Rolled absorbent personal care articles and methods of making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016331604-A1
Application number	US-201315107158-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 25, 2013
Priority date	Dec 25, 2013
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A rolled absorbent personal care article includes a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction and a depth direction. The absorbent article component, absorbent article extension component, wrapper sheet component each have a longitudinal, transverse, and depth direction. Each of the absorbent article component and absorbent article extension component includes at least a topsheet layer and a backsheet layer, wherein the backsheet layer includes a garment-facing surface on which is situated a garment adhesive. The absorbent article component and the absorbent article extension component each include a peripheral edge, with the components being attached to the wrapper sheet component with the garment adhesive, such that the peripheral edges are adjacent one another. The absorbent article component and the absorbent article extension component are in a rolled configuration within the wrapper sheet component and secured in the rolled configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An absorbent personal care article including a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction and a depth direction, said article comprising:
an absorbent article component, an absorbent article extension component, and a wrapper sheet component each having a longitudinal, transverse, and depth direction, wherein each of said absorbent article component and said absorbent article extension component includes at least a topsheet layer and a backsheet layer, wherein said backsheet layer includes a garment-facing surface on which is situated a garment fastener; wherein said absorbent article component and said absorbent article extension component each include a peripheral edge, said absorbent article component and said absorbent article extension component each being attached to said wrapper sheet component with said garment fastener, such that said peripheral edges are adjacent one another.

2 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 1 , wherein said absorbent article and said absorbent article extension components are in a rolled configuration within said wrapper sheet component and secured in said rolled configuration.

3 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 2 , wherein said adjacent peripheral edges are aligned.

4 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 2 , wherein said garment fastener is garment adhesive.

5 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 2 , wherein at least one of said absorbent article component and said absorbent article extension component include an absorbent core layer.

6 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 4 , wherein said garment fastener on said absorbent article component and said absorbent article extension component differs in strength between said absorbent article component and said absorbent article extension component, such that said absorbent article extension component has a greater propensity to stay with said wrapper sheet component than said absorbent article component does with said wrapper sheet component.

7 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 2 , wherein said absorbent article component and said absorbent article extension component are manufactured of the same types of layers.

8 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 2 , wherein said absorbent article component and said absorbent article extension component are manufactured of the same types of materials.

9 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 2 , wherein said peripheral edges are 30 mm or less from one another.

10 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 2 , wherein a peripheral edge of said absorbent article extension component overlaps a peripheral edge of said absorbent article component.

11 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 2 , wherein said absorbent article component and said absorbent article extension component are aligned along either a longitudinal or transverse direction.

12 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 2 , wherein said rolled configuration is secured by means of a tab tape, adhesive, ribbon, string, or combination thereof.

13 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 2 , wherein said absorbent article component and absorbent article extension component are visually distinguishable by peripheral edge shape differences, coloration differences, embossment differences, or a combination thereof.

14 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 4 , wherein said wrapper sheet component includes an article-facing surface, and said wrapper sheet component further includes a release coating selectively positioned on said wrapper sheet component, article-facing surface.

15 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 2 , wherein said wrapper sheet component includes different widths along said longitudinal direction.

16 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 15 , wherein said wrapper sheet component has a first end, a second end, and a middle region along said longitudinal direction, and further wherein said first and second ends are wider along said transverse direction than said middle region.

17 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 16 , wherein said wider first and second ends are sealed along the longitudinal direction.

18 . The absorbent personal care article of claim 2 , wherein said absorbent personal care article is selected from the group consisting of a panty liner, sanitary napkin, adult incontinence pad, garment insert and bed liner.

19 . A rolled absorbent personal care article including a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction and a depth direction, said article comprising:
an absorbent article component, an absorbent article extension component, and a wrapper sheet component each having a longitudinal, transverse, and depth direction, wherein each of said absorbent article component and said absorbent article extension component includes at least a topsheet layer and a backsheet layer, wherein said backsheet layer includes a garment-facing surface on which is situated a garment adhesive; wherein said absorbent article component and said absorbent article extension component each include a peripheral edge, said absorbent article component and said absorbent article extension component each being attached to said wrapper sheet component with said garment adhesive, such that said peripheral edges are adjacent one another; and further, wherein said absorbent article component and said absorbent article extension component are in a rolled configuration within said wrapper sheet component and secured in said rolled configuration.

20 . A method of manufacturing a rolled absorbent personal care article comprising the steps of:
a) providing a unitary flat planar structure having a topsheet layer, a backsheet layer, and garment fastener on said backsheet layer, on a flat planar wrapper sheet component; b) separating or otherwise forming a separating seam in said unitary structure such that said unitary structure is separable into two components, the two components being an absorbent article component and an absorbent article extension component; c) rolling said wrapper sheet component about said absorbent article component and said absorbent article extension component to form a rolled absorbent personal care article; d) securing said rolled absorbent personal care article in a rolled configuration.

21 . A method of using the rolled absorbent personal care article of claim 19 comprising the steps of:
a) unsecuring the rolled absorbent personal care article;
b) unrolling the rolled absorbent personal care article to a relatively flat configuration;
c) removing said absorbent article component from said wrapper sheet component, leaving said absorbent article extension component at least temporarily attached to said wrapper sheet component;
d) applying said absorbent article component to an undergarment.

22 . The method of claim 21 further including the steps of removing said absorbent article extension component from said wrapper sheet component; and applying said removed absorbent article extension component to said undergarment adjacent said absorbent article component.

23 . The method of claim 21 , further including the step of disposing of said wrapper sheet component and said attached absorbent article extension component as a unit.

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co

Inventors

• Hao Xueen George
• Gan Yun Ying
• Miao Lin
• Pu Chun Lei

Classifications

• A61F2013/8497

  having decorations or indicia means · CPC title

• A61F13/5514 Primary

  each item packaged single · CPC title

• A61F13/15747

  Folding; Pleating; Coiling; Stacking; Packaging · CPC title

• A61F13/5611

  using fastening strips, e.g. adhesive, on the undergarment-facing side · CPC title

• A61F13/84

  Accessories, not otherwise provided for, for absorbent pads · CPC title