ABSORBENT GARMENTS ON SINGLE ROLL

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Absorbent products, such as baby diapers have a 90 to 95% market penetration in the United

States and Europe. The levels of market penetration in some of the emerging market countries such as China and India are less than 5 %. Part of the reason for this low level of penetration is the relative high cost of these products in those markets.

Manufacturers of absorbent products in the emerging market countries face an enormous challenge in trying to find ways to produce lower cost products. The cost of raw materials comprise up to seventy to eighty percent of the cost to manufacture such products. In order to produce a functional absorbent product a minimum amount of conventional materials need to be employed. If a manufacturer reduces the amount of material used beyond this minimum, the functionality of the product is greatly diminished. Absorbent products such as baby diapers, feminine hygiene pads and adult incontinent products are typically constructed of several different types of materials. These products typically consist of a permeable non-woven top sheet, an impermeable back sheet and an absorbent core sandwiched there between. The absorbent core typically consists of wood fluff and a water- absorbing polymer, which is prepared from monomers of acrylic acid. This water-absorbing polymer referred to, as Super Absorbent Polymer or SAP, can constitute 20% to 30 % of the material cost of the product. In addition, as of the date of the present writing, there is a worldwide shortage of SAP driving costs even higher. In addition, wood fluff can cost an addition 10 — 20% of the material cost of the product.

Another cost factor is the cost of packaging and shipping. Typically, absorbent garments are packed in plastic film bags. In some cases the products are compressed packed to increase the number of product per square meter. However, there is a limit how many absorbent garments with wood fluff absorbent cores can be compressed. Absorbent garments that use synthetic cores can be compressed to a greater degree enabling higher number of product per square, but there can be some difficulty in removing such products from compressed bags. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for novel approaches for packaging absorbent garments which reduce the cost and to make it easier for the consumer to remove product from the packaging.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention provides for a package containing multiple absorbent garment comprising at least two absorbent garments spooled around a spooling means. The spooling means includes card board or plastic cylinders or rods. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the absorbent garments are rolled without a spooling means. The roll of absorbent garments are either placed in a bag or provided with a tab to prevent the roll from unraveling.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the absorbent garments are Z folded into a containment means. The containment means can be a cardboard or plastic box with an opening on one side for the purpose of removing product.

The above and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1 illustrates a perforated cut between two absorbent garments.

Figure 2 illustrates the manufacture of perforated absorbent garments that are spooled around a cylinder, providing for cost effective packaging.

Figure 3 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention wherein the absorbent garments are Z folded into a container, wherein the container includes an opening (not shown) for easy removal of product.

Figure 4 illustrates multiple garments on a spooling means and displayed on a wall mount.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The invention relates to a cost effective and convenient packaging for absorbent products.

In one embodiment, the absorbent garments are wound or spooled around a spooling means. In another embodiment the absorbent garments are Z folded into a containment means. In yet another embodiment the absorbent garments are rolled without a core as a separate component (coreless roll).

Absorbent products packaged in the manner of the present invention provide a much more convenient package for the care giver to use. The product could be mounted above a baby diaper changing area, providing easy access for the care giver to remove individual diapers. In addition, from a manufacturing perspective, the cost of packaging is greatly reduced because of the removal of all components of a conventional diaper machine dedicated to conventional bag packaging and compressed bag packaging. These savings allow for a lower cost product to be introduced into the market

