Absorbent article having lateral zones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9456932-B2
Application number	US-201313895548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2013
Priority date	Apr 7, 2006
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

An absorbent article for collecting bodily fluid having a topsheet, a backsheet and an absorbent structure. The article may include a central fluid acquisition zone, a first lateral zone situated on one side of the central zone and a second lateral zone situated on the opposite side of the central zone, wherein the first and second lateral zones are formed by a nonwoven material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An absorbent article for collecting bodily fluid, the absorbent article comprising a topsheet, a backsheet and an absorbent structure situated between the topsheet and the backsheet,
wherein the topsheet comprises:
i) a layer of topsheet material extending from one longitudinal side of the absorbent article an opposing longitudinal side of the absorbent article, the layer of topsheet material comprising a central fluid acquisition zone,
ii) a first visually discernible lateral zone situated on one side of the central fluid acquisition zone and overlaying a first portion of the layer of topsheet material in a substantially parallel manner, and
iii) a second visually discernible lateral zone situated on an opposite side of the central fluid acquisition zone and overlaying a second portion of the layer of topsheet material in a substantially parallel manner,
wherein each of the first and second lateral zones is formed by a nonwoven material comprising a colored pigment, wherein the nonwoven material comprises bicomponent fibers comprising a core of polypropylene and a sheath of polyethylene, and wherein the colored pigment is present in the polypropylene core;
wherein the layer of topsheet material is different than the nonwoven material of the first and second lateral zones.

2. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein the layer of topsheet material comprises a nonwoven material.

3. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein the first and second lateral zones are at least partially situated above the absorbent structure.

4. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein the topsheet is conceptually divided in its length in two halves by a longitudinal centerline and wherein the central fluid acquisition zone substantially encompasses the longitudinal centerline so that the first lateral zone is on one side of the longitudinal centerline and the second lateral zone is on the other side.

5. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein the nonwoven material forming the lateral zones has an Opacity Index of a least 50%, measured at 745 nm.

6. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein the nonwoven material is hydrophobic.

7. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein the first and second visually discernible lateral zones extend to the periphery of the absorbent article.

8. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein the absorbent structure comprises a gradient core.

9. An absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second lateral zones comprise a color having a* and b* values wherein b*≦−a*.

10. An absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein an inwardly-facing longitudinal edge of the first and second lateral zones is linear.

11. An absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein an inwardly-facing longitudinal edge of the first and second lateral zones is non linear.

12. An absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second lateral zones comprise a lilac tone.

13. An absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second lateral zones comprise discrete strips of material.

14. An absorbent article according to claim 13 wherein the strips of material comprise a nonwoven.

15. An absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the central fluid acquisition zone is substantially white.

16. An absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the central fluid acquisition zone comprises an L* Hunter value of greater than or equal to 90.

17. An absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the central fluid acquisition zone defines between 30% and 70% of a body-facing surface of the absorbent article.

18. An absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the topsheet further comprises longitudinally-extending embossments proximate the first and second lateral zones.

19. An absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second lateral zones comprise a color having a* and/or b* values that are above 0.5.

20. An absorbent article according to claim 19 wherein an inwardly-facing longitudinal edge of the first and second lateral zones is linear.

21. An absorbent article according to claim 19 wherein an inwardly-facing longitudinal edge of the first and second lateral zones is non linear.

22. An absorbent article according to claim 19 wherein the first and second lateral zones comprise a lilac tone.

23. An absorbent article according to claim 19 wherein the first and second lateral zones comprise discrete strips of material.

24. An absorbent article according to claim 23 wherein the strips of material comprise a nonwoven.

25. An absorbent article according to claim 19 wherein the central fluid acquisition zone defines between 30% and 70% of a body-facing surface of the absorbent article.

26. An absorbent article according to claim 19 wherein the topsheet further comprises longitudinally-extending embossments proximate the first and second lateral zones.

27. An absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second lateral zones comprise a color having an omega angle of 135° to 315°.

28. An absorbent article according to claim 27 wherein an inwardly-facing longitudinal edge of the first and second lateral zones is linear.

29. An absorbent article according to claim 27 wherein an inwardly-facing longitudinal edge of the first and second lateral zones is non linear.

30. An absorbent article according to claim 27 wherein the first and second lateral zones comprise a lilac tone.

31. An absorbent article according to claim 27 wherein the first and second lateral zones comprise discrete strips of material.

32. An absorbent article according to claim 31 wherein the strips of material comprise a nonwoven.

33. An absorbent article according to claim 27 wherein the central fluid acquisition zone is substantially white.

34. An absorbent article according to claim 27 wherein the central fluid acquisition zone comprises an L* Hunter value of greater than or equal to 90.

35. An absorbent article according to claim 27 wherein the central fluid acquisition zone defines between 30% and 70% of a body-facing surface of the absorbent article.

36. An absorbent article according to claim 27 wherein the topsheet further comprises longitudinally-extending embossments proximate the first and second lateral zones.

37. An absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second lateral zones have an omega angle of 220° to 310°.

38. An absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second lateral zones have an omega angle of 257° to 302°.

39. An absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second lateral zones are colored to have a color selected in the blue or green region of the CIELAB color scale and not the yellow or red region of the CIELAB color scale, and wherein the central fluid acquisition zone is substantially white.

40. An absorbent article according to claim 39 wherein the first and second lateral zones comprise a lilac tone.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Digiacomantonio Marco
• Ecker Cornelia
• Gagliardi Ivano
• Partenza Vincenzo
• Veglio Paolo A

Classifications

• A61F2013/15536

  with a capillarity gradient in the vertical or horizontal plane · CPC title

• A61F13/472 Primary

  specially adapted for female use · CPC title

• A61F13/4757

  the means being located outside the perimeter of the absorbent core (A61F13/4752 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61F13/53747

  the layer is facing the topsheet (layer is part of the topsheet A61F13/511) · CPC title

• A61F2013/8497

  having decorations or indicia means · CPC title