AN ABSORBENT HYGIENE PRODUCT
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a single channel absorbent hygiene product which prevents rash, redness, irritation and similar skin disorders by reducing the time until the urine is absorbed by the diaper, and thus the contact time of the urine with the baby's skin, while at the same time providing more effective use of the diaper with its acquisition and distribution mechanism.
PRIOR ART
Absorbent hygiene products are usually disposable diapers or adult diapers. Disposable absorbent products include a topsheet which is in contact with the user's skin, a liquid-impermeable backsheet which is not in contact with the user's skin, and an absorbent core which is positioned between the topsheet and the backsheet and comprises SAP (Superabsorbent polymer) and/or PULP (cellulose fibers or pulp). There is a nonwoven fabric material that holds the SAP and PULP elements together and also surrounds the SAP and PULP materials. Also, hot melt adhesive is applied on this nonwoven fabric structure to hold these two elements together. Thus, the liquid coming into the hygiene product is trapped inside the absorbent core with the mixture of these two elements.
In the state of the art, in non-channel diapers, the intense accumulation of body waste in the absorbent core without the possibility of rapid absorption in the middle region causes excessive liquid loading of the SAP particles in this region over time, and accordingly their excessive swelling and gelation causes the prevention of fluid transmission to other SAP molecules. Another problem is that when the hygiene product containing the SAP-PULP mixture together encounters urine in the absorbent core, the adhesives holding the absorbent core together lose their function after a short while. As the absorbent core is unable to protect its integrity, the SAP and PULP raw materials are caused to be clumped in the form of clusters, which causes the diaper to sag. This further causes the performance of the absorbent hygiene product to weaken and makes it difficult to adapt the absorbent hygiene product to the user's body anatomically.
In absorbent hygiene products used in the state of the art, skin disorders such as rash, redness and irritation are common, especially in sensitive skin, due to the long transmission time to the substrate at the first encounter with body waste.
In the state of the art, the absorbent hygiene product meets with the body waste generally in the middle region of the product for the first time. The distribution and amount of SAP and PULP raw materials in the absorbent core cannot be optimized well. As the said raw materials are unable to be optimized well, the body waste is caused to intensively accumulate in the middle region within the absorbent core. Over time, excessive swelling and gelation of SAP particles in the middle region of the absorbent core due to excessive liquid loading prevents fluid transmission to other SAP molecules. As a result, leakage problems occur in the absorbent hygiene product. In addition, since liquid permeability cannot be ensured between the gelled SAP particles, the hygiene product is thrown away without using the capacity of the SAP and PULP being in the front and back parts thereof.
Although the technique used in diaper products comprising channels which are available on the market in recent years has slightly improved the parameters of the absorption time and the amount of wetness returned to the skin, the excess amount of SAP in the absorbent core, i.e. more than 80% by weight of SAP being contained in the structure of the absorbent core, causes the diaper to swell and have a hard structure once it meets with the body waste. As this hard structure, which is formed due to the low amount of cellulose or excessive amount of SAP in the absorbent core, causes openings between the legs of the babies more than what is normal, it is not compatible with the anatomical structure and discomforts the baby.
One disclosure in the prior art is the patent document having the publication number EP2740449A1 and titled “Absorbent Article with High Absorbent Material Content”. Herein, the said absorbent material contains at least 80% by weight of superabsorbent polymer (SAP). That is, there is 5 g to 60 g SAP in the absorbent core. This embodiment, which also has a double channel oriented along the longitudinal axis of the absorbent core, has a limited swelling area; it hardens due to its high SAP content when it swells, and therefore disturbs the baby using the diaper.
Another disclosure is the patent document having the publication number EP2928431A1 and titled “Absorbent Product with Channels”. This disclosure mentions that the absorbent product contains two symmetrical channels in a curved structure. The curves are directed at angles of 20 degrees or more, and the absorbent core contains 80% and more SAP by weight. In this disclosure, due to the fact that the two channels limit the absorbent core and with the high SAP content, when the diaper gets wet, a hard structure is formed, which also disturbs the baby anatomically.
