Resilient tampon and method for making

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9278154-B2
Application number	US-201313962382-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2013
Priority date	Mar 18, 2011
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A method of making a resilient tampon includes the steps of providing binder fibers having an average fiber length of at least 35 mm; combining the binder fibers to form a loose fleece; activating the binder fibers; and compressing a portion of the loose fleece into a pledget after activating the binder fibers.
A resilient tampon includes 70 wt % to 95 wt % absorbent fibers and 5 wt % to 30 wt % bicomponent binder fibers. The binder fibers have an average fiber length greater than 35 mm.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A resilient tampon comprising:
a. 70 wt % to 95 wt % absorbent fibers; and
b. 5 wt % to 30 wt % binder fibers, wherein the binder fibers have an average fiber length of greater than 35 mm;
wherein the absorbent fibers and the binder fibers are substantially aligned.

2. The resilient tampon of claim 1 wherein the absorbent fibers are viscose rayon.

3. The resilient tampon of claim 2 wherein the absorbent fibers comprise 80 wt % to 90 wt %.

4. The resilient tampon of claim 1 wherein the absorbent fibers are trilobal viscose rayon.

5. The resilient tampon of claim 4 wherein the absorbent fibers comprise 80 wt % to 90 wt %.

6. The resilient tampon of claim 1 wherein the binder fibers are bicomponent fibers.

7. The resilient tampon of claim 6 wherein the bicomponent fibers comprise 10 wt % to 20 wt %.

8. The resilient tampon of claim 6 wherein the bicomponent fibers have a core made of polypropylene and a sheath made of modified polyethylene wherein the sheath surrounds the core.

9. A resilient tampon comprising,
a. 70 wt % to 95 wt % absorbent fibers; and
b. 5 wt % to 30 wt % bicomponent binder fibers, wherein the binder fibers have an average fiber length greater than 35 mm;
wherein the absorbent fibers and the bicomponent binder fibers are substantially aligned.

10. The resilient tampon of claim 9 wherein the absorbent fibers are viscose rayon and comprise 85 wt % to 90 wt %.

11. The resilient tampon of claim 9 wherein the bicomponent binder fibers comprise 10 wt % to 15 wt % and have a core made of polypropylene and a sheath made of modified polyethylene wherein the sheath surrounds the core.

12. The resilient tampon of claim 9 wherein
a. the absorbent fibers are trilobal viscose rayon and comprise 80 wt % to 90 wt %; and
the bicomponent fibers comprise 10 wt % to 20 wt % and have a core made of polypropylene and a sheath made of modified polyethylene wherein the sheath surrounds the core.

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co

Inventors

• Jackson David Martin
• Ellis Clifford Jackson
• Krautkramer Candace Dyan

Classifications

• A61L15/225

  Mixtures of macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• A61L15/28 Primary

  Polysaccharides or their derivatives {(A61L15/225 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A61F13/2088 Primary

  shaping the tampon by compressing · CPC title

• A61F13/206

  Tampons made of rolled-up material · CPC title

• A61F13/2051 Primary

  characterised by the material or the structure of the inner absorbing core · CPC title