Patent Application
20080077104
It should be noted that, when employed in the present disclosure, the terms “comprises”, “comprising” and other derivatives from the root term “comprise” are intended to be open-ended terms that specify the presence of any stated features, elements, integers, steps, or components, and are not intended to preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, integers, steps, components, or groups thereof.
It should be understood that the term “absorbent personal care product” or “absorbent personal care article” as used herein refers to any article used to control bodily fluids, and includes “absorbent products,” which refers to any article configured to absorb and retain bodily exudates, including urine, bowel movements, blood and menses, and includes such a product in a packaged and unpackaged configuration. As such, personal care products, as used herein, includes without limitation, diapers, child toilet training pants, adult incontinence garments, male incontinence products, tampons, vaginal suppositories, pantiliners, pads, sanitary napkins, tissues, wipes, etc. Examples of commercially available personal care products include, without limitation, Poise® feminine care products, including pantiliners and pads, and Kotex® feminine care products, including pads, tampons and liners, all available from Kimberly-Clark Global Sales, Neenah, Wis. Other absorbent personal care articles included, for example, Depend® absorbent personal care articles, such as Depend Guards for Men and Boost™ products, also available from Kimberly-Clark Global Sales, Neenah, Wis.
As used herein, the term “nonwoven fabric or web” means a web having a structure of individual fibers or threads which are interlaid, but not in a regular or identifiable manner as in a knitted fabric. The term also includes individual filaments and strands, yarns or tows as well as foams and films that have been fibrillated, apertured, or otherwise treated to impart fabric-like properties. Nonwoven fabrics or webs have been formed from many processes such as for example, meltblowing processes, spunbonding processes, airlaying processes and bonded carded web processes. The basis weight of nonwoven fabrics is usually expressed in ounces of material per square yard (osy) or grams per square meter (gsm) and the fiber diameters useful are usually expressed in microns. (Note that to convert from osy to gsm, multiply osy by 33.91).
As used herein, the term “spunbonded web” refers to a web of small diameter fibers which are formed by extruding molten thermoplastic material as filaments from a plurality of fine, usually circular capillaries of a spinneret with the diameter of the extruded filaments then being rapidly reduced as, for example, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,563 to Appel et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,618 to Dorschner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,817 to Matsuki et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,338,992 and 3,341,394 to Kinney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,763 to Hartmann, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,615 to Dobo et al. Spunbond fibers are quenched and generally not tacky when they are deposited onto a collecting surface. Spunbond fibers are generally continuous and have average diameters frequently larger than 7 microns, more particularly, between about 10 and 20 microns.
As used herein, the term “meltblown web” means a web of fibers formed by extruding a molten thermoplastic material through a plurality of fine, usually circular, die capillaries as molten threads or filaments into converging high velocity, usually heated, gas (e.g. air) streams which attenuate the filaments of molten thermoplastic material to reduce their diameter, which may be to microfiber diameter. Thereafter, the meltblown fibers are carried by the high velocity gas stream and are deposited on a collecting surface often while still tacky to form a web of randomly dispersed meltblown fibers. Such a process is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,241 to Butin. Meltblown fibers are microfibers which may be continuous or discontinuous and are generally smaller than 10 microns in average diameter.
As used herein, the term “coform material” or “coform” generally refers to composite materials comprising a stabilized matrix of thermoplastic fibers and a second non-thermoplastic material. As an example, coform materials may be made by a process in which at least one meltblown die head is arranged near a chute through which pulp and/or other absorbent materials are added to the web while it is forming. Suitable absorbents include, but are not limited to, fibrous organic materials such as woody or non-woody pulp such as cotton, rayon, recycled paper, wood pulp fluff, cellulose and/or cellulosic staple fibers, and also include inorganic absorbent materials such as superabsorbent materials and/or treated polymeric staple fibers. Exemplary coform materials are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,703 to Everhart et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,624 to Georger et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,324 to Anderson et al.; the entire contents of each of the aforesaid references are incorporated herein by reference.
