Enhanced core utilization in absorbent products
AssigneeHercules Incorporated
InventorRichmond R. Cohen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid-absorbing article for personal use, such as a diaper or incontinence pad utilizing a core component having a plurality of contiguous zones comprising (a) a zone of vulnerability arranged within said core component for maximum potential exposure to wetting and (b) a plurality of intermediate zones in direct or indirect fluid receivable relation from the zone of vulnerability in areas of reduced potential exposure to initial wetting; the corresponding core component; and a method for increasing fluid receptivity and fluid storage efficiency plus reduced rewet characteristics of core components by use of intermediate zones as described.
Claims25
A fluid-absorbing article comprising, in combination, a fluid-retaining core component arranged within at least a fluid-permeable coverstock and a fluid-impervious backing layer, said core component having a plurality of zones defined as:
- (a) a zone of vulnerability positioned in said core component for maximum potential exposure to initial wetting, said zone of vulnerability having a wadding component comprising synthetic fiber or filament;
- and
- (b) a plurality of additional core zones in the core component each having a wadding component arranged in the core component in areas of reduced potential exposure to initial wetting and in fluid-receivable relation from said zone of vulnerability;
- wherein the wadding component in the zone of vulnerability has (1) a greater average pore size and a greater liquid-solid contact angle than the average pore size and contact angle of the wadding components within the plurality of additional core zones, and (2) a higher average fractional value of fiber volume-to-fiber surface area than the average fractional value of fiber volume-to-fiber surface area within the wadding components of the additional core zones;
- and wherein the average fractional value of fiber volume-to-fiber surface area, the average pore size and the liquid-solid contact angle within the wadding components of said additional core zones decrease in relative value in general proportion to increased geometric distance from said zone of vulnerability and corresponding decreased potential exposure to initial wetting.
A core component for use in fluid-absorbing article for personal use comprising, in combination:
- (a) a zone of vulnerability positioned in said core component for maximum potential exposure to initial wetting, said zone of vulnerability having a wadding component comprising synthetic fiber or filament;
- and
- (b) a plurality of additional core zones in the core component each having a wadding component arranged in the core component in areas of reduced potential exposure to initial wetting and in fluid-receivable relation from said zone of vulnerability;
- wherein the wadding component in the zone of vulnerability has (1) a greater average pore size and a greater liquid-solid contact angle than the average pore size and contact angle of the wadding components within the plurality of additional core zones, and (2) a higher average fractional value of fiber volume-to-fiber surface area than the average fractional value of fiber volume-to-fiber surface area within the wadding components of the additional core zones;
- and wherein the average fractional value of fiber volume-to-fiber surface area, the average pore size and the liquid-solid contact angle within the wadding components of said additional core zones decrease in relative value in general proportion to increased geometric distance from the zone of vulnerability and corresponding decreased potential exposure to initial wetting.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.