Another disclosure is the patent document having the publication number EP3038581A1 and titled “Absorbent products with Channels”. In this document, an embodiment with two overlapping channels is disclosed with a superabsorbent particle amount in the range of 70% to 100% in the absorbent core.
Another disclosure is the patent document with the publication number EP3536294A1 and titled 'Absorbent products with Channels". In this document, a channel embodiment that transforms into a channel form by combining the absorbent core wrap layers and that increases in width regularly throughout the absorbent core is disclosed. A channel embodiment with an increased width in the absorbent core mentioned here causes the liquid flow to accelerate suddenly, causing leaks from the diaper.
Another disclosure is the patent document with the publication number EP3711730A1 and titled "Absorbent Articles and Production Method Thereof". In this document, there is an embodiment in which two channels are combined with an intermediate channel on the channeled absorber region structure. The absorbent core in this embodiment is formed by combining two channels with an intermediate channel. Due to the fact that there are two channels and an intermediate channel, the liquid coming to the absorbent core is absorbed in a very long time. This causes skin irritations such as rash and redness. OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed to eliminate the aforementioned disadvantages.
The objective of the invention is to reduce the time that the urine is absorbed by the diaper, and thereby the contact time of the urine with the baby's skin, with a single channel structure extending along the absorbent core. With the said single channel structure, rash, redness, irritation and similar skin disorders are prevented.
Another objective of the invention is to prevent the clumping problem due to the accumulation of liquid in one region by providing optimum level of fluid absorption in the absorbent core by means of the single channel structure, and thus to provide a more effective use of the diaper.
Another objective of the invention is to keep the amount of SAP in the absorbent core consisting of SAP and cellulose below 80% by weight. Thus, with the present improvement, the diaper swells when it absorbs urine, but since the cellulose content is higher than that in the state of the art, it does not harden and does not cause anatomical discomfort to the baby.
Another objective of the invention is to ensure that the absorbent core is used efficiently by spreading the liquid throughout the absorbent core by keeping the SAP amount below 80% in the present single channel diaper. Thus, the liquid does not accumulate in the middle (mesh) part of the diaper by ensuring that the liquid is spread over the entire absorbent core of the diaper, and the homogeneous distribution of the liquid is thereby ensured.
Another objective of the invention is to keep the SAP amount below 80% in the present single channel diaper, whereby it is aimed for preventing the liquid coming into the said absorbent core from being accumulated, and thereby preventing it from making the said region heavier, such that the said accumulated liquid is prevented from causing sagging and hardening in the absorbent core.
Another objective of the invention is to ensure that the liquid coming into the absorbent core is delivered to all parts of the said absorbent core by keeping the SAP amount below 80% in the present single channel diaper, whereby the performance and lifetime of the product is ensured to increase.
Another objective of the invention is to provide an acquisition and distribution layer (ADL) being in the form of air-through structure, which is located between the absorbent topsheet and the absorbent core and which helps the liquid to run away from the baby's skin quickly and thus helps to prevent possible rash, redness, etc. skin irritations. This acquisition and distribution layer (ADL) helps the channel to distribute the liquid at the first contact of the liquid with the diaper.