As used herein, “bonded carded webs” or “BCW” refers to nonwoven webs formed by carding processes as are known to those skilled in the art and further described, for example, in coassigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,928 to Alikhan et al. which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Briefly, carding processes involve starting with a blend of, for example, staple fibers with bonding fibers or other bonding components in a bulky batt that is combed or otherwise treated to provide a generally uniform basis weight. This web is heated or otherwise treated to activate the adhesive component resulting in an integrated, usually lofty nonwoven material.
“Airlaying” or “airlaid web” is a well known process by which a fibrous nonwoven layer can be formed. In the airlaying process, bundles of small fibers are separated and entrained in an air supply and then deposited onto a forming screen, usually with the assistance of a vacuum supply. The randomly deposited fibers then are bonded to one another using, for example, hot air or a spray adhesive.
As used herein, the term “polymer” generally includes but is not limited to, homopolymers, copolymers, such as for example, block, graft, random and alternating copolymers, terpolymers, etc. and blends and modifications thereof. Furthermore, unless otherwise specifically limited, the term “polymer” shall include all possible geometrical configurations of the material. These configurations include, but are not limited to isotactic, syndiotactic and random symmetries.
As used herein, “body-facing surface” means that surface of the article or component which is intended to be disposed toward or placed adjacent to the body of the wearer during ordinary use, while the “garment-facing surface” is on the opposite side, and is intended to be disposed to face away from the wearer's body during ordinary use. The outward surface may be arranged to face toward or placed adjacent to the wearer's undergarments when the absorbent article is worn.
As used herein, the term “pattern” refers to images or designs that are constituted by a figure (i.e., a lines, a symbol or character and the like). A pattern desirably has an aesthetic image or design that can provide certain benefits when the absorbent article is viewed by users or consumers of the absorbent articles.
As used herein, the term “connected” is intended to mean directly connected and indirectly connected. By directly connected, it is intended that the connected elements are in contact with one another or affixed to one another. By indirectly connected, it is intended that one or more intervening or intermediate elements are between the two elements which are secured or “connected” together. The intervening elements may be affixed.
Personal care articles such as, for example, feminine care and incontinent absorbent products, generally include a liquid pervious topsheet, a substantially liquid impervious backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned and held between the topsheet and the backsheet. The topsheet is generally operatively permeable to the liquids that are intended to be held or stored by the absorbent article, and the backsheet may be substantially impermeable or otherwise operatively impermeable to the liquids intended to be held or stored by the absorbent article. Disposable absorbent articles may also include other optional components or layers, such as liquid wicking layers, liquid distribution layers, barrier layers, and the like, as well as combinations thereof, which may improve the fluid handling and storage properties of the disposable absorbent article. Generally, disposable absorbent articles and the components thereof provide a body-facing surface and a garment-facing surface. The body-facing surface is generally the topsheet and the garment-facing surface is the backsheet. As an alternative, the substantially liquid impervious backsheet may be replaced with a liquid pervious backsheet, when the absorbent personal care product is used in conjunction with another liquid impervious layer or article, such as, for example, liquid impervious pants.
In the present invention, the absorbent personal care articles of the present invention are placed into a wrapper component. The wrapper component has an exterior surface and an interior volume. The absorbent personal care article is placed within the interior volume of the wrapper component, which serves to keep the absorbent article clean prior to use. In one embodiment of the present invention, associated with the wrapper component is a disposal device, which is attached to or held adjacent to the wrapper component. Alternatively, the disposal device may be placed in the interior volume of the wrapper component. The disposal device provides the user with a convenient and discreet way to dispose of a used absorbent personal care article when a user changes a used absorbent personal care article and replaces the used absorbent personal care article with an unused absorbent personal care article. Any absorbent article may be placed in the wrapper component, including diapers, incontinence pants, training pants, and menstrual pants. However, typically the wrapper component of the present invention will be used to hold sanitary napkins, tampons, pantiliners, incontinence pads and the like.
