CA1109602A

CA1109602A - Deodorant mini-pad sanitary napkin

Info

Publication number: CA1109602A
Application number: CA303,844A
Authority: CA
Inventors: James A. Ginocchio
Original assignee: Personal Products Co
Current assignee: Personal Products Co
Priority date: 1977-05-23
Filing date: 1978-05-23
Publication date: 1981-09-29
Also published as: NL7805583A; IT7849467A0; LU79690A1; FI781615A; NO781765L; FI61625B; SE7805818L; NO142858C; FI61625C; ATA369878A; AU3628278A; FR2391713A1; NO142858B; BE867375A; IT1105451B; DK228978A; DE2819865A1; AU517753B2; NZ187296A

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure A sanitary napkin is provide containing a perfume composition and means for inhibiting migration of components of the perfume composition. Means comprise providing within the napkin at least on elongated narrow strip element. The strip element carries the perfume composition and extends generally longitudinally within the napkin. Preferably, the strip element is a cellulosic string.

Description

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B;A'CKGROUND'OF`l~E' INVENTrON

This present invention relates to sanitary napkins and more particularly relates to sanitary napkins being ' provided with perfumes or deodorants for masking or otherwise reducing the perception of malodorous body f~uids absorbed and retained by ehe napkins in use.
Sanit y napkins generally comprise an elongated absorbent body or pat of such absorbent materials as wood pulp, cotton, wadding and the like having two ma~or surfaces, one of ~;;
which i8 to be worn against the boty of the user and the other away from the body. The surface worn against the body i8 often -~ ' provided wieh a porous cover for containing the absorbent mater~al and this cover mar extend c~pletely or partially arount'the pad. The surface worn a;way from the body generally has an impervious cover overlying it to preclude body fluids absorbed by the pad from transferring through the pad and onto ' 'the undergarment or other clothing of the wearer. This '' impervious cover can be provided on the outer most surface of the napkin or below the porous cover if such porous cover extends around the entire pad. Recently, the describet sanitary nàpkins have been provided with a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive overlying the outer most surface of the napkin on the surface worn away from the body. The purpose of this pressure sensitive adhesive is to adhere to the crotch ~25 portion of the user's undergarment and preclude the napkin from shifting from the intended in-use position.
The above-describ'ed napkins are generally worn during mEnstruation for a period~of time up to several hours ' ' .
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96~2 in the course of which time they ab~orb and retain a substan-tial quantity of menstrual fluid. This retained menstrual fluid is known to contain various highly malodorous compounds such as amines and fa~ty acids. To obviate the potential for embarrassment and d~scom~ort for the user, the art has long sought methods for masking or otherwise deodorizing such products. These prior art suggestions have considered adding, generally to the absorbebt pad, deodorizing sgents or perfumes in the form of either powders or liquids. In èach instance, the addition of either of these two forms of agents has created problem~. In the case of powders, it has been difficult to incorporate and maintain ~uch materials into a pad comprised of loosely assoc~ated absorbent material. Instead, there is a tendency for the powders to dust out. Further, powders are ~lS~ difficult to handle on the high speed processing equipment used to manufacture sanitary napkins.
~ Accordingly, the art has found a preference for using `1 liquid perfumes and deodorants in that these are more easily handled in manufacturing procedures. It has been suggested that the absorbent pad of the product be impregnated with perfumes or ha~e a line of perfume extruted onto its surface " . .
pr~or to being incorporated into a sanitary napkin. While the employment of impregnated or extruded liquids has the great - , advantage of simplifying manufacturing procedures, this method has been discovered to have serious drawbacks, particularly when employed in the manufacture of napkins having, as the impervious cover, a fi~m of polymeric material such as polyethylene and still more particularly when such napkins are further provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive attachment ~stem. It has been discovered . .

that as the products age, e.g., during storage or on the shelf of a retailer, there'is a definite tendency'for the impregnated ` or extruded liquid to migrate into the impervious film cover and into the presqure sensitive adhesive. The nature of perfumes generally used is such that migrat~on into the fi~m cover disadvantageously acts to plasticize the cover, rendering it weak or easily torn and, in any event, forming wrinkles which are aesthetically undesirable. Even more disadvanta-geously, migration of the perfume into the pressure sensiti~e adhesive, seriously degrades the adhesive to the point where it losses a significant proportion of its cohesive properties, is unsatisfactory in maintaining the napkin in its proper in-use position, and tends to delaminate from the impervious cover and be deposlted onto the user's undergarment. ~ ~-?
15In~view of these drawbacks, there is a need to ,~ , .
provide a more effec~ive sanitary napkin havi'ng a liquid perfume therein and a method for manufacturing such a napkin.
'.' ; SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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In accordance with this invention, it has been discovered that a'sanitary napkin may be provided having a liquid perfume thereLn in a manner by which the perfume will ' be greatly inhibited from undesirably migrating to certain areas of the napkin. In particular, a sanitary napkin is provited comprising an elongated and generally rectangular abso~bent body or pad having first and second major surfaces.
The first major surface is intended to be worn against the ~:

