Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-19
2002-03-26
Weiss, John G. (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
62, 62
Reexamination Certificate
active
06362390
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins and pantiliners. In particular the present invention relates to the use of backsheet constructions within absorbent articles to provide masking of the materials stored within the article when viewed through the garment facing surface of the article.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, diapers, incontinence products and perspiration pads are well known in the art. Typically these articles comprise a wearer facing surface and a garment facing surface. The wearer facing surface receives discharges from the body such as urine, faeces, vaginal discharges and the like which are to be absorbed and stored by the article. In order for the article to absorb the discharges the wearer facing surface of the articles needs to be liquid permeable. This wearer facing surface is known as the topsheet.
Topsheets are also well known in the art and are typically selected nonwovens, wovens or apertured film materials. Wovens and nonwovens are desirable in so far as they provide a clothlike appearance to the topsheet and appear relatively soft and comfortable to the wearer. However, the problem with such topsheets is that they also have some capacity to absorb. The topsheet thus rapidly becomes saturated and feels wet to the wearer of the product. Furthermore, such woven or nonwoven topsheets also rapidly develop a used, unclean and unsanitary appearance. Furthermore, the absorbed fluids are readily visible through the topsheet which is also considered unsightly and undesirable by consumers.
Attempts at remedying these problems have principally resided in providing the topsheet with surface treatments such as surfactants or fillers. However, neither of these treatments have resolved the problem satisfactorily. Alternatively it has also been proposed to provide alternative topsheet materials such as apertured formed films which have funnelled apertures which are designed to promote the passage of liquid discharge through the topsheet and into the absorbent core. These types of topsheet are preferred in that the problem of rewet is usually avoided. However, again these materials whilst reducing the visibility of the absorbed liquid contained in the absorbent core below do not entirely eliminate the problem.
In addition the problem of masking of the absorbed fluids and materials is not however merely limited to the stains from materials and fluids contained in the core which are visible when the product is viewed from or through the topsheet or the wearer facing surface of the article. Infact, this problem is also equally prevalent when the product is viewed from or through the backsheet or the garment facing surface where the absorbent fluids are also readily visible. Typically, these stains of the absorbed fluid in the absorbent core are particularly noticeable to the consumer of for example sanitary napkins or pantyliners as the article is removed from the undergarment and is folded for disposal. Again, it considered particularly undesirable to the consumers to view these stains as it appears that the absorbed material is in close contact to the undergarment and thus is unsanitary and that leakage may have occurred even if the absorbent capacity of the product has not been fully utilised.
A solution that has been proposed to address this problem and prevent the easy observation of stains through the backsheet material is simply to provide the backsheet or absorbent core with a coloured or non white appearance. However, coloured absorbent articles are unacceptable to consumers from an aesthetic standpoint, in particular because in contrast to white products coloured products are considered by many consumers to have a used and unsanitary appearance and are therefore undesirable.
Hence there still exists a need to provide masking of the absorbed materials contained within the absorbent core when viewed through the rear side or garment facing surface of the article without the necessity of utilising coloured article components.
It has now been surprisingly found that this problem may be addressed by the incorporation and use of a backsheet layer within an absorbent article wherein the backsheet comprises a three dimensional formed film layer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the use of a backsheet comprising a three dimensional formed film layer absorbent article, preferably a breathable absorbent article. Said article comprises a wearer facing surface and a garment facing surface and said backsheet comprises said garment facing surface. Accordingly, the present invention relates in particular to the use of said formed film layer to provide stain masking through said garment facing surface of said absorbent article.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to absorbent disposable articles such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, incontinence products, perspiration pads and baby diapers. According to the present invention these products comprise a wearer facing surface, and a garment facing surface. Typically, such products comprise a liquid pervious topsheet providing the wearer facing surface, a backsheet providing the garment facing surface and an absorbent core intermediate said topsheet and said backsheet. The present invention relates to such articles which preferably comprise a moisture vapour permeable, liquid impervious backsheet more commonly referred to as a breathable backsheet.
The absorbent articles can also comprise any of the components or features usual in the art, in particular side wrapping elements, side flap components, or wings as well as any sort of extensibility or elastication feature can be comprised in absorbent articles. For example a typical sanitary napkin or panty liner comprises an adhesive area on the garment facing surface of the backsheet providing the panty-fastening adhesive which is covered by a release paper, wrapper or the like prior to the use of the article.
The absorbent article for absorbing liquid is described below by reference to a sanitary napkin or panty liner. However products such as adult or baby diapers, incontinence products or perspiration pads can similarly benefit from the present invention.
Backsheet
The absorbent article according to the present invention comprises as an essential feature a backsheet. The backsheet primarily prevents the extrudes absorbed and contained in the absorbent structure from wetting articles that contact the absorbent product such as underpants, pants, pyjamas and undergarments thereby acting as a barrier to fluid transport. The backsheet typically extends across the whole of the absorbent structure and can extend into and form part of, or all of the sideflaps, side wrapping elements or wings. In addition to acting as a liquid barrier, the backsheet of the present invention is also preferably breathable such that it permits the transfer of at least moisture vapour, preferably both vapour and air through it and thus allows the circulation of gases into and out of the backsheet.
It has now been further surprisingly identified that the utilisation of a backsheet comprising a three dimensional formed film layer also delivers desirable benefits in terms of masking of the material contained within the absorbent article. In particular, the use of a backsheet comprising a three dimensional formed film layer provides a reduction in the stain visible when the article is viewed from the garment facing surface.
The amount of absorbed fluid and material within the core that can be observed through the backing can be readily quantified by utilising the following as described herein. This test method utilises reflection spectrophotometric analysis to asses the basking ability of the backsheet construction in terms of whiteness and redness. Preferably the whiteness (L) parameter is greater than 70, more preferably greater than 75 and most preferably greater than 80 and the redness (a) parameter is preferably less than 5, more preferably less than 4,
Carlucci Giovanni
Tamburro Maurizio
Cummings Theodore P.
Johnson Kevin C.
Miller Steven W.
Stephens Jacqueline F
The Procter & Gamble & Company
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