Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-05
2003-07-22
Lo, Weilun (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S364000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06596918
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to absorbent articles, and more particularly to absorbent articles having a wetness indicator.
Various types of moisture or wetness indicators have been suggested for use in absorbent articles. Certain of these wetness indicators have been formed of compositions that are liquid soluble or liquid dispersible. These liquid soluble indicators rely on the dispersion of the composition upon contact with liquid to signal that liquid is present.
One difficulty associated with present absorbent articles containing a liquid soluble wetness indicator is that the wetness indicator composition may not disperse sufficiently. In particular disposable absorbent articles, for example, the wetness indicator composition can be placed on the interior surface of a moisture barrier so that the composition is visible through the moisture barrier prior to activation. Upon contact with liquid, the composition should disperse sufficiently so that the wetness indicator composition is no longer visible through the moisture barrier. Unfortunately, however, the liquid soluble wetness indicator compositions in present absorbent articles do not disperse thoroughly or rapidly enough to be completely invisible through the moisture barrier. A portion of the composition can remain visible, making the wetness indicator appear smudged. Not only is this undesirable from an aesthetic perspective, but it can also create confusion as to whether the indicator is signaling the presence of liquid in the absorbent article.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In response to the discussed deficiencies associated with prior absorbent articles, an absorbent article incorporating a liquid soluble wetness indicator has been developed that minimizes the likelihood of smudges appearing after activation. Various masking techniques can be used in combination with the wetness indicating graphic to lessen the degree to which the wetness indicator composition is able to be seen through the outer cover after contact with liquid.
Hence, in one embodiment, the invention concerns an absorbent article that includes an outer cover having in interior surface and an opposite exterior surface, and an absorbent assembly disposed on the interior surface of the outer cover. The absorbent article also includes a liquid soluble fading graphic that is disposed on the outer cover and in liquid communication with the absorbent assembly, and a masking graphic that is disposed on the outer cover and at least partially peripherally surrounding the fading graphic.
In another embodiment, the invention concerns an absorbent article that includes an outer cover having in interior surface and an opposite exterior surface, and an absorbent assembly disposed on the interior surface. A liquid soluble fading graphic is disposed on the outer cover and in liquid communication with the absorbent assembly, and a liquid soluble masking graphic is disposed on the outer cover and superposed on the fading graphic.
In a further embodiment, the invention concerns an absorbent article that includes an outer cover having in interior surface and an opposite exterior surface, and an absorbent assembly disposed on the interior surface. A first graphic formed of a liquid soluble composition is disposed on the outer cover and in liquid communication with the absorbent assembly. A second graphic formed of a liquid soluble composition is also disposed on the outer cover. The absorbent article further includes a permanent masking graphic that is disposed on the outer cover at least partially peripherally surrounding the first graphic and superposed on the second graphic. In particular embodiments, the absorbent article can also include a liquid soluble masking graphic superposed on the first graphic.
The term “fading graphic” is used herein to refer to a graphic that becomes invisible or becomes significantly less visible when exposed to urine. Suitable fading graphics comprise compositions such as inks that are soluble in aqueous solutions such as urine. The wetness indicating composition is positioned in the absorbent article so that it becomes wet and dissolves when the product is insulted with liquid. Once dissolved, the wetness indicating composition washes away from the outer cover and is obscured by the outer cover. As a result, the fading graphic seems to disappear from view.
Suitable urine-soluble inks are available from a variety of commercial vendors, such as Sun Chemical Corp. of Philadelphia, Pa. USA under the trade designation AQUA DESTRUCT. Particular urine-soluble compositions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,211 issued May 10, 1977 to Timmons et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. The ink color can be selected to provide a pleasing appearance and graphic impact, including fading rapidly upon contact with liquid. To facilitate rapid fading, the fading graphics can comprise line drawings having a line width of from about 1 to about 2 millimeters.
The absorbent article can also include on or more permanent graphics, which for diapers and training pants may provide the caregiver with a greater opportunity to interact with the child. The term “permanent graphic” is used herein to refer to a graphic that does not substantially change its degree of visibility when the absorbent article is insulted with urine, in simulated use conditions. The change in visibility of a graphic or a portion of a graphic can be determined based on a person's observation of the graphic before and after the article containing the graphic is exposed to liquid. For purposes hereof, an article is exposed to liquid by immersing the article completely in an aqueous solution containing 0.9 weight percent sodium chloride, used at room temperature (≅23°C. ), for a period of twenty minutes. After 20 minutes the product is removed from the aqueous solution and placed on a TEFLON™ coated fiberglass screen having 0.25 inch openings, which is commercially available from Taconic Plastics Inc., Petersberg, N.Y., USA, which in turn is placed on a vacuum box and covered with a flexible rubber dam material. A vacuum of 3.5 kilopascals (0.5 pounds per square inch) is drawn in the vacuum box for a period of 5 minutes, after which the article is removed and observed. The person with normal or corrected vision of about 20-20 should make the observations from a distance of 1 meter in an environment providing 30 footcandles (320 Lux) of illumination. Changes: in the visibility of the graphic should be identified, and distinguished where necessary from changes in the color of other materials such as fluff pulp within an absorbent assembly. Desirably, the permanent graphic can be configured so that the entire graphic also does not substantially change its appearance, size or shape when the product is insulted with liquid or exposed to the environment.
The term “masking graphic” is used herein to mean a graphic adapted to obscure the visibility of a fading graphic after the fading graphic comes into contact with a liquid. The masking graphic can in particular embodiments, comprise a permanent graphic, comprise a graphic that is liquid soluble, or comprise both a permanent graphic and a graphic that is liquid soluble. The general term “graphic” is used herein to mean: any design, pattern, or the like that is or becomes visible on an absorbent article, and specifically includes text messages that consist of one or more alphanumeric symbols, pictorial images that consist of one or more pictures, and combinations thereof; and, in relation to a masking graphic, any design, pattern, or the like that is disposed on a substrate with the result of obscuring the visibility of an associated graphic after contact with liquid.
The masking graphic is suitably formed with a color that matches colors of surrounding materials or permanent graphics of the absorbent article. For example, the masking graphic can be substantially the same color as the outer cover, substantially the same color as the absorbent assembly, or the like. In one particular embodiment, the mas
McEnenany Ryan James
Olson Christopher Peter
Pierce Joseph Earl
Ratliff Kathleen Irene
Wehrle Richard Thomas
Gage Thomas M.
Kubicki H. Michael
Lo Weilun
Stephens Jacqueline F
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