body and the second major surface is intended to be worn away from the body. An impervious cover overlies the second major surface and preferably, there is provided on this impervious cover, a layer of pre~sure sensitive adhesive for maintaining the napkin in position during use.
In accordance with a broad aspect of the invention, there is provided a sanitary napkin comprising an elongated absorbent body having first and second major surfaces, an im-pervious cover overlying at least one of said major surfaces and a perfume composition disposed within the napkin, said napkin being provided with perfume composition migration in-hibiting means, said means comprising providing at least one `~
elongated narrow strip element, said strip element carrying ... .
; said perfume composition and extending generally 1ongitudinally s within said napkin.
The napkin is provided with a perfume composition , which generally comprises a formulation of essential oils, sol-vents and other additives designed to provide the perfume com-~, position with desired properties. In accordance with this in-,.f 20 vention, means are provided for inhibiting the migration of the perfume composition components to undesired areas of this nap-`~ kin. These perfume migration inhibiting means comprise provid-, ing at least one elongated narrow strip element carrying said perfume, the element extending generally longitudinally within the napkin. Preferably the element is buried within the ab~
sorbent body of the napkin. It has been discovered that, for reasons not yet totally understood, by concentrating the per-fume composition on the narrow element and preferably burying -~
this element within the absorbent body, the tendency for migra-tion of the components of the perfume toward the lmpervious cover and the pressure-sensitive adhesive is greatly inhibited , ~ .
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and products made in this manner may be stored for long periods of time without the adverse effects on the cover or the adhesive heretofore experienced.
The narrow strip element may take the form of ribbons of woven or nonwoven fabric or filaments of natural or synthetic materials, as, for example, strips of cloth, gauze, tissue or the like. me preferred form, however, is a string or yarn of cotton, rayon, polyester or other cellulosic material impreg-nated with the liquid perfume.
In another aspect of this invention, a method is pro- ~-vided for manufacturing the above-described sanitary napkin. In accordance with this method, a supply of the narrow element ma-terial is provided carrying the requisite quantity of perfume. -;
For example, a spool of rayon string that has been impregnated with the liquid perfume is provided. me narrow elemen~ is fed into a pad forming device which consists essentially of an end-less air-pervious belt onto which loose particles or fibers of absorbent material is air-laid to form a continuous ribbon of loosely associated absorbent material. The narrow element is suspended above and longitudinal with the belt so that the con-tinuous ribbon of absorbent material is formed around the ele-ment. The ribbon is then compacted by passing under compression rolls and is covered and cut into individual sanitary napkins.
In accordance with another broad aspect of the in- -vention, there is provided a process for manufacturing elongat-ed absorbent bodies having a perfume composition disposed there-in comprising~
providing a supply of elongated narrow strip elements carrying said perfume composition, continuously feeding said narrow element into a pad-forming device comprising an endless air-pervious belt and `:

means for air-laying loose particles of absorbent material thereon;
suspending said strip element above and longitudinal with said belt, and air-laying loose particles of absorbent materials onto said belt and around at least one of said strip elements to form an absorbent body having at least one of said perfume composi-tion carrying strip elements disposed therein, said narrow strip element providing the only perfume in said body.
, 10 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The improvements of the present invention will be ~;
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v~ more readily understood by reference to the following drawings -~ in which: ~

~ Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sanitary napkin -:.
of the present invention as viewed onto the maior surface in-' tended to be worn away from the body and with parts removed to .
show internal construction, Fig. 2 is a transverse, cross-sectional, view of the napkin of Fig. 1 taken through lines 2-2 of Fig. 1, ~;

