Absorbent article

Details Absorbent article Absorbent article

1997-08-07

2001-05-15

Morris, Terrel (Department: 1771)

Fabric (woven, knitted, or nonwoven textile or cloth, etc.)

Nonwoven fabric

Including an additional nonwoven fabric

C604S368000, C604S378000, C442S389000, C442S414000, C442S415000, C428S156000, C428S171000, C428S913000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06232250

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to an absorbent article. It is particularly concerned with an absorbent article, for example in the form of a pad, which can be used by women suffering from light and moderate incontinence. The invention will be so described below. However, the invention is of more general applicability in relation to the absorption of body fluids, either urine or menstrua. It can therefore be used, for example, in the manufacture of infant diapers, and in incontinence products for adults, in addition to the incontinence product specifically identified above.
A condition of light incontinence exists in many women. An absorbent pad, or other article, for use by those with this condition should desirably
(a) Be thin, and with a shape fitting well into the underpants, to provide discretion when worn under normal clothing.
(b) Be absorbent enough to handle large quantities of urine.
(c) Absorb rapidly enough to accept the surge of urine (gush handling) that can occur from women who have this condition, and maintain this capability even through multiple gushes.
Research indicates that 10-20% of the female population suffer from light involuntary urine losses. The magnitude of the problem varies from losing just a few dribbles in special situations (coughing, sneezing, during sports) to a more serious, permanent problem (after menopause or in conjunction with gynaecological operations). The product selected by such women, and the usage frequency, depends on the seriousness of the problem: pantiliner usage with 1-2 changes per day for occasional urine losses moving to a higher change frequency (2-8 pantiliners/day) for higher loadings and/or more frequent bladder weakness. For those at the upper end of the problem range, pantiliners are not sufficiently absorbent, besides being prone to bunching and to disintegration during use, and such women use 2-3 catamenial pads per day.
Existing products for light incontinence are similar to oversized thick catamenial pads. Most are very thick, about 15 mm thick, and this does not provide the degree of discretion the user desires. Furthermore, these products have absorbent cores that typically collapse when wetted, thus making them deficient in fluid absorption rate for subsequent loadings.
For the lightest conditions of light incontinence, many women use standard pantiliners. These products provide the desired level of discretion under clothing; however, they are totally inadequate in absorbency. Part of this deficiency is in absorbent capacity, but more important is the deficiency in absorbent rate.
One object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article for dealing with light and moderate incontinence, which is discrete, has the absorbent capacity required, and has the necessary gush handling ability.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an article for absorbing fluid, which comprises a fluid-storage region and a fluid-receiving region adapted to release fluid to the fluid-storage region, the fluid-receiving region being formed of a dry laid, for example an airlaid, web of staple fibers, the web having a bulkiness, as measured under a pressure of 2 kPa, of at least 15 cm
3
/g.
By “staple fibers” we mean fibers which are not continuous, and which may be synthetic fibers, natural fibers, or a mixture of synthetic and natural fibers.
It is believed that the high bulkiness of the fluid-receiving region is such that the fluid is free to flow with very little impedance by the fibers defining the region. This is in contrast to the approach adopted in known products dealing with incontinence, where any fluid-receiving region serves as a wick to transfer fluid received at one part of the region to other parts thereof. However, it is to be understood that this explanation is offered here as a suggestion only, and no categorical assertion is made that it is correct.
Preferred features of the fluid-receiving and fluid-storage regions are described below and are set out in the sub-claims.
The article preferably further comprises a water-permeable top sheet in face-to-face relationship with the said fluid-receiving sheet, on the opposite side thereof to the fluid-storage sheet, and a water-impermeable backsheet in face-to-face relationship with the fluid-storage sheet, on the opposite side thereof to the fluid-receiving sheet.
The topsheet and backsheet are preferably sealed to one another, and the article shaped to form a pad suitable for incontinent females.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided an absorbent pad for use by a user suffering from incontinence, which comprises a fluid-storage layer, and a fluid-receiving layer adapted to receive fluid from the user and release it to the fluid-storage layer, the pad having a thickness when dry of t mm, as measured with the pad under pressure of 2 kPa, a fluid storage capacity of s ml and the ability to receive gushes at an average rate, as measured over three successive equal gushes totalling G (ml), of up to g ml/sec, where
s/t≧8 ml/mm; and
g/t≧0.1 ml/mm. sec;
at least for some value of G/s≧⅔.
Preferably g/t≧0.2 ml/mm. sec., more preferably ≧0.3 ml/mm/sec.
According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided an article for absorbing fluid, which comprises a fluid-storage region, a fluid-receiving region adapted to release fluid to the fluid-storage region, a fluid-permeable topsheet in face-to-face relationship with the said fluid-receiving sheet, on the opposite side thereof to the fluid-storage sheet, and a fluid-impermeable backsheet in face-to-face relationship with the fluid-storage sheet, on the opposite side thereof to the fluid-receiving sheet, the article having a thickness, when dry, of t
d
, and a thickness, when wetted to its maximum extent, of t
w
, with t
w
>t
d
, the topsheet and backsheet being sealed together along respective edge portions thereof, and the topsheet having a fluid permeable central area, and a fluid impermeable area adjacent the sealed edge portion thereof, the size of the fluid impermeable area being such that, even when the article is wet to its maximum extent, the fluid permeable area of the sheet is not in communication with at least a major part of the edges of the fluid-receiving region.
The absorbent article can be thin, being as little as 3 mm in thickness, or even less, and provided it has the correct contours to fit well into underwear can be highly discreet. The key is that the article swells only when heavily wetted. This is in contrast to existing products on the market, which if they provide anything approaching an acceptable level of absorbence, are bulky even when dry.


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