Patent Application
20050148981
The present invention relates generally to absorbent articles for absorbing and retaining human exudates, and in particular, to an absorbent article that is extensible, allowing the user to customize the length, width, and or thickness of the article with substantially sustained deformation of the garment facing layer, the body facing layer, and/or the absorbent core.
Absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, incontinent garments, incontinent shields, and the like are designed to be worn as part of an absorbent garment or independently in a user's undergarment and adjacent a user's body to absorb body fluids such as menses, blood, urine, and other excrements. Conventional absorbent articles have pre-determined thicknesses or shapes. However, many conventional absorbent articles do not function well with the variety of users' bodies or needs. Thus, a consumer must purchase a variety of different articles for the various needs throughout, for example, an individual's menstrual cycle. An article that may be suitable for day time wear may not be suitable for night time wear due to the changes in body positioning, direction of fluid flow and the like. Therefore, it would be desirable to have an absorbent article that could be adjusted or customized for the individual user's needs.
In addition, conventional incontinent shields and sanitary napkins may not function well with the variety of user's undergarments. For example, conventional articles may not stretch out with the user's undergarments as they are being pulled up into place or during body movement. An absorbent article that could be stretched to a point of sustained deformation by the consumer can therefore be customized to fit a particular consumer's underwear and body. Accordingly, conventional articles may not provide the desired levels of fit, absorbency and comfort. The present invention is an absorbent article that will remedy these, and other, problems of the prior endeavors. These attributes will become clear as the present invention is more thoroughly discussed in this application.
Briefly stated, in one aspect, the invention includes a customizable absorbent article having an extensible body facing layer and an extensible garment facing layer, both having a first end and a second end. The first and second ends are spaced along a longitudinal axis and the body facing and garment facing layers are extensible. Preferably, the body facing and garment facing layers are extensible along the longitudinal axis, but may also be extensible along a lateral axis or in a Z direction. The article further includes a non-extensible absorbent core which is disposed between the body facing layer and the garment facing layer. The absorbent core may be affixed to at least one of the body facing and the garment facing layer at at least one location between the first and second ends.
In another aspect, the article of the present invention includes an extensible body facing layer and an extensible garment facing layer, both having a first end and a second end spaced along a longitudinal axis. The article further includes an absorbent core that is permanently deformable, the absorbent core being manually movable from a pre-use condition, wherein the absorbent core has a first thickness, to an in-use condition, wherein the absorbent core has a second thickness that is different than the first thickness of the absorbent core in the pre-use condition. The absorbent core may be minimally affixed to at least one of the body facing layer and the garment facing layer.
In yet another aspect, a customizable absorbent article includes an extensible body facing layer and an extensible garment facing layer both having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends being spaced along a longitudinal axis. Preferably, the body facing and garment facing layers are extensible along the longitudinal axis, but may also be extensible along a lateral axis or in a Z direction. The article further includes a first absorbent layer having a first portion and a second portion, the first and second portions being movable relative to each other from a pre-use condition, wherein the first portion and the second portions are approximately adjacent one another, to an in-use condition, wherein the first portion and the second portion are separated from one another by a distance. The article also includes an absorbent core, a portion of which is exposed to at least one of the body facing layer and the garment facing layer when the first and second portions of the absorbent layer are moved to the in-use condition.
The present invention also includes a method for absorbing bodily exudates with a customizable absorbent article. The method includes the step of providing a customizable absorbent article comprising an extensible body facing layer and an extensible garment facing layer, both having a first end and a second end spaced along a longitudinal axis and both being extensible along the longitudinal axis. The absorbent article also includes a non-extensible absorbent core disposed between the body facing layer and the garment facing layer and may be affixed to at least one of the body facing and the garment facing layer at at least one location between the first and second ends. The method further includes manually adjusting the customizable absorbent article along the longitudinal axis by applying force along the axis, thereby deforming the extensible absorbent body facing layer and garment facing layer. The method further includes securing the absorbent article to an undergarment using a releasable attachment portion.
As used herein, the term “airlaid” refers to the process of producing an absorbent material where unlike components are conveyed in an air-stream and homogenously mixed or provided in a stratified configuration and then bonded together. For example, this may include, but is not limited to, the mixture of pulp fibers, synthetic fibers, superabsorbent materials and binder material. The binder material is often, but not limited to, synthetic bicomponent binder fibers and or latexes. There are a number of commercial processes available to produce airlaid absorbent structures. For example, airlaid processes are available from Danweb Corp. having offices in Risskov, Denmark, and from M&J Forming Technologies having offices in Horsens, Denmark. Examples of suitable products and the process for forming them are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,810 to Laursen et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,278 to Kroyer et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,793 to Day, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,289 to Day, the relevant portions of which are incorporated by reference.