To obtain a better understanding of the absorbent articles which may be present in the present invention, attention is directed to
The absorbent product 10 has a first body-side surface 20 and a second garment-side surface 22. Applied to at least a portion of the second garment-side surface 22 is a garment attachment adhesive. In various embodiments, the garment attachment adhesive is configured as a single band of adhesive or as two or more spaced apart strips. Alternatively, the garment attachment adhesive may include a swirl pattern of adhesive which encompasses a major portion of the second garment surface 22 of the absorbent article 10.
A release strip 28, also known as a releasable peel strip, is removably secured to the garment attachment adhesive and serves to prevent premature contamination of the adhesive before the absorbent article 10 is secured to the crotch portion of an undergarment. In various embodiments, the garment attachment adhesive is designed to be secured to the inner crotch portion of an undergarment so as to keep the absorbent product in register with the body of the user. The release strip 28 may extend beyond one or both of the ends 12, 14 of the outer cover, as shown in
The body-side liner or topsheet 44, which is preferably liquid permeable, may be formed from one or more materials. The body-side liner or topsheet 44 must be able to manage different body excretions depending on the type of product. In feminine care products, often the body-side liner or body-contacting layer must be able to handle menses and urine. In the present invention, the body-side liner or topsheet 44 may include a layer constructed of any operative material, and may be a composite material. For example, the body-side liner or body-contacting layer can include a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, a polymer film, a film-nonwoven fabric laminate or the like, as well as combinations thereof. Examples of a nonwoven fabric useable in the body-side liner or topsheet 44 include, for example, an airlaid nonwoven web, a spunbond nonwoven web, a meltblown nonwoven web, a bonded-carded-web, a hydroentangled nonwoven web, a spunlace web or the like, as well as combinations thereof. Other examples of suitable materials for constructing the body-side liner or topsheet 44 can include rayon, bonded-carded-webs of polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, or other heat-bondable fibers finely perforated film webs, net-like materials, and the like, as well as combinations thereof. These webs can be prepared from polymeric materials such as, for example, polyolefins, such as polypropylene and polyethylene and copolymers thereof, polyesters in general including aliphatic esters such as polylactic acid, nylon or any other heat-bondable materials.
Other examples of suitable materials for the body-side liner or topsheet 44 are composite materials of a polymer and a nonwoven fabric material. The composite materials are typically in the form of integral sheets generally formed by the extrusion of a polymer onto a nonwoven web, such as a spunbond material. In a desired arrangement, the liner or body contacting layer 44 can be configured to be operatively liquid-permeable with regard to the liquids that the article is intended to absorb or otherwise handle. The operative liquid-permeability may, for example, be provided by a plurality of pores, perforations, apertures or other openings, as well as combinations thereof, which are present or formed in the liner or body contacting layer. The apertures or other openings can help increase the rate at which bodily liquids can move through the thickness of the liner or body contacting layer and penetrate into the other components of the article (e.g. into the absorbent core 48). The selected arrangement of liquid-permeability is desirably present at least on an operative portion of the body-side liner or topsheet 44 that is appointed for placement on the body-side of the article. The body-side liner or topsheet 44 can provide comfort and conformability, and can function to direct bodily exudates away from the body and toward the absorbent core 48. The body-side liner or topsheet 44 can be configured to retain little or no liquid in its structure, and can be configured to provide a relatively comfortable and non-irritating surface next to the body tissues of a wearer. In the present invention, the topsheet or body-facing surface of each absorbent article may be embossed, printed or otherwise imparted with a pattern.
The baffle or backsheet 46 may include a layer constructed of any operative material, and may or may not have a selected level of liquid-permeability or liquid-impermeability, as desired. In a particular configuration, the baffle or backsheet 46 may be configured to provide an operatively liquid-impermeable baffle structure. The baffle or backsheet 46 may, for example, include a polymeric film, a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric or the like, as well as combinations or composites thereof. For example, the baffle may include a polymer film laminated to a woven or nonwoven fabric. In a particular feature, the polymer film can be composed of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester or the like, as well as combinations thereof. Additionally, the polymer film may be micro-embossed, have a printed design, have a printed message to the consumer, and/or may be at least partially colored. Suitably, the baffle or backsheet 46 can operatively permit a sufficient passage of air and moisture vapor out of the article, particularly out of an absorbent (e.g. storage or absorbent core 48) while blocking the passage of bodily liquids. An example of a suitable baffle material can include a breathable, microporous film, such as those described in, for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,900 to McCormack et al.
