Patent Application
20050145523
The present invention relates generally to absorbent products, and in particular, to visually coordinated absorbent products.
Typically, absorbent products such as pads or panty liners include one or more elements, such as an outer cover and peel strip. Such products are often individually wrapped in a pouch or similar package, or are wrapped as a group of products. A plurality of products, whether or not individually wrapped, are also typically sold in bulk packaging, such as a bag or box. Often, the various elements of the product, the individual pouch and the bulk packaging are individually designed without any effort to coordinate the appearance or aesthetics of the various components. For example, a typical incontinent pad may be solid white or white with a blue stripe along the body side surface and have a peel strip with a print that is pink or blue. The pad is packaged in a solid white or solid pink pouch, with the plurality of pouches packaged in a bag perhaps having some blue or pink. In this way, while some colors (e.g., white or pink) are used on each of the components, they are not coordinated between the product and individual wrapper and/or bulk packaging. As such, the consumer is not made confident that the overall product, including the pad, the pouch and/or the packaging, was designed together. Accordingly, a need remains for an absorbent product that is visually coordinated with itself or with its packaging so as to invoke an impression from the user that the products were designed together and are of a high quality.
In addition, a consumer may not want others to know that they are carrying an absorbent product. A consumer may want the product to be masked or hid or otherwise disguised. Current pouches are typically made from a relatively heavy, uniform-micro embossed, uniform-colored film material which can prevent an observer from discerning what is contained in the pouch. Such materials can be relatively expensive and bulky. Lighter weight materials, however, are typically more see-through, thereby allowing observers to discern the contents of the pouch. Current pouches also appear rectangular in shape containing linear lines. The combination of the material and construction can give the wrapped product an appearance easily recognized by others as an absorbent product. Accordingly, a need remains for an absorbent product that is visually coordinated with itself and/or with its packaging, and which is not discernable through relatively see-through packaging and rectangular construction.
Briefly stated, in one aspect, a visually coordinated absorbent product includes a product component having a body-side liner, a garment-side outer cover and an absorbent core disposed between the body side-liner and the garment-side outer cover. The product component has at least a first and second visual characteristic, wherein the first visual characteristic is different than the second visual characteristic. The product component is disposed in a packaging component having at least the first and second visual characteristics. In one embodiment, the packaging component is an individual pouch sized and configured to hold a single, individual product component. In various embodiments, the visual characteristics can include color, embossment, printing, and/or side sealing.
In another aspect, a first packaging component has at least first and second visual characteristics and a product component disposed therein. A second packaging component also has the first and second visual characteristics. The first packaging component is disposed in the second packaging component.
In yet another aspect, a visually coordinated absorbent product includes a product component configured in a packaged configuration and having a first and second side defining an outer surface when configured in the packaged configuration. The product component includes a body side liner, a garment side outer cover and an absorbent core disposed between the body side liner and the garment side outer cover. The product component includes at least a first and second element defining the outer surface, wherein the at least first and second elements have a first and second color. The packaging component has first and second colors that are coordinated with the first and second colors of the product component. In one embodiment, at least one of the hue, saturation/vividness and luminosity are coordinated between the respective first and second colors of the product and packaging components respectively.
The various aspects provide significant advantages over other absorbent products. For example and without limitation, in the first aspect, the user is provided with an impression that the product is of high quality, and that the product and packaging were designed together, rather than piece meal. In addition, the visually coordinated product and packaging provides the user with an emotional benefit, allowing them to feel more feminine with respect to female absorbent products, and to feel better about the product they are using. The visual characteristics can also identify the product for the user, for example provide source identification.
With respect to the other aspects, the coordination of the elements of the absorbent products, or the coordination of the absorbent product with the packaging, allows the manufacturer to use a relatively see-through packaging material without sacrificing the ability to hide the contents of the packaging. For example, a relatively light basis weight non-woven material can be used for the packaging, thereby reducing the overall costs of the product.
The foregoing paragraphs have been provided by way of general introduction, and are not intended to limit the scope of the following claims. The presently preferred embodiments, together with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The term “bodyside” 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 side” 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.