An airlaid process provides a mixture of raw materials and the ability to add synthetic fibers and/or binder agents to the mixture to stabilize the resultant absorbent. As a stabilizer, binders reduce the amount of wet collapse in the structure and maintain a lower density in the saturated state. That is, the binder assists the absorbent matrix in maintaining its integrity even under load or while saturated. In addition, the resulting structure has both a higher dry and wet tensile strength than a corresponding structure without a binding agent.
The term “body-facing” should not be interpreted to mean in contact with the body of the user, but rather simply means the side that would face toward the body of the user, regardless of whether an undergarment is actually being worn by the user and regardless of whether there are or may be intervening layers between the component and the body of the user. Likewise, the term “garment-facing” should not be interpreted to mean in contact with the garments of the user, but rather simply means the side that faces away from the body of the user, and therefore toward any outer garments that may be worn by the user, regardless of whether the undergarment is actually being worn by a user, regardless of whether any such outer garments are actually worn and regardless of whether there may be intervening layers between the component and any outer garment.
As used herein, the “crotch region” of an absorbent article refers to the generally central region that will be in contact with the crotch of a user, near the lowermost part of the torso, and resides between the front and rear portions of the article. Typically, the crotch region generally extends in the longitudinal direction depending on the function of the absorbent article.
As used herein, the term “customizable” refers to an article or material that the user can alter, after purchase to better suit their needs. For example, if a user wishes to increase the length of an absorbent article for use at night, the article may be customized to meet this wish. If the user desires more absorbent material in one area or another of the absorbent article, the user may adjust the thickness or bulk of the absorbent material to meet this need. An article may be customized through manual deformation by the user or through the natural range of motion experienced by the material during use of the article.
As used here, the term “extensible” refers to a material that is capable of elongation when subjected to an applied tensile force. The material also is preferably capable of providing a selected, sustained deformation when subjected to an applied tensile force and then allowed to relax after removal of the tensile force. Extensible materials are preferably capable of retracting minimally or not at all, due in part to the condition of hysteresis, along the X, Y, or Z axis of the absorbent article, when subjected to an applied tensile force and then allowed to relax after removal of the tensile force. Preferably the sustained deformation is substantially permanent deformation. The selected elongation and sustained deformation preferably occur at least along the longitudinal cross-direction of the material, although it should be understood that it also could occur along the lateral direction, the Z direction or all three directions.
It should be understood that the term “longitudinal,” as used herein, means of or relating to the length or the lengthwise direction. The term “laterally,” as used herein, means situated on, directed toward or running from side to side in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lengthwise direction. The term “lateral” or “laterally”, as used herein, may also include movement in the X-Y plane.
The term “pledget” refers to an absorbent layer that has a length, width and/or thickness that is less than the length, width, and/or thickness of at least one of the layers to which it is adjacent.
The phrase “pre-use” refers to the state of the absorbent article before the user has customized the article to fit his or her individual needs. The phrase “in-use” refers to the state of the absorbent article after the user has adjusted the dimensions of the absorbent article to his or her desired configuration.
The phrase “releasable” refers to the characteristic of one or more elements being, securely but not permanently, affixed to one another. The required separation force is typically beyond that encountered through normal wear of an absorbent article in the undergarment of the user.
The term “superabsorbent” refers to a water-swellable, water-insoluble, organic or inorganic material capable, under the most favorable conditions, of absorbing at least about 15 times its weight and, more desirably, at least about 30 times its weight of an aqueous solution containing 0.9 weight percent sodium chloride. The super absorbent materials can be natural, synthetic, and modified natural polymers and materials. In addition, the super absorbent materials can be inorganic materials, such as silica gels, or organic compounds such as cross-linked polymers. Examples of superabsorbents are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,588 to DiPalma et. al., column 8, line 1 to line 57, which portion is incorporated herein by reference. A further example of a superabsorbent material is FAVOR SXM-880 available from Stockhausen Inc. 2401 Doyle Street, Greensboro, N.C. 27406, USA.