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Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of ~ -the napkin of Fig. 2 taken through line 3-3 of Fig- 2; ~
, Fig. 4 is a plan view of the napkin of Fig l; ~ -- Fig. 5 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 6 is a scham~tic, longitudinal, cross-sectional view of a manufacturing line for producing the absorbent pads for use in the sanitary napkins of this invention. `~-,. . :
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~l DETAITFD DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
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~ Referring now to Figs. 1-4, there is illustrated a `~ Janitary napkin lO embodying the teachings of the invention.
The napkin 10 comprises an absorbent body or pad 12 which can be made from any of e~e many well-known materiaIs having body $1uid absorbing propertLes~ such as comminuted wood pulp, l 15 ` cotton linters, rayon fibers, cotton staple, bleached sulfite ,! creped wadding reconstituted cellulose foams, natural sponges, chemically modified cellu~ose, synthetic absorbent materials such as hydrophilic polyurethane and the like and combinations thereof. When the absorbent material is loosel~ associated particulate matter, e.g., fibers, powders, crumbs or the like, 1-ehe absorbent body 12 is provited with a body fluid pervious cover 14 which covers the ma~or surface 16 intended to be worn against the body of the user and may also cover the sides of the absorbent body as well as portions of the major surface 18 intended to be worn away from the body. As sho~n in the specific embodiment of the drawings, the porous cover 14 .

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- can be a knitted, woven, or nonwoven fabric or paper made from a variety of cellu~osic, or synthetic materials. It will also be understood that in certain circumstances, as when the absorbent body 12 has sufficient integrity, the need for a ~;
porous cover may be obviated and the cover dispensed with. ~ ;~
For example, the absorbent body may take the form of molded polyurethane or cellulosic foam or of fiberous absorbent materiaL having an adhesive binder dispersed therein to give -~
the body 1-2 structural integrlty. In the~e instances, a pervious cover may be unnecessary.
Overlying the surface 18 worn away from the body is a fluid impervious barrier sheet 20 which can be made, for -example, of such film forming materials as polyethylene, polyproplylene~cellophane, or from impregnated flu~d repellent paper or similar fluid impervious sheetlike~materials.
The barrier sheet 20 and the cover 14 may be sealed together to envelop the absorbent body by means well-known in the art such as, for example, by use of adhesives (not shown).
The outer surface of barrier sheet 20 is provided with a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive preferably taking the form of at least one narrow adhesive band 22 which pre-ferably extends throughout the longitudinal direction of the ;~
napkin. As described above, the adhesive is prov~ded to adhere the napkin to the crotch portion of the wearer's u~der-garment and retain the napkin in proper position during use.
The adhesive band may comprise any of a large number of pressure sensitive adhesives available o~ the mQrket, inclu~g, for example, the so-called cold pressure sensitive a&esives such as the acrylate adhesives, ~1~96~
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e.g., vinyl acetate-2 ethylhexyl acetate copolymer which is generally combined with tackifiers such as, for example, ethylene amine. Alternatively-, the adhesive may comprise the rapid setting themoplastic (hot melt) adhesives such as block copolymers exemplified by styrene-isoprene, styrene-ethylene-butylene and butadiene-styrene copolymers. The adhesive band may also comprise a two-sided adhesive tape.
The adhesive band is protected by a releasable strip 24, illustrated in Fig. l in a partially peeled off L0 position, and provided to protect the adhesive during storage and handling prior to use.
In accordance with the teachings of the invention, the sanitary napkin lO is provided with a masking or deodor-izing perfume and means are provided for inhibiting the migration of components of the perfume compo~ition to the barrier sheet 20 and the pressure sensitive adhesive band 22.
These means comprise providing a carrier for the perfume c~mposition consisting of at least one elongated narrow element extending longitudinally within the napkin. This narr~w ~ . .
element is exemplified in the embotiment illustrated in the draw~ngs as a string 26 impregnatet with a Liquid perfume co~position and buried within the absorbent body 12. It will be understood by one skilled ~n the art that while a string is used to exemplify the invention, various forms of elongated narrow elements may be employed for carrying the perfume.
For example, the narrow element may take the form of a narrow ribbon of woven or nonwoven fabric or a thin, narrow strip of film material such as polyethylen~ cellophane,or the llke.

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In some cases, the element ~ust be provided with mean~ for insuring thàt the perfume is carried on the element,such as adding substances which will cause the perfume to adhere to the element. Preferably, however, the element is in the form ;~
of a string or yarn of material which can easily be impreg-nated with the preferred liquid perfumes as, for example, a length of cellulose (e.g., cotton or rayon~ string or yarn.
String is characterized by the count of the yarn and the number of plies of yarn that are braided together and is . .
available in a wide range of these parameters. Count is a number indicative of the weight per unit length of the braidet string. GeneraIly, a string satisfactory for the ~ !
purpose of this invention is one which i~ strong enough to withstand processing and which can carry the requlsite ;~
quantity of perfume, preferably by being impregnated with the .
perfume. Suitable strings for this purpose are polyester, rayon and cotton strings having counts from about 2 _o about 8 in 2, 3, ; 4, or 5 plies. These exhibit tensile ~trengths of at least 10 pound~ ant yield from about 600 to about 1,950 yards per pound. The string may be impregnated with liquid perfume by unwinding from a spool, drawing the string through a perfume bath and then rewinding the string onto a second spool.
Preferably the rewound spool is conditioned by allowing it to age for a period of time in a hermetically sealed bag to allow the perfume to become uniformly distributed on the spool.
The amount of perfume which the string should carry is, of course, primarily a function of the quantity of perfume desired in each napkin. Generally, this value is about 0.02-to 0.08 gm~napkin. Accordingly, for the embodimen~

