The present disclosure is generally directed to absorbent articles comprising discontinuous bond patterns, and, is more particularly directed to, absorbent articles comprising landing components comprising discontinuous bond patterns.
Absorbent articles may comprise diapers, pants, adult incontinence products, and sanitary napkins, for example. Absorbent articles may also comprise cleaning, dusting, mopping, and/or wiping pads or substrates, such as a Swiffer® pad. The absorbent articles typically comprise a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet. Various components of absorbent articles comprise nonwoven materials. Some example components are outer cover nonwoven materials, discrete, nonwoven landing zones, and non-elasticized front belts comprising one or more nonwoven materials. All of these nonwoven components may function as landing components for hooks in a taped diaper context. In a cleaning, dusting, mopping, and/or wiping pad or substrate, one or more nonwoven materials may act as a landing component for hooks on a base of a handle. To function as a landing component, these nonwoven components may need to have certain characteristics to engage hook materials of fasteners (or bases of handles) and reliably hold the hooks of the fasteners (or bases of handles). Related art landing zones relied on islands of raised material or continuous line patterns of bonds or densified areas to achieve fastening performance. These related art landing zones, however, struggled with the appearance of premium quality. However, using discontinuous line patterns of bonds on a landing zone may result in higher fuzz and undesirably fastening. As such, a balance is needed between landing component line patterns of bonds that look premium, but that have acceptable levels of fuzz and also have suitable fastening performance. As such, landing components, such as outer cover nonwoven materials, discrete, nonwoven landing zones, non-elasticized front belts comprising one or more nonwoven materials, or cleaning, dusting, mopping, and/or wiping pads or substrates comprising bond patterns, should be improved.
The present disclosure provides, in part, absorbent articles comprising landing components comprising one or more nonwoven materials comprising discontinuous bond patterns that have a premium look, have adequate fastening performance when receiving hooks, and that have low levels of fuzz. The landing zone components may be an outer cover nonwoven material, a discrete landing zone, a non-elasticized front belt comprising or more nonwoven materials, for example. The landing component may also comprise a cleaning, dusting, mopping, and/or wiping pad or substrate comprising one or more nonwoven materials comprising the discontinuous bond patterns.
The present disclosure provides, in part, nonwoven materials comprising discontinuous bond patterns. These nonwoven materials may be provided on any product or consumer product. The nonwoven materials, though, are especially useful as landing components, such as female components of mechanical fasteners.
The present disclosure provides, in part, absorbent articles comprising one or more nonwoven materials comprising discontinuous bond patterns. The one or more nonwoven materials may form at least a portion of a waistband, a leg cuff, a topsheet, a waist cuff, an ear, a side panel, a belt, and/or any other component or components, for example.
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of the present disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the disclosure itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of example forms of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Various non-limiting forms of the present disclosure will now be described to provide an overall understanding of the principles of the structure, function, manufacture, and use of the Absorbent Articles Having Discontinuous Bond Patterns disclosed herein. One or more examples of these non-limiting forms are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the Absorbent Articles Having Discontinuous Bond Patterns described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting example forms and that the scope of the various non-limiting forms of the present disclosure are defined solely by the claims. The features illustrated or described in connection with one non-limiting form may be combined with the features of other non-limiting forms. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.
Prior to a detailed discussion of the absorbent articles comprising nonwoven materials comprising discontinuous bond patterns, a general discussion of absorbent articles and their various components and features will be presented as background.
An example absorbent article 10 according to the present disclosure, shown in the form of a taped diaper, is represented in
The absorbent article 10 may comprise a front waist region 12, a crotch region 14, and a back waist region 16. The crotch region 14 may extend intermediate the front waist region 12 and the back waist region 16. The front wait region 12, the crotch region 14, and the back waist region 16 may each be ⅓ of the length of the absorbent article 10. The absorbent article 10 may comprise a front end edge 18, a back end edge 20 opposite to the front end edge 18, and longitudinally extending, transversely opposed side edges 22 and 24 defined by the chassis 52.