The types of absorbent products that can be packaged by the present invention include disposable diapers, incontinent pads, sanitary napkins wherein the absorbent core comprises synthetic fibers and super absorbent particulate. It is believed that diapers with wood fluff based absorbent cores would not be suitable for roll packaging. Conventional fuff diapers would be too thick to roll, hi addition, reduced fluff diapers are typically compressed and therefore would be too stiff to be rolled properly. Synthetic core diapers are thin and flexible enough to be rolled packed. FIGURE 1 is a top view of first disposable diaper 101 and second disposable diaper 102 with perforated cut 103. The perforated cut 103 allows a consumer to easily separate the first diaper from the second diaper when packaged according to the present invention. It is understood that a variety of absorbent garment constructions know in the art could incorporate the absorbent core of the present invention and be rolled packed. FIGURE 2 illustrates the manufacture of multiple absorbent garments 105 moving in the machine direction on conveyor 106 and their spooling about spooling means 107 to create a rolled product.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the manufacture of multiple absorbent garments 105 moving in the machine direction on conveyor 106 and their folding in the Z direction and packing into containment means 110. The Z folded product can then be removed from the box through an opening in one side of the box. The configuration would be similar to a paper tissue box.

Figure 4 illustrates the multiple garments on 105 on spooling means 107 and hung on wall attachment 120. A care giver (parent or nurse etc.) could easily remove individual diapers from the

roll rather than having to pull a product from a bag, especially a compressed bag which is even more difficult.

The "top sheet" of the present invention can be any permeable polymeric plastic non-woven sheet known in the state of the art. A suitable top sheet may be made from apertured plastic films, polyolefin fibers (e.g. polyethylene or polypropylene fibers) or combinations thereof. It is understood that additional layers may be present between the absorbent core and the top sheet, such as an acquisition or transfer layer.

The "absorbent core" can be any synthetic material known in the state of the art that can be made into tow. Such materials include synthetic materials such as polyolefins, rayon, polycarbonates and cellulose acetate. Polyolefins include polypropylene and polyethylene.

The "super absorbent particulate" or SAP suitable for the present invention is any water swellable polymeric gel such as polymers of acrylic acid. Batches of SAP typically consist of particle size of various ranges. In some cases particulate sizes of a certain range are suitable. A typical batch of conventional SAP will have a mass median particle size in the range between 300 microns and 800 microns with residual amounts (<5%) of SAP in the mass median particle size in the range of 30 to 50 microns. It is possible to use smaller mass median particle sizes with tow based manufacturing processes than is possible with conventional wood fluff manufacturing methods.

A manufacturing process to produce the absorbent garment suitable for the present packaging method include those disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,923,926, which is incorporated herein in a manner consistent with the present invention.

The "back sheet" of the present invention can be any polymeric plastic and/or non-woven sheet known in the state of the art. A suitable back sheet may be made from films polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, nylon, and polyvinyl chloride and blends of these materials. A suitable back sheet needs to have a region that is liquid impermeable (liquid impermeable zone), preferably in the center of the sheet. The impermeable zone may created with laminate procedures known in the art. The sheet may also be made entirely of material that is liquid impermeable. It is understood that additional layers may be present between the absorbent core and the back sheet.

The "spooling means" includes rods or cylinders made of card board or plastic. The card board cylinders can be similar to those used for toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls. The absorbent products can be spooled according to methods for producing paper towels or toilet paper that are well know in the art. It is understood that it is possible to manufacture the cylinders from

the waste (leg cut outs etc.) produced in manufacturing the absorbent garments of the present invention.

Suitable methods for spooling absorbent garments of the present invention include those disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,595,459, 5,810,282, 5,690,297, 6,050,519, 5,542,622, 4,723,724, 5,853,140, 5,769,352, and 4,856,725 which are incorporated herein in a manner consistent with the present invention. In addition, another suitable method would be the "coreless" spooling method disclosed in US Patent No. 4,783,015, which are incorporated herein in a manner consistent with the present invention. In all cases, since the methods referenced herein were intended for products with different specifications (toilet paper, paper towels, wipers etc.), there would need to be modifications. For example, the absorbent garments of the present invention are thicker than conventional paper product such as paper towels so adjustments to the machine rolls would need to be made.

The rolled absorbent garments (with core or coreless) may include a "closing tab". Suitable closing tabs include hook and loop type enclosure or tape adhesive closure. The "containment means" can be any conventional paper or plastic box such as used for paper tissue or baby wipes.