Bicomponent films or other multi-component films can also be used, as well as woven and/or nonwoven fabrics which have been treated to render them operatively liquid-impermeable. Another suitable baffle material can include a closed cell polyolefin foam. For example, a closed-cell polyethylene foam may be employed.
The liquid permeable body-side liner 44 and the liquid-impermeable baffle 46 may be peripherally sealed together to enclose the absorbent core 48 to form the absorbent article 10. Alternatively, the body-side liner or topsheet 44 can be wrapped around both the absorbent 48 and the baffle or backsheet 46 to form a wrapped pad. The body-side liner 44 and baffle 46, and other components of the absorbent product, can be joined for example with adhesive bonds, sonic bonds, thermal bonds, pinning, stitching or any other attachment techniques known in the art, as well as combinations thereof.
The absorbent core 48 is designed to absorb body exudates, including menstrual fluid, blood, urine, and other body fluids. The absorbent core 48 may contain one or more layers of absorbent material. The layers can contain similar materials or different materials. Suitable materials for the absorbent core 48 include, for example, cellulose, wood pulp fluff, rayon, cotton, and meltblown polymers such as polyester, polypropylene or coform. Coform is a meltblown air-formed combination of meltblown polymers, such as polypropylene, and absorbent staple fibers, such as cellulose. A preferred material is wood pulp fluff, for it is low in cost, relatively easy to form, and has good absorbency.
The absorbent core 48 can also be formed from a composite comprised of a hydrophilic material which may be formed from various natural or synthetic fibers, wood pulp fibers, regenerated cellulose or cotton fibers, or a blend of pulp and other fibers. A desired material is an airlaid material.
In one embodiment, the absorbent core 48 also includes a superabsorbent material, in addition to or in place of the hydrophilic material, which increases the ability of the absorbent core to absorb a large amount of fluid in relation to its own weight. Generally stated, the superabsorbent material can be a water-swellable, generally water-insoluble, hydrogel-forming polymeric absorbent material, which is capable of absorbing at least about 15, suitably about 30, and possibly about 60 times or more its weight in physiological saline (e.g. saline with 0.9 wt % NaCl). The superabsorbent materials can be inserted as particles or in sheet form. The superabsorbent material may be biodegradable or bipolar. The hydrogel-forming polymeric absorbent material may be formed from organic hydrogel-forming polymeric material, which may include natural material such as agar, pectin, and guar gum; modified natural materials such as carboxymethyl cellulose, carboxyethyl cellulose, and hydroxypropyl cellulose; and synthetic hydrogel-forming polymers. Synthetic hydrogel-forming polymers include, for example, alkali metal salts of polyacrylic acid, polyacrylamides, polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene maleic anhydride copolymers, polyvinyl ethers, polyvinyl morpholinone, polymers and copolymers of vinyl sulfonic acid, polyacrylates, polyacrylamides, polyvinyl pyridine, and the like. Other suitable hydrogel-forming polymers include hydrolyzed acrylonitrile grafted starch, acrylic acid grafted starch, and isobutylene maleic anhydride copolymers and mixtures thereof. The hydrogel-forming polymers may be lightly crosslinked to render the material substantially water insoluble. Crosslinking may, for example, be by irradiation or covalent, ionic, Van der Waals, or hydrogen bonding. Hydroxyfunctional polymers have been found to be good superabsorbents for sanitary napkins. Such superabsorbents are commercially available from Dow Chemical, Hoechst-Celanese, and Stockhausen, Incorporated, among others, and are a partially neutralized salt of cross-linked copolymer of polyacrylic acid and polyvinyl alcohol having an absorbency under load value above 25 grams of absorbed liquid per gram of absorbent material (g/g). Other types of superabsorbent materials known to those skilled in the art can also be used.