The phrases “removeably attached,” “removeably attaching,” “removeably connected,” “removeably engaged,” “releasably attached,” “releasably connected,” or “releasably engaged,” and variations thereof, refers to two or more elements being connected or connectable such that the elements tend to remain connected absent a separation force applied to one, both or all of the elements, and where the elements are capable of being separated upon the application of a separation force. The required separation force is typically beyond that encountered while wearing the absorbent garment.
The phrases “fixedly secured,” “fixedly engaged,” “fixedly attached,” “fixedly connected,” and variations thereof, refers to two or more elements being connected or connectable such that they are not disconnected or otherwise separated, and are not intended to be separated or disconnected by the end user, during the normal operation and use of the absorbent garment. Moreover, the separation of two elements being so connected is likely to damage or make unusable at least one of the two elements.
The terms “connecting,” “coupled,” “attached,” and “secured,” and variations thereof, broadly covers two or more items being directly connected one to the other, or by way of one or more intervening members or components.
It should be understood that the term “personal care product” 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, pull-up garments, adult incontinence garments, male incontinence products, tampons, vaginal suppositories, panty liners, pads, sanitary napkins, tissues, wipes, etc. For example, 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 Corporation, Neenah, Wis. Various exemplary products are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,765, entitled “Elasticized Absorbent Pad,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/392,116, filed Mar. 19, 2003 and entitled “Multilayer Absorbent Article”, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Referring 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 includes a swirl pattern of adhesive which encompasses a major portion of the second garment surface 22 of the absorbent article 10.
Another element if the product is a release strip 28, also known as a releasable peel strip, which 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 44, which is preferably liquid permeable, is formed from one or more of a nonwoven material such as spunbond or a perforated thermoplastic film. The term “non-woven” web or material, as used herein, means a web having a structure of individual fibers or filaments that are interlaid, but not in an identifiable manner and without the aid of textile weaving or knitting, as in a knitted or woven fabric. The baffle 46 should be liquid-impermeable and can be formed out of a thin layer of thermoplastic film, such as polyethylene. The liquid permeable liner 44 and the liquid-impermeable baffle 46 are peripherally sealed together to enclose the absorbent core 48 to form the absorbent article 10. Alternatively, the liner 44 can be wrapped around both the absorbent 48 and the baffle 46 to form a wrapped pad. The 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 can consist of one or more layers of absorbent material. The layers can consist of similar materials or different materials. Suitable materials for the absorbent core 48 include 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 great absorbency.
The absorbent core 48 can also be formed from a composite comprised of a hydrophilic material that can 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 preferred material is an airlaid tissue.
In one embodiment, the absorbent core also includes a superabsorbent material, which increases the ability of the absorbent core to absorb a large amount of fluid in relation to its own weight. Typical superabsorbents used in absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, can absorb anywhere from 5 to 60 times their weight in body fluid. The superabsorbent materials can be inserted as particles or in sheet form. 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. 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 5, also referred to as a surge or transfer layer, and a tissue layer 6 are also incorporated into the absorbent product, for example between the liner 44 and the absorbent core 48. In one embodiment, the transfer layer is shorter than the absorbent core. 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.
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In one embodiment, the packaging component is formed as a portion of the product component. For example, an outer cover, such as the baffle material, can form a packaging component, as shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,430, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. It should be understood that in these embodiments, the product component is considered to be disposed in the packaging component when the packaging element is sealed or otherwise closed. In other embodiments, the product component is rolled, with a flap portion of a packaging component overlying a panel portion of the packaging component, regardless of whether the packaging component is integral with the product component or separate therefrom.
Referring to FIGS. 1, 3A-3F and 4, the pouch 50 is formed from a strip or web 52 of material having a first and second ends having free edge 54, 56. It should be understood that the term “free edge” refers to an edge that is unattached after the package component is opened, regardless of whether the free edge is attached when the package component is closed. Accordingly, one or both of the free edges may be formed along a perforation line, 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 pouch material can be formed from 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. patent application Ser. No. 10/022,808, filed Dec. 18, 2001, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. In one embodiment, the pouch is made of a film/spunbond laminate material available from Kimberly-Clark Corp, and know as HBSTL (“highly breathable stretch thermal laminate”), and which material is further disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,032, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Various embodiments of a non-woven pouch material can have a basis weight less than about 1.50 osy, alternatively less than about 1.0 osy, or alternatively between about 0.50 osy and about 0.60 osy.