The invention developed for achieving the above objectives is an absorbent hygiene product comprising a topsheet in contact with the skin, an outermost liquid impermeable backsheet, an absorbent core which is located between said topsheet and said backsheet, traps the liquid, wrapped by nonwoven fabric, and comprises SAP and/or PULP material, and the said product further comprises
• an absorbent core comprising less than 80% SAP by weight,
• a channel which is free of SAP and PULP, extends along the longitudinal axis in said absorbent core, and formed by interconnecting said nonwoven fabric wrap layers,
• an acquisition and distribution layer (ADL) positioned between the liquid permeable topsheet and the nonwoven fabric-wrapped absorbent core.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, said single channel structure has a length of at least 10% of the length of said absorbent core in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the absorbent core.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said single channel structure has a width in the range of 5 mm to 20 mm along the horizontal axis of the absorbent core.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said single channel has a width of 10 mm preferably.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said acquisition and distribution layer (ADL) is produced with air through technology. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said acquisition and distribution layer has a weight per unit area in the range of 10 g/m2 to 80 g/m2.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said acquisition and distribution layer (ADL) comprises an amount of 75% and more synthetic fibers.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said absorbent core comprises less than
80% SAP by weight, preferably in the range of 50% to 79%.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Figure 1 : The top view of the absorbent hygiene product, which is the subject of the invention.
Figure 2: The side sectional view of the absorbent hygiene product that is the subject of the invention.
REFERENCE NUMBERS
10. Absorbent core
11. Length of absorbent core
12. Width of absorbent core
20. Topsheet
30. Backsheet
40. Acquisition and distribution layer (ADL)
50. Superabsorbent polymer (SAP)
60. Cellulose fibers (PULP)
70. Nonwoven fabric wrap layer
80. Channel
81. Length of the channel 82. Width of the channel
X-axis
Y-axis
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention is generally an absorbent hygiene product consisting of an absorbent core (10) positioned between a liquid-permeable topsheet (20) and a liquid- impermeable backsheet (30).
The absorbent core (10) essentially comprises a mixture of superabsorbent polymer (SAP) (50) particles and cellulose fibers (PULP) (60), and also comprises a nonwoven fabric wrap (70) surrounding this mixture. This nonwoven fabric wrap (70) may comprise a single layer wrapped around the absorbent core, or may comprise two layers, top and bottom, which are adhered to each other.
The absorbent core (10) is the layer of the diaper that basically performs the function of absorbing and trapping the liquid. The fact that the absorbent core (10) comprises less than 80% by weight SAP (50) in the absorbent hygiene product according to the invention prevents the diaper from hardening when the diaper absorbs urine and swells, which helps the diaper to have a structure being more compatible with the anatomy of the babies.
As seen in Figure 1 , a single channel (80) structure is formed in the absorbent core (10) of the absorbent hygiene product according to the invention, extending along the longitudinal axis. This single channel (80) structure does not contain SAP and cellulose (50, 60). This channel (80) is obtained by joining the nonwoven fabric layers (70) above and below the said absorbent core (10) with each other by thermal, mechanical, ultrasonic or adhesive bonding.
The structure of the single channel (80) has a length (81) of at least 10% of the length of the said absorbent core (11 ) in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent core (10), that is, in the Y axis direction. Again, the structure of the channel (80) has a width (82) in the range of 5 mm to 20 mm, preferably 10 mm, horizontally, that is, along the X-axis of the absorbent core (10). As seen in Figure 2, the invention also comprises an acquisition and distribution layer (ADL) (40) positioned between the liquid permeable topsheet (20) and the absorbent core (70) wrapped by the nonwoven fabric layer (10). The acquisition and distribution layer (ADL) (40) located between the liquid permeable topsheet (20) and the absorbent core (10) is produced with air through technology and can have a weight per unit area in the range of 10 g/m2 to 80 g/m2. Furthermore, said acquisition and distribution layer (40) (ADL) is produced from synthetic fibers, which is available in the amount of 75% and more therein. Said absorbent core (10) comprises less than 80% by weight, preferably in the range of 50% to 79% by weight of superabsorbent polymer (SAP) (50).
As a result, with SAP (50) amount below 80%, a single channel (80) structure and ADL (40), an absorbent hygiene product is obtained in which the integrity of the absorbent core (10) is preserved by homogeneously distributing the incoming liquid into the front side and back side thereof, which is not sagging and clumping, which has a high absorbency capacity, and which is anatomically compatible with the body of the user.