Additional layers or substrates, including for example, the liquid acquisition and distribution layer 4, also referred to as a surge or transfer layer, and an optional tissue layer 6 are also incorporated into the absorbent product, for example between the body-side liner or topsheet 44 and the absorbent core 48. The distribution layer 4 may be shorter than the absorbent core 48 or have the same length as the absorbent core 48. The distribution layer serves to temporarily hold an insulting fluid to allow the absorbent core sufficient time to absorb the fluid, especially when a superabsorbent material is present. In one embodiment, the absorbent core, transfer layer and other components, such as tissue layers, are free floating (unattached) between the outer-cover and the liner, which are secured along only the peripheral edges thereof. Alternatively, the absorbent core, transfer layer and other components are attached to one or both of the outer-cover and liner and/or to each other.
The absorbent article may be folded along a pair of fold lines 30, 32 to form a tri-fold configuration, prior to insertion into the wrapper component. In other embodiments, the absorbent article can be bi-folded, flat or rolled. In whichever configuration the absorbent article is in, the absorbent article is placed into a wrapper component of the present invention. Alternatively, a plurality (meaning two or more) of article components can be disposed in a single wrapper component and a plurality of wrapper components, with absorbent article contained therein, can be placed in an outer packaging component. The outer packaging component is any packaging which is used to transport, store, or protect the absorbent articles and wrapper components. Examples of outer packaging components include bags, boxes and the like. Outer packaging components are typically used to allow consumers a convenient means to transport a plurality of absorbent articles from the store to their home or other places of use.
The wrapper component 11 may have a number of different configurations without departing from the scope of the present invention. Although the wrapper component 11 may have different configurations or can be prepared in other ways without departing from the scope of the present invention, referring to
As an alternative to having the free edge overlap the first panel, the wrapper component can be designed such that there is no overlap between the free edge 54 and the first panel 64, without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the free edges 54, 56 may abut each other (not shown) or may be separated by a small distance (also not shown). As such, in this alternative, the second panel is defined merely as another panel. In any event, the wrapper component 11 has an interior volume 67 which is capable of holding the absorbent article 10.
When the second panel overlaps the first panel, in one example, the portion 57 has a length of about 0 mm to about 50 mm, generally about 2-22 mm and typically about 4-10 mm between the free edges 54, 56. In various embodiments, the overlap distance is less than or equal to about 95% of the overall wrapper component 11 length in a closed configuration, more desirably less than or equal to about 35% of the wrapper component length, and more desirably less than or equal to about 20% of the wrapper component length. In various embodiments, the free edge 54 is positioned at a distance from either edge 58, 60 that is greater than or equal to about 10% of the overall length of the wrapper component (in a closed configuration), more desirably greater than or equal to about 30%, and more desirably about 50% of the wrapper component length. The first panel further includes an uncovered second portion 59 extending between the free edge 54 and the bottom edge 58. Of course, it should be understood that the length and width of the article and wrapper components can vary according to the type of article and the size of the article.
A pair of side seals 74 secures the first panel 64 to the back panel 62. The side seals are desirably formed after the first panel is folded over the back panel and the second panel is folded over the back panel and the first panel. Although, it is possible that the first panel could first be sealed to the back panel, and the second panel then sealed to one or both of the back panel and first panel. In an alternative configuration, the second panel is not sealed at the side edges of the first panel and back panel. This embodiment is described in more detail below. The sides may be sealed by any method known to those skilled in the art. Exemplary sealing methods include, for example, adhesive sealing, bonding by the application of heat and pressure, ultrasonic bonding or any other art-known bonding methods. In one embodiment of the present invention, the side seals 74 may be frangible, meaning they can be easily broken such that the second panel 66 can be separated from the first panel 64 and back panel 62, and such that the first panel 64 can be easily separated from the back panel 62, wherein the product component 10 is exposed for removal from the pouch by the user.