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shown in Figs. i-4, wherein a single straight strand of string is contained within a napkin having a pad length o~, for ~example, six inches, the string should carry about 0.0033 to about 0.0133 gm. of perfume per inch. Naturally, if two straight strands were used in the same napkin, this required carrying capacity of the string would be reduced by a factor of tw~. In Fig. 5, a sanitar~ napkin 10' illustrates still another variation in which two strings 26' are employed and ` ext~nded through the longitudinal lehgth of the napkin pad in a non-linear, wavy pattern. In this instance, for a six-inch pad, still less ca,,~ing capacity is required per unit length of string.
The particular perfumes carried by the elongated narrow çlementq of this invention form no par,t of this inven-tion and may be varied to so great a degree as to defy classification or description. Reference is instead made herein to "Cosmetics, Science and Technology," secont etition, edited by M. S. Balsam and Edward Sagain and published by John Wiley ~ Sons, inc. of New York, 1972. In particular, reference i3 made to Chapter 32 "Fragrance," written by M.-S. Balsam for examples of the variety of perfume formula-tions possible.
Referring now to Fig. 6, illustrated therein, in schematic cross-sectional view, is one method of incorporating the elongated narrow element into the absorbent boty or pad 12 of the sanitary napkin of this invention. A source of supply 30 of loosely associated absorbent material 32 is laid down onto an endless, air pervious, moving belt 34 on which is progressively built up a loosely associated ribbon 36 of the absorbent material. To facilitate ~he formi~g of this .

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ribbo~ 36, air is aspira~ed from beneath the belt in the direction shown by the arrow in the drawing, the aspiration being made effective by enclosing the volume below the belt 34 in a housing 38. The means for aspirating (not s-hown) may be, for example, a common air-vacuum pump. The loosely ; associatet ribbon 36 passes from the air-pervious endless belt 34 onto a second endless belt 40 and between the nip of compression rollers 42 wherein it is formed into a densified absorbent ribbon 44. After passing co~pression roller 42, ~;
the den~ified ribbon i8 then passed to rotating knife 46 whlch cooperates with an anvil roller 48 to cut the densified ribbon into the desired lengths of absorbent bodies 12 for use in ~-the sanitary napkin~ of this invention.
A supply spool 50 of the elongated narrow element -; 15 which carries the perfume, i.e., string 26, is unwound, and i~ passed under guide rol}er 52 ant suspended over and longitudinal with air-pervious endless belt 34. The string 26 : is then gripped and pulled through compression rollers 42.
As can be seen from the drawings, the loosely associated rlbbon 36 is formed around the suspended string 26 which remains within the ribbon as it is compressed by the compres-sion rollers 42 and passed to the knife 46. The knife then cuts not onLy the densified ribbon 44 but likewise the string 26 into lengths desired for use in the napkins of - : :
2S this invention.

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COMP~RATIVE EXAMPLE

A series of sanitary napkin samples were prepared to investigate the migration of components of a perfume placed within each nap~in by various methods and also by the method in accordance with the teachings of this invention. Each of the sanitary napklns uset conformed in size, weight and con-struction to the unscented, adhesively attached, sanitary napkin now being 801t by Personal Products Company of Milltown,New 3ersey, as STAYFREE Mini-Pads. Such napkins have the configuration shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and comprise a pad oi- wood-pulp fluff measuring approximately 6-1/4 x 1-7/8 x 1/4 inches and weighting about 3 g~s. Thè napkins are provided with a porous nonwoven cover~and a polyethylene barrier - sheet approximately 2 mils thick. The pressure sensti~e ad~esive used is of the hot melt variety and comprises styrene/isoprene copolymer.
The nap~s were equally tivided into Sample sets and each napkin was provided with 0.04 gms. of a liquid perfume compo~ition comprising essential oils and diethyl phthalate as a diluent. The placement of the perfume was as follows:
Sample 1 --- A line of perfume composition was extruded onto the pulp pad directly below the polyethylene barrier fi~m 25- and the pressure sensitive adhesive.
Sample 2 --- A line of perfume composition was extruded onto the pulp pad directly - below the polyethylene ~arrier film - and adjacent a longitudinal edge of 3~ the napkin.

