Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-05
2004-03-23
Lo, Weilun (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06710221
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to absorbent articles, and more particularly to absorbent articles having active graphics that can change color during use.
The toilet training process may incorporate a wide variety of different aspects, including many training techniques and training aids that may be used by parents and caregivers, hereinafter simply referred to as caregivers. One aspect of the total toilet training process is the change from diapers to training pants to help the child understand that he or she should now use the toilet just like adults. Another aspect of the total toilet training process includes caregiver instruction as a positive encouragement and reinforcement to the child that he or she should now be using a toilet instead of diapers. Although the use of training pants and positive encouragement from the caregiver has been helpful in the toilet training process, there is still much room for improvement. Specifically, caregivers are still searching for easier and quicker ways to guide their children successfully through the toilet training process.
Many caregivers have difficulty in determining the readiness of a child to begin the toilet training process, and underestimate the difficulty of teaching the toilet training process to young children. If a child does not respond to an initial toilet training instruction or introduction, the caregiver can be at a loss for finding techniques, methods, or teaching tools to encourage the child to master the art of toilet training. Thus, while various teaching tools such as books, videotapes, charts with stickers, personalized toilets, and interactive toilet training kits are available, there remains a need for new and improved educational and motivational mechanisms to facilitate the toilet training process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In response to the discussed deficiencies associated with prior absorbent garments, an absorbent article has been developed that provides toilet training aid benefits through the use of interactive graphics, which can include one or more active graphics. Certain graphics are referred to as “active” because they are constructed to “disappear” or “appear” from view, such as when the child has an accident and the active graphic is contacted with urine or upon prolonged exposure to the environment. The interactive wetness indicating graphics can also include one or more permanent graphics which can, in combination with the active graphics, provide a story line that is useful to teach the child important lessons regarding toilet training.
Hence, in one embodiment, the invention concerns an absorbent article that includes an outer cover having in interior surface and an opposite exterior surface, where the outer cover has a first color. The absorbent article also includes an absorbent assembly disposed on the interior surface of the outer cover. An active graphic of the absorbent article is disposed on the outer cover and comprises a color change composition. The active graphic has a pre-activation color different from the first color and a post-activation color substantially the same as the first color. As used herein, the phrase “post-activation color substantially the same” as another color includes the same color, visually similar colors and clear.
In another embodiment, the absorbent article can also include a background graphic disposed on the outer cover and having a second color different from the outer cover first color. The active graphic can have a pre-activation color different from the first color and the second color and a post-activation color substantially the same as the second color.
In a further embodiment, the active graphic can comprise at least two color change compositions that have a pre-activation color different from the outer cover first color and the background graphic second color. At least one of the color change compositions can have a post-activation color substantially the same as the first color, and at least one of the color change compositions can have a post-activation color substantially the same as the second color.
In yet another embodiment, the active graphic can comprise a first active graphic and a second active graphic that are disposed on the outer cover and that comprise color change compositions. The first active graphic can have a pre-activation color different from the outer cover first color and the background graphic second color and a post-activation color substantially the same as the second color. The second active graphic can have a pre-activation color substantially the same as the first color and a post-activation color substantially the same as the second color.
In another embodiment, the invention concerns an absorbent article that includes an outer cover having an interior surface, an opposite exterior surface and a first color. An absorbent assembly is disposed on the interior surface of the outer cover. An active graphic of the absorbent article is disposed on the outer cover and comprises a color change composition providing a pre-activation color substantially the same as the first color and a post-activation color different from the first color. This embodiment provides an active graphic that appears over time.
The term “active graphic” as used herein refers to an appearing graphic, a fading graphic, or a combination of appearing and fading graphics. The term “appearing graphic” is used herein to refer to a graphic that becomes visible or becomes significantly more visible when exposed to urine, or that becomes visible or becomes significantly more visible with the passage of time when exposed to the environment but not exposed to urine. Conversely, the term “fading graphic” is used herein to refer to a graphic that becomes invisible or becomes significantly less visible when exposed to urine, or that becomes invisible or becomes significantly less visible with the passage of time when exposed to the environment but not exposed to urine.
In any of the above-referenced and further embodiments of the absorbent article, the active graphics can comprise moisture sensitive color change compositions. The term “moisture sensitive color change composition” refers to an active graphic that changes color from a pre-activation color to a post-activation color when exposed to liquid such as urine. Suitable compositions can comprise an ink, an adhesive, or the like that changes color when exposed to an aqueous solution such as urine. Such active graphics can comprise a fading graphic or an appearing graphic, whereupon the color change composition can be adapted to blend in with a background or surrounding color, either before or after exposure to the aqueous solution. Suitable compositions of this color-change type are available from a variety of commercial vendors, such as such as a pH-change/color-change hot melt adhesive available from Findley Adhesives, Inc. of Wauwatosa, Wis., USA. Other potentially suitable means by which a color may be made to appear or disappear, or by which one color may be converted or appear to be converted into another, include chemical reactions resulting from interaction with urine or from dissolution of spatially separated reactants into urine. Such reactions may include but are not limited to color changes of pH indicating molecules, formation or degradation of colored complexes, the action of one or more enzymes that occur naturally in urine on colored molecules or precursors thereof, oxidation and/or reduction reactions, and reactions of two or more components that are spatially separated within a product, at least one of which is soluble in urine, and which upon contact, react to create or destroy a colored region. Further examples of potentially suitable means to achieve color changes include the pre-combination of two colors to form a blended color, after the wetting of which one color component may be solubilized or destroyed to leave only the second color component visible, and molecules that exhibit different color properties in crystalline and dissolved states.
Other active
Lager Thomas Michael
Pierce Joseph Earl
Brodersen John L.
Gage Thomas M.
Kidwell Michele
Kimberly--Clark Worldwide, Inc.
Lo Weilun
LandOfFree
Absorbent articles incorporating color change graphics does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Absorbent articles incorporating color change graphics, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Absorbent articles incorporating color change graphics will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3250998