Absorbent articles with decolorizing structures

• US 9,283,127 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, SangWook
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Lynne
• Application Number:
  US13/851,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20130261585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/47263 with activating means, e.g. elastic, heat or chemical activatable means
• 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 13/49446 the edge leakage prevention means being an impermeable sheet or impermeable part of a sheet placed on or under the top sheet A61F13/49413 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51113 comprising an additive, e.g. lotion or odour control A61F13/51108 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5116 being formed of multiple layers A61F13/5123 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/513 characterised by its function or properties, e.g. stretchability, breathability, rewet, visual effect; having areas of different permeability
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/8405 Additives, e.g. for odour, disinfectant or pH control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51178 with the combination of nonwoven webs

Abstract

A feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article includes a topsheet layer, a backsheet layer, at least one absorbent core layer positioned between the topsheet layer and the backsheet layer and a decolorizing structure positioned along the article side edges, with the decolorizing structure extending laterally beyond the lateral most side edges of the absorbent core layer.

Claims

1. A feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article having lateral side edges, comprising a topsheet layer, a backsheet layer, an optional additional pad interior layer, and at least one absorbent core layer having lateral side edges, said at least one absorbent core layer positioned between said topsheet layer and said backsheet layer, said feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article further having a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, and a depth axis, wherein at least one decolorizing structure is positioned on at least one of the topsheet layer, the at least one absorbent core layer, the backsheet layer, optional additional pad interior layer or between one or more of the above layers, said decolorizing structure being adjacent said article lateral side edges, which decolorizing structure extends laterally beyond the lateral side edge of the absorbent core layer along said transverse axis, wherein said decolorizing structure is a laminate of two nonwoven materials, and further, wherein said two nonwoven materials comprise a first nonwoven material having an average pore size of between about 50 and 200 microns, and a second nonwoven material having an average pore size of between about 3 and 40 microns.

2. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein said decolorizing structure is positioned on said topsheet layer.

3. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 2, wherein said topsheet layer includes a central longitudinally directed topsheet material and two longitudinally directed side edge topsheet materials, and further wherein said decolorizing structure is positioned on said two longitudinally directed side edge topsheet materials.

4. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 3, wherein said two longitudinally directed side edge topsheet materials are comprised of a laminate including a masking layer.

5. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 4, wherein said laminate of said two longitudinally directed side edge topsheet materials includes a nonwoven and film layer.

6. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein said decolorizing structure laminate is placed on each longitudinally directed side edge of the article.

7. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein said first nonwoven material having an average pore size of between about 50 and 200 microns, has a basis weight of between about 10 and 70 gsm, and said second nonwoven material having an average pore size of between about 3 and 40 microns, has a basis weight of between about 10 and 100 gsm.

8. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein said first nonwoven material having an average pore size of between about 50 and 200 microns, has an average fiber diameter size of between about 2 and 20 microns, and said second nonwoven material having an average pore size of between about 3 and 40 microns, has an average fiber diameter size of between about 0.2 and 10 microns.

9. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein said decolorizing structure laminate extends along the side edges on the topsheet layer or other layers, between about 30 and 99 percent of the length of the article.

10. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein said decolorizing structure laminate extends along the entire length of the article.

11. The feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article of claim 1, wherein said decolorizing structure laminate includes a color different from that of the color of the layer underlying the decolorizing structure laminate.

12. A feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article having a front and back end, lateral side edges, and comprising a topsheet layer, a backsheet layer, an optional additional pad interior layer, and at least one absorbent core layer having lateral side edges, said at least one absorbent core layer positioned between said topsheet layer and said backsheet layer, said feminine hygiene absorbent personal care article further having a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, and a depth axis, wherein at least one decolorizing structure is positioned on at least one of the topsheet layer, the at least one absorbent core layer, the backsheet layer, optional additional pad interior layer or between one or more of the above layers, said decolorizing structure being adjacent said article lateral side edges, which decolorizing structure extends laterally beyond the lateral side edge of the absorbent core layer along said transverse axis, and further, wherein additional decolorizing structures are placed on the front and back ends of the article.