The absorbent article 10 may comprise a liquid permeable topsheet 26, a liquid impermeable backsheet 28, and an absorbent core 30 positioned at least partially intermediate the topsheet 26 and the backsheet 28. The absorbent article 10 may also comprise one or more pairs of barrier leg cuffs 32 with or without elastics 33, one or more pairs of leg elastics 34, one or more elastic waistbands 36, and/or one or more acquisition materials 38. The acquisition material or materials 38 may be positioned intermediate the topsheet 26 and the absorbent core 30. An outer cover nonwoven material 40 may cover a garment-facing side of the backsheet 28. The absorbent article 10 may comprise back ears 42 in the back waist region 16. The back ears 42 may comprise fasteners 46 on tapes and may extend from the back waist region 16 of the absorbent article 10 and attach (using the fasteners 46) to the landing zone area or landing zone material 44 on a garment-facing portion of the front waist region 12 of the absorbent article 10. The absorbent article 10 may also have front ears 47 in the front waist region 12. The absorbent article 10 may have a central lateral (or transverse) axis 48 and a central longitudinal axis 50. The central lateral axis 48 extends perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis 50.
In other instances, the absorbent article may be in the form of a pant having permanent or refastenable side seams. Suitable refastenable seams are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2014/0005020 and U.S. Pat. No. 9,421,137. Referring to
Referring to
The front and back inner belt layers 66, 67 and the front and back outer belt layers 64, 65 may be joined using adhesives, heat bonds, pressure bonds or thermoplastic bonds. Various suitable belt layer configurations can be found in U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2013/0211363.
Front and back belt end edges 55 and 57 may extend longitudinally beyond the front and back chassis end edges 19 and 21 (as shown in
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,901,393, the longitudinal length (along the central longitudinal axis 50) of the back belt 56 may be greater than the longitudinal length of the front belt 54, and this may be particularly useful for increased buttocks coverage when the back belt 56 has a greater longitudinal length versus the front belt 54 adjacent to or immediately adjacent to the side seams 58.
The front outer belt layer 64 and the back outer belt layer 65 may be separated from each other, such that the layers are discrete or, alternatively, these layers may be continuous, such that a layer runs continuously from the front belt end edge 55 to the back belt end edge 57. This may also be true for the front and back inner belt layers 66 and 67—that is, they may also be longitudinally discrete or continuous. Further, the front and back outer belt layers 64 and 65 may be longitudinally continuous while the front and back inner belt layers 66 and 67 are longitudinally discrete, such that a gap is formed between them—a gap between the front and back inner and outer belt layers 64, 65, 66, and 67 is shown in
The front and back belts 54 and 56 may include slits, holes, and/or perforations providing increased breathability, softness, and a garment-like texture. Underwear-like appearance can be enhanced by substantially aligning the waist and leg edges at the side seams 58 (see
The front and back belts 54 and 56 may comprise graphics (see e.g., 78 of
Alternatively, instead of attaching belts 54 and 56 to the chassis 52 to form a pant, discrete side panels may be attached to side edges of the chassis 22 and 24.
The topsheet 26 is the part of the absorbent article 10 that is in contact with the wearer's skin. The topsheet 26 may be joined to portions of the backsheet 28, the absorbent core 30, the barrier leg cuffs 32, and/or any other layers as is known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The topsheet 26 may be compliant, soft-feeling, and non-irritating to the wearer's skin. Further, at least a portion of, or all of, the topsheet may be liquid permeable, permitting liquid bodily exudates to readily penetrate through its thickness. A suitable topsheet may be manufactured from a wide range of materials, such as porous foams, reticulated foams, apertured plastic films, woven materials, nonwoven materials, woven or nonwoven materials of natural fibers (e.g., wood or cotton fibers), synthetic fibers or filaments (e.g., polyester or polypropylene or bicomponent PE/PP fibers or mixtures thereof), or a combination of natural and synthetic fibers. The topsheet may have one or more layers. The topsheet may be apertured (
The backsheet 28 is generally that portion of the absorbent article 10 positioned proximate to the garment-facing surface of the absorbent core 30. The backsheet 28 may be joined to portions of the topsheet 26, the outer cover nonwoven material 40, the absorbent core 30, and/or any other layers of the absorbent article by any attachment methods known to those of skill in the art. The backsheet 28 prevents, or at least inhibits, the bodily exudates absorbed and contained in the absorbent core 10 from soiling articles such as bedsheets, undergarments, and/or clothing. The backsheet is typically liquid impermeable, or at least substantially liquid impermeable. The backsheet may, for example, be or comprise a thin plastic film, such as a thermoplastic film having a thickness of about 0.012 mm to about 0.051 mm. Other suitable backsheet materials may include breathable materials which permit vapors to escape from the absorbent article, while still preventing, or at least inhibiting, bodily exudates from passing through the backsheet.