Each of the first and second ends are folded along fold lines 58, 60 that define the top and bottom edge of the pouch respectively. The folded pouch has a back 62, a front 64 and a flap 66. The front and back 64, 62 are secured along side edges 68, 70 thereof to form a pocket shaped to receive the absorbent product. In one embodiment, the pocket and pouch are shaped and dimensioned to receive a single product component, which is individually wrapped in the pouch. The flap 66 is folded over the front 64 such that the free edge 54 of the flap overlies the front 64. The front 64 has a covered or overlap portion 57 extending between the free edge 54 (exterior) and the free edge 56 (interior), which covered or overlapped portion 57 underlies the flap. In one embodiment, there is no overlap. Rather, the free edges 54, 56 abut. In one example, the portion 57 has a length of about 5 mm between the edges 54, 56. In various embodiments, the overlap distance is less than or equal to about 95% of the overall packaging component length in a closed configuration, more desirable less than or equal to about 35% of the packaging component length, and more desirably less than or equal to about 20% of the packaging component length. In various embodiments, the free edge 54 is positioned a distance from either edge 58, 60 that is greater than or equal to about 10% of the overall length of the packaging component (in a closed configuration), more desirably greater than or equal to about 30%, and more desirably about 50% of the packaging component length. The front 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 product and packaging components can vary according to the type of product and the size of the product.
In one embodiment, the flap 66 is releasably secured to the front 64. For example, a fastening element 72, shown as a tab in
In some embodiments, the flap 66 is refastenably secured to the front 64, while in others, the flap is not intended to be secured to the front once the packaging component is opened. For example, in one embodiment, the free edge 54 is defined by a perforation line, with the flap not being refastenable after the perforation is broken.
A pair of side seals 74 secures the front 64 to the back 62, and the flap 66 to the back 62 and to the front 64. The side seals are desirably formed after the front is folded over the back and the flap is folded over the back and the front, although the front could first be sealed to the back, and the flap then sealed to one or both of the back and front. In an alternative embodiment, the flap is not sealed at all along the sides thereof, or anywhere else. In one embodiment, the side seals 74 are frangible, meaning they can be easily broken such that the flap 66 can be separated from the front 64 and back 62, and such that the front 64 can be easily separated from the back 62, wherein the product component 10 is exposed for removal from the pouch by the user.
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In one embodiment, the outer cover 46 and the wrapper 52 are the same first color, while the outer surface of the peel strip 28 and the fastening element 72 are the same second color, meaning the colors have similar hues, saturation and/or luminosity, or combinations thereof, as defined below. At the same time, the first and second colors of the product component are different from each other, meaning that the colors have a different hue, saturation and/or luminosity, or combinations thereof. In another embodiment, the outer cover 46 and the fastening element 72 are the same first color, while the outer surface of the peel strip 28 and the wrapper 52 are the same color. The various colors include without limitation white, black, yellow, orange, purple, green, red, blue, and pink. In other embodiments, one of the core 48, surge layer 4 and tissue layer 6 are a first color, preferably non-white, which is visible to the user through the liner 44 and which corresponds to a first color of the wrapper 52, product component 76 and/or fastener element 72. For example, the outer cover can be configured as a purple, blue, pink or green, with the absorbent core being white or some other different color, and with one or both of the surge layer and tissue layer also being purple, blue, pink or green. At the same time, one of the wrapper and fastening element are made purple, blue, pink or green, with the other of the wrapper and fastening element being white or the other different color. In other embodiments, one of the product and/or packaging components can have a color gradient, wherein the color transitions from one color to another, or one or more of the properties thereof changes over a distance.
In other embodiments, the liner, peel strip or outer cover are provided with an embossment (i.e., macro-embossing that is discernable to the user) or a printing or dying pattern that corresponds to an embossment or printing pattern on the wrapper, fastening element or packaging component.
Of course, it should be understood that the packaging components 52, 76 and product components 10 could have more than two coordinated visual characteristics, including for example three characteristics such as a pair of colors and an embossment and/or printing/dying, or three colors, or any combination of the visual characteristics set forth above or otherwise known in the art.