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Sample 3 --- A line of perfume compos~tion was extruded onto the body-contact~ng surface of the pulp pad and in the longitudinal center of th~s surface.
Sample 4 --- A line of perfume composition was ~-extruded onto a longitudinal side of the pulp pad neas the body-contactiag surface.
Sample 5 --- A two-ply, two-count, bleached white,-absorbent, rayon string yielding about 890 yds./lb.~as impregnated with the perfume composition and placed - ~-into the approximate center of the pad using the method described herei~
to produce the configuration shown in Fig. 1.
Each set o~ samples was stored for several weeks at ambient conditions in paper-board boxes with forty-eight napkins to a box. From time to time, sampleswere removed a~d tested for the presence of diethyl phthalate in the pressure sensitive adhesive. The analytical method uæed for this was attenuated total reflect-ance infrared spectroscopy, as i8 described in "Internal Reflection Spectroscopy,"
N.J. Harrick, Joh~ Wily & Sons, ~.Y. 1967. The equipment usedWas a Perkin Elmer 621 Infrared Spectrophotometer provided with a Harrick variable angle ATR accessory.
A thallium iodide-thallium bromide crystal, designated as -KRS-S SPT, measuring 52 x 20 x 2 mm, cut at an angle of 45 ' ' - ' ~.

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and having 25 internal reflecti~ns, is employed. The crystal was covered on bot~ sides with tke sample and the angle of incidence is adjusted to 5~; The presence of phthalatewas qualitatively detected by an absorption band at 1280 cm~l.
. The samples were examined for the presence of phthalate migration and the condition of the polyethylene fi~m. The results of this exa~ination is summarized in Table I.

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3 Z 3 Z S CZ S CZ ~ C C
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o o o :~ o ~ o :~:~ 0 0~ 0 0~ ~ s 0 0 s 0 0 ~ 0~
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As can be seen from Table I, it is only Sample 5 embodying the teachings of this invention which exhibits inhibition of migration into the adhesive, no barrier film wr~ g and no migration onto the adjacent napkins.

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Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-

1. A sanitary napkin comprising an elongated absorbent body having first and second major surfaces, an impervious cover overlying at least one of said major surfaces and a perfume composition disposed within the napkin, said napkin being provided with perfume composition migration inhibiting means, said means comprising providing at least one elongated narrow strip element, said strip element carrying said perfume composition and extending generally longitudinally within said napkin.

2. The sanitary napkin of Claim 1 having a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive overlying the impervious cover.

3. The sanitary napkin of Claim 1 wherein said strip element carries about 0.02 to about 0.08 gm. of perfume composition per napkin.

4. The sanitary napkin of Claim 1 wherein said strip element is a ribbon of woven fabric.

5. The sanitary napkin of Claim 1 wherein said strip element is a ribbon of non-woven fabric.

6. The sanitary napkin of Claim 1 wherein said strip element is a polymeric film.

7. The sanitary napkin of Claim 1 wherein said strip element is a cellulosic material.

8. The sanitary napkin of Claim 1 wherein said strip element is a string.

9. The sanitary napkin of Claim 8 wherein said string is rayon.

10. The sanitary napkin of Claim 8 wherein said string is cotton.

11. The sanitary napkin of Claim 8 wherein the string has a count of from 2 to 8.

12. The sanitary napkin of Claim 8 wherein the string has from 2 to 5 plies.

13. The sanitary napkin of Claim 8 wherein the string has a tensile strength of at least 10 pounds.

14. The sanitary napkin of Claim 8 wherein the string yields from about 600 to about 1950 yards per pound.

15. The sanitary napkin of Claim 1 comprising a plurality of elongated narrow strip elements.

16. A process for manufacturing elongated absorbent bodies having a perfume composition disposed therein comprising:
providing a supply of elongated narrow strip elements carrying said perfume composition;
continuously feeding said narrow element into a pad-forming device comprising an endless air-pervious belt and means for air-laying loose particles of absorbent material there-on;
suspending said strip element above and longitudinal with said belt; and air-laying loose particles of absorbent material onto said belt and around at least one of said strip elements to form an absorbent body having at least one of said perfume com-position carrying strip elements disposed therein, said narrow strip element providing the only perfume in said body.