The outer cover nonwoven material (sometimes referred to as a backsheet nonwoven) 40 may comprise one or more nonwoven materials joined to the backsheet 28 and that covers the backsheet 28. The outer cover nonwoven material 40 forms at least a portion of the garment-facing surface 2 of the absorbent article 10 and effectively “covers” the backsheet 28 so that film is not present on the garment-facing surface 2. The outer cover nonwoven material 40 may comprise one or more nonwoven materials comprising the discontinuous bond patterns discussed herein.
As used herein, the term “absorbent core” 30 refers to the component of the absorbent article 10 having the most absorbent capacity and that comprises an absorbent material. Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring again to
The absorbent articles of the present disclosure may be placed into packages. The packages may comprise polymeric films and/or other materials. Graphics and/or indicia relating to properties of the absorbent articles may be formed on, printed on, positioned on, and/or placed on outer portions of the packages. Each package may comprise a plurality of absorbent articles. The absorbent articles may be packed under compression so as to reduce the size of the packages, while still providing an adequate number of absorbent articles per package. By packaging the absorbent articles under compression, caregivers can easily handle and store the packages, while also providing distribution savings to manufacturers owing to the size of the packages. The packages may have discontinuous bond patterns and/or three-dimensional features that match or are similar to discontinuous bond patterns, apertures, and/or three-dimensional features on nonwoven materials of the absorbent articles within the packages.
Referring to
The absorbent articles discussed herein may comprise cleaning, wiping, dusting, and/or mopping pads or substrates (e.g., wipes). These products may comprise one or more nonwoven materials comprising the discontinuous bond patterns discussed herein. The pads may comprise a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned at least partially therebetween. The one or more nonwoven materials may be in a facing relationship with the backsheet. The one or more nonwoven materials may function as a female component of a mechanical fastener that is configured to engage hooks on a base of a handle or implement. The discontinuous bond pattern may extend over a portion of, or all of, a surface of the one or more nonwoven materials which are configured to face hooks on the base of the handle or implement. One example product is a Swiffer® Wet Jet pad manufactured by the Procter & Gamble Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. An example of such a pad is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,065,534 to Hoying et al.
Some garment-like absorbent articles of the present disclosure may have at least two different nonwoven absorbent article components that have discontinuous bond patterns thereon. In some instances, one bond pattern may be on the garment-facing surface 2 and the other bond pattern may be on the wearer-facing surface 4, for example. On some non-landing zone components, the patterns may be formed by apertures, bonds, printing, and/or graphics. If functioning as a landing component, the patterns may be discontinuous bond patterns. Bonds, including discontinuous bonds, as used herein, may comprise thermal bonds, ultrasonic bonds, pressure bonds, heat and pressure bonds, embossments, embossments that form three-dimensional features, and/or mechanical deformations that produce three-dimensional features, for example. The various nonwoven absorbent article components may be or may comprise at least a portion of a topsheet, an ear, a leg cuff, an outer cover nonwoven material, a discrete landing zone, a discrete, non-elasticized front belt, an ear, a wing of a sanitary napkin, a belt of a pant, a waistband, or various other absorbent article components, for example.
An example discrete landing zone 44 is illustrated in
An example of a discrete, non-elasticized front belt 200 is illustrated in
In an instance, a first portion of the outer cover nonwoven material may have the first pattern and a second portion of the outer cover nonwoven material may have the second pattern. In such an instance, the second portion may act as a landing zone and may comprise the discontinuous bond patterns discussed herein.
Referring to
The discrete, non-elasticized front belt 200, or discrete landing zone, (e.g., second component) may have a second repeating pattern 202 of discontinuous bonds 216. The second repeating pattern 202 may have a plurality of second repeat units 218. A portion of the second repeating pattern 202 within at least a majority of the second repeat units 218 may be the same or substantially the same (e.g., process tolerances).
