Surgery: splint – brace – or bandage – Bandage structure – Skin laceration or wound cover
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-19
2003-07-29
Lucchesi, Nicholas D. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: splint, brace, or bandage
Bandage structure
Skin laceration or wound cover
C604S358000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06600085
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to absorbent articles. The absorbent articles comprise an absorbent core material which is covered by an apertured film. Absorbent articles of the invention are useful in various applications including sanitary protection products, diapers, and bandages.
Absorbent products such as sanitary napkins, disposable diapers and bandages are used to absorb body fluids such as menses, urine and wound exudate. These absorbent products generally require that the absorbent pad or absorbent article thereof be able to absorb a significant amount of body fluid. In some instances, the absorbent component must be capable of absorbing an amount of body fluid whose weight is greater than the weight of the absorbent material itself. It is also desirable that the body contacting surface of an absorbent product be dry, or relatively dry, even after the absorbent product has absorbed the body fluid, which it is designed to receive.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,135 discloses an absorptive structure comprising an absorbent material and an apertured film. The absorbent material may be, for example, comminuted wood pulp. The apertured film serves as a top sheet for the absorptive structure. The apertured film is smooth on one side, and has protuberances on the other side. The protuberances of the apertured film face the absorbent material thereby forming the absorptive structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,217 discloses a disposable absorbent article. The absorbent article has an absorbent core made of a material such as comminuted wood pulp. An apertured film encloses the absorbent core. The apertured film has protuberances which face both major surfaces of the absorbent core.
Despite the disclosure of the above-mentioned patents, there is a continuing need for an absorbent article with the ability to absorb a significant amount of fluid yet provide a dry feeling against the skin of the user after absorbing the fluid.
The present invention provides an absorbent article comprising an inner absorbent core material having a first major surface and a second major surface; a bottom layer; and a top layer. The bottom layer of the absorbent article comprises an apertured film having an open area and protuberances, and is oriented such that the protuberances face the inner absorbent core material. The top layer of the absorbent article comprises an apertured film having an open area and protuberances, and is oriented such that the protuberances face away from the inner absorbent core material.
Due to the design of the article of the invention, based on the orientation of the protuberances of the apertured film comprising the top and bottom layers, the article of the invention absorbs significant amounts of fluid. The bottom layer of the article of the invention faces the liquid to be absorbed. Fluids flow through the bottom layer of the absorbent article into the absorbent core. The absorbent core absorbs the fluids. The top layer of the absorbent article, owing to the specific orientation of its protuberances, tends to prevent liquids from entering into the absorbent article.
The absorbent core may be made from various materials including rayon fibers; natural fibers, such as, but not limited to, cotton fibers and wood pulp fibers; synthetic fibers, such as, but not limited to, polyester fibers, polyamide fibers, and polyolefin fibers, and combinations thereof. The fibers may be bicomponent fibers. For example, the bicomponent fibers may be in a sheath-core configuration in which the sheath comprises one polymer and the core comprises a different polymer. Bicomponent fibers having the other configurations, e.g., a side-by-side configuration, may also be used.
Preferably the fibers comprising the absorbent core are bonded at the points where they cross over and are in contact with each other. The bonding may be achieved, e.g., by heating the fibers so that they soften and fuse together at their crossover points. Alternatively, the fibers may be bonded by the use of an adhesive which can be applied by, e.g., spraying or gravure printing methods. Typically, the fibers are solid fibers; however, the fibers, or portions thereof, may be hollow fibers. Fibers having deniers ranging from about 3 to 10 may be advantageously used for the absorbent core. The basis weight for the absorbent core is not limited, but typically may range from 0.003 g/cm
2
to 0.015 g/cm
2
.
In a preferred embodiment, the absorbent core comprises a nonwoven fabric made from bicomponent fibers which have been fusion-bonded using hot air. The bicomponent fibers are sheath-core fibers in which the sheath material comprises polyethylene and the core material comprises polyester. The denier of the sheath-core fibers is about 3. The nonwoven fabric has a basis weight of about 2 oz/yd
2
.
The top layer and the bottom layer of the article of the invention are made from an apertured film having an open area and a plurality of protuberances. Such apertured films are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,929,135, 4,324,246, 4,342,314, 4,463,045, and 5,006,394, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Particularly useful apertured films include Vispore® apertured film supplied by Tredegar. Such apertured films include, but are not limited to, those available commercially under the designations Tredegar X-6799, Tredegar X-6845, Tredegar X-6923, Tredegar X-6944, and Tredegar X-6844. The film has a female side, which is smooth, and a male side, which is somewhat less smooth, due to the protuberances. The apertured films may be made from any polymeric material including, but not limited to, polyethylene, metallocene catalyzed polyethylene, polypropylene, and copolymers thereof, and ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers. An apertured film of one type may be used for the top layer, while a apertured film of another type may be used for the bottom layer. Usually, however, the same apertured film is used for both the bottom and top layers.
The open area of the apertured film comprising the bottom layer and the top layer of the absorbent article of the invention is defined as the area occupied by apertures. The open area for the top layer and the bottom layer of the article of the invention may range from 5 percent to 30 percent, preferably from 10 percent to 25 percent of the total area of the apertured film.
The bottom layer of the article of the invention may be treated with a hydrophilic surfactant including, but not limited to, laurate esters of sorbitol and sorbitol anhydrides condensed with ethylene oxide, such as polysorbate 20, polysorbate 40, polysorbate 60, and polysorbate 80; ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymers; octyl phenol ethoxylates; nonyl phenol ethoxylates; and ethoxylated alcohols. The term “treated” means that the bottom layer has had a hydrophillic surfactant incorporated therein during the polymerization process used to manufacture the polymeric resin from which the bottom layer is made, or the hydrophilic surfactant is incorporated with the polymer during the process by which the apertured film is made, or the bottom layer is coated with the hydrophillic surfactant after the bottom layer has been made.
The apertured film may, if desired, comprise Triclosan or a like anti-bacterial agent in an anti-bacterially effective amount. The apertured film comprises a smooth side and a side having protuberances. The bottom layer of the absorbent article of the invention is oriented such that the protuberances of the apertured film face the bonded absorbent core. The top layer of the article of the invention is oriented such that the protuberances of the apertured film face the outside of the absorbent article.
The bottom layer and the top layer of the absorbent article of the invention may be secured to the absorbent core material by means known in the art. For example, a suitable adhesive may be applied to the top of the absorbent core material, and the top layer may then be applied to the absorbent core. Then the bottom of the absorbent core may be coated with the adhesive and the bottom layer may be applied to t
Dabi Shmuel
Sun Robert L.
Hamilton Lalita M
Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products, Inc.
Lucchesi Nicholas D.
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