Absorbent article having a graphic visible through body contacting surface

• US 20070293834A1
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akiko Sasaki, Kensuke Ito, Koich Tomi, Shuri Kondo, Tsunetoshi Miura, Yoshiko Nakao
• Original Assignee: Akiko Sasaki, Kensuke Ito, Koich Tomi, Shuri Kondo, Tsunetoshi Miura, Yoshiko Nakao
• Inventors: Ito, Kensuke, Miura, Tsunetoshi, Sasaki, Akiko, Nakao, Yoshiko, Kondo, Shuri, Tomi, Koich
• Granted Patent: US 7,959,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/385.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/472 specially adapted for female use A61F13/474, A61F13/475, A61F13/476 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4755 the means being a flat barrier on or inside the absorbent article, e.g. backsheet wrapped around the edges
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/511 Topsheet, i.e. the permeable cover or layer facing the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51394 creating a visual effect, e.g. having a printed or coloured topsheet, printed or coloured sub-layer but being visible from the topsheet, other than embossing for purposes of bonding, wicking, acquisition, leakage-prevention
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51496 having visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/84 Accessories, not otherwise provided for, for absorbent pads
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15243 printed or coloured, e.g. to match skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8497 having decorations or indicia means

Abstract

The invention is directed to an absorbent article, which is preferably a sanitary napkin or a pantiliner, comprising: a body contacting layer; a garment contacting layer; and an absorbent core disposed between the body contacting layer and the garment contacting layer. The absorbent core has a core edge. The core edge defines a core region within the core edge and an outer region outside the core region. The body contacting layer and the garment contacting layer extend outward into the outer region and joined together in the outer region. In one aspect of the invention, the garment contacting layer has a graphic printed on the body facing surface at least in a portion of the outer region. In another aspect of the invention, the body contacting layer has a graphic printed on the garment facing surface at least in a portion of the outer region. The body contacting layer has a first light transmittance so that the graphic can be seen through the body contacting layer in the outer region. Since users (or women) can see the graphic through the body contacting layer, the absorbent article can provide an emotional benefit to women before uses, and thus decrease women'"'"'s melancholic mood.

Claims

1. An absorbent article for feminine hygiene, comprising:

a body contacting layer;

a garment contacting layer; and

an absorbent core disposed between the body contacting layer and the garment contacting layer, the absorbent core having a core edge;

the core edge defining a core region within the core edge and an outer region outside the core region;

the body contacting layer and the garment contacting layer extending outward into the outer region and joined together in the outer region;

the garment contacting layer having a graphic printed on a body facing surface at least in a portion of the outer region; and

the body contacting layer having a first light transmittance so that the graphic printed on the body facing surface of the garment contacting layer can be seen through the body contacting layer in the outer region.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the garment contacting layer has a second light transmittance so that the graphic on the body facing surface can be seen through the garment contacting layer.

3. The absorbent article of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first light transmittance or the second light transmittance is at least about 10%.

4. The absorbent article of claim 2, wherein the difference between the first and second light transmittances is greater than about 10% to less than about 70%.

5. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent article has a Hunter Lab Total Color Difference between the outer region and the core region of about 0.5-73.

6. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the core edge of the absorbent core includes longitudinal side edges and lateral end edges, and the outer region is disposed outside the longitudinal side edges of the absorbent core.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the core edge of the absorbent core includes longitudinal side edges and lateral end edges, and the outer region is disposed outside the lateral end edges of the absorbent core.

8. The absorbent article of claim 6, wherein the body contacting layer and the garment contacting layer extend outward into the outer region to form a flap.

9. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the body contacting layer includes a liquid permeable topsheet layer disposed in the core region, and a graphic protection layer disposed in the outer region.

10. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein a graphic protection layer has a hydrophobic nature to prevent body fluids discharged at the topsheet layer from wicking there through.

11. The absorbent article of claim 1, including a wrapper sheet, wherein the wrapper sheet has a light transmittance, so that the graphic printed on the body facing surface of the garment contacting layer can be seen through the wrapper sheet.

12. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent article is at least one of a sanitary napkin or a pantiliner.

13. An absorbent article for feminine hygiene, comprising:

a body contacting layer;

a garment contacting layer; and

an absorbent core disposed between the body contacting layer and the garment contacting layer, the absorbent core having a core edge;

the core edge defining a core region within the core edge and an outer region outside the core region;

the body contacting layer and the garment contacting layer extending outward into the outer region and joined together in the outer region;

the body contacting layer having a graphic printed on a garment facing surface; and

the body contacting layer having a first light transmittance so that the graphic printed on the garment facing surface of the body contacting layer can be seen through at least a portion of the body contacting layer.

14. The absorbent article of claim 13, wherein the body contacting layer has a first light transmittance so that the graphic printed on the garment facing surface of the body contacting layer can be seen through the body contacting layer in the outer region.

15. The absorbent article of claim 13, wherein the body contacting layer has a first light transmittance so that the graphic printed on the garment facing surface of the body contacting layer can be seen through the body contacting layer in the core region.

16. The absorbent article of claim 14, wherein the body contacting layer includes a liquid permeable topsheet layer disposed in the core region, and a graphic protection layer disposed in the outer region,

the graphic protection layer has the graphic printed on the garment facing surface, and

the graphic protection layer has the first light transmittance so that the graphic printed on the garment facing surface of the graphic protection layer can be seen through the graphic protection layer in the outer region.

17. The absorbent article of claim 13, wherein the absorbent article is at least one of a sanitary napkin or a pantiliner.

18. The absorbent article of claim 13, including a wrapper sheet, wherein the wrapper sheet has a light transmittance, so that the graphic printed on the garment facing surface of the body contacting layer can be seen through the wrapper sheet.

19. An absorbent product comprising a package which contains a plurality of absorbent articles each wrapped by a wrapper sheet, wherein

each absorbent article includes:

a body contacting layer,

a garment contacting layer, and

an absorbent core disposed between the body contacting layer and the garment contacting layer, the absorbent core having a core edge defining a core region within the core edge, the garment contacting layer having a first graphic printed on the body facing surface, wherein the package has a second graphic printed thereon which is common to the first graphic, and

each of the garment contacting layer and the wrapper sheet has a light transmittance such that the first graphic can be seen through the garment contacting layer and the wrapper.

20. The absorbent product of claim 19, wherein the first graphic is printed on the whole body facing surface of the garment contacting layer.

21. The absorbent product of claim 19, wherein the absorbent article is at least one of a sanitary napkin or a pantiliner.

22. The absorbent product of claim 19, wherein the package has a transparent portion.