The first texture of the first pattern 204 and the second texture of the second pattern 202 may be the same (accounting for process tolerances) or different. At least some of, or all of, the first repeat units 214 comprising the portion of the first pattern 204 may comprise a first shape. At least some of, or all of, the second repeat units 218 comprising the portion of the second pattern 202 may comprise a second shape. The first shape may be the same as or substantially similar to the second shape. For example, the first repeat units 214 may comprise ellipses and the second repeat units 218 may comprise ellipses, as illustrated in
Even though the at least two nonwoven components of an absorbent article are described herein as being complimentary to each other, they may also be used separate from one another or may be the same (including process tolerances). For example, an outer cover nonwoven material having the discontinuous bond patterns discussed herein may be used in an absorbent article separate from the discrete landing zone or discrete, non-elasticized front belt having the discontinuous bond patterns discussed herein. The same applies to the discrete landing zone or discrete, non-elasticized front belt without the outer cover nonwoven material.
Referring to
The discrete, non-elasticized front belt 200, or discrete landing zone, (e.g., second component) may have a second repeating pattern 206 of discontinuous bonds 224. The second repeating pattern 206 may have a plurality of second repeat units 226. A portion of the second repeating pattern 206 within at least a majority of the second repeat units 226 may be the same or substantially the same (e.g., process tolerances). The second repeating pattern 206 may form a herringbone pattern.
Referring to
Absorbent Articles with Discontinuous Bond Patterns
The first discontinuous elements 302 (any of the first discontinuous elements 302 in the first discontinuous line 304) may comprise a first element 302a and second element 302b that are different in size and/or shape and may comprise a third element 302c and a fourth element 302d that are the same in size and/or shape or substantially the same in size and/or shape (process tolerances). The first discontinuous elements 302 in the first line 304 may also be all the same size and shape, may comprise two or more different sizes and/or shapes, may comprise three and/or more different shapes (see pattern in
The third discontinuous line 312 may comprise a first element 310a and a second element 310b. The first element 310a and the second element 310b may be the same in size and/or shape, substantially the same in size and/or shape (process tolerances) or may be different in size and/or shape. Although only two third discontinuous elements 310 are illustrated in the discontinuous bond patterns
Referring to
Referring again to
The discontinuous bond pattern 300 may comprise a seventh plurality of seventh discontinuous elements 326 forming a seventh discontinuous line 328. The seventh discontinuous line 328 may have the same features as discussed above with respect to the third and fourth discontinuous lines 312 and 316. The seventh discontinuous line 328 may be positioned intermediate the second discontinuous line 308 and the fourth discontinuous line 320 and may extend in a direction transverse to the second and fourth discontinuous lines 308 and 316. The seventh discontinuous line 328 may have the same spacing and angles as discussed above with respect to the third and fourth discontinuous lines 312 and 316.
The sixth and seventh discontinuous lines 324 and 328 may be symmetrical, or substantially symmetrical (process tolerances), to the third and fourth discontinuous lines 312 and 316 about the second discontinuous line 308. Stated another way, the sixth and seventh discontinuous lines 324 and 328 may be a mirror image, or a substantially mirror image (process tolerances) of the third and fourth discontinuous lines 312 and 316 about the second discontinuous line 308.
A number of other lines other than the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh discontinuous lines are part of the discontinuous bond pattern. For brevity, each additional line will not be discussed, but it will be understood that similar looking lines in
The discontinuous bond patterns may be positioned on a landing component. The landing component, as mentioned above, may be an outer cover nonwoven material, a discrete, nonwoven landing zone, or a non-extensible front belt comprising a nonwoven material. The landing component may be configured to receive and hold hooks positioned on tape tabs of fasteners 46. In some instances, the landing component may be positioned in the back waist region and the tape tabs comprising hooks may be positioned in the front waist region if the absorbent article fastens front to back. In other instances, the discontinuous bond patterns may be positioned on other absorbent article components, or on nonwoven materials, for example.