As explained above, in one embodiment, the first and second visual characteristics are configured as first and second colors. Desirably, each of the first and second colors are different, meaning the colors have a different hue. One or more colors may also be different by virtue of having a different luminosity and/or saturation/vividness. Saturation/vividness is the intensity of the color from pale to dark. The elements may also have a different gloss/finish, from a matte finish, which tends to diffuse or scatter light, to a gloss finish, which is specular.
Referring to
At the same time, the first color of the personal care product component, such as the absorbent product, can be coordinated with the first color of one or both of the packaging components. In one embodiment, the second color of the personal care product component, such as the absorbent product, is also coordinated with the second color of one or both of the packaging components. The coordination of the colors is most desirable at distances of less than two feet, such that it is visible to the user of the product. At the same time, the coordination can provide a disguising aspect that is effective for an observer who is greater than 2 to 3 feet away from the product.
Two colors are considered coordinated if they have first and second hues that are within about ±120 degrees of each other on the circle 13, alternatively within ±30 degrees, alternatively within ±15 degrees, alternatively within ±10 degrees, alternatively within ±5 degrees of each other, or alternatively within ±50 degrees of each other. Colors are also considered coordinated if they have a value (luminosity) difference of less than about 5% of maximum, alternatively less than about 30% of maximum or alternatively less than about 1% of maximum. Colors are also considered coordinated if they have a saturation difference of less than about 5% of maximum, alternatively less than about 30% of maximum or alternatively less than about 2.5% of maximum.
The hue, luminosity and saturation/vividness are measured as follows using the following equipment calibrated in the following way.
Equipment
Quantitative colorimetric measurements are typically made using a colorimeter or spectrophotometer. However, these instruments typically have large apertures (˜1 cm) requiring a large color block for meaningful determination, making them unsuitable for color determination of graphics that may be composed of narrow lines or points whose width is much less than the instrument aperture. Therefore, a Zeiss KS400 Image Analysis system was used for feature identification and calorimetric measurement.
The Zeiss KS400 used a Zeiss AxioCam color CCD camera (1300×1030 pixels, 3 channel color, 8 bit per channel) equipped with a 20 mm AF-Nikkor lens (f/2.8). The camera was mounted vertically facing down onto a sample stage and had an effective field of view was 97×80 mm. Incident sample stage illumination was by four incandescent floodlamps (Sylvania) on a double Variac (70%; 90%), resulting in an illuminance of approximately 11,000 lux. The lamps were above the left and right edges of the sample stage directed towards the field of view at approximately 45 degrees.
Calibration
The camera black reference was with the lens cap on. The camera white reference was a Polaroid 803 positive with 15 ms exposure. To account for the warm color illumination bias of the floodlamps, the red, green, and blue (RGB) values were offset using the white selection tool in the KS400 software, resulting in corrected RGB values that yielded a white image.
Sample Setup and Image Acquisition
Samples are placed on the stage (normal viewing angle) and under ¼″ plate glass to minimize topographical effects. Images of the color-bearing graphical portion are acquired at 15 ms exposure.
Image Analysis
Image analysis is performed in Matlab (v.6.5.1, release 13; Mathworks, Inc) with the Image Processing Toolbox (v4.0). RGB images were converted to hue, saturation, and value (HSV) space using Matlab's hsv2rgb.m command. Choosing a saturation lower limit of 0.05 (0-1 scale) resulted in practical detection of all the colored/inked portions of the graphic. The hue, saturation, and value (i.e. luminosity) densiometric distributions were calculated for the detected regions in each image.
In one embodiment, and referring to
This coordination also allows the packaging component to hide or obscure the product component disposed therein. In essence, the coordination leads the observer (standing 2 or more feet away—as opposed to the user standing within 2 feet of the product) to consider the packaging and product components as a single unit, rather than as two separate units. Therefore, the observer has a more difficult time distinguishing the pad within the pouch. In this way, the coordination serves a dual purpose of coordinating the product for the user (i.e., providing a more aesthetically appealing product) while hiding the product from observers.
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In some embodiments, the product and packaging components can also be coordinated by other sensory characteristics, for example touch and smell. For example, the packaging component can have the same texture as the product component, so as to provide a coordinated tactile characteristic. In some embodiments, the tactile characteristic is formed by an embossment, or different embossments. Similarly, separate pieces of the same type of material may be applied to the product and packaging components.
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.