In an alternative configuration, one or more free edges may be formed along a perforation line, which is or may be adhered to an underlying layer, with the edge defined by the perforation line being a “free edge” after the perforation line is broken. The free edge can be a single layer cut or formed edge, or can include a double-layer folded edge, or can include an edge formed by a plurality of layers. The wrapper material can be formed from materials, such as, but not limited to, a non-woven material, films, paper, laminates, and/or cloth (including woven) materials, and combinations thereof. For example, the pouch can be made as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,716,203, to Sorebo et al., the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Suitable laminates useable in the present invention include, for example, spunbond-spunbond laminate (SS), spunbond-meltblown-spunbond laminates (SMS), spunbond-film laminates (SF), and film-film laminates. In one embodiment, the pouch is made of a film/spunbond laminate material available from Kimberly-Clark Corp, and known as HBSTL (“highly breathable stretch thermal laminate”), and which material is further disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,032, to Nortman et al., the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
In one alternative embodiment, the second panel 66 is releasably secured to the first panel 64. For example, a fastening element 72, shown as a tab in
In some embodiments, the second panel 66 is refastenably secured to the first panel 64, while in others the second panel 66 is not intended to be secured to the first panel 64 once the wrapper component is opened. For example, in one embodiment, the free edge 54 is defined by a perforation line; with the second panel not being refastenable after the perforation is broken.
Referring to
In the present invention, the wrapper component may be preformed or folded with the absorbent article contained in the strip of material used to prepare the wrapper component. As is shown in
In other embodiments, the absorbent article component 10 may be rolled, with a second panel or first panel portion of a wrapper component overlying a panel portion of the wrapper component, regardless of whether the wrapper component is integral with the product component or separate therefrom.
In one embodiment of the present invention, provided is a disposal device which is attached to, held adjacent the wrapper component or is placed within the interior volume of the wrapper component. The disposal device allows a user of absorbent articles to place a used absorbent article within the disposal device and discard the disposal device in a waste basket or similar container. The disposal device could also serve to allow the user to place a used absorbent article in a pocket of apparel worn by the user or to be placed into a purse, a backpack, a brief case or other similar items which may be carried by a user of absorbent personal care articles. The disposal device may be a web of material having a sheet-like structure, in the form of a bag-like structure having an exterior surface, an internal chamber and an opening to allow access to the chamber.
The disposal device may be prepared from a variety of materials. Suitable materials include, for example, polymeric films, metal foils, nonwoven webs or laminates or composites thereof. Examples of polymeric films include polyolefin films such as polyethylene and polypropylene films. Metal films include, for example, tin foil, aluminum foil and the like. Nonwoven webs include the spunbond nonwoven webs, airlaid nonwoven webs, meltblown nonwoven webs and carded nonwoven webs. Suitable laminates and composites useable in the present invention for the disposal device include spunbond-spunbond laminates (SS), spunbond-meltblown-spunbond laminates (SMS), spunbond-film laminates (SF), and film-film laminates. In one embodiment, the pouch is made of a film/spunbond laminate material available from Kimberly-Clark Corp, and known as HBSTL (“highly breathable stretch thermal laminate”), and which material is further disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,032, to Nortman et al., the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Generally, a disposal device should have a color or opacity which will effectively disguise or hide the used absorbent personal care article which may be wrapped or contained within the disposal device.