Referring again to
Axis 414 may or may not be generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis 50 (see
Although ellipses are shown as an example, other shapes may also be used, such as stars, squares, rectangles, triangles, trapezoids, clouds, for example.
Nonwoven Materials or Absorbent Articles with Nonwoven Materials
Absorbent articles may comprise the one or more nonwoven materials comprising the discontinuous bond patterns (any shown or described herein). The nonwoven materials may not act as landing components in the absorbent articles, such as a topsheet, waistband, and/or leg cuff, for example. In other instances, nonwoven materials outside of the context of absorbent articles may comprise the discontinuous bond patterns (any shown or described herein).
The various repeat units of the landing components may have certain characteristics, such as repeat unit area (overall X-Y plane area of the repeat unit), repeat unit width, and repeat unit length, for example. Absorbent articles comprising landing components comprising a repeating pattern of bonds having a plurality of repeat units may have certain characteristics of the repeat units. Those characteristics are discussed below.
Repeat Unit Area-Landing Components
All of, or a majority of, individual repeat units in a repeating pattern of bonds on landing components of absorbent articles may have a repeat unit area in the range of about 25 mm2 to about 400 mm2, about 40 mm2 to about 300 mm2, about 50 mm2 to about 275 mm2, about 50 mm2 to about 250 mm2, about 50 mm2 to about 225 mm2, about 75 mm2 to about 200 mm2, about 75 mm2 to about 100 mm2, about 150 mm2 to about 225 mm2, about 175 mm2 to about 200 mm2, about 25 mm2 to about 125 mm2, about 25 mm2 to about 100 mm2, about 25 mm2 to about 75 mm2, about 35 mm2 to about 65 mm2, about 40 mm2 to about 60 mm2, about 45 mm2 to about 55 mm2, about 47 mm2, about 48 mm2, or about 49 mm2, specifically reciting all 0.1 mm2 increments within the specified ranges and all ranges formed therein or thereby. Repeat unit areas are measured according to the Repeat Unit/Bond Area Measurement Test herein.
Repeat Unit Width-Landing Components
All of, or a majority of, the individual repeat units in a repeating pattern of bonds on a landing component of an absorbent article may have a repeat unit width in the range of about 5 mm to about 75 mm, about 5 mm to about 50 mm, about 8 mm to about 40 mm, about 10 mm to about 30 mm, about 10 mm to about 25 mm, about 10 mm to about 20 mm, about 10 mm to about 18 mm, about 10 mm to about 15 mm, about 15 mm, about 11, about 12, or about 13 mm, specifically reciting all 0.1 mm increments within the specified ranges and all ranges formed therein or thereby. Repeat unit widths are measured according to the Repeat Unit/Bond Area Measurement Test herein.
Repeat Unit Length-Landing Components
All of, or a majority of, the individual repeat units in a repeating pattern of bonds on a landing components of an absorbent article may have a repeat unit length in the range of about 2 mm to about 75 mm, about 2 mm to about 50 mm, about 3 mm to about 40 mm, about 3 mm to about 30 mm, about 3 to about 25, about 3 mm to about 20 mm, about 3 mm to about 10 mm, about 10 mm to about 20 mm, about 17 mm, about 6 mm, about 7 mm, about 1 to about 10, about 2 mm to about 8 mm, about 2 mm to about 6 mm, about 3 mm to about 5 mm, or about 4 mm, specifically reciting all 0.1 mm increments within the specified ranges and all ranges formed therein or thereby. Repeat unit lengths are measured according to the Repeat Unit/Bond Area Measurement Test herein.
There is a sweet spot for repeat unit size on landing components of absorbent articles. A fuzzy looking landing component may not have a premium appearance. The fuzz may be caused by the repeat units being too large. If the repeat units are too small, the landing components may not look premium. If the repeat units are too large, the landing components may also not look premium as there are too few repeat units on a landing component. It may be desirable to have large enough repeat units to look premium, but not have the repeat units be so large that there is a lot of un-bonded open space that could create fuzz during consumer usage. The smaller the repeat unit, the lower the chance of fuzzing in un-bonded open spaces. In a landing component context, there may be a need to balance premium appearance with repeat unit size, while still maintaining the repeat unit size small enough to reduce fuzzing and small enough to have fastening strength for being engaged by hooks. Another aspect of premium appearance may be the ability for consumer to see areas that are un-bonded. It is possible to fill in these un-bonded areas with bonds (to reduce fuzz), but it may reduce the premium appearance.