Referring now to
Various extensible body facing materials include necked or creped spunbond and sheath/core polypropylene/KRATON elastomeric bicomponent spunbond, described in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/647,008 to Rhim et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,002 to Eugenio Go Verona. Various extensible garment facing materials are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,014 to Haffner et al. (extensible biaxial film). Other suitable materials for use as the body facing and garment facing layers may include materials composed (entirely or partially) of elastomeric polymers that impart extensibility to the web, or in the case of nonextensible materials, such as nonwoven webs, laminates, spunbond, meltblown or bonded-carded web composed of synthetic polymer filaments or fibers, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyesters, or the like, perforated films, webs of natural polymer filaments or fibers such as rayon or cotton, be constructed by such a means as to allow for extensibility of the layer.
The body facing layer 14 may include at least one aperture 34 disposed in approximately the center of the body facing layer 14. This aperture 34 allows insults of fluid or body menses to directly contact the absorbent core 18 which is desirably disposed between the body facing 14 and garment facing layer 16. In this execution, the body facing layer 14 may be partially or entirely hydrophobic.
Also, the body facing layer 14 and the garment facing layer 16 may be comprised of one or more individual sheets of extensible material. For example, with reference to
In the alternative, the body facing layer and the garment facing layer may be comprised of more than one individual sheet of extensible material, as shown in
Referring again to
The absorbent article 12 of the present invention may be affixed to the undergarment of the user (not shown) by a variety of methods known to those of skill in the art. Desirably, the absorbent article 12 is extended to the user's desired length by applying pressure to the body facing layer 14 and the garment facing layer 16 along the longitudinal axis X. Once extended, the user may secure the article 12 to the crotch region of her underwear with a releasable attachment component 58 that is desirably disposed on the garment facing layer 16 of the absorbent article 12. The attachment component 58 is desirably disposed in discrete areas about the underside of the garment facing layer 16. More desirably, the attachment component 58 is disposed in discrete areas about the first 20 and second 22 end portions of the garment facing layer 16 as shown in
Likewise, the attachment component 58 may be disposed about the garment facing layer 16 in a discreet or continuous pattern, such as circles, spirals, patches, or dashed lines, allowing the material of the garment facing layer 16 to stretch and extend uninhibited by the attachment component 58, as shown in
Referring again to
As shown in
In another embodiment of the present invention, one or both ends of the absorbent core 18 may be designed to have individual members 64 which move, relative to one another, along a lateral axis Y. An absorbent core, made of non-extensible absorbent materials may be die-cut at one end, approximately along the longitudinal axis X, as shown in
For example, an absorbent core 80 may include at least first absorbent layer 82 and an absorbent pledget 86. More desirably, the core 80 includes a first absorbent layer 82, an absorbent pledget 86, and an optional second absorbent layer 84. The optional second absorbent layer provides added absorbent capacity and use of it is dependent on the level of absorbency desired. The first and second absorbent layers 82 and 84 may both include a first portion 88 and 92 and a second portion 90 and 94 which are movable relative to each other from a pre-use to an in-use condition. As shown in
The absorbent pledget 86 is desirably disposed between the first and second absorbent layers 82 and 84 and is typically no more than approximately three-fourths the length of the entire absorbent core or no more than the width of an absorbent layer. Alternatively, the pledget may be placed anywhere within the absorbent structure. The pledget 86 remains in its pre-use condition, centrally located within the article, and is exposed to the body facing layer as the first and second portions 88 and 90 of the first absorbent layer 82 are separated. See
As shown in
For this embodiment, materials suitable for use in the absorbent core 80 include airlaid layers, coform, wetlaid layers, hydroentangled pulp, tissue, foam, and meltblown microfiber material. Such absorbent materials may include superabsorbent particles or fibers. Particularly desirably would be combinations of the above materials with surge materials described previously in this invention. In such executions, the absorbent materials would be ideally suited for the absorbent pledget and the optional second absorbent layer while the surge materials would be well-suited for the first absorbent layer.
The first portion 88 and 92 and second portion 90 and 94 of the first 82 and second 84 layers may be affixed to the opposed end portions 20 and 22 of the body facing 14 and garment facing 16 layers with hotmelt and stretchable adhesives, heat sealing, ultrasonics, embossing or by any other suitable processes or adhesives known to those in the art (not shown).
The following embodiments, shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, an article with extensible body facing and garment facing layers, as described above, is combined with an absorbent core 120 including stretch activatable multicomponent fibers and films, as shown in
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred 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 limited and that it is the appended claims, including all equivalents thereof, which are intended to define the scope of the invention.