As is shown in
As is shown in
As mentioned above, the disposal device may be held adjacent to the wrapper component using a pocket 101, as is shown in
The disposal device 100 may be a sheet of a material described above, as is shown in
The first panel 141 and the second panel 142 each have a bottom edge 143, a first side edge 144, a second side edge 145 and a top edge 146. The bottom edge 143 of the first panel 141 is adjoined to the bottom edge 143 of the second panel 142, the first side edge 144 of the first panel 141 is adjoined to the first side edge 141 of the second panel 142 and the second side edge 144 of the first panel 141 is adjoined to the second side edge 144 of the second panel 142. The opening 120 is located at the top edge 146 of the first panel 141 and the top edge 146 of the second panel 142 such that the first side 121 of the opening is located on the first panel 141 and the second side 122 of the opening is located on the second panel 142. Each panel 141 and 142 may be prepared from separate pieces of material or may be prepared from a unitary piece of material. In the case where the each panel 141 and 142 is made from separate pieces of material, the first and second side edges 143 and 144 of each material and bottom edge must be joined together, either directly or indirectly. An additional piece or pieces of material may be present between each panel 141 and 142 where the panels are joined. Desirably, from the standpoint of cost, the first panel 141 and the second panel 142 are joined directly together. Any method known to those skilled in the art of joining two pieces of material together may be used. Exemplary joining methods include bonding, sealing, stitching and the like. Suitable bonding and sealing methods include, for example, but are not limited to adhesive bonding or sealing, bonding or sealing by the application of heat and pressure, ultrasonic bonding or sealing, or any other art known bonding methods. Alternatively, the material used to prepare the disposal device 100 may be a unitary piece of material. In the case of a unitary piece of material, one of the side edges 144, 145 or the bottom edge 143 does not have to be bonded, sealed or otherwise joined to the corresponding edge on the other panel since the two panels are made from a single piece of material. In the present invention, it is desirable that the material is prepared from a unitary piece of material such that the bottom edges 143 of the panels 141 and 142 do not have to be joined together. In an alternative embodiment, the side edges 144, 145 and bottom edges 143 may be joined directly together or separated by one or more pieces of the same or different types of material. For example, the side edges could be joined together through an expandable material, such as an elastic nonwoven material to expand the side seams of the interior volume 130. Other materials may be used just to increase the capacity of the interior volume 130, or to aid in the bonding or sealing of the panels together.
In the present invention, the disposal device 100 should be of a sufficient size to allow the used absorbent personal care article to be placed in and contained within the device. The actual size would vary, depending on the size or type of absorbent personal care article intended to be disposed of within the disposal device. For example, when the disposal device is a sheet or web of material, as shown in
In one embodiment, the disposal device is provided with a closing device which allows the disposal device to be closed by the user. The closing device 123 may be a wide variety of devices known to those skilled in the art, including, for example, adhesive tape 124, shown in
The disposal device may be attached to or held near the wrapper component in a folded or unfolded condition. Typically, the disposal device will be folded to reduce the size of the disposal device to the size of the wrapper component, in a closed position, or smaller.
To use the disposal device of the present invention, a user removes the disposal device from the wrapper component 11. The user will open or unfold the disposal device such that the used absorbent personal care article may be placed onto or in the disposal device. The user may have removed the used absorbent personal care article from the position of use prior to opening the disposal device or the user may open the disposal device prior to removing the absorbent personal care article. Next the used absorbent personal care article 10U is placed onto the disposal device 100, as is shown in
In another embodiment of the present invention, a single wrapper component for both unused and used absorbent articles is provided. In this embodiment of the present invention, the wrapper component stores the new or unused absorbent personal care article and, once the unused absorbent personal care article is removed, the used absorbent personal care article may be placed into the wrapper component. To gain a better understanding of this embodiment of the present invention, attention is directed to
The wrapper component, as exemplified in
