight that is greater than or equal to 80% of a weight of the absorbent core.

5. The process of claim 1, including depositing a hot melt adhesive on the first nonwoven core cover.

6. The process of claim 5 including enlacing the superabsorbent polymer with the hot melt adhesive.

7. The process of claim 1, including depositing the first nonwoven core cover on a first surface of the support and applying a vacuum to second surface of the support that is opposite to the first surface.

8. The process of claim 1, including depositing a second nonwoven web onto the superabsorbent polymer material.

9. The process of claim 1, providing the first nonwoven core cover that has a basis weight of 8 to 20 g/m².

10. The process of claim 1, including folding the first nonwoven core cover to wrap the superabsorbent polymer material.