The discrete landing zones, the discrete non-elasticized front belts, the outer cover nonwoven materials, or other nonwoven materials or components comprising the discontinuous bond patterns of the present disclosure may comprise any suitable nonwoven materials and/or other materials. Some examples are carded nonwoven materials, air-laid nonwoven materials, wet-laid nonwoven materials, air-through spun nonwovens, spunbond nonwoven materials, spunbond high loft materials (e.g., spunbond with at least one layer of crimped fibers), and/or combinations thereof. The nonwoven materials may comprise natural fibers, such as cotton and/or other bio-based materials or resins. The nonwoven materials may be embossed, ultrasonically embossed, hydroentangled, and/or apertured for example. The nonwoven materials may have discontinuous bonds and three-dimensional features or discontinuous bonds, apertures, and three-dimensional features, for example.
The discrete landing zones, the discrete non-elasticized front belts, the outer cover nonwoven materials, or other nonwoven materials or components comprising the discontinuous bond patterns of the present disclosure may comprise PE/PP bicomponent fiber spunbond nonwoven webs. Other suitable nonwoven webs may comprise spunbond webs comprising side-by-side crimped fibers (e.g., PE/PP or PP/PP) that are bonded via calendar (thermal point) bonding or through-air bonding. Other suitable nonwoven webs may comprise carded, through-air bonded or resin bonded (highloft) nonwovens comprising PE/PP or PE/PET fibers. The nonwoven webs may also comprise PE/PLA or PE/Polyamide bicomponent fibers. The nonwoven webs may comprise nanofibers or meltblown fibers, optionally with other fibers. In some instances, multiple layer webs may be desired over a single layer webs (even at the same basis weight) due to increased uniformity/opacity and the ability to combine webs having different properties. For example, an extensible spunbond nonwoven carrier layer may be combined with a soft, highloft nonwoven (spunbond or carded) to create a nonwoven web that is both soft and strong. The layers may have the same or different surface energy. The layers may have different permeability/capillarity.
Fibers of the discrete landing zones, the discrete non-elasticized front belts, the outer cover nonwoven materials, or other nonwoven components comprising the discontinuous bond patterns may comprise any suitable thermoplastic polymers. Example thermoplastic polymers are polymers that melt and then, upon cooling, crystallize or harden, but that may be re-melted upon further heating.
The thermoplastic polymers may be derived from any suitable material including renewable resources (including bio-based and recycled materials), fossil minerals and oils, and/or biodegradeable materials. Some suitable examples of thermoplastic polymers include polyolefins, polyesters, polyamides, copolymers thereof, and combinations thereof. Polypropylene and/or polypropylene copolymers, including atactic polypropylene; isotactic polypropylene, syndiotactic polypropylene, and combination thereof may also be used.
The thermoplastic polymer component may be a single polymer species or a blend of two or more thermoplastic polymers e.g., two different polypropylene resins. As an example, fibers of a first nonwoven layer of discrete landing zones, discrete, non-elasticized front belts, an outer cover nonwoven material, or other nonwoven components comprising the discontinuous bond patterns may comprise polymers such as polypropylene and blends of polypropylene and polyethylene, while a second nonwoven layer of the discrete landing zones, the discrete, non-elasticized front belts, the outer cover nonwoven, or other nonwoven components comprising the discontinuous bond patterns may comprise fibers selected from polypropylene, polypropylene/polyethylene blends, and polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate blends. In some forms, a second nonwoven layer may comprise fibers selected from cellulose rayon, cotton, other hydrophilic fiber materials, or combinations thereof.