The first panel 241 and the second panel 242 each have a bottom edge 243, a first side edge 244, a second side edge 245 and a top edge 246. The bottom edge 243 of the first panel 241 is adjoined to the bottom edge 243 of the second panel 242, the first side edge 244 of the first panel 241 is adjoined to the first side edge 244 of the second panel 242 and the second side edge 244 of the first panel 241 is adjoined to the second side edge 244 of the second panel 242. The opening 220 is located at the top edge 246 of the first panel 241 and the top edge 246 of the second panel 242 such that the first side 221 of the opening is located on the first panel 241 and the second side 222 of the opening is located on the second panel 242. Each panel 241 and 242 may be prepared from separate pieces of material or may be prepared from a unitary piece of material. In the case where the each panel 241 and 242 is made from separate pieces of material, the first and second side edges 243 and 244 of each material and bottom edge must be joined together, either directly or indirectly. An additional piece or pieces of material may be present between each panel 241 and 242 where the panels are joined. Additional panels may be used to increase the size of the interior volume 230. Desirably, from the standpoint of cost, the first panel 241 and the second panel 242 are joined directly together. Any method known to those skilled in the art of joining two pieces of material together may be used. Exemplary joining methods include bonding, sealing, stitching and the like. Suitable bonding and sealing methods include, for example, but are not limited to, adhesive bonding or sealing, bonding or sealing by the application of heat and pressure, ultrasonic bonding or sealing, or any other art known bonding methods. Alternatively, the material used to prepare the disposal device 100 may be a unitary piece of material. In the case of a unitary piece of material, one of the side edges 244, 245 or the bottom edge 243 does not have to be bonded, sealed or otherwise joined to the corresponding edge on the other panel since the two panels are made from a single piece of material. In the present invention, it is desirable that the material is prepared from a unitary piece of material such that the bottom edge 243 of the panels 241 and 242 do not have to be joined together. In an alternative embodiment, the side edges 244, 245 and bottom edge 243 may be joined directly together or separated by one or more pieces of the same or different types of material. For example, the side edges could be joined together through an expandable material, such as an elastic nonwoven material to expand the side seams of the interior volume 230. Other materials may be used just to increase the capacity of the interior volume 230, or to aid in the bonding or sealing of the panels together.
The opening 220 of the wrapper component allow access to the interior volume 230 of the wrapper component 211. The opening allows a user to remove a new or unused absorbent personal care article 10 and place a used absorbent article within the interior volume 230 after the new or unused absorbent personal care article has been removed from the interior volume 230. As is mentioned above, typically used absorbent personal care articles have a malodor associated with these used articles. In the present invention, the wrapper component 211 is provided with a resealing means 223 located at or near the opening 220 which allows the wrapper component to be resealed after opening.
The resealing means allows the wrapper component to be closed by the user. The resealing means 223 may be a wide variety of devices known to those skilled in the art. Ideally, the resealing means should be a means which will cause the wrapper component to have an essentially air-tight seal, thereby preventing malodors from escaping from the wrapper component when a used absorbent personal care article is placed in the wrapper component. Suitable resealing means include, for example, a mechanical fastener (e.g., hook and loop), pressure-sensitive adhesives, co-adhesive materials and tongue and groove fasteners. Tongue and groove fasteners are known in the art and are commonly found on zippered storage bags. Tongue and grove fasteners are shown in
The wrapper component 211 of this embodiment of the present invention also has a tamper-evident seal 224 located at or near the opening 220. The tamper evident seal 224 provides the user with a visual indication whether or not the wrapper component 211 has been previously opened. In the case where the wrapper component 211 is used to store or transport a used absorbent personal care article, until a suitable disposal container can be located, the tamper-evident seal 224 will provide the user with a visual cue that the wrapper component has been previously opened and that the absorbent article in the wrapper component may contain a used absorbent personal care article.
The tamper-evident seal may be any means which will provide the user with a signal that the wrapper component may have been previously opened. Tamper-evident seals may be a tape-like material placed over the opening, and may be a single piece of a material 228 used to make wrapper component that covers the opening having a opening means, as is shown in
The tamper-evident seal may be located in the opening of the wrapper component between the interior volume and the resealing means 223, as shown in
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the wrapper or the disposal device may be imparted with a low friction coating on the internal surfaces of the wrapper or disposal device. The low friction coating may will aid the user in removing an unused absorbent personal care article form the wrapper, when one is present, and placing a used absorbent personal care within the wrapper or disposal device for discreet disposal. Examples of suitable coatings include silicone coatings and the like.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to various embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. As such, it is intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting and that it is the appended claims, including all equivalents thereof, which are intended to define the scope of the invention.