The fibers of the discrete landing zones, the discrete, non-elasticized front belts, the outer cover nonwoven materials, or other nonwoven components comprising the discontinuous bond patterns may comprise monocomponent fibers, bi-component fibers, and/or bi-constituent fibers, tri-lobal fibers, round fibers or non-round fibers (e.g., capillary channel fibers), and may have major cross-sectional dimensions (e.g., diameter for round fibers) ranging from about 0.1 microns to about 500 microns, about 5 microns to about 250 microns, about 10 microns to about 100 microns, or about 12 microns to about 25 micron, specifically reciting all 0.1 micron increments within the specified ranges and all ranges formed therein or thereby, for example. The fibers may also comprise a mixture of different fiber types, differing in such features as chemistry (e.g., polyethylene and polypropylene), components (mono- and bi-), denier (micro denier and >2 denier), shape (i.e., capillary and round) and the like. The fibers may range from about 0.1 denier to about 100 denier.
As used herein, the term “monocomponent fiber(s)” refers to a fiber formed from one extruder using one or more polymers. This is not meant to exclude fibers formed from one polymer to which small amounts of additives have been added for coloration, antistatic properties, lubrication, hydrophilicity, etc.
As used herein, the term “bi-component fiber(s)” refers to fibers which have been formed from at least two different polymers extruded from separate extruders but spun together to form one fiber. Bi-component fibers are also sometimes referred to as conjugate fibers or multicomponent fibers. The polymers are arranged in substantially constantly positioned distinct zones across the cross-section of the bi-component fibers and extend continuously along the length of the bi-component fibers. The configuration of such a bi-component fiber may be, for example, a sheath/core arrangement where one polymer is surrounded by another polymer, or may be a side-by-side arrangement, a pie arrangement, or an islands-in-the-sea arrangement. Some specific examples of fibers which may be used in a nonwoven layer comprise polyethylene/polypropylene side-by-side bi-component fibers. Another example is a polypropylene/polyethylene bi-component fiber where the polyethylene is configured as a sheath and the polypropylene is configured as a core within the sheath. Eccentric sheath/core configurations for any two materials are also within the scope of the present disclosure. Still another example is a polypropylene/polypropylene bi-component fiber where two different propylene polymers are configured in a side-by-side configuration. Additionally, forms are contemplated where the fibers of a nonwoven layer are crimped.
Bi-component fibers may comprise two different resins, e.g. a first polypropylene resin and a second polypropylene resin. The resins may have different melt flow rates, molecular weights, or molecular weight distributions.
As used herein, the term “bi-constituent fiber(s)” refers to fibers which have been formed from at least two polymers extruded from the same extruder as a blend. Bi-constituent fibers do not have the various polymer components arranged in relatively constantly positioned distinct zones across the cross-sectional area of the fiber and the various polymers are usually not continuous along the entire length of the fiber, instead usually forming fibrils which start and end at random. Bi-constituent fibers are sometimes also referred to as multi-constituent fibers. In other examples, a bi-component fiber may comprise multiconstituent components.
As used herein, the term “non-round fiber(s)” describes fibers having a non-round cross-section, and includes “shaped fibers” and “capillary channel fibers.” Such fibers may be solid or hollow, and they may be tri-lobal, delta-shaped, and may be fibers having capillary channels on their outer surfaces. The capillary channels may be of various cross-sectional shapes such as “U-shaped”, “H-shaped”, “C-shaped” and “V-shaped”. One practical capillary channel fiber is T-401, designated as 4DG fiber available from Fiber Innovation Technologies, Johnson City, Tenn. T-401 fiber is a polyethylene terephthalate (PET polyester).
The fibers may comprise TiO2 as an opacifier, Erucamide for softness, and/or color melt additives for tinting. The fibers may also comprise other melt additives known to those of skill in the art.
A. An absorbent article comprising:
a lateral axis;
a front waist region on a first side of the lateral axis;
a back waist region on a second side of the lateral axis;
a liquid permeable topsheet;
a liquid impermeable backsheet;
an absorbent core positioned at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet;
a landing component comprising a nonwoven material in the front waist region; and
the landing component comprising a discontinuous bond pattern;
wherein the discontinuous bond pattern forms a bond area in the range of about 10% to about 20% of the repeat unit, according to the Repeat Unit/Bond Area Measurement Test;
wherein the discontinuous bond pattern comprises:
a lateral axis;
a front waist region on a first side of the lateral axis;
a back waist region on a second side of the lateral axis;
a liquid permeable topsheet;
a liquid impermeable backsheet;
an absorbent core positioned at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet;
a landing component comprising a nonwoven material in the front waist region; and
the landing component comprising a discontinuous bond pattern;
wherein the discontinuous bond pattern forms a bond area in the range of about 10% to about 20% of the repeat unit, according to the Repeat Unit/Bond Area Measurement Test;
wherein the discontinuous bond pattern comprises:
a nonwoven material; and
the nonwoven material comprising a discontinuous bond pattern;
wherein the discontinuous bond pattern forms a bond area in the range of about 10% to about 20%, according to the Repeat Unit/Bond Area Measurement Test;
wherein the discontinuous bond pattern comprises:
a discontinuous bond pattern;
wherein the discontinuous bond pattern forms a bond area in the range of about 10% to about 20%, according to the Repeat Unit/Bond Area Measurement Test;
wherein the discontinuous bond pattern comprises:
a nonwoven material;
the nonwoven material comprising a discontinuous bond pattern;
wherein the discontinuous bond pattern forms a bond area in the range of about 10% to about 20%, according to the Repeat Unit/Bond Area Measurement Test;
wherein the discontinuous bond pattern comprises:
a lateral axis;
a front waist region on a first side of the lateral axis;
a back waist region on a second side of the lateral axis;
a liquid permeable topsheet;
a liquid impermeable backsheet;
an absorbent core positioned at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet;
a discrete landing zone or a discrete, non-elasticized front belt in the front waist region; and
the discrete landing zone or the discrete, non-elasticized front belt comprising a discontinuous bond pattern;
wherein the discontinuous bond pattern forms a bond area in the range of about 10% to about 20%, according to the Repeat Unit/Bond Area Measurement Test;
wherein the discontinuous bond pattern comprises:
An absorbent article specimen is taped to a rigid flat surface in a planar configuration with the test region, such as the outer cover nonwoven material, the discrete landing zone, the discrete, non-elasticized front belt, or other nonwoven component, for example, comprising the discontinuous bond pattern comprising a plurality of individual repeat units facing upward. The absorbent article is taped in such way as to avoid introducing distortions of the discontinuous bond pattern due to the extent of longitudinal and lateral extension of the absorbent article. Any absorbent article(s) being tested are conditioned at 23° C.±2° C. and 50%±2% relative humidity for 2 hours prior to testing. For the purposes of this method, all patterns and distances are taken to be based on the projection of the bond pattern onto a two-dimensional plane.
A single repeat unit (hereafter “SRU”) (for subsequent dimensional measurement) within the test region comprising the discontinuous bond pattern comprising the plurality of repeating units is defined as follows. An arbitrary bond, print, or aperture is identified, referred to hereafter as the “chosen point” (hereafter “CP”). Any other bond in the test region recognized to be in an equivalent position based on the translational symmetry of the repeat units is referred to as an “equivalent point” (hereafter “EP”). The SRU is defined as the set of points that are closer (via Euclidean distance) to the center of the CP than to the center of any other EP in the test region. The SRU identified for measurement must not touch the edge of the test region. After finding all points within the SRU, if it is found that the SRU touches the edge of the test region, this procedure is repeated with an alternative CP. The process is repeated until a SRU that does not touch the edge of the test region is identified.
One approach to determining the set of points of a SRU is based on identifying a polygonal boundary. Referring to
To calculate the Bond Area percent of a repeat unit the interior area of the SRU is measured and recorded. The boundary perimeters of all of the individual bond pattern elements, or portions thereof, located within the SRU are identified. The areas of the identified bond pattern elements, or portions thereof, that are located within the SRU are measured and recorded. The Percent Bond Area is then calculated according to the following equation:
The Bond Area is recorded to the nearest 1%.
The interior area of the SRU is recorded to the nearest 0.1 mm2.
Referring to
The interior area of the SRU is recorded to the nearest 0.1 mm2.
Repeat this procedure on five separate substantially similar absorbent articles having a region of a discontinuous bond pattern comprising a plurality repeat units that are the same or substantially the same, and report each of the measurements as the average of the five replicates.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.”
Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or application, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any embodiment disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such embodiment. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this disclosure.
This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/821,485, filed on Mar. 21, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62821485 | Mar 2019 | US |